On August 17, the Seattle Transportation Benefit District Board (STBD), which consists of Seattle City Councilmembers, unanimously voted to place a measure on the November ballot for a $60 vehicle license fee. It would run for 10 years, and raise $204 million.
[More]While the debate will rage on about whether the state will pay for any cost overruns on the deep bore tunnel, the flip side of the issue is whether Seattle would keep the money already allocated to this project for a surface road alternative, as the Mayor prefers.
[More]The City faces over $50 million in budget cuts next year on top of mid-year 2010 cuts of about $12 million. In light of these constraints I believe we must re-examine our current construction budget to see what savings we can realize. Close to $100 million is required for the Mercer West transportation project, which may increase the project’s principal and debt costs. For this reason it is critical we evaluate the design of Mercer West to determine if any savings can be achieved.
[More]I have received emails from constituents saying that when they have contacted City Hall protesting the high cost and ineffectiveness of the Mercer Project, they have been told that it is a done deal. If so, how did that happen? There has never been a public hearing in the Council Chambers on the $200 million Mercer Project. Why not? The Council did devote 5 minutes for a public hearing on the $2 million EIS for the Mercer project back in 2004, but since then nothing.
[More]I co-sponsored Resolution 31041, along with Councilmembers Richard Conlin and Richard McIver, urging the State Legislature to adopt legislation to require local municipalities to record their executive sessions. Currently there is no requirement in law requiring governing bodies to keep a verbatim record of discussions conducted in executive, which are closed to the public.
[More]Today the Transportation Committee had a briefing from SDOT, Marni
Heffron, a City hired consultant, the Streetcar Alliance and Anne Vernez
Moudon, a consultant to them from the University of Washington Urban
Form Lab. Both consultants produced reports. All presenters at the table
were in agreement that the expansion of a Streetcar system would benefit
Seattle.
Transparency in government means providing as much information as possible to citizens on how City Government makes decisions. Part of the decision making process involves Councilmembers gathering information from other government officials and staff, and from citizens in general. I have been working on legislation to register lobbyists who communicate with Councilmembers and hope to have something before the Council in the first quarter of 2008.
[More]On Tuesday, June 10, the City Neighborhood Council and I will co-host a “brown bag” on monorail station areas.
[More]In the ongoing debate on what option to pursue with regards to fixing or replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, I had taken the position in prior Urban Politics #136, 137 and 144, that retrofitting of the viaduct had not been properly explored and that it could hold out a speedier and less expensive solution.
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