Current Issues

Seattle City Council 2010 Priorities
Council's 2010 vision and key efforts for Seattle. The Council developed these priorities to support building a livable city, foster safe, just and healthy communities, and invest public resources fairly and effectively.

Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall Project
The City Council is currently consulting transportation experts on how best to address safety concerns with the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the seawall along Seattle's Waterfront.

SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project
The replacement of the State Route 520 bridge continues to be a high priority project for the City of Seattle with ongoing work on the planning, design and funding options.

City Budget
City Council works as a team to put people first. They keep their word with a sustainable budget addressing needs.

Carbon Neutrality
Building on Seattle’s history of environmental leadership, the City Council established carbon neutrality as one of its seventeen Council priorities in 2010.

Updating Seattle’s Multifamily Code
The Council is currently reviewing how duplexes, townhomes, and smaller apartment buildings are designed in Seattle’s "multifamily" lowrise zones. This update is being done in an effort to create buildings that synch with the neighborhood around them and great living spaces for the people who dwell inside.

2010: The Year of Urban Agriculture
Promoting community agriculture efforts and increased access to locally grown food

Local Food Action Initiative
The Local Food Action Initiative is a series of actions meant to promote local and regional food sustainability and security.

Zero Waste Strategy
On January 25, 2010, the Council passed Resolution 31169 which calls on the state of Washington to provide a Do Not Mail registry to minimize the volume of unwanted direct mail delivered to Washington residents.

Privately Owned Public Open Spaces (POPOS)
Under Seattle city zoning laws, building developers can engage in zoning tradeoffs that may allow them to build bigger or higher, if they provide a specified amount of space for public use.

Comprehensive Plan Amendments
The city’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan), titled "Toward a Sustainable Seattle," is a document created in 1994 that sets out the goals, values and policies guiding us as we accommodate growth over time.  Once a year, the public has the opportunity to suggest amendments to that plan.  Click here to learn how to submit an amendment or to review which amendments have been recently proposed.

Seattle Children’s Hospital’s proposed Major Institution Master Plan
The Council is reviewing a proposed Major Institution Master Plan (MIMP) for the expansion of Seattle Children’s Hospital.  The review of a proposed MIMP is subject to the city’s quasi-judicial rules which means the Council will act as judges in its review, rather than legislators. Reports, appeals, and other documents regarding the proposed MIMP are available at this link.

Recession Resources for Seattle Residents
Help with Employment, Housing, Human Services, Debt Relief, and Foreclosure

OPA Review Board (OPARB)

The Office of Professional Accountability Review Board was formed to oversee the way the Office of Professional Accountability handles citizen complaints against Seattle police officers.
•   Reports
•   Meeting times & locations

Nightlife Advisory Committee

•   Final Report

Cultural Overlay District Advisory Committee (CODAC)

•   CODAC's Final Recommendations
•   Appendix
•   Council Endorsement
•   The Council's Request
•   The Executive's Response

Seattle City Council Police Accountability Panel (SCCPAP)

•   Final Report