Dear Neighbor,

As we watch the leaves turn and feel the fresh brisk fall air, we know summer is over. Kids are back in school, UW football is competing at a high level, but it also means Council begins work on next year’s budget. Please visit the Council’s budget website to better understand the City’s budget process and our budget committee schedule. Our first budget hearing is scheduled for this week, Wednesday, October 5th, 5:30 pm at City Hall.

The homelessness issue will be at the core of our budget deliberations, with the Mayor proposing an additional $12 million to address homelessness in his proposed budget transmitted on September 26. We are working diligently to address homelessness in this city. This issue is complex and requires us to balance compassion with enforcement and our obligation to protect safe, clean environments for all.  I personally find the current situation in this city, with the lack of affordable housing and the amount of residents who have become homeless as a result, intolerable.  I will only support legislation and policies that strikes the appropriate balance between compassion and public safety.  The safety of our neighborhoods, businesses, public right of ways and other places must also drive our investments when we address the needs of the homeless.  I strongly advise you watch the most recent committee discussions linked here and here.  We need to get folks off the streets, into housing and clean up the garbage. The City currently funds $50 million a year to address homelessness; we have to make sure these programs are working and working effectively.

As we begin examining and deliberating on the City’s budget, I wanted to highlight some of our work and exciting news from the last month. We continue to advance capital dollars and the necessary resources to District 2.

$45 Million Grant for Lander Street Bridge Project

Earlier this month, the US Department of Transportation approved $45 million in federal grant funds for the City’s South Lander Street Bridge Project. This federal grant gets us within $40 to the $140 million in full funding that is necessary. The City will continue working to find the remaining funds in order to break ground in early 2018. The South Lander Street Bridge project is in District 2 and is one of the City’s highest priorities. The bridge will improve traffic, freight mobility, and safety in SODO and support the middle-class and family-wage job workers that travel through this area.

Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan & Equitable Development Projects

Last week, Council passed two bills advancing community investments and neighborhood planning in District 2. Resolution 31710 recognizes the Rainier Beach neighborhood community and their coordinated efforts with the City to plan for, and advance, neighborhood priorities through the completion of the “Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan Update.” It also states the City will continue collaborating with the Rainier Beach community to develop and implement an action plan for the Neighborhood Plan Update. I want to thank all the community members who are deeply involved in bringing this vision to fruition and their deep commitment to Rainier Beach.

Resolution 31711 declares support for six community-initiated projects contained in Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan for the Central Area, the Chinatown/International District and South Seattle, and identifies next steps for implementation of those projects over the next twenty years.

Six community-initiated equitable development projects are identified as priorities for mitigating further displacement and increasing access to opportunity in the Central Area, the Chinatown/International District and South Seattle:

• Multicultural Community Center
• Rainier Beach Innovation District
• Southeast Economic Opportunity Center
• William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation
• Little Saigon Landmark Project
• Equity Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for Affordable Commercial Space strategy

The resolution directs the Office of Planning and Community Development to work with the City Budget Office and the community sponsors and to continue to develop and identify resources to fully implement the projects, including City financial support for organizations sponsoring the projects listed above and a possible Equitable Development Implementation Fund. The resolution also asks the Office of Planning and Community Development to report annually on progress towards implementing these six projects.

Brighton Playfield Renovation in District 2

I sponsored a Council bill to seek funding in the amount of $500,000 to renovate Brighton playfield, replacing the playfield and adding new LED lights, walkways, and seating.

Southeast Seattle Economic Opportunity Center

At my Education, Equity, and Governance committee meeting on September 21st, I hosted a briefing with the community to update the public on the Southeast Economic Opportunity Center. The Southeast Economic Opportunity Center is a community-led project that will increase access to economic opportunity for multicultural communities in Southeast Seattle. The project implements community priorities from a decade of planning, engagement, and community activism. The Center is envisioned to be a stabilizing anchor for residents, businesses, and cultural organizations in the Rainier Valley. Last year, I led the City’s effort to add $1.9 million in the 2016 budget to fund pre-development and site acquisition costs. The Washington state legislature allocated $1.5 million in the 2016 capital budget and King County recently committed $3 million in bonds. At this time, we are estimating the total development cost to be $140 million over six years with phase 1 completed in approximately three years. The remaining funding sources will include New Market Tax Credit, Low Income Housing Tax Credit, additional state capital allocation, and private equity investors.

Please see the chart below regarding SDOT’s large capital projects in District 2:

$320,000 for Digital Equity Projects



In August, my Education, Equity, and Governance provided $320,000 to ten local organizations for the purpose of increasing our residents’ access to technology, literacy, and increasing digital equity opportunities. These grants are one of the most effective and meaningful community investments we make in this City. These grants help people succeed by learning skills critically necessary in the 21st century. This year’s projects are projected to provide more than $470,000 in community matching resources. They will reach over 2,500 residents, serving 580 immigrants and refugees, 1,240 seniors and 1,100 people with disabilities. Council has demonstrated its commitment to the Technology Matching Fund by adding $95,000 to the budget to increase the fund to $320,000 per year and maintaining it at this level.

Democracy Voucher Local Election Program

Lastly, I hosted the Seattle Ethics & Elections Commissions at my September 21st Education, Equity & Governance Committee to discuss progress on the implementation of the City’s Democracy Voucher program. In 2015, Seattle voters approved Initiative 122, which provides each Seattle resident with $100 in vouchers to support a Council or City Attorney candidate in the 2017 election. Qualifying candidates will be able to use the vouchers to fund their campaigns without resorting to traditional campaign fundraising methods. Seattle is the first city in the nation to try this type of public campaign financing. Watch the committee presentation here.

Take care.

Bruce A. Harrell
President, Seattle City Council - District 2
Chair: Education, Equity, & Governance Committee
206-684-8804