Accomplishments

Let me highlight a couple of the initiatives I’m proud of from the past term. I love this job and there are dozens of great things I could tell you about, but I’ll limit myself to just these for now.

Banking equity — and cash in pockets — for low-income Seattle residents - [ Photo ]

A couple of years ago a constituent e-mailed noting a San Francisco program saving low-income people from predatory lenders and check cashing fees. National studies show low-income people without checking accounts lose as much as $800 every year through fees and interest charged by non-bank lenders and check cashers. After reviewing the San Francisco model, I worked with former Mayor Greg Nickels to launch Bank On Seattle/King County. As of December 2010 approximately 40,000 Bank On accounts have been opened in Seattle and King County.

Opening more winter shelter space for homeless people in Seattle - [ Photo ]

In this past budget review I raised the question of expanding access to the severe weather shelter at City Hall. We found eager, crafty City staff able to find the money to make it happen almost immediately. City Hall now functions as a dependable overnight shelter October to April.

Preserving historic Seattle buildings and icons - [ Photo ]

As chair of the Council’s land use committee for the last two cycles, I’ve had the pleasure of working to get structures like the Seattle-Post Intelligencer Globe protected as a landmark.

Facilitating positive growth in Seattle - [ Photo ]

I’ve worked to toughen the rules to curb mega houses that dwarf neighbors in single-family areas; make it easier to remove derelict or blight homes; and enact sweeping changes to improve housing design and sustainability in low-scale multi-family housing areas. I’m a big believer in community-driven neighborhood planning.

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Latest Projects

Bringing vitality and more great food to Seattle streets

I’m excited to have successfully led the effort to ease street food regulations in Seattle this summer. I’m looking forward to seeing these small businesses bring economic vitality, creative cuisine, and a pedestrian-friendly street scene that helps people connect with neighbors.

I worked hard with concerned business owners, Public Health, and local mobile food enthusiasts to define this legislation. It gives clarity to vendors and the surrounding community about issues like distance from existing restaurants, litter pickup responsibilities, noise from generators, and enforcement.

As a council we empowered SDOT to regulate buffers and to make sure visibility is maintained for existing businesses. We mandated that food vehicles display SDOT contact information, so that the public can easily file complaints.

If you see me at a food truck, say hello!

Revitalizing historic Pioneer Square

For years people have wondered what should happen to the old Kingdome north parking lot. It’s well-used on game days and by commuters, but is it the best use of premium space in Pioneer Square? Residents and business-owners in Pioneer Square have dreamed of more housing, shops and even a grocery store there.

Working together with King County (the land owner), we were able to reach an agreement for use of the site. The adopted legislation provides for more housing (helping to meet growth management goals through transit-oriented development next to the King Street Station), environmental cleanup of the site, as well as creating a more attractive, albeit taller, set of structures that leaves room for an open area mimicking Second Avenue south of King Street.

This was a great opportunity to make huge improvement to an asphalt desert and to the greater Pioneer Square community, activate the area with new residents, and to agree on good design to match the character of the area.

Toughening Seattle’s Energy Code

We’re pushing the boundaries by demanding that Seattle’s code for commercial buildings prompt performance that’s beyond the national standards.
Every three years we update the City Energy Code for commercial buildings.

We get great help from an advisory committee made up of people who actually use the code when constructing new buildings. We’re lucky to have a relatively stable supply of affordable electricity here—now. Growth and climate change should push us to innovate when it comes to both production and conservation. Conservation is the cheapest form of energy production. Our buildings should use energy as efficiently as possible.

With my committee’s adoption of the energy code legislation earlier this year Seattle’s energy code insists that our buildings be at least 20% more efficient than Washington State requires.

I’m proud to say that once again Seattle has the most demanding energy code in the state and one that’s more demanding than the codes in most major cities. Having said that, we also could do better when it comes to measuring how well we’re really doing. Before the next Energy Code update we’ll build ways to check ourselves to make sure our claims match reality.

Securing Children’s Hospital’s continuing presence in Seattle

This was contentious at the start, but the neighborhood and the hospital came together on a final agreement that ensures Children’s expansion in Northeast Seattle while protecting the surrounding neighborhood.

