Protect Your Property from Landslides 
Free Landslide Awareness Meeting - Nov. 21
Do you want to learn how to protect yourself and your property from a landslide? Then attend a free landslide awareness meeting, sponsored by the City of Seattle. An annual series, the meeting will provide presentations and individual consultation on best practices for managing landslide-prone properties and will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Northgate Community Center, Multipurpose Room from 10 am. to noon. 

Presentations will include a discussion of the causes of landslides and proper drainage and vegetation for sloping sites. These will be followed by a question and answer session and time for one-on-one discussions. Please RSVP by contacting Tyson Lin, DPD Community Relations at (206) 684-8443 or for more information, please visit DPD's Landslide website.

The free landslide awareness meeting will be held at the Northgate Community Center on Nov. 21.

The revised Stormwater Code and revised Grading Code take effect on Nov. 30.

Storm Drain Insert Reminder -- Builders and Owners Need to Inspect and Maintain "Socks"
With the onset of the rainy season, the City of Seattle’s DPD is reminding builders and owners with construction projects in Seattle to inspect and maintain any temporary storm drain inserts they have installed. 

The inserts, also known as storm drain socks, are used on many construction projects to catch sediment not captured upstream by other construction-related erosion control devices. Regulations for the use of the socks include the following:

• Builders must clean and/or replace the inserts when half of the trap is filled with sediments.
• Builders must inspect and maintain the inserts whenever one-half inch of rain accumulates within a 24 hour period.
• Builders must remove the inserts at the end of construction.

To prevent flooding, the public is urged to clear clogged drains where it is safe and practical to do so. Flooding should be reported to Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800. Rules for the use of the socks are available on DPD’s Forms website (See Form #34). For questions about temporary storm drain inserts, contact the DPD site inspection team at (206) 684-8860.

To prevent flooding, the public is urged to clear clogged drains where it is safe and practical to do so.

EPlan Pilot Launch -- Participants Wanted
Our EPlan project is well underway, and we’d like to invite you to be part of our pilot launch in Spring 2010. 

The Electronic Plan Submission and Review system pilot will allow you to initiate permit projects, submit plans and other documents, and view and submit plan corrections online. As a pilot participant, you will have the opportunity to participate in early testing of the system and give us your feedback before it goes live.

If you are selected for the pilot, you will be asked to participate in a short usability testing session, tentatively planned for February 2010. We would also like volunteers (who are willing) to run test projects through the system before the launch. We welcome different levels of involvement, so please do not hesitate to respond if you are interested in helping DPD make EPlan a reality.

If you would like to participate or just find out more about the project, send an e-mail to Webteam@seattle.gov, with the subject line EPlan Pilot. Please include your name, firm name (if applicable), and your contact information.

If you would like to participate or just find out more about the project, send an e-mail to Webteam@seattle.gov, with the subject line EPlan Pilot. Please include your name, firm name (if applicable), and your contact information.

DPD Business Closures in 2010
As you’ve probably heard, many in the City will be taking furlough days due to the City’s current financial situation. This will include DPD. In an effort to continue meeting our customer service objectives and recognizing the range of resources needed on any given day, DPD’s offices will be closed 10 days in 2010, rather than having partial resources available each day. The dates, fall on Fridays except Thursday, Dec. 23.

DPD 2010 Business Closure Schedule:

• Jan. 15; Feb. 12; March 12; April 9; May 28; July 2; Aug. 6; Sept. 3; Oct. 8; and Dec. 23.

In addition to the furloughs, DPD has experienced significant layoffs as well as cuts to non-personnel costs. We are committed to providing good service to our customers, but may need to adjust some practices due to the layoffs and reduced staff hours. If we do alter how we deliver our services, we will make that information available to you as soon as we know, so you can plan your time with DPD effectively. Thank you for your understanding.

DPD will be closed 10 days in 2010.