This Week on PubliCola
Quick hits from this week's news.
Monday, April 1: Seattle Times Shocked to Learn Even Groups They Disagree With Can Get Street-Use Permits
The Seattle Times denounces the city for granting a permit for the Cascade Bicycle Club, which advocates for safer streets, to use the West Seattle Bridge for its annual fundraising ride.
The Crisis Care Centers Levy, One Year Later: Where Will the Kids Go?
Guest columnist Brittany Miles discusses the immediate need for a crisis care center for kids under 17, and the hurdles crisis care centers will inevitably face as King County tries to site them in local communities.
Tuesday, April 2: Tentative Police Contract Includes 23 Percent Retroactive Raise, Raising Cops’ Base Salary to Six Figures
PubliCola breaks the news about double-digit wage increases for police, at a time when other city workers will get cost of living adjustments that barely keep pace with inflation.
Don’t Open Pike Place to Pedestrians, Council Member Urges
Pedestrianizing the traffic-choked road in front of Pike Place Market is a popular proposal, but new Councilmember Bob Kettle wants to make sure the city doesn’t do it.
Thursday, April 4: After Series of Hurried Meetings, Homelessness Authority Decides to Continue Search for Permanent Leader
The embattled regional homelessness authority will keep looking for a new leader, rather than suspending the search as two powerful search committee members urged last week. Plans to restructure the authority to give more power to elected officials also continue.
Friday, April 5: Police Contract Offers Big Raises, No Significant Accountability Improvements
We got a copy of the tentative police contract, which the police union briefly posted before replacing the contract with a photo of the union president. The contract includes almost none of the baseline accountability measures the city adopted into law in 2017.
New Police Contract “Does Not Appear to Address Accountability at All,” Reform Advocates Say
Reporter Andrew Engelson dives further into the details of the contract, and talks to advocates for police accountability who say it falls far short of their lowest expectations.