Looking back as we move forward together

Ubits

2021 Recap Magazine

p Photo courtesy of Utility Services Representative Rebecca Baird.

Looking back as we move forward together

Welcome to this special edition of Ubits capturing utility highlights from 2021. Although it is impossible to cover all the fantastic work expressed through our collective accomplishments last year, we hope this glimpse at some important utility work helps everyone move Forward Together to another exceptional year. You wouldn’t know that 2021 was the second year of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic by the sheer number of projects and goals accomplished throughout the year. we installed 81,000 (or 27.6%) of the advanced meters. Our parks reopened after the unexpected closures in 2020 due to the pandemic. Our Employee Satisfaction Survey goals continue to guide us toward better policies and practices. Tacoma Power crews conquered power outages due to wind and snowstorms and many other urgent responses over the year, and Tacoma Water overcame an industry chlorine shortage, all while continuing to serve our customers with hard work and integrity. After excellent planning and feedback from our employees, a new Unet launched in December, and our utility set records through our Community Connection fundraisers.The list of work that exceeded expectations last year is long. As we plan for reconstitution and move out of the mandatory teleworking status, we expect change will continue. A new TPU workplace will include some people teleworking permanently, some returning to the buildings at least part-time, and most of us working in a way that’s a bit different than years past. We encourage you to go to Unet to link to the reconstitution page, Moving Forward Together, for all your needs and resources. Speaking of change, you may have noticed this edition of Ubits is the first after many months and looks slightly different. We didn’t publish Ubits in 2021 due to the pandemic, but we kept collecting your stories to share in this larger special edition and as we move to a new quarterly format. We are excited to bring Ubits back and continue to share the many happenings at TPU. Watch for the next publication to arrive in your homes this spring.

If you have suggestions or tips for Ubits, email them to Communications@CityofTacoma.org. We look forward to sharing your stories as we continue moving forward together.