Richard Conlin | |
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Richard Conlin, 2013
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Member of the Seattle City Council for position 2 | |
In office 1998–2013 |
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Succeeded by | Kshama Sawant |
Personal details | |
Born |
Washington, D.C. |
May 1, 1948
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Sue Ann Allen |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Seattle, WA |
Richard Conlin is a former member of the Seattle City Council, first elected to council in 1997 and reelected in 2001, 2005 and 2009. He was first elected, unanimously, by the council to be their president on January 7, 2008 and was unanimously reelected on January 4, 2010. He was defeated in the 2013 election for the seat by Kshama Sawant of Socialist Alternative.
As of August 2006, Conlin is chair of the Environment, Emergency Management & Utilities Committee, and chair of the Annexation Committee.
Conlin was a member of Urban Planning & Development Committee; and of Parks, Education, Libraries & Labor Committee. The areas of his focus were public health, sustainability, and the environment. Under the banner of environment, he was involved in efforts to improve the salmon population.
Conlin was involved in emergency response planning for Seattle.
Conlin received a B.A. in History from Michigan State University (1968), as well as a master's degree in Political Science (1971). He was elected to two terms (1973–1976) as an Ingham County Commissioner, representing part of the City of East Lansing.
Prior to being elected to Seattle City Council, Conlin directed the Community and Environment Division at Metrocenter YMCA from 1985 to 1996, where started the Earth Service Corps, expanded the Master Home Environmentalist certification (aimed at household waste and pollution) and co-founded the policy group Sustainable Seattle.
Conlin spent time teaching public administration at the University of Botswana and University of Swaziland.
Conlin sponsored the 2007 Zero Waste Strategy, Resolution 30990 which directed Seattle Public Utilities to produce recommendations on how to eliminate residential solid waste, including whether to ban or tax plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam food containers. In 2008 Conlin sponsored a bill to phase out plastic bags in Seattle, a 20-cent surcharge on bags. Businesses with under one million dollars in annual sales were exempt and got to keep the money. The measure passed the city council by a 6-1 margin.