Update from the Thornton Creek Alliance

This article is an extension of an article published in the February 2012 Demogram that we didn't have room for.

There is a lot of good news around this seven-acre natural area just north of the Maple Leaf Community Garden! Thornton Creek Alliance (TCA) applied for and won a grant of $500,000 in 2008 Park Levy Opportunity Fund money. Much of those funds will be used to rechannel the creek in order to control erosion and scouring, but the community is invited to contribute suggestions for additional things you would like to have in the park. To learn more, see what ideas have been suggested and send in your own. The first community meeting was held January 11th, but there is still time to write in.

The Watershed Company has been hired to do the planning. To see their conceptual design go here (1/12/12) or http://www.watershedco.com/blog/.

In mid December a park neighbor came and cut the lower 10’ of branches from 60 trees along two main paths. The work was executed in broad daylight and in a fashion damaging, and in some cases fatal, to the trees. Community views on this are strong and run both ways as the comments under the stories in the Maple Leaf Life blog, first (12/29/12), second (1/12/12), and third (1/26/12), reveal. It is apparent there has been an unfortunate lack of communication between the park neighborhood and the park stewards who have been at work on the park’s restoration for the past 20 years.

In light of this a good portion of the January 11th community meeting, attended by over 50 people, was largely spent discussing neighborhood concerns, working with Seattle Parks and Police, and possible solutions to an ongoing crime wave in the neighborhood just east of the natural area. It was a very productive meeting in that regard, as people on all sides of the issue had a chance to hear and meet each other. Also Community Police Officer Terrie Johnston was there to talk about Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CePTED), and she is now working with The Watershed Company to make sure sight lines will be built into future restoration plans.

The final community meeting is March 14th. At that time we will see the project plans nearly finalized, with our ideas incorporated.

The Jan. 26th TCA meeting was also given over to discussion of neighborhood security adjacent to our natural areas. It is a sad fact that parks and woods can easily be used as places of concealment, and the community as a whole must participate in protecting itself and the park. Community representatives across the city spectrum came and spoke about all aspects of the problem and offered support.

Officer Johnston presented some startling statistics: in January 2011 there were 11 break-ins in all of NE Seattle; while Jan. 1-25, 2012 there have already been 30 in the same area! The reason is unknown.

City Council member Sally Bagshaw made the point that even if the city adds $1 million to hiring more officers, it wouldn’t make much difference at the local level.

Also in attendance and contributing to the discussion were University Greenways representative Chris Saleeba, Green Seattle Partnership’s Joanna Nelson de Flores, Maple Leaf Community Council’s Joshua Newman and Donna Hartmann-Miller, Seattle Parks’ Emily Lofstedt (planner for the Beaver Pond NA project), Mark Mead (Senior Forester), Brock Milliern (Security Officer), North District Neighborhood Coordinator Thomas Whittemore, Tree Ambassadors, Natural Area Stewards, and representatives of the neighborhood around the park.

With such an informed group as this the meeting covered the importance of urban forestry and how to get involved (http://greenseattle.org/), how to keep your home and neighborhood secure (for more info contact terrie.johnston@seattle.gov), the need to establish a greenways plan in north Seattle (here and here), and the beginnings of a partnership with the Beaver Pond Natural Area neighbors.

TCA plans to keep working with the neighborhood around Beaver Pond, as well as support the greenways process, in addition to the Opportunity Fund grant work. We thank everyone who attended these important community meetings. You are welcome to join us! For more information or questions, please contact Ruth Williams (46th LD PCO, Beaver Pond NA Forest Steward), ruthalice@comcast.net. Find TCA on Facebook!

The January 19th meeting is open for new members from Lake Forest Park and Kenmore (LFP/K)

This blog post is going to go into technical language, so bear with me.

Last September, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee passed a resolution giving guidance for legislative districts on how to handle the upcoming changes due to Redistricting.  Here's the language, from a letter sent by Jaxon Ravens, WSDCC Executive Director, on November 4th, 2011:

• The State Central Committee directs legislative district organizations to begin meeting within their new geographic boundaries from the redistricting commission within 30 days of adoption of the redistricting plan by the legislature.  This means that either your January or your February legislative district (LD) meeting will be the first to correspond to the new LD boundaries.  This meeting will be convened by leadership the LD had prior to redistricting, and shall be conducted according to the by‐laws of the “Old Legislative District” (OLD).  This “New Legislative District” (NLD) can decide to elect new leaders, under the provisions of its by‐laws; and it can choose to amend its by‐laws.

