Open Board Position

The South Lake Union Community Council currently has one (1) board-appointed position open on its Board of Directors. We welcome all members of the South Lake Union community who are interested in taking an active role in the future of this neighborhood to apply for a board position, join a committee and/or attend our monthly meetings.  

The open position will be filling in for the term of 2014-2017.  Responsibilities of a Board Member include attendance at monthly meetings which are held the first Tuesday of each month from 4-6PM and a commitment to the full three-year term. Additional opportunities for community engagement are available through committee participation and community outreach.

Candidates must be South Lake Union community stakeholders.  Stakeholders are specifically defined as residents, business and property owners (or their representatives), or employees within the South Lake Union neighborhood boundaries.

If you, or someone you know, are interested, please submit a letter of interest to info@SLUCommunityCouncil.org.  The Letter of Interest should outline the candidate's motivation for becoming a SLUCC Board Member, background in South Lake Union, and the strengths brought to the Board in less than 200 words.

The position will remain open until filled or at the Council's next annual elections.

SLUCC January Board Meeting Agenda

Tues., Jan. 6, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m.)Museum of History and Industry | Lake Union Park | 860 Terry Ave N. Seattle, WA 98109

AGENDA

1. Happy New Year!  Welcome & Introductions
2. About Our Host:  Museum of History and Industry (Leonard Garfield, MOHAI Exec. Dir.)
3. Establish a Quorum
4. Approval of Minutes:  Dec. 2014 (Erin Maher)
5. Public Comments
6. Presentations: •    Denny Substation Update:  (Michael Clarke SCL) •    Compass Housing Alliance / Compass on Dexter (Robert Bowery) •    Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole
7. Executive Reports •    President's Report (Mike McQuaid) •    Vice President's Report (Pearl Leung) ~ 2015 Elections •    Treasurer's Report (Kyle Ducey)
8. Committee Reports •    Policy & Planning (Dan Foltz) •    Transportation (Kyle Ducey) •    Communications (Pearl Leung) ~ Events Sub-Committee (Dena Lee)
9. Neighborhood Reports •    City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods (Tim Durkan, Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods) •    Public Safety (Sgt Paul Gracy / Officer Sam Cook, Seattle Police Dept.) •    SLU Chamber of Commerce (Jodie King) •    Lake Union Park Working Group (Aislinn Palmer) •    Cascade Neighborhood (Sean Walsh, Y @ Cascade Peoples Center)
10. Old Business •    Westlake Micro Parks Update (Jim Goodspeed) •    Ongoing SLU Residents Group Engagement (Mike McQuaid)
11. New Business / Other Business •    City Council Elections / Community Forum (John Pehrson)
12. Next Meeting SLU Community Council Regular Monthly Meeting: Tues., Feb. 3, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m. MOHAI Conference Room, Lake Union Park)
13. Adjourn

Seattle Police Chief O'Toole to Speak at Jan. 6 SLU Community Council Meeting

SOUTH LAKE UNION – The South Lake Union community will welcome Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole for a neighborhood conversation at the South Lake Union Community Council's Tuesday, Jan. 6 meeting beginning at 4 p.m. at the Museum of History and Industry. A one-time Boston police commissioner and former inspector general for Ireland's national police force, Chief O'Toole will share her vision for public safety in the City of Seattle and the importance of community policing in Seattle neighborhoods as a part of the meeting hosted jointly by the South Lake Union Community Council and Chamber of Commerce.

"The South Lake Union community is especially honored to welcome Chief O'Toole to our neighborhood," said South Lake Union Community Council president Mike McQuaid.

Chief O'Toole was appointed in May 2014 by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and confirmed in late June by the Seattle City Council.

She has already set ambitious markers for herself and the some 1,300 SPD officers including a pledge to craft a policing plan "for every neighborhood in the city" within 30 to 60 days of her confirmation.

Speaking at a South End community forum this spring, Chief O'Toole shared her vision and expectations for working together with neighborhoods throughout the City.

"I intend to spend a lot of time in the neighborhoods," she said in a June 23 SeattlePI.com story. "I will expect my commanders to do the same."

Since her confirmation, McQuaid, along with other South Lake Union neighborhood leaders have responded enthusiastically to the Seattle Police Department's outreach.

