NEWS GLEAMS | Seattle City Council District 2 Vacancy Open for Applications; Disaster Relief Available for Bomb Cyclone

In early December, Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales, representing District 2, from Yesler Terrace to Rainier Beach, announced that she would be resigning from her position. She cited pressing personal family needs as well as concerns around the state of the current City Council, which she believes "has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department" and undermined her work as a policymaker. Morales has served in her position since 2019, and her last day is Jan. 6.

Applications for the role opened on Jan. 2 and are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 9. The final candidate will then be selected by Jan. 27, because of a rule in the City Council charter that gives the City Council 20 calendar days to fill the role.

Each applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a qualified elector of the State of Washington, an active registered voter of the City of Seattle, and a resident of the district represented for at least 120 days prior to and including the date of filing the declaration of candidacy. They must also be able to read and write the English language. The council can also determine additional qualifications.

As a part of the candidate's appointment, the Seattle Municipal Code also requires that a community forum be hosted by a community organization, so through 5 p.m. on Jan. 9, the council is actively taking suggestions for organizations that are willing to host the forum on or around Jan. 21. The community forum is intended to play a role in guiding the outcome of the council's vote on the final appointee. Interested community entities should email CouncilVacancy@Seattle.gov.

After the councilmember is elected, they will serve until general elections in 2025, when a newly elected councilmember representing District 2 will take the position. Whoever fills the role this January is also eligible to run for the position later this year.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved disaster assistance to help King County residents and businesses recover from the bomb cyclone weather event that occurred between Nov. 17 and Nov. 25, 2024.

SBA assistance is available to those residing in Chelan, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Snohomish, and Yakima Counties. Businesses and homeowners can apply for up to 20% of their damages, and businesses or nonprofits of all sizes can borrow up to $2 million. Homeowners can receive up to $500,000 to repair or replace real estate, and homeowners or renters can receive up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property. Other details can be found on SBA's website.

To apply for a loan, one must include information about the damaged property, insurance policy details, contact information, and social security numbers for all applicants, or lease agreement information for renters.

Interested parties can apply online via SBA.gov/Disaster. The deadline to apply for property damage is Feb. 21 and the deadline to apply for economic injury is Sept. 23.

Those who need assistance can call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@SBA.gov. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.

The 2nd Annual Maritime Career Expo, hosted by Maritime High School, will offer students and community members insights into maritime industry career opportunities, with representatives from organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Holland America Line, Washington State Ferries, Puget Sound Pilots, the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory, Maersk Broker, and Crowley. Northwest Maritime will also facilitate interactive activities, which will provide hands-on introductions to the field.

The event marks a milestone for Maritime High School, which first opened its doors in 2021 and is celebrating its first graduating class. The public choice school is located within Highline Public Schools and offers students a career-focused education that combines hands-on learning experiences, such as shipbuilding and navigation, with academic studies that are relevant to maritime industry careers.

The free event takes place at Highline High School (1225 S. 152nd St., Burien, WA), on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information can be found on the Maritime High School website.

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