SEATTLE – Councilmember Alex Pedersen issued the following statement after the Harrell administration declined to pursue bond funding for bridge safety, which was authorized by the Council:  “In the wake of hard lessons learned from the two-year closure of the West Seattle Bridge, the disturbing citywide audit of Seattle’s bridges, and the periodic malfunctioning of other […]

Legislation increases transparency and accountability with goal of  maximizing environmental and health benefits of Seattle’s tree canopy Seattle – Today City Council unanimously adopted Council Bill 120207 to increase the accountability and transparency needed to protect Seattle’s trees by requiring anyone seeking to cut down or heavily prune mature trees to register beforehand with the city government.  Council Bill […]

SEATTLE – Councilmember Dan Strauss(District 6 – Northwest Seattle), Chair of the Land Use Committee, and Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4 – Northeast Seattle) announced the release of proposed legislation to expand protections for trees in Seattle.  The publication of proposed legislation and environmental reviews by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) removes a major obstacle to the long-held goal of adopting […]

SEATTLE – Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6 – Northwest Seattle), Chair of the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee issued the following statement today in response to news that Mayor Durkan will not complete promised work on tree protections: “I am deeply disappointed that Mayor Durkan has chosen to delay action to protect trees in Seattle once again,” said Councilmember Strauss. “For […]

SEATTLE – Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4—Northeast Seattle), Chair of the Council’s Transportation & Utilities Committee, issued the following statement regarding Mayor-Elect Harrell’s announcement of the leadership change coming to Seattle’s Department of Transportation (SDOT): “Sam Zimbabwe is that rare leader who not only has it all, but also gives it his all. Sam Zimbabwe is a strategic visionary […]

SEATTLE – Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4 – Northeast Seattle), Chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee issued the following statement about the malfunctioning and closure of the University Bridge:  “After the devastating closure of the West Seattle Bridge and the citywide audit of bridges I ordered last year, City Hall should not need additional evidence to do […]

Councilmembers Pedersen, Herbold, Lewis, Strauss Sponsor Budget Amendment to Authorize Bonds for Faster Investments to Strengthen Infrastructure Connecting Communities and Keeping our Economy Moving  SEATTLE, WA – To bolster bridge safety and boost jobs as Seattle builds back better from the COVID pandemic’s economic slump, labor leaders have voiced their support for new efforts by Councilmembers Alex […]

Mosqueda raised issue and ordered audit of Seattle City Light after hearing from customers  Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide) applauded Seattle City Light customers who first raised the issue of the department’s practice of “catch up” billing, customer complaints that led Mosqueda to call for an audit, and a settlement of $3.5 million announced […]

Tiny House Village creates much needed shelter spaces in University District   Today Councilmember Alex Pedersen, the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), Sound Transit, Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD), the University District business community, and neighbors celebrated the Open House for “Rosie’s” Tiny House Village, which will provide safe and supported living spaces for unsheltered neighbors.   The 36-unit village, which will open on unutilized property at NE 45th Street in the University District,  is the first village on Sound Transit property. Named for the adjacent street, Roosevelt Way Northeast, Rosie’s Village case […]

9-1-1 response times have slowed and community policing has stalled after nearly 300 officers and detectives left Seattle in past 18 months; record-breaking attrition likely to continue unless action taken  Today Councilmember Alex Pedersen introduced legislation to address the staffing shortage crisis by keeping more of the savings at the Seattle Police Department to help retain and hire officers and detectives after […]