MayorMikeMcGinn2013StateoftheCityaddress(remarksasprepared) Goodafternooncouncilmembers,andwelcometomembersofthepublic,thankyouforjoiningus. Alothashappenedinthepastyear,andoverthepastthreeyears. We'veimplementedpaidsickleave,rentalhousinginspection,andcurbsonpredatorytowingpractices. We'vestiffenedlawsagainstwagetheft.Votersinthecityhaveapprovedmorelibraryhours,and betterlibrarycollections.We'vevotedtofinanceanewseawallandweareonourwaytoahighway freewaterfront.Wereimplementingtheenhancedfamiliesandeducationlevy,andvotersjust overwhelminglyapprovedbuildingmoreschools. Lastfall,votersinthestatelegalizedmarijuanaandgaymarriage.CityHallhosted136marriagesonthe firstdayitwaslegaland,nooffensetoanyofuselectedofficials,itwasthebestandhappiestuseof cityhallever! Counciladoptedatransitmasterplan,andwe'vestartedplanningwithSTforaraillinetoBallard,as wellashowtoconnectourstreetcarlinestoeachother. CommunityPowerWorkshasretrofittednearly1100singlefamilyhomes,over700multifamilyhousing units,andthreehospitals.Creatinggreenjobs,andreducingcarbonemissions.

sions. Speakingofgreenjobs,wehavecommittedtoearlycleanupactionsontheDuwamishthatwilltackle 50%ofthejob,andwillsoonhaveEPAapprovalofafullcleanupplan.WehaveaCityLightstrategic plantoreplaceandexpandinfrastructuretosupportoureconomy,andmakeusmoreenergyefficient. Andwecontinuetosetnewcityrecordsonrecycling55percentofourwastestreamisnowrecycled. Andintwoyearswe'veseenwalking,bicyclingandrailtripsasashareofcommutetripsincrease7,18 and21%respectively,reducingpollution,improvinghealthandaddingtoeconomicvitality. Althoughwehadaterriblerecession,inthepastthreeyearswebalancedourbudget,expandedhuman services,hiredmorepoliceofficers,andexpandedouryouthviolencepreventioninitiative. Wedidn'tjustbalanceourbudget,wefinishedintheblackaswehavedoneeveryyearsince2009.And weareontracktohavethelargestrainydayfundeverbytheendof2014. Weveseenneweconomicactivity. Amazonisbreakinggroundonitsnewofficebuildings.BrooksSportsismovingitsheadquartersto Fremont.Wewillseethefirstnewofficetowerinyearsat5thandColumbia. Andwe'renearingcompletionofthefirstlivingbuildingtheBullittFoundationheadquarters. Weissuedconstructionpermitsforover9000nethousingunitsin2012thats25%higherthanthe previousrecordatthetopoftheboomin2007 Wehaveneweducationalinstitutions.CityUniversityandNortheasternUniversityopenedcampuses. BainbridgegraduateinstituteisthemaintenantintheHub,joiningtechstartups,newrestaurants,and newhousingintheNorthLottohelpreinvigoratePioneerSquare.TheSmithTowerisfillingupwith tenantsagain. 1

 Peoplewanttocomehere.Lastyearsetrecordsforovernighthotelstays,andforcruiseshipboardings. SeattleCentersetarecordforvisitorswiththeKingTutexhibit,thenewChihulymuseumanda remodeledArmorythatfeatureslocalentrepreneurswithfresh,locallygrownfood. Andwe'regoingtogivepeoplemorereasontovisit,becauseworkingwithKingCountywehavelaidthe groundworkforhundredsofmillionsinprivateinvestmenttobuildanarena,createjobs,andbringback theSonics. Overalloureconomyisgood: Seattlewasnumberfourinoveralljobgrowthnationwide.Ourjobgrowthrateof6.6%ismorethan doubletherateofthenationandtripletherateoftherestofthestate. Morethan23,600jobshavebeencreatedsincetheendof2009.Businessincomehasrisenby$1.5 