Today Mayor Ed Murray issued the following statement on the Seattle Public Utilities guidance to run your water for two minutes before drinking or cooking if the water has not been run for more than six hours:

“Over the last 24 hours, Seattle has been watching the unfolding story of water testing results in Tacoma.

“The water systems in Seattle and Tacoma are not connected. Our water comes from protected mountain watersheds in the Cascade Mountains.

“The Seattle water supply is routinely tested for a range of issues. Our test results indicate that Seattle water surpasses all state and federal standards. For decades, we have had in place a comprehensive strategy designed to help keep lead out of the water supply.

“Seattle takes any potential lead exposure very seriously. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be doing additional water quality testing across our system.

“Today Seattle also echoed the Washington State Department of Health regular guidance to let your water run prior to using it for drinking or cooking, again, merely as a precaution.

“We will continue to update Seattle residents on the Seattle Public Utilities website.”

Mayor Ed Murray and Seattle Parks and Recreation today announced this year’s Urban Parks Partnership Initiative’s community partners. The program provides opportunities to build community around our urban parks, improving the health of community members and bringing youth and families together. Each of this year’s partner organizations will be awarded a one-time grant of $46,000 to increase the vibrancy and enjoyment of select downtown parks.

“Activating our urban parks with performances, festivals, classes, and more helps to engage users in enjoying public spaces,” said Mayor Murray. “This partnership is a wonderful opportunity to build community around our urban parks, promote the health of community members, connect individuals to the outdoors and bring more joy into downtown life.”

Park locations include Cascade Playground, Freeway Park, Hing Hay Park, Danny Woo International Children’s Garden, Kobe Terrace, Bell Street Park, Tilikum Place, and Belltown Cottage Park and P-patch. Awardees include:

1. Cascade Playground Activation Committee, which is comprised of Cascade neighborhood residents, small and large businesses, non-profit groups, local churches, and the Downtown Seattle Association.

2. Jim Ellis Freeway Park Association, which is comprised of neighborhood residents, property owners and stakeholders, including the First Hill Improvement Association, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Horizon House, Exeter House, Town Hall, the Washington State Convention Center, and others.

3. InterIm Community Development Association, which is comprised of International Community Health Services, Wing Luke Museum, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority, and the International District Business Improvement Area.

4. Friends of Belltown Parks, which is comprised of neighborhood residents, local businesses, Belltown United, Belltown Business Association, Belltown Community Council and Downtown Seattle Association/ Metropolitan Improvement District.

The four partner organizations will bring park staffing, classes, activities, events, games, temporary art, concerts, furnishings and other amenities to the specific park or parks for which they have taken on a partner role. Seattle Parks and Recreation will continue to maintain the selected parks on a daily basis, handle all permitting, and continue some programming such as Dancing ‘til Dusk, Free Family Fun Days, Center City Cinema and concierge services. The partnership agreements will be in place until the end of the year, with the possibility for renewal in 2017.

Activities and events already in the works include the Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) program led by the Wing Luke Museum, expansion of the Winterlights festival in Freeway Park, expansion of the Belltown Beats on Bell Street, and new programs such as the Reading Room in the Park, to be held at Cascade Playground.

“Whether it’s food, fitness or fun you’re after, the Parks Partnership has something for everyone,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. “No matter if I’m enjoying a bite from my favorite food truck in Westlake or live music at Occidental, our parks are truly the best way to celebrate summer in Seattle.”

“We have three big priorities in everything we do: promote healthy habits, connect people to each other and nurture a love for the environment. I see the Urban Parks Partnership as a vibrant way to make an impact in all three of those areas just by getting residents outdoors and engaging with each other through art, celebration and gathering,” said Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

In January 2016, Seattle Parks and Recreation conducted a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process advertising this partnership opportunity. Communities were asked to work collaboratively on proposals for their neighborhood parks.

The Urban Park Partnership Initiative is made possible by funding from the Seattle Park District. Approved by voters in 2014, the Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for Seattle Parks and Recreation, including maintenance of parklands and facilities, operation of community centers and recreation programs, and development of new neighborhood parks on previously-acquired sites.

