Neighbors,
We are all still navigating our new reality with COVID-19 and I would like to thank all of your for your calls, comments, emails, and feedback.
In this week's newsletter we begin with updates about my calls with District 6 residents, updates from City Council, information about Governor Inslee's "Safe Start" plan, news from around the city, and COVID-19 resources. We also go in-depth about how my office has been supporting small businesses, welcoming some new business faces and saying farewell to others.
As always, if you need help navigating these resources, please reach out to my office:
I look forward to hearing from you and please let us know how we can best serve you.
--Dan
|
|
|
Photos of myself and residents Lori and Trey.
|
|
The day after I was sworn into office I opened my District Office in the Customer Service center (in the same building as the Ballard Library), because you shouldn't have to go downtown to have your voice heard by City Hall. During the crisis, I remain committed to providing the same level of access.
My office is proud to have scheduled, spoken, or met with every person that has requested a meeting. To date, that's 51 meetings with residents from all over District 6, where we discussed issues ranging from public health, safety, homelessness, and the new Stay Healthy Streets. I truly miss meeting people in-person in our District Office and I look forward to being able to safely meet in the future.
Please continue to reach out. Meeting with you helps me know what is impacting you most and guides my work bringing your concerns to City departments that may otherwise go unaddressed. In fact, because of your feedback, my office has been able to address concerns with departments in a timely manner. We have also begun proactively offering meetings to people who write or call in because we realize how important it is for you to be heard by your representative.
I have district office hours every week over the phone and if you would like to meet with me please sign up here. Note: In order to respect constituents' time, everyone requesting a meeting during office hours will be scheduled ahead of time.
I look forward to talking with you!
|
|
Last Wednesday I joined the Ballard District Council's panel discussion with Brent Lackey, Angie Gerrald, Jody Grage, Mike Stewart, Rosemary Byrne, and King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles.
We discussed many issues including parking enforcement, the Farmer's Market, and the Ballard Commons. Use this link to view the recording - there are time stamps to navigate between sections of the panel discussion.
A big thanks to the Ballard District Council for a really well facilitated panel discussion. I plan on hosting my own town hall in the near future. Stay tuned for details!
|
|
|
Council Briefing and Council Meetings
|
|
Governor Inslee has extended the state of emergency which greatly restricts the actions that the city council is able to take. The original proclamation prohibits the council from "taking “[legislative] action,” unless those matters are necessary and routine matters or are matters necessary to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and the current public health emergency, until such time as regular public participation under the Open Public Meetings Act is possible."
Council has continued to work on impactful legislation that is in compliance with the governor's order. Now more than ever, I encourage you to stay engaged.
Here's how:
Want to see past work from the council? Previous Council meetings and briefs can be watched here. Also, the City Clerk keeps a history of briefing agendas so that the public can remain informed about Council actions.
|
|
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
During Council Briefing last week we received an update and presentation about Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Co-LEAD which is the COVID-19 adaptation of the program. This program connects case managers with law enforcement and healthcare professionals to provide intense case management, assistance with a full understanding of the person, in order to address all factors leading to problematic behavior.
We know a one size fits all approach will not solve our homelessness problem and this program is a key part of the solution as it specifically focuses on stabilizing individuals that cannot be put in jail or go to court due to COVID-19.
|
|
Governor Inslee's Phased Reopening
|
|
On May 4th, 2020 Governor Inslee signed Proclamation 20-25.3 and outlined the “Safe Start” plan, a phased approach to re-open Washington’s economy.
Under the plan, businesses and activities will re-open in phases will require adequate social distancing measures and health standards be in place. Businesses may also need to meet additional requirements developed specifically for their industry.
We are currently in Phase 1 of the Safe Start plan. This phase allows all essential businesses, in-progress residential construction, state parks, vehicle and vessel sails, pet walkers, landscaping, drive-in religious services, curbside retail sales, and car washes to reopen.
