AWARD-WINNING FEDERAL CHANNEL,
WE ARE BACK ONLINE. COLLEAGUES,
COMING BACK FROM RECESS HERE.
OCTOBER 18 SELECT BUDGET
COMMITTEE MEETING WILL COME
BACK TO ORDER. IT IS 1:49 P.M.
IT IS 1:49 P.M. I AM DOWN
STRAUSS, CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE. WILL THE KIRK --
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
>> [ ROLL CALL ]
>>
SIX PRESENT.
>> THINKING. COMING BACK TO
ORDER. THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.
WE WANT TO DIG DEEP INTO THESE
TOPICS AND STAY ON A GOOD
SCHEDULE TODAY. WE HAVE TWO
PRESENTATIONS LEFT THIS
AFTERNOON. THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM, AND THEN OFFICE OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WITH NO
FURTHER ADO, CLERK, PLEASE READ
THE THIRD ITEM OF BUSINESS INTO
THE RECORD .
>> AGENDA ITEM 3, YOU KIND --
UNIFIED CARE TEAM BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION. WE ARE GOING TO
PASS IT OVER TO JEN LEBRACQUE
AND DIRECTOR NOBLE.
>> HELLO. IT AFTERNOON. I AM
CENTRAL STAFF ANALYST . I'M
HERE TODAY TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM. THIS
PRESENTATION WILL BE A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE
OTHER POLICY CONSIDERATIONS,
BECAUSE THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM
DOES STRADDLE MULTIPLE
DEPARTMENTS. THIS IS A POLICY
CONSIDERATION BECAUSE THERE ARE
SEVERAL POLICY CONSIDERATIONS
FOR COUNCIL, AND ALSO BECAUSE
THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY OR
FORMAT TO SYNTHESIZE
INFORMATION ACROSS DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS AND PUT IT ALL IN
ONE PLACE TO PROVIDE AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS
HAPPENING WITH THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM IN THIS BUDGET. OVERALL,
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM BUDGET
INCREASES BY 22% FROM THE 2024
ADOPTED BUDGET TO THE 2025
PROPOSED BUDGET WITH A 29%
INCREASE IN DEDICATED UNIFIED
CARE TEAM STAFF DURING THE SAME
TIME PERIOD. SOME OF THOSE
INCREASES IN BUDGET AND
STAFFING ARE DUE TO CHANGES
THAT OCCURRED WITH THE 2024
MIDYEAR SUPPLEMENTAL ORDINANCE
, WHICH I WILL GO INTO IN
FURTHER DETAIL IN A MOMENT. THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM BUDGET
INCREASES 3% FROM 2025 TO 2026.
THERE IS NO INCREASE IN FTE
DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.
LET ME JUST STOP TO DO WHAT I
SHOULD'VE DONE BEFORE, AND
JUST SAY FOR A MOMENT, WHAT IS
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM? IT IS A
CROSS DEPARTMENTAL EFFORT
COORDINATED THROUGH THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE TO ADDRESS
UNSANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS AND
MAINTAIN PUBLIC SPACES. IT WAS
IMPLEMENTED IN 2022 AFTER THE
CITY HAD TRIED SEVERAL OTHER
DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR
ADDRESSING UNSANCTIONED
ENCAMPMENTS. AS YOU CAN SEE
FROM THIS CHART, IT REALLY DOES
INVOLVE THE INVOLVEMENT OF
MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS
WITH EACH DEPARTMENT PLAYING A
UNIQUE ROLE IN TERMS OF
IMPLEMENTING THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM. SO HSV DOES OUTREACH AND
REFERRALS, FINANCIAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE PROVIDES
CUSTOMER SERVICE, SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DOES THE CLEANING , SITE
VISITS, INSPECTIONS GENERALLY
IN THE SOUTH PART OF THE CITY,
SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION
PROVIDES THE SAME SERVICE,
GENERALLY AT THE NORTH PART OF
THE CITY, SEATTLE POLICE
DEPARTMENT PROVIDE SAFETY AND
COMPLIANCE, SEATTLE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES GIs
TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, AND SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES PROVIDES
MEDIATION AND TRASH MITIGATION,
INCLUDING THE BACK PROGRAM.
AGAIN, BECAUSE SO MANY
DEPARTMENTS ARE INVOLVED, THIS
PRESENTATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SYNTHESIZE THAT INFORMATION
INTO ONE PLACE IN ORDER TO
PROVIDE SOME OVERVIEW OF THE
CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN
THE CURRENT BUDGET. I'M SORRY,
IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. I WANT
TO TALK FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES
ABOUT THE INCREASES IN THE NEW
CT BUDGET. -- UNIFIED BUDGET.
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR REASONS
FOR THE INCREASE. THE FIRST
WERE CHANGES MADE IN THE 2024
MIDYEAR SUPPLEMENTAL, WHICH
COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY PASSED LAST
YEAR. THOSE CHANGES WERE NOT
REFLECTED IN THE 2024 ADOPTED
BUDGET . THE MIDYEAR
SUPPLEMENTAL ADDED 19 FTE
POSITIONS TO THE HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT TO SUPPORT THE UCT.
THAT INCLUDED 14 COUNSELOR
POSITIONS, WHICH WILL SUPPORT
OUTREACH , PROVIDE REFERRALS TO
SHELTER DURING ENCAMPMENT
REMOVALS, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT
TO INDIVIDUALS TO MOVE OUT OF
IMMEDIATE HAZARD AND
OBSTRUCTION LOCATIONS. FIVE OF
THE POSITION ADDITIONS WERE
ALSO REGIONAL COORDINATORS ,
FOUR OF WHICH WERE ALREADY
FILLED THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE
MEANS. THE SECOND REASON BEHIND
THE INCREASE OF THE PROOF
REAGENTS FOR THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM IS INCREASED STAFFING TO
SUPPORT UCT OPERATIONS. THAT
INCLUDES ONGOING FUNDS FOR UCT
DIRECTOR. THE DIRECTOR WAS AN
EXISTING POSITION THAT HAD USED
ONE-TIME FUNDS . SO THIS BUDGET
ADDS , PROVIDES ONGOING
FUNDING. THE PROPOSED BUDGET
ALSO ADDS FUNDING FOR A NEW UCT
ADMINISTERED TO SPECIALIST --
LET ME BACK UP. THE PROPOSED
BUDGET ALSO PROVIDES FUNDING,
ESSENTIALLY, FOR TWO NEW
CUSTOMER SUPPORT POSITIONS FOR
THE UCT. FINALLY, THE THIRD
REASON FOR THE INCREASE IN
APPROPRIATIONS IS AN EXPANSION
OF UNIFIED CARE CAPACITY,
INCLUDING ALLOWING THE UNIFIED
CARE TEAM TO MOVE FROM
OPERATING JUST FIVE DAYS A WEEK
TO BEING ABLE TO OPERATE ON THE
WEEKENDS. SO OPERATING SEVEN
DAYS A WEEK. THE PROPOSED
BUDGET ADDS FUNDING TO EXPAND
THE UCT THE -- CAPACITY WITH
FOUR FIELD TEAMS, A TOTAL OF 12
TEAMS. THOSE TEAMS WILL BE FULL
TIME, AND SO, THAT DOES ALLOW
THEM TO BE STAFFED TO WORK ON
THE WEEKENDS AND TO ALLOW THE
STAFF TO WORK FULL TIME, BUT
ALSO BE DOING SOME WORK ON
MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS, SO IT IS
ALSO AN EXPANSION OF ACTIVITY
DURING THE REGULAR WORK WEEK AS
WELL. THE BUDGET ALSO ADDS
$300,000 TO HST FOR EXPANDED
SHELTER INTAKE HOURS DURING THE
WEEKEND. SO IF THERE IS AN
ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION AND
OFFERS OF SHELTER ARE MADE,
THOSE SHELTERS WOULD BE ABLE TO
HAVE STAFF ON-SITE TO PROCESS
INTAKE DURING THE WEEKEND
HOURS. THAT IS A GENERAL
OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN THE BUDGET. LET ME STOP
THERE BEFORE I GO INTO ANY
POLICY CONSIDERATIONS.
>> THANK YOU, JENNIFER. I WILL
TAKE A LITTLE OPENING BECAUSE
THIS IS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
RATHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT, AND
THEN I CAN PASS IT TO
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE SHOULD SHE
LIKE TO MAKE STATEMENTS ON THE
OVERALL BUDGET. I TALKED AT
LEAST WHEN THIS WAS DISCUSSED
ON THE FIRST DAY OF CENTRAL
STAFF PRESENTATIONS. MAYBE IT
WAS WHEN CBO WAS HERE . I'M
NOT GOING TO GO OVER
EVERYTHING. WHAT I WILL SAY IS
THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN 2019
AND 2024, THE CHANGE BETWEEN
THE NAVIGATION TEAM TO THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM IS GOOD AND
IMPORTANT , AND WE ARE
ACHIEVING BETTER OUTCOMES. AND
THERE IS MORE WORK TO DO TO
IMPROVE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY
MODEL. IT IS A SITUATION WHERE
HAVING FEWER EMPLOYEES DOES NOT
MAKE THIS WORK BETTER . IT DOES
NOT HELP US, NECESSARILY. IF
ANYTHING, WEI AM NOTICING
THE TV MONITORS FOR THE SEATTLE
CHANNEL HAVE GONE BLANK. THEY
ARE BACK NOW. THOSE ARE THE
OUTCOMES. IT TAKES MORE, NOT
FEWER, CASE MANAGERS TO WORK
WITH AND ASSIST THE FOLKS
LIVING ON OUR STREETS. A LOT OF
THE WORK IN THAT CHART YOU HAVE
UP RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE IT IS
NOT NECESSARILY MOVING PEOPLE
AROUND. IT IS CLEANING UP
TRASH. IT IS MAINTAINING OPEN
SPACES IN THE PARKS OR
SIDEWALKS , IN FRONT OF OUR
LIBRARIES . I WILL LET YOU GO
THROUGH YOUR POLICY
CONSIDERATIONS AND COME BACK TO
SOME OF THESE THINGS AT THE
END. I WILL JUST SAY THAT ONE
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES
BETWEEN THE NAVIGATION TEAM AND
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM IS IN THE
NAVIGATION TEAM DAYS SEATTLE
POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS LEADING
THE FIRST LINE OF THIS OUTREACH
WORK, WHICH WAS -- CREATED
CHALLENGES FOR HAVING
MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH
PEOPLE ON THE STREET. WE SEE
THAT SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
IS STILL A LINE ITEM. THEIR
ROLE IS VERY DIFFERENT TODAY. A
THEY ARE PROVIDING SECURITY FOR
UNIONIZED WORKERS AND OTHER
CITY WORKERS. SOME OF THEIR
WORK DOES NOT REQUIRE THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND
SOME DOES. IT KIND OF DEPENDS.
WITH THAT, COUNCILMEMBER MOORE,
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY
OVERALL?
>> NO. I JUST WANT TO SAY DITTO
TO YOUR COMMENTS.
>> GREAT. BACK TO YOU,
JENNIFER.
>> THE FIRST POLICY
CONSIDERATION IS AROUND
SPECIFIC AREAS OF FOCUS FOR
EXPANDED UCT CAPACITY. AS I
NOTED, THIS BUDGET DOES FUND
THE EXPANSION OF UNIFIED CARE
TEAM ACTIVITIES FROM FIVE DAYS
A WEEK TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,
INCLUDING THE WEEKENDS. ALSO,
IT ALLOWS FOR MORE CAPACITY ON
MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS. THE
EXECUTIVE HAS NOT IDENTIFIED
THE SPECIFIC AREAS OR SITES FOR
EXPANDED UCT CAPACITY. WHAT
THEY HAVE SAID IS THAT THEY
WILL DETERMINE SITES TO BE
SERVED ON THE WEEKENDS USING
THE SAME DATA DRIVEN
METHODOLOGY THEY DO FOR
DETERMINING REALLY HOW TO
PRIORITIZE EXISTING UCT
CAPACITY. FOR WEEKEND ACTIVITY
IN PARTICULAR, THE DATA THEY
WILL USE TO INFORM
DECISION-MAKING WILL INCLUDE
THE FREQUENCY OF REPOPULATION,
WHICH MEANS HOW OFTEN AN
ENCAMPMENT IS REMOVED , AND
THEN RETURNS. IT WILL ALSO
INCLUDE THE AMOUNT OF TRASH
ACCUMULATION HAPPENING OVER THE
WEEKEND. YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH
WHETHER AN ENCAMPMENT IS
CAUSING MAJOR ACCESSIBILITY
ISSUES , FOR EXAMPLE, BY BEING
ON THE SIDEWALK OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT. THE EXECUTIVE HAS
SAID THEY WILL REGULARLY
EVALUATE DATA AND FOCUS ON
DIFFERENT SITES ON THE WEEKENDS
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE
YEAR DEPENDING ON THE HIGHEST
NEED AT A PARTICULAR TIME.
OPTIONS HERE ARE THAT COUNCIL
COULD ADOPT A STATEMENT OF
LEGISLATIVE INTENT PROVIDING
FURTHER DIRECTION TO THE
EXECUTIVE ON HOW AND WHERE THEY
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL
UCT CAPACITY DEPLOYED. THEY
COULD ADOPT A SLI REQUESTING
REGULAR REPORTING FROM THE
EXECUTIVE ON HOW EXPANDED UCT
CAPACITY IS DEPLOYED. AS
CONTEXT, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS, COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A
MAYOR'S TO -- SLI REQUESTING
ORDERLY REPORTS ON ACTIVITIES
AND REPORTING ON DEPLOYMENT OF
UCT CAPACITY AND EXPANDED
CAPACITY COULD BE INTEGRATED
INTO THAT SLI SHOULD COUNCIL
CHOOSE TO ADOPT IT AGAIN. OR NO
CHANGE. I DO WANT TO NOTE THE
EXECUTIVE HAS STRESSED TO ME
THEY FEEL ONE OF THE REASONS
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM HAS BEEN
ABLE TO BE AFFECT IS BECAUSE
THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT HOW TO PRIORITIZE THOSE
RESOURCES USING DATA , AND THAT
THEY HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE
TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO USE
THAT SAME METHODOLOGY FOR THE
EXPANDED CAPACITY AS WELL.
>> WONDERFUL. UNLESS -- I AM
GOING TO JUMP IN. I WILL TELL
YOU WHEN I WORK WITH THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM, MY FAVORITE
RESPONSE FROM THEM IS DATA.
THAT CAN BE IN ONE OF TWO WAYS,
THE DATA DOESN'T SUPPORT WHAT
YOU ARE ASKING FOR, OR IT DOES.
WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THAT IS
THAT IN THE -- WITHOUT DATA,
THE TEAM WOULD BE RESPONDING TO
WHOEVER IT WAS THE LOUDEST ,
NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS THE
GREATEST NEED. THAT HAS BEEN A
SHIFT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS
AND HOW WE DO HOMELESSNESS
RESPONSE. IT IS SOMETHING I
REALLY APPRECIATE. I WILL SAY
THAT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK IS
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE AGAIN, RIGHT
NOW WHERE WE ARE IS, AND I WILL
SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRASH,
NOT AS THOROUGHLY ABOUT PEOPLE,
BECAUSE TRASH IS ONE OF THE
BIGGER PARTS OF THIS WORK. BY
THE TIME UCT GOES ON A MONDAY
AND TUESDAY, THERE CATCHING UP
FROM THE WEEKEND. SO BY
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THERE
GETTING AHEAD, BY FRIDAY THEY
MIGHT HAVE ONE STEP FORWARD,
AND THEN ON MONDAY THEY ARE TWO
STEPS BEHIND AGAIN. I WILL ALSO
SAY THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT
WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM SERVICES TO
OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE WORKING 9
TO 5. I HAVE MY DISTRICT OFFICE
AT THE BALLARD LIBRARY. IT IS
REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE ALL
WEEK THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT
SLEEP THERE AT NIGHT, BUT THEY
TAKE OFF IN THE MORNING, AND
THERE IS A MORE PROSOCIAL
BEHAVIOR THAT IS OCCURRING
DURING THE WEEK THEN ON THE
WEEKEND. I DON'T THINK THAT IS
BECAUSE , OR NOT BECAUSE OF THE
UCT, BUT WHAT I SEE IS THAT
THEY DO SHOW UP AND SUPPORT THE
REMOVAL OF THE TRASH, CREATES
THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THE
PEOPLE LIVING OUT THERE , AND
CREATES AN INCREASE OVERALL OF
PUBLIC SAFETY IN A PLACE THAT
MOST FOLKS WERE USING THE
LIBRARY ON THE WEEKEND ARE NOT
USING IT DURING THE WEEK , AND
THE WEEKEND IS WHEN WE NEED TO
HAVE THAT SPACE FEELING THE
MOST WELCOMING. THOSE ARE MY
THOUGHTS. IS WE HAVE
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES.
>> THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ASK
A LOT OF QUESTIONS, IN THESE OR
MAYBE JUST TO GO INTO THE
SHAREPOINT IF WE HAVE NOT
ALREADY ASKED THEM. I'M NOT
SURE YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION
AVAILABLE, BUT GETTING TO THIS
POINT ABOUT DATA, FIRST I THINK
IT IS IMPORTANT , AS WE ALL
HAVE ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED ,
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS
MONTH , POINTING OUT THAT
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS ONE OF THE
LEADING CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS
FOR WOMEN. WE HAVE HEARD THAT
THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 4000
REMOVALS LAST YEAR , THIS YEAR,
SO FAR. ONE OF THE THINGS WE
HEARD IN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS
THAT WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING
REMOVED REPEATEDLY. WE HAVE HAD
FOLKS SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE
BEEN SWEPT SEVERAL TIMES, WHICH
WE KNOW INCREASES THE
INSTABILITY IN THEIR LIVES. I
AM INTERESTING TO KNOW HOW MANY
OFFERS OF PERMANENT HOUSING UCT
HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT PEOPLE
TO . IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE
TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO PERMANENT
HOUSING, WHY NOT? AND WHAT THAT
RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE BEFORE
FOLKS ARE REMOVED . I AM
INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW ADDING
19 NEW STAFF WOULD HELP
ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE INTO
HOUSING . WE CAN SEND ALL THIS
TO YOU AFTERWARD . YOU KNOW, IF
I AM LOOKING AT THIS RATE,
WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT $30
MILLION ON REMOVALS, BUT ONLY
ABOUT $11 MILLION ON ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE SERVICES, ABOUT 13
OR ALMOST 14 ON HOUSING AND
SHELTER. AND SO, I WOULD BE
INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW THE
DECISION WAS MADE, THE ANALYSIS
, THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. I
DON'T KNOW PRECISELY HOW YOU
TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT HOW THE
DECISION WAS MADE TO INVEST SO
MUCH IN MOVING PEOPLE AROUND
RATHER THAN INVESTING IN MORE
PERMANENT SOLUTIONS. I GUESS
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO ASK
IS, IF WE ARE EXPANDING THE
CASE MANAGERS , BUT WE ARE
REDUCING FUNDING FOR SHELTER
SERVICES, THE MEMO INDICATES
THAT WE WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN
THE ABILITY TO CONDUCT
UNSANCTIONED SWEEPS , AND UNDER
THE, WE KNOW THERE IS NO
REQUIREMENT THAT SHELTER BE
OFFERED IF THEY ARE REMOVED FOR
OBSTRUCTION. WE HAD A MEMO FROM
THE MAYOR LAST YEAR , OR MAYBE
THE YEAR BEFORE, BASICALLY,
DEFINING ANY AN ENCAMPMENT AS
AN OBSTRUCTION. I'M JUST
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE
OF CASE MANAGERS IF THERE ARE
NO SHELTERS FOR PEOPLE TO GO
TO, BUT WE ARE INCREASING THE
CAPACITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE
REMOVED.
>> I WILL ANSWER WHAT I KNOW,
AND THEN WE CAN POST ANY
FOLLOW-UPS. I WILL SAY THAT, AS
YOU MAY BE AWARE, THERE IS A
PERCENTAGE OF CITY FUNDED
SHELTER UNITS THAT ARE SET
ASIDE FOR THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM. THOSE ARE ONES THAT ARE
OPEN . IF THERE IS AN OPENING,
THEY ARE REFERRED -- RESERVE
FOR THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM. THE
CARE TEAM JUST GENERALLY, IF
THEY ARE GOING TO REFER
SOMEONE, THEY REFER THEM TO
SHELTER. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY
ARE NOT GOING THROUGH THE
PROCESS OF DIRECTLY CONNECTING
SOMEONE TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
THAT IS, IN PART, BECAUSE WE
HAVE A COORDINATED ENTRY
SYSTEM. IT IS DESIGNED TO GO
THROUGH THE PRIORITIZATION
PROCESS. WHAT I HAVE JUST HEARD
IS THAT WHEN AN ENCAMPMENT IS
BEING REMOVED, IT IS OFTEN --
OFTEN HAPPENING ON A RELATIVELY
QUICK TIMELINE, AND SO, THE
IDEA WOULD BE TO REFER TO
SOMEONE TO SHELTER BECAUSE
GOING THROUGH THE COORDINATED
ENTRY PROCESS MAY TAKE LONGER
AND THE TIMELINE MIGHT NOT
ALIGN WITH THE ACTIVITY AT THE
ENCAMPMENT. THAT IS ONE ANSWER.
BUT CERTAINLY, IF YOU WANT MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT EFFORTS , WE
CAN POST THAT. JUST A STATEMENT
THAT YOU MADE , YOU KNOW, THE
IDEA HERE IS TO BUILD THE
RELATIONSHIP, CREATED BY LIST,
START TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING
OF THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF
PEOPLE. BUT WE KNOW THAT AT
LEAST ONE OF THE INDIVIDUAL
NEEDS IS HOUSING . IF WE ARE
NOT ACTUALLY MAKING THAT
CONNECTION AND DOING THAT
THROUGHPUT INTO A PLACE TO
STAY, THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING
WITH THESE RESOURCES? I THINK
THAT IS A THING WE STRUGGLE
WITH, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT
IF PEOPLE ARE REMOVED FROM A
SIDEWALK OR A PARK OR A BUS
STOP, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING
INTO A STABLE PLACE TO BE, THEY
ARE JUST GOING TO SHOW UP A
BLOCK AWAY IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS WHAT
HAPPENS. WE SEE THE MOVE DOWN
THE STREET A COUPLE DAYS LATER.
THAT JUST MAKES THE NEXT
NEIGHBORHOOD MAD, AND THE NEXT
NEIGHBORHOOD MAD. I GUESS MY
POINT WITH THIS IS , YOU KNOW,
FULLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM WORKS TO
CLEANUP SITES, THAT THEY REFER
PEOPLE TO SERVICES AND MAY
REFER INTO WHAT WOULD
EVENTUALLY BECOME A PERMANENT
PLACE TO STAY , IT STILL SEEMS
TO ME , HONESTLY, FISCALLY
IRRESPONSIBLE . THE FISCALLY
RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO WOULD
BE TO DIRECT THE FUNDS TO
HOUSING, SHELTER, SERVICES WE
KNOW PEOPLE NEED IN ORDER TO
GET OFF THE STREETS. INSTEAD OF
PAYING $30 MILLION A YEAR OR
MORE FOR MOVING PEOPLE AROUND.
YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, RARELY
RESULT IN PERMANENT STABILITY
FOR PEOPLE. THAT IS REALLY THE
GOAL, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE
INVESTING IN THE THINGS THAT
LEAD US TO THAT GOAL AND STOP
SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY ON A
STRATEGY THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY
REDUCE THE OUTCOME WE ARE
LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ONE CLARIFICATION. THIS IS
ACTUALLY A POINT THAT GOES BACK
, THAT CONNECTS TO WHAT THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM AND PREVIOUS
PRESENTATION ON THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT -- WE DID
HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
BUDGET. SHELTER UNITS THAT MAY
BE AT RISK IN 2026. I DO WANT
TO SAY THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET
ALSO HAS NEW ONGOING FUNDING TO
SUSTAIN A SHELTER, 150 UNIT
SHELTER, IN THE CENTRAL
DISTRICT THAT ALSO HAD ONE TIME
FINDING THAT HAS NOW BEEN
EXTENDED AND DOES PROVIDE THE
NEW FUNDING TO MAINTAIN TINY
HOUSE VILLAGES. JUST SO
EVERYONE HAS ALL THE
INFORMATION THAT THERE IS SOME
MONEY IN THE BUDGET AS WELL TO
SUSTAIN EXISTING SHELTERS .
JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT
THERE BUT I APPRECIATE THAT,
KNOWING THAT 150 BEDS WILL BE
AVAILABLE, AND WE KNOW THAT WE
HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. IT IS
A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL ALSO NOTE
, I FORGOT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE
ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN
ATTENDANCE. THAT OCCURRED
BEFORE 2:00 P.M. OVER TO YOU
COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> JUST WANT TO GO ON THE
RECORD TO SAY THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. I
AM IN COMPLETE SUPPORT OF
POLICY OPTION B, WHICH IS TO
CONTINUE THE REPORTING. I
DON'T KNOW IF THAT SLI HAS TO
BE RENEWED EVERY YEAR . IT
WOULD BE MODIFIED SLIGHTLY.
WITH QUARTERLY REPORTS,
COLLEAGUES, ARE REALLY
INTERESTING AND PROVIDE A
REALLY , I THINK, NECESSARY
WINDOW INTO WHAT IS GOING ON ON
THE STREET. FOR EXAMPLE, TO
PIGGYBACK ON COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES'S., WHEN WE THINK
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
GETTING INTO HOUSING OR SHELTER
OR WHATEVER, THERE'S ALSO A
LIST OF REFUSED OR REFERRED BUT
DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
WORKING INTO THE HOUSING. THE
REFUSED PIECE IS INTERESTING.
WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THE OPTION
OF STOPPING SUITABLE FOR THE
BROAD VARIETY OF PEOPLE IN NEED
OUT THERE. ONE OF THE ISSUES IS
WHAT I HAVE NOTICED IS THAT ONE
OF THE SECOND AND THIRD
PRIORITIES IS WANTING TO
RECONNECT WITH FRIENDS OR
FAMILY ELSEWHERE. THAT IS JUST
ONE EXAMPLE. YOU BROUGHT UP THE
COORDINATED ENTRY PROGRAM,
WHICH IS PROBLEMATIC IN SOME
WAYS, BECAUSE IT IS A COMPLEX
PROCESS THAT IS GOVERNED BY
RULES. THERE IS NO REAL-TIME
INVENTORY OF HOUSING UNITS OR
BEDS AVAILABILITY AT ANY ONE
TIME. THAT IS AN ISSUE ALSO
THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. I
WOULD LOVE TO SEE AT SOME POINT
SOME RESOURCES ALLOCATED TO
TECHNOLOGY, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE UCT BUDGET , BUT NOT
NECESSARILY SAYING THIS YEAR.
ANYWAY, WHAT I WANTED TO REALLY
SAY IS THAT THIS IS A TEMPORAL
EXPANSION BUT NOT GEOGRAPHIC
EXPANSION. RIGHT? LET ME JUST
PROVIDE BACKGROUND. I ASKED
THAT BECAUSE TWO YEARS AGO THE
MAYOR , WHEN PUT IT FORWARD
THIS MODEL, WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE WOULD BE A DISTRICT,
TEAMS OF UNIFIED CARE TEAM
PEOPLE OUT THERE IN DIFFERENT
DISTRICTS, NOT NECESSARILY
CORRESPONDING TO COUNCIL
DISTRICT, BUT DISTRIBUTED
CITYWIDE. COUNCIL, I BELIEVE,
FOR THE MOST PART, REJECTED
THAT MODEL. THE FIRST YEAR THEY
SHIFTED THE FUNDING , BUT LAST
YEAR CAME BACK TO IN-HOUSE. HAS
THAT GEOGRAPHIC MODEL BEEN
IMPLEMENTED YET?
>> YES. THAT DISTRICT MODEL , I
THINK THEY CALL IT REGIONAL,
HAS BEEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED. THE
UCT IS ALREADY CITY WAY. SO
THIS IS A TEMPORAL EXPANSION OF
CAPACITY . BUT IT WAS ALREADY
CITYWIDE. NO CHANGE THERE.
>> GREAT. MY LAST POINT IS ,
WHERE IN THE BUDGET -- I WAS
THINKING I MIGHT SEE IT IN THIS
BUDGET ITEM, BUT WHERE IS THE
CLAWBACK OF RESOURCES THE CITY
TOOK BACK FROM CASEY OR A.J.
FOR OUTREACH SERVICES.
>> GREAT QUESTION. PARTLY IT IS
ITEM NUMBER ONE. PART OF THE
2024 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. HSE
TOOK BACK BOTH HOMELESSNESS
PREVENTION AND OUTREACH
CONTRACTS . THERE CONTINUES TO
BE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR
HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH CONTRACTS
HSV REBID THAT AND HOUSE NOT
ANNOUNCED THE AWARD YET,
THINK THAT IS COMING SOON. THAT
MANY LIVES IN THE HOMELESSNESS
DIVISION AT HSD. THEN THEY TOOK
PART OF THE MONEY THAT USED TO
BE AVAILABLE FOR HOMELESSNESS
CONTRACTS AND USED IT TO HIRE
THOSE 19 COUNSELOR POSITIONS
THAT ARE NOW PART OF THE UCT
THAT ARE DOING DIRECT OUTREACH
TO PEOPLE IN UNSANCTIONED
ENCAMPMENTS. THAT IS THE
CONNECTION. ESSENTIALLY, THEY
REDUCED THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE
FOR HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH
CONTRACTS BY ABOUT, I THINK,
1,000,000 1/2, AND USED THAT TO
HIRE UCT STAFF WHO DO OUTREACH
AND ARE BASED IN THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
THAT.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT. I WILL SHARE MY
RECOLLECTION OF WHAT YOU JUST
SHARED, BECAUSE IT IS
DIFFERENT. I'M NOT SAYING ANY
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT MY
RECOLLECTIONS THAT THE
GEOGRAPHIC SCOPING STARTED IN
2020 WHEN WE HAD THE PROVISO
FOR OUTREACH FUNDS TO HAVE
DISTRICT SPECIFIC OUTREACH
WORKERS THAT LIT INTO THE
WOODLAND PARK ENCAMPMENT
RESOLUTION THAT ENDED WITHOUT A
SWEEP, WHICH LED INTO UNIFIED
CARE TEAM BEING CITYWIDE ONE
TEAM, WHICH LED INTO THE
GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED DIVISIONS
, AT WHICH POINT THERE WAS A
PUSH TO SEND THAT MONEY TO KING
COUNTY. WE DID NOT TAKE THAT
STEP. INSTEAD, WE SAID , IF THE
KING COUNTY REGIONAL
HOMELESSNESS AUTHORITY IS READY
TO TAKE ON THIS WORK, WE WILL
PASS IT THERE. THEY HAVE NOT
YET BEEN READY, AND WE HAVE
RETAINED THIS BODY OF WORK THIS
ENTIRE TIME. I'M LOOKING AT
CENTRAL STAFF .
>> I THINK THE ONLY NUANCE I
WOULD ADD TO THAT IS THAT THE
CITY DID TRANSFER ITS
HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH CONTRACTS
TO KCRHA IN 2020. THEY WERE
MANAGING THE HOMELESSNESS
OUTREACH CONTRACTS UP UNTIL
EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN THE
EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCED THEY WERE
TRANSFERRING THEM BACK. SO THAT
HAS CHANGED THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS BUT YES. THAT IS A
CORRECT STATEMENT. THOSE
CONTRACTED OUTREACH WORKERS ARE
DIFFERENT THAN THE CASE
MANAGERS IN THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM.
>> I WOULD SAY THAT HSD IS
REALLY PAYING FOR CONTRACTED
OUTREACH, AND THEN THEY NOW
HAVE 14 OF THESE COUNSELOR
POSITIONS THAT ARE ALSO REALLY
DOING OUTREACH. YOU KNOW, THIS
MIGHT BE JUST A SEMANTICS
THING, BUT THEY ARE DOING
OUTREACH, THERE HELPING BUILD
RELATIONSHIPS, DOING WHAT THEY
CAN TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH
UNDERSTANDING THEIR OPTIONS ARE
AND GET I.D. AND ALL OF THAT. I
THINK WE MIGHT BE SAYING THE
SAME THING BUT
>> I THINK WE ARE SAYING THE
SAME THING. ONE OF THE THINGS
WE FOUND IS THAT WHEN KING
COUNTY REGIONAL HOMELESSNESS
AUTHORITY WITHHOLDING THESE
OUTREACH CONTRACTS, IT WAS
CREATING SPACE BETWEEN HER
UNIFIED CARE TEAM COUNSELORS
AND OUR CONTRACTED OUTREACH,
WHICH IS WHY IT IS HELPFUL TO
HAVE BOTH TOGETHER.
>> ACTUALLY, WHEN THE CITY
TRANSFERRED THOSE CONTRACTS
BACK , THEY REDUCE THE AMOUNT
OF CONTRACTS BY AND USED THAT
MONEY TO HIRE THOSE 14
COUNSELORS. THOSE COUNSELORS
DID NOT EXIST WHEN KCRHA WAS
MANAGING THE CONTRACTS.
>> WE DID HAVE --
>> IF YOU REGIONAL CORNINESS ON
THE GROUND. THAT IS CORRECT
THAT THERE WAS SOME STAFF, JUST
NOT AS MANY. THAT IS CORRECT.
>> THAT WAS MY HISTORY LESSON.
I WON'T MAKE MY POINT. I WILL
COUNSEL THAT PASS IT OVER TO
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
>> IT WAS A RESPONSE THE
RESPONSE TO MY STATEMENT. THAT
WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO
THIS AT THE END. COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS. I
JUST WANTED TO STATE MY SUPPORT
FOR THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM. I
THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO SO
. BY ALSO SUPPORT ITS EXPANSION
IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING INTO THE
WEEKEND. I THINK THAT IS
IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE REASONS
ALREADY DISCUSSED. I ALSO
SUPPORT ITS DISTRICT BASE THIS
PORT. I ALREADY HAVE BEEN OUT,
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE
WORK THEY ARE DOING. BEING A
DISTRICT TEAM , THEY GAIN THAT
KNOWLEDGE OF THE DISTRICT EQUAL
TO THE COMMUNITY GROUPS I MEET
WITH AND SPEAK WITH ON A
REGULAR BASIS. I ALSO SUPPORT
THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON
THE POINTS SHE WAS MAKING
REGARDING THE DATA POINTS TYING
INTO OPTION B. YOU KNOW, THERE
IS A PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCE
IN TERMS OF APPROACH ,
GENERALLY, BUT YOU KNOW, AS
MANY TIMES AS WE STATED IN THE
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I
THINK WE DO NEED TO LEAD WITH
COMPASSION AND HAVE EMPATHY FOR
THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO
HAVE THE WISDOM TO LOOK AT THE
NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES
OVERALL. WE HAVE THE BROADER
RESPONSIBILITY. THAT REALLY
DRIVES MY SUPPORT FOR THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM, AMONG OTHER
PROGRAMS LIKE IT. I JUST WANTED
TO END BY SAYING THANK YOU,
SPECIFICALLY TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE DISTRICT 7 KCRHA TEAM.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
>> THANK YOU. I TOO SUPPORT THE
EXPANSION OF THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM. I GUESS , WITH ALL DUE
RESPECT, COUNCILMEMBER MORALES,
YOU AND I JUST HAVE A
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT
WHETHER THERE IS A ROLE HERE
FOR GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE
STREETS IN A WAY THAT KCRHA HAS
DONE. -- UCT HAS DONE. MY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS THAT
PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING SWEPT .
