>>> SEEING THE CLOCK SAYS 2:00
P.M. IN THE CHAMBERS AND ON OUR
COMPUTERS. THE SEPTEMBER 25
SELECT BUDGET COMMITTEE WILL
COME BACK TO ORDER FOR SESSION
TWO. IT IS 2:00 P.M. AS ANY
COUNCIL MEMBER WHO IS NOT
PRESENT RIGHT NOW IS EXCUSED
UNTIL THEY ARRIVE. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
>> COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA?
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER SAKA?
COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH?
>> HERE.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE? COUNCIL
PRESIDENT NELSON? COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK?
>> PRESENT.
>> AND CHAIR STRAUSS?
>> PRESENT.
>> SIX PRESENT.
>> THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE WITH US
NOW. COLLEAGUES, AS YOU MAY
REMEMBER FROM LAST YEAR, I LIKE
TO START ON TIME AND PROMPTLY.
SO YOU'VE GOT OTHER THINGS TO
DO. I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF
COMPETING PRIORITIES. A COUPLE
OF PRC MEETINGS TODAY THAT FOLKS
HAD TO ATTEND. COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE, THAT'S HOW YOU SPENT
YOUR LUNCH, SO I APPRECIATE YOU
DOING TRIPLE DUTY OUT HERE.
WELCOME BACK, COLLEAGUES. IF THE
PRESENTERS WANT TO COME UP TO
THE TABLE. NO NEED TO WAIT. THE
THIRD ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY
IS A PRESENTATION ON WHAT OUR
CITY IS DOING TO COUNTER THE
BUDGET CUTS FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. CLERK, CAN YOU
PLEASE READ THE SHORT TITLE AND
THE THIRD ITEM INTO THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA THREE, FEDERAL
BACKFILL FOR BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
NELSON, COUNCILMEMBER SAKA
JOINED US. WE HAVE ALL NINE
PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR. WITH
THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR
PANELIST. WE HAVE DEPUTY MAYOR,
GREG WONG, DIRECTOR, DAN EDER,
DIRECTOR MICHELLE CAULFIELD OF
THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND
ENVIRONMENT, DIRECTOR TANYA KIM
OF HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT,
AND DIRECTOR HAMDI MOHAMED OF
THE OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE AFFAIRS. DEPUTY MAYOR,
OVER TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS, AND
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD
AFTERNOON EVERYONE. PLEASED TO
BE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON. I
KNOW YOU'RE STARTING TO IMMERSE
YOURSELVES INTO THE BUDGET. WE
LOOK FORWARD TO THE ONGOING
PROCESS. THIS SESSION, WE WILL
BE ADDRESSING ONE SPECIFIC PIECE
THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT. IT SHOULD
BE A LITTLE BIT TOP OF MIND
BECAUSE WE WERE RECENTLY TALKING
ABOUT IT AS IT RELATES TO THE
PROPOSED TAX, THE SEATTLE SHIELD
INITIATIVE THAT YOU ALL HAVE
FORWARDED TO THE VOTERS THIS
NOVEMBER. SO BEFORE I GIVE A
LITTLE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL
TALK ABOUT, I'D LIKE FOLKS AT
THE TABLE TO INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES. I'M GREG WONG,
DEPUTY MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
>> DAN EDER, BUDGET DIRECTOR.
>> MICHELLE CAULFIELD, INTERIM
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
>> TANYA KIM, HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
>> HAMDI MOHAMED, DIRECTOR OF
THE OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE AFFAIRS.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU. WE'LL GET
THE POWER POINT UP.
>> COLLEAGUES, AS THEY'RE
GETTING THEIR POWER POINT UP,
I'M GOING TO ASK IF YOU WANT TO
ASK QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY, DO
SO. IF WE START RUNNING INTO
TIME CRUNCH. PLEASE HOLD YOUR
QUESTIONS. BUT AT THIS TIME, ASK
YOUR QUESTIONS AS WE'RE GOING
ALONG. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A
DIFFERENT SLIDE THREE THAT WILL
BE REPOSTED. IF YOU NEED A HARD
COPY, DEPUTY CITY CLERK, AMELIA
SANCHEZ HAS A COPY.
