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The original City Charter established a seven member Common Council. In 1890, the new City Charter created a bi-cameral legislative branch with a nine-member Board of Aldermen and 16-member House of Delegates. The 1896 Charter returned to a single body of 13 members, elected from 11 wards and two at-large. As the number of wards increased, the number of Council members grew to 18 in 1907. A City Charter Amendment in 1910, reduced the number to nine, all elected at large, and elections became non-partisan. In 1946 Council member terms were increased from two years to four years. Few Council members' records were preserved prior to creation of the Municipal Archives. The University of Washington houses the records of Tim Hill, Phyllis Lamphere, Clarence F. Massart, Floyd C. Miller, and Alfred R. Rochester.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and staff reports related to issues that come before the City Council for consideration, and materials related to administration of the Legislative Department. Also includes copies of City Council work programs and policy planning agendas. A large portion of the material relates to regional planning issues, especially water supply, electrical power, transportation, and governance.

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Minutes of City Council when it sits as a committee. Committee of the Whole meets to discuss issues that cross the jurisdiction of two or more Council committees or when issues are considered of such importance that the full Council deems it appropriate to meet as a committee. From 1980 to the present Committee of the Whole minutes are included with the regular meeting minutes. Records for the dates noted are incomplete.

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Weekly listing of all City Council meetings, regular and special committee meetings, public hearings, and the schedule for Channel 28, the City-owned government access cable television station. The records for 1977-1979 are missing.

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Formal photographs (16x20) of full City Council for the years 1974, 1978, and 1986. Other photographs currently are displayed outside of City Council chambers.

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Studies, reports, position papers, correspondence, surveys, policies, and draft legislation relating to issues before the City Council. This is a central reference and research file used by councilmembers, legislative assistants, and Central Staff policy analysts in preparation for hearings, meetings, and policy and issue discussions. Broad categories correspond to City Council committee issue areas including city-wide data processing and technology issues, energy, environmental policy, finance, governmental operations, health, housing, intergovernmental relations, land use, parks, and recreation, public safety and justice, transportation, and utilities.

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Audio tapes of City Council committee and full council meetings, and public hearings before Council. Consists primarily of 8-inch and ten-and-a-half inch reel-to-reel tapes, but also includes nearly 200 cassettes. Tapes are divided into four sub-series: 1) Full City Council and committee meetings (reel-to-reel), 2) Hearings (reel-to-reel), 3) Cassettes of meetings and hearings, 4) Cassettes of the Energy 1990 hearings. No written minutes are maintained for committee meetings and the written City Council minutes do not include discussion or debate, therefore the tapes serve as the full record of proceedings.

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Box List

Log maintained by City Council for claims against the City. Includes date, person or corporate entity filing claim, claim number, and nature of the claim. In some instances entry also includes notation of whether claim was allowed, Council Bill number of legislation authorizing payment, fund claim drawn on, and amount to be paid.

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Record of license applications considered by City Council, organized by date introduced to the Council. Includes license number, business license number, business name, address, whether new or a renewal, and the Council action taken.

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Correspondence, memoranda, surveys, reports, studies, and hearings materials generated by City Council's staff analysts on legislative issues. Primary subjects include zoning and land use, solid waste management and landfills; housing; data processing policies; waterfront development; Seattle Center redevelopment; utility billing and rates; and transportation.

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Correspondence, working papers, testimony, petitions, reports, and recommendations relating to zoning of neighborhood commercial areas. Includes code, policy, mapping, and publicity files, and several boxes of individual zoning cases arranged by region of the City. Case files include pre-project zoning designation, Mayor's recommendation, Council committee recommendation, and final Council decision.

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Correspondence, working papers, testimony, petitions, reports, recommendations, and draft legislation relating to a new industrial commercial areas zoning code.

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Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and recommendations regarding the major institutions policy in the Seattle land use code. A major institution is a public or private organization providing educational, religious, medical, or recreational services to a community, and that dominates an area based on the amount of land owned and number of staff, clients, or visitors, and traffic impacts.

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Reports and working papers for program and fiscal audits conducted for City-wide functions by the Legislative Audit staff of City Council. The audit function of the Legislative Department was discontinued in 1987. These records predate the 1992 reorganization that established the Office of the City Auditor as a division of the Legislative Department. The City Auditor was formerly part of the Office of the Comptroller.

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Benson was elected to City Council in 1974 and served five terms until his retirement in 1994. During the final two years of service he was Council President. He has been particularly active in the reestablishment of electric trolleys in Seattle and development of the Waterfront Trolley. He chaired four committees during his incumbency, including Transportation (1974-1977, 1982-1987, and 1990-1991), Recreation and Community Services (1978-1981), Environmental Management (1988-1989), and Labor (1992-1993).

