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<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> City Councilmember Nick Licata
[mailto:nicksnotes@seattle.gov] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 23, 2009
9:26 AM<BR><B>To:</B> lawnmower84@hotmail.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> A Report from
Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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<P align=center><STRONG>CONTENTS:</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>CULTURE, CIVIL RIGHTS, HEALTH AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
Culture</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#1">Cultural Overlays for Neighborhoods</A>
<LI><A href="#2">Nightlife Advisory Board</A>
<LI><A href="#3">Words' Worth</A>
<LI><A href="#4">Seattle Composers</A> </LI></UL>
<P><STRONG>Civil Rights</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#6">Referendum 71</A>
<LI><A href="#7">Voter-Owned Elections</A>
<LI><A href="#8">Free Speech</A>
<LI><A href="#9">Veteran Discrimination</A>
<LI><A href="#10">Lobbyist Registration Update</A>
<LI><A href="#11">Open Space Signage Initiative</A>
<LI><A href="#12">Policy Reform or New Jail?</A> </LI></UL>
<P><STRONG>Health</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#13">Urban Forestry Commission</A> </LI></UL>
<P><STRONG>PERSONNEL</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#14">Police Accountability</A> </LI></UL>
<P><STRONG><A href="#15">PEDESTRIAN SAFETY</A></STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>TRANSPORTATION</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#16">Alaskan Way Viaduct Saga</A>
<LI><A href="#17">Mercer Project</A>
<LI><A href="#18">Spokane Street Project</A>
<LI><A href="#19">First Hill Streetcar</A>
<LI><A href="#20">Seattle Snow Response</A> </LI></UL>
<P><STRONG>2009-2010 CITY BUDGET</STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><A href="#21">Library Budget</A>
<LI><A href="#22">City Light Rates</A>
</LI></UL></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><A name=1></A>
<H1 class=style1>CULTURE, CIVIL RIGHTS, HEALTH AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
</H1>
<P><EM>As Chair of the Culture, Civil Rights, Health and Personnel (CCRHP)
Committee, I oversee Seattle Public Library, Arts, the Seattle Office for
Civil Rights, each the Human Rights, Women's and LGBT Commissions issues
as well as health, labor and personnel legislation Pages 1 through 6
highlight the work of that committee. Pages 6 through 10 have examples of
work outside of this committee. </EM></P>
<H3>CULTURE</H3>
<P><STRONG>Cultural Overlays for Neighborhoods </STRONG></P>
<P>For the 2010 budget the Council passed a budget action to have the
Office of Economic Development, the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs,
and the Department of Planning and Development work with Council staff to
develop a workplan to implement the recommendations of the Cultural
Overlay District Advisory Committee (CODAC). Resolution 31155, endorsing
CODAC recommendations passed in August. A progress report will be
presented to in February of 2010 with a March final report. <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/council/codac/default.htm">Find CODAC
recommendations here</A>.</P>
<P>I invited planners from Vancouver, British Columbia, to share with City
staff and Councilmembers their observations on similarities and
differences between their cultural facilities work and Seattle's cultural
overlay zoning efforts. Cultural Planners Jacqueline Gijssen and Diana
Leung presented an overview of Vancouver's Cultural Facilities Priorities
Plan - a 15-year master plan for cultural space; talked about their City's
cultural infrastructure - departments, positions and how they work
together; described their regulatory review; and detailed civic
involvement in the creation of Vancouver's cultural spaces - zoning,
planning, financing growth policies, etc. I am grateful that Jacquie and
Diana agreed to keep helping our work as it progresses.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=2></A>
<P><STRONG>Nightlife Advisory Board </STRONG></P>
<P>The City Council formed the Nightlife Advisory Board to, among other
things, make recommendations to the Council about how to best accommodate
nightlife and increasing residential density in mixed-use areas.</P>
<P>The Commission includes residents, nightlife industry representatives,
and members from the liquor control board, public safety, and a noise
expert. The Nightlife Advisory Board will issue its recommendations in
late 2009. </P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=3></A>
<P><STRONG>Words' Worth</STRONG></P>
<P>My most recent Words' Worth poetry term was curated by Felicia
