CHAIR.
.
>> I HAVE TO GET A BIT CLOSER.
WE WILL NOW APPROVE THE AGENDA
FOR THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THERE IS NO OBJECTION, TODAY'S
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING
NO OBJECTION, TODAY'S AGENDA IS
ADOPTED. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL
TRANSITION INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WILL MODERATE THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD IN THE FOLLOWING
MANNER. EACH SPEAKER WILL
RECEIVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK
AND IF I HAD IN-PERSON
SPEAKERS, I WOULD ALTERNATE BUT
I ONLY HAVE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS
LINED UP AND WILL BE CALLED BY
FLAME NAME AND IN THE ORDER
THEY REGISTERED. IF YOU HAVE
NOT SIGNED UP YOU CAN REGISTER
BEFORE THE END OF THE PUBLIC
COMMENT. IF YOU ARE USING THE
VIRTUAL OPTION, YOU WILL HEAR A
PROMPT AND NEED TO PRESS STAR
SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. PLEASE
BEGIN SPEAKING BY STATING YOUR
NAME AND ITEM ADDRESSING.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME WITH
10 SECONDS LEFT OF THE ALLOTTED
TIME. ONCE THE SPEAKER HEARS
THE CHIME WE ASK THAT YOU WRAP
UP YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THOSE
WHO DO NOT END THE COMMENT AT
THE END OF THE ALLOTTED TIME,
THE MIC WILL BE MUTED TO ALLOW
THE NEXT SPEAKER. ONCE YOU
FINISH YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE
ASK THAT YOU DISCONNECT AND IF
YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
THE MEETING, WE ASK THAT YOU DO
VIA THE SEATTLE CHANNEL OR THE
LISTEN LINE LISTED FOR THE
AGENDA. WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE
SIGNED UP FOR COMMENT TODAY,
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE
INTO HEARING FROM THEM. WE WILL
START WITH HOWARD GAYLE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. OR GOOD
MORNING. AS YOU REAPPOINTMENT
COMMUNITY POLICE COMMISSION
MEMBERS REFLECT THAT IN A
MATTER OF WEEKS THE COMMUNITY
POLICE COMMISSION WILL START
HIS 11th YEAR, THE 11th YEAR OF
WORK. DOES YEAR 11 HOLD ANY
MORE PROMISE THAN LAST YEAR OR
THE YEARS BEFORE? IN REGARDS TO
ASSAILANT POLICE ABUSE THESE
ARE HEADLINES FROM THE LAST TWO
MONTHS OF 2022 FROM THE SPD
INSIDER FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE.
SPD CONDUCTS A S.W.A.T.
EXERCISE NEAR A SCHOOL ONE DAY
AFTER THE INGRAM SCHOOL
SHOOTING. SEATTLE COP ON LEAVE
ADMITS PROBE INTO ALLEGED
STALKING. SEATTLE POLICE ARREST
PROLIFIC TAGGERS WHO CAUSED
OVER $300,000 IN DAMAGE.
WASHINGTON POLICE ACADEMY
REMOVING MORE RECRUITS SHOWING
RED FLAGS. WOMEN SUING HIP HOP
ARTISTS FACE A TICKING CLOCK. A
SEATTLE MAN HAD A NIGHT IN
CRISIS AND THEN A SUDDEN DEATH
IN RESTRAINTS. FORMER 911
SEATTLE MANAGER SAID HE WARNED
CITY ABOUT PROBLEMS. SPD
SERGEANT INVESTIGATED OVER SEX
ASSAULT MEMO, RECORDS SHOW.
THIS WOULD SUGGEST MORE THAN
ENOUGH TOPICS DIRECTLY RELATED
TO POLICING TO THE CPC TO FOCUS
ON WITH A NEARLY $2 MILLION
BUDGET. SO WHAT DO THEY SPEND
THEIR FIRST MEETING OF 2023
DISCUSSING? A SUBJECT WHOLLY
UNRELATED TO POLICING AND THE
DECREE UNDER CONSENT LAW. LAST
WEEK'S CPC MEETING HAPPENING
ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE ONE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF SPD'S BRUTAL
MURDER OF A MAN IN A MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS STARTS OUT WITH
AN ENTIRELY FALSE EXPLANATION
AS TO WHY ONE YEAR LATER THAT
MAN'S NAME WAS NOT MADE PUBLIC
AND SPC IS FINED WITH
FUNCTIONALLY IGNORING THIS
CASE. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR 11.
>> AND THE NEXT SPEAKER.
>> I AM CALLING ABOUT THE
AFFECTED PERSONS PROGRAM. MY
FAMILY LIKE SO MANY BEFORE AND
AFTER MY BROTHER'S KILLING
CONTINUE TO BE IMPACTED BY THE
AFTERMATH OF POLICE BRUTALITY.
MILLIONS OF FORCE ARE PERFECT
PETIATED BY THE HARM OF SEATTLE
POLICE WITH THE PAIN
UNNECESSARILY DUE TO THE
BUREAUCRACY THAT WE HAVE HAD TO
NAVIGATE AND AN ADDED LAYER OF
TRAUMA WITH VICTIMS' COMPLAINTS
LOST, MINIMIZED AND DISMISSED,
BEING TREATED WITH DISRESPECT
TRYING TO UPLIFT OUR VOICES AND
STRUGGLING TO PAY FOR FUNERAL
AND BURIAL EXPENSES DURING ONE
OF THE MOST TRAUMATIC TIMES IN
OUR LIVES AND THE IMPACT ON
HOUSING AND MENTAL HEALTH AND
THE LIST GOES ON ON AND I
EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE
COUNCIL TO CREATE A WORK GROUP
TO EXPRESS THESE ISSUES HEAD ON
AND IS WILLING TO TACKLE THE
MULTITUDE OF HARM AND
GENERATIONAL TRAUMA CREATED BY
VIOLENCE PERPETUATED BY CITY
EMPLOYEES AND PROLONGED BY THE
CITY BUREAUCRACY. I LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN
A COMMUNITY WHOSE PAIN AND
TRAUMA WAS STIGMATIZED FOR FAR
TOO LONG. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT WE
WILL CONCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENT
AND MOVE ON TO THE OTHER ITEMS.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ
AGENDA ITEMS ONE THROUGH
THREE?
>> APPOINTMENT 02430,
REAPPOINTMENT OF ALINA
SANTILLAN AS MEMBER COMMUNITY
POLICE COMMISSION FOR A TERM TO
DECEMBER 31, 2025. AGENDA ITEM
2 IS APPOINTMENT 02429,
REAPPOINTMENT OF ERICA NEWMAN
AS MEMBER, COMMUNICATE POLICE
COMMISSION FOR A TERM TO
DECEMBER 31, 2025. AGENDA ITEM
THREE IS APPOINTMENT 02428,
REAPPOINTMENT OF MARK MULLENS
AS MEMBER, COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION FOR A TERM TO
DECEMBER 31, 2025.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE ARE
JOINED BY COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION CO-CHAIR MERKEL AND
THE REAPPOINTMENT HAS DIFFERING
APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY, ONE
BEING THE COMMISSION AND THE
OTHER BEING THE CITY COUNCIL.
BEFORE PROCEEDING TO
CONSIDERATION OF THE APPOINTS
AND HEARING THOSE APPOINTMENTS,
CO-CHAIR MERKEL, COULD YOU
PLEASE SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE
WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION DOES.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR HERBOLD. I
AM JOSH MERKEL, CO-CHAIR OF THE
COMMUNITY POLICE COMMISSION. AS
YOU KNOW, THE SEATTLE POLICE
COMMISSION WAS CREATED OUT OF
THE CONSENT DECREE TO ESTABLISH
THE POLICE COMMISSION AS A
PERMANENT INDEPENDENT CITY
DEPARTMENT. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE
ASSIGNED TO US 21 MEMBERS,
SEVEN EACH APPOINTED BY THE
POLICE COMMISSION, THE CITY
COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE,
AND THE MISSION, THE HEART OF
THE WORK THAT WE DO AS A POLICE
COMMISSION IS TO UPLIFT
COMMUNITY VOICES, PARTICULARLY
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND
COMMUNITIES MOST AFFECTED BY
POLICING AND ALSO TO HOLD THE
SEATTLE POLICE ACCOUNTABLE BY
MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR
ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS THE
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND CITY
COUNCIL AND LISTENING TO THE
COMMUNITY AND UPLIFTING VOICES.
SO THAT WAS THE REASON IT WAS
VERY EXCITING TO SEE THE POLICE
COMMISSIONERS TO BE REAPPOINTED
TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE
CPC. WE HAVE A VERY BUSY 2023
AHEAD OF US, AND WE ARE
EXCITED TO HAVE THE
COMMISSIONERS REAPPOINTMENTED
BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WE ARE
GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THIS IS THE APPOINTMENT OF
ALINA SANTILLAN. ALINA
SANTILLAN WAS THE DIRECTOR OF
RACIAL EQUITY FOR SEATTLE
CENTER ORGANIZATIONS TO
STRENGTHEN THEIR RACIAL EQUITY
STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES.
PREVIOUSLY AILEEN WORKED AT
KEXP AT SEVERAL ROLES INCLUDING
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER.
ALINA IS A GRADUATE OF THE
SEATTLE POLICE ACADEMY AND
VOLUNTEERED FOR MANY
ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE
BLACK PRISONERACY CAUCUS AT
CLALLAM BAY AND EARNED A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM THE
YESTERDAY OF SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI.
>> THANK YOU, AND SINCE THESE
ARE ALL REAPPOINTMENTS AND NOT
HERE WITH US, IF COUNCILMEMBERS
HAVE NO OBJECTION, WE'LL HEAR
THEM ALTOGETHER. WITH THAT,
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT
REAPPOINTMENT. CO-CHAIR MERKEL,
COULD YOU PRESENT THE NEXT
REAPPOINTMENT.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR HERBOLD.
ERICA NEWMAN IS A CPC APPOINTEE
AND SHE HAS BEEN A VALUABLE AND
CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THE
POLICE COMMISSION AND THERE ARE
SEVERAL WORK GROUPS THAT SHE
CONTRIBUTES TO AND THE WORK
GROUPS ARE REALLY THE HEART OF
THE CPC'S WORK AND WE ARE
PLEASED SHE WILL CONTINUE TO
SERVE AND THE COUNCIL WILL
CONSIDER HER APPOINTMENT.
>> AND APPOINT NUMBER THREE.
BACK TO YOU, NEWELL. OH, SORRY.
AND APPOINTMENT NUMBER THREE
ALSO A CPC APPOINTMENT.
>> YES. THAT'S CORRECT. THE
THIRD APPOINTMENT IS ALSO A CPC
APPOINTMENT. MARK MULLENS HAS
BEEN A VALUABLE MEMBER OF THE
POLICE COMMISSION. THE WORK
GROUP THAT HE HAS BEEN MOST
ACTIVE ON IS COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT. HE HAS BEEN IN THE
FIELD FOR 20 -- I BELIEVE 25
YEARS, AND HE HAS BEEN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH COMMISSIONER ALINA
SANTILLAN ALSO BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE TODAY AND THEY WERE A
REALLY GOOD TEAM WITH THE WORK
GROUP, AND WE ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO THE WORK THEY CAN DO
THIS YEAR TOGETHER, AND, AGAIN,
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE
COMMITTEE TO MAKE TIME FOR ALL
OF THE APPOINTMENTS TODAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. NOW THAT
WE HAVE ALL THREE APPOINTMENTS
IN FRONT OF US, I AM GOING TO
GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMEND
CONFIRMATION OF -- LET'S SEE
HERE -- APPOINTMENTS 024300 AND
02429 AND 02428. MAY I HAVE A
SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> THANK YOU. WE NOW HAVE A
MOTION AND A SECOND. THE CLERK
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL IF THERE
ARE NO OTHER -- ARE THERE ANY
COMMENTS I SHOULD SAY FIRST?
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOSQUEDA.
>> AYE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER NELSON.
>> AYE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
>> AYE.
>> VICE CHAIR LEWIS.
>> YES.
>> CHAIR HERBOLD.
>> YES.
>> FIVE VOTES IN FAVOR.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK
YOU, CO-CHAIR FOR JOINING US
AND PASS CONGRATULATION AND
THANKS FOR THE COMMISSION THAT
WE APPOINTED TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ
IN ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
>> OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
2023 WORK PLAN.
.
>> BEFORE WE GET INTO THE MEAT
OF THIS.
>> GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR,
COUNCILMEMBERS. IT'S A PLEASURE
TO BE HERE. I AM LISA JUDGE,
AND I AM FROM THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL.
>> I AM THE INVESTIGATION
SUPERVISOR.
>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING
WITH US. THE OFFICE OF THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL IS ONE VERY,
VERY IMPORTANT LEG OF OUR
THREE-LEG PAVILION-LED POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM. AND THE
ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIRES THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A WORK PLAN AND
THE SOLICITATION OF WORK PLAN
ITEMS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE
SYSTEM AND GIVEN THE RESOURCE
LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES OF
OIG, EVERY YEAR THEY DO THEIR
VERY BEST TO FACILITATE THE
REQUEST OF COMMUNITY AND OF
COUNCIL AND OF THE ITEMS THAT
THEY ARE REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE
TO WORK ON AS WE'LL BE HEARING
A LITTLE BIT TODAY, THERE WILL
BE MORE RESPONSIBILITY THE CITY
WILL BE CONTEMPLATING FOR OIG
AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND AS WE
MOVE TO THE CONSENT DECREE W.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO INSPECTOR GENERAL
JUDGE.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THE
CONTENT. I WILL WORK YOU
THROUGH OUR PROCESS AND THEN
TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE AUDIT AND
POLICY WORK AND THEN TALK ABOUT
THE OPA WORK AND COME BACK AND
TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE ON
OUR HORIZON THAT WE SIMPLY
DON'T HAVE THE STAFFING OR
RESOURCES TO TAKE ON IN THIS
CURRENT YEAR, ASSUMING THAT I
CAN OPERATE THIS. I KNEW I
WOULD NEED TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.
OKAY. THAT'S NOT WORKING. OKAY.
