Seattle Neighborhood e-News is a periodic electronic newsletter supplementing the bi-monthly printed Seattle Neighborhood News and providing links to information on programs, projects, and events related to the Department of Neighborhoods.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this electronic newsletter, go to www.cityofseattle.net/lists.htm on the Web. Issue No. 7 (July 2, 2003)

In This Issue

• Neighborhood News & Calendar on the Way
• Mayor Nickels Message for Residents
• Correction: P-Patch Story
• Short Takes
• NMF Application Deadline
• Mayor’s Tours: Recent and Upcoming

Neighborhood News On the Way

The July issue of the Department of Neighborhoods’ regular hardcopy newsletter went out the door a little later than normal this month and should be arriving in mailboxes soon. A PDF version of the newsletter is already available online at www.cityofseattle.net/neighborhoods/news/. The calendar of events listings are also available online at http://www2.ci.seattle.wa.us/don/EventSearchDON.asp
Our workloads have increased and we are working on getting intern assistance to help get the newsletter out in a more timely manner. Thank you for your patience.

Message From the Mayor

Dear neighbor:
As you know, Seattle’s greatness begins in our neighborhoods, where we live and work, raise our children, do business, meet one another, and promote a sense of community.

Keeping neighborhoods safe is one of my top priorities as mayor.
In May, I announced a comprehensive plan to upgrade Seattle’s fire and emergency response network. That plan is now before the Council for consideration as a levy for the November ballot.

The council will hold a public hearing this Monday, July 7, at 5:30 p.m. (That’s in the old City Hall.) Please attend or let the council know of your interest in this vital issue.

The heart of my plan is the neighborhood station, the frontline of our emergency response system.

Most of our stations are more than 50 years old, a nd some are as old as 85 years. Those stations were not built to withstand a major earthquake, and that puts us at risk.

We know what big quakes can do. In San Francisco and Kobe, Japan, bridges collapsed and fires broke out in many areas. When the big quake hits Seattle, we want to be prepared and we want our stations to be strong; we don’t want firefighters and rescue equipment trapped in collapsed stations.

Protecting neighborhoods. Every neighborhood deserves a structurally-sound fire station. My plan will bring all of the city’s fire stations up to seismic standards by rebuilding 13 stations and renovating or partially remodeling 20 other stations.

My plan further strengthens neighborhood services by positioning special hydrants throughout the city that could withstand earthquakes and could draw water from reservoirs, lakes and Puget Sound. We will also position Red Cross community caches of emergency medical and shelter supplies in strategic locations throughout Seattle.

New fireboat. In addition, the plan calls for a new fireboat to protect people and property on the waterfront; citywide improvements to firefighter training; new facilities for command and emergency operations; caches of fire equipment and emergency supplies in strategic locations throughout the City ; and new equipment to deal with emerging threats, such as bio-terrorism.

The cost. The council and I continue to discuss refinements to the plan, but we do expect the cost over 7 years to be less than $100 a year to the owner of a home worth $300,000, the median-value in Seattle.
To learn about your station and all the plan details, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/issues/FireFacilitiesLevy.htm

Again, I encourage you to let the council know your interest in this critical issue. You can call the council at 684-8888 or email council members by visiting http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/contact.htm to contact.

Please join me in making Seattle the most prepared city in America.

Sincerely,

Greg Nickels
Mayor

Short Takes

Neighborhood Plan Implementation Fact Sheets Completed
DON has completed over 40 individual fact sheets, outlining progress on the 38 neighborhood plans being implemented across the city. The sheets are posted on our website. We hope you will find these useful in seeing what is happening in your neighborhood as a result of neighborhood planning. If you are interested in getting involved, call 684-0464.

Involving All Neighbors To Receive State Funding for Another Year
Department of Neighborhoods staff went to Olympia last month to discuss the future of State funding for our Involving All Neighbors Program. This program works to make connections between neighborhoods communities and people with disabilities.
Despite a bleak budget, the state has decided to fund us at the same level for one more year (July 2003 - June 2004). The State funds approximately 40% of the program. We received a heads-up that State funding will end for this program at the end of June 2004. They strongly encouraged us to discuss a partnership with King County, which receives State funding and may be able to collaborate with us. We are already beginning to look at other funding sources.

Sloan Foundation Grant, Sustainable Seattle Receives Large Grant
We received word this week that Sustainable Seattle has been awarded a sizeable multi-year grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to undertake a neighborhood indicators project in up to 10 Seattle neighborhoods. We, along with the Office of Sustainability and Environment, have been working with Sustainable Seattle for several months on their pilot neighborhood on Beacon Hill. This project works with the community to identify and track indicators that are significant to the neighborhood (e.g., public safety issues, environmental issues, cleanliness issues, etc). We have encouraged them to look at existing City programs such as Neighborhood Plans, CTC and other existing indicators that can help us in our work with the neighborhoods.

Kristopher Kime Memorial Plaque Approved
The Pioneer Square Preservation Board approved the Parks Department's application to install a bronze plaque memorializing Kristopher Kime in Pioneer Place Park. The 20-year-old died after being beaten during Mardi Gras riots in 2001. The City of Seattle has also set up an annual $2,500 scholarship in Kime’s name that will go to a high-school student or young adult who has demonstrated compassion and self-sacrifice.

