That’s video of Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair, King County Executive candidate and West Seattleite, marching with supporters in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade (and giving WSB a shoutout after spotting us on the sidelines). With by-mail voting about two weeks away for the August primary, you’ll even find non-West Seattle-dwelling politicians almost anywhere a crowd gathers – theCity Council‘s president (who’s up for re-election this year) was in the parade too – Richard Conlin and supporters were seen here in the staging area south of Lafayette Elementary:
Other sightings included Conlin’s opponent, High Point resident David Ginsberg, later down the parade route:
And we saw two other council candidates pre-parade, Dorsol Plants and Rusty Williams. Not in the parade but seen working the sidelines, two mayoral candidates – James Donaldson and Mike McGinn, who talked to spectators and handed out “Mike Bikes” stickers:
No sighting of Mayor Nickels himself – though we know that earlier in the day, he helped open the new Sound Transit Light Rail line. Speaking of transportation, Ron Richardson shares this photo of Port Commission hopeful Max Vekich‘s parade visit:
Meantime, King County Assessor candidate Lloyd Hara and supporters stopped to pose:
Acting assessor Rich Medved was scheduled to march in the parade but suffered a stroke last Tuesday and remains in the hospital. Meanwhile, not all politicians in the parade were running for something – both of West Seattle’s State House reps were spotted – here’s Rep. Eileen Cody:
When you meet Rusty Williams, it won’t take him long to mention his mother, Jeanette Williams, a hard-working Seattle City Councilmember who served from 1970 to 1989, and his inspiration.
Williams, a 58-year-old View Ridge resident who used to play with the band Bighorn, is eager to follow in her footsteps. He has a business degree from the University of Washington and has worked a wide range of jobs, starting with a paper route. He was the Information Technology Director for Pacific Trail Sportswear’s production department.
Williams grew up overlooking Magnuson Park, and in recent years, has worked on thorny Magnuson Park issues. He is also a member of the Rotary Club and Ceasefire, which works to stop gun violence. Most recently he has been encouraging the city to name the West Seattle Bridge in honor of his mother, who died last year, for her leadership in getting the bridge built. (The council has voted unanimously to recommend this, as reported here last Monday.)
Williams says his favorite place in West Seattle “is anywhere you can see the sun set over the Olympics. The best sunsets in the world.”
Unless you’ve just moved to this state, in which case you have till Aug. 10 to register in person, today’s the day to be sure you’re registered in time to vote in the August 18th primary (which has not only the mayoral, council and county executive primaries, but also the bag fee). You can do it online here.
Primary Election Day is a month from tomorrow; your ballot will arrive in about two weeks. So we’re ramping up our close-up looks — with West Seattle-specific questions — at races including the threeSeattle City Council contests you’ll find on the primary ballot, starting with Position 8, which Richard McIver is leaving. Six candidates are running; last night we looked at Robert Rosencrantz, who won one of the 34th District Democrats‘ “dual endorsements” in this race; tonight, the other endorsee, David Miller:
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Most people wouldn’t admit a fascination with land-use codes, but Seattle City Council Position 8 candidate David Miller, a 42-year-old Maple Leaf resident, doesn’t hesitate.
He has experienced its intricacies up close and personal as past President of the Maple Leaf Community Council, as a member of the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Citizen Advisory Committee, and while working on several other environmental committees.
He helped develop the Parks and Green Spaces Levy that voters approved last fall.
Since he announced his candidacy, Miller seems to be at every possible gathering throughout the city, whether it’s an early breakfast meeting on Saturdays or waving to supporters at community events.
That’s what interim King County Executive Kurt Triplett is proposing – a one-tenth of one-cent increase – though he says that still wouldn’t hold off all potential cuts. He’s asking the County Council to send it to voters in November. Read on for the full news release just sent by the county:Read More
(mid-June photo by Revel Smith)
We sent a note this morning to Revel Smith, asking for an update on the homeless encampment in eastern West Seattle that calls itself “Nickelsville” – since the last update two weeks ago had said their latest extension for staying at the state-owned 2nd SW/Highland Park Way site was only through this Monday. Smith has just sent out a news release saying there’s been no new extension:
Nickelsville’s State-granted 2-week extension to stay at the West Seattle site ends Monday 7/20/09. With understanding from the State of their dilemma, they’ve been able to continue their aggressive search for a place to relocate. Conversations continue as Michael Ramos of The Church Council of Greater Seattle and Rev. Paul Benz, Director of the Lutheran Public Policy Office, and others participate in the search for a new place for Nickelsville. However, nothing certain has been confirmed in this short time.
Nickelsville hopes The Governor and the State of Washington will extend the deadline beyond 2 weeks for this search. In absence of a permanent place to relocate to, they are committed staying at the West Seattle Site.