THERE WE GO. OKAY. JUST A
LITTLE BIT. I THINK WE
DISCUSSED OUR OFFICE AND
STRUCTURE A NUMBER OF TIMES BUT
A LITTLE BIT OF A RECAP. THE
AUTHORITIES IS TO PROVIDE
OVERSIGHT TO THE SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE OF
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. WE
RECOMMEND SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS,
SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
SYSTEMIC OVERSIGHT OF THE
ENTITIES, AND WE WERE CREATED
TO ENSURE THE FIDELITY OF THE
CONSENT DECREES OVERTIME, AND
WE WERE CREATED TO TAKE OVER
FOR THE FEDERAL COURT AND
MONITORING TEAM WITH THAT TYPE
OF OVERSIGHT IN THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. HOW DO WE DO
THAT WORK? WE DO AUDITS AND
REVIEWS OF SPD AND OPA AND
ENGAGE IN POLICY WORK THAT
INVOLVE RESEARCH, BEST
PRACTICES, CONVENING
STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND MAKING
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
PROVIDING POLICY TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE TO THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE ENGAGE
A LOT COLLABORATIVELY WITH
COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE
SYSTEM AND JUST A HEADS UP OF
THE PROJECTS, FEEDBACK FROM
STAKEHOLDER PARTNERS, AND THAT
INCLUDES COUNCILMEMBERS,
INCLUDES THE COMMUNITY POLICE
COMMISSION, OPA AND THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THE
PROJECTS THAT WE ACCEPTED AS
NEW WORK ARE AN AUDIT OF THE
911 DISPATCH CENTERS THAT'S
BEEN A PRIORITY I THINK OF
COUNCIL AND THE CPC FOR A
WHILE, AND IT WAS ON OUR
HORIZON BUT WE, YOU KNOW, JUST
WEREN'T ABLE TO TAKE ON THE
WORK IN 2021 AS THERE WAS A
TRANSITION GOING ON IN 2022.
BUT THIS IS THE YEAR FOR THAT
WORK. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO GO
BACK TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE
DISCIPLINARY PROCESSES, SO WE
WILL BE FOLLOWING UP ON ALL OF
THE AUDIT PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE
PRODUCED THUS FAR DETERMINING
THE STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS,
MAKING ADDITIONAL
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
FOR IMPROVEMENT. WE'LL BE DOING
FOLLOW UP ON EVERYTHING
INCLUDING THE DISCIPLINE AUDIT.
ALSO, WE WERE REQUESTED TO DO
AN AUDIT OF SPD SUPERVISOR, AND
THAT WILL NECESSARILY BE
ENCOMPASSED IN THE MONITORING
TEAMWORK THAT WE WILL BE TAKING
ON. SO PROJECTS THAT WE'LL
CONTINUE TO ASSESS AND TRY TO
TAKE ON F WE CAN, OUR REVIEW OF
OPA ACTIONS, AUDITS OF THE
COMMAND RESPONSES TO SUPERVISOR
ACTIONS, AND ALSO IN THE REVIEW
BOARD PROCESS. WE ARE LOOKING
AT REVIEWING HOW SPD EVALUATES
CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR SPD FOR
POSSIBLE EXTREMIST TIES, AND
THAT, WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO
DO A HIRING AUDIT IN THE NEAR
FUTURE. SO LOOKING TO HOPEFULLY
DO THAT POTENTIALLY AT THE END
THIS YEAR OR 2024. AND THE USE
OF FRONTLINE INVESTIGATIONS.
THIS IS A REQUEST FROM THE
OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
TO GET BETTER INFORMATION
FEEDBACK ON HOW THOSE TYPES OF
INVESTIGATIONS ARE GOING. SO
JUST A LITTLE BIT ON HOW WE
PRIORITIZE OUR WORK. WE USE A
RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX. WE, YOU
KNOW, TAKE STAKEHOLDER INPUT
AND DO RESEARCH ON WHAT IS
GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY AND
LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES. WE THEN
PRIORITIZE IT BASED ON THE
AMOUNT OF RISK THAT WOULD
HAPPEN IF REALIZED IF CERTAIN
WORK WASN'T DONE AND HOW
SIGNIFICANT THE RISK WAS. SO
THE PROJECT THAT RISES TO THE
TOP IN THE RISK MATRIX OVER
THERE IN QUADRANT 33 ARE THE
ONES THAT WE TAKE ON BASED ON
THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE
AVAILABLE. SO THAT IS HOW WE
GOT TO THE ITEMS IN OUR WORK
PLAN AND I THINK PROBABLY IN
LOOKING THROUGH IT YOU SAW THAT
IT'S PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE.
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK GOING ON
AND WE ARE POISED TO TAKE ON
ADDITIONAL WORK AS
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD
INDICATED. SO STARTING WITH
AUDITS, SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE
HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS AN
AUDIT OF THE MIRANDA RIGHTS
ORDINANCE PASSED BY SEATTLE
CITY COUNCIL AND FURTHER
STRENGTHENED BY THE STATE
LEGISLATION A YEAR LATER FOR
YOUTH MIRANDA RIGHTS. THIS CAME
AS A REQUEST FROM COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD AND IS WELL UNDERWAY
WITH THE AUDIT PROJECT
ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED IN
EARLY TO MID-2023. NEXT UP IS
THE LEAVE ADMINISTRATION BY
SPD. THIS WAS AN AUDIT THAT WAS
GENERATED AT THE QUALIFY THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND IN IT, WE
ARE ASSESSING SPD'S CONTROL
OVER USE OF LEAVE TO DETERMINE
IF THERE IS FRAUD WASTE, ABUSE,
AND THAT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE
IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2023 THAT
WE WILL FINISH THAT PRODUCT.
MUTUAL AID IS A PROJECT THAT
WAS GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS NOW. IT WAS PUT ON HOLD
IN 2020 AND 2021, AND IT'S
REALLY A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK
WITH OTHER ENTITIES, FEDERAL
PARTNERS AND OTHER FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER
JURISDICTIONS AND HOW THEY WORK
TOGETHER. WHAT WE ARE HOPING TO
DO IS PROVIDE INSIGHT AND
TRANSPARENCY INTO THOSE
ARRANGEMENTS AND, YOU KNOW,
JUST DO AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT
IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE THERE
MIGHT BE PITFALLS AND
IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE ARE
ANTICIPATING TO PICK THAT UP
AND CONCLUDE IT IN 2023. I
MENTIONED EARLIER WE ARE DOING
AN AUDIT RECOMMENDATION FOLLOW
UP, AND WE WILL GO BACK TRUE
OUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS TO ENSURE
THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE
ARE IMPLEMENTED. ANY QUESTIONS
SO FAR?
>> QUICK QUESTION. HOW DOES THE
AUDIT RECOMMENDATION FOLLOW UP
ITEM DIFFER FROM THE EARLIER
ITEM THAT YOU MACHINING BODY
THE DISCIPLINE AUDIT FOLLOW UP?
>> SURE. THAT IS PART OF THIS.
WE HAD GOTTEN AN ASK FROM A
STAKEHOLDER PARTNER TO FOLLOW
UP ON DISCIPLINE AND THERE IS
MUCH MORE TO BE DONE WITH
PROCESSES FOR FAIRNESS AND
EFFECTIVENESS AND THAT IS PART
OF MAKING SURE THAT THAT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE
IMPLEMENTED. UNDER CHAPTER
14.12 IS OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE INTELLIGENCE ORDINANCE.
THIS IS AN ORDINARYNESS THAT
THAT REGULATES HOW THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT COLLECTS AND
USES INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION
ABOUT PEOPLE'S RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION OR A SEXUAL
ORIENTATION. IN SOME WAYS, THIS
WAS ANTIQUATED AND ADOPTED IN
THE '70s AND ADOPTED PRIOR TO
THE INTERVENTION OF THE
INTERNET OR THE WIDESPREAD
AVAILABILITY OF THE INTERNET SO
THERE ARE ASPECTS OF IT THAT
NEED A REFRESH IN 2023, BUT WE
HAVE AN ONGOING OBLIGATION TO
LOOK AT HOW SPD GATHERS AND
USES THE ORDINANCE, AND WE DID
A FAIRLY COMPREHENSIVE LOOK A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE ARE
GOING BACK. WE ARE ALMOST
FINISHED WITH THIS YEAR'S LOOK,
AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE REPORT
AVAILABLE IN EARLY 2023. THE
OTHER REQUIREMENTS WE HAVE IS
TAKING A LOOK IT'S SPD'S USE OF
SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY. UP
UNTIL 2022, THERE WAS NO
APPROVED TECHNOLOGY FOR SPD. SO
OIG HAD NOTHING TO REVIEW. WE
SUBMITTED A REPORT BUT IT WAS
VERY BRIEF. AND THIS YEAR WE
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REVIEW
TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE -- GIVEN
STAFFING LIMITATIONS AND THE
AMOUNT OF WORK WITH EIGHT
TECHNOLOGIES ALL AT ONCE WE
ASKED AND RECEIVED AN EXTENSION
FROM COUNCIL. SO WE WILL HAVE
THE REPORTS COMING DUE IN MARCH
AT THE END OF Q 1 AND WE ARE
WORKING CURRENTLY WITH A
CONSULTANT WITH THE EIGHT
TECHNOLOGIES, AND I BELIEVE
THAT YEAR WE WILL HAVE 12
TECHNOLOGIES TO REVIEW IN 2023,
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THEM WE
WILL BE LOOKING AT.
>> DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY
THAT AS THE COUNCIL WORKS ON
APPROVING THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT
ARE IN THE BACKLOG YOUR
OBLIGATION GROWS?
>> CORRECT. WHO AND IS THE
OBLIGATION THAT WE DO ALL
TECHNOLOGIES EVERY YEAR?
>> ALL TECHNOLOGIES ANNUALLY. I
THINK ONE OF THE COMPLICATING
FACTOR THERE'S IS WE ARE
REQUIRED TO REVIEW THE PREVIOUS
YEAR'S TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, TO
MAKE SURE THEY ARE USING IT
APPROPRIATELY, AND ASSESS THE
CHARITY AND LOOK AT THE BUDGET
ISSUES. BUT WE ARE REQUIRED TO
PRODUCE A REPORT BY SEPTEMBER.
SO IT ONLY GIVES US NINE MONTHS
RATHER THAN A YEAR TO DO A
WHOLE YEAR'S WORTH OF
TECHNOLOGY USE, SO, YES. THE
TECHNOLOGY OBLIGATION WILL
CONTINUE TO GROW AND I BELIEVE
SPD WILL HAVE A TECHNOLOGY PUSH
THIS YEAR, SO IT WILL CONTINUE
TO GROW. IT'S A BIT OF A
BALANCE. WHEN YOU DO A FIRST
LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S
THE FIRST LABOR RESOURCE
INTENSIVE WORK, AND ONCE WE GET
THE TECHNOLOGY DONE WE WILL
HAVE A BASELINE, AND I THINK
THE ONGOING REVIEWS WILL BE
PROBABLY, HOPEFULLY LESS LABOR
INTENSIFY BUT WE WILL HAVE THE
ONGOING OBLIGATION TO LEARN
ABOUT THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND
IT'S JUST THE BODY OF WORK.
>> GREAT. COUNCILMEMBER NELSON?
>> SO THERE ARE SIX
TECHNOLOGIES TO COME THROUGH
CITY LIGHT, AND YOU DID TWO
LAST YEAR, SO I IMAGINE THAT'S
WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO ALSO
TODAY. SO ARE YOU STAFFED
APPROPRIATELY TO THIS WORK?
>> COUNCIL DID GIVE US AN
ADDITIONAL POSITION FOR A
SECOND SURVEILLANCE AUDITOR,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT,
BEGINNING THIS YEAR AND HIRING
IS ONGOING RIGHT NOW. AND WE
HOPE TO HAVE THAT STAFFED VERY
QUICKLY. I THINK TWO
INDIVIDUALS REVIEWING ALL OF
THESE TECHNOLOGIES IS STILL
PROBABLY SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER
RESOURCED. SO I IMAGINE AS WE
ADD, AND TO THE EXTENT -- WE'RE
WORKING WITH A CONSULTANT THIS
YEAR WHICH HAS BEEN VERY
HELPFUL, A COMPANY WITH A LOT
OF EXPERTISE IS HELPING US TO
GUIDE US THROUGH THIS
TECHNOLOGY. SO IF THERE IS A
BALANCE OF STAFFING AND
CONSULTANT ABILITY, I THINK
THAT HELPS BUT NO, WE ARE NOT
APPROPRIATELY STAFFED TO TAKE
ON SIX NEW TECHNOLOGISTS WITH
TWO INDIVIDUALS IF WE HAVE A
NINE-MONTH PERIOD TO ASSESS
THOSE UNLESS THE REVIEWS ARE
SCALED BACK.
>> I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING
MORE WITH YOU ON THAT. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HIGHLIGHTING THIS SURVEILLANCE
TECHNOLOGY AND THE REVIEWS THAT
WILL BE REQUIRED BASED ON THE
CURRENT VERSION OF THE
SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY
ORDINANCE. APPRECIATE THE CHAIR
OF THAT COMMITTEE, SARA NELSON,
FOR SHEPHERDING THOSE REVIEWS
THROUGH, AND WITH -- WITH THE
LOSS OF OFFICERS OVER THE PAST
COUPLE OF YEARS, WE MAY NEED TO
RELY ON TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE
EFFICIENCIES WITH CRIME PRE
PREVENTION. I KNOW SOME PARKS
FACILITIES IN ARE BROKEN INTO
COULD BENEFIT FROM CAMERAS SO
IF YOU HAVE REVIEW TIME THAT IS
ANNUAL FOR EACH ONE OR LOOKING
AT THE EFFICIENCIES IN THE
REVIEW PROCESS THAT THESE ARE
TECHNOLOGIES USED FOR
EFFICIENCY AND WE HAVE LESS
CONCERNS OF FOLKS THAT ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT SURVEILLANCE
BUT WE'LL SEE AND WILL HAVE TO
TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS IN
THE NEAR FUTURE.
