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| |  | RVs, camper vans, and other large vehicles will be subject to stricter rules if Mayor Wilson signs the VRAP bills into law. (Renée Kools / Wikimedia Commons) |
| Controversial RV Legislation Approved by City Council | City Council passed six pieces of legislation on Tuesday known as the Vehicle Resident Assistance Program (VRAP), a $5 million program that would tighten RV restrictions and direct vehicle residents to homeless shelters. The bills are set to cross Mayor Wilson’s desk, though it’s unclear whether she’ll approve the hotly contested measures. [Seattle Times] | - Why VRAP was introduced in the first place: Councilmember Dan Strauss created the bills in an effort to clear city streets of large vehicles and expand social services to the people living in them. [Seattle Times]
- The pushback: Homeless advocates and other community members expressed frustration around the new permit process. RVs and motorhome residents, under this legislation, would have to apply for a special permit to park their vehicle on city streets for more than two hours at a time. VRAP critics argue that these new rules make them even more vulnerable and won’t move the needle to solving homelessness. [City Cast Seattle]
- What’s next: If Mayor Wilson signs the bills into law, the program will go into effect at the end of next April, and enforcement would begin 90 days later. Any RVs or oversized vehicles found in violation of the new rules would then be subject to towing. [Seattle Times]
- Listen to last week’s episode: We sat down with a former vehicle resident named Dee Williams to understand the debate.
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| | | This week on Weaving our Future: King County has grown fast, but so many don't earn enough to keep up with the high cost of living, and face limited opportunity to build family and community wealth. How do we make sure everyone benefits from our region's explosive growth? How do we build an economy that works for everyone? In this episode we explore dignity at work and new models for business and community development with Ana Gaeta, Deric Gruen, and the amazing Jane C. Hu. |
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| What Seattle’s Talking About |
| 🐋 Finally, some good news about orcas: The endangered whale population just gained a new member. The newborn male orca calf is the sixth baby of Southern Resident J35, also known as Tahlequah. Researchers have designated him J65… Any suggestions on what we should call this little guy? [KING5] | |  | Researchers spotted a new male orca born to the Southern Resident killer whale population. (Robert Pittman / Wikimedia Commons) |
| 📸 Remembering Seattle Times photographer Jerry Gay: The Pulitzer winner passed away last week, leaving behind a legacy of human-centered storytelling and plenty of wild adventures in the name of journalism. Friends, colleagues, and readers are reminded of his prolific “Lull in the Battle” photograph among his collection of black-and-white film portfolio. Cheers to a lifetime of capturing history, Jerry. [Seattle Times] | | 📦 Amazon plans to hire 300,000 new seasonal workers: Amazon sales are up, and the number of sites has increased this year, which means that despite their corporate layoffs, the company will bring on a record-breaking number of workers for the holidays. The majority of the retail industry is likely heading in the opposite direction, cutting back on seasonal employees and preparing for uncertain holiday spending. [GeekWire] |
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If you’re tired of your own work drama, find someone else’s. The conflict over the Aurora Avenue overhaul came to a head in this heated email exchange between a state lawmaker and the SDOT director, and they certainly aren’t the only ones with strong opinions on the project. Stay safe out there, everyone! |
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