>> MORNING. THE SELECT BUDGET
COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER.
IT IS 9:30 A.M. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE CALL THE ROLAND STEADHAM
COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON IS
EXCUSED AND COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA
IS EXCUSED FOR THE FIRST FEW
MINUTES.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE
>> HERE
>> COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES
>> HERE
>> [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> PRESENT
>> COUNCIL MEMBER WOO
>> HERE
>> CHAIR STRAUSS
>> HERE
>> SIX MEMBERS PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU. WE ARE NOT GOING
TO HAVE VERBAL COMMENT TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE IS
PRESENT. THE NEXT TIME FOR
VERBAL, WILL BE AT THE PUBLIC
HEARING ON THE 16th FOR -- AND
EVERYONE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES
NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW
UP. SO, THE AGENDA FOR TODAY IS
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENT. THE OFFICE MOVED
SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION IN THE MORNING.
OFFICE OF PARKS DEPARTMENT THIS
AFTERNOON. MY APOLOGIES . I WAS
NOT IN EDUCATION THIS
AFTERNOON. HEARING NO
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED. HEARING NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. WE ARE
GOING TO MOVE INTO THE FIRST
ITEM OF THE DAY. OFFICE OF
STUDENT -- SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENT.
>> AGENDA ITEM ONE, OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. I HAD
FRIDAY'S SCRIPT PULLED UP.
HERE WE ARE ON THE 30th, WHICH
IS WHY I SAID IT WAS THE 27th,
SO FOR THE RECORD ON THE
CORRECT SCRIPT COMMITTEE
STARTED THIS MORNING AT 9:30
A.M. ON SEPTEMBER 30th. TODAY
IS MY FATHER'S BIRTHDAY. HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, DEB, IF YOU ARE
WATCHING, AS WELL AS IT IS THE
ANNIVERSARY OF BABE RUTH
HITTING HIS 60th HOME RUN WHEN
MLB ONLY PLAYED 154 GAMES IN A
YEAR, SO THAT IS STILL ON THE
HISTORY BOOKS. WITH NO FURTHER
ADO, I SEE PRESENTERS ARE
READY. GOOD MORNING, OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT
DIRECTOR FERRELL.
>> GOOD MORNING. FOR THE RECORD
MY NAME IS JESSYN FARRELL AND
THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
>> HI. I AM MEGAN DOIRON, THE
FINANCE MANAGER.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRESS AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OR
PROPOSED BUDGET. WE HAVE A
SHORT SLIDE DECK THAT WE ARE
HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. I WILL
JUST DO THIS FIRST SLIDE TO
GROUND US IN THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENT'S MISSION AND
MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS. AS ALL OF
YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION IS TO
ENSURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT OUR
CITY HAS A SAFE AND HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT AND WE IN
PARTICULAR FOCUS ON AREAS
RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND
CLIMATE JUSTICE. WE ARE LOOKING
TO FILL MAYOR -- MAYOR
HARRELL'S ONE CITY AGENDA. WE
ARE LOOKING TO BUILD A CLEAN
ECONOMY, WE ARE WORKING TO
ADJUST TRANSITION AWAY FROM
FOSSIL FUELS AND INVESTING IN
HEALTHY AND RESILIENT
COMMUNITIES AND ONE FINAL
REMARK AS WELL NOW, WE ARE ALL
FACING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE BUT IN PARTICULAR,
MEMBERS OF BIPOC COMMUNITIES,
LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE
FACING THE EFFECTS EVEN MORE
PROFOUNDLY SO WE DO FOCUS OUR
WORK ACROSS THE CITY, BUT IN
PARTICULAR AREAS, AS WELL. WITH
THAT , MEGAN IS GOING TO TALK
ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
>> IN 2025 AND 2026, OSC WILL
BE ABLE TO CONTINUE OUR
PRIORITIES. SOME OF THESE
INVESTMENTS INCLUDE CLEAN
ENERGY APPRENTICESHIPS, OUR
CLEAN BUILDING ACCELERATOR ,
IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERSERVED AND
FRONT-LINE SERVING BUILDINGS TO
COMPLY WITH THE MISSION
STANDARDS. THE SEATTLE CLEAN
HEAT PROGRAM, MUNICIPAL ENERGY
AND MUNITIONS PROGRAMS ARE ALSO
ADMINISTERED BY OS E. IN
ADDITION THE OFFICE ADMINISTERS
THE HEALTHY FOOD PROGRAM,
GRANTMAKING, HEALTHY FOOD IN
SCHOOLS PROGRAM AND
TREEPLANTING IN INDUSTRIAL
AREAS. IN 2025 AND 26, OSE IS
GOING TO SCALE BACK INVESTMENTS
TO HELP ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL.
AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE
LEVERAGING CITY INVESTMENTS
WITH EXTERNAL FUNDING FOR
SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THIS
UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT FOR
CLIMATE FUNDING AT THE FEDERAL
AND STATE LEVEL. OSE HAS
SUCCESSFULLY RECEIVED OVER $30
MILLION IN RECENT AWARDS.
BETWEEN 2024 AND 2025 THE
BUDGET IS A 15% REDUCTION. THIS
IS PARTIALLY DUE TO TO THE
SUNSETTING OF ABOUT $4 MILLION
IN ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT WAS
INCLUDED IN THE 2024 ADOPTED
FOR PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUNDS AND
CLIMATE INITIATIVES. WE WILL
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER
CHANGES BETWEEN 2024 AND 2025
AFTER THE REST OF THE
PRESENTATION. BETWEEN 2025 AND
2026, FUNDING IS LEVEL. ANY
ADJUSTMENTS YOU SEE HERE ARE
JUST THE RESULT OF CENTRAL COST
ADJUSTMENTS. IS GOING TO SCALE
BACK INVESTMENTS TO HELP
ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL. AT THE
SAME TIME WE ARE LEVERAGING
CITY INVESTMENTS WITH EXTERNAL
FUNDING FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS
IN THIS UNPRECEDENTED MOMENT
FOR CLIMATE FUNDING AT THE
FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. OSE
ONE CHANGE IS A COST-SAVING
MEASURE WHICH IS TO RECOGNIZE
ACTUAL PROJECT IS SPENDING
KNEES FOR A TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
THAT IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE
BUILDING EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS. THIS COMPLIANT
SOLUTION IS A KEY PART OF BEING
ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH OUR
PARTNERS TO RECAST THE SPEND IN
2025 AND 2026 AND REALIGNED THE
BUDGET TO RECOGNIZE THE SAVINGS
WHICH ARE JUST OVER $500,000.
OSE WILL ALSO SUNSET FUNDING
FOR THE HEAVY-DUTY ELECTRIC
TRUCK INCENTIVE PILOT. THIS
PILOT LED TO INCREASED
ENGAGEMENT FUNDING THAT WAS
ALREADY SCHEDULED WILL CONTINUE
TO BE DEPLOYED AND CONTINUE
PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES
IN THE DUWAMISH VALLEY. THIS
REPRESENTS OUR PROPOSED
REDUCTION OF $900,000. THE 2025
-2026 BUDGET REDUCES FUNDING
USED TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS
ASSISTANT -- ASSISTANCE
EFFORTS. WE WILL MAINTAIN A
SPACE-BASED APPROACH IN THE
ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THE
CLEAN BUILDING ACCELERATOR AND
THROUGH ONGOING INVESTMENTS.
SMALL-BUSINESS SUPPORT WILL
CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED THROUGH
THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ALTHOUGH THERE
PROGRAM DOES NOT INCORPORATE A
PLACE-BASED APPROACH WHICH IS
BEEN THE DUWAMISH VALLEY
SMALL-BUSINESS SUPPORT MODEL.
THE LAST AREA OF CHANGES TO
TALK THROUGH. THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE FUND INCLUDES SEVERAL
CHANGES IN THE 2025-2026 BUDGET
ARE DESIGNED TO STABILIZE THE
FUND FOLLOWING THE SUNSETTING
OF ONE-TIME OUTS FROM THE
2023-2024 BUDGET. THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUND
AWARDS GRANTS TO COMMUNITY-LED
PROJECTS TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS
AND INVITE CLIMATE JUSTICE.
THIS WAS ORIGINALLY FUNDED WITH
GENERAL FUND THEN WAS ABLE TO
EXPAND STARTING IN 2022 TO MEET
THE GREAT DEMAND FOR THIS
PROGRAM. 2023 AND 2024 HAD A
ONE-TIME FUNDING MAYBE, WHICH
HELPED TO SCALE THE PROGRAM AND
NOW IN 2025 AND 2026 WE ARE
LOOKING TO STABILIZE WITH A
SERIES OF CHANGES TO LOOK TO
STABILIZE THE CURRENT PROGRAM
MODEL. THERE ARE THREE CHANGES
THAT IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE FUND. WE TALKED ABOUT
THE SUNSETTING OF THOSE
ONE-TIME ADS. THERE IS $1.2
MILLION IN THE 2023 AND 2024
BUDGET. THAT WAS ONE TIME THAT
IS EXPIRING IN 2025. WE ARE
ALSO LOOKING TO RESTORE AN
ONGOING EJ FUND BASELINE BUDGET
TO CONTINUE PROGRAMMING,
$250,000. THIS REPRESENTS THE
ORIGINAL BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR
THIS PROGRAM THAT WAS CUT IN
2024. WE ARE LOOKING TO RESTORE
THAT WITH P.E.T. DOLLARS TO
ENSURE WE CAN CONTINUE THE
PROGRAM MODEL. LASTLY WE ARE
PROPOSING TO CONSOLIDATE THE
DUWAMISH RIVER OPPORTUNITY FUND
WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
FUND SO THAT WE WILL IMPLEMENT
ONE COMMUNITY GRANTMAKING
PROGRAM FOCUSED ON
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE
JUSTICE. THERE IS SOME OVERLAP
BETWEEN THESE PROGRAMS BUT
THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS THAT
HAVE BEEN FUNDED THAT WOULD NOT
BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING WITH
THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUND.
THE NET OF ALL THESE CHANGES IS
$950,000 REDUCTION FROM 2024 TO
2025. THAT WRAPS UP THE
PRESENTATION ON OUR SIDE, AND
WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M
GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO THE
CHAIR OF YOUR COMMITTEE,
COUNCIL MEMBER WOO AND WILL
NOTE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA
CAME IN AT THE VERY BEGINNING
OF THAT PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK
DR. FARRELL FOR EVERYTHING
YOU'VE DONE. THERE HAVE BEEN A
LOT OF AMAZING PROGRAMMING AND
A LOT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE
LAST YEAR, AND SO I DO HAVE A
COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THIS
ONE-TIME FUNDS SUNSETTING ,
WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF THESE
REDUCTIONS? ARE WE LOOKING AT
ORGANIZATIONS OR GROUPS THAT
WILL RECEIVE FUNDING? LOOKS
LIKE THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS
THAT MAY BE MOVING TO OTHER
PARTNERS, BUT WHAT WOULD THESE
IMPACTS LOOK LIKE?
>> PER THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE FUND , WE WILL START
WITH $1.2 MILLION OF ONE-TIME
FUNDING IN 2023 AND 2024. WITH
THE SUNSETTING WE ESTIMATE
PROBABLY THE GRANTMAKING
PROGRAM WOULD SHRINK. PROBABLY
17 AWARDEES PER YEARS AWARDED
IN THE LAST CYCLE TO PROBABLY
CLOSER TO EIGHT OR NINE, SO
THAT REPRESENTS FEWER
ORGANIZATIONS BEING SERVED
EVERY YEAR. WITH THE
INDIGENOUS-LET CLIMATE
INITIATIVES, WE ARE EARLY IN
IMPLEMENTATION AND ARE
EXECUTING AN AGREEMENT AT THE
MOMENT WITH THE SEATTLE
FOUNDATION TO ACTUALLY
ADMINISTER THE GRANT-MAKING
PROCESS THERE. THE CURRENT
PROPOSAL IS TO PROBABLY FUND
AROUND FIVE TO SEVEN LARGE
GRANTS , BUT WITHOUT CONTINUING
FUNDING, THAT WOULD BE THE
EXTENT OF THAT PROGRAM THAN
LASTLY, FOR THE HEAVY-DUTY
TRUCK INCENTIVE, WE WILL
CONTINUE TO SEE INCENTIVES
BEING OFFERED THROUGH THOSE
STATE PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERS.
OSUS FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON
INDEPENDENT OPERATORS SO WITH
THE LOSS OF THIS FUNDING IT'S
NOT CLEAR IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS
WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE
OTHER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, WHAT
IS CURRENTLY BEING EXPLORED IS
HAVING STACKING BETWEEN CITY
AND STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS TO
BE ABLE TO SERVE THE SPECIFIC
POPULATION THAT HAS MORE
BARRIERS TO ACCESS HEAVY-DUTY
ELECTRIC TRUCKS.
>> THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COLLEAGUES, OTHER FOLKS WITH
QUESTIONS?
>> THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, I HAVE
A LOT OF QUESTIONS. SO, IT'S
$4 MILLION THAT IS SETTING. WHY
IS THAT?
>> THOSE ONE-TIME ADS IN THE
2023 AND 2024 BUDGET , SO THEY
WERE SET TO AUTOMATICALLY
EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
>> CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HOW THE GREEN NEW DEAL
INVESTMENT THAT COMES FROM
PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX RELATES TO
THE THINGS THAT ARE HERE AND
WHY -- IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT
FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT CONTINUED
OPERATION OF THESE PROGRAMS, SO
MAYBE I'M JUST MISUNDERSTANDIN
G HOW IT'S ALLOCATED.
>> I WILL SAY OVERALL, OUR
APPROACH AND RECOMMENDATION IN
THE SHORTFALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN
GRAPPLING WITH WAS TO KEEP ALL
OF OUR PROGRAM AREAS UP AND
RUNNING, BECAUSE THEY ARE
DELIVERING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS.
WE ARE ABLE TO LEVERAGE
EXTERNAL FUNDING FOR MANY OF
THEM, NOT ALL, AND SO AS YOU
CAN SEE ON THIS FIRST SLIDE
THAT WE PRESENTED THERE ARE
ACTUALLY MANY PROGRAMS THAT ARE
MOVING FORWARD INTACT AT
FUNDING LEVELS FOR 2023 AND
2024. ALL OF THESE AREAS WORK
IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR GREEN NEW
DEAL OVERSIGHT BOARD'S
RECOMMENDATIONS, AGAIN RELATING
TO FOSTERING A GREEN TRANSITION
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE
INVESTMENTS AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, CLEAN ENERGY
APPRENTICESHIPS, THE FOCUS ON
THE DUWAMISH VALLEY AND THEN OF
COURSE REDUCING POLLUTION FROM
FOSSIL FUELS AND FOCUSING ON
OUR BUILDINGS BOTH ACCESS FOR
HOMEOWNERS , LOW INCOME AND
MIDDLE INCOME HOMEOWNERS TO
HAVE ACCESS TO REBATES AND THAT
PROGRAM HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED I
STATE AND FEDERAL INCENTIVES,
AS WELL , AND THEN INVESTMENT
IN OUR OWN MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
AND THEN HELPING UNDER
RESOURCED BUILDINGS TO COMPLY
WITH THAT, SO THAT IS A WHOLE
SUITE OF INVESTMENTS THAT IS
VERY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH OUR
GREEN NEW DEAL AND THEN FINALLY
INVESTING IN HEALTHIER
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES, AND
THERE ARE THREE MAIN AREAS OF
INVESTMENT THERE. FOOD, RELATED
TO FRESH BOX AND SCHOOLS. THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANT
PROGRAM IS ABOUT ENSURING
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND THEN
TREEPLANTING IN LOW CANOPY
INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND THAT
MAINLY FOCUSES ON GEORGETOWN
AND DUWAMISH VALLEY. TO
SUMMARIZE, OVERALL OUR
INVESTMENTS ARE VERY MUCH
ALIGNED AND THEN A COUPLE OF
THESE CUTS ARE MOSTLY RELATED
EITHER TO EFFICIENCIES, THAT
$500,000 I.T. CUT IS A
RECOMMENDED CUT BECAUSE OF
EFFICIENCY. THE 900,000 CUT TO
THE TRUCK INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS
ALSO RECOMMENDED BECAUSE WE ARE
ABLE TO NOW WORK WITH OUR STATE
AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO SCALE
THAT PROGRAM IN A MUCH BIGGER
WAY , SO THE STATE HAS RECEIVED
ALMOST $100 MILLION, WHICH IS
AGAIN, A PIECE OF IT HAS BEEN
IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON EQUITY
BUT ULTIMATELY, WE WANT THE
STATE AND REGION TO BE PLAYING
A ROBUST ROLE TO GET THESE
TRUCKS ELECTRIFIED.
>> TO THAT LAST POINT THE
DEPARTMENT PROPOSED RETAINING
$100,000 TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE
SHE -- THE FOCUS ON SHORT CALL
DRIVERS WHO ARE MOSTLY EAST
AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS, FOLKS WHO
ARE INDEPENDENT OWNER OPERATORS
LIKE YOU WERE SAYING. IT DOES
NOT SEEM LIKE THAT PROPOSAL WAS
ACCEPTED. IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THERE IS FUNDING TO ALLOW US
TO CONTINUE REPORTING,
MEASURING, AND DOING DATA SO
AGAIN WE ARE VERY MUCH IN -- I
DON'T WANT TO SAY NEGOTIATION
BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO
LEVERAGE THE CITY INVESTMENT SO
THAT POTENTIAL POOR
INVESTMENTS, POTENTIAL STATE
INVESTMENTS ARE BASICALLY USING
THE CONTOURS OF THE PILOT THAT
WE ARE LAUNCHING, SO TO FOCUS
ON THE ELECTRIFICATION SO THERE
IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO
ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR
AND ENSURE THE PROGRAM IS
WORKING THE WAY WE WANT IT TO
WORK, WHICH IS TO FOCUS ON
IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE DRIVERS,
FOCUS ON THE DRAINAGE TRUCKS
THAT ARE IMPACTING SOUTH PARK
AND GEORGETOWN IN PARTICULAR.
>> OKAY, I WANT TO MOVE TO
SLIDE SIX. CAN YOU TELL US , AS
YOU ARE MAKING THE PROPOSALS
ABOUT REDUCING WORKFORCE AND
SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENTS IN
THE DUWAMISH VALLEY OF FOLKS
WERE CONSULTED ABOUT WHAT THE
IMPACT OF THOSE WOULD BE?
>> THE SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
THAT IS CURRENTLY OPERATED
THROUGH OSE HAS EVOLVED OVER
THE YEARS IN A FEW DIFFERENT
WAYS, DURING THE PANDEMIC IT
WAS LARGELY FOCUSED ON COVID
AND PANDEMIC SUPPORT , GETTING
MASKS AND HELPING WITH
IMPLEMENTATION, PUBLIC HEALTH
GUIDELINES. OVER THE PAST FEW
YEARS IT HAS LOOKED LIKE
CONTRACTED SERVICES TO HELP
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES WITH
MARKETING, TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE, AND OTHER SERVICES
LIKE THAT. SO, THOSE WOULD NO
LONGER BE OFFERED THROUGH OSE.
OED WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SMALL
BUSINESS THAT WOULD NOT BE
SPECIFICALLY TO THAT
NEIGHBORHOOD. OS YOUTH PROGRAM
HAS PROVIDED A NEXUS TO ENGAGE
IN THE DUWAMISH VALLEY PLAN IN
A WAY THAT HAS NOT -- IT'S
GIVEN THEM AN ACCESS POINT TO
THAT PROGRAM AREA. WITH THE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, GREATLY
FOR THIS YEAR THE PLANS FOR
INVESTMENTS EXPLAINS SOME
PARTNERSHIPS. PARTNERSHIPS WITH
SOME LOCAL PARTNERS TO HELP
WITH LOCAL WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, SO WHILE WE WOULD
CONTINUE TO HAVE A FOCUS IN THE
CLEAN ENERGY WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS
THE MAIN INVESTMENT IN THE
2025-2026 BUDGET, IT PROBABLY
WOULD NOT FUND PARTNERSHIPS TO
THE EXTENT THAT THIS WOULD'VE
BEEN ABLE TO.
>> SO, WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES
ARE PLANNED FOR THE DUWAMISH
VALLEY ACTION PLAN AND THE
MITIGATION THINGS THAT NEED TO
HAPPEN THERE AND HOW ARE OUR
RESIDENTS GOING TO CONTINUE TO
INVESTMENT -- BENEFIT FROM
THAT.
>> WE HAVE CONTINUED
INVESTMENTS IN THE YOUTH
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN
INDUSTRIAL GREETING,
TREEPLANTING AND INDUSTRIAL
AREAS AND WE ALSO HAVE QUITE A
BIT OF ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT WE
ANTICIPATE WILL EITHER BE
DEPLOYED THIS YEAR OR CARRIED
FORWARD INTO NEXT YEAR TO
SUPPORT -- [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> TO SUPPORT RESILIENCE AND
PARTICULARLY, RESILIENCE HUB
PLANNING AND MOVING FORWARD
WITH DECARBONIZATION AND
COMMUNITY BUILDINGS IN THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY, SO THOSE ARE
SOME FUNDS FROM 2022 AND 2023
THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD THAT WE
ARE HOPING TO DEPLOY, BUT THESE
, TO REITERATE WHAT MEGAN SAID,
THERE ARE SOME CHANGES IN TERMS
OF THE PLACE-BASED SUPPORT.
>> I THINK THAT IS REALLY
PROBLEMATIC IF I UNDERSTAND
THIS RIGHT, THE MAYOR IS
PROPOSING AN 80% REDUCTION IN
DUWAMISH VALLEY PROGRAMS , BY
300,000, MAYBE MORE. THAT'S
THE ONLY FUNDING SOURCE FOR
SOUTH PARK AND GEORGETOWN AND
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE COMMUNITIES
THAT ARE HARDEST HIT BY
POLLUTION. BEACON HILL, AS
WELL. SO, I THINK THE LAST
THING I WANT TO ASK ABOUT,
BECAUSE IT IS SORT OF RELATED,
ARE THE CHANGES TO THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUND. THE
SLIDE ON SLIDE EIGHT SAYS THAT
CONSOLIDATION WILL HELP
STABILIZE, BUT THE REALITY IS
THAT FUNDING IS DOWN BY 40%
FROM 2024, AND ALL OF THE WORK
TO SUPPORT THE DUWAMISH VALLEY,
THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE SMALL
BUSINESSES HIS WORK CLIMATE
IMPACTS FOR TWO NEIGHBORHOODS.