billion. Seattleconsistentlyranksatthetopofvariouscityrankingsduetoourstrongeconomy,qualityoflife, lowcrimerateandourenvironmentalsustainability. Whilewehavelotsofprogresstoreport,wealsohavemuchworkaheadofus. SharedProsperity Wecanseethatwearecreatingprosperity,butwehavetomakesurethatwewidenthecircleof prosperity,sothatmorecanshareinit. First,isbeingintentionalaboutthejobopportunitieswecreate. WeimprovedourguidelinesforoutreachtowomanandminorityfirmsonCitycontracts,andasaresult wereseeingrecordlevelsofsuchcontracting.14%ofourpurchasingand24%ofourconstruction dollarsaregoingtowomanandminorityownedbusinesses.ThatshigherthanbeforeI200passed. OntheSeawallproject,wevenegotiatedanagreementwiththeconstructionunionsthatcreatesalow incomehiringprogram,andexpandsopportunitiesforwomenandminorityworkersfromourregion. Thenewarenacomeswithacommitmenttoincludegoodconstructionjobs,payingfairwagesinthe constructionandunionjobsforconcessions,stagehands,andotheremployeesattheproposedarena. WecreatedanOfficeofImmigrantandRefugeeAffairstobetterconnectourforeignbornpopulationto jobs,opportunities,services,andthebroadercommunity.Thiscityisstrongerbecauseofourdiversity it'soneofthethingsthatmakethistownspecial. Wevelaunchedpathwaystocareerslinkinglowincomeworkerstonewjobopportunitiesinthe growingsectorsofHealthcare;Manufacturing;InternationalTrade,andBusinessInformation Technology.WearegratefultoJillWakefieldandtheSeattlecommunitycollegesystemfortheir partnership.Overthenexttwoyearswewillexpandtheprogramwiththegoalofreaching1,500 studentsanddoublingcompletionrates. 2

 Education Butthereisnoprobablynostrongerfoundationforopportunity,andlongtermeconomicsuccess,than ensuringthatourchildrenareeducated. LastweekvoterspassedtwoleviestofundSeattleschooloperationsandtobuildnewcapacityfora growingcity. WeregoingtodoeverythingwecanattheCitytohelp.Weareforminganinterdepartmentalteamthat bringstogethertheCitydepartmentswhohavearoleinconstructionpermitstogetthisnewcapacity onlineasquicklyaspossible. Twoyearsago,weaskedvoterstoapproveadoublingofCityinvestmentsinourschools,andvoters saidyestotheFamiliesandEducationlevywhichexpandedearlylearning,schoolbasedhealthcenters, academicinterventionsforatriskyouth,aswellasmentoringandafterschoolactivities. BeaconHillInternationalElementarySchoolisagoodmodelofhowschoolscancombinethese investmentstoprovidewraparoundservicestoimprovestudentoutcomes. ItstartsinearlylearningwithCommunityDaySchoolAssociation,theStepAheadprovideratBeacon. InKindergartenthrough5thgradestudentsreceivetargetedassistancetohelpthemlearntheskillsthey havenotyetmastered.Theirteachersthencomeearlyorstaylatetoleadsmallgroupinstructionsto getstudentsbackontracktowardacademicsuccess. UsingLevyfunding,BeaconHillhasonsitehealthprovidersfromOdessaBrownandafulltimeFamily SupportWorker.Studentsandfamilieswithmultipleneedsarenowconnectedtocommunityresources, providedinschoolhealthscreenings,andhaveaccesstoongoingmentalhealthservices. BeaconHillhasalsousedLevyfundstopartnerwithorganizationslikeElCentrodelaRaza,Powerful Schools,CDSAandUniversityTutors.Thesepartnerssupportparentengagement,providetutoring services,andabroadrangeofqualityenrichmentactivities. Alloftheseresourcesandallofthesepartnerscometogethertohelpthemoststrugglinggroupsof studentsatBeaconHill. IwanttoacknowledgeKellyAramaki,BeaconHillElementarySchoolPrincipal,whoisintheaudience today BeaconHillisjustoneexample.Levyfundedprogramsaresupporting49schoolscitywide.Andinthe comingyearwewillexpandtoseveralmoreschools. Earlylearningisacriticalplacewherewecanmakeanevenbiggerdifference.LastmonthIpledged deepersupportforEarlyLearninginSeattle.Andlastweek,inhisStateoftheUnionaddress,President Obamacalledforprovidinguniversalpreschooltolowincomechildrenatage4. There'sareasonwe'reallfocusingonearlylearningalltheresearchshowshowimportantitis. 3