>> YES. THANK YOU, AND I
APPRECIATE THAT AND IT CAN BE A
MULTIPLIER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
BUT WE ARE CAREFUL TO BALANCE
IT AGAINST CIVIL LIBERTIES AND
PRIVACY. I THINK YOUR
SUGGESTION OF AN APPROACH FOR
REVIEW MIGHT BE REALLY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON. THE
PERFORMANCE AUDITS. I THINK I
MENTIONED THAT ONE IS THE AUDIT
OF THE COMMUNITY SAFETY AND
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. SO
LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS OF THE
TRANSITION OUT OF SPD INTO
THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS
AREAS OF COMMUNITY CONCERN IN
TERMS OF CALL ASSIGNMENTS,
DISPATCH PROTOCOLS, RESPONSE
TIME, CRISIS AND EQUITY
TRAINING RECEIVED BY THOSE
FOLKS AND HOW IT SHOWS UP IN
THE WORK AND ANY DISPARITYS
THAT WE MIGHT FIND. WE TRY AND
ADD AN ELEMENT OF LOOKING AT
DISPARITY IN ALL OF OUR
PROJECTS, SO CAPTURING THAT
HERE. NEXT IS AN AUDIT OF TASER
EFFECTIVENESS. WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TOOLS THAT
SPD HAS AND HOW THOSE CAN BE
FORCE MULTIPLIERS, I THINK THE
TASER IS ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF
EQUIPMENT THAT PEOPLE MAKE
REFERENCE TO QUITE A BIT. I
THINK THERE IS A LOT OF --
PERHAPS -- I DON'T KNOW THAT WE
REALLY UNDERSTAND PRACTICALLY
HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE. I THINK
THERE IS A LOT OF BELIEF ABOUT
THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, AND WE
WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS
REALITY THERE. SO WE WILL LOOK
AT TASER DEPLOYMENT, ASSESS
THEIR HISTORICAL EFFECTIVENESS
LOOKING QUALITATIVE AND
QUANTITATIVELY AT THE REPORTS
AND WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW
OFTEN THEY ARE A POINT IN A
SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN RESOLVING
A CONFLICT WITHOUT THE NEED FOR
USES OF FORCE AND LOOK AT THEIR
POLICIES AND TRAINING. SO THAT
KIND OF CAME OUT OF A LOOK OF
RESPONSES TO PEOPLE IN CRIES
CRISES THAT HAD A GOOD OUTCOME
OR HAD LESS USE OF FORCE, AND
WE REALLY WANTED TO TAKE A MORE
HEIGHTENED LOOK AT THE TASER
ITSELF AND HOW EFFECTIVE THAT
IS. QUESTIONS? OKAY. SO POLICY
WORK, I THINK EVERYONE IS
FAMILIAR WITH THE SENTINEL
EVENT REVIEW PROCESS AND WE DID
IN THE SPD PROTEST RESPONSE IN
2020. WE WILL BE WRAPPING THAT
UP. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE
FINAL EDIT OF THE LAST REPORT,
AND YOU WILL SEE THAT COMING
OUT SOON, AND WE ARE LOOK
BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A VALUABLE
PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS
ESPECIALLY BETWEEN SPD AND THE
COMMUNITY, WE ARE LOOKING TO
BUILD A PROCESS THAT LOOKS AT
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS,
LOSING THE SENTINEL REVIEW
PROCESS SO THIS IS TRUE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN
FIGURING OUT WHAT LED UP TO A
PARTICULAR USE OF FORCE, A
DEADLY USE OF FORCE, WHETHER
THERE WERE FACTORS UPSTREAM
THAT COULD BE CHANGED. YOU
KNOW, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
DONE TO KEEP NEGATIVE OUT COMES
LIKE PEOPLE BEING KILLED BY
POLICE FROM HAPPENING. SO WE
PLAN TO START LOOKING AT CASE
WHERE IS THERE IS AN
INTERSECTION WITH PEOPLE IN
CRISIS. THAT IS ALSO A GREAT
MATTER OF COMMUNITY CONCERN. WE
THOUGHT IF WE COMBINED THOSE
TWO AND STARTED WITH THE
INTERSECTION OF OFFICER-INVOLVE
D SHOOTINGS OF PEOPLE IN
CRISIS, THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD
PLACE TO START, AND WE ARE
WORKING ON DE-PRIORITIZING THE
MINOR TRAFFIC STOPS, TRYING TO
MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE
BROUGHT INTO UNNECESSARY
CONTACT WHERE THINGS CAN GO
TERRIBLY AWRY FOR OFFICERS AND
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE HAD A
WORK GROUP PUT TOGETHER AND
WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND
CHIEF DIAZ HAD DE-PRIORITIZED A
LIST OF OFFENSES AT THE END OF
2021 AND THE BEGINNING OF 2022,
AND WE'LL GO BACK TO WORK AND
LOOK AT WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER
WAYS, PERHAPS, TRAFFIC
ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN
CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE LIST OF
OFFENSES FOR WHICH THERE WON'T
BE PRIMARY REASONS TO STOP. AND
WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE WORKING ON
OUR EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING
PROCESS WHICH IS USING THE
PEACE MODEL DEVELOPED IN THE UK
TO DEVELOP A TRAINING PROGRAM
AND SUPPORTING POLICIES FOR SPD
AND IMPLEMENTING THAT AND
WORKING ON THE SPD DATA
COLLABORATIONS. WE KNOW THE
DATA, THE TRANSPARENCY OF IT
AND THE ABILITY. PUBLIC TO
CONSUME IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OF
COMMUNITY CONCERN. SO WE HAVE
PROJECTS GOING ON WITH SPD, AND
IT'S PART OF THE ONGOING
CONSENT DECREE. A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS?
>> THANK YOU. AS IT RELATES TO
THE SENTINEL EVENT REVIEWS, I
APPRECIATE THAT TO CREATE
ACCOUNTABILITY, AGENCIES HAVE A
DASHBOARD WHERE THEY TRACK
RECOMMENDATIONS AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS. ARE THE
SENTINEL REVIEW RCOMMENDATIONS
INCLUDED IN THAT?
>> YES. THE CPC HAS AN
ORDINANCE OBLIGATION TO TRACK
ALL RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY ALL
ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS. SO
THEY ARE KIND OF THE DESIGNATED
CLEARING HOUSE BUT PART OF THE
WORK IS DEVELOPING OUR OWN
DASHBOARD. THEY HAVE A WHOLE
MATRIX OUT OF THE SENTINEL
EVENTS WITH STATUSES OF EACH OF
THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND WE ARE
UP OVER 100 PLUS
RECOMMENDATIONS, SO WE ARE
HOPING TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE
THIS COMMITEE VERY SOON ON THAT
WORK, AND WE WILL MAKE THAT
INFORMATION PUBLICALLY
AVAILABLE.
>> AND THE ITEM TO THE OFFICE
OF INVESTIGATION, I WANT TO
FLAG THE FACT THAT IT WAS A
YEAR THIS WEEK THAT IT WAS
PUBLICALLY REVEALED IN A --
WELL, IT WAS LONGER SINCE THE
ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED BUT BECAME
A MORE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF IT
IN EARLY JANUARY OF LAST YEAR.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION
YOU PROVIDED ABOUT THE DRAFT
POLICY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
WORKING VERY HARD WITH A NUMBER
OF STAKEHOLDERS FOR DEVELOPMENT
BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE ARE MOVING
FORWARD IN ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENTING THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT RESULTED
FROM THAT INTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER
WORK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING BOTH
WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL
AS WITH THE COLLABORATION OF
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO WHERE
ARE WE IN THAT?
>> YEAH. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK
THAT'S AN SPD QUESTION BECAUSE
WE DID A NUMBER OF ROUNDS OF
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AROUND
OFFICERS USING DECEPTION IN A
VARIETY OF CONTACTS, AND IN THE
FIRST ROUND OF OUR WORK, WE
FOCUSED ON PATROL OFFICERS AND
SORT OF THE REACH SITUATION AND
WHEN OFFICERS IN A PATROL
CAPACITY COULD APPROPRIATELY
USE DECEPTION AND WHEN IT WAS
MORE UNDERMINING OF TRUST AND
NOT PRODUCTIVE THAN YOU WOULD
WANT, SO WE ISSUED THAT SET OF
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY HAVE
BEEN WORKING TO CORPORATE THOSE
INTO THEIR POLICY, AND I THINK
THAT'S WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
SO I CAN CERTAINLY -- YOU KNOW,
WE PLAN TO REINITIATE, AND I
WILL TALK ABOUT THAT ON ONE OF
THE NEXT SLIDES -- MORE WORK
INTO INVESTIGATION INTO
DECEPTION. AND WE'VE FOCUSED ON
ONE ASPECT OF IT THAT WAS A
PUBLIC CONCERN LAST YEAR, AND
WE WILL GET INTO OTHER POLICIES
THAT GO BEYOND PATROL INTO
INTERROGATING SUSPECTS
SUSPECTED OF SIGNIFICANT
CRIMES, THOSE KINDS OF
SITUATIONS. SO WE WILL BE
CONTINUING THAT WORK BUT I CAN
FOLLOW UP AND TRY AND PROVIDE
YOU THE BEST INFORMATION I CAN
ON WHERE THE ROOT POLICY IS AT
WITH SPD.
>> THANK YOU. MY RECOLLECTION
IS THAT THE OIG DRAFT WAS
SUBMITTED BACK IN OCTOBER. YOU
-- I FIRST HEARD YOU SAY I
SHOULD DIRECT THE QUESTION TO
SPD. I APPRECIATE YOUR OFFERING
TO FIND MORE INFORMATION. BUT
THEN I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THEY
ARE WORKING ON INTEGRATING THE
POLICY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS
INTO THEIR POLICY. HOW DO YOU
>> JUST CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
FOLKS WORKING IN THE POLICY
DEPARTMENT. I THINK YOU HAVE
SEEN AT LEAST ONE DRAFT OF THE
WHAT THEY WERE PROPOSING. WHEN
WE SUBMITTED OUR MEMO TO THEM,
THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY
WERE WORKING TO INCORPORATE SPD
BACK INTO THE POLICY. THAT'S
THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE AT
THIS POINT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> OKAY. SOME OF THE RECURRING
PROJECTS WE HAVE ARE WORKING
WITH THE CITY AND CITY PARTNERS
ON STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
ONE OF THE BIG ITEMS THIS YEAR
THAT WILL BE A PROJECT FOR US
IS ON TRAFFIC STOPS. IT WILL BE
WORK THAT IS -- THAT DOVETAILS
WITH THE WORK WE ARE DOING WITH
SPD ON TRAFFIC STOPS. IF THERE
IS LEGISLATION AT THE STATE
LEVEL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS
THERE THERE ARE SOME PROVISIONS
IN SOME OF THE PROPOSED
LEGISLATION FOR THINGS LIKE
VEHICLE REPAIR AND SO THERE
MIGHT BE NICE FUNDING OPTIONS
FOR FOLKS TO DEAL WITH TRAFFIC,
YOU KNOW, INFRACTIONS LIKE
BROKEN TAILLIGHTS, NOT WORK
MUFFLERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THE STATE
LEGISLATION, IF IT PASSES, WILL
BE HELPFUL TO THE EFFORTS THAT
ONGOING IN SEATTLE. WE ARE ALSO
REQUIRED TO LOOK AT TRENDS FOR
THE CITY WITH CLAIMS AND
LAWSUITS THAT THE DATA THAT WE
GOT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE WAS A TAD SPOTTY FOR
LAST YEAR. SO I THINK WE WILL
MAKE EFFORTS WITH THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO GET MORE
OF A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE
INFORMATION THIS YEAR. WE ARE
ALSO REQUIRED TO LOOK AT OPA'S
USE OF SWORN AND CIVILIAN
STAFFING AND ASSESS THE USE OF
CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. AND WE KNOW
THEY CAN ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN
NUMBER OF CIVILIANS, BUT THAT
WILL FACTOR INTO OUR LOOK AT
THEIR WORK THIS YEAR. AND THE
LAST POLICY PROJECTS I WILL
TALK ABOUT ARE -- I DON'T KNOW
IF YOU RECALL, BUT ONE OF THE
FIRST POLICY PROJECTS WE DID
WAS MAPPING OF THE DISCIPLINE
SYSTEM, AND IT WAS VERY HELPFUL
I THINK FOR US TO UNDERSTAND
THE SYSTEM AND FOR OUR PARTNERS
AND COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW
THE COMPLAINT FLOWS AND AS WE
DO MORE AUDIT FOR USES OF
FORCE, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND FROM THE TIME OF USE
IS FORCE IS USED HOW IT'S
INVESTIGATED, HOW IT'S
REVIEWED. WE WILL FIRST OF ALL
MAP IT AND USE THAT IN OUR
FORCE ANALYSIS. AND I THINK
THAT COUNCILMEMBER, YOU WANTED
TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ON THE
OVERSIGHT MONITORING TEAM TO
OUR OWN OVERSIGHT HERE IN THE
CITY OF SAT WILL. WE ARE
CURRENTLY WORKING ON A
METHODOLOGY FOR THE USE OF
FORCE AND INTERVENTION AND
PEOPLE USE OF FORCE WITH
PEOPLE IN CRISIS AND TAKING
SOME INFORMATION FROM THIS
PROCESS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN
WITH THE FEDERAL COURTS BUT
ALSO CREATING OUR OWN, YOU
KNOW, MEANINGFUL PROCESS. WHAT
DO WE WANT TO KNOW AS A
COMMUNITY? WHAT DO WE WANT TO
KNOW AS LEADERS ABOUT HOW SPD
ENGAGES IN THESE ACTIVITIES AND
HOW CAN WE MAKE THESE THINGS
MORE EFFICIENT? HOW CAN WE
ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BEING DONE
IN A CONSTITUTIONAL FASHION? WE
ARE REALLY TRYING TO PUT OUR
OWN INNOVATION INTO HOW WE LOOK
AT THOSE PROCESSES. IT WILL BE
A WHOLE NEW BODY OF WORK THAT
WE DEVELOP. FROM THAT
OVERARCIN, ANY PLAN, WE WILL
FOCUS ON -- NOT TRYING TO SWEEP
ANY ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS INTO
THE CONSENT DECREE PROCESS BUT
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE WILL HAVE
TO LOOK AT SPD AS A WHOLE. IT
WILL BE A MUCH MORE HOLISTIC
APPROACH INCLUDING THE
OVERSIGHT OF TRAINING AND
THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PART
OF THE MONITOR'S ASSESSMENT OF
SPD. WE'LL BE ESTABLISHING OUR
OWN ONGOING METRIC FOR
COMPLIANCE AND WORK WITH THE
OTHER COLLABORATORS AND
STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE SURE IT'S
MEANINGFUL TO EVERYBODY AND
MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROCESSES
ARE COMPREHENSIVE AND
TRANSPARENT.
>> THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT
THIS ITEM. AND APPRECIATE
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OFFICE
OF INSPECTOR GENERAL IS WORKING
ON GETTING TO THAT POINT WHERE
YOU ARE ABLE TO TAKE ON THE
MONITORING ASSESSMENT WORK THAT
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
MONITOR HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE
FOR. THE -- THE SORT OF
TRANSFERRING OF THOSE
RESPONSIBILITIES WILL BE
DEPENDENT ON THE COURT
AGREEING. SO I AM ASSESSING
THAT THIS METHODOLOGY THAT YOU
ARE DEVELOPING IS PART OF WHAT
THE COURT WILL BE EVALUATING TO
DETERMINE WHAT WHAT YOU PROPOSE
TO DO IN THE PLACE OF THE
CURRENT MONITORING APPROACH.
IT'S SUFFICIENT. SO THAT IS
PART OF THE PROCESS?
>> YES. THE METHODOLOGIES WILL
BE SUBMITTED TO THE COURT FOR
APPROVAL.
>> AND LIKE THE QUESTION FROM
COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, I WOULD
ASK FOR SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES
TO TAKE ON THIS NEW BODY OF
WORK IN THE DEVELOPING -- THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE ASSESSMENTS
IS ONE THING BUT ACTUALLY DOING
THE WORK ITSELF.
>> CORRECT, YES. THANK YOU FOR
THAT, AND IT'S AN ENTIRELY NEW
BODY OF WORK FOR US AND YOU CAN
SEE FROM ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS
WE HAVE ON OUR PLATE, WE HAVE A
LOT GOING ON SEPARATE FROM
TAKING ON THIS NEW
RESPONSIBILITY. HISTORICALLY,
THE NEW MONITORING TEAM DOING
THIS WORK HAS BEEN INVOLVED
FROM THREE TO UP WARDS OF SEVEN
OR EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE
MONITORING TEAM THAT ARE
ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING TO THE
ASSESSMENT WITH ACTIVE USE OF
CONSULTANTS AND OTHER EXPERTS.