Gonzalez, a celebrated Seattle writer, alumna of Hedgebrook Writers
Retreat and the Jack Straw Writers Program, as well as a recipient of both
an Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship and an
artist's grant from the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs for
her chapbook, <EM>Recollection Graffiti</EM>. </P>
<P>Over the past 12 years we've had over 200 readings! Take some time to
discover Seattle's wonderful poets by visiting <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/poetword.htm">Words'
Worth</A>.</P>
<P>And, if you would like to learn about serving as a curator, please
email Frank Video in my office at <A
href="mailto:frank.video@seattle.gov">frank.video@seattle.gov</A></P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=4></A>
<P><STRONG>Seattle Composers</STRONG></P>
<P>There are now 6 Seattle music composers gracing my Seattle Composer
website: Fred Schactler, with his composition "Soliloquy #3"; Tim Janof,
with "Piece for Solo Cello #9", Sarah Bassingthwaighte, with "Eleven
Portraits", Christopher DeLaurenti, with "Sylvian's Wood", and Tom Baker,
with "Rumor". I started Seattle Composer to present music one might
otherwise never have the opportunity to hear. </P>
<P><A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/council/Licata/composer/default.htm">Learn
about each artist</A>; and listen to as well as purchase their music. If
you'd like to comment or submit your own composition, please email Frank
Video in my office at <A
href="mailto:frank.video@seattle.gov">frank.video@seattle.gov</A>. Also,
be sure to catch Christopher DeLaurenti's music column in The Stranger
called ‘The Score'.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=6></A>
<H3>CIVIL RIGHTS</H3>
<P><STRONG>Referendum 71</STRONG></P>
<P>I was pleased to propose and sponsor a resolution opposing the repeal
of <A href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5688"
target=_blank>Senate Bill 5688,</A> a law to give rights of state
registered domestic partners to equal married people.</P>
<P>Since 1973, Seattle has protected its citizens from discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation. Our laws are important to promote to
other jurisdictions in order to be true to our commitment. The City
provides that a) domestic partners be treated equal to spouses for health
benefit coverage, b) City pension beneficiaries can be a domestic partner,
and c) City contractors must provide benefits to their employees with
domestic partners.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=7></A>
<P><STRONG>Voter-Owned Elections </STRONG></P>
<P>Voter-owned elections, or public financing, allow a candidate to
qualify for public funding if able to demonstrate broad support and agree
to standards such as limits on private fundraising, a limit on using
personal funds, or limits on third-party funding. In 1992,
Washington voters adopted Initiative 134, ending Seattle's voter-owned
elections system. Fortunately, the Washington State Legislature adopted
legislation in 2008 to allow voters in cities to vote to create public
financing programs.</P>
<P>This year, the Council developed a timeline to develop a publicly
financed elections program with a possible ballot measure in 2010 If
voters approve, candidates could participate in a program in 2011.
Voter-owned elections connect people with government. I look forward to
hearing Seattleites' ideas as we develop a program in the months
ahead.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=8></A>
<P><STRONG>Free Speech </STRONG></P>
<P><IMG border=0 align=left
src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/freespeech.gif" width=44
height=31 NOSEND="1"> In 2001, I and Councilmembers Steinbrueck and
Nicastro, voted against a new "Special Events Permit" law with new
requirements for parades and other "free speech activities." At the
time, I argued that the bill did not include needed safeguards and
repeated the problems of an earlier Seattle law which was ruled
unconstitutional. Though I hoped these problems would be solved over time,
I was concerned that the City might be sued.</P>
<P>Suit was brought by the ACLU on behalf of the October 22nd Coalition, a
group that opposes police brutality. In 2008, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals found the ordinance unconstitutional because it gave police too
much discretion to revoke or alter permits.</P>
<P>This year I was the sponsor of legislation that maintains Seattle's
proud tradition of the full exercise of the free speech rights of its
citizens by curing the 2001 law of its constitutional defects. The City
Council codified by ordinance the rules in accordance with the Court's
decision requiring: 1. clear standards be used to modify parade permits,
2. a written explanation of decisions and 3. a mandatory review process.
