West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
The August 6 primary election’s results were finalized and certified by counties around the state today. The top two candidates in each race will be on the November 5 ballot. Just one race remains unsettled …State Lands Commissioner is headed for a recount, because the second-place finisher is only 51 votes ahead of the third-place candidate.
State Commissioner of Public Lands
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 419,297 – 22.03%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 396,300 – 20.82%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 396,249 – 20.82%
Patrick DePoe (D) – 267,924 – 14.08%
Allen Lebovitz (D) – 194,114 – 10.2%
Kevin Van De Wege (D) – 143,170 – 7.52%
Jeralee Anderson (D) – 84,351 – 4.43%
Write-in – 1,668 – 0.09%
A by-hand recount is required; The Seattle Times reports that the Secretary of State will set a deadline this Thursday for counties to have theirs complete. Meantime, you can find all the state results here.
For King County, here’s the full final list of results, including that one Seattle City Council race, citywide Position 8. Whoever wins serves just a year before the election next year for a full four-year term.
Seattle City Council Position 8 (43% turnout)
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 99,394 – 50.18%
Tanya Woo – 76,008 – 38.38%
Saunatina Sanchez – 8,621 – 4.35%
Tariq Yusuf – 7,521 – 3.80%
Saul Patu – 5,958 – 3.01%
Write-in – 554 – 0.28%
Here’s how the primary race for our area’s U.S. House seat turned out:
U.S. House District 7 (44% turnout)
Pramila Jayapal* (D) – 174,019 – 79.86%
Dan Alexander (R) – 16,902 – 7.76%
Liz Hallock (D) – 16,494 – 7.57%
Cliff Moon (R) – 10,070 – 4.62%
Write-in – 409 – 0.19%
Though our area’s two State House seats had only two candidates each, they had to be on the primary ballot too:
34th District State House Position 1 (43% turnout)
Emily Alvarado* (D) – 37,901 – 86.46%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,848 – 13.34%
Write-in – 86 – 0.20%
34th District State House Position 2 (43% turnout)
Joe Fitzgibbon* (D) – 37,571 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,398 – 14.54%
Write-in – 47 – 0.11%
November 5 is the deadline for general-election voting; you’ll get your ballot about three weeks in advance. Not registered yet? You can do that online – go here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In a month with few community meetings, our area’s biggest political organization met to celebrate results of the last election, look ahead to the next one, and hear from current officeholders.
The 34th District Democrats‘ endorsed candidates fared well in the August primary, including Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the City Council citywide Position 8 challenger with a 12-point lead over appointed incumbent Tanya Woo (both will advance to November).
The only nailbiter noted at Wednesday’s meeting was the race for state Commissioner of Public Lands, with Republican former U.S. House Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler already locking in one general-ballot spot, while Democratic King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove hangs onto a less-than-a-tenth-of-a-point lead over Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson for the second general-election spot.
State House Position 2 Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon told the group that race is vital because Upthegrove would use a “science-based perspective to manage our public lands.” All in all, Fitzgibbon – who is House Majority Leader – declared himself “thrilled” by the primary results, even though, he noted wryly, his Position 1 counterpart Rep. Emily Alvarado got more votes than he did (barely – 329) in their respective re-election races. He said Democrats expect to add to their majorities in the State House and State Senate. And he noted his own household had added “a new Democrat” when he and his wife welcomed a baby in June.
Also briefly taking the microphone, our area’s Seattle Public Schools Board Director Gina Topp. With the new school year now three weeks away, she said the district is “working hard on safety” and she hopes for an update from the SPS administration at the board’s next meeting August 28. She also is hoping that’s when superintendent Dr. Brent Jones will present his long-anticipated plan for potential school closures/consolidations (it’s not on the agenda so far, though). “Difficult choices” are ahead, she warned.
Shortly thereafter, the meeting moved on to the agenda centerpiece, a Town Hall with King County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock, both West Seattle residents (“our administration is tilted toward West Seattleites,” he joked).
