FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/24/2014
Councilmember Mike O'Brien
Council to Review Affordable Workforce Housing Report, Address Increasing Rents
Seattle - City Council will review a final report regarding affordable workforce housing in Seat...
Action Summary of the Seattle City Council Full Council Meeting Monday, June 23, 2014 (No absences) FULL COUNCIL: 1. C.F. 313661 FILED (9–0) Initiative Measure No. 107, relating to Early Learning and Childcare. 2. C.F. 313855 FILED (9–0) Report of the City Clerk on the Certificate of Sufficiency for Initiative No. 107, relating to Early...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/23/2014
Councilmember Mike O'Brien
Council Adopts Mount Baker Rezone
Transit-oriented focus, community-driven plan
SEATTLE - Council approved legislation this afternoon to rezone sections of the North Rainier/Mount Baker neighborhood that surround the Mount Baker Transit Center in Southeast Seattle. The rezone, in tandem with the neighborhood plan, is intended to make walking and biking safer, as well as encourage retail success by providing space for new jobs and housing in Rainier Valley.
"This plan promotes a more walkable and bike-friendly neighborhood that connects residents to the investment we have made in light rail. I think the community's plan has the potential to make the neighborhood truly transit-oriented, all while retaining its unique neighborhood character," said Councilmember Mike O'Brien.
The City and community have been collaborating on North Rainier neighborhood planning for over 15 years. In the past five years alone, the City has conducted dozens of community meetings in the process of updating of the neighborhood plan. The plan was developed by the Seattle Department of Transportation, Office of Housing, the Department of Neighborhoods and the Department of Planning and Development, all in partnership with many people in the community.
"This has been a long and thoughtful planning process and one that does not stop here," concluded O'Brien. "Working together with the community, the City has more work to do to ensure that our vision for a more walkable, vibrant town center in that area comes to fruition."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/23/2014
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Council Confirms Kathleen O'Toole as Chief of Police
SEATTLE - CityCouncil voted 8-1 to confirm Kathleen O'Toole as the next Chief of Police for the Seattle Police Department (SPD). O'Toole began work with the Boston Police Department in 1979 and has over three decades of experience as a police officer, Commissioner, Chief Inspector and attorney.
"Chief O'Toole has earned an international reputation for her ability to lead and inspire officers, change and reform a department and work with communities from the ground up to reduce crime in urban neighborhoods," said Councilmember Bruce Harrell, chair of the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology committee.
O'Toole's top four priorities are: 1) restoring public trust, 2) restoring SPD pride and professionalism, 3) addressing crime and quality of life issues, and 4) promoting best business practices. O'Toole has committed during the first 90 days to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the police department, which would culminate in a plan of action with measurable goals and objectives.
The Council also presented written expectations for O'Toole. Progress reports will be submitted to Council quarterly, beginning at the end of the third quarter of 2014. Council would like to see progress in these major areas: focused and proactive crime reduction using evidence-based methods to reduce the most serious neighborhood crime problems; positively change the culture at SPD and attitudes related to the practice of collecting and reporting the required data for the six new policies developed as part of the Settlement Agreement; build community relationships in all neighborhoods with a consistent visible presence; and, prioritize build out of the Business Intelligence System.
Council's confirmation vote concludes the City's six month-long process to find a new Police Chief. Mayor Murray launched a national search in January with an extensive public outreach plan that included seven community workshops throughout Seattle and an online forum to receive feedback. To reach non-English speaking communities, online and print advertisements were placed in Somali, African-American, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese publications.
The Mayor appointed community members to two committees. The Community Advisory Committee consisted of a 32-member panel representing the diverse communities of Seattle and assisted in providing feedback from a community perspective. Secondly, a 12-member Search Committee was formed to screen all applicants and tasked to present the Mayor with three finalists.
Council President Tim Burgess stated, "Chief O'Toole has the skillset, experience and personality to move our police department forward through a new era of reform and improvement. The women and men of the department who work tirelessly on our behalf yearn for the clear leadership and direction Chief O'Toole will bring."
"What an opportunity! I welcome Ms. O'Toole'sapproach to building neighborhood-specific policing plans," said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. "She will be a great partner to those of us working to make downtown and our other neighborhoods safe and welcoming for everyone. I am delighted she has been selected to lead the Seattle Police Department and look forward to making Seattle a positive model for cooperative policing."
