Howdy neighbors!
We got something for you and we think you'll really like it! Local artist, Patricia Bradbury designed some fantastic window decals. These window decals celebrate First Hill's iconic tree canopy and help foster neighborhood pride.
If you'd like a few for your business or home, please e-mail Doug at doug@firsthill.org to coordinate so you can get your hands on them!
Do you love trees? Do you want to help Seattle protect its trees and continue to be the Emerald City? Then you should join the Urban Forestry Commission! Volunteering for this Commission is an opportunity to support city government in developing policies that support urban trees.
The Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) was established to advise the Mayor and City Council on policies and regulations to support the protection, management, and conservation of trees and vegetation in Seattle. The UFC is currently recruiting for the following positions: Arborist, Landscape Architect, Public Health, Environmental Equity, and Neighborhood/Community representative. Applications are due February 28, 2018. For more information visit the UFC website.
This tax season, United Way of King County’s free tax preparation services are a convenient option available to all members of the community in the King County area! Tax time can be stressful and expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. Consider taking advantage of this free service to avoid costly tax preparation fees and to maximize your refund.
United Way is offering free tax preparation services online and at 30 locations throughout King County from now through April 19. Households making under $66,000 can have their taxes prepared by a certified tax preparer, and they can get connected to other community resources and public benefits.
There are two easy ways to file:
File your taxes online for free with United Way’s My Free Taxes tool at www.MyFreeTaxes.com.
File your taxes in-person at one of 30 locations throughout King County. Locations have convenient hours to meet your schedule, and no appointments are needed. To find a location near you, languages available, a list of what to bring, and other details, visit United Way’s website at www.FreeTaxExperts.org or call 2-1-1.
Please pass on this information to staff, network, friends, and family members! Our general electronic flyer can be found here:
https://www.uwkc.org/wp-content/uploads/ftp/freetax/assets/English.pdf
If you would like to request physical flyers and posters to post at your offices or any additional locations, please go to this link:
https://fightpoverty.formstack.com/forms/materialsrequestform
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods will be hosting open houses throughout the city to provide everyone the opportunity to look at the revised Mandatory Housing Affordability maps and learn more about livability in Seattle.
These open houses are a great chance to talk with City staff from various departments, connect with your neighbors, and share information. All ages are welcome, so feel free to bring the kids. We will have complimentary food and beverages.
Need a refresher on Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) before the open house? MHA is a new policy to ensure that growth brings affordability. MHA will require new development to include affordable homes or contribute to a City fund for affordable housing. To put MHA into effect, the City of Seattle needs to make zoning changes that add development capacity and expand housing choices. Learn more at seattle.gov/hala.
Also, mark your calendars for the upcoming Seattle City Council public hearings regarding Mandatory Housing Affordability.
Seattle City Council Public Hearings on MHA
Join the Department of Neighborhoods for Seattle’s 24th Annual Neighbor Day on February 10 and help us kick off 2018 with a celebration of kindness and community!
With all the change, upheaval, and stress in our world right now, we could all use a chance to reconnect with our neighbors, friends, and communities through small acts of generosity. Our Neighbor Day celebration provides the perfect opportunity to do just that!
Neighbor Day is a special day set aside to reach out to neighbors, make new friends, and express thanks to those who help make your neighborhood and community a great place to live. We encourage all Seattle residents to celebrate this day by indulging in random acts of kindness. Residents, businesses, or community groups are all invited to participate however they like. The main goal is simply to reach out and connect with your neighbors through generosity.
Neighbor Day will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2018.
We have made it as easy as possible for you to participate! Below is a list of ideas and resources that can help you plan your Neighbor Day event or activity:
For more information on Neighbor Day, please visit our website at http://www.seattle.gov/neighborday.
If you have any questions or want to bounce ideas off someone, contact Neighbor Day coordinator Sam Read at sam.read@seattle.gov.
Here’s your chance to advise the City on the development plans of either Seattle University or Swedish First Hill campus. Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is seeking interested community members from surrounding neighborhoods to participate on one of the Standing Advisory Committees (SAC) for these two institutions. Each committee provides feedback on projects planned and under development by the institution or school to ensure it complies with its Master Plan. The Master Plan describes zoning rules, long range planning of the property, and transportation planning.
Community members who have experience in neighborhood organizing and issues, land use and zoning, architecture or landscape architecture, economic development, building development, educational services, or just an interest in their neighborhood’s future are encouraged to apply.
The committees meet in the evenings on the institution’s campus one to four times a year. Committee members serve a two-year renewable term. If you are interested in serving on one of these committees, send a letter of interest by either e-mail or regular mail by Friday, January 19 to:
Maureen Sheehan
E-mail: Maureen.Sheehan@seattle.gov
Mailing Address: Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
P.O. Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649
For more information contact Richard Fink, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, at 206-386-1948.
Sound Transit is seeking five volunteers to serve as community members of the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Stakeholder Advisory Group. Members will work with other advisory group members to help refine project alternatives for further study in the environmental review phase of the project.
Candidates for the Stakeholder Advisory Group will be considered based on knowledge of public transportation and mobility policy issues in the city of Seattle, an interest in how transportation affects the lives of people in the region, and an understanding of one or more of the served communities along the project corridor. Candidates must also reflect the diversity of the corridor and be able to provide a balance of neighborhood and community interests.
Individuals selected to serve on the advisory group must be able to work collaboratively with other group members who hold diverse opinions and perspectives and demonstrate a commitment to seeking consensus-driven solutions within the project schedule and budget. Members must be able to attend advisory group meetings regularly and participate fully in advisory group activities.
The West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Stakeholder Advisory Group will provide a forum for community members to inform the development of alternatives for extending light rail to West Seattle and Ballard. Advisory group members will work through project issues and build consensus around key project decisions, highlight specific issues and trade-offs in the corridor, and make recommendations to help identify alternatives to study during environmental review.
For more information about the project, go here.
Submit a completed application online here.
Your Voice, Your Choice: Parks & Streets is a participatory budgeting initiative in which Seattle residents democratically decide how to spend a portion of the City's budget on small-scale park and street improvements.
There are four phases to the Your Voice, Your Choice process:
Go ahead and submit your idea for First Hill. If you would like more information, please go here.
4 Nov. 2017 excavation work
Please help the First Hill Improvement Association plan ahead for next year's 2018 Summer Event Series by taking this short survey! Your information will not be shared and you will remain anonymous. We greatly appreciate your voice.