Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell

I am hosting a brown bag discussion next week with Dr. Edwin Nichols on Cultural Competency and Bias. Dr. Edwin Nichols is a nationally renowned psychologist specializing in organizational development and the philosophical aspects of cultural difference.
Thursday, May 17, 12:30—1:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, Seattle City Hall
600 Fourth Avenue, Second floor
Seattle, WA 98104

Dr. Edwin J. Nichols, Ph.D
Director of Nichols & Associates, Inc.
www.Ejnichols.org

Edwin Nichols is a clinical/industrial psychologist specializing in organizational development. He is currently director of Nichols and Associates, Inc., an applied behavioral science firm that focuses on the philosophical aspects of cultural difference. He has served as a consultant and trainer of trainers to Fortune 500 companies, national and international government agencies and health and mental health systems.

Dr. Nichols previously held various clinical administrative positions at the National Institute of Mental Health. He was visiting professor at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he established a child’s clinic for psychological assessment and evaluation. He served as associate director of the Cleveland Job Corps Center for Women, taught psychiatry at Meharry Medical college in Nashville and worked at Kansas Neurological Institute, an affiliate of the Menninger Foundation, in Topeka. He has consulted with organizations in Argentina, Austria, Canada, Columbia, Germany, Guyana, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Venezuela. He has worked since 1997 with organizations in China, Malaysia and Singapore specifically on developing culturally competent global managers.

He is graduate of Assumption College in Canada, Eberhardt-Karls Universitat in Germany and Leopold-Franzens Universitat in Austria, where he received his Ph.D. cum laude in psychology and psychiatry. He is a fellow of the Austrian Ministry of Education, a visiting scholar for the Rockefeller Foundation at the Bellagio Study Center in Italy, and a distinguished clinical psychologist for Harvard University Foundation.

News Release issued with the Department of Information Technology – May 2, 2012.

Evergreen Apps contest invites new uses for government data

First Startup Weekend Government announces awards

SEATTLE – During the first ever Startup Weekend Government held at Seattle City Hall, Mayor Mike McGinn announced the Evergreen Apps Challenge to more than 120 developers, entrepreneurs and community members. The Evergreen Apps Challenge is a partnership between the City of Seattle, King County and Washington State designed to encourage the development of applications using government data while stimulating economic development throughout our state.

“After seeing what ten great teams could accomplish over the course of a weekend, I am very excited to see what the public will generate in the next five months for the Evergreen Apps Contest,” said Councilmember Bruce Harrell, chair of the Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee. “We hope the awards give the Startup Weekend Gov teams incentive to keep going and encourage even more people to participate in this inclusive apps challenge.”

The following five applications won awards at Startup Weekend Gov.
• First place (tie): WhichBus, which combines trip planning and real-time arrival info in one app, and includes a great Twilio-powered SMS interface that lets you text [starting address] – [ending address] to 206-745-6287 and texts you back a bus itinerary, complete with arrival times. Art Rover, which uses the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs public art database on data.seattle.gov, among other sources, to create walking maps of public art for tourists and scavenger hunts for locals.
• Second Place: Reporta, a quick & easy way to report issues in your neighborhood to the City in the same data format the City uses.
• Third place: Civic Rally, a cross between Kickstarter and the Neighborhood Matching Fund that lets community members post projects and solicit money and volunteer time from their neighbors to complete them.
• Honorable mention: My Spot, a smartphone app that would let you pay for parking, remind you when your time is up, and let you feed the meter remotely.

Developers across the state are invited to participate in the Evergreen Apps Challenge. Ideas can be shared at the Evergreen Apps ideascale site. Developers looking for an idea for an app to build can look there for suggestions as well.

“Washington’s digital economy, from broadband to software to e-commerce, is key to our recovery, growth and competitiveness – it’s part of what makes this a great state to launch your ideas,” said Rogers Weed, Washington State Commerce Director. “The Evergreen Apps Challenge brings together state, county, city and private talent to help government reach citizens and help Washington companies reach markets. I’d like to thank and encourage the companies, agencies and individuals who are trying out this innovative opportunity to solve civic and economic challenges.”

Prize money based on quality, implementation and impact

The Evergreen Apps Challenge is open to people who live, work or study in Washington State. More than 10 prizes totaling over $75,000 is available for award winning apps based on their quality, implementation, and potential impact on WA state, King County and Seattle residents and visitors.

This challenge will officially open on July 9, 2012, and close on September 6, 2012. Further details and requirements for entry will be announced in the coming weeks at www.evergreenapps.org

Browse the available open data sets from the three sponsors at:
• City of Seattle: http://data.seattle.gov
• King County: www.datakc.org
• Washington State: http://data.wa.gov

The competition is funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the Washington State Broadband Office in the Department of Commerce. It will promote the goals of the national broadband plan, and will help drive demand for broadband services among mobile users across the state by demonstrating the value of connecting with information and services from the state’s digital economy.

Public Safety, Civil Rights, And Technology Committee Agenda for Wednesday, 5/02/2012, 2:00 PM
Click here to view the complete agenda:

***I have asked SPD and the Mayor’s office to provide an update on yesterday’s protest at the top of the agenda (2:00 pm). Deputy Chief Metz, Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh, and Beth Hester from the Mayor’s office will provide the update.