I JUST WANT TO READ FROM SOME
OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS THAT
WERE SUBMITTED ABOUT THE
IMPACTS OF THIS BECAUSE WHAT WE
KNOW AS THE DUWAMISH VALLEY IS
HOME TO 5600 PEOPLE. 42% ARE
IMMIGRANTS. 37% ARE LATINO. 63%
OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. THIS IS AN
AREA THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY
FACES SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
STRESSORS. 72% LIVE IN POVERTY.
THE LIFE EXPECTANCY, AS A
FORMER REPRESENTATIVE OF
GEORGETOWN, I KNOW THE LIFE
EXPECTANCY IS 13 YEARS LESS IN
GEORGETOWN THAN IT IS IN LAUREL
HURST. THAT IS WHY WE ARE
MAKING THESE KINDS OF
INVESTMENTS AND I KNOW THAT YOU
WILL KNOW THIS SO MY
FRUSTRATION IS NOT DIRECTED AT
YOU BUT THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT THESE BUDGET
CUTS, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
THESE POLICY CHOICES, SO YOU
KNOW , THE DUWAMISH RIVER IS A
SUPERFUND SITE. IT CONTAINS
MORE THAN 40 CHEMICALS ABOVE
ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN HEALTH
STANDARDS. 58% OF THE
POPULATION LIVES WITHIN 1 MILE
OF THE DUWAMISH SUPERFUND SITE
AND RESIDENTS AND WORKERS HAVE
ACCESS TO LESS THAN HALF THE
GREEN SPACE PER RESIDENT IN THE
CITYWIDE AVERAGE. THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS SUFFER FROM AIR
POLLUTION, FROM ASTHMA, FROM
MAJOR INDUSTRIAL WASTE DAMAGE
AND THE FACT THAT DIRE
CONSEQUENCES ARE AT STAKE FOR
THESE COMMUNITIES IS NOTHING TO
GLOSS OVER , SO I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT AS WE MAKE THESE
DECISIONS, AS WE UNDERSTAND
THAT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE GOING
TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS,
SEATTLEITES WHO ARE TRYING TO
MANAGE DISPARATE HEALTH
OUTCOMES, DISPARATE INCOME
INEQUALITY FOR THEIR FAMILIES
ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO
SUFFER THE COST OF THIS. EVERY
REDUCTION WE TAKE WILL HAVE
LASTING HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES
FOR OUR CHILDREN AND ESPECIALLY
FOR CHILDREN OF COLOR, SO
COLLEAGUES, THESE MAY BE THE
MAYOR'S POLICY AND FISCAL
CHOICES BUT THEY ARE NOT MINE
AND I HOPE THEY ARE NOT YOURS
EITHER.
>> WE WILL FOLLOW UP. I TOTALLY
UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE,
COUNCILMEMBER, YOUR PERSPECTIVE
ON THIS. WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH
CENTRAL STAFF TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT
THE POTS OF MONEY WITH THINK
ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAD BEEN
APPLYING FOR AND RECEIVING
GRANTS IN THE AREA WILL BE
ELIGIBLE FOR. OUR EXPECTATION
IS FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU JUST
DESCRIBED, THEY WILL BE
COMPETING FOR GRANTS IN A
SUCCESSFUL WAY THAT THEY CAN
GET FUNDING ON A CONTINUED
BASIS. WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN
THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, GIVEN THE
PRESSURES THAT WE WERE FACING,
IS ELIMINATED THE PLACE-BASED
CARVEOUT THAT WAS EXCLUSIVELY
AND ONLY FOR THEM, BUT THAT IS
NOT THE ONLY SOURCE OF FUNDS
THAT WE HAVE , AND WE EXPECT
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GET
FUNDING, MAYBE NOT THE SAME
DOLLAR AMOUNTS BUT WE EXPECT
THEM TO CONTINUE TO GET FUNDING
MOVING FORWARD EVEN WITHOUT
CHANGES AND I UNDERSTAND YOU
MAY BE ADVOCATING FOR SOME
CHANGES IN THAT PROPOSED
BUDGET.
>> WELL, AND THE LAST THING I
WILL SAY IS IF WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT PLACE-BASED SOLUTIONS
BEEN THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR LOTS
OF OTHER THINGS, PARTICULARLY
AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY, I WOULD
SAY THE REASON THOSE
INVESTMENTS ARE PARTICULAR TO
THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS BECAUSE IT
SUFFERS DISPROPORTIONATELY FROM
THE HEALTH IMPACT OF ALL THE
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE THAT
HAS GONE ON THERE FOR
GENERATIONS.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER
SAKA.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
APOLOGIES ABOUT BE IN A FEW
MOMENTS LATE TO THE MEETING
TODAY. MY KIDS ' SCHOOL BUS
WAS 10 TO 15 MINUTES LATER
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
THEREFORE, I WAS ALSO A LITTLE
LATE. SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE
PARENTS CURRENT, PAST AND
PRESENT AND FUTURE WHO
UNDERSTAND THOSE STRUGGLES OR
WILL UNDERSTAND THOSE
STRUGGLES. IT IS REAL. IN ANY
EVENT, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING
HERE TODAY. APPRECIATE THIS
PRESENTATION ON THE PROPOSED
BUDGET YEAR FOR OSE. I HAD SOME
QUESTIONS AROUND SOME OF THE
IMPACTS POTENTIALLY ON THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY THAT I NOW HAVE
THE HONOR OF REPRESENTING. WE
HEARD A GOOD EXCHANGE ON THAT
SO LET ME PIVOT.
ELECTRIFICATION.
ELECTRIFICATION. SO, OVERALL
JUST BE CURIOUS TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE
COMMITMENT TO FURTHERING OUR
CITIES ELECTRIFICATION GOALS ?
AS YOU KNOW, I AM CHAIR OF OUR
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND I
AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN
ELECTRIFICATION ACROSS ALL
MODES AND PARTICULARLY PERSONAL
ELECTRICAL VEHICLES AND SO JUST
CURIOUS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
WHAT ACTIONS IS OSE TAKING AND
WORKING ON WITH OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND PLANNING
EFFORTS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS
TO IMPLEMENT THE
TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION
BLUEPRINT.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
OSE'S ROLE IS TO DRIVE AND
INNOVATE POLICY WITHIN THE CITY
AND WE FEEL SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE
ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR
CAPITAL PARTNERS OR OTHER
OUTSIDE ENTITIES TO SCALE. SO,
WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS
CONTINUING TO PLAY A
COORDINATING AND STRATEGIC ROLE
AMONG CITY DEPARTMENTS AND AS
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LEVY WILL
BE DEPLOYED TOWARDS EV
INFRASTRUCTURE. SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT HAS A REALLY IMPORTANT
BOTH STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION
AND FUNDING ROLE IN THE DEATH
-- DEPLOYMENT OF THOSE DOLLARS
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE
AGGRESSIVE AROUND LOOKING FOR
OUTSIDE FUNDING TO PROVIDE THE
ABILITY TO GET TO OUR GOALS
AROUND ELECTRIFICATION. THAT
SAID, THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC
WAYS WE WILL CONTINUE TO
ENGAGE. ELECTRIFYING TRAIN
TRACKS IS A HIGH LEVERAGE MOVE
FOR PORT ADJACENT COMMUNITIES
SO WHILE WE ARE RECOMMENDING
SUNSETTING OUR FUNDING, WE WILL
BE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH
THESE OTHER ENTITIES,
PARTICULARLY WSDOT AND THE PORT
WHO HAVE RECEIVED MUCH BIGGER
OUTSIDE FUNDING GRANTS . THEY
ARE STATE AND REGIONAL
ENTITIES, IT IS A STATE AND
REGIONAL PROBLEM BUT WE WILL BE
CONTINUING TO USE OUR PILOT TO
DRIVE AN EQUITABLE AND FOCUSED
SET OF PROGRAMMING TO ENSURE
THAT WE ARE LOWERING IMPACTS TO
SOUTH PARK IN GEORGETOWN, SO
THAT IS ONE AREA AND THEN THE
OTHER AREA WHERE WE ARE FOCUSED
ON IN THIS BUDGET IS
ELECTRIFYING AND WORKING WITH
CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY
TAKE STEPS TOWARDS ELECTRIFYING
THE CITY'S OWN FLEET, AND THAT
INCLUDES BOTH THE BUILDING
UPGRADES, THE PLANNING, THE
PROCUREMENT. THOSE ARE OUR TWO
AREAS OF FOCUS IN THE 2025-26
BUDGETS.
>> THANK YOU. YES.
TRANSPORTATION -RELATED
POLLUTION , YOU KNOW, THAT IS
THE NUMBER ONE FACTOR. THERE
ARE A VARIETY OF FACTORS BUT TO
CLIMATE CHANGE, SO IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A
CONCRETE -SPECIFIC PLAN TO
DRIVE ELECTRIFICATION ACROSS
THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION
SPECTRUM INCLUDING DRAYAGE,
INCLUDING THE PORT , AND
PERSONAL EV'S IS ONE ELEMENT
OF THAT. FAIRIES, BUSES, ALL OF
THE ABOVE SO THANK YOU FOR
THAT. LET ME PIVOT NOW TO A
TOPIC THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
TO ME, HEALTHY FOODS AND
ADDRESSING FOOD DESERTS. SO, I
TALKED A FEW DAYS AGO. YOU WANT
HERE SO DON'T WORRY. I TALKED
A FEW DAYS AGO DURING ANOTHER
DEPARTMENT PRESENTATION ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING
FOOD DESERTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES
AND I REPRESENT A FEW OF THEM
IN DISTRICT 1 , DELL RIDGE
PARTICULARLY NORTH DELL RIDGE,
SOUTH PARK, GEORGETOWN THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY BASICALLY SO
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
ADDRESSED , AND I'VE ALSO
TALKED ABOUT WE ARE NOT GOING
TO BODEGA OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
YES WE NEED SMALL LIKE
LOCALLY-SOURCED ORGANIC YOU
KNOW KIND OF STORES AND
OPPORTUNITIES BUT WE ALSO NEED
MIDSIZED GROCERY STORES AND
WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY YOU KNOW
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE LARGER GROCERY STORE
OPTIONS AS WELL BECAUSE ONE
THING I DID NOT GET TO LAST
WEEK , AS WE TALK ABOUT SMART
PLANNING AND BALANCED PLANNING
TO MAKE SURE WE CONTEMPLATE THE
GROWTH THAT WE CURRENTLY
PROJECT AND JUST BECAUSE WE
NEED TO PLAY CATCH-UP AND THEN
ALSO BECAUSE WE NEED TO GROW
AND GROW QUICKLY AND HAVE
CAPACITY FOR A VARIETY OF
THINGS INCLUDING MAKING SURE WE
HAVE GROCERY STORES AND ACCESS
TO HEALTHY FOODS AND FOOD
DESERTS. ONE THING I DID NOT
MENTION IS THAT IN MY DISTRICT
ALONE COLLEAGUES I KNOW IN YOUR
DISTRICT SAME ISSUE IS
HAPPENING BUT IN MY DISTRICT
ALONE, WE CAN EXPECT TO LOSE AT
LEAST TWO GROCERY STORES,
GROCERY STORES THAT ARE ON THE
CHOPPING BLOCK AS THE RESULT OF
A PROPOSED MERGER . AT LEAST
TWO THAT I'M AWARE OF AND I
DID NOT MENTION ALSO THAT IN [
INAUDIBLE ] SQUARE THE SAFEWAY
IS GOING TO BE KNOCKED DOWN TO
BUILD THE SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT
RAIL STATION, WHICH I SUPPORT,
BUT THAT IS POTENTIALLY THREE
BIG GROCERY STORES IN CAPACITY
AND WE CAN'T ASSUME THE TWO
THAT MIGHT BE SHUT DOWN, THAT
SOME OF THE RETAILERS GOING TO
COME IN AND THEIR PLACE SO THAT
IS WHY WE NEED TO THOUGHTFULLY
CONSIDER ALL OF OUR PLANNING
AND OSE AS PART OF THAT, AS
WELL, SO JUST BE CURIOUS, ARE
YOU COORDINATING OR WORKING
WITH OED OR OPC THE -- OPCD ON
THE FACT THAT MANY
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES ARE
FOOD DESERTS AND LIKELY TO ONLY
BE FURTHER EXACERBATED BY
POTENTIAL AND LIKELY GROCERY
STORE MERGERS AND I WOULD BE
CURIOUS IF ANYONE IS
COORDINATING AND WORKING WITH
ALL STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE
CITY ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS TO
KNOCK DOWN THE SILOS TO ADDRESS
AGAIN HEALTHY FOODS AND FOOD
DESERTS .
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I WOULD SAY IS AN OVERALL
FRAMING FOR THE ANSWER TO THIS
IS THAT OSE'S INVESTMENTS
EXIST IN AN ECOSYSTEM ACROSS
MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS TO
EFFECTUATE A HEALTHY FOOD
SYSTEM FOR EVERYONE. AGAIN IN
THE CASE OF FOOD WE COORDINATE
LEAD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OSD,
AN ACTION PLAN WHICH DOES
INCLUDE LOTS OF DIFFERENT
STRATEGIES AROUND IMPROVING
ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, ACCESS
TO GROCERY STORES SO WE DO
COORDINATE WITH OED AND OPCD .
WE ALSO WORK TO ENSURE THAT
THINGS LIKE FRESH BUCKS CAN BE
USED AT OUR BIGGEST GROCERY
STORES, SO WE HAVE A
PARTNERSHIP WITH SAFETY --
SAFEWAY. WE'VE BEEN WORKING
FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO ENSURE
WE CAN HAVE THIS KIND OF
PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER GROCERY
STORES, AS WELL, SO I THINK THE
SHORT ANSWER IS OUR WORK NESTS
WITHIN A MULTIDEPARTMENTAL
STRATEGY AND AROUND PLANNING OF
COURSE THAT IS OPCD, THE
BUSINESS SIDE OF THAT, OED AND
THIS OF COURSE COMES ACROSS OUR
TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS ON
ELECTRIFICATION. WE ALSO NEST
WITHIN A MULTI-DEPARTMENT
STRATEGY AND I WOULD ALSO SAY
WITH THE DUWAMISH VALLEY SO
JUST TO GO BACK TO THAT FOR A
MOMENT, THERE ARE IMPACTS TO
OUR PROGRAMMING IN THIS BUDGET.
THE DUWAMISH VALLEY ACTION PLAN
IS A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL
STRATEGY BY DESIGN SO IT IS
IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT OUR
INVESTMENTS HOLISTICALLY AS
THEY FIT WITH THE MULTIPLE
DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK ON THESE
INTERDISCIPLINARY ISSUES.
>> THANK YOU. NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR
RIVERA.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO
ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. DIRECTOR
FARRELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE AND
THIS IS JUST INTEREST TESTING
WHAT I'M HEARING, IT SOUNDS
LIKE OSE IS WORKING HARD TO
LEVERAGE STATE AND FEDERAL
FUNDING AS YOU DO THIS WORK, TO
DO SO IN MORE ROBUST WAYS AND I
THINK MAYBE THE DEPARTMENT HAS
DONE IN THE PAST, IS THAT TRUE?
SO, I WOULD SAY YES, BUT IT'S A
QUALIFIED YES BECAUSE WE HAVE
THIS UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENT
IN CLIMATE JUSTICE PROGRAMMING
THROUGH THE INFLATION REDUCTION
ACT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN THE
CLIMATE COMMITMENT ACT AT THE
STATE LEVEL SO YOU KNOW, THOSE
ARE NEW LAWS AND SO THE OFFICE
HAS REALLY BEEN ABLE TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THAT OVER THE LAST
TWO TO THREE YEARS, REALLY
THESE LAST TWO YEARS BUT I WILL
SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO HAVE WHAT I'M CALLING
SEVERAL-READY PROGRAMMING,
STARTING WAY BACK IN 2016 WITH
THE EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENT
AGENDA AND INVESTMENTS LIKE OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
GRANTMAKING PROGRAM INVESTMENTS
THAT FOCUS ON THE DUWAMISH
VALLEY, AND INVESTMENTS THAT
FOCUS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
WE'VE BEEN REALLY
WELL-POSITIONED TO COMPETE
NATIONALLY AND AT THE STATE
LEVEL TO RECEIVE FUNDING TO
AUGMENT THESE PROGRAMS.
>> UNDERSTOOD. IT IS IN YOUR
SOURCE OF FUNDING AT THE STATE
AND FEDERAL LEVEL IN YOUR
LEVERAGING. IT'S GREAT AT THIS
POINT, I APPRECIATE HEARING
THAT THE DEPARTMENT POSITIONED
ITSELF WELL TO BE COMPETITIVE
IN THIS SPACE AND ALSO
RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE
UTILIZING THE ABILITY TO DO
THAT IN THE NEW STATE AND
FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE SPACE SO
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT OUR
STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS ARE
COMING ALONG . IN SOME WAYS I
THINK THE CITY HAS BEEN LEADING
IN SOME OF THESE SPACES AND THE
STATE 'S COMING UP TO SPEED
BUT I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE
DEPARTMENT DOING SO REALLY TO
TAKE UP THE WORK THAT WE NEED
STARTED AND COULD NOT DO AS
ROBUSTLY AND NOW WE HAVE AT THE
STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND
ABILITY TO DO SO SO VERY MUCH
APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP
THERE AND ALSO WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BEFORE YOU
WERE AT THE CITY, YOU ARE IN
THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOING
SIMILAR WORK SO WE HAVE THE
BENEFIT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND
BACKGROUND WORKING IN THE SPACE
INCLUDING TRACKING AND
ADVOCATING FOR THE STATE AND
FEDERAL FUNDING THAT HAS GOTTEN
US TO THIS PLACE SO APPRECIATE
YOUR WORK PRIOR TO COMING HERE
AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE
TO REALLY PUT ALL THAT
TOGETHER. MY SECOND QUESTION IS
JUST A COMMENT ON COUNCIL
MEMBER SAKA'S COMMENTS ABOUT
FOOD. I VERY MUCH ALSO CARE
ABOUT FOOD AND FOOD DESERTS.
THERE IS A FOOD DESERT IN THE D
FOR -- D 4 AT CITY PARKS AND
WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE
FOOD ACTION PLAN ABOUT HOW THE
DEPARTMENTS COME TOGETHER. HOW
DID THE DEPARTMENTS COME
TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN
IS PART OF THE 2025-2026
BIENNIUM? I DO HAVE A QUESTION
ON THESE COMMUNITY-LED
PROJECTS. CAN YOU TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TYPES OF
PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER THIS
FUND?
>> YES. JUST TO GIVE A COUPLE
OF EXAMPLES, IN THE PAST, FOR
EXAMPLE, WE HAVE WORKED WITH
THE DELL RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION TO FUND
USE-LED PROJECTS RELATED TO
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY SO
THAT IS BEEN A WONDERFUL
PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE HAD
WITH THEM. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS
BEEN TO WORK WITH THE LAKE CITY
COLLECTIVE AS THEY HAVE
IMPROVED AND FOCUSED ON
BUILDING A RESILIENCE HUB, SO
THAT IS ACTUALLY A PLACE WHERE
THEY WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE LAND
AND WE WERE ABLE TO HELP WORK
WITH THEM TO PROVIDE CAPACITY.
IT IS NO SMALL ENDEAVOR TO
DEVELOP A RESILIENCE HUB OR TO
DEVELOPER COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN
SO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
GRANT FUND HAS BEEN ABLE TO BE
DEPLOYED TO WORK WITH THEM AND
NOW WE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING THE
NEXT STEP IN APPLYING FOR
FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE
EPA'S COMMUNITY CHANGE GRANT
TO ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDING TO
BUILD THAT SO THOSE ARE JUST A
COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF HOW , IN
SOME WAYS, DIVERSE THE PROJECTS
AND PROGRAMMING ARE, USE-LET
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND
ALSO PLACE MAKING THROUGH
RESILIENCE HUBS.
>> I CAN ADD A FEW MORE FROM
THE MOST RECENT GRANTING CYCLE
. ASPIRE GLOBAL AMBITIONS
SOCIETY HAS DEVELOPED THE JOB
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BIPOC
INDIVIDUALS AGES 16 TO 24
FOCUSED ON PROVIDING SKILLS
WITHIN ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION,
RENEWABLE ENERGY INTEGRATION
AND SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
PRACTICES. THE DUWAMISH VALLEY
SUSTAINABILITY ASSOCIATION IS
CONVERTING 25 TONS OF LOCAL
FOOD WASTE INTO 28,000 GALLONS
OF PROBIOTIC PLANT FOOD AND
RESTAURANT TO GARDEN IS
REDUCING RESTAURANT FOOD WASTE
IN CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL
DISTRICT. A REALLY WIDE VARIETY
OF PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
VERY HELPFUL TO HEAR WHEN I
READ OFTENTIMES IT COMES IN AS
COMMUNITY-LED PROJECTS AND YOU
DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE SO
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET A
FLAVOR AND HEAR WHAT THOSE
PROJECTS ARE ACTUALLY DOING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE.