One week after voting ended in our state’s primary, the vote-counting is mostly done, though the election results won’t be certified for another week. We’re checking back on a few races of note:
CITY COUNCIL CITYWIDE POSITION 8: Whoever wins in November gets to serve the final year of this unexpired term – and then next fall there’s a vote for a full four-year term. Challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck will be on the November ballot along with appointed incumbent Councilmember Tanya Woo; none of the other three candidates got out of single digits. Current count for the top two, with 43 percent citywide turnout:
Alexis Mercedes Rinck – 98,902 – 50.17%
Tanya Woo – 75,684 – 38.39%
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS: There’s been some suspense about whether the November contest would be between two Republicans, but King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove of Des Moines, a Democrat, has been holding onto second place for a few days now. Current count for the top three:
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) – 408,179 – 21.9%
Dave Upthegrove (D) – 390,973 – 20.98%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) – 385,510 – 20.68%
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: West Seattleite Nick Brown, a Democrat and former U.S. Attorney, is headed for the general against Republican Pete Serrano, mayor of Pasco. Current count for the top two:
Pete Serrano (R) – 792,016 – 41.82%
Nick Brown (D) – 672,076 – 35.48%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE: Though each race has only two candidates, they were on the primary ballot (and will be on the November ballot too) because that’s the law for partisan races, so here’s a look at the current count for both seats:
Position 1
Emily Alvarado (D)* – 37,746 -86.45%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) – 5,820 – 13.33%
Position 2
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* – 37,418 – 85.36%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) – 6,366 – 14.52%
If you’re interested in seeing how the results have evolved over the week, here’s what these races looked like after the first count last Tuesday.
P.S. Updated state results are here; updated King County results are here.
August is usually a time of few community meetings, but there are exceptions, and tomorrow night brings one of them. The 34th District Democrats‘ monthly meeting is happening in-person at Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds), 7:30 pm Wednesday following a 6:30 pm pre-meeting presentation. During the regular meeting, County Executive Dow Constantine and Deputy County Executive Shannon Braddock – both West Seattleites – are scheduled for a half-hour mini Town Hall. Also on the agenda – though the group has already made most of its endorsement votes for the year, its endorsed presidential candidate is no longer running, so they’ll be voting on whether to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris‘s candidacy. A few other issues are up for endorsement votes too. Only members can vote, but the meeting is open to all to attend, non-members included.
If you’re in the area of West Seattle shown on the map below, the city will be studying ways to increase the tree canopy in your neighborhood:
This is one of four census tracts around the city – the only one in West Seattle – covered by a state grant discussed briefly at this past Tuesday’s meeting of the Transportation Committee, chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka:
Councilmembers have to approve acceptance of grants, so that’s why SDOT had to explain this $302,000 grant to them. During the short briefing, SDOT explained that the census tracts covered by the grant average only 25 percent tree-canopy cover, and the money will be used to look for opportunities to increase that. The department provided this link to the state’s announcement of the grants earlier this year; as noted during the meeting, whatever the studies find would potentially be used to pursue other funding to actually plant trees.
Here’s our update of second-day numbers in the local/state/federal races we mentioned last night (plus one, by reader request), now that King County’s daily count (and many other counties) is in:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance
Alexis Mercedes Rinck 52,762 47.00%
Tanya Woo 46,293 41.24%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,842 4.31%
Tariq Yusuf 4,442 3.96%
Saul Patu 3,532 3.15%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance
Emily Alvarado (D)* 21,769 85.23%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,703 14.5%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 21,593 84.1%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 4,045 15.76%
GOVERNOR – top two advance
Bob Ferguson (D) 511,653 45.46%
Dave Reichert (R) 316,661 28.14%
Semi Bird (R) 106,338 9.45%
Mark Mullet (D) 66,254 5.89%
ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance
Pete Serrano (R) 463,891 41.88%
Nick Brown (D) 397,387 35.87%
Manka Dhingra (D) 245,655 22.18%
(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 245,924 22.55%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 221,787 20.33%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 218,819 20.06%
Patrick DePoe (D) 145,986 13.38%
U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance
Pramila Jayapal (D)* 99,387 78.51%
Dan Alexander (R) 11,043 8.72%
Liz Hallock (D) 9,868 7.79%
Cliff Moon (R) 6,026 4.76%
By request …
STATE SUPREME COURT, POSITION 2 – top two advance
Sal Mungia 426,675 42.2%
Dave Larson 374,072 37%
Todd A. Bloom 169,613 16.78%
David R Shelvey 36,295 3.59%
Next King County vote count is planned tomorrow afternoon.