THEY ARE NOT BEING SHOVED
ALONE. I MEET WITH THE UNIFIED
CARE TEAM EVERY WEEK . THERE IS
ONE WOMAN, IN PARTICULAR, HE
DOES CASE MANAGEMENT WORK. WE
NEED MORE CASE MANAGERS,
ABSOLUTELY. TO CHAIR'S ., WE
HAVE COME A LONG WAY, WE STILL
HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM FOR
PROGRESS , ABSOLUTELY. SHE HAS
NOT SWEPT A SINGLE PERSON. SHE
HAS ENCOUNTERED PEOPLE WITH
SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS , AND
SHE HAS SPENT -- WE HAD ONE
WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN LIVING IN
TRASH FOR MONTHS. SHE MET WITH
HER SEVERAL TIMES EVERY WEEK
FOR MONTHS . SHE GOT HER THREE
DIFFERENT PLACEMENTS . BECAUSE
OF HER OWN MENTAL HEALTH
CHALLENGES, EACH PLACEMENT SHE
TURNED DOWN, AND EVENTUALLY SHE
WENT HER OWN WAY. THAT WAS NOT
A SWEEP. THAT WAS A REFUSAL FOR
A VARIETY OF INTERNAL MENTAL
HEALTH REASONS TO NOT ACCEPT
THREE VERY GOOD OPTIONS. WE
HAVE HAD THAT HAPPEN WITH OTHER
PEOPLE AS WELL WHO COULD HAVE
GONE TO A TINY HOUSE VILLAGE ,
THEY COULD'VE GONE TO THE
OAKLAND SHELTER, BUT THEY
TURNED THEM DOWN. THEY WENT ON
THEIR OWN WAY. SOME PEOPLE DO
WIND UP THEN HAVING TO BE MOVED
, BECAUSE THEY ARE POSING A
HAZARD RISK TO THE REST OF THE
COMMUNITY. YES, SOMETIMES THEY
SHOW UP AGAIN , BECAUSE THEY
HAVE CHOSEN TO TURN DOWN THE
OFFERS OF SHELTER BECAUSE,
EITHER THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, OR IT WAS
AT THE SHELTER THAT SUITED
THEM. MANY OF THEM HAVE TURNED
THEM DOWN BECAUSE IT WASN'T A
TINY HOUSE VILLAGE. THAT GOES
TO MY OTHER POINT, WHICH IS
THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED MORE
TINY HOUSE VILLAGES. WE NEED
FOUR VILLAGES A HERE . I WILL
ALSO NOTE THAT IN LAKE CITY WE
HAVE LAKE CITY MAHANY PARK,
WHICH HAS A HUGE ENCAMPMENT .
MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE THEN
GIVEN SHELTER . WE NOW HAVE A
NEW ENCAMPMENT . HALF OF THOSE
PEOPLE IN THE ENCAMPMENT ARE
PERMANENTLY HOUSED . THERE
EITHER HOUSED IN THE TOWN THE
HOUSE VILLAGES OF THE ROAD ON
LAKE CITY, OR THEY ARE IN
SACRED MEDICINE HOUSE . IT IS
NOT ABOUT IF WE, YOU KNOW,
PROVIDE THE PERMANENT HOUSING
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME BACK
TO THE STREET AND HANG OUT. ONE
OF THE THINGS THE CASE MANAGER
IS DOING, AND WE JUST HAD A
CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, WAS,
HEY, THE SACRED MEDICINE HOUSE
KNOW THIS PERSON IS HANGING OUT
AT LAKE CITY PARK DOING DRUGS
EVERY DAY? MAYBE THEY COULD USE
SOME HELP WITH YOUR CASE
MANAGERS ON SITE. AND HEY, DOES
LAKE CITY TINY HOUSE VILLAGES
KNOW THAT SEVERAL OF YOUR
RESIDENTS ARE DOWN HERE
PUBLICLY USING AND SELLING
DRUGS? MAYBE THEY COULD USE
SOME HELP. BE THEY COULD GET
INTO TREATMENT. THE DISCUSSION
WAS HOW WE CREATE, HOW DO YOU,
THIS ONE PERSON, CREATE THOSE
COLLABORATIONS WITH THE SERVICE
PROVIDERS WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO
BE TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE THAT
WE ARE PROVIDING A LOT OF MONEY
TO THESE NONPROFIT PROVIDERS TO
PROVIDE THE SERVICES FOR.
THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. I
AM SO TIRED OF THIS NARRATIVE
THAT WE HAVE NO CONCERN , THAT
WE ARE SWEEPING. WE ARE NOT
SWEEPING. THOSE PEOPLE ARE CITY
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DOING GOD'S
WORK, IF YOU BELIEVE, AND IF
NOT, HUMANITY'S WORK NOT
EVERYBODY WHO IS ON THE STREET
WANTS TO BE OFF THE STREET.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE ARE
TRYING TO FUND THAT WILL HELP
PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO BE ON THE
STREET, BE MORE HEALTHY WHEN
THEY ARE ON THE STREET, AND
ALSO TO GET MORE PEOPLE. YEAH,
THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE
COORDINATED ENTRY. IT IS NOT
LIKE THE STATE PROGRAM. I WOULD
NOTE THE STATE PROGRAM, THEY
NEVER TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO
REFUSE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY
OR THE PEOPLE WHO MOVE ON . IT
IS ONLY PRESENTED AS A GLOWING
SUCCESS. IT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS,
BUT NOT 100% SUCCESS. YOU KNOW
WHAT? THEY HAVE MORE MONEY TO
DO WRAPAROUND SERVICES ALL THE
TIME. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO
COORDINATED ENTRY. WE DON'T.
UCT DOESN'T. THAT IS A POLICY
DECISION, BUT ALSO WE DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH HOUSING ANYWAY. BUT
THAT IS ALSO A POLICY DECISION.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS PEOPLE
NEED TO GET OFF THE STREET AND
GET INTO A TINY HOUSE VILLAGE
WHERE THEY CAN GET MORE
NORMALIZED AND BECOME READY TO
THEN MOVE INTO STABLE HOUSING
WHERE THEY WON'T BLOW OUT OF
STABLE HOUSING BECAUSE THEY
DON'T KNOW HOW TO FUNCTION IN
THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT. THEY
DON'T -- THEY HAVE NOT BEEN
ABLE TO REINTEGRATE. TINY HOUSE
VILLAGES ARE THERAPEUTIC STEPS
TO RECOVERY, TO PERMANENT
HOUSING . WHY DO WE HAVE ALL
THESE NONPROFIT PROVIDERS
COMING TO US AND ASKING FOR $30
MILLION IN STABILIZATION
FUNDING BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING
TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
-- THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS
TO FUNCTION ON THEIR OWN. THEY
NEED SIGNIFICANT WRAPAROUND
SERVICES , AND THEY NEED THE
TIME TO LEARN HOW TO
REINTEGRATE AND FUNCTION. WE
ARE NOT HAVING THESE
DISCUSSIONS. AS HONESTLY. WE
NEED TO HAVE THESE HONEST
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PUBLIC AND
STOP BEING IN THIS POSITION OF,
YOU ARE ALL SWEEPING, AND THIS
COUNCIL DOESN'T SUPPORT
COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE. UCT IS
COMPASSIONATE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE
TO DEAL WITH THE BROADER
COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH
ALL THE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF
TRASH AND DIRTY NEEDLES AND
FECES AND URINE THAT ARE SCHOOL
KIDS HAVE TO PASS EVERY DAY ,
THAT OUR SENIORS HAVE TO LOOK
AT EVERY DAY. AND THE OTHER
THING THAT UCT DOES IS ACTIVATE
PUBLIC SPACE . THAT IS ONE OF
THE THINGS THEY DID AT THE LAKE
CITY PARK. THEY BROADEN SUMMER
MOVIES. THEY BROUGHT IN DANCING
. THEY HAVE PUT IN TREES. THEY
ACTIVATE COMMUNITY SPACE. THIS
IS AN ESSENTIAL PROGRAM. IT
NEEDS TO BE BETTER, BUT IT IS
NOT ABOUT SWEEPING PEOPLE .
THANK YOU.
>> CHAIR OF THE HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE. THANK YOU
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE. COUNCIL
MEMBER SAKA.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER MOORE
FOR SHARING YOUR TRUTH AND YOUR
INSPIRE EFFICACY TOWARDS THIS
ISSUE , AND ALSO, SAME THING TO
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES. IT IS
EASY TO ALIGN ON SHARED GOALS ,
HIGH-LEVEL GOALS AND
PRIORITIES, EVEN , BUT IT IS
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO ALIGN ON
PHILOSOPHICAL DISAGREEMENTS . I
THINK THAT IS WHAT IS AT ISSUE
HERE. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE ALL
WILL CONTINUE COLLABORATING
TOGETHER DECRYING , BUT IN ANY
EVENT, I DO APPRECIATE THE
COMMENTS MADE. I WOULD JUST SAY
FOR MY PERSPECTIVE, I WILL
RESTATE , REEMPHASIZE MY STRONG
SUPPORT FOR THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE
WORK THEY DO. IT IS DIFFICULT
WORK . BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR
EVERY LAST ONE OF THE UCT
WORKERS , THE LEADERSHIP TEAM ,
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, INCLUDING
DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON, FOR
THEIR SUPPORT. THEY BUILT THIS
PROGRAM AND MADE A BETTER. IS A
PERFECT? IT IS NOT . IS A
BETTER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR?
YES. BETTER THAN PREVIOUS
ITERATIONS OF THAT FUNCTION AND
PROGRAM? YEAH. IS GOING TO BE
BETTER NEXT YEAR? ABSOLUTELY.
AND SO, ALL WE CAN DO IS
CONTINUE TO ITERATE GET BETTER
, IMPROVE, AND LEARN FROM
MISTAKES AND SHORTCOMINGS .
THAT IS THE JOURNEY OF LIFE.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO
REEMPHASIZE AND RESTATE MY
STRONG SUPPORT FOR UCT AND
THEIR EXPANSION HERE AS WELL .
ALSO, THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING
DATA INFORMED DECISIONS . I'M
GLAD THEY HAVE THAT RUBRIC . IT
IS A GREAT STARTING PLACE .
JUST LIKE I SAID BEFORE,
NOTHING IS SET IN STONE.
EVERYTHING CAN ALWAYS BE
IMPROVED AND BETTER, MADE
BETTER, INCLUDING THAT RUBRIC.
BUT IT DOES ENABLE AND EMPOWER
THE TEAM TO MAKE DATA INFORMED
DECISIONS. AND DIRECT RESOURCES
IN A TARGETED MANNER.
ULTIMATELY, FROM A CITYWIDE
PERSPECTIVE, IT WILL ULTIMATELY
DO MORE. THAT SAID, -- AND I
ALSO SUPPORT DATA INFORMED
DECISIONS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK
AT THE DATA, BY THE DATA, MY
DISTRICT, DISTRICT 1, HAS THE
HIGHEST NUMBER OF RV
ENCAMPMENTS. THE HIGHEST NUMBER
, DISTRICT 1. WHERE ARE THEY?
THEY ARE IN GEORGETOWN ,
SOUTHPARK , DELRAY BEACH. AREAS
AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED.
HISTORICALLY, THEIR
UNDERREPRESENTED. NOT ANYMORE,
BECAUSE I LIVE THERE, SO THERE
ARE NO LONGER UNDERREPRESENTED.
THEY'RE NOT IN MORE AFFLUENT
PARTS . THEY ARE GENERALLY NOT
IN MORE AFFLUENT PARTS IN MY
DISTRICT. NOT SO MUCH IN
ADMIRAL . NOT SO MUCH IN ALKI ,
ALONG THE WATER. THAT IS
UNACCEPTABLE . MY CONSTITUENTS
ARE FED UP WITH IT. I AM FED UP
WITH IT TOO. PART OF MY ANGER
AND PASSION. -- PARDON MY ANGER
AND PASSION. THEY'RE NOT GOING
TO ACCEPT IT, AND NOR AM I. SO
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
DATA, DATA STRONGLY SUPPORTS
MORE INVESTMENTS, ESPECIALLY ON
RV ENCAMPMENTS IN MY DISTRICT.
FED UP. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
JUST AS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
REFINE OUR PROCESSES AND
CRITERIA AND CONTINUE TO CHECK
IN AND MAKE A BETTER OVER AND
OVER AGAIN, IT IS A CONTINUOUS
PROCESS. A JOURNEY. WE CAN'T
GET TOO FOCUSED ON DATA AT ALL
TIMES, 100% OF THE TIME EITHER.
DATA -- CERTAIN COMPELLING
FACTORS ARE NOT EASILY
EXPRESSED IN THE QUALITATIVE OR
QUANTITATIVE, RATHER, TYPE OF
DATA THAT TYPICALLY APPEARS ON
THESE DATASHEETS . AND SO, IF
WE BLINDLY FOLLOW THE DATA,
THAT CAN POTENTIALLY LEAD TO
IVORY TOWER DECISION-MAKING,
WHICH WE WANT TO COMPLETELY
AVOID. WE NEED TO BE THOUGHTFUL
ABOUT OUR APPROACH. THE
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES, YOU
MENTIONED THAT , YOU KNOW, WE
ARE ESSENTIALLY MOVING AROUND
PEOPLE AND THEY APPEAR ONE
BLOCK OVER, AND THEN SOMETIMES
NEIGHBORS ARE UPSET, AND YOU
ARE RIGHT. SOMETIMES NEIGHBORS
ARE UPSET. THAT IS ONE OF MANY
FEELINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE WHEN
WE SEE PEOPLE LIVING IN SUCH
DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. ANGER IS
ONE. BUT THE SAYS THAT I GET
FOR MY CONSTITUENTS, THE
FEELINGS THAT ARE MORE OFTEN TO
ME ARE FEELINGS OF SADNESS AND
FRUSTRATION AT THE CITY, FOR
ALLOWING THAT. ALLOWING THAT IN
A LOT OF WAYS. IT IS COMPLEX. I
GET IT. PEOPLE ARE
FUNDAMENTALLY CONCERNED ABOUT
THE WELL-BEING OF OUR UNHOUSED
NEIGHBORS . I SHARE THAT TOO.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY OWN
DISTRICT, AGAIN, TODAY RIGHT
NOW ON THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND
PARK WAY SOUTHWEST AND WEST
MARGINAL WAY SOUTH THERE IS A
PERSON EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS IN THE MIDDLE --
IN THE CENTER MEDIAN. THEY HAVE
ERECTED A SHELTER OF SOME SORT
IN THE CENTER MEDIAN.
COLLEAGUES, THIS IS A HEAVY
TRAFFIC , HEAVY CARGO FREIGHT
CORRIDOR. SO DANGEROUS. I HAVE
BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF
CONSTITUENT REPORTS ABOUT THAT.
WE ARE DOWN A SERVICE PERSON
RIGHT NOW IN MY OFFICE. SO
MAYOR'S OFFICE, PLEASE HELP
THIS PERSON. WHEN I SEE THIS
PERSON, I'M NOT MAD. WHEN I
SEE THIS PERSON, AND I SAW HIM
LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS DRIVING
MY DAUGHTER TO SOCCER PRACTICE,
I AM SAD. WE CAN DO BETTER. I
STRONGLY SUPPORT CONTINUED
EXPANSION OF OUR UNIFIED CARE
TEAM . IT IS NOT PERFECT. WE
ARE GOING TO MAKE A BETTER.
ALSO, WE NEED A TARGET, ADOPT A
DATABASED APPROACH THAT SPREADS
THE RESOURCES TO WHERE THEY'RE
NEEDED MOST. LIKE I SAID, WE
ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
ANYMORE. WE ARE NOT TAKING IT.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER
SAKA. COLLEAGUES, I WILL ASK, I
KNOW THIS IS A PASSIONATE
TOPIC, BUT LET'S KEEP THE
LANGUAGE APPROPRIATE FOR
COUNCIL CHAMBERS , IS HOW I
WILL FRAMING TODAY.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, I DON'T
THINK I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOU
ONE THAT WILL. I'M EXCITED TO
PASS THE MIC RIGHT OVER TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO
EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR
EXPANSION OF THE UCT. I HAVE
DONE A RIDE ALONG WITH THE UCT.