</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
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<P></P><A name=9></A>
<P><STRONG>Veteran Discrimination</STRONG></P>
<P>Combat veterans report inappropriate employment and housing interview
questions of whether they could work with someone opposed to the war or
whether they suffer from psychological problems. </P>
<P>I led the Council to amend the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) to prevent
discrimination in employment, public accommodation, and housing based on
an individual's status as a veteran. The addition of veterans and
military status to Seattle's equal opportunity ordinances provides the
assistance of the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) when this
occurs.</P>
<P>With longer and more frequent deployments, service members in Iraq and
Afghanistan are more concerned than ever with finding and keeping both
their civilian jobs and the housing that those jobs support. It is
critical to ensure that after serving their country, the needs of those
who have sacrificed so much are met. Nationally 131,000 veterans are
homeless on any given night and about twice that many are homelessness at
some point over the course of a year. </P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=10></A>
<P><STRONG>Lobbyist Registration Update </STRONG></P>
<P>Newly this year, the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission has <A
href="http://www2.seattle.gov/ethics/lobbyists/reports.asp"
target=_blank>reports</A> on a 2008 bill, I sponsored, requiring paid
lobbyists to register with the City of Seattle. You can click on the
"Name" or "Month" field on the top or the "Who Lobbies for Whom" field on
the left to see who's lobbying whom plus quarterly and annual reports with
more detail.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=11></A>
<P><STRONG>Open Space Signage Initiative</STRONG></P>
<P>This year I convinced the Council to earmark $30,000 in the 2010 budget
for outreach and enforcement at our downtown Privately Owned Public
Spaces. This came on the heels of my walking tour last summer led by
the Seattle Architecture Foundation to bring greater attention to the need
for developers to comply with signage obligations</P>
<P>Under Seattle zoning laws, developers can build bigger or higher, if
they provide a specified amount of space for public use. Twenty-six of
these spaces, called Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), exist
throughout downtown and require signage to inform us that they are for
public enjoyment.</P>
<P><IMG border=0 align=right
src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/images/public_space.jpg" width=61
height=61 NOSEND="1"> Still, some are without signage. In <EM>Nick's Notes
</EM>2008, I reported that DPD developed a logo and notified 26 property
owners of the regulation. Only 4 properties were signed. As of today, 12
properties have signage. For some properties, the owner is required to
provide and erect the signs; it is the City's responsibility for others if
the owners do not comply voluntarily. It is estimated that it will cost
$30,000 to complete enforcement and outreach activities, including
fabrication and installation of signage.<BR>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=12></A>
<P><STRONG>Policy Reform or New Jail?</STRONG></P>
<P>This year the Seattle City Council released a jail capacity study
requested with my urging during the fall 2008 budget deliberations.</P>
<P>Seattle, along with most cities in the county, gets jail space from
King County. King County has informed Seattle that it will not extend its
jail space contract beyond 2012 because its projections indicated the
county would need those jail beds for its own inmates. The county is
legally responsible for the cost of jailing individuals arrested for
felonies (including most drug offenses). The intent of the study was to
assess if the county's use of jail beds could be reduced if Seattle used
treatment-focused approaches for lower-level drug offenders.</P>
<P>A Jail Capacity Advisory Group comprised of numerous leaders from the
criminal justice field helped with the study. Their input and review
helped inform the staff analysis. I am disappointed in the study
conclusions that existing criminal justice reform efforts are unlikely to
offer Seattle reductions that would significantly alter jail needs. Some
members of that group, like me, felt that the City missed an opportunity
to help the County reduce the use of jail beds for lower-level drug
offenders and avoid the need for a new jail.</P>
<P>Still, jail capacity planning efforts may benefit from new work in all
the eight areas recommended by the study. The recommendations are
to: 1. Continue to test and update the County's jail population
projections and actual use; 2. Review the potential for more alternatives
to incarceration of inmates at the County jail; 3. Continue evaluation and
monitoring the pre-booking diversion for low level drug offender programs
CURB, Co-STARS, GOTS and the Drug Market Initiative; 4. Possibly
extend the jail services contract with Yakima County or the new SCORE
facility (scheduled to start construction later this year); and 5.
