Seattle City Council Public Safety Chair  Bruce Harrell will be our special guest at our Thursday, April 26th East Precinct Advisory Council Community Meeting.  We often hear concerns about chronic criminal and nuisance activities that compromise the quality of life and safety in our community.  Come and let Councilmember Harrell that you want a safe neighborhood!  

 

 EastPAC Community Meeting

Thursday, April 26th, 6:30 TO 8 PM

Seattle University’s Chardin Hall, Room 142

1020 East Jefferson- (enter on 11th and Jefferson park free in front of building)   

Please see Cm. Harrell’s Public Safety Committee Work Program:  http://www.seattle.gov/council/harrell/2012workprogram.htm

See everyone this Thursday!

We hope to see a large turnout for the Thursday, March 22^nd EastPAC community meeting! By popular demand, we are now starting at 6:30!

The 911 Communications Center Commander, Captain Sean O’Donnell, will be our featured guest at this month. We have a special regard for Captain O’Donnell, as he recently served as our East Precinct Operations Lieutenant, attending our meetings and responding to your community concerns.  We welcome his ‘homecoming’ to the East Precinct!

 Captain O’Donnell is ready to listen to your concerns when calling 911. Here is your chance to directly impact how the 911 operators communicate with you. It is important that you continue to report crimes to 911; this is how SPD basically determines emphasis patrols.  We will also ask him to explain how to be a good witness, what to specifically describe when reporting a crime.

There will also be time for your concerns, East Precinct Command staff, as usual, will be present to hear you. 

 Our meetings are regularly held at Seattle University’s Chardin Hall, a very accessible and convenient location off of 11th and East Jefferson with free parking directly in front of the building.

Mark your calendars:

EastPAC General Meeting

Thursday, March 22, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Chardin Hall, Room 142, Seattle University

1020 East Jefferson

(Enter Campus at 11the and East Jefferson, free parking in front of building)

 Looking forward to seeing you there!

 Stephanie Tschida, Chair

Please don’t forget to attend Monday’s Hearing on the City’s Petition to open rulemaking for extended hours of alcohol service:

 Monday, March 12, 2012, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

 

Seattle City Hall

 Bertha Knight Landes Room

 600 Fourth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98104

 

 Mindful of the fact that this was scheduled during work hours, we made a request that another hearing take place in the community during evening hours. I received this response from the Liquor Board: “At this point we are scheduling just one hearing in the Seattle area.”  (Note- This is at this point of the process, there may be additional hearings beyond this stage of the process if the petition is approved. EastPAC has received no other information or schedules as to future meetings)

 Also from the Liquor Board:

“Prior to making a determination of whether to pursue rulemaking, the Board is interested in hearing from community members and leaders, communities surrounding Seattle, law enforcement at the local, county and state level, neighborhood and community groups and other interested parties.” 

We hope our communities are well represented, and we encourage you to attend.  For more background information on the City of Seattle’s petition, please see the LCB website:  http://www.liq.wa.gov/rules/extended-hours-rule-making. Please also see the attached timeline for the consideration of the City of Seattle’s Petition. 

If you absolutely cannot come, you may also provide your comments via email to the Rules Coordinator, Karen McCall: [email protected]. 

From the Washington State Liquor Board:

“You are invited…

The Liquor Control Board is holding a public hearing in Seattle March 12, 2012 regarding the City of Seattle’s petition to open rulemaking for extended hours of alcohol service. Under the City of Seattle’s proposal, individual cities would have the ability to seek an exemption from the 2:00 a.m. deadline for alcohol sales at on-premises locations.  Cities would be able to set their own hours, including allowing alcohol sales around-the-clock.  

Prior to making a determination of whether to pursue rulemaking, the Board is interested in hearing from community members and leaders, communities surrounding Seattle, law enforcement at the local, county and state level, neighborhood and community groups and other interested parties. For more background information on the City of Seattle’s petition, please see the LCB website:  http://www.liq.wa.gov/rules/extended-hours-rule-making

You are receiving this email because we want to make sure you have a chance to provide your comments to the Liquor Board at this hearing.  Whether you support the City of Seattle’s request or oppose it, we want to hear from you.

