Budget proposals, initiatives, city council meetings… do you ever feel out of the loop and disconnected from the decisions that shape Seattle? To get connected to city service and government issues that directly impact the streets, parks and homes around you, you need to connect with Andrew Taylor, chairman of the Miller Park Neighborhood Association.

Before we moved up the Hill, we used to receive occasional forwards of the association’s e-mail list and were jealous that the neighborhood had somebody watching out for it and helping to explain how things work.

The description on the association web site is a tad limiting:
Miller Park Neighborhood Association
Our neighborhood, centered around the Miller Community Center and Miller Playfield, is at the junction of Seattle’s Central and Capitol Hill neighborhoods. We picture it to extend from East Mercer Street to East Pine Street and from 18th Avenue E. to 24th Avenue East.

While Andrew’s association focuses on a small piece of the part of Capitol Hill we’re usually writing about, he’s an amazing source of information about city decisions that will impact the entire Hill and the site has a lot of tips and help for effectively communicating with your government.

Currently, the association is encouraging area residents to speak up and demand an increase in police officers:

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Subject: Council Public Safety proposals: please write!

This Monday City Council presented their “City Council Public Safety Package”, a sort of shopping list of public service and increased Policing funding that they are considering. The possibilities include 10, 15 or 20 new Officers each year for 2007 and 2008.

There is some concern that they may choose to fund the Public Service items but not the additional Officers.

I encourage you to contact City Council as soon as possible and share your views: they’ll be deciding and voting next week.

You’ll note that they are proposing to continue to fund Lt. Hayes’ GOTS program, which provides outreach services to the hard-to-reach street populations in our area.

For details of the Council Public Safety Package, contact info and hints on effective testimony, please see:

http://tinyurl.com/yjzbey

I hope you’ll find time to write or speak to City Council about our Policing needs.

Many thanks,

Andrew Taylor
Miller Park
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Taylor’s messages are a mix of insider info and civic wisdom. And, while some issues that hit the association’s radar can come off as provincial or NIMBY-esque, everything we’ve seen from Taylor over the years has been done in the spirit of empowerment. So, go empower yourself and decide if you agree that we need more officers. With MPNA’s help, now you’ll know what to do.

–j/k