This week in Council Chambers

The dog days of summer are upon us, and with the comes the Council’s annual rush to wrap up work.

Before we jump into this week’s activities, it’s worth quickly summarizing what the Council’s schedule is like for the rest of the year:

• The Council meets over the next two weeks, then is in recess for the last two weeks of August.
• The Council is back in session through September.
• October and November are almost entirely devoted to updating next year’s city budget, which already exists on paper (they wrote a 2-year budget last year) but will go through all sorts of adjustments. By default, no other committees meet during those two months unless the Budget Committee chair approves.
• The Council will be in regular session again for the first two weeks of December, then recesses for the winter holidays.

The big takeaway: the Council only has eight weeks left to get legislation done in 2017.

Monday morning, the Council has its weekly Council Briefing. There will be a presentation by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, wrapping up the state legislative session.

Monday afternoon, the Full Council meets. They are scheduled to take final votes on several items, including:

• a bill dedicating funds from the traffic camera revenue fund to pay for extra school buses to facilitate the Seattle School District’s switch from a 3-tier schedule to a 2-tier one.
• The second-quarter budget supplementary ordinance.
• Three appointments to the Seattle Renters Commission.
• Grants through the Technology Matching Fund.
• Approval of an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers for repairs to the seawall at Alki.
• Approval of the 2017 Parks and Open Space Plan.
• A change to the code to make appealing SDCI Director decisions easier and cheaper.
• Docketing possible amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.

This week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar includes:

• A resolution codifying the Council’s direction to the Mayor’s Office in negotiating an agreement with OVG for renovation of Key Arena.
• A pair of ordinances setting water rates for retail and wholesale customers.
• Two appointments to the Community Police Commission.

Tuesday morning, the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development and Arts Committee meets, starting at 9am instead its usual 9:30. On the agenda:

• Continuing work and a possible vote on the Fair Chance Housing legislation;
• The previously-mentioned bills setting retail and wholesale water rates;
• Continued discussion on SPU’s six-year rate path;
• SPU’s contract for composting services;
• A bill authorizing SPU to acquire the necessary easements for the Ship Canal Water Quality Project.

Tuesday afternoon, the Energy and Environment Committee is scheduled to meet.  No agenda has been published for the meeting.

Wednesday morning, the Gender Equity, Safe Communities and New Americans Committee meets. The agenda has not yet been published, but expect it to take up the two appointments to the Community Police Commission as well as an update to the Seattle Fire Code.

Wednesday afternoon, the Human Services and Public Health Committee meets. The agenda is not yet published.

Thursday morning, the Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries and Waterfront Committee meets. No agenda yet, but it will likely take up a lease for EarthCorps in part of a building at Magnuson Park.