 Nowweprovidesupportforearlylearningin23sitesacrossthecity.Buttherearenumerousother nonprofitandprivatesupportersofearlylearning.Howcanwehelpliftthemall?Notjustprovide moreslots,butahigherqualityexperience? Here'swhatwewilldo. Thisfall,theCityOfficeforEducationwilllaunchanEarlyLearningAcademytoprovidehighquality, evidencebasedearlylearningtrainingforpreschoolprovidersinSeattle.Thisinitiativewillimprove schoolreadinessoutcomesforyoungchildrenandserveasanimportantelementoftheCity'spre kindergartenthroughthirdgradefocus.We'llworktolinkHighqualitypreschooltok3education,to bringallchildrentoreadingatgradelevelinthirdgradeacriticalmilestoneforsuccess.Withtraining forpreschoolproviders,wecanimproveoutcomesforallkidsinpreschool. Anotherthingwehaveheardfromparentsisthesafetyofourkidsastheygettoandfromschool.In thelastyearweinstalledspeedcamerasatfourschools,andinvestedinsaferoutestoschoolsatsix otherschools.Butweknowweneedtodomore. Thisyearwewilldevelopaschoolroadsafetyanalysisandactionplan.Thisworkwillinclude: Analyzingaccessibilityandsafetyatallofourpublicschools,includingschoolzonesandwalking routes Installingadditionalschoolzonespeedcameras Prioritizingphysicalimprovements Developingnewsafetyprograms WewillalsoconveneaSchoolRoadSafetyTaskForcetooverseethisplanandallourworkonroad safetynearourschools. PublicSafety Iwanttotalknowaboutpublicsafetymoregenerally. Lastyearstartedoffwithunspeakeabletragedy22murdersinfivemonths,includingtheshocking murdersatCafRacerandTownhall.Infivemonthswehadasmanymurdersasthepreviousyear. Wewenttowork.Weaddedviolenceemphasispatrolstocrimehotspots.Wepartneredwiththe federalgovernmenttoenhancepenaltiesforgunviolations.Werangunstingstocapturesellersof stolenguns.Andmostofall,wereachedouttothecommunityforhelp. Overthenextsevenmonths,whichincludedsummertime,wehadfourmorehomicides.Eachone tragicandviolent,butitwasadramaticreduction. IfthereisonethingItakeawayfromtheexperienceitisthatpublicsafetyrequiresastrongpartnership betweenourpoliceforceandthecommunity. Wecalledincommunityleaderstoaskfortheirhelp.TheyaskedustoexpandtheSeattleYouth ViolencePreventioninitiative,andwehave.Theyaskedustodevelopaneffectiveprogramformen 4

returningtoourcommunityfromjail.WelaunchedCareerBridgewhichcombinesourjobtrainingand humanserviceswithcommunitybasedorganizationslikechurcheswhichprovidepeersupportand mentoringforthesemen. Communityleaderscalleduponyoungmentobreakthesilencearoundgunviolence. Makenomistakeaboutitthecultureofgunviolenceisthebiggestobstacleweface,anditwilltake theentirecommunitytochangethat. Wewilladvocatetochangegunlawsatthefederalandstatelevels.Wedon'thavethepowerto regulategunshere.Butwewillcontinuetoexpressourvalues,andwewillworktotakeunwantedguns outofhomes,wherewhetherbyaccidentorpassiontheycanbeusedforharm. Ourfirstgunbuybacktappedintothecommunityexpectationsaboutchangingourgunculture.Based onwhatwesawinothercities,weexpected100gunsanhour.Wegotover700gunsinthreehours.We