This morning nearly 43% of commuters to downtown Seattle used transit to get to work. Throughout the day and across our city, buses help carry people to their jobs, to their schools, to their local businesses, and to their homes. The buses operated by King County Metro, Community Transit, Sound Transit, and other systems also help provide everyone with an affordable option to get around, saving households money at a time when gas prices continue to climb. Without transit, traffic would be worse. With transit, we can help reduce our carbon emissions.

Across America we’re seeing that more people are choosing to take transit. But here in Washington State we’re not keeping up with demand. In fact, we’re struggling to maintain funding for the bus system we already have.

Unless the state legislature steps up and provides us with the local revenue authority we need to preserve transit service, King County Metro will be forced to cut 17% of its bus service next year. Those cuts would be devastating to our community.

More people will have to wait longer for increasingly overcrowded buses, travel out of their way or transfer to make trips, or find another way altogether to get where they need to go. For many, driving would be the only alternative. That will hit low income communities especially hard. It’ll make traffic worse – equivalent to closing lanes on Interstate 5. And it will add more carbon emissions to our climate.

This problem has been coming for some time. That’s why I brought together 47 mayors from across the state to propose a solution to local communities’ transportation challenges. In February we agreed on a joint proposal that we brought to the governor and the legislature to provide us with new funding to support our transportation needs. In Seattle, those options will help us preserve and expand transit service, as well as tackle our road maintenance backlog. This was an unprecedented collaboration between mayors from both parties, from cities large and small, who all agreed that giving local governments these tools was essential to our economy and our quality of life.

This mayors’ coalition and other groups have lobbied our legislators to adopt new transportation revenue tools, including local options, in this legislative session so that we can avoid the catastrophe that would result from having to cut transit funding, and address our cities’ road maintenance backlog. Transit funding must be a top priority for our legislators. I urge them to come together, as we mayors have, around a common solution to keep our buses rolling on well maintained, local roads.

It’s time for your voice to be heard. King County Metro is soliciting feedback on the future of the system. If you would like to weigh in on these important issues, you can also contact your legislators. Seattle’s future is riding on this.

Posted by: Mayor Mike McGinn

Mayor Mike McGinn today announced a proposal for $3.25 million in transportation investments made possible by additional savings from the Spokane Street viaduct project. These investments include pavement maintenance and bicycle safety improvements on East Marginal Way in SoDo, improvements to Lower Spokane Street, a cycle track on the Westlake Avenue corridor on the west side of Lake Union, pedestrian projects, and funding for transit-oriented design near light rail stations.

Last month McGinn announced $11.75 million in transportation investments resulting from savings on the Spokane Street Viaduct project. Those savings occurred because of cost savings due to a favorable bidding climate and strong management of this $163 million project. Today’s funding comes from additional project savings, bringing the total savings to $15 million.

“We have heard from the public that they want safety improvements on our roads,” said McGinn. “These improvements will help protect safety for people on these busy corridors whether they’re in their cars and trucks, on foot, or on a bicycle.”

The $3.25 million in funding will be used for the following projects:

• Improvements to East Marginal Way in SoDo
  • $700,000 for pavement maintenance, restriping, and exploring interim cycle track options to provide further separation of bicycles and auto traffic.
  • $200,000 will be included for conceptual planning and pre-design for a permanent reconstruction to the road, which will also include a long-term design of separated bicycle facilities such as a cycle track.
• Westlake Avenue Cycle Track
  • $1.2 million for final design and construction of this project to improve separation between bicycles and vehicles and link the Ship Canal trail to South Lake Union. When combined with previous funding from the City and Puget Sound Regional Council, this project will have $2.3 million of funding which may be enough to build the facility depending on final design.
• $500,000 for Lower Spokane Street Safety Improvements. Project elements will be developed with input from the community, the Port, and other stakeholders and may include:
  • Improving pavement conditions along the pathway.
  • Improving crossing at Port driveways
  • Improving crossing for bicyclists at Chelan (5-way) intersection.
  • Improving crossing for bicyclists from the path to SW Avalon Way/SW Admiral Way.
  • Increase separation for bicyclists on SW Admiral Way.
  • Improving Delridge to Andover connection to the bicycle path.
• $400,000 for implementation of the Pedestrian Master Plan
• $250,000 for transit-oriented design in multiple neighborhoods:
  • Study at Rainier Avenue South and Martin Luther King Jr. Way South to identify alternatives, conduct a traffic analysis, conceptual design, develop conceptual cost estimates and conduct public outreach
  • New transportation analysis near Roosevelt light rail station, assessing station area access issues including evaluation of the Roosevelt/11^th one-way couplet
  • Station access and transit-oriented design near Othello Station

