Council News Release

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen

Committee Approves Seattle Parks for All Levy Oversight Committee

SEATTLE — Today the Seattle City Council Parks and Seattle Center Committee appointed twelve members to the new Seattle Parks for All Levy Oversight Committee. The committee will guide implementation of the six-year, $145 million park improvement levy authorized by the voters last November.

The levy will fund park and playground safety improvements, renovation of major buildings and will allow the purchase of land for new parks in rapidly growing neighborhoods throughout Seattle. The new committee members are:

Douglas Dunham, from the northwest; Cheryl Klinker from the northeast, Joyce Moty from the central south; Terry Holme from the east; Don Harper from the central west; Sharon H. Lee from the northeast; Alec Stephens from the southeast; Neal Adams from the southwest; Cindi Barker from the southwest; Beth Purcell from the central east; Matthew Mega from the northeast; and John P. Spalding from the southwest. The Council is expected to name the remaining four members to the sixteen member oversight committee in April.

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Chair of the committee, said, “We have an exceptionally talented committee of volunteers from throughout Seattle who are eager to do their part to get the new levy off the ground.” In April, the City Council will review and approve the appropriation for the first round of levy funded projects, 3 months before originally planned.

“The Council wants to get the levy projects underway as quickly as possible,” said Councilmember Rasmussen. “The projects will result in significant improvement to our neighborhoods and have the added benefit of creating additional construction jobs in Seattle.”

The first meeting of the Oversight Committee will be held on March 30th at 7:00 p.m. at Parks Department Headquarters in the Parks Board Room (100 Dexter Ave. N.).

Council meetings are cablecast live on Seattle Channel 21 and Webcast live on the City Councils website at www.seattle.gov/council. Copies of legislation, archives of previous meetings, and news releases are available on www.seattle.gov/council. Questions about Council news releases can be directed to Kimberly Reason, Council Communications, at 206-684-8159, or by e-mail at kimberly.reason@seattle.gov.

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City Council