Seattle (January 13, 2021) – Following heavy rains and strong winds overnight the City of Seattle is closely monitoring impacts to City services. The storm that moved through overnight brought strong winds and peak gusts of up to 50 mph, with over 70,000 power outages at the height of the wind event. After days of above-average rainfall, strong winds… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle (January 13, 2021) — With growing concerns regarding the long-term value of fossil fuel investments, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan sent a letter to the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System Board (SCERS) urging them to divest from fossil fuel commodities and companies. The Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) stewards over $3.2 billion in Seattle employees retirement funds, and is required… [ Keep reading ]
SEATTLE (January 13, 2021) – Following the State Environmental Policy Act process, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that she has transmitted to City Council the proposed update to the energy code that would further electrify buildings using clean energy and restrict fossil fuels for most building use. By updating its energy code, the City will restrict the use of fossil fuels in new commercial and large multi-family construction for space… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle (January 7, 2021) – Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced that Steven Marchese will join the City of Seattle as the new director of the Office of Labor Standards (OLS). Marchese will join the City with over 20 years of public service experience. Most recently, Marchese served as Public Service Director for the Minnesota State… [ Keep reading ]
SEATTLE (January 4, 2021) – On January 1, 2021, the minimum compensation requirements established by Seattle’s Fare Share Wage Ordinance went into effect. This new ordinance ensures all drivers are paid a fair wage, guarantees that drivers are paid for all of their working time, and compensates drivers for work-related expenses and some benefits, and protects drivers from unlawful deductions. Building off legislation passed in November 2019,… [ Keep reading ]
SEATTLE (December 11, 2020) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan’s Clean City Initiative is ramping up, investing more than $3 million in new funding to surge new and existing programs to clean up litter, remove graffiti, and address a backlog of deferred grounds maintenance across the city. Data from Seattle Public Utilities’ Illegal Dumping program shows a 195% increase in the volume of material collected from Quarter 2 to Quarter 3 of 2020. “The pandemic has left the City with significant… [ Keep reading ]
Fresh Bucks Customers Receive $40 in Monthly Benefits to Purchase Fruits and Vegetables from Participating Seattle Farmers Markets, Neighborhood Grocers, and Seattle Safeway Stores SEATTLE (December 10, 2020) – The addition of $1.3 million for Fresh Bucks in the newly approved 2021 City budget, combined with year-end program savings, makes it possible to enroll 3,100 people currently on the Fresh Bucks waitlist to begin receiving vouchers in… [ Keep reading ]