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, staff analyses, and reference materials relating to Benson and topics of particular interest to him. Major subjects include parks and recreation, traffic and transportation, the Westlake Mall Project, the Downtown Seattle Transit Project, the University District Transportation Program, the Waterfront Streetcar, gun control, land use, and solid waste disposal.

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Parks and Community Resources Committee meeting records maintained by Benson during his tenure as committee chair. Includes committee agendas with roster of issues and draft legislation, and committee actions taken, staff memoranda, correspondence, reports, and draft legislation relating to parks and recreation issues, and community oriented social services.

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Committee calendars including issues under consideration and committee action. Files contain correspondence, personal notes, staff memoranda, testimony, and draft legislation. Records relate to all transportation and traffic issues affecting Seattle and requiring City Council attention. Includes years 1976-1978, 1982-1988, and 1990-1991.

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Correspondence, reports, studies, committee minutes, news releases, and notes relating to City transportation and traffic issues. The bulk of the records deal with reestablishing the electric trolley system and developing the Waterfront Streetcar.

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Agendas, correspondence, draft legislation, staff reports, and notes regarding environmental issues and policies before the committee.

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Choe was elected to City Council for the term beginning January 1, 1992. She is the first Korean-American to serve on the Council. During her first term, she chaired the Transportation and Economic Development Committee (1992-1995). Beginning in 1996, Choe assumed the chair of the Finance and Budget Committee.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and recommendations relating to the Central Waterfront Project, the University of Washington Southwest Campus Master Plan, regional transit and transportation planning, open space, Port of Seattle street vacations, and Choe's involvement in the Korean-American Political Conference.

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Chow unseated long time incumbent City Councilmember Jeanette Williams in 1990. During her first term, Chow chaired the Parks and Public Grounds Committee (1990-1993). She currently chairs the Health, Housing, Human Services, Education and Libraries Committee (1994-present).

Correspondence, reports, studies, and reference materials relating primarily to parks and recreation issues. Major subjects include the Parks Complan, Greenlake, open space, Seattle Center redevelopment, Coliseum/Arena improvements, the Shoreline and Park Improvement Fund, and Sandpoint Naval Station reuse planning.

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Donaldson was appointed in 1990 by the City Council to fill the vacancy created when Norm Rice was elected mayor. She subsequently won a special election in 1990 to fill out the balance of Rice's unexpired term and in 1991 was elected for her first full term. Donaldson has chaired the Land Use Committee (1990-1993); and Public Grounds, and Recreation Committee (1994-present).

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and press clippings relating to historic preservation, telecommunications, and land use issues including multi-family zoning, quasi judicial issues, and environmentally critical areas. The historic landmarks related records predate Donaldson's tenure on the City Council.

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Agendas, correspondence, staff reports, draft legislation, and decisions regarding land use issues including SEPA appeals, rezone petitions, historic preservation controls, Council Conditional Use Applications, and zoning text amendments among others. Arranged chronologically.

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Drago was elected to City Council for the term beginning January 1994. During her first two years on the Council, she chaired the Business and Labor Committee (1994-1995). Beginning in 1996, she assumed the chair of the Business, Economic and Community Development Committee. Also in 1996 she became the first Councilmember since Liem Tuai (1972) to serve as Council President during her first full term in office.

Correspondence, reports, studies, and other materials related to the Comprehensive Plan, police and fire fighter pensions, labor policy, neighborhood planning, regional transportation, and housing issues.

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Galle served two terms on City Council, 1981-1989. She was elected to the seat vacated by Randy Revelle, and appointed by the Council to take office two months early. She chaired the City Operations and Utilities (1982-1983), Environmental Management (1984-1987), and Finance and Personnel (1988-1989) committees. Prior to her Council terms, Galle served as Director of the Department of Licenses and Consumer Affairs and Director of the Citizens Service Bureau.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, surveys, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to solid waste management, domestic partners, Seattle Center redevelopment, Seattle's smoking in public places policies, and city investment policies.

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Committee agendas, voting records, background materials, and draft legislation relating to municipal utilities and other city-wide municipal operations.

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Committee agendas, record of votes, draft legislation, staff reports, and other background material relating to environmental issues.

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Committee agendas, record of votes, background material, and draft legislation relating to city finances and personnel issues.