Consider advocating in Olympia and/or Washington, D.C. for drug law
reform, sentencing reform, resources for community supervision, and
consolidation of jurisdictional jail responsibility for felons and
misdemeanants.</P>
<P>In pursuing the recommendations of the study, I believe that the
Council will find the potential role of pre-booking diversion in achieving
the most effective balance between enforcement and treatment for drug
offenses to be a recurring theme.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P>
<H3>HEALTH</H3>
<P>This year the Council affirmed their unanimous support for universal
access to quality health care, specifically the model referred to as
single payer. The single-payer model eliminates the waste and bureaucracy
of the private insurance industry while assuring patients their choice of
doctor and hospital. Upon the request of the Washington chapter of
Physicians for a National Health Plan (PNHP) Seattle joined 24 cities and
counties and 18 states with similar resolutions.</P>
<P>Local government is closer to the people and their health care
struggles than most elected officials. Additionally, the costs to the City
of Seattle of providing health-care benefits to its employees have risen
while City revenue has not. An estimated 160,000, 15.6% of King County
residents under 65 years of age, don't have health insurance. The number
of uninsured children in Washington State has reached its highest in more
than a decade.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=13></A>
<P><STRONG>Urban Forestry Commission </STRONG></P>
<P>Seattle's urban forest reduces air pollution and aids in carbon
storage. Tree root systems absorb water that would fill stormwater pipes
and pump pollutants into our streams, lakes, and Puget Sound. Plus,
the City Auditor recently reported that shade reduces energy use in
buildings, or a third of CO2 emissions. </P>
<P>This 2009 Auditor report called for improvement of tree stewardship,
better coordination and outreach to stakeholders, revising regulations and
conducting a tree inventory.</P>
<P>In August, the City Council unanimously passed legislation I sponsored
establishing an Urban Forestry Commission. The commission will provide
expertise to the city in protecting and expanding our tree canopy while
accommodating growth. This measure accompanied a resolution sponsored by
Councilmember Conlin to revise regulations and incentivize tree planting
and preservation.</P>
<P>The dilemma we face is expanding our tree canopy while increasing
residential density as foreseen in the Seattle Comprehensive Plan The
resolution calls for the Department of Planning and Development to develop
regulations and incentives to meet this challenge. Incentives could
include, for example, allowing additional development on a site if trees
are preserved.</P>
<P>The Commission will assist the City by providing the expertise of
scientists, tree advocates, and developer representatives to ensure that
whatever comes forward is environmentally sound as well as practical, to
point the way toward a sustainable future that keeps the green in Seattle,
and helps the City realize its goal of increasing our urban forest canopy
from roughly 20% to 30% during the next few decades.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=14></A>
<H3>PERSONNEL</H3>
<P><STRONG>Police Accountability </STRONG></P>
<P>Seattle's police accountability system, called the Office of
Professional Accountability (OPA), has a citizen review board, the OPA
Review Board or OPARB. A law I led the Council to pass in 2006 gave OPARB
access to closed disciplinary files and obligated them to strict
confidentiality in reviewing those files. OPARB cannot use the information
to impact the outcome of any individual case, but it has a responsibility
to review some sampling of cases to better inform them in making policy
recommendations to the Council for OPA improvements.</P>
<P>The Seattle Police Officers' Guild (SPOG) sued the City arguing that
the ordinance impacted working conditions and could not be legislated by
the City Council without being successfully bargained in labor
negotiations. The Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) this
year upheld this important law for citizen review of Seattle's police
accountability efforts.</P>
<P>I was gratified that SPOG did not appeal the decision so that police
officers, city officials and citizen watchdogs can continue the important
dialogue on issues that police officers and citizens share concern: how to
ensure the OPA is effective, fair, and responsive to all parties.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=15></A>
<H1 class=style1>PEDESTRIAN SAFETY</H1>