I WANT TO FIRST START BY
ACKNOWLEDGING THE FOLKS THAT
WORK ON THE UCT ARE CITY
EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING
THIS WORK FOR A LONG TIME . I
WILL ALSO SAY THAT I APPRECIATE
DEPUTY MAYOR TIFFANY
WASHINGTON, BECAUSE SHE ALSO
WORKED AT HSD DOING THIS WORK ,
AND HAS BEEN DOING SO FOR MANY
YEARS. AND SO, THEY HAVE THE
EXPERIENCE OF DOING THIS WORK
AND WORKING WITH THIS
POPULATION OF INDIVIDUALS. I
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE , ALL THE
COMMENTS YOU MADE, PLUS 1 ON
THOSE. I WILL SAY THAT WHEN I
DID MY RIDE ALONG, ABSOLUTELY
TRUE, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE HOMES , WHO HAVE
APARTMENTS , PERMANENT, THAT
THEY CAN TRANSITION TO, BUT
THEY ARE AT THESE ENCAMPMENTS
FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. AND
SO, IT IS NOT TRUE THAT ALL THE
FOLKS THAT ARE AT ENCAMPMENTS,
I WILL RESTATE WHAT YOU SAID,
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE, BECAUSE IT
BEARS MENTIONING, IT IS
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE THAT ALL
THE INDIVIDUALS AT THE
ENCAMPMENTS DO NOT HAVE A PLACE
TO GO. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT WE
HAVE HEARD FROM FOLKS THAT ARE
WORKING ON THE THIRD AVENUE
PROJECT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT
THERE ARE FOLKS THERE THAT HAVE
PLACES TO GO TO, AND THEY DO
NOT WANT TO GO HOME BECAUSE
THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THOSE
NONPROFIT HOUSING HOUSING, THE
NON-FOR PROFIT HOUSING. THAT IS
ALL TRUE. WE SHOULDN'T BE, YOU
KNOW, WE NEED TO GIVE THE
FACTS. IT IS A COMPLICATED
ISSUE, AND IT IS NOT ALL -- YOU
KNOW, IT IS NOT ALL FOLKS THAT
ARE IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS WHO DO
NOT HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO. AS FOR
THE INVESTMENT, IT IS AN AND
APPROACH. WE SPEND A LOT OF
MONEY ON HOUSING. WE JUST
PASSED A $1 BILLION LEVY. THAT
IS IN ADDITION TO THE TENS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE
COLLECT FROM JUMPSTART. THAT IS
JUST FOR HOUSING AND CREATION
OF HOUSING. WE CREATE PERMANENT
HOUSING, WE CREATE PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND WE HAVE
AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE WHICH WE
SPENT $104 MILLION WITH KCRHA
TO HANDLE THE EMERGENCY
RESPONSE. THAT IS ASIDE FROM
ALL THE HUMAN SERVICES THAT WE
FUND RELATED TO TREATMENT AND
MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER
WRAPAROUND SERVICES. IS ATY. IT
IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT I
DON'T KNOW ANYONE UP HERE OR
IN THE CITY THAT I TALK TO THAT
DOES NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE
HAVING ACCESS TO HOUSING AND
THE SERVICES THEY NEED TO STAY
HOUSED. SO TO CHARACTERIZE THIS
AS OTHERWISE IS SIMPLY NOT
TRUE. IT IS ACTUALLY , QUITE
FRANKLY, DISRESPECTFUL . I'M
JUST GOING TO SAY , SO YES, YOU
ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COUNCIL
MEMBER SAKA THAT WE COULD HAVE
DIFFERENT APPROACHES, BUT WE
NEED TO ALSO GIVE FACTS. I AM
COMPELLED WITH FACTS. I HAVE A
SCIENCE BACKGROUND. I AM
DATA-DRIVEN. AND SO, YES, OUR
CONSTITUENTS ARE TIRED OF IT ,
BECAUSE THEY WANT BETTER FOR
PEOPLE. THE CONSTITUENTS THAT
ARE EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT
THIS IS NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T
CARE . IT IS BECAUSE THEY WANT
PEOPLE TO HAVE PLACES TO LIVE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE PEOPLE
STRUGGLING. IT IS SAD, AND IT
IS SAD FOR OUR KIDS WHO HAVE TO
WALK BY FOLKS AND SEE THIS. IT
IS ALSO SAD FOR THE FAMILIES
THAT ARE LIVING OUT THERE WITH
CHILDREN. THERE WAS AN
ENCAMPMENT IN MY DISTRICT THAT
UCT HELPED WITH. THERE WERE
CHILDREN LIVING IN THERE. NO
CHILD SHOULD BE LIVING IN AN
ENCAMPMENT . PERIOD. FULL STOP.
IT IS TRUE THAT THE UCT FOLKS
DO TALK TO PEOPLE AND ESTABLISH
RELATIONSHIPS. JUST BECAUSE
THAT MIGHT NOT BE WRITTEN
SOMEWHERE DOESN'T MEAN THEY
ARE NOT DOING IT. THEY'RE
ABSOLUTELY DOING IT. I AM GOING
TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS
DUE. UCT LEADS WITH COMPASSION.
I HAVE TALKED TO THE THEM. I
HAVE SEEN IT. I HAVE HEARD
ABOUT IT. I SUPPORT THIS
EXPANSION. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
DO MORE. WE ARE DOING MORE IN
LOTS OF SPACES, NOT JUST THIS
SPACE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. PRESIDENT NELSON.
>> GREAT TO HEAR SO MUCH LOVE
FOR THE UCT, BECAUSE I SHARE
THAT, AND IT IS VITAL WORK. I
WILL ADD ONE MORE THING. TAKING
UP ON COUNCILMEMBER MOORE'S
IMPASSIONED COMMENTS, I DO HAVE
TO SAY THAT HOMELESSNESS
ADVOCATES, AND ALSO DONALD
WHITEHEAD, WHEN YOU SPOKE AT
THE UPLIFT NORTHWEST LUNCHEON,
MADE THE POINT THAT ADDICTION
IS A FOUNDATIONAL ISSUE IN
HOMELESSNESS. UNLESS WE DEAL
WITH ADDICTION, THEN WE ARE
ONLY PERPETUATING THE PROBLEM.
THE SAME PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT
PEOPLE DON'T BECOME HOMELESS
BECAUSE OF ADDICTION, THEY
BECOME ADDICTED BECAUSE OF LIFE
ON THE STREETS. THEREFORE, WE
ARE COMPLICIT IF WE DON'T
RESOLVE IT CAN'T MISS. WERE
COMPLICIT WITH LEADING PEOPLE
TO PLACES THEY ARE VULNERABLE
TO THE DEALING AND THE FENTANYL
CRISIS. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THAT , IN CASE THERE IS
ANY MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT
I WAS SAYING, IN 2022 WHEN WE
ARE HAVING DELIBERATIONS ON THE
2023 BUDGET, THIS IS THE FIRST
YEAR THAT THE MAYOR BRANDED THE
MODEL WE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT,
UNIFIED CARE TEAM . I
UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WOULD GO OUT
TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY
BEFORE AND THERE WERE EFFORTS
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS WERE REPRESENTED.
WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO WAS
COUNSEL BUDGET ACTION HS D HS
D001, WHICH DID PASS. AND WAS
PUT INTO THE BALANCING PACKAGE.
THE TITLE IS REDUCED PROPOSED
POSITION OF AUTHORITY BY FIVE
FTE FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM IN HSD,
REPURPOSE 812 GENERAL FUND 2023
AND 812 2024 INCH HSD TO
INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE KCRHA
FOR HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH, ADD
4000 GF TO HSD FOR KCRHA
OUTREACH AND DATA SUPPORT. THAT
WAS WHAT WAS I REFERRING TO
WHEN WE TRIED TO DO THIS EARLY
ON. I TRIED TO PULL THAT OUT OF
THE BALANCING PACKAGE. THAT DID
NOT WORK. BUT SINCE THEN , WE
ARE EXPANDING. AND THAT IS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO. I FULLY
SUPPORT THIS BUDGET ACTION FOR
ALL THE REASONS SAID AT THE
DAIS.
>> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? I
SEE COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGS WAS.
>> I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
IF I'M READING CORRECTLY, I
JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK,
THE MEMO -- THANK YOU,
JENNIFER, FOR THE MEMO. IN MY
READING THE
PROPOSAL IS TO GO FROM 11
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES FOR HSD OUT
TO REACH AND REFERRAL TO
SHELTERS TO 32? FOR 2025
PROPOSED BUDGET?
>> THAT IS CORRECT, ALTHOUGH I
DO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THERE
ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED
BY THE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE
BASED IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
NOT ALL OF THOSE HSD FUNDED
POSITIONS ARE WORKING ON
OUTREACH AND REFERRAL. SUMMER
ACTUALLY IN THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS
THE UCT DIRECTOR FUNDED BY HSD
BUT IS REALLY SORTA BASED OUT
OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
PROVIDING COORDINATION. THE
EXPANSION IN STAFF RELATED
SPECIFICALLY TO OUTREACH IS THE
FIVE REGIONAL COORDINATOR
POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED AS
PART OF THE COUNCIL BUDGET
ACTION FIRST TRANSFERRED TO
KCRHA, NOW BACK TO HSD PLUS THE
14 COUNSELORS. REALLY, A NET
INCREASE OF 19 STAFF THAT ARE
FOCUSED ON OUTREACH AND
COORDINATION.
>> UNDERSTOOD. THAT MAKES
SENSE. I APPRECIATE IT. OF
ITALY, WE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE
SAID A LOT. REALLY, WE
APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE
UCT TEAM DOES. I KNOW THAT
PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN OPINIONS
AND CONTROVERSY AND ALL THE
STUFF, BUT I SEE THE UCT TEAM
AS THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS WHO GO OUT AND
ASSESS THE SITUATION , AND THEN
TRY TO FIGURE OUT, HEY, WHERE
CAN WE PUT THIS PERSON? HOW CAN
WE BE ABLE TO GET THEM CARE AND
HELP. THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB
OVER AT INTERLOCHEN FOR THREE
YEARS. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
DANGEROUS FOR A PERSON TO BE
LIVING ON THE HILLSIDE WITH
EXPLOSIONS. A LOT OF STUFF
GOING ON . THEY COULDN'T EVEN
GET TO THAT PERSON UNTIL THE
WEATHER STOPPED RAINING BECAUSE
IT WAS ON A HILLSIDE. THERE WAS
MUD SLIDES, SO MUCH STUFF GOING
ON . IT TOOK THEM TWO DAYS TO
GET ALL OF THE TRASH AND
GARBAGE OUT OF THE HILLSIDE AND
GET THAT PERSON , YOU KNOW,
LIVING IN THOSE CONDITIONS
CONNECTED TO RESOURCES AND
EVENTUALLY HOUSING IN THAT
AREA. THAT REALLY TOOK A LOT OF
TIME AND ENERGY. THEY ASSESS
THAT SITUATION, THAT WAS SIX
MONTHS OF WORK THEY DID. I
DON'T SEE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW,
IT IS A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT.
I AGREE WITH COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES. WE NEED HOUSING, WE
NEED TINY HOMES, ANY TYPE OF
HOUSING. WE ALSO HAVE A MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS GOING ON. WE ALSO
HAVE A DRUG CRISIS ON OUR
STREETS. IT IS NOT HEROIN OR
CRACK, IT IS SENTINEL, AND IT
IS REALLY MESSING UP PEOPLE.
AND SO, ANYWAY, JUST REALLY
SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, OUR WHOLE
APPROACH IN ALL THIS. I DON'T
THINK IT IS ONE SHOE, ONE SIZE,
WHATEVER THAT SAYING IS. REALLY
SUPPORT OUR UCT TEAM BECAUSE WE
NEED THE DATA THEY GIVE AND THE
POINT OF CONTACT TO ALL OF THE
NONPROFITS THAT ARE DOING THIS
WORK. THERE IS A LOT OF
CROSSOVER IN OUR CITY. A LOT OF
STUFF GOING ON . I THINK THIS
TEAM IS ABLE TO GET PEOPLE
WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. IT IS A
DROP IN THE BUCKET, BUT I FULLY
SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF IT .
ANYWAY, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH. ANY FINAL
STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
OTHERWISE, I WILL HAVE THE LAST
WORD. COUNCILMEMBER $6.9
MILLION.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DID WE
ALREADY DO THE POLICY
CONSIDERATION ?
>> FAIR QUESTION. THANK YOU.
KEEPING US HONEST. I THINK WE
HAVE EXHAUSTED COUNCIL POLICY
OPTION ONE. WILL BE GO TO
OPTION TWO?
>> WE ARE.
>> FANTASTIC.
>> ALL RIGHT. POLICY QUESTION,
THE SECOND POLICY QUESTION HERE
IS AROUND POTENTIAL
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE THE
EFFICIENCY OF THE UNIFIED CARE
TEAM AND MAKE SURE CONTINUITY
OF THIS SERVICE. AS A LITTLE
BIT OF BACKGROUND, I JUST
MENTIONED THIS. A THINGS TO CON
BACK TO THIS CHART AS WE TALK
THIS THROUGH. FIRST IS THAT
THERE ARE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM HAS BEEN
AN EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR BRINGING
TOGETHER CITY DEPARTMENTS,
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS , IN ORDER
TO -- IT HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE
MODEL FOR COMMUNICATION AND
COLLABORATION FOR THE TYPE OF
ACTIVITY THAT INVOLVES MULTIPLE
CITY DEPARTMENTS. IT HAS BEEN
EFFECTIVE. THERE CAN BE
QUESTIONS ABOUT IF THERE MIGHT
BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
EFFICIENCY. AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
CITY DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED. EACH
ONE PERFORMING THEIR OWN
ACTIVITY I WILL NOTE, IN
PARTICULAR, REALLY ASHDOD AND
SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION
ARE PERFORMING THE SAME BODY OF
WORK. YOU HAVE TWO DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS PERFORMING THE SAME
BODY OF WORK, JUST PUTTING UP
THE CITY NORTH AND SOUTH. THERE
COULD BE REALLY GOOD RATIONALE
FOR DOING THAT, THERE COULD
ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
A LOOK AND SAY, IS THAT THE
BEST WAY TO SPLIT UP THE WORK?
ARE THERE EFFICIENCIES THAT
COULD BE GAINED BY THINKING
ABOUT APPROACHING IT IN A
DIFFERENT WAY? THE 2025 -26
PROPOSED BUDGET JUST PROVIDES A
GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW SOME, I
THINK NINE POSITIONS, WERE
MOVED WORKING ON HER FEET HE
REMOVED , -- GRAFFITI REMOVED,
AND I THINK GENERATED A NET
SAVINGS OF ABOUT $500,000 JUST
BECAUSE PARKES HAS A LOWER
OVERHEAD RATE. SUGGEST THOSE
KINDS OF EXAMPLES , IT MAY BE
WORTHWHILE TO CONSIDER. SECOND
THING TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT
THERE REALLY IS A CORE TEAM
BASED OUT OF THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE THAT IS PROVIDING SOME
OF THE KIND OF OVERALL
FUNCTIONS. LEADERSHIP, POLICY
ANALYSIS, DATA , PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION . YOU KNOW, THERE IS
JUST CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT WHEN
CORE SERVICES LIKE THAT ARE
PROVIDED OUT OF THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE, IF THAT PROVIDES THE
KIND OF CONTINUITY THAT COUNCIL
MIGHT WANT FOR THE UNIFIED
CAROTENE, OR IF THERE
OPPORTUNITIES TO THING ABOUT
OTHER WAYS TO PERFORM THOSE
SERVICES, OR IF THEY COULD LIVE
IN A DIFFERENT PLACE WITHIN THE
CITY TO ENSURE CONTINUITY. LET
ME GO BACK TO THE POLICY
CONSIDERATION. POLICY
CONSIDERATIONS HERE COULD BE
ADOPT A SLI, REQUESTING THE
EXECUTIVE EXPLORE WAYS TO
ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE
UCT AND SUPPORT THE CONTINUITY
OF SERVICES PROVIDED .
>> THANK YOU, JENNIFER.
COLLEAGUES , COUNCILMEMBER
SAKA.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. FOR
CLARITY, LET ME START OFF BY
SAYING MY COMMENT EARLIER , THE
LAST ROUND WHEN I SAID
SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF ,
I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
ANYMORE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO
TAKE IT ANYMORE, ABSOLUTELY
TROOPER I AM THE DULY ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVE IN CITY HALL FOR
MY CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT 1.
THE COLLEAGUES, I WANT YOU TO
KNOW THAT THE SAME PRINCIPLE
APPLIES TO EACH AND EVERY LAST
ONE OF YOU ALL AS WELL. I'M
NOT TAKING IT FOR ANY PERSON
EXPENSING HOMELESSNESS ACROSS
THE CITY. UNACCEPTABLE. I AM
NOT TOLERATING IT. THAT SIMPLE.
YES, WE NEED TO OPTIMIZE OUR
RESOURCES USING A DATABASED
APPROACH TO THE AREAS OF
GREATEST NEED. IN THIS CASE, RV
ENCAMPMENTS IN DISTRICT 1, BUT
I DO KNOW THAT TENDS
ENCAMPMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE
MORE OF A PROBLEM IN OTHER
AREAS ACROSS THE CITY. AND SO,
I'M NOT TAKING IT FOR ANYONE .
IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE ODDEST
ISSUE OF EFFICIENCIES AND THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE
EFFICIENCIES, YES, THERE'S
ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY. THE VERY
INCIDENCE OF THE GROWTH
MINDSET. NOTHING IS PERFECT.
EVERYTHING CAN BE IMPROVED
UPON. I AM WONDERING MORE OF A
SELF REFLECTION OUT LOUD, NOT
NECESSARILY A DIRECTED COMMENT
OR QUESTION, BUT I NOTICE THAT
PARKS AND SDOT SEEM TO BE
GETTING A FAIRLY LARGE INCREASE
. TO SUPPORT UCT EXPANSION .
JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS A
POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO
CONSOLIDATE THAT WITH SPU OR
DOING MORE WITH WHAT FUNDING IS
ALREADY THERE UNDER THE ADOPTED
2024 BUDGET. THERE IS 2.8 --
THAT IS 4.8 MILLION. JUST
WONDERING IF THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CONSOLIDATE AND
DRIVE SOME EFFICIENCIES.
PROBABLY NOT AS SIMPLE AS BEING
ABLE TO USE ALL THAT TOWARDS
OTHER THINGS LIKE TINY HOMES,
BUT MAYBE THERE IS A PORTION WE
CAN USE TO FIND TINY HOMES. BY
THE WAY, RV . WE NEED A BLENDED
APPROACH. IN ANY EVENT, I'M
WONDERING WHAT MORE WE CAN DO
TO HELP ENCOURAGE AND
INCENTIVIZE THE GREAT TEAMS
THAT DO GREAT WORK, BUT TO HELP
THIS TEAM DO EVEN MORE AND HAVE
EVEN GREATER IMPACT. THANK YOU.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
SAKA. DO YOU WANT TO SHARE
ANYTHING?
>> I THINK THAT IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF THE TYPES OF
QUESTIONS THAT A SLI COULD
ANSWER IF THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN.
>> THINK ABOUT NEXT,
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE, CHAIR OF
THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DITTO TO
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA'S COMMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO LIKE
THAT THERE ARE MANY THINGS I
LIKE ABOUT UCT, BUT I DO LIKE
THE FACT THAT IT IS CROSS
DEPARTMENTAL. BECAUSE THE
ISSUES ARE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL.
TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN LOOK
FOR EFFICIENCIES, I THINK WE
SHOULD, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO
MOVE AWAY FROM THAT MODEL OF
BEING CROSS DEPARTMENTAL AND
JUST BEING HOUSED IN THIS
PARTICULAR -- I THINK WE RUN
THE RISK OF GETTING SILOED. TO
THE EXTENT WE CAN BE MORE
EFFICIENT, ABSOLUTELY, BUT ALSO
IF WE COULD BE MORE -- IF HE
COULD CONTINUE AN INTEGRATED
MODEL AND EVEN LOOK AT WAYS TO
BECOME MORE INTEGRATED, LIKE
THE EXAMPLE I WAS GIVING OF THE
UCT WORKER TALKING TO , YOU
KNOW, REACH PEOPLE AND TALKING
TO THE SERVICE PROVIDERS WHERE
PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY LIVING AND
HOUSED. BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT
KIND OF COLLABORATION WITH
PROVIDERS AS WELL WOULD BE, I
THINK, WOULD AMPLIFY THE
PROGRAM. THE CHAIR HAS LEFT. HE
DOESN'T GET TO HEAR ME
APOLOGIZE FOR MY SALTY LANGUAGE
APPEAR, BUT I WILL BE SURE NOT
TO USE IT AGAIN. THANK YOU.
>> I WILL ACCEPT ON HIS BEHALF.
>> ACCEPT MY APOLOGY ON HIS
BEHALF.
>> ONE CLARIFICATION ,
COUNCILMEMBER MOORE. AS WE
MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE CITY
DID BRING BACK THE HOMELESSNESS
OUTREACH CONTRACTS . I THINK
ONE OF THE GOALS OF DOING THAT
WAS TO BETTER ALIGN AND
COORDINATE THE WORK OF THE UCT
WITH THE WORK OF THE PROVIDERS
THAT ARE CONTRACTED FOR THE
HOMELESSNESS OUTREACH. THAT IS
TRULY ONE OF THE GOALS THAT THE
EXECUTIVE HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH
WITH THAT CHANGE.
>> THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME
OF THAT. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. I
GUESS I AM NEXT. I WANT TO SAY,
COLLEAGUES, FOR THOSE OF US WHO
HAVE BEEN HERE A FEW YEARS,
THERE WERE OTHER ITERATIONS OF
UCT IN THE PAST. THEY WERE NOT,
FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER,
WORKING AS WELL AS I BELIEVE
UCT TO BE WORKING TODAY. I
THINK THAT IS, IN PART, BECAUSE
OF THE EXPERIENCE AND SO MANY
OF THE SAME FOLKS THAT WERE
WORKING IN THOSE PRIOR
ITERATIONS ARE INVOLVED TODAY.
AND SO, OVER TIME, I BELIEVE
HSD , AND AGAIN, UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP OF DEPUTY MAYOR
WASHINGTON, HAVE CONTINUED TO
DUE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, IF
YOU WILL, TO GET TO WHERE WE
ARE TODAY. I AM ALL FOR ALWAYS
IMPROVING EFFICIENCIES, AND I
ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
THERE WERE PRIOR ITERATIONS
THAT DID NOT WORK AS WELL AND
HAVE BEEN FINE TUNED. I BELIEVE
THAT IS WHY TODAY UCT WORKS AS
WELL AS IT DOES , BUT NOT TO
SAY , YOU KNOW, THERE
EFFICIENCIES CANNOT BE
CONTINUED TO BE LOOKED AT FOR
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT,
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE CONDITIONS
ALWAYS CHANGE. WHAT WAS TRUE 10
YEARS AGO IS NOT WHAT IS TRUE
TODAY . BUT I DID WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAD BEEN
OTHER ITERATIONS OF THIS THAT
JUST WEREN'T WORKING AS WELL.
YOU HAVE BEEN HERE TOO ALL THAT
TIME. I DO THINK THIS CURRENT
ITERATION IS WORKING WELL . I
REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THESE
DEPARTMENTS , UNDER UCT, ARE
WORKING SO WELL TOGETHER . I
WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT KIND OF
COLLABORATION IN OTHER AREAS ,
BUT JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT
, JUST CALL THAT OUT AS WELL.
THIS IS WORK THAT HAS BEEN
ONGOING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
THE CHAIR IS BACK. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR. THE
BENEFIT OF ME HAVING BEEN HERE
LONG ENOUGH IS, EVEN IF I AM
NOT IN THE ROOM, I CAN HEAR
EVERYTHING YOU ALL ARE SAYING.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MOORE,
FOR YOUR APOLOGIES. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. THERE IS
A TRICK THAT I AM HAPPY TO
SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO WANTS TO
KNOW. BEFORE AND MAKE FINAL
COMMENTS, I WANTED TO COME ON
THIS NOTE, FOLLOW WITH THE VICE
CHAIR IS SAYING . IN THE PAST,
I THINK ONE OF THE DIFFICULTIES
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IS HAVING
THE TEAM, WHATEVER TEAM IS
WORKING TO ADDRESS
HOMELESSNESS, HOUSED WITHIN A
DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THERE IS
NOT AN -- SILOS OCCUR. WE
DON'T GET DEPARTMENTS WORKING
AS WELL TOGETHER. THAT IS A
BENEFIT OF HAVING THIS DRIVEN
BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THE
PERMITTING AUDIT WAS SIMILAR
SAYING THAT THE PERMITTING
SYSTEM OVERALL HAS SO MANY
DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WORKING
ON IT, BUT THEY NEED A
COORDINATOR IN THE EXECUTIVE'S
SHOP. THAT IS THE BENEFIT HERE.
THE DRAWBACK IS CONTINUITY AND
INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THIS
PRODUCT. IF WE WERE TO CHANGE
HAVING MAYORS, WE MIGHT NOT BE
GUARANTEED TO CONTINUE HAVING
THIS COORDINATION HAPPENING IN
OUR DEPARTMENT. I DON'T
IF THERE IS A THERE THERE,
JENNIFER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO
EXPLORE WITH YOU IF THERE IS A
WAY WE CAN HELP INSTITUTIONALIZ
E THE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL
COORDINATION.
>> COLLEAGUES, IF YOU LOOK AT
JENNIFER'S NEXT LIED, IT SAYS
QUESTIONS. WE HAVE ASKED A LOT
OF QUESTIONS. WE HAVE MADE
STATEMENTS, WHICH I APPRECIATE.
SUPPOSED TO BE A JOKE. NOT
READING WELL. I JUST WANT TO
OPEN THE FLOOR UP. ICY DIRECTOR
NOBLE. I WANT TO OPEN THE FLOOR
UP FOR FINAL STATEMENT ON
UNIFIED CAROTENE. AND THEN I
WILL GO ON TO THE -- CARE TEAM.
THAT I WILL GO TO THE CLOSE.
>> WITH THE ADDITIONS THAT ARE
PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET , THE
CITY IS EVER MORE EMBRACING AND
INSTITUTIONALIZING THIS MODEL.
THE SLIDE ESSENTIALLY
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT AND SAYS, IF
WERE GOING TO DOUBLE DOWN, IF
YOU WILL , NOW WOULD BE THE
TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER WE
HAVE THIS ORGANIZED THE RIGHT
WAY. OF THE OBSERVATIONS FROM
THE DAIS ARE APPRECIATED.
THINGS NEED TO BE WORKING WELL.
WERE ONLY ASKING THE QUESTION
IF THIS IS -- IF WE'RE GOING
TO DO THIS ONGOING, WE HAVE
THIS ORGANIZED IN THE MOST
EFFICIENT WAY. AND ARE THERE
MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO
ENSURE THAT THERE WILL
EVENTUALLY BE A TRANSITION IN
THE ADMINISTRATION IF THAT
HAPPENS IN TWO YEARS OR SIX
YEARS OR WHATEVER THE MATH IS.
AGAIN, I THINK BOTH
COUNCILMEMBER AND RIVERA AND I
SAW THIS FROM A DIFFERENT SIDE
AS A SKUNK'S WORK PROJECT.
SOMEWHAT HAS A DEADLY
ORGANIZED. -- BUT THE CROSS
CORONATION ESSENTIALLY NEEDS TO
BE LED. ANYWAY, JUST TO SAY
THAT THERE IS A SENSE THAT THIS
IS BECOMING -- THIS IS BECOMING
A LONG-TERM CITY EFFORT . IN
THAT CONTEXT, WE HAVE TO
ORGANIZE IT RIGHT. THAT IS THE
MOTIVATION HERE.
>> THANK YOU. CALLING, ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE, I
WILL PASS IT TO COUNCILMEMBER
MOORE AS THE SECOND TO LAST
COMMENT, AND THEN I WILL CLOSE
US OUT. SEEING NO FURTHER
COMMENTS. CHAIR OF HUMAN
SERVICES.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. I JUST
WANTED TO THANK JEN FOR A VERY
THOROUGH ANALYSIS AND
INSIGHTFUL POLICY CONSIDERATION
. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK
YOU HAVE DONE. IT HAS BEEN
INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. THE
PRESENTATION TO HAVE GIVEN HERE
TODAY , AND CHERNOBYL AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I
DID BECOME VERY IMPASSIONED. I
JUST WANT TO SAY, RESPECTFULLY
TO COUNCILMEMBER MORALES, I DO
APPRECIATE THE VALIDITY OF YOUR
POSITIONS. THEY ALSO WANT TO
SAY I APPRECIATE THAT , YOU
KNOW, THE UNIFIED -- THE
NAVIGATION TEAM , I THINK, DID
VERY MUCH START OUT AS A SWEEP
PROGRAM. WE HAD ADVOCATES WHO,
YOU KNOW, CAME AND BROUGHT THAT
TO OUR ATTENTION INTO THE CITY
UP HIS ATTENTION. THAT IS
INCREDIBLY VALUABLE. I THINK
THAT HAS MOVED THE DIALOGUE
FORWARD. AND SO, CLEARLY, THERE
IS A PLACE FOR CRITIQUE AND
CRITICISM , BUT THAT IS
ESSENTIAL TO THE WORK WE DO. SO
I DO WANT TO EXPRESS
APPRECIATION FOR THAT. BUT
ALSO, I THINK, IT IS IMPORTANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE HAVE
MADE PROGRESS . SOMETIMES I
FEEL THAT THAT GETS LOST
BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF THE
NARRATIVE. YOU KNOW, SOME
PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU LOVE YOUR
COUNTRY, AND SO ANY CRITICISM
IS A LACK OF LOVE, AND OTHER
SAY, I LOVE MY COUNTRY,
THEREFORE, I CRITICIZE IT ALL
THE TIME. HOW DO WE -- YOU
KNOW? I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT
TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. THE
OTHER THING I WANTED TO SAY IS,
WHEN THE GRANTS PASSED DECISION
CAME DOWN, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THE HOMELESSNESS COMMUNITY WERE
REALLY WORRIED THAT WE WERE
GOING TO -- THAT THIS COUNCIL
WAS GOING TO BECOME DRACONIAN
AND BEGIN TO PASS LAWS THAT
ALLOWED US TO CRIMINALIZE AND
ARREST PEOPLE WHO WERE SHELTER
LISTS -- SHELTER LESS. AND THE
MAYOR, TO HIS CREDIT, SAID WE
ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT. THE
COUNCIL IS ALSO MADE A
COMMITMENT TO DO -- NOT DO
THAT. WE COULD'VE GONE
BACKWARDS AND DONE A GRANTS
PASSED, AND WE CHOSE NOT TO. WE
HAVE MADE THAT COMMITMENT. I
THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE
RECORD AS SUPPORTING, MAKING
SURE EVERY PERSON HAS AN OFFER
OF SHELTER. WE HAVE TO MAKE
THAT A VIABLE, REAL OFFER.
THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE TO DO
THAT. BUT THAT IS THE
COMMITMENT THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION AND THIS COUNCIL
IS MADE. I WOULD REALLY, REALLY
LIKE THE ADVOCATES TO HEAR THAT
SO THERE ISN'T SO MUCH FEAR
EMANATING ABOUT WHAT THIS
COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO, EVEN
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPPORTING
EXPANDING THE UNIFIED CAROTENE.
THANK YOU. -- CAROTENE.
>> NICU, COUNCILMEMBER MOORE.
WELL SAID. ABOUT CASE MANAGERS,
WE NEED MORE CASE MANAGERS TO
BE ABLE TO CREATE THE LISTS,
THE NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND
PLACEMENT. WE RELY ON CONTRACT
OUTREACH AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN
IS THAT THE COUNSELORS ON THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM ARE GIVING US
MORE AND BETTER INFORMATION TO
MAKE BETTER DECISIONS . WHEN
THERE IS THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN
CONTRACTED OUTREACH IN OUR OWN
CITY TEAM, THERE CAN SOMETIMES
BE A COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTY
JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE IS HUMAN
. AGAIN, WHEN WE ARE SILOED ,
BY HAVING CASE MANAGERS ON
THESE TEAMS, WE ARE GETTING
BETTER INFORMATION. I AM NOT
GOING TO SHARE THE NEXT LEVEL
OF WORK I'M TRYING TO PUSH THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM TO DO RIGHT
NOW, BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT BE
APPROPRIATE TO DO SO ON THE
AWARD-WINNING SEATTLE CHANNEL,
BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW,
COLLEAGUES, HAVING MORE CASE
MANAGERS IS CENTRAL TO THE
SUCCESS. I DON'T HAVE THE
EXPERIENCE THAT OBSTRUCTIONS
ARE THE PRIMARY USE OF THE
UNIFIED CARE TEAM. MY
EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THE
MAJORITY OF THEIR REMOVALS HAVE
FIT WITHIN THE 4 TO 6 WEEK
NOTICE TIMEFRAME THAT WE HAVE
TODAY. AGAIN, AND 2019 BRA
GIVING 72 HOUR NOTICE TO BOTH
CONTRACTED -- WE WERE GIVING --
IN 2019 WE WERE GIVING 72 HOUR
NOTICE, AND THAT WAS IT RIGHT.
GIVING TO THE 4 TO 6 WEEKS
NOTICE HAS MADE A BIG
DIFFERENCE. THERE ARE ALSO SOME
PEOPLE THAT HAVE INCREDIBLE
MENTAL HEALTH OR CHEMICAL
DEPENDENCY ISSUES THAT MAKE IT
MORE DIFFICULT TO MEET THEIR
NEEDS. WHEN WE WERE DOING THE
WORK ON LEARY AWAY LAST YEAR ,
WE WERE ABLE TO GET 37 OUT OF
38 PEOPLE ON OUR LIST INTO
SHELTER. ONLY -- AND ONE OF
THOSE PEOPLE WE COULD NOT FIND.
FROM THAT STATISTIC, IT IS A
VERY GOOD NUMBER. IT IS 100%.
BUT TO DO THAT, WE NEEDED TO
TAKE A LONG TIME TO DO, TO
CREATE THE BINDING LIST INTO
THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND FIND
THE RIGHT TYPE OF SHELTER FOR
EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. ONE
OF THE STEPS IN THERE WAS THAT
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE DID NOT
HAVE IDENTIFICATION CARDS .
THEY HAD RECEIVED REFERRALS TO
SHELTER IN THE PAST, BUT HAD
NOT BEEN ABLE TO ENROLL IN THE
SHELTERS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T
HAVE IDENTIFICATION CARDS. A
REALLY COMMON SENSE SOLUTION
WAS , ONE OF THE CONTRACTED
OUTREACH TEAMS SUGGESTED WE
JUST BRING THE DEPARTMENT OF
LICENSING VAN DOWN TO WHERE
EVERYONE WAS. WE GOT FOLKS
THEIR I.D. THAT WAS CENTRAL TO
THE SUCCESS OF THAT MOMENT .
