THAT THEY ARE STABBING IN THE
BACK.
I LEARNED OF THIS AMENDMENT TO
THE CALENDAR ONLY A FEW MINUTES
AGO. I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS
APPROACH.
I THINK IT IS SHAMEFUL AND I
WILL BE VOTING NO ON THIS RE-
REFERRAL.
MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NEVER
VOTED NO ON A MAYORAL
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR
APPOINTMENT, AND THE QUESTION
THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS AND I
HAVE IS, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR
THEM TO DECIDE AGAINST YET
ANOTHER RUBBERSTAMPING OF THE
MAYOR'S AGENDA? WHOM WOULD YOU
HAVE TO HEAR FROM WHO HAS NOT
ALREADY COME FORWARD TO DEMAND
THAT THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AND
RESPECTED AND WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT A WHOLE GAMUT OF
EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE
, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY
THOSE FROM THE BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITIES AND HOMELESS
COMMUNITIES, SO THEREFORE I
VOTE NO ON THIS UNDERCURRENT --
UNDEMOCRATIC MOVE.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
SAWANT.
ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD?
>> I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT
BEFORE WE ACT ON THE
CONFIRMATION AFTER IT HAS BEEN
RE-REFERRED THAT WE CONSIDER
DOING SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF
THE PUBLIC PROCESS THAT WE ARE
CONCERNED WERE NOT DONE BY THE
EXECUTIVE, AND I WOULD REALLY
WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
WITH THE CHAIRS OF THE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON HOMELESSNESS ABOUT
HOW WE CAN DO SOME OF THAT.
I THINK COUNCILMEMBER MASATO
HAS A RESOLUTION TODAY ABOUT
HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE PROCESS
MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE KNOW
THOSE VOICES WILL BE HEARD, AND
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HAVE THOSE
VOICES HEARD BY THOSE MAKING
THE DECISION ON THE INTERIM
DIRECTOR JOHNSON BEFORE WE VOTE
.
>> OKAY.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS?
I WILL MAKE A COMMENT AND I
GUESS WE WILL VOTE. NUMBER ONE,
I THINK YOUR POINT COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD IS WELL RECEIVED AND I
THINK WE SHOULD DO MUCH MORE
WORK.
I STRONGLY DISAGREE -- I THINK
SHE WAS SAYING RAM THROUGH. I
THINK THAT WAS THE TERM.
WE AREN'T GOING TO RAM THROUGH
ANYTHING.
WE NEED TO DO THE HARD WORK AND
DEFINED TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE
EMPLOYEES TO ALL OF OUR
CONSTITUENTS EXACTLY WHAT WE
DID -- WE EXPECT IN A
DEPARTMENT HEAD AND DRAFT A
CLEAR LETTER OF EXPECTATION. WE
NEED TO LOOK AT THE OUTCOMES OF
THE MEASUREMENTS THAT NEED TO
BE DEFINED AND MEET WITH THE
EMPLOYEES OF THAT DEPARTMENT
BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE'S BEEN
A LOT OF FEEDBACK -- I MET WITH
SEVERAL OF THE EMPLOYEES AND I
WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AND URGE
MY COLLEAGUES TO MEET WITH
THESE EMPLOYEES IN LARGE GROUPS
TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS
GOING ON IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE TO DO THE WORK OF THE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS. TO DATE,
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE THE
WORK AS A COUNSEL TO MID---
REALLY KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE
SHOULD CONFIRM, SO LET'S DO THE
HARD WORK AND MAKE THE PROCESS
MEANINGFUL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA'S
LEADERSHIP AND TALK ABOUT WHAT
A STRONG PROCESS LOOKS LIKE SO
I WOULD SUGGEST WE ARE DOING
THE EXACT OPPOSITE RATHER THAN
RUBBERSTAMPING ANYBODY IN THIS
CITY THAT WE KNOW ALL OF US ARE
COMMITTEE MEMBER ON THE COUNSEL
OF -- AND TAKE THIS
CONFIRMATION PROCESS VERY
SERIOUSLY, BUT TO RAM THROUGH
-- IF SOMEONE IS DISRUPTIVE
THEY WILL BE REMOVED AND I JUST
WARN YOU I DON'T KNOW WHO IT
WAS BUT THAT WAS YOUR WARNING,
SO TO RAM THROUGH WOULD BE THE
EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT I THINK
THE INTENDED STRATEGY IS HERE,
SO ANY FURTHER COMMENTS?
LET'S DO THE WORK.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE
AMENDMENT TO THE INTRODUCTION
AND REFERRAL CALENDAR, PLEASE
SAY EYE.
ALL THOSE SAY NAY. I THINK IT
PASSED, SO THE INTRODUCTION AND
REFERRAL CALENDAR IS AMENDED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING
THE AMENDED INTRODUCTION AND
REFERRAL CALENDAR PLEASE SAY
EYE -- AYE.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION,
TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION TODAY'S
AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 11
2019 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS HAVE
BEEN REVIEWED.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION THE
MINUTES WILL BE SIGNED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION THE
MINUTES ARE BEING SIGNED.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A
PRESENTATION FROM COUNCILMEMBER
BAGSHAW.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
JODY, ARE YOU HERE TODAY?
OH, GOOD AND IS BENJAMIN WARREN
HERE WITH YOU?
EXCELLENT.
I WILL READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THIS PROCLAMATION AND I HOPE
YOU'LL JOIN ME AT THE FRONT SO
YOU CAN SAY A FEW WORDS.
WHAT WE ARE HONORING, YOU'VE
CARED FOR TODAY AND OTHERS IS
CREATING A SAFE PLACE WHICH IS
A PROGRAM THAT CONNECTS
RUNAWAYSAND HOMELESS YOUTH
AGES 12 TO 17 TO SERVICES,
EITHER BY REUNITING THEM WITH
THEIR FAMILY, OR BY PROVIDING
THEM WITH EMERGENCY SHELTER.
THIS BELONGED FIRST TO YMCA OF
GREATER LOUISVILLE AND IT'S
GROWN TO INCLUDE NEARLY 140
PROGRAMS NATIONALLY, INCLUDING
IN KING COUNTY SO JUST A FEW
PHRASES FROM THIS PROCLAMATION.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU,
JODY, BY THE WAY.
MORE THAN 359 -- 350 900,000
YOUTH HAVE BEEN HELPED -- BY A
RESULT OF THIS INFORMATION
RECEIVED AT SCHOOL AND SINCE
THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN
1983, MORE THAN B,15 MILLION
HAVE BEEN EDUCATED THROUGH
NATIONAL SAFE PLACE NETWORKS
AND OUTREACH EFFORTS. SAFE
PLACE MAINTAINS A 24-HOUR
HOTLINE WHERE YOUTH CAN
DIRECTLY CONNECT WITH SAFE
PLACE STAFF AND THE AVERAGE
YOUTH AGE IS 16, SO IF YOU CAN
JUST IMAGINE A 16-YEAR-OLD
ALONE AND SCARED , WITHOUT
FAMILY AND OUT ON THE STREET
THEMSELVES AND THE GOOD WORK
THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
SO THIS IS NATIONAL SAFE PLACE
WEEK AND IT WILL BE CELEBRATED
ACROSS THE NATION DURING THE
WEEK OF MARCH 17 THROUGH MARCH
23rd. THIS PROCLAMATION HAS
BEEN SIGNED, THE SEATTLE CITY
COUNCIL AND MAYOR HEREBY
PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MARCH 17
AS NATIONAL SAFE PLACE WEEK,
SIGNED BY ALL OF US, SO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR
WORK AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU,
I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THIS TO
YOU.
>> I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM
OUR GUESTS.
THE RULES ARE SUSPENDED.
>> ON BEHALF OF YOUTH CARE AND
MINORS IN OUR COMMUNITY IN
CRISIS JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS
INCREDIBLE PROCLAMATION AND WE
WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT 24
HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED
ADULTS CAN CALL ONE 804 22-TEEN
AND WE PROMISE WITHIN 45
MINUTES ANYWHERE IN KING
COUNTY, OUR TEAM WILL INTERVENE
AND ENSURE SAFETY IMMEDIATELY
AND AGAIN, WE THINK OF OUR MOST
IN CRISIS AND VULNERABLE YOUNG
PEOPLE AND IT IS THOSE YOUTH
WHO ARE MAKING THE TREK OUTWARD
WITHOUT A PLAN, AND LET'S BE
THE FIRST TO GREET AND GET
FOLKS SOMEWHERE SAFE OR BACK
HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
BAGSHAW.
>>> AT THIS TIME WE WILL TAKE
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS THAT
APPEAR ON OUR AGENDA TODAY OR
THE INTRODUCTION REFERRAL
CALENDAR OR ARE 2019 WORK AND
THE PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE
ACCEPTED FROM 20 MINUTES -- FOR
20 MINUTES.
SPEAKERS ARE LISTED -- LIMITED
TO ONE MINUTE SO THAT WE CAN
HEAR FROM AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE.
I DON'T THINK WE WILL GET
THROUGH ALL SIX SHEETS BUT WE
ASK THAT YOU BEGIN BY
IDENTIFYING YOURSELVES, SO I
WILL ASK THAT I CALL YOU OFF
TWO OR THREE AT A TIME SO GO TO
THIS OR THAT MICROPHONE.
JANET THE TULIA WILL BE FIRST
HERE, JANET IN THE MIDDLE AND
THEN JANE HARTFORD WILL BE OVER
HERE, AND THEN SEAN McEACHERN --
WILL BE BACK AT THE MIDDLE
MICROPHONE SO JANET, YOU HAVE
THE FLOOR.
>> MIGHT NAME IS JANET AND I
REPRESENT A LARGE GROUP OF
TAXPAYING RESIDENTS FROM THE
CAPITOL HILL NEIGHBORHOOD WHO
ARE ASKING YOU TO REMOVE
AMENDMENT 4-18 FROM TODAY'S VOTE
. THE AMENDMENT ZONES EASTLAKE
BOYLSTON AVENUE EAST FROM
LOWRISE TO MIDRISE, PERMITTING
THE CONSTRUCTION OF 80 FOOT
TALL CONDOS, OR LUXURY
APARTMENTS ON BOYLSTON. THIS
SINGLE-ACTION WILL PERMANENTLY
DESTROY THE CURRENT AND FUTURE
SEATTLE RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS,
THE UNIQUE PUBLIC VIEW OF THE
DOWNTOWN SKYLINE, LAKE UNION,
THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS, AND THE
SPACE NEEDLE FROM THE EAST SIDE
OF I HAVEN'T 5. -- I-5. WE ARE
FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUT
DON'T BELIEVE 4-18 WILL
ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL ON
BOYLSTON AND WE ARE GREATLY
CONCERNED THAT IF THE AMENDMENT
IS PASSED, THERE WILL BE NO
ABILITY TO CLAW BACK THE
RESULTING PERMANENT DAMAGE TO
THIS PART OF THE CITY'S NATURAL
BEAUTY.
WE ARE COUNTING ON THE CITY
COUNCIL TO RESPECT THE
FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF THE
SEATTLE LAND CODE, SPECIFICALLY
--
>> THANK YOU, JANET, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
JANA FOLLOWED BY SEAN McEACHERN
AND THEN JULIA
>> I AM JANA HANFORD. I'VE BEEN
A SEATTLEITE FOR OVER 50 YEARS,
I LOVE SEATTLE AND I WANT TO
PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO
ALL, AND TO MY GRANDCHILDREN
WHO ARE OF ALL COLORS, BUT I
WANT TO PROTECT HER BEAUTY.
SEATTLE HAS INCENTIVIZE
DEVELOPERS FOR OVER 20 YEARS
WITHOUT ADEQUATE RESULTS.
BUILDING MORE LUXURY
APPOINTMENTS IS NOT THE ANSWER
-- APARTMENTS IS NOT THE ANSWER
AS DEVELOPERS GET RICH SO MAYBE
ANOTHER ONE CAN BUY THE
PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED
STATES.
AS A STEWARD OF THE CITY YOU
HAVE A DUTY TO HELP PROTECT
UNIQUE FEATURES WITHIN THE CITY.
IT'S NOT JUST A PLAN MAP OF THE
CITY YOU NEED TO LOOK AT.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE THREE-
DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER OF THE
CITY AND MAKE JUDGMENTS
ACCORDINGLY.
SO PLEASE VOTE NO ON PRICE
INCREASES -- YOU CAN SEE ON
THIS PHOTOGRAPH WHAT IT WILL DO
TO PUBLIC VIEWING FOR THE
FOURTH OF JULY AND FOR EVERYDAY
AND FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE.
PLEASE LET THE COMMUNITY HELP
MAKE THE DECISION ON THIS.>>
THANK YOU, JANA.
>> YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN ME AROUND
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU
ALL FOR WHAT YOU GUYS DO AND I
SEE THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
AND I REALIZE HOW TOUGH THE JOB
IS AND THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THAT
YOU GUYS PUT UP WITH THAT YOU
REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT UP
WITH.
SO THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR ME.
I LOOKED AT YOUR PLAN, AND I
THINK IT'S GREAT. YOU LOOK
AROUND AND SEE ALL THE LIGHT
RAIL GOING EVERYWHERE AND YOU
SAY OKAY THIS IS WHERE IT'S
GOING TO BE AND THIS IS GREAT
SO I THINK IT'S A REALLY FUN
DAY AND I HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY
AND THAT WE CAN REALLY PUT THE
STAKE IN THE GROUND AND SEE
WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE
10, 20, 30, 40, 50 YEARS OF --
FROM NOW AND THE ONLY OTHER
THING I HAVE TO SAY IS I AM NOT
RUNNING FOR OFFICE -- NOT NOW,
NOT EVER.
>> JULIE BEFORE YOU BEGIN LET
ME CALL THREE NAMES OUT,
McKINSEY, CHASE WILL TAKE THE
MIDDLE MIC, BEN AND MARTY
BENNETT. SO McKENZIE, BEN AND
MARTY.
>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS
JULIA PROSCIUTTO AND I AM A
POLICY ANALYST AND RESEARCHER
WITH PUGET SOUND SAGE.
WE'VE LONG BEEN SUPPORTERS OF
INCLUSIONARY ZONING, LONG
BEFORE MHA WAS THE ACRONYM OF
THE DAY.
I LOOKED BACK AT OUR RECORDS
AND YOU CAN SEE WE STARTED IN
2008, SO I FEEL LIKE WE ARE
EXCITED, BUT ALSO FEEL LIKE WE
ARE ABOUT 10 YEARS LATE. WE
BELIEVE THAT STRONG
INCLUSIONARY ZONING POLICIES
ARE NEEDED TO SHARE IN THE
BENEFIT OF INCREASED LAND VALUE
CREATED THROUGH PUBLIC
INVESTMENT AND INCREASES IN
ZONING CAPACITY. MHA WILL HELP
REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE
AFFORDABILITY CRISIS FOR FUTURE
RESIDENTS OF SEATTLE, BUT THE
POLICY DOESN'T DO MUCH TO
PREVENT IMPENDING DISPLACEMENT
AND EVENTUAL HOMELESSNESS OF
THOSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND
IMPACTED COMMUNITIES WHICH IS
WHY WE URGE YOU TO ADOPT THE
COMPANION RESOLUTION WHICH SETS
OUT A SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE
ANTI-DISPLACEMENT WORK WHEN AND
THINKING FORWARD TO FUTURE
POLICY, YOU WILL SEE IN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS,
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD'S PLAN
TO HELP MOTIVATE -- MITIGATE
DISPLACEMENT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD TO
TALK ABOUT DISPLACEMENT.
>>> HELLO, I AM McKINSEY CHASE
AND ON BEHALF OF THE SEATTLE
METROPOLITAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE WE URGE YOU TO PASS
AFFORDABILITY COUNCIL BILL
119444 . THIS LEGISLATION HAS
BEEN UNDER -- CONSIDERATION FOR
SEVERAL YEARS AND IT'S CRITICAL
THAT WE MOVE FORWARD.
HAD AN MHA BEEN IN PLACE WE
COULD'VE RAISED ANOTHER OF IT
-- $87 MILLION WITHOUT RAISING
TAXES.
THE CHAMBER IS ENGAGED ON THIS
ISSUE BECAUSE HIGH PRICES
PUSHED PEOPLE FURTHER FROM
WHERE THEY WORK, MAKING IT
HARDER FOR OUR 2400 MEMBERS TO
RECRUIT AND RETAIN WORKERS.
WHILE WE ARE NOT SUPPORTED --
SUPPORTING SOME THAT HAVE BEEN
ADOPTED, ON THE WHOLE, THIS IS
AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO USE
-- SHARE THE BENEFIT OF SEATTLE
FOR EVERYONE.
FINALLY THANK YOU FOR
SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF
CHILD CARE CENTERS AND WE KNOW
THIS HAS PUT A STRAIN NOT ONLY
ON HOUSING, BUT ON HOUSING --
ON OTHERS, TOO.
THANK YOU FOR MOVING FORWARD
WITH THIS CRITICAL STEP TO
ENSURE THOSE OF CROSSED THE
SPECTRUM OF INCOME CAN HELP OUR
ECONOMY, COMMUNITY AND
ENVIRONMENT.
>>> HI, I AM BEEN YELLOW IT'S.
-- BEN ELOITZ.
I URGE YOU TO REMOVE 4-18 WHICH
WAS INTRODUCED TO THE PUBLIC
JUST SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WITH
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON SAYING
MISLEADINGLY, QUOTE, THIS
CHANGED TO MIDRISE ALLOWS FOR
SLIGHTLY TALLER BUILDINGS TO BE
BUILT.
IN ACTUALITY, THIS IS A CHANGE
FROM 30 TO 80 FEET, MULTIPLYING
HEIGHTS 2.7 TIMES,
EXTINGUISHING VIEWS CHERISHED
BY THE ENTIRE CITY AND
VIOLATING MHA PROCESS
GUIDELINES.
80 FOOT TALL LUXURY UNITS WITH
TOWERING VIEWS WILL HURT AND
NOT HELP AFFORDABILITY.
THE MHA HAS A GOAL OF QUOTE
MODERATING DEVELOPMENT WITHIN
500 FEET OF FREEWAYS AND THESE
ARE RIGHT ON INTERSTATE 5. THIS
INCREASE OF 2.7 TIMES IS NOT
COMPATIBLE WITH THAT AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY WE LEARNED JUST
THIS MORNING THAT THE CITY
SPECIFICALLY AVOIDED PUBLIC
COMMENT ON THIS ISSUE DUE TO AN
ACTIVE EASILY COMMUNITY A
LAWSUIT AND THEY SHOULD NOT
PROCEED WITHOUT THE HARD WORK
OF GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT.
THIS WILL EXTINGUISH --
>> THANK YOU, SIR.>> BEN,
CORRECT?
>> THANK YOU, BEN. JUST ONE
SECOND, MARTY, LET ME CALL OUT
THREE MORE.
FOLLOWING MARTY WILL BE MEGAN
CRUZ AND THEN JUDITH BOUDIER.
>> BEFORE YOU START THE TIME I
RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE TWO
MINUTES THAT I HAVE MADE THIS
PROPOSAL FOR, IF YOU WOULD
PLEASE.
>> THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE. I
DON'T DISAGREE, BUT THE PROBLEM
IS I AM TRYING TO HEAR FROM
EVERYONE, SO CAN YOU JUST TRY
TO GET IT INTO A MINUTE?
>> I WILL GET THE HIGHLIGHTS.
ON YOUR OFFICE OF HOUSING
WEBSITE AND THIS IS INDICATIVE
OF THE OVERSIGHT ON THESE
PROGRAMS WITH THE CITY OF
SEATTLE, THE MHA PROGRAM SAYS
THIS INDIVIDUAL MAKING $40,320
PER YEAR CAN HAVE A ONE BEDROOM
APARTMENT FOR $1008. IF YOU
TAKE HIS SALARY AND TIMES IT BY
30% DIVIDED BY THE 12 MONTHS,
IT DOES COME OUT TO THE $1008
MONTHLY RENT, BUT THIS IS A 30%
AMI UNIT. IT IS SALARY 40,300
ON A DOLLARS IS -- 49% OF AMI,
AND HE'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A 30%
UNIT. HE'S ELIGIBLE FOR A 50%
UNIT AND SHOULD BE PAYING
$1600.80 AND THAT IS NOT
REFLECTED ON YOUR WEBSITE.
THESE UP ZONES IN THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS WILL HAVE A
DISPLACEMENT FACTOR, AND THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
OF THE MHA PROGRAM WILL NOT
YIELD ENOUGH LOW INCOME HOUSING
SEATS TO CURB SUCH DISPLACEMENT.
DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION
ARE TWO OF THE ROOT PROBLEMS OF
THE HOMELESS CRISIS IN THE
SEATTLE OF SEATTLE AND YOUR
AFFIRMATIVE VOTE TODAY
INCREASES THAT PROBLEM.
THANK YOU.
>> MEGAN?
>> I AM MEGAN CRUZ.
I HAD AN ARTICLE IN THE SEATTLE
TIMES THIS PAST WEEKEND CALLING
FOR A DENSITY BILL OF RIGHTS TO
AMEND THIS LEGISLATION IN SOME
OF ITS NEGATIVE IMPACTS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IT AND
SUPPORT IT.
MHA HAS BEEN DOWNTOWN FOR TWO
YEARS NOW AND WE'VE SEEN THESE
THINGS HAPPEN.
IT HAS DRIVEN SPECULATIVE
INVESTMENTS AND RAISED LAND
PRICES, PUSHING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING EVEN FURTHER OUT OF
REACH.
IT HAS CREATED DOZENS OF NEW
TOWERS WITHOUT AFFORDABLE
UNITS.
IT HAS DISPLACED PEOPLE IN LOW
INCOME BUILDINGS, AND PUT
LEVERAGE ON THE CITY TO APPROVE
INADEQUATE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
HARMFUL DESIGNS, OR ELSE LOSE
FEES. THE WORST PART IS THAT
IT'S DIVIDED PEOPLE IN THIS
ROOM FOR BEING A -- BEING FOR
OR AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE ARE ALL FOR IT, BUT IT HAS
TO BE DONE SMART.
WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE HOW
THE GRAND BARGAIN WORKS.
IT'S TIME FOR A NEW DEAL AND A
DENSITY BILL OF RIGHTS.>>> LET
ME CALL DEBBIE -- RUSS SAUNDERS
AND CHRIS OLSON. MARTY, RUSS,
CHRIS -- AND MARTY YOU'LL BE
OVER HERE.
>> HELLO MY NAME IS JUDITH BEEN
DITCH AND I WANT TO THANK OUR
MEMBER ROB JOHNSON FOR PUSHING
AMENDMENT 4B.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE OVER
50% OF THE URBAN VILLAGES HAVE
NEVER HAD A SURVEY DONE. WE
WILL BE LOSING DUE TO ALL THE
UP ZONE, AND IT WILL BE TOO LATE
, SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO
POSTPONE THIS.
I KNOW YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BUT
I WILL URGE YOU TO DO IT
BECAUSE YOU WILL BE LOSING
HISTORIC RESOURCES THROUGHOUT
THE CITY, SOME OF WHICH WE WILL
FORGET, OUR NEXT GENERATION
WILL FORGET, AND IT WILL BE
YOUR FAULT, BECAUSE EVEN UNDER
YOUR OWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IT
SAYS YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO YOUR
HISTORIC SURVEYS IN CONJUNCTION
WITH PLANNING.
THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. SO
THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE AND
I'D ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT
OUT TO THREE NEIGHBORHOODS:
BEACON HILL, EAST LAKE AND
SOUTH PARK, THE MOST POLLUTED
AREAS IN THE CITY AND THEY
SHOULD NOT BE UP ZONED.
THANK YOU.
>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I WORK FOR THE HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM OF
SEATTLE KING COUNTY.
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE
FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE
DONE DURING EACH OF YOUR
RESPECTIVE TENURES.
ON THE COUNCIL TO HELP SEATTLE
GET A TOOL THAT HAS BEEN
MISSING FROM OUR TOOLBOX FOR
FAR TOO MANY YEARS.
WHILE MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO
ENSURE TAT SEATTLE IS TRULY
FOR EVERYONE HAS ESCAPED US, IT
IS NOT TOO LATE. THE JOURNEY
TODAY SHOULD MOVE US FROM A
VOLUNTARY PROGRAM TO A
MANDATORY ONE. A VITAL TOOL IN
OUR TOOLKIT THAT WILL PROVIDE
HOMES TO THOSE WHO MAKE UP THE
FABRIC OF OUR DAILY LIVES, AND
TO MAKE OUR CITY THRIVES.
THIS REMODELING PROJECT, IF YOU
WILL, WAS EXTREMELY COMPLICATED
AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN MUCH
EASIER TO HAVE THIS PROGRAMIN
PLACE AS THE CITY CAME TO BE,
BUT THAT'S NOT OUR REALITY.
IN FACT, I RECENTLY HEARD AN
URBAN PLANNER SAY YOU DON'T GET
TO CREATE A CITY JUST WANTS.
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT AND I WANT
TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND YOUR
PERSEVERANCE AND PLEASE VOTE
THIS MHA PROGRAM THROUGH TODAY.
THANK YOU.
>>> THANK YOU, I AM RUSS
SAUNDERS AND I WANT TO SPEAK
ABOUT HOW WE OFTEN TAKE AURORA
FOR GRANTED AND DON'T GIVE IT
THE RESPECT IT IS -- DEMANDS AS
A SEVEN LANE HIGHWAY THAT
SERVES SEATTLE AND THE
SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
THE EXPANSION OF THE DISTRICT
ALONG AURORA ADDING 5000+
APARTMENTS AND ABOVE THE
COMMERCIAL PUTS PUBLIC HEALTH
AND SAFETY AT RISK.
