Seattle Forward

Alaskan Way Corridor: Council Will Review Bids and Contract Before Final Decisions

A new waterfront with a broad pedestrian promenade, public open space, parks and outdoor cafes is possible.  A downtown traffic grid that protects our environment, protects our maritime and freight industries and allows for the effective movement of people and supplies is possible. What has been dreamed about for years is within our reach.

The City Council took another step this morning toward fulfilling this vision for a new central waterfront when we announced our intent to approve agreements between the Washington State Department of Transportation and three City departments—Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. These agreements will allow construction on the deep-bore tunnel replacement but not until we see the final construction bids and terms of the design-build contract between the state and the winning contractor. 

Walk, Bike, Ride: I Scoot

UPDATE: Sunday, July 25, 2010
I haven't driven a car to work for nearly two weeks; I'm still alive, the sky hasn't fallen, and Joleen is very happy. 

Last week, I participated in the Mayor's Walk-Bike-Ride Challenge along with six of my colleagues on the Council.  We pledge to either walk, bike or ride to and from work.  I met the challenge every day!  Do I get a prize?

Previous Post: Yup, that's me on my scooter leaving my backyard and heading off to the office.  I scoot most days as long as it's not raining, not dark, and not too cold.  Otherwise, I take the bus.  Occasionally, I'll persuade Joleen to let me take the car, especially if I have lots of meetings and events away from City Hall. (We downsized to just one car and my scooter last year.)

This week is Mayor McGinn's Walk-Bike-Ride Challenge.  Seven council members, plus other city leaders, are participating.  We have all pledged to either walk, bike, ride (a category that includes scooting, transit and carpooling) to work. I've used my scooter every day this week.

My scooter journey is precisely 3.1 miles one-way.  It takes me 10-15 minutes in the morning and 20-25 minutes in the afternoon.  The primary rule is watch out! A scooter rider needs to be defensively careful in traffic.  Drivers don't see me! 

How Many Cops? The Facts on Police Staffing

There's been a lot of talk in recent days about exactly how many police officers we need to maintain public safety in Seattle.  Some argue we should hire more officers; the Mayor wants to slow hiring down.  Facts and figures are thrown around to justify positions.

So, how many cops do we need?  And how do we know what the right number is?

For starters, there is no national standard or benchmark for the number of police officers a city should have.  As a result, you have some, like local business leaders, who compare Seattle's officer count with other select American cities, assert we our short, then demand more aggressive hiring.  Others argue we should shift money to prevention or social service programs instead of hiring new officers. What's the right answer?

In the absence of a national standard, Seattle's policing environment and staffing levels can be measured against other, similar cities. Three different comparisons have been prepared by my Legislative Aide Nate Van Duzer and they provide helpful insights. 

One comparison includes the so-called "West Coast Seven," a grouping of cities Seattle has traditionally used when negotiating working conditions and compensation packages for police officers.  Another comparison is the "Comparable Eight," a select group of cities identified by our police department because they have similar policing environments due to size of population, regional position/significance, nightlife/entertainment scene, strength of tourism, presence of professional sports teams, and size of commuter population.  Finally, there is the "Group of 21," a national roster of all American cities with a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000. 

Here's a snapshot look at these comparison groups.  (The following table uses 2008 data, the last full year available with both crime statistics and officer staffing levels.)

 

As you can see, Seattle has fewer officers per 1,000 population compared to the "Comparable Eight" or the "Group of 21," but more than the "West Coast Seven."  Our Part 1 reported crime rate is higher than all of the comparable groups because we have a whole lot more property crime than the other cities.  As a result, Seattle has significantly more major crime per police officer than the other cities.

Council Negotiates Cost Overrun Concessions

The Council was briefed this afternoon on new terms our staff negotiated with the state of Washington related to potential cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.  This is significant because these new terms address many of the outstanding questions that have been raised by myself and other Council members in recent weeks. 

Here's a quick summary of the protections the Council has achieved in its negotiations with the state and that the state has agreed to.  These protections are included in three

Another Small Step Against Human Trafficking

UPDATE: Monday, July 19, 2010 at 5:45 p.m.
The Council passed legislation today that regulates the display of human bodies like those shown in Bodies: The Exhibition.  The vote was 9-0.

I've written many times about human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and the highly coercive commercial sex industry, including the reality of these practices here in Seattle. On Monday, the City Council will take another small step against human trafficking with passage of legislation advanced by my colleague, Nick Licata, that will prohibit the commercial display of human remains without documented authorization from the deceased.  I am a co-sponsor of Licata's legislation. 

