NEDC ANNOUNCEMENTS

April 5, 2001

 

 

 

 

 

1.       Technology Matching Fund:  The City is accepting applications for the 2001 Technology Matching Fund.  The application deadline is Monday May 21.  For further information or an application, go to http://www.cityofseattle.net/tech or call 206-684-0600.  The City is seeking innovative community projects designed to:

·         Expand public access to computers and the Internet

·         Increase technology literacy / teach computer skills

·         Provide or enhance services to limited English speakers, seniors, the disabled community and/or the homeless

·         Link communities together using technology

 

2.       Technology Workshops:  Learn about the Technology Matching Fund from Department of Technology (DoIT) staff.  DoIT will show examples of projects funded in the past and assist potential recipients with applications.  For further information, contact Joan E. O'Brien at 206-615-1397 or joane.obrien@ci.seattle.wa.us or go to www.cityofseattle.net/tech/tmf/tmfbasic.htm.

·         Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m., Rainier Vista Job Resource Center, 4414 Tamarack Drive S #426

·         Tuesday, April 17, 7 p.m., Meadowbrook Community Center, 10517-35th Avenue NE

 

3.       Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Reduction Neighborhood Openhouse:  Share your comments on the projects the Seattle Public Utilities is considering for reducing combined sewer overflows.  Magnolia, Windermere, Laurelhurst, Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford and north Seattle neighborhoods, Thursday, April 19, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fremont Library, 731 N 35th Street.  For further information, contact the CSO Hotline at 206-233-5044 or csoplan@ci.seattle.wa.us or go to www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util/csoplan/.  Comments are due May 3rd.

 

4.       U District Annual Meeting:  The University District Community Council is holding its annual membership meeting on April 11, 2001 at 7 p.m. in Room 110 of the University Heights Center.  Judy Nicastro will be the special guest speaker.  There will be an election of officers and board members.  Everyone is invited, and light refreshments will be served.

 

5.       RBCA Spring General Meeting:  The Ravenna-Bryant Community Association will hold its Spring General Meeting on April 9th at 6:45 p.m. at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, located at 6535 Ravenna Avenue NE.  King County Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan will be a featured speaker.  There will also be a presentation from a Seattle Master Gardner on water conservation gardening.

 

6.       Northeast Branch Library Meeting: The North East Library Hopes & Dreams Pre-Design community meeting will be on Tuesday, April 24, 2001 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Shalom, social hall, 6800 35th Avenue NE.  For further information, contact Frank Coulter at 206-615-1621 or Elizabeth Yee at 684-7539 or Elizabeth.Yee@spl.org.

 

7.       Problems at Sand Point/Magnuson Park:  A letter written by Laurelhurst to the Mayor urging improved communication and designation of the Sand Point Liaison Committee as the advisory committee called for in the Blue Ribbon Report was circulated.  The Sand Point Community Liaison Committee has written a similar letter.  NEDC member organizations are encouraged to take the issue to their groups so that NEDC can act on the issue in May. 

 

8.       U Village Master Plan:  Councilmember Conlin emailed NEDC reps to report that he has been in touch with DCLU and SPO and that there is no obstacle to restarting the U Village master planning process. 

 

9.       Roanoke Park Berm Project:  Portage Bay/Roanoke Park has redesigned their proposed berm project to avoid potential issues with Initiative 42.  A letter documenting changes to the project was distributed and support from NEDC for the project will be sought during the NSF/CFR ranking process.

 

10.   TransLake: Ted Lane has scheduled a meeting with Councilmember McIver at 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 11 in the Council offices at City Hall.  It is hoped that the community council presidents, NOISE, the Eastlake/Roanoke Park/North Capital Hill Business Association and the Roanoke Park Neighborhood Beautification Project, who signed onto a letter sent to Councilmembers re adherence to the resolution adopted by the Council and other TransLake issue will attend.  A copy of the letter was distributed.

 

11.   Spring Clean Kickoff:  Seattle's premier community cleanup and environmental improvement effort will start April l7 with a kick-off celebration at the Rainier Community Center.  Coffee and pastries will be available around 8:30 a.m. and work parties will begin at 9 a.m.  After cleaning up litter, painting out graffiti, stenciling storm drains and planting flowers, the group will return to the community center for lunch and a door prize raffle.  Spring Clean 2001 runs from Saturday, April 7 to Sunday, May 13.  For further information, call 206-233-7187 or go to www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util/ept/springclean.  Here are some planned activities:

·         Neighborhood Power Project:  Help friends and neighbors conserve resources, contribute to environmental stewardship and facilitate economic growth and development in neighborhoods.  For further information go to www.cityofseattle.net/light/conserve/neighborhood/power or call 206-684-3868.