ANOTHER ONE OF THE ELEMENTS
THAT CREATED THAT SUCCESS WAS
THAT WE HAD DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
SHELTER. WE HAS A VERY HIGH
NEED SHELTER THAT CAME WITH
24/7 STAFFING, MEDICALLY
ASSISTED TREATMENT. WE HAD A
MIDDLE TIER THAT MAYBE DIDN'T
HAVE 24/7 STAFFING, BUT HAD
MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT
SOMETIMES. AND THEN WE HAD TINY
HOMES. THREE OF THOSE PEOPLE
WERE NOT, ULTIMATELY,
SUCCESSFUL IN SHELTER BECAUSE
WE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO
MATCH THEM WITH THE LEVEL OF
SHELTER THEY NEEDED. SAID MORE
PLAINLY, THEY PROBABLY NEEDED
THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SERVICES,
AND WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO
PROVIDE THEM WITH TINY HOME
VILLAGE. AND THEY RETURNED TO
THE STREET. AND SO, I SHARE
THIS STORY WITH YOU FOR MY TIME
HERE ON THE COUNCIL AND WORKING
IN THE DISTRICT. THIS PROJECT
WAS ONE OF THE WAYS WE PUSHED
THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM TO START
INCORPORATING THE BINDING LIST
, MORE COMMONLY A CENSUS, NEEDS
ASSESSMENT AND PLACEMENT. I
WILL BE REALLY CANDID THAT THE
PILOT PROJECT WE RAN WAS NOT
SCALABLE. IT TO CREATE REALLY
GOOD POLICIES THAT WE ARE STILL
USING TODAY. A SITUATION RIGHT
NOW IN MY DISTRICT IS THAT
THERE IS AN ENCAMPMENT THAT ARE
CASE MANAGERS ARE WORKING WITH
THE FOLKS IN THAT ENCAMPMENT TO
GET THEM PLACEMENT , AND THE
TIMELINE OF THE REMOVAL IS
DEPENDENT ON THAT THE PEOPLE
HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET. THAT IS
NOT A SWEEP. THE RESOLUTION
DATE HAS BEEN MOVED BECAUSE THE
SERVICES WEREN'T ABLE TO BE
FOUND. THE UNIFIED CARE TEAM IS
WELL AWARE THAT IF THERE IS A
DATE SET, AND IF WE AREN'T
ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
MEETING PEOPLE'S NEEDS, THAT
DATE WILL GET MOVED. I DON'T
KNOW HOW BETTER TO SAY IT. THAT
IS NOT A SWEEP. I ALSO
UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN
OBSTRUCTIONS OCCUR, PEOPLE FEEL
LIKE THOSE ARE SWEEPS. AGAIN, I
CENTER IN THE FACT THAT
OBSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT THEIR
PRIMARY -- FOR MY EXPERIENCE,
HAVE NOT BEEN THEIR PRIMARY
METHOD , AND THAT OBSTRUCTIONS
DO OCCUR WHEN TENSE OR BLOCKING
THE SIDEWALK AND BLOCKING THE
PARKS AND WHEN THERE IS AN
INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE
OR SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED
THAT IS VERY BAD. PARKS,
SIDEWALKS, LIBRARIES, THESE ARE
PLACES FOR COMMUNITY GATHERING.
THAT IS WHY THOSE PLACES HAVE
THAT SPECIAL LEVEL OF ATTENTION
, THAT CAVEAT, IF YOU WILL, TO
THE STANDARD PRACTICE OF 4 TO 6
WEEKS. WE HAVE HAD A LONG
DISCUSSION. IT IS 3:10 IN THE
AFTERNOON. I WILL MOVE ON TO
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM. NICU FOR
LETTING ME SHARE MY EXPERIENCE.
JENNIFER, ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU
TO ADD AT THIS POINT? THANK YOU
FOR SITTING WITH US ON THIS ONE
AND WALKING DOWN THIS PATH. WE
ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE
FINAL RECITATION FOR THE WEEK.
IF YOU COULD READ THE SHORT
TITLE OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR INTO
THE RECORD.
>> AGENDA ITEM 4, OFFICE OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BRIEFING
AND DISCUSSION.
>> FANTASTIC. WE ARE JOINED BY
JASMINE MARWAHA, CENTRAL STAFF
ANALYST . STILL WITH THE
DIRECTOR NOBLE. DIRECTOR IS NOT
EVEN HERE. HE WILL BE BACK ON
MONDAY. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL
MEMBERS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
>> MY NAME IS JASMINE MARWAHA,
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST UNCOUNTABLE
-- COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF. TODAY
WE WILL GO OVER POLICY
CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE OFFICE
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. FIRST
WE HAVE A SALARY OF THE OED
PROPOSED BUDGET. OVERALL, YOU
CAN SEE THE 2025 BUDGET IS
PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED BY
18.7%. THE BUSINESS SERVICES
PSL, WHICH FUNDS THE BULK OF
PROGRAMS, IS FACING A
REDUCTION. THIS PRIMARILY
REFLECTS ONE-TIME
APPROPRIATIONS THAT ARE
SUNSETTING, BUT THEN BE ADDED
BACK AS ONGOING INVESTMENTS AT
A REDUCED SCALE. FOR GREATER
CONTEXT, IN THE 2024 ADOPTED
BUDGET, ALMOST HALF OF THE OED
BUDGET AND THE MAJORITY OF
JUMPSTART APPROPRIATIONS, WERE
ALLOCATED AS ONE TIME. THAT IS
BECAUSE IN THE FALL OF 2022 OED
WAS STILL DRAFTING ITS
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE
JUMPSTART ECONOMIC
REVITALIZATION CATEGORY OF
FUNDING. AS WE WERE BUDGETING
FOR THE BIENNIUM AND FALL OF
2022, ALLOCATING JUMPSTART
FUNDS BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT
WORK WAS COMPLETE AS ONGOING
WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIT
DISINGENUOUS. IT WAS ALLOCATED
AS ONE-TIME FUNDS IN
RECOGNITION OF THE ENGAGEMENT
AND STRATEGIC PLANNING STILL TO
BE FINISHED AT THAT TIME. THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORT THAT
WAS GOING ON IN 2022 BECAME
WHAT IS NOW CALLED THE FUTURE
OF THE SEATTLE ECONOMY, OR FSE
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. IT HAS
FIVE PILLARS , WHICH I'M SURE
YOU HAVE ALL COMMITTED TO
MEMORY, BECAUSE WE ADOPTED IT
AS THE CITY ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN THE
SUMMER OF 2023. DON'T WORRY,
WE WILL GO OVER THOSE PILLARS
SHORTLY IN THE MEMO. AND DOWN
AND ATTACHED . IT BREAKS DOWN
THE PILLARS. WHAT WE ARE SEEING
NOW IS ESSENTIALLY A
COMBINATION OF STABILIZING THE
OFFICES ONGOING ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AFTER A
LOT OF PROGRAMS WERE LAUNCHED
WITH ONE-TIME FUNDING FROM
JUMPSTART AND FUNDS AS WELL AS
A RECOGNITION OF THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTION TO OED AND OTHER
DEPARTMENTS TO REDUCE SPENDING
IN RESPONSE TO THE GENERAL FUND
SHORTFALL. ONE OTHER QUICK NOTE
, YOU WILL SEE IN THE BUDGET
SUMMARY THAT OED WOULD ACTUALLY
ADD TWO FTE AND THE PROPOSED
BUDGET. THAT IS INTENDED TO ADD
CAPACITY FOR THE SPECIAL EVENTS
OFFICE. THE SPECIAL EVENTS
OFFICE HAS SEEN A SURGE IN
APPLICATIONS AND IN THE SIZE
AND CAPACITY OF EVENTS POST
COVID, AND THEY ARE
ANTICIPATING ADDITIONAL NEEDS
IN THE RUN-UP TO. -- FIFA.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU
WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, ON THE OVERALL
SUMMARY?
>> YES, I DO. THINK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I
HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT A REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT OF THAT MAGNITUDE,
I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, IN
PRINCIPLE, PEOPLE MIGHT BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. BUT I
CAN'T ARGUE WITH THE RATIONALE
THAT THE EXECUTIVE PROVIDES FOR
THIS REDUCTION, WHICH IS TO
PROACTIVELY RESPOND TO ECONOMIC
AND INDUSTRY NEEDS, ADAPT TO
THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK,
SCALE EFFECTIVE PRACTICES
ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND
PROGRAMS, AND ENSURE JOBSEEKERS
ARE SECURING AND RETAINING
EMPLOYMENT IN LIVABLE WAGE JOBS
AND CAREERS. I DO HAVE TO SAY
THAT I TRUST THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE REALLY FOCUSED, INCLUDING
DIRECTOR McINTYRE AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE. I
TRUST WHAT THEY ARE SAYING THAT
WE HAVE TO BETTER ALIGN OUR
PROGRAMS WITH INDUSTRY NEEDS
AND WITH WHAT IS ALREADY BEING
OFFERED. I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE
COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTES ASSESSMENT
COMES OUT AND SEE HOW WE GO
FORWARD IN THE MIDYEAR
SUPPLEMENTAL , AND I DO WANT TO
ALSO NOTE THAT IT IS MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT
OUR LABOR PARTNERS OFFER ARE
NOT BEING -- ARE NOT IN
JEOPARDY HERE. I FULLY SUPPORT
THAT. THAT IS GOOD . SO WHILE I
AM FINE WITH THAT, I DO,
HOWEVER, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
THE COMBINED REDUCTION TO THE
IMPROVEMENT BUSINESS COMMUNITY
OWNERSHIP FUND AND THE CAPITAL
ACCESS PROGRAMS, WHICH HELP
BLACK AND BROWN ENTREPRENEURS
WHO , BECAUSE OF THE LEGACY OF
RACIST LENDING POLICIES,
COMBINED WITH MANY FORMS OF
STRUCTURAL RACISM HISTORICALLY
THAT OVER GENERATIONS HAVE
RESULTED IN ENTREPRENEURS
HAVING LESS EQUITY TO WORK WITH
TO START WITH , THEY HAVE A
MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TIME
ACCESSING CAPITAL FOR
IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA, TO SAY
NOTHING ABOUT OWNING THEIR
COMMERCIAL SPACE. THESE
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS NOT ONLY
FILL A GAP IN MORE ACCESSIBLE
FINANCING PRODUCTS , THEY ALSO
INCREASE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD
GENERATIONAL WEALTH WHILE
HELPING TO REDUCE THE
DISPLACEMENT OF MINORITY OWNED
BUSINESSES IN THE JOBS AND
NEIGHBORHOOD COHESION AND
VITALITY THEY SUPPORT THAT IS
WHERE I AM COMING FROM WHAT
I'M LOOKING AT THESE COMBINED
CUTS. THE TOTAL REDUCTION OF
$2.3 MILLION IS OVER 31% OF THE
TOTAL DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO
THESE PROGRAMS. YOU MIGHT THINK
74 $3 MILLION IS NOT VERY MUCH.
YES, THAT IS TRUE. THAT GETS TO
A MORE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE I WANT
TO VOICE. SUPPORT FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES CITYWIDE PALES IN
COMPARISON TO THE SUPPORT WE
PROVIDE IN OTHER PROGRAMS THAT
HELP COMMUNITIES AT RISK OF
DISPLACEMENT , AND I THINK THAT
IS SOMETHING WE SERIOUSLY NEED
TO TAKE A LOOK AT. OF ITALY, AS
A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I CARE
ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES AND I
RAN, IN PART, TO PROVIDE THE
PERSPECTIVE OF A SMALL BUSINESS
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL
BUSINESSES, AND TO TRY TO MAYBE
, I DON'T KNOW, BRIDGE THE GAP
BETWEEN WHAT IS A PERCEIVED
GOLF BETWEEN CITY HALL AND THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A
LOT OF SUPPORT FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES AT ALL. WITH THESE
PROGRAMS BEING REDUCED TO SUCH
A MAGNITUDE, THAT SIMPLY MEANS
THAT THERE WILL BE FEWER
PROJECTS APPROVED, AND WE
RECENTLY THAT THERE WAS THE
ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT REOPENING ,
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
COMMERCIAL AFFORDABILITY
PROGRAM. SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
GOING TO BE SEEING LESS OF. AND
SO, I DO WANT TO KNOW WHETHER
OR NOT IT HAS EVER BEEN
CONSIDERED THAT SMALL
BUSINESSES CAN BE APPROVED FOR
ANY OF THE EDI FUNDING, BECAUSE
THAT FUNDS NONPROFITS, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, THESE SMALL
BUSINESSES, IT IS MY
UNDERSTANDING THEY RECEIVE
FUNDING ONES. I DON'T KNOW OF
ANY SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE
RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE ROUND OF
FUNDING. AND THEY ARE PROVING
TO BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THESE
BUSINESSES ARE STILL IN
BUSINESS TWO YEARS LATER. AND
SO, THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN
INFORM ME OF A LITTLE BIT
LATER. I'M NOT SAYING THAT I
DON'T WANT TO DECREASE THE
AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR
NONPROFITS, BUT I'M WONDERING
IF THERE HAS EVER BEEN ANY
THINKING OF THESE SMALL
BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY OWNED
BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN OUR
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A HARD
TIME GETTING CAPITAL TO BEGIN
WITH, HAVE THEY EVER BEEN
CONSIDERED A POTENTIAL
RECIPIENT FOR ANY OTHER KINDS
OF SUPPORT OTHER THAN WHAT IS
COMING OUT OF OED? LASTLY, WHAT
I WILL TALK ABOUT IS, I JUST
WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT OED
IS THE LANDING PAD FOR A LOT OF
THE INVESTMENTS FOR THE
DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION -- DAP
PLAN. THESE ARE SOME OF THE --
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SIZE OF
THE OED BUDGET, A LOT OF THAT
WAS INITIATIVES THAT CROSS
DEPARTMENTS. AND SO, JUST WANT
TO NOTE THAT I AM CONCERNED
ABOUT THE CUTS TO THE SERVICES
THAT OED SPECIFICALLY HAS TRIED
TO ADVANCE AND EXPAND , AND
THAT ALSO ARE CONSISTENT WITH
THE FUTURE OF SEATTLE ECONOMY
PILLARS THAT YOU VERY HELPFULLY
NOTED IN YOUR MEMO. THAT IS
WHERE I AM COMING FROM. I MIGHT
HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AS
WE PROCEED. THANK YOU.
>> FANTASTIC. WILL PASS IT BACK
OVER TO JASMINE TO WALK US
THROUGH THE POLICY
CONSIDERATIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT. I PULLED UP THE
ATTACHMENT AS HE WAS SPEAKING,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT. FOLKS CAN
SEE THE CUTS YOU WERE
PREFERRING TO. YOU TEED UP THE
FIRST POLICY CONSIDERATIONS.
WHICH IS, DO YOU AGREE WITH THE
PROPOSED CHANGES? IS THERE A
DIFFERENT WAY YOU WOULD WANT TO
WEAVE TOGETHER ECONOMIC
INVESTMENTS? OVERALL, OED 'S
PROPOSED BUDGET DOES CONTINUE
TO ADVANCE STRATEGIES
IDENTIFIED IN THE FUTURE OF
SEATTLE ECONOMY STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK, BUT COUNCIL MAY WISH
TO RESTORE OR REPURPOSE SCALE
OR PROVIDE FOR THE DIRECTION
THROUGH PROVISO FOR THESE
PROPOSED CHANGES TO ADVANCE
PRIORITIES THAT ARE STILL
CONSISTENT WITH THE FSE
FRAMEWORK. AND SO, YOU CAN SEE
IN ATTACHMENT ONE TO THE MEMO
THE SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED
CHANGES, AND I CAN GO AHEAD. I
KNOW COUNCIL PRESIDENT HAD A
QUESTION. WHEN EXPRESSING
SUPPORT FOR MORE FUNDING OF
SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU ASKED IF
EDI CONTEMPLATES FUNDING. AND
IF THERE IS OTHER FUNDING
AVAILABLE. I DO KNOW THAT THERE
IS COORDINATION BETWEEN AROUND
EDI , PARTICULARLY TO ACTIVATE
THE GROUND FLOOR. SO THERE IS
SOME EFFORTS. THERE ARE SOME
EFFORTS. I DON'T KNOW IF EDI
SPECIFIC FUNDING GOES
SPECIFICALLY TO THOSE
BUSINESSES. I THINK IT IS
WEAVING TOGETHER THE OED
FUNDING WITH THE EDI FUNDING.
THAT IS SOMETHING I CAN GET
BACK TO YOU ON.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WONDERFUL. HAVE WE JUMPED
INTO POLICY CONSIDERATION ONE?
>> WE HAVE. PHYSICALLY, IF YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE
PROPOSED CUTS OR ANY FURTHER
CONSIDERATIONS FOR ME.
>> FANTASTIC. MY APOLOGIES.
HERE WE GO. COUNCILMEMBER MOORE
, OLD HAND?
>> SORRY.
>> NO PROBLEM. COUNSEL PRESENT,
IS THAT A NEW HAND?
>> YES. I DO HAVE A QUESTION
ABOUT THE 250,000 CUT. WHAT IS
THE 250,000 FOR ONE-TIME
SUPPORT FOR THE SOUTH DOWNTOWN
INITIATIVE? I GUESS MY BIGGER
QUESTION IS, CAN YOU PLEASE
REMIND US WHAT THE SOUTH
DOWNTOWN INITIATIVES ARE ?
>> MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THAT
IS A PROPOSED ADDITION , AND
THAT IS FUNDING FOR MORE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION
IN SOUTH DOWNTOWN. THERE IS A
SITE THAT WAS OWNED BY
WASHINGTON D.O.T.
>> THE SITE.
