Seattle City Council

Burgess exits Seattle mayoral race

Bellamy Pailthorp and The Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:30:36 +0000

Seattle City Council member Tim Burgess has bowed out of the mayoral race.

Burgess said recent polling showed his campaign lacked the sparkle he needed to win, and he posed a risk of splintering the vote in the crowded race.

Seattle city council president says state may have to raise taxes to fund schools

Ashley Gross — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 15:20:39 +0000

The president of the Seattle City Council says the state needs to make sure it adequately funds schools – and that may mean the state has to raise taxes.

The state of Washington faces a grim budget deficit – more than $2.5 billion over the next two years, by one estimate. At the same time, the state also has to boost money for schools, according to a state supreme court decision.

Should Seattle require all landlords to register rental units?

Ashley Gross — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The city of Seattle wants to crack down on problem rental buildings by requiring landlords to register and get inspections of their units. Tenants’ advocates say they’re hopeful the new system will mean fewer people living in unhealthy or dangerous housing.

Jonathan Grant runs the non-profit group Tenants Union of Washington State. He says he hears from tenants all the time about the poor conditions of their apartments.

Seattle councilwoman dying of cancer comes out at 66

The Associated Press — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:32:04 +0000

Former Seattle councilwoman Cheryl Chow has brain cancer and says she has one more thing she wants to do before she dies.

She told KING-TV she is coming out and telling people she is gay after being secretive for more than 60 years. She wants to encourage others to not be afraid to tell their parents or children the truth.

Seattle Council member worries arena deal could set bad precedent

Bellamy Pailthorp — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:43:14 +0000

More questions are being asked about the proposal for a new arena in Seattle to lure back the NBA. A public hearing on the deal takes place Thursday evening and Seattle’s City Hall is expected to be packed with people giving testimony for and against it.

Seattle council protects public breastfeeding

The Associated Press — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:25:24 +0000

The Seattle City Council has made it illegal for businesses and others to ask mothers to stop breastfeeding, to cover up or move to a different location.

Seattle law to protect breastfeeding moves on to final vote

Erin Hennessey and Jake Ellison — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:04 +0000

About a dozen women testified in favor yesterday of the Seattle City Council proposed rule to add protection for breastfeeding mothers.

A committee considering the new law voted 3-0 to pass it onto the full council, which will vote on the bill on Monday. The committee is expecting unanimous support of the bill.

Plastic bag ban back on Seattle council's agenda

Bellamy Pailthorp — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:26:34 +0000

"Paper or plastic?"

Seattle wants to take that choice away in order to save the environment and money. The city council is considering a ban on single-use plastic bags, because they are harmful to marine wildlife as well as to recycling machinery.

Should Bruce Lee get his own Seattle museum? Council wonders

Joshua Kinne — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:35:00 +0000

The Seattle City Council has unveiled a new proposal to create a museum memorializing martial arts star Bruce Lee.

In June, plans for a museum at Lee’s former residence in Hong Kong were scrapped. Now, The Lee Family Foundation has released a concept for a Seattle-based museum.

Seattle low-income students to get high-speed Internet access

Robin Cedar — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:45:56 +0000

The Seattle City Council voted Monday to provide high-speed Internet to low-income students for less than $10 a month. The Great Student Initiative is expected to help 16,000 of the 47,000 students in Seattle Public Schools who are on the free lunch program.

Update: Chihuly, city break ground for exhibition at Seattle Center

Vanessa Romo — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:30:14 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-983171.mp3

What was once a Fun Forest will soon be “ Chihuly Garden and Glass.”

Artist Dale Chihuly officially broke ground today on a 1.5 acre exhibition space in the Seattle Center. The gallery will include a garden, bookstore and café. It’s set to open in the spring of 2012. Just in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair.

Medical marijuana measure passed to Seattle City Council

Paula Wissel — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:06:27 +0000

The city of Seattle is getting closer to regulating medical pot dispensaries.

The Housing, Human Services, Health and Culture Committee of the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a measure that would require the marijuana shops to comply with city building codes, zoning ordinances and fair employment laws.

Chihuly glass exhibit for Seattle Center gets OK'd by city council

Gary Crawford — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:30:18 +0000

[UPDATE/CORRECTION: Bumbershoot's Visual Arts Exhibits will move from the Northwest Rooms to Seattle Center Pavilion and the adjacent courtyard.]

The Space Needle’s owners get a Chihuly museum, a community radio station gets a new home and Bumbershoot’s visual art space gets, well, nobody seems to be sure.

Legal questions confront proposed Seattle referendum on tunnel

Liam Moriarty and KPLU News Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:06:07 +0000

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has filed a legal challenge to a citizen referendum on Seattle's proposed deep-bore waterfront tunnel.

Holmes has asked a judge to rule on whether the construction agreements between the city and the state that targeted by the referendum are “administrative actions” which can't be overturned by the vote.

Tunnel vote likely in Seattle, but it may not resolve anything

Liam Moriarty — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:22:37 +0000

Opponents of the tunnel proposed to replace Seattle’s aging Alaskan Way Viaduct say they’ve gathered more than enough signatures to force a public vote. But a new poll suggests that won’t settle the contentious issue.