NEWS GLEAMS | Det. Cookie Chess Park Reopening, Council Passes $6.5M for Seattle Green New Deal

A round-up of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

curated by Vee Hua 華婷婷

✨Gleaming This Week✨

• Seattle City Council Has Unanimously Passed $6.5M for the Seattle Green New Deal
• City of Seattle's Fall Budget Cycle Is Nearly Upon Us: Your Participation Is Needed!
• Detective Cookie Chess Park Reopens Saturday, Sept. 24

Seattle City Council Has Unanimously Passed $6.5M for the Seattle Green New Deal

Last week, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed legislation that appropriates $6.5 million for Seattle Green New Deal Opportunity Fund. The legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, focuses on investments that create an inclusive and equitable low-carbon economy, create a just transition away from fossil fuels, and build healthy, resilient communities. Watch a replay of the vote via Seattle Channel.

An outline of the items the legislation will fund is included below:

Resilience Hubs in Seattle

Community-driven investments useful during climate emergencies, such as extreme heat and weather-related events, wildfire smoke, and flooding. Funding includes:

• $1.78 million to upgrade community facilities to foster resilience and support residents during climate emergencies, including:
  • $1.35 million for centers in the Duwamish Valley to provide cooling, air filtration, and programming.
  • $430,000 for a citywide Resilience Hub strategy, with a focus on communities impacted first and worst by climate injustice.

Municipal Building Electrification, Cooling, Heating, and Air Quality Upgrades

Seattle owns 650 buildings, including 27 public libraries which provide community learning and connecting opportunities; these funds provide critical upgrade investments for the buildings, especially as public libraries are becoming the frontlines for environmental disaster. Funding includes:

• $2.3 million to accelerate Seattle's transition of City-owned buildings off fossil fuels by 2035, including:
  • $1.7 million to provide heating, cooling, clean air at the northeast and southwest library branches.
  • $610,000 for municipal building electrification.

Affordable Multi-Family Housing Electrification

Investments in fossil fuel-free affordable housing for low-income residents. Funding includes:

• $2 million to support affordable housing projects underway to be free of fossil fuels now and avoid inefficient and costly upgrades later as future climate and energy regulations come online.

Climate & Community Health Indicator Project

Accurate, local, and reliable data for addressing climate change and community resilience. Funding includes:

• $302,000 to develop carbon pollution and community health indicators to inform climate planning and programming.
  • $277,000 to support community and public health partnerships on cumulative health impacts and inform the Healthy Seattle Initiative.
  • $25,000 to acquire new and reliable transportation energy data to communicate electrification progress.

Community Engagement on Climate for the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan

To help shape land use, transportation, and infrastructure investments in ways that meet Seattle's climate, resilience, and environmental justice goals over the next 20 years. Funding includes:

• $100,000 investment to support community engagement to inform the climate element of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan.

City of Seattle's Fall Budget Cycle Is Nearly Upon Us: Your Participation Is Needed!

The City of Seattle operates on a biennial budget, with a two-year proposal that is developed every other year. Each year, the majority of the adopted budget for the City's "General Funds" go towards the buckets of public safety and administration. Specific breakdowns of each category and the departments they encompass can be found on page 36 of the 2021 Adopted Budget Book.

This year, Mayor Bruce Harrell will release his proposed budget on Tuesday, Sept. 27; the following day, the City Budget Office will share a presentation to discuss the mayor's proposals and describe any significant program or staffing additions, changes, or reductions.

Written public comment will also be accepted at all meetings of the Budget Committee. Comments intended for the full council can be sent to Council@Seattle.gov. There will be three hybrid public hearings at City Hall regarding the budget this year that will occur on:

• Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 9:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 5:00 p.m.

Detective Cookie Chess Park Reopens Saturday, Sept. 24

Named after Seattle Police Detective Denise "Cookie" Bouldin, who has helped open the minds of disadvantaged youth through chess and community building, Detective Cookie Chess Park celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 24, from noon to 4 p.m. on Rainier Avenue South, near 51st Avenue South.

Bouldin had explained to the Emerald that the park was a dream come true as "a little girl from the projects of Chicago, where people basically said that you would never be anything. You're just gonna grow up in a project. You're gonna live in a project and you're gonna be a housewife. And I really kind of believed that, I really did … Until I actually got out of the projects, went off to college and started seeing other things and opened my mind to what I wanted," she explained. "Kids that people have given up on, I'll take them in."

The grand opening event is suitable for all ages and will feature free food, music, and chess.

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