>> DIRECTOR FARRELL, GOOD TO
SEE YOU AGAIN. I WILL NOT BE
TALKING ABOUT TREES. PROJECTS
THAT BRING DENSIFICATION AND
TREES TOGETHER , WE'VE ALREADY
TALKED ABOUT THAT. OFTEN TIME
IN THE PAST YEAR INCLUDING THIS
YEAR AS A COUNCILMEMBER I HAVE
TALKED ABOUT THE PORT OF
SEATTLE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE
A PORT CITY. WE CAN'T ESCAPE
IT. WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE
HAVE A VIABLE PORT 100 YEARS
FROM NOW AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY PART
OF BEING VIABLE AS BEING
ENVIRONMENTALLY VIABLE . IT IS
SOMETHING I HAVE NOT REALLY
SAID FROM THE DAIS BUT AS A
YOUNG 12-YEAR-OLD READING THE
BUFFALO EVENING NEWS ABOUT A
PLACE CALLED LOVE CANAL, IT
REALLY STRIKES A CHORD AS A
YOUNG MAN BUT NOW STILL TODAY
IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING
IN THE DUWAMISH RIVER VALLEY
AND IN THE PORT ITSELF AND SO
WE REALLY NEED TO BE THINKING
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
OF THE PAST PLUS WHAT WE'RE
DOING IN GOING FORWARD TO BEING
A VIABLE PORT 100 YEARS FROM
NOW AND I HAVE BEEN A STRONG
SUPPORTER OF SUPPORT. ONE OF
THE THINGS I SAY THAT WE ARE
NOT JUST THE PORT OF SEATTLE .
IT IS THE PORT OF KING COUNTY.
IT IS THE PORT OF WASHINGTON
STATE. IT IS THE PORT OF CIVIC
NORTHWEST AND REALLY WEST OF
THE MISSISSIPPI IN A LOT OF
WAYS , PARTICULARLY TOWARD THE
NORTH AND WE NEED TO PROTECT IT
AND WE NEED ALL LEVELS OF
GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT FEDERAL,
STATE, COUNTY, THE REGIONAL TO
SUPPORT, AS WELL. I SEE IN THE
BRIEFINGS TALKING ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUND AND
DUWAMISH RIVER OPPORTUNITY FUND
FOR SMALL BUSINESS ALL THESE
ADJUSTMENTS . QUESTION IN TERMS
OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE
BUT ALSO THE OTHER PART OF THIS
IS US WORKING IN ONE SEATTLE
WAY LIKE WHAT CITY LIGHT CAN DO
AND WHAT SDOT CAN DO IN TERMS
OF FREIGHT AND SO FORTH IN
TERMS OF ENGAGING IN THESE
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE
NEED THAT ALL HANDS ON DECK
EFFORT. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT
KIND OF ONE SEATTLE A AND B THE
IDEA THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE
PORT OF SEATTLE AND WE NEED ALL
THESE OTHER ENTITIES TO
RECOGNIZE AND BE PART OF THAT
SOLUTION?
>> THANK YOU AND I WAS GOING TO
USE A PHRASE YOU JUST USED
WHICH IS THAT SOME OF THESE
ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE,
EQUITABLE TRANSITION ARE REALLY
ALL HANDS ON DECK ISSUES AND
THAT THE CITY CAN BE A DRIVER
AND CAN BE AN INNOVATOR BUT WE
REALLY DO NEED THE PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE PORT, WITH THE STATE,
WITH THE NORTHWEST SEAPORT
ALLIANCE, NOT JUST THE PORT OF
SEATTLE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO
MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND
SO I WILL SAY THAT IN THE CASE
OF FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DRAYAGE
TRUCK ELECTRIFICATION PILOT
THAT IS AN INSTANCE WHERE THE
CITY I THINK WAS TAKING THE
FIRST STEP IN PART BECAUSE THE
HEALTH IMPACTS ARE SO
PROFOUNDLY FELT BY SOUTH PARK,
BY GEORGETOWN, BY DELL RIDGE,
THOSE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO START TO
WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE
REALLY CHALLENGING POLICY
ISSUES RELATED TO HOW DO YOU
ACTUALLY GET THESE HEAVY-DUTY
ELECTRIC VEHICLES WHICH ARE
VERY EXPENSIVE, WHICH ARE PRIOR
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, IT IS
NOT SOMETHING WE CAN FLIP THE
LIGHT SWITCH ON AND SAY GREAT,
WE ARE GOING TO ELECTRIFY . HOW
DO WE MAKE SURE DRIVERS WHO MAY
NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TRADITIONAL
FINANCING, MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS
TO A CHARGING HUB THAT IS
PRIVATELY OWNED SO WE'VE HAD
TO BE WORKING THROUGH ALL OF
THESE THINGS AND THEN IN THE
MEANWHILE, THE GOOD NEWS IS
THAT THERE HAS BEEN FEDERAL AND
STATE RESOURCES THAT HAVE
BECOME AVAILABLE SO NOW THE
IMPERATIVE IS TO REALLY KNIT
TOGETHER THESE EFFORTS SO THAT
THEY ARE AN EFFICIENT USE OF
GOVERNMENT FUNDING, THAT THEY
ARE DEPLOYED IN A WAY THAT
MAKES SENSE FOR THE MULTIPLE
POLITICAL ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES
OF THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
GOVERNMENT, THE PORT'S REASON
FOR BEING IS DIFFERENT FROM THE
CITY OF SEATTLE'S AND WE HAVE
TO RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETIMES
THERE ARE DIFFERENT INCENTIVES
AND IMPERATIVES BUT HOW DO WE
WEAVE TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH WE
ARE IN THIS MOMENT OF FEDERAL
FUNDING AND STATE FUNDING AND
CITY FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS
RECOGNIZING THIS TRANSITION IS
EXPENSIVE AND WILL TAKE
MULTIPLE WAYS OF GETTING THERE
SO THAT IS MAYBE NOT AS
SPECIFIC AS YOU WANT. I'M
HAPPY TO DIVE IN A LITTLE
DEEPER BUT OUR MIND-SET VERY
MUCH AS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO INNOVATE AND PUSH WHERE IT
MAKES SENSE AND THEN TO REALLY
KNIT TOGETHER THESE EFFORTS SO
THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BENEFIT
AND IN OUR FOCUS IT REALLY IS
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE
ADJACENT AND IMPACTED BY THE
PORT.
>> ESSENTIALLY BEING A FORCE
MULTIPLIER IT SOUNDS LIKE. WE
ALL HAVE THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
I'VE MET WITH THE COAST GUARD
TALKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
IT'S GOT TO BE PART OF THE
CONVERSATION, VETERAN HIRING
EVENT, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF
THE STATE FERRY SYSTEM. I ALSO
LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE
COUNCILMEMBER SOCCER FOR
BRINGING ME DOWN TO GEORGETOWN
FOR AN EVENT BECAUSE IT'S ONE
THING TO TALK ABOUT IT YOU KIND
OF DRIVE-THROUGH SOMETIMES BUT
WHEN YOU ARE IN A GROUP WITH A
COUPLE DOZEN PLUS PEOPLE AND
YOU HEAR FROM VARIOUS ASPECTS
HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY IS
VERY GOOD OR VISITING THE
DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE MANY HAVE AN
EVEN DEEPER UNDERSTANDING IF
YOU GO BACK FURTHER IN TERMS OF
WHAT IT ONCE WAS SO I
APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL
COMMENT IN TERMS OF TREES AND
LOW CANOPY INDUSTRIAL AREAS
KIND OF 100% SUPPORT THAT. IT
IS AN AREA THAT IS CLEARLY
UNDERSERVED, LIKE SIDEWALKS,
AND NEEDS THAT SUPPORT TO
INCLUDE OTHER AREAS, TOO, SO
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THE
SEATTLE STORM CENTER FOR
PERFORMING SPORTING ACCIDENTS
WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY AN
INDUSTRIAL AREA WENT AHEAD AND
PUT THOSE TREES AND SO WE HAVE
TO CELEBRATE THOSE KINDS OF
ACTIONS BECAUSE IT TAKES EACH
OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL ACTORS TO
BE A FORCE MULTIPLIER SO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
KETTLE. YOU TOOK THE WORDS OFF
OF MY PAGE HERE. A FORCE
MULTIPLIER I THINK IS A REALLY
GREAT WAY OF DESCRIBING YOUR
DEPARTMENT , DIRECTOR FARRELL.
I SEE COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU
DIRECTOR FARRELL. WITH THE
PRIORITIES PIECE, WHICH I THINK
MY COLLEAGUES WILL I DON'T WANT
TO SAY GET MAD AT ME BUT I
ALWAYS TALK ABOUT FOOD SO
HOPEFULLY THEY LIKE FOOD. WITH
THE HEALTHY FOOD IN SCHOOLS,
COULD YOU GO INTO A LITTLE
DETAIL ABOUT PRIORITIZING THAT
IN THE -- AND THE INVESTMENTS
MADE AND WHERE IN THE CITY
POTENTIALLY THAT WOULD BE
LOCATED LIKE THOSE INVESTMENTS
?
>> I CAN GIVE THE BROAD CONTOUR
OF THE PROGRAM. THIS IS A
REALLY WONDERFUL PARTNERSHIP
WITH SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN
THE CULINARY DEPARTMENT WHERE
WE WORK WITH SPECIFIC SCHOOLS
THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE AND
REDUCED LUNCH ACROSS THE CITY
TO BRING MORE SCRATCH-COOKED
CULTURALLY RELEVANT, LOCALLY
GROWN FOOD IN THE SCHOOLS AND
GIVE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
HAVE MORE FRESH FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES OVER THE COURSE OF
THE DAY. THERE IS A STRONG
EVALUATION COMPONENT TO MEASURE
, OUR KIDS EATING MORE FRESH
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES? IT TURNS
OUT THEY ARE AS A CONSEQUENCE
OF THIS PROGRAM AND WE CAN TALK
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND
SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN
IT.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK ON
THE EXACT NUMBER OF SCHOOLS BUT
I WANT TO SAY IT'S AROUND 20.
THE INVESTMENTS ITSELF FOR
$380,000 BUT THIS YEAR IS
ACTUALLY SUPPLEMENTED BY A
FEDERAL GRANT WE WERE ABLE TO
GET USING THE CITY INVESTMENT
AS A MATCH SO THERE'S ANOTHER
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO
MORE, EXPAND THAT WORK, AND
BRING IN SOME PARTNERS TO HELP
WITH AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT,
TOO.
>> UNDERSTOOD AND IF I COULD
GIVE A QUICK PLUG, I'M GOING
TO JUMP DOWN TO COUNCIL MEMBER
MORALES' DISTRICT. THE RAINIER
VALLEY FOOD BANK, THEY ACCOUNT
FOR 25% OF ALL THE FOOD BANK
VISITS COME FROM RAYNER VALLEY
FOOD BANK AND THE FRESH BOX
PROGRAM THAT I JUST LOVE THAT
OUR CITY DOES, THAT OF FELLOW
SAFEWAY HAS THE HIGHEST
REDEMPTION IN THE STATE SO WHAT
I'VE SEEN WITH JUST FOOD
INSECURITY IS SOUTH END, SOUTH
PARK, RAINIER BEACH, RAYNER
VALLEY, IF THOSE INVESTMENTS
COULD BE FOCUSED THERE, I JUST
LOVE DATA. THAT IS WHERE I KNOW
A LOT OF THE FOOD INSECURITY
PIECE IS AND I THINK WE'VE
TALKED ABOUT THIS, DIRECTOR
FARRELL, BUT IN SPOKANE, 30% OF
THE FOOD -- EXCUSE ME, WHEN
FOOD BANKS -- PEOPLE EITHER
WHEN YOU GET FOOD FROM A FOOD
BANK IT'S EITHER PURCHASED OR
DONATED. 30% OF THEIR FOOD IS
PURCHASED. 70% IS DONATED. IN
SEATTLE IT IS BACKWARDS FOR A
LOT OF FOOD BANKS WHERE THEY
PURCHASE AROUND 15 TO 70% AND
30% IS DONATED SO I THINK THERE
IS A REAL BIG OPPORTUNITY AND I
KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THE
FOOD ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS
GREAT. FOR US TO REALLY HONE IN
ON THE SUSTAINABILITY ASPECT OF
IT AND THE DONATION PIECE IN
THE FOOD WASTE, 40% OF FOOD IS
WASTED IN THE GARBAGE, TO BE
ABLE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF FOOD
WHICH I THINK IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT, SO I KNOW YOU WILL
WORK WITH -- I KNOW DON HAS A
FOOD EQUITY PROGRAM BUT I KNOW
SOME OF THOSE FUNDS ARE
UNFORTUNATELY DECREASING . THE
DEAL HAS WHERE THEY GIVE GRANT
STUARD IN THE STATIONS THAT DO
FOOD AS WELL THEN SPU WITH
THEIR FOOD RESCUE PLAN AS WELL
I REALLY THINK THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HONE IN
WITH A LOT OF THAT PIECE
BECAUSE A LOT OF FOOD BANKS ARE
PURCHASING A TON OF THEIR FOOD
AND THAT MONEY COULD BE USED
FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND
PIECES AND THEN REGARDING SOUTH
PARK AND THE DUWAMISH
INVESTMENTS THERE THAT ARE
DECREASED , I THINK THERE'S
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY. THERE IS A
FOOD DISTRIBUTION HUB, FOOD
LIFELINE THE NORTHWEST HARVEST.
THERE IS ALWAYS FOOD LIFELINE
ON NORTHWEST HARVEST BUT I LOVE
BOTH AND THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY WITH FOOD LIFELINE
AS A DISTRIBUTOR IN SOUTH PARK
IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE ABLE
TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY TO
HAVE LIKE SOME TYPE OF WALK-UP
MARKET SIMILAR TO NORTHWEST
HARVEST IN SOTO SO SOMETHING OF
THAT NATURE IN STOPGAP AS WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT STORES AND GROCERY
MARKETS AS WELL SO ANYWAYS I
JUST WANTED TO THROW THOSE
THINGS OUT THERE AND JUST
ADVOCATE FOR THE SOUTH END FOR
INVESTMENTS FOR WHEN YOU ALL
ARE THINKING ABOUT THE PIECES
FOR THE FOOD PART. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU AND REALLY LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON
THOSE THINGS.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL SAY IS I
WAS READING IN THE 2019 TO 2024
BUDGET SUMMARY, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA DO HAVE ANOTHER HAND?
>> I DO. ONE THING I MEANT TO
ASK ABOUT WAS THE TREES AND
TREE PLANTING , SUPER
APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT. WHAT
OTHER -- I'M TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT AT THE CITY ALL OUR LIKE
MANY THINGS, MANY OF THESE
EFFORTS ARE IN BETWEEN
DEPARTMENTS AND SO HOW MUCH IS
THE THREE WORK [ INAUDIBLE ]
YOU KNOW, THEY DO TREEPLANTING
AND THEN YOU KNOW, THERE ARE
OTHER DEPARTMENTS . CAN YOU
TELL US MORE ABOUT TREES AT OSE
AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO? IS IT
LIMITED TO TREEPLANTING IN THE
LOW CANOPY AREAS OR IS THERE
OTHER WORK THAT IS HAPPENING?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
LIKE OUR WORK WITH THE FOOD
ACTION PLAN, LIKE OUR WORK IN
THE DUWAMISH VALLEY, WE TAKE A
STRATEGIC AND COORDINATING ROLE
IN THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO KIND OF AN
INNOVATIVE AND PILOTING ROLE IN
THE GREENING OF INDUSTRIAL
AREAS IS THE KIND OF PILOT THAT
IS SMALL RIGHT NOW AND
ULTIMATELY YOU KNOW, AS WE
CONTINUE TO INVEST IN TREE
CANOPY EQUITY THAT WOULD BE A
PLACE WHERE POTENTIALLY WE CAN
DO MORE DEPENDING ON FUTURE
BUDGET SO I DON'T WANT TO SAY
ANYTHING RELATED TO THAT IN
THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET SO BUT
YOU KNOW, VERY ROUGHLY SDOT IS
OVERSEEING TREES IN THE
RIGHT-OF-WAY, SPU HAS A ROLE.
SEATTLE PARKS IN OUR PARKLANDS
, SO YOU KNOW, THERE IS A
COMPREHENSIVE SET OF
INVESTMENTS THE CITY MAKES
ACROSS THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF
LAND-USE RELATED TO TREES AND
BEGAN OSE'S ROLE IS THAT
STRATEGIC PIECE. WE DO OUR
CANOPY COVER INVESTMENTS AND
WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS TO ALIGN
OR WE ARE INVESTING BASED ON
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CANOPY IN
ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS
INDUSTRIAL AREAS, PARTICULAR
PLACE THAT NEEDS GREENING SO
THAT IS WHERE WE ARE
EXPERIMENTING AND INNOVATING
THERE THEN I WILL ALSO ADD THAT
WE HAVE $12 MILLION IN FEDERAL
FUNDING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEATTLE
PARKS DEPARTMENT TO DO
COMMUNITY-LED TREE PLANTINGS
AND STEWARDSHIP IN THE CID AND
BEACON HILL SO THOSE ARE
INVESTMENTS BASED ON OUR CANOPY
COVER DATA.
>> THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR
ACTUALLY DIRECTOR SO THANK YOU
FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION. I
ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN WE CAN
GET DOLLARS BACK FROM THE STATE
AND THE FEDS TO BE ABLE TO DO
SOME OF THIS WORK. WHO IS
LEADING ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE
TREE PLAN?
>> WE OVERSEE OR LEAD THE BROAD
DATA KEEPING AND STRATEGIES
RELATED TO URBAN FORESTRY AND
THEN OF COURSE IT IS UP TO THE
DEPARTMENTS REALLY OVERSEE
PARTICULAR PIECES OF PARTICULAR
LAND-USE TYPES TO ACTUALLY
IMPLEMENT IT SO AGAIN ON THE
RIGHTS OF WAY, ON THE PARKS, ON
THE REGULATORY SIDE, WHICH IS
PRIMARILY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
RELATED TO SDCI SO AGAIN AS
WITH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS IN
THE CITY THERE IS A HOLISTIC
APPROACH WHERE THERE ARE MANY
DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED BUT IT IS
BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT
AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND AREAS OF
JURISDICTION BUT OUR ROLE IS
REALLY THAT KIND OF
COORDINATING AND FOCUSED ROLE.
>> YES, THANK YOU. I UNDERSTAND
THAT PIECE. I'M JUST WONDERING
WHO IS COORDINATING THE
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH BECAUSE
SOMETIMES THERE IS A DEPARTMENT
OR USUALLY THERE IS A
DEPARTMENT THAT IS COORDINATING
A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT SINCE
THESE THINGS RESIDE IN ALL THE
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS LIKE I'M
JUST USE AN EXAMPLE, DOWNTOWN
ACTIVATION PLAN OED IS LEADING
SO IN THIS REGARD, WHO IS
LEADING THE COMPREHENSIVE
STRATEGY?
>> AGAIN IT DEPENDS. THE
LONG-TERM STRATEGY IS
SUBSTANTIATED IN THE LONG-TERM
PLAN BUT THOSE NEAR-TERM
PLANNING EFFORTS, OSE IS
LEADING THROUGH OUR TREE CANOPY
EQUITY PLAN WHICH IS A RESPONSE
TO THE LATEST TREE CANOPY
ASSESSMENT, WHICH WAS RELEASED
IN 2023 AND SO THIS IS A MORE
SHORT-TERM LOOK AND THE MORE
FINELY GRAINED LOOK AT WHAT
PARTS OF THE CITY ARE UNDER
CANOPIED. YOU MAY RECALL WE
HAVE A 30% CANOPY GOAL ACROSS
THE CITY. MANY NEIGHBORHOODS
ARE ACTUALLY CLOSE TO THAT OR
AT THAT OR EXCEED THAT BUT
THERE ARE SOME PLACES
PARTICULARLY RAINIER VALLEY
PARTS OF BEACON HILL
GEORGETOWN, PARTS OF NORTH
SEATTLE, LAKE CITY THAT TEND TO
SCAN WITH WHERE RACE AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE ARE, WHERE THERE UNDER
CANOPIED SO THIS PLAN IS TO
COORDINATE CITY INVESTMENTS
AVERAGE STATE AND FEDERAL
FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN
THOSE SO THE FEDERAL FUNDING
THAT WE RECEIVED IS ACTUALLY IN
ANTICIPATION OF THAT PLAN.
>> IS THERE A PLAN, A WRITTEN
PLAN?
>> THERE WILL BE A WRITTEN
PLAN. WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF
DOING THAT AND WE SHOULD HAVE
THAT AVAILABLE IN EARLY 2025,
Q1 OR Q2.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I
APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE
EARLIER THIS MORNING. TALKING
ABOUT FOOD DESERTS, IT IS CLEAR
THERE IS A PRIORITY FOR MAKING
SURE WE ARE BEING MINDFUL OF
THE FACT NOT JUST THAT THEY ARE
ALREADY EXISTING BUT THERE
COULD BE FUTURE DESERTS OR
BLANK SPOTS. DOES THE CITY ,
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY
DIRECTED AT YOU BUT IS THERE
ANY CONSIDERATION OF
RECRUITMENT OF MARKETS TO COME
TO FOOD DESERT NEIGHBORHOODS
AND WHEN I SAY AND ALSO THERE
COULD BE INCENTIVES WHICH
DON'T HAVE TO BE MONETARY. IT
COULD BE EXPEDITED PERMITTING
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. DO YOU
HAPPEN TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY
EFFORT ON THAT FRONT?
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION AND
I WILL BE HAPPY TO GET MORE
INFORMATION ON THAT. THAT IS A
LITTLE OUTSIDE OF OSE'S DIRECT
PURVIEW BUT I'M HAPPY TO HELP
BRING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I WILL MAKE MY COMMENTS THEN
ASK MY QUESTIONS. I AGREE WITH
COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE ABOUT
SIDEWALKS AND STREET TREES. I
ALSO KNOW THE TWO CAN CREATE
ISSUES. I LOVE CHERRY TREES AS
STREET TREES BUT THEY DO A
NUMBER TO OUR SIDEWALKS. SIDE
COMMENTARY THERE. I HAVE GOT A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS I WILL JUST
HAVE CBO IN CENTRAL STAFF COME
BACK TO ME WITH. I WILL ASK
THOSE IN JUST A MINUTE. I WILL
ALSO TOUCH ON WHAT COUNCIL
MEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH SHARED
ABOUT THE FRICK BUCKS PROGRAM.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE 2019
TO 2024 REVIEW OF YOUR BUDGET
AND NOTING THEIR IS FUNDING
THAT GOES TO A SWEETENED
BEVERAGE TAX PROGRAM AND IT
BROUGHT A SMILE TO MY FACE
BECAUSE THAT WAS MY FIRST
BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT I EVER
PASSED. SO, WHEN WE ARE GOING
THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS
THIS YEAR I ASK YOU TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO
YOU AND LET'S MAKE SURE TO GET
THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT INTO THIS
BUDGET BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME
BACK FIVE YEARS LATER , SO THE
QUESTION, DON'T NEED TO ANSWER
IT NOW, IS THAT $1.4 MILLION
STILL FUNDING FRESH BOX ?