Voting ended at 8 pm in our state’s primary, and King County Elections has released its first and only ballot count for the night. Most of the night’s races of interest are statewide. It’s the primary, so the top two candidates in each race advance to November. First, we look at the one and only Seattle race, for the final year of what was Teresa Mosqueda‘s unexpired citywide City Council Position 8 term when she moved to the County Council; Tanya Woo was appointed to serve this year, but there had to be an election for this next year. Woo is among the five candidates on the ballot. Tonight’s count:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 (citywide, full results here) – top two advance
Alexis Mercedes Rinck 45,914 46.60%
Tanya Woo 40,790 41.40%
Saunatina Sanchez 4,321 4.39%
Tariq Yusuf 3,971 4.03%
Saul Patu 3,173 3.22%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 1 – both advance
Emily Alvarado (D)* 18,164 84.72%
Kimberly M. Cloud (R) 3,218 15.01%
34TH DISTRICT STATE HOUSE POSITION 2 – both advance
Joe Fitzgibbon (D)* 18,057 83.78%
Jolie Lansdowne (R) 3,466 16.08%
STATE/FEDERAL RESULTS (as of 8:45 pm the Secretary of State website was finally showing them properly)
GOVERNOR – top two advance
Bob Ferguson (D) 459,407 45.49%
Dave Reichert (R) 281,993 27.92%
Semi Bird (R) 94,938 9.4%
Mark Mullet (D) 58,934 5.84%
ATTORNEY GENERAL – top two advance
Pete Serrano (R) 416,064 41.85%
Nick Brown (D) 356,851 35.9%
Manka Dhingra (D) 220,485 22.18%
(Nick Brown is a West Seattle resident.)
STATE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS – top two advance
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) 221,678 22.64%
Sue Kuehl Pederson (R) 198,343 20.26%
Dave Upthegrove (D) 194,412 19.85%
Patrick DePoe (D) 129,467 13.22%
U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7 – top two advance
Pramila Jayapal (D)* 86,049 78.39%
Dan Alexander (R) 9,683 8.82%
Liz Hallock (D) 8,581 7.82%
Cliff Moon (R) 5,213 4.75%
(Rep. Jayapal is a West Seattle resident.)
We’ll be checking the statewide results for updates later, since other counties may release vote counts before the night’s out.
Another reminder that tomorrow night (Tuesday, August 6) is the deadline for voting in the statewide primary. As of this morning, only 17.2% of Seattle ballots have been received at King County Elections. The ballots received by voters in West Seattle have 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (If you haven’t decided in that race, the West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)
Mailing your ballot? Get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time for a Tuesday postmark. Using a county dropbox? They are open until 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. West Seattle now has four: By Morgan Junction Park, by High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here (along with others, such as White Center and South Park if those are more convenient for you).
Tuesday night is the deadline for getting your primary ballot in, but so far, only 15.5% of Seattle ballots have arrived back at King County Elections. That’s slightly above the countywide 15.3% turnout. As we noted when ballots were mailed out in mid-July, voters in West Seattle will see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2 (two candidates each, so they all advance to November), State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, and Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. (The West Seattle Democratic Women hosted a forum in June with four of the five council candidates; here’s our coverage, with video.)
If you’re going to mail in your ballot, get it to the U.S. Postal Service in time to be postmarked by Tuesday (August 6); if you’re using a county dropbox, get it into one by 8 pm (sharp!) Tuesday. Remember that West Seattle now has four, with the newly opened Morgan Junction dropbox (by Morgan Junction Park) – High Point Library, The Junction, and South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – exact locations here. If you’re in east or south West Seattle, the South Park or White Center library boxes might be more convenient. If you need accessibility assistance to complete a ballot, the county’s “vote centers” will be open Monday and Tuesday. Those are also the places where you can register if you’re not registered yet. The first ballot count will be released around 8:15 pm Tuesday.
As ballots for the August 6 primary start arriving, King County Elections dropboxes are now open – including the newest one in West Seattle, next to Morgan Junction Park [map], installed in May. In our photo above, our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda joined KC Elections Director Julie Wise for a brief ceremony this morning to dedicate and celebrate the box. They also talked about what’s new this election: Your ballot will arrive with a couple new features – the “I Voted!” sticker that was given out to people voting in person, and a list of the five dropboxes closest to your address. In West Seattle, besides the new dropbox, the locations are High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), The Junction (south side of SW Alaska just east of 44th SW), and South Seattle College (6000 16th SW, on the driveway in front of the administration building), and the box by the White Center Library isn’t far (1409 SW 107th). KCE says dropboxes handle an average of 50 percent to 60 percent of all ballots in elections; they are emptied at least once a day by a team of two KC employees. Other datapoints: The boxes are made in Puyallup, weigh half a ton each, and are secured by four 8-inch bolts cemented into the ground.
(We’re told a school bus hit a dropbox and the box didn’t budge, though the bus suffered notable damage.) While Wise was there, we also asked her about the status of the ranked-choice voting system approved by Seattle voters two years ago. As we reported in this update last year, the 2022 ballot measure required it to be implemented for city elections by 2027 …. and that’s when Wise says it will happen. In the meantime, an advisory committee is being formed right now and will have its first meeting next month.
