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Since the beginning of July, we have had weeks of peaceful protests in Seattle with limited incidents. These protests have given voice to community and challenged leaders in Seattle to reimagine community safety and recommit to the generational work of undoing hundreds of years of systemic racism in our cities, our states and our nation.
In that time, Chief Best and I have put forward proposals for reinvesting in community and transforming our police department. We both recognize that we have a historical opportunity and an obligation to reimagine how policing can be done in Seattle and create alternative responses to policing. Its why we created programs like Health One, which sends a social worker and firefighter to non-emergency 9-1-1 calls instead of an armed officer. Government and community must work together to transform the collective voices in our streets into concrete policy changes.
At the same time, the President has a different plan: a plan to stoke division and cause chaos in cities across America. He is deliberately targeting Democratic cities in our country and sending in federal forces ? not to stop violence, but to incite it. In past week, the President has launched efforts to send additional federal law enforcement officers into cities like Chicago, Albuquerque, and Portland. Mayor across the country joined me in denouncing these actions. We know that federal actions will heighten tensions and escalate violence. We know because we have seen it in Portland.??
We do not need ? and have not asked for ? federal forces to keep our City safe.
On Thursday, I reached out to DHS Acting Secretary to discuss my concerns of federal officials coming to Seattle without coordinating with Chief Best and local law enforcement. Despite assurances from DHS Acting Secretary Wolf just yesterday that no federal forces would be deployed to our city, the department now says they have a limited number of agents in the area on standby.
Should federal forces intervene here like they have in Portland, we are prepared to pursue every legal recourse. After meeting earlier today, King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg and Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes delivered a letter to U.S. Attorney Brian Moran, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security today, expressing significant concerns regarding the deployment of federal forces and seeking clarification on the intended scope of their potential actions in Seattle. We have also been in close communication with our Congressional delegation who is demanding answers as well.
With this President, we are on the precipice of something?truly frightening, both in Seattle and?across?our country.??We have a president who is?determined to exercise unconstitutional?force against American cities and against the American public.??
Let?s be clear:?the President?is doing?this?to stoke division and provoke violence.
This weekend, many of you will be out on the streets making your voices heard. I urge you to do so peacefully. Do not play into this President?s fantasy that Democratic cities like Seattle need federal forces to keep our communities safe. Peaceful demonstrations push governments and elected officials to be better, but acts of violence, threats, and destruction are unacceptable and only serve to empower the Trump administration.
Know that the Chiefs and I will do everything in our power to?protect our City and our residents.?
As always, please continue to write me at [email protected], reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we?re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog.?
 
Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman this week announced changes to ?Safe Start,? Washington?s phased approach to reopening. The changes target activities that data have shown provide a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure.
It has been four months since the governor announced the state?s ?Stay Home, Stay Healthy? order. Since then, cases in Washington have risen from 2,000 to almost 50,000, and deaths have increased from 110 to nearly 1,500. To combat the rising numbers, the governor and secretary are changing guidance and regulations around restaurants, bars, and fitness centers, as well as weddings and funerals. The changes will also affect family entertainment centers, movie theaters and card rooms.
Building off of the City?s recent announcement?to?increase education and outreach efforts, Mayor Durkan announced?that the Department of Finance and Administrative Services?(FAS) issued a?new public?health and?safety measure?to?help?enforce?state-mandated business requirements regarding face coverings,?social?distancing?and capacity?limitations.?For customers,?residents?or employees who?have concerns about non-compliance,?FAS will conduct outreach, provide education, and help to enforce?Governor Inslee?s Safe Start plan?in non-food?business?establishments across the?city.?Public Health ? Seattle & King County has expanded efforts to?educate?and enforce protections in food establishments,?with FAS in a supporting role.??