Nickelsville is calling on the help of friends and supporters to stand with them through the deadline. They ask everyone also contact the Governor’s office at (360) 902-4111 or e-mail: govcommoffice@gov.wa.gov
PARK GUN BAN? The ACC has sent city leaders a letter urging support for a ban on guns in parks. Even if it’s not the city’s jurisdiction – if that would have to go through the state Legislature, as was suggested after the mayor proposed such a ban last year – ACC’s Paul Carr says they hope the city would lobby strongly for a guns-in-parks ban. The ACC’s support for this is a result of discussions that followed the May 1st Alki shooting (photo at left). Carr stresses that this is not a challenge to individual gun-ownership rights – but if firearms can be off-limits in a particularly vulnerable public place like a school, he asks, why not parks?
Though the primary election is officially one month from Saturday, voting begins in as little as two weeks – it’s an all-mail election, and ballots go out on July 30th. Starting tonight, WSB takes a closeup look at the Seattle City Council races and how several key West Seattle issues figure into them. Veteran journalist Kathy Mulady sets the stage, right before her first candidate report:
Two of Seattle’s longest-serving city councilmembers are giving up their seats. Jan Drago is running for mayor, and Richard McIver is retiring. The vacancies have opened up crowded contests, with 11 candidates running for the two seats.
Two other seats are also up for election, those held by Council President Richard Conlin and Councilmember Nick Licata. Both men are fighting to keep their positions.
In all, you will see 14 city council candidates on the primary ballot (with only one challenger, Conlin advances automatically to the November general election). In the days/weeks ahead, we’ll try to help you make a little sense of it all, at least in regard to West Seattle issues – like growth, and the economy.
–How do we preserve the hometown feel of West Seattle, and still bring new jobs here so people don’t have to commute?
–With more people comes more traffic – just as plans are laid to tear down the Alaskan Way Viaduct and replace it with a deep-bored tunnel. Should West Seattle have better bus service, or even a streetcar line like South Lake Union?
–And there are still lingering questions about plans for a new jail – does the city really need its own jail, and where would it be built? West Seattle is still officially a possible site – should it be?
We asked the candidates those questions and more. Check back here during the coming days to see what they say and ask your own questions. We have asked candidates to watch WSB and respond to questions asked by readers when they have a chance.
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 8: ROBERT ROSENCRANTZ
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Robert Rosencrantz has a theory about giving up – “don’t.” He also knows hard work pays off, and that the easy way often isn’t the best way. With those life lessons well ensconced, Rosencrantz, a 53-year-old Montlake resident, is making his third run for a Seattle City Council< seat.
Although his early life was spent on crutches, Rosencrantz went on to become a race-walker and runner. While in high school, he started sweeping and doing minor maintenance at an apartment building to save money for college. Now Rosencrantz owns four apartment buildings with his wife.
Once a month, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is hosting small brown-bag gatherings that president/CEO Patti Mullen has dubbed “Lunch with LEOs” – local elected officials. We’ve made it to all three, and today, the guest was City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, who heads up the council’s Energy and Technology Committee. The roundtable chat with seven of us representing local businesses/organizations covered a wide range of topics; of most interest – will Seattle City Light rates go up? Harrell stressed that SCL is technically a distinct entity but that he hasn’t seen any “data” regarding alleged money woes, which he says include “leaked” suggestions they might seek a rate increase of 20 percent next year. He says, “There might be a rate increase of some sort, but nothing close to that,” promising to closely scrutinize any such request, and the utility’s operations. He also discussed the city’s just-submitted application to get federal funding to put City Light on a “smart grid” – they’re hoping for up to $100 million of the $200 million he says it would cost to install technology that would enable more efficient management both at the operations level and at the individual customer level. Harrell says it would also assist in outages, potentially rerouting power around a trouble spot. That was good news to Marcia Chittenden, operator of the Chittenden House B&B, who told the story of how her business was without power for a week and a half after the December 2006 windstorm. According to Harrell, the “smart grid” money is being sought from a “stimulus” fund administered by the U.S. Energy Department and a decision on the grant should be in by October. Other projects Harrell says are on the drawing board include pursuing subsidized broadband for some low-income residents. Participating in the gathering as well as covering it, we put in a pitch when it was time to go around the table: Since his committee oversees technology as well as energy, we asked to have Seattle Police crime information available online, in something closer to real time – right now, the primary way reports are distributed to the media involves turning them into PDFs, copying them onto CDs and distributing them to precincts for reporters to peruse.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray has announced that $7.6 million more transportation dollars are coming to our state for ferry operations – and $2 million is earmarked, we’re told, to go toward a new vessel for the West Seattle run of the King County Water Taxi. (The other money is going toward a Seattle-Bremerton foot ferry, as well as $3 million for Washington State Ferries‘ Anacortes terminal and $750,000 for a new Skagit County ferry terminal serving Guemes Island.) The $2 million would be “more than half the cost” of a new ferry, according to King County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office. (Meantime, some of Constantine’s opponents in the King County Executive race continue kicking the Water Taxi around as a political football – eastside State Rep. Ross Hunter, who said the other day that he’d kill the county-run ferries altogether, promises “startling numbers” about passenger ferries at a media briefing this morning — in front of a Lake Union yacht dealership.) 11:27 AM: Daily Weekly has posted a bit about Hunter’s latest anti-KCWT attack.
