Homelessness Authority Undergoes Forensic Audit, County Assessor Won’t Have to Wear Ankle Monitor in Stalking Case, and More News from this Week
Monday, April 13
On the podcast this week, we talked about Mayor Wilson’s plan to build 500 new tiny house village-style shelter units by this summer; stalking charges against King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson; and the latest library levy, which will dwarf the most recent such levy at nearly half a billion dollars.
Tuesday, April 14
King County Assessor Says He Can’t Wear Ankle Monitor In Stalking Case
County assessor Wilson, whose term ends this year, failed to show up to a court hearing where he planned to argue that he couldn’t wear a court-ordered ankle monitor because of a medical condition. His lawyer cited scheduling confusion as the reason for his absence from the virtual hearing.
Burien Puts City Manager on Leave
The Burien City Council, which has a new progressive majority, placed controversial city manager Adolfo Bailon on administrative leave this week. Bailon recently fired Burien’s city attorney, who was reportedly helping the city council figure out the process for ushering Bailon out the door.
Bicycle Weekends Will Be (Almost) Every Weekend This Year
Mayor Wilson announced the dates for Seattle’s annual “Bicycle Weekends” event, in which the city opens up Lake Washington Boulevard in Seward Park to cyclists and pedestrians during summer weekends. Unlike her predecessor, who killed longstanding plans to install stop signs and speed humps on the dangerous lakefront boulevard, Wilson is expanding the safe-street program to include every summer weekend (except Seafair) and three holidays.
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Wednesday, April 15
King County Assessor Won’t Have to Wear Ankle Monitor in Stalking Case
King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson, who was arrested and charged with stalking after he showed up repeatedly at his former fiancée’s house in violation of a no-contact order, will not have to wear an ankle monitor, a Seattle Municipal Court judge ruled, due to a medical condition that Wilson said requires him to soak his legs nightly. The monitor would have alerted Keller if Wilson violated the order by coming within 1,000 feet of her.
Thursday, April 16
Mayor Wilson’s “Shelter Acceleration” Plan Moves Forward, With Some Questions Unanswered
The City Council approved two pieces of legislation to advance Mayor Wilson’s proposed shelter expansion this week and moved a third bill forward, clearing a legal path for the city to build larger tiny house villages on a shorter timeline and providing $5 million to help pay for the first of 1,000 new shelter units Wilson has said her administration will add this year. But the council had questions about how the mayor plans to make her shelter plans sustainable, given ongoing budget deficits.
Friday, April 17
As Seattle Goes It Alone on Shelter, Homelessness Authority Faces Forensic Financial Audit
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority will not oversee any of the new shelter contracts, the Wilson administration confirmed to PubliCola. KCRHA is currently undergoing a forensic audit into its accounting and budgeting practices, a sign of strong concern from both the city and King County, its two primary funders.