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October 5, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Godden, News Releases

Councilmember Godden’s Statement on Gates Foundation Paid Parental Leave Announcement

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/5/2015

Councilmember Godden's Statement on Gates Foundation Paid Parental Leave Announcement

SEATTLE - Councilmember Jean Godden issued the following statement in response to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announcement that it will offer 52 weeks of paid parental leave for its employees:

"With today's announcement that the Gates Foundation has joined with Microsoft, Adobe, and Netflix in offering long-term paid parental leave for their employees, it's safe to say that we officially have a trend.  It's thrilling to see companies reach the conclusion that offering parents time to care for their children is a win-win for everyone.  I'm proud to know we helped get the ball rolling here in Seattle and that paid parental leave is picking up steam nationwide."

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Seattle City Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21, HD Channels 321 Comcast, 721 Wave and on the City Council's website. Copies of legislation, Council meeting calendar, and archives of news releases can be found on the City Council website. Follow the Council on Twitter and on Facebook.

 

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September 29, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Harrell, Councilmember Okamoto, News Releases

City Launches Effort to Better Identify and Serve Marginalized Populations

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/29/2015

City Launches Effort to Better Identify and Serve Marginalized Populations

SEATTLE - The City launched an effort today to better identify individual ethnic populations in Seattle to accurately understand their demographic makeup to allocate resources accordingly.

Governments use demographic data, including the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey, to allocate resources and set policy, however, disparate ethnic groups are often bundled into broad categories which can result in skewed data. Currently, for instance, 25 countries represent the "Asian American and Pacific Islander" (AAPI) category in the City's data collection process, however, there are many differences among the unique groups within the AAPI classification as it relates to educational attainment, income, and health. At the State level, only 13% of Asian American adults lack a high school diploma, but disaggregated data finds that over 30% of Cambodian and Vietnamese adults lack a high school diploma.

The resolution signed today by Mayor Murray establishes a task force to recommend improvements to the City's data collection process, including standardized data collection among all City departments and utilizing disaggregated data.

"Based on the way data is collected, certain populations in our city are invisible and are often overlooked when it comes to important resource allocation and service delivery," said Councilmember John Okamoto, co-sponsor of the resolution. "Seattle will be one of the first cities in the nation to undertake this data disaggregation effort, if not the first, and I'd like to thank engaged community members for bringing this issue to my attention."

"Seattle must be a more equitable City. We can achieve that by breaking down the generalizations that have underrepresented our communities of color and immigrants," said Mayor Ed Murray. "More accurate and specific data will help the City deliver better services and improve outcomes for our residents. I applaud Councilmember Okamoto for his leadership on this issue

"I understand the broad strokes we sometimes place on our ethnic communities," said Councilmember Bruce Harrell. This work takes an inclusive analysis in refining the data to help us do a better job of providing services and resources where they are needed. It is time we look at specific demographic information to help us achieve targeted solutions."

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Most press conferences and meetings are broadcast live to the web by Seattle Channel at either seattle.gov/mayorlive or seattle.gov/councillive

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September 29, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Okamoto

No Data, No Justice

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Today, with the Mayor officially signing the resolution I sponsored, Seattle became the first city in the nation to adopt legislation on data disaggregation. I’ve found that there’s no faster way for people’s eyes to glaze over than by using the term “data disaggregation.”  But at the recent iCount Symposium hosted by the White House […]

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September 29, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Okamoto

First HALA Action Passed

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Yesterday, Council passed legislation that took action on the Mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). The legislation renews and expands the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program as recommended by HALA. The MFTE program – one housing affordability tool in a box of many – provides a tax exemption on the residential improvements on multifamily projects […]

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September 28, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata

City Council 2016 Budget Schedule

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Seattle Mayor Ed Murray today released his proposed 2016 budget and proposed 2016-21 Capital Improvement Program. The City Council’s Budget Committee will begin its consideration of the budget on Thursday, October 1, with an overview provided by the City Budget Office. Public input is vital to Council review and helps Councilmembers develop a budget that […]

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September 25, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess, Councilmember Licata, News Releases

Murray, Councilmembers seek increased investment in youth arts programming, cultural space preservation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/25/2015

Murray, Councilmembers seek increased investment in youth arts programming, cultural space preservation

SEATTLE - Today Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle City Council President Tim Burgess and Seattle City Council Budget Chair Nick Licata announced a proposal to increase the City’s investment in youth arts education and preservation of cultural spaces.

“Seattle is stepping up and providing arts education in schools that have not had it in years,” said Murray. “This investment aligns new and expanding programming with my vision for a vibrant, equitable city. Every child must have the same opportunity to learn through the arts and every resident must have access to the creative economy.”

Murray, Burgess and Licata are endorsing an increase in funding to the Office of Arts & Culture from the existing admissions tax levied on tickets at entertainment venues. The increased allocation from seventy-five percent to eighty percent of the admissions tax will add $400,000 per year for arts in the City budget. The mayor will introduce his full budget on Monday.

“As our city grows, we must invest in the culture of Seattle that has given us our unique identity and strength,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess. “Seattle is the entertainment and cultural center of the Pacific Northwest. Let’s make certain we provide strong public support for this vital sector of our economy.”

“Having requested this increase at the urging of the Seattle Arts Commission when I met with the Mayor in August of 2014, I am grateful to see him include it in his 2016 budget,” said Councilmember Nick Licata. “I urge Mayor Murray to work toward raising it to one hundred percent in the following years. The pressing need for affordable cultural space, quality arts education, and the imagination working artists bring to our city will not lessen anytime soon.”

The increase will fund expansion of The Creative Advantage and other education initiatives that support work readiness and job training through the arts. Creative Advantage brings together the City of Seattle, Seattle Public Schools, private nonprofit organizations, and the philanthropic sector to expand the availability of arts education in the schools.

Studies show that at-risk youth who have access to the arts in or out of school tend to have better academic results, better workplace opportunities and more civic engagement. Arts-infused learning in reading and math helps close the achievement gap between low-income children and children of color in comparison to white and more affluent students.

The mayor’s budget will also provide additional grant funding to support retention of arts and ethnic cultural spaces in our neighborhoods. Cultural spaces ensure neighborhood livability and vibrancy, and are anchors for many communities, including immigrant and refugees.

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Office of the Mayor

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September 24, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Burgess

Our Creative Culture

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As our city grows, we must act with urgency to stabilize families, artists, and small businesses because without them we lose one of the very things that has made us such a special city. We must invest in the culture...

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September 21, 2015January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata

Urban Politics #381: Council passes resolution in support of lifting state ban on limiting rent increases

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The City Council did the right thing by passing a resolution (8-1, Okamoto) in support of local control of rent regulation, and asking the state legislature to lift the ban on cities limiting rent increases. The Council also requested that the Office of Intergovernmental Relations incorporate this position into the City’s forthcoming 2016 State Legislative […]