BACKGROUND, AND KEY LINK: Hoping to make crime information more accessible and timely, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) began publishing police reports for robberies, burglaries, aggravated assaults and homicides online here earlier in 2010. In June, SPD supplemented this effort with a customizable online mapping tool depicting crime in the Seattle area. The SPD crime mapping site details recent incidents including crimes against persons, drugs, vice and property crime for different neighborhoods and time frames. The SPD strives to post crimes 12 hours after they occur.

Crimes are depicted on the interactive map as categorized icons, and upon selection display details of the incident and a link to the police report. To access the police report, users are asked to register an e-mail and password and agree to the terms and conditions. The SPD has stated that not all crimes are reported, as is the case for some Type II crimes and crimes where there is need to be sensitive to the identity of victims and officers.

Two years in development, the SPD crime map is a step forward for police department transparency and civic awareness. From monitoring neighborhood criminal activity to making real estate decisions, the map can be a valuable tool for citizens. Below follows a brief guide to the map and its features. Read the rest of this entry »

BACKGROUND: KDNA-FM is a radio station based in Granger, Washington licensed by the Northwest Communities’ Education Center (NCEC). NCEC is a non-profit community organization serving the Latino/Chicano/Hispanic populace of the region. NCEC uses KDNA to address the educational, informational and cultural interests of the Hispanic/Latino community. KDNA is funded by government grants, private donors, program underwriting, membership dues, and funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

After allegations that the station was not complying with CPB and Communications Act of 1934 requirements, the CPB Office of Inspector General conducted an examination of the station and submitted a report to CPB management on March 31, 2010. Specifically, the examination sought to determine whether KDNA: (a) made inappropriate expenditure of CPB grant funds, (b) improperly claimed non-federal financial support on fiscal year 2008 annual financial reports, (c) kept inaccurate financial records for fiscal year 2009, and (d) insufficiently responded to public requests for information and open public meetings as required by CPB and the Communications Act.

KEY LINK: Examination of Northwest Communities’ Education Center, KDNA-FM, Report No. ASR911-1002

KEY FINDINGS: For the period ending September 30, 2008, the examination of KDNA conducted by the CPB’s Office of Inspector General found several issues:

1. $58,587 in grant funds were used to pay salaries and fringe benefits of a KDNA producer and news director rather than for funding national programming.
2. KDNA over-reported non-federal financial support by $494,539 for fiscal year 2008, which could lead to CPB making excess grant payments in the future.
3. KDNA’s financial records of CPB revenues and expenditures for the calendar year 2008 were inaccurate.
4. KDNA did not adequately comply with Communications Act requirements. KDNA failed to provide the public with information regarding public meetings and financial information. The examination also found that KDNA did not follow CPB’s requirements for: holding open public meetings; maintaining open financial records, equal employment opportunity information, and information on donors and political activities.

Based on the findings, the Office of Inspector General made the following recommendations to CPB management: Read the rest of this entry »

SUMMARY: On May 17, the Metropolitan King County Council passed Ordinance 16838, establishing the county will create an unrestricted public website providing access to high value data sets.

BACKGROUND: The ordinance comes at a time where municipalities are making more and more data “open” to encourage civic participation in politics and government transparency. The proliferation of web and mobile technology has allowed cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Seattle to release public data to software developers, and numerous applications have been created. King County Executive Dow Constantine has been an advocate for greater constituent access to government, greater government transparency, and facilitating opportunities for private-sector software developers to build applications based on government data sets.

KEY DOCUMENT: King County Ordinance 16838, May 17, 2010.

KEY FINDINGS: The ordinance requires the county to strive to publish existing, high value data sets appropriate for unrestricted public access on a single web site. By August 1, 2010, a list of the initial high-value data sets and procedural documentation are to be filed with the council clerk. The web site is to be online by November 1, 2010.

High value data sets are defined as related to core county services, and which “improve public knowledge of the agency and its operations, increase government accountability and responsiveness or create economic opportunity.” High value data sets, as defined by the ordinance, will not typically include documents, emails, or calendars. The “open format” requirement means no particular software or hardware should be required to view a data set. The open data Web site will include information on each data set, terms of use, information contact, and a mechanism for public input on usefulness and prioritization of initial data sets.

RELATED: Although the official open data Web site is not yet live, more information is available at a working Web page on the initiative, which includes a press release on and video of a June 8, 2010 open data workshop hosted by King County.

BACKGROUND: The current adult entertainment ordinance in place in the City of Renton is over 25 years old and has not been updated. The ordinance allows adult entertainment venues in the “Valley” area of the city. With more adult entertainment venues set to open, the city has deemed it appropriate to assess the impact of these establishments on the community and to consider changes to its guidelines for permitting new entrants. The Community and Economic Development Department has recommended the existing ordinance be studied to determine: what negative effects adult entertainment businesses have on the community, ways to mitigate the negative effects, and to find alternative locations within the city for adult entertainment businesses. After passing an initial moratorium (Resoultion 4037) on March 1, 2010, and holding a public hearing on March 22, 2010, it was suggested that the issue be revisited. The Planning and Development Committee of the Council expressed interest in including additional areas in the moratorium as well as exploring whether taverns near adult entertainment businesses create additional negative effects.

On April 12, 2010, the City Council rescinded Resolution 4037 and adopted Resolution 4041, declaring a six-month moratorium on business licenses or other permits for any new tavern or new adult entertainment venue near any established adult entertainment venues. Read the rest of this entry »

After a vote on May 13, 2010, the City of Lake Forest Park adopted Resolution 1209: “Appointing committees to prepare written arguments advocating approval and rejection of proposed levy lid lift ballot measure.” The aim of ballot measure Proposition 1 is to close the budget gap that is making the provision of police, parks and other governmental services difficult for the city of Lake Forest Park. The arguments for and against the local tax measure – and rebuttals by each side – will be prepared by city residents and published in the King County Election Voters Pamphlet to help inform the public prior to the vote.

