Things are getting busier in Council chambers, especially in committee.
Monday morning the Council will hear another weekly update on the current legislative session in Olympia. Last Friday was the deadline for policy bills to make it out of committee, and tomorrow (Monday) is the deadline for fiscal bills, so there should be a much clearer idea of what legislation might still go forward. Also, given all the back-and-forth over the last week about whether the OIR has been trying to raise interest in removing the statewide ban on rent control, it will be interesting to see whether Council member Kshama Sawant brings it up again.
The full Council meeting’s agenda is mostly full of routine appointments and various approvals from the Transportation and Sustainability Committee. The two more notable items are the confirmation of Dwane Chappelle as Director of Education, and a resolution to finally set a public hearing date of March 15 for the request to vacate two blocks of Occidental Avenue to make room for the proposed SODO Arena.
The Introduction and Referral Calendar is tame this week; nothing of substance to report on, other than the aforementioned resolution setting the hearing date for the Occidental Avenue street vacancy.
Tuesday afternoon’s Energy and Environment Committee meeting has been cancelled; committee chair Sawant is trying to schedule the next committee meeting so that more council members can participate in the vetting of Larry Weis for Seattle City Light CEO.
Tuesday morning, Council member Lisa Herbold’s Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee will hear a presentation on the successful Harbor Island Training Program, a partnership between Vigor Industrial and South Seattle College. They will also consider a salmon habitat restoration project along the Cedar River, and review the Seattle Music Commission’s 2016 work plan.
Wednesday morning, the Gender Equity, Safe Communities & New Americans Committee meets; the agenda has not yet been published.
Wednesday afternoon, the Humans Services and Public Health committee meets for a session that committee chair Sally Bagshaw has been advertising for a few weeks to dive further into the issues around “sweeps” of unauthorized homeless encampments.