As previewed here last night, Seattle Congressmember Jim McDermott‘s bill proposing federal recognition for the Duwamish Tribe had a hearing today in the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. We watched much of the half-day hearing via live webcast and spoke later in the day with McDermott spokesperson Mike DeCesare. Our question for him, after the committee listened to testimony from supporters (including Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen, whose written testimony can be read here) and opponents — while also considering similar bids from other tribes including the Southwest Washington-based Chinook — was: Now what? DeCesare confirms that there’s no guarantee the committee will vote on the bill, but he emphasized – repeatedly – during our short phone conversation that it was a “huge” step simply for a hearing to be held; McDermott himself had said during the hearing that it was “a long time coming.” (The Duwamish were briefly recognized in the waning days of the Clinton Administration; then, as was recapped during today’s hearing, that was canceled early in the Bush Administration, with a procedural error cited – missing signatures on paperwork. The Duwamish are fighting that decision in court.) We haven’t yet found anyplace with a detailed report on today’s hearing, and the video is not yet archived on the committee website; here’s a list of the witnesses who were originally scheduled — we know from the portion we saw that there were others, such as one of McDermott’s fellow Washington Congressmembers, Jay Inslee, who provided one of two West Seattle references heard in the early going, when noting that his father had taught at Chief Sealth High School, named after the Duwamish’s legendary chief, chair Cecile Hansen’s great-great-grand-uncle and our city’s namesake. The other reference came from McDermott, who quoted a letter from Holy Family School students saying they were shocked to learn the Duwamish had to fight for recognition. A good portion of the hearing was spent discussing the federal requirements and procedures involved in gaining recognition, and a contention that the process was admittedly “broken” and would soon itself be the subject of legislation. Meantime, if you want to watch what happens to the Duwamish recognition bill, it isHR 2678.
(Seattle Municipal Archives photo of The Bridge while it was being built) As previewed here last week, the City Council voted today on a resolution to give the West Seattle Bridge a “secondary name” in honor of the late City Councilmember Jeanette Williams, who fought to get key funding for its construction. Thanks to Brian Hawksford in the office of City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – who worked for and with Ms. Williams for many years and sponsored today’s resolution – for confirming it passed unanimously, 9-0. Williams’ son Rusty Williams, who is running for City Council this year, thanked the council for honoring his mom. Also today, a proclamation was read in honor of tomorrow’s 25th anniversary of the opening of the high bridge, six years after a freighter smashed into and shut down the drawbridge that preceded it. Read on for the full text:Read More
State Rep. Ross Hunter is the second candidate in a week to include changes toKing County Water Taxi plans as part of a proposal for what he would do if elected King County Executive. Last week, State Sen. Fred Jarrett said he would scuttle plans to expand Water Taxi operations; today, according to West Seattleite Mike Seely writing in the Daily Weekly, Hunter says he would drop the West Seattle-downtown run altogether. Here’s the story. (Hunter and Jarrett are running for the open seat against Water Taxi champion and King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, County Councilmember Larry Phillips, former TV anchor Susan Hutchison and three others; the August 18th primary election will narrow the field to two – could be any two, since it’s now a nonpartisan office. Follow the links here to find out more about all the candidates.)
From Patti Mullen, president/CEO of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce (who’s been staffing the Information side of the big tent we shared at West Seattle Summer Fest the past three days): The Chamber’s presenting a Seattle City Council Candidates’ Forum one week from Tuesday. It starts at 5 pm July 21 with meet-and-greet, 5:30-7 pm forum, at ArtsWest in The Junction. C.R. Douglas, who you’ll know from Seattle Channel, will moderate. Some BIG decisions to make, even on the primary ballot, including two open Council seats — five candidates running for Position 4, six running for Position 8. (Election aside: Did you know you can get the latest daily updates on who’s contributed what to which city candidate by going here?)
Almost half a year ago, we brought you first word (January report here) of a campaign to name the West Seattle Bridge in honor of the late former City Councilmember Jeanette Williams, whose efforts helped make it reality. A version of this proposal is finally coming before the City Council next Monday (2 pm), according to the office of West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who worked for and with Ms. Williams for many years. Here’s the resolution he is sponsoring to give it the secondary name “Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge.” Rasmussen staffer Brian Hawksford tells WSB, “The resolution requests SDOT to install signage at all approaches to the bridge. It will be similar to the signage on SR-520 that honors former Governor Rosellini. The secondary naming will mean that no maps or freeway signage will need to be changed and the costs will be minimal. The official name of the bridge will remain the West Seattle Bridge. We expect that there will be a dedication in a few months after SDOT completes its work.” He says there’s no exact cost estimate yet, and also notes that there will be a proclamation next week noting the 25th anniversary next Tuesday of the dedication of The Bridge (July 14, 1984).