The target date for Phase 2 in the Safe Start plan is June 1st. However, the governor cannot guarantee that our state will be ready to move onto the next phase. My office is focusing on finding creative ways to use our right of ways and public spaces for businesses to be able to open faster in a way that protects public health.
|
|
Supporting Small Businesses
|
|
|
Requesting Federal Support for District 6
|
|
|
Small businesses are the foundation of our community and what makes our neighborhoods unique and vibrant. When the pandemic began, there was no playbook to guide our small businesses on how to remain open or survive. Nor was there a guide for how government could provide the necessary help to keep our small businesses afloat. As the City, State, and Federal governments began rolling out resources, I knew that I needed to shift my staff workloads to ensure that Peter, my Chief of Staff, was there to help small businesses navigate the resources available from all levels of government. While doing this work, we found gaps in these vital programs that needed to be filled.
|
|
|
Thank you to all those that helped make this possible. Specifically thank you to Amy, Raymond, Lara, Grace, and Haley of the Ballard Brewery Disrict; Ian and Jeanie of Seattle Restaurants United; the Ballard Alliance, Brandi at the Fremont Chamber of Commerce; and Chris of the Phinney Neighborhood Association.
As your representative, I will continue to use my office to raise the voices of those in need of resources and sensible government solutions. I am thankful for the opportunity to have worked with such dedicated small business leaders and look forward to future collaborations.
|
|
|
Welcome Sunny Hill and a Fond Farewell to Bop Street Records
|
|
|
Left: The new Sunny Hill Pizzeria
Right: I got to visit Dave Voorhees at Bop Street Records during my first few weeks in office, pre-COVID and before social distancing went into effect.
|
|
|
Hello to Sunny Hill / Sunset Hill Welcomes Sunny Hill Pizzeria
|
|
|
Detroit-style deep dish pizza squares have arrived to Northwest Seattle, prepared by chef Jason Stoneburner and Sunny Hill co-owner Holly Robinson. Making its debut during the stay-at-home order on April 16, this new takeout option also features 12-inch round pies, salads/veggies, and burgers.
Anyone who has actually been to Motown and tried this Midwest take on pizza appreciates its unique thickness and shape (making every slice a corner slice).
This successful grand opening demonstrates the resiliency of the restaurant scene in Seattle and offers hope that existing establishments can persevere and come back strongly once we begin to emerge from this crisis.
|
|
|
Farewell to Bop Street / Fond Farewell to Bop Street Records
|
|
If you were lucky enough to catch Dave Voorhees with a free moment at Bob Street Records, he could regale you with great stories about the music scene or name fifty-five artists, from the Allman Brothers to Frank Zappa, in under twenty seconds! These moments are about to become history as Dave recently announced the permanent shuttering of his store on Market Street in Ballard at the end of June.
While the timing is right for Dave, Seattle will miss the Market Street mainstay that he started building in 1979. Picked by the Wall Street Journal in 2011 as one of the five best record stores in America, Bop Street drew visitors from all around the world who made pilgrimages just for the opportunity to delve into a treasure trove of hundreds of thousands of recordings, many of which were rare 45 RPM singles.
There is a happy ending. On May 17, the Internet Archive, a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to preserving free access to digitized recordings of music, books, movies, and software, agreed to purchase Bop Street’s entire collection. This means that Dave’s lifetime of work will be preserved and enjoyed by many in the future. Dave, congratulations on your retirement. We will miss you!
|
|
|
If you have a small business story - please share it with us - we will continue to highlight small businesses in our newsletter; email me at Dan.Strauss@seattle.gov
|
|
|
How We Are Helping Our Small Businesses
|
|
As you've read earlier, we are providing hands-on support to small businesses and non-profits during this pandemic. To date, we have assisted over 80 local institutions by (1) helping them to navigate city, state, and federal relief programs, (2) referring them to resources like pro bono legal services, (3) updating them on government regulations, (4) ensuring City departments address their concerns, and (5) advising them on how to negotiate with landlords and other creditors.
