WasMAR1290_01.xml Guide to the City Light Advisory Board Records City Light Advisory Board Records Seattle Municipal Archives 2022
PO Box 94728 600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3 Seattle 98124-4728 archives@seattle.gov http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-09-26. Finding aid written in English Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. Seattle Municipal Archives City Light Advisory Board Records City Light Advisory Board 1290-01 1.4 cubic feet 4 boxes 2000 - 2010 Meeting minutes, agendas, and other advisory board materials. English .

City Light provides electricity and electrical and conservation services to its public and private customers. It is the largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest. Public responsibility for electrical energy dates back to 1890 with creation of the Department of Lighting and Water Works. The formulation of this public utility stemmed from fear of monopolization by private companies and was reinforced by the inadequacy of those companies during the Great Fire of 1889. Unable to gain access to private water, much of the business district was burned to the ground. Citizens responded eagerly to the idea of publicly owned water and electricity, which was later encouraged as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s.

In 1902, Seattle voters passed a bond issue to develop hydroelectric power on the Cedar River under the administration of the Water Department. This was the nation's first municipally owned hydroelectric project. Electricity from this development began to serve customers in Seattle in 1905. A City Charter amendment in 1910 created the Lighting Department, making it a full member of the City's Board of Public Works. Under the leadership of Superintendent James D. Ross, the department developed the Skagit River hydroelectric project which began supplying power in 1924 with the completion of the Gorge Dam.

Both public and private power was supplied to Seattle until 1951 when the City purchased the local private electrical power company, the Puget Sound Power and Light Company, making the Lighting Department the sole supplier. The Boundary Project in northeastern Washington began operations in 1967 and supplied over half of City Light's power generation.

The current name of the agency was adopted in 1978 when the department was reorganized. As a municipally owned public power system, Seattle City Light is governed by elected Seattle officials. Administrative authority rests with the Superintendent and an executive team that includes the department's Chief of Staff, Service and Energy Delivery Officer, Human Resources Officer, Power Supply and Environmental Affairs Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. City Light is responsible for electrical service and streetlight service, streetlight problems, and also conservation, both residential and commercial/industrial.

City Light provides low-cost, reliable, and environmentally responsible electric power to approximately 395,000 customers in Seattle and neighboring areas, including Burien, Lake Forest Park, Normandy Park, Renton, SeaTac, Shoreline, Tukwila, and unincorporated King County. It is the ninth-largest public power system in the United States and has the lowest rates among comparably sized cities in the United States.

The records in this series include meeting minutes, reference materials, agendas, financial reports, correspondence, and rosters of the City Light Advisory Board from the years 2000 to 2010. This board was a citizen group who was appointed to advise the Mayor, the City Council, and the City-owned energy utility on strategy and policy direction. Their meetings focused on topics such as community outreach, environmental impact and conservation, work plans, and financial strategies.

Records are open to the public.

[Item and date], City Light Advisory Board Records, Record Series 1290-01. Box [number], Folder [number]. Seattle Municipal Archives.

 Seattle City Light Electric utilities--Rates--Washington (State)--Seattle Energy conservation--Washington (State)--Seattle Meeting Minutes May - July 2003 English. 1 1 Meeting Minutes Aug - Dec 2003 English. 1 2 Meeting Minutes 2004 English. 1 3 Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Jan. - May 2005 English. 1 4 Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Jul - Dec 2005 English. 1 5 City Light Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 2006 English. 1 6 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 2007 English. 1 7 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Jan - July 2008 English. 2 1 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Aug - Nov 2008 English. 2 2 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Nov - Dec 2008 English. 2 3 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Jan - May 2009 English. 2 4 Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Jun - Dec 2009 English. 2 5 City Light Advisory Board Meeting Minutes 2010 English. 2 6 Reference Materials 2001 English. 2 7 Reference Materials 2002 English. 3 1 Reference Materials 2003 English. 3 2 Reference Materials 2004 English. 3 3 Reference Materials 2005 English. 3 4 Correspondence 2003-2004 English. 3 5 Correspondence 2005 English. 3 6 Correspondence 2006-2009 English. 3 7 Policy Priorities 2004 English. 3 8 News Clippings 2002-2008 English. 3 9 Bylaws 2000-2003 English. 3 10 Roster & Appointments 2007-2008 English. 3 11 Asset Management Oversight Council 2008 English. 3 12 SCL Proposed Business Plan 1996 English. 3 13 SCL Policies & Procedures Manual 2000 English. 3 14 SCL Power Marketing Review 2000 English. 4 1 Strategic Resources Plan 2000 English. 4 2 Financial Statements 2001-2002 English. 4 3 Strategic Resource Assessment 2002 English. 4 4