IT IS A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF
PROXIMITY TO HIGHWAY THAT SHOWS
THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES
SURROUNDING THIS.
YOU'VE IGNORED YOUR OWN EIS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY, THE
CDC, THE AMERICAN LUNG
ASSOCIATION, THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND COUNTLESS
MEDICAL STUDIES ABOUT HOW
DANGEROUS THIS IS, OF WHAT YOU
ARE DOING.
I URGE YOU NOT TO USE MHA AS A
MEANS TO CLEAN UP AURORA. IT
PUTS PEOPLE AT RISK AND IS A
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE.
THANK YOU.
>> BEFORE YOU BEGIN, LET ME
CALL THREE YOU NAMES, MARIA ON
THE MELNICK -- MICROPHONE --
MARIA, RON AND PATIENTS. --
PATIENCE.
>> HELLO, I AM CHRIS OLSON.
I'M AGAINST AMENDMENT 4-18 BUT
FOR THE MHA PROPOSAL. I SENT
YOU A POSTCARD BUT NOW I WILL
MAKE THREE NEW ARGUMENTS TODAY.
IN AN ARTICLE YESTERDAY
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON DEFENDED
4-18 CITING WORKSHOPS OF
PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE THERE WAS
QUOTE INTEREST IN INCREASING
DENSITY NEAR I-5, SPECIFICALLY
STEP DOWN STYLE OR WEDDING CAKE
ZONING.
THIS ISN'T TO SCALE, BUT I DREW
A MAP OF THESE TO SHOW THAT 4-
18 IS NONE OF THOSE THINGS.
THIS IS FOR 18.
THAT'S THE MIDRANGE SONY -- 4-
18.
THAT'S THE MID-RIGHT ZONING SO
I THINK COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON
YOU HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF CAPITOL
HILL WHEN YOU WERE SAYING THESE
THINGS.
IN EAST LAKE, THAT IS, BUT IT
IS UPLAND FROM THESE -- FROM
THIS MIDRISE ZONING.
4-18 WILLS I -- VIOLATE THE
ZONING CRITERIA IN THE EIS.
THAT DESIGNATION IS LIMITED TO:
PROPERTY IN AREAS WHERE UPLAND
DEVELOPMENTS ARE OF SUFFICIENT
DISTANCE TO -- I THINK THIS
ZONING IS ILLEGAL.
THE KING COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR
METHODOLOGY FACTORS IN USING
THE VALUE OF ARM -- OF OUR
PROPERTY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I AM ASKING YOU TO TAKE THIS
SKELETON OUT OF THE CLOSET.
>>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS MARIA.
IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY AND
PERFECT AS MHA MAYBE WE URGE
THE PASSAGE FOR THE COMPANION
RESOLUTION THAT PROVIDES
PATHWAYS ADDRESSING OUR
NEIGHBORS, CONCERNS FOR
DISPLACEMENT, HISTORIC
RESOURCES PRESERVATION AND
APPROACH TO HOMEOWNERSHIP AND
RETENTION OF OUR SMALL AND
CULTURAL BUSINESSES.
FOR THE REAR URGE YOU TO --
RESTORE THE RACIAL AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE REPORT REVERTING HOUSING
BACK TO THREE HOUSES -- THREE
BEDROOMS AND INCLUDE AND
STRENGTHEN COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD'S ANTI-DISPLACEMENT
MEASURES AND MONITORING FOR
RESEGREGATION -- WE URGE YOU TO
BRING THIS COMPANION RESOLUTION
AND INTENTIONS TO FULL
FRUITION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> MY NAME IS RON HORNING.
I'M HERE IS A RESIDENT OF GREEN
LAKE FOR THE LAST 19 YEARS, MY
NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO
ACQUIRE MY PROPERTY FOR A
PARKING LOT. THAT WOULD BE ALSO
INCLUDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UNDER MHA, THE WIDENING -- THE
HEIGHTS ALONG AURORA COME INTO
PLAY AS FAR AS THE PARKING IN
THAT AREA.
THEY ARE BUILDING A NEW PART OF
THE SCHOOL ON THE PARKING LOT
WHICH WOULD DISPLACE THIS
PARKING, AND THEN THEY ARE
TRYING TO ACQUIRE OTHER
PROPERTY TO DO THAT. I AM HERE
TO PROTECT MY RIGHTS UNDER THE
FIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA TO KEEP MY
PROPERTY THERE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
PATIENCE BEFORE YOU BEGIN, LET
ME CALL THREE MORE NAMES.
PATIENCE AND THE NICOLE GRANT --
AND ELAINE IKE. SO PATIENCE,
NICOLE, ELAINE AND THEN STEVE.
>> OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON,
COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.
MY NAME IS PATIENCE AND I'M
HERE ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING
AND DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM AND
I'M ALSO HERE REPRESENTING
SEATTLE FOR EVERYONE, OUR
COALITION PARTNERS WHO BEEN
WORKING VERY HARD TO GET THIS
LEGISLATION ACROSS THE FINISH
LINE.
BEST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK
YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK,
YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND YOUR
LEADERSHIP IN GETTING US TO THE
FINISH LINE.
THIS IS BEEN A VERY LONG
JOURNEY, AND TODAY I CALL TODAY
HISTORIC BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN
FIVE YEARS AND EVERYONE HAS
BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY.
WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE THIS AND
THIS IS ONE DAY THAT TAKES US
CLOSER TO BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE
AND AFFORDABLE CITY AND WE ARE
EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AND
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS
NOT JUST ABOUT BUILDING MORE
HOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO
DESPERATELY NEED THEM.
THIS IS LEGISLATION THAT TAKES
A PROACTIVE STEPS ON CLIMATE
CHANGE AND REALLY TAKES US TO A
POINT WHERE WE ALLOW MORE
PEOPLE TO LEAVE -- LIVE NEAR
HER THEIR JOBS AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN
IMPLEMENTING THIS.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
I DON'T SEE NICOLE.
SHE STEPPED AWAY SO WE WILL GO
WITH ELAINE AND FOLLOWING ELAINE
WILL BE STEVE AND THEN -- SERGEI
. SPIKE IT AFTERNOON, CITY
COUNCIL.
THE WORLD IS FULL OF TERRIBLE
CHOICES, IT SEEMS, TODAY. MANY
OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF
COLOR HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY
úTHE CENTRAL DISTRICT AND
PARTICULARLY FROM COLUMBIA
CITY, DISPLACED TO THE RAINIER
BEACH AREA, AND NOW IT IS UP
FOR UP ZONING AND WE STILL
HAVEN'T ADOPTED ABOUT -- ANY
ORDINANCE TO PROTECT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF GREEN
SPACE, NOR HAVE WE DONE
ANYTHING TO WORK ON THE
DISPLACEMENT THAT SEEMS TO
INEVITABLY HAPPEN WITH THE UP
ZONE. I UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW
THAT COUNCILMEMBER LISA HERBOLD
HAS A PLAN FOR MITIGATING
DISPLACEMENT, AND I WOULD LIKE
TO SEE THAT ADOPTED BEFORE ANY
KIND OF VOTE IS TAKEN ON ANY
NEIGHBORHOODS IN SEATTLE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO HERE WE GO AGAIN.
WE'VE GOT A PROPOSAL WHICH IS
GOING TO HURT THE CITY IN MANY
WAYS.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU ARE GOING TO
INCREASE THE HOMELESS BECAUSE
YOU ARE RAISING THE COST OF
HOUSING IN THE CITY.
YOU ARE INCREASING DISPLACEMENT
BECAUSE WHILE YOU CAN'T SEE IT
IN THE NORTH END IT HAPPENS IN
THE NORTH END AS WELL AS THE
SOUTH END AND THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT.
YOU ARE BECOMING A CITY OF ONLY
PEOPLE OF WEALTH, AND TO HELP
SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN YOUR MHA,
YOU ARE GOING TO NOT REQUIRE
THAT THE HOUSING THAT DOES COME
BACK, THE LITTLE THAT COMES
BACK, IS EVEN IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE YOU ARE
TAKING OUT THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
YOU ARE GOING TO FURTHER DAMAGE
THE CITY AND I DON'T KNOW HOW
FAR YOU WILL RUN THE TRAINS TO
BRING IN THE PEOPLE TO RUN THE
CITY AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU
WILL GO, BUT IT'S PROBABLY
BEYOND REACH.
>> SERGEI, BEFORE YOU BEGIN, WE
HAVE ACTUALLY EXCEEDED THE 20
MINUTES THAT OUR RULES ALLOW.
WE DO HAVE SEVERAL MORE PEOPLE
SIGN UP SO UNLESS THERE IS AN
OBJECTION I WILL EXTEND IT FOR
ANOTHER 20 MINUTES, IF YOU WANT
TO PLOW THROUGH SO SARAH JANE,
AFTER YOU WE HAVE THREE MORE
SPEAKERS, TOBY THALER, DAVID
WARD AND DAVID HINES, SO DAVID
-- IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING
OVER HERE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. SARAH
JANE SIEGFRIED.
I AM A MEMBER OF SEATTLE GROWTH
AND FAIR SCALE.
I WANT TO ASK YOU TODAY TO
POSTPONE JUST FOR A BRIEF
PERIOD OF TIME THE RESOLUTION
WHICH REALLY WAS ONLY AVAILABLE
TO US VERY RECENTLY AND IS
FAULTY AND NOT FULLY BAKED,
HASN'T BEEN FULLY VETTED.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. IT
SAYS DEVELOP A THOROUGH AND
CONSISTENT MONITORING PROCESS --
AT 30 TO 20% AMI. IT'S THE
UNITS, THE ACTUAL APARTMENTS
THAT NEED TO BE COUNTED.
IF YOU COUNT THE HOUSEHOLDS,
YOU ARE COUNTING PEOPLE WHO ARE
ALREADY GONE AND WE WANT TO
COUNT THE UNITS, SO THAT NEEDS
TO BE ADDRESSED. YOU WE STILL
HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THE
DEFINITION OF FAMILY SIZE UNITS
. IT WAS CHANGED A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO IN THE DARK OF NIGHT
FROM THREE BEDROOMS TO TWO
BEDROOMS, AND WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT WE ARE COUNTING.
WE ARE NOT REALLY ADDRESSING
FAMILY SIZE IF IT'S NOT THREE
UNITS.
I HAVE ANOTHER -- A NUMBER OF
OTHER CONCERNS LIKE CONTINUING
TO OUTREACH -- LOW INCOME AND
ELDERLY -- WHEN IT'S ONLY LOW
INCOME, ELDERLY HOUSEHOLDS, NOT
AND, THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE
PROPERTY TAX ADOPTION SO I JUST
WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT TAKING
A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH THIS
AND IT WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT
REALLY ON OUTCOMES.
THANK YOU.
>> TOBY.
>> I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO
DO TODAY.
ENJOY THE MOMENT. TOBY THALER
FROM FREMONT.
I WILL DO REALLY QUICK -- MHA
PROCESS.
IF THE CITY HAD HONESTLY
ENGAGED THE IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES STARTING IN 2014
WHEN THE COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED
-- APPOINTED, THE ORDINANCE
WOULD'VE BEEN ADOPTED BY NOW.
YOU WOULD HAVE INCLUSIONARY
ZONING. SUMMARIZING INFO I GAVE
YOU ON HISTORIC RESOURCES, IN
FREMONT, MANY HUNDREDS OF
RESOURCES ARE LIKELY TO BE
REMOVED WITHOUT REPLACEMENT OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
FREMONT HAS EXPERIENCED
SIGNIFICANT DISPLACEMENT IN THE
LAST FEW YEARS AND THAT'S
DOCUMENTED. SOUTH PARK DOES
NOT MEET THE URBAN VILLAGE
CRITERIA.
YOUR VOTE FOR COUNCIL BILL
111944 BASICALLY IS A SENTENCE
OF GRADUAL DISMEMBERMENT OF
THAT LOW INCOME AND MINORITY
GROUP OF HOMEOWNERS.
I SUPPORT INCLUSIONARY ZONING
AND THIS IS NOT IT.
THE COMPANION RESOLUTION IS
ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO FIX
SOME OF THE DAMAGE YOU ARE
ABOUT TO CAUSE.
>> HELLO, I'M DAVID WARD,
PRESIDENT OF THE SEATTLE
COALITION FOR AFFORDABILITY,
LIVABILITY ADEQUATE ABILITY AND
THE SCALE WANTS SIGNIFICANTLY
MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT
MHA WILL NOT CREATE THAT.
THE AMOUNT PROPOSED IS TINY
COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES. IT
SIMPLY WON'T BE AFFORDABLE TO
PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR
EVERYONE.
AT 3% TO 10% AFFORDABLE HOUSING
, IT WILL ONLY BE AFFORDABLE
FOR THE 97% -- 97% OF THE
PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING. MHA CREATES
SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DISPLACEMENT
THAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALREADY
IN THE YOUTH DISTRICT WHERE
THERE ARE 165 UNITS IN EIGHT
PROJECTS THAT ARE LOST AND ONLY
88 UNITS WILL BE PROVIDED SO
THERE'S A LOSS OF NEARLY 80
UNITS.
MHA WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT
DISPLACEMENT IN SOUTH SEATTLE,
BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY
OF PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR
AND THERE'S ALREADY BEEN
SIGNIFICANT LOSS THERE AND THAT
WILL INCREASE EVEN MORE UNDER
MHA.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> LEAVE NO DOUBT THERE'S A
REVOLUTIONARY ABOUT TO GIVE KURT
-- TRUE DEMOCRACY A SHOUT --
WITHOUT NONPROFIT AND QUALIFIED
GIVING IT AWAY OR READING THE
NEIGHBORHOODS. DON'T FEAR BABY
BOOMER SELLOUTS DESPERATE TO
FLIP THEIR DOUBLE TRIPLE
MORTGAGE DILAPIDATED INFLATED
PERCEPTION OF VALUED HOUSE
BUILT IN 20th CENTURY PROPPED
UP BY THE OPPRESSIVE SUPPLY AND
DEMAND SQUEEZE THAT SELLOUTS
LIVE OFF OF THAT CREATES A
MONITOR -- MODERN THIRD WORLD
OF CITIZENS HOMELESS WHILE
FOREIGN-BORN NO THANKS MOVE
INTO THEIR HOMES WELL CREEPY
BANKS CELEBRATE THE OVERTHROW
OF LOCALS RIGHTS SOME OF THE
MOST RUNDOWN HOUSES IN AMERICA.
WE NEED A 20th CENTURY
DEVELOPMENT WITH ADVANCED
ARCHITECTS, CIVIL ENGINEERS AND
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR MASS
AMOUNTS OF CARPENTERS UNION
QUALIFIED WORKERS TO BUILD NEW
HOMES NEEDED FOR EVERYONE IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THE SEATTLE GOVERNMENT AGAIN --
CONTINUES TO ACCOMMODATE
DESPERATE HOUSING OWNERS
SPECULATING OFF THE DEMISE OF
OTHER PEOPLE AND THERE WILL BE
A NATIONWIDE BOYCOTT OF SEATTLE
TO DISEMPOWER -- THE LOCAL
INNOCENT POOR.
>> FOLLOWING THAT IS BONNIE
WILLIAMS -- AND IS IT STACY
XANGA?
STACY IS NOT HERE.
BONNIE, ARE YOU HERE?
OKAY, BONNIE, STACY AND SHARON
LEVINE.
OH, STEVE, I'M SORRY.
SO BONNIE, STEVE AND SHARON
LEVINE.
>>.
OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON.
ARE YOU READY?
>> YES, PLEASE GO.
>> OKAY.
I'M VOTING AGAINST COUNCIL BILL
119443 AND 119444. IF THE HALL
OF PUBLIC OUTREACH WAS REALLY
ABOUT LISTENING TO NEIGHBORHOOD
RESIDENTS INSTEAD OF BEING
LOYAL TO THE GRAND BARGAIN
POSSIBLY A BETTER PLAN WOULD'VE
EVOLVED.
THE INFLEXIBILITY WAS APPARENT
AS RESIDENTS OFFERED
RECOMMENDATIONS AND TRIED TO
SHAPE POLICY IN COUNTLESS OPEN
HOUSES, HEARINGS AND COUNCIL
MEETINGS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS.
THE BURDENS FAR OUTWEIGH THE
BENEFITS.
THE WHOLE CITY SHOULD NOT BE
TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR ONLY
6000 AFFORDABLE UNITS IN 20
YEARS, WHEN CAPACITY EXISTS
WITHOUT UP ZONES.
MHA DIMINISHES SETBACKS AND
INCREASES BLOCK COVERAGE AND
HEIGHTS RESULTING IN LOSS OF
TREES, GREEN SPACE, GARDENS,
PLAY SPACES, PRIVATE SPACES,
SUNLIGHT, REDUCING PARKING
REQUIREMENTS DOES AWAY WITH THE
CITY LIMITS, WEAKENS THAT OF --
DESIGN REVIEW AND WE ARE
MISSING IMPACT FEES FROM
DEVELOPERS -- AND REZONING WILL
INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES AND
DISPLACE LOWER TO MIDDLE INCOME
RESIDENTS.
NEIGHBORHOODS NEED TO FEEL -- >>
THANK YOU, BONNIE.
>> --
>> THANK YOU, STEVE.
SHARON BEFORE YOU BEGIN, LET ME
CALL THREE NAMES. AFTER SHARON
WILL BE TERAN AND MARTIN,
JORDAN RAM -- SPEC HI, I'M
SHARON LEVINE.
MHA IS DEFICIENT BECAUSE IT
DOES NOT MITIGATE THE
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF INCREASED
DENSITY. CODE END UP SOME
DENSITY -- CHANGES WILL HAVE
SEVERE IMPACTS AND THE
POTENTIAL TAX BURDEN ON LONG-
TERM PROPERTY OWNERS, MANY WITH
MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS,
AND RETIRED PEOPLE ON FIXED
INCOMES, WILL DISPLAY CITIZENS
AND FORCED MANY FROM THEIR
BELOVED RESIDENCES. MHA IS
PRIMARILY ABOUT DENSITY AND
MONEY GENERATION AND MAKES NO
PROVISIONS TO INCREASE SCHOOLS,
LIBRARIES, IMMUNITY CENTERS,
PARKS, FIRE AND POLICE
PROTECTION AND OTHER
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
THAT WILL BE NEEDED AS
POPULATION INCREASES THROUGHOUT
SEATTLE.
THE CITY HAS BEEN DISINGENUOUS
IN STATING THAT ONLY A SMALL
NUMBER OF SINGLE-FAMILY
HOMEOWNERS WILL BE IMPACTED,
WENT OVER 12,000 HOMES ARE
CURRENTLY PROPOSED FOR UP ZONES
OF HIGH IS LOW RISE ONE AND LOW
RISE TO.
-- TWO.
MORE WILL BE SUBSEQUENTLY
ABSORBED WHEN FOR EXAMPLE QUEEN
ANNE'S RESIDENTIAL URBAN
VILLAGE IS MORE THAN DOUBLE BY
UP ZONES AS PER THE COMP PLAN.
YOU SHOULD DELAY THE MHA VOTE
UNTIL EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY
OWNER WHO WILL BE UP ZONES WERE
IMPACTED BY CHANGES IS
INDIVIDUALLY NOTIFIED AND HAS A
CHANCE TO COMMENT ON YOUR BODY
OF CITY OFFICIALS AND YOU
SHOULD DELAY MHA UNTIL YOU
INCLUDE MITIGATION FOR IMPACTS
ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL --
TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE,
PARKING, TREES, URBAN WILDLIFE
AND ON LIVABILITY.
>> TIERNAN, IS YOUR MIC WORKING?
I DON'T THINK IT'S WORKING.
LET'S TRY THIS MIDDLE
MICROPHONE.
>> YES, I THINK THAT WEIGHT --
THAT ONE IS WORKING.
OKAY, YOU GOT IT.
>> IT AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS TIERNAN MARTIN AND
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF FUTURE
WISE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADOPT
THE MHA CITYWIDE POLICY.
THE PROCESS OF REVISION ON THIS
POLICY HAS BEEN AN
EXTRAORDINARY ONE TO SAY THE
LEAST. BECAUSE OF YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND THE WORK OF MANY
DEDICATED HOUSING ADVOCATES,
TODAY WE STAND READY TO EXPAND
INCLUSIONARY ZONING TO
NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE CITY.
FUTURE WISE RECOGNIZES THAT
CHANGES TO NEIGHBORHOOD
CHARACTER CAN BE DIVISIVE AND
ALSO THAT FAR TOO OFTEN
THROUGHOUT OUR CITIES HISTORY,
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES HAVE
BORNE DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNTS
OF THE COST OF GROWTH.
THE POLICY BEFORE YOU TODAY IS
NOT A PERFECT ONE BUT NO POLICY
THIS TRANSFORMATIVE CAN BE.
WE CANNOT EXPECT PROFESSION --
PERFECTION AND RACIAL ACCOUNT
-- IN RACIAL EQUITABLE MONEY OR
-- WAIT FOR THE ACTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE TO CHANGES WHILE WE
DEBATE EVERY DETAIL.
WE CAN'T SACRIFICE FURTHER
HOUSING IN THE NAME OF -- WE
NEEDED IT YESTERDAY, LAST YEAR
AND 10 YEARS AGO.
PLEASE PASS IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
>> JORDAN, JOHN LISBON AND
ALEXANDRA BEEN.
YOU ARE THIRD ON THAT CALL.
SO WE WILL START WITH JORDAN
AND THEN JOHN AND THEN ALEX.
>> HELLO.
AS I SEE IT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN
IN AND AROUND TOWN AND BEEN TO
MANY, MANY MEETINGS ABOUT THIS,
IT WORKS GREAT FOR WHITE
PRIVILEGE AND MHA IS A PROMISE.
I HEAR LOTS OF LIPSERVICE ABOUT
ENDING REDLINING BUT AS I SEE
IT, THE UP ZONING IS JUST A NEW
REDLINING BUILDING HOMES THAT
LOWER INCOME PEOPLE CANNOT
AFFORD AND THE -- PALTRY
PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
OR PAY A LINKAGE FEE TO BE ABLE
TO BUILD GHETTOS FOR LOWER
INCOME IN PLACES WHERE OTHERS
DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THEM AS
THEIR NEIGHBORS.
IT WILL ONLY WORK IF THE RENT
IS AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE OF
MODEST MEANS. CURRENTLY THE
CODE WHICH NO LONGER REQUIRES
THE OWNER TO LIVE INSIGHT AND
DOES NOT REQUIRE ON STREET
PARKING IS JUST ANOTHER
GIVEAWAY TO THE DEVELOPERS.
AS I SEE IT, AS I SIT HERE
SEATTLE IS ON ITS WAY TO
BECOMING A CITY OF A SINGULAR
DEMOGRAPHIC, AND THAT IS THE
WEALTHY, AND I HOPE THIS
MEETING IS NOT AS MANDATED BY
LAW FOR YOU ALL TO LISTEN TO
BUT THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY
TAKING SOME FEEDBACK HERE.
THANK YOU.
>> CHECK, CHECK.
>> OH, THANK YOU. SO JOHN,
FOLLOWING YOU WILL BE ALEX
ZIMMERMAN IF YOU DON'T MIND
TAKING THE MIDDLE MIC, ALEX AND
THEN CALVIN WILL FOLLOW YOU SO
JOHN, ALX AND CALVIN.
>> THANK YOU FOR LISTENING US
-- TO US TODAY.
AS YOU KNOW I AM NOT A BIG
PROPONENT OF MHA.
FOM THE BEGINNING WHEN THE
FIRST COMMITTEE WAS COMPRISED
MOSTLY OF INTERESTS THAT WOULD
MAKE MONEY FROM DEVELOPMENT TO
THE BACK DOOR DEALING OF THE
GRAND BARGAIN TO THE EIS, WHICH
HAD SEVERAL FLAVORS OF
ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE ALL THE
SAME, BASICALLY AND FROM THE
PUBLIC OUTREACH THAT WAS MOSTLY
A ROADSHOW AND A MARKETING
PUBLIC OUTREACH.
WESTMEAD HAD IT RIGHT WHEN HE
SAID IT WAS ALL BAKED IN
ALREADY AND PETER SKY BROOK,
WHOM I JUST MET SAID WHEN HE
WAS ASKED ABOUT COMMUNITY
PARTICIPATION AND FEEDBACK, HE
WAS INFORMED THAT FROM A SENIOR
PLANNER THAT THE WHOLE POINT
WAS MOOT. SO I AM SKEPTICAL
BECAUSE OF A COUPLE REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, THE NATURALLY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I'M RUNNING
OUT OF TIME HERE, BUT WHAT I
WOULD SAY HERE IS I WAS A
BUSINESSPERSON FOR 15 YEARS AND
I LISTENED TO A CONSULTANT WHO
TOLD ME IT'S REALLY A GOOD IDEA
TO HAVE YOUR EMPLOYEES GIVE YOU
IDEAS BECAUSE THAT WILL MAKE IT
A LOT EASIER -- TO HAVE YURI
IDEAS IMPLEMENTED -- YOUR IDEAS
IMPLEMENTED AND I WOULD SAY THE
SAME THING FOR THIS.
THANK YOU.
