Welcome and Thank you
For Visiting my Seattle City Council Website

My years on the City Council have taught me that Seattle works best when we work together. I will do my best to keep your faith by listening, valuing the input we receive from communities, and using technology to make local government more accessible, accountable, and able to provide the services that citizens need.

My goal as a Councilmember is to work with you and for you to strengthen neighborhoods, foster economic recovery from the current crisis, and make Seattle a leader in sustainability by envisioning, creating, and implementing new and innovative solutions.

I am honored to have been chosen for a second term as Council President, for 2010-2011. I have led my colleagues in working to achieve our principles of economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, social justice, and community. I welcome your input not only on policy ideas, but my website and Council communications in general.

2009 brought challenges not only to our city, but to our country. We must make some tough choices, but we must also reach out to each other and be open to new ideas and opportunities. It’s my pledge to you to pursue those opportunities that offer the greatest benefit for our city.

Thanks again for visiting, and please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council President

Biography

Richard Conlin was first elected to the Seattle City Council in November 1997 after many years of public service with Seattle-based community organizations. In 2007 the Council elected Richard to serve as Council President for the first of two two-year terms, the second of which will continue to the end of 2011.

Over the past 12 years, Richard has focused on making Seattle a more sustainable city, reducing waste, strengthening neighborhoods, improving pedestrian mobility and transportation infrastructure, and making government more transparent.

During his first term (1998-2001), Conlin successfully moved 37 neighborhood plans through Council approval as the Chair of the Neighborhoods, Sustainability, and Community Development Committee. The completion of the Neighborhood Planning Program was a key step in Seattle’s implementation of Washington’s Growth Management Act.

In his second term (2002-2005), Richard chaired the Council’s Transportation Committee. He worked on implementing the region’s plan for improved transit, developing new funding sources for transportation maintenance, and supporting pedestrian and bicycle improvements to reduce dependence on the automobile. These efforts continued in his third term when Richard worked extensively with neighborhoods and community interests on the replacement of SR 520 and the Viaduct.

In addition to serving as Council President, Conlin currently chairs the Regional Development and Sustainability Committee. The RDS committee oversees the Offices of Economic Development, Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and Sustainability and Environment, as well as the Seattle Public Library system. He continues to represent the Council on major transportation projects such as the replacement of the SR 520 bridge. Richard also serves both on the Sound Transit Board and its Finance Committee, the Regional Water Quality Committee, and the Green-Duwamish Watershed Planning Committee.

In 2007, Richard launched the Zero Waste Strategy (ZWS) in order to significantly increase Seattle’s recycling rate, which as of 2007 was just below 45 per cent, and improve waste prevention programs. This strategy includes a new service for SPU customers so that food waste (35% of our overall solid waste) can be composted instead of going into a landfill. Future aspects of the ZWS will increase product stewardship with manufacturer take back and other programs. Richard also launched the Local Food Initiative to increase Seattle’s access to nutritional foods, reduce costs for farmers bringing their produce to markets in Seattle, and strengthen the security of our food supply.

As Council President in 2009, Richard Chaired special committees on Open Government and Economic Recovery.

Prior to being elected as a Seattle City Councilmember, Richard Conlin was Director of the Community and Environment Division at Metrocenter YMCA from 1985 to 1996. He led the Seattle YMCA Earth Service Corps, supporting youth development through environmental education and action, and the Master Home Environmentalist program training volunteers to reduce home indoor pollution. Richard also co-founded Sustainable Seattle in 1989.