Sincerely,


GREG NICKELS
Mayor of Seattle

Thanks to a strong economy, but keeping an eye on the future, we now have a 2008 budget that adds funds to important priorities such as human services, library books, pedestrian safety, parks and neighborhoods. And we have created a new program to help in our fight to protect the climate -- the Green Building Revolving Fund will make cost-effective investments in City-owned facilities to reduce energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. I was disappointed that the Council was not with me on funding a 311 system for Seattle. I still believe we need it because it's more than just a telephone number. It's really a fundamental attitude change to make local government more accountable and inclusive to everyone in Seattle.
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Talk about a win-win situation … we just launched a program with the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) that will help save residents money and cut global warming pollution. Through the 12-month program, which is part of Seattle Climate Action Now, we will install 40,000 energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs in more than 6,000 SHA units. Changing one light bulb won't save the world from global warming, but changing 40,000 is a good start.
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With the premise that neighborhoods know best what they need to improve their streets and sidewalks, earlier this year we solicited applications for large projects to be funded by the Neighborhood Street Fund. A community advisory group reviewed 150 applications and we are recommending 17 projects from throughout the city -- a new sidewalk near Decatur School in northeast Seattle, improved lighting on First Hill, a traffic roundabout on Renton Avenue South and more. With $4.5 million from the Bridging the Gap transportation levy, plus an additional $1.5 million for 2008, we will have $6 million to fund neighborhood projects over the next three years. Many of these projects will make it safer and more convenient to walk -- a win for the neighborhoods and another step in reducing climate pollution from cars.
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Anybody who has been watching government television over the years, knows why our own Seattle Channel continually receives awards for excellence. Just last month, the channel was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Government Programming Award from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors -- in other words, it's the best municipal television station in the country. The Seattle Channel is unique among local TV station in the country, because it streams all programs live on the Web, in addition to broadcasting 24 hours a day on Cable Channel 21 in Seattle. My hat's off to the entire Seattle Channel team for providing Seattle residents with everything from in-depth government coverage to some of the best local arts and cultural TV programming in the nation.
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I was honored to accept the inaugural visionary award from the Urban League's Contractor Development and Competitiveness Center (CDCC) at its fifth annual luncheon. I was proud to represent the city of Seattle for helping establish the CDCC in the wake of I-200. When I took office in 2002, the fallout from I-200 was a dramatic dropoff in the participation of women- and minority-owned businesses in City contracting. That wasn't acceptable so we joined with the Urban League to create the CDCC, which provides valuable assistance and training to small disadvantaged businesses to help them compete and succeed.
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