Friends and Neighbors, In addition to advancing legislation in February, I toured our aging University Bridge that connects several District 4 neighborhoods to the rest of our city; visited with the owner of small businesses in Eastlake; participated in an online meeting of the Maple Leaf Community Council; and appeared on the Seattle Channel’s “Council […]

February 16, 2021: I was very disappointed by the decision of the Cincinnati-based Kroger Company to shut down on April 24 two of their 15 QFC stores in Seattle, including the beloved QFC in Wedgwood. As soon as I learned of this (February 16), I called Corporate Affairs for Kroger/QFC to ask if they would […]

A big storm is hitting Seattle again and your city government is working hard to keep you safe. COORDINATION and COMMUNICATION: City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management (OED): OED typically activates its Emergency Operations Center to facilitate the Mayor’s ability to coordinate all relevant city government departments during a major event, such as a […]

INTRODUCTION: I issued the following statement the morning of Tuesday, February 9, prior to the start of the Seattle City Council’s Public Safety Committee meeting: “I will continue to demand accountability from our police department and to attack institutional racism and, at the same time, I am deeply concerned that several City Council colleagues are […]

Friends and Neighbors, Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021! As we continue to tackle the COVID crisis, I believe Seattle can emerge from this pandemic stronger — if we all row together. I outlined what our city can do to achieve an inclusive economic recovery in the Seattle Times last week. Below you can read my […]

The sudden closure of the West Seattle “High-Rise” Bridge in March 2020 has been a major challenge for Seattle and Washington State. Even though the West Seattle Bridge is not in Seattle’s District 4, Councilmember Alex Pedersen provides periodic updates on the closure, stabilization, repairs, and other issues impacting the bridge because he was appointed […]

Since 2019, federal government agencies have been advancing the sale of this important historical asset located at 6125 Sand Point Way NE here in Northeast Seattle, which has been very disappointing to many of us. As someone who taught history, majored in history, and worked for the Clinton Administration, I recognize the value of these […]

located at Southwest corner of NE 50th Street and Roosevelt Way NE December 24, 2020 (original post): STATEMENT by Councilmember Pedersen: “I’m very sad to see todays’ devastating fire at the historic and beloved Seven Gables Theatre that has been closed since 2017 in our University District. My chief concern this Christmas Eve is the […]

Friends and Neighbors, I hope this final newsletter for 2020 finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy during the winter holidays — and hanging on — as we finally see the light at the end of the long tunnel with the COVID pandemic.  It’s hard to believe we’ve already finished my first year […]

How More Accountability Can Ensure We Do the Most Good for the People Most in Need I believe our city government can and should be more transparent and thorough when allocating and tracking your tax dollars to ensure we do the most good for those most in need. I have devoted more than half of […]