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Harris served one term on City Council. She unseated incumbent Sam Smith in his bid for a seventh term. During her tenure she served as chair of the Housing, Health, Human Services and Education Committee (1992-1995). She was defeated in her bid for reelection.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and other materials related to education, public safety, land use, housing, and social services issues. Topics include the education summit, joint use of school facilities, domestic partnerships, the Comprehensive Plan, the Housing Levy, public restrooms, Just Cause Eviction Ordinance amendments, and drug traffic loitering. Most of the education material predates Harris' tenure on the City Council.

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Hildt served two terms on Council, 1978-1986, before choosing not to run for reelection. He chaired the Urban Development and Housing Committee (1978-1981), Energy Committee (1982-1985), and two ad hoc committees, Shorelines (1979) and Campaign Financing (1984-1985). His records reflect, in particular, his work on energy related issues.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and staff notes relating to issues before City Council during Hildt's tenure. Subjects include schools, the Pike Place Market, the Housing Preservation Ordinance, historic preservation, fair employment, housing, and economic development.

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Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and draft legislation relating to energy issues. Records were maintained while Hildt was chair of the Energy Committee.

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Committee agendas, draft legislation, and recorded votes of the Urban Development and Housing Committee, chaired by Hildt.

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Hill served three terms on City Council, 1968-1980. He declined to run for a fourth, choosing instead to run for City Comptroller. While on the Council, Hill chaired several committees including Streets and Sewers (1968-1971), Transportation (1972-1973), Finance (1974-1977, 1979), Labor (1974-1977), Personnel and Property Management (1978-1979), and a special committee on an Ombudsman (1979). Hill's Council records are all located at the University of Washington.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and draft legislation reflecting Hill's activities and interests on Council. Arranged alphabetically.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, memoranda and reports relating to the City's financial management and budget process.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, reports, studies, and draft legislation relating to parks, schools, other public facilities, and community social services.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, reports, and draft legislation relating to City personnel issues and city-owned property.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, reports, and draft legislation relating to housing and urban planning issues. Subjects covered are historic preservation, downtown day care, zoning, condominium conversion, and open housing.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, reports, studies, and draft legislation relating to transportation issues, especially the West Seattle Freeway and I-90.

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Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and proceedings of committee established in 1970 to advise and guide the City Negotiating Committee in collective bargaining negotiations. The Labor Committee included the Council president and the chairs of the Finance, and the Personnel and Property Management committees.

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Kraabel was appointed in 1975 to fill the seat vacated by Bruce Chapman and subsequently won a special election to complete the unexpired term. He served four full terms, retiring at the end of 1991, and was Council President in 1980-1981 and 1990-1991. He chaired six different committees during his tenure including Planning and Urban Development (1975-1977, 1984-1989), Water and Waste Management (1978-1979), Labor (1980-1981, 1990-1991), Land Use (1982-1983), Public Safety (1984-1985), and Business (1990-1991).

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and studies relating particularly to land use and transportation issues. Major topics include senior housing, Interstate-90, Westlake Mall, shoreline planning, the CAP Initiative, Washington State Convention and Trade Center, downtown planning, houseboats, multi-family policies, the West Point Sewage Treatment Plant, Pike Place Market, historic preservation, and general zoning issues.

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Correspondence, reports, agendas, memoranda, and newspaper clippings relating to planning the growth and development of downtown Seattle. Includes public comment on land use issues and policies, utility planning, and goals for downtown, Pioneer Square, the International District, and Denny Regrade. Correspondence files are arranged alphabetically. Box 3 contains related reports.

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Agendas of Planning and Urban Development Committee.

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Agendas of the Water and Waste Management Committee.

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Lamphere was elected to Council in 1968 and served until 1978 when she resigned to become director of Region X, United States Economic Development Agency. She chaired the Planning Committee (1968-1971) and the Intergovernmental Relations Committee (1972-1977) and was Council President in 1978. Lamphere's records are located at the University of Washington. In addition to the records series noted below, the Lamphere papers include chronological correspondence, 1967-1978.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and studies relating to Lamphere's activities and interests on City Council. Prominent subjects include parks, historic preservation, utilities, West Seattle Bridges, social services, and land use planning and zoning.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, reports, and draft legislation concerning intergovernmental relations issues. Arranged chronologically.

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Massart served on City Council from 1950 to 1966. He was Council President four consecutive years, 1964-1967. He was a leader in spearheading the adoption of a comprehensive plan for rezoning in 1957 and chaired the Judiciary, Public Safety, and Personnel and Efficiency Committees. Massart's records are located at the University of Washington. They also include some personal papers.

Correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, and photographs collected by Massart while serving on City Council (1950-1967). Includes materials relating to Metro, Seattle Center, Century 21 Exposition, Pacific Science Center Foundation, and the Port of Seattle. Other subjects include transportation, city finances, housing, alcoholism, sports stadium, human rights, and urban renewal.

