FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/16/2014
Council to Hold Second Public Hearing on Proposed 2015 Budget
SEATTLE - City Council will host its second public hearing on the proposed 2015 budget this Thursday evening at Seattle City Hall. The public will have ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/2/2014
Council to Hold Public Hearing on Proposed 2015 Budget
SEATTLE - City Council will host its first public hearing on the proposed 2015 budget this Tuesday evening at Garfield Community Center. The public will have th...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/30/2014
Councilmember Licata Statement on OPA Recommendations for SPD
SEATTLE - Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata issued the following statement today in response to a special report generated by the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) regarding recommendations for management action:
"I understand that the OPA Director Pierce Murphy did not sustain any of the complaints for violating policies related to misuse of overtime because there were not adequate policies in the first place to be violated. The fact that a single unit of SPD exceeded their overtime budget by close to a million dollars is clear evidence that there should have been policies. Policies must be put in place immediately to ensure that overtime is not used on vacation days and that schedules are not altered by supervisors for the sole purpose of allowing for increased use of overtime.
"I have sent OPA Director a series of questions about this incident, his investigation, and his proposed next steps. I look forward to his response."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/29/2014
Council Approves Incentives to Benefit Seattle's Historic Theaters
SEATTLE - Council approved legislation today that provides land use incentives to downtown’s historic landmark performing arts theaters, The Paramount, The Moore and The Eagles Auditorium (ACT Theatre). The legislation increases development capacity for the theaters, which in turn can be sold to developers.
"These theaters are one reason companies such as Frank Russell, Amazon and Weyerhaeuser decide to locate in downtown Seattle," said Councilmember Nick Licata, sponsor of the legislation. "Their employees want to live close to restaurants, close to entertainment, close to where the action is. And, utilizing new development to preserve these beautiful old structures and the economic activity they generate requires zero tax payer dollars."
"Historic theatres provide a critical piece of Seattle's cultural landscape, yet the non-profit organizations committed to caring for these beautiful structures struggle mightily to maintain them. Ongoing resources are difficult to secure but with passage of this legislation we are much better positioned for long term care sustainability," stated Seattle Theatre Group Executive Director, Josh LaBelle.
While the size and unique characteristics of the design and function of these large historic theaters present challenges for ongoing maintenance, the City has an interest in supporting and promoting their continued operation. The legislation adopted today is part of a larger implementation plan that accompanied the City's 2011 designation of the Downtown Historic Theatre District.
Today's legislation increases the base floor area ratio (FAR) of qualifying historic theaters located downtown. This increase in space is considered unused development potential and can be sold to commercial development projects in other parts of downtown. In exchange, proceeds from the sale of these development rights can be used to further the theaters' mission and physical upkeep.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/22/2014
Councilmember Licata Announces Council Budget Review Process
SEATTLE -Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, chair of the Council's Budget Committee, today announced this autumn's City Council budget review process. The announcement follows delivery of Mayor Ed Murray's proposed 2015-2016 operating budget earlier today.
"I look forward to examining the Mayor's proposed budget, keeping in mind the highest priorities the Council expressed in a letter to the Mayor in early August: human services, public safety and transportation. Those priorities were informed by a series of community meetings I hosted earlier this year."
Public input is vital to Council review and helps Councilmembers develop a budget that best reflects the needs of the City. The Council will hold two public hearings, on October 7 at Garfield Community Center, and October 23 at Seattle City Hall. Both begin at 5:30 p.m.
The schedule for Council consideration of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget is as follows:
October 2 Overview of Mayor's Proposed Budget
October 7-10: Department budget overviews
October 20-24 Issue Identification
October 30-Nov. 6 Presentation/Discussion of Options (Round 1)
November 12-14 Final Decisions and Votes (Round 2)
November 24 Full Council adopts 2015 budget, endorses 2016 budget
The Council’s budget website has additional information, including a glossary of budget terms and links to supporting documents, as they become available. All budget documents will also be publically accessible on the updated City Clerk’s online budget database.