BUT I THINK THE ANSWER FOR US
IS THE STAFFING IS SOMEWHERE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THAT. BUT TELL
TAKE STAFFING AND FOLKS WITH
OVERSIGHT IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
WITH CAPABILITY, AND PART THIS
IS SP DOES, A GOOD PARTNER AND
THEY HAVE A LOT OF GOOD WORK
IN-HOUSE. SO OIG HAS GOOD
POLICIES IN DEVELOPING WITH SPD
BUT SOME OF IT WILL BE SPD
DOING THEIR OWN QUALITY CONTROL
AND ANALYSIS AND OIG CHECKING
THAT WORK AND MAKING SURE THAT
IT'S ACCURATE AND THAT THAT'S
TRANSPARENT AND GETTING TO WHAT
WE NEED TO GET TO. SO I THINK
SOME OF IT WILL BE LETTING SPD
DO THEIR OWN QUALITY CONTROL
AND SOME OF IT WILL BE NEW WORK
FOR OIG. I THINK THE MIDDLE TO
LOWER END OF THE MONITORING
NUMBERS IS PROBABLY A GOOD
START BEFORE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT
ELSE WE NEED TO DO.
>> AND I RECOLLECT THAT DURING
OUR MOST RECENT BUDGET PROCESS
WE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE FUNDING THAT IS DEVOTED TO
THE MONITORING WORK. I
UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME
PLANNING RESERVES THAT HAVE NOT
BEEN DIRECTLY ALLOCATED AT THIS
POINT. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU ARE HAVING
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
EXECUTIVE ABOUT THE PLANNING
NEEDS AND THAT WE CAN EXPECT
THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MEET
THOSE NEW OBLIGATIONS THAT YOU
ARE TAKING ON AND WANT THE
REASSURANCE THAT WE CAN EXPECT
TO GET SOME SORT OF A MID-YEAR
REQUEST TO HELP FACILITATE YOUR
STAFFING NEEDS TO FILL THIS
IMPORTANT BODY OF WORK BECAUSE
I IMAGINE THAT IS ANOTHER
QUESTION THAT THAT IS WHAT THE
COURT IS LOOKING AT, NOT WHAT
YOU PROPOSE TO DO BUT THAT YOU
HAVE THE RESOURCE TO DO IT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE
THAT. CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN
ONGOING WITH THE EXECUTIVES AND
I HAVE PRODUCED MATERIALS WITH
BUDGETARY PROJECTIONS AND
DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT I THINK
OUR NEEDS ARE. I WOULD BE HAPPY
TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU AND
THIS COMMITTEE IF THAT WILL BE
HELPFUL TO YOU, AND WE'LL BE
KEEPING BOTH THE EXECUTIVES AND
COUNCIL APPRISED OF NEEDS THAT
WE HAVE THERE. QUESTIONS?
>> I AM NOT SEEING ANY.
>> THIS WILL BE A BIG PIECE OF
WORK, SO PERHAPS WE CAN COME
BACK AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
IN DEPTH ABOUT WHAT THIS WORK
MIGHT LOOK LIKE AT A FUTURE
TIME.
>> YEAH. I THINK IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION. I KNOW THAT
YOU'RE HAVING AN OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY OR BEGINNING TO HAVE
IT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I
THINK BEFORE WE SUBMIT THAT
METHODOLOGY, I THINK MAKING
SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR PARTNERS
ARE INFORMED ON IT WOULD BE
REAL HELPFUL.
>> ABSOLUTELY, YES. THANK YOU.
>> I AM FEELING OVERWHELMED FOR
YOU. I HAVE TO SAY IN ADDITION
TO WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THE
TRANSITION FROM THE CONSENT
DECREE, WE OPENED THIS
DISCUSSION WITH TALKING ABOUT A
LOT OF AUDITS THAT ARE
REQUESTED ON AN ONGOING BASIS,
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SAY --
HOW YOU -- YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT
THE RECOMMENDATION TO DO
AUDITS. IT JUST SEEMS AS THOUGH
YOU HAVE GOT A LOT OF WORK ON
YOUR PLATE. AND AT SOME POINT,
YOU WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS
WHETHER OR NOT HOW WE STAFF
YOUR OFFICE AND MAKE SURE THAT
YOUR WORK IS WORKABLE.
>> YES. THANK YOU. AND WE GIVE
A LOT OF CONSIDERATION TO THE
RESOURCES, SO WHAT YOU'RE
SEEING IS OUR ESTIMATION OF A
SCALED-BACK PLAN. SO I
APPRECIATE THAT YOU FIND IT A
LITTLE DAUNTING. I -- I DO,
TOO. BUT FORTUNATELY, I HAVE
CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXCELLENT
GROUP OF FOLKS THAT ARE SMART
AND CAPABLE AND GETTING THIS
STUFF DONE. WHEN WE ADD THE
ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE
TECHNOLOGY AND THE MONITORING
DUTIES, THAT IS GOING TO
REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
BUT THIS WORK PLAN THAT IS
CHOCKFUL OF THINGS WHAT WE
EXPECT WE CAN DO WITH EXISTING
RESOURCES NOTWITHSTANDING THE
MONITORING ASPECT OF IT, SO
THIS SLIDE IN PARTICULAR IS NEW
AND AS TECHNOLOGIES ARE
APPROVED, THAT WILL BE NEW WORK
AS WELL. BUT THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY.
AND NOW, IT'S TIME FOR ME TO
TURN IT OVER INTO CAPABLE
HANDS.
>> THANK YOU. AND IN ADDITION
TO THE OPA REVIEW WORK THAT THE
INVESTIGATION TEAM ALREADY
DOES, WE DON'T HAVE QUITE AS
MUCH LATITUDE AS THE REST OF
THE OFFICE AS MOST OF OUR WORK
IS DICTATED BY THE
ACCOUNTABILITY ORDINANCE IN
CERTIFYING THEM AS TIMELY AND
OBJECTIVE. THERE ARE OTHER
THINGS THAT WE WILL DO AND CAN
DO, AND WE ARE RETURNING TO
REALTIME REVIEW OF
CLASSIFICATIONS THAT ARE MADE
BY OPA. WHAT THIS MEANS IS WE
WILL BE TAKING A WEEKLY LOOK AT
CASES THAT OPA CLASSIFIES AS
CONTACT LOGS AND SUPERVISOR
ACTIONS AND REVIEWS, AND WE
WILL LOOK AT THOSE WEEKLY AND
ALLOW US TO GO BACK TO OPA IF
THERE ARE ANY CASES THAT WE DO
NOT AGREE ON. WE CAN GO BACK TO
OPA IN REALTIME TO CHANGE THOSE
CLASSIFICATIONS IF WE ARE IN
AGREEMENT WITH THEM. SO THAT'S
VERY GOOD. PREVIOUSLY, OIG DID
REALTIME CLASSIFICATION REVIEW.
THEY DID WEEKLY REVIEWS. WHEN
THAT WAS DONE AT THAT TIME,
THERE WAS A HIGH LEVEL OF
RECURRENCE AND LIMITATIONS ON
STAFFING AT THE TIME BUT THAT
WAS SWITCHED TO A SAMPLING -- A
QUARTERLY SAMPLING. BUT NOW WE
HAVE THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING
LEVEL WHICH IS REALLY GREAT AND
THAT WILL ALLOW US TO RETURN TO
THE REALTIME SAMPLING WHICH IS
IMPORTANT. WE'VE LEARNED THAT
THERE IS QUITE AN INTEREST FROM
THE PUBLIC IN WHAT HAPPENS AT
OIG. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
WILL BE WORKING ON THAT I AM
EXCITED ABOUT IS INCREASING
TRANSPARENCY IN OUR WORK FOR
MORE REPORTING, MORE REPORTING
ON THAT, AND WITH THE
CLASSIFICATION REVIEWS I SPOKE
OF WE WILL REPORT ON THOSE
QUARTERLY, AND WE WILL REPORT
ON THEM EVERY QUARTER FOR THE
CLASSIFICATION REVIEWS AND FULL
REPORTING SEMI ANNUALLY, SO
TWICE A YEAR WE'LL DO THOSE
WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
US. WE REALLY WANT TO INCREASE
THE TRANSPARENCY. THE PUBLIC IS
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. [
CAPTIONERS TRANSITIONING ]
AND THAT
>> ALSO, AS LISA MENTIONED, THE
TRAINING WE DID WITH DOCTOR
GRIFFITH, WE DID THAT LAST
YEAR, WHICH WAS GREAT, AND WILL
DEVELOP THAT INTO 2023 AND PUT
SOME FOCUS ON MORE TRAFFIC --
WE CAN ENSURE THE TEAM IS
UNIFORM ACROSS THE BOARD ON
EXPECTATIONS AND TRAINING AND
ALL THOSE. I THINK THAT IS
ABOUT IT FOR INVESTIGATIONS --
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
BEING COMMITTED TO CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT OF YOUR OWN SYSTEMS
AND BEING REFLECTIVE AND
INVITING OTHERS IN TO REVIEW
THE SYSTEMS AND BEING OPEN TO
THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. I
UNDERSTAND SOME OF THESE ITEMS
THAT YOU JUST COVERED HAVE COME
FROM THE RESULTS OF THAT
REFLECTION, AND COLLABORATION
WITH OTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE
EXPERTISE IN THE SYSTEM AND I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COMMITMENT TO THAT WORK. I
THINK THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
IN GENERATING PUBLIC TRUST IN
THE SYSTEM.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> WE HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES.
WE EVENTUALLY WANT TO LOOK, AS
SOON AS WE CAN, AT HIRING
PRACTICES. I THINK I DISCUSSED
THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. WE
HAVE HAD REQUEST TO LOOK AT THE
RESPONSE TO HATE CRIMES AND, AS
I MENTIONED, THE DISCIPLINE
FOLLOW-UP, WE WANT TO ENVISION
ADDITIONAL WORK IN THE AREA OF
DISCIPLINE. SOME OF THE ISSUES
THAT HAMPERED OUR PREVIOUS WORK
WERE LOOKING AT THE GRIEVANCE
PROCESS, BUT THERE WAS REALLY
NO SET OF DATA. THERE WERE NO
GRIEVANCES THAT HAD BEEN
RESOLVED IN OUR DATA SET
PERIOD. WE ARE HOPING TO COME
BACK WHEN THERE IS ACTUALLY
INFORMATION TO TAKE A LOOK AT
AND REFRESH THAT PART OF THE
AUDIT.
>> ON THE RESPONSE TO HATE
CRIMES FROM SPD, A NUMBER OF
YEARS AGO, THE CITY AUDITOR DID
A SERIES OF AUDITS ON SPD'S
RESPONSE TO HATE CRIMES AND
THOSE AUDITS RESULTED IN A
NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME
OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTED AND OTHERS -- I DO
RECALL LOOKING -- THEY HAVE A
DASHBOARD THAT IDENTIFIES
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE
MADE, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN
IMPLEMENTED BUT ARE IN
PROGRESS. IN MY RECOLLECTION,
IT IS THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE
RELATED TO HATE CRIMES THAT ARE
STILL PENDING FROM, I BELIEVE,
FROM EITHER 2017 OR 2018.
>> THANK YOU. THAT IS WORK WE
WILL DO COLLABORATIVELY WITH
THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE. YOU
KNOW, THEY ARE LOOKING AT
PARTICULAR RULES IN THE YELLOW
BOOK WORLD ABOUT WHO MAKES
RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHO CAN
FOLLOW UP ON THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS ONCE THEY ARE
MADE. WE WILL BE IN OUR WORK,
WORKING WITH THE CITY AUDITOR
FOR THAT FOLLOW-UP PIECE. THANK
YOU.
>> OVER TIME AND PERSONAL
MANAGEMENT AND CONTRACTING ARE
ALSO ON THE HORIZON AND WE WILL
GET TO THOSE AS STAFFING AND
RESOURCES PERMIT. AND, OF
COURSE, ALL OF THIS IS SORT OF
WHAT CEMENTS. THERE IS ALWAYS
EMERGENT ISSUES THAT COME UP
THAT NECESSITATE IS MOVING
THINGS AROUND AND SHIFTING OUR
PRIORITIES, SO AS OF TODAY,
THIS IS OUR WORK PLAN DEPENDING
ON WHAT HAPPENS, THAT MAY
CHANGE, BUT WE LIKE TO REMAIN
FLEXIBLE SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO
ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL
ISSUES OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE AS
THEY ARISE. SO, THANK YOU FOR
THIS OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE NEVER
EARD THE WET CEMENT ANALOGY
BEFORE. I AM GOING TO USE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THERE ARE NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. AGAIN, I
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND
I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK
YOU DO AND THE DILIGENCE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I
APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND
THE SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FROM
YOU, CHAIR LISA HERBOLD, AND
COUNCIL MEMBERS. I COULD NOT DO
IT WITHOUT YOU.
>> EXCELLENT.
>> MADAM CHAIR?
>> OH, I AM SORRY.
>> I WAS NOT APPROPRIATELY
RAISING MY HAND IN THE
ELECTRONIC VERSION. I CAN SEE
OUR GUEST AND I WANT TO SAY
SOMETHING IF IT IS STILL
APPROPRIATE, MADAM CHAIR.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> I WANT TO THANK THE OIG TEAM
FOR BEING HERE, ESPECIALLY THE
DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE AND ALL THAT YOU SHARE.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I WANT
TO LIFT UP. ONE, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR INITIAL COMMENTS
MENTIONING -- IT IS, DIRECTOR
JUDGE, FOR MENTIONING THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE EXTREMIST
IDEOLOGIES AMENDMENT WE
INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AND THE
REQUIREMENT THAT THE ANALYSIS
OF OUR CURRENT RECRUITING
PRACTICES MUST INCLUDE WHETHER
OR NOT WE ARE SCREENING FOR
EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES. I
APPRECIATE YOU LIFTING THAT UP,
GIVEN WE ARE ON THE HEELS OF
THE JANUARY 6th INSURRECTION
FROM TWO YEARS AGO AND WE STILL
HAVE THE HIGHEST COUNT OF SWORN
POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE
PRESENT AT THAT RALLY. I THINK
IT IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO
HOW WE LEARN FROM THAT,
ESPECIALLY HERE LOCALLY IN
WASHINGTON, WITHIN OUR OWN
POLICE DEPARTMENT. I APPRECIATE
WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. I ALSO WANT
TO THANK MY OFFICE, WHO WORKED
WITH GREG DAWSON, WHO MIRRORED
LANGUAGE FROM THE FBI'S OWN
INTERNAL ANALYSIS AS THEY
LOOKED AT EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES.
