Dear Federation Reps, Attendees, and Concerned Citizens,
The focus of the October 28 Seattle Community Council Federation meeting will be on the City budget. Could you please email us back or post on this blog, seattlefederation.blogspot.com your community’s budget priorities? Are you concerned about library cuts, cuts to the Crime Prevention Coordinators, neighborhood service centers coordinators, community centers, the Neighborhood Matching Fund—or the many other perplexing cuts in the Mayor’s proposed budget? What about the increase in the commercial parking tax that would devastate the UW’s U-pass program? What about the increase in downtown parking fees? If you have written letters or sent in comments, or just have views you would like to share, please forward them.
Please share your insights on what you have learned about compromises made or proposed by city councilmembers. Also, if you have ideas on where funding can come from to restore neighborhood priorities, please let us know. Maybe the City could figure out a way to collect the $52 million in outstanding parking tickets? Maybe the six-figure salaries of some 300 city employees should be reviewed? And probably you have other ideas?
We look forward to hearing back from you.
Please post your ideas and suggestions at
this Federation blog, seattlefederation.blogspot.com for others to see and build on.
Jeannie Hale
206-525-5135
A reader writes:
ReplyDeleteHi Rick, I just read the attached CNC Budget recommendation. We all know that a lot of the deferred maintenance on our infra structure dates back to previous City Council and Mayoral decisions. Mike McGinn is left to clean up the mess. We have now reached a point where drastic reductions are imperative. I would like to see where the Neighborhood councils suggest cuts be made.
I, for one do not see the need for more police. We cannot buy ourselves into feeling safe i our neighborhoods, our streets, and airports. We already have too many uniforms at our court houses and transportation hubs. I am out in the streets and neighborhoods the better part of every day and see police on bicycles, in cars and (some) on foot. People seem to think that more police will help them feel safe. I do not share that sentiment. I don't think that the horse patrol adds anything to public safety but takes a lot of money out of the police budget. This is only one small item, but there are many more examples like this. Also, nobody speaks to the money pit: The SR99 deep bored tunnel. Some of that money would provide a lot of relief to our pot holed, grass growing neighborhood streets.
I am looking forward to hear the recommendations from the neighborhood council before I start writing my letters again.
Dorli Rainey
A reader writes:
ReplyDeleteHi, Everyone --
Details about the Mayor's proposed budget for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 for the Department of Parks and Recreation are described on the Department's website:
Parks Proposed 2011 Budget Update
» Parks Proposed 2011 Budget
» 2011-2012 Proposed Fees & Charges Changes
some of my thoughts:
What is our nation’s greatest problem? Unemployment. So why does the Mayor unemploy 294 more people in his proposed budget for the next two years?
Sure, a $ 67 million shortfall is a tough ticket, but there are other paths that the Mayor could have taken than moving some many employees to the unemployment lines. For instance, he could have asked the voters to approve a levy to help make up for the shortfall; he could have negotiated better concessions from the unions or management level about salary levels and benefits assuming the level of compensation is out of line with the general work population); and he could have more thoroughly cut the ranks of the strategic assistants and other management positions.
The largest employee cuts went to the Parks Department and the Department of Neighborhoods. I know some of the people who were issued abrogation notices, like Ted Divina, the Neighborhood District Coordinator (Central East District) at the little city hall office at 23rd and Jackson. And, Susie Golley, the parks maintenance worker for Leschi Park and Madrona Park. Both Ted and Susie have worked for the City for more than 20 years each; and both are doing a great job serving my neighborhood.
Parks maintenance, operations, and environmental center staff suffer a loss 43 positions, with the result that there will be less mowing, less weeding, less tree care, less trash pickup, less watering, less maintenance of comfort stations, less assistance to the greenbelts and natural areas, no more parks naturalists, less assistance for the Green Seattle Partnership, and less landscape upkeep.
To the casual visitor, most parks look adequately tended -- tasks like mowing, leaf blowing, edging, and the cleaning of comfort stations are performed regularly. But, the truth is, the grounds staff is overwhelmed -- weeds are not under-control frustrating neighbors who must put up with the spread of the weeds into their yards, trees are pruned every 17 years while pruning every 5 to 7 years is the industry standard, graffiti is unrelenting, and many of the comfort stations are locked for the winter. That is now, what will it be like with staff reductions substantial as proposed?
As experienced property managers will tell you, when maintenance lags, things can go downhill quickly. There are so many levels in which the future of the parks is vulnerable -- the civic pride that supports levies to improve the parks system, the partnerships with volunteer groups and the Green Seattle Initiative that rely on the support services the Department provides, the donors to parks who may shirk giving due to the lack of the City's commitment to keep up our parks, and the livability that makes our city an attractive place to live and visit.
The Department of Neighborhoods' case is similar. The Neighborhood Matching Fund, which contributed greatly to the initiative of many neighborhoods, will be cut by 25% and lose 16 employees.
John Barber
A reader writes:
ReplyDeleteHi, Everyone --
Details about the Mayor's proposed budget for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 for the Department of Parks and Recreation are described on the Department's website:
Parks Proposed 2011 Budget Update
» Parks Proposed 2011 Budget
» 2011-2012 Proposed Fees & Charges Changes
some of my thoughts:
What is our nation’s greatest problem? Unemployment. So why does the Mayor unemploy 294 more people in his proposed budget for the next two years?
Sure, a $ 67 million shortfall is a tough ticket, but there are other paths that the Mayor could have taken than moving some many employees to the unemployment lines. For instance, he could have asked the voters to approve a levy to help make up for the shortfall; he could have negotiated better concessions from the unions or management level about salary levels and benefits assuming the level of compensation is out of line with the general work population); and he could have more thoroughly cut the ranks of the strategic assistants and other management positions.
The largest employee cuts went to the Parks Department and the Department of Neighborhoods. I know some of the people who were issued abrogation notices, like Ted Divina, the Neighborhood District Coordinator (Central East District) at the little city hall office at 23rd and Jackson. And, Susie Golley, the parks maintenance worker for Leschi Park and Madrona Park. Both Ted and Susie have worked for the City for more than 20 years each; and both are doing a great job serving my neighborhood.
Parks maintenance, operations, and environmental center staff suffer a loss 43 positions, with the result that there will be less mowing, less weeding, less tree care, less trash pickup, less watering, less maintenance of comfort stations, less assistance to the greenbelts and natural areas, no more parks naturalists, less assistance for the Green Seattle Partnership, and less landscape upkeep.
To the casual visitor, most parks look adequately tended -- tasks like mowing, leaf blowing, edging, and the cleaning of comfort stations are performed regularly. But, the truth is, the grounds staff is overwhelmed -- weeds are not under-control frustrating neighbors who must put up with the spread of the weeds into their yards, trees are pruned every 17 years while pruning every 5 to 7 years is the industry standard, graffiti is unrelenting, and many of the comfort stations are locked for the winter. That is now, what will it be like with staff reductions substantial as proposed?
As experienced property managers will tell you, when maintenance lags, things can go downhill quickly. There are so many levels in which the future of the parks is vulnerable -- the civic pride that supports levies to improve the parks system, the partnerships with volunteer groups and the Green Seattle Initiative that rely on the support services the Department provides, the donors to parks who may shirk giving due to the lack of the City's commitment to keep up our parks, and the livability that makes our city an attractive place to live and visit.
The Department of Neighborhoods' case is similar. The Neighborhood Matching Fund, which contributed greatly to the initiative of many neighborhoods, will be cut by 25% and lose 16 employees.
John Barber