So, the assumption from this language was that the Redistricting Commission would be submitting their final plan to the legislature, and that the legislature would be adopting the plan.  I told attendees at the meet and greet at the Kenmore Library that the new boundaries take effect "when the legislature acts", and that the currently open at-large position would not be open for persons who reside within LFP/K unless the legislature acts prior to the 19th.

Which opened up a question, when was the legislature going to act?  To find out, Sarajane and I reached out to Rep. Sam Hunt (D-22), chair of the State Government & Tribal Affairs committee in the Olympia House of Representatives.  His answer was a surprise:

• The Redistricting Commission adopted the plan on January 1.  It does not have to be adopted by the Legislature; we can only make technical changes, but we do not have to adopt the plan.

To confirm that, I went back to the Redistricting Commission website, and looked at their Frequently Asked Questions page.  This is what I found:

• A redistricting plan must be approved by three of the four voting Commission members. This plan becomes final unless it is amended by the Legislature within 30 days after the beginning of the next regular or special legislative session.

So, I was wrong on Tuesday night.  The legislature doesn't "act" exactly.  Todd Nichols, chair of the WSDCC Rules Committee nuanced it this way this morning via email:

• ... I would say that the legislature will "act" to seal the plan by its inaction after 30 days. There is no indication that the legislature has any plans to amend the Commission's plan that I'm aware of.  We want everyone to be able to get a jump on the new organizations given the nature of this election year.

What is all this leading to?  I'm going to rule that all members of the "New 46th Legislative District", which includes the precincts in Lake Forest Park and Kenmore, are eligible to run for the currently open At-Large position on the Executive Board, even BEFORE the district membership considers amendments to our bylaws that would increase the number of At-Large members and require that one of the top four positions be held by someone from LFP/K.

If anyone has any questions, please let me know.

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats

Dean Fournier has resigned as KCDCC Male Representative

Due to the 46th losing his precinct to the 32nd, Dean Fournier has resigned as KCDCC Male Rep from the 46th District Democrats.

Dean came into the 46th LD in 2001 when his neighborhood was moved by the 2001 Redistricting Commission from the 32nd, and immediately got to work reviewing our bylaws and platform.  He had worked on the 2000 platform for the 32nd District, and over the past 10 years has been an invaluable member of the 46th Executive Board in his role as KCDCC Male Rep, chair or co-chair of our Platform and Resolutions Committee, as well as being tapped numerous times to chair the Rules Committee for Bylaws Review and Operating Rules for the district.

Dean is already engaging with the 32nd District Democrats to continue acting in support of the party and our shared values and platforms.  The 46th District will survive his leaving, but we will miss him terribly.  I'm grateful that he will be continuing his role as KCDCC Platform and Resolutions co-chair, and I look forward to seeing him at future events.  Thanks, Dean, we wouldn't be the same without you.

The position of KCDCC Male Rep will be officially announced as vacant at the January meeting, published in the February Demogram and will be filled at the February meeting.

Bylaws Amendment Proposal

With the changes in the district coming in 2012 thanks to the work of the Redistricting Commission, we have some challenges and opportunities before us. The Executive Board considered two alternatives to how we could adjust our bylaws to encourage activists from all over our district to get involved within our district organization.

You can see the results of our debate on our website, where we have posted a Tracked Changes version of the bylaws showing the changes we are proposing.

The first change is increasing the number of At-Large members from five to seven. Our district has grown in size, and we need to open up more positions.

The second change is to require that at least one member of the eboard is from each of our three municipal jurisdictions (Seattle, Lake Forest Park and Kenmore). We also wanted to ensure that at least one of our top four positions (Chair, 1st Vice Chair, 2nd Vice Chairs (2)) is opened to someone from either Lake Forest Park or Kenmore. Those two Northshore cities make up close to 25% of our total district population, so it makes sense to make sure one of the top four positions is from that area. We also wanted to make it clear that the language we will present on January 19th is, as we say in the industry, a "shoehorn" to make it fit through the 2012 election year, and that the language will be reviewed and likely revised after the January 2013 Reorganization.