<P><EM>In 2007, I created and co-chaired with Councilmember Jan Drago, a
Special Committee on Pedestrian Safety. It was to be a two-year committee;
2008 was the 2nd year. I got a third year of work in to complete the goals
for the committee we'd identified in 2007. Here are some highlights of
this year's work.</EM></P>
<P><IMG src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/pedsafety.gif"
width=20 height=20 NOSEND="1">The Pedestrian Master Plan Advisory Group,
known as PMPAG, was convened by the Council Pedestrian Safety
Committee. For Seattle to become a "walking city," we must make
walking safer. This year, the City Council adopted the <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedestrian_masterplan/default.htm"
target=_blank>Pedestrian Master Plan proposed by PMPAG </A>and made a
commitment to try and provide up to $15 million in funding each year.</P>
<P>Funding the Plan will be the big challenge. The Bridging the Gap
levy will provide about $60 million, funding approximately $41 million in
new improvements (e.g., sidewalks, curb ramps, signals) and approximately
$19 million funding for maintenance (e.g., sidewalk repair, crosswalk
re-striping). This only pays for a small percentage of the highest
priority improvements in the Plan. Hopefully, additional private
development can leverage still more public and private resources to fund
the Plan.</P>
<P>Although the so-called head tax - a funding source for pedestrian and
bike safety projects - was repealed in the 2010 budget, I led the Council
in a new direction to look at dedicating existing infraction revenue for
pedestrian safety purposes consistent with the Seattle Pedestrian Master
Plan. Right now, those revenues go into the general fund. The National
Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances recommends that all
automated traffic law enforcement revenue be dedicated to traffic safety
efforts. I've asked the Executive to explore the dedication of revenue
from the existing speed camera used in school zones. I will also encourage
the Council to determine how much revenue is collected from the red light
camera program (established in 2006) for possible future efforts to
dedicate more revenue to pedestrian master plan and possibly bike master
plan funding efforts.</P>
<P><IMG border=0
src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/critical_crossings.gif"
NOSEND="1"></P>
<P><IMG src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/pedsafety.gif"
width=20 height=20 NOSEND="1">Since launching my Critical Crossings
website in 2008, 27 crosswalks or intersections have been posted Critical
Crossings raises awareness of pedestrian safety by inviting residents to
submit photos along with descriptions of crosswalks and traffic
intersections they believe are in some way critical to their safety. I
share the submissions with SDOT, who then study, respond, and sometimes
implement pedestrian improvements to a particular Critical Crossings
location. To submit your own crossing or intersection or to view those
others have submitted, please <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/crossings.htm">visit our web
site</A>.</P>
<P><IMG src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/pedsafety.gif"
width=20 height=20 NOSEND="1"> In 2008, Seattle Department of
Transportation (SDOT) began – on my request - working on the issue of
construction resulting in sidewalk closures that make walking dangerous,
and if not dangerous, often confusing and forcing people to go out of
their way to walk a short distance. The City Auditor made suggestions on
how the City can meet the needs of pedestrians and not tie developers up
in needless red tape. This year SDOT began to implement the new Pedestrian
Safety and Work Zone Standards, including sidewalk closure signs stating
the duration of the closure and incentives for contractors to provide
pedestrian access. At the same time, the Council passed legislation to
assess penalties when no permit is obtained prior to beginning work in the
public right of way. The legislation also allows SDOT to issue citations
when terms and conditions of a permit are not followed.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=16></A>
<H1 class=style1>TRANSPORTATION</H1>
<P><STRONG>Alaskan Way Viaduct Saga</STRONG></P>
<P>2009 proved to be yet another eventful year for the Alaskan Way
Viaduct. In January the Mayor, Governor and County Executive reached a
three-party agreement for a $4.2 billion plan to replace the Alaskan Way
Viaduct with a bored tunnel. The tunnel's estimated cost is $1.9 billion,
while other south-end SR 99 work is estimated at $900 million. The City
agreed to cover $937 million in projects, including a two-way Mercer from