 

·         Seattle School District Earth Month Campaign:  Join a project at your local school.  Questions?  Call 206-252-0654.

 

·         Seattle Works Day:  Seattle Works will host a community-wide day of service on Saturday, June 9.  Over 3000 volunteers will participate in more than 60 projects.  For further information, go to www.seattleworks.org or call 206-517-2658.

 

·         Adopt A Park:  Join an existing park group to help with gardening, work on trails, etc.  For further information, call 206-233-3979.

 

·         Urban Creeks Legacy:  Be an Urban Creeks Steward and help remove weeds, plant native plants and help restore natural habitat.  For further information, call 206-684-7655 or go to www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util/rescons/urbancreek.

 

·         Adopt-A-Street/Grant Central Station:  If you need supplies during Spring Clean or need help with cleanup of public spaces outside the Spring Clean time period, call 206-684-7666 or go to www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util/rescons.  Grants are available to fund a variety of environmental projects in your neighborhood.

 

12.   The Race to Stop Global Warming:  The Race to Stop Global Warming will feature an 8K course for runners and walkers, a non-competitive children's fun dash, a diaper dash (or crawl) and an opportunity to educate people about global climate change.  Mayor Schell will speak at the awards ceremony and City Light is a race sponsor.  Proceeds will support the Green House Network's ongoing awareness campaign and its efforts to build a national Earth Day-related race in 15 cities by 2005.  Registration is at 7:30 a.m. and the event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59.  For further information, call 206-223-6032 or go to http://ww.greenhousenet.org/race_2001/seattle.html.

 

13.   Earth Day Puget Sound Celebration:  Sunday, April 22, 2001, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Seattle Waterfront, Piers 62-63.  This all-ages event features:  live music by Seattle Peace Concerts, exhibitors' booths, interactive children's activities, etc.  Admission is free.

 

14.   U-Pass Annual Report:  The 1999-2000 U-Pass Annual Report is now available.  Go to www.washington.edu/upass/ or call Peter Dewey at 206-616-2050. 

 

15.   Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program:  The National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Northwest Natural Resources Center has relocated to Seattle.  They are offering a free 40-minute slideshow presentation as part of its Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program to encourage people to plan and plant their gardens with the needs of wildlife in mind.  Your yard may be home to 15 migratory birds, 20 native plant species, five kinds of butterflies and enough wildlife to make you think you're on a safari.  To learn more or to schedule a slide show presentation, contact Gretchen Muller at 206-285-8707 ext. 108 or nweduc@nwf.org.

 

16.   Arts Comments Sought:  The Seattle Parks Department is seeking comments on its Art Placement Policy and its Strategic Plan for Arts and Culture.  For further information about the strategic plan, contact Chato Pierides at 206-684-4946.  Please send comments to Wendy Ceccherelli from Parks at 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA  98116 or email her at wendy.ceccherelli@ci.seattle.wa.us.  To access the documents, go to www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/communitynotices/index.htm.

 

17.   Funding for Water Projects:  Do you need funding for projects that protect and improve drainage, water quality and habitat?  Two sources are listed below.  For further information or a hard copy of the application, contact Ken Pritchard at 206-296-8265 or Ken.Pritchard@metrokc.gov.  For requests over $5,000, the deadlines are April 30,2001 and August 30, 2001.  For requests up to $5,000, there are no deadlines, but some conditions apply.

·         WaterWorks:  Projects generally must take place within the Urban Growth Boundary with the exception of shoreline communities south of Seattle.  The maximum grant is $50,000.  Further information and application are located at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/waterworks/.

 

·         Rural Community Partnership Grants:  Projects must take place in rural areas and the maximum grant is $20,000.  Further information and application are located at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/wsf/RDP.htm.

 

18.   Opportunity Fund:  This year the Opportunity Fund for neighborhood plan implementation will continue with approximately $500,000 available.  The project must be:  time-sensitive, a high priority in a neighborhood plan, not an existing or planned project in a city department budget and unable to be funded in a timely manner from other sources.  Additional weight will be given to projects that have leveraging opportunities, benefit more than one planning area or are supported by stewardship organizations from more than one neighborhood.  Neighborhood Development Managers from the Department of Neighborhoods will work with neighborhood plan stewards to identify projects.  Jim Diers will make the final decision as to which projects to recommend to the City Council for funding.  For further information, contact Deirdre Grace at 206-684-8896 or deirdre.grace@ci.seattle.wa.us or Rebecca Herzfeld at 206-684-8874 or rebecca.herzfeld@ci.seattle.wa.us.  Resolution 30094 listing the criteria can be found on the City Clerk's website.