That’s one of the results getting all the citywide coverage in the wake of last night’s 5-hour 34th District Democrats endorsement meeting at The Hall at Fauntleroy: While West Seattle-residing Mayor Greg Nickels got the most votes, it wasn’t the two-thirds needed for an endorsement, not even on the 2nd ballot when it was Nickels vs. Michael McGinn, who was in second place after the first ballot. So the group then voted for a “dual endorsement” (other option on Ballot 3 would have been “no endorsement”). Anyway, if you want a taste of the moment-by-moment drama, see our as-it-happened account from last night. Right here, it’s our wrapup with just the basics, plus a few more photos and video clips interspersed:
SEATTLE MAYOR Dual endorsement: Greg Nickels, Michael McGinn (mayor photographed early in the meeting, back of the room)
SEATTLE CITY ATTORNEY Sole endorsement: Tom Carr (shown in this next clip after fellow West Seattleite, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, introduced him – our clips are lo-fi, shot on Flip)
SEATTLE REFERENDUM 1 (BAG FEE) No position
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 2 Dual endorsement: David Ginsberg, Richard Conlin – captured in the same frame during a lull in the action – after the photo, you’ll see how Ginsberg pitched for the vote:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 4 Dual endorsement: Dorsol Plants, Sally Bagshaw
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 6 Dual endorsement: Nick Licata, Jessie Israel – got them both on video:
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 8 Dual endorsement: David Miller, Robert Rosencrantz (here’s Miller pre-vote)
NORTH HIGHLINE SOUTH ANNEXATION (an area including part of White Center voting whether to be annexed by Burien) Support
SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 1 No endorsement
SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 3 Rob Holland
SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 4 Max Vekich
Official account online at 34dems.org. Wondering why so many “dual endorsements”? A two-thirds majority was required for a sole endorsement, so most key races went to three ballots – first with all the candidates, then the top two, then “dual endorsement or no endorsement.” Made vote-counting intense for the groups working on the elevated stage – at tables or even on the floor:
Meantime, remember that this group made an earlier endorsement of King County Council Chair Dow Constantine for King County Executive – he was at last night’s meeting too, introduced with cheers and whoops:
Added later Thursday morning: As noted in our running coverage from last night, some additional endorsement proposals were brought before the group at the end of the meeting, though they weren’t on the original agenda. Results of those proposals: The 34th DDs support the “Decline to Sign” campaign (asking people not to sign petitions being circulated that would set up a public vote on the domestic-partnership-rights measure passed by the Legislature), and also endorsed state Court of Appeal Judge Anne Ellington.
(scroll down for continuous updates from the 34th DDs’ meeting in Fauntleroy)
We’re at The Hall at Fauntleroy as the 34th District Democrats get ready to vote on their primary-election endorsements. Most of the major candidates are here, as is a crowd of hundreds. As-it-happens updates, and more photos, to come. Above, the scene inside the hall; here’s Mayor Nickels arriving, with wife Sharon Nickels hugging a friend in the foreground:
7:19 PM UPDATE: Chair Tim Nuse is calling the meeting to order – a bit late – some folks were good-naturedly chanting “LET’S GO, LET’S GO, LET’S GO!” Former chair Ivan Weiss has just led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Short speeches will be given on behalf of candidates before the vote. Seattle City Council Position 8 is the first endorsement that’ll be made. Voting tonight will be done on paper ballots. Nuse explains that a candidate needs 2/3 majority for the endorsement. If no one gets that on the first ballot, the top two will advance to another vote.
(Tim Nuse at left, Stephen Lamphear at right)
Rule change – before that Seattle Council endorsement: The first endorsements, however, are being made in a block vote – including “No” on the Tim Eyman initiative 1033, Rob Holland for Port of Seattle Position 3, Max Vekich for Port of Seattle Position 4, Brian Bennett for Burien City Council Position 7 – this will be a voice vote.
7:29 PM: The block endorsement passes. Now, the Seattle Council Position 8 endorsements, with candidates being nominated – then speeches will be made before voting. So far, Rusty Williams, David Miller, and Bobby Forch have been spoken for. Next, Jordan Royer. (After him, the nominees to be spoken for are Mike O’Brien and Robert Rosencrantz. This is the position that Richard McIver holds now.) Susan Harmon spoke for him – now it’s Royer himself. Brian Allen is speaking for O’Brien – “We have a lot of really great candidates for Position 8” – now he’s ceding to O’Brien, who included an anti-tunnel line in his speech. (Speeches are limited to 2 minutes, regardless of how many people speak for and against a candidate. So far no one has chosen to speak against any particylar candidate.) Walter Sive is now speaking (7:45 pm) for Rosencrantz … who then on his behalf says Seattle needs to get ready because “the 2nd industrial revolution is coming.” (7:48 pm) The ballots are being filled out for Seattle Council Position 8.
