11/05/2021
Neighborhood Business District leaders (bcc) –
CED Liaisons will share highlights at your NBDA meetings – if you’re holding them this month. Please take the time to read through this and distribute to your membership and anyone else that may benefit.
*** If you have any needs from your CED Liaison, please contact them at any time.
If you have any questions about the below topics, please contact the person(s)/website listed.
CALL FOR CONTENT: If you have information to share that is relevant to NBDs and small businesses, please send your short summary to me by the last Thursday of each month for consideration for inclusion in the next month’s report. If you have any related flyers/handouts, please provide an electronic version.
November 2021 – CED Liaison Report to NBDAs
COT/CED Items… L]=Loan opportunity, G]=grant opportunity, P]=policy
(note: policy items may be shared by a Council Member if they are present at the NBDA meeting)
1) G] NEW $15,000 Small Business Recovery Grants – Available to qualifying small businesses located and operating within Tacoma city-limits with 15 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and a household income that is no more than 80% of area median income. Register for November 12 grant workshop and apply at Makeittacoma.com. Applications due on Nov 15. For questions, contact SB-RecoveryGrant@cityoftacoma,org or 253-591-5621
2) G] NEW $10,000-$75,000 Nonprofit Recovery Grants – Available to qualifying nonprofits impacted by the pandemic. Grant amount is set and determined my organizations budget with a bonus for “By & For” BIPOC. Priority to organizations that assist Tacoma residents or small business owners with livable wage jobs. Register for November 9 grant workshop and apply at Makeittacoma.com. Applications due on Nov 15. For questions, contact
NP-RecoveryGrant@cityoftacoma,org or 253-591-5208
The online applications for above grants are available in English, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The postcards/flyers (attached) are also available in those languages upon request.
3) L] City of Tacoma Microloan - Low-interest loans of up to $25,000 for Tacoma businesses. The microloan does not require collateral or equity and does not have a minimum credit score requirement. Flexible use and loan terms between 5-7 years.Makeittacoma.com Contact [email protected] or 253-591-5621
4) L] Washington Flex Fund - Small businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $150,000 and the money can be spent flexibly, including on payroll, utilities & rent, supplies, marketing & advertising, building improvements or repairs, and other business expenses. 60-72 Month repayment timelines. www.smallbusinessflexfund.org
5) L] G] Covid-19 Recovery Funding Opportunities – As the impacts from this pandemic continue and businesses are doing everything they can to stay open, more funding opportunities continue to become available. You are encouraged to frequently research any/all relief funds to determine which grants or loans meet your needs and which ones you may qualify for. Here are a few pages to check on a regular basis: www.makeitacoma.com, https://www.piercecountywa.gov/6754/COVID-19-Business-Updates, https://www.business.wa.gov/site/alias__business/1561/covid-19.aspx
6) Tacoma Police Tip of the Month – Safe Holiday Shopping (see attached; Spanish version also attached)
7) MBDA Training Opportunities –Several opportunities for business owners or employees to fine tune core skills or develop new ones to grow your business can be found here:
Events | MBDA Tacoma (mbda-tacoma.com)
8) Advanced Meter update - Tacoma Public Utilities continues to install Advanced Meters!. To view the map for upcoming meter swaps please visit
https://www.mytpu.org/community-environment/projects/advanced-meters/
9) Sign up for Tacoma Power’s Outage Portal - Power outages occur due to both planned and unplanned events. Stay in the know when your power goes out. Sign up for Tacoma Powers Outage portal using this link: https://mytpu.smartcmobile.com/Portal/Default.aspx
10) Check out Tacoma Water's New Water Supply Indicator - Tacoma Water has created a new Water Supply Indicator on MyTPU.org. Use this website to access the tool https://www.mytpu.org/about-tpu/services/water/water-source/
11) P] For information about upcoming policy changes and opportunities for input visit www.cityoftacoma.org City Council Committees for schedules and information (including agendas, handouts, audio from past meetings) for the following Council Committees: Economic Development; Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability; Community Vitality and Safety; Government Performance and Finance; and Committee of the Whole.