willbeholdinganothergunbuybackevent. Wearealsogoingtoworktoimproveourpartnershipwiththecommunity. WelaunchedSafeCommunities,aninitiativethatbringsresidents,policeofficersandCitydepartments togetherinlivingrooms,cafes,barbershopsandcommunitycentersacrossSeattle.Sofar,therehave been91meetingswith1048participants.Together,theyworkonprioritizingthespecificthingstheir communitiesneedtoimprovesafety. Nowthat'soccurringatthegrassrootslevel.Attheleadershiplevel,wehaveconvenedourCommunity PoliceCommission.BeforeIannouncedtheproposedmemberstothepublic,Iaskedthemtotellme whattheythought.OnewordcameoutHistoric.Neverbeforehadpolicecriticsandpoliceleaderssat downinthiskindofformalwaytodiscuss,debateandproblemsolveonthetoughestissuesfacingour policeforceandourcommunity. ThecommissionwillplayacriticalroleinreviewingoursettlementagreementwiththeDOJ,andour 20/20plan. So,wherearewe?Herearesomesignificantchangesalready.SPDnowhasaForceReviewBoardthat meetseachweektorevieweveryuseofforceanddeterminewhetheruseofforcewashandled correctly.WehavealsorecruitedandtrainedaForceInvestigationTeamtorespondandinvestigateat thesceneofauseofforceincident. SPDnowhasafulltimeRace&SocialJusticeInitiativecoordinator.Bytheendof2013allsworn& civilianofficerswillhavetakentheRace:ThePowerofIllusionRSJItraining.Weareworkingwith tribes,includingtheLummiNationandTulalipTribes,todeveloptrainingforofficersonissuesaffecting ourNativeAmericanpopulation. Bytheendof2013allofficerswillbetrainedinCrisisInterventionTeamtactics,deescalating interactionswithpeopleinmentalhealthcrisis.AndweretainedcommunityleaderKipTokudato providerecommendationonhowtoimproverecruitmentandwearenowimplementingtheTokuda plan. 5

Wearealsonowbeginningthenextgenerationofpolicing.Sixyearsago,theSeattlePoliceDepartment, incollaborationwithourcityneighborhoods,developedtheNeighborhoodPolicingPlan.Weare meetingthegoalofthatplan,answeringemergencycallsin7minutesorless,andofficersspendatleast 30%oftheirpatroltimeavailableforproactivework. TheNeighborhoodPolicingPlanusedasimpleanalysis:lookattheservicehoursusedinpreviousyears anddeployofficersinageographicallybalancedway. Thatprincipleisstillvalid.Butwehavealotmoredataandknowledgeavailabletousnow: sophisticatedcrimepatternanalysis,predictivepolicing,hotspots,impactsofemphasispatrols,polling ofourcitizensabouttheirpriorities,evidencebasedcrimeinterventiontactics,theimpactoflanguage barriers,andmore. We'vebeenmovingtothisnewparadigmofpolicing.InAugustwebegandirectedpatrolsinall precinctsusingdatatogetpoliceofficersoutoftheircarsonfootpatrolintheworsthotspots.And itsmadeadifference,forexampleouremphasispatrolsintheretailcoreduringtheholidayseason resultedina21%dropinreportedpublicsafetyincidentsfrom2011. SoitstimeforustotakethisknowledgeandintegrateitintothenextgenerationoftheNeighborhood PolicingPlan.Andweregoingtobringoutsideexpertswhowillguideustothenextlevel.Iampleased toannouncethatwewillcompletethisworkinpartnershipwithsomeoftheworldsmostimportant researchers,includingDr.DavidWeisburdandDr.ChristopherKoperofGeorgeMasonUniversitys CenterforEvidenceBasedCrime. Dr.Weisburdisthearchitectofthetheoriesandpracticesconcerninghotspotpolicing,andDr.Koper developedtheproactivedeploymentsystemcalledtheKoperCurvewhichwearealreadyusingto