>> YES. I BELIEVE IT IS BEING
PROPOSED FOR A MIXED-USE
DEVELOPMENT. I THINK IT'S
POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE AN
ANCHOR TO DEVELOPMENT FOR
FURTHER REVITALIZATION OF THAT
AREA. AND SO, THERE IS PROPOSED
TO BE $250,000 FOR CONSULTANT
WORK TO SUPPORT INTERGOVERNMENT
AL COORDINATION. THAT IS THE
INFORMATION I HAVE FROM THE
OED.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MORALES.
>> THANK YOU. I WILL PROBABLY
NOT SAY THIS VERY MUCH , BUT I
HAVE TO SAY THAT I COMPLETELY
AGREE THIS TIME WITH THE
COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I FULLY
SUPPORT THE IDEA OF MAKING SURE
THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN
MAINTAINING THE FUNDING FOR
BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES
PARTICULARLY, THAT ARE RUN BY
PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE WHOLE
RATIONALE BEHIND EDI WAS TO
SUPPORT THE GROUND FOR
CONSTRUCTION OF COMMERCIAL
SPACE BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO
FIND FUNDING FOR THAT. SMALL
BUSINESSES , PARTICULARLY IN
COMMUNITIES OF HIGH RISK OF
DISPLACEMENT, HAVE A PLACE THAT
IS MORE AFFORDABLE BECAUSE IT
IS , THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT
IS SUPPORTED WITH CITY FUNDS .
BUT YOUR POINT, I THINK PART OF
THE CHALLENGE WITH TRYING TO
PROVIDE MONEY DIRECTLY TO A
SMALL BUSINESS, AS MUCH AS WE
WOULD WANT TO, IS THE STATE
PROHIBITION ON PUBLIC FUNDS . I
HOPE THAT IS ON THE STATE
AGENDA. I THINK I ASKED THAT
EVERY YEAR. IF THAT COULD BE ON
THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO DEAL
WITH. OR TO TRY TO START
SOMETHING. I ALSO HAD A
QUESTION ABOUT THE SOUTH
DOWNTOWN. I'M ONE OF THE
ATTACHMENTS YOU HAVE, IT
IDENTIFIES THAT AS STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT FOR SOUTH DOWNTOWN
AS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ,
AND SO, IF YOU DON'T HAVE -- I
WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING
MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS .
THIS WAS A BIG CONVERSATION THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IF WE ARE
GOING TO GO THERE, I THINK
WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE
A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> I BELIEVE THAT IS ON THE
TABLE 2024 DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION
PLAN STATUS UPDATE. LAST YEAR
REFUNDED $500,000 FOR SPACE
NEEDLE IDEAS FOR DOWNTOWN
ACTIVATION PLAN. THAT WAS ONE
TIME FUNDING. LOOKS LIKE OUT OF
THAT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT,
ACCORDING TO OED, ONE OF THE
IDEAS WAS SOUTH DOWNTOWN AS A
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> YES. I SEE IT BACK ON THE
LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS. AND
SO, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO
KNOW IF THAT HAS CHANGED INTO
ANYTHING ELSE AND WHAT IS GOING
ON THERE. OKAY. AND THEN, I'M
SORRY. I MIGHT BE LOSING TRACK
OF WHAT I AM DOING. WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT IS THE NEXT ISSUE.
I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING. I
HAVE DATA
>> I HAVE LOST TRACK OF WHERE
WE ARE IN THE PRESENTATION. ARE
WE ON TWO?
>> WE ARE ON POLICY
CONSIDERATION ONE, WHICH IS ALL
OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES ,
EXCEPT FOR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WOULD BE ON
THE SECOND ONE. I WILL HOLD
THAT QUESTION.
>> FANTASTIC.
>> SORRY, MY THINGS ARE NOT
NUMBERED IN ORDER. ON THIS, THE
PILLARS , IS WHAT I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT. PILLAR NUMBER THREE
-- I WANT TO ASK ABOUT
GENERATIONAL WEALTH BUILDING
AND COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING.
WE DID HAVE SORT OF PARALLEL
PROCESSES GOING , DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS WAS DOING SOME
WORK , OED WAS DOING SOME WORK,
AND THE DEPARTMENT -- SO THE
WORK HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO
OED. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT
THE DEPARTMENTAL RECITATIONS A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO. THERE IS AN
ASSESSMENT THAT I THINK WE
STARTED MANY YEARS AGO, AND IT
IS STILL NOT QUITE DONE YET. I
WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF
YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT WHEN THAT MIGHT BE DONE .
BUT I ALSO AM PARTICULARLY
INTERESTED BECAUSE WHAT WAS
HAPPENING AT DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS WAS THEY HAD A
COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE THEY WERE
CONVENING OF SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS WHO WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR
WHO WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE
FACT THAT THE CITY WAS ACTUALLY
PAYING ATTENTION AND INVITING
THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN A
ROUNDTABLE, NOT ABOUT HOW TO
HELP THEIR PARTICULAR BUSINESS,
BUT HOW TO BUILD UP THE
ECOSYSTEM OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WORK IS
CONTINUING. BUT IN THE
CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD WITH
OUR SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS
IN DISTRICT 2, THEY ARE NOT
BIA. WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL
MERCHANT ASSOCIATIONS. WE HAVE
THE BEACON BUSINESS ALLIANCE.
WE HAVE THE BEACH MORTON'S --
MERCHANTS. THESE AREN'T --
THEY DON'T ISSUE ASSESSMENTS.
THESE ARE JUST ORGANIZATIONS
THAT WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH
THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES AND
BUILD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
PROPERTY OWNERS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES WERE LOOKING FOR
SPACE AND ALL THAT. THIS
ROUNDTABLE WAS A REALLY
CRITICAL WAY FOR THOSE SMALL
BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS
WHO AREN'T BIA TO START TO
ENGAGE WITH THE CITY, WITH OED,
WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, TO
UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE MORE
SUSTAINABLE AND HOW TO
PARTICIPATE AND BE PARTNERS
WITH THE CITY. ALL THAT TO SAY,
I AM INTERESTED IN
UNDERSTANDING , IF THAT WORK IS
NOT CONTINUING AT OED, IF WE
CAN PUSH THEM IN THAT
DIRECTION. AND IF THE PLAN IS
TO KEEP DOING IT, THEY ARE JUST
NOT THERE YET, I WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW THAT TOO.
>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
THEY WERE ALLOCATED 1.3 MILLION
IN THE TRANSFER TO OED IN THE
MIDYEAR SUPPLEMENTAL. THAT
FUNDING WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD
INTO 2025. BECAUSE IT IS CARRY
FORWARD FROM THE MIDYEAR
SUPPLEMENTAL, IT DOESN'T QUITE
SHOW UP IN THE 2025 OPPOSED
BUDGET. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING
FROM OED IS THAT THAT IS THE
INTENTION, TO CONTINUE WITH THE
PROGRAMMING FOR GENERATIONAL
WEALTH, AND PART OF THAT WILL
BE ASSESSING THE PILOT PROGRAMS
THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING SOON
TO WRAP UP, I BELIEVE, THIS
YEAR. THERE IS A STRATEGIC
ADVISOR POSITION AND OED THAT
IS NOT YET BEEN FILLED. I'M
NOT SURE WHERE THEY ARE AT IN
THE HIRING PROCESS, THAT IS
SOMETHING I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH
THEM ABOUT. BUT THAT PERSON
WOULD BE CHARGED WITH
CONTINUING THE GENERATIONAL
WEALTH INITIATIVE IN WHATEVER
FORM OR ITERATION IT TAKES
AFTER THESE INITIAL PILOTS. I
DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS
GOING ON WITH THE COMMUNITY
ROUNDTABLE IN TERMS OF WHEN IT
WAS THE LAST TIME THEY CONVENED
OR IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO BE
CONTINUED. I THINK OED HAS
STATED THE INTENTION TO
CONTINUE WITH THE ROUNDTABLE ,
BUT I AM NOT SURE WHERE THAT IS
AT. I CAN ASK THEM.
>> THANK YOU. THE ONLY OTHER
QUESTION I HAVE IS ON THIS
POLICY CONSIDERATION, IS THE
NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT
-- THE FUNDING REFLECTS OED
FOCUS ON BIA SUPPORT AND
DEVELOPMENT. I WILL JUST SAY
AGAIN, AS I DID AT THE
DEPARTMENT CONVERSATION, I'M
NOT SURE WE CAN AMEND THE
ECONOMY STUDY, BUT I WOULD BE
INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT
THE SUPPORT THAT OED IS GIVING
INCLUDES SMALL BUSINESS
ORGANIZATIONS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD
THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY BIA.
>> I ASKED A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION
ABOUT THAT AFTER THE DEPARTMENT
PRESENTATION. THEY SAID THERE
ARE -- THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE
STAFFING, FULLY SUPPORTED
FULL-TIME STAFF DEDICATED TO
NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT SUPPORT ,
AS WELL AS CARRY FORWARD FROM
THE RETAIL ANALYSES, THE ONE
TIME FUNDING OR FOR DISTRICTS ,
BUSINESS DISTRICTS FOR LAST
YEAR, SORRY, FROM THIS YEAR
INTO 2025. AND THAT THE FOCUS
ON BIA RUNS THE SPECTRUM FROM
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE
INTERESTED IN AN ALMOST READY
TO FORM A BIA TO THOSE THAT ARE
VERY EARLY ON IN THE
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. I THINK
THERE IS A CONTEMPLATION OF
SUPPORTING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
DON'T HAVE BIA . AT THE SAME
TIME, THERE IS A REDUCTION IN
THAT PILLAR. PRESUMABLY, THERE
IS LESS FUNDING FOR
NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED INVESTMENTS.
>> OKAY. I MET WITH THE CHAMBER
AND INTRODUCE THEM TO THE MEL
BAKER HELP ALLIANCE AND BEACON
BUSINESS ALLIANCE. THE CHAMBER
WAS NOT AWARE THAT THESE
ORGANIZATIONS EXISTED. IF I HAD
NOT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER TO
TALK ABOUT THEIR NEEDS, THAT
WOULD STILL BE THE CASE. I DO
THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO
MORE TO REACH OUT TO BUSINESS
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REALLY
TRYING TO SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD
COMMERCIAL AREAS. BUT THAT
AREN'T INTERESTED OR UNABLE TO
OPERATE AS A BIA. THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES. COLLEAGUES, ANYONE
ELSE ? I HAVE COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH.
>> THANK YOU , CHAIR. SORRY.
>> YOU CAN CALL ME COUNCIL DAN.
SORRY, IT IS FRIDAY IN THE
AFTERNOON.
>> COUNCIL MAN DAN. THANK YOU,
CHAIR. I DEFINITELY WANT TO
ECHO THE SUPPORT FOR COUNCIL
PRESIDENT ON THE ECONOMIC
INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN
OUR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
I LOST MY WORDING HERE. THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
FUND , THE FIRST ONE THAT WENT
OUT WAS BY AND HIS WIFE. I WENT
TO SCHOOL WITH THEM. THEY USED
TO START UP IN THE OLD FIRE
STATION ON 15th. THEY GREW
THEIR BUSINESS. NOW THEY HAVE,
I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE SOUTH
END NOW. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
PLACE, BUT THEY ARE ARCHITECTS
AND DESIGNERS FOR SO MANY SMALL
BUSINESSES IN SEATTLE NOW THAT
USE LOCAL BUSINESSES, LOCAL
PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTING BACK
INTO THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. I
THINK IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL WHEN
WE GO AND TALK TO SOME OF THE
CONTRACTORS, OR THE BUSINESSES
THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED , AND
THEY ARE USING ALL LOCAL
PEOPLE, LOCAL ARCHITECT. PEOPLE
THEY HAVE A FRIEND. 6 DEGREES
OF SEPARATION IN SEATTLE. I
WANT TO SAY THE INVESTMENT IN
THAT IS SO RETURNED BACK TO THE
CITY 10 TIMES FOLD AND STUFF.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD,
JUST TO SHOW THAT INVESTMENT,
HOW THAT IS PAYING BACK OUR
COMMUNITY AND IS REALLY SUPER
IMPORTANT, BUT ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS I HAVE , AND I THINK
OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS BROUGHT OF
CONCERN ABOUT THIS, AND TRUST
ME, I UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT
DOWNTOWN IS. IT IS THE ECONOMIC
ENGINE TO OUR CITY. BUT ONE OF
THE CONCERNS, AND NOT CONCERNS,
BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE
IS MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY
BEING SPENT DOWNTOWN IS ALL
LOCALIZED. I KNOW THAT IS NOT
SOMETHING WE CAN PROBABLY DO AS
A COUNCIL, BUT JUST BEING
COGNIZANT OF THAT WITH ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT SO IT CONTINUES TO
SPREAD OUT , BECAUSE ALL THIS
IS BEING FOCUSED DOWNTOWN, BUT
IT SURE WE HAVE LOCAL ARTISTS
AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE BEING
POURED INTO AS WE ARE,
CONTINUING TO REVITALIZE OUR
DOWNTOWN I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
ANYWAY, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A
QUESTION, MORE OF A STATEMENT.
JUST BEING COGNIZANT OF THAT AS
WE ARE MAKING THESE
INVESTMENTS.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
HOLLINGSWORTH. COUNCIL
PRESIDENT HAS HER HAND . DOES
ANYONE ELSE -- I AM JUST
CONFIRMING, WE ARE NOW ON
CONSIDERATION NUMBER TWO. WE
ARE STILL A NUMBER ONE?
>> YES. POLICY CONSIDERATION
NUMBER TWO REGARDS WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
>> THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT. ANY
FINAL COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET
OVERALL? I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE
ONTO POLICY CONSIDERATION TWO.
I THINK I WAS WILLING INTO MY
MIND. BUT I DO HAVE SOME
ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS
RAISED, IF I COULD JUST MAKE MY
POINT BEFORE WE GO INTO A
DIFFERENT TOPIC.
>> PLEASE. ESTHER OF THE
COMMITTEE.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES, REGARDING YOUR
QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE
EXECUTIVE MIGHT MEAN BY " ADD
RESIDENTIAL CAPACITY AS WELL AS
OTHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD SOUTH DOWNTOWN." I
THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
HOUSING IN THE STADIUM
DISTRICT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I AM
ALMOST POSITIVE THAT IS NOT UP
FOR CONSIDERATION. I DO BELIEVE
IT IS WHAT JASMINE WAS SAYING,
WHICH IS ABOUT THE SITE. WHEN
YOU MENTIONED THAT HAS BEEN
KICKING AROUND A COUPLE OF
YEARS, I DON'T THINK THAT IS
THIS. AND THEN, ALSO THERE WAS
THE MENTION OF GIVING AWAY
PUBLIC FUNDS. I WANT TO MAKE
ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT THE
PROGRAMS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT,
WHERE TALK ABOUT LOW-INTEREST
LOANS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE
OPERATING WITHIN THE LETTER OF
THE LAW AND NOT JUST GIVING
SMALL BUSINESSES THIS MONEY.
SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE
FAIRLY COMPLEX, BUT THEY ARE
LOAN BASED. I WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THAT IS CLEAR. JUST TO
CLOSE OUT AND SAY THAT THERE IS
CASH I DON'T KNOW -- MAYBE IT
IS FOLK WISDOM THAT EVERY
DOLLAR SPENT AT A LOCAL
BUSINESS GENERATES FIVE TIMES
THE REVENUE WHEN IT CIRCULATES
IN A LOCAL ECONOMY. AND SO, I
JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT
CLEAR WHY THIS IS SUCH AN
IMPORTANT -- THIS IS SUCH
IMPORTANT WORK. BECAUSE FOR ALL
THE REASONS WE HAVE ALREADY
SAID, AND ALSO IN TIMES OF
BUDGET CONSTRAINTS , I HAVE
ALWAYS SAID THAT THE LAST THING
WE SHOULD BE DOING IS LIMITING
FUNDING TO PROGRAMS THAT
ACTUALLY END UP GENERATING
REVENUE FOR THE CITY. JUST
WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT, WE
CAN GO ONTO POLICY TWO, WHICH I
HAVE LESS TO SAY ABOUT.
>> THANK YOU. THE PURPOSE OF IS
ALL BEING HERE TOGETHER IS FOR
US TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
WITH THAT, POLICY CONSIDERATION
NUMBER TWO. WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
>> I APOLOGIZE FOR THE
CONFUSION . BOTH CALLED POLICY
CONSIDERATIONS ARE KIND OF
WOVEN TOGETHER. I JUST KINDA
PULLED OUT WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT FROM THE OVERALL
DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED
CHANGES BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THAT
PARTICULAR PILLAR OF INVESTING
IN DIVERSE TALENT AND BUILDING
OUR WORKFORCE. OVERALL, THE
PROPOSAL IS TO REDUCE
APPROPRIATIONS BY $3 MILLION,
REPRESENTING AN 86% REDUCTION
IN THAT PILLAR. AS MENTIONED BY
THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, OED DOES
ANTICIPATE FORTHCOMING CITYWIDE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
ASSESSMENT THAT WILL INFORM
POTENTIAL CHANGES TO OUR
OVERALL CITYWIDE STRATEGIES.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO KIND OF
REALLY RESET OUR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS. THE
POLICY CONSIDERATION FOR YOU
ALL IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT
THE $3 MILLION PROPOSED
REDUCTION IS PERMANENT , AND
THAT THERE IS NO FUNDING
PROPOSED TO IMPLEMENT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
ASSESSMENT WHENEVER IT GETS
RELEASED, WHICH I BELIEVE IS
SCHEDULED FOR APRIL OF NEXT
YEAR. COUNCIL MAY WISH TO
ALLOCATE FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT
THERE ARE THESE ADEQUATE
RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THESE
RECOMMENDATIONS, OR COUNCIL MAY
WISH TO RESTORE SOME, OR ALL,
OF THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS,
WHICH I HAVE LISTED OUT IN
ATTACHMENT THREE. THESE ARE
YOUR OPTIONS. YOU CAN RESTORE
THE PROGRAMS , ALLOCATE SOME
FUNDS IN 2025 TO IMPLEMENT, AND
YOU CAN HAVE THE FUNDING BE
UNDER A PROVISO TO BE ELECTED
UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE
ASSESSMENT, YOU CAN ACCEPT THE
PROPOSED REDUCTIONS AND JUST
ALLOCATE FUNDING IN THE 2026
ENDORSED BUDGET, OR NO CHANGE.