This is in addition to the previously announced $11.75 million in transportation investments from Spokane Street Viaduct savings. That funding was included in the First Quarter Supplemental Budget, and includes:

• $4.5 million for major road improvements on Northgate Way, closing the funding gap for this approximately $14 million project. This project includes paving, sidewalks and curb ramps, traffic signals, and lighting.
• $1 million in new funding for Pedestrian Master Plan implementation
• Design work on pedestrian projects currently being identified through the Lake City Way Traffic Safety Corridor Project and other community processes, and additional pedestrian mobility improvements along the length of the corridor and intersecting streets.
• Planning for intersection improvements at Rainier Avenue South and Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, which was identified as a high priority in the Southeast Transportation Study.
• Installation of a special pedestrian flashing beacon at 47th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Admiral Way. We will also work with the community to begin the technical design process for a permanent traffic signal at that location, and are working to identify funding sources for its construction.
• Installation of safety improvements on Northeast 75th Street near Nathan Eckstein Middle School. In April we described these improvements in greater detail. They include a flashing school zone beacon, evaluation of this site for a school zone speed camera, remarking of crosswalks, evaluation of Northeast 68th Street and 25th Avenue Northeast for a traffic signal, and new pedestrian countdown heads at existing traffic signals in the area. We have also been working with the community to examine possible physical changes to the roadway to reduce speeds. SDOT is currently analyzing this feedback and will develop a proposal in the coming weeks.

Be sure to take our community survey on school road safety so your input can be included in this process.

Posted by: Aaron Pickus, Spokesperson

Tomorrow night the Alliance for Pioneer Square will hold a public meeting to share details about our work to tackle the challenging issue of public restroom access in our city. There is an ongoing need in many neighborhoods for safe, accessible public restroom facilities. One neighborhood in particular has been active and vocal about the need for this service – Pioneer Square.

To address the need, City departments partnered with the Alliance for Pioneer Square to map current publicly accessible restrooms and identified a big gap in the middle of the neighborhood where the need is greatest. We analyzed several alternatives and concluded the best option was the regionally famous Portland Loo, which is designed specifically for the needs of urban neighborhoods. The west end of the Sinking Ship Garage was identified by neighborhood stakeholders and City staff as the preferred location. Much progress has been made – SDOT traffic has approved the site, Seattle Public Utilities has located water and waste water infrastructure nearby and the Pioneer Square Preservation Board is supportive of the Loo facility and the proposed location. Most importantly, we have identified non-City sources of funding for both installation and maintenance of the facility.

The developer of a proposed building nearby, Urban Visions, has stepped in to provide this facility as the project’s  public benefit, in exchange for the ability to build to 130 feet, above the current height limit. We are proposing that the developer acquire, transport and install the facility, transferring ownership to the City once the Loo is operational.  The City will lease the Loo to the Alliance for Pioneer Square who will be responsible for operation and maintenance, contracting with a vendor to provide twice daily cleaning.

Through creative thinking and collaboration, we have a plan to bring public restroom access to Pioneer Square as a pilot program. If this effort is successful, this model could be duplicated in other neighborhoods across the city. We anticipate the Loo will be installed in late summer or early fall. Check back on our blog for more as this plan develops.

Posted by: April Thomas

THE READER
From the Office of Mayor Mike McGinn
News, Updates, and Information
Click here to receive The Reader via email.

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013

Launching the Startup Seattle initative
Leaders of Seattle’s startup community and the city of Seattle have teamed up to launch Startup Seattle, an initiative to support the growth of the Seattle technology startup community and establish Seattle as an internationally recognized home for emerging technology companies. Yesterday, Mayor McGinn hosted a press conference to announce the group’s action plan at the downtown Seattle headquarters of Zillow, one of Seattle’s most successful startups in recent years.

