Author: Mike O'Brien (Mike O'Brien)

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Opt Out Seattle!

UPDATE — Our launch is already having an impact! So many people want to stop unwanted yellow pages deliveries that the opt-out site is running a bit slow, but hang in there and let your choice be known! Today Seattle launched a new service allowing residents and businesses an easy, reliable way to stop delivery [...]

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Invest in People or Asphalt?

In this video I lay out what I think is smarter way we could be using our state gas tax dollars to help preserve services being cut at the state level. Curious how that works? But we have the 18th Amendment to our Washington Constitution, you say? Well check it out and leave us your [...]

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Community Power Works Launch

Today I attended the official launch of the Community Power Works program. I am thrilled to be a part of such an exciting project – Community Power Works will be working in Central and Southeast Seattle to provide discounted home energy assessments, rebates, affordable loans to make energy retrofits to homes, and energy experts to [...]

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Taking Steps Toward Carbon Neutrality

Are we there, yet? Not quite, but we are hard at work to get us there.  Many of you came out for our Town Hall event last September and helped develop recommendations for the city. At the same time, the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) has worked closely with the Stockholm Environment Institute to [...]

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City of Seattle Receives New Federal Grant for Weatherization

Today in the Finance and Budget Committee we approved Council Bill 117131 to receive funding for weatherization projects. The Office of Housing (OH) received an additional grant from the United States Department of Energy to the tune of $2.5 million. This new grant has great implications for new environmentally friendly technologies in low-income housing. Specifically, [...]

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Portland’s Neighborhood Greenways Worth Emulating

Last week we joined our fellow Councilmembers, the Mayor, and several local business leaders on a trip to Portland to learn more about their transportation system. One of our favorite parts – and not just because we got to ride our bikes – was a tour of Portland’s “Neighborhood Greenways.” Portland has connected specific neighborhood [...]

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Monday’s Special Committee: the deep-bore tunnel project

At 9:30am on Monday, at a special full council meeting of the Seattle City Council will be voting on whether to overturn the Mayor’s veto on C.B. 117101, which would authorize the City to execute the agreements with the Washington State Department of Transportation, allowing them to proceed with the deep-bore tunnel project. I believe [...]