I WILL PULL UP THE LIST. IN
CASE THAT IS HELPFUL.
>> FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. I SEE
THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
>> THAT IS OLD HAND.
>> OKAY. YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME
TO OPEN THIS UP FOR US IF YOU
WOULD LIKE. I WILL ALSO GIVE
YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSE US
OUT ON THIS ISSUE IF YOU WOULD
LIKE WHAT IS A $3 MILLION
REDUCTION BEING USED FOR?
>> THAT IS ATTACHMENT THREE,
THAT LIST RIGHT THERE, THE
PROPOSED REDUCTIONS THAT TOTAL
TO.
>> WHERE WILL THAT $3 MILLION
GO?
>> IT IS PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED
INTO BALANCING.
>> IT IS NOT BEING REDIRECTED.
IT IS A NET REDUCTION .
>> I MIGHT HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT
TO DO WITH IT. ANYWAY. THANK
YOU.
>> IT IS NOT BEING REDIRECTED .
IT IS JUST BE REDUCED FROM THE
OED BUDGET.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, ANY
-- COUNCILMEMBER MORALES.
>> I PUT THE CBA AND A COUPLE
YEARS AGO TO DO THIS ASSESSMENT
OF OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGIES, BECAUSE AS I
DEMONSTRATED, WE WERE SORT OF
SCATTERSHOT IN OUR APPROACH AND
SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY WITHOUT
HAVING AN OVERARCHING STRATEGY.
I'M GLAD THIS WORK IS
BEGINNING. I AM CONCERNED THAT
THERE MAY BE SOMETHING FOR US
TO CONTINUE, SO MORAL FOR US TO
CONTINUE PLAYING, AND WE WON'T
HAVE ANY MONEY TO IMPLEMENT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS HERE. I MIGHT
BE INTERESTED IN RESERVING SOME
OF THAT SO THE DEPARTMENT CAN
ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT WHATEVER
COMES OUT OF THIS ASSESSMENT .
BUT MORE BROADLY, I THINK AS IT
RELATES TO THE SHIFT , WHAT
SEEMS TO BE A SHIFT TO REALLY
LETTING OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS
DO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT , AND
THE FACT THAT MOST OF THIS IS
REDUCTIONS TO THE SEATTLE JOBS
INITIATIVE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT
WHAT THE IMPACT FOR FOLKS
PARTICIPATING IN THOSE PROGRAMS
MIGHT BE? AND REALLY, I AM ALSO
INTERESTED IN WHAT THE IMPACT
IS ON THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
PROGRAM AS WELL.
>> I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION
ABOUT HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS
WERE IN EACH PROGRAM . YOU
KNOW, I COULD SHARE WITH YOU
OFF-LINE . THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF PARTICIPANTS THAT JUST
WON'T RECEIVE THE SERVICES
FROM THOSE PROGRAMS. THAT WILL
ESSENTIALLY BE THE IMPACT. SOME
OF THESE PROGRAMS , YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE SIMILAR PROGRAMS THAT
ARE BEING CONDUCTED BY THE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
THINKING ABOUT THE DIGITAL
SKILLS TRAINING. THERE ARE
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO
DIGITAL SKILLS. I'M NOT SURE
WHAT THEIR FUNDING LEVEL IS
LIKE OR IF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT
EXIST OUTSIDE OF THAT WILL BE
ENOUGH TO MAKE UP THE LOSS OF
THIS FUNDING. THAT INFORMATION,
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN KNOW,
BUT I CAN PULL UP SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT -- FOR
EXAMPLE , THE ONLINE LANGUAGE
LEARNING RESOURCE ANTICIPATE
STARTING 30 TO 50 PARTICIPANTS
IN 2024. THE HEALTHCARE
APPRENTICE PROGRAM , IT LOOKS
LIKE IT HAS 45 PARTICIPANTS
THIS YEAR. THE STIPENDS FOR
COHORTS FOR LOW INCOME
PARTICIPANTS TO MEET THEIR
BASIC NEEDS AS THEY GO THROUGH
THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. SO
YEAH, I CAN GIVE YOU NUMBERS
FOR EACH OF THESE.
>> SO REGARDING THE
APPRENTICESHIP, I THOUGHT YOU
HAD MENTIONED TO THE COUNCIL
PRESIDENT THAT THE
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS WILL BE
PRESERVED, BUT I SEE THAT THE
HEALTHCARE , HEALTH
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AND
HEALTH INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP --
MAYBE THAT IS NOT
APPRENTICESHIP.
>> YEAH. I THINK I WAS
INTERPRETING APPRENTICESHIP AS
TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION
APPRENTICESHIP GRAMS, WHICH WAS
NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE CUT.
BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, IT IS TRUE,
THE HEALTH APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM WILL BE CUT.
>> OKAY. I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE
BIT MORE INFORMATION IF YOU
HAVE IT ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE
WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS.
>> BY EACH OF THE PROGRAMS?
>> YES. JUST NO WAY THAT
HEALTHCARE IS SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED TREMENDOUSLY, AND THAT IS
AN ACTUAL -- EVEN ALLIED HEALTH
PROGRAMMING IS SOMETHING THAT
HAS CAREER PATH POTENTIAL.
OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION AND
ADVANCEMENT. IT WOULD BE GOOD
TO KNOW WHAT OTHER OPTIONS FOR
THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THOSE
PROGRAMS EXIST. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE TO
SHARE? COUNCILMEMBER WOO.
>> I JUST WANT TO REITERATE MY
SUPPORT FOR MORE WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT . I HAVE A FEELING
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
THERE WILL BE A LOT OF CLOSURES
OF LOCAL RESTAURANT, AND THERE
WILL BE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING
FOR EMPLOYMENT. I AM ALSO
INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW THE
IMPACTS TO CUTTING THESE
AMOUNTS FOR THESE DIFFERENT
GROUPS, ESPECIALLY THE FILIPINO
COMMUNITY OF SEATTLE, WHAT THAT
WOULD MEAN FOR THEIR
PROGRAMMING AS WELL. THANK YOU.
>> JASMINE, ARE YOU GOING TO
PUT THAT ON SHARE POINT?
>> YES. AS I MENTIONED, I DO
HAVE THE NUMBERS OF HOW MANY
PARTICIPANTS . ACTUALLY, FOR
FILIPINO COMMUNITY, OED WAS NOT
ABLE TO PROVIDE ME THE NUMBERS
ON THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM. BUT
FOR THE OTHER PROGRAMS, I HAVE
THE NUMBERS. I JUST WASN'T
SURE IF I SHOULD READ ALOUD THE
NUMBERS FOR EACH OF THOSE
PROGRAMS OR FOLLOW-UP IN
WRITING. LIKE THEM RIGHT NOW FO
LLOW-UP IS JUST FINE.
THANK YOU.
>> FANTASTIC. OF THE --
COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS? COUNCILMEMBER
SAKA.
>> THANK YOU, MR. ORGANIZING A
PROBABLY MISSED THE BOAT ON
THIS . THIS IS PROBABLY BETTER
LINE OF QUESTION OR COMMENT FOR
THE EARLIER POLICY
CONSIDERATION. BUT HERE WE ARE.
I WILL GET IT IN, IF YOU DON'T
MIND. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
THE BIA . SPECIFICALLY THE
NEIGHBORHOOD CAPACITY MBIA
SUPPORT ITEM UNDER PILLAR FOUR
FOR OED . I'M CURIOUS TO
BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THAT
PROPOSED INVESTMENT AMOUNT FOR
THIS COMPARES WITH , YOU KNOW,
FUTURE YEARS . I ASKED BECAUSE
BIAS ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
I AM HONORED TO HAVE THREE OF
MY OWN DISTRICT . I THINK THAT
IS PROBABLY MORE OF A
REFLECTION OF THE MASSIVE
GEOGRAPHIC SIZE OF MY DISTRICT
RELATIVE TO OTHER DISTRICTS .
YOU KNOW WE ALL REPRESENT
ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE, BUT THE LANDMASS IS
DIFFERENT. IN ANY EVENT, BIA IS
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. I KNOW
THIS FIRSTHAND. THEY DELIVER
VITAL SERVICES TO NEIGHBORHOODS
AND HELP MATCH OR GO ABOVE AND
BEYOND WITH WHAT CITY OR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT SERVICES CAN
PROVIDE. AND SO, I ALSO KNOW
THAT IN CERTAIN UNDER RESOURCED
NEIGHBORHOODS HISTORICALLY ,
INCLUDING THOSE IN MY DISTRICT,
LIKE SOUTH PARK, GEORGETOWN AND
HIGHLAND PARK , HAVE EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN A BIA AND WORKING
WITH FOLKS IN SOUTH PARK, FOR
INSTANCE, REQUIRES A MORE
TARGETED APPROACH AND
ASSISTANCE AND COLLABORATION
WITH MANY PEOPLE FROM REFUGEE
COMMITTEES TEST COMMUNITIES OR
BACKGROUNDS -- COMMUNITIES OR
BACKGROUNDS. I AM SURE THERE IS
NO DOUBT SIMILAR SITUATIONS
ACROSS THE CITY . BOTTOMLINE,
THESE KIND OF ENTREPRENEURS
NEED MORE INTENSIVE TYPE OF
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO
EXPLORE BIA , WHAT IT COULD
POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE IN THEIR
AREA. I WOULD IDEALLY ALSO LIKE
TO SEE MORE FUNDS ALLOCATED ON
AN EQUITY SCALE FOR THOSE KIND
OF NEIGHBORHOODS. IT MIGHT NOT
BE QUITE READY FOR BIA , BUT I
DO NEED THAT EXTRA SUPPORT,
EXTRA HANDLING TO EXPEDITE THE
EFFORTS . THE NEXT THING I WILL
JUST SAY IS , WITH RESPECT TO
THE JUNCTION BIA IN WEST
SEATTLE, THEY HAVE BEEN
CURIOUS. THEY -- AS YOU KNOW,
WE RECENTLY AUTHORIZED THEIR
EXPANSION. AND SO, THEY'RE
ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE
EVEN FURTHER AND ADOPTED
REGIONAL APPROACH ACROSS THE
ENTIRE PENINSULA AND WHAT THAT
COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE ,
OR ALTERNATIVELY, CALIFORNIA
FOR MORGAN JUNCTION TO THE
ADMIRAL DISTRICT , HAS SOME
SORT OF, ACROSS THE ENTIRE
PENINSULA, OR HAVE SOME SORT OF
MORE REFINED, BUT STILL GREATLY
EXPANDED, GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE ON
THE PENINSULA. JUST CURIOUS IF
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
SOME SORT OF STUDY OR PILOT TO
CREATE ANOTHER MODEL ON HOW WE
COULD POTENTIALLY GROW SCALE IN
EXISTING BIA IN SUCH A WAY THAT
COULD POTENTIALLY BE LEVERAGED
AND USED AS A MODEL FOR OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT IS ALL I
HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
ANYTHING ELSE TO CLOSE US OUT?
I WILL MAKE FINAL COMMENTS, AND
THEN WE WILL BE DONE FOR THE
DAY.
>> NO FINAL COMMENTS. JUST TO
REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE PROPERTY
OWNERS OR BUSINESS OWNERS ARE
THE ONES THAT PAY THE
ASSESSMENT. USUALLY THAT TAKES
QUITE A LONG TIME AND A LOT OF
COORDINATION TO GET THAT
OUTREACH AND TO GET THAT
FEEDBACK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THOSE BUSINESSES OR PROPERTY
OWNERS WANT THAT. BUT I HEAR
YOU. I REMEMBER COUNCIL
PRESIDENT MORRIS ALSO THINK
ABOUT WHAT ABOUT HERE AND
THERE. NOTED.
>> FANTASTIC. JASMINE, THANK
YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION. YOU
WENT INTO A LOT OF INCREDIBLE
DETAIL. I THINK YOU ARE THE
FIRST CENTRAL STAFF ANALYST TO
SCREEN SHARE THE MEMO. JOB WELL
DONE. I THINK THAT IS PART OF
WHY I WAS DONE
>> SO MUCH TIME ON THOSE
CHARTS. THAT THERE ARE GOOD
CHARTS.
>> I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IS ONE OF THE FEW JUMPSTART
FUNDED DEPARTMENTS. I LOOKED AT
YOUR CHART. I NEED TO GO BACK
TO YOUR PRESENTATION. SLIDE ONE
LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS
SERVICES OR THE ADOPTED 2024
AND 2019 THAT WAS 8.5 MILLION.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEEING IN 25
AND 26 DROPPING AND 26 LIGHTLY
GOING UP . THE COMPARISON TO
FIVE YEARS AGO WAS 8.5 MILLION
FOR THOSE LINES . IT IS
HIGHLIGHT THAT IT WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO GET A SMALL
BUSINESS SUPPORT ASPECT INTO
THE JUMPSTART PAYROLL EXPENSE
TAX. IT IS BECAUSE SEATTLE IS A
CITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND OUR
SMALLEST BUSINESSES MAKE THAT
FABRIC VIBRANT. IT IS GREAT.
BEAUTIFUL. NO FURTHER COMMENTS
ON OFFICE OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT. I WILL CLOSE US
OUT FOR THE WEEK. ALTHOUGH WE
ARE NOT DONE WITH THIS SECTION
OF BUDGET. WE HAVE TWO MORE
DAYS READY TO GO ON MONDAY WITH
PUBLIC SAFETY. WE HAVE THE
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
BUDGET, CARE DEPARTMENT, FIRE
DEPARTMENT. WE WILL TAKE LUNCH,
AND THEN GO INTO THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BUDGET .
CAVEAT HERE, THE CITY ATTORNEY
DOES PROVIDE PUBLIC SAFETY WORK
AND ALSO PROVIDES THE CIVIL
LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF
SEATTLE. SO THERE IS A
DISTINCTION THERE ON TUESDAY.
WILL COME BACK FOR THE JOINT
MEETING OF THE SELECT BUDGET
COMMITTEE . COLLEAGUES, TUESDAY
IS WHERE WE WILL EITHER HAVE
MORE REVENUE TO BE ABLE TO FUND
OUR PRIORITIES OR WE WILL HAVE
LESS REVENUE AND HAVE TO
ACTUALLY MAKE REDUCTIONS TO THE
MAYOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET. I
HAVE BEEN SO LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE
HERE WENT THERE IS ONLY
POSITIVE NEWS OTHER THAN THE
REAL ESTATE EXCISE TAX AND A
SMALL DROP IN THE SALES TAX
LAST FALL, BUT I WILL SHARE
WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, HEARING
FROM EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT
SOME OF THE SITUATION UP IN
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, THIS COULD BE
THE FIRST TIME WHERE WE HAVE
BUCKET OF COLD WATER . IF THAT
HAPPENS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
SOME EVEN HARDER DECISIONS TO
MAKE THEM WE HAVE ALREADY HAD
TO THINK ABOUT. JUST FLAGGING
THAT. WE WILL FINISH OFF WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, AND THEN AGAIN,
COLLEAGUES, I WILL COME AROUND
NEXT WEDNESDAY. I KNOW HAVE
MEETING SCHEDULED WITH EVERYONE
ON THURSDAY TO GO THROUGH YOUR
PRIORITIES. I WANT TO ALSO
SHARE THAT HOLDING BACK
PRIORITIES TO SHARE WITH ME
BECAUSE YOU THINK SOMEBODY ELSE
HAS THE SAME PRIORITY, NOT A
GOOD IDEA. THE REASON IT IS NOT
A GOOD IDEA IS BECAUSE IF
EVERYONE SHARES THE PRIORITY,
EVEN IF IT IS LOWER ON YOUR
LIST, THAT MEANS THERE IS
CONSENSUS THAT EVERYONE WANTS
IT. FOR THE VIEWING PUBLIC,
THERE IS NO OPEN PUBLIC MEETING
ACT VIOLATIONS HERE BECAUSE
I'M NOT SHARING WITH OTHER
COUNSEL MEMBERS WHAT OTHERS ARE
SAYING. EVERYONE IS FREE TO DO
THAT THEMSELVES. BUT THIS IS ME
CREATING THE PACKAGE BECAUSE I
WANT EVERYONE'S PRIORITIES
INVOLVED. WITH THAT, IF THERE
IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME
BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE
REACHED THE END OF TODAY'S
COMMITTEE MEETING. AN EXCELLENT
BUDGET COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT 9:30 A.M.
ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT 9:30
A.M. ONLY WRITTEN PUBLIC
COMMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED DURING
THAT MEETING. THE PUBLIC MAKE
CONTINUE TO SUBMIT WRITTEN
PUBLIC COMMENT . TERRY NO
FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE
THE SELECT COMMITTEE, WE ARE
ADJOURNED AT 3:57 P.M. THREE
MINUTES EARLY. WELL DONE, TEAM.