FRANK SUMRALLFed up with surging crime rates that have failed to dissipate, multiple Seattle business owners called upon their elected officials for increased support at a town hall in Ballard Monday night., hosted the meeting as an opportunity to discuss potential solutions.on KTTH. “I moved here in 2005 and set my life up here and kind of put everything on the line to open a small business 5.5 years ago, and for the last three years, it’s just been brutal.
Dan Strauss, a Democratic councilmember representing Seattle’s sixth district that encompasses the Steele Barber and Spa alongside the rest of Ballard, did not attend the town hall forum. “You know, I met Dan once. He came down, kind of surprised me with a visit when we were having some challenges with the changes that they were making on Ballard Avenue to try to make it more pedestrian-friendly, and they didn’t do a lot of real outreach to the business owners and landlords before they did it,” Humphrey said. “And you know, I invited him three times. But I got a response finally yesterday that they didn’t get my emails — even though I CC’d all of his handlers.
Humphrey made it clear he did get responses from others who were unable to attend, including Mayor Bruce Harrell, who had prior engagements due to the three-day MLK holiday weekend.