Councilmember Licata recorded this video that explains the Council’s budget process and timeline.
The public is welcome to attend meetings, and can watch live on the Seattle Channel at http://www.seattle.gov/councillive. Comments on the budget can also be submitted online to nick.licata@seattle.gov.
Budget Public Hearings
Tuesday, October 7
5:30 p.m.
Garfield Community Center
2323 E Cherry St.
Seattle, WA 98122
Thursday, October 23
5:30 p.m.
City Council Chambers
600 4th Avenue, 2nd floor
Seattle, WA 98104
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/19/2014
Licata Calls on Feds to Intercede on Seattle Housing Authority Rent Proposal
Councilmember concerned proposal to raise rent may put affordable housing programs out of reach
SEATTLE - Councilmember Nick Licata sent...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/18/2014
Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Announced
SEATTLE - The City Council's Committee on Housing Affordability, Human Services and Economic Resiliency approved a resolution today calling for the development of a Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda for Seattle. The Agenda will create a comprehensive housing plan for Seattle by identifying housing needs over the next ten years and recommending new policies or programs to meet any gaps.
"We have to intentionally plan to achieve housing affordability for a diverse mix of incomes and families in our city," said Councilmember Sally J. Clark, the legislation's sponsor and chair of the committee. "For the first time, we'll have a comprehensive catch-all plan for how we'd like to see housing serve the entire spectrum of people in Seattle."
The Agenda will be developed in the City’s Office of Housing and Office for Policy and Innovation, aided by a stakeholder advisory group. Staff will utilize recent council reports and research, best practices from cities around the nation and conduct a thorough review of existing policies and programs from across City departments. The plan is expected to be presented back to the Mayor and City Council by the end of May, 2015 for further community engagement, review and adoption.
"We need more housing options so that people who work in this city can afford to live in this city," said Councilmember Mike O’Brien. "I believe this plan will help us get in front of the growing pressure on affordability and help us provide more opportunities to live in Seattle for more people."
Seattle currently faces many challenges relating to housing affordability and access. Currently, 43% of Seattle renter households are burdened by housing costs and 21% are severely burdened, which means more than one- half of household income goes toward rent. Preliminary data also suggests Seattle will have a growing gap in family-sized housing. According to a recent study, enrollment in Seattle Public Schools' kindergartens began increasing rapidly in the last decade. Enrollment is projected to be nearly 60,000 by the year 2020.
"Preserving affordable housing is particularly important in this housing climate when subsidized housing like the Theodora is being converted to market rate housing, not to mention the cycle of demolition, redevelopment and increased rent in market rate rentals, and finally the likely future upswing in condo conversions," said Councilmember Nick Licata.
"Working together as a city, we can seize our destiny as a city that increases affordable housing across the economic spectrum – for homeless housing to workforce housing," said Mayor Ed Murray. "By hearing from renters and homeowners, and representatives from the financial sector, for-profit developers, non-profit developers, and other local housing experts, we can develop a housing agenda that will make a powerful and lasting impact on the current and future affordability of our city."
The resolution was developed collaboratively with community members, Mayor Ed Murray, Councilmember Sally J. Clark, Councilmember Mike O’Brien and Councilmember Nick Licata. Full Council is scheduled to vote on the resolution on Monday, September 22.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 8/11/2014
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Kshama Sawant
Council Urges Federal Comprehensive Immigration Reform to Help Seattle Families
SEATTLE - City Council unanimously adopte...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/23/2014
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Nick Licata and City Attorney Pete Holmes' Statement on Marijuana Public Consumption Report
SEATTLE - Councilmember Nick Licata and City Attorney Pete Holmes issued the following statement this morning regarding the Seattle Police Department's report on enforcement of public consumption of marijuana:
"We'd like to thank the Seattle Police Department for completing its report on the first six months of enforcement of the public consumption of marijuana ordinance.