Mayor Ed Murray and Councilmember Kshama Sawant unveiled a proposal today strengthening protections for vulnerable renters living in unsafe or substandard housing. The measure prohibits landlords from raising rents on homes that are in violation of existing maintenance and safety codes, and allows Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) to take action against landlords for retaliating against tenants that report unsafe living conditions or fail to provide proper notice of rent increases.

“The practice of raising rents on substandard homes is unacceptable and we must take steps to protect vulnerable renters from displacement and unsafe living conditions,” said Mayor Murray. “This is a race and social justice issue that disproportionality impacts communities of color. We’ve seen landlords let homes fall into disrepair or raise rents to displace and redevelop the property. If Seattle is to become more equitable, we must ensure that rental housing is safe and remains affordable for residents.”

The tenant protection bill is a recommendation from the Mayor’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA). Studies have shown that more than half of Seattle’s occupied housing units are rentals. After reports surfaced last fall of landlords pushing out low-income and immigrant tenants, Councilmember Sawant and then Councilmember Nick Licata called for the City to step in and ban such practices.

“Tenants at 6511 Rainier Ave. S. organized their building into the Tenant’s Union of Washington to stop the abuse of their landlord,” Councilmember Sawant said. “They called demonstrations to expose the deplorable conditions, and this legislation shows that tenants can win their rights when they organize and fight back.”

Highlights of the bill include:

1. Prohibit landlords from increasing the rents charged for units that do not meet basic maintenance standards.

2. Enhance protections for tenants who experience retaliation or other prohibited landlord-led actions.

3. Transfer primary City responsibility for enforcing against prohibited acts by landlords and tenants from the Seattle Police Department to the

4. Allow SDCI to enforce a City requirement that a must provide at least 60 days’ notice before applying a rent increase of 10 percent or more.

“I’m happy to see Mayor Murray and Councilmember Sawant introducing legislation to better protect tenants,” said Sahra Farah, Executive Director of Somali Community Services of Seattle. “Too often, members of the immigrant and refugee community are taken advantage of because they do not know their rights and are forced out of their homes. This proposal will give tenants protection from rent hikes and retaliation from their landlords when they report unsafe living conditions in their homes.”

The Council is expected to consider the proposal this spring.

Mayor Ed Murray, along with Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Larry Nyland, announced today that Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) “Safe Place” will expand to all 98 Seattle Public Schools. SPD Safe Place is a public education and visibility program aimed at preventing and responding to anti-LGBTQ bias crimes.

“While we see a rolling back of civil rights protections for LGBTQ people in some corners of the country, Seattle remains inclusive and welcoming to all people,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “SPD Safe Place brings together businesses, community organizations, and the public to stand up against hate and intolerance. I applaud Seattle Public Schools for bringing this important program to our schools, empowering students to speak out against anti-LGBTQ harassment.”

Launched in May of 2015, SPD Safe Place is a voluntary program that provides businesses and organizations with decals and information on how to report malicious harassment, more commonly known as hate crimes. Training for these organizations includes when and how to call 911, sheltering victims of crime until police arrived, and proactive outreach about working with the SPD’s LGBT liaison officer.

“We are thrilled that SPD Safe Place is growing through a partnership with Seattle Public Schools,” said Chief Kathleen O’Toole. “We want to create a safe, inclusive community for everyone and are encouraged by the ongoing support we have received for this program.”

“Our district is proud to partner with the City and the Seattle Police Department to make all of our schools Safe Places,” said Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Larry Nyland. “This is a continuation of our commitment to ensuring all our students feel safe and equal in our schools”

SPD Safe Place program has reached 1,600 locations. Businesses, organizations and educational institutions can request SPD Safe Place placards or posters and learn about how to work with police to prevent and address anti-LGBT crime concerns at www.seattle.gov/spd-safe-place/.

Mayor Ed Murray today transmitted legislation to the City Council expanding fair housing protections for renters using subsidies or alternative sources of income to pay their rent. The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) also released new guidelines on the use of preferred employer discounts in rental housing.

