Mr. Wachtel is a member of the SeaTac City Council and chairs their Aviation Advisory Committee. The following letter was e-mailed to key Councilmembers in Des Moines, SeaTac, Normandy Park, Tukwila and Federal Way.
As I mentioned at yesterday’s Highline Forum, HB2315 is moving ahead very fast.
There have been two hearings so far. I’ve been in Olympia for both, talked to people in all the cities (including Kyle in SeaTac), Ryan and Fred. Everyone is on board on the broad strokes. -However- I get a sense that the other commissioners will not be happy at all when they learn the $$$ involved so in my view their current support is highly conditional. Hell, -my- city’s official position is currently undefined. 😀
Tina Orwall is having a Stakeholders Meeting Monday @ 4pm in Olympia to hammer out the details. I will be attending and you are welcome to ride with me if you’d like. Or you can email her for a call-in number to participate by phone.
My position is that the bill should be as short and open-ended as possible. I do not want to get into a food fight over who is eligible, however I will insist on the following:
1. A -repairs- clause. People who need home repairs as a result of a poor original installs or true ongoing damage as a direct result of their Port Package should be made whole. Their homes have been de-valued by their Port Package.
2. A -perpetual review- clause. We don’t need to get into specifics, but it should be made clear that we’re not looking for merely another one-time deal. If (God Forbid) the daily operations keep increasing, there should be an options for the Cities to come back to the Port in X years and start another round of updates.
I hope you will agree and that you and your City will provide your full-throated support for these notions. It should go without saying that I welcome your feedback.
Best,
—JC
PS: Below is my wish-list for the ultimate program. We may not get there this time round, but this would, in my opinion, be ideal.
I am pushing hard that there be three levels of help:
1. Home damage. Yer house is worse off because of the install–water damage, rotted framing, etc. These people need -repairs-, not just ‘updates’
2. Mold. Homes which test positive should be eligible for remediation. That’s just another form of ‘damage’ as a result of a poor initial
install because mold occurs when the ventilation system is crap.
3. Updates. Homes that test above 45dbA get a whole new SYSTEM… new analysis, products, etc.
Also: every home that is updated should include HEPA filters in the ventilation system. These are only a few hundred bucks per structure and although I was initially skeptical, the data is now in and they make a notable difference in terms of health–in fact, there is one peer-reviewed study which seems to indicate that air filters in schools around LAX Airport improved student performance by almost a full grade level! I can send you details if you’re interested. At a minimum I want every school and public building to include filtration and Tina is 100% on board.