The Seattle City Council -- anticipating two new members and losing two veterans -- has settled on committee assignments for 2010-2011.

They start Jan. 4.

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, currently in charge of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, will take over the Transportation Committee from departing councilmember Jan Drago.

Councilmember Nick Licata will chair Human Services and Culture along with a new committee covering Housing.

Council President Richard Conlin, who is expected to keep his council presidency for another year, will chair the Sustainability and Regional Development Committee and the committee he has now, Open Government, Emergency Management, Sustainability and Intergovernmental Relations. He is adding economic development and libraries to that committee's work.

Incoming Councilmember Sally Bagshaw will take over the Parks and Seattle Center Committee from Rasmussen.

Incoming Councilmember Mike O'Brien will chair a new committee covering Seattle Public Utilities and Neighborhoods.

Sally Clark has become something of an expert about complex land-use issues in the past year chairing the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee. She'll keep those issues but the committee has a new name: the Committee of the Built Environment.

Councilmember Tim Burgess will chair the Public Safety and Education Committee -- a continuation of his current assignment, except that the committee is shedding its responsibility for human services.

Councilmember Bruce Harrell will continue to chair the Energy and Technology Committee. He'll also take on civil rights in the committee.

Councilmember Jean Godden is keeping the Finance and Budget Committee.