Today, on Wednesday August 13th, the PLUS Committee will receive a briefing on Council Bill 118167, related to minimum density requirements in the city’s most dense and walkable neighborhoods. Density helps create better pedestrian environments because it means more people on the street–whether they are coming from home or work, or out shopping in local […]
Month: August 2014
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Women in the Workplace: Joanne Ort CPA
When Joanne Ort went off to the University of Washington in the 1980s, she thought she’d emerge as a doctor. That was before organic chemistry. The college class left her scratching her head. Instead she enrolled in accounting and discovered a perfect fit.
The switch shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Joanne’s dad and one of her sisters were CPAs and she was about to become one. She graduated with a business degree, later acquiring a master’s with a tax concentration. 
She says, “I always knew I wanted to have my own practice.” And, after raising two children and working for three accounting firms, she has reached that goal with Joanne Ort CPA. Hers is a small business with one … Continue Reading »
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Council Urges Federal Comprehensive Immigration Reform to Help Seattle Families
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/11/2014
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Council Urges Federal Comprehensive Immigration Reform to Help Seattle Families
SEATTLE - City Council unanimously adopte...
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Taking Action on Oil Trains
Several weeks ago an oil train derailed in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood. The derailment happened under the Magnolia bridge and alongside a bike path. The outcome truly could have been a disaster but the incident occurred without injury or destruction of property. For years I have been expressing concern about the risks to neighborhoods that are […]
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Action Summary, Monday, August 11, 2014
Action Summary of the Seattle City Council Full Council Meeting Monday, August 11, 2014 (Councilmembers Burgess, Harrell, and O’Brien were excused) FULL COUNCIL: 1. C.B. 118151 PASSED AS AMENDED (6-0) Relating to the Department of Neighborhoods; authorizing implementation of certain Neighborhood Matching Fund projects in 2014, and specifying that 2014 appropriations for the Neighborhood...
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Legislation approved by the Seattle City Council on July 21, 2014, and filed with the City Clerk
Scanned copies of the signed legislation are available in the database records linked below: Ord. 124535 C.B. 118080 AN ORDINANCE relating to land use and zoning, amending Sections 23.40.060, 23.41.012 and 23.90.018 to revise the Living Building and Seattle Deep Green Pilot program. Ord. 124536 C.B. 118149 AN ORDINANCE relating to a lease agreement […]
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Statement on Parks Proposition 1 from Councilmembers Bagshaw, Godden
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/7/2014
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Jean Godden
Statement on Parks Proposition 1 from Councilmembers Bagshaw, Godden
SEATTLE - Seattle City Councilmembers Jean Godden and Sally Bagshaw released the following joint statement in response to this afternoon’s vote count on the proposed Seattle Park District, in which 'yes' votes lead 53.17% to 46.83%:
"Although the results are not final, they are promising, and we are confident in the success of this measure. Seattleites agree that our parks deserve a stable, long-term funding source. With voters' approval, we can begin catching up on maintenance, restoring community center hours and ensuring equal access to parks throughout the city. Most importantly, this proposal is a sustainable way to address the ever-changing needs of Seattle parks. This is our legacy."
Proposition 1, which all nine Councilmembers support, would create a Metropolitan Parks District run by City Council and overseen by a broad-based citizens advisory committee.
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Women in Business: Spinnaker Bay Brewery
When you think of a brewmaster, you probably envision a rotund Germanic fellow with a Walrus mustache. But not at Spinnaker Bay Brewery, a thriving new enterprise in Hillman City. The lively brew pub is 100 percent woman-owned and operated, arguably the only completely woman-owned brewery in the state.
Elissa Pryor and Janet Spindler
I sat down last week with the owners, the brewer Janet Spindler, and the accountant, Elissa Pryor. Elissa explained the division of labor: “Janet makes really good beer and I cook the books.” The partners both are sailors and they derive the names of their distinctive brews from nautical terms. (The list might include Fraid Knot™, High Heel™, Don’t Panic Porter™ and … Continue Reading »
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First Annual Report on Rental Housing Inspection Program
The program is intended to identify substandard housing and ensure that all rental housing in Seattle is safe and meets basic housing maintenance requirements.