P.S. For this election, get your ballot in a dropbox by 8 pm August 6 – or in USPS mail so it’ll be postmarked no later than that date.
When you’re ready to put your primary-election ballot in a King County Elections dropbox, remember that we now have four in West Seattle, with the addition of that one by Morgan Junction Park. First, of course, you’ll have to get your ballot, and that could happen as soon as Thursday, because they’re set to be mailed out tomorrow (Wednesday, July 17). If you want to preview what’s on yours, go here. You’ll see 14 races – U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 7, Governor (28 candidates!), Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, State Attorney General, State Commissioner of Public Lands, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Insurance Commissioner, State House Representative Positions 1 and 2, State Supreme Court Justice Position 2, Seattle City Council citywide Position 8. Once you get your ballot, you have until 8 pm August 6 to get it in a dropbox; if you’re using postal mail, you just have to be sure it’ll be postmarked by that date.
At the City Council‘s weekly meeting today, councilmembers voted 8-1 (Tammy Morales was the lone “no”) to approve the bill intended to crack down on stunt driving categorized under the description “street racing” (read it here). The vote followed public comment that featured Alki community leaders, starting about 4:40 into the video.
What councilmembers approved included amendments by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka to add penalties, including higher fines for second (or beyond) violations. You can read the whole bill here; here’s the council announcement’s summary of what it will do, assuming Mayor Bruce Harrell signs it:
*The new ordinance amends the city code on illegal racing by creating a new traffic infraction penalizing the registered owner of a vehicle involved in racing and by adopting the state law changes.
*Adoption of the state law now gives the City Attorney’s Office the statutory authority to now prosecute illegal racing as misdemeanor and gross misdemeanors crimes.
*Vehicle owners and participants are subject to a $500 non-criminal traffic infraction. Adopted amendments by Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1) increase the fine to $800 for a second infraction, and $1,500 for third and subsequent infractions.
*Any person knowingly attending an unlawful race event with the intent to observe, support, or encourage the event may face a civil infraction base fine of $100 if they fail to leave the event if instructed to do so by officers.
If you’re wondering exactly what the bill covers, here’s part of the language:
… “unlawful race event” means an event on a street, alley, way open to the public, or off-street facility wherein persons willfully: (1) compare or contest relative speeds by operation of one or more motor vehicles, or (2) demonstrate, exhibit, or compare speed, maneuverability, or the power of one or more motor vehicles, in a straight or curved direction, in a circular direction, around corners, or in circles in an activity commonly referred to as “drifting,” or by breaking traction.
(corrected attribution) Councilmember Tanya Woo, co-sponsor of the bill, said the place for that kind of driving is at race tracks and other venues where drivers can safely pursue “their passion.” But as Pumphrey pointed out in his comments, legislation alone doesn’t accomplish anything – he spoke to the last council a year ago before they passed the “racing zone” bill authorizing cameras (which have yet to be installed) – enforcement will be key. Since this was an “emergency” bill, if and when the mayor signs it, the law changes immediately.
One day after the City Council finalized it, the transportation-levy renewal/expansion got Mayor Bruce Harrell‘s signature in a City Hall ceremony this morning. With speeches from the mayor, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, business and labor leaders, and others, the levy started its road to the November ballot. It does not have a catchy name (yet), unlike its predecessor Levy to Move Seattle – expiring at the end of this year after its nine-year run – or the one before that, Bridging the Gap, which covered 2006-2015.
You’ve likely already heard that the levy would raise $1.55 billion over eight years. The mayor noted that’s “$21 per month more than the current levy” if you have a median-value house (he didn’t cite a number but it’s supposedly in the $800,000 vicinity). The total is said to represent almost a third of the budget for SDOT, whose director Greg Spotts spoke today too. He declared the levy “balanced and practical … data-driven, community-informed.” Much was made in other speeches of consensus and collaboration; Saka was lauded for leading the full-council committee that reviewed and amended the original slightly-less-costly proposal originally sent by Harrell. Saka declared the levy “a victory for the people of Seattle” and concluded his speech with this quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The website for the levy promises updated documents are in the works, so we don’t have the exact text yet (but here’s the council’s most recent spending-breakdown document). And much of what it will fund will not initially be spelled out location by location, but as we’ve noted in coverage over the past few months, there are several planned West Seattle projects specifically identified – repaving and other changes for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, pavement repairs to Fauntleroy Way SW between 35th and Alaska to get it through the years of nearby light-rail construction, safety improvements at the east end of the Roxbury corridor, a sidewalk along part of SW Brandon in North Delridge. Saka also spoke of one of his late additions, a future West Seattle protected-bike-lane project to be named for Steve Hulsman, the rider killed on Marine View Drive last year, whose widow Rita Hulsman was in attendance at the ceremony. The levy projects listed by name in the “spending breakdown” also mention a protected bike lane for Highland Park Way SW, ostensibly a reference to the proposal to replace a downhill driving lane with either a PBL or a multi-use path.
