Tim Burgess' City View

Why Downtown Matters

Jon Talton over at The Seattle Times presents a clear case for why paying attention to our downtown is key to our economic recovery.  Talton's "live, work and play" environment is exactly right and something city leaders should be focused on with a keen, razor sharp intensity.

Building Community

I had an interesting experience last week when I brought together two very distinct, focused and important groups in our community: downtown business leaders and representatives of the music and nightlife industry that is thriving in Seattle.  It was a long overdue and hopefully continuing conversation. 

Read all about it here at Publicola. 

Near Year-End Potpourri

Recent happenings in and around City Hall. 

Council unanimously confirmed David Jones as the new City Auditor.  Before voting on Jones, I urged him to (1) support creation of an audit committee made up of city and outside experts to guide his work, (2) beef up his office staff with experts who know how to establish program evaluation protocols and complete those evaluations, and (3) shift his focus to a performance, accountability and outcome orientation.  I believe Jones can do all this and lift the Auditor's office to new levels of effectiveness.

Yet more on the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel.  This piece in last Monday's Wall Street Journal is interesting.  There are legitimate questions about potential cost overruns related to this state-managed, state-financed and state-directed project for a state highway, but those questions should be asked and debated objectively and aimed at solutions, not as part of a subterfuge to derail the tunnel.  The former is proper due diligence; the latter is duplicitous.  Watching this one closely.  

A few weeks back, I wrote about my experience at Mercer Middle School.  This week the principal, Andhra Lutz, briefed the full Council on what's been happening at Mercer.  It's well worth it to watch Andhra's presentation.  Every school deserves and needs a principal like Andhra!  Click here to watch a video of her remarks. 

Give Year-End Gifts to Launch Prostituted Children Rescue Program

We are nearing our goal of raising $700,000 in public and private funds by the end of January so our city's first and the country's fourth residential treatment and recovery program for prostituted children can be launched in late March 2010. 

Today's Seattle Times carries an update story by Sara Jean Green.  My earlier posts on this topic, including links to other news accounts, are here.

Tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to—

City of Seattle Prostituted Children Rescue Fund
Human Services Department
PO Box 34215
Seattle, WA 98124-4215

Why I Voted for UW Zoning Change for South Lake Union

I voted in favor of a zoning change at the intersection of Mercer Street and Dexter Avenue North yesterday in the Council's Planning, Land Use, and Neighborhood Committee.  The "text amendment" rezone was sought by Vulcan and the University of Washington so taller medical research buildings can be built next to the existing research facilities immediately to

More Help for Neighborhoods

The City Council unanimously adopted a new city ordinance this afternoon that will allow for abandoned and problematic single family homes to be demolished faster than current city law allows.  Some of these abandoned homes become magnets for crime and neighborhood disorder. Coupled with a new Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance adopted by the Council last week, this new ordinance is another helpful tool to improve public safety in our neighborhoods. 

Global Climate Talks Underway: About Time!

Paul Krugman has solid, practical perspective on the global climate talks that started today in Denmark.  Well worth the read. 

Help On The Way! Council Passes New Chronic Nuisance Law

The City Council voted 8-0 (Conlin excused) this afternoon to adopt a new Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance that is designed to stop frequent criminal activity at commercial and residential properties across the city.  We have worked on this legislation for just over a year and it was personally gratifying that all of my colleagues supported this work.

The new law will help people protect their neighborhoods, including some who have lived with drug trafficking, prostitution, and other street-level crime for years.  Unfortunately, there are some property owners who don't care about their neighbors and they allow all sorts of criminal behavior to flourish.  These owners destroy neighborhoods and the Council said today with its vote that we've had enough.

The legislation gives the city an additional tool against property owners who knowingly and repeatedly allow criminal activity on their property and fail to take steps to stop it.  Under the ordinance, following police investigation, the city can seek a court determination that a specific property is a chronic nuisance.  Court-ordered penalties could include fines up to $500 per day that the nuisance continues, a $25,000 fine if a property owner fails to respond to city attempts to resolve the nuisance, and other nuisance abatement steps the court may impose. 

Citywide Crime Stats Thru September

	2007 to Sept	2008 to Sept	2009 to Sept	% Change 2009 Compared to 2008
Homicide	22	21	15	-29%
Rape	73	95	83	-13%
Robbery	1125	1120	1332	19%
Agg Assault	1507	1272	1536	21%
Total Violent Crime	2727	2508	2966	18%
Burglary	4493	4798	4938	3%
Larceny	17129	16543	18480	12%
Veh Theft	4686	2666	2258	-15%
Total Property Crime	26308	24007	25676	7%
Total Major Crimes	29035	26515	28642	8%

Spontaneous Engagement with Mayor-elect Mike McGinn

Yesterday afternoon I made a spontaneous visit to Mayor-elect Mike McGinn's transition offices on the 60th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower.  Gosh, what a view he has!  I met several of the folks helping Mike with his preparation to take command on January 1.

It was a visit of reciprocity—Mike wandered around the 2nd floor of City Hall last Friday; a very welcome visit that was interpreted as a gesture of collaboration.  Good start, for sure.