significanteffectinourPrecincts,mostnotablydowntown.Thisleadingedgeworkwillbesharedwith ourneighborhoods,whowillbringtheirprioritiesandneedstotheplanwewillbemakingtogether. Seattlewillbethefirstdepartmentinthecountrytobuildastaffingandpolicingplaninthisway. AndIwanttosayonemorethingaboutourpoliceforceandourcommunity.Inthemidstofavery difficultperiod,withthespotlightonpolicingunlikeatanytimeinrecentdecadestheyhavecontinued tobringdownourcrimerate. Comparedtoyearend2009,violentcrimeisdown,andpropertycrimeisdown.Infact,overallcrimeis ata30yearlow. Ourofficershaveservedbravely.OnMay30,theyconfrontedthemanwhohadjustmurderedsixofour fellowcitizens.TheyracedintotheTwilightExittoconfrontanarmedmanwhohadshotabouncerand hiswife,andwhoshotattheadvancingofficers. Wehavemoreworktodo,muchmoreworktodo,butIbelievethatthiscommunity,workingtogether withourpoliceforce,cansquarelyconfrontourchallengessothatwehavethesafestcity,andmost trustedpoliceforceinthenation. Inowwanttofocusoninfrastructureinvestmentsinourneighborhoods. 6

Broadband We'reworkinghardtobuildoutthenextgenerationofourinternetinfrastructureandprovidepeople withbetterchoices.LastyearCouncilapprovedourplantoleverageourunused"darkfiber"to companieswhowoulduseittogivepeoplebetterinternetservices. InDecemberweannouncedanagreementwithGigabitSquaredtobeginbuildingfibertothehome, withservicelevelsupto1GigabitpersecondindemonstrationneighborhoodsacrossSeattle. AndIhavesomegoodnewsGigabitSquaredhasnowaddedcentralBallardandtheWestSeattle junctiontotheirdemonstrationproject,bringingustoatotalof14neighborhoodstostart. Here'swherethingsstand.Morethan3300peoplehavesignedupwithaninterestinusingGigabit Squaredservices,alongwithmorethan130businessesandnumerousapartmentbuildings.Ifyouwant tohelpspeedthisalongtoyourneighborhoodcontactthem! GigabitSquaredhassecuredthefundingtheyneedtobegindetailedengineering.ByApriltheyintendto haveanupdatedbusinessplan.Thatwillincludeanestimateofhowmuchitwillcosttolayfibertothe first14neighborhoods,whattheservicetiersandtheircostswillbe,morepreciseserviceboundaries, andwhenwecanstarttolightthisfiberup. Iftheirbusinessplansucceedsaswehopeitwill,wecanleverageourremainingfibertobringbetter servicetotheentirecity. Earlierthisweekwereviewedourtransportationactionagendafor2012,andIwanttotouchonthe highlights: ThisyearwewillbeginSeattle'sfirstcomprehensivefreightmasterplan. We'llcontinuefocusingresourcesonbasicrepairsandmaintenance,withnewcracksealandchipseal programs. Wearelaunching"AccessSeattle."Withmajorconstructionforyearsaheadonourwaterfrontand Mercer,aswellasagrowingeconomy,weneedtofocusonsmartertrafficlights,betterrealtime informationsystems,andmoreimprovementstomovebusesandcarsthroughdowntown. That'strueforbikestoo.WeareupdatingourBikeMasterPlan,withafocusonseparatedcycletracks, andanetworkofsafeneighborhoodgreenways.Peoplewantsaferbikeroutes.We'llworktogiveitto themandcreateanewcultureofcycling.Andthedemandisthere,withcyclingthefastestgrowing modeoftransportation. Infact,Amazonwillconstructaseparatedcycletrackon7thavenuefromDexterintodowntown, becausethathelpsthemattractemployees. Othercitiesseetheeconomicdevelopmentpotentialtoo.MayorRahmEmanuel,whenheannounced bikeroutesindowntownChicago,calledoutSeattle,sayinghewantedourbikersandourtechjobs. We'regoingtoworktokeepthemhere. 7

