Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of Robert B.C. McSeveney to the Chelan County Superior Court. He replaces Judge T.W. “Chip” Small, who is retiring after more than 26 years on the bench.
McSeveney is currently a pro tem judge in the Chelan and Okanogan County District Courts.
For more than 17 years, McSeveney served as a municipal court judge in Kent. Over nine of those years, he also acted as a pro tem judge in King County Superior Court.
Following McSeveney’s career at the Kent Municipal Court, the Obama Administration appointed him in 2011 as a United States immigration judge in San Diego, where he served for over five years. While there, he presided over a first-of-its-kind immigration mental health court.
He began his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Bellevue where he later served as the city’s deputy prosecuting attorney, an assistant city attorney and a public defender.
“Bob has decades of judicial experience that encompass the gamut of legal issues,” Inslee said. “I am confident that during this period of transition at the Chelan County Superior Court, Bob’s lengthy judicial and law enforcement experience will be especially valuable. I look forward to what he will bring to the bench and to those who appear before it.”
McSeveney received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound and a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University.
His appointment is effective February 2018.
The 2018 session began last week. Washington works on a two-year legislative cycle. The primary purpose of even-year “short” sessions is to make supplemental changes to the state’s biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets. They also help address pressing issues left undone during the previous year’s long session.
Overall, the Capital Budget will pump $4.2 billion into Washington’s economy. That’s money for affordable housing, mental health, colleges and universities, clean energy, hike and bike trails . . . it’s a good budget that puts people first. Here in the 43rd district, we’ll be investing more than $200 million in everything from expanded capacity at the Country Doc Community Clinic to $150 million in improvements on the UW campus.
There are 30,000 Chum salmon eggs incubating at Carkeek Park right now, and another 35,000 salmon fry will be arriving on January 16! Carkeek Watershed salmon program is in need of volunteers, and lots of them, to help feed these very small salmon.
Here’s your chance to advise the City on the development plans of Seattle Children’s Hospital. Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is seeking interested community members from surrounding neighborhoods to participate on the Seattle Children’s Hospital Standing Advisory Committee (SAC). This committee provides feedback on projects planned and under development by the hospital to ensure it complies with its Master Plan. The Master Plan describes zoning rules, long range planning of the property, and transportation planning.
HSD’s Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides internship opportunities for youth and young adults in our community—with a focus on young people from lower-income households, and communities that experience racial, social, and economic disparities. By promoting work readiness and strengthening career development, SYEP helps to prepare and support youth and young adults for real world jobs by providing them with opportunities to develop the skills necessary to be competitive in the job market.
Seattle Public Utilities is now accepting applications for matching grants for community projects focused on waste prevention. Waste prevention means creating less waste by buying and using less, using reusable items, and sharing or donating items so others can use them. When we prevent waste, we help the environment, protect public health, build community, and save money.
Community-based organizations working in Seattle on anti-displacement strategies and economic development opportunities are encouraged to apply to the City of Seattle’s Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) fund by March 5. In this round of funding, a total of $5.5 million will be available for capacity building, property acquisition, and capital expenses for community-based projects in high displacement risk neighborhoods.
Our volunteer attorneys and experts can help you with your citizenship application! 
Does your community group have a proposal on how to renovate, expand, or upgrade a Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) facility or park? The Major Projects Challenge Fund (MPCF), which is a Seattle Park District funding initiative, will provide a funding match to a community-initiated “major project” that is not otherwise covered by an identified SPR funding source. The MPCF will provide up to $1.6 million per year as a match to a significant improvement or expansion at an existing SPR park or facility.