Monday, May 20, 2013

Thursday 5/23/13 Micro-housing Forum


(thanks to Jim Erickson, First Hill, for this message)
To learn what the issue is, you can watch a 3:38 minute video at:
You can also go to Seattle Channel to find the 60 minute show:
City Inside/Out: Micro Housing 5/10/2013
Living options in Seattle are growing even as space is shrinking. Micro-apartments are sprouting up all over the city, even as some neighborhood residents protest what they consider a loophole in land use law. Are developers going too far? Do these compact spaces provide a viable affordable housing alternative? Should the city put a freeze on micro-housing? Hear from developer Jim Potter, Reasonable Density Seattle founder Carl Winter and micro-apartment resident Paul Giuglianotti. In studio, we get perspective from Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council member and chair of its Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee; transit planner Adam Parast; Wallingford activist Greg Hill; and Capitol Hill activist Dennis Saxman. We put micro-housing under the microscope, as city leaders decide whether a moratorium is needed! 
Learn more about this episode...
Those who are concerned about the impact that Micro-Housing is having on Seattle neighborhoods have formed a group called Reasonable Density Seattle:
And if you have questions and would like to take part in a live discussion please join us at:
East Precinct Advisory Council, Thursday, May 23; 6:30 to 8:30 PM
·         Seattle University’s Chardin Hall, 1020 East Jefferson
·         Enter the campus at 11th and East Jefferson, park FREE in the lot
o   Enter the building and turn right down the hall

Greetings neighbors!
 How does the development of Micro-housing impact you and your neighborhood?
 There has been a lot of concern about this increasingly upward trend of Micro-Housing, also known as “APODments”, small, single occupancy units sometimes with shared kitchens. The Capitol Hill Community Council has been addressing this issue for some time, and the City Council has hosted forums to explore citizen concerns.
The micro-housing movement has been expanding beyond Capitol Hill into the Central District, First Hill and other East Precinct neighborhoods. With a rising demand for affordable housing, these units provide a way for young singles, professionals and retired folks to actually be able to live in Seattle, close to work, restaurants and entertainment venues, and also bring rich diversity to neighborhoods. These small units are not only affordable, but provide updated amenities such as free Internet.
It seems like a simple solution. Or is it? What are the concerns of some citizens who reside in the neighborhoods near these developments?  Zoning loopholes, shortage of parking, transitional, short term residents?  What are the benefits to folks living in the units?
We hope to answer some of these and other questions at our Thursday, May 23rd East Precinct Advisory Board (EastPAC) Community Meeting. This is our effort to address a quality of life issues and proactively develop mutually beneficial solutions.
 Guests include The Stranger’s Dominic Holden, who recently wrote an informative article on this issue; Miriam Roskin, Manager for Planning and Policy, City of Seattle’s Office of Housing; and a representative from the City’s Department of Planning and Development. 
 The takeaway is, in our effort to be proactive, we will advocate for East Precinct citizens, likely in collaboration with the other city wide Precinct Advisory Councils, who’s constituencies are likely experiencing similar issues.
I am encouraging you to attend.
Stephanie Tschida, Chair
East Precinct Advisory Council
(Panel member Dominic Holden has written about micro-housing:  

The Fight Against Small Apartments

Why Neighborhood Groups Are Uniting to Stop Developers from Building Tiny, Affordable Units)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

District Council meeting notes from Capitol Hill Times


Gina Biber, the news editor of the Capitol Hill Times was at Monday's District Council meeting, and has filed two short reports about the meeting:


Sunday, May 12, 2013

Who we are


The East District Council is one of thirteen such Seattle councils, organized by the City Department of Neighborhoods  as a way for local neighborhood groups to share information and to help the Department to rate citizen applications for Neighborhood Matching Funds.

We meet monthly, from 5:45 to 7:45 PM, typically in the Capitol Hill Library on the second Monday of the month. Our acting District Coordinator is Karen Ko (206-684-4054), while Tim Durkan is on sabatical.

Our boundaries, shown on this City map, include the communities of Capitol Hill,  Madison Park        Miller Park, Montlake, First Hill,  Madison Valley  and Yesler Terrace

East District Boundaries, before Montlake rejoined the East District.


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Examples of District Council membership rules


Central:

2 GENERAL CRITERIA Voting membership on the CANDC shall be held by community organizations, not individuals. Members designate one representative and one alternate to the CANDC. Membership may be held only by organizations that operate within the CANDC boundaries, whose stated purpose reflects the values described in Section 1.3. Furthermore, organizations must operate in accordance with democratic principles under a written constitution or bylaws, which exercise a non-discrimination policy equivalent to the CANDC policy stated in Section 2.4.

