Employer Questions for Labor and Industries (L&I); More on the LUCA; Bellevue Way Project

Employer Intro to L&I

Do you have questions about workers’ compensation, quarterly reporting, or what to do if an employee is injured on the job?

Perhaps you would like to know how to comply with the Paid Family Leave Act, adopted by the Legislature last year, or the Safe and Sick Leave Initiative as approved by the voters in 2016.

Get answers to these questions and more, at an upcoming “Employer’s Introduction to L&I” seminar at a location near you or enroll in the online webinar.

Learn more by signing up for the Labor and Industries small business newsletter.

More on the Land Use Code Amendment for Shelter Use

Last August, Council adopted what was known as the Interim Official Control ordinance, clarifying where a Permanent Men’s Homeless Shelter could be sited, under current code. With that action, Council gave itself a six-month “time out,” to accomplish the following:

• Determine what land use code changes should be made to allow for this conditional use;
• Establish the pre-application process and criteria; 
• Clarify the public role in the permit application, review and appeal process.

The Interim Official Control was renewed for another six months and Council has used that time to conduct community meetings and workshops, and prepare a draft ordinance.

The public testimony on June 11 and likely vote on June 25, 2018, will not determine where a shelter would be sited, only the requirements for a conditional land use permit or development agreement.

Review the Draft Homeless Shelter Permitting LUCA and SEPA Determination of Non Significance, at the City’s Homeless Shelter LUCA webpage.

Bellevue Way Project Still Alive

Here’s a quick update on the Bellevue Way SE Project, also known as PW-R-184. Last month, your Chamber Board Chair and Director of Government Relations, both testified before the Bellevue Transportation Commission, in strong support of continued funding for this longtime Chamber priority.

With a projected price tag of $34 million, we made the following recommendations, to keep the project alive and moving forward:

• Adopt a phased approach and continue design work for the full build-out 60%;
• Extend project to the intersection of 108th and Bellevue Way, if not all the way to SE 16^th;
• Consider alternative configurations north of the “Y” on Bellevue Way, operating as a left turn lane, to increase vehicle and person throughput for all modes;
• Aggressively pursue regional, state and federal funding partnership, as many PM peak trips regional in nature, beginning and ending outside of Bellevue.

For better of for worse, Council has tentatively endorsed the following staff proposal:

• Build Phase I to the Winters House at the cost of $22.2 million in 2024-25;
• Defer further design work on this segment only until 2021-22;
• Pursue regional funding partners for treatments benefitting transit operations;
• Postponing future project phases indefinitely.

The Chamber believes under this scenario, we’re missing a grand opportunity to move forward with this important project, while Bellevue Way SE is already under construction for East Link Light Rail.

See the Council packet from the May 14 Study Session, Agenda Item 4 (e) 18-294 CIP Update and listen to the discussion online.

Stay tuned as our Budget Task Force takes on this topic and other transportation projects vital to our economic development and continued prosperity.