The third change is a change to our Endorsement articles so that we have the opportunity to express our voices and declare preferences in special elections that occur beyond the Primary and General Elections managed by King County Elections. We have an election for the King Conservation District coming in late February, and we're not going to miss it this year.

Please review the language we have posted on our website. The bylaws can only be amended by the full membership at a general meeting, and we will present this proposal on January 19th.

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats

Change is the only constant

“Change is the only constant in the universe.”
Heraclitus or Einstein (take your pick)

2011 is behind us. I could write pages about what has happened to our organization over the last year. But those pages have already been written. 2012 is upon us. We’re moving forward.
The Washington State Redistricting Commission has completed their work. The LD maps of Northwestern Washington as agreed upon by the Commissioners on January 1st significantly changes the 46th LD along with many other districts in our area. We get new territory, which means a lot of things are on the table and we’ll have some exciting challenges as we go into the caucus cycle and election season.

Specifically, welcome to our new PCOs and members in Lake Forest Park and Kenmore, which will likely become part of the new 46th District! This is a huge change for us. Over the last 10 years our northern border was 145th, and in the 1990’s we were focused more around Wedgwood and the U District. I’m always interested in maps and learning election history, but I think it’s been several decades since the 46th District covered areas outside of Seattle. So we have a lot to learn, and a bunch of new jurisdictions to be involved with over the next 10 years. (Page 4 of the January Demogram)

As soon as I saw the map, I started working on updating our database with the new precincts and asked the chair of the 32nd District, Carin Chase, for the list of PCOs and paid members within the two cities. We are going to treat paid members of the local party with the respect they are due, and they are now on our mailing list to receive this newsletter. The next thing we would like to do is hold a meet-and-greet for our new members so I can present the bylaws, operating rules and the culture of the 46th before our General Meeting on January 19th. Watch our calendar for that.

In addition to gaining new areas North, we also lost some. The precincts West of Aurora were moved either into the 32nd District or the 36th District, and that means we lost several very good friends to our neighbors. Dean Fournier has been active in the 46th since the 2001 redistricting, and now returns to his previous district the 32nd. Jason Osgood was a candidate in 2008 for Secretary of State. I don’t have room for the full list of dear friends who now find themselves in a new district, and we know they will stay engaged despite the change. The work we all do is too important.

Please review the final version of the bylaws changes that the executive board is proposing that were posted on our blog. We have expanded our territory, and I believe that means we should expand our executive board. And we want to make sure we have representation from all of our municipal jurisdictions. In addition, we have an election coming up for the King Conservation District, and we’re going to address a missing piece in our rules so that we can express our voice in these races from now on.

Please renew your membership for 2012 if you have not yet done so! The work never ends!

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats

The vote of the PCOs must stand

Dear King County Council,

I am writing as the Chair of the 46th District Democrats. I am hearing about a lobbying campaign being waged to overturn the rankings determined by the votes of the PCOs on Thursday, December 1st, and I wish to speak strongly in favor of having the Council appoint Gerry Pollet to fill the vacancy in the Washington State House of Representatives on Monday, December 5th. There are three primary reasons that I am asking you to do that. First, the PCOs have spoken, and a majority have chosen Gerry Pollet. Second, all of the candidates that were eligible to be selected by our PCOs voiced their agreement that the final choice of the PCOs should be the person to fill the vacancy and that they would support that individual. And third, the 2012 election is coming and having a divided district organization would be detrimental to our ability to do the work we are supposed to do.

It has always been tradition for the King County Council to respect the will of the majority of duly Elected and Appointed Precinct Committee Officers in situations like this. Per the Constitution, it is of course up to County Council to make the appointment itself. But the requirement for the County Central Committee to pass on the list of three names comes from a long tradition of asking the Grassroots of our party structure to determine the best candidates. This has been done, and among all of the candidates who stepped forward one received the majority vote. Gerry Pollet has been working on behalf of our district in many ways for many years, and he has earned the respect of our grassroots. This applies to both major political parties. I want to specifically highlight and thank Councilman Peter Von Reichbauer who called in to be included as a Yea vote on November 14th so that we could fill the Senate vacancy.

