Real estate company VTS has puslished its latest monthly office demand report, and the news is not good. Nationally, demand for new office spaces dropped 12% in August, to 46% of pre-pandemic levels. That’s a 47% drop compared to a year ago, and a 31% drop over the last quarter. …
Continue readingMonth: September 2022
SPD’s Risk Managed Demand Framework for alternative responses
Last November I wrote about the the NICJR report, which argued that 49% of the 911 calls going to SPD could be handled by an alternative response. The problem with the NICJR report was that it was after-the-fact analysis; it didn’t look at whether 911 dispatchers, given the information available …
Continue readingMotion for sanctions in CHOP businesses/residents lawsuit
The plaintiff businesses and residents who are suing the city over the CHOP have filed a motion for sanctions against the city related to the deletion of text messages from Mayor Durkan, SPD Chief Best, SFD Chief Scoggins, and other key city officials. They are asking the judge to acknowledge …
Continue readingMayor’s proposed 2023-2024 City of Seattle budget
This afternoon Mayor Harrell unveiled his proposed budget for 2023 and 2024. Here are some charts diving into the budget as a whole: And here are some drilling down on the SPD budget: Some of the more notable things in Harrell’s budget: I hope you found this article valuable. If …
Continue readingCity Council budget planning memo
Every August the City Council’s budget chair distributes a memo to colleagues and staff detailing the process that the Council will be using to construct and pass the following year’s city budget. Here is the memo that Budget Chair Mosqueda sent out last month for the 2023 budget process. I …
Continue readingSDOT employee shuttle stop permitting
In 2017 SDOT began a pilot program to allow local employers’ private employee shuttle access to a small number of transit stops. According to SDOT, the program was successful, and it now wants to make the program permanent, with companies allowed to obtain paid permits to certain transit stop locations. …
Continue readingSafe Streets sidewalk permit strategy
During the COVID pandemic, the City of Seattle introduced a new, temporary “Safe Streets” permit that allows businesses to take over sidewalk space, and in some instances parking spots, to allow for more outdoor activity. The city is now strategizing on how to make the program permanent, with some modifications. …
Continue readingCity of Seattle federal lobbying briefing
Next week the Seattle City Council will be hearing an update from its federal lobbyist on the state of affairs in “the other Washington.” There is good information here on available federal funding, as well as a take on this November’s congressional elections. – I hope you found this article …
Continue readingCandidates for King County Prosecutor
Seattle Channel hosted a candidate forum for the two people running for King County Prosecutor. I hope you found this article valuable. If you did, please take a moment to make a contribution to support my ongoing work. Thanks!
Continue readingSeattle Police Chief candidate interviews
Last night the Seattle Channel aired interviews with the three candidates for Seattle’s new Chief of Police.
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