 Report
on Initiative 80 to Save Seattle Creeks
Cover Letter To City Council Members
View The Full Report
January 6, 2003
Hon. Margaret Pageler, Chair
Water and Health Committee
Seattle City Council
Hon. Peter Steinbrueck, President
Seattle City Council
600 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
RE: Municipal League of King County Review Committee Report on I-80 to Save
Seattle’s Creeks
Dear Councilmembers Pageler and Steinbrueck,
We are pleased to present to you the attached report, which represents the
results of our committee’s analysis of Initiative 80 over the past several
weeks. It is the product of the six committee members listed below, and was
produced under the auspices of and according to the standing rules of the
Municipal League of King County. While several of our committee members are
members of the Municipal League, the majority of committee members are not. All
were recruited for their intelligence, integrity, experience with public policy
issues, and ability to be fair and objective in their analysis of this
initiative. Cumulatively, the committee also represents a balance of
perspectives and professional and personal skills.
The committee met four times between December 3rd and December 30th
and received briefings from City staff and from I-80 proponents and opponents.
In addition to its meetings, members of the committee participated in a site
visit to one of the remarkable restored creeks in Seattle, Taylor Creek in Dead
Horse Canyon. Given the time of year and the complex nature of the issue under
consideration, the timeline for review was very short. We carefully studied a
great deal of information, but we did not attempt to analyze this proposed
ballot measure in technical detail.
Our conclusion is that Initiative 80 sets out an appealing goal, which the
committee strongly endorses, of restoring Seattle’s creeks, wherever feasible,
to a more natural state that supports fish and wildlife and that enhances the
quality of our environment. However, we identified concerns with the
Initiative’s regulatory approach, with its potential cost impacts and with the
ambiguity of some of its language. These concerns are spelled out in the
attached report. We support some features of the measure and these are also
identified. Similarly, we have briefly outlined some of the characteristics of
the Mayor’s proposed alternative that we found useful.
We encourage the City Council to take the best features of both I-80 and the
Mayor’s proposal and craft a measure that takes a comprehensive policy approach,
weighs the costs and benefits for all concerned, and minimizes the possibility
of legal challenges.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us for
clarification. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the rich and
meaningful public debate on this important topic.
Sincerely,
Kathy Elias, Chair
I-80 Review Committee
Municipal League of King County
Review Committee Members:
Kathy Elias
James Fearn
Pat Franke
Joyce Moty
Dorothy Young Sale
Lucy Steers
View The Full Report
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