The weekend before the vote, I asked an important question related to this very question of all of our candidates, and received an answer from each one. The question I asked was "Will you support the winner of the majority vote of PCOs on December 1st to receive the vacancy appointment from the King County Council?" Every candidate said that they would support the winner. I have compiled their answers into a single document, and I have attached that document to this email.

And finally, it is my responsibility to build my organization as strong as possible so that the goals set forward in our platform have a much higher probability of becoming law. That's the purpose of any political organization. I see the possibility of the majority vote of PCOs being overturned by a lobbying effort from outside the district organization to be a severe threat to the 46th District Democrats, and I ask that you see this in the same light. Any democratic organization where decisions are made by majority vote depends on the respect of everyone else to make that process of democracy worth the substantial effort it takes.

I have been working since the death of Scott White to ensure that the overall process moves quickly, is fair to everyone, and results in a final decision that everyone can be satisfied with. I do not know where the rumors of dissent are coming from. I do know that by all the procedures and traditions that I hold dear, the decision is made. Gerry Pollet competed in a fair contest and the result was satisfactory to everyone, including ALL of the candidates involved. Gerry Pollet deserves to be appointed to fill the State House vacancy opened by the appointment of David Frockt to the State Senate. Any other decision on the part of the Council will call into question too many core beliefs and will also call into question the trust that we have for the process we worked so long and hard on.

If you have any questions on the process, my arguments or anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats
PCO SEA 46-2324
206-792-5440

Thank you, Justin

Justin Simmons has let me know that time commitments in the upcoming year are going to severely restrict his ability to be active in the 46th, and that he would like to step back and open up his At Large position so that someone else may step up. I want to thank Justin for everything that he does, as President of the Metropolitan Democratic Club and many other things. I know that he will keep pushing our shared progressive values.

Our January meeting will be on January 19th, and we're planning to spend our time getting to know any new areas and precincts that we are granted thanks to Redistricting, as well as ensure that our Executive Board is filled out and ready for the upcoming 2012 Caucus Cycle and Election Year.

Washington State Needs to Elect PCOs

Dear Elections Director Huff,

I am extremely disappointed to learn that you are opposing the tradition of PCO elections in our state. James McMahan, the Executive Director of the Washington Association of County Officials, recently testified on your behalf that you oppose PCO elections. Given your past support for our party in King and Kitsap County, I'm very suprised at this position.

The Democratic and Republican parties are committed to continuing grassroots PCO elections in Washington. Our political system is more transparent and more democratic than any other state because we elect PCO’s. Washington’s Legislature originally passed precinct committee officer election laws in 1907 to prevent the political corruption of Tammany Hall and Boss Tweed. Your position would effectively force such corruption upon us from the top down. PCO’s are, and of right aught to be, elected by the voters within the precinct, not chosen by the Party boss at either the county or state level.

It is currently within State Law that only Elected PCO’s may gather to organize the County and Legislative District party organizations, electing its officers and two state committee representatives, who then perform the same function to form the state party organizational structure. Elected PCO’s are a source of stability for both the Democratic and Republican (D and R) parties. The election of PCO’s every two years is the “re-set button” that allows us to re-organize our parties every two years.

References:

RCW 29A.80.030
County central committee — Organization meetings.

RCW 29A.80.041
Precinct committee officer, eligibility.

RCW 29A.80.051
Precinct committee officer — Election — Term.

RCW 29A.80.061
Legislative district chair — Election — Term — Removal.

The fight against corruption that resulted in the 1907 law is still going on. The King County Central Committee is currently complying with the Washington State Constitution to present a list of three names to the King County Council to fill the vacancies opened up by the death of Senator Scott White and the resulting appointment of Rep. David Frockt to that Senate Seat. The rules we are operating under specify that only "Elected or Appointed" PCOs may vote to produce that list. Having this conducted from the grassroots up, with Elected PCOs at the core of the deciding voters, is critical to finding the right candidate.

