It's the 714 2020 counter
briefing meeting, to order.
It is 9:30 1 AM.
Colleagues, before the clerk
takes the role I have been
informed this morning that
councilmember Lisa Herbold
would not be able to join us
during council briefing but I
do look forward to seeing her
at full council this afternoon
at 2:00 p.m.
With that being said, will the
clerk please call the roll.
>> [ Roll being called ]
>> Council members, the Council
rules are silent on allowing a
tiny participation at council
briefing meetings.
[ Inaudible ] suspend Council
rules to January 19, 2021,
which is the date of which the
governor propagation related to
the open public meetings act
has been extended to.
There is no objection the
council will be suspended to
allow remote council briefing
meetings to generally 19 , 2021
consistent the governor's
proclamation related to the
open public meetings act.
Hearing objection, the city
Council rules are suspended in
council briefing meetings will
be held remotely with council
members participating
electronically beginning
January 19, 2021.
We will move to the approval of
the minutes.
If there is no objection, the
minutes of December 7, 2020
will be adopted.
Hearing objection the minutes
are adopted.
President's Report.
I do have some comments to make
for the President's Report but
I'm going to reserve my
President's report for the end
of the agenda today when I give
my regular report as part of
agenda item 4 in large part
because I do know we have this
presentation on today's agenda
and want to make sure we have
enough time to hear from our
guests.
I'm going to go ahead and
reserve those comments for the
end of the agenda today so that
we can go ahead and move to
agenda item number three which
is the presentation on Black
Brilliance Research Project
preliminary report. Colleagues,
were joined by almost a dozen
guests 2% in the preliminary
report of the Black Brilliance
Research Project related to
community, save me an
investment via participatory
budgeting.
I want to thank each of them
for being present with us this
morning.
Would you have approximately 45
minutes to receive this
presentation and to ask
questions, and so, I am going
to at this juncture recognize
councilmember Tammy Morales who
understand will make opening
remarks before she hands it
over to our guests to walk us
through the presentation.
Councilmember Morales.
>> Good morning.
Thank you, Council President.
I want to thank everybody who
is here to join us for this
presentation.
I think it's really important
that we hear from the folks who
have been doing this
preliminary work.
We know that this is intended
to help us kind of lay the
groundwork for what the program
design of the participatory
budgeting process will look
like this coming year.
So, I will have a few remarks
after this is as well but thank
you to everybody.
There has been a lot of work
happening in the last few
months.
It's a really important that as
we center black leadership and
black community organizations
and honor the work that has
been done that is ongoing, work
that's happening on the ground
to serve our communities that
we lift up the results of this
preliminary research and really
hear the kind of work that
folks on the ground that our
neighbors are talking about as
they start to think what it
looks like to have community
safety that doesn't center
police.
Looking forward to hearing from
the researchers and I want to
thank everybody again for all
that you are doing and for
being here this morning.
Thanks.
>> Thank you, and with that
said I will go ahead and get
started.
>> Go for it.
>> Thank you.
>> ♪
>> That is one of our
researchers, and one of the
researchers who will be
presenting today.
Good morning, everyone.
I am here to present the
preliminary research findings
for the Black Brilliance
Research Project.
The Black Brilliance Research
Project by way of background
was made possible because of
decades of organzing and
defense of black lives in
support of black liberation.
This summer after several
murders related to police and
police action this summer we
came together King County
Equity Now which is a Black
black live ecosystem here [
Inaudible - static ] along with
pro-community, pro-people
initiatives and investment in
policing.
Keith came together at the 2020
blueprint for police divestment
and community reinvestment.
So that happened and then every
day community members marsh and
continue to march, hold
demonstrations and advocate for
the city to ask and to
implement Black life equity
solutions.
While waiting for the city to
act kink equity now came
together to start this work and
in response to community
pressure Seattle city Council
over at the mayor's veto
allocating $3 million toward
this historic black community
led research.
So, a lot of people want to
know the overall project. It's
very iterative.
Here's a little diagram but
basically we look back at what
issues are, what data exists,
what our elders tell us, what
stories existing community,
what solutions we shared before
and how those have been
enacted.
Then we develop ideas about a
research direction.
We then talk to community,
collect data, use art,
resources etc.
, interpret results and present
findings.
The three main questions for
this research are, what creates
true community safety?
What creates true community
health? What we need to thrive?
What I will presented in part
is thanks to the incredible
work from our researchers. One
question that I hear often is
what does it take to be a
researcher and a black really
zillions research project?
It takes a lot.
Researchers undergo the city
program human subjects ethics
training.
That educates researchers about
ethical principles around doing
research with humans as well as
the regulatory requirements for
conducting human research.
We also have onboarding
meetings we help provide
context, answer questions,
provide support.
We have a research manual and
cookbook of which we share the
Council about 90 pages of that
cookbook which includes
research methods, templates,
examples, guys and a very
detailed resource that we use
and we continue to build out
together.
On top of that, we have video
and live trainings that provide
support and direction.
We have research professionals
like myself to maintain and
provide technical support for
the projects and we also have
regular anti-oppression
education and discussion.
It's a lot of work to be a
researcher. The relationships
to the researcher incredibly
rich and intimate.
We have over 100 researchers.
That includes youth and elders,
people in between, people from
all walks of life, we have
people with experience with the
criminal legal system at every
single step.
And we have cultural workers,
artists, healers, educators,
advocates, students,
programmers, just a lot of
experience on our team.
They are involved at every
single step of the research
project so this is one of those
things it's like oh yeah,
they're collecting data
therefore there researchers.
They are involved in helping
research topics, questions
analysis, yes they collect data
and also with cord findings
that you see here today.
Thinking about in terms of
theory, researchers like many
bring lived experience to this
work and so they really focus
on how to present this work in
a way that is accessible and
accountable to the communities
they serve and they are
embedded in.
Finally, when it comes to the
researcher's relationship to
the work I want to really
highlight that relationship
building is essential to this.
We build relationships across
teams.
We build relationships across
different aspects of community
that are usually pushed and
pulled apart from each other
and are built with a strong
focus on thinking about
relationships and facilitation
to develop new collaborations
and new insights.
Who are our researchers?
On the left I have her current
teams.
On the right I have some
perspective teams.
Every day I feel like there's a
new group of people who are
interested in joining the Black
Brilliance Research Project and
what do they do?
They simplify steps, they ask
for nuance and stories so this
is a normal like you go to a
focus group with your
preplanned questions all the
time and someone said something
interesting and you don't
again.
People ask for nuance, details.
They bring generations together
and to amplify solutions on the
ground.
If you're like me, you are a
research nerd and you love to
know all the details about the
different methods that people
use.
Yes, I see you.
Here we have lit review,
secondary data analysis, [
Indiscernible ] in person
meetings, art-based approaches
with photos, videos, murals.
Quantitative analyses of course.
Also case studies where we look
at what works and talk about
what are some of the factors
that gave us the success that
we want to see.
Let's do a deeper dive in
details.
Here are some of the five big
picture things that we are
hearing over and over and over
again from the research across
methods.
These are the five things that
people really want to dig on
on, which is more housing and
physical spaces.
Specifically black live, black
centered residential and
commercial spaces becomes a
block.
This is a priority shared by
nonblack people as well.
I highlight that here
particularly because when I was
presenting this before it was
one of those common questions.
Physical space is essential.
Mental health is clearly again
one of the top issues that come
up over and over again.
MetroHealth is a top issue
across different aspects of
Seattle.
I would imagine city Council
members have been hearing a lot
from your constituents about
the need for more mental health
support.
Especially during the pandemic.
What we are seeing is a real
push for it to be more
culturally responsive in curing
mental health networks that are
led by people with lived
experience, so that's a really
key feature that is going to
appear over and over again in
the research that people with
lived experience, people who
are closest wishes are closest
to solutions and could really
create the world we want to
see.
For mental health, that will
require new and equitable
payment structure.
Healers, people providing
proper care, are able to do so.
The third highlight that I will
give is about youth and
children.
Schools are not really meeting
for a lot of families, which
means children at home and
childcare and other school time
support are crucial. Huge
priorities for several teams in
several communities around
Seattle.
Particularly for children
facing systemic violence. The
fourth piece is economic
development. Again there
shouldn't be a surprise I would
imagine we have the triple
crisis of COVID-19, economic
recession and systemic racism.
Two existed before COVID-19
entered the scene and once
COVID-19 hit everything has
been amplified. The very last
piece that I will hold up today
and we can dig into any of
these for the Q&A is about
crisis and wellness.
There is strong support
alternatives in the 911 system
in which the Council has
started to take action there.
Really shifting 911 dispatch
into a new model.
What we are hearing about from
communities for that new 911
crisis system wellness system
to be staffed by trained and
skilled community members.
Again, because lived experience
is just one of the most crucial
aspects of what we are hearing
over and over again.
On that note, communities
either to build a better world.
I'm not going to read
everything on the slide but
will summarize where we are at.
Most people not interested in
continuing to invest in
policing.
Instead, we are interested in
learning how to keep each other
safe without police, coercion
and systemic violence.
I say we are interested in
learning how to do those were
also recognizing that in many
communities they are already
doing this and is not funded
and supported at a level where
we can really scale yet, but
that is changing.
What we are seeing is a need to
invest in lived experience,
need to address root causes
because we need to stop
punishing individuals for
systems failures and finally to
fully embrace a normal.
I really appreciate your
remarks on me before this
presentation about the need to
really follow black leadership
here one of the most consistent
findings is the need to listen
and normalize leadership from
those closest to the issues.
Part of that is about fostering
solidarity across those
oppressions are typically push
us apart from each other.
Those include things like anti-
black racism, transphobia,
ableism, ageism, sexism etc.
Is really that really fully
embracing the idea that things
are just going to be done
differently now.
Here we have who we have heard
from.
The numbers have increased
since then but I will go ahead
and present these which is
across teams we heard from well
over 2000 community members.
We have heard from over 2000
community members just from the
community needs assessment
survey and a several teams will
present have also heard from so
many people.
As you may be aware over half
of Seattle's population is
under 45. Our sample about 60%
are under 45.
In terms of race we've heard
from people across all groups
and ethnicities as well.
About 60% are born in Seattle
and the rest are transplants
like me or immigrants,
refugees, from several
different places.
I mean survey is in 15
languages and we also have
multilingual focus groups,
interviews, community
conversations etc.
I have the overall
recommendation.
This is another slide we can
dig in deeper for the Q&A.
It's a lot of what you heard so
far.
Stop causing harm. We want
there to be a real reckoning
with the fact that some of the
systems we have in place heard
us so stop doing that.
Two, create inclusive policies
and for that, it's really about
prioritizing that lived
experience and really thinking
about what needs to happen
differently to allow that to
come to the front.
Third, follow black leadership
that goes without saying but
it's really there are different
solutions that come from those
closest to the issues.
Fourth, pay for community
expertise.
That includes funding community
priorities and also includes
doing things like this where
you are intentionally creating
the opportunity for community
to lead with expertise and
provide support.
Finally, investing in driving
solutions.
When things work, we invest in
that.
A big piece of this research
was about figuring out what
should participatory budgeting
look like.
What is the roadmap looking
like rooted in equity?
The most important thing I want
to highlight for you just want
to be talking about the
steering committee because the
steering committee is a group
that's going to be sending a
lot of the rules of what it
looks like and one of many
different bodies that will be
informing this work.
You can see on the left we have
the idea that the black
brilliant research priorities
and things were researching in
forums with the steering
committee will look like so we
have priorities. These are
created, she had infected with
weekly teachings.
We have community
conversations.
In several different ways for
people to be involved in
cleaning taking on a survey.
We are also developing our
steering committee priorities
as part of this research and
defining and really articulating
what accountability can look
like.
Sometime likely in January it's
going to be the part where we
start kicking off the city,
kicking up the process of
selecting the steering
committee.
The idea here is that using the
Black Brilliance Research
priorities, using the steering
committee priorities were
identified, the accountability
structure that we identified
will allow us to be able to post
[ Indiscernible ] for people to
apply for this steering
committee and from there the
steering committee can start.
This slide is to remind y'all
what the overall process looks
like with the steering
committee is throughout the
design and getting ideas and
voting etc.
This light is here just in case
this questions about the PB
process.
Steering committee experiences.
Here are the experiences so far
that we know have strong
consensus across the community
for what people want to see
reflected on the steering
committee.
One is people with lived
experience of every single
stage of the criminal legal
system.
So people who were formally
incarcerated.
Again, because those closest to
the issue the closest to the
solution we want to make sure
as we build out a new model of
really addressing what creates
true community safety health
and for driving the people who
form incarcerated some of them
are on that steering committee
as well as black people with
ties to Seattle.
People have that
institutionalized knowledge
about the way that PB has
happen before whether
communities and what some of
those shortcomings are as well
as commitments that have been
made to community and have or
haven't come to play. That
historical institutional
knowledge is crucial and so
having people from Seattle,
especially black from Seattle
is really important there.
At least to see youth as well
as people from the African
Diaspora are a strong consensus
from community in terms of
sitting on the steering
committee.
There are a couple of other
experiences that will likely
appear on the December 21
preliminary report, but we are
still trying to penalize to
make sure that we are clear
that there is a strong consensus
like these before we put them
forward.
But the most important thing
perhaps for a lot of community
members is talking about
accountability.
This summer you may remember
there was a big -- where the
big things happening was we won
PB, yes, we won it.
This research was happening and
almost immediately the mayor
announced a task force and wood
couple from divestments
community might want and a lot
of the initial concerns around
the community is about
transparency and also about
what an accountability model
looks like when you have these
sort of two different groups
that are working on what seemed
to be the same thing but not
quite.
And so, accountability has been
a common thread.
This is a story that existed
long before this year where
anytime you have task force and
groups and in departmental
teams and all of these
different organizing bodies
representing community, how do
you decide how they are
accountable?
On the left side, here are some
things we are hearing is really
important for the steering
committee and other bodies to
have with each other, so things
like mutual respect and trust
and partnership and engaging in
ongoing work to create
inclusive and positive
relationships with each other.
Those are important in any kind
of organizing body and here
name and then it's silly for
the steering committee.
On the right-hand side we have
accountability to the public.
What are people really looking
for?
Things like weekly reports that
are accessible, so what that
might look like is hosting
weekly zoom calls or having
podcasts or media tours or
there's a variety of different
ways but being transparent on a
weekly basis.
And also having things like
office hours so people can pop
in and asked the question and
get an actual person who will
be able to talk to them and
describe the decision-making
process as well as answer
questions.
One thing that's really
important to note is that
people want to be able to have
relationships with those were
representing them.
And they want to make sure the
committee is acting in ways
that are not aligned with what
they want as committee members
that the committee will respond
with compassion in a timely
fashion.
A big part of our research,
especially in December, has
been refining this out and
provide more details in our
report.
And then this is essentially
the last big slide and it will
start handing this over to our
team, which is the priorities
for the city's role.
This is a partnership.
Participatory budgeting is
going to be a partnership
between community and city and
partners who know more about
best practices for
participatory budgeting.
The city's will is twofold.
One to follow community
leadership. This is really
important.
As you know, this all lived
experience, black leadership
etc.
is a big theme.
What we really want to see is
that community should extend
the invitation to departments
before they start the work.
And that the city department
really take the lead from
community members with a focus
on community development.
We want to see the departments
that track workers working with
tens of millions of dollars and
we also want to see department
that are successful at knowing
how to get dollars out the door
in ways that are responsive to
community needs.
What this means in terms of
different kinds of roles and
strategic advisors are sort of
tell community this is how it's
going to go.
We're looking for people who
are more like a grant maker
like financial support kind of
role.
In fact, that financial support
role, financial management
compliance support is one of
the most important things were
looking for.
We are also looking for
specific kinds of data support.
Especially around visualizing
racial equity.
We are looking at how to map
out investments and how those
afloat over time in different
neighborhoods.
There aren't that many
departments with access to that
kind of data.
We are also looking for
liaisons.
We are looking for this work to
be held by few different
departments but led by one.
Specifically we see strong
support for the EDI division
within the office of planning
community development.
We see a strong partnership in
the office of immigrant and
refugee affairs as well as the
office of civil rights.
We have more details that we
will provide in a report and
what those teams look like.
With that said, the rest of
this time is really for
community partners.
I will be at this point our
first team is going to be
Freedom Project. Lindsay will
be presenting on Freedom
Project.
>> Good morning.
First I want to knowledge the
voices that are not here to
speak today.
Freedom Project researchers
program managers and program
support who took their heart
and lived experience and
brought their black brilliance
to this project.
Being born black in the United
States comes to the trauma that
is birthed by a nation that
still asks -- [ Inaudible -
static ] two types of pandemic.
One is a virus that is killing
us.
The other is racial
inequalities that are killing
us.
After witnessing murders
locally and within the United
States, we marched asking for
blackness to be recognized as
being human.
Even within this black
brilliance project I am here
with three minutes to try to
explain the brilliance of over
30 people who are incarcerated,
formerly incarcerated, or who
have loved ones who have been or
are incarcerated.
However, to do that I would
need more time.
The city Council asked what
does the black community need?
And how should we reinvest the
community?
First, the reimbursement model
does not work.
It creates a barrier for
smaller organizations who are
the community and already doing
the work within the community.
Second, money needs to flow
only to the black community
with no barriers or strings
attached.
Trust that the community has
the ability to solve our own
problems.
Lastly, our trauma is no longer
going to be on display so that
we can continue to grow systems
that were meant to keep us in
poverty, prisons, and within
the nonprofit industrial complex
. Growing systems that are
already in place and not
investing in the Black
community is a crime.
It is your responsibility as a
Seattle city Council to take
the time and invest not only
financially but steady voice
within these projects. I asked
you to really go through all of
the projects that have been
submitted to King County Equity
Now and hear the voices of the
people you asked to have a
voice within this space.