>> YES, IT IS.
>> FANTASTIC. THAT'S THE EASY
ANSWER FOR TODAY. I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT STATISTIC. IT'S ALSO
AMAZING TO GET TO WATCH FRESH
BOX BEING USED IN OUR FARMERS
MARKETS. I DO KNOW THE SWEET --
SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX IS NOT
NECESSARILY DOING AS PROJECTED.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW
WITH FRESH BOX? IS THIS
SOMEPLACE THAT IS HAD REDUCED
FUNDING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS BECAUSE OF THE SWEETENED
BEVERAGE TAX?
>> WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY BUDGET
CHANGES TO FRESH BOX OVER THE
PAST FEW YEARS, SO IT'S BEEN
STABLE. I THINK THE ONE POINT
FORD HAD WAS THE LAST ADDITION
TO THE PROGRAM. THERE HAVE NOT
BEEN ANY CHANGES SINCE.
>> WE HAVE UNFORTUNATELY BEEN
LIVING WITH ACCURATE
PROJECTIONS OF THE SWEETENED
BEVERAGE TAX WHICH IS TO SAY
THEY HAVE BEEN DECLINING OVER
THE YEARS. THAT IS AN EXAMPLE
WHERE WE STEPPED IN AND
PROVIDED THROUGH YOUR
LEADERSHIP, ADDITIONAL GENERAL
FUND DOLLARS TO BACKFILL THE
SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX. WE WERE
NOT ABLE TO DO SO THIS YEAR, SO
WE ARE LIVING WITHIN THE
SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX PROCEEDS
AND AUGMENTING THOSE IN 2025
WITH USE OF TAPPING
SOMEONE-TIME RESERVE SO THERE
ARE NO CHANGES BEING MADE IN
2025. THERE ARE SOME PROJECTED
DECLINES IN 2026, WHICH WE
COULD NOT USE THAT ONE TIME
RESOURCE FOR AND AS I
MENTIONED, DON'T HAVE GENERAL
FUND TO BACKFILL SAUNA
PROJECTED BASIS, WE ARE
EXPECTING SOME DECLINES IN
OTHER PROGRAMS PROJECTED BY THE
SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX. WE ARE
HOPE FOR BETTER NEWS IN FUTURE
FORECAST. WE WILL HAVE TO
REVISIT THIS IN THE FALL OF
NEXT YEAR WHAT WE ARE LOOKING
TO THE 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET AND
DELIBERATING ON AN ADOPTED
VERSION OF THAT. FOR NOW, THE
PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET IS THE
ONLY TIME WHERE WE HAVE CHANGES
TO THE SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX
FUNDED ITEMS.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR EATER.
YOU BROUGHT UP A POINT WHICH I
WAS HAPPY TO EXPAND UPON ,
ANOTHER GREAT DATA POINT ABOUT
HOW OUR FOOD BANKS ARE FUNDED.
OUR FOOD BANKS FEEL MORE LIKE A
COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE
SERVICE PROVIDER THEN IT IS
SIMPLY JUST A FOOD BANK AND
WHEN I'M TALKING TO THEM, THE
COST OF FOOD FROM FOOD LIFELINE
IS RISING AND THEY ARE MORE
DEPENDENT ON THE PURCHASED FOOD
THAN THE DONATED FOOD , WHICH
GOOD STATS, IS GOING TO LEAD
INTO HOW DOES THIS BUDGET
SUPPORT YOUR FOOD PLAN THAT WAS
RECENTLY PRESENTED?
>> OVERALL, THE PROGRAMMING
THAT WAS IN THE FOOD ACTION
PLAN ARE CONTINUED IN THIS
BUDGET AND I THINK DIRECTOR
EDER 10 SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO
OTHER DEPARTMENTS BUT IN OUR
BUDGET , THE FRESH BOX IN THE
HEALTHY FOOD IN SCHOOLS, THOSE
PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS ARE INTACT
FROM 2023 -- FROM 2024 TO 2025.
I WOULD LIKE TO DIG DOWN TO THE
PROGRAM LEVEL THERE.
>> THE DRAINAGE TRUCKS, AND
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A
QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE
ANSWERED RIGHT NOW. I RECALL
THERE WAS ANOTHER PROGRAM THE
PORT HAD BEEN WORKING ON
BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020 WHICH I
BELIEVE IS A DIFFERENT PROGRAM
THAN WHAT WE FUNDED THROUGH
JUMPSTART BUT I WOULD LIKE TO
DIG INTO THE HISTORY, THE
CONNECTION WITH THE PORT AS
COMPARED TO THE PROGRAM THAT
WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER TODAY.
ANOTHER QUESTION FOR CENTRAL
STAFF , I RECALL ANOTHER
PROGRAM IN GEORGETOWN. FORMER
REPRESENTATIVE FILM OF GLORIA
HAD BEEN WORKING ON A GREEN
WALL IN GEORGETOWN THAT WOULD
BOTH HELP CLEAN THE AIR BUT
ALSO REDUCE SOME OF THE NOISE
POLLUTION FROM THE KING COUNTY
AIRPORT. THE RICK RECALL IF
THIS WAS COMPLETED ?
>> I AM NOT FAMILIAR.
>> WERE TO PUT THAT ONE ON THE
QUESTION LIST FOR LATER. THIS
IS ANOTHER ONE I SHOULD
PROBABLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
WE'VE BEEN VERY EXCITED ABOUT
HAVING A TREE FARM THAT IS
OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CITY
OF SEATTLE. IS THIS WITHIN YOUR
DEPARTMENT?
>> I THINK IT IS SPU.
>> WHICH BRINGS ME TO QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE DUWAMISH VALLEY
PARTNERSHIPS. I KNOW THERE IS
POSITION AT OPCD THAT WAS
TRANSFERRED TO SPU.
>> OSE. THERE IS ONE POSITION
ON LOAN TO OSE AND ONE THAT IS
BEING TRANSFERRED TO SCU.
>> CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT
AND IF YOU NEED TO COME BACK
WITH MORE DETAIL, HOW IMPORTANT
THIS MIGHT BE FOR CBO EITHER --
EDER , CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL
THE PROGRAMS THE CITY IS
FUNDING IN THE DUWAMISH VALLEY.
IF I HAD MY WAY I WOULD BE
INCREASING FUNDING FOR ALL OF
THESE PROGRAMS BUT I'D LIKE
THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THESE
PROGRAMS COMPREHENSIVELY.
>> I'VE ALREADY ASKED MY STAFF
TO BEGIN PULLING THAT TOGETHER.
>> THANK YOU, BECAUSE MY
QUESTION HERE IS IF IT YOUR
PROGRAM IS COORDINATING WITH
THE SPU POSITION BECAUSE IT
SOUNDS LIKE THE ANSWER IS YES
BUT I'LL JUST DOUBLE CHECK.
>> YES. I CAN'T SAY THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY WORK ACROSS THE
CITY IS DEEPLY INTEGRATED IN
PART BECAUSE OF THAT
COMPREHENSIVE WORK THROUGH THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY ACTION PLAN NOW
FIVE YEARS AGO AND SO OSE'S
ROLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE TO
LEAD ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE DUWAMISH VALLEY ACTION PLAN
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR
PARTNERS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK
ON THE GROUND AND WE WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH SPU TO
INCREASINGLY ADDRESS SEA LEVEL
RISE AND SO THAT IS A REAL
FOCUS OF THE COORDINATION IS
HAPPENING AROUND GIVEN THE
FLOOD THAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS
AGO, IT HAPPENED MUCH WORSE AND
SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD
SO THERE IS AN EFFORT TO
EXPEDITE IT BUT TO REALLY
ENSURE WE ARE DOING IT IN A WAY
THAT KEEPS COMMUNITY AT THE
CENTER OF ALL OF OUR PLANNING
EFFORTS AND IN DEEP DIALOGUE
AND SO OUR ROLE AND SPU'S ROLE
ARE LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT
WAY. WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON
PARTICULARLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ASPECTS OF THAT BUT
THAT IS ALSO REALLY INTEGRATED
INTO WHAT SPU IS DOING.
>> FANTASTIC. I WILL LIKE TO DO
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO -- I
SEE TWO BUDGET ACTIONS AND YOUR
BUDGET WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER
MORALES HAD TOUCHED ON WHICH IS
NOT ONLY RESTORING
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FUNDING
BUT CHANGING TO CONSOLIDATE THE
FUNDS. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE
ABLE TO UNDERSTAND FROM A
BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE OF
PLACE-BASED IS ABSOLUTELY
IMPORTANT AND I SUPPORT THAT
AND HOW MUCH ARE WE FOCUSING
THERE, WHICH WE NEED TO BE
BECAUSE I ALSO UNDERSTAND AND
CBO EDER , THIS IS ANOTHER ONE
FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
WHICH IS WE JUST RECEIVED A
SETTLEMENT REGARDING THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY I BELIEVE FOR
$22 MILLION, $27 MILLION.
>> SORRY, I DON'T KNOW THE
ANSWER OFFHAND.
>> I DO KNOW WE RECEIVED A
SETTLEMENT REGARDING THE
DUWAMISH VALLEY SUPERFUND SITE
FOR OVER $20 MILLION AND I
WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE
AND HOW THAT IS GOING TO BE
USED. I KNOW THAT IT HAS TO BE
USED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
SPECIFICALLY WHICH MAY OR MAY
NOT BE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF
THIS OTHER WORK AND THIS IS WHY
I WANT TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE
UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE IT IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
KEEP UP, DON'T LOSE ANY
MOMENTUM ON THE DIRECTION WE
ARE HEADING. WITH THAT I'M
GOING TO LOOK AT THE 2019 TO
2024 BUDGET SUMMARY BECAUSE OSE
HAS AN INTERESTING STORY TO
TELL OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
IN 2018 THE DEPARTMENT HAD AN
$8 MILLION BUDGET. TODAY IT HAS
ABOUT A $30 MILLION BUDGET.
THIS DEMONSTRATES THE CITY'S
COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING THE
CLIMATE CRISIS AHEAD OF US AND
WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD YOU HAD
A 90% REDUCTION IN THE GENERAL
FUND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
DEPARTMENT . THIS IS VERY
UNLIKE EVERYONE ELSE. EVEN WITH
THAT AMOUNT OF GROWTH FROM HARD
DOLLARS , YOUR STAFF DID NOT
EVEN GROW 50% SO I BELIEVE
YOU'RE STILL AT OR AROUND 40
EMPLOYEES.
>> WE ARE AT 50.5 FOR 25-26 BUT
I WILL SAY A LOT OF THE GROWTH
OF OUR BUDGET IS ABOUT PUTTING
MONEY INTO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS,
SO THAT IS WHERE YOU SEE KIND
OF THE ACCORDION WHEN WE CAN
GROW PROGRAMS TO REACH FUNDING
OR YOU KNOW, REDUCE THEM
DEPENDING ON THE BUDGET SO YES,
OUR STAFFING HAS BEEN STEADY
AND WHERE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
REALLY FOCUS IS PUTTING FUNDING
INTO COMMUNITIES FOR THE
VARIOUS THINGS WE WORK ON.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT ACCURATE
NUMBER. I WAS DOING BACK OF THE
ENVELOPE MATH OVER THE
FIVE-YEAR GROSS NUMBERS --
GROWTH NUMBERS IN THE CENTRAL
STAFF AND MAKING A BEST GUESS
THERE. WITH THOSE EMPLOYEES YOU
ARE STILL DELIVERING $23
MILLION IN NONLABOR DOLLARS, SO
FROM A LABOR , NONLABOR
STANDPOINT WITH THE DEPARTMENT,
THAT IS -- YOU ARE ABLE -- THIS
IS WHY I WENT BACK TO COUNCIL
MEMBER KETTLE SAYING FORCE
MULTIPLIER. YOU ARE ABLE TO GET
DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR TO ADDRESS
THE CLIMATE CRISIS AHEAD OF US
, YOU KNOW, AND IN ADDITION TO
THAT KNOWING HERE THE $12
MILLION USDA FOREST SERVICE
GRANT FROM LAST YEAR IS JUST
ONE OF MANY. IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US
IN YOUR ABILITY TO GET DOLLARS
OUT THE DOOR WITH A SMALL LABOR
FORCE AND THAT LARGE CLIMATE
BUDGET?
>> I WOULD SAY AGAIN I REFERRED
TO THIS A LITTLE BIT AGO BUT IN
PART BECAUSE OSE HAS BEEN
WORKING ON EQUITY AND
ENVIRONMENT IN AN INTENTIONAL
WAY SINCE 2016 IT MEANT THAT WE
ALREADY HAVE THESE PROGRAMS
THAT WERE BUILT UP AND ALREADY
FUNCTIONING WHEN THE I.R.A. WAS
PASSED, WHEN THE CLIMATE
COMMITMENT ACT WAS PASSED, THAT
BUILT INTO THOSE FUNDING
MECHANISMS, ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE DIRECTION, SO WE MAY BE
FAMILIAR WITH THE JUSTICE 40
COMMITMENT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
WHICH IS AT 40% OF FUNDING GOES
INTO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
PROGRAM SO WE WERE IN A
POSITION WHERE WE ALREADY HAD
PROGRAMMING RUNNING. WE USE THE
CAPITAL PROJECTS BUT THAT IS A
PHRASE WE CAN USE WITH OS E, AS
WELL, WHICH IS TO SAY THE CITY
COMMITMENT TO THESE PROJECTS
YOU CAN SEE OUTLINE TOUR SITE
APPEAR MEANT WE WERE ABLE TO
PIVOT REALLY QUICKLY AND GO
AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS OR STATE
FUNDS BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD A
CLEAN HEAT PROGRAM THAT WAS
FOCUSED ON OIL CONVERSION AND
HAD A FOCUS ON LOW INCOME
CONVERSIONS AND MIDDLE INCOME
CONVERSIONS AND THAT WAS A
REALLY IMPORTANT INVESTMENT
EARLY ON. COUNCIL MEMBER
MORALES WAS A CHAMPION OF THAT
SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THESE
ONGOING PROGRAMS ALREADY HAS
MEANT THAT WE WERE JUST ABLE TO
BE NIMBLE AND GO AFTER FUNDING
SO THE CITY COMMITMENT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT AND THEN IT
JUST ALLOWS US TO BE THAT FORCE
MULTIPLIER AND BE AGGRESSIVE IN
GETTING OUTSIDE FUNDING.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL COME BACK
TO MY FINAL COMMENTS IN JUST
ONE SECOND. I DO WANT TO NOTE
ANOTHER QUESTION WITH THE
CHANGE IN THE BUILDING
EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS TECHNICAL SUPPORT, I
DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE STILL ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT
NO COST TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN
THE FUTURE AND HAPPY TO DIG
MORE DEEPLY INTO THAT OFF-LINE.
BEFORE I SHARE MY CLOSING
STATEMENTS, IS THIS A NEW HAND?
>> YES. ON JULY 25th THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PUT OUT AN
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SEATTLE WILL
RECEIVE THE LARGEST SINGLE CITY
SETTLEMENT FROM SANTA . NOT 20
MILLION BUT 150 MILLION
SETTLEMENT SO IT WILL GO TO
HELP CARE FOR THE LOWER
DUWAMISH AND MITIGATE THE COST
OF POLLUTION CONTROL TO FIND
AND REMOVE PCVS. THE QUESTION
IS, WAS THERE GENERAL FUNDING
THAT WAS ALREADY GOING TO PAY
FOR THAT AND CAN IT BE USED FOR
SOMETHING ELSE? I DON'T KNOW
BUT JUST LENDING SOME
INFORMATION TO THAT POINT YOU
MADE, CHAIR STRAUSS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. ONE I RECEIVED THAT
KNOWS I WAS VERY JOYFUL AND DID
A QUICK CURSORY SUMMARY AND
UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES NOT COME
BACK TO TAKE GENERAL FUNDED
PROGRAMS IN PART BECAUSE THIS
IS SUPPOSED TO BE MITIGATING
THE SUPERFUND SITES THAT WERE
OUT THERE .
>> I MEAN IF THERE WAS ANY
LOWER DUWAMISH GENERAL FUND
BEING USED .
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT, PLEASE
MAKE SURE TO BE RECOGNIZED,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AND SO THIS
IS SOMETHING WE WILL LOOK INTO
AS WELL BUT I DO KNOW WITH MY
CURSORY SUMMARY WHEN WE RECEIVE
THAT NEWS THAT IT WAS ALL
MITIGATION WORK SO I'M GOING
TO CLOSE US OUT AND THEN PASS
IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER WOO, CHAIR
OF YOUR COMMITTEE. IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT
IS SEPARATE SO THAT WE DON'T
LOSE FOCUS ON ADDRESSING THE
CLIMATE CRISIS AHEAD OF US.
YOUR BUDGET PRESENTATION IN
THIS FIVE-YEAR REVIEW CLEARLY
DEMONSTRATES THE IMPACT THAT
YOU ARE ABLE TO HAVE AND IT IS
REALLY DIFFICULT TO BALANCE
SOMETIMES THE WORK WITHIN
DEPARTMENTS OF NOT BEING IN THE
DEPARTMENT. WE'VE HAD A COUPLE
CONVERSATIONS JUST IN QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS ABOUT SEATTLE
PUBLIC SERVICES BECAUSE IT IS
CRITICAL FOR YOU TO BE NIMBLE
TO BE THAT FORWARD THINKING
THRUST WHILE WE ARE ALSO MAKING
SURE THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT IN
OUR CITY PUTS ADDRESSING THE
CLIMATE CRISIS AND PERSPECTIVE
OF EVERYTHING THEY DO. THANK
YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. COUNCIL
MEMBER WOO, OVER TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU. I HAD A WHOLE
LIST OF PROGRAMMING I WANTED TO
ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT SO GLAD
TO HEAR THAT THEY'VE ALL BEEN
CHECKED OFF SO I WILL END WITH
THIS. AS CHAIR STRAUSS SAID,
SMALL BUT MANY DEPARTMENTS,
THAT IS THE NATIONWIDE LEADER
IN MANY ASPECTS YOU UNITE STATE
AND FEDERAL AND LOCAL RESOURCES
AND GRANDSON HELP LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND SO THESE
REDUCTIONS , WHILE THEY SEEM
SMALL, HAVE A HUGE IMPACT. WE
CAN ALWAYS DO MORE IN THE
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY
BECAUSE IT ENCOMPASSES A LOT OF
NECESSITY FROM FOOD TO HOW
PEOPLE CAN COMFORTABLY LIVE
THEIR LIVES, SO I AM EXCITED TO
WORK WITH EVERYONE ON DIGGING
IN THIS BUDGET TO MAKE SURE
THAT MANY OF THESE ESSENTIAL
PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED AND YOUR
OFFICE CONTINUES TO GROW. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU. ANY FINAL
COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL?
>> THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THE
CONVERSATION TODAY.
>> LOOKING FORWARD TO FOLLOWING
UP MORE AND APPRECIATE YOU
COMING DOWN. I WILL NOW
TRANSITION US INTO OUR SECOND
ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND THE
FOLKS WANT TO CHANGE POSITIONS
, CLERK, IF YOU WANT TO READ
THE SECOND ITEM INTO THE
RECORD.
>> AGENDA ITEM TWO, SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. WE STILL HAVE
A QUORUM. IF YOU WANT TO
INTRODUCE YOURSELF , DIRECTOR
SPOTTS, AND EVERYONE AT YOUR
TABLE.
>> I AM GREG SPOTTS, DIRECTOR
OF SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION. I AM HERE WITH
CHRIS GODWIN, OUR FINANCE
MANAGER FROM SDOT AND IN THE
AUDIENCE YOU WILL SEE ABOUT A
HALF DOZEN OF YOUR FAVORITE
SDOT LEADERS HERE SUPPORTING
OUR EFFORT.
>> GOOD MORNING. CHRIS GODWIN,
FINANCE MANAGER FOR SDOT.
>> FANTASTIC. TAKE IT AWAY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT THE EXECUTIVE'S
PROPOSED 2025-26 TRANSPORTATION
BUDGET. OVER THE PAST EIGHT
MONTHS WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY
WITH THE COUNCIL TO LAY THE
GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE
TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS.
FIRST, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE
SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN,
WHICH ESTABLISHES A HOLISTIC
28-YEAR VISION FOR THE STREET
NETWORK CENTERING SAFETY,
EQUITY, SUSTAINABILITY,
MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC VITALITY,
LIVABILITY AND MAINTENANCE AND
MODERNIZATION. SUBSEQUENTLY THE
COUNCIL VOTED TO PLACE THE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY PROPOSAL ON
THE BALLOT WHICH REPRESENTS AN
EIGHT-YEAR INVESTMENT PROGRAM
IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, OR
DEPARTMENT'S ASSET MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY AND OTHER IMPORTANT
CITY POLICY GOALS. THE BUDGET
PROPOSAL WE ARE DISCUSSING
TODAY IS A BASELINE BUDGET
WHICH ALLOCATES THE RESOURCES
WE KNOW WILL BE AVAILABLE TO US
IN 2025 AND 2026. PLEASE NOTE
THAT ALTHOUGH THE NINE-YEAR
COLLECTION PERIOD FOR THE LEVY
TO MOVE SEATTLE ENDS ON
DECEMBER 31st WE DO HAVE
PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE LEVY TO
MOVE SEATTLE THAT CONTINUE
CONSTRUCTION IN 2025 AND 2026.