I do understand that PCO elections are an expense, and that because of the economic downturn municipalities are needing to find ways to save money. This expense is part of the fundamental fabric of our democracy. It's an expense that we can't afford not to make. The opportunity cost is just too high, consisting of the corruption that will sweep in to silence the voices of the grassroots activists who want to push real positive change in our state. PCO elections are another motivation for the Legislature to raise revenue to cover the basic expenses of running our government. If we continue to do nothing but cut, we will be cutting the heart out of our government, our society and our future. Please stand with us against that.

Please reconsider your opposition to PCO elections, and work with the Republican and Democratic parties to find a sensible way to continue this important feature of our democracy. Your voice as the Elections Director of the most populated county in the state would hold a lot of weight in the discussion, and we really need you on our side.

Sincerely,
Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats
3rd Vice Chair, King County Democrats
Chair, Washington State Democratic Chairs Organization
Elected Democratic PCO, SEA 46-2324

David Frockt sworn in as the Senator from the 46th LD

At the meeting of the ML King County Council this afternoon, David Frockt was appointed to the Senate Seat left vacant by the death of Senator Scott White.  He then faxed to the Governor his resignation from the House of Representatives, and was sworn into office by the Clerk of King County.

So we now have a House vacancy to fill.  We're waiting on confirmation that the school is available on Thursday, December 1st.  As soon as we can be sure of the date, Steve and I will be putting out the call to PCOs to come to another Special Caucus to create a list of three names for consideration by the King County Council again, most likely at their meeting on December 5th.

We're half way done with the vacancies, and we're moving forward.

Scott White Memorial Service

The service for Senator Scott White will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, November 6, 2011 in the Meany Hall Theater located on the University of Washington Campus in Seattle. Meany Hall is located near the intersection of 15th Avenue NE and NE 40th St.

The closest parking will be in the Central Plaza Underground Garage located beneath Meany Hall. It will be open and free of charge on that date; entrance to the Garage is at the intersection of 15th Avenue NE and NE 41st.

Attendees are urged to carpool in order to minimize parking issues.

A statement from Scott's family

Alison Carl White wishes to release the following statement:

Scott’s family and I wish to express our appreciation for the outpouring of support we have received since learning of his passing. He was a tremendous husband, father and public official, and we are deeply moved by the nobility and honor with which his professional accomplishments are remembered. We are consoled by the support of friends, colleagues and our community. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Donations can be made to the Wedgewood Elementary PTSA, EarthCorps or to the Scott White Memorial Fund, an education fund for his two children, which has been established at Wells Fargo:

Scott White Memorial Fund
PO Box 95675
Seattle, WA 98145-2675

Account Number: 1559550528
Routing Number: 125008547

A public service will be held later this week. Please respect the family’s wishes for privacy at this time.

Scott White: The loss of a great Leader

by Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney and Representative David Frockt

It is a sad day for members of the 46th District and Washington State by the sudden death of Senator Scott White.

We are deeply saddened by his passing at a prime time of his career. As a state legislator and a community leader his commitment and work for quality education for all children, affordable housing, healthcare, a safe environment, transportation and many other issues that the constituents in the 46th care about will be remembered. He was willing to go the extra mile to find solutions to some very tough issues in the legislature. His desire was to create a better place for our families and our children to prosper. In all his work Scott never forgot, or let others forget, what the values of the Democratic Party brought to our communities.

While Scott was devoted to public service his pride and love for his family was at the top of his priorities.

My family extends our love, thoughts, and prayers to Alison, their children and the entire White Family.

Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney

The 46th District, the city of Seattle, and the State Washington lost one of the best young leaders in Scott White. It is obvious that his future as a public servant for the region was extremely bright. He had excelled in his work on the County Council. He had already been elected by his colleagues to serve in the Democratic leadership in the State Senate and there was every expectation that he would continue to thrive in that role or in any other future offices he chose to take on.

He had become a friend and a colleague whom I had the honor of working with for just one year. It was too short a time. Much too short.

Scott and I had coffee about two weeks ago to discuss the budget crisis and other political matters. One thing he said to me jumps out in my mind at this awful time. He said that whatever his future in public life was going to be, the most important things to him would always be his two young children and of course, Alison.