“Startup companies are an important part of Seattle’s innovative local economy,” said McGinn. “That’s why we are working hard to support startup businesses that could turn in to the next Microsoft or Amazon. I thank all of our partners in this work to help support our local economy, which is growing faster than the rest of the region, state and country.”

Read more on our blog, GeekWire, or Xconomy.

Mayor McGinn announces ‘million gallon challenge’
Mayor McGinn announced this week that he has directed City departments to build on earlier “green fleet” efforts to meet the challenge of cutting the City’s annual use of petroleum-based fuels by 1 million gallons by 2020. Accomplishing this goal will require improving operational efficiencies, making investments in alternative-fuel infrastructure, and ramping up purchases of alternative vehicles.

“Reducing consumption of petroleum-based fuels is good for the climate and good for the economy,” said McGinn. “By ramping up demand on the government side we can help support businesses that are interested in innovating sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. I encourage my colleagues across the region and country to take similar actions.”

Outreach effort on gun violence
Mayor McGinn announced an outreach effort to inspire conversation among the youth of Seattle about gun violence. The City of Seattle, with the support of Chihuly Studio and Schnitzer Steel is launching a contest called “Weapons to Words” that asks children in Seattle to come up with a short quotation on the subject of gun violence. Plaques made from metal upcycled from guns recovered from future Seattle gun buyback programs will feature quotes from Seattle students about what a violence-free future means to them.

“Our city has been through a lot lately. Gun violence has left many in our community wondering what they can do to help” said Mayor McGinn. “These upcycled plaques, inscribed with the hopes and dreams of the next generation, will transform weapons of violence into something positive. It is my hope that this project will spur a conversation in our community about what kind of city we want to be, and how we can get there together.”

Students can enter by submitting their quote on the subject of gun violence to seattle.gov/weaponstowords, where you can also find contest guidelines and rules. Contest entries should come from students in the first through twelfth grades living in Seattle, and should be no more than 50 words. The panel will select the winning entries by September 15th, 2013.

Upcoming events (for more see http://seattle.gov/mayor/Engage/access.htm):
May 13, 5:30 p.m. – Parks Legacy Plan Draft Report Public Meeting, Northgate Community Center (10510 5th Ave NE)

May 14, 4:00 p.m. – King County Council hearing on potential Metro cuts, Union Station (401 S Jackson St)

May 17, all day – F5 Bike to Work Day (citywide)

Video highlights (for more see http://seattle.gov/mayor/photos/videos.htm):

Changes to SPD recruitment policies	Weapons to Words overview
Million Gallon Challenge	Startup Seattle launch

What we’re reading:
Five years of Seattle bicycle collision data makes case for cycle tracks

Wednesday Video: Speaking Out Against the Coal Trains

McGinn deserves recognition for work on parks, infrastructure

The Fight Against Small Apartments

The Latest on Bringing the NBA Back to Seattle

To subscribe to The Reader via email, click here.

Posted by: Nathaniel Merrill

Leaders of Seattle’s startup community and the city of Seattle have teamed up to launch Startup Seattle, an initiative to support the growth of the Seattle technology startup community and establish Seattle as an internationally recognized home for emerging technology companies. Today, Mayor Mike McGinn hosted a press conference to announce the group’s action plan at the downtown Seattle headquarters of Zillow, one of Seattle’s most successful startups in recent years.

“Startup companies are an important part of Seattle’s innovative local economy,” said McGinn. “That’s why we are working hard to support startup businesses that could turn in to the next Microsoft or Amazon. I thank all of our partners in this work to help support our local economy, which is growing faster than the rest of the region, state and country.”

“Economic recovery doesn’t happen all on its own and this initiative is consistent with Council’s economic recovery resolution calling for actions that make it easier to do business in Seattle,” said Councilmember Richard Conlin.

During the next year, the City plans to hire a startup business sector liaison, relaunch the resource website startupseattle.com, form partnerships with local organizations such as Code.org and Startup Weekend to increase access and connect high school students with local technology opportunities, and develop a marketing campaign to help attract talent to Seattle from across the country. In addition, the City will continue to support “innovation hubs” that make neighborhoods more attractive to early-stage technology companies and initiate a market assessment of real-estate needs for startups that will be used to guide new transit-oriented development in the University District.

