This week?in partnership with City Council, I announced?the?next?wave of Seattle Rescue Plan investments?- this included?more than?$52?million of?new?funding and resources.??
The past 17?months have been hard for Seattle residents and workers across the City. As we being to build back better, and more equitable than before ? investments to support the City?s recovery is important.?By working together, we are?quickly deploying these?additional?Seattle Rescue Plan resources, which will help create a?strong economic recovery and building the resiliency of our residents.?
This new legislation includes?grants from the federal government for:??
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Rental assistance ($28.7?million)???
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Support for seniors ($7.4 million)???
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Revenue replacement?for the?Monorail ($1.8 million) and Streetcar Operations ($700,000)??
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Madison BRT project ($10.9 million)??
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Aid to McCaw Hall ($2.2 million)?
We know many residents are still struggling to pay rent and the?new?resources will help put money back in the pockets of renters?and provide assistance to small landlords who are struggling.?Rental assistance will?continue?to?help renters?pay?current and?overdue?rent?and?help?individuals and families?keep their housing.??In addition to the tens of millions Seattle has distributed?in rental assistance,?King County?is deploying more than?$145?million?in rental assistance. Tenants can currently apply?here.??
Support for seniors will fund?congregate meals, home delivered meals, preventative health, family caregivers, and vaccine access as well as other strategies aimed at alleviating negative health effects of social isolation.???
Seattle is on the road to recovery, and building back better?but we know we have to providing critical assistance to our residents and families in need of housing stability and assistance.??
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.????????
130th?Street Station Accelerated and Graham and Boeing Access Stations will also be restored to original construction timeline?
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the follow statement after the Sound Transit Board of Directors voted on responsible realignment legislation and to keep Graham Street Station on time and to accelerate construction of the 130th?Street Station. Mayor Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and King County Council Chair?Balducci?had been advocating for this approach since earlier this year:?
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan issued the following statement following the passage of?$30 million in investments?recommended by the Equitable Communities Initiative Task Force (ECITF) out of City Council Finance and Housing Committee today. The Task Force developed 9 recommendations with 18 strategies to strengthen communities of color so that they can thrive.?
The Office of Labor Standards announces a settlement agreement for $972,075.89 with?Postmates, a large food delivery network company with over 1,600 Seattle workers. Postmates settled allegations under Seattle?s Gig Worker Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) Ordinance which included $949,815.49 in back wages, interest, liquidated damages, and civil penalties to 1,646 gig workers and $22,260.40 in fines to the City of Seattle.?
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is closing the Montlake Bridge for repairs from August 8 through September 3. Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will monitor traffic conditions from their Traffic Operations Center 24/7 and has worked to sequence and mitigate construction along bus routes and detour routes to keep people and goods moving. Additional signs will be placed on areas ahead of construction to alert travelers to the closure. During this time, it is recommended to avoid driving alone and to consider taking public transportation to alleviate traffic congestion in affected areas. For anyone who is driving around the construction area or on alternative routes, please drive safely and slowly, and look out for people walking, rolling, and biking.?
More information on the closure can be found on WSDOT's?website. Please follow?@SDOTtraffic?on Twitter for up-to-date traffic alerts.?
Click the photo to visit https://www.seattle.gov/wildfire-smoke-safety
Smoke from wildfires has become a recurring seasonal air quality hazard in the western United States and British Columbia. In the Puget Sound region in 2018, wildfire smoke led to 24 days of poor air quality, including nine days that were considered either unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy for everyone.??
This year, the threat of wildfire smoke is compounded by the ongoing presence of COVID-19 in our communities. Smoke may create additional risk for people with COVID-19 and worsen symptoms. So while wildfire smoke may seem like a less pressing threat in light of the global pandemic, COVID-19 gives us even more reason to be prepared for wildfire smoke this summer.?
During his August 5th?press briefing, Health Officer Dr.?Duchin?addressed the Delta-driven surge in COVID-19 cases, puts breakthrough cases in context, and reminds us that as COVID-19 prevention measures were lifted, vaccinated and unvaccinated people are doing lots of things together, often in close contact, indoors without taking adequate precautions like masking. Vaccines remain the best way to reduce risk. And multiple layers of protection can help keep us all safer with the more contagious Delta variant circulating.?
Following Seattle?Mayor?Jenny Durkan?s and Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz recent announcements on gun violence and alternatives to?policing, Durkan?is transmitting?an ordinance to City Council?that allows?SPD?and other city departments?to move forward?a?series?of?broadly supported?initiatives?to comprehensively address the?public safety challenges facing our community.?
Without?requesting?any?additional?spending, this bill asks Council to lift its?$7.5 million of?current restrictions on SPD?s?2021?budget.?The legislation also?reinstates?the?2019?Council approved hiring incentive?of?$15,000?for laterals and $7,500 for new recruits?in order to?recruit experienced officers to help meet 2021 hiring goals,?understanding that more than 250 officers have left the department in 2020 and 2021.???
?In recent weeks, we?ve announced a meaningful?path forward to reimagine?policing,?expand and create?new alternatives?for 911 response?and?invest?more than $12 million to?community led solutions to prevent violence, but Chief Diaz?needs budget approval to?move?closer to our 2021 hiring?and retention goals for sworn officers and ensure an appropriate?911 response,? said Durkan. ?We don?t need to rehash the budget debates of last year on defunding, cuts, and out of order layoffs but Chief Diaz needs to act to address the current real hiring and staffing issues while?we continue?to advance?alternatives that are critical to reimagining policing.?Without adding any new money to SPD,?City Council?can?immediately lift?its restrictions on the Seattle Police Department?budget?by supporting this?comprehensive budget plan.?????
Last week, Mayor Durkan and Chief Diaz announced?$10.4 million towards resources for violence prevention, $2 million for the King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective?pilot program to address the steep rise in gun violence using a public health approach, and?new alternatives to sworn officers including the expansion of civilian Community Service Officers and a new specialized triage response.???
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