  1. 2.1  Standing membership is held by neighborhood councils that meet the general criteria. 
  2. 2.2  At-Large membership is held by business or service associations by approval of the District Council. Application for membership must be made to the Executive Committee by written request. The Executive Committee will ensure that minimum requirements for membership are met as set forth in Section 2. The Executive Committee shall promptly make a recommendation to the full Council. The recommendation shall be approved at the following meeting by a simple majority. At-large members shall serve a one year term and may be re-approved for membership, by simple majority vote. 
  3. 2.3  If the members representative(s) has three or more unexcused consecutive absences the member shall lose its voting rights until their representative(s) has attended three meetings. Voting rights are reestablished at the third meeting they attend. 

May 2013 Meeting Agenda



East District Council

Monday, May 13, 2013
5:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Capitol Hill Branch, Seattle Public Library
425 Harvard Avenue East    

·      Welcome and Introductions
·      Additions to Agenda
·      Minutes of April 8 meeting
       

Andrew Taylor, Chair
District Council Members


5:45 - 5:55

·      First Hill Streetcar Update

Seattle Department of Transportation

5:55 – 6:05

·      Follow up discussion from last month on chronic public nuisance – what can we do about it?  What can the City do about it?

Matthew York, East Precinct Liaison,Assistant City Attorney

6:10 – 6:45

·      City Neighborhood Council Report -

Jan Maloney/Andrew Taylor

6:45 – 6:50

·      Duwamish River Clean up and the EPA report/plan

 Members Duwamish River Clean up Coalition

6:50 – 7:00

·      Neighborhood Round Robin –
     Capitol Hill     Madison Park          Miller Park
     First Hill          Madison Valley       Yesler Terrace



District Council Members

7:05 – 7:15

·       Bylaws Discussion -

Andrew Taylor

7:15 – 7:40

·      Wrap Up & Adjourn

Andrew Taylor, Chair

7:30 – 7:35



(Bylaws from assorted District Councils are on this blog, to help guide our discussions, along with the present version of the East District Council bylaws)

April 2013 Draft Minutes



(see also Capitol Hill Seattle blog report on April meeting)


East District Council
Seattle Public Library – Capitol Hill Branchi
425 Harvard Avenue
April 8, 2013
5:45 pm – 7:45 pm

Minutes

Members Attending:


Andrew Taylor, Miller Park
Janis Maloney, Madison Park Bus. Association
John Akamatsu, Capitol Hill Comm. Council
Anita Bowers, Montlake Community Council
Elaine King, Montlake Community Council
Kristen O’Donnell, Yesler Terrace Community Council
Erin Abu-Rish, Capitol Hill Community Council
Janice Tufte, Interfaith Taskforce on Homelessness
Gene Brandzel, Madison Park Community Council


East District Council Bylaws



 EAST DISTRICT COUNCIL BY- LAWS REVISED & APPROVED 06-01-09
              
Name and authority:  The name of this organization shall be the East District Council, as organized under the authority of, and pursuant to, the provisions of Attachment A to Resolution 27709 of the Seattle City Council adopted October 27, 1987, Resolution 28115 adopted December 18, 1989, and Resolution 28948 adopted July 11, 1994. . (http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoodcouncil/resources.htm)


Boundaries:              The boundaries of the East District Council include Capitol Hill, First Hill, Yesler Terrace, Miller Park, Madison Park and parts of the Madison Valley, as shown on:
Both sides of any street shown on the map as a boundary shall be within the District boundaries.

Purpose: The East District Council shall provide a forum for consideration of common concerns including physical planning, budget allocations and service delivery and for the sharing of ideas for solutions to common problems.

Neighborhood business and residential groups will continue to determine their own boundaries and will remain free to deal directly with City departments and elected officials as they have in the past.


Membership:            Membership shall be of such community councils and neighborhood business organizations primarily located in the District Council’s boundaries that wish to participate. Other representatives may be added at the discretion of the District Council. An applicant organization must not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
Council membership requires active participation and may be terminated by lack of representation at half of any 12-month series of meetings, after review by the executive committee and vote of the membership.

Voting:           Each member organization shall have one vote and may designate one representative and one alternate to the Council. The alternate shall be seated in the absence of the representative. Only those member organizations present may vote.


To take a vote, a quorum must exist at that meeting. A quorum shall exist when one half plus one of the active member organizations is present and has received seven days advance notice of the meeting. A procedural or an operational vote requires a simple majority of those present. To take an official position, amend the bylaws, or induct (or remove) a member organization shall require a two-thirds vote of the representatives at the meeting.


Organization:           At least annually, the Council shall elect an Executive Committee consisting of a  Chair, a Vice Chair  and a Secretary to arrange for and chair District Council meetings, and carry out other duties as directed by the Council. Meeting minutes will be recorded and presented by a recording secretary provided by the Department of Neighborhoods.

Meetings:                  District Council meetings shall be open to the public and be held as needed on the first Monday except when it is a holiday, then the meeting will move to the following  Monday. Meetings will be announced by the recording secretary in local newspapers and blogs, and shall be held at least 6 times per year.


Adopted, as revised, by the East District Council membership June 1, 2009.