Four minutes later – they’ve all been collected and are about to be counted.
The next position to be considered is Burien City Council #1 (while the previous race’s ballots are counted) – we won’t be writing about that in detail since it’s outside our area.
8:11 PM: 1st vote count – nobody for Position 8 got 2/3 majority so David Miller (48 votes) and Robert Rosencrantz (37 votes) advance to Round 2. Ballots are being collected. (8:22 pm, still being counted, and they announced, NO endorsement on Burien Council #1 – now they’re handing out ballots for the next position, Port Commissioner #1, before announcing Seattle Council #1 results – There are two nominations in Port #1, John Creighton and no endorsement – Stephen Lamphear (who BTW is a former Burien City Councilmember) says he recommends NO ENDORSEMENT because “there are no Democrats in the race”) – Marcee Stone says, “I know John has struggled with his Democratic identity at times, but he IS a Democrat .. he is an environmentalist.” Now Creighton is speaking (incumbent running for re-election). He says “We still have a lot of work to do, that’s why I’m running for re-election.” Chris Porter (who’s been keeping time tonight) spoke against Creighton; another attendee spoke for him. Cherisse Luxa is now speaking against Creighton, reading from the by-laws. She says Creighton didn’t say he’s a Democrat when answering a questionnaire.
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL POSITION 8 SECOND BALLOT: Miller 99, Rosencrantz 72, neither got a two-thirds majority, the THIRD ballot now will go “dual endorsement or no endorsement.” Chair Nuse just announced that the 34th District Democrats’ endorsed County Executive candidate, Dow Constantine, has a poll lead over “other Democrats” in the race but needs more support, and he’s mentioning a phone bank, Grand Parade marching, etc. (8:42 pm) Vote-counting still under way. Nuse now has announced 34th DDs’ summer picnic for July 21st at Lincoln Park, and August 14th for the Garden Party fundraiser at West Seattle Nursery. Gatewood resident New York Vinnie will emcee (he’s here tonight BTW).
8:47 PM: Results for Seattle Port Commission #1 – 55% no endorsement, 43% Creighton. No second ballot, so no position in this race. Now nominations are being taken for Position 4 – West Seattle’s Dorsol Plants nominated first, Sally Bagshaw next, David Bloom next. That’s it for this race. Ex-chair Weiss speaking for Plants. Weiss gave a fiery speech – we’ve got it on video we hope to add later. Bagshaw says she’s here “to do some ‘splainin'” about “why (she worked for) 3 Republicans.” She says she worked for Norm Maleng because he worked on social justice issues; she says she worked for Dan Satterberg because she believes in what he did; and as a lawyer for the King County Council, she advised Rob McKenna. She is defending work she did with him such as transit-oriented development. She says this is no place for party labels. Michael Taylor-Judd is speaking against her nomination, saying he agrees to some degree but says that you don’t send letters seeking endorsement and funding for Republicans and then come ask for Democrats’ votes. He got big cheers. Rep. Sharon Nelson spoke for Bagshaw:
David Bloom spoke for himself and derided money being spent on the Mercer Mess, among other things. That’s it for the nomination speeches in this race – voting will begin.
RESULTS IN SEATTLE COUNCIL POSITION 8 – David Miller and Robert Rosencrantz dual endorsement (74% voted for dual endorsement, 26% for no endorsement). Here’s video of Pete Spalding’s nomination speech earlier for Miller, followed by the candidate himself (didn’t get Rosencrantz on video):
9:07 PM: Opening nominations for Seattle Council #2 – West Seattleite David Ginsberg, incumbent Council President Richard Conlin are the nominees. Sen. Joe McDermott spoke for Ginsberg. Then Ginsberg himself: “Nothing would mean more to me than your endorsement.” Kim Becklund speaking for Conlin. For Conlin, Kim Becklund spoke about his environmental achievements; Conlin himself echoed that. Voting is now under way for this position.
9:15 PM: There’s going to be a second ballot for Seattle Council Position 4 – the first ballot ended with Plants 35%, Bagshaw 40%, Bloom 20% – since nobody got two-thirds, there’s a second ballot with Plants and Bagshaw. Here’s Plants, photographed a bit earlier in the meeting:
Voting on that second ballot is under way now. And we’re awaiting results of Ginsberg/Conlin.
