Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Interim City Manager Workplan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Interim city manager updates council on pilot programs, staffing and communications
Summary
Interim city manager provided a work‑plan update covering staffing and council support, a concurrent permitting pilot targeting housing, progress on the Tacoma Rescue Mission shelter expansion, and operational savings estimated at about $4.8 million across general government.
The interim city manager reported progress across multiple operational fronts and outlined next steps to the committee. He introduced a traffic‑light status system for the work plan (green = on track, yellow = at risk, red = delayed) and identified a red dot on developing a feedback mechanism to measure the effectiveness of recently revamped council materials.
On staffing, the manager said preliminary feedback from council members has informed options for council legislative support and that proposed council staffing configurations will be considered in the 2027–28 budget. He noted a wave of retirements in several departments and an active recruitment effort for key leadership roles.
On the revenue and permitting front, staff described a concurrent permitting pilot intended to shorten permit cycles by running reviews in parallel across departments; the pilot initially targeted housing and sought to reduce an estimated six review periods. TPU water has indicated interest in joining the pilot. The manager said the pilot’s early results would be reported back to council.
He also reported progress on the Tacoma Rescue Mission shelter expansion: a construction utility issue threatened partial closure of beds and family shelter operations but staff and partners resolved the problem, and partners expect the expansion to be online by late summer.
On communications, the manager acknowledged the weekly report and city manager report are long and sometimes difficult for the public to use; staff will work on more streamlined, digital‑first reporting. He also described public‑comment responsiveness as an item needing improvement, with plans to bolster constituent relations coordination.
Finally, the manager reported estimated procurement and process savings of roughly $4.8 million across general government and about $200,000 to the general fund during the recent budget development process; he said he will transmit the written update to the full council for feedback rather than returning to OSAC for another meeting.
Next steps: staff will report pilot findings and provide revised communications materials; the manager will circulate the written update to the council.