THEREFORE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET
CONTEMPLATES APPROXIMATELY $20
MILLION IN LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE
SPENDING IN 2025 AND ANOTHER
$5.5 MILLION IN 2026. THIS
BUDGET PROPOSAL DOES NOT
INCLUDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
THAT WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE IF
THE PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION
LEVY IS PASSED BY THE VOTERS ON
NOVEMBER 5th. NEXT MONTH THE
EXECUTIVE PLANS TO PROPOSE FOR
COUNCIL CONSIDERATION SPECIFIC
ADDITIONS TO SPENDING AUTHORITY
AND STAFFING THAT WOULD BE
NEEDED TO MAKE A STRONG START
ON PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS FUNDED
BY THE NEW LEVY. OUR BASELINE
BUDGET FOR 2025 AND 2026 ALIGNS
WITH THE MAYORS ONE SEATTLE
PRIORITIES AND VALUES WHILE
RECOGNIZING THAT ABSENT A NEW
LEVY , SDOT WOULD NEED TO FOCUS
ON MAINTAINING AND OPERATING
THE EXISTING STREET NETWORK.
THERE WOULD BE FEWER
OPPORTUNITIES TO DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCT CAPITAL PROJECTS OR
INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE
IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS NEW
SIDEWALKS OR TRAFFIC CALMING.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE BUDGET
PROPOSAL, A SHARP DECLINE IN
CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING
REPRESENTING THE TAPERING OF
LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE SPENDING
IN THE GRANT FUNDS ASSOCIATED
WITH THOSE LEVY PROJECTS. OUR
DECISIONS IN PREPARING THE
PROPOSED BASELINE BUDGET WERE
GUIDED BY THE MAYOR'S TOP
PRIORITY OF SAFETY FOR ALL
USERS OF OUR STREETS. ALTHOUGH
THERE ARE FEWER CHANCES TO
MODERNIZE OUR STREETS AND THE
BASELINE BUDGET, WE WOULD
CONTINUE TO PURSUE GRANT
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENABLE FUTURE
CAPITAL PROJECTS. PLEASE NOTE
THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET
INCLUDES A REDUCTION IN GENERAL
FUND SUPPORT, WHICH AFFECTS
BOTH THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL
SIDES OF THE SDOT BUDGET . ONE
POINT ABOUT TRANSIT TO CONCLUDE
MY INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS, THE
SEATTLE TRANSIT MEASURE
CONTINUES TO FUND IMPROVED
TRANSIT IN SEATTLE WITH A
PROPOSED POLICY CHANGE TO
ENABLE THE MEASURE TO ALSO FUND
CITY COSTS RELATED TO THE LIGHT
RAIL EXPANSION EXTENSION. NOW,
I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO
CHRIS GODWIN TO SUMMARIZE THE
FINANCIAL CHANGES IN THE BUDGET
DEPARTMENT.
>> THANK YOU. THE FIRST SLIDE
HERE'S A QUICK ORIENTATION TO
THE BUDGET THE TALKS MORE ABOUT
OUR PROCESS SO ORIENTING IT TO
THE TABLE BEFORE YOU, ONE THING
I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE OF IS
THAT THE SDOT BUDGET INCLUDES
THE BUDGET FOR THE OFFICE OF
THE WATERFRONT AND CIVIC
PROJECTS. STARTING IN 2024 YOU
WILL SEE OUR BUDGET , $718
MILLION, THAT INCLUDES THE
GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT MANY OF
OUR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS, $1
MILLION OF PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX
SUPPORTING PAYROLL ACTIVATION
UNDER THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION
PLAN THEN 654 TO SUPPORT OUR
BUDGET. AS WE MOVED TO THE 2025
PROPOSED, YOU SEE THAT OUR
BUDGET IS SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER
THAN THE 2024 ADOPTED. THIS
INCLUDES REFLECTING ADOPTIONS
TOWARD GENERAL FUND
APPROPRIATION AND REDUCES THE
PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX FUND
ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT THE 2025 FUNDING FOR
PAYROLL EXPENSE TAXES IS ONLY
FOR THE WATERFRONT. SDOT IS NOT
USING ANYTHING BEYOND 2024. THE
OTHER FUNDS, THE DECLINE
REFLECTS CHANGES TO THE LEVY TO
MOVE SEATTLE LEAVING OUR BUDGET
AND THEN THE OVERALL CHANGE IN
OUR FUNDING IS PRESENTED IN THE
REVENUE FORECAST. ONE NOTE ON
THE FTEs AT THE BOTTOM. YOU DO
SEE THAT FROM 2024 TO 2025, OUR
FTE GROWS BY THREE POSITIONS .
WE DO NOT HAVE A SLIDE IN A
PRESENTATION THAT SPEAKS
SPECIFICALLY TO THE UNIFIED
CARE TEAM PROPOSAL BECAUSE YOU
RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON THAT
FROM CBO LAST WEEK. WITH THAT,
I WILL PASS IT BACK.
>> THANK YOU, CHRIS. THE BUDGET
ESTABLISHES AND IS -- A NEW
BASELINE TO ENSURE SEATTLE'S
EXISTING TRANSPORTATION ASSETS.
KEY FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE
EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE,
EMERGENCY RESPONSE, REGULATION
AND PERMITTING OF THE
RIGHT-OF-WAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH
THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT.
IN 2025, WE WILL BE COMPLETING
SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS. MOST OF
THEM, FUNDED BY THE LEVY TO
MOVE SEATTLE. REGARDING TRANSIT
CORRIDORS, THE ROUTE 40 PROJECT
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AND
RAPID RIDE J ALONG EAST LAKE
WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION THIS
FALL. THREE LEVY HUNT --
LEVY-FUNDED PROJECTS WILL BE
UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEXT YEAR.
AN ADDITIONAL BRIGHT PROJECT
UNDER ALASKA WEIGHTS WILL
COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION
CONNECTING THE NORTH END OF THE
WATERFRONT WITH THE ELLIOTT BAY
TRAIL. WE CONTINUE TO COMPLETE
THE LEVY-FUNDED BRIDGE SEISMIC
UPGRADES AND 2025 AND THANKS TO
A GRANT, WE WILL BE PAINTING
THE HOUSE A REAL BRIDGE. THANKS
TO A FEDERAL GRANT CALLED SAFE
SPACE FROM THE NEARLY 100
PROJECTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED
WITH THAT FUNDING DURING THE
2025-2026 BIENNIUM, MANY OF
WHICH ARE IN HISTORICALLY
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THANKS
TO THE LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE
FROM 2016 THROUGH 2024 WE
RECEIVED ABOUT $100 MILLION
EACH YEAR IN FUNDING FOR
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND
PROGRAMS. AS A RESULT OF
COUNCIL ACTION LAST JULY, A NEW
EIGHT-YEAR $1.55 BILLION
TRANSPORTATION LEVY WILL BE ON
THE BALLOT FOR VOTERS TO
CONSIDER IN NOVEMBER. THE
EXECUTIVE WILL PREPARE A SET OF
AMENDMENTS FOR COUNCIL
CONSIDERATION TO ENABLE SDOT TO
GET A RUNNING START OF THE
PROPOSED LEVY PASSES. PLEASE
AMENDMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO
COUNSEL IN OCTOBER WOULD
INCLUDE ADDITIONAL SPENDING
AUTHORITY IN NEW POSITIONS
NEEDED TO LAUNCH AND MANAGE THE
VARIOUS NEW LEVY PROGRAMS. THIS
SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE PROPOSED
LEVY INVESTMENTS AND IN THE
RIGHT-HAND COLUMN, THE EXPECTED
AMOUNT OF OUTSIDE FUNDING WE
HOPE TO ATTRACT FOR EACH
CATEGORY. AS YOU ALL KNOW,
ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT THE
LEVY PROPOSAL ARE CONTAINED IN
ATTACHMENT A PASSED BY THE
COUNCIL IN JULY AND NOW I WILL
HAND IT BACK TO CHRIS GODWIN
FOR DETAILS ON CHANGES IN THE
BUDGET PROPOSAL.
>> THANK YOU. BEFORE WE
ACTUALLY MOVE ON. WE ARE GOING
TO BE TALKING ABOUT NOTABLE
CHANGES TO OUR BUDGET. I WANTED
TO ADD ONE ADDITIONAL CAVEAT TO
OUR SUMMARY SLIDE THAT TALKED
ABOUT THE CHANGES IN THE
GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION
GOING FROM 63 MILLION IN 2024
TO 64 MILLION IN 2025. WE WILL
BE STAYING ABOVE THE GENERAL
FUND AMOUNT CALLED FOR IN OUR
LEVY IN SEATTLE. BEFORE WE GO
ON TO THE NEXT SLIDES, WE ALSO
WANT TO AT THE SAME CAVEAT GREG
IS ALREADY INDICATED THAT WE
WERE DISGUSTING -- DISCUSSING
IN OUR PROPOSALS SLEEP SDOT
HAVING A TRANSPORTATION LEVY.
THE SCALE AND STRUCTURE OF
THESE REDUCTIONS WOULD LIKELY
CHANGE AND WE WOULD BE WORKING
WITH THE CITY BUDGET ON THIS TO
AMEND THE BUDGET ACCORDINGLY.
THAT BEING SAID WITH MORE
LIMITED RESOURCES AS THE
DEPARTMENT DEVELOP THE PROPOSED
BUDGET WE CONTINUE TO
PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS THAT
SUPPORT SAFE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND
SUPPORT OPERATING PROGRAMS AND
SUPPORT MAINTAINING ASSETS AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SUPPORT
MANAGING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY AND PEOPLE
OF SEATTLE AND ENSURING
COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATORY
ENVIRONMENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
ON SLIDE SEVEN WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT CHANGES TO ARTERIAL
ASPHALT AND CONCRETE PROGRAM.
WITHOUT THE REVENUES BROUGHT IN
BY THE PROPERTY TAX LEVY, SDOT
WILL NOT HAVE THE BUDGET TO
SUPPORT LARGE-SCALE
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS . IN
THE 2025 PROPOSED BUDGET
HOWEVER WE WOULD MAINTAIN
BUDGET FOR CREW-DELIVERED WORK
THAT WE MAINTAIN PREPARES TO
HIM -- REPAIRS IN THE
RIGHT-OF-WAY. WITHOUT THE LEVY
TO SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION
OPERATIONS WE WILL HAVE TO
SCALE BACK ON SERVICE HOURS AT
OUR TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
CENTER THAT MONITORS THE
RIGHT-OF-WAY IN REAL TIME.
UNDER THIS BUDGET WE WILL
ILLUMINATE THE LAKE SHIFT WHEN
THERE ARE THE FEWEST PEOPLE ON
THE ROADWAY IN THE FEWEST
INCIDENTS. THIS MAY INCREASE
TRAVEL TIMES AND SLEPT OUR
ABILITY TO DISPATCH OUR
INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM. BIKE
INFRASTRUCTURE. SDOT'S ABILITY
TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN BICYCLE
INFRASTRUCTURE WAS
SIGNIFICANTLY FUNDED BY THE
LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE. SINCE OUR
PROPOSED BUDGET DOES NOT
INCLUDE A NEW LEVY WE WORK TO
ENSURE WE HAD SOME FUNDING TO
ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKE SOME
SMALL-SCALE INVESTMENTS.
PLANNING FUNCTIONS , THE
PROPOSED BUDGET REDUCES THE
BUDGET FOR PLANNING ACROSS THE
DEPARTMENT. THIS WILL IMPACT
OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE
ONGOING WORK AROUND THE SEATTLE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN. HOWEVER,
WITHOUT A TRANSPORTATION LEVY
WE WILL FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION
PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT REQUIRE
AS MUCH LONG-TERM PLANNING. THE
PROPOSED BUDGET WILL PLACE
FUNDING INTO FINANCE IN THE
AMOUNT OF 3.8 MILLION IN 2025
AND 5.2 MILLION IN 2026. THIS
FUNDING SUPPORTS CITY STAFFING
NEEDS ACROSS MULTIPLE
DEPARTMENTS TO SUPPORT A
STREAMLINED APPROACH AROUND
PLAN REVIEW AND PERMITTING. WE
SEE THIS AS A LOWER COST
APPROACH TO SUPPORT PROJECTS.
THIS FUNDING WILL REMAIN IN
FINANCE PENDING A STAFFING PLAN
REDUCING THESE PLANS WILL
REQUIRE A FUTURE COUNSEL BUDGET
ACTION. THAT IS THE EXTENT OF
THE NOTABLE CHANGES THAT WE
HAVE SUMMARIZED.
>> THANK YOU, AND THAT
CONCLUDES OUR INTRODUCTORY
PRESENTATION.
>> THANK YOU. AS PER PROTOCOL,
I PASS IT OVER TO THE COMMITTEE
CHAIR FOR FIRST AND LAST, AFTER
THE PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO
TOUCH ON PROCESS AND I
COMMUNICATED THIS WITH THE
CHAIR BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY
DEPARTMENT IN THE SITUATION. I
WILL STATE FOR THE RECORD I
BELIEVE IT IS PRUDENT THAT YOU
PROVIDE US THE CURRENT LAW
BUDGET AND I'M DISAPPOINTED TO
NOT ALSO RECEIVE A BUDGET THAT
WOULD PROPOSE US HITTING THE
GROUND RUNNING WITH THE LEVY. I
HAVE PROVIDED CENTRAL STAFF AND
THE CBO A DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY
22nd FOR REPRESENTATION, WHICH
IF THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE GOING
TO HAVE WORKED ON THAT, THAT WE
ARE GOING TO NEED TO RECEIVE IT
EARLIER THAN THAT.
>> DID YOU MEAN TO SAY OCTOBER
22nd?
>> YES, I'M SORRY. I DON'T
EVEN KNOW WHAT MONTH WE ARE IN.
OCTOBER 22nd. IT IS IMPORTANT
FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE A
TRANSPARENT PROCESS. IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR THE
COUNCILMEMBERS TO HAVE -- TO BE
ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AND
IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO MEET THAT
OCTOBER 22nd DEADLINE , WE WILL
BE MOVING THIS TO NEXT YEAR.
COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA, OVER TO
YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SPOTTS ,
SDOT, YOU'RE RIGHT. WE SEE THE
STARS OF SDOT IN THE AUDIENCE
HERE, THE A-TEAM. THANK YOU ALL
FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND
SHARING YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND PRESENTING TODAY. THIS IS A
CRUCIAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY AS
WE ARE OPERATING TODAY IN A
VERY LIMITED RESOURCE
ENVIRONMENT , EVERY SINGLE
DOLLAR COUNTS NOW MORE THAN
EVER . AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY
MENTIONED IN COMMITTEE TIME AND
TIME AGAIN, TRANSPORTATION
INVESTMENTS NEED TO BE
THOUGHTFUL WITH A FOCUS ON THE
NUTS AND BOLTS , THE
NITTY-GRITTY BASICS OF GOOD
GOVERNMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT
WE, AS A CITY, ARE PREPARED TO
DELIVER THOSE NITTY-GRITTY
BASICS IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY.
WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW WE
SPEND RESOURCES AND FOCUS ON
THE FUNDAMENTALS LIKE ROADS AND
BRIDGES. SIDEWALKS. THE 2025-26
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET DOES NOT
INCORPORATE THE POTENTIAL NEW
LEVY DOLLARS PENDING APPROVAL
FROM VOTERS IN NOVEMBER AND AS
THE CHAIR NOTED, I, TOO, AM
DISAPPOINTED THAT NOTHING IS AT
A BUDGET THAT ASSUMES PASSAGE
WAS NOT ALSO PROPOSED AT THE
SAME TIME JUST BECAUSE AS I
UNDERSTAND FROM A HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE JUST LAST YEAR, THE
LAST TIME THE CITY WENT THROUGH
THIS WHEN A NEARLY $1 BILLION
HOUSING LEVY WAS ON THE BALLOT
AT THE TIME THE DECISION WAS
MADE TO PROPOSE A BUDGET THAT
ASSUMES PASSAGE OF THAT AND I
THINK THAT IS FOR THE MOST PART
THE STANDARD PRACTICE IN THE
CITY BUT ALSO AS I UNDERSTAND
IT THE LAST TIME THE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY WAS ON THE
BALLOT I THINK THEY TOOK A
SIMILAR APPROACH DOWN PROPOSED
AN INITIAL BUDGET THAT DID NOT
ASSUME PASSAGE BUT REGARDLESS,
I AM GLAD , THANKFUL FOR THE
CHAIRS LEADERSHIP AND THE
EXECUTIVES ALIGNMENT THAT WE
ARE ALIGNED THAT BY OCTOBER
22nd HOPEFULLY EARLIER, WE HAVE
A BUDGET , A PROPOSED BUDGET
THAT ASSUMES PASSAGE BECAUSE
PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY ,
FAIRNESS, THOUGHTFUL PLANNING
ON EVERYONE'S AND, YOU KNOW,
REQUIRES TO DO THIS WORK NOW
AND THEN BE PREPARED FOR ANY
NUMBER OF SCENARIOS AFTER
ELECTION DAY, SO IN ANY EVENT,
SO YEAH, THIS COUNSEL, MYSELF
AS CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE AND
WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR BUDGET
CHAIR, DISTINGUISHED BUDGET
CHAIR STRAUSS HERE IN THE
EXECUTIVE WILL NEED TO ENSURE
ACCESS TO THE BUDGET MAKING
SURE THAT IT INCORPORATES LEVY
DOLLARS . AGAIN, PENDING AND
APPROVAL FROM VOTERS AND THERE
IS A PLAN IN PLACE TO DO
EXACTLY THAT SO I LOOK FORWARD
TO HEARING MORE ABOUT SDOT'S
PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE
TRANSPORTATION FUNDAMENTALS AND
HOW THE LEVY, SHOULD IT BE
APPROVED BY VOTERS, THIS ONE
ASSUMES NOT, BUT WILL BE
INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET
FOR COUNSEL TO CONSIDER. GOING
FORWARD, THAT SAID, LET ME JUST
SAY I DO WANT TO EXPRESS MY
DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THIS BUDGET.
IT OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT ASSUME
PASSAGE, BUT WHAT THAT PORTENDS
, DIRECTOR SPOTTS, AS YOU NOTED
FROM THE BEGINNING, THAT MEANS
THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANTLY
LESS MONEY UNDER THE PROPOSED
BUDGET FOR MAJOR
REHABILITATION PROJECT AND ROAD
REPAIR CAPITAL PROJECT SPENDING
IS SIGNIFICANTLY SLASHED.
SMALLER SCALE NEIGHBORHOOD
SAFETY TYPE IMPROVEMENTS ,
REGARDLESS OF WHO DECIDES ,
SOLELY SDOT FOR THROUGH
COMMUNITY WAY IN, WHETHER IT IS
US IS A COUNSEL REGARDLESS,
THAT SMALLER SCALE NEIGHBORHOOD
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS FOR
SIDEWALKS AND SIGNS, STOP
SIGNS, TRAFFIC CALMING
MEASURES, MARKED CROSSWALKS,
SHOUT OUT TO SIGNS. I WENT AND
VISITED THE SIGN SHOP WHERE
SDOT PRODUCES ITS SIGNS BUT
ANYWAYS, MONEY AND INVESTMENTS
FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS , OUR
ABILITY AS A CITY TO DELIVER
UPON THOSE NEXT YEAR IS LIMITED
AND IN ANY EVENT , HUGE CONCERN
, AND I ALSO DON'T LIKE THAT
-- I KNOW AGAIN, A PLAN IN
PLACE ASSUMED TO HAVE BOTH BUT
I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT HAVE
MADE THE CHOICE TO SLASHED, AS
I UNDERSTAND IT, IT ASSUMES A
4% OVERALL CUT IN THIS YEAR'S
BUDGET FOR SDOT. I THINK THIS
IS SUCH A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
DEPARTMENT THAT I PERSONALLY
WOULD NOT HAVE . PUBLIC SAFETY,
PUBLIC WORKS, IN THIS CASE SDOT
AND PUBLIC PARKS , I DON'T LOVE
HOW THAT CHOICE THAT WAS MADE
TO/IN THIS AMOUNT JUST BECAUSE
PEOPLE WANT US TO REPAIR
POTHOLES AND PEOPLE WANT US TO
ADD SIDEWALKS AND PEOPLE WANT
US TO HAVE -- US TO CONTINUE TO
BUILD ACCESS TO TRANSIT AND
MAKE NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE, SO
THAT SAID, I HAVE A COUPLE
QUESTIONS NOW AND THEN I
SUSPECT THIS IS GOING TO BE A
POPULAR TOPIC AMONGST MY
COLLEAGUES SO I WILL CARVE OUT
ROOM AND OF SOME OF MY OTHER
QUESTIONS DON'T GET ADDRESSED
WE WILL COME BACK. MY FIRST
QUESTION RELATES TO CAMERAS.
CAMERAS. NO SURPRISE THERE. TO
MY PARTNERS AT SDOT, THAT I
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CAMERAS.
COLLEAGUES, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE
SURE IT IS NOT LOST UPON US WE
ARE BEING ASKED TO REVIEW AND
APPROVE A SIGNIFICANT POLICY
DECISION WITH RESPECT TO
CAMERAS IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET
THIS YEAR. UNDER THE PROPOSAL,
I THINK 16 NET NEW SCHOOL,
SCHOOL SPEED ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS WOULD BE DEPLOYED AS
PART OF THE PROPOSAL HERE.
THERE IS ANY NUMBER OF CAMERAS
ALREADY EXISTING AT SCHOOLS. WE
ARE BEING ASKED TO DO IS SIGN
OFF LINE AND SIGNIFICANT
EXPANSION OF THOSE CAMERAS AND
IN GENERAL, COLLEAGUES, I WANT
TO MAKE CLEAR I AM DEFAULT
SKEPTICAL OF ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS THAT HAVE THE
CAPABILITY TO SEND YOU A TICKET
IN THE MAIL . I DON'T SUPPORT
WIDESCALE MASS DEPLOYMENT OF
THOSE AND 16 NET NEW SCHOOL
SPEED ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS
ACROSS OUR CITY, I THINK, WOULD
RISE TO THE LEVEL OF
APPROACHING MASS DEPLOYMENT OF
THOSE AND WE ARE -- WELL, WE
HAVE A CHOICE. DOES THAT
PROPOSE DEPLOYMENT MAKE SENSE?