9:27 PM UPDATE: Still awaiting vote counts. Chair Tim Nuse has announced 209 credentialed members of the 34th DDs are in the house tonight. He’s also announced donation-seeking for a variety of organizations, including “the homeless camp calling itself Nickelsville.” Marcee Stone is announcing a “Hoe-Down for Dow” fundraiser for County Executive candidate Constantine, at Puget Ridge Co-Housing on July 26th. (photo added later – a lot of this is waiting – Dorsol Plants, Richard Conlin, city attorney and West Seattleite Tom Carr on the sidelines):
9:35 PM UPDATE: It’s been announced that in Position 2, 123 votes were needed for an endorsement – Ginsberg got 122 – so it’s been challenged that two “spoiled ballots” should not have been included in the total from which the 123 was derived to say what constitutes two-thirds. Nuse is citing from Robert’s Rules of Order. (9:41 pm update) Challenges and discussions continue. One motion has been made to revote this race. There’s disagreement over what’s a spoiled ballot and what’s a blank ballot. Marcee Stone suggested that Nuse doesn’t have to go with what the parliamentarian (Lamphear) says. Nuse says he goes with the rules. Now a motion to hand-vote the race, rather than ballot-vote.
9:55 PM UPDATE: Now this race goes to a written second ballot – because in the hand-count revote, 158 votes were cast, Ginsberg got 102, Conlin 56, but 106 votes were needed for two-thirds. The second ballot is for “dual endorsement or no endorsement” just like the Miller/Rosencrantz vote earlier. Someone near us says, “Why not just dual-endorse everybody and get out of here?” And moments later, it was announced that in the second ballot of Council Position 4 the results were Plants 50.3%, Bagshaw 48.6%, so that too goes to a “dual endorsement vs. no endorsement” revote now. It’ll be done by paper ballot – Nuse’s proposal to do a hand vote was challenged.
10:05 PM: While those votes are counted, it’s on to the Seattle City Attorney‘s race. West Seattleite Tom Carr vs. challenger Pete Holmes. Ex-chair Ivan Weiss bellows, “TOM CARR!” Dorsol Plants yells, “PETE HOLMES!” … After speeches, it’s time for a vote in this race. There is a motion to suspend the rules and conduct every further vote tonight by hand vote rather than paper ballots.
10:17 PM: Dual endorsements announced for Ginsberg and Conlin, and for Plants and Bagshaw.
10:26 PM: In the midst of speeches for mayoral nominations. Michael McGinn is the first candidate to speak on his own behalf – Vlad Oustimovitch spoke for City Councilmember Jan Drago, State Sen. Joe McDermott spoke for Mayor Greg Nickels. McGinn mentioned his opposition to the tunnel. Oustimovitch mentioned that Drago had tried to salvage the monorail and when that failed, he says she said, “West Seattle got screwed,” adding, “She was right.” Next candidates nominated, Joe Mallahan (who related an anecdote involving West Seattle’s Holy Rosary and his childhood) and Norman Sigler. No one spoke on James Donaldson’s behalf. Now the voting will begin, though there’s some question about whether a candidate can be voted on if not nominated by a voting member. Sigler will be removed from consideration as a result. Vote-counting under way now. Mallahan’s mention of Holy Rosary, by the way, turns out to be regarding his uncle.
10:39 PM UPDATE: Now to Seattle City Council Position 6 – Nick Licata, Marty Kaplan, Jessie Israel nominated. Licata said he wants to be re-elected to work on a “Sustainable Seattle.” Kaplan says, “You’ve got a choice in this race … it’s an interesting choice.” Israel notes Rep. Nelson and Cascade Bicycle Club have endorsed her.
10:48 PM: Tom Carr receives Seattle City Attorney endorsement of 34th DDs with 68% of the vote. (minutes later) Mayor first ballot – nobody got two-thirds – Nickels got 52 percent, McGinn got 19%, they are top two and go to next ballot.
11:00 PM: Seattle Council Position 6 – Licata got 55% of vote and Israel 40% of vote so they go to a second ballot. We are now in Hour 5 of this meeting. It’s just been announced that King County Council chair and already-endorsed-by-this-group County Executive candidate Dow Constantine is here.
11:08 PM: Just announced, neither Nickels nor McGinn got two-thirds support on second ballot – 64% for Nickels, 35% for McGinn. Now a third ballot will decide on dual endorsement or no endorsement. And meantime they’re moving on to decide what to vote on the bag fee (Seattle Referendum 1). Ann Martin is speaking in favor of it, holding up cloth bags: “This is a big step for our environment.” (A vote FOR the referendum would be a vote in favor of the 20-cent fee for non-reusable shopping bags.) There was also a speaker against – and now Sharon Huling is speaking in favor – saying plastic pollution is “a critical problem.” Cherisse Luxa follows that up by speaking against the bag fee – saying it’s a “regressive” fee. And then, speakers for and against REJECTING the bag fee – Chris Porter, against rejecting: “The planet cannot wait.” Heather Trim of People for Puget Sound held up a small bottle she said contained evidence of plastic pollution in the ocean, blamed partly on bags:
11:24 PM: Just announced, neither Licata nor Israel got two-thirds majority in the second ballot in their council race – so it goes to third ballot (like many other races tonight), “dual endorsement or no endorsement.” We’re also still awaiting results of the same third-ballot “dual or no” vote in Seattle mayor, which is Nickels vs. McGinn.