>> OKAY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE UP
ON THE POWER POINT NOW. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
ASSISTANCE. AS I MENTION TODAY,
WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE
FEDERAL BACKFILL OF THE SEATTLE
INITIATIVE. JUST AS A REMINDER,
WHEN YOU PASS THE BNO TAX
PROPOSAL, IT FUNDED THREE
DIFFERENT BUCKETS. ONE OF THOSE
BUCKETS WAS SUPPORTING THE
ACTUAL THRESHOLD. THE THRESHOLD
LIFT AND REDUCTION FOR OUR SMALL
BUSINESSES. A SECOND ONE WAS
SUPPORTING THE CITY'S GENERAL
FUND INVESTMENT. AND THE THIRD
ONE, THE ONE WE'RE HERE TO
SPEAK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT THIS
AFTERNOON IS THE UP TO $30
MILLION IN PROCEEDS THAT MAY BE
USED TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF
FEDERAL FUNDING DECISIONS. AND
SO I'D LIKE TO WALK YOU THROUGH
HIGH LEVEL, THE CATEGORIES WE'VE
IDENTIFIED FOR THIS YEAR'S
BUDGET, WHICH WE DID A LITTLE
BIT ON THE SHORT TIMELINE, GIVEN
THE TIME BETWEEN THE PASSAGE OF
THE BECOMES NO AND THE
SUBMISSION OF THE BUDGET. IN
TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE
MOST LIKELY IMPACTS OF FEDERAL
CUTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I WANT
TO JUST EMPHASIZE ON THE
BEGINNING. THIS IS NOT A PRECISE
SCIENCE. WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH
A NECESSARILY LOGICAL OR
COHERENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT
THIS TIME. AND SO WHAT WE ARE
DOING IS ASSESSING RISK. WE'VE
BEEN SPEAKING WITH THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE ARE
SPEAKING WITH OUR COLLEAGUES
ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S
GOING TO COME UP THAT WE SHOULD
KNOW. OUR PEOPLE MAY NEED IN THE
COMING MONTHS AHEAD, AND
CERTAINLY AS WE LOOK AT THE 2026
BUDGET. SO YOU'LL HEAR FROM
THREE OF OUR DIRECTORS WHO WILL
ADDRESS THESE BUCKETS IN MORE
DETAIL. BUT THEY'RE UP IN YOUR
POWER POINT. THE FIRST IS FOOD
ACCESS. AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF
RATIONAL FOR WHY THIS WAS
INCLUDED. I THINK WE ALL KNOW,
AND YOU HAVE DISCUSSED AND
EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF
FOOD SECURITY FOR OUR FAMILIES,
FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND FOR ALL OF
OUR COMMUNITY. IT THIS IS AN
AREA, WHERE WE ARE SEEING
SIGNIFICANT THREATS FROM THE
FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION. I THINK
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN IN THE
NEWS AND WHAT'S ON YOUR SLIDE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS IS
THE $186 BILLION IN CUTS TO
S.N.A.P., THE SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT MANY IN
OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO KNOW
THERE'S CUTS TO OUR LOCAL FOOD
BANKS. WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO
BE CUTS TO OTHER PARTS OF OUR
FOOD SUPPORT SYSTEMS. SO WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE ARE HELPING TO
MEET THE NEED BECAUSE IT IS ONE
OF THE MOST BASIC NEEDS FOR OUR
FOLKS. THE SECOND CATEGORY THAT
WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY IS IN THE
HOUSING SERVICES. AGAIN, A
LITTLE BIT SELF-EVIDENCE. YOU
ALL UNDERSTAND, KNOW, CERTAINLY
DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF
STABLE HOUSING, OF GETTING FOLKS
OFF THE STREETS. WHAT WE'RE
SEEING IS A LOT OF THREATS IN
THIS SPACE THROUGH HUD, FOR
EXAMPLE, PERHAPS TO OUR INTERIM
CARE IN KING COUNTY, WHERE WE
DON'T WANT TO BE PUT IN A
SITUATION WHERE IF THERE'S A
CUT TO A FEDERAL PROGRAM, WE ARE
FACED WITH A FLOOD OF FOLKS WHO
MAY END UP ON THE STREET. WE
ALREADY ARE WORKING HARD TO
ADDRESS THE EXISTING PROBLEM
WITH THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED
FOLKS WE HAVE ON THE STREETS. WE
DON'T NEED TO HAVE THAT BE
GROWING IN ANY WAY. SO WE NEED
TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE
POTENTIAL HARM. AND THEN THE
FINAL BUCKET THAT WE IDENTIFY
FOR MOST IMMEDIATE ACTION IS
SUPPORTING OUR IMMIGRANT AND
REFUGEE COMMUNITY. THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE, I'LL
SAY KIND OF A TWO-EDGE SWORD
HERE, WHERE THEY'RE CUTTING
SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRANT REFUGEE
COMMUNITIES, THROUGH
CITIZENSHIP, NATURALIZATION,
LEGAL SERVICES. THINGS THEY'VE
TRADITIONALLY PROVIDED. WELL, AT
THE SAME TIME, INCREASING
FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS FOR I.C.E.
AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT SEEK TO
HARM OUR IMMIGRANT REFUGEE
COMMUNITIES. SO WE'LL BE
LOOKING AT WAYS WE COULD BETTER
SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY LOCALLY
HERE. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF
A BACKGROUND ON HOW WE ARRIVE ON
THESE. I WILL SAY YOU COULD NAME
PROBABLY A DOZEN OTHER THINGS
THAT HAVE POTENTIAL FEDERAL
IMPACTS. THESE ARE THE ONES THAT
WERE THE MOST IMMEDIATE IN OUR
MINDS. AGAIN, THERE'S A RISK
ANALYSIS THAT GOES INTO THAT.
CERTAINLY, NEXT YEAR, WE MAY BE
SITTING HERE AT THIS TIME AND
TALKING ABOUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT
INVESTMENTS, IN TERMS OF HOW
THINGS PLAY OUT IN OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND SOME OF THE
LITIGATIONS IN OUR COURTS. WITH
THAT KIND OF BACKGROUND, I'LL
KICK IT OVER FIRST TO TALK ABOUT
FOOD ACCESS TO INTERIM DIRECTOR
COUGH COUGH FROM OSC.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DEPUTY
MAYOR WONG. AS YOU HEARD DEPUTY
MAYOR WONG DESCRIBE, FOOD ACCESS
IS A MAJOR THREAT TO OUR
COMMUNITIES TODAY. WE ARE
HEARING DIRECTLY FROM RESIDENTS,
AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE
HEARING THAT THEY ARE STRUGGLING
TO PUT ENOUGH FOOD ON THEIR
TABLES. THAT IS PRIMARILY DUE TO
RISING FOOD COSTS, CUTS TO
CRITICAL ASSISTANCE AS DEPUTY
MAYOR DESCRIBED, AND STRAINS ON
OUR EMERGENCY FOOD SYSTEM.
GROCERY PRICES HAVE INCREASED
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS BY 30%.
WHILE WE ARE ALL FEELING THIS
PINCH, WE KNOW THIS JUMP IN
PRICE HAS MAJOR IMPACTS TO LOW
INCOME RESIDENTS. AND TO MAKE
MATTERS WORSE, THE S.N.A.P. CUTS
THAT DEPUTY MAYOR WONG DESCRIBED
OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
THOSE RECENT, THE SLASHING OF
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ALSO KNOWN
AS S.N.A.P., ARE GOING TO PUSH
MORE RESIDENTS INTO GREATER
NEED. I KNOW MANY OF YOU, ALL OF
YOU, ARE LIKELY FAMILIAR WITH
S.N.A.P. AND WHAT S.N.A.P. IS,
BUT I'LL JUST SAY FOR THE
VIEWING PUBLIC, S.N.A.P. IS A
FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES
FOOD BENEFITS TO LOW INCOME
FAMILIES TO HELP SUPPLEMENT
TIGHT FOOD BUDGETS. MAYOR
HARRELL'S PROPOSED BUDGET
RESPONDS TO THESE FOOD ACCESS
CHALLENGES WITH COMPREHENSIVE
INVESTMENT IN FRESH BUCKS, FOOD
BANKS, AND MEAL PROGRAMS. I'M
REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY
TO TALK ABOUT FRESH BUCKS AND
DIRECTOR KIM WILL TALK ABOUT
FOOD BANKS AND MEAL PROGRAMS IN
JUST A MINUTE. SO AGAIN, I'M
JUST REALLY PLEASED THIS
PROPOSAL WILL NEARLY DOUBLE
SEATTLE'S FRESH BUCKS PRO
BUDGET TO PROVIDE MORE BENEFIT
TO MORE RESIDENTS IN NEED. AND I
WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT FRESH BUCKS IS. TODAY, THE
PROGRAM SERVES 12,000 RESIDENTS
IN OUR COMMUNITY, WITH A $40 A
MONTH FOOD BENEFIT FOR THEM TO
PURCHASE LOCALLY GROWN,
CULTURALLY RELEVANT, AND HEALTHY
FOOD AT MORE THAN 40
PARTICIPATING FOOD RETAILERS.
THAT INCLUDES FARMERS' MARKETS,
CORNER GROCERY STORES,
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ALSO INCLUDES
SUPERMARKETS. MOVING ON TO MY
NEXT NOTES. IT'S REALLY A
HIGH-DEMAND PROGRAM. PROGRAM
CURRENTLY HAS A WAIT LIST OF
OVER 4,000 HOUSEHOLDS. WE OPEN
THE WAIT LIST IN MARCH EARLIER
THIS YEAR. THAT WAIT LIST IS
HOUSED ON THE CITY'S
AFFORDABILITY PORTAL ALONG WITH
ANOTHER RANGE OF OTHER DISCOUNTS
AND BENEFITS FROM LOW INCOME
HOUSEHOLDS. THANKS TO THE
INTENTIONAL OUTREACH AND DEEP
PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS, FRESH BUCKS
REACHES RESIDENTS
DISPROPORTIONATELY BURDENED BY
POVERTY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND
DIET RELATED CHRONIC DISEASES.