“Designating the University District as an ‘innovation hub’ will create a magnet for tech companies of all sizes, and terrific opportunities for companies, students and faculty. The University of Washington already is the region’s educational hub and a great source of entrepreneurship; adding flexible low cost office space and other amenities will make the U-District an extremely desirable area for technology innovation,” said Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. “The City put a stake in the ground to do something really important and the time is right for this kind of transformation.”

Seattle already offers significant resources for technology companies such as an internationally recognized computer science program at the University of Washington, a vibrant tech community and an unmatched quality of life that is significantly more affordable than in the San Francisco Bay Area or New York City.

Many of Seattle’s iconic companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon and Costco were venture-backed and put Seattle on the startup map. Today, Seattle’s technology startup community is comprised of more than 700 companies such as Big Fish, DocuSign, Tableau, Zillow and zulily. Seattle’s entrepreneurs are a significant and growing segment of the local economy and Startup Seattle will create an even more robust environment for them and future generations.

“Seattle’s current economic success was built by prior generations of entrepreneurs who chose to build their companies here such as Bill Boeing, John Nordstrom and Craig McCaw’s namesake companies to Bill Gates with Microsoft, Howard Schultz with Starbucks, Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman with Costco, and Jeff Bezos with Amazon,” said Chris DeVore, co-founder and general partner at Founders’ Co-op. “Innovation is the bedrock of our culture and the entire Seattle community is working together to ensure that we attract and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

The advisory group that worked with the City to create the Startup Seattle initiative was comprised of the following individuals:

• Amy Bohutinsky, Zillow
• Marcelo Calbucci, EveryMove
• John Cook, GeekWire
• Chris DeVore, Founders Co-op/TechStars Seattle
• Emer Dooley, University of Washington/Alliance of Angels
• Greg Gottesman, Madrona Venture Group
• Seaton Gras, SURF Incubator
• Ed Lazowska, University of Washington
• Amy McCullough, Trilogy Partnership
• Omri Mor, Ziibra
• Marc Nager, Startup Weekend
• Marcus Womack, Familiar

A smaller advisory group will continue to support the initiative going forward, including several of the individuals above as well as representatives from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services.

Posted by: Sol Villarreal

Mayor Mike McGinn announced today that he has directed City departments to build on earlier “green fleet” efforts to meet the challenge of cutting the City’s annual use of petroleum-based fuels by 1 million gallons by 2020. Accomplishing this goal will require improving operational efficiencies, making investments in alternative-fuel infrastructure, and ramping up purchases of alternative vehicles.

“Reducing consumption of petroleum-based fuels is good for the climate and good for the economy,” said McGinn. “By ramping up demand on the government side we can help support businesses that are interested in innovating sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. I encourage my colleagues across the region and country to take similar actions.”

Using the city’s 2012 fuel usage as a baseline, a reduction of 1 million gallons of petroleum-based fuel would equate to a 42 percent reduction in overall petroleum-based fuel usage by the City’s fleet.

To meet the “million gallon challenge,” McGinn has instructed the Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) to update the City’s 2007 Clean and Green Fleet Action Plan. The plan will focus on four key areas to reduce Seattle’s use of petroleum-based fuels by 2020:

• Using advanced vehicle technology, such as automatic vehicle locators, to create operational efficiencies:
  • Route Planning – ensure vehicles travel the most-effective routes
  • Reduced Idling – avoiding excessive idling
  • Optimal Speeds – identifying ideal speeds to achieve optimal gas mileage

• Purchasing alternative-fueled vehicles:
  • All-Electric passenger vehicles, parking enforcement scooters, and light-duty trucks
  • Electric-Hybrid vehicles, heavy-duty trucks and large work vans
  • Other alternative-fueled vehicles that run on biofuels.  

• Investing and working with regional partners to develop electric vehicle infrastructure to support city fleet needs and enable Seattle residents to purchase all-electric vehicles:
  • Install additional charging stations in strategic locations throughout Seattle and travel points throughout Washington

• Using a biodiesel blend made with waste vegetable oil at the city’s three main fueling sites.