WewillcontinueourBeSuperSafecampaign,withagoalofzerofatalitiesandseriousinjuriesonour roads,througheducation,enforcementandbetterengineering. Whenitcomestotransportation,oneofourhighestprioritiesistoconnectourneighborhoodswithrail. TheFirstHillStreetcarisunderconstructionandplanningworkontheextensionoftheFirstHill Streetcartothenorthisalreadyunderway.WejustlaunchedplanningworkfortheCenterCity Connector,toconnecttheFirstHillandSouthLakeUnionstreetcars. WithSoundTransit,weareworkingtostudyrailfromdowntownSeattletoBallard.Laterthisyearwe willbeginourstudyoftruebusrapidtransitonMadisonAvenue. Inthe2013budgettheCityCouncilagreedtobeginastudyofrailfromdowntowntotheUniversity DistrictviaSouthLakeUnionandEastlakein2014.We'veheardfromthemajoremployersonthisroute, thattheywouldliketoseethatstudyadvancedtothisyear.Thiscorridorcouldcarryasmanyas25,000 ridersperday,andit'sacorridorthatSoundTransit'slightrailprojectwon'tserve. IwillsubmitarequesttotheCouncilthatwebeginthatstudythisyear.Thesoonerwecompletea study,thesoonerwecancompeteforfederalgrantstobuildtheroute. I'malsogoingtosubmitarequestthatwestudythisyearanewcrossingoftheshipcanalnearFremont fortransit,pedestrians,andbicyclists.TheShipCanalisachokepoint.Youallknowwhatitislikewhen onebridgeisoutofservice.Anewbridgewillhelpallmodesoftransportation. WerealsoworkingwithSoundTransittoacceleratetheirplanningprocess,includingaBallardto Redmondlinevia520andaroutefromdowntowntoWestSeattle.Moreimportant,weneedtoget themtherevenueauthoritysotheycangototheballotin2016. Iamalsoworkingwithmayorsaroundthestateonbetterlocalfinancingoptionsforlocaltransit,and neededmaintenancedollars.MayorSkipPriestofFederalWayandIputtogetherabipartisancoalition of45mayorsfromaroundthestate,askingthelegislaturetogiveusnewoptionstofinanceourlocal transportationneeds,includinglocaltransit. Bytheway,oneofthebestwaystomakeiteasiertogetaround,istomakeiteasiertolivenearwhere youwork.Basedoncurrenttrends,Seattleexpectstoaddand115,000jobsinthenext20years.Seattle needstobuildmorehousingtomeetthatdemand.It'sasocialjusticeissuetoo.Ifyouworkhere,you shouldbeabletoaffordtolivehere. Rightnow,halfoftheaffordablehousingbuiltinthelastfewyearsinSeattlehascomefromtheprivate sector,andhalfisconstructedwithgovernmentsubsidies. Thisyear,wewillfocusonunlockingourhousingsupply,throughencouragingmoreaffordable construction,andappointingapaneltobeginacitywidereviewofhowprivatedevelopmentcan contributetoaffordablehousingthroughdirectpayments,orincludingaffordablehousingintheir development. Climate 8

Bytheway,thesechangesintransportation,housing,andlandusemakeabigdifferenceonclimate change.Transportationandhomeenergyuseare71%percentofourcarbonemissions.Peoplethatlive inneighborhoodswheretheycanreduceorshortencartripsusedramaticallylessinfossilfuels.When theyliveinenergyefficientbuildings,itgetsevenbetter.Notonlythat,theysavemoneytoo. Thiscityledthewayonclimatechange.Butitfeelslikeforafewyearswedidnthearasmuchabout climate.Therecessionhit,andtheoilcompaniesspentmillionstodenythetruth. Inrecentmonthsitschanged.Drought,wildfires,recordtemperaturesandHurricaneSandymade climatechangereal,notjustafuturethreat.WehadrecordkingtidesinSeattle. Thereisanewurgencyonclimatechange,anditsdrivenfromthebottomup. InNovemberImetwithBillMcKibbenhereinCityHallbeforehisDotheMathkickoffeventat BenaroyaHall.Hispointweneeddramaticstepstoreversecourseonclimatechange.Ipromisedthen