My wife and I are stunned by this tragic event. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with Alison, their children and the extended White family.

David Frockt

Scott White, an unbelievable loss...

It’s times like this that short statements fail.  Quick paragraphs put together in order to capture the moment.  I’m usually good at that, but last night I just couldn’t.  I heard the news at 8pm on Friday night when I got a call from Javier.  I was devastated.  Scott was a dear, dear friend, and his loss just cut down anything that I tried to say or do.  I saw a comment this morning on the Seattle Times article from someone who had known him from the age of 12, describing him as having the face of an angel AND a dragon-slayer.  The thought broke me down, and I have tears falling on my keyboard now.

I first met Scott in May, 2003.  I’d finished a class at the University of Phoenix about State and Local Government, and I was curious about the Democratic Party in my local area.  The meeting was held at the Olympic View Church, and it was an eye-opener.  The LaRouche crowd stormed the meeting, and stood on chairs to sing protest songs.  Scott’s reaction, as the Chair of the district organization, was to calmly call the Seattle police to peacefully escort the kids out of the room so the meeting could continue.

He was willing to let me help build the 46th LD website, and we worked together on the initial design of the site, then told me to run with it.  That design has not changed much since.  He strongly believed in empowering people and trusting them.  I was grateful to have earned his trust.  Over the 5 years that I worked with him within the 46th Executive Board, he taught me a great deal about organizational infrastructure, how to handle difficult subjects at meetings, and that it’s ok to make mistakes as long as we take responsibility for them and correct them.

I have 8 years of emails from him.  The website has a near complete record of the newsletters that he published.  When he resigned as Chair to make a run for the State House, he put together a CD of all of the work and all of the records that he had about the 46th.  That was in 2008, and I’m still finding things today that I hadn’t known that help me do the job as Chair.

Scott was a true progressive, to my mind.  His decisions were focused on making practical and thoughtful steps towards a brighter future for our kids, and he wanted to hear from all sides and all voices before making a decision.  He knew, and stated eloquently in words, that our future depends on standing up to the abuse of power.  He believed in the power of government to be a positive force in our society, and he knew that the true power of government rests in the hands and voices of the people who are affected by the decisions made by lawmakers and business leaders at all levels.

I’ll let the last words in this be Scott’s, from his article in the March, 2003 Demogram.

Why are YOU a Democrat?  For most of us this is a simple question, but do you ever take the time to run through the whole list of reasons?  Is it because you believe in protecting the environment?  Social and economic justice?  Peace?  Grassroots democracy?  Creating a better education system for our children?  Whatever your reasons, I will guarantee you something:  you have friends and neighbors who share your values.

Think about it.  Every time you have a conversation with one of your neighbors about an issue that you share progressive views on, you are essentially talking about Democratic politics.  And whether they realize it or not, these friends and neighbors who want to invest in their community to create a better world for themselves and their children are one of us—they are Democrats.

Comments regarding the future 46th Legislative District

Dear Washington State Redistricting Commission,

At our meeting on October 4th, 2011, the Executive Board of the 46th District Democrats considered and passed the attached resolution regarding our desires on how the 46th District could change in the current Redistricting process.

Resolution Urging Retention of Seattle’s Northern City Limit as the Northern Boundary of the 46th Legislative District:

Whereas, under both state law and court decisions, legislative district boundaries should be set utilizing both city boundaries and communities of interest; and,

Whereas there are significant differences between residents of Seattle and residents of the suburban communities north of the Seattle City line in matters of community interests, school district and electoral matters, and interests of representation; and,

Whereas the City line at NW, N, and NE 145th Street provides a distinct and readily recognizable line for both communities of interest, political boundaries and legislative district boundaries; and

Whereas proposed redistricting maps from Commissioners Ceis, Huff and Foster would break up legislative representation of the cities of Shoreline or Lake Forest Park, diluting a portion of their legislative representation within a revised 46th District dominated by North Seattle, with no meaningful basis for dividing portions of those communities between legislative districts; and,

Whereas increasing the population of the 46th District can be accomplished by an adjustment of the District’s southern boundary, while maintaining its northern boundary as the Seattle City limit so as to preserve communities of interest for Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, including the community of interest shared through schools (e.g., school assignment) and major arterials;

Therefore, the 46th District Democrats, through their elected Executive Board, urge the Washington State Redistricting Commission and commissioners to:

a) Maintain the communities of interest and logical legislative-district northern boundary of the 46th District at the Seattle’s northern city limit, 145th Street; and,

b) Utilize arterials as boundaries of the 46th and maintain communities of interest regarding schools and community councils.

