It is time to submit ideas and proposals to the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods on ways we can improve our streets and parks, through the ‘Your Voice, Your Choice’ (YVYC) initiative. This year, $3,000,000 will be spent on small-scale improvements, submitted by us and our neighbors, between now and February 2nd.
The YVYC initiative is a democratic way for our city to spend on small-scale park and street projects. Project ideas can be submitted on-line or in-person at any branch of the Seattle Public Library. Projects can include:
- Park benches
- Trail improvements
- Flashing beacons
- Curb ramps
…just to name a few. Find a list of project examples on the Seattle.gov website. The only criteria are that ideas be physical improvements, for parks or streets, benefit the public, and cost $90,000 or less.
Ideas for improvements that were submitted last year, under Your Voice, Your Choice, that didn’t make it to the ballot are being ‘rolled over’ for consideration this year. View an on-line map of these ideas.
New ideas for 2018, and those ‘rolled over’, will be reviewed by volunteers. They will cull down the lists, and sort items by their Council Districts. This summer, all Seattlites will have an opportunity to vote for the top projects, by district.
The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is also seeking volunteers for serving on the YVYC steering committee, to advise, guide and assist on key programmatic activities. Membership will be done through an open-application process, with an emphasis on communities of color and individuals who have not been historically engaged in government. All steering committee members will receive a consultation fee. Visit the Seattle.gov website to find out more about the steering committee, and the application process. The deadline for applications is Friday, January 19th, at 6p.
Learn more about the Your Voice, Your Choice process, and how to get involved, at Seattle.gov/YVYC. If you have any questions, you can e-mail Kraig Cook at kraig.cook@seattle.gov