This and That

The district welcomes a new COO, Fred Podesta.  He most recently worked on homeless issues under Mayor Jenny Durkan.  While Mr. Podesta does have a plethora of experience, he was also the guy who had three different jobs in city government in a 25-month period.  Hmm.

I had an opportunity to speak with the Superintendent at last night's Levies meeting at John Rogers Elementary.  (They are getting an overhaul and not a decade too soon - one long-time BEX watcher and parent, Kim McCormick, told the crowd that she had been advocating for a new building when her child was there in kindergarten - he's now a freshman in college.)

I did ask Juneau about possibly televising Work Sessions for the next couple of months, due to the permanent closure and teardown of the Viaduct.  She said she wasn't sure about that.  She also noted, as can anyone who works in the downtown corridor, that it was going to be trying for JSCEE staff.  They may try to stagger some work schedules.


 (If you haven't been down to district headquarters in a long time, not only will they be affected by the Viaduct closure but the area in front of the building, including the parking lot, is now a construction site as SDOT builds an elevated pedestrian walkway because of the slowdown in both pedestrian and car traffic when trains go by.  That's going to take several years. )

I also asked Director Mack about the possibility of videotaping the Work Sessions but she thought that may be too expensive.  I suggested that perhaps the minutes for Work Sessions as well as Board committee meetings be released within a week (in draft form) so that at least the public will know what was discussed without waiting weeks and weeks for official minutes.

I asked about this because while I had been planning to pull back on some coverage, the Viaduct closing will make it very difficult for the public to be able to access these meetings.

The Board will be electing new officers at tonight's Board meeting.  Might be kind of interesting.   Update on Board meeting: There are still several spaces on the speakers list for what looks to be a short meeting. I also note that President Harris has sadly broken some bones and will be having surgery to make some repairs.  All the best to her.

I'm going to the Board meeting tonight and I'm taking Highway 99.  It  looks like it will be a cloudy trip through downtown, not the dazzling sunlite one that makes it all worthwhile, but it will be my last one on it so it's something of a sentimental journey.