This afternoon the Full Council will vote on an ordinance that would send a $290 million Housing Levy to voters for consideration on the August 2, 2016 Primary Election ballot. If approved, the seven-year Housing Levy will serve as the...
Author: Tim Burgess (Tim Burgess)
SODO Arena Street Vacation Committee Vote
The City Council’s Transportation Committee voted 4-1 (O’Brien, Johnson, Harrell and myself voting “yes,” Bagshaw voting “no”) this week on whether or not to approve a conditional street vacation on Occidental Ave S in SODO. A street vacation is a...
Sound Transit 3 – Time for Feedback
The City Council received a briefing this morning about the proposed Sound Transit 3 expansion of our regional light rail and bus network. The draft includes several large projects in Seattle, including lines to Ballard and West Seattle and a...
The Long Road to Effective Management of Our Police Department
When Kathy O’Toole assumed command of the Seattle Police Department in June, 2014, she inherited a police department rife with staggering management challenges. For years, ineffective management had led to inconsistent practices, a lack of accountability, very poor tracking of...
Curbing Prescription Drug Abuse: A Practical Step
Yesterday the Council’s public safety committee approved a resolution supporting a new prescription drug take-back program in King County. The County is currently recruiting pharmacies willing to host drug take-back drop boxes. Pharmaceutical companies provide funding for the program; pharmacies...
Why I Voted “No” on Rescuing Pronto Bike Share
The following article was sent out in my City View Newsletter, which you can sign up to receive here. Yesterday, the City Council voted 7-2 (Councilmember Herbold and myself voting “no”) to spend $1.4 million to rescue from insolvency the...
Our Bike Sharing Future
Later today, I will vote “no” on legislation that would, if approved, have the city government purchase the insolvent Pronto bike sharing network and all of their bicycles, stations and equipment. Instead, I will propose amended legislation that will position...
Apply for Affordable Housing Community Focus Groups
There are 10 days left to apply to be on the Community Focus Groups that will help guide the citywide conversation around the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). Applications are available here. This link also includes some FAQ, which...
Some Good News About State Prisons
The following article was sent out in my City View Newsletter, which you can sign up to receive here. The state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) has been in the news a lot recently because of the data errors over prisoner...
Real Police Response Time Figures by Precinct
The Council’s public safety committee was briefed yesterday on police department response times to high priority 911 calls. It was refreshingly transparent and candid. The briefing was prompted by an article in The Seattle Times on January 2 that contrasted...