On May 23, SDCI, along with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), released the National Development Council’s (NDC) report to the City of Seattle, Funding URM Retrofits.
Update – Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy
We will be reconvening the URM Policy Committee on December 6, 2016 in room 4080 at the Seattle Municipal Tower. The committee will discuss the results of the URM inventory validation and hear updates since the last meeting in April 2014. This is the first in a series of 3 meetings to finalize the committee’s January 2013 draft recommendations on a retrofit policy for URMs.
Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy Update
DPD continues to work on the Unreinforced Masonry (URM) policy to develop final recommendations for a URM seismic retrofit program. The URM Policy Committee prepared draft recommendations in January 2013. The department did community outreach during that year and hired a consultant for a benefits cost analysis. We then reconvened the committee to discuss the results of the outreach and consultant work. At the last meeting in April 2014, the committee asked us to validate DPD’s existing building inventory of URMs in Seattle to provide more information for their final recommendations.
Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy Update
DPD continues to evaluate policy and program development for an unreinforced masonry (URM) seismic retrofit program. The URM Policy Committee asked DPD to validate the inventory list of URMs identified by DPD before the committee finalizes its policy recommendations. DPD is in the process of hiring a structural engineer to do the validation to confirm that the buildings on the list are URMs and to add any additional URM buildings that may be identified.
Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy Development Update
DPD has hired a consultant team to perform a benefits cost analysis on the unreinforced masonry (URM) retrofit policy options in the draft recommendations prepared by the URM Policy Committee in January 2013. The analysis will provide information on financing and regulatory implementation options that better align benefits and costs of a possible mandatory retrofit program for URMs. The report will provide more information to the Policy Committee before it makes its final recommendations, and will inform decisions by the Mayor and City Council on a mandatory retrofit program.
Unreinforced Masonry Retrofit Policy Update
DPD received draft recommendations from the Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Policy Committee in January 2013 for a mandatory seismic retrofit policy for URM buildings. The committee requested a cost-benefit analysis on alternatives. The purpose of the analysis is to provide information for final recommendations by the URM Policy Committee and to inform decisions by the Mayor and City Council on a mandatory retrofit program.
Unreinforced Masonry Policy Committee Update
DPD continues its work with the Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Policy Committee to develop recommendations for a URM seismic retrofit program. The committee has discussed what buildings would be subject to new regulations, financing options, and the timeline for implementation of the program. The committee’s will next develop incentives for retrofit work and enforcement mechanisms for the program. DPD expects the URM retrofit program will be phased in over a period of years.
Unreinforced Masonry Policy Committee
DPD has held three URM Policy Committee meetings to develop recommendations for an unreinforced masonry (URM) seismic retrofit program. If adopted by the Mayor and City Council, the program would require structural improvements be made to URM buildings in order to enhance their ability to withstand earthquakes. The committee has discussed thresholds for retrofit requirements and possible financing options. Future topics will cover incentives and penalties and a timeline for implementation.
Unreinforced Masonry Policy Committee
DPD is creating a proposal for a mandatory unreinforced masonry (URM) retrofit program that will help reduce the earthquake risk to unreinforced masonry buildings. DPD has, with help from a technical committee, developed a proposed standard for retrofits. Next steps include formation of a policy committee this month to help develop recommendations for a retrofit requirement threshold, incentives and penalties, possible financing options, and a time line for implementation.
2012 Mayor’s Proposed Budget: DPD
Mayor McGinn presented his 2012 budget to the community and to the City Council on Monday, September 26. This was another challenging budget year with an $18 million General Subfund gap to be filled. The General Fund primarily supports the Planning and Code Compliance divisions, and part of department overhead. While the department made some significant General Fund reductions for 2012, they were primarily non-labor plus not filling vacant positions.