"I'm looking forward to Chief O'Toole taking over," said Councilmember Sally J. Clark. "She's demonstrated great leadership and accomplishment in her career leading to this step. I'm impressed with her depth of knowledge and commitment to high caliber policing and safe neighborhoods in Seattle."
"A rigorous search revealed the best candidate for Seattle's next police chief as Kathleen O'Toole," said Councilmember Jean Godden. "It is a proud day for Seattle to confirm such a qualified leader, and a woman, as police chief."
"We have hired O'Toole for one major task: reform our police department. The Council's task is to help her succeed," said Councilmember Nick Licata. "If she does, we will have more responsive and effective policing in our city."
The Mayor announced O'Toole as his appointee on May 19. The Public Safety committee conducted three confirmation meetings: June 4, June 11 and June 12. The June 11th meeting was held offsite in the community at New Holly Gathering Hall. As part of the extensive outreach process, the committee sent approximately one thousand emails to community groups and ethnic minority groups asking for feedback and making them aware of the police chief confirmation process. Feedback was also solicited on Council's Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Chief of Police will manage an annual operating budget of approximately $290 million and will be responsible for leading and managing 2,000 employees at SPD.
For more information regarding Kathleen O'Toole, please visit the following links:
The following article was sent out in my City View Newsletter, which you can sign up to receive here. It’s not very often that local elected officials get to advance public policy with the potential to change our society so...
Scanned copies of the signed legislation are available in the database records linked below. Ord. 124490 C.B. 118098 AN ORDINANCE relating to employment in Seattle; adding a new Chapter 14.19 to the Seattle Municipal Code; establishing minimum wage and minimum compensation rates for employees performing work in Seattle; and prescribing remedies and enforcement procedures. Ord. […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/19/2014
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Councilmember Rasmussen Proposes Legislation to Avoid Future Cuts to Metro
SEATTLE – This afternoon Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, acting in his capacity as Chair of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) Board, proposed a resolution relating to the STBD. The resolution formalizes the Executive's proposal for a ballot measure which was announced in May.
In April, Seattle voters approved Proposition 1 by a margin of two-to-one, but the measure ultimately failed County-wide. Rasmussen's legislation seeks voter-approval for vehicle license fees and a sales and use tax to fund Metro Transit service in Seattle. The legislation must be passed by the Seattle Transportation Benefit District Board by August 5 in order to be placed on the November 2014 ballot.
"I'm pleased to be working in cooperation with Mayor Murray to give voters another opportunity to avoid these crippling cuts to their bus service," said Rasmussen. "Next week's hearing will provide the public with an opportunity to signal their support for saving Metro service in Seattle," Rasmussen added.
The STBD Board Summer Meeting schedule is available online.
WHAT:
Seattle Transportation Benefit District Board Summer Meeting Schedule
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 24, 10:30am (following City Transportation Committee meeting) – BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION
Thursday, June 26, 5:30pm – PUBLIC HEARING
Thursday, July 10, 2:00pm – DISCUSSION
Thursday, July 17, 2:00pm – DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE
Thursday, July 31, 2:00pm (if necessary) – DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE
WHERE:
Seattle City Hall, Council Chambers
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 2
Seattle, WA 98124
WHO:
STBD Board Chair Tom Rasmussen
Members of the STBD Board
Public
Interpretation can be available for the following. Please contact Councilmember Tom Rasmussen's office to request service:
Vietnamese:
Các dịch vụ thông dịch có thể hiện có cho ngôn ngữ sau đây: Tiếng Việt
Spanish:
Se pueden ofrecer servicios de interpretación para el siguiente idioma: Español
Tagalog:
May mga Serbisyo sa Pagsasalinwika na maaaring magamit para sa mga sumusunod: Tagalog
Somali:
Adeegyada Turjubaanista ayaa lagu heli karaa: Soomaali
Korean:
다음 언어 관련 번역 서비스를 이용할 수 있습니다: 한국어
Simplified Chinese:
可提供以下语言的口译服务：中文
Traditional Chinese:
可提供以下語言的口譯服務：中文
There has been news coverage recently about how as City Council President I won’t introduce legislation that would send a measure to establish public financing of political campaigns back again to the voters in November.* The Stranger has a story...
Scanned copies of the signed legislation are available in the database records linked below: Ord. 124482 C.B. 118074 AN ORDINANCE relating to the Waterfront Improvement Program; authorizing the Director of Transportation to acquire, accept, and record both temporary and permanent property rights from abutting property owners located along Alaskan Way and a new Elliott Way, […]