I wanted to end my time with
you with a quote from Freedom
Project executive director
David Hepp hard.
The only way to mitigate the
historic his distrust
experienced by the Black
community is a shared power.
Power that is historically has
been owned by dominant culture
structure.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
This is Freedom Project's team.
It's incredible.
You can see that there's over
377 years of lived experience
of incarceration and 1600 years
of experience systems of
oppression and in red you see
formerly incarcerated for those
of you -- just to make this
more accessible that's almost
the top third.
In the middle in green, you can
see people currently
incarcerated and in black,
impacted family members at the
bottom.
Thank you so much for
presenting on that.
We have East African Community
Services next.
>> Peace and blessings and
thank you for allowing us the
space to be in here and a shout
out to Freedom Project, thank
you for your phenomenal work.
We appreciate you and we are
all better for it.
Again, my name is Amir with
East African Community
Services.
Quite a bit came out of
research and a half to make
updates on this.
I want to clarify we had -- 360
micro convening virtually to
really ascertain what the
community sought and we hold
east African youth and families
are the subject matter experts
on their own humanity.
Similar to most of the people
were part of the Black
brilliance research is not
about we who are oftentimes
education and in some cases
class privilege staff.
It's really about the people.
We were able to do again 360
convening, 2050 adults surveyed
, adult/caregivers and 300
youth.
Almost 900 interactions went
through this process.
I'm not going to do a lot of
reading because you can read
but I will talk about the way
the server was completed by the
community, right?
Ages 11 to 24.
Let's go to the next.
Three big issues mental health
was huge for us, community
education and opportunities
were huge for us.
In addition to housing in COVID
related crisis supports, youth
social emotional, psychological,
and creating activities that
reduced harm of isolation were
also high on our list.
Of the responding -- that's
fine, thank you so much.
Community and education
opportunity.
[ Inaudible - static ] a lack
of representation and
representation always matters.
Close to half to not know or
are sure they know the
community leaders.
They are unsure or do not know
volunteer opportunities and do
not have one mentor and allies.
Of course, all of us in the
Black Brilliance Research
Project has been working hard
to create opportunities for
mentorship.
Other financial as the programs
and supports.
Research shows 40% are asking
for sports, outdoors and social
TVs in terms of social and
emotional peace.
37% want additional
incompetence of college support
help including applications,
also and, once admitted help
with trickling through the
college experience.
30% want additional art and
culture and tutoring with
homework.
Other comments included demand
for strong mental health
resources and a safe place for
people to be unapologetically
Black . It suggests youth need
support in all areas of their
lives.
The categories are separated
but also challenges are
intertwined with investment to
holistic services they also
become mentorship, trust,
healing to move forward and
increase educational [
Indiscernible ]. To get to the
long-term for healthy and
thriving families is to
increase social mobility.
Many use social and emotional
needs critical for education
and entertainment.
The mantra for East African
Community Services are
organizing mantra we will use
for the next 11 years as we are
family.
Always.
We will do whatever is
necessary to make sure
disparities we mentioned here
are eliminated and that we
create new opportunities for
our youth not to survive as
immigrating refugee families
but rather to thrive.
Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you so much.
That was super helpful.
I am doing a QuickTime check and
I know we will have questions
from council and I still want
to make sure we have an
opportunity for y'all to
present.
I do wonder -- will do a couple
more presentations than time
for questions.
This is The Silent Task Force.
>> Good morning, everybody.
We are really honored to be
here and hello to all of the
wonderful research projects
that are part of the family.
We are all family now.
We are all families am so glad
to be with you and Sean.
This is a representation, our
newest art piece that shows
what community looks like to
us.
This is our new logo and we are
vested in the community and we
have been for many years in
different ways.
Just some of the work we do and
this is just -- that is not
Mahogany's work that is [
Indiscernible ] work.
Nikita Brooks on our team.
She has a lot of -- with a lot
of great artist.
The cofounder is Michelle a
nutritional therapist and
mental health practitioner as
well as she is a cofounder and
healing artist.
This is Black-led by women and
we do a lot of education with
our work, a lot of social
movement, we serve our community
on multiple levels.
Not just with art but we make
space for folks who may be
homeless, disabled, LGBTQ,
whatever we welcome everybody
to a loving space where we
fellowship with music and many
levels of love artistry.
We've been doing it for five
years and we're doing it now
live streaming because we are
global citizens are not going
to do in person to put any in
jeopardy.
As a part of our research year,
we did research countywide
because our focus is African-
American communities that have
been -- people displaced or
disenfranchised from a
traditional community.
There was a lot of data and
just a short time serving we
found a lot around community
health, did people have access
to culturally specific mental
health counseling, substance
abuse treatment and whatnot.
The numbers are pretty
staggering.
Many say yes but when we look
at who didn't there was a lot of
nos who didn't so needs to be
balanced, people afraid of law
enforcement there were more
people there were then not.
With community safety it was a
half and half where there were
folks who felt safe and folks
who didn't.
It was very interesting to see
the ebbs and flows of who felt
like they were safe and they
were thriving in the community
and community health, holistic
health.
Stronger community response and
accountability is paramount to
the survival of our communities
into the thriving of our
communities.
We have a list of folks we work
with and some of our peer to
peer recovery advocacy and
community outreach that we have
been doing as well because
oftentimes the recovery
community gets overlooked and
some money of our community are
involved in recovery and we
need more of that, which points
to talk about around to the
response to crisis and folks
who are in crisis.
Sometimes it's mental health,
sometimes it's a substance-
abuse thing but either way when
he culturally specific
responses to those issues.
As we wrap up, we can move to
the last slide, this is my
team.
The Silent Task Force, a very
lustrous group, wonderful
individuals who are community
people who have varying skills
to do a lot of wonderful work
in which we are already doing
and gearing up for the new year
for work we have been doing but
we had to reset for COVID
because nothing is in person
anymore.
We do a lot of mentoring, a lot
of working with schools around
prevention with young people
and at this particular time, we
came upon some new work with
the public schools to work
directly with at-risk families
who are not showing up.
The case aren't showing up,
can't get in touch with parents
so we need more family
engagement and more social,
emotional learning.
We are geared up for that inner
mentorship programs for our
young Black girls, Black and
brown girls quite countywide
because is nothing for them and
we had to make that happen as
well as other things.
We have a full year looking
forward to partnering with our
partners because teamwork makes
the dream work and that work is
exciting.
We believe in reinvesting in
our community and being a part
of that process any part of this
Black brilliance process and I
thank you all for hearing us
today.
Thank you.
>> I am getting messages that
we had to turn this over to
Q&A.
I am going to go ahead and do
that.
>> Thanks, Sean and the rest of
the presenters to take this
time to walk us through the
rich material included in the
PowerPoint presentation.
Sorry we don't have a lot more
time for this but of course
this is just the beginning of
the conversation.
This is certainly not the end by
any means.
Plenty of time for us to have
both conversations and a public
setting but also one-on-one
setting with those
councilmembers who are
interested in getting more
information from each of you
about different components of
the research project that you
have so graciously spent your
time this my describing for us
already.
Colleagues, I want to open it
up for any questions or
comments about portions of the
presentation or the overarching
goal and scope of the research
project.
Any questions or comments?
Councilmember Morales.
>> I'm sure my colleagues have
a lot of questions I just want
to focus on two things.
One is the role of the city,
which as I am hearing, the
conversation really is not about
direct community engagement or
even directing the program
design itself, but in providing
assistance with contract
management, grants management,
compliance issues once the
contracts are made.
And really not engage in until
we are in the sort of past the
idea of collection state.
I want to confirm that that's
what I'm hearing.
The second question is about
who the right department is. We
have done participatory
budgeting a couple of times in
the city. We have done youth
choice, youth voice, your voice
your choice.
And both times that was run
through the same department,
department of neighborhoods, it
sounds like there's some
particular questions or things
that you would like to explore
in terms of doing a different
department or maybe a different
constellation of departments so
I'm wondering if you could talk
about that a little bit as
well.
>> One, the participatory
budgeting process is a team
effort with the City playing a
support role yes in terms of
the financial management
contract and compliance aspects
but also at the very beginning
there will be a steering
committee and there will be
different workgroups that are
supporting this work, different
committee [ Inaudible - static ]
participate in that work as
well.
It means it's not waiting until
the ideas are being collected by
actually early, early on in the
design phase of PB there will
be roles for people who are
embedded in the city as well as
different areas of community to
be participating.
Things like accountability
committee that will be in
charge of making sure that
monitoring and finding if
there's concerns about the
process, surfacing those
concerns to relevant parties,
so there will be committees
like that.
There's a lot more details that
go into the report but
basically there's a role
earlier on than just in the
design phase.
The second piece is consensus
with people familiar with the
purchase of Tory budgeting
process in Seattle the
department of neighborhoods
should not be the main holder
of this work.
I'm not usually so direct but
the feedback is very direct.
And that what we are looking
for is a world where we are
looking at the data, seeing that
there is significant disparities
and the previous considerations
of PB and learning for that so
we designed this new PB process
we can for that, there's no
reason why a particular
department who has done
something a couple of times
should always be the holder of
that work. There is the
opportunity for community to
reflect, reassess and make a
new recommendation.
The new recommendation is not
department of neighborhoods.
Department of neighborhoods
could participate in this,
again there's many different
committees but they should not
be the main holder.
Instead we are looking at the
EDI of the office of planning
and community development to
hold that work for the long-
term vision, for the long-term
success and trust in the
community really focusing on
equitable development.
That is a win for us and a
department that did not just go
in thinking they were the
present holder of this work is
also important.
It's really common for certain
departments in the city to
assume so the community has
given them permission without
asking for it. And so many
people were adamant that that
is absolutely the wrong call.
So to be clear, that's the
direction.
>> Any follow-up questions,
Councilmember Morales ?
Colleagues, any other questions?
>> Thank you for this
presentation.
I also want to thank you for
your early report.
I think it was a 15 or 16 page
initial report that you
published a few weeks ago right
towards the end of our budgets
I want to thank you for that.
Part of my questions for your
team has been how do we
regularly get updates about all
the good work you are doing
just knowing how fast things
are moving, and respective to
how things have moved in the
past.
It's really helpful to hear
today all of the work you're
doing.
I think every time I hear about
it I understand more and more
of the breath of the work
you're doing so thank you for
that.
I know Councilmember Herbold if
she were here will probably be
able to answer this as well but
can you remind us are there any
plans reports back to Public
Safety or to the Council as a
whole that we can anticipate or
that the public can anticipate
as we learn more about how
these systems are getting set
up and then any initial results
you continue to see in advance
of your full report that will
be forthcoming?
Is that already baked into the
report back system and if so,
can you tell us more about when
we can expect to those.
>> Yes, so every Monday we have
community teachings and
sometimes also press
conferences from 3:00 to 4:30
PM stream done Facebook,
YouTube, periscope, Twitter.
That's one way community has
been involved and we also have
office hours twice a week where
we present and ask a lot of
people ask questions and we
meet with Councilmember
Morales' office once a week on
the research to say how it's
going and my understanding is
Councilmember Morales will then
be presenting out to the rest
of council . And then basically
what I think January will look
like in December there's a
recess. January will kick up
and we will do a lot more
report outs events etc.
We have our December 21
preliminary report, which will
be more detailed than this.
Also apologies to other teams
who did not present today, but
we will share out the slide and
I do have video and content
including details about many of
the other projects involved. I
would say that if you are
interested in being involved,
it's actually really hard not
to because there's multiple
touch points during the week
where you can come and and ask
questions or listen [ Inaudible
- static ] that will continue
to be the case [ Inaudible -
static ] also be regular
updates.
We are trying to demonstrate
what accountability might look
like and a process with many
key players and I think that is
all hands on deck, all
communications channel, talk to
your neighbors, talk to your
elders, talk to community type
situation.
>> If I can follow up on that
for a second, you are muted but
I think you said sure.
[ Laughter ]
>> I'm so sorry.
You think I would have figured
this out by now.
I was saying, yes, but I know
that [ Indiscernible ] has a
follow-up question.
>> I just want to say that the
contract does ask that the
final report be presented in my
committee at the end of the
first quarter, so that will be
sort of the official report
that Councilmember Mosqueda but
as Sean said threat this
process we will be updating
those as well.
>> Thank you.
Council President , thank you
so much.
I also recognize that as we
think about this paradigm shift
to investing in community, that
is a good reminder that report
back so not in Public Safety
and it is inequitable
development. Thank you,
Councilmember Morales, and a
four to getting updates from
you and if there is the
opportunity to sit in on the
committee and your updated
industry public forums provided
that would be great.
This is a good reminder that we
often think of this as Public
Safety or the traditional
Public Safety model and that's
precisely why this report comes
back to equitable development
because it investing early to
ever prevent or too early or
invest in community and in
families to make sure that
there are fewer incidences of
people having to interact with
police and the criminal justice
system, so thank you for that
reminder.
I look forward to the report
backs and thank you so much for
the presentation today.
I look forward to reading
through the rest of the slides.
>> Thank you.
I forgot to mention we do
written report as well weekly.
We do that to our community but
we will also send a weekly
report out because not all of
you can attend our teachings of
that's also available to you.
>> I think the teachings are
currently proposed Monday
afternoons at the same time we
are in full Council meetings,
which pretty much means we will
never be able to attend them
unfortunately because of the
ongoing conflict.
But getting access to those
weekly reports consistently and
regularly will be really
important.
We don't want to create too
much bureaucracy in terms of
how you can get it to us so I
will just propose that perhaps
Councilmember Morales is the
chair for overseeing this
work, your office be the point.
And then your office have the
responsibility of the stripping
that information to the full
Council.
>> Okay.
Councilmember Juarez, you are
in the queue and colleagues if
anyone else is interested I
see Councilmember Pedersen .
Councilmember Juarez then
Councilmember Pedersen.
>> Thank you.
Thank you so much for the
presentation.
I can probably sit in on some
of the teachings because it's a
bunch of questions I want to
ask but I don't want to take up
all the time.
I do have three questions.
Some of them are pretty
technical and straightforward
but before I begin I want to
start with the observation that
the analogies in the approach
that Brack brilliance is taken
towards self-determination and
empowerment and change and
policy and how you sustain that
so much mirrors Indian country,
which is second nature to me.
So thank you for that.
It's interesting to watch.
Roughly we can be a part of
that.
I know we have a partnership as
city electives but I guess my
issue, my questions first of
all are for Sean.
Sean, so the preliminary report
you said will be more detailed
on December 21. Can we submit
questions to you ahead of that
like what we would like -- I'm
concerned about the
sustainability but I will get
to the question in a minute.
We could send that to you
directly from the PowerPoint
what kind of questions and
maybe some guidance for some of
us who are entering elder
territory so have kind of done
some of the stuff before, how
to take brick and mortar, how
to build something, how to hire
people, how to hire a revenue
stream that is sustaining, self-
sustaining for generations to
come.
I'm hoping I can share some of
that wisdom.
I have a little bit experience
in that area.
>> Sure. That goes for everyone
he was doing this.
If you have feedback you want
to see reflected in the report,
please send it to the email.
Open invitation to you all.
>> I think this is a really
wonderful opportunity.
I have shared a lot of what's
going on with Indian country
and others and folks in
leadership and other African-
American communities about the
real core for me is self-
determination that that's
what's going on here.
And obviously the African-
American Black community is
different than tribes because
tribes are government and as a
whole political relationship.
But the issues are the same.
You are concerned about safety,
community, mental health,
education, housing, social
services, you name it.
At some point you need to take
the power back and say, talk to
us, we know how to fix it.
And we will show you how we can
do it.
It may not be the way you all
doable you to have a way to do
it.
I have a question for LaTonya.
I was really interested to hear
that your organization on the
-- I want to know little bit
more about the Moore family
engagement, what that actually
means and then my last question
was for whoever can answer
this.
I don't know if it's Sean or
someone else, but I really want
to know from you guys what does
success look like short-term
and long-term?
Maybe I can ask LaTonya
question first then maybe
somebody can respond in
general.
I don't expect you to drill
down all of this.
I have a working idea so I can
articulate that.
>> Okay, so, thank you for the
question, Councilmember
Juarez.
We are committee connectors and
partner lot doing prevention
work with schools. We started
in middle school but now
working with elementary school
doing more prevention work and
working with the [
Indiscernible ] interventions
on partnership in Britain and
larger increased amount of
African American folks that
live there due to all the issues
we are talking about today.
And so, we are working directly
schools who presented a problem
of practice which was engaging
with the young people, finding
where they are at because so
many of them have dropped off
the radar, engaging parents,
parents are not able to contact
parents and finding different
innovative ways to contact them
and find out what their needs
are, find it had to support
them.
The social, emotional learning
piece as well as with Internet
as well as with other cultural
barriers that we have and we're
mainly talking about Black and
brown students and EL L
families.
We are partnering with several
other partners along with the
school, the principal and
where, together with their
social emotional learning teams
for written school district as
well as with the school and as
well as with our team and
several other teams.
It's a partnership where we are
going to be working together
with information and data they
arty have bringing our know-how
and our skill set, which is
engaging families and young
people.
And so, it is just now
beginning in terms of us -- we
have a plan already put in
place but we will be working
the plan and finalizing it
along with all of the other
groups so that we were
consistent with the messaging
and the outreach and how we are
going to go about locating
these families that are, like,
off the -- no one knows where
they are.
It's a lot of them.
It's a really emergent, urgent
need that we are trying to
serve.
I hope that answers your
question.
>> Yes, thank you.
>> I will take a stab at your
harder question, which is,
like, what does -- my
understanding is near-term,
long-term goals in terms of
equity and the goals.
I think that what's really
exciting about this project is
that different teams have
different answers in terms of
the specifics, which I think
the specifics are really where
the work is at.