WE LIFTED LANGUAGE FROM THE F
GUY AS WELL. THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT IS NOT JUST UNIQUE TO
SEATTLE'S POLICE FORCE BUT
PERVASIVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
AND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARMS AND
BRANCHES AND THE F GUY HAS
RECOGNIZED THAT. THAT IS WHY WE
HAVE LIFTED UP THE LANGUAGE
THEY HAVE CHOSEN. I ALSO WANTED
TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU
HAVE DONE AND YOU NOTED IT IN
YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU SAY THE
POLICY WORKS TO INCLUDE
ONGOING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE
USE OF DECEPTION BY SPD
OFFICERS IN INVESTIGATIONS. WE
KNOW THEY COMMENTED ON THIS
EARLIER. WE HAVE A LOT OF
INTEREST, I THINK, IN THIS
COUNCIL, IN MAKING SURE THE
IMMENSE POWER THAT OFFICERS
HAVE WITH THE BADGE AND THE
SHIELD THEY HAVE, THAT THEY ARE
ABLE TO HAVE YOUR BODY REALLY
PROVIDE OVERSIGHT. THE IMMENSE
POWER THEY HAVE OVER PEOPLE
THEY ARE INVESTIGATING MEANS WE
NEED TO TAKE EVERY ACTION
POSSIBLE TO LEVEL THE PLAYING
FIELD AND MAKE SURE WE ARE
EVALUATING THAT POWER AND
CHECKING IT WHEN IT IS BEING
MISUSED. I ALSO WANT TO SAY
THANKS FOR THE DATE OF
TRANSPARENCY. YOU HAVE
COMMENTED ON THAT AND OUR
COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE AS
WELL, BUT I DO HOPE WE WILL BE
RECEPTIVE TO MAKING CHANGES TO
THE USE OF DATA ONCE WE SEE THE
ANALYSIS FROM OIG. WE NEED TO
NOT ONLY REVIEW REPORTS THAT
COME IN ON THE CURRENT USE OF
TECHNOLOGY AND PUT IT ON THE
SHELF AND HAVE IT AGE THERE BUT
WE NEED TO ACT UPON THEM ONCE
THE OIG HAS PUT THOSE FORWARD.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU.
I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE COUNCIL
-- I'M GOING IN MY SIXTH YEAR
NOW BUT I AM EXCITED TO HAVE
BEEN HERE AS -- THANK YOU TO
COUNCILMEMBER LISA HERBOLD AND
HER STEWARDSHIP OVER THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE. I WANT TO
MAKE SURE AS WE RECEIVE THOSE
REPORTS, WE ARE ACTING WITH
URGENCY TO RESPOND TO ANY
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT OIG PUTS
FORWARD AND I UNDERSTAND THERE
IS A SEPARATE COMMITTEE THAT
TAKES THAT ON, BUT I WANT US,
ACROSS PUBLIC SAFETY,
TECHNOLOGY, AND THE CITY
COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, BE POISED
TO ACT ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
. FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY I AM
REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE
POLICY PRIORITY IN YOUR REPORT.
WHAT IS LOOKING AT OPA AND WE
ARE THANKFUL AND I SEE MAYOR
BRUCE HARRELL IS WAITING FOR
THE NEXT PRESENTATION. WE HAVE
HAD DIRECT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
HOW THE ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS
CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE WITH
REALLY OWNING AN INDEPENDENT
ROLE WITHIN OUR CITY. WHILE
THEY ARE HOUSED AT, YOU KNOW,
ON PAPER WITHIN SPD, IT IS
IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO
RECOGNIZE THE INDEPENDENCE OF
OPA AND AS YOU PUT IN YOUR
POLICY, FURTHER EXAMINING THE
WAYS WE CAN CIVILIAN EYES THE
OPA. I HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THIS
FOR A LONG TIME. AND I'M GLAD
TO SEE THE SAME ATTENTION IS
BEING PAID BY THE OIG. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I
WANTED TO SAVE COMMENTS FOR THE
END. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE'S
ANY RESPONSE NECESSARY, BUT I
WANTED TO LIFT THOSE PIECES
FROM YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
TERESA MOSQUEDA.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> IF THERE ARE NO COMMENTS
FURTHER, -- I JUST APPRECIATE
THE SHARING OF PRIORITIES WITH
THE LAST COMMENTS AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO ONGOING
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THOSE, SO
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> FANTASTIC. WITH THAT, WE
WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,
THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
>> ITEM 5 IS THE RESPONSE TO
FLOODING IN SOUTH PARK.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I
APPRECIATE FOLKS WHO ARE WITH
US TODAY. UNFORTUNATELY, MY
ZOOM HAS NOW BEEN CLOSED DOWN,
SO I CANNOT SEE THE PRESENTERS
THAT ARE REMOTELY WITH US,
UNFORTUNATELY. IF THEY ARE WITH
US -- MAYBE THEY CAN HELP ME?
IN THE MEANTIME, I JUST WANT TO
SAY THANK YOU FOR THE EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WITH US. I
UNDERSTAND MATT HARRELL IS WITH
US. WE ARE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT
THE WORK RESPONDING TO THE
FLOODING IN SOUTH PARK THAT
STARTED ON DECEMBER 27th AS THE
RESULT OF A COMBINATION OF -- A
CONFLUENCE OF A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT FACTORS, INCLUDING A
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND WE ARE
GOING TO HEAR HOW THE CITY HAS
RESPONDED TO THAT AND HOW WE
ARE PREPARING FOR THE NEXT
KING TIDE, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED
TO BULLY ON JANUARY 23rd AND
HOW WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE THAT
COMMUNITY MORE RESILIENCE
MOVING FORWARD IN A MORE
SUSTAINABLE AND PERMANENT WAY,
SO WE ARE LESS RESPONSIVE --
LESS FOCUS ON NEEDING TO BE
RESPONSIVE AND MORE FOCUSED ON
BEING PROACTIVE. WITH THAT, I
WILL TURN IT OVER TO SR. DEPUTY
MAYOR HARRELL. COULD YOU GIVE
ME SOME HELP? THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR HAIR BOLD
AND EVERYONE FOR HAVING US HERE
TODAY. AS YOU HAD MENTIONED,
THE FLOODING BEGAN ON DECEMBER
27th DURING THE RECESS PERIOD,
WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF STAFF WHO
WERE AWAY FROM CITY GOVERNMENT,
TAKING THEIR HOLIDAY BREAKS
FROM -- YET, WE STILL HAD A
LOT OF CITY STAFF WHO WERE HERE
IN RESPONSE TO THIS URGENT
ISSUE, SO I WANT TO START OFF
BY THANKING THE CITY STAFF WHO
WERE HERE, THEIR BOOTS ON THE
GROUND, WHO REALLY MADE SURE
THOSE FAMILIES AND THAT IS MUCH
HELP AS POSSIBLE, TO BE ABLE TO
-- TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR
NEEDS DURING THIS VERY CRITICAL
TIME PERIOD. I WAS ON THE CASE,
ACTIVELY TRACKING THIS ON
BEHALF OF THE EXECUTIVE AND OUR
WORK IN SOUTH PARK WILL
CONTINUE, PARTICULARLY AS WE
HAVE ANOTHER POTENTIAL
FLOODING SITUATION. WE HAVE
ANOTHER KING TIDE THAT IS IN
THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT
COUPLE OF WEEKS. REALLY, I WANT
TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK
YOU TO ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF
FOR THEIR SUPPORT. THE CBO'S
THAT WERE ON THE GROUND --
IMMEDIATELY HELPING THE
COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO REALLY STEPPED UP
TO AID THEIR NEIGHBORS IN THIS
MOMENT. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
DONE WITHOUT THE BROAD RANGE OF
SUPPORT THAT WE HAD, SO A
REALLY HEARTFELT THANK YOU AND
SUPPORT AND I WILL PASS IT OVER
TO OUR DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE
OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SO
THEY CAN GO THROUGH EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME
PERIOD. CURRY MAYER?
>> THANK YOU, SR. DEPUTY MAYOR
BRUCE HARRELL. THANK YOU,
CHAIR HERBOLD. WE ARE HAPPY TO
SHARE THIS PRESENTATION WITH
YOU. WE WANT TO START OUT WITH
A MAP SHOWING WHERE MOST OF
THE DAMAGE IS FOR THIS
PARTICULAR FLOODING EVENT, THE
KIND OF DARKER ORANGE OR
INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS BUILDINGS
AND THEN THE KIND OF LETTER
ORANGE, HOPEFULLY CAN SEE THOSE
ON YOUR SCREEN, THEY ARE THE
RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS, HOUSES
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE ARE ALL
KIND OF CLUSTERED IN ONE
PARTICULAR AREA. SO, AS SR.
DEPUTY MAYOR BRUCE HARRELL HAS
SAID, THE FLOODING STARTED ON
DECEMBER 27th AND IT WAS AN
EXTREME STORM, MEANING A
COMBINATION OF VERY LOW
PRESSURE AND EXTREME KING TIDE
AND HEAVY RAIN. THOSE THREE
THINGS HAPPENING TOGETHER ARE
VERY UNUSUAL, AND SO THE RIVER
QUICKLY INUNDATED THOSE AREAS
THAT YOU SAW ON THE MAP. TODAY
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 49
PROPERTIES WHO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL
DAMAGE AND HOMES AND
BUSINESSES. THERE ARE 14
AGENCIES INVOLVED, CITY
DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS AND INCLUDING
KING COUNTY. THIS IS REALLY AN
URBAN FLOODING RESPONDS
INITIALLY WITH THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES IN THE LEAD,
AND THEN IT QUICKLY BECAME A
RECOVERY EFFORT. SO, FOR OUR
ROLE, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT, WE ARE NOW
ASSISTING WITH SOME ON SCENE
PROJECT MANAGEMENT, BUT AS I
MENTIONED, IT IS REALLY AN SPU
LET EFFORT AS THEY HAVE MOST
OF THE EXPERTISE, ALONG WITH
THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
FOR ALL OF THE IMPACTS TO THE
FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS THAT
WERE ON SCENE. THE RECOVERY
FOCUS OF THIS INCIDENT REALLY
MAKES IT UNIQUE, MEANING IT
MOVED FROM OPERATIONS AND WHAT
THEY WERE DOING, WHICH IS
CONTINUING TO HOW WE WILL BEST
MEET THE NEEDS OF THE
COMMUNITY. OUR CONNECTIONS WITH
BOTH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
-- IT REALLY PROVED TO BE
CRITICAL AND THOSE ENGAGEMENTS
ARE ONGOING. WE ALSO ARE
WORKING WITH KING COUNTY AND
STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
ORGANIZATIONS TO FIND SOME
POSSIBLE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
THAT HAS PROVED CHALLENGING,
BUT THERE IS SOME NEW MONEY
COMING FROM STATE EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT THAT WE ARE EXCITED
ABOUT AND MAY, IN FACT, WORK
WELL FOR THIS EVENT. SO, WITH
THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITY.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM KERI BURCHARD-JUAREZ OF
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES.
WE WERE ON SITE WHEN THE STORM
EVENT HAPPENED. WE HAD
ACTIVATED OUR WET WEATHER
PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES AND SON
THIS IS A FLOOD AREA, WE HAD
STAFF POSITIONS THERE, READY TO
RESPOND AND TO OBSERVE HOW THE
SYSTEM WAS OPERATING. SO, WE
HAD STAGED RESOURCES, INCLUDING
SANDBAGS AND WE ALSO HAD SET UP
A CONTRACT WITH JUST HEALTH
ACTION, TO HELP US WORK WITH
THE COMMUNITY TO GET THEM
PREPARED FOR THE FLOODING
EVENTS. ALSO, YOU MIGHT
REMEMBER AN EVENT LAST YEAR,
WHERE WE HAD SEWAGE BACKING UP
INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND IN
RESPONSE TO THAT, WE HAVE
INSTALLED SOME GRINDER PUMPS
AND WE HAVE MORE WE PLAN ON
INSTALLING. THIS EVENT, AS THE
DIRECTOR MAYOR MENTIONED, WAS
EXTRAORDINARY IT EXCEEDED THE
PREDICTIONS. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE DID NOT PREDICT
IT WOULD OVER TOP. THANK YOU.
SO, WE REALLY WERE NOT
PREPARED FOR THE RIVER
OVERTOPPING ELEMENT OF THIS
EVENT, ALTHOUGH WE WERE
PREPARED FOR THE OTHER
ELEMENTS. SO, WE QUICKLY
REALIZED WE NEEDED TO PROVIDE
SOME EMERGENCY HOUSING TO GET
PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES THAT
WERE DAMAGED. SO, WE HAVE
PROVIDED EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR
UP TO 15 FAMILIES. IT CHANGES
DAY TO DAY AS PEOPLE LEAVE AND
GO BACK TO THEIR HOMES. SORRY
ABOUT THAT. GIVE ME JUST A
SECOND. I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE
THE VIEW AND THEN IT JUST
DISAPPEARED. IF ME JUST A
SECOND.
>> NO WORRIES. AS WE ACTIVATED
IN THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE NOW A
TRAILER THAT SOME OF THE
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ARE
USING. WE HAVE SET UP TENTS FOR
CITY STAFF. WE HAVE OUR SHOWER
TRAIERS, PORTABLE TOILETS,
SINKS, LAUNDRY FACILITIES. THAT
IS WHAT WE HAVE ON SITE,
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY. MANY
CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE ACTIVATED
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT, ALONG WITH HSD AND
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND
AS DCI AND SEVERAL OTHERS. OF
COURSE, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH
THE COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY --
WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN A REALLY
STRONG PARTNER WITH US ON THE
GROUND AND CRITICAL PART OF
THIS EFFORT'S. ONCE WE GOT
PEOPLE INTO SAFE HOUSING, WE
STARTED TO FOCUS ON CLEANUP.
THAT HAS PRIMARILY INCLUDED
DEBRIS COLLECTION AND ACTUAL
CLEANUP INSIDE PEOPLE'S HOMES,
SO WE HAVE VENDORS THAT ARE
INSIDE PEOPLE'S HOMES, DOING
CLEANUP, AND ALSO HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS MITIGATION, WHICH IS
OCCURRING THIS WEEK.
>> CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE?
SO, THERE ARE TYPICALLY THREE
SIGNIFICANT THINGS CHIDES EVERY
WET WEATHER SEASON. USUALLY
DURING THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER,
DECEMBER, AND JANUARY. WE HAD
OUR FIRST KING TIDE IN
NOVEMBER DURING THE
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND AND THE
SECOND ONE ON DECEMBER 27th AND
28 AND AS CHAIR HERBOLD NOTED,
WE ARE EXPECTING OUR NEXT
WANTED BE JANUARY 22nd. THE
PREDICTED TIED FOR JANUARY 22nd
IS APPROXIMATELY 10.6 TO 10.7
FEET, WHICH IS ACTUALLY TWO
FEET LOWER THAN THE TIDE WAS ON
DECEMBER 27th. ALTHOUGH IT IS
SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN
DECEMBER 27, WAS OVERTOPPED TO
THE BANKS OF THE DOOR MESH,
THERE IS STILL A RISK OF A LOW
PRESSURE STORM SYSTEM ELEVATING
THE TIDE ABOVE THE PREDICTION.