I-5 to Elliott, completing the Spokane Viaduct project, a 1st Avenue
Streetcar, the construction of a waterfront promenade, and various other
street improvements. </P>
<P>A few months later, the state legislature authorized spending $2.8
billion for the bored tunnel/SR 99 project. At this point, for better or
worse, I believe the tunnel became a political reality, and the key issue
turned to who would pay for any cost overruns. </P>
<P>Limited information about possible City funding sources for its
projects was included. I subsequently wrote Mayor Nickels in September
asking for more specifics about what taxes would be proposed, at what
rate, and how long they would go on for.</P>
<P>The budget proposed by Mayor Nickels assumed that the commercial
parking tax, a car tab fee, and a local improvement district would fund
City projects. However, specifics were not provided, so the Council passed
legislation directing the Executive to bring back concrete proposals in
mid-2010.</P>
<P>When the Council received a proposed agreement with the State in
September, I asked the City's Law department whether voting on it could be
interpreted as consenting to Seattle paying for cost overruns. Based on
their advice I made a statement that I did not believe that in passing
this agreement the City of Seattle was agreeing to pay any cost overruns
on the deep bored tunnel. In any case, the agreement is a policy statement
declaring the City's intent to work with the state to complete the
project. </P>
<P>Future agreements will be when the real, substantive decisions will be
made. I will support future agreements if<STRONG> </STRONG>they conform to
the Federal Office of Management and Budget standards for best practices
as previously identified by our City Auditor. Unlike this agreement,
future agreements must include a reliability risk analysis of funding
sources, and the development of contingency plans in the event funding
sources do not materialize.</P>
<P align=center><A href="#contents"><STRONG>Back to Contents</STRONG></A>
<HR color=#7a7a7a>
<P></P><A name=17></A>
<P><STRONG>Mercer Project</STRONG></P>
<P>The two-way Mercer project was included in the Viaduct agreement
mentioned above. The original proposal called for a two-way Mercer east of
Aurora. There is now a "Phase 2" for a two-way Mercer west of Aurora, to
Elliott at the base of Queen Anne Hill. </P>
<P>The original project is estimated to cost $190 million and Phase 2 just
under $100 million. The original project is $50 million short; the City
bid for federal stimulus funding to complete the project. We should know
soon whether it comes through. If it doesn't, there isn't a clear Plan B.
I haven't supported the project, because I don't believe it is a genuine
transportation improvement. The good aspects, such as improving access to
Lake Union Park and expanding bicycle lanes, could be done less
expensively. Phase 2 depends on funding from the sources listed for
the Viaduct, for which specifics are not yet available.</P>
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<P><STRONG>Spokane Street Project</STRONG></P>
<P>Construction has begun on the $183 million Spokane Street Viaduct
project. This project will improve access from West Seattle to I-5 by
widening the Spokane Street Viaduct and building a new on and off ramp at
1st Avenue. This will be critical for West Seattle's access to Downtown
and points north once Alaskan Way Viaduct construction begins. Work will
be completed by the end of 2011.</P>
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<P><STRONG>First Hill Streetcar</STRONG></P>
<P><IMG border=0 align=right
src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/streetcar.gif" width=129
height=87 NOSEND="1"> In September the Council approved an agreement with
Sound Transit for the First Hill Streetcar that will run from
Chinatown/International District to First Hill and Capitol Hill. Funding
for construction and operations was included in the Sound Transit 2 ballot
measure passed by voters in 2008. Construction is scheduled to begin in
2011 with an opening date set for 2013.</P>
<P>In 2005 Sound Transit opted to not build a light rail station on First
Hill, due to costs and potential impact on federal funding. In 2007 the
Council voted to support including a First Hill streetcar in the Sound
Transit ballot measure to provide a connection to light rail</P>
<P>SDOT is conducting outreach about possible routes (Boren, Broadway,
11th and 12th are possibilities). <A
href="http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/firsthill.asp" target=_blank>Want
more information?</A> The Council could approve a route in spring 2010.