If you stay too high-level it's
kind of hard to imagine what
that's going to look like, but
I think this slight here, slide
12 on page 12 of the report
sums it up pretty well.
We want a better world.
For a community, that's an
eager desire, that's not, like,
in 10 years, a couple of
generations, no, we want it
now.
That means seeing that
investments have shifted. The
root causes are being addressed.
We are going to stop punishing
people for systems failures and
embracing the new normal.
I think those are short-term
and long-term goals associated
with that rooted in the
specifics so for some people
the specifics is about we need
to be cutting harmful systems
now.
We need to be defending the
police now.
We need to be reducing courts
now or, you know, there's
certain specifics related
within this, mental health, you
know, getting a shifted over to
a new funding system so that we
can provide providers now.
So I think I will leave it there
, which is just that these are
the big picture things. [
Inaudible - static ] -- spaces
whose slide we did not get to
has a short-term and long-term
goals sections of you want to
know kind of what the team
looks like, they're focusing on
creative economy and how to
create a truly equitable
creative economy where artists
are not being exploited and
pushed out of the city or used
for their ability to sort of
pop up the status quo and
instead be able to create
sustainable, just work that
really reflects their lived
experience and the messages
they think are impertinent and
healing for thriving community.
So it really just depends on
the specifics.
The high-level overview is here
on this page for you,
Councilmember Juarez.
>> It's interesting you went
back to the page because that
was the page I had flagged.
Particularly the stop punishing
individuals for systems for
failures.
That was one I was looking at
this morning that spoke to me
just inherently from my former
days as a public defender and a
judge in legal services and
juvie.
there was a time that so much
behavior he was criminalized
like a runaway.
No one ever asked why was this
kid running away?
It's not a crime.
I understand the thinking.
I will be honest with you,
Shaun, at some point too I
want to be able to -- I want to
hear from you about how you
would be responding to
criticisms and concerns about
how we -- what this actually
looks like. Where do you want
to be in one year?
This time next year, where'd
you want to be?
With you get there or not, I'm
just trying to get a sense of
from you, Shaun, and everyone
else, which I also push when
I'm in the tribal communities,
understand what you are
shooting for. If it were up to
you this time next year,
December 14, 2021, what should
we be sitting in?
What should the world of
institution look like right now?
Even if you are not quite
there, that gives me a roadmap
to say okay I see where they
are marching towards,I get it.
>> I think community has been
pretty vocal about this year
the kind of things were looking
for.
When we look at the dress and
de minimus ordinances that are
about really thinking about
reducing the criminalization of
mental health struggles and
poverty and things like that I
think that is a very concrete
example of how you stop
punishing individuals for a
systems failures.
I also see the same thing [
Indiscernible ] and the calls
did not find more police but
invest more money in community
and I see it and the cries of
parents that are looking at the
breaking news stories about the
fact that Seattle public
schools has been caging
children etc.
I think a lot of the specifics
of what this looks like comes
from listening to a community
saying for a while and
continues to say.
For me, the goal for year from
now is that we are not wasting
time pretending there is two
equally valid points to every
single issue when on one side
it's like they're literally
people's lives and the lives
and the other side people have
opinions or vague inclinations,
well, do you care more about
people's lives and you care
more about people's feelings?
It's like I think for the most
part what we are saying is that
these are life and death issues
for us and for communities, for
our children, for our elders.
And it's time I want a year
from now not to be debating,
you know, where that's equally
relevant as people's notions
around what they thought create
public safety based on just
very limited information and
very little analysis.
And so, my hope with that with
this Black Brilliance Research
Project and other community
efforts ongoing that has been
ongoing that all of this, not
just council, but every single
one of us as members of the
community will see ourselves in
the solution and will be
advocating strongly for a
better world together.
And so that we can all live and
thrive and survive in this my
sleep incredibly challenging
time.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councilmember
Juarez, for those questions
and highlighting some of those
issues.
I know, Councilmember Juarez,
you have a lot of experience
particularly in Indian country
helping to literally build
economic infrastructure for
allowing people to be self-
sufficient and to determine
their own destiny and be
empowered, so I appreciate your
many decades of experience and
that space.
>> Thank you.
>> As the chair of a public
asset committee and native
community committee I know this
is something -- this is a body
of a spirit you are bringing to
the city --
>> [ Inaudible - static ]
>> -- On behalf of communities
who historically and currently
do not have access to those
assets is super valuable, so I
appreciate the back-and-forth
and opportunity to have a
conversation from that
perspective.
>> Council President , thank
you.
Real concern is getting out the
brick-and-mortar the four walls
and continuing to revenue
stream that sustained change
forever.
And thank you, Council
President , for recognizing
that.
If I could build you a casino I
would.
[ Laughter ] I don't think I
can.
That doesn't mean there and
other stuff I can't build.
>> Looks like one of our
presenters as a comment.
Please go ahead.
>> I will take a stab at
answering the question also.
My name is Nadia Miller and my
team represents get a chance to
present.
[ Inaudible - static ] I am
still able to live in south
Seattle which has been rapidly
gentrified.
When I think about what next
year looks like and getting
closer to this vision of a
better world, we have actually
already created those systems
for you.
That's what all these people
are here today and that long
list of other organizations
founded by Black indigenous
people of color from this
committee we figure out the
solutions.
They are these organizations,
so to me, that looks like
getting a 50% from the Seattle
Police Department and seeing
that a small fraction of that
huge budget is given to each
one of these organizations and
many more that have been in the
community for years and years
and years now because like
someone else that we are
resilient and we figured it out.
But we just need is to not have
to jump through hoops, not have
to fight each other for a
portion of those dollars. A
smaller chunk of, and I still
have to emphasize, $1 million
to one of these organizations a
Black-led organization would
-- because I believe [
Indiscernible ] instantaneously
probably address these issues
if they were given a fraction
of that type of money to do the
work that they do would allow
them as Black leaders in this
community to thrive in place
and give them the energy
spiritually, mentally to
continue to do the extremely
hard work of addressing these
systems that were put in place
to keep us oppressed.
When I think about next year,
that's what I see and we will
be able to do the work we have
arty been doing with nothing so
I really appreciate the
question and the opportunity to
share my [ Indiscernible ] I am
that type of thinker, the big
dreamer.
Our community programs and
organizations getting a little
bit more funding would allow us
to have the conversations with
the young people in our
community who don't feels
optimistic because [
Indiscernible ] services they
don't have mentors, they're not
sure about things or looking
for more guidance. If the
adults who have the solutions
could take a breath because
they are financially stable, to
then do the work and then share
that with them, we would be
right on track to a better
world.
We already on track but want to
emphasize it's something [
Indiscernible ]
>> Thank you, Nadia, for those
comments.
I am seeing a lot of hard
emojis on people's Hollywood
tiles, so I think that resonates
on the lens of a lot of folks.
Okay, so, we have Councilmember
Pedersen.
We have been going for little
over an hour.
Time flies when you're having a
good time.
So, I am going to ask if
Councilmember Pedersen will be
the last council member with
questions giving Councilmember
Morales an opportunity to close
out this presentation maybe by
identifying some concrete next
steps for the Council and the
group to keep in mind and for
now I'm going to hand it over
to Councilmember Pedersen for
any comments or questions .
>> Good morning.
Thank you, Council President
and good morning to everybody.
Thank you for being here today.
I appreciate this overview of
your preliminary results and
really appreciate your hard
work on this project.
In reaching historically
marginalized people whose voices
are often not adequately
incorporated in the decision-
making here at City Hall,
obviously long overdue seizing
this moment to reduce harm and
institutional racism and this
committee driven purchase with
a budgeting process is a key
element.
[ Inaudible - static ] millions
of more dollars into
marginalized communities with
more to come. I was not one of
the 4C councilmembers who made
the direct award of the $3
million, so my questions might
have already been answered
during other discussions but
just for the general public, I
wanted to better understand the
survey.
Is that something that you want
to be distributed widely? Are
you handling the distribution
just to keep the methodology
consistent?
I heard references to defunding
the police, the misdemeanor
legislation, and I just didn't
know if that was already
determined by the surveys or if
the surveys are still open.
That's one question.
Also the mayor's equitable
communities task force you
mentioned. What you believe is
the best way for those just
make your effort and that
effort to work constructively
meant to leverage each other's
leadership and will your
steering committee include any
members of the Community Police
Commission or the African-
American community advisory
Council? Those are my
questions.
Thank you very much.
>> Thank you so much.
Great questions.
The survey is open.
Please distribute it widely and
take the survey if you haven't.
It's in part to find out what
needs are in the community, to
create a more equitable PB
process so if we find that you
don't have Internet and we know
the Internet will be huge
component of the participatory
budgeting process, we need to
get you Internet and that's a
big goal of ours and as part of
the funding is to be able to
address those barriers so that
people can participate in this
process.
Please distribute the survey
widely.
The second piece of your
question is around -- it
sounded like it was a question
about outreach. We want to hear
from everybody.
I want to hear from people who
agree or disagree.
I want to hear from people who
have felt like they have not
had their voice reflected.
What's lovely and crucial about
having people from marginalized
comunities but I would say
Black communities specifically
leave this work is that we have
the relationships and the
connection and we know where
people are.
We know everybody.
Some of the community
researchers, Latonya in
particular the top two of my
mind and several others know
everybody.
They will be in seven, eight,
nine 50 different organizations
. They will no who parent just
passed from COVID.
They know everybody.
And so, getting several people
like that on your team means
that you get great coverage.
It's a very cost-effective
solution. If their team had
gone they'll tell you in one
month they've reached five
times more people than the city
has been able to reach in terms
of cultural. One month.
Let me just tell you that this
is a great way to make sure
you're actually hearing those
voices.
We have presented to the
African-American advisory
Council for the Seattle Police
Department, extended open
invitation. We will be
interviewing some of their
members.
We have presented to just about
anyone who has wanted to hear us
. That includes extending
invitations to the task force
several times to [
Indiscernible ] office hours,
everybody.
I want to put that out there in
case there's any illusion that
somehow we want to get certain
results.
I want to make sure everyone
sees themselves in the
solution.
Moving forward, I mentioned
earlier there will be several
different bodies that will be
helping to share prolonged the
PB process.
I can for sure imagine that
members of the task force will
be part of those as well
because this is not really like
an us versus them thing.
This is on frustrated that the
mayor decided to create this
process that kind of pits
community against each other
unnecessarily, but that's what
she did.
That's okay.
There's a way forward.
When we do the PB process and
there's all these different
groups that are helping to
shepherd it along, I have no
doubt there will be people who
were members of the task force
who will be participating in
that.
That just makes sense to me.
There's so many people who care
about the community and the so
many opportunities to help
support this effort.
I do think that as we see
moving forward that there will
be a lot of opportunities for
people to do what they
naturally want to do, which is
collaborate.
As long as the executive or no
office, no department decide
they're going to create this
unnecessary infighting between
us I think we will be okay.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Shaun and
Councilmember Pedersen for the
conversation.
>> [ Inaudible - static ]
>> We will close that out.
I'm going to ask if
Councilmember Morales had any
closing remarks including any
potential next steps for the
Council to keep in
consideration for members of
the viewing public to keep in
mind as we close out the year
here with the understanding
that we are about to get
another report from this cohort
on December 21.
>> Thank you.
I do have a few remarks if you
will indulge me.
Want to thank everybody again
for all the work you are doing
and for being here and we've
talked a lot this year about
the need to invest in a
different kind of community
safety.
As these initial findings show
those who are closest to the
problem have important
contributions to make and
thinking about the solutions.
So we heard a lot about youth
violence, for example, and we
often hear the question, what
are you doing about it?
As council members, we hear,
what are you going to do to
stop young people engaging in
violence in our neighborhoods,
for example.
I have said this many times
before and quite often this
year the answer is not to lock
them up faster.
The answer is to change the
community conditions that lead
to the violence in the first
place.
That means investing in more
affordable housing, integrated
food security, and more and
better jobs for their families
and better access to high-
quality public education.
Councilmember Juarez was asking
about success and I really see
this from a public health
perspective. We are looking at
making systems change so we
might not have a direct, you
know, causal link to better
outcomes but that doesn't mean
we don't start making the
necessary changes.
As one of the last -- I sit on
the King County Board of Health
with some of my colleagues here
and one of the last Board of
Health meetings before COVID,
we heard a presentation from
Dr. Vanessa Quince a public
health that shared many of the
things that we are hearing --
that we heard today about a
community conditions that
impact youth engagement and gun
violence in this particular
example.
It's about poor economic
conditions but it's also about
a lack of access to services,
about the availability of
community centers. One thing we
heard is the connection between
adolescent brain development
and messages about masculinity
and how that can influence a
young person's decision to
engage in gun violence.
It's an example of how
important it is that we invest
deeply into mentoring programs
that can lead to healthy,
thriving neighborhoods. And
that's the way we offer safer
conditions for our families.
So, as we move forward with the
program design, of this
iteration of participatory
budgeting, I want to invite my
colleagues to keep an open mind
about this work, ask lots of
questions but really approach
it with a curiosity so that we
can get to centering Black
brilliance the way we intended
and that means taking
direction from folks who have
historically been left out of
the decision-making.
I'm confident that this approach
to democratizing access to power
will serve all of us much
better.
In terms of the next steps for
this, in the legislation we
passed, we know that the
executive community and council
do need to work together to
craft a budget proposal to
release the funds that we have
set aside.
Once we have an official budget
proposal from the executive,
then council authorizes the
spending by an ordinance so
that is the work we need to do
and have begun to do now. We
have to determine what the
right department is and make
sure that the staffing across
the City, I think, the idea of
an departmental the team
extends because we know that
contracts will have to be going
out probably through many
different departments. And so,
think it's important that we
work with the executive branch
to make sure that there is a
shared understanding of the
importance of this work and of
the importance of preparing for
the contracting process and
making sure we are clear on
kind of the roles and
responsibilities of the
steering committee and how all
that will intersect with the
equitable development,
equitable investment task was
the mayor has created.
I have been in touch with the
executive's office to have
these conversations and to make
sure we are pulling all the [
Inaudible - static ]
>> Thank you, Councilmember
Morales for those closing
remarks.
I want to add what I think is a
compliment if two closing
remarks before we say thank you
and goodbye to our special
guests during council briefing
this morning.
There has been some commentary
in the media and in public
about sort of the nature of
this effort in terms of who is
leading the decision-making and
what the end results or
products could be.
And I think obviously as
council members are stewards of
taxpayer dollars and we have an
obligation to make sure that
those taxpayer dollars are, you
know, aligned with the laws
that require us to make sure we
are not doing public funds are
not anybody's asking for us to
run a afoul of those legal
obligations.
But he also wanted to highlight
that this work, although
different, has a lot of
similarities to some of the
work, historic work, that the
city of Seattle has done in the
space of environmental justice.
So, as a reminder in 2015, the
city of Seattle underwent the
effort around equity and around
the equity and environment
initiatives through office of
sustainability and environment
to develop what is now known as
the equity and environment
agenda.
That was done in deep
partnership with community, and
engaging over 1000 residents
across the city in order to
develop an equity and
environment agenda in order to
guide and advance the cities
receive racial equity goals in
Seattle's and bimetal programs
and policies against centering
on race as an indicator of those
who are most likely to be
negatively impacted by failure
to invest in those communities
in our efforts to combat
environmental damages. And one
of the things I think is
important about that effort for
us to remember, aside from the
fact that it happened in 2015
and for many years thereafter,
is that the decision-making and
the power was centered in what
was referred to as an
environmental justice
committee.
It was a central component of
that racial equity work, and
that environmental justice
committee, again, intentionally
handed over power to community.
It allowed community ownership
of decision-making of what the
city of Seattle is going to
prioritize in terms of
environmental program and
policy design that ultimately
was reduced to or memorialized
in the equity and environment
agenda.
And it was really -- it was
really a paradigm shift for the
city to say, we are going to
not just impanel community
experts to give us advice or
advise us on what we should
think about doing. It was a
paradigm shift towards, we are
actually going to cede power as
decision-makers and government
institutions to community
partners and have them develop
the agenda and have them commit
to helping us implement the
agenda that they are going to
drive the agenda, they are
going to drive the investments
and they are going to drive
this really important work from
a community ownership
perspective.
And so, again, I think it's an
important reminder of the fact
that while this is a much
larger effort and it includes a
scope of this includes many
more things than just climate
justice, that there is
precedence at the city in terms
of [ Inaudible - static ] in a
way that really does empower
and center and hand over
critical decision-making
authority to community-based
organizations and members of
the community to really help us
advance the work in a way that
is true to the needs of the
people who would benefit the
greatest from implementation of
many of these policies.
So, just a little, I guess, [
Inaudible - static ] as sort of
a similar effort that was
undertaken in 2015 that I think
was really popular and
ultimately did lead to the
creation of something called
asking environmental justice
fund that created grant
opportunities for community led
projects that were designed to
effectually and implement the
equity and environment agenda.
I think there's a model here
for us to look at in terms of
the what's next and how do we
distill all of this so we can
keep ourselves accountable to
what the goals are and look
forward to the ongoing
iterative of work to accomplish
those shared goals. I will go
ahead and close that out.
Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to say something in
closing here.
Thank you to Councilmember
Morales and working with my
office to corner this
presentation and thank you for
being with us this morning.
I know we took up more time
than we had intended to this
morning but really do
appreciate this early
conversation and look forward
to the ongoing work that will
come in the next few months.
With that being said, thanks
again for joiningus.
You are welcome to disconnect
at this point.
We are going to continue to
items of our agenda but, again,
much gratitude to you all,
wishing you all a wonderful
rest of the year.
Thank you so much.
>> We have an agenda item
council regional committees, no
shortage of items for us to
address related to this
afternoon's very full and busy
full council agenda. We will go
in the order of the rotator
roll call for city Council
meetings.
As a reminder, that roll call
order is as follows.