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Miller served on City Council from 1956 until 1969 when he was appointed interim Mayor to fill the unexpired term of James Dorm Braman. While on Council, Miller twice served as President, 1962-1963 and 1968-1969. Miller's records are located at the University of Washington.

Correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to Miller's tenure on City Council and his brief stint as acting mayor following Mayor Dorm Braman's resignation.

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Miller was elected to City Council for the term beginning 1972. He served two terms before leaving the Council to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He replaced Phyllis Lamphere as Council President in August 1978 and served in that capacity through 1979. While on Council, Miller chaired the Planning and Urban Development Committee (1972-1973), Parks and Public Grounds Committee (1974-1977), Finance Committee (1978-1979), Labor Committee (1978-1979), and three ad hoc committees: Westlake Project (1978-1979), Campaign Financing (1978-1979), and Annexation (1979).

Committee calendars, correspondence, staff notes, reports, and draft legislation relating to City parks and public grounds. Arranged chronologically.

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Noland is currently (as of April 1996) the senior member of the City Council. She took office in 1986. To date she has chaired three committees: Housing and Human Services (1986-1989), Public Safety (1988-1991, 1996-present), and Utilities and Environment (1992-1995).

Correspondence, reports, notes, and memoranda relating to public safety, regional transit planning, housing, and public utilities issues in Seattle. Includes material on the Police Department management study, drugs and alcohol, parks security, adult entertainment zoning, transportation, and local and regional utilities.

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Agendas, correspondence, reports, notes, and draft legislation relating to health and human services issues. Most of the records are committee agendas.

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Pageler was elected to City Council for the term beginning January 1992, to fill the seat vacated by the retired Paul Kraabel. She chaired the Public Safety Committee (1992-1995) during her first term, and at the beginning of her second term assumed the chair of the Utilities and Environmental Management Committee.

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Subject Files
1987-1995
21.0 cubic feet

Correspondence, memoranda, studies, staff reports, and newspaper clippings related primarily to public safety issues. Major topics include zoning for adult cabarets, drug traffic loitering, fireworks, weed and seed, gun control, police/community relations, internal investigations, and specific complaints against the police from the public. Also includes material related to the Comprehensive Plan.

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Agendas of the Public Safety Committee meetings, primarily during Jane Noland's tenure as chair. Includes hand written notes and annotations regarding votes on legislation. The 1988-1990 agendas predate her tenure on the Council. Does not include agendas for the years 1990-1991.

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Revelle was elected to City Council in 1974 and served until 1981 when he resigned to become King County Executive. He chaired the Public Safety and Health Committee (1974-1977), Energy Committee (1978-1981), and the ad hoc Ombudsman Committee (1980-1981).

Primarily reports, studies, and analysis of electric energy issues. Includes information related to conservation, electric rates, load forecasting, costing and pricing, low income weatherization, Washington Public Power Supply System, and Seattle City Light management. Also included is material on the police intelligence gathering ordinance.

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Rice was elected at a special election in 1978 to fill the seat vacated by Phyllis Lamphere. He served on the Council through 1989 when he was elected Mayor. During his tenure on the Council he served as chair of the following committees: Personnel and Property Management (1979), Finance (1980-1983), Labor (1984-1985), Intergovernmental Relations (1984-1985), Public Safety (1986-1989), and Energy (1986-1989). He was Council President in 1984-1985. Rice ran for and was elected Mayor in 1989, beginning his term in 1990. At the time of publication of this Guide, Rice is serving his second mayoral term.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and studies relating to Rice and his activities and interests on City Council. Files primarily concern financial management matters, public safety, housing, energy, education, and the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS).

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Committee calendars, correspondence, staff reports, and draft legislation relating to the financial management of the City. Calendars include the legislation and issues under consideration and the committee's actions.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, staff reports, and draft legislation relating to public safety issues. Calendars include legislation under consideration and action and recommendations by the committee.

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Committee agendas, staff reports, correspondence, notes, and draft legislation relating to energy issues. Also includes agendas from 1982-1983 when Michael Hildt chaired the committee.

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Speeches and prepared statements delivered by Rice. Includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day speeches and mayoral campaign speeches and policy statements.

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Richards served on City Council for one term, 1980-1983. He chaired the Water and Waste Management (1980-1981) and Public Safety (1982-1983) committees. Prior to his Council term, Richards spent two years (1972-1974) as Chief of the Seattle Fire Department.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and reference materials relating to water and waste issues, and cable television franchises. Arranged alphabetically by subject.

