December 2015

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced today that the City of Seattle has reached a tentative agreement on general contract terms with the Coalition of City Unions, which represents the largest group of represented City employees.

Among other provisions, the agreement includes annual wage increases of 2% retroactively for 2015, 2% for 2016, 2.5% for 2017 and 2.75% for 2018. It is the City’s historical practice that most non-represented employees receive the same salary increases as represented employees.

“I want to thank all City employees for their dedication to public service and their commitment to serving Seattle residents,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “We worked with our labor partners to ensure that all employees are fairly compensated. This tentative agreement will provide certainty as we budget into the future, and will help us to continue to attract and retain quality workers.”

Specific job titles in high demand occupations, such as engineers, accountants and planners, will receive an additional 3.5 percent wage adjustment due to recruitment and retention issues identified by City departments and unions.

By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD

Persimmons are fruits that ripen late in the fall, hanging like bright orange lanterns on small trees among the autumn leaves. There are three basic kinds of Asian persimmons: the Fuyu, which looks like a pumpkin with a flattened top and bottom; the chocolate persimmon, brown on the inside and slightly spicy, sweet and creamy; and the Hachiya, which is more bulbous and heart-shaped. In my garden I have an Asian and American hybrid called Nikita's Gift. It’s the most likely persimmon to produce fruit west of the Cascades, but I am still patiently waiting. The smaller American persimmons are supposed to do better in our colder, wet climate, but most will need a pollinator.

by Kyle Kelley

The City of Burien has released the full Geotechnical report on the mudslide that destroyed several homes north of Seahurst Park on Dec. 8

In a press release about the report the City said:

"In accordance with the report, the City is keeping the evacuation order in effect for the two houses which sustained damage in the slide and allowing the other three evacuated houses to resume occupancy only upon performing further geotechnical studies of their property to make sure it is safe.

According to the report, the land around the slide is likely to remain unstable throughout the coming months due to precipitation. Individuals who have been monitoring the area indicate that erosion continues along the slide area but movement appears to have slowed and the debris piles do not seem to have moved noticeably over the past several days of drier weather.

The geotechnical team assembled to assess the site reviewed the overall geology of the area, recent weather patterns, the size and shape of the slide, the pitch of the slope, the permeability of soil, the movement of water through the soil, and many other factors to arrive at their recommendations.

The Port of Seattle will being installing and testing piles at Terminal 5 beginning the first week of January and extending through the last week in March 2016.

The work is part of the design phase of the Terminal 5 Improvements Project.

Once complete, data obtained will be used to minimize the amount of pile driving required for wharf strengthening. These tests said the Port have the potential to reduce construction related noise as well as reduce project costs.

Close to 27 piles will be installed at the margin of the Terminal 5 wharf. Work will start early, at 8:00 am and be active until 5pm weekdays and from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays. This is in compliance with the City of Seattle's noise ordinance. No work will be done on the project on Sundays.

Twelve of the 27 piles will be installed using "vibratory methods" according to the Port. The remaining fifteen will be installed using both vibratory and impact pile driving methods. That second method will produce sound that will carry to surrounding areas.

A second early design review meeting for a 35 unit apartment building proposed for 9021 17th Ave SW is set for the West Seattle Senior Center on Jan. 7 at 6:30pm. The location is between Barton Street SW and Henderson Street SW. A previous review was held Oct. 15. It is project number 3020808 .

The land is owned by a group called AKA INVESTORS LLC.

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT

The Director will accept written comments to assist in the preparation of the early design guidance through January 7, 2016. You are invited to offer comments regarding important site planning and design issues, which you believe, should be addressed in the design for this project.

Comments and requests to be made party of record should be submitted to PRC@seattle.gov or

City of Seattle – DPD – PRC
700 5th Avenue, Suite 2000
PO Box 34019
Seattle, WA 98124-4019

PROCESS

By Peggy Sturdivant

I have not thought of the short-lived early 1970s sitcom “Love American Style” since before it went off the air. Yet today its theme song came into my head prompted by a Texas accent and an unusual love story.

The seed was planted earlier in the week by an email sent to the paper’s publisher. “Dear Ken,” wrote Lori Harris from Lindale, Texas, “We have a sweet little cousin who turns 100 next week. John Shrewsbury lives in the Norse home, is a WW II vet and has lived a wonderful, colorful life. I would hope you would think he would make as great a human interest story as we do.”

By the time I was part of John Shrewsbury’s birthday celebration at Norse Home along with VFW Post 3063 members, I knew more about his life. However he wasn’t turning 100 and he wasn’t actually related to Lori Harris. Technicalities.

By Amanda Knox

I remember the first time I voted. It was 1996, I was nine-years-old, and it was over the phone, to participate in the Nickelodeon Kids Pick the President telethon. At the time, I was about as political as I was religious, which is to say, vaguely aware and uninvested. All the same, I was excited to vote, because it was the first time in my life that I had the chance to implement my (albeit immature and uninformed) opinion about the greater world around me. No matter that my vote didn’t yet count. For the first time I thought, one day it would.

2016 brings some significant changes to the leadership and organizational structure of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD). After 38 years with the City and 14 as director of DPD, Diane Sugimura will be retiring. At the same time, the department will become two – the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections and a new Office of Planning and Community Development. Current staff and services within DPD will remain in place for most of 2016. Staff in both departments will continue to work closely together to help ensure coordination as we move forward.

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (Seattle DCI)
The new department will be led by Nathan Torgelson, current DPD deputy director. Seattle DCI will primarily include regulatory functions such as: permitting, construction inspections, code compliance, tenant protections, rental housing registration and inspections, but will also include a smaller unit for code development.

The Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD)

North Seattle’s Boy Scout Troop 100 has started their annual tree sale at St. Alphonsus Church in Ballard, continuing a tradition that goes back over 60 years in the Ballard community. In fact, this fall Troop 100 will be celebrating their 75th year as a troop in Ballard.

The sale is their sole fundraiser for the year.The fundraiser raises money for their many adventures in the wilderness and to pay for summer camps. Once a month from September to June the scouts have an outing and the funds go toward paying for those trips. Also, every year scouts have a special extended summer trip where they go backcountry and hone their skills. Last year the troop went canoeing down the Pend Oreille River near Spokane and 45 kids went to Camp Meriwether in Oregon.

Ballardites should hurry to claim their trees because they are going fast. This year the troop has everything from Norway Spruce, Noble Fir, Grand Fir and Fraser. Wreaths and garland are also offered.