We will hear from Councilmember
Sawant, Councilmember Strauss,
Councilmember Juarez,
Councilmember Morales,
Councilmember Mosqueda and I
will conclude with my report.
Let's go ahead and take on in.
First up is Councilmember
Sawant.
>> Good morning and thank you.
There's no items on today's
city Council agenda from the
sustainability committee.
On today's city Council agenda
there's a resolution for
Councilmember Mosqueda that
have cosponsoredand supportive
the current [ Indiscernible ]
massive of formers in India.
In September the reactionary
Hindu fundamentalist quality
party of the government headed
by Prime Minister [
Indiscernible ] introduced
three laws that will dismantle
the bare minimum protections or
regulations relied on by
millions of small farmers for
survival.
One of the new laws for
example, would repeal the
minimum support price, which is
a publicly mandated price for,
a minimum price at which the
government promises to buy
produce from small farmers as a
measure of basic economic
protection for them.
The new laws are a massive
corporate handout to profitable
[ Indiscernible ] business
multinational corporations.
The farmers currentl see these
laws as they themselves said,
quote unquote death warrant for
themselves leading to even more
dangerous levels of poverty and
indebtedness Dan already exists
while the elite gain even
greater corporatization and
privatization and more
obscenely large profits.
My staff and I joined hundreds
of students and other young
people in produce action of the
space needle in solidarity with
the farmers in India.
As an elected representative of
Seattle's working people and as
someone who grew up in India
and was politicized and
radicalized by the
understanding of how global
capitalism and imperialism have
led to the continued
impoverishment of the masses
and the new colonial world
including India, I was proud to
join the produce rally.
As myself and other speakers at
the rally said, the new laws
are a massive giveaway to
billionaires like [ Name
indiscernible ] who is India's
richest man and is like the
Jeff Bezos and India and [ Name
indiscernible ] both of whom are
among the 40 richest people in
the world.
Farmers and agricultural
workers make up 60% of the
country's population. A 2010
study found that more than half
of the farmers in India were in
debt and that of the before the
pandemic and recession more than
20,000 farmers in the country
have died by suicide from just
between 2018 to 2019 and as the
resolution says, [ Inaudible -
static ] died by suicide and
has been a major factor in
suicide.
The protest had made world
headlines and have let you
solidarity actions by [
Indiscernible ] global
communities and in the Seattle
region as well as in Canada,
United Kingdom and Austria.
These solidarity protests
leaving for established
politicians to speak publicly
including Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau and a
member of the Australian
Parliament.
The next major action of this
movement in India is a call for
a [ Indiscernible ] and meaning
shutdown India, in other words,
general strike that will be on
January 8 of 2021.
It is being organized not only
by 100 farmer organizations and
also by 10 trade Union
Confederation represent
hundreds of millions of union
members and the number of
student unions.
The trade union movement is
correctly not narrowly limiting
its January 8 strikes slogan to
reporting farmers but also
raising 14 point chart of
demand for the broader working-
class for minimum wage
increases against a ramp and
privatization and so on
strengthening the movement of
the farmers. The fact is the
produce movement has already
shown enormous strength lasted
over three weeks with an
impressive degree of
organization and political
strength.
However, we cannot afford to
get complacent.
The movement has to escalate in
order to force the [
Indiscernible ] which concede
to the demand because the
regime will keep trying various
developing concrete tactics to
break the movement and if they
don't succeed in that then they
and the [ Indiscernible ] will
simply try and wait out the
movement because they have the
resources and leverage. We
cannot afford for the
protesters to get exhausted and
demoralized.
We need to keep escalating.
That is why it's crucial for
the trade union movement and
India announcing the general
strike for January 8. That is
now in unison being supported by
farmer organizations and
student unions as well.
And the unions are demanding a
restoration of the protections
for small farmers
THAT A MOVEMENT HAS BEEN RUN
THROUGH AND MY STAFF MEMBER HAS
SENT THIS TO YOUR OFFICES AND
THE AMENDMENT ADD SECTION 3 IN
THE SECTION SAYING THE CITY
COUNCIL STANDS IN SOLIDARITY
WITH THE TRADE UNION,
FEDERATIONS AND STUDENT UNIONS
IN INDIA ORGANIZING FOR GENERAL
STRIKE ON DECEMBER 8 AND
DEMANDING THE RESTORATION OF
PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL FARMERS,
INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE,
ENDING PRIVATIZATIONS AND
DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF
RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES.
THIS WILL BE AN EXCELLENT
RESOLUTION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO
APPROVE AND STAND ON THE RIGHT
SIDE OF HISTORY AND IT WILL BE
VERY MUCH IN COHESION WITH THE
PREVIOUS RESOLUTION THAT THE
COUNCIL PASSED FROM MY OFFICE
IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE MUSLIM
COMMUNITY AND THE POOR
COMMUNITIES IN INDIA SPEAKING
OUT AGAINST THE HORRENDOUS
CITIZENSHIP LAWS BY THE REGIME.
YESTERDAY AT THE REQUEST OF THE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE SEATTLE
REGION MY OFFICE INITIATED A
PRESIDENT PETITION TO URGE
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN AND
VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA
HARRIS TO MAKE A PUBLIC
STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH
THE MILLIONS OF FARMERS WHO ARE
PROTESTING AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC CAN FIND A LINK TO THAT
ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT AND
ALSO ON THE COUNCIL OFFICE BLOG
AND JUST SINCE LAST NIGHT
NEARLY 300 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED
THE PETITION AND WE HAVE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY NOW STARTING TO
SHARE.
FINALLY, BUT NOT LEAST, MY
OFFICE ALONGSIDE THE SALVATION
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND
LABOR UNIONS IS ORGANIZING A
CARAVAN ON JANUARY 8 ON THE
SAME DAY AS THE INDIAN GENERAL
STRIKE SO WE CAN HAVE
SOLIDARITY WITH THEM ON A VERY
IMPORTANT DAY.
LAST WEEK ALONGSIDE RENTERS,
AMENITY ACTIVISTS, UNION
MEMBERS, SEATTLE AND THE CITY
OF WASHINGTON STATE MY OFFICE
BEGAN AN ALL LA PUSH TO DEMAND
AN EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT
EVICTION PROTECTIONS FOR
TENANTS, STRUGGLING SMALL
BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS IN
SEATTLE AND ALSO STATEWIDE.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY FOR
DEMANDS IS OVERWHELMING AND
IT'S SURPRISING BECAUSE OF THE
BITTER REALITY OF LOST JOBS AND
INCOMES AND THE VERY PRECARIOUS
SITUATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE
LIVING IN FOR MONTHS.
THE CURRENT SEATTLE AND
STATEWIDE EXECUTIVE ORDER
AGAINST EVICTIONS EXPIRE ON
DECEMBER 31 AFTER WHICH TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF TENANTS IN SEATTLE
FACED THE PROSPECT OF EVICTION
AND POTENTIALLY HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS IN WASHINGTON STATE.
NATIONWIDE, WE COULD SEE US
TSUNAMI OF EVICTIONS IF THE
PROTECTIONS ARE RENEWED AND
STRENGTHENED.
SOME 530,000 SEATTLE IT KING
COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE FILED FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT SINCE MARCH AND
STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
HAVE HAD TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS
BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. EVEN BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC, 17% OF AMERICAN
WORKERS WERE LIVING PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK AND NOW WE HAVE NEW
STATISTICS OF HOW MANY RENTERS
ARE RESORTING TO ACCUMULATING
CREDIT CARD DEBT JUST TO PAY
FOR BASIC EXPENSES LIKE FOOD
AND RENT AND OTHER EXPENSES.
AT THE SAME TIME WE KNOW AMAZON
AND MICROSOFT AND OTHER
TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONS I HAVE
STAGGERING PROFITS AND NOT JUST
THOSE COMPANIES BUT MAJOR
SEATTLE LAMB LOGS LIKE ESSEX
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND EQUITY
APARTMENTS WHICH HAVE RECORDED
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN PROFITS DURING THE PANDEMIC
AND THOSE TWO LANDLORDS ARE
NATIONAL REAL ESTATE COMPANIES
WHO COMBINED TOGETHER CONTROL
ABOUT 20,000 APARTMENTS IN THE
SEATTLE AREA.
RECENTLY REPORTED MORE THAN
$1.1 BILLION IN PROFITS IN JUST
THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS
YEAR.
AND ESSEX PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
IS ONE OF THE MOST EVICTING
LANDLORDS AND SEATTLE KING
COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE RENTERS
RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS.
ALONGSIDE THE RENTERS RIGHTS
ORGANIZATION, MY OFFICE PUT OUT
A STATEMENT DEMANDING MAYOR
DURKAN STRENGTHEN AND EXTEND
THE EVICTION MORATORIUM THROUGH
2021 WHICH IS PROTECTIONS FOR
RENTERS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
AND NONPROFITS. AND MORE THAN
1000 PEOPLE SIGNED IT IN LESS
THAN 24 HOURS WITH A TOTAL OF
OVER 2100 PEOPLE SIGNED IN JUST
FOUR DAYS.
THE RESPONSES INCLUDE RESPONSES
FROM SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND
PROGRESSIVE SMALL LANDLORDS AND
INCLUDE MOVING STORIES FROM
RENTERS ON THE BRINK OF
HOMELESSNESS.
AND MY OFFICE FORWARDED A
PETITION TO DEMAND SIGNATURES
TO MAYOR DURKAN AND COPY OTHER
COUNCILMEMBERS.
I URGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO
JOIN OUR DEMAND THAT MAYOR
DURKAN EXTEND THE EVICTION
MORATORIUM THROUGH 2021 WITHOUT
WATERING IT DOWN AND I URGE
MEMBERS TO JOIN IN THE CALL AS
WELL WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
WE HEARD THROUGH ARTICLES FROM
DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS LIKE
CROSSCUT THAT CORPORATE
LANDLORDS ARE ATTEMPTING TO PUT
PRESSURE ON THE DEMOCRATIC
ESTABLISHMENT IN OLYMPIA TO
WATER DOWN THE EVICTION
MORATORIUM BY PUTTING IN MEANS
TESTING AND THAT WOULD BE A
DEVASTATING BLOW.
THAT WOULD BE A DEVASTATING
BLOW FOR RENTERS WHO NEED IT
WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THE EVICTION MORATORIUM
HERBS ARE RENEWED AS IS OR
STRENGTHEN BUT NOT WATERED
DOWN.
AND ONE FINAL ISSUE IS I HAVE
AN AMENDMENT TO THE ITEM ON
TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
REGARDING THE UPDATE TO THE
SEATTLE ETHICS AND ELECTIONS
COMMISSIONS.
THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED I
BELIEVE BY THE COUNCILMEMBERS
AND THE UPDATE MAKES THREE
CHANGES TO THE RULES.
TWO I SUPPORT AND THE THIRD
REGULATES WHAT THE LAW CALLS,
QUOTE, AND THIS IS WHAT IS
GRASSROOTS LOBBYING, I DON'T
CONSIDER IT LOBBYING AND NOT
PROFESSIONAL LOBBYISTS PAID TO
TALK TO ELECTED OFFICIALS BUT
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS AND
ORGANIZED COMMUNITIES TO MAKE
THEIR VOICES HEARD.
THE RULE REQUIRES ANY
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN THAT SPENDS
AT LEAST $750 IN A MONTH HAS TO
IT'S CLOSE EXPENDITURES, DONORS
AND GAMES.
I'M CONCERNED IT WILL CREATE A
CHILLING EFFECT ON GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZING AND WILL BE EASY FOR
ASTROTURF ORGANIZATIONS AND
CORPORATE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
TO MAKE DISCLOSURES BUT FOR
GENUINE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS
THAT MAY NOT HAVE A
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT WHICH
MOST WILL NOT, THIS PAPERWORK
WILL BECOME FRANKLY IMPOSSIBLE.
IMAGINE IF THE LEGISLATION WAS
ON THE BOOKS DURING THE JUSTICE
FOR GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST WHEN
HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
DONATED TO MANY COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZING
MARCHES AND MAKING DEMANDS LIKE
FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO DEFUND
THE POLICE.
RENTING IT TO A SINGLE RALLY
CAN COST MORE THAN $750,000
DEPENDING ON THE PROTEST AND
PUTS THEM IN AN IMPOSSIBLE
CONDITION.
IT'S TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE TO
TRACK DOWN DONOR INFORMATION
FOR ANYONE WHO DONATES OVER $25
AT THE PROTEST BUT REQUIRES
MAJOR FOCUS OF THE ORGANIZERS
WHO ARE GENERALLY HARD-WORKING
VOLUNTEERS AND SHOULD BE
SPENDING ENERGIES ON THE RALLY
AND DISCUSSING WITH PEOPLE AND
ENERGIZING THEMSELVES AND NOT
TRACKING TECHNICAL INFORMATION
TO COMPLY WITH A CUMBERSOME
LAW.
OF COURSE IT IS NOT THE
INTENTION OF THEM TO PENALIZE
JEN YOU'LL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZERS
WHO ARE UNABLE TO COLLECT
INFORMATION BUT THE ENFORCEMENT
WOULD LARGELY BE CONVEYED BASED
ON OTHER S.E.C.
REGULATIONS AND I GUARANTEE
THERE ARE PLENTY OF SUPPORTERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THE RIGHT
WING IN GENERAL WHO WOULD BE
ABLE TO FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST
THE BLACK LIVES MOVEMENT IN
SEATTLE AND JUST AN EXAMPLE AND
THERE ARE OTHER PROGRESSIVE
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ALSO
FACING THE PROBLEM.
MY OFFICE HAS DISCUSSED THE
LEGISLATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE S.E.C.
IN DETAIL AND I APPRECIATE HIS
TIME WALKING MY STAFF THROUGH
THIS.
THE REALITY IS THERE ARE
SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NO
ANSWER YET AND ARE FUNDAMENTAL
TO THE IMPACT THE LEGISLATION
WOULD HAVE ON GENUINE
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A PROTEST
ON THE ISSUE AT WHAT POINT DOES
IT MEET THE DEFINITION OF
GRASSROOTS LOBBYING?
IF IT'S ABOUT A SPECIFIC BILL,
BUT WHAT ABOUT IF IT'S AN ISSUE
LIKE DEFUNDING THE POLICE OR
BLACK LIVES MATTER GENERALLY?
CAMPAIGNS HAVE A CLEAR START
WHEN CAMPAIGN STAFF CAN BE
TRAINED BY THE S.E.C.
BUT MOVEMENTS GROW ORGANICALLY.
THERE IS NO CLEAR STOP MOVEMENT
FOR CAMPAIGN STAFF TO BE
TRAINED BY THE S.E.C.
SO NOT CLEAR HOW THE ORGANIZERS
ARE MADE AWARE OF
RESPONSIBILITIES.
HOW SHOULD VOLUNTEERS TRACK
DONATIONS THROWN IN POCKETS AT
PROTEST WHICH IS A COMMON
STRATEGY FOR GRASSROOTS
FUNDRAISING?
THERE ARE NO ANSWERS TO THESE
QUESTIONS YET.
GIVEN THE LEGISLATION WILL AT
BEST BE IGNORED AND AT WORST
WILL BE CREATING A CHILLING
EFFECT ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
BY BURYING THEM IN RED TAPE.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT FOR
THE RULES IS MORE AROUND
CORPORATE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
AND THAT'S CLEAR AND WE AT
APPRECIATE MR. BARNETT TALKING
TO US ABOUT IT AND THE SAD
REALITY IS THIS DISCLOSURE IS
EASY FOR CORPORATIONS WHO
ALREADY HAVE LAWYERS TO MAKE IT
TRIVIAL TO COMPLETE THE
PAPERWORK AND THE BURDEN FALLS
ON VOLUNTEER ORGANIZERS.
FINALLY I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE
LANGUAGE IS TAKEN ALMOST WORD
FOR WORD FROM THE STATE LAWS
REGULATING GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS
TARGETING STATE GOVERNMENT.
HOWEVER, THE STATE REGULATIONS
ARE THE LAST PLACE I LOOK FOR
ADVICE ON HOW TO CREATE A
WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING.
IT'S NOTORIOUSLY IN ACCEPTABLE
BECAUSE OF THIS DISREGARDS THE
LAW HAS FOR GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZING AND EMBLEMATIC OF
THE OVERALL PROBLEM.
THE AMENDMENT WE PREPARED AND
THANK YOU FOR GETTING IT READY
RAPIDLY, WITH HELP ON THE
ENTIRE SECTION OF GRASSROOTS
CAMPAIGNS AND WOULD LEAVE THE
OTHER TWO ISSUES UNCHANGED.
MY OFFICE LOOKED INTO RAISING
THE THRESHOLD FOR THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY IT WOULD NEED TO BE SPENT
TO TRIGGER THESE REQUIREMENTS
AND IF OTHER OFFICES WOULD LIKE
TO EXPLOIT THAT FURTHER, I'M
APPY TO DO IT MYSELF.
IN DISCUSSING WITH MR. BARNETT,
IT BECAME CLEAR IF WE RAISE THE
THRESHOLD HIGH ENOUGH TO AVOID
GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS IT WILL
ALSO BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR MOST
CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS ALSO TO FLY
UNDER THE RADAR AND THEY CAN
HAVE SMALL ENTITIES TO
INTENTIONALLY AGREE SO NO CLEAR
THRESHOLD WHICH WOULD DEFINE SO
EVEN THOSE COMPLICATIONS I
BELIEVE ELIMINATING THE SECTION
IS THE BEST APPROACH AND I URGE
COUNCILMEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE
AMENDMENT IN THE MEETING TODAY
AND WE ARE AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS
WITH COUNCILMEMBERS OR STAFF
ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY
HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS IN
RESPONSE TO THAT.
THE LAST POINT RELATED TO THE
ELECTIONS COMMISSIONS BILL I
WILL ADDRESS WHEN I GET TO MY
REPORT.