thatIwouldworkfortheCityofSeattletodivestfromfossilfuelcorporations. OnSunday,atapublicrally,ImetkidsfromSeattleUandUWthatwanttheirinstitutionstodivesttoo. Theyaretheoneswhowilllivewithourchoicestoday. WiththehelpofourGreenRibbonCommission,agroupof26community,environmental,andbusiness leaders,withthepublic,andwithyoucouncilmembers,wewillupdateourclimateactionplanto remainaleaderonclimate. Allourincrementalgainscouldbewipedout,however,ifweareexportingcoaltoChina. Coaltrainswouldbeadisasterforourcity.Weconductedatransportationstudythatshowedthesecoal trains,eachoveramilelong,woulddisruptourtrafficandfreightmobility.Itwouldcutoffour waterfrontandwouldmakeitharderforfirstresponderstogettothesceneofanemergency. We'retoldbysupportersthatitwouldcreatejobs.Buttheimpactstoourcommunitiescouldwipeout morejobsthancoaltrainswouldevercreate.Sowearealsoconductinganeconomicimpactstudyso wecanhaveharddatatoshowwhattherealimpactonjobswouldbe. Forthetribes,thisisnotjustabouteconomicandenvironmentalimpacts.Itsalsoabouttheircultural heritage.TheproposedcoalterminalwouldsitonlandthatissacredtotheLummi.Therepresentatives oftheLummiNationsaysitistheequivalentofsomeoneplanningtosendcoaltrainsthroughArlington NationalCemetery. Seattlecan'tdothisalone.Weneedaunitedfront.That'swhyIwillbeworkingwithtribesandother citiesupanddowntheproposedcoaltrainroutetoworktogethertostopthesetrains. Greatneighborhoods EverythingwejusttalkedaboutEducation,PublicSafety,Broadband,Transit,Housing,Climatechange, theworkwedoontheseissuesareallinserviceofcreatinggreatcommunitiesplaceswherepeople canlivesafely,workwithdignity,raiseafamily. 9

Letmeofferafewthoughtsabouthowwebuildgreatcommunities Firstit'snotaboutneighborhoodplanninganymoreitsaboutneighborhoodimplementing.Forthe mostpart,theoriginalplansareprettygood.Whatweneedtodoisgetfolksfromalltherelevant departmentstositdownwithpeoplefromtheneighborhood,includingthosetraditionallynotincluded, andpickthemostimportantactionstoimplementfirst. Second,it'snotjustaboutourphysicalinfrastructureinourneighborhoods,itsaboutoursocial infrastructure.Publicsafety,humanservices,jobtraining,artsclassesareasimportantassidewalks, parks,andstreetstoknittinganeighborhoodtogether. Third,littlethingsaddup.Crosswalks,sidewalks,greenways,neighborhoodparksadduptobig differencesinhealth,qualityoflifeandourenvironment.Theydeservetobepriorities. Fourth,whileeveryoneispassionateaboutourcity(andthankgoodnessforthat)weneedtoensure thatthosewithmoremoneyandpowercan'tputtheirthumbonthescalestogettheirprioritiesfirst. Wemusthavearelentlessfocusonthecommongood,inwhicheveryresidentandeveryneighborhood isgivenanequalvoice. Thisiswhathasinformedourgrantsto19neighborhoodbusinessdistricts.Ourinterdepartmental teamsworkinginLakeCity,ChinatownID,PioneerSquare,andtheUDistrict.Ourstationareaplanning inOthello,BeaconHill,ColumbiaCity,MtBaker,RooseveltCapitolHill,andtheWestSeattleTriangle. NeighborhoodplanninginRainierBeach,HallerLake,BitterLakeandBroadview. ItinformsourCenterCityInitiative.Webroughttogetheradvocatesforthehomeless,retailers, businesses,andCitydepartmentstoworktogetheraddresslongstandingstreetdisorderissuesthat impactthehealthofoururbancoreneighborhoods.Neverbeforehavetheybeenaroundthesame tabletodiscusstheseissues.Wehaveagreedthateveryonesharesintheresponsibilityinfinding