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On my second day in office, I signed an executive order to create the Seattle Promise Program ? a promise to students that we would reduce and remove financial barriers that too often keep high school graduates from pursuing a degree, certificate and pathway to a job.
In 2018, Seattle voters overwhelmingly supported the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise levy, which fully funded free college tuition for Seattle Public School graduates, nearly doubled the children in preschool, and made investments to close the opportunity gap in K-12.
This Fall, we celebrate the largest enrollment in Seattle Promise in the program's history.
846 students enrolled in the Seattle Promise this fall ? that?s a record for the program. Even in an unprecedented year, we know that the Seattle Promise is breaking down barriers to post-secondary education that have historically impacted students and families furthest from educational justice. Enrollment data shows that 62% of this fall?s class are students of color, and more than one-third of this year?s class are the first in their family to attend college.
In the midst of an immensely challenging year in our region, we remained invested in Seattle Promise - allowing students to continue their education and ensure COVID-19 doesn?t?hinder their?path to real opportunity and good-paying jobs.???
Seattle Promise remains one of my proudest accomplishments. It represents the kind of bold thinking we must prioritize as we work to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even as we face surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the region, we must also focus on economic relief for businesses and workers and long-term recovery. We are defining the city that we want to be: a just, equitable city that is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. This week, we took many steps towards that vision by signing into the law the 2021 budget, announcing a ban on fossil fuels for heating in new construction, a new small business relief package, and working with faith organizations to create more affordable housing across the City.
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.??
Stay Safe and Healthy,?
 
Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced new steps to further electrify buildings using clean energy and ban fossil fuels for most building use. By updating its energy code, the City will ban the use of fossil fuels in new commercial and large multi-family construction for space and most water heating in order to cut down on the significant emissions contributed by the building sector. Space and water heating account for most building gas use according to City and national data. These actions come as new City data show building emissions have been steadily increasing in past years.
After years of notable progress in reducing climate pollution, Seattle?s?most recent greenhouse gas inventory?shows that Seattle?s overall core greenhouse gas emissions ? emissions from our waste, transportation, and building energy sectors ? increased 1.1% since the last report. The largest greenhouse gas emissions increase was the buildings sector, which increased 8.3% between 2016 and 2018, a significant jump.?Major factors contributing to the increase in building emissions are new buildings with fossil gas space and water heating, colder winters, warmer summers, and a growing population and workforce. Residents and businesses will be able to?view additional data and visualizations?by visiting the Office of Sustainability and Environment site.
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today the new Curative COVID-19 testing kiosks will have a soft launch on Saturday, December 5 from noon to 3 p.m., operating thereafter Mondays through Saturdays. The first two Kiosks will serve walk-up clients and are located in Northgate at the south end of the Northgate Community Center and in the Central District east of the Garfield Community Center. Clients can register for kiosk testing appointments beginning this evening. This pilot program can easily increase City of Seattle daily testing capacity by more than 1,000 units.
The new kiosks?allow clients to?use an observed and directed self-collected oral fluid swab COVID-19 test.?A?Curative?staff member will be available at each location?to?walk?clients?through the?quick and painless?process.?Results?will be?delivered?electronically?within 48 hours.?As with?other?City-sponsored no-cost?testing?sites, individuals must?pre-register online.?Potential clients?can?access registration?to schedule?appointments at?www.curative.com?or through?the?city?s?testing?website.?Hours of operation?may be adjusted?depending on?demand,?with initial days and hours set at Monday thru Saturday?from?8:00 a.m. to?3:00 p.m.?Clients will not be charged and will not receive a bill, regardless of insurance status.?For uninsured clients,?Curative?will seek reimbursement from state and federal resources including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act?Relief Fund?for the cost of the?test.?
Earlier this week, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed the City?s 2021 Adopted Budget into law. After proposing a 2021 budget in September, the 2021 Adopted Budget comes after City Council consideration and the City Budget Office issued an updated economic forecast for 2020 and 2021 that added $57 million in net new revenue.
The 2021 Adopted Budget totals $6.5 billion and makes significant new investments in communities of color, affordable housing and homelessness, and community-based public safety responses. Key investments include:
- For the first time in Seattle?s history, the City?s Adopted Budget includes $100 million in new investments in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities;
- Continued investments in COVID-19 response such as citywide testing sites and relief programs for residents and small businesses;
- A record $167 million to address our City?s homelessness crisis. These investments will create new shelter spaces, including the temporary use of hotel rooms. In addition, it will maintain over 2,300 existing spaces, of which 2,100 will be in enhanced shelters and tiny home villages;
- A15 percent reduction to the Seattle Police Department?s budget as compared to the 2020 Adopted Budget. These reductions include transferring the 911 Call Center and Parking Enforcement Unit out of SPD, while reducing the size of the force largely through eliminating vacant positions caused by historic attrition;
- Expanded and continued investments in community safety alternatives such as Health One, mental health professionals, and Community Service Officers; and
- $3 million invested in a new Clean Cities Initiative to address garbage and other waste that has accrued in parks and other public spaces over the last several months.