"Initiative 502, approved by state voters, created a civil fine in state law for public consumption of marijuana. When the Council approved Ordinance 124393 to incorporate this provision of I-502 into city law, it drafted a section requiring SPD to monitor enforcement by age, race, sex and location.
"During the first half of 2014, 82 tickets were issued. While the sample size is small, it does indicate trends for race and homelessness we should continue to monitor.
"36% of tickets were issued to African-Americans, who make up 8% of Seattle's population according to the 2010 census. 33% went to African-American males.
"46% of those ticketed list addresses associated with homeless services, transitional housing, post offices, mental health services or motels. It appears tickets disproportionately affect people without private residences.
"This shows the need for places where people can legally consume marijuana in Seattle."
"The SPD has also agreed to send this information to Mark Kleiman and the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis for an independent peer analysis of the report. We look forward to their guidance regarding how we can improve our city's marijuana policies for all residents."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/2/2014
Councilmember Nick Licata
Councilmember Nick Licata Statement in Support of Minimum Wage Ordinance
Final Speech As Delivered
SEATTLE - Councilmember Nick Licata delivered the following speech today in support of the Council's adoption of a $15 per hour minimum wage:
Mario Savio once said, as he was being dragged away by the police for setting up a card table on a campus without a permit to provide civil rights pamphlets. "There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious-makes you so sick at heart-that you can't take part. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working."
Savio said that 50 years ago, but it's true today as well. That's how the fast food workers acted exactly one year ago in Seattle when they walked off their jobs to be free from their exploitation. And that is a powerful word, filled with personal accusation. But it is not personal, it is a simple condition that has accompanied the growth of our market economy since the 1980's. The consolidation of capital into fewer and fewer hands, has dramatically transformed the dynamics of this democracy.
Our citizens, and I'm not talking about legal status here, I'm talking about the basic relationship of people to their government, have seen - not only their wealth diminish but their political power as well. And with the decline of their influence over their government they have seen their wages stagnate while corporate profits have piled up ever higher. In fact, the three largest employers of low-wage workers have all seen large profit increases in the last few years and are all more profitable than they were before the Great Recession.
The legislation we pass today is just one small step to strike a fair and sustainable path toward our city's and our nation's prosperity. To those who have said that the sky will fall, I assure them - the sun will continue to rise. Except when there is daylight, we will see fewer people living hand to mouth.
And there is' much more to be done! But I can think of no other city with better political and community leadership to passionately and pragmatically continue to close the income and wealth gap. And in doing so, Seattle will show what a true world class city is: A city where all the classes live in the same world - where they receive fair and livable compensation for an honest days' work.
We have much to be proud of. We should celebrate; we should all celebrate, because we have made the world a little better for all of us, owners and workers alike. Thanks to all who have worked so hard to get us to today's victory, a victory that will be heard around this nation.
We are here today thanks, first and foremost, to the fast food workers who walked off their jobs a year ago in Seattle and even before that across the nation. They risked their jobs to tum this nation around. To tum it from placing investor returns above the basic needs of our citizens.
However, to date, not one city has adopted $15 an hour - except Seattle. Others must follow. But it is not easy path to go down. As witnessed by how few are on it. It is also true, that the profits of the largest businesses have soared while worker wages have stagnated. In 1965, CEOs made 20.1 times the pay of the average worker. By 2012, that ratio was more than 10 times larger: CEOs made 273 times the pay of the average worker in 2012. As a result families are living on wages that are barely above the poverty level.
These are facts. And there are other facts - which we must face up to. We do not have magic wand. But we do have leaders. I have stood with the democratically elected leaders of over 10,000 organized Seattle laborers - in supporting the plan before us. I stood with them, because they struggled hard for every word in that agreement. They wanted much more. As did I; and as do many of you. I will continue to stand with them. I acknowledge their hard work. And I will work to duplicate their victory, in cities across the nation. And as such, I will not break ranks with them and I will continue to support what they have agreed to - in the plan as it is before us, neither water downed and nor altered.