Notes from today’s Council meetings

Here’s what happened today.

This afternoon’s City Council meeting was a breezy six minutes. Only one items: the lifting of a proviso on a grant for renovations of Town hall. The public benefits package that accompanies the grant will allow the city to use space in the building for up to 50 hours.


Council member Bagshaw’s Wednesday afternoon committee meeting will feature discussion and votes on five budget-related ordinances that need to get wrapped up before the council goes into recess for the second half of August. Bagshaw has reserved a timeslot on Friday as a backup in case they don’t get through all five on Wednesday.

Council member Juarez’s Wednesday committee meeting will include the various gift-acceptance ordinances on this week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar.  A separate one, for Victor Steinbreuck Park, will be dealt with later this year.


Juarez’s annual “Live in D5” community event will be Saturday, August 10, at its usual place: the park behind Target in Northgate.

And the Parks and Recreation Department’s “Big Day of Play” will be Saturday, August 17th, at the Rainier Playfields and Community Center.


Council member Mosqueda’s committee meeting on Thursday will include:

  • a continuing discussion of the hotel workers’ protections bills
  • a first discussion of the Mayor’s proposed renewal of the Multi-family Tax Exemption (MFTE) ordinance. Discussion only; no vote until the next committee meeting.
  • the proposed “local option” sales tax ordinance co-authored by Mosqueda and Mayor Durkan.

This morning, the Council got a first briefing from the City Clerk’s office on how the city will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the City of Seattle on December 2nd. The city and HistoryLink are working on a commemorative publication, “The City at 150: The Story of Seattle in 150 Objects from the Seattle City Archives, riffing of the British Museum’s “History of the World in 100 Objects.