Archives West Finding Aid

The subseries Civil Rights and Education includes documentation of efforts to include women-owned businesses in the City's contracting process through Ordinance 109113, passed in 1980. Correspondence from contractors, business associations, the Law Department, Board of Public Works, and Council members traces the crafting of the ordinance and subsequent amendments. Reports evaluating the first and third years of the Women and Minority Owned Business Enterprise program are included.

The Civil Rights and Education subseries also includes material relating to the closing of five elementary schools in 1979, and their subsequent reuse and desegregation. These topics reflect constituent opinions and cooperative efforts between the City and the Seattle School District. Hildt's involvement in the City/School District Joint Committee is documented in these records. The Committee, formed in 1979, was composed of three members of the City Council, three members of the School Board, and two members of the Joint Advisory Commission on Education and met to review policy issues of joint concern, one of which was peaceful desegregation in Seattle. Diana Gale was policy analyst for the Legislative Department at this time, and was active in many of the education issues. She was part of the Schools/Communities 1990 Project, formed to carry out the goals of the City/School District Joint Committee. The Project worked towards improving the quality of residential neighborhoods and public education in the City.

The Energy subseries is the largest in Hildt's subject files and reflects Hildt's work as Chair of the Energy Committee from to 1982 to 1985. The City of Seattle contracted with the Bonneville Power Association (BPA), part of the U.S. Department of Energy for power, during this time period. BPA was created in 1937 to act as marketing agent for power from Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. Executive, Legal, Council, and City Light perspectives are documented in the renegotiation of the City's contract with BPA in 1981 and 1982. One of the issues for the City was it felt that the BPA discouraged the development of resources by City Light to serve its own load.

The City's efforts at conservation are well documented, especially the implementation of the Comprehensive Residential Weatherization Program (CRWP), created in 1981 through Ordinance 109675. Constituent mail, interdepartmental correspondence, reviews and reports document the many individual programs within CRWP. The Reports and Studies documenting CRWP are useful for following implementation of the weatherization programs; quarterly and other reports are included. The researcher should also check for accompanying material in the Published Documents Index, as published documents were cataloged separately in the Publications database.

The City also explored other hydroelectric projects, such as one at Copper Creek on the Skagit River and Rocky Brook on the Olympic Peninsula. Economic and environmental concerns relating to these proposals are documented in Hildt's records.

The Energy, Ltd. Project, begun as a federally-funded citizens' committee, is well documented through correspondence between the Citizens Committee, Mayor, City Council, and City Light, as well as minutes and progress reports of the Committee and issue papers. The goal of the Energy, Ltd. Project was to identify the role of local government in developing a community conservation and management plan for fossil fuels. Several issues facing Seattle City Light in the early 1980s are touched upon in Hildt's records. These include rate increases, various programs such as Project Share, and management and work environment issues at City Light.

The Finance subseries dates from 1978 to 1985 and contains records related to bonds for various programs and projects, as well as campaign financing information and records regarding departmental budgets for City agencies.

The Housing subseries dates from 1978 to 1984 and reflects Hildt's concern for affordable housing. He worked to preserve structurally sound housing and increase public and private construction of low-rent housing. He proposed requiring a demolition or change of use fee to encourage developers to preserve existing housing, which resulted in the Housing Preservation Ordinance, passed in 1980 and amended in 1981. Hildt's records contain statistics on housing demolition licenses and fees and discussion surrounding amendments to the ordinance, including constituent mail. Records related to mother-in-law legislation are not found here.

The Interdepartmental and Legislative Department subseries contains correspondence between City departments and Hildt on a broad range of issues. The Comptroller's Office reported on the types of queries received and gave a plea for a records management program. The Legal Department provided opinions on various legal issues both within the Legislative Department and within the City. The folder "Kitchen Cabinet" includes minutes and correspondence relating to the committee Hildt established to improve the relationship between City Council and the business community.

The second largest subseries in Hildt's records is Land Use and Urban Development, reflecting his involvement in these issues. Discussion on Jeannette Williams' Greenbelt Overlay District proposal addresses issues related to preserving Seattle's greenbelts. These issues include open space, yard and setback requirements, lot size, and the clustering of homes in single family zones to encourage contiguous greeenbelt preserves. There is related material in Jeannette Williams' Subject Files. Disposition of the Martha Washington School site is also documented in Hildt's records, although it is more fully explored in other records series. These include Councilmembers Dolores Sibonga and Jeannette Williams Subject Files, the Legislative Department Central Staff records, and Parks Department records.

Of most interest in the Land Use and Urban Development subseries are the files on the Pike Place Market. Especially well documented is Hildt's work with the Pike Place Market Public Development Authority (PDA), the farmers, and craftspeople to forge a compromise. Notes, agendas, and supporting materials are included for the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee of the Pike Market PDA Ordinance Update and for the Pike Place Market PDA Agenda for the 80s Steering Committee. Drafts and discussions of legislation relating to street performers in the Market and opening on Sunday are also included.

The smallest subseries in Hildt's records is the Parks and Community Resources records. Included is discussion of the cable TV franchise and documentation of historic preservation issues at Discovery Park. Both of these issues are well documented in other City Council and Parks Department records in the Seattle Municipal Archives.

The largest quantity of material in the Public Health and Safety subseries relates to Police Intelligence. Ordinance 108333 was passed in 1979 and regulated the collection of restricted information by the Seattle Police Department, specifying a civilian auditor to monitor compliance and an 18-month review by City Council and the Mayor. The definition of restricted information included information about an individual's political or religious association, activities, beliefs, opinions, or related organizations. Hildt's files include reports and reviews relating to the ordinance, as well as constituent correspondence.

The Social Services subseries includes material on a variety of proposed and existing services, reflecting Hildt's participation in the Parks and Community Services Committee. Discussion of services for the homeless and for daycare are documented, as well as a proposal for additional community service officers to be provided by the Police Department, including a letter of support from businessman Paul Schell.

The Transportation subseries includes the agendas and minutes for the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board for 1972 to 1985. The Board advised the City on a variety of issues, including bicycle safety, bike access on the West Seattle Bridge, and other bridges and ways for the City to encourage bicycle use. Other transportation-related topics are included, such as taxicabs, and there are three folders relating to planning for the West Seattle Bridge; these date from 1979 and 1983.

The bulk of the records in the Water and Solid Waste subseries includes material relating to solid waste planning. When garbage collection contracts were being renegotiated in 1982, the City Council requested development of a solid waste management plan. Energy recovery, rates, and commercial and residential issues are some of the topics addressed during review and development of the plan. Correspondents include individuals from the Legislative Department Central staff, engineering, and law.