11:33 PM: Neither side in the bag fee got two-thirds … “yes” came close, 64% … so the 34th DDs take “no position” on that. Now they’re taking up the North Highline Annexation (whether south White Center and other parts of the unincorporated area will agree to be annexed by Burien). A motion to endorse has made from the floor. King County Council Chair Dow Constantine and former Burien City Councilmember Stephen Lamphear have spoken for it – “There is one Highline,” says Lamphear, saying he wanted to annex ALL of North Highline even back when he was on the council; Sharon Maeda has spoken against the proposal. On a hand vote, the 34th DDs support the annexation proposal.
11:48 PM: Now miscellaneous matters. Judge Anne Ellington has been endorsed. The “Decline to Sign” movement to keep an anti-gay-rights referendum off the ballot is supported. Now there are motions to endorse Charlie Mas or Betty Patu for the school board seat that Cheryl Chow is leaving. Leslie Harris is speaking in favor of Mas and recommends people check out his writings at saveseattleschools.blogspot.com. She called him “briliant” and noted he has “lots of experience being a gadfly.” Christi Stapleton speaks for Patu and notes she worked at West Seattle’s now-closed Cooper Elementary for many years. This race now goes to a paper ballot.
11:57 PM UPDATE: Meeting adjourned after it was noted that the School Board district is not in the 34th’s turf (although in the GENERAL election, all school board seats are voted on citywide). Almost five hours. Will file a separate item with more photos as well as succinct list of who was endorsed for what.
They’ve already endorsed King County Council Chair Dow Constantine for County Executive, but otherwise, the 34th District Democratshave a lot of deciding to do tomorrow night – this area’s biggest political event of the primary season. Their website runs down the order in which they will vote on who to endorse, and notes that most of the voting will be done on written ballots. If you’re a member, be there – 7 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. As for the actual election: August 18 is the official date, but the voting begins as soon as the ballots arrive, and the county starts mailing them July 29.
Though August 18 is the official date for the primary election, voting begins in less than a month, as King County Elections will start mailing ballots four weeks from today (military/overseas ballots even sooner). Candidates in the hottest incumbentless race, King County Executive, talked environmental issues last night at Town Hall downtown, as a sizable audience looked on:
By Johnathon Fitzpatrick
Special to West Seattle Blog
The stage was set as if for a musical recital, with tall backed bar-stools and music stands. Hoping for a quintet performance by King County Executive candidates, the full audience that gathered at Town Hall for a debate on environmental leadership had to settle for the regular quartet performance by the four elected Democrats running in this officially nonpartisan race – King County Council Chair Dow Constantine of West Seattle, State Rep. Ross Hunter of Medina, County Councilmember Larry Phillips of Magnolia and State Sen. Fred Jarrett of Mercer Island. (8 candidates are running; see the full list here.)
As they climbed onto their seats for the debate, someone in the crowd shouted: “Where’s Susan?” That question seemed to be on many minds, as the audience erupted in boos when Clifford Traisman, moderator for the otherwise-orderly debate hosted by the Washington Environmental Council, gave the now-familiar explanation that candidate Susan Hutchison had declined their request, citing a prior engagement. (She did attend a forum the night before – here’s the Daily Weekly‘s account – and mentions the environment on her website’s “issues” page.)
Will Seattle’s future townhouses transcend the dominant design critiqued in that city photo/graphic? City Councilmember Sally Clark hopes so. Tonight — almost one full year after she, Mayor Nickels and West Seattle architect Brandon Nicholson stood together at the Capitol Hill announcement (July 2008 WSB coverage here) of the proposal to change the Multi-Family Code, particularly as it affects townhouse design, the committee Clark chairs brings the topic to West Seattle. At 6 pm at Youngstown Arts Center, her Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee convenes a “review and discussion of issues surrounding townhouses and other low-rise housing.” Those issues are detailed in this 12-page memo, if you have time for a little advance studying – after which, if you have something to say, tonight’s agenda has room for it, with a full hour set aside for public comment. (And if you want to check on the status of the entire Multi-Family Code proposal, that’s all here.)