FOR THAT REASON, WE ARE
PREPARING REALLY DILIGENTLY FOR
THIS UPCOMING KING TIDE WITH
UNDERSTANDING THERE IS A RISK
OF FLOODING. HE WILL BE
IMPLEMENTING A COMMAND
STRUCTURE, ALSO KNOWN AS ICS,
IN ADVANCE OF THE EVENT TO MAKE
SURE WE HAVE A SOLID EMERGENCY
STRUCTURE IN PLACE IF WE
NEEDED. WE WILL BE MONITORING
THE WEATHER VERY CLOSELY WITH
OUR PARTNERS AND NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN CASE LOW
PRESSURE ZONE IS EXPECTED. WE
WILL HAVE AN ON-SITE PRESENCE
IN SOUTH PARK PRIOR TO THE
HIGHEST TIDE AND WE WILL BE IN
TOUCH WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
IN CASE THE EVENT REQUIRES US
TO STAND UP. THE OPERATION
CENTER WILL BRING IN OTHER
DEPARTMENTS ON THE RESPONSE. IN
ADDITION TO THOSE PREPARATIONS,
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL
LOCATIONS ALONG THE RIVERSIDE
THAT WILL BE OBSERVED . WE WILL
BE PLACING STRATEGICALLY
SANDBAGS AT LOW POINTS ALONG
THE -- IN ADDITION, AT LEAST
ONE OF THE SITES, WHERE THE
OVERSTOPPING OVER KURT, WAS
THAT A PUMP SITE AND THAT IS IN
CONSTRUCTION. WE'VE ALREADY
ASKED OUR CONTRACTOR ON THAT
PROJECT TO INSTALL A BERM. AS
ANOTHER LEVEL OF PROTECTION, WE
ARE MAKING SANDBAGS AVAILABLE
TO THE AFFECTED RESIDENTS AND
BUSINESSES . WE ARE PLACING
SANDBAGS ALSO ALONG THE
ALLEYWAY BETWEEN CHICAGO AND
CANYON TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
PROTECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS
WE ARE PUTTING IN AS MANY
PROTECTIONS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN
BEFORE THE NEXT KING TIDE TO
PROTECT PEOPLES AND PROPERTIES
IN SOUTH PARK. NEXT SLIDE. SO,
THE EVENT ON DECEMBER 27th WAS
EXTRAORDINARY. HOWEVER, WE HAVE
BEEN AWARE FOR YEARS THAT WITH
CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL
RISE, THERE WOULD BE THE NEED
FOR SIGNIFICANT PLANNING AND
INVESTMENT IN SOUTH PARK TO
PROVIDE RESILIENCY AGAINST BOTH
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE FLOODING
EVENTS. THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST
FIVE YEARS WITH COMMUNITY TO
DEVELOP A RESILIENCE DISTRICT
FOR THE VALLEY, WHICH INCLUDES
SOUTH PARK AND GEORGETOWN. THIS
EFFORT INCLUDES A FOCUS ON SEA
LEVEL ADAPTATION AND ALSO ON
COMMUNITY CAPACITY AND WEALTH
BUILDING AND FINANCING
MECHANISMS TO EMPOWER COMMUNITY
THE PICTURE YOU SEE ON THE
RIGHT OF THE SLIDESHOWS AN
EXAMPLE OF A SEA LEVEL RISE
ADAPTATION STRATEGY. IT IS
HARD TO SEE THE DETAILS BUT
THEY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE
PROPERTY ACQUISITION ALONG THE
RIVER AND CONSTRUCTION OF
PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO
PREVENT FUTURE OVERTOPPING OF
THE RIVERBANK. WE ARE FULLY
AWARE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE
A NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENT TO PROVIDE LONG-TERM
PROTECTION FOR SOUTH PARK
AGAINST RIVER OVERTOPPING. WE
HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH FEMA
AND THE KING COUNTY FLOOD
CONTROL DISTRICT ABOUT THE IN
FUTURE NEEDS AND WILL REMAIN
OPTIMISTIC AND HOPEFUL THAT WE
CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER AS
PARTNERS FOR THE NEEDED
INVESTMENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
NEXT SLIDE. THERE IS A LOT ON
THE SLIDE, WHICH IS A TABLE OF
ALL THE SOUTH PARK RELATED
EFFORTS THAT OUR CITY HAS
UNDERWAY. I MENTIONED THE
ONGOING EFFORT WITH THE U.S.
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. WE
HAVE COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS WITH THE
CORE IN 2017. WE ALSO MENTIONED
THE SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION
STRATEGY, WHICH WAS COMPLETED
IN 2020. APART FROM THE RIVER
OVERTOPPING, THEY ARE INVESTING
ABOUT $100 MILLION IN
STORMWATER DRAINAGE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROADS. I
MENTIONED THE SOUTH PARK PUMP
STATION PROJECT. WE ALSO HAVE A
FIRST PHASE OF ROADWAY
IMPROVEMENT AND TRAINING
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL BE
COMPLETED THIS YEAR. WE HOPE TO
HAVE A SECOND PHASE OF ROADWAY
IMPROVEMENTS BEGINNING IN THE
NEXT FEW YEARS. WE ARE PLANNING
AND BEGINNING TO PLAN AND PUT
IN THEIR DESIGN WORK FOR SEA
LEVEL RISE INFRASTRUCTURE THIS
YEAR AND WE HAVE A FEMA GRANT
WE ARE WORKING ON FOR THAT.
THIS WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT
WORK INVOLVING, LIKE I
MENTIONED, PROPERTY
ACQUISITION, CONTAMINATION AND
CLEANUP AND OTHER PARTNERSHIPS
WITH PARTIES LIKE THE CORE AND
THE DISTRICT. WE MENTIONED WE
HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THOSE
AGENCIES RECENTLY. UNDER THE
LAST SLIDE, SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN,
I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH OFF WITH
THIS FINAL SLIDE SUMMARIZING
OUR NEXT STEPS. WE HAVE AN OPEN
HOUSE AND COMMUNITY DISCUSSION
ON SATURDAY. COUNCILMEMBER HER
BOLD, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
ATTENDING AND I WANT TO THANK
COUNCILMEMBER PEDEREN FOR HIS
INTEREST , BEING ABLE TO -- WE
WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANSWERS TO
MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT
PREPARATIONS FOR THE NEXT KING
TIDE EPIC MEETING. WE ALSO
PROVIDED SUPPORTS TO RESIDENTS
FOR THE CLAIMS PROCESS AND
SUPPORT ON THINGS LIKE UTILITY
BILL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. IT
WAS MENTIONED EARLIER -- I WANT
TO THANK THE COALITION FOR
ORGANIZING THAT MEETING AT
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THESE , FOR
THEIR INCREDIBLE SERVICE THAT
THEY ARE PROVIDING TO THE
COMMUNITY. WE PLAN ON HAVING
ANOTHER MEETING IN LATE JANUARY
AND EARLY FEBRUARY TO TALK
ABOUT MORE INVESTMENTS. I
MENTIONED -- WE ARE WORKING
CLOSELY WITH RESIDENTS ON THE
RECOVERY PROCESS FOR THEIR
HOMES, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS
AND WITH COMMUNITY ON HOURS SEA
LEVEL ADAPTATION STRATEGY. I
WILL HAVE THINGS OVER NOW.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR -- CEO
ANDREW LEE. WHEN RESPONDING TO
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CITY'S
EMERGENCY FUNCTIONS. WE HAVE A
FORMAL ROLE. THIS INCLUDES,
TYPICALLY, CARE, HOUSING, AND
HUMAN SERVICES. FOR THE SOUTH
PARK FLOODING RESPONSE ON HSD,
THEY'RE HOLDING REGULAR
COORDINATION MEETINGS WITH
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT SOME OF
THEM ALREADY. HSD MICHAEL
BAILEY WILL SPEAK ON IT LATER.
THESE LEADERS ARE INVALUABLE
BECAUSE WE HAVE -- THEY HAVE
TRUST IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
THEY BRING CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE
AHD IS PARTNERING WITH THE
AMERICAN RED CROSS AND CBOS ON
MEETING NON-SHELTER NEEDS .
THEY ARE LOOKING AT MEDICAL
SUPPORT, TRANSPORTATION, ET
CETERA. AND, YOU KNOW, I DO
WANT TO THANK THE MANY
COLLEAGUES AT THE CITY AND
COMMUNITY, BUT I WILL HAND IT
OFF TO THE HSD DEPUTY
DIRECTOR, MICHAEL BAILEY, WHO
HAS BEEN HANDLING EVERYTHING
AND HE WILL SHARE MORE DETAILS.
THANK YOU.
>> HEY, GOOD MORNING,
EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR
KIM. I AM MICHAEL BAILEY, THE
DIRECTOR AT THE SEATTLE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE
BEEN WORKING WITH MANY PARTNERS
TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES AND
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NEGATIVELY
IMPACTED BY THE STORM AND YOU
EFFORT A FEW OF THEM MENTIONED
HERE, BUT I JUST HAVE TO CALL
OUT THE AMAZING WORK FROM SOME
OF THESE PARTNERS. SOME OF THEM
INCLUDE THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS. JUST
HEALTH ACTION. CULTIVATE SOUTH
PARK. SEATTLE/KING COUNTY, AND
THIS OTHER GROUP. THEY HAVE
CONTRACTED WITH THE LAST THREE
TO ONCE AGAIN PROVIDE THAT
CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY
APPROPRIATE SERVICES AND AS THE
RED CROSS OPENS CASES FOR
FAMILIES WITHIN SOUTH PARK,
BOTH THE COME MY COMMUNITY AND
OTHERS ARE SUPPORTING ALL OF
THE DIFFERENT SPEAKING FAMILIES
WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS
HAPPENING AND ASSISTING THEM
WITH NAVIGATING THE NEXT STEPS.
WE HAVE CULTIVATE SOUTH PARK
LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
HAVE CULTURALLY IMPORTANT FOOD
PROJECTS. THEY ALSO WERE
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND AS OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION
MATURED, WE IDENTIFIED ,
REALLY, FOUR DAILY OBJECTIVES
WHICH ULTIMATELY TURNED INTO
OUR FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR
THE HOUSING WORK WE ARE DOING.
YOU SEE THOSE LISTED HERE BUT I
WANT TO PROVIDE MORE CONTEXT.
NUMBER ONE IS ENSURING EVERYONE
RECEIVES A CHECK UP EVERY 24 TO
48 HOURS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT
THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH
IMMEDIATELY OFFERING SHELTER
AND RESPONSE TO THE FLOOD, BUT
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE NEEDS WILL
MATURE AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO
COLLECT THOSE NEEDS IN REAL
TIME SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT THOSE FAMILIES. NUMBER
TWO IS ASSIGNING UNDERSIGNED
FAMILIES TO CULTURALLY AND
LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE
ORGANIZATIONS. THIS ALLOWS TOO
FAMILIAR -- THIS IS TENDED TO
BE THERE GO TO PERSON FOR
QUESTIONS AND ALSO TO REMOVE
THE BARRIERS THAT MAY PREVENT
QUALITY SERVICE DELIVERY. THEY
ALSO OPERATE AS A TRUSTED
MESSENGER AND I AM SURE MOST OF
THE FOLKS HERE ARE FAMILIAR
WITH THAT. ALSO USING THEM TO
HELP COMMUNICATE OPPORTUNITIES
TO THE IMPACTED FAMILIES, BUT
ALSO TO ANY ADDITIONAL FRIENDS,
FAMILIES, FOLKS THAT WANT TO
PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. NUMBER
THREE IS ENSURING THAT IMPACTED
FAMILIES HAVE A HOUSING OPTION
AND A FOOD OPTION. WE HAVE A
HOUSING OPTION WORKING AS A TO
SUPPORT THOSE WHO WANT TO BE
HOUSED ELSEWHERE AS THEIR HOMES
UNDERGO REMEDIATION AND WE ARE
ALSO WORKINGTO HOUSE
INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO
PERMANENTLY RELOCATE AND THAT
IS FOR VARIOUS REASONS. SOME
RELATES TO THE FLOOD, BUT
OTHERS, NOT SO MUCH. SBU AND
HSD WERE ALL WORKING WITH THESE
ORGANIZATIONS TO REALLY
EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS AND
REALLY IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS ON A
HOUSE BY HOUSE SPACES. I WILL
SAY THAT SOME OF THE UNITS ARE
CURRENTLY BEING SHOWN. WE
STARTED THAT PROCESS SATURDAY
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW
HOMES TO IMPACTED RESIDENTS
THIS WEEK, SO WE HAVE THAT
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL,
IF YOU WILL, BUT WE ARE
CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR
PARTNERS. NOW THAT WE HAVE A
BETTER GRASP OF THE LONG-TERM
RENTAL OPTIONS AND NEEDS, WE
WILL CONTINUE TO PULL IN
ADDITIONAL PARTNERS LIKE
HOUSING CONNECTORS AND OTHER
FOLKS THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT
ASSISTANCE. WHEN WE LOOK AT
THE FOURTH AND FINAL PRINCIPLE,
IT IS REALLY INTENDED TO
SUPPORT THE TIMELY AND ACCURATE
SHARING OF INFORMATION AMONGST
ALL PARTNERS. THAT IS THE CITY
DEPARTMENT AND OUR CBOS AND
THE COMMUNITY, OF COURSE. JUST
ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT
STRONG FLOW OF COMMUNICATION,
SO AS WE IDENTIFY QUESTIONS ,
WE ARE BEING TIMELY WITH
PROVIDING THOSE RESPONSES. WE
ALSO HAVE A STANDING AGENDA
ITEM WHEN WE MEET WITH THE CBOS
TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THAT
WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR
DIRECTLY FROM THE COMMUNITY
WILL ALSO INFORM US OF OUR WORK
MOVING FORWARD. I WILL TALK AT
A HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THE NEXT
STEPS IN THIS FIRST BULLET ITEM
IS INTENDED TO REFERENCE THE
WORK HAPPENING WITH SPU AND
OTHERS. AS NEW INFORMATION IS
IDENTIFIED, WE ARE WORKING WITH
MORE CBOS TO GET THE
INFORMATION OUT. THAT IS
USUALLY WITH A RISK MANAGEMENT
LENS AND AN EQUITY LENS. WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
PROACTIVE WITH ANY QUESTIONS
THAT MAY POP UP. FOR THIS FINAL
STEP, AS THE CBOS WORK WITH THE
AMERICAN RED CROSS TO COLLECT
INFORMATION NEEDED TO SUPPORT
THOSE THAT NEED HOUSING, AGAIN,
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR HOUSE
IN GROUP AND HOUSING PARTNERS
TO SUPPORT THAT WORK AND
PARALLEL TO THAT EFFORT, THE
OFFICE OF HOUSING IS CONTACTING
HOUSING PROVIDERS THAT MAY NEED
BASIC CRITERIA FOR RESIDENCE
AND HELPING TO IDENTIFY
OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW AVAILABLE
UNITS. SO, THAT IS OUR SUMMARY
AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THINGS
BACK TO OEM.
>> THANK YOU, EVERYONE. SO, IN
SUMMARY, THE RECOVERY EFFORTS
HAVE CONTINUED TO EVOLVE
MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND
OUTSIDE AGENCIES WITH
ENGAGEMENT WITH THOSE
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THROUGHOUT
THIS PRESENTATION. IT REALLY
HAS BEEN CRITICAL TO THE
SUCCESS OF ALL OF THE EFFORTS
THAT THE CITY IS INVOLVED IN.