>> FOLLOWING YOU WILL BE CALVIN
JONES. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE
HAVE JUST ABOUT EXCEEDED THE
SECOND EXTENSION, BUT WE WILL
KEEP PLOWING THROUGH FOR A FEW
MORE MINUTES. I THINK MY
COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO
MOVE ON WITH THE AGENDA. ALEX
CALVIN JONES FIRST AND THEN
KAYLA DAFFERN.
ALL RIGHT, ALEX.
>> ZEIG HEIL -- I LIKE YOU
GUYS.
YOU COME HERE TALKING AND
TALKING EVERY DAY FOR MANY
YEARS.
WHEN WILL YOU FREAKING IDIOTS
WAKE UP.
>> MR. ZINMAN -- ZIMMERMAN I
FIND YOU DISRUPTIVE AND I'M
GIVING YOU A NOTICE EVEN THOUGH
YOU DON'T HEAR ME AND IF YOU
CONTINUE -- I WILL HAVE YOU
REMOVED.
SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU SPEAK TO
AN AGENDA ITEM.
>> YES SIR I INSULT EVERYBODY
--
>> I DO NOT HEAR AN AGENDA
ITEM, SO I'M GOING TO HOLD YOU
AS DISRUPTIVE BECAUSE I DON'T
HEAR AN AGENDA ITEM, SIR.
>> SOME PEOPLE GO FOR TWO
MINUTES AND NEVER TALK -->> I
WILL FIND YOU DISRUPTIVE.
WHAT A SURPRISE. OKAY.
>> SO CALVIN JONES WILL BE
FOLLOWED BY MICHAELA AND THEN
MAURICE BARREIRO.
>> HI, I AM CALVIN JONES, A
RENTER IN DISTRICT 3 AND AN
ORGANIZER FOR TECH FOR HOUSING.
I THINK A LOT OF ARGUMENTS
AGAINST MHA AND PROGRESSIVE
HOUSING POLICY IN GENERAL TAKES
SOME FORM OF, WE SHOULDN'T TAKE
ACTION BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO
SOME ANALYSIS OR LISTEN TO SOME
NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP, BUT I THINK
THAT REALLY FAILS TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE DUAL
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND
CLIMATE CRISES IN FRONT OF US
AND THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
TIME TO DO ENDLESS ANALYSIS
BEFORE WE ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
EVERY DAY THAT WE SPENT TALKING
ABOUT EIGHT -- MHA AND NOT TALK
WE USE AN AVERAGE -- LOSE AN
AVERAGE OF TWO UNITS OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO TWO
FAMILIES DON'T GET TO LIVE IN
THE CITY WE LOVE AND TWO
FAMILIES DON'T GET TO LIVE NEAR
BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND TWO
FAMILIES DON'T GET ACCESS TO
OUR AMAZING AND GREEN PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WE HAVE
IN THE CITY SO CONGRATULATIONS
ON PUTTING TOGETHER AN AMAZING
POLICY FOR THE CITY, LET'S PASS
MHA AND THEN MOVE ON TO SOME
MORE PROGRESSIVE REVENUE FOR
BROADER ZONING REFORMS TO
LEGALIZE MORE HOUSING IN OUR
SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> THANK YOU, MICHAELA.
AFTER MICHAELA, WE HAVE LEWIS
BORIO AND THEN ALLISON.
AND THEN NICOLE GRANT.
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS MICHAELA
DAFFERN AND I AM WEARING MANY
HATS TODAY.
I AM A RENTER, A RESIDENT OF
CAPITOL HILL, AND I AM AN
ADVOCATE FOR A MORE --
EQUITABLE AND LIVABLE SEATTLE.
I ALSO WORK FOR CAPITOL HILL
HOUSING AND HELPED STAFF
SOMETHING CALLED THE ECO-
DISTRICT. AS A COMMUNITY
DEVELOPER AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
DEVELOPER WE PROVIDE HOMES TO
OVER 1400 FAMILIES IN SEATTLE
AND VIEW MHA IS AN ESSENTIAL
TOOL FOR ADDRESSING THE ONGOING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
HOMELESSNESS CRISIS. ONCE
ADOPTED IT WILL CREATE
THOUSANDS OF NEW HOMES FOR LOW
INCOME FAMILIES WHO DESPERATELY
NEED IT AND FUELED THE CREATION
OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR
RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE
THOUGHT, CONSIDERATION, TIME,
CITY COUNCIL, STAFF AND FELLOW
COMMUNITY MEMBERS -- AND
ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY TO VOTE YES
ON THIS POLICY SO THAT IT
REMAINS WELCOMING AND
AFFORDABLE TO ALL.
THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS LEWIS BORIO. I AM
COCHAIR -- I WAS PART OF THE
STD -- THE ANALYSIS OF LIGHT
RAIL STATIONS.
I'M HERE TO BRING A LEGAL
RECORD AGAINST THE AMENDMENT
BROUGHT BY COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY -- I HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE RECORD.
THERE WAS AN IDEA NOT TO CHANGE
ANY INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOODS
AND THAT WAS OVERLOOKED IN THIS
CASE TO MAKE IT A VERY
PARTICULAR SOLUTION.
NUMBER TWO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE
VIDEO, YOU'LL REALIZE THERE WAS
MISINFORMATION SPREAD AROUND.
THERE'S NOT A DECISION BETWEEN
TWO LOCATIONS OR ONE LIGHT RAIL
STATION. THERE'S TWO LIGHT RAIL
STATIONS HAPPENING AND THE ONES
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT -- ARE
WITHIN ONE BLOCK OF EACH OTHER,
SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE AN
ARGUMENT.
COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ DID NOT
HAVE TO RECUSE HERSELF AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY IT GOES AGAINST THE
CONCEPT OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING
TO ACHIEVE AND I WOULD LOVE TO
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
MORE ABOUT THIS WITH YOU.
BUT YOU CAN PASS IT IN MY
OPINION.
>> THANK YOU.
ALLISON?
AND THE NICOLE GRANT. I WAS
TOLD YOU ARE HERE?
OKAY.
YOU WILL FOLLOW ALLISON,
PLEASE.
>> HELLO, COUNCILMEMBERS.
I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 4,
MY NAME IS ALLISON AND I AM
HERE REPRESENTING BELLWETHER
HOUSING, SEATTLE'S LARGEST
NONPROFIT PROVIDER OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AT
BELLWETHER, WE BELIEVE THE
PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC FABRIC OF OUR CITY
SHOULD GET TO LIVE HERE. THE
PEOPLE WHO TEACH OUR CHILDREN,
WHO CARE FOR THE SICK, WHO
MAINTAIN BUILDINGS LIKE THIS,
SENIORS, FOLKS EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS. WE HOUSE ALL OF
THOSE PEOPLE AND WE WANT TO
HOST MORE OF THEM. WE CURRENTLY
HAVE PLANS TO BUILD LARGE NEW
PRODUCTS -- PROJECTS IN
ROOSEVELT, RAINIER BEACH AND
FIRST HILL, AND IT REQUIRES
CITY FUNDING TO BUILD THESE
PROJECTS AND WE ARE THANKFUL
FOR THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE
HOUSIN BUT WE NEED MORE FUNDS.
EACH YEAR NONPROFITS PUT IN
PROJECTS THAT JUST CAN'T GET
FUNDED.
MHA COULD MORE THAN DOUBLE THE
AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE SO
LET'S PASS MHA SO THAT WE CAN
BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING AROUND
THE CITY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT
HARRELL, COUNCILMEMBERS, MY
NAME IS NICOLE GRANT AND I AM
HERE WITH MA LABOR REPRESENTING
UNIONS IN KING COUNTY.
I WANTED TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO
THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU
FOR THE DOZENS OF HEARINGS THAT
YOU PARTICIPATED IN TO HEAR
FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT
HOUSING IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE
AND I WANT TO URGE YOU TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH YOUR VOTE ON MHA
TODAY.
WE REPRESENT WORKERS IN ALL
SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY AND THEY
ARE CONSISTENT IN SHARING WITH
US HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN TO
HAVE A HOME IN SEATTLE TODAY.
WE HAVE THIS ECONOMY AND WE ARE
BRINGING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER
THE STATE, THE COUNTRY AND THE
WORLD TO WORK IN AEROSPACE, TECH
, MARITIME, BUT WHEN YOU SAY
COME TO US, SHARE IN THIS
EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE TO RISE TO
THE OCCASION AND MAKE THE HOMES
FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE IN, SO I
HOPE WE TAKE THIS VOTE AND THEN
STAY SMART AND ACTIVE AND KEEP
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE FOR
HOUSING IN SEATTLE.>> THANK
YOU, MS. GRANT. SO WE'VE HEARD
FROM A LITTLE UNDER 40 SPEAKERS
THIS AFTERNOON AND HAVE
EXTENDED PUBLIC, A LITTLE MORE
THAN TWICE, SO UNLESS THERE IS
A MOTION, I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE
PUBLIC COMMENT AND I WILL REMIND
THE PUBLIC THAT WE'VE HAD
APPROXIMATELY 40 PUBLIC
HEARINGS ON THIS MATTER, AND I
THINK APPROXIMATELY SEVEN ON
THIS PARTICULARLY -- THIS
PARTICULAR BILL SO I'M GOING TO
CONCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENT UNLESS
I HEAR ANOTHER OBJECTION AND
MOVE TO PAYMENT OF THE BILLS.
I WILL NOT IGNORE THE QUESTION.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY
ANOTHER 30 PEOPLE ARE SO SIGNED
UP, BUT AGAIN I THINK WE'VE
HEARD A MYRIAD OF OPINIONS AND
WITH THAT I WILL MOVE TO THE
PAYMENT OF THE BILLS.
>> MOVED TO PASS 119481.
MOVED AND SECONDED, BILL PASSED.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLE ON THE
PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
>> GONZALEZ, HERBOLD, JOHNSON,
JUAREZ, SCOTTO, O'BRIEN,
SAWANT, PRESIDENT HARRELL ,
NINE IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
>> BILL PASSES AND THE CHAIR
WILL SIGN IT.
BEFORE WE MOVE TO COMMITTEE
REPORTS, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK
THAT THE PUBLIC AND OUR
COLLEAGUES JUST INDULGE US FOR
A MINUTE AS WE TAKE JUST A
MOMENT OF SILENCE TO STAND WITH
OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN OUR
CITY -- SISTER CITY OF
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND.
I THINK WE'VE ALL FOLLOWED THE
HEADLINES AND WANT TO MAKE IT
VERY CLEAR THAT WE DO STAND
WITH OUR MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND
THE 50 LIVES LOST IN OUR HEARTS
CERTAINLY GO OUT TO THE VICTIMS
AND FAMILIES SO BEFORE WE GET
INTO COMMITTEE REPORTS, LET'S
JUST TAKE A FEW SECONDS OF
SILENCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S MOVE
TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.
>> THE REPORT OF THE AGENDA --
GOVERNANCE EQUITY AND
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
APPOINTMENT OF SAAD BASHIR AS
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER,
SEATTLE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT FOR A TERM OF -- TO
JANUARY ONE, 2023.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE
CITY COUNCIL CONFIRM THE
APPOINTMENT.
>> BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS I
WOULD LIKE TO FIRST MOVED TO
AMEND THE APPOINTMENT 01252 TO
INCLUDE THE LETTER OF
EXPECTATIONS IN THE CLERK FILE
AND THIS HAS BEEN CIRCULATED
AND PUT IN THE PUBLIC FORUM, SO
BEFORE I DO THAT I WOULD LIKE
TO AMEND THE APPOINTMENT. IS
THERE A SECOND?
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO
INCLUDE THE LETTER OF
EXPECTATIONS.
AY COMMENTS?
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE AYE.
OPPOSED, THE AYES HAVE IT .
HAVING SAID THAT, THIS
APPOINTMENT IS APPOINTING SAAD
BASHIR AS THE DIRECTOR AND
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF THE
SEATTLE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT AND DURING THE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS, THERE WAS
A REQUEST, NOT A DIRECTIVE, TO
NOT CHANGE THE NAME AGAIN, BUT
THAT WAS JUST SOME HUMOR AND
MAYBE SOME INSIGHT THAT THERE'S
BEEN SEVERAL NAME CHANGES.
WHAT IS THE CTO IN THIS
POSITION?
IT MANAGES A $277 MILLION BUDGET
FOR SEATTLE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AND LEAVE THE
DEPARTMENT OF CLOSE TO 700 --
ACTUALLY 680 FULL-TIME
EMPLOYEES AND OVERSEES THE
DELIVERY OF ALL TECHNOLOGY
SERVICES FOR THE CITY.
THE I.T.
DEPARTMENT MANAGES OUR
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
RESOURCES WHICH INCLUDES
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, DATA,
SUPPORTING OUR PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF OUR
APPLICATIONS, THE COMPUTER
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENGINEERING,
OPERATIONS, DATA CENTERS,
SERVERS, STORAGE, BACKUP
EQUIPMENT, DESKTOP, MOBILE
APPS, PRINTING DEVICES, CLOUD
SERVICES, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
SERVICES -- IT'S QUITE A SWATH
OF WORK AND IT'S PART OF THE
I.T.
CONSOLIDATION PROCESS TO BE
NOUN RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING
ALL I.T.
PROJECTS IN THE CITY AND THE
MOST RECENT BIENNIAL BUDGET
REFLECTED THE NEW SORT OF
PROJECT CENTRAL STRUCTURE WITH
THE CITYWIDE PORTFOLIO OF ABOUT
$450 MILLION.
WHO IS SAAD BASHIR ? HE HAS AN
IMPRESSIVE BACKGROUND IN MY
OPINION, AS HE'S SERVED AS THE
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN
THE CITY OF OTTAWA SINCE 2010
AND HAS SERVED AS OTTO'S CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER SINCE 2016
AND UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE
DEPARTMENT HAS TRANSFORMED INTO
A WORLD-CLASS PUBLIC-SECTOR
DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZED BY MANY
ENTITIES WITHIN THAT WORK FOR
-- AGILITY AND A GREATER FOCUS
ON CLIENTS.
HE MANAGED A $100 MILLION I.T.
PROJECT FOR OTTAWA AND LETTER
DEPARTMENT OF 350 I.T.
PROFESSIONALS FOR ABOUT 20,000
EMPLOYEE CLIENTS AND BRINGS
WHAT I THINK IS A GOOD BALANCE
OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR
OFFERS SORT OF A PRACTICAL
CHANGE TO MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE
HE'S SUBMITTED SEVERAL
REFERENCE LETTERS THAT I COULD
QUOTE BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS
THAT HE'S JUST KNOWN FOR HIS
LEADERSHIP STYLE AND IS VERY
COLLABORATIVE IN HOW HE MAKES
DECISIONS.
THE MAYOR PER -- CONDUCTED AN
EXTENSIVE SEARCH PROCESS THAT
CONDUCTED -- INCLUDED NATIONAL
AND INTERNATIONAL CLIENT --
CANDIDATES IN THE HIRING PANEL
INCLUDED LABOR AND OTHER
LEADERS WITH EXPERIENCE IN
TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNICAL
ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS.
THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CT ALSO
INCLUDED EXTENSIVE EXTERNAL
OUTREACH TO VARIOUS SEATTLE
GROUPS, INCLUDING OUR I.T.
DEPARTMENT'S RECENT SOCIAL
JUSTICE CHANGE TEAM AND CITY
EMPLOYEE UNIONS.
AT FIRST IT HAD COME TO
COMMITTEE ON FABRY 5 AT 9:30 AM
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST INITIAL
DISCUSSION AND AGAIN MARCH 5
WAS THE NEXT DISCUSSION AND WE
HAD MANY MEMBERS VOTE IT WITH
FULL PASSAGE.
I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL AS TO
HOW HE GAVE SUCH AN ELABORATIVE
DESCRIPTION ON THE PLAT -- THE
QUESTIONS WE POSED TO HIM BUT I
WILL JUST SAY A COUPLE OF
THINGS, THAT I THOUGHT HE VERY
SMARTLY ASSESSED NINE AREAS OF
IMPROVEMENT THAT WOULD NOT ONLY
ADDRESS THE AREAS THAT WE
THOUGHT THERE WERE SOME URGENT
OPPORTUNITIES BUT AN ACTUAL
STRATEGY ON HOW WE WILL
IMPLEMENT THOSE, SO WHAT I SAID
TO MY COLLEAGUES IS THAT IT'S
ABSOLUTELY MY PLEASURE TO
INTRODUCE SAAD BASHIR TO MANY
OF YOU AS POTENTIALLY OUR NEW
CTO FOR THE SEATTLE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT. ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE
TAKE A VOTE?
OKAY.
THOSE IN FAVOR OF CONFIRMING
THE APPOINTMENT, PLEASE VOTE
AYE.
THOSE OF -- OPPOSED VOTE NO.
THE MOTION CARRIES, THE
APPOINTMENT IS CONFIRMED AND
MR. BASHIR, YES, WE CAN CLAP
FOR HIM.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU,
AND I DO WANT TO THANK MANY
MEMBERS, PREVIOUS PEEVES --
PEOPLE IN THE POSITION AND
THOSE WHO SERVED IN A
TRANSITION, THEY DID OUT NOT --
OUTSTANDING WORK BEFORE THIS
AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE
THAT GOT US HERE.
AND MR. BASHIR THE FLOOR IS
YOURS.
>> THANK YOU.
AROUND SIX WEEKS AGO I TOOK ON
THIS JOB IN AN ACTING CAPACITY
AND MY NATURAL TENDENCY IS SORT
OF TO GET TO WORK AND DO WHAT
THE JOB REQUIRES OF ME, BUT
THIS CONFIRMATION PROCESS ALSO
ACTUALLY GAVE ME A LITTLE BIT
OF PAUSE TO REFLECT ON THE 700
CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH
PEOPLE IN I.T.
AS WELL AS WITH CLIENT
DEPARTMENTS, AND I'VE UNCOVERED
A STRONG DESIRE FROM PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO REIMAGINE HOW WE RUN
I.T.
OPERATIONS, HOW WE ARE
DELIVERING SERVICES AND
INTERACTING WITH CLIENT
DEPARTMENTS AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, HOW WE ARE
INTERACTING AMONGST OURSELVES.
MY FEDERAL DEPARTMENT HEADS AND
LEADERSHIP TEAMS, I'VE MET WITH
MANY OF THE MEN THEY'VE MADE IT
ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO DO WHATEVER POSSIBLE
TO MAKE SURE THAT I.T.
CONTINUES TO BE PERFORMING AT A
MUCH HIGHER PERFORMING RATE SO
I REALLY AM ENCOURAGED WITH
THOSE COMMENTS FROM THEM.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK
YOU FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S
TRUST.
I DEEPLY APPRECIATE MAYOR
DURKIN'S CONFIDENCE -- IN ME.
I WILL BE AN ADVENTURE FOR THE
NEXT FEW YEARS.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BASHIR.
PLEASE CALL THE NEXT ITEM INTO
RECORD.
>> APPOINTMENT OF RICHARD AT --
SHORDT AS MEMBER SEATTLE ETHICS
AND -- ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO
A TERM TO DECEMBER 31 2021.
>> APPOINTMENT 01265, WHICH IS
CONFIRMING AN APPOINTMENT TO
THE ETHICS AND LEFT THE --
ELECTIONS COMMISSION, RICHARD
SHORDT WHO HAS BEEN APPROVED BY
THE COMMITTEE ON MARCH SEVEN.
HE CAME AND GAVE A VERY
IMPRESSIVE INTERVIEW AND AS YOU
KNOW FROM HIS RESUME IN THE
PUBLIC FILE AND YOUR FILE, HE
SERVES AS SENIOR CORPORATE
COUNCIL ON T-MOBILE'S
COMPLIANCE AND ETHICS TEAM . HE
HAS A STRONG BACKGROUND IN
COMPLIANCE AND HIS
RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ESPECIALLY
RELEVANT TO THE SEC'S
COMMISSIONS -- ADMINISTRATION
AND ENFORCEMENT OF LOBBYING AND
WHISTLEBLOWER CODES.
PRIOR TO MOVING TO SEATTLE, MR.
SHORDT SPENT NEARLY A DECADE IN
WASHINGTON, D.C., WORKING ON
CAPITOL HILL AS A LEGISLATIVE
DIRECTOR FOR THE UNITED STATES
REPRESENTATIVE MARCY KEPNER
WHERE HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
ENSURING STAFF COMPLIANCE WITH
THE HOUSE'S CODE OF OFFICIAL
CONDUCT AND HE HAS EXTENSIVE
INTERACTION WITH REGISTERED
LOBBYISTS AND ACTIVISTS AND
COORDINATED WITH THE HOUSE
ETHICS COMMITTEE AND OFFICES
CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS -- ETHICS
TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH
GUIDELINES AND ALSO SPENT SEVEN
YEARS PRACTICING SEATTLE -- LAW
IN SEATTLE WHERE HE DEVELOPED A
SIGNIFICANT PRACTICE IN BOTH
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LITIGATION.
HE HAS A BACHELOR OF ARTS FROM
POLITICAL SCIENCE -- FROM
TOLEDO AND A JURIS DOCTORATE
FROM THE GEORGE WASHINGTON
UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. AND WITH THAT
I AM VERY PLEASED TO REQUEST
THAT THE COUNCIL CONFIRM
RICHARD SHORDT TO THE SEATTLE
ETHICS AND ELECTIONS
COMMISSION.
ANY QUESTIONS?
THOSE IN FAVOR OF CONFIRMING
THE APPOINTMNT, PLEASE VOTE
AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, VOTE NO . THE
MOTION CARRIES AND THE
APPOINTMENT IS CONFIRMED.
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. TRENT 21.
>> THE REPORT OF THE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON CITYWIDE MANDATORY
HOUSING A FELONY --
AFFORDABILITY RELATING TO LAND-
USE AMENDING THE SEATTLE
COMPETENCE OF PLAN TO
INCORPORATE CHANGES RELATED TO
MANDATORY HORSING AFFORDABILITY
-- HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CITY
COUNCIL PASS AS AMENDED.
>> OKAY COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON
AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME
AMENDMENTS YOU WILL MAKE SO
COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON, YOU
HAVE THE FLOOR.
>> WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS RELATED
TO THE CITYWIDE AGE -- MHA
TODAY AND TO START WE WILL
START WITH THE FIRST COUNCIL
VOTE WHICH AMENDS COMPETENCE OF
PLAN AND MOVED TO THE SECOND
COUNCIL VOTE WHICH AMENDS THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE TO
IMPLEMENT MHA AND THIRD, WE
WILL HAVE A SOLO BILL THAT
IMPLEMENTS MHA ON THE D.O.T.
CITING NORTHGATE AND FINALLY, A
RESOLUTION WHICH IS A COMPANION
RESOLUTION CONSISTENT WHAT
WE'VE DONE IN ALL OF OUR OTHER
MHA ZONING CHANGES.
THERE ARE INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENTS
FOR SEVERAL OF THOSE, SO I WILL
ADDRESS THOSE AS WE GET TO THEM
BUT I WANT TO START IF YOU'LL
INDULGE ME COUNCIL PRESIDENT BY
JUST REFLECTING A LITTLE BIT ON
THE FOUR PLUS YEAR PROCESS THAT
HAS GOTTEN US TO THIS POINT AND
THEN AFTER THAT, OTHERS MAY
HAVE INDIVIDUAL MURMURS.
DISH REMARKS.
TODAY THIS ADDRESSES A VERY
PERSONAL ISSUE OF HOUSING.
WE ALL HAVE STORIES TO
DRAMATIZE HOW OUR CITY HAS
CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADE
BEING SOMETHING AS WEIGHTY IS
NOW STRUGGLING TO MAKE RENT IN
THE BRUTALLY EXPENSIVE HOUSING
MARKET TO SOMETHING AS WISTFUL
AS MISSING OUR FAVORITE
NEIGHBORHOOD ON BECAUSE IT HAS
CLOSED DOWN. FOR MY PART I MISS
DAILIES IN EASTLAKE WITH ITS
GREAT SHAKES AND LOW-KEY CHARM
BUT EAST LAKE IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF HOW URBANISM CAN
WORK.
IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT
SINGLE-FAMILY ZONING BUT WITH A
LOT OF CHARACTER. IT'S THE
PLACE WHERE I MET AND MARRIED
THE GIRL WHO LIVED ACROSS THE
HALL FROM ME IN OUR LITTLE DIVE
UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING -- FIVE
UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING AND
IT'S WHERE WE WOULD STILL BE
TODAY IF WE HADN'T REALIZED
THAT AFTER DOING THE MATH WE
WOULD PAY MORE IN RENT THAN WE
WOULD IF WE BOUGHT THAT LITTLE
HOUSE BUT THAT'S NOT AN OPTION
FOR MANY SEATTLEITES NOW.
A MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE RENTERS.
ULTIMATELY TOO MANY OF OUR
STORIES ARE ABOUT STRUGGLING TO
MAKE THE COST OF LIVING,
STRUGGLING WITH TRAFFIC
CONGESTION AND TO MAKE RENT OR
STRUGGLING TO FIND AFFORDABLE
HOUSING TO BEGIN WITH LIKE MANY
IN MY LITTLE FIFTH-GENERATION
OF COUSINS WHO STRUGGLED TO
LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THEY
GREW UP AND.
THE SOURCE OF THAT CHANGE IS NO
MYSTERY.
SEATTLE IS GROWING AT A
PHENOMENAL RATE AND CONSIDER
THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS
DECADE IT WAS THE 25th LARGEST
CITY IN THE UNITED STATES BUT
BY THE END OF THE DECADE WILL
HAVE PASSED WASHINGTON, D.C.,
BOSTON AND OTHERS AND WILL --
HAS CLIMBED TO 18th BIGGEST IN
THE UNITED STATES.
