Tacoma’s Mayor Is Taking Office Hours to Three Local Hangouts

Mayor Anders Ibsen is taking his office hours into Tacoma’s neighborhoods this October, with three visits scheduled at local food-and-drink spots. Taqueria El Grande, Jewel Box Café and Parkway Tavern will each host an hour of conversation with residents. The visits bring an opportunity to raise questions and share ideas in places people already gather.

Ibsen describes the rotating office hours as a way to bring City Hall into the community, hear directly from residents and highlight local businesses. For readers with something on their minds, that creates a straightforward reason to stop by. A concern about city services, a question about policy or an observation about your neighborhood can be a starting point for the conversation.

The first October stop is Wednesday, October 14, from 11 a.m. to noon at Taqueria El Grande, 7202 Park Ave. S. That is the next scheduled opportunity to meet with the mayor through this program. The October 7 session is canceled, so anyone planning a visit this week should adjust their calendar.

The following week, office hours move to Jewel Box Café, 5107 Grand Loop, on Wednesday, October 21, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The afternoon session gives residents another time and location to consider. It is the middle stop in a schedule that spreads this month’s conversations across three Wednesdays.

The final October visit is Wednesday, October 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Parkway Tavern, 313 N. I St., Suite 1. This is the month’s evening option, which may suit readers who cannot get away during the workday. Together, the three visits offer a choice of morning, afternoon or evening office hours.

Local business owners and managers can also suggest locations for future visits through the mayor’s website. Before heading out, check the current schedule here for any changes. And if you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to ask the mayor about something happening on your block, October offers three dates to put that question to him.