</P>
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<P><STRONG>Seattle Snow Response</STRONG></P>
<P>The City of Seattle's response to the December 2008 snowstorms was not
good.</P>
<P>The Council carried out an independent review of the City's snow
response. The report found numerous problems in management, coordination,
work tracking, and planning. As a result of this work and their own
review, SDOT has developed improved procedures and organization, in
particular focusing on preventive actions. The City and King County Metro
have reached agreement regarding better communication and coordination for
street clearing for bus service.</P>
<P>In addition, after a Seattle Times report about the City's snow
response and problems at SDOT Street Maintenance Division, I hosted a
briefing with the Office for Civil Rights.</P>
<P><A href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winter_plan.htm"
target=_blank>View the City's Response Plan online</A>. Here you can also
access the SDOT Winter Weather Facebook page which provides regular
updates on snow response and preparations. <A
href="http://twitter.com/seattledot/" target=_blank>SDOT's Twitter
feed</A> provides updates on road status throughout town.</P>
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<H1 class=style1>2009-2010 CITY BUDGET</H1>
<P><STRONG>Library Budget</STRONG></P>
<P><IMG align=right
src="http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/images/reading.gif" width=53
height=44 NOSEND="1"> As Chair of the Council committee overseeing library
legislation, I sponsored several proposals to restore hours, including one
for full restoration, which Councilmembers Burgess and Harrell joined me
in co-sponsoring. Unfortunately, it did not garner the support needed for
passage.</P>
<P>In the end, the Council voted to keep 11 geographically dispersed
branches open 7 days and 60 hours per week with 35 hour operating
schedules 5 days a week at the remaining 15 branches. Access to library's
free internet and job search resources is particularly crucial during this
recession, particularly for the third of households with no home broadband
internet.</P>
<P>I also co-sponsored the Council's request that the Library explore new
sources of ongoing revenue. The City provides most of the Library's
funding. Yet, the ability to provide support fluctuates with City
revenues. Fines, copy and printing services, and other revenue sources are
limited. Consequently, the Council is interested in identifying a
stable, ongoing new revenue source for the Library in hopes of preventing
future closures while maintaining enough books, media, and computers to
keep up with user demand. The Council will get a written report from the
Library by June of 2010.</P>
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<P><STRONG>City Light Rates</STRONG></P>
<P>City Light underpins local prosperity. It is important to protect its
financial stability and integrity as a public utility, and maintain
service quality. City Light rates are much lower than the nearest
comparable utilities.</P>
<P>The Council faced unpleasant decisions about City Light rates for 2010.
Revenues were projected to be $140 million short. $70 million of this gap
is due to rates not keeping up with expenses; $70 million is due to a
decline in revenue from selling electricity on the open market. Although
the Council approved cuts to City Light, the gap could not be closed
through cuts alone. An increase was necessary.</P>
<P>We faced two options: to increase rates 13.8% or 7.8%. Unfortunately,
the lower rate would increase the likelihood we would need to raise rates
again in early 2010 to sell bonds needed to operate City Light, and also
increase the odds of an increase in mid-2010 if surplus power sales come
in below projections, as has happened five of the last seven years. If the
latter happened, an increase would have to be double in order to cover
losses for the entire year. Reducing dependency on surplus power sales
would require even higher increases.</P>
<P>Plus, the lower increase would make a much lower bond rating more
likely, and costing ratepayers even more over forthcoming years. After
considering these issues, I voted to support a 13.8% increase, still
leaving City Light rates among the lowest in the nation, and lower than
2001 rates when considering inflation.</P>
<P>Next year we need to tighten financial management to get the most
efficient service possible for ratepayers and examine financial
assumptions of City Light's operations.</P>
<P>City Light offers <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/light/accounts/assistance"
target=_blank>assistance programs</A> for seniors, disabled and low-income
ratepayers; (206) 684-0268.</P>
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<P><STRONG>Seattle City Councilmember Nick
Licata</STRONG><BR><STRONG>Mailing Address:</STRONG> PO Box 34025,
Seattle, WA 98124-4025<BR><STRONG>Physical Address:</STRONG> Seattle City
Hall, 2nd Floor, 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA<BR><BR>Visit the Seattle City
Council Website at <A
href="http://www.seattle.gov/council">www.seattle.gov/council</A> where
you can view Council meetings in progress and access previous
meetings.</P>
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