You can read the city’s overview of the levy here. General-election voting will end November 5.
Three City Council notes:
‘STREET-RACING’ BILL: This morning at 9:30 am, the council’s Public Safety Committee takes this up again, this time likely for a vote, along with two proposed amendments from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka (who is the committee’s vice chair). First, he is proposing that in addition to the $500 fine that would be faced by the owner of a car participating in racing or related activities, a second violation would carry an $800 fine, third a $1,500 fine. See that amendment here. Second, he proposes a $100 citation that could be given to anyone attending an “unlawful race event.” See that amendment here. The full meeting agenda (which also explains how to comment, and links to the full bill under consideration) is here. (You can watch via Seattle Channel.)
TRANSPORTATION LEVY: At this afternoon’s meeting, councilmembers will take their final vote on the $1.55 billion, eight-year transportation levy renewal/expansion that will go to voters in November. The version they’re voting on and the companion amendment are linked in the agenda; assuming they’ll pass it (since it was approved by the levy committee comprised of all councilmembers, chaired by Saka), the mayor is expected to sign it tomorrow. A council spokesperson notes in a memo to media: “The current transportation levy was passed in 2015 and is set to expire this year. It accounts for roughly 30 percent of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s budget for core services and new projects. Under this levy proposal, the estimated property tax bill for the median assessed value home would be $499 per year. That’s $16.58 per month more than the expiring levy.” If you have any final words about it, the agenda for today’s 2 pm meeting explains how to participate in the public-comment period.
NEW SAKA STAFFER: Saka’s staff has been particularly visible in the community so far, so changes/additions are noteworthy, and the councilmember has just announced one. During Monday afternoon’s “briefing meeting” – when councilmembers provide miscellaneous updates – Saka mentioned he’s just hired Ian Griswold as legislative director, joining chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko and district director Leyla Gheisar. We asked Ko for more details and she forwarded Saka’s announcement:
Ian is a home-grown Seattleite and grew up in West Seattle. He brings a diverse professional experience, having worked with the Washington Technology Industry Association and Seattle Police Foundation. He is a graduate of UW’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. He looks forward to providing strong legislative and policy support work for the office.
Saka’s staff had had an opening since Heather Marx departed as policy adviser in May.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Some of the questions posed to State Sen. Joe Nguyễn during his Saturday morning Town Hall were about the biggest issues faced by state government – like school funding, public safety, and climate response.
Then, there was the attendee who wanted to know who had the power to keep the Blue Angels away.
Sen. Nguyễn, a West Seattle-residing Democrat in his second term as senator for the 34th Legislative District, spoke to and with more than two dozen people scattered around the back garden at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). As announced, the Town Hall lasted an hour – we recorded it on video:
Many of the questions were about climate/sustainability, not surprising considering that Nguyễn chairs the State Senate’s Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee. But school funding carried the most immediacy, given that Seattle Public Schools‘ superintendent Dr. Brent Jones has cited inadequate state funding as a reason he’s considering closing ~20 schools.
On Tuesday (July 2), city councilmembers are expected to vote on one last round of potential changes to the transportation levy intended to go to voters in November. The council committee reviewing and refining the levy is chaired by District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, who announced his latest proposed revisions today. Checking the detailed documents for West Seattle specifics, you’ll see one addition: A tribute to Steve Hulsman, the 66-year-old West Seattle man killed in a collision with a driver on Marine View Drive last December. Mr. Hulsman’s brother-in-law John Good had been talking to the city about ceremonially renaming the section of street where he died; instead, he told us this morning, Councilmember Saka decided to propose, as spelled out in the amendment document, a “Protected Bike Lane project in West Seattle to be named in honor of Steve Hulsman.” The document does not specify a location; the only potential PBL project for West Seattle named in the levy is Highland Park Way SW, but the levy calls for many other to-be-identified-later safety projects around the city. Good showed us email from Councilmember Saka offering also to sponsor a proposal for a “secondary street naming” in memory of Mr. Hulsman, while saying that would take more time.
