1. Voters have two more days to mail in their ballots in this year’s school levy election. We strongly agree with last week’s superior court ruling that the state isn’t meeting its constitutional obligation to fully fund education. However, until that matter is resolved by the courts, schools still rely heavily on levies for basic stuff like textbooks, vocational training, and safe buildings. In Seattle, for example, levies fund about 23 percent of basic school operations.
Prop. 1, the capital levy, will raise $270 million for seismic improvements, roofs, energy efficiency improvements, and playgrounds, and Prop. 2, the operations levy, will raise $433 million for teacher pay, books, and reduced class sizes. Both are renewals of existing levies, and both deserve your vote.
2. Ted Inkley and Phil Brenneman, two controversial assistant city attorneys under Tom Carr who were asked to leave by new city attorney Pete Holmes, recently filed a massive public disclosure request with from Holmes’ office. According to Holmes’ spokeswoman Kathy Mulady, the two attorneys have asked for copies of all communications between Holmes and members of his small transition team related to “staffing changes, reorganizations in the office, plans for increases and decreases of staff, and the salaries of proposed hires.” Holmes’ office is releasing the documents in batches, and Brennamen and Inkley are reviewing them in person at the city attorney’s office.
3. As he announced in his inauguration speech, Mayor Mike McGinn is launching a series of five group discussions focusing on youth and families. The first one will be at the Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave. S., on February 22 from 7 to 8:30 pm.
4. Children’s Hospital and the Laurelhurst Community Club have “reached an agreement on some matters” related to the neighborhood group’s lawsuit challenging the hospital’s expansion plans, according to a letter from Sally Clark, chair of the council’s built environment committee. “Council does not have a copy of or know the specifics of the agreement,” Clark says in the letter.
Laurelhurst residents have spent several years fighting Children’s expansion plans, arguing that a bigger hospital will create excessive noise and traffic havoc in the neighborhood. The committee will hear oral arguments from both sides at its meeting this Wednesday at 9:30 am.