80% OF FRESH BUCKS CUSTOMERS
IDENTIFY AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS,
PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND 40% PREFER
A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.
SO WE KNOW WE'RE REACHING THOSE
COMMUNITIES IN NEED. AND THE
PROGRAM IS REALLY MAKING A
DIFFERENCE. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE
SEEN THE RECENT PRESS. THE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
RELEASED AN EVALUATION OF THE
FRESH BUCKS PROGRAM, WHERE IT
FOUND FRESH BUCKS CUSTOMERS
EXPERIENCED A 31% HIGHER RATE OF
FOOD SECURITY, AND CONSUMED A
HIGHER RATE OF DAILY SERVINGS OF
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, COMPARED
TO FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE WAIT
LIST. AND THAT IS A REALLY
SIGNIFICANT FINDING. SO THE
MAYOR'S BUDGET IN SHORT,
PREPARES TO SERVE EVERYONE ON
THE FRESH BUCKS WAIT LIST, AND
TO INCREASE THE BENEFIT FROM THE
$40 A MONTH TO $60 A MONTH. AND
WE FEEL THIS IS GOING TO PROVIDE
MORE FAMILIES WITH ADDED FOOD
PURCHASING POWER, AND RELIEVE
SOME OF THE PRESSURES ON THE
EMERGENCY FOOD SYSTEM THAT WE'RE
GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IN JUST A
MINUTE. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER
NOW TO DIRECTOR KIM TO TALK
ABOUT THE PROPOSED INVESTMENT IN
FOOD BANKS AND MEAL PROGRAMS.
THANKS.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU.
REALLY BEAUTIFUL FRAMING ALREADY
BY DIRECTOR CAULFIELD. SO I'LL
JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE AND
GET INTO THE DIFFERENT
INVESTMENTS WITH THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE SEATTLE
FOOD COMMITTEE AND THE MEALS
PARTNERSHIP COALITION BOTH ARE
MEMBERS OF THE SEATTLE HUMAN
SERVICES COALITION, REPORTED
SPIKES AND SERVICES SINCE 2023.
CONTRACTED PARTNERS HAVE
SUBMITTED A DATE VALIDATING THE
ALARMING TREND. WHEN WE DO OUR
INVOICES, THEY SUBMIT A
REPORTING METRIC AS WELL. SO WE
DO SEE THE INCREASES THERE. AND
THE INCREASES ARE ACROSS THE
BOARD. FROM FOOD BANK VISITS,
HOME GROCERY DELIVERIES, MEAL
DISTRIBUTION. WITH THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION'S RECENT
ACTIONS, THE DEMAND, OF COURSE,
WILL ONLY GROW. AND I KNOW
DIRECTOR EDER HAS TALKED ABOUT
THIS ALREADY. WITH THE THREE
MILLION FOR THE FOOD BANKS,
WELL, LET ME TAKE A STEP BACK.
FOOD BANKS ITSELF, SOME PEOPLE
MIGHT THINK IT IS KIND OF OLD
SCHOOL, PEOPLE SHOW UP. FOOD
BANKS NOW OFFER SO MUCH MORE.
THEY ARE REALLY A HUB IN THE
COMMUNITY AND OFFER VARIOUS
SERVICES. SO LET ME DESCRIBE A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT FOOD
BANKS PROVIDE. AND DELIVERS FROM
HOME BOUND RESIDENTS AND GROCERY
ACCESS FOR PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.
SO REALLY, IT IS MORE DYNAMIC TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY WITH
RESPECT AND NUTRITION. SO THERE
IS A $3 MILLION ADD IN THAT
SPACE. YOU MUST HAVE NUTRITIOUS
MEALS TO SENIORS AND PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. NOT
EVERYBODY MIGHT BE EQUIPPED OR
MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT PROGRAM
TO HAVE GROCERIES HAVING THE
PREPARED MEALS, PARTICULARLY
NUTRITIOUS MEALS IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. AND SO WITH THAT,
THERE IS THE INCREASE OF ONE
MILLION. SO TOGETHER WITH THE $4
MILLION, AND THIS IS FOR THE
PORTFOLIO, DIRECTOR CAULFIELD
JUST SPOKE ABOUT, OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT,
THAT BRINGS OUR TOTAL FOOD AND
NUTRITION INVESTMENT AT HSD TO
$30 MILLION. THAT'S A 16%
INCREASE FROM THE 2025 ADOPTED
BUDGET. NEXT, I'M GOING TO
PIVOT TO SOMETHING I KNOW
THAT'S VERY -- OH, I'M SORRY.