As for the rest of Saka’s latest levy revision, it still contains the West Seattle specifics we’ve previously mentioned – projects for 35th SW between Alaska and Morgan, Fauntleroy Way between 35th and Alaska, Olson/1st/2nd, plus sidewalks for SW Brandon between 26th SW and 30th SW, and transit-corridor work for sections of SW Oregon and SW Alaska in The Junction. Saka says his final proposal would result in a $1.55 billion levy, same as his previous proposal. Here are the categories into which that would break out:
i. $160.5 million for Vision Zero, School and Neighborhood Safety;
ii. $423 million for Street Maintenance and Modernization, including no less than $350 million for Arterial Roadway Maintenance;
iii. $221 million for Bridges and Structures;
iv. $151 million for Transit Corridors and Connections;
v. $193 million for Pedestrian Safety, including no less than $111 million for New Sidewalks and Sidewalk Alternatives and no less than $34 million for Sidewalk Safety Repair;
vi. $100 million for Signals and Operations;
vii. $113.5 million for Bicycle Safety;
viii. $66.5 million for People Streets and Public Spaces;
ix. $69 million for Climate and Resiliency, including no less than $32 million for
electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
x. $45 million for Freight and Goods Movement; and
xi. $7.5 million for Good Governance & Equitable Implementation Initiative
In the first year, council documents say, Saka’s version would cost the owner of a “median assessed value” home $499, compared to $467 for the mayor’s original $1.45 billion version. Other councilmembers’ amendments include a counterproposal from Councilmember Tammy Morales, totaling $1.7 billion, which would equal $546 in the first year for that “median value” homeowner. (The city says that’s an $804,000 assessed value, and that the expiring levy is costing a median-value homeowner $288 this year.) The meeting at which the final amendments will be discussed, and votes taken, is Tuesday at 9:30 am, and includes a public-comment period, as noted on the agenda (where all the proposed amendments are linked, too). Other ways to get comments to the council are listed here.
While local officials are often in the hot seat on issues such as public safety, they sometimes point out that their powers have been to some degree superseded by state law. So – as one speaker at this meeting last night put it – it’s important to pay attention to the Legislature. Here’s an opportunity: One of our area’s three state legislators is having a Town Hall meeting this Saturday morning, and you’re invited, to come listen and/or ask a question. State Senator Joe Nguyễn will be at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) 9 am to 10 am this Saturday, June 29. Sen. Nguyễn chairs the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and also serves on the Human Services and Ways & Means Committees – the latter is particularly notable, as it oversees budgeting. No RSVP needed for the Town Hall – just show up.
Twp items of extra local interest were on the agenda Tuesday for the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, for which District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka serves as vice chair.
First – starting at 20 minutes into the meeting video above – a consulting firm presented results of their commissioned study on waterway safety in Seattle, “a year in the making,” according to Councilmember Dan Strauss, who had advocated for it. You can read the full report here, and see their slide deck here. One major recommendation: More safety education for recreational boaters, who often aren’t aware of rules, laws, and best safety practices. More signage might help, they suggested. The consultants also recommended more synching between Seattle Police and Fire marine resources – they already cooperate and collaborate, but it should be more formalized. Their data could be better utilized, too.
They also noted the need for more marine-focused resources – SFD, for example, wants to build a new fire station on South Lake Union; SPD Harbor Patrol could use more staffing. And they could leverage other city personnel – perhaps the expanded Park Rangers team could help with noise enforcement, they suggested.
While the briefing didn’t touch on any West Seattle waterway-safety specifics, we noted while searching the full report that there are some local mentions – for example, on page 43, “SPD is developing a new map drawn to identify more specific Harbor Patrol ‘beat’ areas, such as Elliott Bay, Lake Union, Duwamish, Alki, and Fauntleroy.” Also mentioned (page 16), Fire Station 36 under the West Seattle Bridge at the north end of Delridge, because it “has the Marine 1 Unit, which provides landside firefighting response for fires on or near the water.”
No action was taken or proposed – the recommendations aren’t at the level of proposed policies or budget items, yet. A slightly different situation for the meeting’s second briefing, billed as the first look at “an ordinance relating to street racing; adding the crime of racing; adding the traffic infraction of vehicle participation in unlawful racing …” What City Attorney Ann Davison (who was at the meeting) announced last week, a new $500 fine for registered owners of participating vehicles, was just part of it. They’re also aligning with some new state laws, as noted in the rather sparse slide deck. Watch the briefing (which starts 54 minutes into the meeting video) for much more elaboration, including SPD Assistant Chief Dan Nelson recounting multiple “takeover” events this past Saturday night around the city, including the one on which we reported, at 2nd/Michigan/West Marginal. This recounting featured a video compilation. Nelson said it was important for SPD to use “targeted enforcement” to keep tracking and breaking up those gatherings, because some result in crime and collisions (shootings were associated with a takeover on MLK Way that same night, he said).