Please join us:

March 12, 2012  10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Seattle City Hall

Bertha Knight Landes Room

600 Fourth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98104″

Note: Many citizens have requested a second hearing in the community, outside of work hours. This is the Liquor Board’s response:

“At this point we are scheduling just one hearing in the Seattle area.  I’m the process of scheduling hearings in Vancouver, Tri-Cities and Spokane as well, one per city.  Our Seattle hearing was scheduled in conjunction with Mayor McGinn’s office, and while it may not be idea in terms of timing, I do hope those that have comments on the proposal will send them to Karen McCall ([email protected]).  Karen is tracking every comment submitted, whether for or against opening rulemaking, and sharing those with our Board.  I do apologize again for the inconvenience of the scheduling. “

In light of the recent BJA report regarding to the Seattle Police Department, we have invited City Council Member Tim Burgess, who will speak about his recently published policy essay entitled “A New Philosophy of Policing”. Recently chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, Tim was able to identify Best Practices in crime prevention and policing strategies.  The entire essay can  be found within Tim’s website- http://www.seattle.gov/council/burgess/ – in the current issues column.  

 Our new Precinct Liaison Attorney, Matt York, will also be present and give a brief introduction of what he will be focusing on to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in our community. 

In other news:

OPARB COMMUNITY MEETING!

Tuesday, February 7th, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 

Location: Campion Ballroom, Seattle University

http://www.seattleu.edu/maps/

From OPARB, “Please join us for an open discussion about whether a community collaborative process can help ease tensions between the Seattle Police Department and Seattle’s varied communities, particularly communities of color.  Set against the backdrop of the recent Department of Justice findings, experienced facilitator, Jay Rothman, will present a report and recommendations about ways to empower the community, open constructive lines of communication and implement a concrete plan using such a process in Seattle.”

Attempted Car-Jacking

You may already know about the recent attempted car-jacking incident in the Madrona neighborhood. Please see CDN news: http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/01/30/attempted-carjacking-at-32nd-and-cherry

 It is important to know what to do if this ever happens to you.  Please see the attached document from Fran Tello, our East Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator.

The monthly EastPAc meeting is open to all- I hope to see everyone on February 23rd!

Be Safe, and enjoy our early spring weather!

Stephanie Tschida, Chair

East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC)

Vehicle Safety Tips Bump and Rob

Thursday’s EastPAC Meeting features Wyking Garrett of the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center

 

Wyking Garrett of the UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center (UPC) will be our special guest at this Thursday’s, (January 26) EastPAC meeting.  A multi-purpose youth-centered cultural facility in the heart of Seattle’s historic Central District, UPC facilitates innovating and engaging programming designed to give community youth a positive and productive environment. Serving between 50-100 youth per week at the center and satellite programs at Garfield Teen Life Center and Rainier Beach HS, the center has become a popular destination. UPC has pans to expand, come and see how we as a community can support their valuable efforts! 

 

 

EastPAC General Meeting

Thursday, January 26,  6:00 to 8:00 PM

 Seattle University, Chardin Hall, Room 142

 1020 East Jefferson (Enter at 11^th and Jefferson, park free in front of building)

-The UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E Center featured on KOMO4 News!

http://youtu.be/Ps3JIDZCoqE

 A message from Wyking:   

” REPORT TO COMMUNITY-Progress in the face of adversity

 Thank you to everyone who has supported the work of the UmojaFest PEACE Center over the past year! Although we’ve faced adversity (like many) with tough fiscal challenges, we have continued to establish UmojaFest P.E.A.C.E. Center as a valuable asset to our community and city!

We are grateful for the partnerships that allow us to provide valuable development opportunities to our youth. To maximize that support, we’ve completed a strategic plan to guide our work for the next three to five years. We’d like to extend our appreciation to the City of Seattle Office of Economic Development for their help on that project.

Our work continues to provide a unique blend of youth development, cultural enrichment, community building, and violence prevention/intervention and workforce development.

Community Building

 Throughout 2011, the P.E.A.C.E Center partnered with the youth and community to generate over $100,000 in volunteer hours and in-kind donations! We recognize the benefit of establishing effective partnerships to expand our capacity, and want to acknowledge our broad range of partners, including (but not limited to) Seattle Parks Department, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Vera Project, Therapeutic Health Services (THS), Seattle Symphony, Garfield High School, Communities In Schools, University of Washington, Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA), Seattle Office of Economic Development and a host of other community groups –with our most valuable partners being THE YOUTH!