INSTEAD, IS THERE A BETTER
ALLOCATION OF THOSE ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO
CONSIDER BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE
ARE SCHOOL SPEED ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS. WE KNOW THERE ARE
NONSCHOOL SPEED ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS IN ALKI IN HARBOR
AVENUE WHO ARE CLAMORING FOR
THOSE YESTERDAY. THERE IS BLOCK
THE BOX CAMERAS. THERE IS
TRANSIT CAMERAS FOR PEOPLE IN
TRANSIT-ONLY BUS LINES. THERE
ARE RED LIGHT CAMERAS, AND A
NUMBER OF AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT
TECHNOLOGIES WHERE PEOPLE COULD
POTENTIALLY RECEIVE A TICKET IN
THE MAIL, SO I AM
DEFAULT-SKEPTICAL. I DON'T SAY
NO IN EVERY CASE BUT I AM
DEFAULT SKEPTICAL. I THINK
RATHER THAN HAVING THESE
CAMERAS AS A REVENUE-GENERATING
TOOL ONLY , IF THAT IS THE
PRIMARY PURPOSE, THAT IS THE
WRONG PURPOSE. I THINK OUR
APPROACH NEEDS TO BE GUIDED BY
DATA SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A
SOUND DATA TO IN ANY POTENTIAL
LOCATION DEPLOYMENT OF THESE
CAMERAS . ALSO, THERE ARE SOME
IMPORTANT EQUITY
CONSIDERATIONS. WHERE ARE WE
DEPLOYING THESE CAMERAS? ARE
THEY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE
HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND
UNDERREPRESENTED, AND I WILL
TELL YOU FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY
DISTRICT, STEM BOURNE SCHOOL I
THINK IS A TITLE I SCHOOL THAT
HAS SPEED ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS.
WHERE ARE THESE CAMERAS GOING?
WHO IS LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED?
THAT IS THE SECOND FACTOR I
LOOK AT, AND THE THIRD FACTOR
IS REALLY A BONUS BECAUSE I
DON'T KNOW IF MANY COMMUNITIES
ARE GOING TO BE LIKE , GIVE US
CAMERAS YESTERDAY, BUT IF THERE
IS STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR
THESE TYPE OF CAMERAS, THAT
RAISES A SPECIAL CASE. WE NEED
TO STRONGLY EXPLORE EXPANSION.
ALKI AND HARBOR AVENUE , WE
NEED TO EXPLORE THAT. IN ANY
EVENT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS
NOT LOST ON US WE ARE BEING
ASKED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE A
SUBSTANTIAL DECISION ,
SIGNIFICANT DECISION POLICY
CHOICE REGARDING AUTOMATED
ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS IN OUR
CITY, AND IS THIS THE
APPROPRIATE BALANCE, AND
DEPLOYMENT OF THESE CAMERAS
RELATIVE TO THE POTENTIAL USES
WE TALKED ABOUT. I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY
MINDFUL OF THAT SO CAMERAS . ON
THE 16 DEPLOYED CAMERAS HERE ,
THE PROPOSAL THERE FOR NET NEW
CAMERAS, HOW HAS SDOT ENGAGED
WITH THE COMMUNITY
NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOLS AND
OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS
REGARDING THE CURRENT
DEPLOYMENT AND THEN ALSO, THE
PROPOSED UPCOMING DEPLOYMENT OF
SCHOOL ZONE CAMERAS?
>> DIRECTOR EDER IF THERE IS
ANYTHING IN COUNCILMEMBERS SOCK
IS OPENING THAT YOU WANT TO
RESPOND TO COME BACK TO THE
CAMERAS, PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU. I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THE FRAMING THAT
BOTH CHAIR STRAUSS AND COUNCIL
MEMBER SAKA BEGAN THEIR REMARKS
WITH. THE EXECUTIVE HERE IS
ABSOLUTELY LOVELY AND STRONGLY
YOUR PREFERENCE TO HAVE AS MUCH
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD
CHANGE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET
AVAILABLE BY OCTOBER 22nd SO
THAT YOU HAVE FULL AND FAIR
ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. THE
PUBLIC HAS FULL AND FAIR ACCESS
TO THE INFORMATION AND YOU CAN
MAKE YOUR DELIBERATIVE CHOICES
IN TIME FOR THE END OF THE
BUDGET CYCLE. WE ARE COMMITTED
TO DOING THAT. WE WILL BE
WORKING TOWARDS THAT END, HAVE
ALREADY BEGUN WORKING TOWARDS
THAT END AND ARE CONFIDENT WE
WILL BE ABLE TO MEET YOUR
DEADLINE. WITH RESPECT TO
OVERALL FUNDING, I JUST WANT TO
POINT OUT THAT AS A SHARE OF
THE OVERALL FUNDING SDOT GETS,
THE GENERAL FUND IS ALREADY A
PORTION OF THE OVERALL FUNDING
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
DECREASE IN GENERAL FUND
FUNDING OF SDOT COMPARED TO
THEIR 700 -- $718 MILLION BASE
FROM 2024 , WE ARE LOOKING AT
MORE LIKE A 1% DECREASE IN
OVERALL FUNDING FROM THE
CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO THE
GENERAL FUND. THAT DOES NOT
MAKE IT MORE PALATABLE
NECESSARILY, BUT I JUST WANTED
TO PROVIDE THAT LARGER
PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF A
DECREASE TO SDOT'S BUDGET AND
WITH THAT UNLESS THERE ARE
FURTHER QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO
TURN IT OVER TO OUR FRIENDS AT
SDOT TO PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THE
MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAD
ABOUT CAMERAS AND OTHER ITEMS.
>> THANK YOU. REGARDING
ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS , OUR
ABILITY TO UTILIZE THAT
TECHNOLOGY IS GOVERNED BY STATE
LAW, AND STATE LAW CONTINUES TO
EVOLVE AND ALMOST AS SOON AS WE
ARE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD LOCAL
ORDINANCE CHANGES TO ALIGN WITH
EXISTING STATE LAW ABOUT THE
CAMERAS, THE EXISTING STATE LAW
CHANGES AGAIN AND THERE ARE NEW
CHANGES THAT JUST WENT INTO
EFFECT THIS SUMMER. WE HAVE
BEEN FOCUSING AS FAR AS THE
EXPANSION THAT IS PROPOSED, ON
WHAT IS GENERALLY THE MOST
POPULAR AND ACCEPTED MEANS OF
AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT , WHICH
IS DURING SCHOOL HOURS AT
SCHOOL SITES. ALL OF OUR SCHOOL
SAFETY PROGRAMS ARE SOME OF THE
MOST POPULAR AND WELL-SUPPORTED
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN
SEATTLE , AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE
ISSUED OUR VISION ZERO TOP TO
BOTTOM REVIEW IN FEBRUARY OF
2023, ONE OF OUR EARLY ACTION
ITEMS OR EARLY MOMENTUM ITEMS
WAS TO DO AN EQUITY ANALYSIS OF
AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT WHICH IS
BECOMING EVEN MORE RELEVANT
BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING
CHALLENGES AT SPD FOR
HUMAN-BASED ENFORCEMENT AND WE
DID OUTREACH IN A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT WAYS AND ONE OF THE
MOST HELPFUL PERSPECTIVES IS WE
RECEIVED A LETTER FROM OUR OWN
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY WORKGROUP
STATING THAT IN THEIR
CONVERSATIONS WITH UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES, THE SENTIMENT WAS,
IF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS CAMERAS
IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD
HAVE CAMERAS . FOLKS WERE
SUPPORTIVE OF SLOWING PEOPLE
DOWN TO SAVE LIVES IF EVERYBODY
IN SEATTLE WAS SUBJECT TO
SIMILAR ENFORCEMENT
TECHNOLOGIES AND SO THE
PROPOSED LOCATIONS WE HAVE FOR
EXPANDING THE SCHOOL ZONE
CAMERAS ARE LARGELY OUTSIDE OF
UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS FOR
THIS ROUND THAT WOULD KIND OF
REBALANCE THE SCHOOL ZONE
SAFETY CAMERAS, SO THEY WOULD
BE KIND OF EVENLY DISTRIBUTED
ACROSS THE CITY AND THERE IS A
MAP THAT WE CAN PROVIDE. SO,
THAT IS THE THINKING CURRENTLY,
AND WE INTEND TO BRING FORWARD
AN ORDINANCE CHANGE TO ALIGN
WITH THE RECENT CHANGES IN
STATE LAW ABOUT OTHER CAMERA
TYPES TO THE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE IN THE FIRST QUARTER
OF NEXT YEAR AND THERE WILL BE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY
DISCUSS IN DETAIL AND RECEIVE
ALL OF YOUR POLICY GUIDANCE
ABOUT WHICH OF THOSE
MODALITIES, AND WHERE, WOULD BE
IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE
CITY.
>> THANK YOU. SO, I GENERALLY
AGREE WITH THE PROPOSITION AND
THE RESPONSE THAT SPEED CAMERAS
IN SCHOOL ZONES CAN HELP SLOW
PEOPLE DOWN. I WOULD JUST ADD
THAT IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO
DO THAT. IT IS ONE OF MANY
TOOLS. WE KNOW WE CAN REDESIGN
THE ROADS, TO NARROW THE ROAD.
I'VE GOT SO MANY BRIEFINGS
FROM YOU GUYS BEHIND THE
SCENES. YOU WILL KNOW MORE THAN
ME BUT THE WIDE RANGE OF
OPTIONS AND TOOLS AT OUR
DISPOSAL, SPEED ENFORCEMENT
CAMERAS IN THE SCHOOLS ARE ONE
OF MANY, MANY OPTIONS, SO
COLLEAGUES, I DO WANT TO
EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A
SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHOICE THAT
WE ARE BEING CONFRONTED WITH
HERE , AND BLESSED COUNSEL, AS
I UNDERSTAND IT, ESSENTIALLY
APPROVED , AUTHORIZED
DEPLOYMENT OF SCHOOL CAMERAS IN
EVERY SCHOOL EFFECTIVELY SO
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT
HAVE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ON THAT
POINT BUT REGARDLESS IN PART
WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO
IS ESSENTIALLY RUBBERSTAMP A
POLICY THAT WAS CHAMPIONED BY A
PRIOR COUNSEL AND WITH A TWO
THIRDS COMPOSITION OF THIS
COUNSEL I DON'T KNOW IF THAT
MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. I
WOULD'VE LIKED TO DEVOTE MORE
COMMITTEE TIME TO THIS
PERSONALLY THIS YEAR BUT I HAD
NOT ONE, BUT TWO SUBSTANTIVE
SIGNIFICANT EXECUTIVE GENERATED
PIECES OF LEGISLATION IN THE
SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND
THE PROPOSED LEVY THAT CAME
THROUGH MY COMMITTEE AND
BETWEEN THAT AND ALL THE OTHER
SORT OF NITTY-GRITTY FROM
STREET USE PERMITS AND THE
LIKE, YOU KNOW, TIME IS LIMITED
SO WE WILL PICK THAT UP IN
EARNEST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
EXECUTIVE NEXT YEAR AND FIGURE
OUT THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE,
BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT,
EXPANDING 16 NOT THE SCHOOLS IS
A SIGNIFICANT POLICY DECISION.
THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE,
THEN I WILL TABLE MY OTHERS AND
ALLOW MY COLLEAGUES TO TALK. AS
I UNDERSTAND IT, THE URBAN
FORESTRY SPENDING IN THIS
YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET
REPRESENTS A 62% INCREASE OVER
LAST YEAR'S SPENDING FOR THE
SAME PROGRAM. I WOULD BE
CURIOUS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE RATIONALE FOR THAT, WHAT
DOES THE EXECUTIVE PLAN FOR
THAT MONEY AND THE RATIONALE .
WHY THE BIG INCREASE IN THAT
LINE ITEM? THANK YOU.
>> I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK
THOSE NUMBERS AND GET BACK TO
YOU ON WHAT THE ACTUAL
INCREASES. MY SUSPICION IS THAT
A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT IS IN THE
CAPITAL ESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM,
WHICH IS WHERE WE MOVE BUDGET
FROM OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS AS
THEY CLOSE OUT SO WE CAN
CONTINUE THE TREEPLANTING AND
ESTABLISHMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
THAT WE HAVE BUT I WILL HAVE TO
DOUBLE CHECK ACROSS THE BOARD.
FROM OUR STANDPOINT FOR THE
URBAN FORESTRY OPERATING SIDE,
THE BUDGET WAS LARGELY HOLDING
PAT .
>> THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR
LOOKING INTO THAT. 62% INCREASE
BY MY CALCULATIONS AND SO JUST
CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND THE
RATIONALE FOR THAT AND WHAT DO
YOU PLAN TO SPECIFICALLY DO
WITH THAT INCREASE IN SPENDING,
SO THANK YOU. NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL ADDRESS
THE CAMERA ISSUE BECAUSE I
SIGNED ON TO THE COUNCIL BUDGET
ACTION THAT INCREASE THE NUMBER
OF CAMERAS AROUND TOWN. FIRST,
CLARIFYING QUESTION IF YOU
WOULD ALLOW ME. ARE THESE 16
CAMERAS, WHAT WE VOTED ON LAST
YEAR, THAT BECAUSE WE DID NOT
HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CIVILIAN
EYES THAT FUNCTION OF
MONITORING CAMERA SPD ARE NOW
HAPPENING?
>> CORRECT. SO THIS WAS A
DECISION MADE BY THE PRIOR
COUNSEL AND I WILL EXPLAIN WHY
I LIKED IT BECAUSE IT IS AN
EFFICIENT WAY TO KEEP CHILDREN
SAFE AND IT IS ONE TOOL TO MEET
OUR VISION ZERO GOALS AND SDOT
HAS MADE CLEAR THAT THEY PREFER
CHANGING THE ENGINEERING OF THE
STREET TO ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT
COMES TO MEETING VISION ZERO.
THIS IS ONE CASE WHERE IT IS
JUST TOO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT CARS ARE SPEEDING THROUGH
SCHOOL ZONES , AND A CAMERA IS
A GOOD INTERVENTION AND SO WE
DID NOT PAY DEARLY, BUT THIS
WAS BEING ABLE TO -- THE
PROBLEM WAS BEFORE THAT,
INSTALLING CAMERAS BUT NOT
HAVING ANYBODY IN SPD WATCH THE
VIDEO AND ISSUE CITATIONS . THE
THING FELL APART SO THAT WAS A
KEY PART OF CIVILIAN ICING THE
EFFORT IN THIS CONTRACT THAT WE
DID PAY FOR AND SO I DO SUPPORT
THESE NEW CAMERAS . MOSTLY
BECAUSE I WAS INVESTED IN THEM
BEFORE AND IT'S REALLY
DIFFICULT. I THINK THE CROSSING
GUARD PROGRAM -- WHEN DID THE
CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM AND?
WELL, I WILL JUST FILL IN. THE
SCHOOLS USED TO HAVE MORE
CROSSING GUARDS AND THAT
PROGRAM IS GONE TO THE WAYSIDE
SO IN ANY CASE I CAN TRY TO
CONVINCE YOU ALL WHY IT'S SO
IMPORTANT BUT I HAD A QUESTION
ABOUT THE OVERALL BUDGET. WHAT
IS THE PERCENTAGE OF SDOT'S
OPERATING BUDGET IS PAID FOR BY
THE LEVY VERSUS GENERAL FUND
RIGHT NOW , AND WHERE THE LEVY
TO PASS, WHAT WOULD IT BE IN
THE FUTURE AND ASK BECAUSE I'M
ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT
OFFLOADING BASIC SERVICES ONTO
RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS.
>> THOSE ARE PERCENTAGES I WISH
I HAD OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD
BUT I DON'T. I WILL HAVE TO
GET BACK TO YOU. I CAN SAY MOST
OF THE LEVY FUNDING IS ON THE
CAPITAL SIDE .
>> RIGHT, SO IT WILL PROBABLY
BE THE SAME.
>> AS FOR THE FUTURE LEVY,
THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS WE WILL
BE PRESENTING TO YOU IF AND
WHEN THE LEVY PASSES.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS. I
THOUGHT THERE WERE A FEW MORE
HANDS UP THERE SO APPRECIATE
THE CALLOUT. DIRECTOR SPOTTS,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU
PROBABLY HEARD I'VE BEEN USING
THE SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
A LOT RECENTLY AS A MODEL. WE
WILL GO INTO THAT SINCE MY
COLLEAGUE IS NOT HERE WHO HAS
THAT OVERSIGHT BUT I DO
APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WENT
INTO THE SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION
PLAN BOTH WITH SDOT IN THE
REVIEW THAT WE DID AND OF
COURSE THE LEVY ITSELF THAT YOU
THINK IT'S A GOOD MODEL FOR
OTHER AREAS OF GOVERNMENT.
REGARDING THE BRIEFING, I KNOW
WE HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE LEVY AND SO FORTH,
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS, I
DON'T THINK PEOPLE TRULY
APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF EFFORTS
TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS AND I
THINK SOMEWHAT THIS IS BECAUSE
BUCKETS OF MONEY GO TO
DIFFERENT PIECES, LIKE BRIDGES,
WITH THE COMPLETE STREET PLAN,
BRIDGE ROADS, THE FREIGHT
PROGRAM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW
THE OVERALL ROAD MAP WORK WOULD
BE IMPROVED NOT JUST WITH A
THING THAT SAID ARTERIALS ARE
ROADS BUT ALSO THE OTHER
ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN THAT SDOT
HAS MOVING FORWARD?
>> SURE, YOU KNOW, OUR
APPROACH, IF WE HAVE ENOUGH
FUNDING, IS TO MAINTAIN AND
MODERNIZE AT THE SAME TIME
WHERE IT IS THE BEST TIME TO
MAKE OUR ROADS SAFER AND ARE
BOAT -- MULTIMODAL IS WHEN WE
ARE FIXING THE BRIDGE OR
REPAVING THE ROAD , AND WE HAVE
HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH PROJECTS
LIKE RAPID RIDE G ON MEDICINE
WHERE YOU HAVE -- YOU REPLACE
THE WATER MAIN UNDER THE
STREET, YOU PUT IN A BRAND-NEW
CONCRETE STREET THAT IS CAPABLE
OF WITHSTANDING THE LOADS FROM
THE BUSES, SPEED UP THE BUS,
STRAIGHTEN OUT A LOT OF COMPLEX
FIVE WAY INTERSECTIONS SO THE
CURRENT -- CROSSINGS ARE
SHORTER AND BETTER ORGANIZED
FOR VISIBILITY OF PEDESTRIANS,
SO YOU KNOW, THAT IS OUR
HOLISTIC APPROACH. BUT, IN A
NO-LEVY SCENARIO , WE WOULD
HAVE TO FOCUS PRIMARILY ON SORT
OF SMALLER MAINTENANCE, ROUTINE
MAINTENANCE AND WE WOULD HAVE
FAR FEWER OPPORTUNITIES TO DO
MAJOR REHABILITATION PROJECTS
AND ATTACH MODERNIZATION TO
THOSE PROJECTS . THERE WAS SOME
PRESENTATIONS THAT WE MADE WHEN
TALKING ABOUT ASSET MANAGEMENT
TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND YOU
KNOW, THE OVERALL
INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE FACING
SEATTLE IS SIGNIFICANT EVEN
WITH LEVY -SIZED AMOUNTS OF
FUNDING. THERE ARE REAL
CHALLENGES IN CREATING AN
UPWARD TRAJECTORY ON THE NET
ASSET CONDITION ACROSS OUR
MAJOR ASSETS AND THIS IS IN
PARALLEL WITH TRENDS STATEWIDE
AND NATIONALLY, AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU AND I DO SUPPORT
THE BIKE LANES , SUPPORT
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BIKES AND WE
HAVE OUR COLLEAGUE IN THE BACK
AND IT GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION
AND I WORRY A BIT THAT OTHER
FOLKS ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING MY
QUESTION AND HOW YOU ANSWERED
SO THANK YOU BECAUSE THE LEVEL
OF EFFORT FOR ROADS IS GREAT,
PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU BRING IN
THESE DIFFERENT PIECES. I
DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
APPRECIATE THAT POINT AND I
JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT FOR
THOSE WHO MAY BE REFLECTING ON
TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY
BETWEEN NOW AND A MONTH FROM
NOW. THE NEXT QUESTION I HAD
IS, WE DEFINITELY, IN TERMS OF
CAMERAS, CAMERAS ARE GOING TO
COME UP TOMORROW WE HAVE
TRAFFIC VISION SAFETY. WE HAVE
SCHOOL SAFETY THAN GENERAL
PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAVE BIG
BUCKET SO THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH
THE BUDGET AND THROUGH THIS
TERM YOU KNOW, ON THE PUBLIC
SAFETY SIDE WE HAVE OUR
ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS AND SO
FORTH BUT IN WORKING WITH THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT WE HAVE THAT
PIECE WHICH WILL HAVE OVERLAP
WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE BUT
THEN THERE IS THE TRAFFIC. WE
JUST NEED TO ENSURE THAT THESE
THREE AREAS ARE MESH AND THERE
IS GOOD OVERSIGHT FROM THE
ACCOUNTABILITY PERSPECTIVE THAT
REALLY ACHIEVES ITS AIMS
WEATHER IT IS TRANSPORTATION,
SAFETY, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY OR
SCHOOL SAFETY AND ALL THE
THINGS YOU'VE BEEN READING
ABOUT IN THE PAPER. COLLEAGUES,
WE WILL DEFINITELY BE GETTING A
SLIDE OR TWO ON THAT TOMORROW.
LASTLY , I DO APPRECIATE THE
EFFORTS PIGGYBACKING ON THE
BRIEFING WE JUST HAD FROM OSCE
ON THE URBAN FORESTRY PIECES.
YOU HAVE A HEAVY LIFT ON THIS
IF WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE
ARCANA BEAGLE SO IT REALLY IS
IMPORTANT WHAT YOU DO, HOW YOU
DO IT IN TERMS OF REALLY
INCREASING ACROSS THE CITY, NOT
JUST TO OURSELVES, BUT YOU
IMPACT ACROSS THE CITY ON THIS,
SO LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT
AND I WILL THROW OUT THERE, TOO
, THAT I THINK YOU ANTICIPATED
FUTURE SUPPORT, NEAR FUTURE,
MAYBE, RELATED TO PORTAL PARK
AND BELLTOWN. BELLTOWN DOES NOT
HAVE A PART. I RECOGNIZE THE
VIADUCT WENT INTO THE TUNNEL.