Together with West Precinct community police team's Sgt. Paul Gracy and Officer Sam Cook, neighborhood leaders have already been working to strengthen the flourishing neighborhood's bonds with community police team officers.

Activities have included hosted public safety meetings in South Lake Union and nearby Cascade along with the inclusion of a regular public safety discussion topic at community council meetings.

"Chief O'Toole is a genuine, neighborhood-minded leader who understands our communities from the bottom up," McQuaid said. "Her vision for community engagement and trust building is exciting for not just South Lake Union but the entire City of Seattle.

Chief O'Toole is a career police officer and lawyer who has earned an international reputation for her principled leadership and reform strategies.

In 2012, she completed a six-year term as Chief Inspector of the Gardia Síochána Inspectorate, an oversight body responsible for bringing reform, best practice and accountability to the 17,000-member Irish national police service.

Prior to serving in Ireland, Chief O'Toole rose through the ranks of local and state policing in the United States. During her police career, she was assigned to numerous patrol, investigative, undercover, supervisory and management positions.

She served as Superintendent (Chief) of the Metropolitan District Commission Police and Lieutenant Colonel overseeing Special Operations in the Massachusetts State Police. She was later appointed Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety (1994) and Boston Police Commissioner (2004).

Chief O'Toole is among a number of City of Seattle officials to join the South Lake Union Community Council for community discussions this year. Among them are Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Tom Rasmussen, Washington State Representatives Brady Walkinshaw (D-43rd) and Gael Tarleton (D-36th) while King County Councilmember Larry Phillips recently participated in the South Lake Union and Cascade neighborhood walking tour.

To learn more about the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole, please visit the Seattle Police Department website.

WHAT:       South Lake Union Community Council (January Meeting) WHEN:      Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015 – 4 p.m. WHERE:    Museum of History and Indudstry (860 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 at Lake Union Park) HOSTS:      SLU Community Counciland SLU Chamber of Commerce

About The South Lake Union Community Council

The recognized South Lake Union neighborhood leadership organization by the City of Seattle, the South Lake Union Community Council is the steward of the SLU neighborhood plan and collaboratively with community stakeholders authored theSLU Urban Design Framework and the SLU / Uptown Mobility Plan. The South Lake Union Community Council meets monthly (4 – 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month) at the Museum of History and Industry in South Lake Union. To learn more visit SLUCommunityCouncil.org.

SLUCC December Board Meeting Agenda

Tues., Dec. 2, 2014 (4 – 6 p.m.)Museum of History and Industry | Lake Union Park | 860 Terry Ave N. Seattle, WA 98109

AGENDA

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Establish a Quorum
3. Approval of Minutes:  Nov. 2014 (Erin Maher)
4. Public Comments
5. Presentations: •    SDOT Traffic/Safety/Construction Hub December Update •    Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
6. Executive Reports •    President’s Report (Mike McQuaid) •    Vice President’s Report (Pearl Leung) ~ Vacant Board Position •    Treasurer’s Report (Kyle Ducey)
7. Committee Reports •    Policy & Planning (Kyle Ducey for Dan Foltz) •    Transportation (Kyle Ducey) ~ Adaptive Signal Control Funding ~ North Portal / Surface Street Design ~ Westlake Cycle Track •    Communications (Pearl Leung)
8. Neighborhood Reports •    City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods (Tim Durkan, Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods) •    Public Safety (Officer Sam Cook, Seattle Police Dept.) •    SLU Chamber of Commerce (Jodie King) •    Lake Union Park Working Group (Aislinn Palmer) •    Cascade Neighborhood (Patty Turnberg)
9. Old Business •    Denny Substation Taskforce – Community Recommendations (Pearl Leung) •    Seattle City Council 2015 District Elections – SLU Strategy (Jim Goodspeed) •    SLU Residential Community Outreach Strategy (Mike McQuaid)
10. New Business / Other Business •    Upcoming Meeting Speakers: (January:  Seattle Chief of Police Kathleen O’Toole)
11. Next Meeting SLU Community Council Regular Monthly Meeting: Tues., Jan. 6, 2015 (4 – 6 p.m. MOHAI Conference Room, Lake Union Park)
12. Adjourn

South Lake Union Public Safety Update

Join the South Lake Community Council and Sergeant Paul Gracy of the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct Community Police Team for a neighborhood public safety conversation during our regular meeting, at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 5 at the Museum of History and Industry in Lake Union Park. This is an opportunity for to weigh in on public safety in the neighborhood and ask questions about how you can play an active role in crime prevention and keeping your South Lake Union neighborhood safe.

