Council News Release

Seattle — Councilmember Sally J. Clark today announced that the Office of City Auditor is reviewing the City’s progress in implementing neighborhood plans. Councilmember Clark, chair of the Economic Development and Neighborhoods Committee, said, “Nearly 20,000 Seattleites spent thousands of hours setting out guidelines for how they wanted their neighborhoods to improve. Now it is time to find out how the City is doing implementing those improvements.”

The neighborhood planning process started in 1994 with the engagement of citizens across the city who wanted to shape the changes and growth occurring in their neighborhoods. The Council received 38 neighborhoods’ plans in the late 1990s. The 20-year plans included requests ranging from traffic revisions to libraries. Councilmember Clark is reviving the City’s commitment to putting neighborhood plans into action. Keeping that goal in mind, she asked the Office of City Auditor to measure how successful the City has been so far. “As we’re approaching the mid-term point for the plans, the audit will help us determine what kind of grade the City has earned to date and serve as a springboard to future action,” said Councilmember Clark.

“As our neighborhoods change, we must not lose sight of the fundamental principles we all seek: livability, safety, and sustainability” said Councilmember Clark. “I want to make sure that the city is being an effective partner in protecting and enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”

The Office of City Auditor encourages all Seattleites who have questions, input, or concerns to express regarding the City putting neighborhood plans into action to contact the City staff member who is conducting this audit, Rich Richmire, rich.richmire@seattle.gov, 206-684-0391, or City Auditor, Susan Cohen, susan.cohen@seattle.gov.

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City Council