Three years ago, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan was sworn in as the 56th mayor of Seattle, and first woman mayor to lead the City in nearly a century. As Mayor Durkan marks three years since taking office, the Office of the Mayor has released its third annual report outlining updates on key community priorities like essential services, homelessness, housing, and transportation and COVID-19 relief.
The new report, ?Three Years of Action,? highlights the City of Seattle?s work to deliver on basic City services, meet the historic challenges of 2020, and implement new policies that advance affordability, equity, safety, and mobility.
Key accomplishments from the last three years include:
- Robust COVID-19 response to deliver free citywide testing, grocery voucher and food assistance, assistance to immigrant and refugees, expanded shelter and hygiene resources, support for small businesses and artists, relief for utilities, and Stay Health Streets;
- Delivering two years of free college through the?Seattle Promiseprogram, which marked record enrollment this Fall;
- $100 Million in investments in BIPOC communities in 2021;
- $345 million in City investments, which were leveraged to $1.7 Billion for 4,500 new affordable homes
- 77% Increase in enhanced shelter with further increases in 2021;
- Transfer of City Owned Properties to the Black-led community organizations;
- Expanding the nationally-recognized?Seattle Preschool Program;
- 14,000 students with a free ORCA card through the?ORCA Opportunity program;
- Navigating the historic challenges of the beginning of the?Seattle Squeezeand the February 2019?snowstorms;
- Creating and launching Health One to address non-emergency calls;
- Relaunching and expanding the Seattle Police Department?s?Community Service Officerprogram; and
- New rights and wages for workers including domestic workers and rideshare drivers.
Over the last three years, Mayor Durkan has also participated in 127 roundtables and town halls; 29 neighborhood walks and tours; and 370 community events.
You can explore the full report here.
Following community input calling for additional police accountability measures, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Councilmember Lisa Herbold announced new legislation to strengthen the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) and Office of Inspector General?s (OIG) power to subpoena those who may have been involved in or witnessed incidents of potential officer misconduct. In addition, OPA and OIG can seek a Court order should someone fail to comply with a subpoena for an investigation. The new legislation also codifies and makes clear that complainants and witnesses who may be subpoenaed have due process protections; this effort is intended to increase civilian compliance with subpoenas and mitigate any chilling effects of providing information that might later be used in separate proceedings.
 Earlier this week, Mayor Durkan and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot included an op-ed in The Hill, calling for an end to the Trump administration?s practice of pitting cities and municipalities against one another in a competition for resources to address major crises ? including COVID-19. In it, they urge President-Elect Biden to find common ground and help our country heal as a nation:
Few times in our country?s history has national leadership been more critical, and at no time has it been so absent.
During this time of national crisis, not only have cities ??home to a majority of Americans?? been left to fend for ourselves, we have often had to combat a president who has actively undermined mayors and cities.
We have had to?file lawsuits?to protect our residents and stop vindictive attempts to strip federal funding. Our asks for testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic?went unanswered. Our push for racial justice and national healing was met with divisive tweets and?call outs to white supremacists. Cities have?had to step in?to uphold our country?s commitments to address climate change when this president withdrew from the Paris Agreement.
America?s mayors have already heard more from Joe Biden in his first few weeks as president-elect than they?ve heard from Donald Trump during his more than 1,400 days as president. Biden have been listening to the struggles of our cities: fighting a pandemic and a climate crisis, dismantling racial disparities and rebuilding an equitable economy that puts more money into people?s pockets and ensures that all Americans share in the prosperity of our great nation.
 For this week?s edition of the weekend read, we encourage you to check out the Seattle Times story on a new city policy which allows local churches and faith organizations the opportunity to build affordable housing for our regions most vulnerable populations:
Seattle is working?on a policy?that will allow larger buildings with affordable housing to be developed on sites owned by religious organizations, such as churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Wednesday.
Many such organizations are proponents of affordable housing. Some need less space than before and some also have underused properties, like parking lots that are empty most of the time.
For example, a nonprofit developer recently replaced University Christian Church?s parking lot in the University District?with 133 affordable apartments.
Faith-based organizations own more than 300 acres of land in Seattle, according to the Durkan administration.
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