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Records maintained by Richards as committee chair. Includes committee calendars, agendas, staff briefings, memoranda, and committee votes and recommendations relating to water and waste management issues.

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Rochester was elected to City Council in 1944 and served until 1956. During most of that period, he was the City's official greeter of arriving ships and dignitaries. Rochester's City Council records are a small part of a larger collection of personal papers located at the University of Washington.

Correspondence, speeches and writings, photographs, and newspaper clippings from Rochester's years on City Council. Includes correspondence and advertising from his unsuccessful re-election campaign in 1956.

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Sibonga was appointed in 1978 to fill Phyllis Lamphere's seat until a special election was held. She did not run in the special election, but was subsequently elected to Council for the term beginning in 1980. She chose not to stand for reelection in 1992. While on Council she chaired four committees: Personnel and Property Management (1978, 1980-1981), Parks and Community Resources (1982-1983, 1988-1989), Finance (1984-1987, 1990-1991), and Labor (1986-1987).

Correspondence, memoranda, draft legislation, reports, testimony, and notes concerning issues before City Council including the Martha Washington School, Fun Forest at Seattle Center, the Seattle Center Disney proposal, Japanese-American reparations, the Seattle Mariners, planning for the new Seattle Art Museum, the proposed Ackerley Arena, proposed 76 million regional parks renovation bond (which never reached the ballot), and the Nuclear Freeze Resolution.

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Committee agendas, notes, correspondence, memoranda, reports, and legislation relating to personnel reclassifications, sale of surplus property, affirmative action, fair employment practices, open housing, collective bargaining, and police intelligence gathering.

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Committee calendars, correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and draft legislation relating to City parks, recreation, community centers, festivals, and the arts. Arranged chronologically.

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Papers of the Finance Committee collected by chairman Dolores Sibonga. Among the subjects regularly addressed by the committee are reviewing departmental annual reports, operating budgets, emergency fund requests and grant applications. In addition it adopts the budgets and investment plans and authorized collective bargaining agreements and payments for at fault accidents involving city vehicles.

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Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and studies relating to Smith's activities and interests on City Council, especially during his final six years in office. Principle subjects include utilities, public safety, social services, and issues of particular importance to African-Americans.

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Correspondence to and from City departments and regional agencies, including letters to Smith which he forwarded to relevant departments for their response. The largest body of material relates to utilities and public works. Arranged alphabetically by department.

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Correspondence, reports, notes, and agendas of City Council Utilities Committee. Smith chaired the committee during his final term on City Council.

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Street defeated incumbent Jack Richards for a position on City Council beginning in 1984. His primary focus while on Council was land use and regional growth issues. He served as chair of the Land Use Committee (1984-1989), Education Committee (1988-1989), Growth Policies and Regional Affairs Committee (1990-1995), and was Council President in 1994-1995. He chose not to run for reelection in 1995.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and staff reports relating primarily to land use and regional planning issues including the downtown plan, neighborhood planning, housing, major institutions and multi-family zoning, economic development, annexations, and the Comprehensive Plan. Also includes material regarding education and the public schools, child care and youth programs, the Mariner's stadium proposal and use of the north Kingdome parking lot, and the Seattle Commons proposal.

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Agendas for meetings of committee dealing with regional growth and planning issues. Includes committee votes and cross references to audio tapes of meetings.

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Committee agendas including members present, the short title of legislation being considered, and action taken. Attached to calendars are briefing memoranda from committee staff. For the period covered, the committee was known as Planning and Urban Development, then Urban Development. Does not include the years 1980-1982.

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Agendas for City Council's Education Committee. Agendas include number and title of legislation, resolutions, and comptroller files.

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Weeks defeated incumbent Virginia Galle in the 1989 election for City Council. During his tenure he has chaired the Housing and Human Services Committee (1990-1991), Finance Committee (1992-1995), and Personnel and Labor Policy Committee (1996-present).

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, studies, and notes related primarily to budget and finance issues, and human services. Topics include departmental mergers, gay and lesbian issues, taxicab fares, block grants, and the Seattle Indian Services Commission.

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Committee agendas, draft legislation, staff reports, and supporting documentation related to issues the come before the committee.

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Williams served on City Council from 1970 until 1989 when she was defeated in her bid for a sixth term. She chaired six committees including Human Resources and Judiciary (1970-1977), Transportation (1978-1981, 1988-1989), Labor (1982-1983), City Operations (1984-1985), Parks and Public Grounds (1986-1987), and Intergovernmental Relations (1986-1989). She was Council President in 1982-1983.