It’s another long week of meetings (8 this week) as the Council tries to wrap up several items before plunging into the 2017-2018 budget development work.
Monday morning in the weekly Council Briefing, the Council will hear two presentations: one on the 13th Year Promise Scholarship program, and another with the city’s inventory of greenhouse gas emissions.
Monday afternoon in the Full Council meeting, the Council will take final votes on the secure scheduling legislation, the freight master plan, and a resolution embracing the electrification of the city’s vehicle fleet and the Mayor’s Drive Clean Seattle initiative. Bring a snack to the meeting, because the public comment session will be another long one as advocates on both sides try to make their case on the secure scheduling ordinance (hint: save your breath, it’s going to pass).
This week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar has several interesting items:
- A proposed raise in the allowable salary range for the Director of Seattle Public Utilities. Interestingly, the starting salary for incoming SPU Director Mami Hara is above the current approved range (and above that for outgoing Director Ray Hoffman, but in the lowest quartile in the proposed new range. Council member Kshama Sawant will undoubtedly object to this proposal.
- An ordinance making permanent the five-cent charge on paper bags at grocery stores, and reserving the color green only for compostable bags.
- An ordinance lowering residential and arterial speed limits. This was all over the local news last week.
- An ordinance updating the rules for construction projects tearing up pavement. (yes, this is actually a thing)
Tuesday morning the Planning, and Use and Zoning Committee will meet — and it looks like it will be a marathon meeting. It will continue its consideration of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan — and with it an ordinance that would re-establish exemptions from SEPA review for smaller development projects in certain areas of the city. It will also take up consideration of the Living Building program, and receive briefings on proposed updates to the rules protecting environmentally critical areas and on the proposed University District Land Use changes announced last week.
Tuesday afternoon the Sustainability and Transportation Committee meets, and will discuss the previously mentioned ordinances related to speed limits and tearing up pavement.
Wednesday morning the Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods and Finance Committee meets, and is expected to take up the proposed change to the salary range for the head of Seattle Public Utilities.
Wednesday afternoon the Education, Equity and Governance Committee will meet. The agenda for the meeting has not been published yet.
Thursday morning the Human Services and Public Health Committee meets, to continue its work on the response to the homeless crisis and the proposed legislation restricting “sweeps” of unsanctioned homeless encampments.
Friday morning, the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee meets. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been published.