The spring community meetings of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA) are used to elect new board members, inform the community about any local, recent concerns, and perhaps have a guest speaker from the City Government.
The RBCA Spring Community Meeting this Tuesday, April 2, will feature officials from at least six City departments, including the Seattle Police Department, the City Attorney’s office, and Harborview Medical Center. The meeting will take place in the gymnasium of the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Avenue NE) from 7-9 PM.
Our LIVE COVERAGE of this event will be HERE (page will go live on the afternoon of April 2 prior to the meeting.)
The list of confirmed attendees includes (via the RBCA homepage):
- Council Member Tom Rasmussen will be coming with Eileen Whalen, Executive Director of Harborview Medical Center and Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center.
- From the Seattle Police Department, North Precinct Captain Robin Clark will be there to introduce Captain Mike Nolan from the SPD Traffic Section. DUI enforcement experts will also be on hand to answer any questions/concerns the community may have.
- Dongho Chang, Chief Traffic Engineer from the Seattle Department of Transportation will be there to address improvements that can be made to NE 75th. The Director of Transportation Peter Hahn will also be in attendance.
- Members of the law department from the City Attorney’s Office will attend to discuss the prosecutorial side of DUIs.
- The Mayor’s office will also be on hand, should you have questions for him.
- Gina Iandola, Homestreet Bank’s Wedgwood Branch Manager will also be there should you want to donate funds. You can read more about ways to donate on Wedgwood Community Council’s website.
The Mayor’s office staff members attending include:
- Beth Goldberg, City Budget Director
- Beth Hester, Director of Public Affairs and Management
- Rebecca Deehr, Mayor’s Office lead on their Road Safety campaign and on the new school road safety initiative
Everyone is welcome to attend. We also expect a large number of Wedgwood Community Council board members and neighbors to attend.
We have spoken with the staff at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center about the meeting, and have been told that the gymnasium will be in use up until the 7 PM meeting start time. Neighbors: Please come prepared to be patient and/or help set up some of the approximately 200 chairs available for seating.
UPDATE (Monday, April 1): Senator David Frockt (D) representing the 46th District is also scheduled to attend.
The agenda order appears to be: SPD and the City Attorney’s Office, then CM Rasmussen, Senator Frockt, and Harborview, and then the Department of Transportation at the end.
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Also, to further inform the officials attending Tuesday’s meeting, you may want to contact them in advance with your questions and concerns (or later, if you still have questions/concerns):
[NEW] Senator David Frockt (D), 46th District: (206) 729-3225 and email form
Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Transportation Committee Chair: (206) 684-8808 and tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov
Eileen Whalen, Executive Director of Harborview Medical Center: (206) 744-3036
Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center: (206) 744-9430 and bebel@uw.edu
North Precinct Captain Robin Clark: (206) 684-0850 (N. Precinct front desk) and Public Information Officers (206-684-5520)
[NEW] Sergeant Dianne Newsom, North Precinct Community Police Team supervisor: (206) 684-0794 and dianne.newsom@seattle.gov
[NEW] Sergeant Don Smith, Traffic Section supervisor, Seattle Police Department
[NEW] Officer Eric Michl, Traffic Section/DUI Squad
Dongho Chang, Chief Traffic Engineer from the Seattle Department of Transportation: 206-684-5106 and dongho.chang@seattle.gov
Peter Hahn, Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation: 206-684-5000 and peter.hahn@seattle.gov
City Attorney’s Office: 206-684-8200 (Civil main phone number), 206-684-7757 (Criminal main phone number), kimberly.mills@seattle.gov (Communications Director)
Beth Goldberg, City Budget Director: (206) 233-7115 and beth.goldberg@seattle.gov
Beth Hester, Director of Public Affairs and Management, Mayor’s Office: (206) 684-3493 and beth.hester@seattle.gov
Rebecca Deehr, Mayor’s Office lead on the Road Safety Initiative: (206) 233-2662 and rebecca.deehr@seattle.gov
Question for all officials who have responsibility for traffic and criminal behavior in this City:
1) why was the driver, who has more than one DUI offense, permitted to drive without the breathalyzer installed on his vehicle? You cannot operate with an honor system where the offender self-polices himself/herself. That is like asking a burgler to hide the keys to your home and trusting they won’t rob you first. This is enforcement 101 and the justice system failed.
2) what does it take for SDOT to do anything but put in traffic circles? The speeds and hazards of 75th Avenue NE are not new. People have complained forever. At some point the neighbors just stopped after getting nowhere with decades of complaints.
3) Why does official action only follow a tragic event in this city?