THE ONGOING OPERATIONS MEANS
THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE AN
AFTER ACTION REPORT AND
IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO BE
DEVELOPED, BUT THAT WILL OCCUR
AFTER ALL OF THE OPERATIONS
HAVE CONCLUDED. ALSO, AS
DIRECTOR LEE MENTIONED, THE
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
STANDS READY TO ACTIVATE THE
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER,
SHOULD THAT LEVEL OF
COORDINATION BE NEEDED. OF
COURSE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE. SO, THAT
CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. I
WILL PASS IT BACK TO SENIOR
DEPUTY MAYOR HARRELL FOR ANY
CONCLUDING COMMENTS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE
TEAM FOR JOINING TODAY AND THIS
IS JUST THREE OF THE
DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
THERE WERE MANY OTHERS INVOLVED
IN THESE EFFORTS ALSO. WE ALSO
HAD OS SEE, DOM, CBO, OIR. THEY
ALL PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN
ENSURING THAT CITY GOVERNMENT
WAS NOT A BARRIER TO RECOVERY
FOR THESE COMMUNITIES AND WE
WERE TRYING TO CUT DOWN AS
MUCH OF THE COORDINATION THAT
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO DO ON
THE OUTSIDE BY DOING IT ON THE
INSIDE, SO THAT WHILE THEY ARE
IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR
THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES,
THAT WE WERE ELIMINATING AS
MANY BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE FOR
THEM TO REACH A STATE OF
RECOVERY. THIS IS JUST A PART
OF THE TEAM BUT THERE ARE MANY
OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE
BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE
INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT.
>> I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I
WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
COLLEAGUES TO ASK QUESTIONS AS
WELL. COUNCILMAN PEDEREN, OF
COURSE, IS THE CHAIR . I AM
SURE HE WILL HAVE SOME
QUESTIONS. I GUESS I WANTED TO
START WITH, AGAIN, MY
APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT
ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN
DOING, AND THAT APPRECIATION
EXTENDS EVEN DOUBLY SO
CONSIDERING I DO NOT BELIEVE
WE HAVE A CITY DEPARTMENT WHO
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TYPE OF
FLOODING. MY RECOLLECTION IS
THAT FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH
STORMS IS SPU'S
RESPONSIBILITY. FLOODING
RELATED TO WASTEWATER IS KING
COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY, BUT WE
DO NOT HAVE, I BELIEVE, I DO
NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE AN ENTITY
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
FLOODING ASSOCIATED WITH RIVER
TOPPING AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
THAT, REALLY, I THINK
UNDERSCORES THE VALUE OF ALL
THESE DEPARTMENTS COMING
TOGETHER AND DOING WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE, BUT IT ALSO, I
THINK, POINTS TO A FUTURE
STATE, WHERE WE DO NEED TO HAVE
A DELEGATED DEPARTMENT WHO HAS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS TYPE OF
RESPONSE AND PREPARATION FOR
RESILIENCE AND MY SAYING SO IS
NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM ANYTHING
THAT OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY
OF SEATTLE , IN KING COUNTY
GOVERNMENT, OR IN THE COMMUNITY
HAVE ALREADY DONE ABOVE AND
BEYOND ANY FORMAL
RESPONSIBILITY. SO, I THINK MY
FIRST QUESTION IS JUST
CONFIRMING THAT IT IS THE CASE
THAT THERE IS NO CITY ENTITY
THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
ADDRESSING THIS PARTICULAR TYPE
OF FLOOD RESPONSE.
>> SO, I WILL JUMP IN THERE AND
JUST SAY, YEAH, THIS WAS A
MULTIFACETED -- THERE WAS NO
DEPARTMENT THAT WAS
RESPONSIBLE, BUT IN OUR
CONNECTIONS, WE WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE WERE NOT LEAVING
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAMILY
WITHOUT RESOURCES. THAT IS WHY
YOU SAW A LOT OF COORDINATION
AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS WERE INVOLVED, TO
ENSURE THAT WE WERE DOING
EVERYTHING WE COULD TO MEET
THESE NEEDS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU
ACTUALLY REMINDED ME THAT THIS
INITIALLY STARTED OUT AS A
RESCUE EFFORT WITH FIRE AND
SPD, WHERE THERE WERE PEOPLE
WHO WERE TRAPPED IN VEHICLES
AND OTHER PLACES THAT NEEDED TO
BE RESCUED. I THINK, AGAIN,
ACCOMMODATIONS TO THE CITY
STAFF -- NOT SAYING THIS IS NOT
OUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT FOR
JUMPING IN TO BE OF SUPPORT TO
A COMMUNITY THAT NEEDED IT AND
WE WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS IT IN
THE FUTURE, HOW WE HANDLE THESE
SITUATIONS AS A CLIMATE CHANGE
CLEARLY IMPACTS A COASTAL BASED
CITY.
>> YES, AND MY QUESTION WAS
DESIGNED TO BE WHAT HAVE WE
LEARNED FROM NOT HAVING A
PARTICULAR POINT AGENCY, NOT
THAT EVERYBODY DID NOT, AGAIN,
ARE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. WHAT
DID WE LEARN SO WE CAN BE
FORWARD-LOOKING TO ENSURE THAT
WE DO HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT
DOES HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THIS AREA MOVING FORWARD? I
ALSO WANT TO JUST REITERATE
WHAT DIRECTOR BAILEY AND OTHER
PRESENTERS MENTIONED ABOUT THE
APPRECIATION FOR BOTH
GOVERNMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS, AS
WELL AS NGOs, IN PARTICULAR,
THE COMMUNITY COALITION. I
APPRECIATE THAT HSD IS WORKING
TO ENSURE THAT MANY NGOs THAT
ARE WORKING WITH THIS COMMUNITY
-- THEY ARE DOING A LOT OF
OUTREACH THAT IS NECESSARY FOR
AN ADEQUATE RESPONSE. I DID
ATTEND THE RESOURCE EVENT ON
SATURDAY. THAT RESOURCE EVENT
SORT OF TURNED INTO A LITTLE
BIT OF A Q& A FROM THE NGOs WHO
HAVE THIS RESPONSIBILITY OF
SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE
COMMUNITY. I JUST WANT TO FLAG
THAT FOLLOWING UP FROM THAT
MEETING. I HAVE RECEIVED
SEVERAL QUESTIONS FROM THOSE
ENTITIES WHO ARE CHARGED WITH
PARTNERING WITH THE CITY AND
COMMUNICATING WITH IMPACTED
FAMILIES AND THERE IS STILL
SOME SIGNIFICANT CONFUSION
ABOUT SOME OF THE INFORMATION
THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR,
FOR CONVEYING. THERE IS STILL
A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND,
AROUND THE CLAIMS PROCESS AND
WHAT THE CLAIMS WILL COMPENSATE
PEOPLE FOR. THERE IS -- THERE
IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
ABOUT WHO ACTUALLY IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE
DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT
HOMES ARE SAFE TO LIVE IN,
WHETHER OR NOT THAT MEANS
RETURNING OR PEOPLE WHO ARE
STILL IN THEIR HOMES. I THOUGHT
I HEARD SOMEBODY REFERENCE OR
USE THE PHRASE "RELOCATING ALL
OF THE PEOPLE IN IMPACTED
HOMES." I DO NOT THINK THAT HAS
HAPPENED. MAYBE THAT IS BECAUSE
NOT ALL FAMILIES NEED TO BE
RELOCATED BECAUSE THE LIVING
CONDITIONS ARE NOT DANGEROUS,
BUT I THINK THERE IS A LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHO MAKES
THAT DETERMINATION. THERE IS
ALSO, REPORTEDLY, A LACK OF
PUBLIC FORMAL COMMUNICATION ON
WHAT SUBSTANCES PEOPLE WERE
EXPOSED TO AS IT RELATED TO THE
FLOODING IN THE RIVER. I KNOW
THIS IS NOT WITHIN -- IT IS A
PARTNER GOVERNMENT IN KING
COUNTY THAT REQUESTED PUBLIC
HEALTH REALLY ADDRESS THE
QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT
THERE HAS BEEN TESTING OF THE
FLOODWATERS AND WHETHER OR NOT
COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD BE
WATCHING FOR CERTAIN, CERTAIN
THINGS AS IT RELATES TO TOXIC
MATERIALS IN THE FLOODWATERS.
I THINK THE LAST THING I WOULD
WANT TO FLAG RELATES, AGAIN, TO
THE UPCOMING KING TIDE. I
APPRECIATE DIRECTOR LEE, THAT
YOU REFERENCED THE PLANNING
THAT IS BEING DONE. I AM HOPING
SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THAT
PLANNING CAN BE PROVIDED IN A
WRITTEN FORMAT, SO THAT WE CAN
HAVE SOME MORE TIME BEFORE THE
23rd TO DELVE INTO THAT, INTO
THOSE PLANS AND ALSO TO SHARE
THEM WITH THE COMMUNITY. THAT
IS ANOTHER THING THAT PEOPLE
ARE ASKING ME, WITH WHAT ARE
THE PLANS FOR PREPAREDNESS FOR
THE 23rd. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE
THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED SOME
HIGH-LEVEL PLANNING EFFORTS,
BUT THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE,
HAVING ADDITIONAL, MORE IN THE
WEEDS INFORMATION. LASTLY, I
WANT TO SAY THAT IT IS MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
FOR TENANTS IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES . WE HAVE
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
FOR TENANTS WHO ARE BEING
DISPLACED BECAUSE OF HIGHER
RENT INCREASES OR PEOPLE BEING
DISPLACED BECAUSE OF
SUBSTANTIAL RENOVATION AND
EMOTION OF PROPERTY AND WE HAVE
RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS,
RELOCATION SYSTEMS FOR THOSE
WHO LIVE IN PROPERTIES WHERE
THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS ALLOWED
THE PROPERTY TO FALL INTO
DISREPAIR AND THERE IS
SIGNIFICANT CODE VIOLATIONS,
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE
ATTENDED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR
TENANTS IN A SITUATION LIKE
THIS, WHERE THEY NEED FUNDS TO
HELP THEM MOVE, SO MY QUESTION
IS, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE
WORKING TO SET UP SOMETHING
LIKE THAT UP. I APPRECIATE WE
HAVE BEEN PROVIDING SHORT-TERM
HOTEL VOUCHERS. I WOULD LIKE TO
ALSO KNOW HOW LONG THOSE ARE
GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO PAY
FOR PEOPLE'S IMMEDIATE HOUSING
NEEDS. FOR SOME REASON, MY
RECOLLECTION IS THE 11th IS THE
LAST DAY THAT WE ARE FINANCING
THOSE, BUT ALSO WHETHER OR NOT
WE ARE WORKING TO ESTABLISH
SOME SORT OF AN EMERGENCY
RELOCATION FUNDS THAT WILL HELP
TENANTS PAY FOR THEIR SECURITY
DEPOSIT, THEIR FIRST MONTHS
RENT AND LAST MONTHS RENT AS
OTHER DEPOSITS ARE OFTEN
REQUIRED BY LANDLORDS MOVING
IN. THANK YOU.
>> I AM GOING TO START BY
KICKING IT OVER. THERE WAS A
LOT THERE, CHAIR HERBOLD. I
WILL KICK IT OVER TO DIRECTOR
LEE TO TALK ABOUT THE TESTING
AND THEN MICHAEL BAILEY CAN
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER
ASPECTS WITH CLAIMS AND MOVING.
ANDREW?
>> YEAH, YES. CHAIR HERBOLD,
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THESE
ISSUES. I WILL ADDRESS THE
PUBLIC HEALTH SIDE FIRST. THERE
IS FOLLOW UP WE ARE DOING WITH
PUBLIC HEALTH. WE WILL BE
LOOKING TO ISSUE OR COMMUNICATE
PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES AND
COMMUNICATIONS WITH RESPECT TO
SAFETY. THEY ARE RETURNING
BACK TO THEIR PROPERTIES --
WITH RESPECT TO TESTING, WE
UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN
CONCERNS ABOUT ASBESTOS AND
MOLD, AND THE CONTRACTOR WE
HAVE HIRED WILL BE TESTING FOR
THOSE TWO SPECIFIC MATERIALS,
AS THEY DO ANY OF THEIR
CONSTRUCTION WORK, AND SO WE
WILL BE WORKING WITH EPA TO
TEST AND EVALUATE SAMPLES IN
WORKING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH TO
COMMUNICATE ON ANY SORT OF
TAUTOLOGICAL RISKS. THERE IS
GOING TO BE TESTING. THERE IS
CONCERN ABOUT THE SEDIMENT FROM
THE RIVER GETTING IN. OUR
PLANETS WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH ONE OF THE FACULTY OR THE
STAFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON AND THEY ARE
INTERESTED IN DOING SOME
TESTING. WE DID DO SOME OF OUR
OWN TESTING AS WELL, PRIOR TO
HER KIND OF MEALY AFTER THE
EVENT, SO WE HAVE THOSE RESULTS
WE CAN SHARE IN AS WELL. YOU
ALSO MENTIONED THE HOUSING
SIDE, THE JANUARY 11th TO DATE.
WE HAVE THAT EXTENDED. WE
RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF
THE RESIDENTS WILL NEED MORE
TIME TO TRANSITION TO
LONGER-TERM HOUSING, AND SO WE
HAVE EXTENDED THAT THROUGH THE
END OF THE MONTH AT THIS POINT.
WE WILL BE WORKING ON A
CASE-BY-CASE BASIS TO IDENTIFY,
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SPECIFIC
NEEDS ARE. SOME OF THEM MIGHT
BE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO THEIR
PROPERTIES EARLIER THAN THAT. I
WILL PASS IT BACK TO SENIOR
DEPUTY HER REL.
>> IF YOU WANT TO ADDRESS SOME
OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS ?
>> CERTAINLY. ONCE AGAIN, WE
APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS
FOR JOINING THIS PAST SATURDAY.
IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR
FROM THE COMMUNITY CORRECTLY ON
WHERE THE GAPS WERE AND AS
MENTIONED, WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO TRY
TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND
ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING
THE INFORMATION THEY NEED. IN
SUPPORT OF THAT, WE HAVE A
DAILY HUDDLE WITH BOTH THE
CBOS, CITY PARTNERS, AND
BASICALLY ANYBODY WHO WAS ON
SITE. HSD, DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND DRCC ARE
CO-FACILITATING THAT MEETING.
THEY CAN LIFT UP QUESTIONS AND
FOR US TO TRACK DOWN ANSWERS IN
REAL TIME. I THINK WHAT YOU
REFERENCED HERE IS KIND OF THAT
SEQUENCING . THERE HAVE BEEN
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WILL
HAPPEN NEXT. WE WERE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR
COME IN AND ASSIST WITH
REMOING ITEMS FROM THE HOMES.
THAT WAS RUBICON AND WE ARE
THANKFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE. IT
IS A GROUP OF VETERANS. I AM
SOMEWHAT BIASED, BUT I GREATLY
APPRECIATE THEM HELPING OUT.
