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“Placemaking:” Sidewalk cafes and mobile vending

In the last few weeks I’ve written about how, when I re-upped as the committee chair for COBE in 2010, I made it a goal to focus on land use as service, as a means to an end. I talked about the ways I wanted land use to serve the greater good of our city, [...]

Earthquakes and Seattle – Improving Our Emergency Plans

The Council has held a series of briefings and discussions reviewing the disastrous earthquakes in Chile, New Zealand, and Japan over the last few months (an exercise for the reader:  what section of the Pacific Rim has not yet had a major earthquake in recent years?  Hint:  you live there.). Our goal has been to [...]

2012 Budget Adopted by Council

On Monday, November 21, the City Council unanimously adopted the 2012 Seattle Budget, including some significant additions to the human services budget, and some other changes to the Mayor’s proposal.  However, as I suggested in my initial blog post on the budget, there were not a lot of major new initiatives, largely because 2012 is [...]

Applicants wanted for Families and Education Levy Oversight Committee

News Release

Applicants wanted for Families and Education Levy Oversight Committee
he City of Seattle is seeking candidates to fill eight citizen positions on the Families and Education Levy Oversight Committee. Approved by Seattle voters on November 8, the $232 million Levy will be effective from 2012 through 2018, providing funding for school readiness and early learning; academic achievement in elementary, middle and high schools; guidance and related support for college and career preparation; and student health services.

Seattle joins regional and global movement to ban single-use plastic bags

News Release
Today Seattle City Council introduced Council Bill 117345, intended to help clean up Puget Sound and protect marine wildlife by banning single-use plastic bags. This legislation gives Seattle an opportunity to join Bellingham and Edmonds in Washington, as well as cities up and down the West Coast and more than 20 nations worldwide in efforts to curb the impact of single-use plastic bags on the environment.

Thanks-Give-N-Go turkey give-away tomorrow evening

News Release
Local NBA stars Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford, Will Conroy, Isaiah Thomas Spencer Hawes ("The Home Team") and Seahawks player Kam Chancellor have teamed up with Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell and Mayor Mike McGinn in an effort to provide complete holiday meals for 2,000 Seattle families.

Sign up today for a free Thanksgiving dinner today until close of business

News Release
Local NBA stars Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford, Will Conroy, Isaiah Thomas and Spencer Hawes, or as they like to be called, the "Home Team," and Seahawk player Kam Chancellor have teamed up with Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell and Mayor Mike McGinn to provide complete Thanksgiving dinners for 2,000 eligible Seattle families. The Home Team has partnered with Safeway to purchase 2,000 turkeys and Safeway is donating all of the traditional Thanksgiving "trimmings."

Seattle City Council to introduce legislation to protect Puget Sound

News Release
On Monday, November 21, Seattle City Council will introduce Council Bill 117345 to help clean up Puget Sound and protect marine wildlife by banning single-use plastic bags from grocers and retailers. Seattle’s legislation is largely modeled on the Bellingham ordinance passed in July 2011.

Light Rail to Eastside and Sound Transit 2012 Plans

On October 27 the Sound Transit Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Bellevue that clears the way for entering into final design on an agreed-upon route for East Link through the City of Bellevue.  I was one of the three Sound Transit Board negotiators that met with the Bellevue City [...]