Garfield High School Landmark Nomination
The Landmarks Preservation Board unanimously approved the nomination of Garfield High School at its June 18 meeting. The nomination was prepared and submitted by the Seattle School District. The meeting to consider designation is scheduled for August 6, 2003.

Golden Gardens Bath House Landmark Designation
The Landmarks Preservation Board approved the nomination of the Golden Gardens Bath House, located in Golden Gardens Park, at its June 18 meeting. The nomination was submitted by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. The Board has already reviewed preliminary plans for the renovation of the Bath House and will likely complete the review and approval within the next month.

Times Reports on Small and Simple Award Winner
The Seattle Times Local section featured an article on a group of Chief Sealth High School students who were awarded a Small and Simple (SAS) Grant through our Neighborhood Matching Fund Program. The article noted that SAS has helped fund more than 3,000 projects since 1988. Read article here.

Successful SHA Resident Leadership Training
The Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Leadership Program, in collaboration with the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA), completed a five-part training series on community leadership skills for SHA residents on June 5th. Over three dozen residents, many of them active in their buildings' Duly Elected Resident Councils (DERC), participated in the classes and received certificates recognizing their community-building skills. The purpose of the training sessions is to strengthen the ability of residents to be of service to their communities in improving quality-of-life and living conditions.

Office for Education Brochure Hits the Racks
The Department of Neighborhoods recently issued an Office for Education brochure. The new brochure includes information about the Families and Education Levy, Service Learning, School Readiness, Community Learning Centers, Environmental Education, School Use and Construction, and Mayor's Scholars, as well as a graphic listing your Children and Youth Strategy goals. If you would like a copy of this brochure, please contact Kim Chenault at 233-5118 or kim.chenault@seattle.gov. For more information about the Office for Education, visit us online at www.cityofseattle.net/neighborhoods/education/

Department of Neighborhoods to Manage CDBG Funds
The Department of Neighborhoods has applied for and received federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money for capital improvement projects in the business districts of the South Park and Westwood Village-Highland Park Neighborhood Planing areas.

CDBG funds provide eligible metropolitan cities and urban counties with annual direct grants that they can use to revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing and economic opportunities, and/or improve community facilities and services, principally to benefit low- and moderate-income persons (www.hud.gov).

A Department of Neighborhoods staff person is the project manager for the CDBG funds, which total $100,000 for each of these neighborhoods. The department will work with the City's Office of Economic Development on the façade improvement program component of the funds. Most of the money will be used for façade improvements to revitalize the business districts in the targeted areas, which were key strategies in the adopted neighborhood plans for these communities. The Department of Neighborhoods anticipates the completion of some projects by the end of this year.

Application Deadline for Small And Simple Projects
Monday, July 21 is the deadline for projects seeking funding in the next round of Small and Simple Awards through the Neighborhood Matching Fund. These awards are for projects seeking $15,000 or less and which can be completed in six months or less. Cash from the Fund is matched by the community’s contribution of volunteer labor, materials, professional services, or cash.

Time: 5 p.m. deadline
Place: Department of Neighborhoods
700 3rd Avenue, Suite 400
*or*
Your favorite Neighborhood Service Center

All Neighborhood Matching Fund applications are available on the internet, but must be submitted to the Department of Neighborhoods downtown office or a Neighborhood Service Center by the deadline.
For a complete set of guidelines, lists of projects, and applications online, go to www.cityofseattle.net/neighborhoods and click on "Neighborhood Matching Fund, or call the Department of Neighborhoods at (206) 684-0464.

Remaining Neighborhood Matching Fund 2003 Deadlines
Small and Simple Projects Fund:
July 21 and October 20

Mayor’s Tours Central Area Business Districts and North Rainier Neighborhoods
Central Area Neighborhood District Coordinator Ted Divina helped residents and business owners play host to Mayor Greg Nickels on May 29 for a two-hour neighborhood tour. Tour stops included the Union Street business district around the Midtown Commons Center, the Casey Family Programs facility, Thompson’s Point of View restaurant, and the 23rd and Jackson Street business corridor. The tour provided an opportunity to show development already underway, as well as the potential for economic development in the Central Area. It also gave residents a chance to share their concerns about economic and housing development impacts.

On June 24, Neighborhood District Coordinator Pamela Green organized a tour for Mayor Nickels, residents, and community members along North Rainier Avenue. The tour began at the Colman School, where the Mayor and other tour participants received an update on renovation plans from James Kelly, Executive Director of the Seatte Metropolitan Urban League.
Later stops included the nearby Blue Dog Off-Leash Area dog park, where Steward Char Smith and volunteers were hard at work with cleanup projects; a major construction project underway for the Lighthouse for the Blind; the future site of a Sound Transit light rail station at Rainier Avenue and Winthrop Street; and an overview of planned improvements along Cheasty Boulevard from Friends of Seattle’s Olmstead Parks.

The Mayor’s next tour is scheduled for July 26 in West Seattle’s High Point neighborhood. For more information on the West Seattle/High Point tour, contact Neighborhood District Coordinator Ron Angeles at (206) 684-7416 or email Ron.Angeles@seattle.gov

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