IT'S A BROWN SITE IN A LOT OF
WAYS BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE
NEED DONE AND I APPRECIATE
ACROSS-THE-BOARD SUPPORT FROM
THE EXECUTIVE ON THIS BUT THERE
ARE DEFINITELY PIECES WITH SDOT
CITY LIFE WORKING WITH PARKS
AND THERE IS A BROWN FROM BEING
A FORMER TRANSPORTATION PIECE
OF PROPERTY IN TERMS OF
FUNCTION , SO SUPPORT IS
DEFINITELY NEEDED IN ADVANCE SO
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A
GREAT WAY TO BRING SOMETHING TO
THE BELLTOWN COMMUNITY AND ALSO
HELP ACHIEVE OUR CANOPY GOALS
ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT AREA WITH
BELLTOWN CONSTITUENTS AND I
THINK THEIR VISION FOR IT IS
VERY EXCITING.
>> THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR
RIVERA.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO
ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. I HAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE SCHOOL
CAMERAS . WE NEED TO MAKE SAFE
ROUTES TO SCHOOLS MORE ROBUST
AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING
THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR KIDS ARE GETTING TO SCHOOL
SAFELY AROUND THE SCHOOLS AND
THEN ON THE WAY TO SCHOOLS AND
WE KNOW THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU
CAN GO ABOUT THAT INCLUDING WE
NEED SIDEWALKS SO THAT KIDS CAN
GET FROM HOME TO SCHOOL ON
SIDEWALKS AND NOT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE STREET , WHICH ALSO GOES
TOWARD KIDS GETTING HIT, ET
CETERA, SO I SUPPORT THE
CAMERAS AND I ALSO WANT TO HEAR
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING TO
REDUCE SPEED AROUND THE SCHOOLS
BECAUSE WE KNOW THE CAMERAS
ALONE ARE NOT GOING TO DO IT. I
WOULD LOVE TO SEE DATA THAT
SUPPORTS THAT THE CAMERAS
ACTUALLY ARE EFFECTIVE IN
REDUCING SPEEDS AROUND THE
SCHOOLS. I'M WONDERING ABOUT
SPEED BUMPS AND THINGS OF THAT
NATURE THAT I THINK WOULD
REALLY BE HELPFUL BUT I AM NOT
AN ENGINEER , AND I WOULD LOVE
TO SEE SOME DATA THAT SUPPORTS
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE
SHOULD BE DOING IN THIS SPACE,
IN ADDITION TO THE CAMERAS. I
DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE
INFORMATION NOW OR YOU CAN GET
THE INFORMATION LATER BUT
WONDERING WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN
THAT SPACE SO THAT WE ARE NOT
JUST RELYING ON CAMERAS BUT WE
ARE DOING SOME OF THESE OTHER
-- IT IS A MORE ROBUST PLAN FOR
YOU NOW, SAFETY AROUND THE
SCHOOLS, LIKE I SAID, AND SAFE
ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I'M PLEASED TO
SAY THAT THE CURRENT BUDGET
PROPOSAL DOES A GOOD JOB OF
PRESERVING OUR INVESTMENTS AND
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL IN VISION
ZERO AND YOU KNOW, SDOT SAFE
ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM HAS
WON AWARDS. IT IS LONG-STANDING
AND EFFECTIVE. IT IS THE
PRIMARY WAY WE ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES , IS THROUGH CHANGES TO
THE STREETSCAPE. ADDITIONALLY,
THE FEDERAL SAFE SYSTEMS
APPROACHES SOMETHING WE HAVE
EMBRACED AND THAT INVOLVES BOTH
THE DESIGN OF THE ROADS IN
DRIVER BEHAVIOR AND ENFORCEMENT
IN ALL THESE OTHER FACTORS AND
WE DO HAVE DATA THAT SUPPORTS
THE IDEA THAT IN THE RIGHT
PLACES CAMERAS AFFECT DRIVING
BEHAVIOR AND REDUCE SPEEDS IN
THE CITY HAS USED REVENUE FROM
THOSE CAMERAS TO PAY FOR
INDUSTRY AND-BASED IMPROVEMENTS
AROUND SCHOOLS AND THERE WAS A
TIME WHERE THAT REVENUE COULD
NOT BE REALIZED BECAUSE SPD DID
NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR
OFFICERS TO TIMELY REVIEW THOSE
TICKETS AND IT WAS REALLY A
VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR
THE CITY WHEN THE STATE
LEGISLATURE MADE A CHANGE
RECENTLY THAT ALLOWED CIVILIANS
TO ISSUE THOSE CAMERA-BASED
CITATIONS AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER
THAT LEGISLATIVE CHANGE WHICH
WAS PART OF THE CITY'S
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WITH THE
STATE THAT THEY COULD THEN
PROPOSE CREATIVE POSITIONS IN
SPD WHO ARE NON-SWORN OFFICERS
TO REVIEW THOSE TICKETS SO
THOSE ARE NOT EXACTLY AN EITHER
OR, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT
DEPLOYING CAMERAS AS A REVENUE
GENERATOR. WE ARE DEPLOYING
THEM IN PLACES WHERE WE BELIEVE
THEY CAN SLOW SPEEDS BUT THEY
ARE A NET REVENUE GENERATOR AND
STATE LAW AND CITY POLICY
CAUSES THAT REVENUE TO GO RIGHT
BACK INTO SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
FOR KIDS.
>> THANK YOU, AND I WOULD LOVE
TO SEE THE LIST OF SCHOOLS, AS
WELL. I THINK IT'S ALREADY
BEEN REQUESTED. STILL LOOKING
FORWARD TO SEEING THAT AND THEN
I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS BUT
I WILL PUT THEM AS PART OF THE
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER PIECES TO
THE THINGS OF THANK YOU.
>> ALSO COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR
AWARENESS IF YOU HAVE A LIST OF
QUESTIONS YOU WANT CBO AND
CENTRAL STAFF TO BE AWARE OF
YOU CAN JUST READ THEM OUT ON
THE RECORD SHOULD YOU DESIRE
TO. COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES. TH
QUESTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
ASKED SO THAT WILL MAKE THIS
SHORT. I WANT TO START BY
SAYING THAT I SHARE THE
CHAIR'S FRUSTRATION THAT THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE CHOSE NOT TO
PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW
LEVEE DOLLARS WOULD BE SPENT. I
THINK THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A
PUNT AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO
UNDERSTAND , ASSUMING IT
PASSES, HOW WE WOULD BE ABLE TO
DEPLOY THOSE DOLLARS TO MAKE
SURE OUR NEIGHBORS ARE SAFE AND
THAT OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES ARE
GETTING THE INVESTMENT THEY
NEED. I WANT TO CLARIFY I THINK
WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT
THE MAYOR WOULD BE SENDING
AMENDMENTS IN OCTOBER .
ASSUMING IT PASSES AND THAT WE
HAVE TO GET THAT WERE GOING, WE
WILL BE SEEING [ INAUDIBLE ]
THANK YOU. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT
-- IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT A 21%
REDUCTION TO THE TRANSPORTATION
OPERATIONS CENTER? WHAT IS THE
IMPACT OF ELIMINATING THAT LATE
NIGHT SHIFT?
>> SURE. YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY
CITY STAFF ITSELF 24 HOURS A
DAY IN THIS WAY, BUT THE CENTER
THAT WE HAVE HAS SENSORS AND
CAMERA INFORMATION COMING IN
FROM ALL OVER THE CITY , AND WE
DO BENEFIT FROM BEING ABLE TO
COORDINATE WITH A VARIETY OF
PARTNERS WHETHER IT IS WSDOT
FOR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONDERS.
IT'S DEFINITELY OUR CURRENT
PRACTICE AND PREFERABLE TO HAVE
THAT STAFFED AROUND THE CLOCK.
IT WOULD NOT BE AT ALL UNUSUAL
FOR A CITY NOT TO HAVE THAT
OVERNIGHT SHIFT. WE PREFER IT,
BUT WITH ALL THE VARIOUS
TRADE-OFFS THAT WE FACED IN THE
BASE BUDGET WE DECIDED THAT WE
FELT WE COULD MITIGATE ,
LARGELY MITIGATE THOSE EFFECTS
AS SOON AS THE MORNING SHIFT
CAME IN , YOU KNOW, WHEN THE
MORNING COMMUTE WAS BEGINNING.
>> I WILL SAY MAYBE THIS IS A
DIFFERENT ISSUE IS SOMEBODY WHO
REPRESENTS MLK AND RAINIER, I
WILL SAY THAT LATE NIGHT IS
PRECISELY WHEN PEOPLE ARE
SPEEDING AND CRASHING INTO
BUILDINGS AND OTHER THINGS, SO
IT IS A CONCERN. IF WE DO NOT
HAVE THE LEVY PASS , CAN YOU
TALK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD ACHIEVE
THE 2020 SIDEWALK POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS? OR ANY OF THE
SIDEWALK POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS?
>> SO, WE WERE REALLY THINKING
CAREFULLY ABOUT HOW TO APPLY
LIMITED RESOURCES TO OUR
SIDEWALK CHALLENGES IF THERE IS
NO LEVY, AND WE DECIDED THAT IT
WAS BETTER TO FOCUS ON
REPAIRING OUR EXISTING
SIDEWALKS TO FOCUS THOSE
LIMITED RESOURCES ON REPAIRING
OUR EXISTING SIDEWALKS SO THAT
WE WERE ALIGNED WITH THE AUDIT
RECOMMENDATIONS, AND YOU KNOW,
IF WE HAVE AN EXISTING SIDEWALK
THAT IS BROKEN AND THERE IS A
SERVICE REQUEST ABOUT IT, WE
HAVE BEEN PUT ON NOTICE AND SO
IT IS A WAY TO MANAGE YOUR
LIABILITY RISK. ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT IS SOBERING ABOUT
THE BASELINE BUDGET IS THAT
THERE REALLY IS NOT AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY NEW
SIDEWALKS WITH THE RESOURCES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
>> THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER I WAS
HOPING FOR, BUT I UNDERSTAND.
STAYING IN THAT VEIN THEN, IF
THE LEVY DOES NOT PASS, WILL
THERE BE ANY FUNDING ALLOCATED
FOR THE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
TASK FORCE ?
>> THERE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ANY
PLANS FOR THAT, NO.
>> OKAY. WE ALREADY TALKED
ABOUT SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS.
I'LL PROBABLY HAVE A FEW MORE
QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. I DO WANT
TO SAY IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL
MEMBER SAKA'S QUESTION ABOUT
TREES, ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD
HOPED TO DO IN THE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY WAS TO
INCLUDE I THINK IT WAS $15
MILLION FOR TREE MAINTENANCE
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE ARE
PLANTING TREES IN THE CITY, BUT
WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE
FUNDS FOR MAINTAINING THEM AND
SO A LOT OF THEM ARE DYING OFF
, SO GIVEN THAT WAS NOT
INCLUDED IN THE FINAL
TRANSPORTATION LEVY PACKAGE I
THINK IF I'M UNDERSTANDING
RIGHT I THINK WHAT I HEAR YOU
SAYING IS THAT AS RESOURCES ARE
AVAILABLE, YOU'RE MOVING THEM
INTO DIFFERENT PARTS FOR TREE
MAINTENANCE IN THE TREE
-RELATED WORK YOU ARE DOING. MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT RIGHT?
>> CERTAINLY I AM VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING YOUR
ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE TREE
CANOPY . I WAS OVERSEEING THAT
FUNCTION IN LOS ANGELES WHEN I
MOVED HERE I WAS SURPRISED AT
HOW FAR OUR FORESTRY STAFF WAS
COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES OF
THIS SIZE. I THINK WHAT CHRIS
WAS SAYING EARLIER , WHEN
CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE FINISHING,
THAT IS WHEN THE TREES GO IN,
SO THE INCREASE YOU'RE SEEING
AND WE WILL VERIFY THIS IN
WRITING, BUT THE INCREASE YOU
ARE SEEING IS LARGELY ONE
PROJECTS HAD A PHASE WHERE WE
ARE NOW EXPENDING MONEY TO
PLANT THE NEW TREES, WHEN
CAPITAL PROJECTS FINALLY REACH
THAT POINT WHERE THE TREES GO
IN, THERE IS AN ONGOING
CHALLENGE TO BOTH OUR TREE
MAINTENANCE ON THE MAINTENANCE
OF OUR LANDSCAPING, AS WELL, IN
THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY.
>> OKAY. AND THEN , MY LAST
QUESTION , I THINK I WILL WAIT
ON THAT ISSUE. I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM FOR
A MOMENT. IS THERE ANY PAYROLL
EXPENSE TAX MONEY GOING INTO
THAT?
>> NO.
>> OKAY, I WILL PROBABLY HAVE A
FEW OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT
BUT I WILL ADD THEM TO THE
SHAREPOINT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A
QUESTION. I HAVE A STATEMENT
WHICH IS I KNOW HOW WE CAN PAY
FOR SIDEWALKS IF THE LEVY
DOESN'T PASS. IMPACT FEES.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER WOO.
>> I WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS
REGARDING ST3. THE BUDGET
AMOUNT FROM 2025 TO 2025 --
2024 TO 2025, WITH THIS PROJECT
GOING LONG A LITTLE BEHIND
SCHEDULE DO WE SEE ANY IMPACTS
REGARDING THE PROPOSED BUDGET
GOING FORWARD PAST 2025 -2026?
>> SURE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT
OF DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING THE
LIGHT RAIL EXPANSION DURING MY
TWO YEARS HERE AND WE USED TO
TALK ABOUT THE WEST SEATTLE TO
BALLARD LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION
BUT IT HAS NOW BEEN SEPARATED
INTO TWO PROJECTS IN THE WEST
SEATTLE ONE IS MOVING FORWARD
MORE QUICKLY THAN THE BALLOT
WIN BECAUSE SUB TRANSIT HAS
BEEN MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THE
ROUTING OF THE BALLARD ONE. WE
JUST RECEIVED A SCHEDULE OF
WHAT PLANS ARE GOING TO BE
INCOMING FOR US TO REVIEW FOR
CITY DEPARTMENTS TO REVIEW ON
THE WEST SEATTLE PROJECT ON IT
IS EXTENSIVE AND IT IS COMING
SOON, AND SO THE POLICY CHANGE
THAT IS PROPOSED ALLOWS US TO
USE SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION
MEASURE FUNDING TO FUND
DEDICATED CITY STAFF POSITIONS
IN BOTH SDOT AND OTHER
DEPARTMENTS THAT REVIEW THESE
PLANS SO WE CAN BE AN EXCELLENT
PARTNER TO SOUND TRANSIT AND
GIVE THEM TIMELY RESPONSES ON
THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. PREVIOUSLY
WE WERE FOCUSED ON EXPANDING
BUS SERVICE AND EXPANDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GET
FREE OR DISCOUNTED ORCA CARDS.
THOSE WILL DISS -- CONTINUE AT
THE CURRENT LEVELS BUT THIS
POLICY ALLOWS US TO STAFF UP TO
HANDLE THE INCREASED CITY COST
AND BEING TIMELY AND RESPONSIVE
TO A LARGE NUMBER OF
ENGINEERING PLANS THAT ARE
IMMINENTLY COMING INTO US.
>> DISPOSITIONS WHICH CURRENTLY
ARE NOT IN PLACE NOW, OR ARE
THEY IN PLACE? WOULD THEY GO
TOWARDS OUR RELATIONSHIP
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY ?
WITH THESE POSITIONS BE
COMMUNITY FACING?
>> YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY , SO
SOUND TRANSIT IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS FOR
THE TRAIN ITSELF. BUT THERE ARE
SDOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE
CONNECTIVITY A PROPOSED LIGHT
RAIL STATIONS AND WE DO HAVE
SDOT FOLKS WHO DO COMMUNITY
RELATIONS AROUND THOSE
PROJECTS. A LOT OF THOSE
PROJECTS ARE CONTEMPLATED TO BE
FUNDED BY THE NEW LEVY AND SOME
OF THOSE POSITIONS WOULD BE
INCLUDED IN THE NEW LEVY BUT
THESE POSITIONS ARE ENGINEERED.
THE POSITIONS WE FUNDED FOR
THIS POLICY CHANGE ARE LARGELY
POSITIONS TO REVIEW PLANS.
>> THANK YOU. MY SECOND
QUESTION INVOLVES OR AVENUE
NORTH, WORKING WITH STATE
FUNDING IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE .
IS THAT PART OF THE
TRANSPORTATION LEVY, OR PART OF
THE CURRENT PLANS WITH SDOT TO
INCORPORATION -- INCORPORATE
THAT FUNDING GOING FORWARD OR
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT
FUNDING AND HOW YOU PLAN TO
CARRY OUT THOSE PLANS WITH
STATE PARTNERS?
>> NO, AURORA, YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT? THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE STATE
BUDGET FOR A PROJECT TO
RE-ENVISION PART OF AURORA, BUT
THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING IS FAR
OUT. THEY HAVE PROGRAMMED IT
FOR 2027 TO 2029, SO WE ARE IN
THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING
INITIAL CONCEPTS AND GETTING
PUBLIC REVIEW THEN ENTERING
DESIGN OF THAT PROJECT AND
THERE IS A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT
THAT WE CAN BRIEF PEOPLE ON
THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF
INFORMATION ONLINE ABOUT OUR
PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING A
CONCEPT AND COMING UP WITH A
DETAILED DESIGN FOR THAT.
>> AND THAT FUNDING IS NOT
BEING IMPACTED OR A PORTION OF
THAT FUNDING?
>> I THINK THE CURRENT PROPOSED
BUDGET INCORPORATES MONEY FOR
US TO KEEP ADVANCING THE
CONCEPT AND DESIGN OF THAT
PROJECT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> JUST RESPONDING ABOUT THE
AMENDMENT PROCESS, DAY ONE OF
THE BUDGET HAS BEEN BROUGHT
INTO THE FOLD SO I APPRECIATE [
INAUDIBLE ] BEEN THERE BUT IT
IS SDOT AND THE CEO CREATING AS
WELL AS CENTRAL STAFF CREATING
THIS PACKAGE OF AMENDMENTS.
AGAIN, THE PRESENTATION
DEADLINE IS THE 22nd WHICH
MEANS WE SHOULD PROBABLY WORK
IN INTERNAL DEADLINE OUT FROM
THERE. CAN YOU BRIEFLY DISCUSS
THE CONTINGENCY FEE FOR THE
CONTINGENCY FUND WITHIN THIS
LAST LEVY, SHOULD THE LEVY NOT
PASS? WHAT IS OUR SITUATION
WITH CLOSING OUT LINES OF
BUSINESS?
>> IS SO, AS GREG MENTIONED AT
THE BEGINNING , OUR 2025-26
BUDGET DOES STILL INCLUDE A
PORTION OF LEVY FUNDING FOR
PROJECTS THAT ARE CONTINUING SO
[ INAUDIBLE ] HAS ITS PORTION
CONTRIBUTED. WE WILL EXPECT
THERE TO BE SOME CARRYOVER FROM
2024 TO 25 FROM A DELIVERY
STANDPOINT THAN FROM A WHAT
WILL HAPPEN ON JANUARY 1 IF
THERE'S NOT A NEW LEVY WE WILL
STILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSING
OUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS STILL
UNDER THE LEVY NOW BUT THERE IS
NOT AT THIS POINT, ANOTHER
SOURCE OF REVENUE SO ONCE WE
CLOSE OUT PROJECTS, THEY'RE
CLOSED OUT AND WE ARE LIVING IN
A WORLD WITHOUT A LEVY. THERE
IS NO CONTINGENCY ON THE LEVY
AS IT STANDS. THE INTENT WAS
FOR EVERYTHING TO BE SPENT IN
PROGRAMS THAT THE VOTERS
APPROVED AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE
BEEN WORKING TOWARD. CASH ON
HAND AT THE MOMENT, WE WOULD
HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK. WE WILL BE
SETTING ON LESS THAN 100
MILLION BUT WE WILL BE SITTING
ON SOME CASH ON HAND AT THE END
OF THE YEAR CURRENTLY.
>> LET ME ADD THOSE TWO EFFORTS
WE'VE HAD UNDERWAY REGARDING
THIS ONE , WE'VE BEEN WORKING
ON WHAT I'VE BEEN CALLING
TAPERING THE LEVY BECAUSE WE
HAVE LARGE PROJECTS UNDERWAY
THAT SOMETIMES HAVE OVERAGES SO
TRYING TO KEEP MANAGING WHAT IS
REMAINING SO THAT WE CAN FINISH
WHAT WE START AND BEING VERY
CAUTIOUS TO START ANYTHING WE
MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FINISH SO
WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY AND
CAREFULLY MANAGING THAT. I ALSO
WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE ARE
MAINTAINING A VERY HIGH VACANCY
RATE AT THE DEPARTMENT SO WE
ARE PREPARED IN THE EVENT THAT
THE LEVY DID NOT PASS. WE HAVE
144 VACANCIES OUT OF OUR STAFF
POSITIONS RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A
12% VACANCY RATE IN WE'VE BEEN
DOING THAT ON PURPOSE SO WE
HAVE SOME FINANCIAL
FLEXIBILITY.
>> THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS UP
THE POINT I WAS MAKING EARLIER
WHICH MEANS IF THE NEXT LEVY
PASSES WE CAN'T WAIT TO HIT
THE GROUND RUNNING. WE NEED TO
BE READY TO GO. COMING BACK TO
MY COMMENTS HERE, TALKING ABOUT
SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT
WERE STARTED NOT YET FINISHED ,
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU RAISED
ROUTE 40. I BELIEVE THE
DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS MY
CURRENT FRUSTRATION WITH THE
CONSTRUCTION WORK INCURRING --
OCCURRING IN BALLARD IF WE'RE
GOING TO GO TEAR UP SIDEWALKS
THAT WILL LATER BE REPLACED I
DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD
GOVERNANCE FOR US TO RIP UP
CONCRETE ONLY TO REPORT. I
DON'T NEED A RESPONSE. LOOKING
AT THE CONVERSATION IN YOUR
BUDGET BOOK , THE WATERFRONT
OPENING, WHAT IS THE DURATION
OF THIS WATERFRONT GRAND
OPENING? HOW LONG, HOW MANY
DAYS?