For the first three months of 2010, it was all Children’s Hospital, all the time. Children’s is a world renowned institution situated smack on the edge of Laurelhurst and within sight of others like View Ridge and Ravenna-Bryant. Children’s, the City and neighborhoods spent several years hatching a new “major institution master plan,” but it arrived on Council’s doorstep with a basket of formal appeals due to disagreements about expansion scale and mitigation. That triggered a complex set of rules of procedure for notice, argument and decision-making all intended to ensure an even playing field as councilmembers considered the appeals.

After oral argument, the hospital and the appellants came to an agreement. I think the neighbors and the hospital made a great compromise and as a result, we’ll see improved traffic coordination, more patient beds, and great landscaping buffers. Council adopted Children’s Master Plan in March, which means we’ll be home to a pediatric hospital of the highest caliber serving the children of Seattle, the Puget Sound, Washington State, (and even Idaho, Montana, and Alaska) for decades to come.

Preserving the iconic Seattle Post-Intelligencer Globe

Everyone in Seattle knows the P-I Globe. Along with the Pink Elephant Car Wash sign and Pike Place Market clock, it’s one of our city’s most beloved icons. During the last days of the P-I’s print edition many of us became concerned that the Hearst Corporation (owner of the P-I) might demolish the Globe or perhaps banish it to the same limbo where the Bubbleator is.

Hearst still could remove or demolish the Globe, but Councilmembers Burgess, Godden and I thought we’d like to give them every incentive to not. To that end, we’ve nominated the Globe to become a landmark by the City’s Landmarks Preservation Board. With any luck they’ll approve our nomination and then send legislation to the Council to approve the terms and conditions of the designation. Hearst would get the warm feeling of having done well by an icon that has done them well for more than 60 years; it would be good for the citizens of Seattle because it would help us keep our beloved icon.

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Vision

While there are bright spots on the horizon, the current economy presents serious challenges. We struggle with how to make ends meet, keep people safe, and take care of our most vulnerable.

My priorities for the next four years will be job creation, building a truly complete, mobility-focused transportation system with healthy transit, bike and pedestrian options, and keeping Seattle neighborhoods not just safe, but sought after for great small businesses, parks and housing for all.

I’ll work to position our city and our neighborhoods for a successful rebound from this recession.
That means stretching tax dollars further and reprioritizing spending to better help struggling families and individuals survive.

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My background and qualifications

I’ve had the honor to serve on the Seattle City Council since January 2006. Before joining the Council, I worked in non-profit social services and government with the aims of helping people to:

• Become their own best advocates; and
• To connect with government in ways that would improve their lives and their communities.

Chicken Soup Brigade

I started out in print journalism, but soon found it more rewarding to put my skills to work as the Communications Manager for Chicken Soup Brigade, a non-profit agency that provided practical support to people living with AIDS in King County.

City Councilmember staff person

In 1997 I left Chicken Soup Brigade to join the office staff of then-Seattle City Councilmember Tina Podlodowksi. In Tina’s office, I worked on a range of issues including neighborhood development, public safety and technology.

Department of Neighborhoods

In 1999 I joined the city’s Department of Neighborhoods as Neighborhood Development Manager for Southeast Seattle. In this role I linked neighborhoods, city staff, non-profit groups, businesses and developers to help implement neighborhood plan recommendations.

Master’s of Public Administration

In 2002 I left the Dept. of Neighborhoods to earn a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. While in the MPA program I served as executive director of the Northwest Association for Housing Affordability, an organization dedicated to developing and maintaining low-income housing in Washington’s rural communities.

Lifelong AIDS Alliance

After finishing my degree, I worked as a legislative aide to King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson before joining Lifelong AIDS Alliance as director of community resources. At Lifelong AIDS Alliance I oversaw public policy and advocacy, HIV prevention education, volunteer recruitment and training, and insurance premium payment assistance.

Seattle City Council

At Seattle City Council I chair the Committee on the Built Environment and the Committee on Waterfront Development, serve as vice chair of the Housing, Human Services, Health & Culture Committee, and am a member of the Public Safety and Education Committee, the Labor-Management Leadership Committee and the Labor Relations Policy Committee.  I serve, also, on the King County Board of Health.

Away from City Hall

My partner and I live in the Brighton neighborhood of Southeast Seattle with a dog, three cats, and a garden-in-progress. In my spare time I row with Conibear Rowing Club. On an open Saturday morning I like to sneak in a bike ride to Fremont or Alki and have finished the Seattle-to-Portland ride twice.

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