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New Seattle Department of Neighborhoods programs coming to you in 2020

Last month, Mayor Durkan signed the 2020 City Budget adopted earlier by Seattle City Council. This budget includes exciting new programs for Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and continues to lay the groundwork to further improve our efforts to support and coordinate city outreach and engagement. DON will play an expanded role in the Mayor’s commitment to bring City Hall directly to communities and will execute new programs to achieve the priorities of this City.

Let me share the highlights and what you’ll see in 2020:

  • A new $2.5 million community grant program called the Healthy Food Fund that will provide resources to community-based organizations to improve public health. The Sweetened Beverage Tax will provide the funding, and staff will be added to develop and implement the program.
  • $725,000 from the Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) revenues to support P-Patch community gardens needing capital investments to address deferred maintenance. The funds will be concentrated on gardens in areas most impacted by the SBT. Additional staff will be brought on to carry out this work.
  • Expansion of the outreach and engagement collaboration between SDOT and DON with an additional $622,000 in SDOT funding. You’ve already seen some of our involvement during Seattle Squeeze and Sound Transit 3 projects, and our coordination with SDOT will grow even more in 2020.
  • Expansion of DON’s current outreach and engagement projects support to include additional City departments. This effort will move the needle in connecting government with community and give our residents many more opportunities to be involved in decisions the City makes on their behalf. This work will add staffing capacity and cost approximately $83,000 in its first year.
  • To help communities be prepared for emergencies, we’ll have $34,000 to work with neighborhoods to supply them with their own Emergency Hub box.

There are additional community programs we are supporting in the new year:

  • Provision of one-time funding of $65,000 for the AIDS Walk Pathway, a community-driven and collaboratively funded project that will be located over Capitol Hill Station and the northern edge of Cal Anderson Park.
  • $75,000 to hire a new South Park Public Safety Coordinator.
  • $75,000 to support Seattle Rep’s Public Works Seattle Program.

These are a few of the highlights reflected in the 2020 Endorsed Budget which will be available online at seattle.gov/city-budget-office.

Every day, DON staff is working hard to meet people where they are and ensure all voices are heard. With these new programs and staff, we’ll be supporting our communities in new ways while also helping the City do its best to provide accessible and equitable outreach and engagement.

In partnership,

Andrés Mantilla, Director
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods