Department of Justice Files its Notice of Approval of the Monitoring Plan

This afternoon, the Department of Justice filed its “Notice of Approval of the Monitoring Plan for the First Year” with the U.S. District Court.  The Notice of Approval states:

The Monitor submitted a draft of the Monitoring Plan to the Parties on February 1, 2013.  From February 25 to 28, 2013, the Monitor, the City of Seattle, and the Department of Justice engaged in lengthy and productive discussions about the draft Monitoring Plan.  The Monitoring Plan submitted to the Court reflects the input of both Parties during those discussions, and it balances the competing interests of certainty and flexibility.

As the Parties move forward with the first year of implementation of the Settlement Agreement, the Monitoring Plan will provide guidance to the Parties and create clear expectations for the people of Seattle.  As such, the Monitoring Plan complies with the requirements of the Settlement Agreement, does not impose new obligations on the parties, and avoids unnecessary delays while still providing an opportunity for collaborative implementation.  In addition, the Monitor’s current and proposed work are in line with the budget submitted to and approved by the Parties and the Court in November 2012.