Please consider this resolution during the final process of developing the Legislative District maps.

The Strange, Sad Summer Saga of Buillding 11

--Gail Chiarello, Democratic PCO 46-2098

On August 8th, City Council voted to amend the 2008 lease for the old public works building at the tip of Magnuson Park’s north end. The developer, unable to perform under the terms of his 2008 agreement, sought new concessions, including 20% more space and City approval of a medical clinic tenant within 200 feet of the shoreline (although this use is prohibited by the Shoreline Master Plan and the Sand Point Overlay District zoning requirements). The new legislation returns significant revenue to the City in the shorter term; it contains a fair lease for the non-profit Sail Sand Point; it retains artists in the building for the next ten years. The Virginia Mason Internal Medicine Clinic slated for the north end of the building will have to relocate elsewhere, hopefully in private sector commercial space.

Activism from the 46th District Democrats helped bring about this more favorable outcome. The 46th was the first LD to support a resolution calling for more public benefits in the lease amendment; it was followed by the 36th, the 34th, and the Metropolitan Democratic Club. 46ers Jorgen Bader, Bonnie Miller, Lynn Ferguson, Sylvia Haven, Jan Ames, Kim Wells, Diana Kincaid, Rusty Williams, Nancy Bolin, Jeannie Hale, and Gail Chiarello were key in helping City Council focus on the rightful use of a public waterfront facility. The effort could still have failed, had it not been for the principled leadership of Parks Committee Chair Sally Bagshaw and her committee—Tom Rasmussen, Bruce Harrell, and Jean Godden. Councilmember Nick Licata, although not a member of the Parks Committee, was a fearless advocate for the artists and for public benefits; and we are proud that CM Licata is also a member of the 46th.

Did you wonder what all the fuss was about? Think of it this way. Building 11 was a microcosm of ills that plague our political system—lack of transparency in deal-making; private sector exploitation of public assets; an “asleep at the wheel” bureaucratic mentality that allowed the developer to roll forward without brakes. Former Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher’s role also raises an eyebrow. As Parks chief, he engineered the 2008 lease. Gallagher resigned spring 2010 and now serves as Chief Operations Officer at Nyhus Communications, a firm employed by the developer this summer to run the amended lease through Council. Gallagher’s portfolio may not include Building 11, but his role at Nyhus certainly raises questions of conflict of interest.

On August 16th the developer filed a complaint against the City for bad faith dealing. In my humble opinion, his suit could be tossed out now. He reopened the lease—not the City. He demanded more goodies, and when the City insisted on a fair return, he behaved like a child banging the tray of his high chair. He sued the City.

Seattle Public Schools Celebration

Seattle Public Schools invite you to a Community Celebration of Learning

Tuesday, August 30
4-6 p.m.

Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center
Program starts at 4:30

Celebrate the start of the new school year!

Join Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield Mayor, Mike McGinn and School Board members

Come hear from your school district about what’s new this year and ask questions about transportation, enrollment and nutrition services.

Listen to the All-City Band and be ready for a few surprises!

More info: www.SeattleSchools.org

Special Meeting on Lake City Public Safety

From: "Darryl Smith"
Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:30:41 PM
Subject: Meeting Regarding Public Safety Issues in Lake City

Dear Lake City Residents,

I'm writing to request your attendance at a meeting about ongoing public safety issues and our plan for addressing them. The meeting will be held at the Lake City Community Center on Wednesday, August 31 at 6 PM. Your continued input and engagement on issues in your neighborhood would be valuable and appreciated.

