Chair Hollingsworth urges public to remain engaged on Comprehensive Plan process

Additional public hearings will be scheduled and continuous public engagement opportunities are available

On Thursday Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3), who chairs the Select Committee for the Comprehensive Plan, issued the following statement:

First and foremost, I want to thank the hundreds of Seattleites who took the time to provide comments at last night's public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan. Your feedback matters and is critical to the process.

As I noted before the meeting, safety of the staff and meeting participants was a primary concern of mine. Unfortunately, after monitoring weather reports and due to the snow and ice, I made the decision to end the meeting after more than five hours of public testimony, at 10:30 p.m., so everyone could get home safely. I want to reassure our constituents who did not have the opportunity to provide comments, but were signed up, that they will have more opportunities to speak at future public hearings, when those dates are announced.

Due to the unique and unforeseen inclement weather that forced us to prioritize the safety of all in attendance, and ultimately adjourn, our office is currently exploring options that can prioritize speakers who were not called on. Finalized details will be available at a later date on the Comprehensive Plan webpage.

In the meantime, people can continuously submit their public comments to this committee or to the Council via email to [email protected] . Please stay engaged.

Background

Yesterday's Public Hearing was intended to provide the Council with an early opportunity to hear from the public while the Comprehensive Plan is under consideration. The Mayor released his plan a month ago, and the Council has been holding a series of briefings to understand the proposal.

An additional public hearing will be scheduled once the Comprehensive Plan legislation is formally in front of the Council for consideration. The dates for potential future hearings have not yet been determined. Please check the Comprehensive Plan webpage for the latest accurate information.

# # #