I WANTED TO MENTION TO YOU
BECAUSE I LISTENED TO THIS
MORNING'S PRESENTATION. JUST
VERY QUICKLY, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA, YOU ASKED ABOUT THE
PART. I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM
THAT WE DO FIND UNIVERSITY
DISTRICT FOOD BANK WHO SERVES,
AND THEY ARE A PART OF THE
CONTINUUM OF SERVICES THAT WILL
BENEFIT FROM THIS.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU. I KNOW
THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF
INTEREST. IT WAS COVERED THIS
MORNING, BUT I'LL ADD A LITTLE
BIT OF FLAVOR. LIKE FOOD, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRADITIONALLY
PROVIDES CRITICAL FUNDING ACROSS
THE BOARD, EXCUSE ME, ACROSS A
BROAD SWATH OF HOMELESSNESS AND
HOUSING PROGRAM WITH THE GOAL OF
BRINGING PEOPLE INDOORS AND
PUTTING THEM ON THE PATH TOWARDS
LONG-TERM STABILITY.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS THREATENING,
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
THREATENING TO WITHHOLD SUCH
FUNDING FOR LOCALITIES THAT
DON'T COMPLY WITH THEIR
NUMEROUS EXECUTIVE ORDERS. YOU
KNOW WHAT THAT IS IMPACTING. SO
ALL THE THINGS THAT DEPUTY MAYOR
WONG HAS ADDRESSED. IN RESPONSE,
SEATTLE AND OTHER CITIES HAVE
FILED SEVERAL LAWSUITS TO PUSH
BACK AND RETAIN ACCESS TO THESE
DOLLARS. SO MANY CASES, WE'VE
ALREADY RECEIVED AN AWARD, SO
NOW WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO
ENSURE WE CAN ACCESS THESE
FUNDS. THE FIRST AD THAT YOU SEE
ON THE SLIDE IS $4 MILLION IN
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
BRINGING THE CITY'S TOTAL
FUNDING TO $11.5 MILLION. WHAT
THIS INCLUDES FIRST IS
SUPPORTING THOSE AT IMMINENT
RISK OF HOMELESSNESS DUE TO
TEMPORARY FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
SECOND, THIS INCLUDES
INTERVENTIONS AND ACTIVE
EVICTIONS. AND THEN THIRD,
INTERVENTIONS AT EARLY SIGNS OF
INSTABILITY SUCH AS LATE RENT
PAYMENTS OR INCOME LOSS. AND I
KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IT WAS
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, YOU WERE
ASKING ABOUT TENANT SERVICES,
INCLUDED IN THIS, AND I'M HAPPY
TO REPORT THAT YES, THERE ARE
SOME SHORT-TERM CASE MANAGEMENT
SERVICES, AS WELL AS SHORT-TERM
CASE MANAGEMENT, ACCESS TO OTHER
POTENTIAL HOUSING SITUATIONS
THAT MIGHT BE BETTER LONG TERM
FOR THE FINANCIAL SITUATION.
JUST A GENERAL ASSISTANCE TO SEE
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON. SO THERE
IS SOME TENANT ASSISTANCE, ALONG
WITH THE RENTAL ITSELF AND
RENTAL REARS. THE ITEM HERE, I
KNOW THAT WAS DISCUSSED THIS
MORNING, IS THE $9 MILLION FOR
APPROPRIATED RESERVE. I'LL JUST
SAY THE CITY DOES NEED THE
ABILITY TO URGENTLY BACKFILL FOR
SHELTER AND EMERGENCY HOUSING.
WHAT DEPUTY MAYOR WONG ALREADY
SAID IS WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP UP
WITH THE CURRENT DEMAND. IMAGINE
IF ANY ONE GIVEN TIME, AN INFLUX
OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BECOME
HOMELESS, SHOULD THEY LOSE THEIR
ACCESS TO THEIR HOUSING. SO THE
BOTTOM LINE IS IF FEDERAL CUTS
OCCUR AND MANY INDICATORS
SUGGEST THIS IS A REAL
POSSIBILITY, WE NEED THE ABILITY
TO QUICKLY PIVOT AND HELP PEOPLE
STAY HOUSED. THE $9 MILLION
RESERVE IS THE RESPONSIBLE STEP
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. FOR
PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE
TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. IT IS REALLY
HARD TO KNOW WHAT THE UNIVERSE
IS. FOR US, I DO LEAN ON CEO
KENNISON. THEY'VE GOT A LEGAL
TEAM. THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
POSSIBILITIES. BUT JUST ONE
EXAMPLE IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE
FOR THE CITY OF SEATTLE. THAT IS
ABOUT $23.7 MILLION, WHICH
TRANSLATES TO 1,806 UNITS.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF
WHAT'S AT RISK. WITH THAT, I
THINK WE SAVED THE BEST FOR
LAST. [ LAUGHTER ] WITH DIRECTOR
MOHAMED. WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR
SUPPORTING IMMIGRANTS AND
REFUGEES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, HONORABLE
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. IT'S
GOOD TO COME BEFORE YOU ALL
AGAIN. SEATTLE IS A CITY WHERE
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES ARE
ESSENTIAL TO WHO WE ARE AND OUR
SHARED FUTURE. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE
ARE SEEING FEDERAL POLICY
CHANGES THAT ARE DISMANTLING
VITAL PROGRAMS THAT SERVE OUR
IMMIGRANT REFUGEE COMMUNITIES,
LOSS AND RESTRICTION OF FEDERAL
WORK FORCE, AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. FOR
EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF SEATTLE
COULD LOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN THE FUND, THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. OUR
OFFICE RUNS THE READY-TO-WORK
PROGRAM THAT RECEIVES DOLLARS
FROM THAT, AND THAT IS AT RISK.