WE'VE GONE FROM 608,000 TO MORE
THAN 730,000 PEOPLE, A MERE 20%
JUMP IN WHILE MANEUVERING YOUR
CART IN THE GROCERY STORE OR
WAITING TO GO TO WORK, STUCK IN
LINE AT A PHARMACY OR AT A
PACKED RESTAURANT ON A SATURDAY
NIGHT, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO
NOTICE THE LEAP FROM A MIDSIZED
CITY TO A MAJOR METROPOLIS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE RULES WE
HAVE IN PLACE NOW HAVE NOT KEPT
UP WITH THAT PACE IN GROWTH AND
IN FACT THE STATUS QUO POLICY
THAT BARS US FROM BUILDING
TOWNHOUSES AND LOW RISE CONDOS
-- WHICH SHOULD BE A REAL BOON
TO US AS A CITY IN TERMS OF
ECONOMIC SUCCESS IN POPULATION
GROWTH BUT FOR TOO MANY OF US
HAS TURNED THAT GROWTH INTO A
SOURCE OF DISENCHANTMENT BUT
IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY TO STEP
UP AND CHANGE THAT STATUS QUO.
I'M PROUD TO SAY MY COLLEAGUES
HAVE RISEN TO THE OCCASION AND
MY COLLEAGUE'S COUNCIL MEMBERS
HAVE BEEN RIGHTFULLY GETTING
CREDIT FOR THE WORK TO
HIGHLIGHT URBANISM AS A
CRITICAL SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
MY DISTRICT COLLEAGUES HAVE
WORKED HARD TO BUILD WINNING
COALITIONS NEIGHBORHOOD BY
NEIGHBORHOOD, BLOCK BY BLOCK,
TO IMPLEMENT -- THIS IN THEIR
DISTRICTS AND THREE MAYORS
WORKING WITH US -- FROM THE
FIRST TO MAYOR BURGESS WHO SENT
IT TO COUNCIL TO MAYOR DURKIN
WHO HAS HELPED US GET THE BILL
HERE TO THE FINISH LINE.
COUNTLESS CITY STAFF FROM OP CD
, DOM, OH, THE PLANNING
COMMISSION -- AND OTHERS PUT IN
LONG MOMENT -- HOURS TO MAKE
THIS MOMENT POSSIBLE AND I
WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM THIS
AFTERNOON.
DIRECTORS -- INCLUDING -- THANK
YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
STAFF MEMBERS JEFF WETLAND,
ROBERT FELDSTEIN, NICK WELCH,
JESSICA BRAND, SUSIE PHILLIPS,
LORI HEWITT WALKER, JASON KELLY
, JIM PETRA, LINDSAY MASTERS,
MIKE BUDOWSKI, DEVLIN CLARK,
EMILY ALVARADO AND MANY OTHERS
THAT I'VE LEFT OFF, THANK YOU
FOR YOUR LONG NIGHTS AND MANY
TEARS THAT WE'VE ALL SAID
AROUND MHA -- SHED AROUND MHA.
I WANT TO THINK THOUSANDS OF
NEIGHBORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
WE RELIED ON THE HELP OF OUR
CLERKS OFFICE AND ARE COUNCIL
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, OUR
CENTRAL STAFF LAND-USE TEAM HAS
BEEN CRITICAL IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS AND I WANT TO THANK ALLIE
PETRUCCI, KETO FREEMAN -- AND
ERIC McGONAGLE FOR THEIR GOOD
WORK.
I WILL ALSO WANT TO THANK MY
TEAM THAT HAS WORKED ON THIS
LEGISLATION SINCE THE FIRST
RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ON THE
BALLOTS MAILED OUT IN 2015.
AMY GORE, NOAH ON, SPENCER
WILLIAMS, JARED MORRIS, PENNY
CAMACHO, COULDN'T HAVE DONE
THIS WITHOUT YOU GUYS AND I'M
SO GRATEFUL.
I WANT TO SAY A QUICK THANK YOU
TO KATIE AND OUR GIRLS WHO
SPENT A LOT OF NIGHTS ON THEIR
OWN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF
PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE TOOK TO
GET US HERE AND FINALLY I WANT
TO THANK MY VICE CHAIR
COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ . YOU'VE
BEEN A CHAMPION, CONFIDANT AND
PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR THE
PROGRAM AND LORETTA, IF I AM
ALLOWED TO DO SO, I WOULD LIKE
TO DEPOSE -- BESTOW UPON YOU AN
HONORARY MASTERS DEGREE IN LAND-
USE PLANNING FOR ALL OF YOUR
METICULOUS WORK OVER THE LAST
THREE AND HALF YEARS.
I AM REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT
ZONING.
IT SEEMS LIKE A THING THAT
MAKES FOR BORING MEETINGS AND
MIGRAINES BUT I THINK MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE REALIZED THAT
WITHIN THE FINICKY ZONING
FORMULAS FOR LOWRISE ONE, TWO
AND RESIDENTIAL SMALL LOT
HOUSING THAT THERE IS A FORMULA
FOR EQUITY AND TODAY WE PASS
THAT FORMULA, A FORMULA THAT
PROVIDES FOR GROWTH AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DOES
THIS BY CREATING MORE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MULTIFAMILY
-- WHILE TYING IT TO A FUND FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WILL
ALSO CREATE 6000 NEW UNITS OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE NEXT
DECADE. THAT GROWTH SHOULD BE
SYNONYMOUS WITH CREATING A
SENSE OF PLACE FOR EVERYONE TO
LIVE. THAT PLACE SHOULD BE
BUILDING MORE HOUSING. HOUSING
FOR SINGLE MOMS LIKE JESSICA, A
SERVICE WORKER WHO MOVED BACK
HERE TO PURSUE HER SOCIOLOGY
DEGREE WHEN SHE FOUND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE LIGHT
RAIL LINE, HOUSING FOR THOSE
LIKE MARLON WHO COULDN'T AFFORD
SEATTLE WITHOUT A SUBSIDIZED
APARTMENT IN A NEW BUILDING ON
THE CENTRAL DISTRICT. HOUSING
FOR YOUNG PARENTS LIKE LAURA
AND MATT WHO LIVE IN A TOWNHOME
ON FIRST HILL WITH THREE KIDS.
HOUSING FOR SOCIAL WORKERS LIKE
NATASHA HUNDLEY WHO LIVES IN
BELLWETHER'S HOUSING ON STONE
WAY AND SHE SAYS SHE WOULDN'T
BE ABLE TO ATTEND GOOD PUBLIC
SCHOOLS IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IN SHORT MORE EMBRACING GOES BY
EMBRACING -- GROWTH BY
EMBRACING INCLUSION BY UPDATING
PLANS MADE 25 YEARS GO.
WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED IN THOSE LAST 25 YEARS
OR MORE SO, EVEN IN THE LAST
FIVE YEARS THAT EFFECTIVELY
PLANNING FOR GROWTH MEANS
SHARING SPACE TO MAKE ROOM FOR
EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO FIND
THEIR PLACE IN SEATTLE SO FOR A
WHILE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET BY
WITHOUT A REGIONAL APPROACH AND
MAYBE ONE THAT DIDN'T FULLY
EMBRACE EQUITY BECAUSE SEATTLE
IS ONLY GROWING INCREMENTALLY
AND MANY OF US DIDN'T NOTICE ON
SOMETHING UNFAIR WAS HAPPENING
BUT WHILE KING COUNTY HAS GROWN
BY 13% OVER THE LAST EIGHT
YEARS, SEATTLE HAS GROWN BY 20%
AND WHILE ARE FASTEST GROWING
CITY -- CITIES LIKE REDMOND,
KENT AND BELLEVUE HAVE ADDED
200,000 PEOPLE, WE'VE ADDED
NEARLY 17,000 SO WE'VE HAD TO
JUMP INTO ACTION AND CREATE
PROACTIVE HOUSING POLICIES AND
GET PROACTIVE ABOUT ENGAGING
THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE DID THAT BY HOSTING MORE
THAN 200 MEETINGS ON THE MHA
SINCE IT WAS PROPOSED IN 2015
AND WE'VE KNOCKED ON MORE THAN
10,000 DOORS.
THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF HAS
HOSTED MORE THAN 40 PUBLIC
MEETINGS INCLUDING COMMUNITY
DESIGN WORKSHOPS, OPEN DESIGN
WORKSHOPS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE DRAFTED AND CONSIDERING --
CONSIDERED MORE THAN 80
AMENDMENTS TO CONSIDER MORE
CHILDCARE SPACE IN THE
BUILDINGS, MORE AFFORDABLE
SMALL BUSINESS SPACES TO
PROTECT TREES AND HISTORIC
BUILDINGS, TO INCENTIVIZE MORE
AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES AND ALLOWED FOR
TALLER BUILDINGS TO BE BUILT
NEAR FREQUENT TRANSIT SERVICE
WITHOUT MANDATING UNNECESSARY
AND UNNECESSARY -- ON AFFORDABLE
-- PARKING PRICES.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS IS
SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN
THE PAST AND THAT THE SURGE OF
PRO-HOUSING -- FROM A COALITION
THAT REFLECTS WHAT SOLUTIONS
CAN LOOK LIKE WHEN WE ALL WORK
TOGETHER.
WE'VE REGULARLY HAD THE MLK JR.
COUNTY COUNCIL TO SHOW UP TO
PER FOR -- PROMOTE MORE
HOUSING FOR THEIR MEMBERS.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AUTHORS
-- OFTENSTOOD BY THEIR SIDE.
OTHER GROUPS RECOGNIZED THIS AS
AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AND
RECOGNIZED -- JOINED THE CLAUSE
-- THE CAUSE.
SOME NEW GROUPS JOINED LIKE
WELCOMING WILLIFORD, SEATTLE
FOR EVERYONE, SEATTLE
GREENWAYS, SEATTLE TECH FOR
HOUSING, SHARE THE CITIES, THE
MILLER PART EGGERS -- THE
CAPITAL HOME RENTERS INITIATIVE
AND THEY ALL HELPED US FRAME
THIS POLICY WITH ONE GUIDING
QUESTION: WHO IS THIS CITY FOR?
OUR NEW MANDATORY HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY POLICY ANSWERS
THAT QUESTION BY SAYING THE
CITY IS FOR PEOPLE LIKE JESSICA
AND MARLON AND LAURA AND MATT
AND NATASHA AND WITH THAT, I AM
PROUD TO INTRODUCE THIS
LEGISLATION, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
>> [ APPLAUSE ]
>> SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE.
WE HAVE ONE TECHNICAL AMENDMENT
WHICH WOULD REQUIRE ADOPTION,
AN AMENDMENT TO ATTACHMENT ONE.
IT WOULD REFLECT CHANGES TO THE
URBAN CENTER VILLAGE BOUNDARIES
THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY THE 25th
AND THAT IS SHOWN IN ATTACHMENT
A OF THE CENTRAL STAFF MEMO SO
WITH YOUR PERMISSION, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND
BILL 119433 BY SUBMITTING
VERSION 2 FOR VERSION 1.
>> THIS IS JUST THE AMENDMENT.
MOVED AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE
IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT,
PLEASE VOTE AYE.
THE AYES HABIT.
DID ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS
WANT TO SPEAK ON ITEM 3? WE
HAVE SEVERAL MORE COMPANION
MEMBERS TO FOLLOW BUT WE ARE ON
ITEM 3 AS OF NOW.
GOOD ON THIS ONE?
EVERYBODY GOOD?
OKAY.
>> THE NEXT ONE IS THE BIG ONE.
>> AND WE HAVE FOUR AMENDMENTS
I THINK SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT
ITEM SO I DO WE PASS THIS ONE
FIRST, OKAY.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE
PASSAGE OF THE AMENDED BILL.
>> BAGSHAW GONZALEZ HERBOLD
JOHNSON JUAREZ MOSQUEDA
O'BRIEN SAWANT PRESIDENT
HAROLD, NINE IN FAVOR, AND
UNOPPOSED.
>> THE BILL PASSES AND THE
CHAIR WILL SIGN IT PLEASE READ
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
>> 119444 ORDINANCE RELATING TO
MANDATORY HOUSING AVAILABILITY
REZONING CERTAIN LANDON
MODIFYING DEVELOPING STANDARDS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND
PLUMMETING MHA REQUIREMENTS AND
MODIFYING EXISTING DEVELOPMENT
STANDARDS TO IMPROVE
LIVABILITY, COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS COUNCIL PASS AS
AMENDED .
>> I BELIEVE THERE ARE FOUR
AMENDMENTS SO I WILL LET YOU
LEAD US THROUGH THE AMENDMENT
PROCESS AND YOU HAVE IT RIGHT
NOW REGARDING THE BASE
LEGISLATION.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT.
THIS IS THE MAIN CITYWIDE MHA
LEGISLATION THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY
ADOPTED IN THE CREDIT --
COMPETENCE OF PLAN CHANGES AND
THE RATE -- THOSE RELATED TO
MHA.
THIS IS THE IMPLANTATION BILL
-- FOR THE 27 NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE ARE THREE MINUTES
PROPOSED, I BELIEVE.
AMENDMENT ONE IS A SUBSTITUTE
VERSION OF THE BILL THAT
REFLECTS TECHNICAL AND
CLARIFYING AMENDMENTS TO
MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER
PARTS OF THE LEGISLATION
INCLUDING FIXING TYPOS AND
DRAFTING ERRORS TO ENSURE THE
CODE LANGUAGE IS CONSISTENT
WITH COUNCIL INTENT AND REP
OBTAINS SOME PROVISIONS OF THE
CODE RELATING TO ZONING AND
ADDS LANGUAGE CLARIFYING THAT
THE REQUIREMENT TO DEDICATE 5%
OF MHA PAYMENTS TO
HOMEOWNERSHIP PROJECTS CAN BE
DEDICATED OVERALL GOING YEARS --
MULTIPLE YEARS SO I MOVED TO
AMEND COUNCIL BILL 119444 BY
SUBSTITUTING VERSION 4 FOR
VERSION 3 ATTACHMENT ONE AND BY
SUBSTITUTING VERSION FOUR FOR
VERSION 3 -- ON ITEM 2 --
ATTACHMENT TWO ON THE AGENDA.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ CAN
YOU REPEAT THAT, PLEASE?
[ LAUGHTER ] ALL THOSE IN
FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, PLEASE
VOTE AYE.
OPPOSED, VOTE NAY.
OKAY WE HAVE THE FIRST
AMENDMENT .
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
THIS NEXT ONE WOULD AMEND THE
ATTACHMENT TO REMOVE AREAS
STUDIED -- FROM THE CITYWIDE
IMAGING BILL AND WOULD ALSO
REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT -- GIVEN
THE NO ZONING CHANGES ON THE
AVENUE WOULD BE PART OF THE
LEGISLATION.
IT'S PART OF A SEPARATE BILL --
SO I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND
COUNCIL BILL 119444 BY AMENDING
SECTION 50 AND DELETING 23.47 A
.009.GEE.3 AND BY ADDING A NEW
AMENDMENT BAGSHAW -- H .
>> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF
AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, SAY AYE .
ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.
THE AYES PASSED SO THAT ONE IS
PASSED.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO TURN TO
COUNCILMEMBER O'BRIEN FOR THE
NEXT ONE.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
JOHNSON.
THIS IS AMENDMENT 5. I MOVED TO
AMEND COUNCIL BILL 119444
ATTACHMENT TWO BY SUBSTITUTING
VERSION 5 FOR VERSION 4 OF THE
REFERENCE MAP AND BY ADDING A
NEW MAP, AI, THAT EXCLUDES A
SITE LOCATED AT 7009 GREENWOOD
FROM THE REZONE AS PRESENTED ON
THE DISTRIBUTED AMENDMENT FIVE.
>> SECOND.
>> MOVED AND SECONDED, TO PASS
AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE.
COUNCILMEMBER WOULD YOU LIKE TO
EXPLAIN MORE?
>> YOU BET. THIS REFERS TO A
PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO A
CONTRACT REZONE PROCESS AND
COLLEAGUES YOU MAY RECALL LAST
YEAR, WE APPROVED THAT CONTRACT
REZONE AS PART OF THE
ADDITIONAL PROCESS.
MOST OF THE CONTRACT RESUMES I
BELIEVE THAT ARE CURRENTLY
UNDERWAY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED
FROM THE MHA BILL TO ALLOW THEM
TO BE THE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT AND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT
TO BE REQUIRED AS PART OF THOSE
NEGOTIATED DEALS. THIS
PARTICULAR ONE WAS ACTUALLY
LEFT OUT OF THAT PATTERN SO I
GUESS WE WILL PUT THAT BACK IN
HERE.
THE PROJECT IS STILL
QUASIJUDICIAL.
IT HAS -- OUR DECISION LAST YEAR
WAS APPEALED TO THE SUPERIOR
COURT SO WE WILL LIKELY SEE IT
IN THE MHA IN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS SO WE LIKE TO DO IS
ADDRESS THE AFFORDABILITY AND
HEIGHT CHANGES ALONG WITH OTHER
DESIGN STANDARDS WE PREVIOUSLY
HAD ADDRESSED IN THE
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND MY
RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO
CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH SINCE
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN
EXPLORING TODAY -- TO DATE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
EXPLANATION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON AMENDMENT
NUMBER FIVE MATT?
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR VOTE AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED VOTE NO . THE
AYES HABIT.
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON ANY OTHER
AMENDMENTS ?
>> THIS ONE WOULD AND -- ADD A
FINDING OF FACT --
>> THIS ONE WOULD ADDRESS THE
RELATIONSHIP OF THE ORDINANCE TO
-- AMENDMENT FOUR HAS SHOWN
THAT THIS WOULD AGAIN JUST ADDS
AND FINDINGS OF FACTS SO I
WOULD ADD THE AMENDMENT ADDING
A NEW SECTION 124 WHICH ADDS A
NEW ATTACHMENT THREE FINDING AS
A FACT ON THE AMENDMENT.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
FOLLOWS IN FAVOR OF AMENDMENT
NUMBER FOUR, SAY AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES AND THAT
AMENDMENT IS APPROVED.
>> I WOULD ASK FOR THE
PRIVILEGE TO CLOSEOUT THOSE
REMARKS BEFORE TAKING FINAL
COMMENT ON THIS BILL.
>> WE HAVE ONE 19444. WOULD ANY
COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE TO SPEAK
ON THE OVERALL LEGISLATION?
>> COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON I WILL
START BY THANKING YOU FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO
THIS QUITE THOROUGH PROCESS
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND I
APPRECIATE THE REMARKS YOU MADE
BOTH CITY STAFF AND CITIZENS,
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT
LIVE AND WORK HERE AND HAVE
WORKED HARD ON THIS. THERE'S A
LOT OF WORK AND COMPROMISE.
I WANTED TO SPEAK TO MY
INVOLVEMENT OF THIS AND FOURTH
-- AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT GOES
FURTHER BACK THAN THAT.
THE CITY WAS CONSIDERING UP
ZONES AS PART OF SOUTH LAKE
UNION AND WE PREVIOUSLY HAD
RECEIVED A REPORT -- ON A
ZONING ANALYSIS AND THAT REPORT
POINTED OUT THAT WE COULD
CHARGE HIGHER FEES FOR
INCENTIVE ZONING AT THE TIME
WITHOUT IT IMPACTING THE AMOUNT
OF HOUSING BEING BUILT OR
RATHER CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS
HAPPENING.
AS A RESULT OF THAT PROCESS,
THERE WAS A LOT OF DELIBERATION
ON THE FLOOR AT THIS TIME AND
ULTIMATELY, IT RESULTED IN WHAT
I RECALL WAS A 5-4 MAG SO --
VOTE TO INCREASE THE ZONING AND
THE AMOUNT OF THE ADDITIONAL
HOUSING WE REQUIRED WAS LIMITED
BY THE ANALYSIS WE HAD DONE AND
THE ABILITY TO GET TO FIVE
VOTES ON THAT BUT
SIMULTANEOUSLY THE COUNCIL
PASSED A RESOLUTION, RESOLUTION
31444 IN MAY OF 2013 THAT
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AND
ESTABLISHED A WORK PROGRAM FOR
US TO UPDATE OUR CITY'S
AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVE
PROGRAM AND FROM THAT WE WENT
AND HIRED CONSULTANTS, THREE
DIFFERENT SETS OF CONSULTANTS,
WHO WORKED THROUGH TO 2014
ULTIMATELY RELEASING REPORTS
THAT TALKED ABOUT A LINKAGE FEE
PROGRAM.
IN OCTOBER OF 2014 COUNCIL
PASSED A RESOLUTION 31551,
INDICATING THEIR INTENT TO PASS
A LINKAGE FEE PROGRAM.
THAT OUTLINED DIFFERENT TIERS
CLOSER TO THE RESOLUTION WE SEE
TODAY, HIGH LOW AND MEDIUM TEARS
AND DIFFERENT LEVELS REQUIRED
AS A REQUIREMENT FOR AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AT THAT POINT AND THE
SOON TO BE NEW MAYOR, MAYOR
MURRAY -- I GUESS HE WAS THE
NEW MAYOR AT THAT POINT FORMED
HIS OWN GROUP TO COME UP WITH A
COUNTERPROPOSAL AND I TELL YOU
THAT PERSONALLY, I WAS
COMMITTED TO THE LINKAGE FEE
PROGRAM BECAUSE IT PRODUCED A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF HOUSES
THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEVELS
AND IN THE BACK AND FORTH I
SAID I CONTINUED TO BE OPEN TO
NEW PROPOSALS IF THEY PRODUCED
MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT
DEEPER AFFORDABILITY LEVELS AND
THE AGREEMENT WAS -- THAT MARIE
BROUGHT FORWARD BACK IN THE
SUMMER OF 2015 WAS THE PROGRAM
WE ARE LOOKING AT TODAY.
IT'S BEEN DELAYED SIGNIFICANTLY
FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, BUT I
AM THRILLED THAT WE HAVE THE
COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TODAY
THAT I WILL VOTE TO SUPPORT.
COLLEAGUES CURRENT AND PAST,
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING ON
THIS WITH ALL OF YOU.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE PIECE
OF LEGISLATION WE HAVE TODAY
AND AGAIN COUNCILMEMBER
JOHNSON, I WANT TO JUST
REITERATE THE AMOUNT OF WORK
YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST FEW
YEARS TO GET US WHERE WE ARE
TODAY.
IT IS NO SMALL FEAT.
YOU WERE NOT ON THE COUNCIL
WHEN I REMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER
MARIE SAID WE WILL DO THIS AND
IT WILL REQUIRE OF ZONING IN
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I SAID I
DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN
IN THAT TIMEFRAME AND FRANKLY
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON, WE
WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT YOUR
LEADERSHIP TO GET US HERE AND
THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK.
>> THANK YOU.
OKAY, COUNCILMEMBER BAGSHAW?
>> THANK YOU.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY
BEEN RECOGNIZED BY MY COLLEAGUES
, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THERE
ARE PEOPLE HIDING IN THE BACK,
FELDSTEIN, YOU GOT US STARTED.
STEVE WALKER I THINK YOU WERE
THERE AS WELL, AND I
APPRECIATED THAT THERE ARE SO
MANY, EMILY ALVARADO, YOU ARE
BACK THERE AS WELL.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY
AND AS COUNCILMEMBER O'BRIEN
SAID, WE GOT STARTED ON THIS
REALLY VERY MUCH IN THE
BEGINNING OF OUR TERMS.
AT THE BEGINNING OF 2010,
PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
THERE WERE SOME FISTICUFFS AT
THAT POINT, AND WE'VE REALLY
MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS HERE.
FEEL THE WHY WE'RE DOING THIS
WHICH IS TO LINK MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO KEEP UP
WITH THE GROWTH.
WE'VE HAD THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS IN OUR
AREA AND THAT'S GREAT. WE NEED
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND
IMPACT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT
THE NUMBER, I THINK IT'S
244,000 ACROSS OUR REGION IS
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED HERE
GOING FORWARD.
I REGARD THIS AS A VERY
IMPORTANT DROP IN THE BUCKET
FRANKLY.
WE'VE DONE SOME GREAT THINGS
BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS PROCESS THAT HAS MADE ME
GRUMPY AND I'M GOING TO TELL
YOU ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT
BUT AGAIN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
COUNCIL JOHNSON . THINK YOU AND
YOUR STAFF, AMY WHO IS THERE,
NOAH, JERRY, AND OUR COUNCIL
CENTRAL STAFF, THANKS TO ALLIE
PETRUCCI , KELLY FRIEDMAN --
AARON McCONNAUGHHAY AND YOLANDA
YOU. THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE
ALL MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
YESTERDAY IN SEATTLE TIMES
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON WROTE A
PRO ARTICLE THAT I THOUGHT WAS
GREAT AND EXPLAINED WHY WE ARE
DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING AND THE
NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE HAVE
BEEN MEETING AND YOU ALREADY
HEARD A LOT OF THAT.
I DON'T NEED TO REPEAT THAT ALL
BUT HERE IS WHAT MAKES ME
GRUMPY.
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN SET ON THE CON
SIDE OF THIS THAT I JUST THINK
HAVE GOTTEN IN OUR WAY AND
REPEATING UNTRUTHS OVER AND
OVER AGAIN SIMPLY DOESN'T MAKE
SOMETHING SO.
AT THE BEGINNING OF YESTERDAY'S
SEATTLE TIMES CON ARTICLE IT
SAID RAILROADING NEIGHBORHOODS
IS NOT THE WAY IN THE
DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF
RAILROADING, WE ALL KNOW WHAT
IT IS, IS TO FORCE SOMEBODY TO
DO SOMETHING OR FORCE IN ACTION
ESPECIALLY QUICKLY.