Saka asked why automated cameras couldn’t be more extensively used; a City Attorney’s Office rep explained that technologically, cameras could be used for much more, but state law limits their use, so it would have to change. Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth asked how people participating in driving stunts such as donuts would get ticketed; Nelson said officers would first move in to “triage” life-safety dangers, and then would start gathering plate numbers. Saka wondered where the $500 fine came from. Davison said they felt it would be “meaningful” but not “excessive.”
Before the proposed new laws can take effect, they’ll have to come back to the committee for a vote, and then go to the full council.
(WSB photo: L-R, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Tanya Woo, Tariq Yusuf, Saunatina Sanchez)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In a little over three weeks, King County Elections will mail ballots for the August 6 primary. Among the positions for which you’ll be narrowing the fields is Seattle City Council Position 8, one of the council’s two citywide positions. It’s on the ballot because of the complex situation resulting from Teresa Mosqueda moving to the King County Council midway through her term – under city rules, first the council had to appoint a replacement to serve until the next general election, and now someone will be elected to serve the final year of the unexpired term.
Four candidates filed to run for that remaining year – Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, Tanya Woo (who was appointed to serve until the fall election), and Tariq Yusuf. The only West Seattle forum for the race so far – perhaps the only one pre-primary – was held during last Thursday’s West Seattle Democratic Women dinner meeting at West Seattle Golf Course.
WSDW’s Ann Martin moderated. We recorded it on video – the acoustics were a bit challenged because of the fan running in the room on a very warm night, but our summaries of each answer are below the video so you can read them too.
FIRST: Opening statements:
30 years post-Nirvana, one of the superstar grunge band’s surviving members has a new band and a new cause. Krist Novoselić brought his new Bona Fide Band to Easy Street Records in The Junction tonight. Most bands who take the Easy Street stage are there to sell records; Novoselić was there to sell his new political party to a full house on a hot night.
Outside, signatures were solicited to support establishment of Novoselić’s new Cascade Party of Washington. He talked about it briefly after taking the stage – urging people to “raise hell” – but then quickly moved on to the music.
His bandmates include Mark Pickerel from Screaming Trees, singers Jillian Weiss and Jennifer Johnson from 3rd Secret (another Novoselić collaboration), and Kathy Moore (from Brad). The Easy Street show started a tour that also includes appearances in Aberdeen, Ellensburg, Bremerton, and Tacoma, over the next month.
Tuesday morning, the City Council meets again as the Select Committee on the 2024 Transportation Levy, still working to finalize a package to send to voters this November. At this meeting, councilmembers will consider amendments to the mayor’s proposal. District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs this committee as well as the regular Transportation Committee, has already announced his “chair’s amendment,” which would increase the levy’s cost by $100 million, to $1.55 billion; how it does that is detailed in this council-staff memo. Saka is now also proposing his own amendment that would restore the 35th SW and Fauntleroy Way repaving projects that were in the mayor’s draft levy proposal (which we reported here in April), then were scaled back or removed in the mayor’s final proposal (as we reported here in May).
Saka’s amendment would restore the full 35th SW Alaska-to-Morgan repaving project (much of 35th south of that was repaved last decade), and Fauntleroy Way repaving between 35th and Alaska “to keep roadway functional during light rail station construction.” We asked Councilmember Saka about this at Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival; he said that while the mayor had made an “executive” decision to scale back 35th, community feedback led Saka to propose “legislatively” restoring it to the levy plan. He’ll need the support of a majority of his council colleagues, as is the case with the other amendments proposed – so far the agenda for Tuesday morning’s meeting also includes links to amendments from Councilmembers Tammy Morales, Sara Nelson, and Dan Strauss, plus a vice-chair’s amendment from Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. The meeting includes a public-comment period (as do most council meetings); the agenda explains how to participate, either remotely or in-person at City Hall (you can also email the council any time – that info is here). This is the committee’s second-to-last scheduled meeting; they’re due to finalize the levy plan next month.
Not much drama in Wednesday night’s 34th District Democrats‘ endorsements-focused meeting, with five weeks to go until ballots are mailed for the August 6 primary, Someone observed toward the meeting’s end that it was likely one of the shortest ever, less than two hours. Holding it online no doubt increased the efficiency, compared to paper ballots and counting tables. Also, endorsements for some key state/federal offices – most notably governor (they’re supporting Bob Ferguson) – were made in a block vote at a meeting earlier this spring.
Last night’s meeting also featured a block vote, in which the organization endorsed candidates including the incumbents for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and superintendent of public instruction.