SO FOR NOW, IF THERE ARE ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON
THAT REPORT, I WOULD BE HAPPY
TO CALL ON FOLKS.
HEARING NONE, WE WILL GO AHEAD
AND HEAR FROM COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS AND THEN WE WILL HEAR
FROM COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
PRESIDENT.
GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES.
THERE'S ONE ITEM FROM THE LAND-
USE NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE ON
TODAY'S CALENDAR WHICH IS BILL
11978 WHICH EXTENDS THE INTERIM
FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS COUNCIL
ADOPTED THIS YEAR FOR
ADDITIONAL 12 MONTHS TO ALLOW
INDIVIDUALS TO CONTINUE TO
OBTAIN FLOOD INSURANCE THROUGH
THE FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM AND
THE PLAN FOR STUDIES NEEDED TO
BE DEVELOPED FOR PERMANENT
REGULATIONS TO BE BROUGHT
BEFORE US.
AGAIN, WE HAD THE BILL BEFORE
US AND WE PASSED IT EARLIER
THIS YEAR.
THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF THAT
BILL.
WE ALSO HAD AN INITIAL BRIEFING
ON THE SPILLING COMMITTEE SO WE
ARE ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY IN
JANUARY WHEN WE WILL HAVE
ANOTHER BRIEFING PUBLIC HEARING
AND VOTE IN COMMITTEE NEXT
MONTH.
THERE ARE NEW ITEMS FROM THE
LAND-USE AND NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMITTEE ON TODAY'S FULL
AGENDA.
COMING OUT OF THE FINANCE AND
HOUSING COMMITTEE LAST WEEK FOR
THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET
ORDINANCES, COLLEAGUES, I SURE
WILL HAVE MORE DISCUSSION AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR
PERSPECTIVE WHEN SHE RETURNS
THE PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIRS
PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
FOR THE BUDGET SUPPLEMENT
ORDINANCES WE NEED TO ENSURE WE
ARE READY TO RESPOND, AND
SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE
GRANTS ACCEPTANCE SECTION,
READY TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS.
WE NEED TO INTERRUPT THE HABIT
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES A
SING MILITARIZED EQUIPMENT.
SO AT THE COMMITTEE I
CONSIDERED AN AMENDMENT TO
REMOVE THE STATE HOMELAND
SECURITY GRANT AND THE
ASSOCIATED APPROPRIATION.
I DO ALSO BELIEVE THIS FLAT CUT
IS TOO BLUNT A TOOL TO BE USED
IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE WE
NEED TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS TOOLS AND MANY OF
THE QUESTIONS I ASKED WERE
ANSWERS LIKE RESPIRATORS BEING
USED TO RESPOND TO CHEMICAL,
BIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR OR HIGH-
YIELD EXPLOSIVES IS DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT I INITIALLY ASSUMED.
WE DO NEED TO STOP ACCEPTING
EQUIPMENT DESIGNED FOR WAR AND
NEED TO ACCEPT EQUIPMENT
DESIGNED FOR EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS.
WE HEARD IN COMMITTEE THIS
INFORMATION BEFORE US HAS BEEN
WITHIN THE CITY SINCE OCTOBER.
I SAID AND I WILL SAY AGAIN
THAT I WISH WE AT COUNCIL HAD
RECEIVED THE INFORMATION
EARLIER TO MAKE INFORMED
DECISIONS TO KEEP THE PROCESS
MOVING IN A TIMELY MANNER
RATHER THAN THE NIGHT BEFORE
THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING
BEFORE THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING
OF THE YEAR.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME IS
BECAUSE IT'S A CHARTER POWER.
IT'S A SECOND LINE OF THE
CHARTER AFTER THE PREAMBLE OF
THE CHARTER, NO GIFTS, MILITARY
SUPPLY OF GAS OR POLICE
EQUIPMENT SHALL BE ACCEPTED BY
THE CITY OF SEATTLE WITHOUT
APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE WHICH IS
WHY WE HAVE THE GRANTS
ACCEPTANCE ORDINANCE BEFORE US.
SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE, DR.
FISHER, ANGELA, GREG, EVERYONE
FOR ANSWERING SO MANY QUESTIONS
OVER THE WEEKEND.
I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS
UNANSWERED, SPECIFICALLY
REGARDING THE INHALERS AND NOT
THE SAME DEVICE BECAUSE IT'S A
TRADEMARKED NAME AND THE
ANSWERS WE RECEIVED, THE
ANSWERS WERE JUST SIMPLY THE
INFORMATION WAS UNKNOWN.
SO I NEED TO KNOW THAT IT DOES
NOT EXCEED A DANGEROUS DECIBEL
LEVEL. SO THESE AS WELL WITH
NIGHT-VISION THERE IS A NOTE IT
IS INTENDED FOR TACTICAL
ADVANTAGE, BUT THESE DEVICES
CAN BE USED IN EMERGENCY
DISASTER, SEARCH AND RESCUE,
ETC.
AND MAYBE I'M MISSING WHY A
TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES NEEDED IN
SEARCH AND RESCUE IN THE ETC.
AT THE END OF THE ANSWER LEAVES
AN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE TO
QUESTIONS REQUESTING
SPECIFICITY.
SO FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS I
KNOW WE ARE MOVING QUICKLY AND
PRESSED TIMELINE TO THE HEAD OF
COUNCIL RECESS AND I STILL NEED
TO CONFER WITH CENTRAL STAFF TO
CONFIRM OPTIONS SINCE ADDING A
PROVISO TO LEGISLATION REQUIRES
A TITLE CHANGE AND I HAVE BEEN
ADVISED THAT IS A LONGER
PROCESS.
I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE
DIRECTOR WILL ENSURE DOLLARS
WILL NOT BE SPENT ON CERTAIN
ITEMS WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR.
IN COMMITTEE, I BEGAN IN THE
POSITION OF ABSTAIN AND ENDED
UP VOTING YES TO KEEP THE
PROCESS MOVING DUE TO THE
CONVERSATION IN COMMITTEE AND
IN THE SAME POSITION NOW
WITHOUT ANSWERS TO THESE
QUESTIONS.
I PLAN TO ABSTAIN FROM VOTING
JUST ON THE GRANTS ACCEPTANCE
ORDINANCE, BUT AGAIN I WILL
CONFIRM WITH CENTRAL STAFF TO
UNDERSTAND OPTIONS AND LOOKING
FORWARD TO HEARING FROM
COLLEAGUES AS WELL TO
UNDERSTAND MORE WHAT OUR
OPTIONS ARE BECAUSE WE NEED TO
ACCEPT THE EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS EQUIPMENT AND
THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS LEFT
UNANSWERED REGARDING ITEMS
ENSURING QUITMAN IS SOLELY
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND NOT
REPURPOSE IN UNANTICIPATED WAYS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THAT
TOPIC.
MOVING ON TO SMALL BUSINESSES,
DON'T FORGET WE CAN STILL
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES WHICH
ARE ONLINE MARKETPLACES FOR
NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT
SEATTLE AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
SHOP.
I SHOPPED AT BALLARD AVENUE
THIS WEEKEND AND A FUN PROGRAM
WHERE YOU CAN WIN A $100 GIFT
CERTIFICATE OR 10% OFF AT
PARTICIPATING SMALL BUSINESSES.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE OFFICE OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT'S WEBSITE
FOR INTER-AC OF APP THAT SHOWS
MARKETPLACES.
IN HARDER NEWS I LEARNED THAT
THE BREWERY WILL BE CLOSING ITS
DOORS AND ITS ACCOMPANYING
BALLARD THAT DID EVERYTHING
THEY COULD IN REQUESTING
FLEXIBILITY FROM LANDLORDS.
THEY REQUESTED INFORMATION
DOLLARS AND ADVOCACY FROM
ELECTORS INCLUDING ME.
GRANTS AND CHANGED HOW THEY DID
BUSINESSES.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY WITH
BREWERS INCLUDING RESTAURANTS
UNITED WHO HAD ME BRING FORWARD
THE LETTER WE COLLEAGUES ALL
SIGNED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT
WAS SENT TO THE STATE AND
FEDERAL DELEGATIONS AHEAD OF
SOME OF THE RELIEF PACKAGES
THAT CAME BEFORE US.
I CHAMP IN SMALL BUSINESS
GRANTS SO MUCH.
WE DID WHAT WE COULD AND IT
CONTINUES TO BE NOT ENOUGH.
BEFORE WE SEE OTHER SMALL
BUSINESSES ALSO CLOSING BECAUSE
ALL OF THE ABOVE REASONS, WE
NEED TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU COUNCIL
PRESIDENT AND COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA FOR BRINGING FORWARD
AN ADDITIONAL SMALL BUSINESS
RELIEF BILL TODAY AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT BUT
HARD NEWS TO HEAR WHEN
BUSINESSES HAVE DONE ALL THEY
COULD AND IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.
EVENTS LAST WEEK, I JOINED THE
BALLARD ALLIANCES ADVISORY
BOARD WEDNESDAY.
MY OFFICE HOSTED A COORDINATING
MEETING AROUND THE LEARY
TRIANGLE WHICH LOCAL RESIDENTS
AND BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN
ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATE FOR OVER
2 1/2 YEARS.
WE BROUGHT FOLKS TOGETHER TO
OUTLINE NEXT STEPS AND HOW WE
CAN ACTIVATE THAT SPACE. HERE
IN DISTRICT 6, NEIGHBORHOOD
MEETINGS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE
DURING COUNCIL RECESSES AND WE
WILL RESUME THOSE MEETINGS
EARLY IN JANUARY.
LAST WEEK I SPOKE TO 13
NEIGHBORS FROM BALLARD,
FREMONT, GREEN LAKE, FREMONT
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT AND WE
DISCUSSED NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY,
INVESTING IN BLACK COMMUNITIES,
ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, AND
MANY FOLKS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY AND
SEATTLE IS THE NEED FOR US TO
LEAD WITH HUMAN CENTERED
SOLUTIONS. OUTSIDE OF SPEAKING
ABOUT HOMELESSNESS WE DISCUSSED
TREES, INCREASE PROPERTY CRIME
IN THE DISTRICT AND HOW
ORGANIZED CRIME AND CONCERNS
ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING ARE IN
PLACES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO RESUMING THE
DISTRICT RESIDENT MEETINGS IN
JANUARY.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO I
SPOKE WITH LAST WEEK.
THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND
COLLEAGUES.
THAT'S MY REPORT FOR TODAY.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBERS.
>> COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, DID I
HEAR YOU SAY YOU PLAN ON
ABSTAINING THE FOURTH QUARTER
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET --
>> NOT FROM THE SUPPLEMENTAL,
FROM THE GRANTS ACCEPTANCE.
>> JUST AS A POINT OF ORDER,
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS
ABSTENTIONS AND IN FULL COUNCIL
YOU HAVE TO VOTE YES OR NO.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS
CLEAR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS BOTH
THESE ITEMS ARE ON THE AGENDA
FOR FULL COUNCIL SO THERE WILL
BE A FINAL VOTE ON THOSE THIS
AFTERNOON.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS
CLEAR.
AND I SEE COUNCILMEMBER HAS HER
HAND REASON I WANT TO CALL IN
HER.
>> MAY I SAY I WOULD LIKE TO
FIND A WAY TO GET TO YES.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY CONCERNS
ARE ADDRESSED.
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE
AWARE THAT ABSTENTION IS NOT A
THING FOR FULL COUNCIL, SO IF
YOU ARE I GUESS I HEAR THAT
YOU ARE AT NO AND THAT IS DULY
NOTED.
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCIL
PRESIDENT AND THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS AND
APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS YOU
RAISED IN THE MEETING LAST
WEDNESDAY FOR FOLKS NOT IN THE
FINANCE AND HOUSING MEETING AND
YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW A ROBUST
CONVERSATION ABOUT GRANTS
ACCEPTANCE ORDINANCE AND AS A
REMINDER IT'S ITEM NUMBER 4 ON
OUR AGENDA AND ONE 19971 AND I
WANT TO NOTE THERE WAS A
LENGTHY EMAIL SENT AROUND ABOUT
SOME OF THE REALLY DETAILED
QUESTIONS THAT EVEN MEMBERS NOT
PART OF FINANCE AND HOUSING HAD
A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND
HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
THERE'S AN 11 PAGE DOCUMENT
THAT THE CEO AND I BELIEVE
MEMBERS OF SPD RESPONDED AND I
AGREE WITH YOU COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS THAT WE NEED MORE
INFORMATION AND MORE TIME AND
IDEALLY WOULD HAVE HAD A LONGER
ROAD MAP.
I THINK WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE
CITY BUDGETS OFFICE AND
DIRECTOR NOBLE WAS A COMMITMENT
TO SEND A LETTER TO MAKE SURE
ALL QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED
BEFORE ANY SPENDING IS
AUTHORIZED TO THE EXTENT FOLKS
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS THAT WERE
NOT ANSWERED. IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL FOR US TO HEAR THOSE
AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT HE CEO
HAS A CHANCE TO HEAR THEM IN
CENTRAL STAFF CAN HEAR THEM.
FOLKS WORK QUICKLY TO PROVIDE
AS MUCH INFORMATION AS THEY
COULD AND THOSE QUESTIONS IF
THEY ARE SHOULD MAKE SURE THERE
IS A FULL FORMAT TO DRAW THOSE
QUESTIONS.
I UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET
DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR NOBLE, WILL
SEND A LETTER AFFIRMING THEY
ARE PLANNING TO ANSWER
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS BEFORE
SPENDING GOES FORWARD WITH THE
HOPES THAT AS WE TALKED ABOUT
ON WEDNESDAY, OTHER GRANTS
DON'T GET HELD UP ON THIS.
I TOO, COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS,
HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AND
YOUR QUESTIONS PROMPTED MORE
QUESTIONS FOR ME AND SOME OF
THOSE HAVE BEEN ANSWERED BUT
STILL SOME CONCERNS.
I APPRECIATE THE DIRECTOR NOBLE
COMMITTING TO SENDING THE
LETTER TO A FIRM IN WRITING
THEY WILL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
BEFORE ANY SPENDING GOES
FORWARD AS ANOTHER FAILSAFE.
AND I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS IN
CASE YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO
WATCH THE COMMITTEE GIVEN IT
WAS A LONG MEETING,
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS REFERRED
TO A POSSIBLE AMENDMENT HE WAS
CONSIDERING TO REMOVE A GRANT
ACCEPTANCE IS BEING TOO BLUNT.
AS A REMINDER TO FOLKS, THE
AMENDMENT WAS NOT INCLUDED SO
THERE IS NOT AN AMENDMENT THAT
HAS A TOO BLUNT OBJECT IN THE
GRANT ACCEPTANCE.
THERE WAS NO SECOND FOR THAT
AMENDMENT AND WE DO NOT HAVE
THAT IN THERE SO IN CASE YOU
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT,
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, WANT TO
MAKE SURE I CLARIFY FOR THE
FOLKS THAT THE CONCEPT YOU WERE
CONSIDERING THAT I SUPPORTED IS
NOT INCLUDED, BUT WHAT WE DO
HAVE IS A COMMITMENT FROM THE
CEOs OFFICE TO HAVE ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
THEN AGAIN, THIS IS A LOT OF
INFORMATION SET DOWN OVER THE
WEEKEND AND 11 PAGES OF ANSWERS
GIVEN.
HOWEVER, TO YOUR POINT, WE WORK
WITH CENTRAL STAFF TO HAVE A
MORE LENGTHY PROCESS PRIOR TO
THE LAST MEETING OF THE LAST
MONTH OF THE YEAR BEFORE THE
LAST FULL COUNCIL MEETING SO WE
ARE IN THIS SITUATION NEXT YEAR
AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE
PROCESS AND ALSO WITH FOLKS IN
THE CEO WHO ARE ALSO AWARE OF
THE DESIRE TO REORGANIZE AND
REIMAGINE OUR BUDGET PROCESS SO
WE WON'T BE IN THE SITUATION IN
THE FUTURE.
AND WANT TO REMIND FOLKS KNOW
AMENDMENT WAS INCLUDED IN THE
MAIL CAME WITH 11 PAGES OF
ANSWERS IN THE LETTER IS TO
COME FROM CEO CONFIRMING THEY
WILL ANSWER ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS BEFORE FURTHER
SPENDING IS COMPLETED.
I'M SORRY, BEFORE ANY SPENDING
IS ISSUED, BEFORE 2021.
>> OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
ON THAT?
HEARING NINE, WE WILL GO AHEAD
AND HEAR FROM COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ AND THEN FROM
COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS.
GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU.
I'M SORRY . I WAS JUST
LISTENING AND WATCHING THE
ELECTORAL VOTES COME IN.
OKAY.
SO I APOLOGIZE HERE.
I'M GETTING MY DOCUMENTS IN
ORDER.
THERE ARE NO ITEMS ON THE
PUBLIC ASSETS AND NATIVE
COMMUNITY COMMITTEE ON THIS
AFTERNOON'S AGENDA.
THE COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED
FOR JANUARY 5 IS CANCELED AND
MY OFFICE IS WORKING WITH
COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF TO UPDATE
THE 2021 WORK PLAN ADJUSTING
FOR THE CHANGE IN CONDITIONS
PRESENTED IN 2020.
WATERFRONT NEWS, ON DECEMBER 5
CONTRACTOR THANK GOD
SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED THE
SOUTHERN SURGE OF PIER 50 A
AND REMOVING A SMALL PART OF
THE PIER AND THE NORTH END OF
PIER 57 AND THE OFFICE OF
WATERFRONT WORKING TO LIFT THE
RED TAG ON PIER 57 AND THANK
YOU STI AND WATERFRONT FOLKS
FOR KEEPING US INFORMED AND
THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS THAT HAVE
BEEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH
US.