I DON'T THINK 4 1/2 YEARS WORTH
OF MEETINGS AND TWO AND A HALF
-- 200 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
MEETINGS AND SO MANY MEETINGS
OF THE ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE IN
ANY WAY QUALIFIES.
WE ALSO HAVE REACHED A POINT
WHERE THINGS HAVE GOTTEN
COMPLETED, AND I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING THAT I
THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I
PERSONALLY SUPPORTED HIM ZONING
IN MY DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD
YEARS AGO.
I FEEL THAT ACROSS OUR CITY AND
CERTAINLY ACROSS OUR REGION, WE
REALLY NEED TO BE MAKING SPACE
FOR OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.
MY KIDS WANT TO COME HERE, AND
IT IS A STRUGGLE EVEN WITH A
COLLEGE EDUCATION TO BE ABLE TO
AFFORD SOMETHING, AND IT IS SO
DIFFICULT IF YOU ARE BEHIND THE
EIGHT BALL IN ANY WAY, SO I
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF
YOU WHO'VE SHOWN UP OVER AND
OVER AGAIN AND BLOCK BY BLOCK
WITH THE 80 AMENDMENTS, BUT
HERE IS A STATEMENT IN
YESTERDAY'S PAPER.
THIS WILL ELIMINAT ALL SINGLE-
FAMILY ZONING.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH. WE ARE GOING TO BE
RETAINING 94% OF SINGLE-FAMILY
ZONES.
THAT'S REMAINING.
SHORT OF 6% OF SINGLE FAMILY
HOMES WILL BE CHANGED THROUGH
OUR MHA BUT THAT IS EXISTING IN
THE PROPOSED URBAN VILLAGES AND
THOUSANDS OF UNITS ARE GOING TO
BE ADDED FOR RENT RESTRICTED
UNITS ACROSS OUR CITY OVER THE
NEXT DECADE.
WE HAVE HEARD COMPLAINTS PRO
AND CON ABOUT THE -- PEOPLE
SAYING YOU DON'T DO ENOUGH FOR
YOU DO TOO MUCH, BUT WHAT WE
KNOW IS THAT THOUSANDS OF UNITS
ARE GOING TO BE ADDED AND THAT
FEE ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE THE
MONEY THE CITY PUTS IN.
THREE REALLY GREAT EXAMPLES AND
I WANT TO SAY I THINK DANIEL
BEEKMAN IS HERE.
YOU'VE DONE SOME GREAT
REPORTING ON THIS AND THREE
ITEMS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP WERE
THREE PROJECTS, THE LIBERTY BANK
BUILDING WHERE WE ARE
LEVERAGING ALMOST 3 TO 1. THE
HERO BIOPSY BUILDING --
LEVERAGING THAT ALMOST 5 TO 1
AND IN ANOTHER DISTRICT ALMOST
6 TO 1. THIS WILL MAKE A HUGE
AMOUNT OF DIFFERENCE AND
ANOTHER ARGUMENT THAT WAS
BROUGHT UP IN THE CON SIDE OF
THE ARTICLE YESTERDAY IS THAT
WE ARE ELIMINATING SINGLE-
FAMILY HOUSING REGULATIONS, AND
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LEGISLATION
THAT WILL DESTROY ALL OF THIS.
THAT LEGISLATION ISN'T EVEN
PART OF THIS TODAY.
THE HEARINGS ARE GOING TO START
NEXT WEEK.
THE CHANGES ARE VOLUNTARY AND
WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE THE
RIGHT CHOICES FOR THEIR
FAMILIES AND THE PROPERTY THEY
HAVE OWNED IN SOME CASES FOR
DECADES.
SO ALSO, THERE WAS SOME, I THINK
, MISSTATEMENTS ABOUT THE
PLANNING -- COMMISSION -- WHAT
WE HEAR IS THAT IT'S BEEN ALL
ALONG BOTH CONSISTENTLY IN
FAVOR OF WHAT THE MHA IS DOING
TODAY AND THE PROSPECTIVE
LEGISLATION, WHICH ISN'T PART
OF TODAY, SO PLEASE, LET'S TRY
TO GET THIS STRAIGHT AND
LASTLY, AND I WANT TO SAY AS
ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WAS
CHARGED WITH BEING A LAME-DUCK
POLITICIAN YESTERDAY, I AM
ANYTHING BUT A LAME-DUCK, AND
MY COLLEAGUES OVER HERE THAT
HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING SO HARD,
YOU WILL SEE US WORKING THROUGH
THE END OF THIS YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
FIVE YEARS TO VOTE TODAY AND I
AM ACTUALLY AS PLEASED AS COULD
BE WITH THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT
HAS GONE INTO THIS AND THE HARD
WORK THAT YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED
AND I WANT TO SAY COUNCILMEMBER
JOHNSON, SAY THANK YOU TO KATIE
FOR ME AND THE GIRLS, THE
NUMBER OF NIGHTS YOU HAVE NOT
BEEN HOME, BUT WORKING ON THIS.
WE ARE WORKING HARD AND ARE
DEDICATED TO MAKING THE CITY AS
WONDERFUL AS WE POSSIBLY CAN
FOR EVERYBODY THAT IS HERE,
PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING
IRRESPECTIVE OF INCOME SO TO MY
COLLEAGUES AND ALL OF YOU
WHO'VE BEEN PART OF THIS, MANY
THANKS.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT
AND COUNCILMEMBER BAGSHAW FOR
YOUR EXCITING WORDS.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ AND I WERE
TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT
WENT INTO MAKING THIS VOTE
POSSIBLE SO THANK YOU BECAUSE
TODAY WE ARE ABLE TO VOTE FOR A
MORE INCLUSIVE SEATTLE.
THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO THE
GROWING POPULATION AND HOUSING
CRISIS . WE KNOW CHANGE IS
INEVITABLE BUT CHANGE AND
DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING RIGHT
NOW, AND IT'S HAPPENING OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE WE
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE
MHA.
IT HAS NOT BEEN THE CHANGE THAT
MANY OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
WANTED AND IN FACT MUCH OF WHAT
WE'VE HEARD IN TERMS OF
CONCERNS ABOUT MHA HAVEN'T HAD
ANYTHING TO DO WITH MHA AT ALL
AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ASKING
FOR ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE NOW
ABLE TO SAY ARE ON THE BOOKS,
SUCH AS CHILDCARE IN NEW
BUILDINGS, HEALTHCARE CLINICS
IN NEW BUILDINGS, SETBACKS FOR
GREATER GREEN SPACE, THE
ABILITY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
MORE PEDESTRIAN ZONES.
THESE ARE THINGS YOU HAVE
WANTED TO DO, MR. CHAIR JOHNSON
FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND HAVE
BEEN STYMIED AND TODAY WE ARE
ABLE TO TAKE STEPS TO BE SURE
THAT DEVELOP IT IS DONE RIGHT,
THAT MHA INSURERS WE GROW AND
AS WE DO SO, WE DO IT MORE
INCLUSIVELY.
MHA NOW REQUIRES BECAUSE OF THE
AMENDMENTS THIS COUNCIL HAS PUT
FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE FEEDBACK
THAT MANY IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE
ASKED FOR NOT JUST AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND INCOME IN RENT
RESTRICTED HOUSING, BUT
CREATING MORE HOMES OVERALL
INCLUDING THE VISION THAT YOU
ALL HAVE PUT FORWARD AFTER
YEARS OF MAKING SURE THAT IT'S
NOT JUST HOMES WE ARE BUILDING,
BUT THAT WE ARE BUILDING TRULY
INCLUSIVE UNITS OR BUILDINGS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BUILDINGS
IN OUR TRANSPORTATION CENTERS,
OPEN SPACES, GROCERY STORES.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO THRIVE
IN OUR CITY, NOT JUST SURVIVE
AND HAVE A HOME TO GO FROM
PLACE OF WORK TO HOME.
WE WANT COMMUNITIES THAT WILL
BE THRIVING CENTERS AND THROUGH
MHA WE HAVE BEGUN TO BUILD THE
BLOCKS OF WHAT IS TRULY AN
INCLUSIVE SEATTLE AND
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS HELPS BE SURE THAT AS WE
ARE DEVELOPING WE ARE MEETING
THE NEEDS AND THE VALUES OF OUR
COMMUNITY.
I WAS EXCITED TO WORK WITH
COUNCILMEMBER LORENA GONZALEZ
AS WE WORKED TO INCLUDE SPACES
FOR CHILD FACILITIES --
CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND THIS
IS THE NUMBER ONE WE -- THING
WE NEED FROM BUSINESS OWNERS
WHO SAY WORKERS HAVE TO COMMUTE
90 MINUTES OR TWO HOURS TO GET
TO THEIR HOMES AND KIDDOS'
PLACE OF CHILDCARE WHEN WE
OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY
THAT INCLUDES CHILDCARE.
THIS IS WHY I'M REALLY EXCITED
TO VOTE TODAY BECAUSE WE'VE
INCLUDED SETBACKS AND
ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE AND
OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT WE ARE
CREATING HEALTHY PEDESTRIAN
ENVIRONMENTS, SO THAT PEOPLE
CAN REALLY COMMUTE ON FOOT, BY
BICYCLE, SCOOTER OR BUS AND
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A
HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
I AM REALLY EXCITED TODAY
BECAUSE WE'VE INCLUDED
ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL SPACE ON
THE GROUND FLOORS.
WE'VE INCLUDED SETBACKS SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN HAVE SEATING AREAS
OUTSIDE AND WE KNOW SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS NEED AFFORDABLE
PLACES TO START THEIR OWN
BUSINESSES, AND RIGHT NOW THEY
ARE GETTING THE SIZE OF A UNIT
THAT IS GOOD FOR THE NEXT CVS
WHEN WE REALLY NEED THE NEXT
TASTY TACOS LIKE MY FAMILY
STARTED 60 YEARS AGO.
WE NEED SMALL COMMERCIAL SPACES
THAT ARE AFFORDABLE SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN TRULY GET OUT OF
GENERATIONAL POVERTY.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT
BUILDINGS.
TODAY WE ARE MAKING A VOTE ABOUT
PEOPLE.
WE ARE TAKING A STEP TO MAKE
SURE WE CAN ACTUALLY LIVE OUR
VALUES AND COUNCILMEMBER
JOHNSON I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP TO
CHAMPION THIS HERE.
I'VE ONLY HAD A CHANCE TO WORK
WITH YOU ON THIS SPECIFICALLY
SITTING ON COUNCIL FOR THE LAST
YEAR AND A HALF BUT I KNOW MANY
OF YOU HAVE WORKED WITH HIM
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND I
WANT TO THANK YOUR STAFF AS
WELL FOR YOUR INTENSIVE WORK ON
THIS.
I WANT TO THINK MY STAFF, AARON
HOUSE, APPROPRIATELY NAMED IN
THE BACK FOR FIGHTING FOR
ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AND MY FORMER STAFFERS AS WELL,
THIS IS REALLY AN INCREDIBLE
PROCESS WITH YEARS OF INTENSE
POLICY DEVELOPMENT, EXTENSIVE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE MOST
EXTENSIVE EIS ANALYSIS EVER
CONDUCTED ON SEATTLE'S LAND-USE
POLICY IN OUR HISTORY.
A LEGAL BATTLE THAT LASTED AN
ENTIRE YEAR AND EVEN THOUGH WE
STRUGGLED THROUGH SOME OF THE
AMENDMENTS AND I DIDN'T END UP
SUPPORTING SOME OF THOSE, WHAT
YOU HAVE TODAY IS A
COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE THAT
INCLUDES THE VISION DIRECTLY
FROM THE COMMUNIT INVOLVED AND
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE
MEANTIME SINCE WE'VE WAITED FOR
FOR FIVE YEARS NOW TO ACTUALLY
PASS THIS LEGISLATION?
WE'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN DISPLACED.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUSHED INTO
THE STREETS.
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE HAD
TO LEAVE THE CITY BECAUSE
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
WE'VE SEEN BECAUSE OF THE
DELAY, UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE
COST OF HOUSING BECAUSE WE HAVE
FAILED TO BE ABLE TO CREATE
ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
HAVEN'T REZONED TO CREATE THE
DENSITY WE NEED NOT ONLY TO
RESPOND TO THOSE COMING BUT TO
CREATE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
FOR THOSE WHERE HERE. I SPOKE
WITH SOME FIREFIGHTERS THE
OTHER DAY WHO SAID I WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE WELCOME FOLKS WHO
ARE COMING BUT I AM CONCERNED
ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE HERE.
WE AREN'T BUILDING ENOUGH
AFFORDABLE HOUSING LIKE
COUNCILMEMBER BAGSHAW SAID SO
THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR
ELDERS IN PLACE IN THE CITY.
THE CONSEQUENCE HAS BEEN THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC
INCREASE IN THE COST OF RENT
AND WE KNOW A $100 INCREASE IN
THE COST OF RENT EQUALS A 15%
INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS AND IN
FACT FROM THE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE YOUR REPORT WAS THAT A
96% CORRELATION BETWEEN HOUSING
AND HOMELESSNESS.
THIS IS PART OF OUR RESPONSE TO
THE CRISIS WE SEE EVERY SINGLE
DAY, AND TO THE FOLKS ASKING
WHAT WE ARE DOING AND HOW WE
ARE TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE
CRISIS OF HOUSING AND HOSING --
HOMELESSNESS THIS IS ONE
ELEMENT, BUT WE'VE BEEN DELAYED
FOR YEARS AND TODAY WE FINALLY
GET TO MOVE FORWARD.
OBVIOUSLY WE NEED ADDITIONAL
HOUSING, SHELTER AND HEALTH,
BUT THIS IS ONE COMPONENT.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK
COLLABORATIVELY, AGGRESSIVELY
COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR
FRIENDS AT THE STATE AND
REGIONAL LEVEL, TO MAKE SURE WE
ARE BUILDING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, THAT WE GET ADDITIONAL
FUNDING IN PLACE TO CREATE THAT
HOUSING, AND THAT WE GET THE
ZONING CHANGES WE NEED ALSO AT
THE STATE LEVEL TO MATCH WHAT
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO AT
THE CITY LEVEL.
I APPLAUD REPRESENTATIVE
FITZGIBBONS, REPRESENTATIVE
MacRI AND OTHERS WHO ARE
WORKING HARD TO TRY TO LIFT
THAT FLOOR AT THE STATE LEVEL,
AND I'M SAD THAT WE ARE NOT
ACTUALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION
ABOUT CITYWIDE CHANGES.
I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT
CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND SOME
OF THOSE AMENDMENTS WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT WOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN SO CHALLENGING FOR ME IF
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LARGER
CHANGES THAT REALLY INCLUDE --
HAVE A MORE INCLUSIVE SEATTLE
BUT AGAIN THIS IS JUST AN
EFFORT TO LOOK AT 6% OF THE
SINGLE-FAMILY ZONING IN OUR
CITY AND I WANT TO PASS OUT
AGAIN FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC
AND OUR COLLEAGUES HERE, THIS
IS AN EFFORT TO TRULY RIGHT THE
WRONGS IN OUR CITY BUT WHAT
WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW
DECADES IS, WE HAVE ZONED OUR
CITY BACKWARDS.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY EXPANDED THE
AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WE HAVE
INCLUDED IN THE CITY FOR SINGLE-
FAMILY USE.
NOW WE HAVE TWO THIRDS OF OUR
RESIDENTIAL AREA THROUGHOUT THE
CITY OF SEATTLE THAT IS
INCLUDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR
DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES,
BASICALLY BLOCKING OR
PROHIBITING THE TYPE OF
APARTMENT THAT I CURRENTLY LIVE
IN, A 1902 BEAUTIFUL BRICK
BUILDING AS YOU'VE HEARD ME
TALK ABOUT BEFORE, ONLY FOUR
STORIES HIGH THAT HAS EIGHT
UNITS IN IT. WE ARE PROHIBITED
FROM BUILDING THAT KIND OF
DENSITY BECAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY
SCALED BACK SO AS WE TALKED
ABOUT BEFORE, WE ARE TRYING TO
ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE FABRIC OF
OUR CITY, LOOK AT HOW WE'VE
CREATED AN INCLUSIVE CITY IN
THE PAST AND TRY TO RIGHT SOME
WRONGS.
IN THE 1920S AS THE HOUSING
COMMISSIONER -- AND SEATTLE
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
SAID, SOME RESIDENTIAL AREAS
BEGAN ESTABLISHING RACIALLY
DISCRIMINATORY COVENANTS TO
PREVENT PEOPLE OF COLOR AND
OTHER ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS
GROUPS FROM BUYING HOUSES. IN
1923 THE FIRST ZONING ORDINANCE
WAS PASSED IN SEATTLE
ESTABLISHING TWO RESIDENTIAL
DISTRICTS, ONE ALLOWING
DETACHED SINGLE HOUSING --
FAMILY HOUSING STRUCTURES AND
ONE THAT ALLOWS PARTNER --
APARTMENT TYPES AND THIS IS
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO CORRECT
TODAY.
THE REPORT GOES ON TO SAY
SEATTLE'S POPULARITY IN
EXISTING ZONING IS RESULTING IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE,
EXPENSIVE HOMES AT A TIME WHEN
MORE PEOPLE NEED MORE
AFFORDABLE PLACES TO LIVE.
THEY SAY THIS ISN'T JUST AN
ISSUE OF ADDRESSING THE LATENCY
OF DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING AND
LAND-USE PRACTICES BUT ABOUT
BUILDING AN EQUITABLE SEATTLE
FOR THE PRESIDENT -- PRESENT
AND FUTURE GENERATIONS SO TODAY
I THINK AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
BEFORE, THIS IS OUR EFFORT TO
TRY TO WRITE SOME OF THOSE
HISTORIC WRONGS BUT AGAIN IT'S
JUST THE BEGINNING OF THAT
EFFORT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
WORK IN MY COMMITTEE AND I
BELIEVE IN THE PLANNING
COMMITTEE ON GREATER INCLUSIVE
OPPORTUNITIES, HOMEOWNERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES WHICH WE ALLUDED
TO TODAY, SO THAT MORE FOLKS
CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THE CHANCE TO
LIVE IN THE CITY, TO THRIVE AND
NOT JUST SURVIVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR
WORK ON THIS.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA . THANK YOU FOR THOSE
WORDS.
OKAY.
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
>> LET ME GET MY STUFF TOGETHER
HERE.
I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD
IN PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY.
THE HISTORY OF THIS LEGISLATION
DATES BACK FURTHER THAN FIVE
YEARS, FURTHER THAN 2013.
IT ACTUALLY DATES BACK TO 2007,
WHEN THE CITY STARTED PASSING
INCENTIVE ZONING PROGRAMS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND MANY
PEOPLE AT THAT TIME WHEN WE
WERE DOING INCENTIVE ZONING,
THAT'S NOT WHEN YOU PROVIDE THE
UP ZONES AND THEN REQUIRE THE
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
REQUIREMENT. IT'S WHEN THE
ADDITIONAL ZONING CAPACITY IS
AVAILABLE AND IN EXCHANGE, THE
DEVELOPER INVESTS IN AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
EVEN AT THAT TIME IN 2007, MANY
OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM
TODAY, INCLUDING THE HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM AND
PUGET SOUND SAGE WERE
ADVOCATING FOR A MANDATORY
PROGRAM SO THAT WE COULD
CAPTURE AN INCREMENT OF THE
VALUE OF ADDITIONAL ZONING AND
DEVOTE IT TO HOUSING.
THAT CALL FROM COMMUNITY
MEMBERS AND FORMER
COUNCILMEMBERS THEN HELPED PAVE
THE WAY FOR WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
I AM GOING TO SHARE SOME OF MY
CONCERNS, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE
INTERPRETED AS LACK OF SUPPORT
FOR INCLUSIONARY ZONING. MY
CONCERNS ARE BASED ON WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN HIGH-COST CITIES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING
CITIES THAT HAVE INCLUSIONARY
ZONING. WE ALL SEE THE SAME
PROBLEM: THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, BUT WE HAVE
DISAGREEMENT ON THE IMPACTS OF
OUR APPROACH TO DEAL WITH THAT
LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I
DON'T BELIEVE IT'S JUST FEAR OF
CHANGE. I BELIEVE IT IS
LEGITIMATE CONCERN THAT THIS
BILL WON'T RAISE ENOUGH
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TOO MUCH
WILL BE TORN DOWN TO MAKE WAY
FOR NEW BUILDINGS THAT ARE
ACTUALLY OUT OF RANGE OF MOST
RENTERS.
TO AFFORD AN AVERAGE TWO
BEDROOM APARTMENT IN SEATTLE,
TWO WORKERS NEED TO EARN $20 AN
HOUR OR $140 AN HOUR.
-- ONE EARNER, $40 AN HOUR.
A RECENT STUDY SAID 85% OF NEW
HOUSING BUILT IN THIS REGION IS
LUXURY HOUSING AND WITH THIS
LEGISLATION TODAY, WE WILL
SHIFT THAT A LITTLE BIT. IT
PROBABLY WON'T BE 85%, BUT IT
IS STILL A LOT OF HOUSING BEING
BUILT FOR FOLKS WHO CAN'T
AFFORD TO PAY THEIR RENT. WE
TALK SO MUCH ABOUT MAKING IT
POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE
WHERE THEY WORK, BUT ARE WE
MAKING SURE LOW INCOME PEOPLE
WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO LIVE WHERE
THEY WORK? WE REFER EVERY DAY
TO THE 1000 PEOPLE PER WEEK
THAT MOVED TO THIS REGION BUT
AS COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA
WRENCH AND WE DON'T --
MENTIONED WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
THE PEOPLE BEING PUSHED OUT OF
SEATTLE AND WE DON'T EVEN COUNT
THEM.
>> [ APPLAUSE ]
>> I WISH THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING CONTRIBUTION WAS MORE.
5% TO 11% OF UNITS AS WELL AS
THE PAYMENT IN LIEU FEES DOES
SEEM LOW WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER
CITIES, BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO
OTHER CITY ENSURES INCLUSIONARY
ZONING IN ALL RESIDENTIAL AND
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT SO I AM
HOPING THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE
NATURE OF OUR BILL CAN
COUNTERBALANCE THAT THE
DEVELOPER OBLIGATION PER
PROJECT SEEMS RATHER LOW.
WE'VE ALSO HEARD CONCERN ABOUT
THE DIVISION BETWEEN
PERFORMANCE AND PAY IN LIEU.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE SET THE GOAL
FOR THE SPLIT BETWEEN NUMBER OF
DEVELOPERS WHO PAY IN LIEU AND
THE NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS WHO
PERFORM AS A GOAL OF 50/50%
SPLIT. I THINK WE'VE INCLUDED
-- I KNOW WE HAVE IN THIS
LEGISLATION AN AMENDMENT THAT
REQUIRES US TO MONITOR THAT AND
MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF WE ARE NOT
HITTING THAT GOAL.
AND THEN FINALLY AS FOLKS HAVE
TESTIFIED TODAY, I WILL BE
CONTINUING DELIBERATIONS AROUND
A BILL THAT WOULD HELP TO
ADDRESS AND PROTECT EXISTING
HOUSING THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE
DEVELOPED -- REDEVELOPED AND I
WOULD REALLY URGE THE FOLKS UP
HERE WITH ME TODAY, AS WELL AS
MEMBERS IN THE PUBLIC, TO TAKE
A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED IN
CALIFORNIA AND THE STATE
LEGISLATURE OVER THE LAST YEAR
OR SO.
LAST YEAR SENATOR WEINER HAD A
BILL CALLED SENATE BILL 82 SEVEN
AND THIS IS A BILL THAT
STATEWIDE WOULD REQUIRE ALL
MUNICIPALITIES TO DO HIGH
DENSITY DEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN
AREAS. AREAS LIKE TRANSIT AND
WITHIN CERTAIN BLOCK SHIFTS.
THAT BILL DID NOT GET THE
SUPPORT IT NEEDED LAST YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE CONCERNS OF WHAT
I REFER TO AS PEOPLE WHO THINK
OF THEMSELVES AS URBANISTSS BUT
I CONSIDER THEM SOCIAL JUSTICE
URBANISTS, WHO ARE REALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT JUST OPENING
THE FLOODGATES TO DEVELOPMENT
WITHOUT HAVING MEASURES IN
PLACE TO PROTECT EXISTING
HOUSING.
ATTENDANCE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE LOCAL SIERRA CLUB. LOCAL
MAYORS WERE ALL REALLY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF
THIS BILL, SO THERE'S BEEN A
NEW BILL THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT
FORWARD THIS YEAR AND IT'S
CALLED SENATE BILL 50 AND IT'S
GOT ENSHRINED IN THE BILL
ITSELF A PROHIBITION AGAINST
USING THIS NEW AUTHORITY IN
AREAS WHERE THERE IS ANY
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
IT DOESN'T MAKE A DISTINCTION
FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT, AND IT ACTUALLY
REQUIRES A LOOK BACK FOR SEVEN
YEARS, SO IF THERE'S BEEN
HOUSING IN THAT LOCATION FOR
SEVEN YEARS AND THAT'S ONE WAY
TO MAKE SURE THAT LANDLORDS
DON'T USE OTHER UNFAIR WAYS OF
MOVING PEOPLE OUT OF BUILDINGS
IN ORDER TO REDEVELOP THEM,
THEN AS A RESULT, EVERYBODY IS
COMING TOGETHER AND SUPPORTING
IT SO I REALLY THINK IT IS
REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE LOOK AT
OTHER CITIES AND STATES AND
WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO ADDRESS
THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE AGAIN,
SIMPLY BUILDING MORE HOUSING
AND EARMARKING A SMALL AMOUNT
OF IT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS
NOT SUFFICIENT TO ADDRESS THE
GROWING NEED IN CITIES THAT
HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH COSTS OF
HOUSING SO I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING MORE WITH MY COLLEAGUES
ON THAT IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER.
COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT, WOULD YOU
LIKE TO SPEAK?
>> SURE.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HARRELL. I
APPRECIATE THE TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF WORK DONE BY CITY
COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF ON THIS
AND THE WHOLE BODY OF WORK THAT
IS REPRESENTED BY THE MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFILIATE OF --
AFFORDABILITY LEGISLATION.
I GREW UP IN MUMBAI, WHERE MY
FAMILY LIVED IN A 450 SQUARE
FOOT FLAT WHICH WAS THE ONLY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABLE
FOR WORKING PEOPLE LIKE MY
PARENTS.
I THINK DENSITY IS A GOOD THING
FOR CITIES AND METROPOLITAN
REGIONS, BOTH FOR AFFORDABILITY
AND FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
THAT'S WHY I AM GLAD TO BE
VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS
LEGISLATION.
BUT, IT'S ALSO MY DUTY TO POINT
OUT THAT THE AFFORDABILITY THAT
WILL BE GENERATED THROUGH THIS
HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN
INACCURATELY GRANDIOSE AND
GREATLY EXAGGERATED TERMS BY
MANY OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WHAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IS
SMALL AFFORDABLE HOUSING
MANDATES ON THE BIG REAL ESTATE
SPECULATORS AND DEVELOPERS WHO
HAVE DRIVEN UP RENTS AND OTHER
HOUSING COSTS AND ARE DIRECTLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPLACING AND
EVICTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OR
MAYBE IF YOU ADDED UP, HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
REQUIREMENTS IN THIS
LEGISLATION ARE TOTALLY
INSUFFICIENT TO PREVENT
SEATTLE'S HEMORRHAGING OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NEVER MIND
ACTUALLY BRINGING RENTS DOWN.
HOWEVER, IT IS BETTER THAN
NOTHING, AND I SUPPORT EVERY
SINGLE AFFORDABLE HOME WE CAN
WIN AS EVERYBODY HAS SAID.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
WHERE MHA COMES FROM AND NOT
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S
VERSION, BUT WORKING PEOPLES
VERSION OF WHERE IT CAME FROM.
IN 2014, AFTER A GRASSROOTS
MOVEMENT WON THE $15 AN HOUR
MINIMUM WAGE, IT BECAME CLEAR
THAT THE NEXT BIG STRUGGLE
WOULD HAVE TO BE OVER THE
ACCELERATING LOSS OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IN SEATTLE AND THAT
LOSS HAD STARTED BLOOMING IN
2010, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD
STARTED LONG BEFORE THEN.
TO SOLVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
CRISIS, OUR MOVEMENT KNEW THAT
WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT AND WE
STILL DO HAVE TO FIGHT FOR A
MAJOR INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL
HOUSING, WHICH IS PUBLICLY
OWNED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PAID
FOR BY TAXING TO -- BIG
BUSINESS AND ALSO FOR CITYWIDE
RENT CONTROL.
TO UNDERCUT THAT MOVEMENT THAT
HAD JUST BEGUN, SEATTLE'S
BIGGEST CORPORATE DEVELOPERS
AND FORMER MAYOR ED MURRAY OF
THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT
LAUNCHED THE SO-CALLED HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY AND LIVABILITY
AGENDA COMMITTEE OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS THE HOLLER COMMITTEE.
THERE WERE SOME AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ADVOCATES BUT ALSO BIG
DEVELOPERS AND IN THE END AS
THESE THINGS GO, WHEN YOU BRING
CORPORATIONS TO THE SO-CALLED
TABLE, THE CORPORATIONS WILL BE
GIVEN A VIRTUAL VETO ON THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
COMMITTEE.
AT THAT TIME THE CITY COUNCIL
LET PASSED A RESOLUTION AS
COUNCILMEMBER O'BRIEN MENTIONED
SUPPORTED LINKAGE FEES WHICH IS
BASICALLY A TYPE OF IMPACT FEE
THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED ALL
DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY TO PAY
TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE BIG DEVELOPERS ON THE
COMMITTEE VETOED THAT. THEY
VETOED RENT CONTROL AND ANY
TAXES ON BIG BUSINESS TO FUND
SOCIAL HOUSING.
MHA CAME OUT OF THE HALA
COMMITTEE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE
ONLY THING THAT BIG DEVELOPERS
WERE WILLING TO ACCEPT , AND
THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THEY
WERE WILLING TO ACCEPT IT IS
BECAUSE IT IS SO LIMITED, SO
VERY LIMITED IN TERMS OF WHAT
IT ACCOMPLISHES FOR AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, AND IT HAS ZERO IMPACT
ON THE EVER EXPANDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFIT. MHA
WAS DELAYED FOR YEARS DUE TO
THE DEVELOPMENT BOONE AND AS A
LEGAL MECHANISM IS EXTREMELY
LIMITED ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF
HOW IT'S DONE IN SEATTLE ON HOW
MUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IT CAN
GENERATE.
BUT BIG DEVELOPERS SCORED THEIR
BIGGEST VICTORY THROUGH THE
FACT THAT WHEN HALA WAS BROUGHT
FORWARD, THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL
IN DISORIENTING THE MOVEMENT
FOR RENT CONTROL BY GETTING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES
-- WELL-MEANING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ADVOCATES ON BOTH SIDES
TO FIGHT EACH OTHER OVER
WHETHER THE CHANGES WOULD
RESULT IN MORE OR FEWER
AFFORDABLE UNITS.
SOME EXCELLENT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ADVOCATES CONSUME THEIR
DEMANDS -- POINTING TO
SEATTLE'S POPULATION GROWTH AND
SUGGESTING THAT THE MARKET
WOULD BRING RENTS BACK DOWN
ONCE DEVELOPERS ARE ENCOURAGED
TO BUILD IN OF ZONING. LET ME
BE VERY CLEAR AS AN ECONOMIST:
THERE IS ZERO, ZERO EVIDENCE
FROM ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY,
ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, THAT
WOULD PROVE THE HYPOTHESIS THAT
YOU LET THE FOR PROFIT MARKET
EXPAND CONSTRUCTION AND AT SOME
POINT IN THE FUTURE, RENT WILL
COME DOWN.
THERE IS NO SUCH CASE. IF YOU
CAN FIND THAT, SHOW IT TO ME
AND I AM HAPPY TO CORRECT MY
POSITION, BUT MY POSITION IS
BASED ON HARD EVIDENCE THAT
THERE IS NO HYPOTHESIS -- OR NO
SUCH HYPOTHESIS HAS BEEN
PROVEN.
RENTS DON'T GO DOWN BECAUSE FOR-
PROFIT DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES.
THERE IS NO SUCH CASE IN THE
PAST AND I DOUBT THERE WILL BE
IN THE FUTURE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, AT THE
SAME TIME, JUST TO GIVE YOU A
SNAPSHOT, SINCE 2010,
CONSTRUCTION HAS BOOMED IN THE
CITY AND AT THAT SAME TIME,
RENT HAS I ROCKETED BY 69%.
HOUSING HAS NOT BECOME MORE
AFFORDABLE.
IT HAS BECOME LESS AFFORDABLE
AND AT THAT SAME TIME THAT
PEOPLE ARE BEING IN DID FROM
THE CITY AND ECONOMICALLY
EVICTED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T
AFFORD RISING RENTS, THERE HAVE
BEEN DOUBLE-DIGIT VACANCY RATES
IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHY IS THAT IF THERE ARE EMPTY
APARTMENTS AND WHY AREN'T
PEOPLE MOVING INTO THEM?
IT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD
TO.
SO LET'S NOT BUY INTO FAKE
SUPPLY-SIDE ARGUMENTS BY
NEOLIBERAL ECONOMISTS, BECAUSE
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT
THAT IDEA. IT IS TRUE,
UNDOUBTEDLY, THAT WE NEED MORE
HOUSING, ABSOLUTELY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHAT WE NEED IS AFFORDABLE
HOUSING AND THE FOR PROFIT
MARKET UNDER CAPITALISM IS NOT
INTERESTED IN PRODUCING THAT,
SO THERE IS NO POINT IN HOLDING
OUR BREATH SO THAT SOMEDAY THE
FOR PROFIT MARKET WILL MAKE
HOUSING AFFORDABLE AND AS A
MATTER OF FACT -- MARK INGRAM
OF THE SEATTLE TIMES AS ALREADY
SAID AND I'M QUOTING HIM
BECAUSE I WANT TO QUOTE A NON-
SOCIALIST WHO HAS SAID IT IS
IMAGINARY THINKING TO THINK
THAT RENTS WILL COME BACK DOWN
BECAUSE THAT HAS NEVER
HAPPENED.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THAT REAL
ESTATE SPECULATORS GET A BETTER
RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT
BUILDING LUXURY UNITS AND BY
LUXURY, I MEAN NOT NECESSARILY
HIGH-QUALITY.
I MEAN THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE
BUT I MEAN EXPENSIVE UNITS THAT
ARE OUT OF REACH OF ORDINARY
WORKING PEOPLE.
SEATTLE HAS MADE -- BECOME THE
CONSTRUCTION CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD AND DURING THAT TIME,
RENTS HAVE GONE DOWN -- IN THE
MHA PAYMENTS THAT THIS
LEGISLATION WOULD REQUIRE OF
DEVELOPERS WOULD BE AVAILABLE
TO BUILD PUBLICLY AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, YES, SO SOME PUBLICLY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE THE
RESULT OF THIS MHA, BUT NOWHERE
AT THE SCALE SUFFICIENT TO
ADDRESS THE MASSIVE NEED, NOT
TO MENTION THAT THERE IS NO
STATISTICAL ACCOUNTING OF
MARKET AVAILABLE HOMES THAT ARE
GOING TO BE LOST IN THE SAME
PROCESS AND AGAIN, TO BE
PRECISE, MARKET AVAILABLE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE LOST
MHA OR NOT BECAUSE OF THE FOR
PROFIT MARKETING, -- MARKET --
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT MHA IS
TIED TO THE FOR PROFIT MARKET,
IT HAS THE SAME LIMITATIONS AND
FAILURES.
IT DOES POSE RECOMMENDATION
THAT WILL BE PUT -- VOTED ON
TODAY'S MEETING AND IT SHOWS
THAT 150,000 NEW AFFORDABLE
HOMES ARE NEEDED TO MEET THE
NEED COUNTYWIDE AND THE NEED IS
244 -- 244,000 HOMES --
AFFORDABLE HOMES BY 2040.
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL STUDY BY
KING COUNTY.
THE AMOUNT BUILT EACH YEAR BY
SEATTLE WILL NEVER -- LITERALLY
NEVER BE SALT AND IT WILL
CONTINUE TO BE A PLACE WHERE
ONLY RICH PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND
THAT IS WHY WE NEED MASSIVE AND
BOLD POLICY FIGHTS LIKE RENT
CONTROL AND TAXING BIG BUSINESS
TO HAVE A MASSIVE EXPANSION OF
SOCIAL HOUSING WHICH IS
PUBLICLY HARD -- OWNED
PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
SO THAT WORKING FAMILIES NO
LONGER HAVE TO REMAIN THE -- AT
THE WHIM OF FOR-PROFIT
DEVELOPERS.
SO I THINK THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT
EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT
SHOWS THAT MHA IS NOT FAR FROM
THE SOLUTION THAT WE NEED AND I
WILL BE SUPPORTING IT BECAUSE I
SUPPORT DENSITY BUT I WANT TO
BE VERY CLEAR: OUR REAL FIGHT
FOR OUR MOVEMENT IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN FIGHTING FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR
YOURSELVES OR -- AND YOUR
NEIGHBORS AND OTHER WORKING
PEOPLE, THEN WE NEED TO FIGHT
FOR RENT CONTROL AND SOCIAL
HOUSING.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES
ARE CORRECT TO WARN -- AND I
JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT FOR-
PROFIT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT GOING
TO SOLVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
CRISIS BUT I ALSO DON'T AGREE
WITH OPPOSING MHA ZONES EITHER
BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE MAIN
PROBLEM HERE.
THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE FOR
PROFIT MARKET. AT LEAST WITH
THE MHA, THE DEVELOPERS WILL
HAVE TO PAY A SMALL AMOUNT
TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
AS I SAID I WANT EVERY
AFFORDABLE HOME WE CAN WIN AND
THAT'S WHY I HAVE AND CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT THE MHA -- BUT AT
THE SAME TIME IT IS CRUCIAL
THAT WE NOW AS AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ADVOCATES AVOID FALLING
INTO THE CARPET TRAP OF FALLING
THAT THIS IS -- THINKING THIS
IS ANY KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL
SOLUTION TO THE MASSIVE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN
SEATTLE.
FOCUS ON MHA HAS BEEN USED TO
DISRUPT THE MOST IMPACTFUL
DEMANDS OF THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING MOVEMENT AS I SAID
PARTICULARLY SOCIAL HOUSING BY
TAXING BIG BUSINESSES LIKE
AMAZON AND RENT CONTROL AND I
CAN GUARANTEE YOU, BIG BUSINESS
IS NOT GOING TO SUPPORT EITHER
OF THOSE DEMANDS AND YOU KNOW
WHAT, THAT'S A RULE OF THUMB.
IF BIG BUSINESS DOES NOT
SUPPORT IT YOU ARE PROBABLY ON
THE RIGHT TRACK TO DO SOMETHING
GOOD FOR ORDINARY WORKING
PEOPLE SO I AM GLAD TO BE
VOTING YES ON THIS LEGISLATION
AND I DO SO BECAUSE IT IS PRO-
DENSITY AND I FAVOR DENSITY AND
I VOTE YES BECAUSE IT WILL HELP
RAISE SOME FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, BUT I AM ALSO GLAD
WITH THIS VOTE THAT -- AND I
HOPE THAT NOW AFFORDABLE
HOUSING ADVOCATES CAN AND WILL
FOCUS ON THE REAL FIGHT WHICH
IS FOR RENT CONTROL AND TAXING
BIG BUSINESS FOR MASSIVELY
EXPANDING SOCIAL HOUSING.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS
SAWANT.
COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ.
>> THANK YOU.
BEFORE I GIVE MY REMARKS, I
JUST WANT TO THANK
APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE CITY
OF SEATTLE STAFF WHO WORKED ON
THE MANDATORY HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY MET --
LEGISLATION OVER THE LAST 4 1/2
YEARS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE
WORK THAT OUR STAFF ACROSS THE
CITY FAMILY HAS CONTRIBUTED TO
GETTING US TO THIS POINT TODAY.
I HOPE THAT YOU ALL ARE PROUD
OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE,
AND I HOPE THAT YOU HEAR FROM
US APPEAR THAT YOU WERE -- THAT
WE ARE PROUD OF YOUR WORK AND I
KNOW YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
AWAY FROM YOUR OWN FAMILIES AND
FRIENDS TO BE HERE SO THANK YOU
TO THE ENTIRE CITY FAMILY FOR
ALL OF THE WORK YOU HAVE BEEN
PUTTING INTO THIS AND ALL THE
SACRIFICES YOU HAVE MADE, BOTH
IN THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
AND ON THE EXECUTIVE SIDE TO
GET US TO THIS POINT.
SO AS I USUALLY DO IN MY
TRADITION, I WOULD LIKE FOR US
TO THINK THE CITY STAFF WITH A
ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR GETTING
US THIS FAR.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT HARRELL,
COLLEAGUES AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC, TODAY IS A SIGNIFICANT
DAY.
AFTER FOR YOUR -- FOUR LONG
YEARS OF LEGISLATIVE AND --
LEGAL PROCESSES WE'VE ARRIVED
AT A PLACE WHERE I BELIEVE IT
IS TIME FOR US TO SAY YES TO
MORE DENSITY, YES TO MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND YES TO
MORE NEIGHBORS IN 27 ADDITIONAL
NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE
CITY OF SEATTLE.
FOR SOME, THIS MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
LEGISLATION GOES TOO FAR. FOR
OTHERS, THIS MANDATORY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEGISLATION
DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH, SO
LET'S CHAT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT DYNAMIC.
CONTRARY TO THE NAME OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON CITYWIDE
MHA, THIS LEGISLATION IS NOT
EVEN CLOSE TO CITYWIDE. THERE
ARE APPROXIMATELY 127
NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF
SEATTLE. THIS LEGISLATION ONLY
RELATES TO 27 OF THOSE 127
NEIGHBORHOODS, IMPACTING A
TOTAL OF ONLY 6% OF EXISTING
AREAS CURRENTLY AND STRICTLY
ZONED AS SINGLE-FAMILY HOME
ZONES ADJACENT TO EXISTING
URBAN VILLAGES.
THAT MEANS THAT EVEN WITH THE
PASSAGE OF THE MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
LEGISLATION, APPROXIMATELY 60%
OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE IS STILL
UNDER THE CLOUD OF EXCLUSIONARY
ZONING LAWS. SO LET'S TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS CITY'S
HISTORY WITH EXCLUSIONARY LAND
USE AND ZONING LAWS. ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE
IN SEATTLE, RACIALLY
RESTRICTIVE HOUSING COVENANTS
BECAME COMMON IN THE 1920S.
THOSE COVENANTS WERE CHALLENGED
IN THE COURTS, AND IN 1926, OUR
U.S. SUPREME COURT PUT A STAMP
OF APPROVAL -- THAT'S A STAMP
OF APPROVAL -- ON THOSE
RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS.
WEIRD ON TOP OF THESE COVENANTS
WERE FINANCIAL LENDING POLICIES
THAT PREVENTED THE SALE OF
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES LOCATED IN
A RACIALLY RESTRICTED AREA FROM
BEING SOLD TO A NONWHITE
PERSON.
THIS IS HOW REDLINING CAME TO
BE IN SEATTLE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. ACCORDING TO OUR OWN
CITY OF SEATTLE ARCHIVES, A
TYPICAL RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE
HOUSING COVENANT READS AS
FOLLOWS: NO PERSON OR PERSONS
OF INSERT YOUR RACE BLOOD
LINEAGE OR EXTRACTION SHALL BE
PERMITTED TO OCCUPY A PORTION
OF SAID PROPERTY, EXCEPT A
DOMESTIC SERVANT OR SERVANTS
WHO MAY ACTUALLY END IN GOOD
FAITH BE EMPLOYED BY WHITE
OCCUPANTS. CHECK YOUR DEED OF
TRUST. THAT LANGUAGE IS STILL
THERE.
THE EFFECT OF THESE WIDESPREAD,
RACIALLY MOTIVATED PRACTICES IS
STILL FELT IN EVERY MAJOR CITY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY. IN
SEATTLE, AFRICAN-AMERICANS
NATIVE AMERICANS AND ASIAN
AMERICANS WERE PROHIBITED FROM
LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS OUTSIDE
OF SOUTHEAST SEATTLE, THE
CENTRAL DISTRICT AND THE
INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT.
MEANWHILE, NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE
BALLARD, BROADMOOR, GREEN LAKE,
LAUREL HURST, MAGNOLIA AND
QUEEN ANNE, WERE HISTORICALLY
OFF-LIMITS TO PEOPLE OF COLOR.
22 YEARS AFTER THE SUPREME
COURT SAID YES TO RACIALLY
RESTRICTIVE HOUSING COVENANTS,
IN 1948, THE SUPREME COURT HELD
THESE COVENANTS WERE NOT
ENFORCEABLE.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1968, AN
ADDITIONAL 20 YEARS LATER, THAT
THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT OF
1968 WAS PASSED AND THAT LOB HAS
-- PROHIBITED QUOTE
DISCRIMINATION OF SALE, RENTAL
AND FINANCING OF DWELLINGS AND
OTHER HOUSING RELATED
TRANSACTIONS ACED UPON RACE,
COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN,
RELIGION, SEX, CLOSED QUOTE.
THIS LAW OFFICIALLY MADE THE
USE OF RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE
COVENANTS IN HOUSING ILLEGAL.
1968.
AND IN 1968 THE CITY OF SEATTLE
FOLLOWED SUIT WITH THE PASSAGE
OF THE SEATTLE OPEN HOUSING
ORDINANCE AFTER A HARD-FOUGHT
GRASSROOTS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
THAT SPANNED FROM 1959 TO 1968.
SO LET ME BE CLEAR: I AM NOT
CALLING ANYONE A RACIST.
I AM, HOWEVER, CALLING OUT THE
REALITY THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A
CITY THAT HAS A HISTORY OF
IMPLEMENTING AND PRESERVING
HOUSING LAWS DESIGNED TO KEEP
CERTAIN PEOPLE OUT OF CERTAIN
AREAS OF THE CITY. AND AS A
POLICYMAKER, IT IS MY DUTY TO
UNDERSTAND THIS HISTORY, AND TO
SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT WILL
BEGIN THE PROCESS OF
DISMANTLING EXCLUSIONARY ZONING
LAWS THAT ARE HISTORICALLY
úROOTED IN THE INTENTION TO
EXCLUDE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME
FROM OWNING OR LIVING IN A
SINGLE-FAMILY HOME.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE
COVENANTS ARE NO LONGER
ENFORCEABLE.
BUT THE VESTIGES OF SEGREGATED
SEATTLE SURROUND US AND THE
QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE
WILLING TO DO ABOUT IT?
SEATTLE IS HOME TO SOME OF THE
RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
I DON'T HAVE TO NAME THEM BY
NAME, YOU KNOW THEM.
BUT THAT PROSPERITY IS NOT
EQUALLY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
EQUITABLE ACCESS TO
HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOUSING
STABILITY IS NOT A REALITY FOR
MANY IN OUR CITY, AND THIS IS
IN PART DUE TO INCREASING
INEQUALITY, AND THIS MAKES IT
HARDER FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO
AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY THEY
WORK IN.
PEOPLE ARE HOUSING INSECURE, OR
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IN
PART BECAUSE WE HAVE A HOUSING
SHORTAGE CRISIS, ESPECIALLY FOR
OUR RESIDENTS THAT ARE IN THE
EXTREMELY LOW INCOME CATEGORY.
ACCORDING TO A NATIONAL LOW
INCOME HOUSING COALITION REPORT
RELEASED JUST LAST WEEK,
PROFILING THE HOUSING GAP IN
WASHINGTON, ACROSS THE STATE,
234,300 62 RENTER HOUSEHOLDS
ARE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME, AND
71% OF THOSE RENTER HOUSEHOLDS
ARE SEVERELY COST BURDENED.
ACROSS THE STATE COME A THERE'S
A SHORTAGE OF 165,000, 345
AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE RENTAL
HOMES FOR EXTREMELY LOW INCOME
RENTERS.
SEATTLE, TACOMA AND BELLEVUE
ARE EXPERIENCING THE BRUNT OF
THAT SHORTAGE WITH AN ESTIMATED
SHORTAGE OF 89,000 AFFORDABLE
AND AVAILABLE RENTAL HOMES.
INCREASING DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY
IS JUST ONE POLICY TOOL
AVAILABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL
TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING GAP FOR
PEOPLE ACROSS THE INCOME
SPECTRUM.
WE MUST BUILD AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IN -- TO MEET THE
DEMANDS OF THE PEOPLE CURRENTLY
HERE AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL
COMING HERE. THIS MANDATORY
HOUSING LEGISLATION IS ONE TOOL
IN OUR TOOLBOX TO BUILD AND
INCENTIVIZE THE CONSTRUCTION OF
VINCENT -- AFFORDABLE
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
WE'RE CAPTURING PRECIOUS AND
LIMITED DOLLARS TO PROVIDE THE
DEVELOPER COMMUNITY THE TOOLS
THEY NEED TO CONSTRUCT MORE
AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, AND
ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS OF
HIGH OPPORTUNITY.
THIS LEGISLATION, IN MY MIND,
DOES NOT DESTROY NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS LEGISLATION WILL ENHANCE
NEIGHBORHOODS BY CREATING A
PATH FOR FAMILIES, WORKERS,
STUDENTS, AND OTHERS, TO CALL
OUR URBAN VILLAGES HOME. I WANT
THE THOUSANDS OF JESSICAS,
MARLON POLARIS NATOSHAS AND
MATTS TO CALL SEATTLE HOME.
FOR FOUR YEARS WE'VE LISTENED
TO CONCERNS REGARDING
LIVABILITY BY TAKING INTO
CONSIDERATION ISSUES RELATED TO
BULK AND SCALE CONSISTENT WITH
THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND
WHERE IT MAKES SENSE, BAKE
TOSE MODIFICATIONS INTO THIS
PROPOSAL. SO WHAT WE HAVE
BEFORE US NOW IS THE POLICY
THAT NOT ONLY IMPACTS A TOTAL
OF 6% OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOME
ZONES AROUND THE EDGES OF
EXISTING URBAN VILLAGES AND
INCREASED DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY
WITHIN THOSE PROPOSED FOUNDRIES
. THIS IS GOOD FOR SEATTLE.
IN 2010, I RENTED A CONDO IN
THE WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION OF
URBAN VILLAGE. IN 2010 I BOUGHT
ONE OF THE FEW CONDOS ON THE
MARKET, LITERALLY AT THE END OF
THE BLOCK WHERE I HAD BEEN
RENTING FOR ONE YEAR.