>> I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY
NEED THE OFFICE OF THE
WATERFRONT TO RESPOND TO THAT
QUESTION.
>> IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET.
>> IT IS AND WE ARE HAPPY TO
FIND THE ANSWER AND GET BACK TO
YOU.
>> THANK YOU. STREETCAR
OPERATIONS I'M GOING TO GO
BACK TO OUR FIVE YEAR LOOK BACK
ON YOUR DEPARTMENT AND
APPRECIATE THE WORK DONE HERE.
IT LOOKS AS MUCH I WILL JUST
QUOTE FROM IT FOR 2020 FOR THE
REQUIRED OPERATING SUBSIDY IS
ABOUT $10 MILLION WHICH WE SEE
LATER IN YOUR BUDGET. MUCH OF
THE BUDGET OF VARIATION BETWEEN
FIRST HILL AND SOUTH LAKE UNION
FIRST TELL OPERATIONS AT 19%
DECREASE WITH THE SOUTH LAKE
UNION WITH THE 66 IS RELATED TO
ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND
OPERATIONAL AGREEMENTS WITH
KING COUNTY MEASURE TAKEN
TOGETHER, THE BUDGET FOR THE
TWO STREETCAR LIGHTS HAS
DECREASED ABOUT $500,000 FROM
2019 TO 2024. THIS REFLECTS A
SLIGHT REDUCTION IN STREETCAR
OPERATIONS BOTH IN FREQUENCY
AND SERVICE THAT WENT INTO
EFFECT DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THAT UNDERSTANDING I SEE A
COUPLE DIFFERENT ITEMS WITHIN
YOUR BUDGET REGARDING THE
STREETCAR BOTH CHANGES TO FIRST
HILL AND TO SOUTH LAKE UNION.
CAN YOU JUST NOW TOUCH -- THAT
IS THE PREFACE. THE QUESTION IS
WE'VE RECENTLY SEEN SOME
ISSUES WITH THE SOUTH LAKE
UNION STREETCAR WHERE IT'S
BEEN PULLED OUT OF SERVICE .
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION?
>> SURE. SO. THERE IS A NUMBER
OF COMPLEX CROSSCURRENTS THAT
HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE
REGARDING BOTH OF THE STREETCAR
SINCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
THERE WERE VARIOUS FUNDING
ARRANGEMENTS TO GET FUNDING
FROM OTHER FOLKS FOR EACH OF
THE STREETCARS THAT HAVE PHASED
OUT IN THE CITY HAS HAD TO TAKE
ON A LARGER PORTION OF THOSE
COSTS . ALSO AS YOU KNOW,
TRANSIT RIDERSHIP IS STILL
RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC
AND I THINK THE OVERALL TRANSIT
SYSTEM IN SEATTLE IS 60%
RIDERSHIP OF WHAT IT WAS FOR
OUR STREETCARS THE FIRST
TOWLINE HAS BOUNCED BACK MUCH
STRONGER FROM THE SOUTH LAKE
UNION LINE. SOME REASONS FOR
THAT WERE REPRESENTED AT
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR
CENTRAL STAFF. RECENTLY , THE
OUTAGE THAT WE HAD IN SOUTH
LAKE UNION WAS THE RESULT OF
SOME ELECTRICAL PARTS THAT HAD
TO BE SOURCED FROM EUROPE . WE
WERE ABLE TO GET REPLACEMENT
PARTS AND GET THEM PUT IN . ALL
OF THAT MAINTENANCE IS
PERFORMED BY KING COUNTY METRO
BIKE CONTRACT AND THEY DID A
VERY GOOD JOB OF HANDLING THAT
. WE HAD THE SAME PART FAILED
IN MULTIPLE POWER SUBSTATIONS
AT THE SAME TIME BUT THAT SEEMS
TO BE RESOLVED.
>> SO IT HAS NO CHANGE IN YOUR
BUDGET?
>> REGARDING THAT OUTAGE?
>> REGARDING THAT OUTAGE AND AM
ALSO SEEING THE FIRST HILL
STREETCAR OPERATIONS TECHNICAL
ADJUSTMENT IN THE SOUTH LIKE
UNION TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT. CAN
YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE
QUESTION IS BOTH ABOUT THIS
OUTAGE BUT THEN WHAT ARE THESE
TWO ADJUSTMENTS?
>> I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE GET
BACK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE
ADJUSTMENTS IN DETAIL. BUT WE
HAVE NOT PROPOSED ANY BUDGET
CHANGES PERTAINING TO THE
AUGUST OUTAGE.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU. I'M GOING
TO TAKE YOUR PRESENTATION
REGARDING THE OPERATIONS CENTER
A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. I KNOW
COUNCIL MEMBER SAKA HAS VISITED
YOUR TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
CENTER. IT'S ONE OF MY
FAVORITE PLACES IN THE CITY AND
THAT IS BECAUSE IT IS MORE THAN
JUST CCTV CAMERAS. IT IS MORE
THAN JUST SENSORS THROUGHOUT.
YOUR OPERATING -- WE GLOSSED
OVER THE SO I'M JUST GOING TO
SLOW DOWN AND PULL IT OUT . YOU
HAVE 39 DYNAMIC MESSAGES
CITYWIDE. YOU HAVE 12 CORE
DOORS WITH THESE TRAVEL TIME
MESSAGES AND THEN YOU HAVE
CONGESTION MONITORING 10 CORE
DOORS. YOU HAVE 1100 TRAFFIC
SIGNALS . GRANTED, SOME OF THEM
YOU HAVE TO CHANGE BY GOING OUT
IN PERSON TO CHANGE WHICH NEEDS
TO BE UPDATED. YOU DON'T NEED
ME TELLING YOU THAT BUT YOU
ALSO HAVE SIX CORRIDORS WHERE
THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE
RESPONDING TO TRAFFIC VOLUMES
THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED FROM THE
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
CENTER. IT'S A PRETTY
IMPORTANT PLACE AND SO CAN YOU
WITH THAT ADDITIONAL PREFACE
AND GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY
TO EXPAND WHAT IS THE
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
CENTER, CAN YOU HELP US
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING
THERE?
>> SURE, YOU KNOW. I ALSO
WORKED ON HELPING ESTABLISH
THAT TYPE OF CENTER IN LOS
ANGELES IN MY PREVIOUS JOB. IT
IS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL FOR A CITY
TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND
POTENTIALLY ADJUST SIGNAL
TIMING ACROSS THE CITY FROM A
CENTRAL LOCATION, AND IT'S
ALSO HELPFUL TO HAVE LIVE HUMAN
BEINGS WHO CAN INTERACT WITH
PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WOULD BE
MAKING RESPONSES, WHETHER THEY
ARE SDOT FOLKS , OTHER CITY
DEPARTMENTS OR EVEN FOLKS WHO
ARE DEPLOYED ON THE FREEWAYS BY
WSDOT, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THERE
ARE A LOT OF BENEFITS TO HAVING
SUCH A CENTER AND HAVING IT
STAFFED AND I WOULD SAY WE HAVE
YOU KNOW, IN THIS CURRENT ERA
OF THE LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE, WE
HAVE VERY WELL RESOURCED
STAFFING CENTER 24 HOURS A DAY
OFF OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE. IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT POLICY CHOICE TO
DECIDE NOT TO STAFF IT ON
OVERNIGHTS . THAT IS ONE OF
MANY DIFFICULT CHOICES IN A
BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY
$200 MILLION, THE BASE BUDGET
BUT WE ARE VERY OPEN TO YOUR
INPUT ABOUT WHETHER THAT WAS
THE RIGHT POLICY CHOICE TO
PROPOSE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WITHIN THIS BUDGET I SEE YOU
HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR BRIDGE
SEISMIC RETROFIT OF $4 MILLION,
HOW MANY BRIDGES WITH THAT
PROVIDE RETROFITS FOR?
>> MOST OF THE BRIDGE SEISMIC
IS IN THE LEVY AND WE ARE DOING
16 PROJECTS WHICH IS WHAT WAS
SPECIFIED.
>> DIRECTOR, ALL DUE RESPECT,
WE ARE HERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE
CURRENT LAW PROPOSAL. WE WILL
COME BACK TO THE SEVEN
AMENDMENTS LAST MONTH.
>> I MEANT THE EXISTING LEVY.
MOST OF WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH
BRIDGE SEISMIC'S EXISTING LEVY
FUNDING AND WE WILL HAVE TO
LOOK UP WHAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT
OF THAT THE MILLION DOLLARS IS
SUPPORTING.
>> THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS. I LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS NEXT
MONTH .
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. I HAVE A
FEW MORE QUESTIONS. ACTUALLY I
HAVE ONE THAT I WILL ASK NOW
THAN I WILL TABLE THE OTHERS
AND ASK THEM VIA OUR SHAREPOINT
CENTRALIZED THING . THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE
I GET TO MY CLOSING REMARKS AND
ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. CHAIR,
IF I MAY, I GUESS FIRST OFF ,
AS I STATED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I
KIND OF PUT PUBLIC SAFETY
-RELATED INVESTMENTS , SDOT --
I WOULD SAY PUBLIC WORKS BUT WE
KNOW THAT THE UTILITIES ARE
RATE-PAYER FUNDED AND SO
LEAVING SDOT, SO I PUT PUBLIC
SAFETY , PUBLIC WORKS ARE SDOT
AND PUBLIC PARKS IN THE
CATEGORY OF THINGS WE NEED TO
PROTECT AT ALL COSTS AND I
DON'T LIKE THE PARKS, AS I
UNDERSTAND IT, WE'LL GET OUR
PRESENTATION LATER. I THINK
THAT TOTAL BUDGET INCREASED BY
6% AND ALTHOUGH UNDER THE
PROPOSED BUDGET, ALTHOUGH THERE
IS A NOTABLE DECREASE IN
CAPITAL SUPPORT , NET INCREASE
IN ABOUT 6% BUDGET MEANWHILE ,
SDOT ASSUMING NO LEVY PASSAGE
30% DECREASE OR 1% OR WHATEVER,
WE ARE GOING TO GET THOSE
NUMBERS OFF-LINE , I'M
CONCERNED WITH THAT. BUT, I
ALSO WANT TO, AND I'M GLAD I
INTENTIONALLY DID NOT ASK SOME
OF THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I
THINK WE GOT TO THE HEART OF
THEM WITH SOME OF THE PRIOR
DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF MY
COLLEAGUES, AS WELL. I WILL
JUST PUT A NOTE ON ONE THING I
LEARNED OR I GUESS WAS
CONFIRMED HERE, DIRECTOR
SPOTTS. I LEARNED THIS A COUPLE
NIGHTS AGO WHEN I WAS IN WITH
SOME ENTHRALLING READING PORING
OVER THE BUDGET BINDERS AND
SDOT'S PROPOSED BUDGET IN THE
BREAKOUT FOR EACH THING CAN YOU
CONFIRM TODAY I NOTICED AT THE
TIME THAT THERE DID NOT SEEM TO
BE A TON OF MONEY IF ANY FOR
NEW SIDEWALK BUILDING AND YOU
CONFIRM THAT TODAY. BOTH LEVY
DOESN'T PASS, THERE IS NOT A
LOT OF MONEY, IF ANY, FOR THAT,
WHICH IS TO BE HONEST,
DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE AS ONE OF
THE CO-ARCHITECTS IN THE
PROPOSED LEVY OF SIGNIFICANT --
THE CITY IS IF THAT LEVY PASSES
VOTERS ARE GOING TO DECIDE BUT
IF THAT LEVY PASSES THE CITY
WILL BE DOING MORE FOR
SIDEWALKS AND WE HAVE DONE EVER
AS A CITY THEN NEW SIDEWALKS
AND THERE IS SOME MONEY IN
THERE OF COURSE FOR SIDEWALK
REPAIR, AS WELL, BUT WE WOULD
BE DOING MORE FOR NEW SIDEWALKS
THAN WE HAVE IN CITY HISTORY
AND AS ONE OF THE CO-ARCHITECTS
OF THAT WHAT I ENVISIONED IS
THAT MONEY WOULD BE FOR NEW
SIDEWALKS, SUPPLEMENTAL TO OUR
EXISTING INVESTMENTS AND NOT AT
ALL A REPLACEMENT FOR AND NOT
AS A MEANS TO LET US OFF THE
HOOK FOR CONTINUING TO INVEST
YEAR-OVER-YEAR AND BUILDING
BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE
ARE GOING TO BUILD THE
SIDEWALKS CLOSER TO 26, 27%
MISSING SIDEWALK GAP IS IF WE
CONTINUES TO SUSTAIN
SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS OVER TIME
AND WE CAN DO THAT SOLELY VIA
LEVY FUNDING SO A LITTLE
DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT.
BUT, I SENSE I AM NOT THE ONLY
ONE. ALSO, BECAUSE NEW
SIDEWALKS INVESTMENTS IS VERY
IMPORTANT POLICY PRIORITY OF
THIS COUNSEL AND I THINK THIS
MAY OR, AS WELL, I THINK GOING
FORWARD I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SIDEWALK SPENDING, IDEALLY NEW
SIDEWALK BUT SIDEWALKS PENDING
WHETHER IT IS IF YOU LOCKED IT
ALL IN ONE , SIDEWALK REPAIR
AND NEW SIDEWALKS LIKE HOWEVER
YOU WANT TO DO IT I DO THINK IT
IS IMPORTANT TO UP LEVEL THAT
AS A STANDALONE CATEGORY AND
ITEM SIMILAR TO THE REASON IT
MAKES SENSE IN THE NEAR TERM TO
UP LEVEL THE WORLD CUP
INVESTMENTS SO THAT THEY ARE
NOT BURIED AND YOU DON'T HAVE
TO POUR OVER AND ANALYZE AND
CONFIRM AND SUMMON UP THE
EXPERTISE OF A DEPARTMENT
DIRECTOR TO CONFIRM . WE NEED
TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY SO WE CAN
HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE BY
GOING FORWARD BASIS, SO I WOULD
LIKE TO SEE THAT GOING FORWARD
TO BE INTENTIONAL AND UP LEVEL
THAT SPENDING FOR SIDEWALKS. MY
FINAL QUESTION HERE BEFORE IT
CLOSES OUT, JUST RELATES TO
WORLD CUP SPENDING. THAT WAS A
PENDING ASK THAT I HAD, BUT
SDOT IS ONE OF THE MANY
DEPARTMENTS, ONE OF THE FEW
DEPARTMENTS THAT IS REALLY LIKE
THE TIP OF THE SPEAR FOR
PLANNING AND SPENDING AND FOR
WORLD CUP INVESTMENTS, WORLD
CUP-RELATED INVESTMENTS, SO
WHAT TYPE OF ESTIMATED SPENDING
UNDER THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS
GEARED TOWARD WORLD CUP?
>> THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ASPECTS
TO PREPARING FOR THE WORLD CUP.
ONE IS SOME KIND OF PHYSICAL
CHANGES WE MIGHT MAKE TO OUR
STREETS AND THE OTHER IS MORE
SORT OF HOW WE OPERATE THE
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO GET
MOST PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE
MATCHES AND A ZERO-CARBON WAY
USING TRANSIT, WALKING, BIKING.
REGARDING THE OPERATIONS, WE
HAVE A REGULAR SERIES OF
MEETINGS WITH THE LOCAL
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND THEY
ARE JUST ABOUT TO SUBMIT TO US
A DRAFT TRAFFIC OPERATIONS PLAN
FOR OUR REVIEW AND COMMENTS, SO
WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY
WITH THEM ON MAKING PLANS TO BE
ABLE TO GET PEOPLE AROUND HER
IS GOING TO BE LOTS OF VISITORS
HERE. REGARDING CAPITAL, WE
HAVE THREE PROJECTS THAT ARE
ALREADY EITHER UNDER
CONSTRUCTION OR THAT ARE
SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORLD CUP IN
THESE PROJECTS ARE KIND OF IN
THE PIONEER SQUARE AREA. WE ARE
REDOING THE THIRD AND YES LORD
INTERSECTION AND THAT IS UNDER
CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY. WE HAVE
A PROJECT TO REDO THIRD AND
MAIN, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT
BUS TERMINUS WITH A LOT OF
BUSES THAT TAKE YOU CLOSE TO
THE STADIUMS AND THAT PROJECT
IS AWAITING AN AWARD RIGHT NOW
AND THEN WE HAVE A WAYFINDING
PROJECT ACROSS THE DOWNTOWN
AREA. I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THE IDEA THERE WILL BE BETTER
SIGNAGE FOR PEOPLE TO GET
AROUND AND UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT
DESTINATIONS. WITHIN THE
CURRENT LEVY PROPOSAL THERE ARE
SOME ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIAL
INVESTMENTS CONTEMPLATED
INCLUDING INVESTMENTS IN
OCCIDENTAL AND ALSO ON THIRD
AVENUE THAT WOULD ENABLE
ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIAL STREET
IMPROVEMENTS IN TIME FOR THE
WORLD CUP.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SPOTTS
AND ON THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE AN
EXCERPT OF THE ROAD MAP
ATTACHMENT EIGHT PROPOSED LEVY
IN FRONT OF ME AND I WAS GOING
TO NOTE THE SAME THING BUT
THOSE ARE CONTINGENT
INVESTMENTS, CONTINGENT UPON
APPROVAL BY VOTERS AND VOTERS
ARE GOING TO DECIDE BUT SHOULD
THAT PASS, SO THERE IS A
CATEGORY INVESTMENT FOR PEOPLE,
STREETS, CAPITAL PROJECTS TO
DESIGN, IMPLEMENT AN CREATE
PROJECTS TO ESTIMATE DISTRICTS
AND A FOCUS ON HIGH EQUITY
PRIORITY AREAS, IMPROVEMENTS
COULD INCLUDE REDESIGNED
STREETS, SEATING, WAYFINDING,
LIGHTING AND ACTIVATION AND HE
CALLS OUT AND ANTICIPATE A LIST
OF PROJECTS INCLUDING THE
OCCIDENTAL PROMENADE PROJECT
AND SO I GUESS AND THEN THE
THIRD AVENUE PROJECT YOU
MENTIONED IS UNDER A SEPARATE
ONE OF THE 11 PROPOSED SPENDING
CATEGORIES IN THE LEVY, BUT SO,
JUST A PLUG. MY SENSES PROBABLY
WERE ALIGNED ANYWAY ON THIS BUT
SHOULD THAT PASS WE SHOULD
PRIORITIZE SO THE OCCIDENTAL
PROMENADE PROJECT WOULD CONNECT
PEOPLE TO STADIUMS FOR PIONEER
SQUARE AND IT IS PRIMARILY A
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENT FEATURE
SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE READY
TO IMPLEMENT THAT ASAP QUICKLY,
QUICKLY, QUICKLY, QUICKLY SO
THAT IT IS READY IN 20 YEARS IN
THE THIRD AVENUE STUFF AS WELL.
BUT ANYWAYS, SO THANK YOU. MR.
CHAIR, I HAVE NO OTHER COLOR
COMMENTARY, IF I MAY. GO AHEAD
AND CLOSE US OUT.
>> THANK YOU. I KNOW WE WILL
HAVE THE DEPARTMENT BACK NEXT
MONTH SO I WILL GIVE US A
LITTLE BIT OF TIME BACK FOR
LUNCH RIGHT NOW. COLLEAGUES, I
ALSO WANT TO IDENTIFY A CHANGE
IN OUR DEPARTMENT BRIEFING
SCHEDULE. BECAUSE WE ARE TAKING
A DEEPER LOOK AT THE INTERNAL
SERVICES THROUGH OUR ONGOING
THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANTS AND
ADDITIONAL WE ARE GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT THAT PRETTY DEEPLY
AND WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF
PUBLIC SAFETY ON OUR STREETS WE
WILL BE SWITCHING THE INTERNAL
SERVICES FOR THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT THIS COMING
WEDNESDAY. WITH THAT, IF THERE
ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR ITEMS
TO COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
BEFORE OUR RECESS, WE WILL --
>> MR. CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO
OFFICIALLY CLOSE US OUT AS
CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT
OVERSEES THIS DEPARTMENT AND I
JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY
APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE
TOWARD YOU ALL FOLKS AT THE
TABLE AND THEN SORT OF IN THE
AUDIENCE HERE THAT ME AND MY
OFFICE HAVE WORKED WITH AND
ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE AT SDOT
THAT DO THE WORK EVERY DAY OF
THE HARD WORK EVERY DAY OF
REPAIRING POTHOLES AND STAFFING
THE OPERATIONS CENTER AND
MAINTAINING OUR BRIDGES AND
FOUR DRAWBRIDGE IS ACTUALLY
LIKE PULLING LIKE MAKING SURE
WE ENABLE THAT. BUT AND MAKE
THE SIGNS AND DEPLOY THE SIGNS.
I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO
PERSONALLY VISIT ALL THE STOPS
AND WE WILL DO MORE NEXT YEAR.
I WANT TO LIST STUFF I CAN DO
AND VISIT IN TOURS WITH SDOT
BECAUSE IT IS SO COMPLEX BUT SO
ARE REMARKABLY IMPORTANT AND
STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE
CITY AND THIS IS HOW WE
DEMONSTRATE VALUE TO THE
TAXPAYERS AND WE DO THAT IN A
NUMBER OF WAYS INCLUDING BY
MAKING SURE WE HELP CONNECT
PEOPLE TO PLACES AND
EXPERIENCES SAFELY AND RELIABLY
THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO THANK
YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU
ALL DO. LEARNED A LOT TODAY.
AND, LOOKING FORWARD TO
CONTINUING TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK
AND HELP IN PARTNERING WITH MY
COLLEAGUES AND THE EXECUTIVE TO
MAKE SURE OUR OUTPUTS AND OUR
OUTCOMES AND OUR RESULTS ARE
EVEN BETTER. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
SAKA. WITH THAT, IT IS 12:12.
THIS AFTERNOON WE WILL HAVE THE
PARKS DEPARTMENT WITH
COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH AS
THE CHAIR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION AND EARLY LEARNING
WITH VICE CHAIR RIVERA AS THE
CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE SO WITH
THAT, WE ARE ON RECESS UNTIL
2:00 P.M. THANK YOU.