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With a?critical?component of testing in?short supply which is leading to longer wait times for testing,?Mayor Jenny A. Durkan?and?77?Mayors across the country?sent a letter?to the?White House Coronavirus Task Force calling on the Trump Administration to make full use of the Defense Production Act to?rapidly?scale up critically needed testing supplies?? highlighting specifically the need for?reagents, the?key?ingredient used to complete?wide-spread?testing,?reliably,?and?expeditiously?to help contain the virus.?In some cases in Washington State,?there are now reported?delays of up to 7 to 10 days.??
Studies reveal?that?communities should be prepared to?expect waves of the?virus?over?the next?two years, even if?a vaccine is?developed.?Testing, with a quick return of results and?in tandem with robust contact tracing efforts,?are the?key?ways?to track COVID-19 in the community?and?isolate those who are sick?to reduce exposure risk and contain the virus. As we move?towards fall,?differentiating between COVID-19 and the seasonal flu will continue to have life and death repercussions?without the testing resources we need.??
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and SDOT Director Sam Zimbabwe welcomed a?National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)?announcement today?that?Seattle?s work to lower speed limits?should be a national Vision Zero best practice. The?framework released today?includes new recommendations which highlights?Seattle?s safety achievements?to reduce speed limits as a national best practice to prevent crashes and save lives.??
Last December,?Mayor Durkan announced major changes citywide?to help Seattle achieve Vision Zero goals including reducing speed limits to 25 miles per hour, double the number of safety-enhanced traffic signals for pedestrian safety, adding safety cameras to five new school zones and double the number of red light cameras.???
So far this year, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has lowered speed limits on 90 miles of streets, creating a total of over 200 miles of major roads with a 25 MPH speed limit. Nearly half of Seattle?s major streets now have a 25 MPH speed limit.?
Graphs and maps of SDOT?s progress to reduce speed limits on major roads?are?available on the SDOT blog.??
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today?transmitted legislation?for a Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) proposal to generate between $20 and $30 million annually for transit over the next six years. If approved by the City Council, the STBD would go before Seattle voters this November, and would support access to frequent?and reliable?transit service after current funding sources expire at the end of 2020.?The STBD proposal ensures the critical elements and bus routes of Seattle?s transit network are maintained, equitable access to transit continues to be prioritized, and allows the City to scale up service as Seattle?s transit ridership recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.???
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Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Council President M. Lorena Gonz?lez condemned President Trump?s?proposal?to exclude undocumented people from the 2020 Census apportionment. The apportionment base is the official count of every person residing in the United States, and it determines the division of Congressional seats among states. The President?s proposal is unprecedented ? all United States residents regardless of immigration status have been included in the apportionment since passage of the Apportionment Act of 1792. The President?s proposal does not mean undocumented people are barred from filling out the Census.
The Census Bureau is in the process of launching in-person visits from Census enumerators. These Census Bureau staff will visit households that have not yet completed their Census forms; they are not affiliated with law enforcement and will not inquire about immigration status. Interviews with a Census enumerator are completely confidential. To avoid the likelihood of a visit from an enumerator, residents who have not yet filled out the Census can do so immediately at?https://2020census.gov/en.html.
 It?s no secret that Mayor Durkan was rooting for a particular team name for Seattle?s new NHL team. While this might have been the Mayor?s favorite choice, the reveal of the official name of the league?s 32nd team is great news for all of Seattle. From the NHL Seattle press release:
Standing in front of a physically-distanced, masked-up shift of nearly 300 Climate Pledge Arena construction workers Thursday morning, Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke unveiled the team name. His enthusiastic proclamation ended nearly 20 months of widespread speculation about the choice since Seattle was awarded an NHL expansion franchise in December 2018.
"It's only right and proper to announce the Kraken name, mark and colors here with the men and women working so hard and meeting every challenge to build our new home," confided Leiweke moments before stepping to the microphone. "We were intentional every step of the way making this decision. We listened to our fans, thousands of them face-to-face and tens of thousands more on social media. We were determined to align with who we are as an organization and as a city and region. We think we got it right, the perfect fit."
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