solutionstobuildinghealthydowntownneighborhoods.Manyofthemareheretoday,andIthankyou. Theseprinciplesinformthecapitalinvestmentsstartedinthisadministration.TheSeawallisthe biggest,butafterthatcomesSouthParkBridge,theRainierBeachCommunityCenter,LindenAvenue completestreetinBitterLake,thehistoricbuildingsinMagnusonParkandtensofmillionsofdollarsin maintainingcommunitybuildingsaswellasbasicstreetrepairs. Nextyearwe'llrenewtheparkslevyanditismyfondesthopewewillrestorecommunitycenterhours citywide,justaswehaverestoredlibraryhours. Nowyouknow,Icomeoutofneighborhoodactivism.AsGreenwoodCommunityCouncilpresidentI workedonneighborhoodplans.AndIknowIlotofthepeopleinthisroomhave.Iknowyou'llagree withthisthepeopleofSeattlecarepassionatelyabouttheplacetheylive.Buttheyjustdon'tcare abouttheirneedsintheirlocalneighborhoodtheycareaboutthewellbeingofothers.Indeedthe wellbeingoftheplanet. Iknowit,becauseIsawitinmeetingaftermeeting.Youcan'twinanargumentinSeattlebyarguing what'sbestforyou,youhavetoshowwhyitsbestforeveryone. 10

Infact,Seattle'sgreatestcompetitiveadvantageisthatwebebringouridealstobearonthequalityof theplacewelive. Andthosevaluesmakeusstrongernotweaker.Lookatuspaidsickleave,respectforimmigrants,a plasticbagban,andgaymarriagefortheRepublicansrunningcongressthat'slikethethefour horsemenoftheapocalypse. Yetlookatus,wehaveoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesinthenation.Ithinkprogressivepolicies andastrongeconomygotogether. Thesethingsshouldgiveushope,evenaswefaceseeminglyintractableproblems.Becauseweknow howtomakeadifferencerighthere. Considertoday'sfrontpageoftheSeattleTimes.At23rdandUnionthepoliceandcommunitycame togethertogivedrugdealersachoicewe'llworktogethertogiveyouabetterpath.Andmanyof themchosethebetterpath.Thatefforthasbeensustainedforyears,andtoday23rdandUnionhas seenadramaticdropincrime,andaresurgentbusinessdistrict.5yearsago,somepeoplewouldhave toldyouthatneighborhoodcouldn'tchange.Butwhenweworktogether,itcan. Lookatmarijuanalegalization.We'renowgoingtoseebusinessesfightingformarketshare,insteadof gangsfightingforturf.Thatwillreducecrime,andreduceincarcerationofouryouth.That'spositive change. Lookatcleanenergy.Wearesogoodatenergyefficiencythatwehavetoturnoffourwindmillssome times,becausewehavenoplacefortheelectronstogo.That'sthefuturewe'recreatinghere. Andwecankeepmakingchange. Theachievementgapneednotbepermanent.Kidsshouldn'thavetogototheirfirstdayof kindergartenstartingofftwolapsbehindtheotherkids.Ifwefocusonearlylearning,everykidcan startonthatpathtogether. Wecanbuildthecitywewant.Wecanconnectourcommunitiestoeachotherwithbroadbandand transitcreatingjobsandopportunities,insteadofdividingourcitywithcoaltrainsthatdestroyjobs, anddamageourhealth. Wecangofurtherthaneverbeforeonenvironmentalsustainabilitywhetheritsraingardens,pea patches,recyclingbikeorgreenbuildings. AndwhileCongressisdivided,andourstatehouseisfractious,wecankeepmakingprogress.And peoplewilllookatus,andsay,lookatthatcity.Theysucceedbybeingsociallyjust,bybeing environmentallysustainable. Now,Iknowwehavemuchmoreworktodotobuildthatcity.Muchmorework.Butwe'vealready madeadifference,andeveryoneonthisdaisandeveryoneinthisroomshouldbeproudofthat. Soletusrenewourcommitmenttothecitywewant,tothecommunitywecareabout.Andletus resolvetogofurther,together.Thankyou. 11