Two votes were contested – City Council citywide Position 8 and state Attorney General. The council race is for the final year of the unexpired term to which Teresa Mosqueda was elected (she decided to leave the city council to run for County Council, successfully). Councilmembers appointed Tanya Woo to fill the seat until the upcoming election. She is one of four people who filed to run for the unexpired year (after which the position will go back to voters for a full four-year term). All four candidates – Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez, Tariq Yusuf, and Woo – were nominated for consideration, and all four made short pitches to the group. None is a West Seattleite, though Woo said she had attended Schmitz Park Elementary. The 34th DDs’ rules require 60 percent support for an endorsement; no one got that on the first ballot, which was split 32 for Mercedes Rinck, 21 for Woo, 9 for Sanchez, 3 for “no endorsement,” 1 for Yusuf. That sent Mercedes Rinck and Woo to a second ballot, from which Mercedes Rinck won the endorsement, 43 to 25 over Woo.
The other contested endorsement was for state Attorney General, with West Seattle resident and former regional U.S. Attorney Nick Brown vs. State Sen. Manka Dhingra, a King County senior deputy prosecutor. In speeches by those who nominated them, both were hailed as fighters who were ready to defend the people of Washington against whatever the future might bring. After two votes that were near-ties – with Brown a couple votes ahead of Dhingra both times – the group decided on a dual endorsement.
The third position that was the subject of a standalone vote was state Public Lands Commissioner, which Hilary Franz is leaving after two terms to run for Congress. Though he’s not the only Democrat in the race, King County Council chair Dave Upthegrove was the only candidate nominated for 34th DD endorsement consideration. He was the only candidate of the night to have anyone speak in opposition to him, a person who seemed to be blaming him for non-inclusive politics in Burien. Longtime 34th DDs member Chris Porter took issue with that, saying Upthegrove had long been intent on bringing more voices to the table. Ultimately, 67 voters supported endorsing Upthegrove, 10 voted for no endorsement.
WHAT’S NEXT: The West Seattle Democratic Women are having a forum with the four City Council Position 8 candidates at their meeting next Thursday. We haven’t heard of any other local forums yet.
3 PM: As we first reported Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Seattle for two campaign fundraisers today, and one is expected to be in West Seattle, at a house on the west end of Genesee Hill. Officers, valet parkers, and other signs of a big event are in view there:
She left Los Angeles aboard Air Force Two earlier this afternoon and is due to land at Boeing Field around 3:30 pm. We don’t have official route information but if you’ll be on the road over the next few hours – including the high bridge – be mindful of possible traffic holds when the motorcade is in transit. Updates to come.
3:16 PM: The high-bridge camera has been turned off (traffic cameras along motorcade routes usually are) as of about a minute ago, indicating a traffic closure. … Other cameras have been deactivated too, including through The Junction. … Planes like Air Force Two won’t generally show on flight trackers, but the law-enforcement helicopter Guardian One is in the air near Boeing Field.
3:36 PM: Our crew in the fundraiser-site neighborhood says SWAT units, a K-9, and WSDOT incident-team vehicles have all arrived.
3:43 PM: Bridge camera’s back on but the westbound side is still devoid of traffic.
(Added: Photo by Kevin Freitas)
3:56 PM: Motorcade just crossed the West Seattle Bridge. … It’s reopening to regular traffic. Note that Vice President Harris is scheduled to be at another fundraiser elsewhere in the city/region by 6 pm, so look for more traffic closures (including the bridge) on the return route. Her official schedule said her remarks here are planned for 4:35 pm. (Added) Thanks to Mark Verschell for video of the motorcade passing 44th/Alaska in The Junction:
Here’s our photographer’s view as they passed Genesee Hill Elementary:
Motorcycle officers conferred upon arrival:
4:36 PM: We’re still in the area and there are signs her departure is imminent – the bridge will be closing again too.
4:44 PM: Eastbound bridge now shut down per SDOT.
4:56 PM: Our crew says she hasn’t left yet.
5:03 PM: She just left, and the motorcade is headed for the bridge. Traffic has been stopped at California/Alaska waiting for them to pass.
5:12 PM: Police have just given the all-clear to fully reopen the West Seattle Bridge.
ADDED: Thanks to Jamie Kinney for video of the vice president waving through the window as her motorcade departed:
More of the sights outside the event – Jamie also caught U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Sen. Maria Cantwell arriving:
We spotted one local politician who wasn’t going to the event – she was just hanging out with the gawkers (and her kids), State Rep. Emily Alvarado:
And Ryan Levinsohn sent this view of Zoe and Arwyn waving as the motorcade passed:
Thanks again to everyone who sent photos and video!
| 7 COMMENTS