There are more stories than this newsletter has room for, and here are some highlights of our work in District 6:
- addo Restaurant in Ballard was having issues with ticketing from parking enforcement. We were able stop the ticketing by changing the parking enforcement rules to facilitate customer pickup for takeout orders
- Assisted the Fremont Arts Council with rent and utility relief due to the cancellation of their major income generating annual event, the Solstice Parade
- Advised a long-standing food service establishment in Phinney facing eviction and threats of rent increases by a landlord, getting them some additional time to find another location once the stay-at-home order is lifted
- Worked with the City of Seattle Arts & Culture Department to clarify the awarding of additional grant money to institutions like the Nordic Museum in order to help them with budget planning for 2020-21
- Counseled and referred a restaurant owner in Fremont to resources for help with unemployment benefits for employees including undocumented workers
- Assisted a plumbing company in Ballard to quickly apply for City of Seattle and Small Business Administration relief programs at the outset of the crisis
- Helped a small fitness facility near Woodland Park Zoo avoid eviction under the City moratorium and negotiate a repayment plan
- Advised a small coffee brewing company on how to continue paying its employees full wages while navigating the Paycheck Protection Program application and requirements in order to receive a forgivable loan to stay open.
If you need assistance with anything during this crisis, please reach out to us. A big thank you to Peter in my office for his work on this.
|
|
The difference between:
Stay Healthy Streets & Keep Moving Streets
|
|
My office has received many questions and comments about the current street closures and we wanted to get you some answers.
There are two different types of street closures to help reduce overcrowding in parks and help people of all ages and abilities to walk, roll, and bike: Stay Healthy Streets and Keep Moving Streets.
Stay Healthy Streets include the first 20 miles of streets that were implemented on Neighborhood Greenways. These are residential streets previously selected through a public engagement process and include enhanced safety features like speed humps, stop control, and improved crossings at major streets. With broad, citywide support, these have been made permanent to help residents get to and from essential services.
Some streets near popular parks, like West Greenlake Way North are categorized as Keep Moving Streets. These locations were selected in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation and provide more space for people to keep 6 feet apart, and for people to bike since they are currently not allowed on the loop trail. These are intended to be temporary closures. Our office was assured that if the Keep Moving Streets were considered for permanent closure that public engagement would happen.
It has helped me to hear from you about which streets are working well, which streets need changes made, and which streets should be added to the program. Please keep letting us know how it is working in your neighborhood!
We're not the only ones who what to hear from you about these streets. The Seattle Times has a survey asking how you feel about the program and which streets you'd like to see added.
|
|
UPDATE: West Seattle Bridge Closure
|
|
A report released last Friday addresses some of the concerns around the West Seattle Bridge High Bridge. After its closure on March 23rd work has continued, placing monitoring devices and developing a stabilization plan.
The Council has been in contact with director Sam Zimbabwe and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) about how to proceed with fixing or replacing the bridge. In the meantime, travel to and from West Seattle will be rerouted via the 1st Ave. S Bridge. The low bridge is reserved for transit and emergency needs. SDOT is continuing to work to reduce traffic and wait times. More information can be found on the SDOT Blog.
|
|
COVID-19 Updates and Resources
|
|
Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade Postponed
Unfortunately both the Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade have been postponed until 2021. The Fremont Chamber of Commerce has cancelled these two events in order to continue combating the spread of COVID-19. As they said, "Now more than ever, we must do our part to remain vigilant in protecting our local and global community."
I join the Fremont Chamber of Commerce in urging you to support your local businesses who will be feeling the loss of these two great events.
|
|
|
Feedback Opportunity for Businesses: Economic Outlook Survey
The Downtown Seattle Association has a 4 minute survey meant to gather information to help inform DSA policy, advocacy, and our collective understanding of the impact of the coronavirus on different Seattle industries and perspectives on re-opening. If you have questions please reach out to Jon Scholes at jons@downtownseattle.org.
|
|
|
Here we have compiled a list of resources that we've sent out. If you need any help navigating these resources please let us know.
General COVID Information and resources:
Ways to report non-compliance with the Stay at Home order:
DO NOT CALL 911 to report a Stay Home, Stay Healthy violation.
Use the following resources instead:
Resources to help small, local businesses:
Additional Resources:
|
|
|
If you need help navigating these resources, please reach out to my office:
|
|
|
|