A WEEK AHEAD, THURSDAY,
DECEMBER 17 I HAVE A SOUND
TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING SCHEDULED AT 1:30 AND
WE DISCUSSED REALIGNMENT
STRATEGY GIVEN THE ECONOMIC
UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT WE HAVE
EXPERIENCED WITH COVID AND WILL
CONTINUE IN THE NEW YEAR.
LAST WEEK I THINK COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN MAY HAVE BEEN TO THIS
AS WELL BUT I ASCENDED THE
POLICY BOARD MEETING WITH
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
THE BOARD DISCUSSED THE HIGHEST
AND BEST USE OF $15 MILLION
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR THE
HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE WEST SALEM
BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECT AND WHY
THE FUNDS ARE SO CRITICAL RIGHT
NOW.
THIS IS FOR OUR WEST SEATTLE
NEIGHBORS AND POINT OUT TO THE
PUGET SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL
HOW IMPORTANT THE BRIDGE IS,
HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE THERE AND
THE MOST USED BRIDGE IN THE
CITY.
OUR REGION FACES MANY
CHALLENGES AND THE CLOSER OF
THE WEST SALEM BRIDGE IS
UNPARALLELED IN NEED.
AND MAJOR THANKS TO THE PUGET
SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL AND SDOT
AND THEIR LEAD ON THE OFFER AND
I WILL WORK WITH COLLEAGUES ON
THE BOARD TO GARNER SUPPORT AND
FOR THE VOTE OF THE FUNDING
ALLOCATION AT THE JANUARY
MEETING WHICH IS CRUCIAL.
I WAS HAPPY THAT SOUND TRANSIT
HAS LEND THEIR SUPPORT TO CITY
OF SEATTLE AND PORT OF SEATTLE.
THE CITY OF SEATTLE SHOULD HAVE
$15 MILLION TO HELP WITH THE
REPAIR OF THE WEST SEATTLE
BRIDGE.
WE WILL FOLLOW-UP WITH A LETTER
OF SUPPORT AND RIGHT NOW IN
DISCUSSIONS AND GAINING SUPPORT
FROM TRIBAL LEADERSHIP AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY THE MUCKLESHOOT
PUYALLUP TRIBE WHO HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES ON THE PUGET
SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL.
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON
THAT REPORT?
ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE, WE WILL GO AHEAD
AND GO DOWN THE LINE AND WE
WILL HEAR NEXT FROM
COUNCILMEMBER LEWIS AND THEN
FOLLOWING WILL BE COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES.
GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY UPDATES
THIS MORNING.
NO ITEMS FROM THE SELECT
COMMITTEE ON HOMELESSNESS AND
INVESTMENTS ON THIS AFTERNOON'S
CALENDAR.
I DO WANT TO DO A BRIEF PLUG
FOR THE CB 11977 SUPPLEMENTAL
BUDGET WHICH DOES INCLUDE AN
AMENDMENT PASSED LAST WEEK AND
COMMITTEE FROM MY OFFICE TO
PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT FOR
THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR OUR
PARTNERS OVER AT YOUTH CARE AND
THE YOUNG ADULT SHELTER.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING
FOR THAT THIS AFTERNOON AND
APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP OF MY
COLLEAGUES IN COMMITTEE WHO
UNANIMOUSLY PASSED THE
AMENDMENT AND PASSING THE BILL
THAT IT IS PART OF.
I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING FOR
THAT THIS AFTERNOON.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WILL BE A
MEETING OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE
ON HOMELESSNESS, TRAGEDIES AND
INVESTMENTS TOMORROW AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO SEEING AT LEAST FIVE
FOLKS FROM THE COUNCIL THERE.
SHOULD BE A GOOD MEETING.
WE WILL BE GETTING A BRIEFING
ON THE EFFORTS OF THE EXECUTIVE
TO STAND UP THE HOMELESSNESS
INVESTMENT AND SHELTER
INVESTMENTS THAT THE COUNCIL
PASSED IN THE BUDGET LAST MONTH.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO HAVE THE
INITIAL HEARING ON THE BILL
THAT I PUT FORWARD TO ENACT
SEVERAL REFORMS RELATED TO
BUILDING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING AND STREAMLINING THE
PROCESSES TO BE FASTER AND MORE
EFFICIENT.
WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE
ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND WE WILL
SEE EVERYONE IN COMMITTEE
TOMORROW.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
LEWIS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
HEARING NONE, COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES IS UP NEXT AND THEN
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
MY GOOGLE CHROME IS NOT
RESPONSIVE AND SO I DO NOT HAVE
MY NOTES WERE THIS MORNING SO I
WILL WING IT.
>> DO YOU WANT US TO GO TO THE
NEXT COUNCILMEMBER?
>> I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT ANYWAY
SO IT'S FINE.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THERE ARE NO
ITEMS FROM THE COMMUNITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
LAST WEEK I WAS VERY EXCITED TO
JOIN THE SENIORS AT CLEVELAND
HIGH SCHOOL, ONE OF THE
HUMANITIES CLASSES ASKING LOCAL
ELECTED'S TO JOIN THEM AND
HEARD SOME GREAT QUESTIONS FROM
THE SENIORS THERE.
THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE
BUDGET PROCESS, ASKING FOR VERY
SPECIFICALLY FOR MORE MENTAL
HEALTH SUPPORT FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE, AND FOR MORE PROTECTION
FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS. I THINK
MANY OF THEM HAVE PARENTS WHO
ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND WERE
VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE
WE ARE PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY.
IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION AND
I WANT TO GIVE THEM ALL A SHOUT
OUT.
THIS AFTERNOON, I HAVE NOTHING
ON THE AGENDA THIS AFTERNOON.
I WILL CALL IT GOOD.
THANK YOU!
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THANKS, COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES.
ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING ON WE
WILL HEAR FROM COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA AND THEN WE HEAR FROM
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING COUNCIL
PRESIDENT AND EVERYONE.
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES, MAYBE I
WILL TAKE YOUR YIELDED TIME
AND I HAVE A LONGER REPORT THAN
NORMAL THIS MORNING.
THERE WERE TWO ITEMS ON TODAY'S
INTRODUCTION AND REFERRAL
CALENDAR THE FIRST IS WITH
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD AND I
WANT TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD FOR HER WORK ON THE
BILL WITH ME AS WE FOLLOW UP ON
THE AMENDMENT THAT WE SPONSORED
IN THE BUDGET DURING THE
COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK.
TODAY'S FULL COUNCIL MEETING,
ITEM NUMBER 5 WILL BE VOTED ON
AND IT'S BILL 11970 WAS AMENDED
WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD AND I PUT
FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THE
ADDITIONAL SPENDING THAT AS PD
IS REQUESTING FOR SEPARATION PAY
AND FEDERALLY REIMBURSABLE
ACTIONS ARE ALLOWED TO GO
FORWARD, HOWEVER WE HAVE
SIGNIFICANT CONCERN ABOUT HOW
THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE FUNDS
WAS DE-PRIORITIZED IN PRIORITY
FOR THINGS THAT INCLUDED
OVERTIME. WE BELIEVE WITH
SUFFICIENT APPROPRIATION
AUTHORITY, THERE SHOULD HAVE
BEEN THE ABILITY TO COVER THE
$5.4 MILLION TO NOT HAVE AN
OVERSPEND OF THE APPROPRIATED
BUDGET FOR AS PD.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
FOLLOWING THROUGH ON OUR
EFFORTS IN THE AMENDMENT THAT
WAS INCLUDED ON WEDNESDAY. THIS
PIECE OF LEGISLATION ON TODAY'S
INTRODUCTION AND REFERRAL
CALENDAR CLEARLY SAYS WE DO
SUPPORT MAKING SURE THERE IS
ACTION IN EARLY JANUARY 2021 TO
FOLLOW THROUGH TO MAKE SURE
THERE IS A COMMENSURATE
REDUCTION IN AS PD'S BUDGET FOR
THE 2021 CYCLE.
THIS BILL ON THE INTRODUCTION
AND REFERRAL CALENDAR IN FRONT
OF US TODAY MAKES SURE THERE IS
A PROPORTIONAL REDUCTION TO THE
AMOUNT APPROVED TODAY SO THERE
IS BASICALLY A HOLDING UP THE
LINE APPROACH AND THAT THE $5.4
MILLION WILL CONTINUE TO GO TO
THE COMMUNITY BUDGETING EFFORTS
THAT WE ALSO DISCUSSED THIS
MORNING.
FURTHER WE KNOW THAT AS OF LAST
WEDNESDAY THERE WAS ALREADY
INITIAL INDICATION THERE IS A
HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED
ATTRITION FOR NOVEMBER AND THE
NUMBERS HAVE NOT YET BEEN
TALLIED AND COUNCIL ANTICIPATE
THERE WILL BE SALARY SAVINGS
AND AS PD'S BUDGET ACHIEVED A
2021 DUE TO HIGHER ATTRITION
WHICH WE HAVE SEEN IN OCTOBER
AND WILL BEGIN TO GET
INFORMATION IN NOVEMBER AND
WILL CONTINUE IN DECEMBER 2020.
SO THE BILL OFFSETS 2021
APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORITY BY
INCREASING THE AUTHORITY
PROVIDED FOR 2021 AND HOLDING
THE LINE ON FUNDING ALLOCATED
ACROSS 2020 AND 2021 BUDGETS TO
MAKE SURE THE PORTION WE
APPROVED TODAY IS REDUCED FROM
THE BUDGET IN 2021.
THE UNIVERSAL DOLLARS REMAIN
THE SAME.
I APPRECIATE THE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF
THE AMENDMENT WE BROUGHT
FORWARD ON THIS BILL AND WITH
THAT WE WILL VOTE YES ON ITEM
NUMBER 5 FOR TODAY'S AGENDA.
AND SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF
THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET WITH
THE ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT
WILL TAKE PLACE BASED ON ITS
LEGISLATION TODAY.
ALSO ON THE INTRODUCTION
REFERRAL CALENDAR IS RESOLUTION
31983, COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT
SPOKE TO HIM ON FRIDAY AND I
PUBLISH THE INTRODUCTION
REFERRAL CALENDAR EXPRESSING
SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL SOLIDARITY
TO FARMERS PROTESTING FARMING
BILLS IN INDIA AND IN SUPPORT OF
THE MEMBERS OF SEATTLE SOUTH
ASIAN COMMUNITY.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW
WEEKS IN INDIA, AROUND 250,000
FARMERS AND WORKERS AND ALLIES
JOINED IN WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE
THE LARGEST ORGANIZED STRIKE IN
WORLD HISTORY.
THE WORKERS ARE PROTESTING
THREE DEVASTATING DEREGULATION
AGRICULTURAL BILLS PASSED BY
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA IN
SEPTEMBER.
THE LAWS DEREGULATE THE SALE OF
CROPS AND ALLOW PRIVATE BUYERS
WHO HOLD POWER IN THE
MARKETPLACE AND GOVERNED BY
GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES WHICH
FARMERS NOW WORRY WILL
DEVASTATE THE PRICES. THE
FARMERS SAY THESE ILLEGAL
POLICIES ARE A BOON TO
CORPORATIONS AND WILL ROLL BACK
LABOR AND CROP PRICE
PROTECTIONS THAT COULD HAVE A
DEADLY IMPACT ON THE LIVELIHOOD
OF FARMERS.
THE LEADING SOURCE OF INCOME
FOR THE POPULATION OF INDIA.
IT WILL BE DONE AT THE MERCY OF
LARGER CORPORATIONS WHO
POTENTIALLY DRIVE DOWN THE
PRICES AND RESULT IN HUGE
LOSSES FOR FARMERS EFFECTIVELY
HANDING OVER FARMS TO
CORPORATIONS IS THE CONCERN.
FARMERS UNIONS, FARMERS AND
THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE FARMERS
ARE PUSHING FOR INTERNATIONAL
ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE AND ARE
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISK
OF LOSING THEIR BUSINESS AND
LAND TO LARGE CORPORATIONS.
60% OF INDIA'S POPULATION RELY
ON AGRICULTURE AS THEIR MAIN
SOURCE OF INCOME AND THE PLIGHT
OF THE FARMERS OF INDIA AFFECTS
US IN SEATTLE.
SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE INDIA IS
THE LEADING EXPORTER OF RICE
AND THE LARGEST MILK PRODUCER
FOR THE GLOBAL MARKET ACCORDING
TO THE INDIA AGRICULTURE AND
PROCESSED FOOD PROCESS EXPERT
IN THE MAIN PRODUCTION HAPPENING
IN STATES LIKE PUNJAB AND DELHI
WHERE FARMERS ARE ALSO
PROTESTING.
THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF
PROTESTING HERE AS WELL IN THE
UNITED STATES WITH THE UNITED
FARMWORKERS AND ACROSS OTHER
COUNTRIES AND SHOWING
SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE
ORGANIZING IN INDIA INCLUDING
WITH THE GENERAL STRIKE AS
COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT ALLUDED TO
IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THE
COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED IN THE
PAST.
THE FARMERS HAVE MARCHED ON THE
NATION'S CAPITAL AND IF YOU
READ ANY OF THE LINKS WE SENT
YOU OVER THE WEEKEND YOU MAY
HAVE SEEN SOME FOOTAGE AND READ
REPORTS OF THE FARMERS WHO ARE
LARGELY ELDERLY MEN IN THEIR
50s, 60s AND 70s MET WITH WATER
CANYONS AND SOME OF THE COLDEST
TEMPERATURES RECORDED IN INDIA.
RIGHT NOW THEY ARE FACING TEAR
GAS DURING A DEADLY GLOBAL
PANDEMIC THAT AFFECTS THE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND HAVE
BEEN MET WITH BARRICADES AND
BARBED WIRE.
10 FOOT BY 10 FOOT TRENCHES DUG
AROUND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TO
PREVENT FARMERS FROM REACHING
THE NATION'S CAPITAL.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO PASSING
THE RESOLUTION TODAY AND SHOWING
THAT WE WILL BE AGAIN SHOWING
OUR SUPPORT FOR WORKERS ACROSS
THE WORLD.
I WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL
MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN FRIENDS
OF MINE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
AND WORKED WITH HER ON THE PATH
TO POWER PROGRAM I HELPED RUN
AND PROUD TO SEE ALL OF THE
WORK SHE HAS DONE TO HELP LEAD
THE EFFORT TO BRING ATTENTION
TO THIS ISSUE.
SHE HAS PUT THE ISSUE ON OUR
RADAR THEY WILL BE PASSING A
SIMILAR RESOLUTION IN KENT AND
THE KENT MAYOR SENT A MESSAGE
OF SOLIDARITY AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE THE COUNCILMEMBERS
CONSIDERATION OF THE RESOLUTION
AND I THANKED COUNCILMEMBER
SAWANT AND URGE ANYONE ELSE WHO
WOULD LIKE TO COSPONSOR TO
FEEL FREE TO.
THE REPORT FROM FINANCE AND
HOUSING COMMITTEE AND FOUR
ITEMS ON TODAY'S FULL COUNCIL
RELATED TO THE FINANCE AND
HOUSING COMMITTEE AND ITEM
NUMBER 30 IS AMENDED COUNCIL
BILL 119977 AND COUNCILMEMBER
LEWIS SPOKE TO THE SENSE
SPONSORED BY COUNCILMEMBER
GONZALEZ AND MYSELF.
TRAINS TO FOLKS IN THE
COMMITTEE WHO HAD A ROBUST
DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEED AND I
BROUGHT FORWARD AN AMENDMENT IN
COLLABORATION WITH RESTAURANT
UNITED GROUP AND UNITE HERE
NOTING THE NEED FOR US TO BE
REALLY SPECIFIC ABOUT
FLEXIBILITY FOR SMALL
RESTAURANTS TO HAVE NONMONETARY
RELIEF LIKE FLEXIBLE PERMIT
OPTIONS FOR OUTDOOR DINING
AREAS AND ADDITIONAL
CLARIFICATION THAT THE
ASSISTANCE CAN GO TO THOSE IN
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AFFECTED
BY THE CRISIS KNOWING FOLKS WHO
HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE ARE
WHO NEED ASSISTANCE IN THE
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY ARE
DRAMATICALLY HIT BY THE LAST
ROUND OF MUCH-NEEDED COVID
GUIDANCE THAT OUR STATE HAS
RECEIVED AND WE ARE VERY
INTERESTED IN NOT ONLY
SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY AND THE
WORKERS.
I APPRECIATE PRESIDENT GONZALEZ
FOR THE LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND
WORKING QUICKLY TO HELP BRING
SOMETHING DOWN AND LOOK FORWARD
TO PASSING THAT TODAY.
ITEM NUMBER 4 IS COUNCIL BILL
119971 WHICH IS THE GRANT
ACCEPTANCE WHICH WE JUST SPOKE
TO AND THANKS COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS AND IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS NOT
ADDRESSED BY CENTRAL STAFF
COMMENTS SENT AROUND THIS
WEEKEND LET US KNOW AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE LETTER
FROM THE CITY BUDGET OFFICE
DIRECTOR SOON TO REASSURE FOLKS
THAT IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS THEY WILL NOT SPEND
ON THOSE ISSUES UNTIL THEY ARE
ADDRESSED.
ITEM NUMBER 5 IS AMENDED
COUNCIL BILL 11970 WHICH IS
THE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL.