BACKGROUND

To address budgetary needs of the city, the Lake Forest Park City Council voted April 22, 2010 to place Proposition 1, “a levy for retention of basic public safety and other services,” on the August 17, 2010 ballot via (Resolution 1202. The economic downturn has made it more difficult for the city to provide public services. Despite a City Council budget cut of $931,00 in 2009-2010, the budget gap persists. Approval of the proposition would increase property tax levy above $1.85 per $1000 of assessed value, the limit currently set by I-747. The increase would equate to approximately $11.53 per month for the first year for an average household in Lake Forest Park.

Proposition 1 will determine whether or not basic public safety, parks, community and other services will be retained in Lake Forest Park. But before Proposition 1 can be added to the August 17 ballot, committees to prepare arguments for and against the measure must be formed (by mandate of RCW 29A.32.280). During a May 3, 2010 public meeting, three members expressed interest in serving on the levy approval committee, and three expressed interest in serving on the levy rejection committee.

KEY DOCUMENT

Resolution 1209: Appointing Committees to Draft Written Arguments Advocating Approval and Rejection of Proposed Levy Lid Lift Ballot Measure for Inclusion in August, 2010 Voters’ Pamphlet. City of Lake Forest Park City, City Council, 5/13/10.

KEY PROVISIONS

On May 13, 2010 the Lake Forest Park City Council adopted Resolution 1209 by a vote of 6-0. The resolution authorized the appointment of committees to draft written arguments advocating approval and rejection of the proposed levy lid lift ballot measure for inclusion in the August 17, 2010 King County voters’ pamphlet. As a result of the adoption of Resolution 1209, the individuals selected at a May 3, 2010 public meeting to represent the opposing sides of adoption of Resolution 1202 were appointed to their respective committees. The committee to prepare arguments advocating approval of the tax increase called for in Resolution 1202 are: Roger Olstad, Philip Sluiter, and Teri Howatt. The three individuals selected to serve on the committee advocating rejection of the tax hike measure are: Ned Lawson, Carolyn Armanini, and Donovan Tracy. The two committees are to submit their written arguments to King County Elections by June 2, 2010. Rebuttal arguments are due no later than June 4, 2010.

“PRO” AND “CON” ARGUMENTS IN VOTERS PAMPHLET AND ONLINE

The King County Elections Voters Pamphlet will be available approximately three weeks prior to the August 17, 2010 election. The pamphlet will be mailed to every household and post office box. It will be available online at King County Elections (text and audio version), and additional hard copies will be available at libraries and post offices.

RELATED: “City Of Lake Forest Park Resolution 1202 Would Set Property Tax Hike Vote For August 17, 2010,” Public Data Ferret, 3/28/10.

Aligned with policy recommendations in an April 20, 2010 memo from Redmond Mayor John Marchione, the Redmond, Wash. City Council voted 6-0 on that date to authorize the city negotiating a contract to install red light cameras at three intersections and in two school zones. The goal is to improve traffic safety and pedestrian safety.

BACKGROUND:  Intersections are among the most dangerous sections on the road. A 2001 nationwide poll found that 78% of Americans favor increased intersection safety. Across the U.S., there has been a push to increase intersection safety through the use of Red Light Photo Enforcement. A study of 350 U.S. cities that have implemented Red Light Photo Enforcement found such programs can mitigate the dangers of intersections and improve motorist behavior. Forty percent of traffic accidents occur at intersections. Each year, red light running accounts for over 180,000 crashes, 90,000 injuries, and 1,000 deaths.

“The use of cameras has shown a reduction in the total number of serious crashes by 16%, ‘t-bone’ crashes by 26%, violations and fatalities while also positively affecting driver behavior” (J. Marchione, memo, 20 April 2010). A 2006 poll found that 82% of Seattle residents support installing red light cameras. The City of Redmond has been considering implementing a Red Light and School Zone Photo Enforcement program for over a year and a half. Programs implemented in similar cities have been successful, decreasing the number of violations at intersections and school zones.

KEY DOCUMENT: Proposed Pilot Red Light Camera and School Photo Enforcement Program,” City of Redmond City Council Agenda, 4/20/2010. The memo sought the council’s approval to “negotiate a proposed agreement with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) for a 30 day warning period and 12 month pilot program for red light violations and speed limit violations at selected school zones.” The memo details the proposed program, considered vendors, benefits and costs of the program, and the recommendation of the staff.

KEY FINDINGS: The Police and Transportation Department considered the following factors to determine locations for intersection photo enforcement program: traffic volume, number of collisions, and frequency of red light violations. They found the the following intersections to be the best candidates:

To determine schools for the school zone photo enforcement, the staff considered number of complaints and ability to provide motorists with clear notification of a school zone area. They believe the best candidates to be:

Through the use of Red Light and School Zone Photo Enforcement, the police department hopes to prevent red light and school zone speed violations, making these locations safer for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS: The police department considered two vendors for the photo enforcement program, ATS and Redflex. They recommend ATS due to superior customer service and availability.

The proposed fine amount for citations given through the program is $124, an amount consistent with neighboring jurisdictions and the amount that would be given for the infraction by a police officer.

Through monthly fees to the vendor, the City expects the program to cost $453,000 per year. Revenues of the program will go to the King County District Court to cover the costs of the City of Redmond’s contract for court services with the King County District Court. Any excess revenue will be allocated for public safety improvements, such as street signage, crosswalk maintenance, enforcement initiatives, and equipment.