What: South Lake Union Public Safety Update Where: South Lake Union Community Council Regular Meeting at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) When: Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014 (4 p.m.) Who: Sgt. Paul Gracy, Seattle Police Department Community Police Team, South Lake Union Community Council, South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce Why: Meet you Seattle Police Department – West Precinct Community Police Team / Weigh in on public safety concerns / Learn how you can play an active role in keeping your South Lake Union neighborhood safe.

Learn More: South Lake Union Community Council

SLU Community Council News - May 2014

Submitted by: Lisa Moore, Executive Director, Queen Anne Helpline

As we work, live, and play in our South Lake Union neighborhood we’re surrounded by rapid upscale development. In sharp contrast is what we often don't see - neighbors in need. The Queen Anne Helpline is all too aware of this need because every year, as a neighborhood social service non-profit, we provide financial and other basic needs assistance to thousands of residents living in South Lake Union, Queen Anne and Magnolia. Residents including seniors living on fixed incomes, working families struggling to make ends meet, and many others who lack a safety net during times of hardship. These are people we shop with, sit next to in the coffee shop and attend church with.

Over 30 years ago Dick Rhodes, who owned the Queen Anne Thriftway, saw seniors were coming into his store and purchasing pet food because they could not afford anything else. His shocking discovery and realization that there are people in need in our relatively affluent neighborhoods led to the creation of the Queen Anne Helpline in 1982. Thirty-two years later the Helpline continues to provide critically needed aid to our most vulnerable neighbors.

Every day at the Helpline we see how unexpected events like losing a job or a medical emergency can undermine the stability of local residents. Residents like Barbara, a 76 year old widow, who after living in the same apartment for 30 years found herself unable to pay rent after an unexpected increase. Or Gail, who after a life-threatening illness was forced to make a choice between paying medical bills or her utility bill. Partnering with other local agencies to leverage resources and maximize our impact, we work closely with clients to provide targeted, short-term assistance.

The Queen Anne Helpline's programs prevent 300 evictions every year through our rental assistance, ensures people stay warm through our utility assistance, provides 240 meals every weekend to feed hungry children in our public schools, supports individuals in continuing education or job training, and much more. We look forward to working together to continue making the South Lake Union community a vibrant and a humaneneighborhood. For more information please visit: www.QueenAnneHelpline.org.

SLU Community Council Welcomes Netherlands American Chamber Director

South Lake Union has been garnering attention from around the globe in recent years due to its revitalization efforts, rapid growth, and the public process of bringing voices together to help shape its outcome.

One of our most recent visitors was Patrick Mikkelsen, executive director of the Netherlands American Chamber of Commerce. He was in Seattle early February as a part of a U.S. State Department professional exchange program exploring urban planning and design practices, and urban renewal efforts in America.

He and his team joined the South Lake Union Community Council  Policy and Planning Committee at the SLU architectural offices of Weber Thompson. We had a spirited conversation about everything from low income housing, to corporate anchors, the biotech hub, and to our public/private urban spaces. Patrick was inquisitive, enthusiastic, and had a lot to offer by allowing us to see ourselves through a European perspective.

The community council's Planning and Policy Committee meets monthly and reviews neighborhood planning, infrastructure, as well as development projects slated in South Lake Union.

To learn more about this committee and our work, please join us at the upcoming South Lake Union Community Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 from 4 p.m. To 6 p.m. at the Museum of History and Industry at Lake Union Park.

~ Jim Goodspeed is a board member of the South Lake Union Community Council, neighborhood resident and Principal of Goodspeed Architecture.

Next Meeting:

WHAT: South Lake Union Community Council Monthly Meeting DATE: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 TIME: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. WHERE: Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) 860 Terry Ave. North, Seattle, WA  98109 GETTING THERE: Walk, pedal or ride the Seattle Streetcar to the Lake Union Park stop. Public parking available through City of Seattle paid street-side parking. MORE INFO: www.SLUCommunityCouncil.org