THIS ALLOWS FOR US TO ENSURE
THERE IS A BALANCE BUDGET AT
THE END OF 2020 GOING INTO THE
2021 YEAR AND MEMBERS OF
CENTRAL STAFF AND THE CITY
BUDGET OFFICE SAID THE BILL AS
AMENDED CONTINUES TO MAKE SURE
WE ARE MEETING OUR FIDUCIARY
REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE SURE THERE
IS A BALANCE BUDGET BY THE END
OF 2020 AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO SERVICE THE CITY
NEEDS ON INTERRUPTED AS THE
BILL GOES FORWARD.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD AND I HAD
THE AMENDMENT INCLUDED IN THE
SUPPLEMENTAL BILL TO MAKE SURE
THERE IS ADDITIONAL ACTION TO
COME IN 2021 TO REDUCE SPD'S
AUTHORITY BY AT LEAST $5.4
MILLION TO ACCOUNT FOR THE
OFFSET WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS
OF NEED FOR THE BILL TODAY.
THE BILL IS ON THE INTRODUCTION
REFERRAL CALENDAR AND I
APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION
AS WE GO INTO 2021.
I REFERENCE DURING THE MEETING
AND WILL AGAIN REITERATE THAT
THIS IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE
RESOLUTION WE PASSED PREVIOUSLY
WHICH WAS STATED CLEARLY THE
COUNCIL MAKES SURE WE ARE
HOLDING SPD TO THE SAME
STANDARDS WE LOOK AT FOR OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND WANT TO MAKE
SURE WE HAVE A BUDGET IN
ALIGNMENT WITH ALLOCATED
EXPENDITURES THE COUNCIL HAS
APPROVED.
I WILL WORK WITH CENTRAL STAFF
OVER THE FIRST PART OF 2021 TO
IDENTIFY BETTY PROCESSES FOR
EFFORT SO WE CAN HAVE A LONGER
LEAD WAY INTO CONSIDERING ANY
ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE TRUED %P
AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND MORE
ITEMS WE HAVE SEEN IN TERMS OF
ANTICIPATED COST PRIOR TO
QUARTER THREE CAN BE INCLUDED
IN THE QUARTER THREE
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT.
AND FINALLY AN ITEM NUMBER 6,
COUNCIL BILL 11973 IS
LEGISLATION THAT AUTHORIZES THE
MAYOR AND DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF
HOUSING TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT
WITH THE HOUSING GROUP
FORMALLY KNOWN AS CAPITOL HILL
HOUSING.
THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO $1 MILLION USING
GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATED TO
FINANCE GENERAL IN THE CITY'S
FOURTH QUARTER SUPPLEMENTAL.
IT'S COVID RELIEF ASSISTANCE AS
WE HAVE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL
ASSISTANCE TO OTHERS PROVIDING
CORE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY
TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE HOUSED
AND IT'S CRITICAL.
IF YOU WATCH THE MEETING YOU
KNOW THEY HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF
STEPS TO HELP MITIGATE THE LOSS
OF REVENUE, ABOUT $3.2 MILLION
OF LOST REVENUE IN 2020 BUT THE
SHORTFALL REMAINS OF AT LEAST
$1 MILLION.
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR PEP AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL OR
C.A.R.E.S.
ACT DOLLARS, WE ARE INTERESTED
IN HELPING ADDRESS THE
SHORTFALL AND APPRECIATE THE
KAMARA.
AND ANOTHER NEWS FINANCE AND
HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING ON
THE 15th IS CANCELED AND WE
PLAN ON CANCELING THE JANUARY 5
COMMITTEE MEETING TO MAKE SURE
WE HAVE TIME TO CREATE OUR
AGENDA. AND ON JANUARY 9 YOU
WILL BE THE FIRST MEETING OF
THE FINANCE AND HOUSING
COMMITTEE AND YOU CAN
ANTICIPATE A CONVERSATION ON
STRATEGIC ACQUISITION OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AN
UPDATE FROM OUR PRESIDENT OF
THE SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
ON THE EFFORTS ESPECIALLY THE
TERRACE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE SEATTLE
HOUSING AUTHORIY APPOINTMENTS
AND DOMESTIC WORKERS AND LASTLY
I JOINED THE GOVERNOR IN THE
ENTHUSIASM AND JOY HE SHARED
YESTERDAY IN THE PRESS
CONFERENCE ABOUT THE COVID
VACCINE BEING GIVEN THE SAFE
AND EFFECTIVE GREEN LIGHT AND
ALLOW FOR RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF
THE VACCINE AND WASHINGTON
STATE TO THE MOST VULNERABLE
AND FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE
WORKERS AND RESPONDERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE
BEEN DOING ON THE FRONT LINE TO
MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE HEALTH OF
OTHERS FIRST AND THAT'S WHY WE
PUT THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF
YOU AS THOSE FRONTLINE
RESPONDERS FIRST.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE VACCINE
COME TO WASHINGTON STATE AND
OUR COUNTRY AT LARGE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE
TOOLS AND SUPPORT NEEDED TO
MAKE SURE THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE
VACCINE IS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT
MEANS TWO THINGS.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT CONGRESS
PROBABLY HEARS OUR CALL THAT
THIS IS THE MAKE IT OR BREAK IT
WEEK IN CONGRESS.
WE ABSOLUTELY NEED
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO SUPPORT
PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY AND HERE IN SEATTLE
IN KANE COUNTY AND THE
DEPARTMENT IS WORKED AROUND THE
CLOCK AND HAS SAID THEIR BUDGET
UNFORTUNATELY HAS MIRRORED THE
STATUS QUO.
WE NEED FEDERAL FUNDING TO
SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH, RELEVANT
OF VACCINE AND DEPLOYMENT OF
VACCINE AND GENERAL SUPPORT FOR
THE WORK THEY DO YEAR-ROUND.
AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT
DON'T HAVE AS GREAT AS
CONGRESSIONAL PARTNERS AS WE DO
WHEN WE THINK OUR MEMBERS WHO
REPRESENT SEATTLE FOR THEIR
WORK DONE COVID RESPONSE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH SUPPORT URGING
CONGRESS AS A WHOLE AND OTHER
CITIES TO GET THE MESSAGE TO
MEMBERS WHO MAY BE OBSTRUCTING
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO SAY IT'S
THE MAKE IT OR BREAK IT WEEK.
IN TERMS OF SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC
HEALTH, I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH THE STATE AND
COUNTY PARTNERS TO HELP PROVIDE
FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
SEATTLE KANE COUNTY AND MAKING
SURE THE FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC
HEALTH SERVICES AND THE COVID
RESPONSE SERVICES GET ADEQUATE
FUNDING THEY NEED.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
STATE PARTNERS IN THE STATE
LEGISLATURE AND KING COUNTY
PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE WE SHORE
UP FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE DON'T WANT TO RUN LOW ON ANY
CASH OR BE WORRIED ABOUT HAVING
THEIR BUDGET EXPIRE AT THE END
OF THE YEAR OR EARLY 2021.
I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT THE
GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET
COMING OUT SOON HELPS TO
RECOGNIZE THIS AND MAKE SURE
THERE IS SUSTAINABLE FUNDING
FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND A
FOUNDATION FOR WHAT IS NEEDED
AND ALONG WITH THAT WE JUST
NEED THE VACCINE AND WE NEED
HOUSING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ONGOING
CONVERSATIONS WITH STATE
PARTNERS AND HOPEFULLY FEDERAL
PARTNERS ABOUT EXTENDING THE
MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS AND
MAKING SURE THERE'S ADDITIONAL
ASSISTANCE.
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS ACROSS OUR
AREA ARE AT RISK OF EVICTION AT
THE END OF THE YEAR.
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, FOLKS ARE
GOING TO BE RUNNING OUT OF
UNEMPLOYMENT AND IN CHECKS THE
DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS SO CALL TO
ACTION A PUBLIC HEALTH SPENDING
AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND I
APPRECIATE THE TIME AND I WANT
TO SAY I'M SORRY BUT LONGER
THAN USUAL.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS
ON THAT REPORT REX HEARING
NONE, WE WILL HEAR NOW FROM
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING OR GOOD
AFTERNOON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS AN AFTERNOON OR MORNING?
>> STILL JUST UNDER THE WIRE
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
ON TODAY'S FULL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA WE HAVE COUNCIL BILL
11969 WHICH IF WE ADOPTED
WOULD EXTEND OUR FORGIVENESS OF
LATE FEES ON UTILITY BILLS
DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC. WE
ADOPTED THE POLICY EARLY THIS
YEAR AND EXTENDED IT WITH
ORDINATE 126, 182 TO PROVIDE
FINANCIAL RELIEF FROM CEAT IT
PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SEATTLE
CITY LIGHT AND IT EXPIRES IN
TWO WEEKS ELSE TODAY'S BILL
WOULD STEM THE COVID RELIEF FOR
ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE
RELIEF POLICY REDUCES REVENUE
TO THE UTILITIES WE OWN AND
OPERATE AND I BELIEVE IT'S
WORTH IT DURING THE
UNPRECEDENTED PANDEMIC WHEN WE
SEE A SPIKE IN CASES THAT WE
SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE
TUNNEL WITH APPROVAL OF A
VACCINE.
WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE
FINANCIAL IMPACTS ARE IMPACTING
UTILITY ENTERPRISES NEXT YEAR
WHEN WE DISCUSSED THEIR
STRATEGIC PLANS AND FUTURE
RATES.
AS A OF THE COMMITTEE THAT
OVERSEES BOTH UTILITIES, MY
PRIORITY IN ADDITION TO KEEPING
THE LIGHTS ON A WATER FLOWING
IS KEEP RATES AS LOW AS
POSSBLE TO HELP SEATTLE
ADDRESS ITS AFFORDABILITY
CHALLENGES.
THE TRANSPORTATION AND
UTILITIES COMMITTEE OTHERWISE
HAS NO ITEMS ON THE FULL CITY
COUNCIL AGENDA.
WE WILL HAVE A COMMITTEE
MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 16, AT 9:30 AND WE
WILL VOTE ON SEVERAL
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONS AND
WILL VOTE ON ITEMS HEARD AT THE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE INCLUDING
UPDATE TO THE WATER REGULATIONS.
WE HAVE CANCELED THE JANUARY 6,
2021 MEETING OF THE
TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITY
COMMITTEE AND RESUME COMMITTEE
ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20.
REMOVE IT FROM THE MORNING TO
THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION IS
THAT MORNING AND WE WANT TO
HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE COMMITTEE.
NO CONFLICTS OF OTHER
COMMITTEES IN THE AFTERNOON OF
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20.
AT THAT MEETING WE HAVE MORE
APPOINTMENTS.
LAST WEEK I ATTENDED THE
TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD OF
PUGET SOUND REGIONAL COUNCIL AS
THE ALTERNATE WHICH
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ REPORTED
ON SO THANK YOU.
AND LAST WEEK I ATTENDED KING
COUNTY REGIONAL WATER QUALITY
MEETING AND IT'S IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THEY MANAGE WASTEWATER
TREATMENT WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND
INTEGRITY OF WATERWAYS AND
IMPACTS A LARGE PORTION OF
EVERYONE'S UTILITY BILL FROM
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES.
WHILE WE OWN SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES IN SEATTLE CITY LIGHT
AND THE GENERAL MANAGERS OF
THOSE $1 BILLION ENTERPRISES
WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMITTEES
TO KEEP RATES LOW, KING COUNTY
GOVERNMENT PASSES THROUGH THE
WASTEWATER TREATMENT RATE AND
WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
REGIONAL COMMITTEE TO LET THEM
KNOW WE WANT TO KEEP RATES LOW.
DURING MY DISTRICT OFFICE HOURS
I ENJOYED SPEAKING WITH
CONSTITUENTS ON THE PHONE ABOUT
HOMELESSNESS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND
CLEANING UP AND CONTINUE TO
REGISTER THROUGH THE WEBSITE
AND SIGN UP FOR OFFICE HOURS.
ON TODAY'S AGENDA THERE'S A
PROPOSED ORDINANCE BY WHICH THE
CITY MAKES A DIRECT AWARD OF $1
MILLION TO A SINGLE
ORGANIZATION ON COUNCIL BILL
11973 AND I'M NOT ON THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE SO DIDN'T
PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION
BUT I WANT TO THANK THE
GOVERNMENT STAFF AND OFFICE OF
HOUSING, CENTRAL STAFF AND
FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR DOING DUE
DILIGENCE TO MAKE A
RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE
$1 MILLION LOAN.
WHEN I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
DECIDE WHICH ORGANIZATIONS
RECEIVE TAX DOLLARS, I STRIVE
TO CONSIDER SPECIFIC CRITERIA
TO ADDRESS THE NEED, FAIRNESS
AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
PROPOSAL SEEKING DOLLARS.
FOR MY CONSTITUENTS IN THE
PUBLIC, THESE ARE ALL POSTED ON
MY CITY COUNCIL BLOG.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A
TRANSPARENT AND CLEAR PROCESS
AND REQUEST OF THE PROCESS
WORKED WELL AN EXCEPTION WAS
MADE IN THIS CASE BECAUSE IT'S
A LOAN WHICH WILL BE REPAID AND
BECAUSE COMMUNITY HOUSING IS A
PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
CREATED BY THE CITY AND DOES
NOT HAVE ACCESS TO OTHER FUNDS
LIKE THOSE PROVIDED BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RELIEF
PACKAGE.
SO RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH
THE CRITERIA I USE, I WILL LET
YOU KNOW I WILL SUPPORT COUNCIL
BILL 11973.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON
THAT REPORT?
ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE ARE HEARING NO COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS ON THAT SO I WILL
GIVE MY REPORT REALLY QUICKLY.
I WANT TO NOTE AS A REMINDER ON
BEHALF OF COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD
WHO IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US THIS
MORNING, SHE DOES INTEND TO
BRING FORWARD A PROCLAMATION
DURING FULL COUNCIL THIS
AFTERNOON.
THE PROCLAMATION IS DESIGNED TO
HONOR FRONT-LINE WORKERS WHO
MADE A SAFER THROUGH CITYWIDE
TESTING, COVID-19 TESTING AND
THAT WILL BE PRESENTED AT THIS
AFTERNOON'S FULL COUNCIL
MEETING.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS SEATTLE
FILE DEPARTMENT CHIEF SCOGGINS
WILL BE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON
AND AS WILL KENNY STEWART FROM
THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION.
BOTH OF THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE
TO MAKE COMMENTS AND ACCEPT THE
PROCLAMATION THIS AFTERNOON.
REALLY QUICKLY, WE WILL NOT BE
ASKING FOR SIGNATURES DURING
COUNCIL BRIEFING . WE WOULD
NORMALLY DO THAT IN ORDER TO
PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION AT
FULL COUNCIL BUT GIVEN THAT
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD IS NOT
HERE AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
SIGNAL HER APPLICATION TO HER
SIGNATURE TO HER OWN
PROCLAMATION IT MAKES MORE
SENSE TO ASK FOR ROLL CALL AND
SIGNATURES TO THE PROCLAMATION
AT THIS AFTERNOON'S FULL
COUNCIL.
NONETHELESS, IF YOU HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCLAMATION
MAKE SURE TO REACH OUT TO ALEX
HARDY AND COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD'S OFFICE AND IT'S IN
RECOGNITION OF THE BRAVERY,
CREATIVITY AND ABILITIES OF THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO CAME
TOGETHER TO CREATE A NATIONAL
MODEL FOR COMMUNITY TESTING
WHICH IS BEEN REPLICATED ACROSS
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON SINCE
JUNE 5 OF 2020.
SEATTLE HAS FOUR COMMUNITY TEST
SITES AND HAVE ADMINISTERED
500,000 COVID-19 TEST. IT SEEMS
FITTING ON THE DAY THE FIRST
COVID-19 VACCINE WAS
ADMINISTERED IN THE UNITED
STATES THAT WE RECOGNIZE AND
HONOR THE WORK THAT THE MEMBERS
OF SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND
HEALTHCARE PARTNERS HAVE
UNDERTAKEN TO PREVENT THE
SPREAD THROUGH ADMINISTRATION
OF TEST AT THE FOUR SITES
ACROSS THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SERVICE
AND DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD'S EFFORT
TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE THE
IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH WORK.
SIGNATURES WILL BE AFFIXED TO
THE PROCLAMATION AT THIS
AFTERNOON'S FULL COUNCIL MEETING
. IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE
PROCLAMATION, COLLEAGUES PLEASE
REACH OUT TO COUNCILMEMBERS
HERBALS'S OFFICE OR HER
DIRECTLY.
GOVERNANCE AND EDUCATION
COMMITTEE ON THIS AFTERNOON'S
FULL COUNCIL OF TWO ITEMS
LISTED FOR CONSIDERATION FROM
THE GOVERNANCE AND EDUCATION
COMMITTEE.
THE FIRST ITEM IS BILL 11967
WHICH IS AGENDA ITEM SEVEN
RELATING TO THE 2018 FAMILIES
EDUCATION PRESCHOOL AND PROMISE
LEVY AMENDING THE LEVY
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
PLAN PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED BY
GORDON EDES 125807.
THE LEGISLATION IS DESIGNED TO
GRANT THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION AND EARLY LEARNING
TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO MODIFY
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
PLAN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
IT MADE A FULL PRESENTATION TO
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
INCLUDING PRECISELY HOW THE
FLEXIBILITY WILL PLAY OUT AND
WHAT THERE IS OF THE
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BEING
PROPOSED TO TEMPORARILY BE
MODIFIED IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE
DEPARTMENT TO HAVE MAXIMUM
FLEXIBILITY DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
IN THE MEMBERS OF THE
GOVERNANCE AND EDUCATION
COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO
RECOMMEND FULL COUNCIL SUPPORT
THE COUNCIL BILL.
THAT WILL BE ON THIS
AFTERNOON'S AGENDA AND LOOKING
FORWARD TO EVERYONE SUPPORT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FEEL FREE
TO REACH OUT TO ME AND TO MY
OFFICE FOR COUNCIL CENTRAL
STAFF FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION.