12) EVENTS permitted by the City this month:
Saturdays – Proctor Farmers Market
November 25 – Tacoma City Turkey Trot in Proctor Neighborhood; Norpoint Race to End Hunger Run in NE Tacoma
December 4 – Downtown Tacoma Partnership Holiday Haul Crawl, FREE Carriage Rides on Broadway
December 5 – Santa Parade on South Tacoma Way
(FYI - Tacoma Santa Parade is moving to STW from 6th Ave on December 5 pending approval of traffic plan)
For more information go to www.cityoftacoma.org/events and www.metroparkstacoma.org/events (new link)
***The online Calendar of events – yours and others - with dates, times and weblinks (if available) is at www.cityoftacoma.org/events
13) REMINDER: New EV chargers are coming to the City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood Business Districts! Tacoma Power is launching a Streetside EV Charging Pilot to bring more access to EV charging to our communities and ensure that residents who want to transition to an EV in the future have the ability to. In collaboration with City of Tacoma Public Works, Parking Services, and the Community and Economic Development office, we have handpicked sites that we feel will serve each business district and the growing number of EV drivers in Tacoma. Most of our business districts currently have no access to EV charging and eight of our 15 sites are in historically underinvested areas according to the City of Tacoma Equity Index. TPU conducted outreach to abutting businesses in each district to ensure support and plans to start construction on the first location this fall. If you would like to learn more about the new Streetside EV Charging Pilot and the planned locations, please visit our website or contact project manager Katherine Rice for more information at [email protected] (see attached)
14) REMINDER: Vision Zero: 20-25MPH Speed Limits for all NBDs - Tacoma is looking to lower the posted speed limit in neighborhood business districts to support Vision Zero efforts. Carrie Wilhelme, Transportation Planner, will be meeting with each business district soon to explain the effort and get input. Visit www.cityoftacoma.org/visionzero for more information.
15) REMINDER: Rapid Graffiti Removal Program - City of Tacoma property owners are eligible to receive three (3) graffiti removal services per year, at no cost to the property owner, in 2021 and 2022 through the City’s Rapid Graffiti Removal Program. To receive services, property owners or authorized representatives must submit an online authorization form or mail or email us your authorization form. For more program information, go to www.cityoftacoma.org/graffiti or email [email protected] with questions. The intention of this program is to act as an additional tool for property owners and does not replace the code compliance process. As a property owner, you are responsible to remove graffiti from your property. If you are a victim of graffiti, file a police report by calling (253) 287-4455 or going online to https://tacomasafe.org/.
Currently, the City is targeting graffiti removal services in the Neighborhood Business Districts (NBD). If you are a property owner in one of the NBDs, and do not have a signed authorization form on file with the City to enroll into the Rapid Graffiti Removal Program, please click the link above to enroll online or mail/email us your authorization form to [email protected]. Outreach services are being dispatched to the NBDs to assist in enrolling property owners into the program to receive graffiti removal services.
16) SAFETY / TEXT 911 – If you are in a dangerous situation where you are unable to call 911, you can text 911. This is a reminder to only use text when it is necessary; calling 911 for emergencies is still the preferred method. For non-emergencies, you can still contact TPD at 253-798-4722
17) TacomaFirst 311 – One-stop shop for all services: potholes, a light out, overgrown vegetation, abandoned vehicles, etc. If it is a police/fire/medical emergency call 911; otherwise, you may call 311 to report any other complaint, question, or kudo. Also available online and by smartphone (Apple, Android) app: TacomaFirst311
OTHER
Pierce Transit Driver Shortage Prompts Service Change - Pierce Transit, like many other service-oriented businesses, is experiencing a shortage of bus drivers. Because of the operator shortage, bus trips have been delayed and missed, leading to uncertainty and inconvenience for customers. We are working hard to recruit new drivers, but the process of getting them onboard and trained takes time. As a temporary remedy, Pierce Transit will reduce service levels on some routes starting Nov. 7. The goal of this change is to give riders a schedule they can rely on, even if it offers fewer trip options. Specific route adjustments can be found on our website, PierceTransit.org. We plan to restore service levels as soon as we have the staffing levels to do so. You may contact Customer Service at 253.581.8000 with questions.
Community Vans Ready to Serve - Pierce Transit recognizes that bus, vanpool and SHUTTLE service may not work for all community organizations needing to transport groups of people in areas with limited service. The Community Van program offers passenger vans to community organizations and businesses to provide transportation to clients and customers. The service costs $1.07 per mile. Maintenance and fuel are provided by Pierce Transit. More information, and an Interest Form, can be found at PierceTransit.org/CommunityVan Contact Commute Solutions at [email protected] or 253.983.3792 for details.
Be safe. Be well. Be kind.
Shari Hart, Economic Development Specialist
City of Tacoma, Community & Economic Development
Mobile 253-442-3585
[email protected]
[pronouns: she/her/hers]
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