By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Eight months after the pandemic halted in-person meetings, many West Seattle community groups are still going strong online.

Among them, our area’s “supergroup” of West Seattle and South Park organizations’ representatives, the District 1 Community Network.

Even through the summer, when some groups took their customary breaks, this one soldiered on with monthly meetings. One unique aspect of D1CN: Rather than having ongoing leadership, the group rotates volunteer facilitators for each meeting. When D1CN met this past Wednesday, Randy Wiger from South Park served as facilitator. The group serves as a forum to discuss and circulate issues and ideas of area-wide interest. Here’s what was discussed this time around:

TENANT BOOTCAMPS: Two were presented recently for D-1 residents. Several people attended the first one, reported David Hancock of the Admiral Neighborhood Association, which co-hosted with Be:Seattle. He recommended any other groups interested in hosting a future session contact that organization. Wiger said South Park’s edition had about a dozen participants. That led to a discussion about whether D1CN should seek out some kind of briefing for when the pandemic-relief eviction moratoriums expire, to be sure renters know their rights and what’s expected to happen. Wiger said that as a former renter as well as a current landlord, many issues will be raised – right now, for example, he said there are rent-relief funds that eligible renters might not be accessing because they don’t know about them or don’t understand how to apply.

PUBLIC SAFETY: The first part of this discussion reviewed the recent online meeting regarding Junction Plaza Park concerns, and the city’s stock answers to the questions raised during that meeting. Wiger said the canned answers were the same he’d heard in many other meetings about various public-safety concerns, boiling down to “we’re stuck as a city.” Declared Wiger, “I don’t think we should take these answers any more.” (The meeting happened the night before the city removed the park’s controversial “hygiene station,” moving its sink to the public toilet a block west.)

West Seattle Timebank‘s Tamsen Spengler also noted the city’s recent circulation of a “resource list” in the wake of city personnel changes, and said it would be helpful to know exactly how available the listed point people are/will be. Wiger observed that much of the list relates to homelessness but the city clearly doesn’t have a current coordinated response to those issues.

Pete Spalding from Pigeon Point reminded people that the Seattle University Public Safety Survey is open now. (Here’s our story about that, with a link.) That mention spun off into a discussion of the most effective way to get word of surveys like that – which has a big impact on public-safety planning – to as many people as possible.

Wiger also brought up the topic of West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s proposal to expand defense for some misdemeanor crimes. He read a statement received from her saying what the proposal is not. As we reported, the proposal is now on hold until after the council finalizes a budget plan later this month, and will likely resurface in December. Some attendees recommended reading the letter from City Attorney Pete Holmes to which Herbold’s November 2nd newsletter linked. Phil Tavel, a lawyer and former City Council candidate, said he considers Herbold’s proposal “dangerous.”

CITY PARKS BUDGET: Attendees expressed concerns about cuts and closures in next year’s budget, and discussed potentially circulating a letter.

COVID RESPONSE: Emergency Communication Hubs rep Cindi Barker said only one other organization has followed up on a plan to coordinate a request for city resources to help take the burden off community volunteers. A subcommittee drafted a letter – but only the Morgan Community Association has followed through. More groups were needed to participate to show the city that the need is wide.

BICYCLE SAFETY: Bob Winship from West Seattle Bike Connections noted that the city plans to move ahead with the first phase of East Marginal Way improvements despite not getting grants. He said SDOT also spoke with WSBC about the possible Duwamish Trail “missing link” bicycle lane on West Marginal Way and the contention that it would eliminate some of the passing issues. There’s talk about a possible workshop on it. WSBC is reserving judgment -saying they’d consider supporting it but they’re not going to be the impetus for it. It was also noted, as we reported Tuesday, that the port is concerned about the proposed bike lane.

NEXT MEETING: D1CN meets online first Wednesdays, 7 pm, so the next meeting will be December 2nd. To get on the mailing list for meeting announcements, go here.