Office of Jani Hitchen, Pierce County Council, District 6 announcement.
I want to start this last newsletter until after November 30, 2024, with a thank you to all who have engaged in my community conversations in the previous two months. We had a wonderful meeting last night at the Parkland Spanaway Library. I enjoyed answering questions, sharing information, and listening to concerns.
I have two topics to cover, and the first might have been something you saw on my social media, the TNT, or TV. I convened a meeting with local Pierce County governments to discuss a URA (Unified Regional Approach). I wanted to introduce the idea.
What is a URA?*
On Friday, April 12, I convened leaders from across the county to discuss the possibility and need for establishing a Unified Regional Approach to Homelessness (URA) for Pierce County. The path to this meeting was long and truly overdue, but I was thrilled to see and hear from 17 of our cities and towns and will continue to reach out to those who haven’t engaged.
The URA, as the name suggests, is all about unity and collaboration. It’s about bringing together our governments, non-profits, and service providers to work in tandem for the benefit of our unhoused and potentially unhoused neighbors. This approach entails sharing data, fostering collaboration, and encouraging open dialogue about the challenges and opportunities we face.
With the URA meeting behind us, I am eagerly looking forward to the next phase of our journey. I will reach out to those governments that were unable to provide feedback. I have scheduled meetings with service providers in our county. To ensure an unbiased perspective, we will be engaging a consultant from outside County government to facilitate discussions, learn, and ask the tough questions. I firmly believe that by tackling homelessness together, we can make significant strides in addressing this crisis.
I published my latest Hitchen Post and went much deeper into the details if you want to learn more.
Goodbye for Now
I have consistently shared my newsletter every other Thursday over the last 3+ years. I want everyone who reads these newsletters and has commented or thanked me for their consistency to know I really appreciate hearing that. However, the county has some very specific rules I must follow during an election year.
It states that “In any year of a general election for an office for which a County elected or appointed official is a candidate, the County elected or appointed official may not mail after April 30 through November 30 immediately following the General Election, either by regular mail or electronic mail, to a constituent at public expense a letter, newsletter, brochure, or other piece of literature.”
I will still be out in the community and respond to emails and calls, but my official Councilmember Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, Blog, and Newsletter will all essentially be on a break until November 30.
Community Connections
Parks Appreciation Day: On Saturday, April 27, different communities within District 6 are showing their parks a little love. Learn more about Lakewood’s various events happening from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. DuPont is also dedicating teams to several locations, and all are to meet at the DuPont Historical Museum between 9 and 10 a.m.
Anderson Island’s Pierce County Emergency Management Open House: Thursday, May 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 9306 Otso Point Rd.
Hunger Walk 2024: Join the community at Fort Steilacoom Park on Saturday, May 4, from 8 to 11 a.m. You can participate in the annual Hunger Walk to support the Emergency Food Network in helping feed your Pierce County neighbors facing food insecurity.
In closing, I want to thank all who have read my newsletters over the last few years again. I can’t tell you how much I love hearing that people read them, appreciate them, learn from them, or, in general, like knowing what the Council is up to. I will be back in December when the restrictions are lifted.
See you out in the community soon, and please feel free to contact my office directly in the meantime.