The Mayor assigned Assistant Chief Mike Sanford--the Department's head of patrol operations--to work with Captain Clark from North Precinct on a solution to the reported difficulties with civility and street disorder. Lieutenant Kenneth Hicks has been assigned to direct a focused response plan for Lake City, which I look forward to sharing with you in greater detail in person. We have already added periodic foot and bike patrols, which will be expanding now that Seafair has passed. Early reports have indicated that these patrols are already having some positive effects. As we move forward, there are other steps we can take to make sure everyone who is living, working or stopping in Lake City feels safe. I hope you will be able to join us on the 31st for a discussion of those steps and where we can go from here.

Thank you again for your interest in Lake City.

Darryl Smith
Deputy Mayor of Community
Office of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn

(206) 233-7893 (Direct)
(206) 684.5360 (Fax)
P.O. Box 94749
Seattle, WA 98124-4749
Darryl.Smith@seattle.gov

Mayor McGinn coming to NW Seattle on Tuesday.

Northwest Seattle

Mayor’s Town Hall

Tuesday, June 14th, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

at Bitterlake Community Center

13035 Linden Avenue North

Mayor Mike McGinn,
City Departments & Community Groups
will answer your questions
and hear what’s on your mind

Please join us!

Agenda

• 5:30-6:30 Meet and Greet: City Departments and local volunteer organizations have info tables, answer questions and offer volunteer opportunities


• 6:30-6:40 Youth performance


• 6:40-8:00 Open question and answer session with the Mayor and City staff

For more information please contact James Bush (206) 684-4000 or James.Bush@Seattle.Gov

State Democrats Adopt 2012 Delegate Selection Plan

By Sarajane Siegfriedt, 46th State Committeewoman

The Washington State Democratic Central Committee adopted its 2012 Presidential Delegate Selection Plan on April 30th in Wenatchee, after changes to accommodate Passover.

The Democratic National Committee has shifted the entire calendar at least almost two months later. Instead of February 9, 2008, precinct caucuses will be Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 1 p.m. By holding them in April, we gain bonus delegates. (We also gain bonus delegates for having a regional date with Idaho and Alaska.) Delegates are allocated to each precinct based on the number of Democratic voters. Delegates elected at the precinct caucus are expected to attend their Legislative District caucus and their County Convention.

The plan says, “Resolutions and platform issues will be forwarded to the appropriate Legislative District Caucus or County Convention.”

Legislative District caucuses are on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. The 46th adopts a platform and resolutions and elects delegates to the Congressional District Caucus and the State Convention. The number of delegates per LD will be decided in January, based on new LD maps and the number of votes for Obama in 2008. The 1,400 delegates elected at LD caucuses are expected to attend the state convention.

The call to the LD Caucus must be mailed or emailed five days in advance (April 23rd) and will include our 46th LD draft platform. This schedule allows only eight days to incorporate suggestions from the precinct causes and to evaluate, combine and edit resolutions. Responding to a question about this schedule State Chair Dwight Pelz suggested that LD and County platform committees start early, well before precinct caucuses, to write their drafts.

County Conventions will be held the next day, Sunday, April 29th at 10 a.m. No national delegates are elected, but county platforms and resolutions are debated and passed. The call to convention with the draft county platform will need to be mailed or emailed six days before, by April 23rd. The LD Caucus is the day before, so there is virtually no chance that LD platforms and resolutions can be considered by King County in writing its platform and resolutions. They will be forwarded directly to the state Platform and Resolutions Committees.

The Congressional District Caucus is where some of the national delegates will be elected and to the State Convention is where most of the remaining national delegates will be elected. Congressional District caucuses will be held Sunday, May 20th (time TBD by Chair Pelz). Sixty-three CD delegates will be elected to the national convention by the nine (current) CDs. The 7th CD will elect 11 delegates to the national convention.

The State convention is Saturday, June 2nd at 9 a.m. in Seattle. Twenty-one at-large delegates will be elected. Together with 13 pledged party leaders and elected officials, the Washington State delegation will number 113.

“Each presidential candidate…shall use his or her best efforts to ensure that his or her delegation within the state delegation achieves the affirmative action goals within this Plan and is equally divided between men and women.”

County level Redistricting

The King County Redistricting Commission will have the first public forum on May 2nd at the King County Courthouse. More info here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/districting/meetings.aspx.

It's important for people to be engaged in the process of redistricting in order to keep our neighborhoods together on the new maps. You can also put in public comments on the King County government website here.