1. Seattle Police Department Briefing on Unmanned Aerial Systems/ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAS/UAV), commonly known as Drones
Supporting Document: UAV Briefing

2. C.F. 312234 Reappointment of Mohamed Sheikh Hassan as member, Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission, for a term of confirmation to January 31, 2014.

3. C.F. 312235 Reappointment of Devon Alisa Abdallah as member, Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission, for a term of confirmation to January 31, 2014.

4. C.F. 312236 Reappointment of Michael Neguse as member, Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission, for a term of confirmation to January 31, 2014.

5. Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Work Plan
Supporting Documents: a. Mayor’s Briefing on Immigrant and Refugee Work Plan b. Immigrant and Refugee Commission 2012 Work Plan

6. C.B. 117445 Relating to security from terrorism; authorizing the City to partner with the Port of Tacoma to receive financial assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office for State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness under the Port Security Grant Program for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2008 (PSGP FFY ’08), authorizing an application for allocation of funds under that agreement, increasing appropriations to the Police Department in the 2012 Budget, and ratifying and confirming prior acts; all by a three-fourths vote of the City Council.

7. Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes) Presenters: Mariko Lockhart, Director, Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative; Holly Miller, Director, and Sid Si dorowicz, Strategic Advisor, Office for Education; Captain Ron Wilson, Community Outreach Section, and Lieutenant Daniel Whelan, Robbery, Fugitive and Gang Unit, Seattle Police Department; Nani Fatuesi, Network Coordinator Southwest Youth and Family Services; Heidi Henderson-Lewis, Network Coordinator; Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club of King County; Jamila Taylor, Network Coordinator, Therapeutic Health Services; Eleuthera Lisch, Director, Alive and Free Street Outreach, YMCA.
Supporting Documents: a. Briefing on Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative b. Ordinance 122967 – Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative

http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Pharmaceuticals Take-Back Day for Saturday, April 28. Take your unused or expired medications for safe disposal to your local Seattle Police precincts below.
• East Precinct: 1519 12th Avenue
• West Precinct: 810 Virginia Street
• North Precinct: 10049 College Way North
• South Precinct: 3001 South Myrtle Street
• Southwest Precinct: 2300 SW Webster Street

Unused drugs (left over in medicine cabinets) is a public health problem and are contributing to drug overdoses, and is now the most common cause of accidental death in Washington, superseding car accidents, with an average of two deaths per day.

News Release issued with the Department of Information Technology – April 17, 2012.

Seattle seeks community ideas for government apps
Share an idea, build an app and make a difference

SEATTLE – Do you have an idea for a new application that could help people use government information? Community ideas are needed for Startup Weekend Government, where technical developers will create new mobile apps and business ideas to help people better access government data and services.

Not a developer or technical guru? Not a problem. Residents can share ideas with developers at https://opennw.ideascale.com or come to City Hall Thursday, April 19, from 6-9 p.m. for the Startup Weekend orientation. During this event, participants will learn more about Startup Weekend, brainstorm with other community members and talk to teams who might want to develop community focused applications. Register for this free event at http://seattlegovswgtugbootcamp.eventbrite.com.

Startup Weekend Government can help make government more transparent while also promoting small business development in Seattle,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “I’m excited to see the innovative apps people will create based on government data.”

Join us for Startup Weekend Government Orientation
Thursday, April 19, 6-9 p.m.
City Hall – Bertha Knight Landis Room
600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA

“This technology summit is an exciting opportunity to call on Seattle’s programming talents to help build apps for Seattle in an inclusive and forward thinking partnership,” said Seattle Councilmember Bruce Harrell. “Mobile phone use in Seattle households has reached 90% and approximately 1 out of 2 mobile phones is a smartphone. As chair of the Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee, I am enthusiastic to see user-friendly neighborhood block watch apps to connect neighbors.”

Projects like OneBusAway and Seattle Rain Watch were created by developers using government data in new ways. The Green Lake Park Tree Walk Map is a great community example of using public data to enhance our lives. An app may involve anything government does, from recycling to parks to public safety, neighborhoods, energy, or helping people in need. The City wants to encourage ideas from a diverse range of community members and interests. The City wants to encourage ideas from a diverse range of community members and interests. Available datasets can be found at data.seattle.gov, datakc.org, and data.wa.gov.

Designers, developers, technology entrepreneurs, community members and government staff who gather at Startup Weekend Gov on April 27-29 will pick projects to work on during a 54-hour work weekend in Seattle’s City Hall. Make your case to be one of them online or during the orientation.

See more about Startup Weekend Gov at http://seattlegov.startupweekend.org. Tickets for this event and the orientation session are still available.

Learn more and get involved:
• Share your ideas at https://opennw.ideascale.com/
• Register for Startup Weekend Gov at http://seattlegov.startupweekend.org/
• Free registration for the orientation event at: http://seattlegovswgtugbootcamp.eventbrite.com/

See more about Startup Weekend Gov at http://seattlegov.startupweekend.org. Tickets for this event and the orientation session are still available.

Browse available government data and suggest additional data sets at:
• City of Seattle: http://data.seattle.gov
• King County: www.datakc.org
• Washington State: http://data.wa.gov

Public Safety, Civil Rights, And Technology Committee Agenda for Wednesday, 4/18/2012, 2:00 PM
Click here to view the complete agenda:

1. Seattle Commission for People with Disabilities Work Plan Presentation

2. Mayor’s 20/20 Plan
Attachment – Seattle Police Department 20/20 Plan

3. Department of Justice Investigation Update