FAS will update the Clean and Green Fleet Action plan in 2013, so that this effort can start in earnest in 2014. McGinn will propose an adjustment to the 2014 endorsed budget to cover the costs associated with achieving this goal in 2020. This includes funding to purchase approximately 36 all-electric vehicles to replace traditional fuel vehicles due for replacement in 2014; to install and maintain 200 Advanced Vehicle Locator systems for supporting more efficient use of vehicles; for installing additional charging stations throughout the city; for preparation of existing tanks for biodiesel use; and to fund a new Green Fleet Coordinator, who will be responsible for implementing the Green Fleet Action Plan and cultivating regional partnerships to achieve green fleet goals. Actual funding amounts will be worked out during the 2014 budget process.

The City has already seen positive results when transitioning from petroleum-fueled vehicles to alternative-fueled options. Since 2011, the City’s 43 all-electric Nissan Leafs have traveled more than 240,000 miles. The switch from petroleum-fueled vehicles to all-electric reduced fuel consumption by more than 5,000 gallons and prevented 53 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of electricity to power the Leafs is cheaper than the cost of petroleum fuels for other vehicles. Over the lifespan of the electric vehicles the City anticipates they will have a net cost savings over petroleum-fueled vehicles.

Seattle has been a leader in green fleet development for more than 20 years – starting in 1991 when Seattle built a regional compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station on city-owned property. Having CNG fueling infrastructure ultimately led to the purchase of CNG fleet vehicles, spurring others to convert to CNG-fueled vehicles and laying the groundwork for requiring Seattle’s waste hauler contractors to use CNG garbage trucks. Seattle was also an early adopter of hybrid technology and grew its fleet of Toyota Prius to be one of the largest in the U.S. The City’s green fleet efforts culminated in 2010 when Seattle was recognized as the “#1 Green Fleet in North America” by Government Fleet Magazine and The 100 Best Fleets™.

Posted by: Words: April Thomas, Pictures: Jen Nance

Today Mayor McGinn announced an outreach effort to inspire conversation among the youth of Seattle about gun violence. The City of Seattle, with the support of Chihuly Studio and Schnitzer Steel is launching a contest called “Weapons to Words” that asks children in Seattle to come up with a short quotation on the subject of gun violence. Plaques made from metal upcycled from guns recovered from future Seattle gun buyback programs will feature quotes from Seattle students about what a violence-free future means to them.

Leslie Chihuly speaks about the impact of gun violence on kids

“Our city has been through a lot lately. Gun violence has left many in our community wondering what they can do to help” said Mayor McGinn. “These upcycled plaques, inscribed with the hopes and dreams of the next generation, will transform weapons of violence into something positive. It is my hope that this project will spur a conversation in our community about what kind of city we want to be, and how we can get there together.”

The plaques, made from upcycled steel that includes the weapons we recovered, will be placed in Seattle parks. Chihuly Studio is helping to design the upcycled plaques and The Office of Arts & Culture will convene a panel to select the entries from the students to be engraved on the plaques.

“The history of gun violence in our city is tragic” said recently appointed Director of the Office of Arts and Culture Randy Engstrom. “This initiative underlies the ways in which the creative process can be used to confront challenging social issues.”

Students can enter by submitting their quote on the subject of gun violence to seattle.gov/weaponstowords, where you can also find contest guidelines and rules. Contest entries should come from students in the first through twelfth grades living in Seattle, and should be no more than 50 words. The panel will select the winning entries by September 15th, 2013.

“Chihuly Studio is proud to support this program” said Leslie Jackson Chihuly, President of Chihuly Studio. “Weapons to Words allows our youth to express themselves in their own way about the world in which they are growing up. I have confidence in them, and I know this contest will bring out the best in all.”

Posted by: Words: April Thomas, Pictures: Jen Nance

THE READER
From the Office of Mayor Mike McGinn
News, Updates, and Information
Click here to receive The Reader via email.

TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2013

Improving SPD recruitment policy
Mayor McGinn announced that as part of SPD 20/20: A Vision for the Future, new recruitment policies and outreach strategies have been adopted to encourage more diversity among Seattle Police Department officers.

“When we announced SPD 20/20, we promised to do everything possible to make sure we’re recruiting new officers for our police force who reflect the diversity and values of the community they serve” said Mayor McGinn. “We project that in the next 5 years we will hire more than 300 police officers to replace officers who will be completing their careers. We are determined to make the most of this opportunity to shape the police department of the future.”

