This week the City Council’s central staff delivered its first-quarter report on SPD’s staffing and response times.
Continue readingOPA Annual Report
Today the Office for Police Accountability (OPA) released its 2022 annual report.
Continue readingFinal auditor reports on soda tax
Today the Seattle City Auditor published a final set of studies on the Sweetened Beverage Tax, looking at outcomes 24 months after the tax was first imposed. According to one report, nearly all of the tax was passed through to consumers — though less so at locations near the border …
Continue readingEPA’s new plan for lower Duwamish superfund site cleanup
The EPA has published a draft plan for a $290 million cleanup of the lower Duwamish River east waterway, one of two Superfund sites in the area that is heavily contaminated with PCBs from decades of industrial pollution. Public comments will be accepted through June 27.
Continue readingAnnual financial disclosures for Seattle elected officials
The eleven City of Seattle elected officials — the nine City Councilmembers, the Mayor, and the City Attorney — are required to submit an annual F-1 financial disclosure form by April 15th of each year. Here are their disclosure forms for this year. Mayor Harrell Council President Juarez Councilmember Herbold …
Continue readingOIG Sentinel Event Review “Wave 4” report
The Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety has released its Sentinel Event Review report covering “Wave 4” of SPD’s response to protests in the summer and fall of 2020.
Continue readingOIG plan for assuming monitoring responsibilities
Under the new proposed consent decree, OIG would take over from the court-appointed police monitor responsibilities for ongoing monitoring of SPD’s progress in meeting and maintaining compliance with the consent decree requirements. This week the OIG Director presented to the City Council the plan for how the department will take …
Continue readingCity economic forecast and revenue update
The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic and Revenue Forecast has published an update. Total General Fund revenues are approximately on-track , though the individual line-items vary. However, 2023 Payroll Tax revenues are projected to be $30 million less than originally budgeted, with Real Estate Excise Tax revenues down another …
Continue readingProposed update to industrial/maritime zones in Seattle
Today Mayor Harrell announced that his administration is proposing a sweeping update to the zoning regulations for industrial lands in Seattle. The plan would introduce three new zoning types (and rezone existing industrial lands to them): It would also include a new industrial land use policy into the city’s Comprehensive …
Continue readingConsent decree for lower Duwamish superfund site cleanup
Last week the federal government, state government, and Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes reached agreement with several local industrial corporations on a proposed consent decree for cleanup of decades of environmental pollution by industries operating on the Lower Duwamish River. The agreement calls for the companies to pay $550,000 for natural …
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