 

19.   Roosevelt Station Area Advisory Committee:  7-9 p.m., Calvery Temple, 6810-8th Avenue NE.  For further information, contact Calvin Chow at 206-684-4652 or calvin.chow@ci.seattle.wa.us.

 

20.   Take Our Daughters to Work Day:  Teachers and employers are encouraged to participate and create activities that will encourage girls to think about diversity and gender equity.  You and your neighbors are encouraged to take your children to work this day.  For further information, go to www.takeourdaughterstowrok.org. 

 

21.   Plant Sale:  The Arboretum Foundation Spring Plant Sale will be held Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday, April 29 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Building 30 out at Sand Point, 7400 Sand Point Way.  Fifty specialty nurseries and vendors will offer an assortment of plants.  Native plants, hardy and tender perennials, shrubs, vines, conifers, herbs, grasses, vegetables and annual propagated at the Arboretum's greenhouse will be available for purchase, as well as gifts and books from the Arboretum Foundation gift shop.  For further information, call 206-726-1954 or email gvc@arboretumfoundation.org. 

 

22.   Neighborhood Matching Fund Ideas and Networking Fair:  Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m. to noon at Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway.  Learn the skills to successfully carry out neighborhood projects using the Neighborhood Matching Fund from neighborhood activists who have already completed projects.  For further information, contact Sandy Brooks at 684-0719 or sandy.brooks@ci.seattle.wa.us or go to www.cityofseattle.net/don.

 

23.   NMF Application Deadline:  The deadline to apply for the Small and Simple Projects Fund through the Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) is Monday, May 21.  Neighborhood groups seeking awards of $10,000 or less for projects that can be completed in six months or less can apply.  Cash is "matched" by the community's contribution of volunteer labor, materials, professional services or cash.  For further information, call the Department of Neighborhoods at 206-684-0464 or go to www.cityofseattle.net/don/basic.htm.  Or, contact Karen Ko at 206-233-3732 or karen.ko@ci.seattle.wa.us.

 

24.   Ravenna Work Party:  On Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Ravenna neighbors will gather to remove invasive plants and lay mulch in Ravenna Park.  Meet at the Ravenna Park Ballfield.  For further information, call Janine VanSanden at 206-233-3979.

 

25.   CNC March 2001 Report from Gibson:  The guest speakers this month were from SeaTran who spoke about pedestrian crossings, and both signalized and nonsignalized crosswalks.  Here are some of the points they made.

 

For some time SeaTran has had concerns about the safety of nonsignalized crosswalks.  The problem arises because pedestrians expect more protection from the marking on the roadway than is actually provided.  Pedestrians, believing correctly that they have the right-of-way in the crosswalk are less cautious and end up getting hit.  They are right, but deceased.  Not a good deal.  Recently a national study was done that confirmed the suspicions.  Seatran gets about 200 requests a year for marked crosswalks, but they install only about two.  However, they actually make about 35 changes of some kind each year at such troublesome locations.  They have about 50 options in their bag of tricks such as pedestrian islands, medians, etc.  Though crosswalks don’t stop cars they are useful in helping pedestrians locate the best place to cross a busy thoroughfare.  A difficulty with medians is that they prevent left turns that are sometimes necessary.  Also, there must be enough room for a fire engine to get past a stalled vehicle on a street or roadway.  SeaTran is working on new guidelines, in light of the national study.  Their three broad criteria are accessibility (as in ADA), increase in safety, and aesthetics.

 

Regarding installation of pedestrian operated signals, we were told that there are five lights installed under liberalized rules as a pilot project.  The relevant criteria include traffic volume, width of street and frequency of gaps in the traffic flow.  The new philosophy is that an improvement should be made when there is an identified problem, even if traditional qualifying criteria are not met.

 

The advice offered on applications for NSF grants, etc. is to bring up the problem and any possible solution, but don’t get locked in on any one solution.

 

When the SeaTran folks were finished, we went through the CNC standing committee reports.  From the budget Committee, there is still a vacancy on the library oversight committee.  Let me know if you turn up any candidates.  The Neighborhood Matching Fund Committee is looking for ways to broaden the nature of projects that get supported.  Projects, such as many traffic proposals, that don’t require a large component of unskilled labor, present challenges in creating the necessary match.  No action was taken on the conflict of interest policies for the Citywide Review Team.

 

The CNC is expecting to get a place on the City web page.  Ideas are solicited.