🏘 Wilson introduces housing legislation

Wilson Transition Committee Releases Transition Report

Mayor Katie Wilson’s transition team, led by a variety of voices across Housing, Transportation, Economic Development, Arts & Culture, Public Safety, and more, has released a 30-page report highlighting the direction the administration should take. According to the memo, the team “engaged thousands of residents across sectors & neighborhoods. What stood out most was not division but a shared desire for a Seattle that works again, a city where housing is attainable, small businesses can survive, workers are protected, young people feel safe & heard, & public spaces reflect care & pride.” [Seattle.gov]

Here Is What Those Residents Want:

• Housing preserved & produced faster.
• Safer streets & parks through prevention, partnerships, shelter support, & coordinated response.
• Sustainable support for artists, small businesses, & working families.
• A government that breaks down silos & measures what it promises.
• Young people at the table with real influence.
• Civil rights are defended not just in statements, but in operations.
• A civic narrative that articulates what Seattle stands for, how decisions align with shared values, & how major initiatives advance a coherent vision for the city’s future.

Housing: At the very top of that list is housing, and that is a core issue in Wilson’s campaign. She has promised to create 1,000 new shelter beds by the end of the year. On Wednesday, Mayor Wilson introduced three bills that will reduce barriers to tiny house villages. Bill one allows the city to directly lease and prepare land for the tiny house villages. The second increases the cap on the size of individual villages from 100 to as many as 250. The third appropriates $4.8 million in unspent city funds for shelter. Wilson told PubliCola this strategy can be implemented more quickly than traditional housing. [PubliCola]

Listen/Watch For Our Analysis: Today on the pod, we have a deep dive into the report itself and also what we think may be missing from it. Listen or watch!

Trader Joe’s, Costco Supplier Recalling 37 Million Pounds of Food 🍛

Ajinomoto Foods North America is recalling foods sold under the Kroger, Ling Ling, Tai Pei, and Trader Joe’s labels, in addition to its house Ajinomoto brand, for potential glass contamination. Trader Joe’s has recalled chicken fried rice with best-by dates between Sept. 8 and Nov. 17. They have also recalled veggie fried rice with best-by dates between Feb. 28 and Nov. 19, Japanese-style fried rice with best-by dates between Feb. 28 and Nov. 14, and chicken shu mai with best-by dates between March 13 and Oct. 23. Costco has also recalled fried rice products. For a full list of recalled products, follow this link. [Seattle Times]

City Light Agrees To Invest $979 Million for Fish Passage 🐟

Seattle City Light has agreed to invest almost a billion dollars to build a fish passage around three Skagit River dams - Ross, Diablo, and Gorge - to reconnect migrating salmon to a habitat they’ve been severed from for decades. Seattle City Light insisted the salmon never reached parts of the upper Skagit where the dams were built. However, years of documentation by federal agencies and Upper Skagit tribes proved that Salmon did indeed reach and spawn in the Upper Skagit. The full package of environmental measures in SCL’s agreement with tribes and federal and state agencies includes habitat restoration, water quality improvement, flow modifications, and long-term monitoring, and is estimated at $3.8 billion. [KING 5]

1st Ave Bridge Will Close Northbound Lanes Next Week 🛣️

WSDOT will close the northbound lanes of State Route 99 First Avenue South from 5 a.m. Monday, March 9, through 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. This comes after a bridge inspection identified cracks in the steel deck grates; next week, WSDOT will work to stabilize the bridge before more closures to replace the broken panels in mid-to-late April, as well as long-term preservation work sometime in 2027. [WSDOT]