IT SEEMED LIKE A MIRACLE. IT
STILL SEEMS LIKE A MIRACLE TO
ME.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO
OWN A SMALL PIECE OF THE
JUNCTION AND CALL IT MY OWN?
I WAS THRILLED THEN AND I'M
STILL THRILLED TODAY TO BE ABLE
TO CALL SEATTLE AND THE
JUNCTION MY HOME. EVERY MORNING
I CATCH THE 55 RIGHT IN FRONT
OF MY CONDO BUILDING -- OR, I
CAN WALK A BLOCK TO CATCH
ANOTHER LINE OR THE FREE
SEATTLE WATER TAXI.
I LIVE WITHIN A COUPLE BLOCKS
OF MULTIPLE GROCERY STORES:
TRADER JOE'S, QVC, SAFELY.
MY HUSBAND IS A SERVICE WORKER
AND WORKS IN A RESTAURANT
SERVING EXPENSIVE FOOD TO
PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
HE MAKES MINIMUM WAGE PLUS
TIPS.
HE WALKS THREE MINUTES TO GET
TO WORK AND SOMETIMES TAKES HIS
BIKE. WE GET TO ENJOY BIKE
RIDES TO LINCOLN PARK OR DOWN TO
ELK HI.
THIS IS THE SEATTLE THAT I WANT
TO SEE BUILT.
IT'S THE SEATTLE I BUILT -- I
BELIEVE WE CAN BUILD IF WE DO
IT TOGETHER.
IT'S THE SEATTLE THAT I THINK
IS POSSIBLE FOR FAR TOO FEW
PEOPLE AND THROUGH THIS
LEGISLATION, WE TAKE A STEP
TOWARDS ALLOWING THIS TO BE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PEOPLE IN
DELAY, DOING NOTHING, STOPPING
DEVELOPMENT -- ALL OF THOSE
THINGS TAKE US BACKWARDS, NOT
FORWARD.
ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS, ASK US TO
PRETEND THE GROWTH WILL
MAGICALLY STOP OR DELAY.
TODAY, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO MOVE
-- FINALLY MOVED -- FORWARD.
AS ONE UNIFIED CITY AND AS A
SEATTLE THAT CAN FOREVER BE FOR
EVERYONE WHO CHOOSES TO LIVE
HERE. SO TODAY, I LOOK FORWARD
TO VOTING YES FOR THE MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
LEGISLATION, AND I WANT TO
EXPRESS MY DEEP GRATITUDE FOR
THE LEADERSHIP OF COUNCIL
MEMBER JOHNSON AND FOR THE
SACRIFICES THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS
HAD TO MAKE IN ORDER TO ALLOW
YOU TO LEAVE THIS CITY COUNCIL
AND OUR ENTIRE CITY THROUGH
WHAT HAS BEEN AN EXHAUSTIVE AND
INTENSIVE PROCESS, TO PUT FORTH
IN FRONT OF US AS YOUR
COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY TO
CORRECT SOME OF THOSE
HISTORICAL WRONGS, AND TO MAKE
SPACE FOR NEW NEIGHBORS AND NEW
FAMILIES SO THANK YOU SO MUCH
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
GONZALEZ . COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ?
>> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
I WILL BE BRIEF . I JUST WANT
TO SAY THAT I WILL BE VOTING
YESTERDAY AND I WANT TO THANK
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON FOR ALL
THE HARD WORK. A LOT OF THESE
MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CONTENTIOUS,
DIFFICULT, EMOTIONAL, THEY'VE
HAPPENED ALL OVER THE CITY -- I
WANT TO REMIND US ALL OF HOW
THE CITY WAS DELIBERATELY
PLANNED AND I AM GLAD WE ARE
MOVING FORWARD IN AN
ENLIGHTENED WAY AND A GOOD WAY.
I WANT TO END THIS ON ONE NOTE
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON LEFT US
WITH WHEN ASKED WHO IS THIS
CITY FOR.
THIS CITY IS FOR ALL OF US.
EVERY ONE OF US. LONG -- AFTER
I AM LONG GONE AND MY KIDS WHO
ARE 28 AND 25 HAVE CHILDREN AND
I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT
TODAY.
IS IT PERFECT?
NO.
IS IT -- TO WE HAVE MORE WORK
TO DO, YOU BET.
WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT HER
NEIGHBORHOODS AND DENSITY WHEN
LIGHT RAIL COMES IN BUT I AGAIN
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE
STAFF AS WELL AS COUNCILMEMBER
JOHNSON AND ALL OF HIS HARD
WORK, THE TIMES WE'VE BEEN IN
EACH OTHERS' OFFICES AND TALKED
ABOUT AMENDMENTS AND I CAN JUST
SAY I AM REALLY PROUD OF MY
CITY TODAY.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON, WOULD
YOU LIKE TO CLOSE DEBATE?
>> I WANT TO SAY HOW GRATEFUL I
AM TO COLLEAGUES FOR THESE VERY
KIND WORDS.
THIS HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE
FOR MANY OF US, AND I AM PROUD
TO HAVE HELPED SHEPPARD THIS
IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION
ACROSS TH FINISH LINE.
FOR ME THE IDEA OF MHA IS A
SIMPLE ONE.
WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE IN
SEATTLE ACCESS TO GREAT PARKS,
RELIABLE TRANSIT, OUTSTANDING
SCHOOLS, GREEN PLAYGROUNDS,
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, QUALITY
GROCERIES, ROBUST
INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH AND A
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT.
PASSING MHA BEGAN WITH THE JOB
OF CREATING THAT UNIVERSAL
ACCESS FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT
OUR CITY.
TWO YEARS AGO WE PASSED SOME
SPECIFIC ZONES THAT ARE WORKING
AND GENERATING THOUSANDS OF NEW
UNITS IN 2018 ALONE GENERATED
MORE THAN $13 MILLION FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IF WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO
IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM A YEAR
EARLIER WE WOULD HAVE BEEN
GENERATING $90 MILLION FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT A TIME
WHEN WE DESPERATELY NEED IT WERE
-- WHERE STEPHEN WALKER WOULD
LOVE TO BE ABLE TO FUND MORE IN
THE BELLWETHER AREAS OF THE
WORLD WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING
UNITS THROUGHOUT THE CITY BUT
NOW BY TAKING THE UP ZONE
CITYWIDE WE ARE STARTING THE
PROCESS OF DISMANTLING THE
WALLS AROUND HER NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT HAVE GIVEN EXCLUSIVE
GROUPS SOUL ACCESS TO THE
RESOURCE-RICH COMMUNITIES
AROUND OUR CITY AND THAT'S
COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ -- AS
COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ SO
ELOQUENTLY REMINDED US THE HARD
DATA SHOWS US THAT PRIVILEGED
GROUP HAS BEEN PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE AND THE UGLY HISTORY OF
RACIAL SEGREGATION SHOWS THAT
EXCLUSIONARY APPROACH WAS
SOMETIMES INTENTIONAL. IT IS
OUT OF SYNC WITH SEATTLE'S
VALUES, AND SO I THINK THIS IS
A CITYWIDE UP ZONE FOR CITYWIDE
EQUITY.
YARD SIGNS AROUND OUR TOWN SAY
WE ARE A WELCOMING CITY AND WE
DON'T SUPPORT WALLS.
ZONING IS BOTH A METAPHORICAL
AND LITERAL WALL AROUND OUR
COMMUNITIES AND TODAY WE BEGIN
TO TAKE THOSE WALLS DOWN. GIVEN
THE BROAD CONSENSUS ON MHA IT'S
CLEAR TO ME THE COUNCIL'S.
IS TO CREATE EVEN MORE CITYWIDE
EQUALITY.
CITIES SUCH AS MINNEAPOLIS ARE
ALREADY ILLUMINATING THE
EXCLUSIONARY -- ELIMINATING
THEM ALTOGETHER AND WE NEED TO
LOOK AT THAT.
AS WE SHEPPARD THIS ACROSS THE
FINISH LINE IS MY SINCERE HOPE
THAT TODAY'S VOTE IS A VOTE NOT
JUST TO ERASE -- GROWTH IN A
PROACTIVE HOUSING POLICY BUT IS
PROACTIVE TO ELIMINATING
BARRIERS AND INTENT TO ALLOW
MUCH MORE HOUSING FOR EVERYBODY
IN OUR CITY.
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT ALLOWING MORE
HOUSING IN SEATTLE'S TRANSIT
RICH NEIGHBORHOODS, IN OUR
ASSET RICH NEIGHBORHOODS AND
ARE RESOURCE RICH
NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT TODAY BY
PASSING THIS LEGISLATION WE ARE
RECOGNIZING THERE IS A MORE
IMPORTANT -- SOMETHING MORE
IMPORTANT AND THAT HOUSING RICH
NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO CREATE
THAT UNIVERSAL ACCESS IS BY
BUILDING A HOUSING RICH CITY
MEANING ALLOWING A WIDER
VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES SUCH
AS TOWNHOUSES AND MIDRISE AND
LOWRISE BUILDINGS THAT ARE
KNOWN AS MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING
CAN REALLY HELP ENSURE THAT
SEATTLE VALUES DON'T GO MISSING
SO LET'S SIMPLY STOP TALKING
ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE TO TRANSIT-
RICH OR RESOURCE-RICH
NEIGHBORHOODS AND INSTEAD TALK
ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE HOUSING
RICH NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE
HOUSING RICH CITIES -- A
HOUSING RICH CITY IS ONE THAT
SUPPORTS MULTIFAMILY
DEVELOPMENT, NOT A CITY THAT
SEGREGATES IT. IT'S A CITY THAT
SHARES ITS NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT A
CITY THAT SEQUESTERS ITS
NEIGHBORHOODS AND A MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AS A
FIRST STEP IN ESTABLISHING THAT
HOUSING RICH SEATTLE AND I
BELIEVE -- THINKS.
>> OKAY I THINK WE ARE READY TO
VOTE. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
THE PASSAGE OF COUNCIL BILL
119444 AS AMENDED.
>> TRAN08
>> GONZALEZ, HERBOLD, JOHNSON,
JUAREZ, MOSQUEDA, O'BRIEN,
SAWANT, PRESIDENT HARRELL .
NINE IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT.
>> [ APPLAUSE ]
>> PLEASE READ AGENDA ITEM
NUMBER FIVE, THE SHORT TITLE.
>> COUNCIL BILL 119445
ORDINANCE RELATING TO LAND USE
AND ZONING AMENDMENT CHAPTER
23.32 OF THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL
CODE AT PAGE 28 OF THE OFFICIAL
LAND USE MAP TO REZONE LAND IN
THE NORTHGATE URBAN CENTER.
>> THIS WOULD REZONE LAND ON A
D.O.T.
SITE IN A NORTH DA
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S ONE TECHNICAL AMENDMENT
THAT IS NECESSARY WHICH UPDATES
THE BASE CODE LANGUAGE TO
REFLECT CHANGES TO THE LAND USE
CODE MADE IN THE BILL THAT WE
JUST ADOPTED.
THIS AMENDMENT HAS SHOWN --
BEEN SHOWN IN ATTACHMENT F SO I
WOULD MOVE TO AMEND COUNCIL
BILL 119445 BY SUBSTITUTING
VERSION 2 FOUR VERSION 1B.
>> MOVED TO AMEND 119445 AS
DESCRIBED BY COUNCIL MEMBER
JOHNSON.
ANY QUESTIONS?
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE
AMENDMENT, PLEASE VOTE AYE.
OPPOSED, PLEASE VOTE NO . THE
AYES HABIT.
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON?
>> I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.
>> ANYTHING ELSE?
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON PASSAGE
OF THE BILL AS AMENDED.
>> BAGSHAW, MOSQUEDA, HERBOLD,
WARRANTS, SAWANT, O'BRIEN,
PRESIDENT HARRELL. NINE ABOUT --
NINE IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
>> THE REPORT OF THE CITY
COUNCIL -- HE RESOLUTION
CALLING FOR ADDITIONAL MEASURES
BY THE CITY AND ITS PARTNERS
THAT COMPLEMENT MANDATORY TO
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
IMPLEMENTATION TO PROMOTE
LIVABILITY AND EQUITABLE
DEVELOPMENT MITIGATE
DISPLACEMENT AND ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
RAISED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS
DURING THE MHA PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
>> THROUGHOUT OUR ZONING
PROCESSES OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS TO IMPLEMENT THE
MANDATORY HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
PROGRAM WE'VE IDENTIFIED MORE
WORK THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE CITY STAFF AND CITY
DEPARTMENTS WORK ON AND THIS IS
THE COMPANION RESOLUTION FOR
THE CITYWIDE MHA PROGRAM. THERE
WAS ONE AMENDMENT TO
INCORPORATE, MINOR ADDITIONS
REQUESTED BY COUNCILMEMBERS
AFTER IT WAS INTRODUCED AND
THEY ARE SUMMARIZED IN THE
CENTRAL STAFF MEMO SHOWN IN
ATTACHMENT G ADDING REFERENCE
TO CHILDCARE, REQUEST FURTHER
ANALYSIS OF ZONING, ANOMALIES
AND ZONING ARTIFACTS INCLUDING
THE ABLE PARTIALS AND REQUEST
FURTHER ANALYSIS ON THE PROPOSED
DENSITIES WITHIN THE YOU
DISTRICT AND THIS IS ALSO THE
PLACE WHERE MANY OF MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE UNFORTUNATELY
NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO INCLUDE
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR
INDIVIDUAL PARCELS INSIDE THE
BASE LEGISLATION BUT THIS IS
THE RESOLUTION WHERE THOSE
SUGGESTIONS LIVE. I THINK ABOUT
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXAMPLE IN
COUNCILMEMBER O'BRIEN'S
DISTRICT WHICH WE'VE TALKED
ABOUT AT LENGTH WHERE A BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUB IS INTERESTED IN
REDEVELOPING TO ALLOW FOR MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON TOP --
BECAUSE THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE
URBAN VILLAGE THEY WERE NOT
INCLUDED IN THE ENVIRONMENT
IMPACT STATEMENT AND THIS IS ON
THAT PROPERTY AS WELL AS OTHER
PROPERTIES AROUND THE CITY TO
CONTINUE TO BE ANALYZED BY THE
PLANNING DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN
BE INCLUDED IN FUTURE
LEGISLATION SO WITHOUT FURTHER
ADO I MOVED TO AMEND RESOLUTION
31870 BY SUBSTITUTING VERSION 6
FOR VERSION 21.
>> IS THERE A SECOND?
>> OKAY, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND
SECONDED AND THIS IS JUST FOR
THE AMENDMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE
AMENDMENT, PLEASE VOTE AYE.
OPPOSED, VOTE NO . THE
AMENDMENT IS PASSED.
COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON, ANYTHING
TO ADD?
>> I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.
>> ANY COMMENTS ON THIS
RESOLUTION BEFORE WE TAKE A
VOTE?
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA .
>> THANK YOU, I JUST WANT TO
SAY THANKS TO THE CHAIR MEMBER
AGAIN FOR HIS RESOLUTION
AMENDMENTS.
WE ARE EXCITED WITH THE CHANGES
WE WERE ABLE TO INCLUDE WITH
THIS RESOLUTION TO NOT ONLY
RECOGNIZE BUT PRIORITIZE THOSE
COMMUNITIES AT RISK OF
DISPLACEMENT IN THINKING
THROUGH HOW WE DO IMPLANTATION
AND HOW WE DO NEXT STEPS, AGAIN
ECHOING WHAT WE SAID EARLIER,
RECOGNIZING THAT MHA IS ONE
ELEMENT OF HOW WE MAKE SURE WE
ARE CREATING MORE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
THERE'S A FEW PIECES, ACTUALLY
THREE THAT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO
HIGHLIGHT AND AGAIN THANK HIM
FOR HIS WORK WITH OUR OFFICE TO
GET THESE INCLUDED.
ONE IS WE ARE CALLING FOR
INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN THE
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROGRAM FOR
SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES SO THAT THOSE
HOMEOWNERS CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL
RELIEF.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE ONLY ABOUT
ONE THIRD OF THOSE WHO ARE
QUALIFIED ACTUALLY ENROLLED IN
KING COUNTY.
WE KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER AND WE
ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH
THE CITY AND THE COUNTY
ASSESSOR'S OFFICE TO HELP
INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN THAT
PROGRAM.
THE SECOND IS TO INCLUDE
LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY TO
ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
AND ENSURE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT
AND ELEMENTS SUCH AS CHILDCARE
ARE INCORPORATED INTO THAT
SPACE.
AND BEACON HILL WE HEARD
REPEATEDLY HOW CHALLENGING IT
WAS TO HAVE EXAMPLE -- FOR
EXAMPLE HARD ON THE OUTSIDE
FACDE OF THE PLAZA AND AS WE
CREATE NEW BUILDINGS THAT ARE
INTENDED TO BE FOR NOT JUST
HOUSES, BUT FIRST A --
COMMUNITY SPACE AND PLAZAS IN
GREEN AREAS, WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE WE ARE LISTENING TO THE
COMMUNITY AND HELP INCORPORATE
SOME OF THE IDEAS FOR HOW TO
TRULY CREATE A SENSE OF
NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THEN THE LAST
THING IS THAT WE ARE EXCITED
ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK WE ARE
GOING TO BE DOING AS MENTIONED
IN THE RESOLUTION AROUND
COMMUNITY PREFERENCE AND
AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING TO ENSURE
THAT LONGTIME COMMUNITY MEMBERS
IN AREAS OF HIGH RISK OF
DISPLACEMENT ARE PRIORITIZED
FOR BUILDING MORE HOMES.
I THINK WE'VE ALL SAID IT AND
I'LL REPEAT AGAIN, CREATING
ADDITIONAL HOUSING IS A KEY
ELEMENT TO HELP ADDRESS
DISPLACEMENT AND WE ALSO WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT AS NEW
HOUSING IS CREATED AND THOSE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS GO
ONLINE THOSE HAVE BEEN IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE THE FIRST
CHANCE TO GET BACK IN AND
THROUGH THE COMMUNITY
PREFERENCE POLICIES THAT HER
FRIENDS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH
COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON, WE ARE
EXCITED TO AMPED THAT UP SO
THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR FOR HIS
WORK WITH OUR OFFICE AND
GETTING SOME OF THOSE PIECES
IN.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA . DO WE HAVE AN
AMENDED RESOLUTION?
OR WHAT ANYBODY ELSE --
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
>> THANK YOU.
SOME OF THE ITEMS THIS
RESOLUTION COMMITS THE CITY TO
WORK ON, WHICH I REALLY
APPRECIATE, AGAIN, THE
COMMITMENT TO CARRY OUT A
VARIETY OF INITIATIVES
IDENTIFIED TO ADDRESS
DISPLACEMENT, ESPECIALLY
FOCUSED IN AREAS HAVING A HIGH
RISK OF DISPLACEMENT IN THE
GROWTH AND EQUITY ANALYSIS,
PRIORITIZING INVESTMENT IN
NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGH
DISPLACEMENT RISK IN
NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE FEES WERE
GENERATED AND ALSO TO CREATE
MORE FAMILY SIZE HOUSING. WE
ALSO IN THIS RESOLUTION SIGNAL
OUR INTENT TO EVALUATE THE
ENFORCEMENT OF ORDINANCE 1240
861, PASSING WITH FORMER
COUNCIL MEMBER BURGESS'
LEADERSHIP. THIS OFFERS -- TO
NOTIFY THE PROPOSED SALE OF THE
BUILDING AND THIS IS A PROPOSED
ORDINANCE THAT HAS BEEN ON THE
BOOKS FOR A WHILE AND I'M EASILY
-- EAGER TO WORK WITH THE
OFFICE TO SEE HOW WE CAN
ENFORCE THIS TO SEE HOW WE CAN
GET SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES
INTO COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP SO
THAT WE CAN HAVE COMMUNITY-
DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE ALSO
INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING THIS
EXPANDED ORDINANCE BEYOND THE
SCOPE OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING,
FOLKS IN THE MORGAN JUNCTION IN
PARTICULAR ARE INTERESTED IN
USING THIS ORDINANCE OR
SUCCESSOR ORDINANCE TO CREATE A
PILOT TO INCENTIVIZE OWNERS OF
PROPERTY TO MAKE THAT PROPERTY
AVAILABLE TO GROUPS LIKE
COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS, TO
ENCOURAGE ENTRY-LEVEL
HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
IN ADDITION IN THIS RESOLUTION,
HIGHLIGHTS OUR INTENT TO
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT AND
INCUBATE SMALL AND INDEPENDENT
BUSINESSES AND AS IT RELATES
SPECIFICALLY TO SOME OF THE
DISTRICT-WIDE ISSUES I JUST
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE. FOR
ADMIRAL, WE ARE ASKING THE
OFFICE OF PLANNING COMMITTEE
AND DEVELOPMENT TO UPDATE
NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN GUIDELINES
TO ADDRESS TRANSITIONS BETWEEN
ZONES ALONG CALIFORNIA AVENUE
AND IN THE MORGAN JUNCTION, IN
ADDITION TO THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING PILOT THAT I MENTIONED
EARLIER, OH PCD IS REQUESTING
TO COLLABORATE WITH
STAKEHOLDERS TO DETERMINE THE
CONDITIONS FOR PEDESTRIAN ZONES
, AND IN REGARDS FOR THE WEST
SEATTLE JUNCTION, WE ARE
HIGHLIGHTING THE COMMUNITY'S
INTEREST TO BEGIN WORKING WITH
OPCD ON A LIGHT RAIL STATION.
OPCD HAS COMMITTED TO BEGIN
BACKGROUND WORK IN 2019 AND
PLAN IN EARNEST IN 20 20 --
2020 AND THEY ARE EAGER TO GET
STARTED.
IN WESTWOOD, SIMILARLY THERE IS
A REQUEST OF OP -- OPCD TO
BRING SOUTHDALE RIDGE INTO THE
PLANNING FOR THE REST OF DELL
RIDGE.
DELL RIDGE HAS BEEN NEGLECTED
-- SOUTHDALE RIDGE HAS BEEN A
NEGLECTED PART OF DELL RIDGE
AND WE NEED TO BE SURE WE ARE
INTEGRATING THE PLANNING OF THAT
PART OF THE CORRIDOR WITH THE
REST OF DELL RIDGE AND FINALLY
FOR SOUTH PARK, WE ARE REALLY
INTERESTED IN WORKING ON
EXAMINING THE QUESTION OF
WHETHER OR NOT SOUTH PARK MEETS
THE CRITERIA FOR URBAN VILLAGE
DESIGNATION AS WELL AS
ADVOCATING THE DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS TO SUPPORT
COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO PROTECT
HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN FINALLY
WORKING WITH STC I TO SEE IF
THERE ARE PUBLIC-PRIVATE --
VIEWS IN THE SNOHOMISH VILLAGE
THAT SHOULD BE PROTECTED.>>
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE
VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION?
THIS HAS TO BE MOVED SO I WILL
MOVE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 31870
AS AMENDED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING
THE RESOLUTION, PLEASE VOTE
AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, VOTE NO.
MOTION CARRIES, THE RESOLUTION
IS ADOPTED AND THE CHAIR WILL
SIGN IT.
PLEASE READ THE REPORT --
>> [ APPLAUSE ] --
>> OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
UTILITIES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND ARTS COMMITTEE.
>> REAPPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL
GARRETT AS MEMBER SEATTLE LGBTQ
COMMISSION FOR A TERM TO
OCTOBER 31, 2020.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE
APPOINTMENT BE CONFIRMED.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD?
>> THANK YOU.
MR. GARRETT HAS OVER 35 YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE IN HEALTHCARE
WITH SPECIFICALLY A FOCUS ON
DISABILITY PROGRAMS.
HIS PRIORITY FOCUS FOR THE
LGBTQ COMMISSION IS ACCESS TO
HEALTH CARE FOR THE ALGEBRA DQ
COMMUNITY. HE HAS CO-PARENTED
AS AN ADULT -- AN ADULT CHILD
THAT IDENTIFIES AS LGBTQ AND HIS
MISSION IS TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS
AND REPRESENTATION OF THE LGBTQ
SPECIFICALLY FOR PARENTS AND
ELDERS.
>> ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
THOSE IN FAVOR OF CONFIRMING
THE APPOINTMENT, PLEASE VOTE
AYE.
MOTION CARRIES ON THE
APPOINTMENT IS CONFIRMED.
PLEASE READ THE REPORT OF THE
FINANCE AND NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMITTEE.
RELATING TO THE PIKE PLACE 76
MARKET AUTHORIZING RENEWAL OF
THE AGREEMENT WITH THE PIKE
PLACE MARKET PRESERVATION AND
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY COMMONLY
KNOWN AS THE HILDT-LICATA
AGREEMENT, COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS THE BILL PASS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND
AFTER ALL WE'VE BEEN GOING
THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF
HOURS, I'VE GOT FOUR ITEMS AND
WE WILL TRY TO GET THROUGH THEM
QUICKLY.
THE FIRST IS THE HILDT-LICATA
UP EVERY 10 YEARS AND LAYS OUT
THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND
STIPULATIONS REGARDING USE AND
PRIORITY OF THE PARK -- PIKE
PLACE MARKET SPACE AND THAT OUR
COMMITTEE LAST WEDNESDAY, I WAS
VERY IMPRESSED, MARY BACKGROUND
WAS THERE AND SHE'S THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AS WELL AS
HER STAFF HAD A COUPLE VENDORS
WHO TALKED ABOUT JUST HOW WELL
THE PROCESS WENT.
