Tim Burgess' City View

Bank on Seattle

Last week, I sat in on a small but very important celebration here at City Hall.  Representatives from 10 cities across the country were gathered for a briefing on financial literacy and how best to help low income residents build financial assets.  In the photo to the left, Councilmember Sally Clark has just presented books on Seattle, suitable for table-topping, to leaders of the city coalition. 

Here's an interesting set of facts:  Seattle has approximately 28,000 households without bank accounts.  In 2008, city government helped launch a program called "Bank on Seattle."  Sally led the charge and has represented the City Council in this effort to create financial literacy and stability.  Twenty-two financial institutions in Seattle have signed on and offer special programs and services that provide education, encouragement, and appropriate entry-points for households without bank accounts.  In the first year, 3,500 people were enrolled and opened a bank account.  They are on the road to financial stability and asset building. 

San Francisco is one of the 10 cities across the country with a similar program.  The head of their program acknowledged at last week's briefing that our 22 financial institution partners was significantly more than he had in San Francisco.  Nice!  But, hey, we're not competitive. 

Farmer's Markets and Pedestrians

The City Council this afternoon passed 9-0 new rules and regulations for farmer's markets that makes the permit process easier and greatly reduces permit fees. Go shop at your neighborhood farmer's market!

The Council also adopted the city's first Pedestrian Master Plan.  Now we need to fund its implementation! 

Compare Your Neighborhood; Get FREE Trees

Here's a great visual image of the city's tree canopy: Download 2007 Tree Canopy Map

Download the PDF image and see how your neighborhood stacks up against the rest of the city.  The City's goal is to rebuild our tree canopy to at least 30%. 

You can also get FREE trees for your neighborhood, plus a FREE fruit tree for your own yard through a new City program.  Check it out here, but beware of the pending deadline of August 21.  

A City's Future

Read this article from Saturday's Wall Street Journal.  It's about Chicago and the planning done there 100 years ago by Daniel Burnham, a man who had a grand vision for his city.  He wasn't afraid of aspirational goals and today's Chicago is grateful. 

Burnham is the guy who said, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood."  Nice.  He also plays a key role in the book, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, a Seattle-based writer.

Burnham got it right in Chicago and we can get it right here in Seattle.  Chicago's absolutely wonderful park on the lake could inspire what we might do along our central waterfront once the Alaskan Way Viaduct is removed.  Chicago's boulevards and parks that connect neighborhoods are not unlike what the Olmsted's designed for Seattle.  The Seattle Parks' Foundation Bands of Green project casts a great vision that would see the Olmsted plan completed. 

There are many other examples of forward-looking—visionary—projects in our good city: our Urban Centers and Villages, designed to accommodate higher residential density; the Spokane and Mercer Corridor projects, linked strategically with the replacement of the Viaduct with a new deep-bore tunnel; and, a city-wide streetcar network building on the success of the South Lake Union line. 

This is a great time to be in Seattle.  Fifty, even 100, years from now, people will look back and talk about leaders who had vision to get things done.  Burnham did it for Chicago.  We can do it for Seattle.

What's ironic about all this is that unless the buses run on time, unless the streets are clean, unless the electricity comes on when you flip the switch, unless political leaders are engaged and available to the people, the future is brushed aside.  That's why the basics of city government are so important, and that's an area where we need some additional focus. 

 

QA Farmer's Market Open for Business

I participated in the opening of the Queen Anne Farmer's Market this afternoon.  It was a wonderful event!  In the above photo, I'm recognizing Julie Whitehorn, the community leader who was the catalyst and passionate advocate for the market and almost single-handedly rescued it from oblivion.  Mayor Nickels was there, as was Council President Richard Conlin (partially hidden behind me).

There are 14 farmer's markets in Seattle.  Last year they did $10 million in business.  That's right, these neighborhood market's sold $10 million worth of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, and specialty products.  Amazing! 

A new farmer's market will open on City's Hall's 4th Avenue plaza next week.  It will be operated by Pike Place Market. 