NATIONALLY THE PRESIDENT'S 2026
BUDGET PROPOSAL ELIMINATES THE
ENTIRE CBDG PROGRAM TOGETHER. WE
ARE ALSO SEEING CUTS TO LEGAL
SERVICES AND REPRESENTATION.
FUNDINGS FOR UNACCOMPANIED
MINORS, IMMIGRANT DEFENSE IS
BEING SLASHED. SOME OF THESE
CHANGES DO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE
COURTS, AND THEY ARE THEN
TEMPORARILY RESTATED, BUT ARE
VERY MUCH AT RISK FOR REDUCTION.
WE HEAR FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
THE NORTHWEST IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS
PROJECT THAT PROVIDE LEGAL
SERVICES TO UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
AND BOTH ADULTS WHO LIVE IN
SEATTLE THAT THEY ARE AT RISK OF
LOSING OVER $2 MILLION IN
REDUCTION FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE
UNACCOMPANIED MINOR, AS WELL AS
LEGAL ORIENTATION PROGRAM THAT
THEY RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE ALSO
SEEING PUBLIC SAFETY, MENTAL
HEALTH PROGRAMS FACING
REDUCTIONS AS WELL, THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS PUT
OUT AND ELIMINATED OVER $800
MILLION FOR COMMUNITY PREVENTION
PROGRAMS. $1 MILLION IN
SCHOOL-BASED YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
GRANTS TEMPORARILY BEING CUT.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING IMMIGRATION
AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS
THAT ARE UNDER ATTACK OR UNDER
THREAT FOR CUTS. U.S.
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION
SERVICES, UCIS, FOR MANY YEARS
HAS RUN, TO HELP PEOPLE
NATURALIZE, AND THAT PROGRAM HAS
BEEN SLASHED. SO WE ARE HEARING
FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ACRS,
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, THAT THEY
ARE FACING EACH ONE OF THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS ARE REPORTING OVER
$200,000 REDUCTION IN THEIR
BUDGET THAT THEY RECEIVED FROM
FEDERAL FUNDS. WE'VE ALSO HEARD
FROM NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE THAT 70%
OF THEIR BUDGET RELIES ON
FEDERAL DOLLARS. A LOT OF THEIR
PROGRAMS DO SOUND WITH THE EARLY
LEARNING PROGRAMS ARE AT RISK
FOR THOSE CUTS. BIG BEAUTIFUL
BILL THAT, THAT BILL IN AND OF
ITSELF IS INTENDED TO EXPAND
DEPORTATION IN A WAY WE'VE
NEVER SEEN. UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT
OF MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS
DEPORTATION. ACROSS THE NATION
AND IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND SO
WE ARE HEARING WHAT THAT IS
GOING TO LOOK LIKE. THERE'S
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WILL GO
TOWARDS THE EFFORTS. SO WHAT THE
MAYOR IS DOING IS MAKING SURE
WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE, MAKING
SURE THEY NOTARY RIGHTS AND THAT
THEY CAN ACCESS IMPORTANT
SERVICES IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE,
SO THESE DOLLARS WILL HELP US
GET AHEAD OF MANY OF THESE
FEDERAL REDUCTIONS THAT WE ARE
SEEING. LET ME JUST SAY IN
SEATTLE ALONE, IMMIGRANTS CAN
CONTRIBUTE OVER $10 BILLION IN
SPENDING POWER AND PAY MORE THAN
$3 BILLION IN FEDERAL, STATE,
AND LOCAL TAXES EACH YEAR,
REPORTED BY THE AMERICAN
IMMIGRATION COUNCIL AND THEIR
2023 REPORT. NATIONALLY
IMMIGRANTS ADD OVER $2 TRILLION
INCLUDING OVER $500 BILLION IN
FEDERAL TAXES, AND OVER $100
BILLION IN STATE AND LOCAL TAXES
REPORTED BY THE INSTITUTE ON
TAXATION AND ECONOMIC POLICIES
IN THEIR 2022 REPORT. MANY FOLKS
WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED, WHO WORK
IN OUR CITIES ACTUALLY DON'T
BENEFIT FROM ANY OF THOSE
FEDERAL TAXES IN MOST CASES. SO
WE ALL HERE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT
OUR IMMIGRATION REFUGEE
COMMUNITIES ARE TO OUR LOCAL
ECONOMY. THESE DOLLARS WILL HELP
US TO SUPPORT THEM. THIS KIND OF
GOES INTO THE PROGRAMS THAT WE