THEY SPENT A GOOD PORTION OF
THE LAST YEAR DISCUSSING -- THE
NEW AGREEMENT AND IT WAS VERY
CLEAR THE GROUPS HAVE WORKED
TOGETHER AND THERE WAS MUCH
MORE POSITIVITY THAN THERE WAS
10 YEARS AGO SO I WANT TO SAY
THANKS TO ALL OF THEM AND
THANKS TO KENNY PITTMAN OF OUR
OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS AND OUR CENTRAL STAFF
WHOSE -- WHO HELPED SHEPPARD
THIS THROUGH SO WE RECOMMENDED
OPTION AND THIS RENEWAL.
>> VERY GOOD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
OKAY, PLEASE CALL THE -- THE
ROLL ON THE PASSAGE OF THE
BILL.
>> MOSQUEDA O'BRIEN BAGSHAW
HERBOLD JUAREZ SAWANT, EIGHT
IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
>> AGENDA ITEM 911-9478
AMENDING ORDINANCE 125724 WHICH
ADOPTED THE 2019 BUDGET
INCLUDING THE 2019-2024 CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE BILL
PASS.
>> THIS ORDINANCE MAKES A
NUMBER OF TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS
TO OUR ADOPTED 2019 BUDGET AND
RECOMMENDS -- RECONCILES THE
DEPARTMENT AND CITY OF
FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AS CBO
LAUCHES THE NEW SYSTEM THAT
WILL HELP US HAVE DEPARTMENTS
TALKING TO EACH OTHER MORE
CLOSELY.
IT'S GOING TO INCREASE
APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 2019
BUDGET BY $2,073,000. $2
MILLION OF THIS IS A TECHNICAL
CORRECTION -- IT'S NOT LIKE WE
ARE CHANGING THE REVENUE BUT IT
APPLIED THE AUTHORITY
CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNCIL'S
ADOPTION OF GREEN SHEET 10:8
---1-1. THE INCREASE WILL BE
DUE TO AN ACCOUNTING CORRECTION
AND IS WHAT THEY CALL A DOUBLE
APPROPRIATION OF $75,000 MOVED
OR $73,000 MOVE FROM GENERAL
FUND TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE
FUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE
COUNCIL BUDGET ACTIONS, AND
THEN THERE'S A $2000 WIKI --
DECREASE AND REFUNDING FROM
PARKS PROJECT WHICH WAS ALSO --
ALL PART OF THE SWAP SO WE MOVED
TO ADOPT COUNCIL BILL 119478 .
>> ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT PLEASE CALL THE LOAN ON
THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL.
>> BAGSHAW, HERBOLD, JUAREZ,
MOSQUEDA, O'BRIEN, SAWANT ,
PRESIDENT HARRELL. NINE IN
FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
>> PLEASE READ THE SHORT TITLE
OF THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
>> AGENDA ITEM 10, COUNCIL BILL
119479 AND ORDINANCE AMENDING
ORDINANCE 125724 WHICH ADOPTED
THE 2019 BUDGET INCLUDING THE
2019-2024 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE
CITY COUNCIL PASS AS AMENDED .
>> THIS COUNCIL BILL 119479
WOULD RECONCILE THE 2019-2020
ADOPTED BUDGET WITH THE 2018
4th QUARTER SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET
. THE ORDINANCE UPDATE CIP
PROJECT ALLOCATIONS AND CIP
PROJECT PAGES AND ADD NEW CIP
PROJECTS ADOPTED AS PART OF THE
4th QUARTER SUPPLEMENTAL.
THAT SUPPLEMENTAL ADOPTION
ORDINANCE WAS 125739, AND WE
RECOMMENDED OPTION OF COUNCIL
BILL 119479.
>> ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
PLEASE CALL THE LOAN ON THE
COUNCIL BILL.
>> BAGSHAW HERBOLD JUAREZ
MOSQUEDA O'BRIEN SAWANT
PRESIDENT HARRELL.
NINE IN FAVOR, NONE OPPOSED.
>> 119 -- 31869 WHICH ENDORSED
A BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF
SEATTLE FOR 2020 BY
SUBSTITUTING A NEW ATTACHMENT A
THAT CORRECTS TECHNICAL
OMISSIONS AND ERRORS, COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS THE COUNCIL BILL BE
ADOPTED.
>> THIS RESOLUTION CONTINUES TO
MAKE A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS TO THE ENDORSE 2020
BUDGET AND IT MAKES THE
FOLLOWING PROJECTED
APPROPRIATION CHANGES. FIRST, A
TECHNICAL CORRECTION TO REFLECT
FUTURE DOUBLE APPROPRIATIONS OF
$50,000 TO THE GENERAL FUND --
TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE FUND
ASSOCIATED WITH COUNCIL BUDGET
ACTIONS AND A $135,000
REDUCTION IN THE FIXED FIRST
BUDGET SUMMARY LEVEL OF THE
CAPITAL PROJECT.
I KNOW YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT
THIS AND I DO WANT TO SAKE
THANK YOU TO COUNCILMEMBER
GONZALEZ FOR HANGING IN WITH
ME BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED THIS
MORNING, WE WERE VERY PLEASED
WITH LISA KAY'S WORK. THANK
YOU.
I KNOW THINGS GOT A LITTLE
COMPLICATED BUT WE GOT THROUGH
IT JUST FINE SO IN RECOGNITION
OF ALL THAT WE RECOMMEND
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 318 60
-- 31869.
>> THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING A
RESOLUTION, PLEASE VOTE AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, VOTE NO.
IT IS ADOPTED AND THE CHAIR
WILL SIGN IT.
>> ITEM 12, RESOLUTION 31868
RELATING TO CITY COUNCIL
CONFIRMATION AND RECONFIRMATION
OF CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS
DESCRIBING THE STEPS THAT CITY
COUNCIL INTENDS TO FOLLOW
OUTLINING MATERIALS THAT SHOULD
BE SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL
PRIOR TO AND AS PART OF A
NOMINATION DESCRIBING GENERAL
CRITERIA THAT THE COUNCIL
INTENDS TO CONSIDER WHEN
EVALUATING THE SEARCH PROCESS
FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND
DEPARTMENT HAD CANDIDATES AND
SUPERSEDING RESOLUTION 309
62.>> I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO
ADOPT RESOLUTION 31868.
>> SECOND.
>> MOVED AND SECONDED.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO IT?
>> YES, BEFORE I DO MR.
PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO
ACTUALLY AMEND 31868 BY
SUBSTITUTING VERSION 9 FOR
VERSION 4B.
>> ANY QUESTIONS JUST ON THE
AMENDMENT?
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE
AMENDMENT, PLEASE VOTE AYE.
OPPOSED, VOTE NO . OKAY, THE
RESOLUTION HAS BEEN AMENDED.
>> MR. PRESIDENT I JUST WANT TO
DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE CLERK, DO
I NEED TO SAY 4A?
BECAUSE IT SAID 4B HERE.
THINK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I THINK WE DID THAT CORRECTLY.
LET ME GET BACK ON MY SCRIPT
HERE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST THE
COUNCIL RULES BE SUSPENDED TO
ALLOW CONSIDERATION OF AN
ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT TO THIS
RESOLUTION WHICH HAS BEEN
DISTRIBUTED BUT WAS SENT AFTER
THE NOON DEADLINE SO THIS IS A
FORMALITY.
>> JUST ONE MOMENT HERE.
I GET A LITTLE PUNCHDRUNK THIS
TIME OF DAY. SO SHOULD WE
SUSPEND THE RULES?
OKAY, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION
TO HAVE SOME EXPLANATION OF
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO HERE
WITH THIS RESOLUTION.
SO JUST FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC,
THE SUM OF THE LANGUAGE DID NOT
MEET OUR 12:00 DEADLINE, AND WE
ARE SUSPENDING THAT RULE IF
THERE IS NO OBJECTION, TO ALLOW
FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THAT
LANGUAGE THAT DID NOT MEET OUR
12:00 DEADLINE SO COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA, PERHAPS YOU CAN TALK
ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
WITH HIS AMENDMENT .
>> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
AS YOU'LL SEE IN AMENDMENT ONE
WHICH HAS BEEN HANDED OUT,
THERE ARE LITERALLY NINE
ADDITIONAL WORDS THAT WE ARE
ADDING.
WE ARE JUST INCLUDING THE WORDS
THE CITY OF SEATTLE IN FRONT OF
EMPLOYEES AND INCLUDING
LANGUAGE THAT SAYS WITH OTHER
RELEVANT INFORMATION SUCH AS.
THIS IS JUST SUCH CLARIFYING
LANGUAGE AND IS A SMALL
TECHNICAL CHANGE THAT WAS
HELPFUL FOR THE READERS
PERSPECTIVE AND WE THOUGHT THAT
WAS A HELPFUL AMENDMENT FROM
THE TEAM PROVIDING FEEDBACK.
>> VERY GOOD.
>> DO YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK TO
THE UNDERLYING BILL, MR.
PRESIDENT?
>> YES, WHY DON'T YOU.
OKAY SO LET'S ADOPT THE
AMENDMENT FIRST.
>> LET'S DO THAT.
LET'S DO THAT FIRST.
THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN
DESCRIBED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE VOTE
AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED , VOTE NO.
OKAY THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED.
GO AHEAD COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA
.
>> AS WE DISCUSSED OVER THE
LAST TWO WEEKS THERE'S BEEN A
NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT
WE'VE HEARD FROM THAT HAVE COME
FORWARD AND REALLY BROUGHT UP
SOME LEGITIMATE CONCERNS,
QUESTIONS AND ASKED US TO
CONSIDER THE PROCESS THAT WE
ARE USING AT THE CITY COUNCIL
LEVEL FOR CONSIDERING POTENTIAL
NOMINATIONS.
THANKS TO COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT
FOR HOSTING A NUMBER MEMBER --
NUMBER OF MEETINGS WHERE
MEMBERS HAVE THE CHANCE TO COME
FORWARD AND RAISE QUESTIONS
ABOUT PROCESS AND IT REALLY
UNDERSCORED FOR A NUMBER OF US
ON COUNCIL THE DESIRE TO BE
SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD THERE
WAS A CLEAR AND ROBUST
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE
COUNCIL'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE
EXPECTATIONS REGARDING NEW
NOMINEES FOR LEADING OUR
INCREDIBLE DEPARTMENTS. I WANT
TO REITERATE WHAT I'VE SAID
OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS THAT
THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE OR
DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY PERTAIN
TO THE CONVERSATION REGARDING
HST YOUR HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT. IN FACT, IT IS
ABOUT A LARGER CONVERSATION AND
A DESIRE TO BE SURE THAT WE
HAVE A CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT
PROCESS, THAT WE CLEARLY SET
OUT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER AND
DESIRES TO CONSIDER IN
EVALUATING NOMINEES FROM THE
EXECUTIVE FOR FUTURE DEPARTMENT
HEADS.
THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU
FORMALIZES A PROCESS AND
FORMALIZES CONVERSATIONS THAT
MANY OF US -- AND THE EXECUTIVE
EXPECT WHEN PUTTING FORWARD
NOMINATIONS AND IT ALSO TALKS
ABOUT THINGS WE'VE HEARD FROM
SILENCE BREAKERS, MEMBERS OF
THE LABOR UNIONS -- FOR NEW
DIRECTOR DISCUSSIONS.
INCLUDES IDEAS AND FEEDBACK
WE'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE
CHANGE TEAM AND OTHER
EMPLOYEES.
AS WE AND OUR COUNTRY EVOLVE,
WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND BEST
PRACTICES A LITTLE BETTER.
TRADITIONALLY, AS WE ALL KNOW
HAVING WORKED ON THE FRONT
LINE, MANAGERS ARE HIRED AND
ARE PUT INTO PLACE AND
EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO SERVE
THOSE MANAGERS, BUT TODAY I
THINK WE ARE LEADING BY EXAMPLE
AND SHOWING THAT A BEST
PRACTICE SHOULD INCLUDE ALL
PARTIES AT THE TABLE.
IT INCLUDES MAKING SURE THE
MANAGER AND SELECTION PROCESS
IS INCLUDED -- INCLUSIVE OF
THOSE WHO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL --
IMPACT ON THOSE OF THE LIFE
THEY SERVE.
IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS
OUTLINED IN THIS RESOLUTION
AFFORDING THE CITY COUNCIL AND
OPPORTUNITY -- AN OPPORTUNITY
TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE
EXECUTIVE AND MAYORS OF THE
FUTURE GOALS AND VISIONS FOR
DEPARTMENT HEADS AS WELL AS THE
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS,
EXPERIENCES, QUALIFICATIONS,
LEADERSHIP CONCERNS AND OTHER
QUALITIES THAT THIS DEPARTMENT
HAD NEEDS TO SORT OF OUTLINE
FOR US IN THE PROCESS SHOULD
OUTLINE FOR US AS THE COUNCIL
CONSIDERS THESE NOMINATIONS.
THE RESOLUTION BEFORE US HELPS
COUNCIL BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
PROCESS THE MAYOR WILL USE AND
ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS THAT WILL
NEED HELP AND REALLY
SPECIFICALLY ASK WHETHER THE
RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT AND THE
RACIAL EQUITY ANALYSIS WAS USED
AND WHO HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE
. I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS
HAS BEEN DRAFTED TOGETHER.
AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR
CONVERSATIONS ARE SEPARATE BUT
I THINK THE CONVERSATION WE
HAVE HAD IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS
HAS REALLY UNDERSCORED THE
DESIRE FOR MORE TRANSPARENT,
INCLUSIVE AND ACTUALLY JUST A
GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE
BACKGROUND AND INCLUSION OF
FOLKS AT THE TABLE. SO I AM
EXCITED THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT
OF YOU A FEW CHANGES THAT CAME
DIRECTLY FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS
IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IF I MAY
MR. PRESIDENT I JUST WANT TO
READ THROUGH FOUR SMALL
CHANGES.>> PLEASE DO
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA.
>> INFECTION A YOU'LL SEE THAT
CLARIFICATION OF THE
EXPECTATIONS AND SETS FORTH A
MORE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS FROM
THE ONSET, THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD FOR YOUR
WORK ON THAT . SECTION 2 A
TALKS ABOUT THE NOMINEE'S
COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY AS
WE ALL CONTINUE TO UNDERSCORE
THAT THE RACIAL EQUITY TOOLKIT
AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THAT IS
MORE THAN JUST WORDS ON A PIECE
OF PAPER. WE WANT THIS TO BE A
LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WE SEE
REITERATED IN EVERY DECISION
THAT THE COUNCIL MAKES AN
SECTIONWE ADD IN THE REVIEW OF
EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS RESULTING
IN THE EMPLOYEE'S FAVOR AND
THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY
WANTED TO SEE HIGHLIGHTED FROM
THE SILENCE BREAKERS THEMSELVES
WHO SAID WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE
IF THERE WERE ANY CONCERNS IN
THE PAST BUT ALSO INCLUDE IF
ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN
TAKEN AND THE NOMINEE HAS
PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS
TRAININGS, THAT WOULD ALSO BE
IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF
CORRECTING BEHAVIOR BEING
CRITICAL AS WELL.
IN SECTION 5 -- EXCUSE ME, IN
SECTION 5 WE EXCLUDE THE
APPOINTMENTS AND CONFIRMATIONS
FROM A HANDFUL OF DEPARTMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, NOTING THAT WE
ALREADY HAVE SOME PROCESSES AND
PROCEDURES IN PLACE THAT ARE
OUTLINED IN STATUTE, AND WE
HAVE CERTAIN PROCEDURES AROUND
-- -- THANK YOU FOR BRINGING
THAT UP.
THIS WAS BROUGHT UP RIGHT TO
THE LAST MINUTE BY INCLUDING
ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS SO THANK
YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENT WORK TO
GET US AMENDMENTS EARLY. I KNOW
WE TRIED TO GET AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE AND I WANT TO THANK
AMELIA FOR HER WORK IN MAKING
SURE WE HAD THIS ON TIME AND
JUST SENDS AND ASIA FOR THE
WORK TO GET ALL THE MINUTES IN
PLACE.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA.
COUNCILMEMBER BAGSHAW?
>> THANK YOU AND COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA, THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING TO EVERYBODY ON
THIS.
I KNOW YOU'VE PICKED UP MANY OF
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND ALSO
WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND I ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE
TO THE MAYOR THAT SHE WANTS TO
BE ABLE TO DO HER WORK UNDER
THE CHARTER.
WE DO OUR WORK, WE'VE GOT A LOT
TO DO HERE, BUT YOU SET THE
TONE SAYING WHAT IT IS WE ARE
LOOKING FOR, AND I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE
NOT AT ANY POINT BEEN IN A
POSITION WHERE YOU ARE TELLING
THE MAYOR WHAT TO DO, BUT
INDICATING THAT THIS IS WHAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT AS SOMEBODY IS
SELECTED THAT WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS
INFORMATION IN ADVANCE AND YOUR
FOCUS ON RACIAL EQUITY IS
TERRIFIC SO THANK YOU FOR ALL
YOUR WORK.
>> VERY GOOD.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE
TAKE THE VOTE?
>> COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT.
>> I APPROVE WITH EXPECTATIONS
FOR CANDIDATE SEARCH REGARDING
TO -- RELATING TO DEPARTMENT
HEADS IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY A RESPONSE AS
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA SAID TO
THE SHAMEFUL DISREGARD THE
MAYOR SHOWED HUMES -- HUMAN
SERVICES EMPLOYEES AND IN FACT
-- EXCLUDING HOMELESSNESS
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEMSELVES
WHEN SHE NOMINATED JASON
JOHNSON TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
AND THEN CONTINUE TO
SYSTEMATICALLY IGNORE THE
OVERWHELMING VOICES WE WERE
HEARING.
AS HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED THIS
RESOLUTION IS NOT ABOUT THE
CURRENT ISSUE OF THE HUMAN
SERVICES DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT
AND WILL DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS
THAT ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
TO POINT OUT THAT WHILE THIS
RESOLUTION IS CORRECT IN MANY
RESPECTS, IT'S ABOUT NEXT TIME
AND DOES NOT PROVIDE AN EXCUSE
FOR OFFICIALS FAILING TO
REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS
THIS TIME IN THE CASE OF THE
CURRENT HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR
APPOINTMENT.
WHICH HAS BEEN QUITE
CONTROVERSIAL.
THIS RESOLUTION MAKES MANY
REQUESTS THAT I FULLY AGREE
WITH ABOUT HOW THE MAYOR SHOULD
MAKE APPOINTMENTS IN THE FUTURE,
BUT THE QUESTION THAT COMES TO
MIND IS, DOES THE MAYOR REALLY
NEED THE COUNCIL TO RECOMMEND
SHE TALKED TO IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES BEFORE CHOOSING AN
IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT HEAD?
THAT JUST SEEMS -- IF THAT'S
INDEED THE CASE IT'S ODD ON HER
PART AND WHAT WILL COUNCIL
MEMBERS DO IN THE FUTURE OF THE
COUNCILMEMBER -- MAYOR DOES NOT
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES BECAUSE AT THIS
POINT THE VIEWS ARE NOT BEING
TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT SO BY
PASSING THIS RESOLUTION WILL
COUNCIL MEMBERS DO IT IN THE
FUTURE AND IF THEY WERE GOING
TO DO IN THE FUTURE, WHY NOT DO
IT NOW?
I HAVE THIS ENTIRE LOGICAL
CONUNDRUM IN MY BRAIN THAT IF
COUNCILMEMBERS ARE GOING TO
VOTE FOR THIS FOR THE FUTURE,
THEN WHY WOULDN'T THEY DO IT AT
THIS MOMENT?
I REALLY THINK THE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS SHOULD WATCH FOR THIS
HYPOCRIS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS
WHO WOULD ALL VOTE YES ON THIS
RESOLUTION ABOUT THE FUTURE
WELL LET -- WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME PROVE THEY HAVE NO
INTEREST IN ACTUALLY FOLLOWING
IT BECAUSE THEY ARE
DISREGARDING ALL OF ITS
PRINCIPLES WHEN IT BECOMES A
PART -- A CONCRETE QUESTIO
SUCH AS THE HUMAN SERVICES
DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT AND I
SHOULD CONGRATULATE COUNCIL
MEMBERS O'BRIEN AND MOSQUEDA
FOR VOTING WITH ME ON THE
RESOLUTION THAT I BROUGHT
FORWARD WHICH SAID THE MAYOR
SHOULD TAKE THIS NOMINATION
BACK WHICH HAS BEEN OPPOSED BY
A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE
COMMUNITY, AND REALLY GO
THROUGH A SEARCH THAT WILL
INCLUDE RATION -- RACE AND
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACTED
COMMUNITIES.
SO I VOTE YES ON THIS
RESOLUTION, BUT ORDINARY PEOPLE
AND CITY OF SEATTLE EMPLOYEES
WHO ARE WATCHING THIS AND WILL
BE WATCHING THIS LATER THIS
WEEK WILL HAVE TO SPEAK UP AS
COURAGEOUSLY AS THE HUMAN
SERVICES WORKERS HAVE SPOKEN UP
IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT
THESE RESOLUTIONS ARE NOT
SIMPLY IN THE ABSTRACT WORLD,
BUT ARE FOLLOWED THROUGH BY OUR
ELECTED OFFICIALS.
>> OKAY ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON
THE RESOLUTION BEFORE WE TAKE A
VOTE?
OKAY.
SO THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING
RESOLUTION 31868 AS AMENDED,
PLEASE VOTE AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, VOTE NO . THE
RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED AND THE
CHAIR WILL SIGN IT. PLEASE READ
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
>> FOR ADOPTION OF OTHER
RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTION 31871
ENDORSING THE FINAL REPORT AND
RUMINATIONS OF THE REGIONAL
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON?
>> FINAL ONE, COLLEAGUES. THIS
RESOLUTION ENDORSES ABOUT 18
MONTHS OF WORK THAT I WAS YOUR
DESIGNEE FOR. THE REGIONAL
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE
HAS SOME INCREDIBLE STATISTICS
AND INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNTIES IN
THERE FOR US TO CONTEMPLATE
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT GIVEN NOW
THAT WE ARE NOW IN HOUR THREE I
WILL JUST ASK YOU TO TAKE A
READ THROUGH AND I WON'T BORE
YOU WITH MORE BUT IT DOES SAY
-- IT DOES SET AN AMBITIOUS
GOAL OF BUILDING 244,000 NEW
UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY
2040 WITH THE REQUISITE SHARED
GOAL OF 8800 UNITS PER YEAR
OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN
ORDER TO MEET OUR FAIR SHARE OF
THAT GOAL.
I BELIEVE THE ACTION EARLIER
TODAY MOVING TOWARD MANDATORY
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS A
CRITICAL WAY WE WOULD CONTINUE
TO MEET OUR FAIR SHARE OF THAT
8800 UNIT PER YEAR GOAL.
SIMILAR RESOLUTIONS WILL BE
ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY AND WHAT
STARTED AS SORT OF A SMALL IDEA
TO IMPLEMENT AND PORTABLE --
AFFORDABLE HOUSING MORPHED INTO
SOMETHING BIGGER AND BETTER.
>> ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
>> I AM REALLY PROUD TO
COSPONSOR THIS.
THIS RESOLUTION LOOKS FORWARD TO
COLLABORATION WITH FUTURE
PARTNERS.
WE KNOW IT IS TIMELY.
WE HAVE THOSE TIPS.
AS WE LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL
SOLUTIONS AND HOPEFULLY
ADDITIONAL REVENUE AS WELL, I
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO OUTLINING
WHAT OUR LOCAL PARTNERS CAN DO
THROUGH THE REGIONAL AFFORDABLE
HOUSING TASK FORCE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE SURE
OTHER CITIES PURSUE POLICY
CHANGES THAT ACHIEVE GREATER
IMPACTS BY DOING SO IN HARMONY
WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
úWE ARE TAKING SOME IMPORTANT
STEPS TODAY.
TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS WE NEED
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO
WORK ON THE SOLUTION TO CREATE
THE HOUSING, DENSITY AND
AFFORDABILITY TO CREATE AN
INCLUSIVE REGION.
THIS IS RELYING ON NOT JUST
FUNDING FROM THIS STATE, AND
FEDERAL PARTNERS, THEY WILL
MOST LIKELY CONTINUE TO NOT
MATERIALIZE.
WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT SMART
LAND USE, ZONING, AND HOUSING
POLICIES AS WERE OUTLINED IN
OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO
ASSURE CITIES WORK TOWARD THE
SAME AGENDA.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS.
ANY FURTHER COMMENT?
>> I WILL HAVE TO MOVE THIS.
I MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION
31871.
>> SECOND.
>> THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING
PLEASE VOTE.
>> OPPOSED?
>> THE MOTION CARRIES.
THE RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED AND
THE CHAIR WILL SIGN IT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER BUSINESS?
>> I WOULD LIKE TO BE EXCUSED
ON APRIL 1.
>> MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY COMMENTS?
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?
EYES HAVE IT.
>> I ALSO MOVED TO BE EXCUSED
ON APRIL 1.
>> ANY QUESTIONS?
THE MOTION CARRIES AND THE
APPOINTMENT IS CONFIRMED.
YOUR EXCUSE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY BEFORE
WE ADJOURN I WANT TO THANK
COUNCILMEMBER WAR IS FOR YOUR
SERVICES.
WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT.
I HEARD YOU WERE OUTSTANDING.
OKAY.
IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY.
EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT REST OF
THE AFTERNOON, WE STAND
ADJOURN.
>> [ EVENT CONCLUDED ]