Farmer's markets encourage locally-owned businesses, bring fresh foods to our neighborhoods, support farmers, and encourage community-building.  They are a great example of sustainable communities.

The Mayor announced at today's Queen Anne event that he will soon send the Council legislation amending city rules related to farmer's markets that are designed to make them easier and less expensive to operate.  One aspect of the Mayor's proposal will reduce street use permit fees from as high as $8,200 per year to less than $300 per year. 

Garfield Jazz At City Hall Monday

The Garfield Jazz Band will perform a FREE Noon concert Monday (June 8) in the lobby of City Hall.  Read about Garfield's national recognition at this year's New York competition. 

Monday's concert is FREE and open to everyone.  At the Council's regular 2 p.m. meeting on Monday, the Mayor and Council will honor the Garfield Jazz Band for their national recognition. 

Montreal: City of Creativity

I'm in Montreal, Quebec with about 60 other Seattle-area business leaders and government officials.  (For the record, I am paying all costs associated with this trip from my personal funds.)  These inter-city study missions are sponsored by the City of Seattle and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce; the first was in 1983 (Baltimore). 

We arrived in Montreal last night and return to Seattle Friday evening.  The focus of the trip is Montreal's aerospace industry, transportation, health care, police services, especially anti-gang efforts, and the creative sector as a driver of economic growth.

Here are a few highlights so far . . .

Best Phrase:  "Transportation cocktail," as in what cities need when engaged in transportation planning.  The phrase was used this morning by Helen Fotopulos, mayor of the borough of Plateau Mont-Royal, one of 82 municipalities that make up greater Montreal.  Mayor Fotopulos said:  "The city has diversity in transportation options, everything from cars, subway, trollys, pedestrian walkways, bike lanes, a transportation cocktail really." 

Mayor Fotopulos (hands raised) describing her approach to urban planning, density, and transportation. 

Note Mayor Greg Nickels in background to the left of Mayor Fotopulos.  Councilmember Jean Godden is partially hidden on the far left. 

This photo was taken during a walking tour this morning that included an old section of the borough that has been redeveloped with small shops, bars, and restaurants while preserving affordable housing.

Best New Service:  Bixi Montreal is a new bicycle service launched two weeks ago in the central core of Montreal by the city government.  Users pay $78 per year for unlimited use of a bicycle in 30 minutes increments; exceed 30 minutes and you pay $1.50 per minute as a penalty.  The service is designed for short rides from point A to point B, not commuting or leisurely rides. Widely used in Europe, the service is aimed at commuters who use public transportation to get to work but might need a bicycle to run a quick errand or get across town for a meeting.  Just over 3,000 users have signed up so far.  By the end of May there will be 300 Bixi Montreal stations installed in the city.  The photo to the right shows Seattle transportation director Grace Crunican examining one of the Bixi bikes.  Bixi Montreal representatives are coming to Seattle in August to show off their bicycles and station technology.

I rode one of the Bixi bikes.  They are made in Quebec just for Bixi, have three speeds, and are heavy.  Thankfully, Montreal is relatively flat.  Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay and Mayor Greg Nickels even took a little test ride. 

Best Experience:  Coming up tonight when I ride with Montreal police gang unit officers starting at 9:30. 

Intiman's Crime and Punishment

I got to read part of the script of Intiman's adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment yesterday afternoon at Tougo Coffee near 18th and East Union Street.  Fittingly, I read the part of Inspector Porfiry. 

The reading prompted a lively discussion of morality, faith, and the nature of evil.  Our little reading group tackled everything from former Vice President Cheney's core motivations, to capital punishment and lifelong imprisonment, to questions about crime and how to best deal with serious, violent offenders.  Good give and take on very complicated topics. 

The neighborhood reading was part of Intiman's Front Porch Theater series.  Check out details on the play (running now) and consider attending.

Husky Nation Rules!

Another great win for the Dawgs today. Woof! Woof!

Devin Hampton and Barack Obama

Here's a great story about Devin Hampton, a friend from Seattle who has been heavily involved in Seattle politics and community activities:  http://uwnews.org/uweek/index.aspx