The mayor also announced the next round of testing for new officers – the test will be conducted on July 13th, with enrollment open as of May 6th. Interested applicants can attend upcoming workshops Wednesday, May 8th at 7:00 at the Atlantic Street Center (2103 S Atlantic St) and Monday, May 13th at 6:00 at El Centro de la Raza (2524 16th Ave S). More information on these and more community workshops can be found at SPD’s new recruitment website seattlepolicejobs.com.

There was some good coverage of the announcement by Q-13, KOMO, KING5, The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, West Seattle Herald and The Stranger.

Making excuses for the gender pay gap doesn’t help women who face discrimination
The Seattle Times recently published a point/counterpoint opinion piece on the gender wage gap, with Bruce Ramsey arguing that the dramatic differences between men and women’s compensation can be explained away by women supposedly choosing to pursue lower-paying jobs. This argument has been made and debunked time and time again. Though Lynne Varner did an excellent job responding, there are some basic factual inaccuracies in Bruce’s piece that Mayor McGinn points out here.

Building a great neighborhood in South Lake Union
Monday Seattle took an important step toward sustainable, environmentally friendly economic growth. The City Council, after thoughtful deliberation, has adopted our proposal to rezone the South Lake Union neighborhood to support more jobs and housing. This rezone helps to secure Seattle’s future as a global economic leader. It provides more opportunities for people to live, work, and enjoy a modern urban neighborhood while also bringing important investments in infrastructure, parks, and affordable housing.

This comprehensive rezone of South Lake Union will help us continue to build shared prosperity in Seattle. We anticipate that by 2035 this rezone will have created 12,000 new housing units (reducing the pressure on tenants in existing housing stock) and 22,000 new jobs, along with $378 million in new property tax revenue for the City.

Read more here.

Leadership Alliance Against Coal
Mayor McGinn continues to lead the fight against the proposal that would have up to 18 additional coal trains pass through Seattle. On Saturday, he joined State Representative Reuven Carlyle, Kyle Griffin of the Seattle Great Wheel, Cary Moon of the People’s Waterfront Coalition and the Sierra Club for a rally against coal trains on the waterfront.

The Leadership Alliance Against Coal now includes 30 mayors, councilmembers, representatives and tribal leaders all along the proposed route. To keep up with the latest news from the alliance, please “like” the Leadership Alliance Against Coal’s facebook page and follow @NoCoalNW on twitter.

Upcoming events (for more see http://seattle.gov/mayor/Engage/access.htm):
May 7, 6:00 p.m. – City Council Town Hall on Climate Action, University Heights Center (5031 University Way NE)

May 14, 4:00 p.m. – King County Council hearing on potential Metro cuts, Union Station (401 S Jackson St)

May 17, all day – F5 Bike to Work Day (citywide)

May 18, 9:00 a.m. – Light Search and Rescue, Warren Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way NE)

What we’re reading:
The City Council’s SLU Rezone Actually Provides Less Affordable Housing Than the Mayor’s

Seattle plan would make city carbon neutral by 2050

Seattle’s Invisible 28-Lane Freeway

Seattle Leads by Example with Green Buildings

To subscribe to The Reader via email, click here.

Posted by: Nathaniel Merrill

Mayor Mike McGinn today announced that as part of SPD 20/20: A Vision for the Future, new recruitment policies and outreach strategies have been adopted to encourage more diversity among Seattle Police Department officers.

“When we announced SPD 20/20, we promised to do everything possible to make sure we’re recruiting new officers for our police force who reflect the diversity and values of the community they serve” said Mayor McGinn. “We project that in the next 5 years we will hire more than 300 police officers to replace officers who will be completing their careers. We are determined to make the most of this opportunity to shape the police department of the future.”

The mayor also announced the next round of testing for new officers – the test will be conducted on July 13, with enrollment opening May 6. Interested applicants can attend a workshop tonight at the Filipino Community of Seattle from 5:30-7:30. More information can be found on community workshops at SPD’s new recruitment website seattlepolicejobs.com.

“SPD is in a period of transition. It is essential that as we move forward with implementing the Settlement Agreement and charting a new path for SPD’s future, we recruit candidates who are ready and willing to make that transition with us” said Deputy Chief Dick Reed. “We’re looking for men and women who are committed to serving their community, and we’ll do everything we can to support their success in the application process.”