FOLLOWING THAT IS WHEN MANY OF
THE CLAIMS STARTED TO COME IN.
WE SAW AN INFLUX COMMON THIS
PAST SATURDAY. I BELIEVE WE ARE
TRACKING 30 SO FAR. WE ARE
HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,
BUT WE RECOGNIZE PEOPLE STILL
HAVE QUESTIONS AS PART OF OUR
MESSAGING. WE ALIGNED ON
MESSAGING TO START
COMMUNICATING TO COMMUNITY
MEMBERS, HEY, IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS, WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE
HERE ON SITE FROM 10:00 UNTIL
3:00 FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEK UNTIL FRIDAY. IF YOU NEED
HELP WALKING THROUGH THE CLAIMS
PROCESS, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE
THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU. IF
THAT DOES NOT WORK, SEND IS AN
EMAIL AND WE WILL GET YOU THE
ASSISTANCE YOU NEED. I CAN ALSO
CONFIRM THAT SDCI JOINED THE
MEETING EARLIER TODAY AND THE
DIRECTOR IS PRESENT AND
ASSURING THEY HAVE WHAT THEY
NEED TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES
HAVE WHAT THEY NEED, BUT WE
WELCOME ANY ADDITIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE AND WE
WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
>> WHAT KIND OF EXPENSES WILL
THE CLAIMS PROCESS COMPENSATE
RESIDENTS FOR?
>> I MYSELF WOULD NOT BE ABLE
TO SPEAK TO THAT. THAT WOULD BE
SPU OR SDCI. I'M HAPPY TO WORK
WITH PARTNERS TO COLLECT THAT
INFORMATION AND BRING IT BACK
TO YOU.
>> DOES ANYBODY ELSE IN THE
PANEL NO? AS I SAID, THERE IS
CONFUSION ABOUT THE CLAIMS
PROCESS AND I THINK THAT WAS AT
THE HEART OF IT. PEOPLE WANT TO
KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD
USE THE CLAIMS PROCESS BASED ON
, YOU KNOW, A LAYMAN'S
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE
CLAIMS PROCESS WILL PAY FOR.
>> WE HAVE NOT ENTIRELY BEEN
SURE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT THE
CLAIMS WILL COVER. WE HAVE BEEN
TRYING TO ALSO WORK WITH OUR
OTHER PARTNERS, AS YOU
MENTIONED, KING COUNTY AND
OTHER INTRAGOVERNMENTAL
PARTNERS. THIS IS A NATURAL
OCCURRENCE, AND SO WE
UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THESE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN
ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY GET THINGS
LIKE FLOOD INSURANCE, TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE CLAIMS.
WE ARE REACHING OUT TO FEDERAL
PARTNERS TO SEE WHAT THEY MAY
OFFER. SO, WHILE IT IS STILL
FRESH, WE ARE HELPING THEM
COLLECT THE INFORMATION AND
SUBMIT IT TO WHOEVER MAY BE
AVAILABLE. WE ARE NOT
GUARANTEEING THEM AND WE ARE
BEING PRETTY CLEAR WITH THE
COMMUNITY THAT WE CANNOT
GUARANTEE WHAT WE WILL BE ABLE
TO HAVE COVERED BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THEY ARE PUT IN THE
BEST POSITION FOR ANY RECOVERY,
IF THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF
THOSE AREAS WHERE A --
PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF FLOOD
COVERAGE FOR THESE HOMES AND
OTHER THINGS, A LOT OF THEM
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SECURE
THAT LEVEL OF INSURANCE. WE ARE
WORKING AS BEST AS WE CAN TO
JUST MAKE SURE WE DO NOT LOSE
ANYTHING IN THE PROCESS AND WE
GIVE THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR
WHAT MAY BE AVAILABLE WITHOUT
KNOWING, CERTAINLY, THAT THERE
IS A CERTAIN RECOVERY.
>> SO, GIVEN THAT UNCERTAINTY
OF WHAT PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE
COMPENSATION FOR, OUTSIDE OF
FLOOD INSURANCE WITH CITY
RESOURCES AND OTHER
GOVERNMENTAL RESOURCES THAT
MIGHT BE MADE AVAILABLE, GIVEN
THERE IS THAT UNCERTAINTY, CAN
WE CREATE SOME CERTAINTY AROUND
THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW
INCOME RESIDENTS AND THEIR
NEEDS TO ACQUIRE NEW HOUSING?
CAN WE CREATE A FUND THAT WILL
HELP PEOPLE PAY FOR THEIR
FIRST, LAST, AND SECURITY
DEPOSIT?
>> OUR TEAMS HAVE BEEN DOING,
AGAIN, EVALUATING EACH
SITUATION ON A CASE-BY-CASE
BASIS, SEEING WHO QUALIFIES,
HOW WE CAN GET PEOPLE SUPPORT
FOR RELOCATION, PARTICULARLY IF
THEY ARE RENTERS AND NOT TIDE
TO STAYING IN THAT LOCATION
AND ARE OPEN TO MOVEMENT. WE
HAVE BEEN OFFERING ASSISTANCE.
OUR GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR THE
PEOPLE IMPACTED HAS BEEN SENT A
CLAIM FOR EVERYTHING. HAVE IT
REVIEWED SO THAT WE DO NOT WANT
-- WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM
TO TAKE EVERY AVENUE POSSIBLE
AND WE ARE ADVOCATING IN EVERY
AVENUE POSSIBLE. SO, WE ARE
ADVOCATING TO OUR FEDERAL
PARTNERS AND OTHERS FOR
SUPPORT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT
REMAINS UNCOVERED AND HOW WE
CAN CONTINUE TO HELP.
>> THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO
MAKE SOME SPACE FOR MY
COLLEAGUES. PEDEREN?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR HERBOLD.
THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS TEAM
TODAY AND THE CONCERN FOR
THOSE RESIDENTS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES IMPACTED IN SOUTH
PARK AND ALSO IN YOUR DISTRICT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RAPID
RESPONSE AND COORDINATION AND
ANTICIPATING THE EVENT THE WEEK
OF JANUARY 22nd, SENDING UP THE
INCIDENT COMMAND CENTER IN
ADVANCE, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE
FUTURE AND RESILIENCY THROUGH
INFRASTRUCTURE AND I KNOW THERE
HAS BEEN A MENTION OF SOME WORK
GOING ON SINCE 2017. SINCE
THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE
SOMETHING NEW AVAILABLE TO US,
A CONFESSIONAL EARMARK THAT
CAME BACK IN 2021 AND I KNOW
THAT OUR CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION WILL SHARE OUR
CONCERNS ABOUT THIS AREA, BUT
FOR OUR PART, I BELIEVE WE NEED
TO COME UP WITH THE
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS AND COST
ESTIMATES WITHIN THE NEXT 75
DAYS TO PROVIDE OUR DELEGATION
WITH A REQUEST OF WHAT WE MIGHT
NEED TO HAVE A PHYSICAL FIX TO
THIS AREA, WHETHER IT IS A MORE
PERMANENT WITH A BROOM OR A
WALL THAT GOES UP AGAINST THE
RIVER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE
MIGHT WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THIS FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE
COULD GET AND WORK TOWARD THAT
EFFORT, SO I WANTED TO ASK WHAT
YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU.
>> YES, COUNCILMEMBER PEDEREN,
I APPRECIATE YOU IDENTIFYING
THAT. IN FACT, I THINK THERE
ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE HELD
FULL THE OTHER THING IS, LIKE
YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE SOME
GRANTS, LIKE THE FEMA BRITT
GRANT, THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US.
THERE'S ALSO THE BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT WAS
PASSED, WHICH IS ALSO PROVIDING
AN INFLUX OF FUNDING. I SPOKE
TO THE FACT WE HAVE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THEY
HAVE EXPRESSED STRONG INTEREST,
ALONG WITH THE STAFFING
AVAILABILITY, TO BEGIN HAVING
ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT
WERE DISCUSSED AND WATCHING
AHEAD WITH THE FEASIBILITY
STUDY, WHICH WOULD BE THE NEXT
STEP TO POTENTIALLY SECURE A
STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. YOU
ARE CORRECT. PLANNING IS THE
NEXT STEP , FOLLOWED BY DESIGN.
WE HAVE ALSO, I WANT TO SAY WE
HAVE HAD SOME INITIAL
CONVERSATION WITH SOME MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS AS WELL. THEY HAVE
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN
IDENTIFYING FUNDS SPECIFICALLY
FOR THIS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS
THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF WORK
AHEAD OF US BUT WE HAVE
RECEIVED STRONG INTEREST IN
THIS FROM ALL THE PARTNERS I
HAVE MENTIONED. AS WELL AS THE
COUNTY. I FORGOT TO MENTION THE
COUNTY. THEY ARE ANOTHER
PARTNER AND THEY HAVE ALSO
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN WORKING
WITH US.
>> I APPRECIATE THE VARIOUS
DEPARTMENTS BEING PROACTIVE
ABOUT THIS AND AS THE
POLITICAL LEADERS IN THE AREA,
I THINK WE ARE VERY UNIFIED ON
THIS. SO, WE WILL CONTINUE TO
BE ENGAGED WITH THE
CONGRESSIONAL ALLEGATIONS AS
WELL, SO THAT THEY KNOW WE HAVE
A UNIFIED CARE ABOUT THIS AND
WANT TO GET IT FIXED. THANK
YOU.
>> JUST A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT
QUESTION. I DID REALLY
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY I
HAD IN AUGUST TO TAKE THE TWO
WERE THAT SPU HOSTED WITH
SENATOR MURRAY AND
REPRESENTATIVE SMITH'S OFFICE
TO SUPPORT THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS FOR THE FEASIBILITY
STUDY, TO ADDRESS THIS YOUR
ISOLATED FLOODING. I UNDERSTAND
ALSO THERE WAS A SEPARATE TOUR
WITH PAUL'S TEAM. AS I
UNDERSTAND IT, THIS FUNDING
WILL SUPPORT A FEASIBILITY
STUDY. WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT
NOW, BUT I DO NEED TO GET MORE
UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE
FEASIBILITY STUDY RELATES TO
THE STUDY THAT WAS ALREADY DONE
ON THIS ISSUE AND HOW THAT NEXT
STUDY MOVES US DOWN, YOU KNOW,
INTO FURTHER STEPS. I ALSO WANT
TO FLAG HOW IMPORTANT, AS I
HEARD FROM SPU IN MY BRIEFING
PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, YOU
KNOW, A BERM IS ONE SOLUTION TO
THE ISSUE OF RIVER TOPPING AND
SEA RISE, BUT AS I WAS
REMINDED, WE DO HAVE TO DO
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND
THAT SOLUTION, SO I WANT TO
FLAG WE DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO
DO THINGS SEQUENTIALLY.
SOMETIMES, WE CAN DO THEM
SIMULTANEOUSLY. I REALLY HOPE
WE CAN NOT ONLY EXPEDITE THE
REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR THIS
FEASIBILITY STUDY, AS WELL AS
ANY EARMARKS FOR DESIGN WORK
AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT I
REALLY THINK WE NEED TO BE
MOVING ON MULTIPLE TRACKS
SIMULTANEOUSLY BECAUSE I THINK
AS WAS MENTIONED, THIS
PARTICULAR EVENT WAS NOT
ANTICIPATED, I BELIEVE, FOR
ANOTHER 10 YEARS AND THE FACT
THAT WE ARE SEEING MORE OF
THESE EVENTS MORE, HAPPENING
IN A MORE COMPRESSED FASHION,
SAYS TO ME OUR PLANNING
PREDICTIONS ARE BASED ON -- OUR
PLANNING EFFORTS ARE BASED ON
MAYBE OUTDATED PREDICTIONS.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT,
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD. I AGREE
WITH YOUR GENERAL THOUGHT ABOUT
MOVING THINGS CURRENTLY. I
SHARE THAT DESIRE. WITH RESPECT
TO THE STUDIES , I HAVE COME TO
AN UNDERSTANDING ON THIS. ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, WHAT THEY
DID INITIALLY WAS A BENEFIT
COST ANALYSIS AND THAT BENEFIT
COST ANALYSIS WAS MORE TO KIND
OF GET THEM TO A POINT OF
SAYING, YES, WE WANT TO ENGAGE
ON THIS. WHAT IT SHOWED WAS
THERE IS A HIGH LEVEL OF
INTEREST FROM -- TO ENGAGE AND
THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS
IS THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY,
ACTUALLY. FOR AN UPCOMING
PROJECT. IT IS ALL POSITIVE.
SO, YES, I THINK THE PATHWAY IS
PAVED. THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS
THE NEXT STEP AND THAT IS
LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS
MORE DEFINITIVELY. THERE WERE A
FEW OPTIONS THAT WERE LOOKED
AT, SEVEN OR EIGHT IN THE
ORIGINAL PLANNING LEVEL WORK
THEY DID. THIS IS TO DIVE INTO
THAT MORE AND IT PROVIDES A
BASIS FOR FUNDING PARTNERSHIP.
THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP.
>> FANTASTIC. AS THEY
MENTIONED, WE ARE WANTING TO
WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN
CONGRESS ON THE ISSUE OF
FEDERAL EARMARKS. I BELIEVE
THROUGH OUR ENQUIRIES WITH OIR,
THE EARMARKS ARE SOLICITED IN
MARCH, SO IF WE CAN DETERMINE,
QUICKLY, WHAT OUR NEXT ASK IS,
WE ARE AT THE READY TO HELP.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHAIR
HERBOLD. WE ARE ORGANIZING A
MEETING WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE
TO BE THE SITE AND
COLLECTIVELY FIGURE OUT HOW
THEY CAN SUPPORT. SO, THAT WAS
ONE OF THE REASON WE ENGAGED
OIR AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF
THIS INCIDENT. SO, I THINK WE
ARE ON THE SAME PAGE THERE AND
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS FOR
THE SUPPORT THEY CAN HELP
PROVIDE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN, I
AM JUST SO APPRECIATIVE OF
EVERYBODY'S TEAMWORK AND THE
NUMBER OF CITY STAFF WHO HAVE
BEEN ENGAGED IN THAT WORK IS
REALLY ENCOURAGING TO ME AND I
KNOW IT IS ENCOURAGING AND
HEARTENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS
AS WELL. I JUST CANNOT EXPRESS
MORE DEEPLY MY APPRECIATION.
AND, DIRECTOR LEE, I WOULD
APPRECIATE FOLLOW-UP ON THE
JANUARY 23 PLAN AFTER THE
MEETING.
>> OKAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I AM
SEEING NONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR
MAKING TIME ON A SHORT, SHORT
NOTICE. I KNOW MY REQUEST WAS
MADE LAST WEEK AND I APPRECIATE
EVERYONE JOINING US TODAY. THE
NEXT PUBLIC SAFETY AND HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING IS
SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY
24th . BEFORE WE ADJOURN,
CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE
NO COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
I AM SEEING NONE. IT IS 11:34
A.M. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.