Strategic Plan

 Umoja Fest PEACE Center has recently completed a 3-5 year strategic plan.  We are seeking support in order to realize the goals in our plan.

We are proud of our accomplishments and how far we have come but we know that with your support we can make a greater impact on the lives of youth and sustained positive impact on our community as a whole.

Your investment will help us achieve the following in 2012-2013: 



Program Services:

• Serve 100+ youth via our various programs
• Streamline/synchronize programming curriculum to achieve key academic/college prep and workforce development goals
• Develop measurement/assessment tools and track program participant outcomes and produce annual report.

Communication & Engagement

• Develop a model for youth engagement in facilities operations and maintenance
• Strengthen our village by increasing communication and engagement between parents and adult allies of youth participating in programming
• Present 4 community engagement events

 Organizational Capacity & Operations

• Stabilize program operating hours
• Secure lease for facility
• Hire staff 1.5 FTE
• Leverage 2 FTE AmeriCorps staff
• Develop Fundraising plan
• Develop transitional Board

For more information, please visit our web site www.umojafestpeacecenter.com.  Please contact me directly if you have questions regarding this correspondence or if you would like more information about our programs, I can be reached directly at 206.941.2527.”

The December East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC) General Meeting, will be held 6 PM this Thursday, December 8th.  Our last meeting of the year is held early to accommodate the holidays.

Jack Lattemann, lead Transportation Planner in Metro’s Service Planning Group, will be our featured guest.  Metro Transit is making several changes that will impact East Precinct riders, including re-routes and limited service of bus routes. We understand Yesler Route 27 is likely to end at 12th Avenue except during peak hours  

Jack will speak about these changes, factors affecting the planning of transit service and safety and security on the bus and at bus stops. Come and hear about the changes, ask questions and voice your concerns.

EastPAC General Meeting, Thursday, December 8, 6 PM to 7:45 PM

Chardin Hall, Room 142, Seattle University,1020 East Jefferson

(Enter Campus at 11the and East Jefferson, free parking in front of building)

 Maps at www.EastPAC.org

Metro Transit is making several changes that will impact East Precinct riders, including re-routes and limited service of bus routes. Jack Lattemann, lead Transportation Planner in Metro’s Service Planning Group, will be our featured guest at the December 8^th East Precinct Advisory Council meeting. Jack will speak about these changes,  factors affecting the planning of transit service and safety and security at bus stops— a key concern among the East Precinct community.

Metro representatives were invited in response to a recent survey completed by our October meeting attendees. We asked, “Who and what would you like to see at our meetings?” “Transit Configurations and philosophies regarding public safety” was one of the suggested topics.

 

Other proposed topics will be featured in our future meetings, including:

• Young people talk about their issues and recommendations to feel more comfortable with policing in our community. (We have invited representatives from the UmojaFest Peace Center for our January Meeting);
• How to be a good witness and notice the details that matter;
• Traffic calming strategies (Traffic circles, curb bulbs, etc) how to get a crosswalk in your neighborhood;
• Education of drivers regarding pedestrians and bicycles;
• 911 information-education in use of 911 calls, “communicating with the police/first responder”;
• Abatement process with Nuisance Property;
• Neighborhood Emergency Teams;
• Role of Meredith Matthews YMCA in neighborhood youth programs.

If you would like to suggest a topic not listed here, please add your idea in the comments.

Please note, our Thursday, December 8 meeting date, set to accommodate the holidays, is a combined November/December meeting. 

Mark your calendar!

 EastPAC General Meeting

Thursday, December 8, 6 PM to 7:45 PM

Chardin Hall, Room 142, Seattle University

1020 East Jefferson

(Enter Campus at 11the and East Jefferson, free parking in front of building)

Hope to see you all there!

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece is a community post by the East Precinct Advisory Council. CDN would like to remind you that anyone can post to the site by clicking “Post” in the navigation bar.

For the past year and a half, the Mayor’s Office has been promoting the “Seattle Nightlife Initiative” (SNI), a plan that focuses on extending hours for select Seattle nightclubs to serve alcohol past the current 2 AM cut-off. 