Policy changes and initiatives affecting recruitment include:

• Elimination of $25 application fee
• Partnerships with community-based organizations including Atlantic Street Center, Filipino Community of Seattle and El Centro De La Raza
• Community based workshops to prepare candidates for testing
• New advertising and recruitment materials based on community input
• Changes to the minimum hiring standards policy including:
  • Marijuana policy has been updated to require that new hires have not used marijuana in the past year, rather than fewer than 25 times overall
  • Elimination of some clauses under Traffic Record that may have unnecessarily disqualified applicants
  • Changes in Professional Appearances standards regarding tattoos, scarification, and elimination of the policy regarding dental ornamentation. Tattoos and scarification will now be reviewed on a case by case basis.
  • Additional context included for applicants: during the background investigation process SPD is interested in learning greater detail about challenges applicants may have faced, as well as the lessons the applicant has learned and the changes the applicant has made as a result. This context will be included in the review process
  • Strategic ethnic media advertising plan in partnership with the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
  • Full redesign of website designed to make application process more accessible
  • Recruitment outreach through social media

“I’m proud to have been a part of this effort” said community leader Kip Tokuda. “SPD needs diverse perspectives to be able to police effectively and build bridges with the community. These changes will bring more diversity and connection with the communities they serve to the SPD.”

Posted by: April Thomas

Today Seattle has taken an important step toward sustainable, environmentally friendly economic growth. The City Council, after thoughtful deliberation, has adopted our proposal to rezone the South Lake Union neighborhood to support more jobs and housing. This rezone helps to secure Seattle’s future as a global economic leader. It provides more opportunities for people to live, work, and enjoy a modern urban neighborhood while also bringing important investments in infrastructure, parks, and affordable housing.

This comprehensive rezone of South Lake Union will help us continue to build shared prosperity in Seattle. We anticipate that by 2035 this rezone will have created 12,000 new housing units (reducing the pressure on tenants in existing housing stock) and 22,000 new jobs, along with $378 million in new property tax revenue for the City.

It’s taken almost ten years to get to this point. The process for a comprehensive rezone of South Lake Union began in 2004 when the neighborhood was designated as an Urban Center as part of the 10-year update of the Comprehensive Plan. The City partnered with the community to update the neighborhood plan to establish goals and policies for the neighborhoods future growth as an Urban Center. That was done in 2007, and the City then began working with the community and stakeholders to develop a new zoning ordinance for the neighborhood to implement the neighborhood plan.

Upon taking office in 2010, I began working with members of the City Council, the Department of Planning and Development, King County Executive Dow Constantine, property owners and businesses in the community, housing advocates and neighborhood activists to move this process to completion. After two years of hard work we agreed to a proposal that allows us to leverage private investment in the area to provide more affordable housing, improve local infrastructure and provide other public benefits that serve Seattle residents, visitors and the South Lake Union neighborhood.

The proposal as adopted includes greater height and development capacity for much of South Lake Union, but excludes most of the Cascade area, a long-standing residential enclave in the eastern portion of the neighborhood. Some of the elements of the rezone include:

• Establishing new development standards to ensure towers are well-spaced and floor plates are limited to preserve openness to the sky and public views through the neighborhood
  • The number of permitted towers is limited to 2 per block, or 1 per block on blocks fronting Lake Union.
  • Floor plates for residential towers are limited to 10,500 up to 240 feet or 12,500 up to 160 feet.
  • Floor plates for commercial towers are limited to 24,000 square feet.
  • Tower setbacks are required on Fairview, Thomas and John Streets to preserve view corridors.
• Ensuring active public spaces through well-designed ground floor retail along key streets, façade transparency and parking standards, and pedestrian pass-throughs on large blocks
• Creating new incentives to preserve landmark properties and existing open space
• Significant public benefits for height and size beyond new baselines:
  • Saving up to 25,000 acres of farm and forest lands in King County,
  • $28 million for infrastructure improvements in South Lake Union and downtown Seattle
• Significant new funding for affordable housing
• Providing Incentives for development of a public school:
  • Exempt floor area in a project that is used to establish a school in the neighborhood,
  • Projects that include a public school may exceed the residential height limit by 30% or the commercial height limit by 20%.

I want to thank the City Council for voting to approve the rezone today. In particular, I want to thank Councilmember Richard Conlin for his work in helping develop the proposal and shepherding it to approval by the City Council.

Posted by: Mayor Mike McGinn