City Attorney Tom Carr managed to upset the Seattle City Council, Seattle Municipal Court staff, and the University of Washington School of Law all at once. In a February 20 letter, Carr proclaimed the death of the court's car-recovery clinic, which assists folks whose cars are towed under the infamous impound ordinance. That's certainly news to the city council and the mayor, who together approved $75,000 in clinic funding for 2003.

According to Carr's February 20 letter to the law school's dean, the clinic "should have concluded on December 31, 2002." Carr says there's a problem providing judges, attorneys, and cops for cases brought by the clinic. "The Court, the Police and my office are... unable to meet these obligations without additional funding," Carr writes. Doesn't the city have to defend itself against impound cases, regardless? Sure, Carr told The Stranger--but without the clinic "there aren't as many."

Jackie McMurtrie, a UW law prof who helps the clinic, says, "We realized Tom Carr didn't have the authority to make that determination." Now the law school, anti-impound activists, and council staff are scrambling to find out what's up, before the clinic closes. AMY JENNIGES

City Threatens Local Real-Estate Mogul

Downtown property bigwig Martin Selig Real Estate--which owns 14 buildings in Seattle--has some major problems on its hands. Not only is the company under fire from the Service Employees International Union Local 6 for contracting with non-union janitorial services [In Other News, Feb 27], but Selig is also in trouble with the city. A stinging February 21 letter from Seattle City Light demanded that Selig pay its past-due account in full (that's a whopping $630,725.39!), or face disconnection within seven days. (To see the letter go to: www.thestranger.com/2003-03-06/seligletter.html) Selig did not return our call, but City Light says Selig is on a plan to pay off the balance by March 15. JOSH FEIT

Seattle Arts & Lectures Director Resigns

After a five-year run, Seattle Arts & Lectures' executive director, Matthew Brogan, is resigning and returning to the capital of American literature, New York. Always stylish (he has impeccable taste in shoes), Brogan is to become the program director at Nextbook, which he describes as "a new and very big national project." SAL will conduct a national search to replace Brogan. CHARLES MUDEDE

Council Supports Media Diversity

The Seattle City Council voted 9-0 on March 4 to pass a resolution, co-sponsored by Nick Licata and Jim Compton, urging the Federal Communications Commission and Congress to protect existing media ownership limits. SANDEEP KAUSHIK