New structure creates one decision-making board to enhance coordination, oversight, and accountability Original post can be found here. Following votes from the Seattle City Council and King County Council, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine will sign a revised interlocal agreement (ILA) to streamline the governance structure of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). The amended ILA reaffirms the...
Sara Nelson
News Releases from Councilmember Nelson
City council approves police recruitment bonuses and technology for crime prevention tools
Bills part of the council’s coordinated focus on improving public safety Today the Seattle City Council overwhelmingly approved legislation, sponsored by Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), to further accelerate police hiring by offering competitive bonuses to attract the new police recruits from across the country. The full Council also passed Councilmember Bob Kettle’s (District 7) sponsored legislation that clears...
Council President Nelson exploring ways to save Seattle Channel programming
Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) today announced that she’s working to preserve funding for the city’s Seattle Channel in response to last week’s release of Mayor Harrell’s proposed 2025-2026 Budget, which reduces Seattle Channel’s funding by $1.6 million and eliminates six full time employees. The city currently faces a $250 million deficit during the next budget cycle. “As a...
Council creates new music venue parking permit to support musicians and live music venues
Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) on Tuesday applauded the unanimous passage of legislation that prioritizes parking for musicians and their crews at qualifying live music venues. The new Music Venue Zone Permit program was proposed by the Executive and sponsored by Council President Nelson after hearing consistent feedback from local artists about some of the logistical challenges of performing...
Seattle City Council passes legislation combatting commercial sexual exploitation
Today the Seattle City Council passed by an 8-1 vote Councilmember Cathy Moore’s (District 5) bill to fight commercial sexual exploitation and the violence associated with it. The legislation includes a prohibition on loitering for buying, selling or promoting prostitution, as well as a separate provision that allows a judge to issue a Stay Out of Area Prostitution (SOAP) order...
Law targeting drug-related criminal activity passes City Council
Legislation marks another major accomplishment for council’s public safety work Today the Seattle City Council adopted the creation of Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) which authorize the courts to prohibit a defendant from entering a designated areas in the city if they commit a drug-related criminal offense in that zone. Introduced in partnership with City Attorney Ann Davison, the...
Councilmember Tanya Woo to host Chinatown-International District public safety forum on Sept. 11
In response to persistent community concerns about crime and violence, Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo (Position 8) will host a forum focused on public safety in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Special guests and panelists will include Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9), Councilmember and Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle (District 7), Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr and Community Assisted...
Seattle City Council passes legislation diversifying jail options to better address crime
The Seattle City Council today approved legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7), to launch a new pilot program with the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) for additional jail services. The new pilot program, negotiated by Mayor Bruce Harrell’s team, authorizes Seattle to house 20 additional misdemeanor detainees at SCORE. That’s in addition to the detainees held at the...
Council President Nelson calls for swift action on audit recommendations addressing overdoses and crime
SEATTLE – Today the Office of City Auditor released a new audit, “Addressing Places in Seattle Where Overdoses and Crime are Concentrated: An Evidence-Based Approach,” and Council President Sara Nelson calls for officials to move with urgency to implement its recommendations. The report, which focused on a two-block area in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood and was conducted in partnership with over a...
Vote on app-based worker pay legislation postponed
The Seattle City Council is postponing a vote on legislation (CB 120775) related to app-based worker minimum payments on food delivery apps sponsored by Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9). Amendments to the legislation have been proposed and councilmembers have requested a postponement to ensure the Council has time to fully consider those changes.
Seattle City Council approves bill to accelerate police hiring
The Seattle City Council unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) and Councilmember Bob Kettle (District 7) to accelerate police hiring in Seattle. “One of our most fundamental responsibilities as a city government is to provide public safety. Right now, we are losing too many officers to achieve that goal. This bill to streamline recruiting and...
Seattle City Council President Nelson celebrates passage of new labor contracts
Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson (Position 9) released the following statement regarding newly approved labor agreements covering around 7,000 City of Seattle workers. Legislation authorizing the agreements was unanimously approved by Council on Tuesday and signed by Mayor Bruce Harrell this morning. “Our city doesn’t work without city workers. From 911 dispatchers to park maintenance crews and everyone in...