Earlier today the City Council voted to approve new legislation that will reduce barriers and allow small businesses to setup storefronts faster and cheaper. The bills (CB 121045 and CB 121047), introduced and sponsored by Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) in collaboration with Mayor Bruce Harrell, seek to directly address concerns frequently cited by...
Category: News Releases
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Councilmember Hollingsworth releases chair’s packages for Comprehensive Plan
Balances urgent actions to enhance Seattle’s livability Today, City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3), Chair of the Select Committee on the Comprehensive Plan, released her Chair’s Packages of proposed amendments for the Comprehensive Plan and Permanent HB 1110 legislation. Details of the proposal are available for the public to review on the Comprehensive Plan website....
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Council approves pair of public safety technology bills
Amended legislation includes added data and privacy safeguards SEATTLE – Today the City Council voted 7-2 in favor of two crime prevention bills which authorize the installation of cameras in three new public places (Capitol Hill, the Stadium District, and areas near Garfield High) and allow Seattle Police to access Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)...
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Public Safety Chair Kettle and Council President Nelson on protecting Seattle from federal public safety threats
Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), Chair of the Public Safety Committee, and Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) released the following statements in response to unprecedented actions by the federal government involving ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the Army National Guard. “Seattle is facing many challenges from the federal government with respect to public...
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Council webpages get a fresh look
New design emphasizes accessibility, popular links Beginning in late August, visitors to Seattle.gov/Council will notice something a little bit different. The website has been completely revamped thanks to a successful partnership between the Council Communications Team, Seattle IT, and Legislative Department IT teams. This effort revived a previously abandoned project to modernize the site, resulting...
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Mayor Harrell and Councilmember Hollingsworth Statement on August 30 Event
The following news release was published by the Mayor’s office. Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) released the following statement after Seattle Parks and Recreation issued a park use permit for a religious concert event at Gas Works Park: “According to the law, the City cannot deny or unilaterally relocate permits...
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Take the Comp Plan Survey on District 6 Neighborhood Centers
Our Comprehensive Plan survey is now live! The Seattle City Council is getting ready to take final votes on the Comprehensive Plan and legislation to comply with House Bill 1110 (the “middle housing” bill), and Councilmember Strauss wants your feedback. Background on the Comp Plan The Comprehensive Plan is the city’s 20-year roadmap for how our...
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Council approves Business & Occupation (B&O) Tax rebalancing proposal for November ballot
‘Seattle Shield Initiative’ aimed at addressing City budget deficit, ensuring funding for emergency shelters and homelessness prevention, supporting food access, addressing gender-based violence, and aiding small business and worker’s rights This afternoon, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved sending the ‘Seattle Shield Initiative’ to the November 2025 ballot for voter consideration. The legislation proposes cuts...
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Councilmember Rivera statement on proposed B&O exemptions for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital
Councilmember Maritza Rivera (District 4) released the following statement on today’s Council vote related to the business and occupation tax proposal. “Non-profit institutions like Fred Hutch and Children’s provide comprehensive critical and life-saving care to kids and cancer patients in our city. Not only are they losing Federal research dollars, but they will also be...
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Council President Sara Nelson and Mayor Bruce Harrell Announce Proposals to Ease Small Business Permitting
The following news release was published by the Mayor’s Office. Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson introduced two new pieces of legislation to accelerate retail occupancy by amending existing building codes and reducing time-consuming regulatory barriers and costs for small businesses seeking to activate vacant commercial storefronts. “In Seattle we...