Council unanimously approved Surveillance Technology Acquisition legislation today to enhance public awareness and involvement when the City considers implementing new surveillance technology or software. Currently, City departments are only required to obtain Council approval before acquiring and using surveillance hardware. The legislation approved by Council today, sponsored by Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide),...
Month: July 2017
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Editorial: Murray Should Resign, and the Council Must Show Leadership
On July 31, 2017, I composed the following Op-Ed regarding new abuse allegations against Mayor Ed Murray. It is time for Mayor Ed Murray to resign. While the legal outcomes for the allegations against Murray remain unclear, the most important question facing Seattle’s working people has already been answered. That question is one of leadership. […]
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CEO Weis Will Not Receive Annual Bonus of $28K
Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle), Chair of the Council’s Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee, issued the following statement in response to a letter she received from the Mayor’s Director of Operations to tell her that a bonus will not be given to City Light CEO Larry Weis: “On July 6th...
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South Park Vandalism; Night Out on Aug 1; Legal Aid Pilot; SPU Strategic Business Plan Update; Elimination of the Sub-Minimum Wage
South Park Business District Vandalism I am saddened and disturbed to hear of overnight vandalism against businesses in South Park It’s happened three times in the last week, and overnight on both Monday and Tuesday evenings. On Wednesday morning, I sent the following e-mail to Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole: Chief O’Toole, I am writing […]
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The Next Big Move to Get Off the Streets: Seattle’s Navigation Center
“Everything is double-hard out here, including being clean.” This bit of wisdom came from Sidney who spoke in May with the Seattle Times. He was living in a tent on South Dearborn at the time. He’d been homeless for two years and was struggling to survive. He was trying to figure out on a daily […]
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Councilmember Johnson’s Statement on Council’s Central Area Rezone Vote
Councilmember Rob Johnson (District 4, Northeast Seattle), Chair of the Council’s Planning, Land Use & Zoning Committee, issued the following statement after Council’s 7-0 approval of the 23rd Avenue rezone and Action Plan: “The strength of the Central Area planning process is a result of the community engagement that has occurred over the last several...
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Launch of Legal Aid Pilot to Prevent Housing Evictions
Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1, West Seattle and South Park) celebrated news today that a full complement of attorneys has been hired to implement a new City-sponsored legal aid pilot program created to prevent people from losing their housing when they are in the midst of a legal defense for an unrelated offense. The creation...
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Councilmember Gonzalez To Mayor Murray: ‘Cloud Of Serious Allegations’ Merits An Unprecedented Response
Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide) issued the following statement in response to Mayor Ed Murray’s letter stating his intent to fulfill his full term as Seattle’s Mayor: “Last Monday I expressed my concerns about Mayor Ed Murray’s ability to simultaneously defend himself from public allegations of sexual abuse and to effectively serve our...
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Councilmember González, Board Of Health Vote To Approve New Rule For County’s Limited Service Pregnancy Centers
Councilmember M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide) issued the following statement following a vote of 11-1 to approve BOH17-04 “relating to the disclosure of information by limited service pregnancy centers” in her capacity as a member of the King County Board of Health: “Limited service pregnancy centers’ aren’t health care clinics and anyone entering a...