WILL BE FOCUSING ON. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
RAPID RESPONSE PROGRAMS, KNOW
YOUR RIGHT PROGRAM, OUR LEGAL
DEFENSE FOR BOTH ADULTS AND
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. CONTINUE
TO DO IMMIGRANT WORK FORCE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, TO ENSURE
WE OFFER LANGUAGE, DIGITAL
LITERACY PROGRAMS. AND JOBS
READY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CAN
PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES WILL
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR
IMMIGRANT SAFETY ACCESS NETWORK,
BY CULTURALLY TAILOR SUPPORT AS
PART OF OUR VICTIM RESPONSE
SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT,
AND VIOLENT PREVENTION. WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE WE WILL SUPPORT
ETHIC MEDIA TRANSFORMING AND
ADVISERS. WE KNOW WE HAVE
TRUSTED INFORMATION AND
RESOURCES, ACCURATE INFORMATION,
THEY ARE ABLE TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND
AGAIN, ACCESS CRITICAL SERVICES
IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE. SO WITH
THAT SAID, I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOU TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR US
OUT TODAY, AND I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT
HAVE. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COLLEAGUES, QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT
A LIST, SO I CAN GO, BUT I'M
THE CHAIR. I USUALLY GO LAST. I
SEE COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR, THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO ANSWER
MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
DIRECTOR EDER WAS TRYING HIS
BEST, AND I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT
DIRECTORS ARE THE ONES WHO
TYPICALLY HAVE THAT LEVEL OF
DETAIL. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL
THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS WHO ARE
HERE TODAY. IN PARTICULAR ALSO,
I WANT TO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR
MOHAMED. SITS ON THE COMMIT TOE
THAT I CHAIR, SO YOU AND I HAVE
BEEN IN REGULAR CONTACT,
PARTICULARLY SINCE JANUARY AND
RELATED TO THE ATTACKS AGAINST
OUR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
RESIDENTS HERE IN SEATTLE. SO I
REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL
THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM
HAVE BEEN DOING BECAUSE IT'S
BEEN ENDLESS SINCE JANUARY.
ACTUALLY, BEFORE JANUARY, BUT WE
ALL KNOW THAT THINGS HAVE -- THE
DIFFICULTIES HAVE REALLY
INCREASED SINCE JANUARY, SO I
REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
THAT BEFORE I GET TO THE
QUESTIONS PART. YOU KNOW, AS YOU
KNOW, AND MY COLLEAGUE POINTED
OUT IN THE LAST PRESENTATION, I
PUT IN THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
SERVICES PIECE TO THE TAX
BECAUSE I REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS
LEGAL DEFENSE PIECE YOU AND I
HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS. SO
MY QUESTIONS ARE -- AND IT IS
OKAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE
ANSWERS TODAY, BUT I GUESS A
POINT OF REFLECTION FROM THE
INFORMATION WE'RE RECEIVING
TODAY AND ALSO WE KNOW THE LEGAL
DEFENSE FUND IS SOMETHING THAT
WE'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS. AS OF
JANUARY, WE CAN'T MEET ALL THE
DEMAND BASE ON ALL THE CUTS THAT
OUR PARTNERS WHO ACTUALLY WE
FIND TO DO THIS WORK ARE SEEING.
I NOTED THAT OF THE $4 MILLION,
ONLY $300,000 IS GOING TO THE
LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDS. WHICH IS SO
IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW MANY YEARS
AGO, AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, I SAID
I WORKED FOR THE ACLU BECAUSE
THEY ARE GETTING TARGETED THEN.