Nicholas Kristof writes about these issues in today's Seattle Times.  As Kristof points out, small steps can have a big impact.  The Washington legislature passed legislation introduced by Representative Mary Lou Dickerson earlier this year that recognizes that juveniles engaged in prostitution are victims, not criminal suspects, a policy that is consistent with federal law and United Nations recommended practice. 

The City Council has passed various ordinances over the past 18 months that increase penalties for so-called "johns" engaged in prostitution, including new authority for police to impound vehicles used by "johns."  Court fines and fees have also been significantly increased.  These steps reflect a policy shift that increasingly focuses on "pimps" and "johns."  

And, the city has established only the fourth-in-the-country residential treatment center for young women involved in street prostitution.  The first three residents have started their journey toward recovery and productive lives.  

These issues are not easy, nor are they likely to be the topic of choice at tonight's dinner party.  But they demand our continued attention.  Small steps matter. 

The Future of Seattle's Waterfront

My colleague, Richard Conlin, president of the City Council, has written a well-argued opinion piece over at Publicola.net about the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project.  I agree with Richard wholeheartedly.  Please read it.

Those who oppose the deep-bore tunnel replacement project, including Mayor McGinn and other environmentally-focused leaders who favor alternative forms of transportation and reduced reliance on highways and vehicles, might have ground to stand on if Seattle had three or four major north-south thoroughfares.  But we only have two—Interstate 5 and State Route 99—because of our unique geography.  Giving up one of these two thoroughfares in an effort to "force" people out of cars is economically far too risky, in my opinion.  As Port Commissioner Bill Bryant said a couple of weeks ago, the people who will pay for miscalculation here are the approximately 70,000 local families and workers who rely on a strong, successful maritime and industrial economy. 

Remember, the central waterfront project—including removing the viaduct—is closely linked to the Spokane Street and Mercer corridor projects that are already underway.  All of of these projects—Spokane Street, Mercer and Alaskan Way—must be successfully completed in order to protect our core economic strength which is our maritime, industrial and manufacturing base. 

This set of projects is also about opening up our central waterfront to everyone, creating public open space, reconnecting downtown to the Puget Sound, and improving our quality of life.  As Council President Conlin points out in his piece, Seattle can follow the experience and leadership of other American cities who have revitalized and energized their waterfronts by making smart decisions.  We are on that course today and the City Council is strongly united to see this vision to reality.  

Some, including Mayor McGinn, suggest that the Council does not understand the risks with this work or that we are not protecting the interests of Seattle taxpayers.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  While the Mayor is objecting and issuing press releases, the Council is actually engaged in serious negotiations with the state to protect our interests, including those of every Seattle taxpayer, and monitoring these projects to make certain we fully understand what is happening, why it's happening, and how best to protect our interests.  We are meeting every week with the state and our legal, engineering and technical experts to make sure we are satisfied with the moving-forward progress that is being achieved.  And through all of this, we have made very clear that the City of Seattle and our taxpaying property owners are not responsible for any cost overruns related to the state-controlled segments of these projects.  In the next couple of weeks, we will consider legislation that makes this point abundantly clear.  

So, which course would you follow?  Continue to build on the ten or more years of successful regional planning that has gone into these projects and create an amazing central waterfront while, at the same time, protecting our core economic and transportation foundation?  Or, stop the project dead in its tracks because you disagree with the decisions already made and take us in a new direction that potentially threatens our core economic base?  This is an easy choice for me. 

Police Chief Confirmation Schedule

Here is the schedule for Council consideration of Chief John Diaz's appointment as Chief of Police.

Wednesday, July 21 at 9:30 a.m.  Public Safety and Education Committee meeting in Council chambers.  Chief Diaz will appear, make opening comments, respond to questions from Council members.  Public comment will accepted at the beginning of the meeting.

Wednesday, July 28 at 5 p.m.  Public Safety and Education Committee public hearing on police chief confirmation.

Wednesday, August 4 at 9:30 a.m.  Public Safety and Education Committee meeting and possible vote on police chief confirmation.

Monday, August 9 at 2 p.m.  Full Council action on Public Safety and Education Committee recommendations on Chief of Police confirmation. 

Monday, August 16 at 2 p.m.  ALTERNATE date for full Council action on Chief of Police confirmation.