The City’s petition to extend alcohol service hours was developed collaboratively with the Seattle Nightlife & Music Association (SNMA – a group of Seattle nightclubs) intended to ‘Solve the 2:00 AM Push Out’–There are those who believe that the trouble that occurs when nightclubs close at 2:00 AM can be avoided by staggering closing hours.  However, the negative residual issues that could occur with this proposed plan far outweigh any benefits. The extended hours plan will mainly increase liquor revenues to nightclubs – not improve public safety or create a socially responsible drinking environment—or ‘a more vibrant nightlife’.  It serves the few in the private, special interest (nightclubs) category, not the many residents who would be impacted by noise, DUIs and alcohol-fueled violence.

During the summer of 2010, the Mayor’s Office sponsored several citywide community meetings to introduce the SNI proposal. The vast majority of attendees were adamantly against this plan, citing significant concerns about negative impacts to local communities. Afterwards, Precinct Advisory Councils and other neighborhood organizations wrote letters to the Mayor and City Council voicing their opposition.  Regardless of this broad community opposition, the proposal went forward anyway as a petition to the Liquor Control Board to extend hours for alcohol service. (Note: Recent surveys, distributed to target groups by the City, are being referenced by the City as community approval of this plan.)

Currently, the plan is under review by the Washington State Liquor Control Board for a “Proposed Rules Change”, which would allow Seattle to “create an area within the jurisdiction to extend service hours beyond 2 AM.”  -Which “area” would be designated?  This has not been identified.  Public comment will be accepted until December 1, 2011. The Board will be asked to approve the proposed rules by December 7th, public hearings will follow in January, and the Board could vote to adopt the rule by the end of January.

Citizens have expressed several concerns and questions about this initiative:

Ø     The City and State are struggling with a significant budget shortfall. Liquor control agent staff has been reduced to four for the entire city, and local police resources are already limited. Where will funds for regulation and enforcement come from?

Ø     Will police staffing to monitor and respond to late night drinking and all its problems be at the expense of other citywide public safety needs?

Ø     How will the City and County afford the proposed 24-hour public transport to get patrons home safe?

Ø     How will noise, throughout the night, every night, will be managed? (Note: Seattle has not, to our knowledge, issued a noise violation, despite numerous complaints by residents, the process is very cumbersome)

 Ø     If liquor service hours are extended until 6 AM, doesn’t that mean 24-hour alcohol sales – and no cut off?

Ø     If this becomes a pilot program in Seattle, what zone will be chosen?  Won’t patrons from outlying areas come to the extended hours zone, adding additional mass in the streets? 

Ø     Do you think young people (who will likely take advantage of extended hours) should be given the choice to have another drink or two or three at say, 4am?

 Ø     Why is the City supporting the Seattle Nightlife & Music Association?  This special interest group of bar owners is pushing this initiative through Seattle elected officials. Hasn’t this same special interest group made significant campaign contributions and won’t it profit if the extended hours proposal is passed?

The East Precinct Advisory Council, along with the West and South Precinct Advisory Councils, and the Central Seattle Drug-Free Communities Coalition, have voted to oppose this proposed rules change. The vast majority of the North Precinct Advisory Council members are opposed to the initiative as well; however, they have not yet taken a formal vote.  We want to stop this petition before it is passed in early December!

The Precinct Advisory Councils, The Drug-Free Communities Coalition and Citizens For A Responsible, Not Reckless Drinking Environment (RNR) ask that you object to this proposal!  We are urging you to write to the Liquor Control Board expressing your opposition to the plan. The deadline for this phase of the Rules Change Pre-Proposal Petition is December 1, 2011! 

For complete information on Seattle’s petition to open rule-making on extended hours of alcohol service:

http://www.liq.wa.gov/rules/extended-hours-rule-making

Please email call, fax or write your objection before the December 1

^st deadline!

 WSLCB Headquarters

 Rules Coordinator

PO Box 43080

Olympia, WA 98504-3080

[email protected]

360.664.1631 Tel

360.664.9689 Fax

Liquor Board:

• ·  Sharon Foster, Chair, of Olympia,   

      [email protected], 360.664.1711

• ·  Ruthann Kurose, of Mercer Island, 

     [email protected], 360.664.1715

 

• ·  Chris Marr, of Spokane,                    

      [email protected], 360.664.1713

Thank you for your commitment to public safety!