The following is a summation of Council actions at Monday’s 2 p.m. Full Council meeting. 8 Councilmembers present, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen excused. FULL COUNCIL: 1. Council Bill 117815 (PDF Version) PASS (8 – 0) Authorizing the Human Services Department to enter into a contract with a non-profit organization to provide outreach, engagement, case management, shelter, [...]
Month: June 2013
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Seattle City Council authorizes funds to transition campers out of city-owned ‘glass yard’ property
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/24/2013
Council President Sally J. Clark
Seattle City Council authorizes funds to transition campers out of city-owned 'glass yard' property
SEATTLE - City Council unanimously adopted legislation today authorizing the Human Services Department to provide outreach, engagement, case management, shelter, housing and other services to transition campers out of the encampment at 7116 W Marginal Way SW.
Council Bill 117815 authorizes $500,000 in new General Fund dollars for services to camping residents of the City-owned property commonly known as "Nickelsville." Residents in the surrounding community have expressed ongoing concerns about environmental contamination at the site and the public safety impact of the encampment for campers and the surrounding neighborhood. Passage of this legislation underscores a majority of councilmembers' long-standing position that encampments are not an acceptable response to homelessness in Seattle and that providing housing, treatment services, and shelter are the most appropriate assistance to set homeless individuals on a pathway to ending homelessness.
The City invests more than $30 million annually in programs and services to assist homeless individuals and families. In the past two years, the Council has provided an additional $1 million in funding for shelter, rapid re-housing and other services to help move homeless individuals and families off the streets and into shelter and housing. In recent years Council has also affirmed the constitutional right of religious organizations to provide shelter, including encampments, with minimal requirements.
"Our goal is to provide safe, secure housing, to anyone at the West Marginal Way SW location who is willing to accept it," said Council President Sally J. Clark.
Seven Councilmembers signed a letter earlier this month requesting the Mayor to direct the Human Services Department to prepare a plan to provide immediate, targeted outreach and engagement services, case management and housing, shelter and services for Nickelsville residents and closure of the encampment by September 1. Several cities, including, New Orleans, Baltimore and San Francisco have also taken the approach of providing intensive outreach and engagement efforts, coupled with the provision of housing, shelter and services to residents of encampments. The cities have been successful moving individuals at the encampments into stable, safe shelters and supported housing.
"We recognize that the problem of homelessness is a regional, state and national problem. We can't end homelessness alone, but we can help the residents of Nickelsville today - and that's worth the investment," Clark added.
The Council's Housing, Human Services, Health and Culture Committee (HHSHC) will host an evening hearing on Tuesday, June 25 regarding alternatives for encampments in the city. The next meeting of the HHSHC committee is scheduled for Wednesday, June 26, where the committee may take action on legislation broadening the ability of encampments to locate on public or private property in the city.
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Seattle City Council Confirms Pierce Murphy to serve as new Director of the Office of Professional Accountability
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/24/2013
Councilmember Bruce A. Harrell
Seattle City Council Confirms Pierce Murphy
Murphy to serve as new Director of the Office of Professional Accountability
Seattle - City Council unanimously confirmed Pierce Murphy ...
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Seattle Public Financing Going to the Voters
Later this afternoon, Seattle City Council is going to vote on an ordinance that would ask voters if they want to restore a public financing model to Seattle City Council elections. Democracy is at its best when candidates can focus on the important issues facing our city, instead of who can raise the most money. […]
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Seattle Youth Commission; North-South Multi-use Trail; Freeway Park: PaN Committee Wrap-up
The June 20th committee meeting was chock-full-o-parks and neighborhoods goodness! We considered twenty-six appointments to city commissions, two pieces of legislation, and heard an update on the Public Outreach & Engagement Liaisons (POEL) program. See the meeting agenda, or watch Seattle Channel’s video of the meeting here. Councilmember Godden and I voted to confirm or […]
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Seattle Times Column on Early Learning
Jerry Large, columnist at the Seattle Times, has a nice piece in this morning's paper about the City Council's early learning briefing last week. You can take a look here.
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REVISED Seattle City Council Introduction and Referral Calendar, June 24, 2013
REVISED Seattle City Council Introduction and Referral Calendar June 24, 2013 Revised 6/21/13 at 12:37 pm BY BURGESS 1. C.B. 117816 AN ORDINANCE appropriating money to pay certain audited claims and ordering the payment thereof. Committee referral: Full Council BY CONLIN 2. C.B. 117818 AN ORDINANCE related to land use [...]
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UP 339: Should Seattle return to public financing of elections?
Should Seattle return to public financing of elections? Seattle was the first major city to enact public financing in 1979. State law prohibited it in 1992, but allowed it again in 2008, with a public vote and local funding. On June 24 the City Council is scheduled to vote on a ballot measure to restore [...]
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DRUG AND MEDICINE PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM APPROVED
On Thursday, June 20, the King County Board of Health unanimously approved a Rule and Regulation establishing an industry-funded product stewardship model for managing unwanted and surplus drugs and medicines in King County. King County will become the second County in the nation (following Alameda County, California) to adopt such a program; British Columbia has [...]
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CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050: CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UPDATE APPROVED
On Monday, June 17, the Council unanimously adopted an update to Seattle’s Climate Action Plan that sets Seattle on a course towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. I proposed adopting the ambitious ‘Carbon Neutral by 2050’ goal as a Council priority in 2010, and legislation accepting the goal was approved by the [...]