We’re at The Hall at Fauntleroy, where City Council President Richard Conlin is one of four councilmembers here (with Tim Burgess, Nick Licata and Sally Clark) for the “town hall” meeting tackling three topics: Youth violence, public schools, and tree protection. The latter is one of his signature issues, so our photo shows him facilitating one of the small-group discussions into which the meeting has split. Almost 100 people are here, and we’re in the second round of small groups – based on a show of attendee interest, each small-group round has had two groups talking about youth violence, one about schools, one about trees. The facilitators are asking participants for their ideas regarding those issues – and after this round of discussions is over, we’ll all hear brief reports on those ideas; we’ll add a summary here later, and “what happens next” – the gathering is scheduled to continue till 9. After sitting in on the tree conversation, we’re now in a youth-violence session; in both, participants have announced themselves as being from other areas of the city – this is the only council “town hall” south of the Ship Canal this time around, and we’ve heard from people so far who are here from Beacon Hill and Rainier Beach, among other areas (a few from the north end too – Capitol Hill and Magnolia). 8:58 PM UPDATE: The meeting has wrapped up. Will add the toplines soon. 11:35 PM UPDATE: Read on for our full report:Read More
CITY COUNCIL IN WEST SEATTLE: City councilmember sightings in West Seattle are far from rare, but an appearance by the entire City Council is, and that’s exactly what’s happening tonight, 6:30 pm, The Hall at Fauntleroy. It’s the second of two town-hall-format meetings with which the council’s kicking off summer, and this one has something the other one didn’t – a keynote address by a violence-prevention expert from Chicago, Gary Slutkin, who’s spotlighted in this video clip we found:
Also at tonight’s meeting, time is promised for you to voice your ideas on the night’s three big topics – youth violence, public schools, and tree protection. Full agenda here.
SOUTH DELRIDGE/WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY SAFETY COALITION: Tonight’s the monthly meeting of this crime-prevention and safety-evangelizing group, 6 pm, St. James Place (9421 18th SW; map).
PARKS BOARD: As previewed on Wednesday, tonight’s meeting is scheduled to include the board’s final decision (recommendation to the Superintendent) on two issues with West Seattle ramifications: Possible changes in parks’ operating hours, and synthetic turf. 7 pm, parks HQ downtown (map).
This topic has come up at some of the candidate forums we’ve attended – the unpopularity of the so-called “head tax,” formally known as the “employee hours tax,” requiring Seattle employers to pay a $25 annual tax for each employee. Now, there’s word of a formal proposal to repeal it – read on for the city news release:Read More
Primary Election Day is a month from today; your ballot will arrive in about two weeks. WSB is offering close-up looks — with West Seattle-specific questions — at races including the three 
When you meet Rusty Williams, it won’t take him long to mention his mother, Jeanette Williams, a hard-working Seattle City Councilmember who served from 1970 to 1989, and his inspiration. 
Most people wouldn’t admit a fascination with land-use codes, but Seattle City Council Position 8 candidate David Miller, a 42-year-old Maple Leaf resident, doesn’t hesitate. 
PARK GUN BAN? The ACC has sent city leaders a letter urging support for a ban on guns in parks. Even if it’s not the city’s jurisdiction – if that would have to go through the state Legislature, as was suggested after the mayor proposed such a ban last year – ACC’s Paul Carr says they hope the city would lobby strongly for a guns-in-parks ban. The ACC’s support for this is a result of discussions that followed the 
was City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, who heads up the council’s Energy and Technology Committee. The roundtable chat with seven of us representing local businesses/organizations covered a wide range of topics; of most interest – will Seattle City Light rates go up? Harrell stressed that SCL is technically a distinct entity but that he hasn’t seen any “data” regarding alleged money woes, which he says include “leaked” suggestions they might seek a rate increase of 20 percent next year. He says, “There might be a rate increase of some sort, but nothing close to that,” promising to closely scrutinize any such request, and the utility’s operations. He also discussed the city’s just-submitted application to get federal funding to put City Light on a “smart grid” – they’re hoping for up to $100 million of the $200 million he says it would cost to install technology that would enable more efficient management both at the operations level and at the individual customer level. Harrell says it would also assist in outages, potentially rerouting power around a trouble spot. That was good news to Marcia Chittenden, operator of the 
– and $2 million is earmarked, we’re told, to go toward a new vessel for the West Seattle run of the 
for the 
– during our short phone conversation that it was a “huge” step simply for a hearing to be held; McDermott himself had said during the hearing that it was “a long time coming.” (The Duwamish were briefly recognized in the waning days of the Clinton Administration; then, as was recapped during today’s hearing, that was canceled early in the Bush Administration, with a procedural error cited – missing signatures on paperwork. The Duwamish are fighting that decision in court.) We haven’t yet found anyplace with a detailed report on today’s hearing, and the video is not yet archived on the committee website; 
State Rep. 
A version of this proposal is finally coming before the City Council next Monday (2 pm), according to the office of West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who worked for and with Ms. Williams for many years. 
The stage was set as if for a musical recital, with tall backed bar-stools and music stands. Hoping for a quintet performance by King County Executive candidates, the full audience that gathered at 
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