“For Seattle to become more affordable, we must reduce the barriers that our most vulnerable residents face finding a home to rent,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “If someone receives veteran’s benefits or child support payments, they should be able to use that income to rent an apartment and not be turned away. We also need to ensure that properties that offer discounts to employees of a specific company are not having an impact on other renters.”

The mayor’s proposed legislation expands civil rights protection to renters with legal and verifiable non-wage sources of income such as Social Security, veteran’s benefits, and child support. It also extends these same protections to our most vulnerable renters and people experiencing homelessness who use rental assistance provided through rapid rehousing or subsides to prevent eviction. Currently, Seattle’s Open Housing Ordinance only offers protection to Section 8 voucher holders.

“We recently represented a client whose landlord gave notice to all the tenants in the building that rental subsidies would no longer be accepted,” said Merf Ehman of Columbia Legal Services.  “We also saw an admissions policy where a landlord will not accept tenants with protected income like retirement or disability benefits. Landlords should not be able to discriminate against people just because they are retired, disabled or utilize a subsidy.”

The legislation also:

• Prohibits a landlord from denying a housing application solely because an applicant uses subsidies or alternative sources of income to pay rent.
• Prohibits a landlord from evicting, harassing, or retaliating against a tenant for using alternative sources of income to pay rent, or using advertisements that state a preference on income.
• Lays out rules for how landlords should calculate subsidies and alternative sources of income if they elect to use rent to income ratios when screening tenants.

A recommendation of the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) Committee, the legislation was developed with input from a stakeholder committee comprised of tenant advocates, landlords, social service agencies and nonprofit housing providers.

Today, SOCR also released formal guidance on the use of preferred employer programs in rental housing. In 2015, media and community members reported that property management companies were offering discounts on deposits and other move-in fees to rental applicants who worked for particular employers. These discounts were reportedly not offered to other applicants. Given Seattle’s high rents and increasing affordability challenge, incentives and opportunities for certain groups over others may perpetuate existing racial, gender and other social inequities.

SOCR has developed Enforcement Guidance on the Use of Preferred Employer Programs in rental housing. SOCR has concluded that in some instances, preferred employer programs that provide discounts or other terms and conditions in rental housing to certain groups over others may constitute discrimination under Seattle’s Open Housing Ordinance (SMC 14.08) if that program is shown to have a disparate impact on one or more protected classes.

“We will look at complaints about preferred employer programs on a case by case basis,” said Patricia Lally, SOCR Director. “Some programs may be legal; others may cross the line and violate our fair housing law.”

To determine the legality of a specific preferred employer program, SOCR will conduct a disparate impact analysis outlined by HUD’s Disparate Impact Rule. The rule covers practices that may adversely impact a group of people who are covered under the law, even if the practice itself appears neutral on its face. SOCR’s Guidance also describes how the Office would conduct an investigation of a disparate impact complaint.

Renters who feel they may have been impacted by a preferred employer program in rental housing should contact the Seattle Office for Civil Rights at 206-684-4500, or submit information at www.seattle.gov/civilrights/file-complaint.

Mayor Ed Murray today announced that Seattle Parks and Recreation will award $112,500 to 13 local agencies through the Get Moving Fund to support access to healthy recreational opportunities throughout the city.

“We are pleased to work with community organizations all across Seattle to bring fun and fitness programming to every neighborhood,” said Mayor Murray. “These groups foster and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our city. With their help, kids and adults will have better access to dance, sports and outdoors activities.”

The Get Moving Fund is a reimbursable grant from Seattle Parks and Recreation that supports local nonprofit organizations, small businesses and community groups in offering innovative and culturally relevant events and projects to increase participation in community sports, recreation and physical fitness activities that serve under-resourced communities. The goal of the Get Moving Fund is to increase participation and opportunities for physical activities, prioritizing neighborhoods where health disparities are prevalent.

This is the first year that Seattle Parks and Recreation is offering the Get Moving Fund. This year’s grant awards will support an array of projects and activities, including youth soccer programs, African Diaspora dance classes for girls and women, training for youth to be sports coaches and referees, and intergenerational father and son activities.

The following projects or agencies have been sele