THE SECOND ITEM IS COUNCIL
BILL 11968 WHICH IS AGENDA
ITEM NUMBER 8 RELATED TO DIRECT
AND INDIRECT LOBBYING AND
REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY
AND DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS IN
THE CITY'S EXISTING LOBBYING
CODE.
THIS BILL WAS DEVELOPED BY THE
SEATTLE ETHICS AND ELECTIONS
COMMISSION WHO JOINED US LAST
WEEK FOR A DISCUSSION ON THE
PROPOSED CHANGES.
IN SUMMARY, THE BILL DOES THREE
MAIN THINGS.
ONE, IT REQUIRES LOBBYIST TO
DISCLOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH
CITY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS OR
THEIR DIRECT REPORTS. THE SECOND
WOULD REQUIRE LOBBYISTS TO
DISCLOSE WHEN THEY ALSO WORK ON
CAMPAIGNS FOR AN ELECTED
OFFICIAL OR BALLOT MEASURES.
THE THIRD ITEM IS IT REQUIRES
SPONSORS OF INDIRECT LOBBYING
CAMPAIGNS TO REGISTER WHEN THEY
PRESENT A PROGRAM TO THE PUBLIC
INTENDED TO INFLUENCE
LEGISLATION AND WOULD REQUIRE
THOSE SPONSORS TO DISCLOSE
EXPENDITURES IF THE
EXPENDITURES ARE AT LEAST $750
AND A ONE-MONTH PERIOD, OR AT
LEAST $1500 IN A THREE-MONTH
PERIOD.
SO COLLEAGUES ON THAT
PARTICULAR ISSUE YOU MAY HAVE
RECEIVED A PROPOSED AMENDMENT
TO COUNCIL BILL 11968 . THIS
PARTICULAR BILL WOULD CLARIFY
ONE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE
BILL BY MORE DIRECTLY MIRRORING
WASHINGTON STATE LAW AND
RECOGNIZING COMMUNICATIONS TO
AN ORGANIZATIONS MEMBERS, SO
COMMUNICATION FROM AN
ORGANIZATION THAT HAS MEMBERS
TO ITS MEMBERS IS NOT CONSIDERED
INDIRECT LOBBYING IN THIS
PARTICULAR LEGISLATION.
THAT IS TRUE TO THE INTENT OF
THE ORIGINAL PROVISIONS
DISCUSSED IN COMMITTEE RELATED
TO THE LOBBYING REGULATIONS.
THE GOAL IS TO ADD ADDITIONAL
TRANSPARENCY TO THOSE
INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS
THAT ARE LAUNCHING PUBLIC
CAMPAIGNS TO INFLUENCE THE
COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION FOR
PURPOSES OF MOBILIZING PEOPLE
TO LOBBY COUNCILMEMBERS ON
THEIR OWN.
IT DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE
TO EMAIL COUNCILMEMBERS OR
PEOPLE WHO CALL COUNCILMEMBERS
OR ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO MAY
OTHERWISE COMMUNICATE WITH
COUNCILMEMBERS TO NOW SUDDENLY
BE CONSIDERED LOBBYISTS AND
HAVE TO REGISTER THEIR LOBBYING
ACTIVITY.
IT IS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON
ORGANIZED ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE INCURRING EXPENDITURES AND
$750 A MONTH OR $1500 OVER 20
MONTHS WHO ARE HAVING THOSE
LEVELS OF EXPENDITURES FOR
PURPOSES OF INFLUENCING
LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRE THOSE
SPONSORS TO REGISTER AND
DISCLOSE THOSE EXPENDITURES.
THE AMENDMENT WE ARE SENDING
FORWARD AS ONE LINE THAT SAYS
ASSOCIATIONS COMMUNICATING WITH
MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OR
ORGANIZATION WOULD NOT BE
CONSIDERED LOBBY OR LOBBYING
UNDER OUR CURRENT LOBBYING
REGULATIONS.
WE HAD DONE SOME OUTREACH LATE
LAST WEEK AFTER COMMITTEE TO
SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT
FREQUENTLY TO GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZING AMONGST OUR MEMBERS
AND IT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS
THEY RAISED AS THEY DID NOT
WANT TO BE PROHIBITED FROM
HAVING DIRECT COMMUNICATION
WITH THE MEMBERS FOR PURPOSES
OF EXPRESSING A PREFERENCE OR A
LACK OF A PREFERENCE FOR
OPPOSITION TO A LEGISLATION
THAT THE COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING
OR A POLICY ISSUE THEY ARE
CONSIDERING SO THE AMENDMENT IS
RESPONSIVE TO THAT CONCERN AND
ADDRESSES THAT CONCERN.
IT WILL STILL NONETHELESS
REQUIRE THE ETHICS AND ELECTION
COMMISSION TO ENGAGE IN RULE-
MAKING FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS
OF NEXT YEAR TO FURTHER REFINE
AND DEAL WITH THE APPLICABILITY
OF THE RULE AND FOR THE
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS BUT THE
AMENDMENT I AM PROPOSING
ADEQUATELY ADDRESSES AND HITS
ADDRESSED CONCERNS OF DIRECT
MEDICATIONS WITH THEN AN
ORGANIZATION NETWORK.
HOPING THAT FOLKS WILL BE
SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AMENDMENT.
AND NOT SUPPORTIVE OF
ELIMINATING THE REGULATIONS FOR
INDIRECT LOBBYING IN THE
SEATTLE ETHICS AND ELECTIONS
CODE PROPOSED BY COUNCILMEMBER
SAWANT'S OFFICE.
AND THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US
TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO
HAVE TRANSPARENCY IN WHO IS
PAYING FOR WHAT CAMPAIGNS THAT
ARE DESIGNED TO AGAIN INFLUENCE
LEGISLATION.
IT WON'T CREATE A REGISTER OR
REGISTRY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO THOSE
CALLS FOR ACTION.
IT MERELY REQUIRES EFFECTIVELY
FISCAL SPONSORS OF THE CAMPAIGNS
TO BE TRANSPARENT AND DISCLOSE
THEIR LOBBYING ACTIVITY IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROPOSED
LEGISLATION ONLY IN THE EVENT
THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO
MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC TO
INFLUENCE COUNCILMEMBERS OR
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND
WHEN THE EXPENDITURES HIT THE
THRESHOLD AS DEFINED WITHIN THE
CODE.
SO I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS ON THE BILL IF ANYONE
HAS ANY OR OTHERWISE I WILL
CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH MY
REPORT.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND I WILL GO
AHEAD AND HOPEFULLY FINISH MY
REPORT AND LIKE COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA SAID IT'S LONGER THAN
I NORMALLY DO SO I APPRECIATE
YOUR INDULGENCE.
IN ADDITION TO THE ITEMS FROM
THE GOVERNANCE AND EDUCATION
COMMITTEE I'M EXCITED ABOUT
COUNCIL BILL 11977 WHICH
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA
ADDRESSED AND THE BILL PASSED
OUT OF THE FINANCE AND HOUSING
COMMITTEE FOR TODAY'S FULL
COUNCIL AND A $5 MILLION
WORKER RELIEF FUND AVAILABLE TO
SMALL RESTAURANTS AND BARS AND
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WORKERS.
I SINCERELY THANK MAYOR DURKAN
AND COUNCILMEMBERS MUST DATA
AND MORALES FOR THE
PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION
IN GETTING THIS PROPOSAL AND
ALLOWING THE COUNCIL TO
CONSIDER THE PACKAGE BEFORE THE
END OF THIS YEAR.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE
PARTNERS FROM SMALL BUSINESS
AND IMPACTED WORKERS WHO SHARED
THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNORS
INFLUENCE LATEST EXTENSION ON
RESTRICTIONS ON LOCAL ECONOMY
TO HELP US DETERMINE HOW WE
NEEDED TO FOCUS OUR LIMITED
DOLLARS TO SUPPORT LOCAL
BUSINESS AND WORKERS BEFORE THE
END OF THE YEAR.
WE ARE OF COURSE CURRENTLY IN
MONTH NINE OF THIS PANDEMIC,
AND TODAY SADLY WE HIT THE MARK
OF OVER 300,000 PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE DIED FROM
COVID-19.
AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW THE
NEEDS ARE GREAT WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY SMALL
BUSINESSES AND WORKERS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THE BILL
AND DO IT EXPEDITIOUSLY TO MEET
THE NEEDS WE CAN MEET NOW.
$2.5 MILLION FOR THE FUND WILL
BE LOOKING TO SMALL BUSINESS
STABILIZATION FUND IN THE LAST
ROUND WHICH HAS GROWN ITS FOCUS
AND PRIORITIZATION TO
BUSINESSES THAT ARE SMALLER AND
AT HIGH RISK OF DISPLACEMENT OR
ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED Z.I.P.
CODES.
THE REMAINING $2.5 MILLION IS
FOR WORKER RELIEF, WORKERS IN
HOSPITALITY WHO HAVE
EXPERIENCED REDUCTION DUE TO
BUSINESS CLOSURE OR IN HOURS AS
A RESULT OF COVID-19 WILL BE
AFTER AN APPLICATION PROCESS
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE UP TO $1000
IN ASSISTANCE.
THE WORKER RELIEF FUND WILL
GREATLY BENEFIT FROM LESSONS OF
THE CITY'S IMMIGRANT RELIEF
FUND WHO WILL INFORM ON THE
WHAT, HOW AND TELL THE STORY OF
HOW THE FUNDS WERE DEPLOYED AND
HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS IT HELPS.
MORE TO COME ON THAT.
IT WILL BE VERY INSTRUCTIVE TO
THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
THE LAST ITEM ON THE FULL
COUNCIL AGENDA I WOULD LIKE TO
ADDRESS IS COUNCIL BILL 119966
OR AGENDA ITEM ONE RELATED TO
LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF MAYOR
JENNY DURKAN IN JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS WITH THE RECALL
CHARGE.
THEY DEVELOP IT AT MAYOR
DURKAN'S REQUEST FOR COUNCIL
CONSIDERATION AND WAS BROUGHT
TO US UNDER THE SAME STATE
LEGAL DOHERTY AS A LEGISLATION
FOR THE LEGAL DEFENSE OF
COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT IN 2020.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THIS
LEGISLATION IS CONSIDERED AFTER
THE CONCLUSION OF A JUDICIAL
PROCEEDING RELATED TO THE
RECALL CHARGE AND IN THIS
INSTANCE WE KNOW THE OUTCOME OF
THE RECALL CHARGE PETITION AND
THE TOTAL COST OF PROCEEDINGS
WHICH IS EXACTLY $240,000.
THIS WILL BE FOR CONSIDERATION
AT THIS AFTERNOON'S FULL
COUNCIL MEETING.
OTHER ITEMS TO REPORT OUT ON ,
I JUST MENTIONED WE HAVE SOME
GREAT NEWS IN TERMS OF THE
RELIEF FUND FOR IMMIGRANTS.
THE CITIES COVID-19 DISASTER
RELIEF FUND FOR IMMIGRANTS WAS
ONE OF THE SEVERAL PILLARS OF
COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA'S
JUMPSTART PROPOSAL AND THANK
YOU FOR MAKING SURE IT WAS
INCLUDED.
LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 15 OF THIS
YEAR AND AS OF EARLIER THIS
MONTH THE OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT
REFUGEE AFFAIRS REPORTED THEY
HAVE CONCLUDED THE PROCESS AND
THEY WERE ABLE TO FUND 3703
PEOPLE FROM THE REFUGEE
COMMUNITY WITH NEARLY $8
MILLION OF FUNDS FOR A TOTAL OF
1444 INDIVIDUALS IN 2259
HOUSEHOLDS SUPPORTED BY THE
EMIGRANT DISASTER RELIEF FUND
THROUGH DIRECT ASSISTANCE.
LOTS OF GOOD NEWS THERE.
OBVIOUSLY THE NEED WAS GREAT,
BUT WE ARE SO HAPPY THAT THEY
ARE REPORTING SUCH ROBUST
NUMBERS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
HOSTING THEM IN MY FIRST
COMMITTEE OF NEXT YEAR WHERE
THEY WILL REPORT OUT ON EXACTLY
HOW THEY STRUCTURED THE RELIEF
FUND THAT PROVIDED DIRECT
ASSISTANCE TO IMMIGRANTS AND
REFUGEES, AND WILL ALLOW
COUNCILMEMBERS TO FURTHER
EVALUATE WHO THE INDIVIDUALS
ARE, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND
WHAT THE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS WORK.
THIS WORK WILL BE REALLY
INSTRUCTIVE TO THE CITY AS WE
CONTINUE TO ROLL OUT OTHER
RELIEF FUNDS LIKE THE WORKER
RELIEF FUND WE ARE ABOUT TO
VOTE ON THIS AFTERNOON.
AND WE KNOW 2021 WILL CONTINUE
TO PUT DEMANDS ON THE CITY AS
IT RELATES TO DIRECT ASSISTANCE
SO I WANT TO THANK THE FOLKS
FOR BEING CREATIVE AND GOING
FIRST AND GIVING US A GOOD
TEMPLATE AND MODEL FROM WHICH
TO WORK FROM IN THE FUTURE
EFFORTS IN PROGRAMMING IN THE
AREA OF DIRECT ASSISTANCE.
LASTLY, COLLEAGUES, I WILL SAY
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THIS IS OUR LAST
COUNCIL BRIEFING OF 2020.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT
TO THANK ALL OF YOU AND YOUR
STAFF FOR YOUR HARD WORK DURING
THIS VERY CHALLENGING YEAR.
THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE
AT ANY POINT IN TIME HAVE
PREDICTED HOW CHALLENGING AND
TUMULTUOUS 2020 WOULD BE OR HOW
MANY EXACERBATED AND NEW CRISES
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE
RESPONDED TO AS A LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE ENDEAVORED I BELIEVE TO
SERVE THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE AND
RESPONDING TO CIVIL UNREST,
GLOBAL WARMING AND ECONOMIC
INSTABILITY TO THE VERY BEST OF
ALL OF OUR ELECTIVE ABILITIES.
THE REVOLVING CHALLENGES, I AM
PROUD WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE
TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF AND FOR
THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF
SEATTLE. NOT JUST THE PEOPLE IN
INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS, BUT THE
PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY OF
SEATTLE.
IN PARTICULAR, I'D LIKE TO
RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS OF THE
COUNCIL'S NEWEST MEMBERS WHO I
AM SURE WHEN THEY WERE SWORN
INTO OFFICE IN DECEMBER AND
JANUARY 2020, YOU ALL HAD NO
IDEA THAT YOUR 1st YEAR IN
OFFICE WOULD BE WORKING
REMOTELY ADDRESSING A REVENUE
SHORTFALL, AND UNBALANCED
BUDGET AND PUTTING YOUR POLICY
WORK ON HOLD DUE TO OPEN PUBLIC
MEETING ACT RESTRICTIONS.
SO TO COUNCILMEMBERS MORALE IS,
PEDERSEN, STRAUSS AND LEWIS,
THIS CERTAINLY WASN'T WHAT YOU
OR YOUR TEAMS THOUGHT YOU WERE
SIGNING UP FOR AND I AM
GRATEFUL YOU AND YOUR STAFF
HAVE PERSEVERED AND ADAPTED
WITH THE REST OF US.
ONE THING IS FOR SURE, NO ONE
WILL EVER BE ABLE TO TOP YOUR
MY 1st YEAR IN OFFICE STORIES.
IT'S A UNIQUE ONE AND A
CHALLENGING ONE.
AND I TRULY THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PERSEVERANCE AND TENACITY.
I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A LOT
FLUNG AT YOU ALL IN PARTICULAR
AS FIRST-TIME LEGISLATORS, AND
THE REST OF US, OF COURSE, HAVE
MORE LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE BUT
CERTAINLY LEARNING ALONG WITH
YOU IN HOW TO ADAPT IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT.
AND I WANT TO SAY TO THE UNSEEN
AND UNSUNG HEROES OF THE
DEPARTMENT THAT I WANT TO SAY
MY SINCERE THANK YOU TO THOSE
FOLKS.
WITHOUT THE CLERKS, I.T., COMMS,
ARCHIVIST, THE ADMIN TEAM AND
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE TEAM, AND THE
AUDITORS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO PULL WHAT WE HAD
DONE THIS YEAR OFF.
MANY COUNCILMEMBERS AND STAFF
HAVE FREQUENT AND REGULAR
CONTACT WITH COUNCIL CENTRAL
STAFF ANALYSTS WHO ARE CRITICAL
TO POLICY WORK AND THE FOLKS IN
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
OUTSIDE OF THE DIVISION WHO
NEVER MAKE IT ON CAMERA ARE
JUST AS IMPORTANT.
THEY HELP US GET RECORDS AND
ENSURE THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC EVEN
IF ELECTRONICALLY AND THEY DO
SO MUCH MORE.
SO 2020 HAS BEEN A ROLLER
COASTER RIDE FOR ALL OF US AND
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
HANGING IN THERE AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO THE PROMISE OF 2021.
I KNOW IT WILL STILL BE
CHALLENGING. I KNOW WE WILL
STILL BE AN AN REMOTE
ENVIRONMENT.
I AM CONFIDENT WE ARE GOING TO
BE READY TO MEET THE CHALLENGES
OF 2021, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
DOING THAT WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME AN
OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A BOW ON OUR
BRIEFING FOR 2020 AND IT HAS
BEEN QUITE THE YEAR.
I KNOW WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN
STORIES ABOUT WHAT THE YEAR HAS
TAUGHT US, BUT I APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH ALL OF YOU.
OKAY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
HEARING NONE, THAT DOES
CONCLUDE OUR AGENDA FOR THIS
MORNING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
HANGING TIGHT THIS MORNING.
WE WILL SEE YOU ALL AT 2:00.
WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.
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