Richard Conlin: City Council #2, Seattle
Sierra Club has awarded Richard Conlin an early endorsement for his re-election to a fourth term on the City Council. Richard has been a Sierra Club member for many years and admires Sierra Club’s commitment to be on the cutting edge of work to protect our environment and move towards sustainability. His record reflects a commitment to building a sustainable future by pushing beyond incremental progress and fundamentally rethinking the way our city operates -- in land use, transportation, resource conservation, and city infrastructure. Conlin has been consistent in his efforts to advance these goals.
Conlin initiated a Zero Waste Strategy for Seattle, to expand recycling, waste reduction, and product stewardship. Since its approval in July 2007, Seattle implemented a new food waste collection program, new regulations and incentives to increase recycling of construction and demolition waste, and legislation to ban Styrofoam and restrict disposable bags.
Conlin’s Local Food Action Initiative is fostering a sustainable food system by supporting Farmers Markets, expanding community gardens, protecting farmland, promoting local and organic food, and working with United Way on a long range strategy to end hunger, malnutrition, and childhood obesity. Carrying out these strategies will be one of his major commitments in my next term.
To preserve Seattle’s rapidly disappearing tree canopy, Richard sponsored legislation that protects groves of trees and limits the cutting of trees on private property. He has also advanced natural drainage strategies that rely on swales and daylighted creeks rather than piping stormwater and new drainage rates that are based on the amount of impervious surface on specific properties. He has also sponsored amendments to the Critical Areas Ordinance that strengthen the limits on development in vulnerable areas and limit pesticide use.
In 2000, Richard led the Council’s commitment to implementing the Kyoto Protocol. He worked to strengthen and expand City Light’s conservation programs, and last year led the Council in rejecting City Light’s proposed resource strategy because it did not implement maximum conservation. Since 1998, Conlin has led efforts to develop Green Building strategies, and sponsored legislation committing the City to achieve the silver LEED standard in all new and renovated city buildings.
Sierra Club looks forward to Richard’s next term for advancements in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and transit. As Council President Conlin will be a member of the Sound Transit Board, working to get light rail to the Eastside, Northgate, and beyond while promoting transit oriented communities around light rail nodes. Our group is ready to work with Richard Conlin to prepare the ground for Seattle’s leadership in the next economy – the green economy.
You can learn more at Conlin's campaign website.