SEEMS LIKE NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED,
EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS A LONG TIME
AGO. SO I REALLY, I NOTED A
COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT REDUCTION
TO EARLY LEARNING, FOR INSTANCE.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LEVY, AND I
KNOW THAT WILL TAKE UP SOME OF
THE FUNDING THAT MIGHT BE LOST,
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT. AND
I ALSO NOTED ON THE MENTAL
HEALTH, WHERE THEY SAY THERE ARE
MEN IT WILL HEALTH DOLLARS IN
THE LEVY. AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT
WILL ALSO BE HELPFUL IN THIS
SPACE. SO GIVEN THAT AND GIVEN
THAT THERE IS MORE THAN WHAT YOU
SAID, $2 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS
FOR OUR PARTNERS DOING LEGAL
REPRESENTATION PIECE. I'M JUST
WONDERING WHY MORE MONEY DIDN'T
GO TO THE LEGAL REPRESENTATION
ASPECT OF THIS BECAUSE I KNOW
SINCE JANUARY, THIS IS THE THING
THAT'S BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT
TO BE ABLE TO COVER. BECAUSE
THERE IS SO MUCH ACTIVITY ON
THAT FRONT, SO I WOULD WANT TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHY WE'RE NOT
DOING MORE IN THAT SPACE, GIVEN
TO OTHER THINGS OF THE THEFT
LEVY, FOR INSTANCE, COULD HELP
FUND. LASTLY IN TERMS OF THE
GRANT, THAT IS A HUGE GRANT THAT
CITIES GET, SO I WOULD LOVE TO
KNOW MORE DETAIL AND MAYBE THIS
ONE, DIRECTOR EDER, SOMETHING
THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO GET BACK
ON, BUT JUST HOW MUCH RELATED TO
THE VARIOUS THINGS. I'D LIKE TO
KNOW HOW MANY DOLLARS WERE NOT
GETTING AND WHERE. LIKE I SAID,
THEY FUND SO MANY DIFFERENT
THINGS ACROSS THE CITY. SO WOULD
LOVE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
>> HAPPY TO START. AND LET ME
START ALSO BY SAYING COUNCIL
MEMBER RIVERA, I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY FOR
IMMIGRANT REFUGEE COMMUNITIES.
IT'S GREAT TO BE A PARTNER OF
YOURS. YOU HAVE ELEVATED MANY OF
THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, BOTH
TO YOUR COLLEAGUES, AS WELL AS
MEETING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS,
AND IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
THE $300,000 TO BE SPECIFIC,
THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. AND SO
THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE
NOW IN 2025. IT WAS ONLY
$300,000. $200,000 OF THOSE
DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY RFP'D AND
ARE GOING TO LEGAL DEFENSE. AND
THEN $100,000 WILL GO TO KNOW
YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING. SO THE
MAJORITY OF THE $300,000 THAT
YOU GAVE US THIS YEAR WILL BE
GOING TO LEGAL DEFENSE AND
SUPPORTING UNACCOMPANIED MINORS,
WHERE MY TEAM, WHO DOES AN
INCREDIBLE JOB OF ENSURING
THEY'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF
PUBLIC DOLLARS, RAN THAT RFP
PROCESS RIGHT NOW OR ARE IN THE
PROCESS OF REVIEWING THOSE
APPLICATION, AND WILL BE
AWARDING THOSE DOLLARS
IMMEDIATELY, SO IT COULD BE USED
NOW. IN 2026 FOR THE $3.7
MILLION, I IMAGINE A LARGE CHUNK
OF THOSE DOLLARS WILL ACTUALLY
GO TO SERVICES THAT ARE RELATED
TO LEGAL DEFENSE, BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE GO THROUGH A
THOROUGH PROCESS, WE DO SOME
LISTENING SESSIONS WITH OUR
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS,
AND THEN WE PUT OUT RFPs IN
EARLY JULY, ASSUMING WE SECURE
THE DOLLARS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE
FOLKS BE ABLE TO APPLY AND
ACCESS THOSE DOLLARS. BUT IT IS,
TO YOUR POINT, LEGAL DEFENSE,
LEGAL SERVICES, SUPPORTING
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS IS AMONG
THE TOP PRIORITY ISSUES FOR BOTH
OUR OFFICE AND WHAT WE HEAR FROM
COMMUNITY. THE WAY THAT WE'RE
APPROACHING THIS MOMENT AND ALL
OF THESE FEDERAL REDUCTION, WE
SEE IT TO AN APPROACH, TWOFOLD.
ONE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
PROTECTING PEOPLE IN CRISIS, BUT
WE ARE ALSO INVESTING IN THE
LONG-TERM PROGRAMS THAT ENSURE
PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST SURVIVING IN
OUR CITY, BUT THEY'RE THRIVING.
AND SO WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS ARE NATURALIZATION
PROGRAMS ARE AMONG THOSE
PROGRAMS THAT ARE LEGACY
PROGRAMS FOR THE CITY OF
SEATTLE, AND ENSURE UPWARD
MOBILITY FOR PEOPLE. WHEN YOU
BECOME A NATURALIZED CITIZEN, A
LOT OF THE TIMES YOU HAVE ACCESS
TO BETTER JOBS, BETTER
EDUCATION, HOMEOWNERSHIP. AND SO
WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF
THOSE PROGRAMS AS WELL. AND SO
THAT IS HOW WE WILL APPROACH
THOSE DOLLARS, ASSUMING WE
RECEIVE THEM IN EARLY 2026. AND
THEN WITH THE DOLLARS, I'LL LET
DIRECTOR TANYA KIM ALSO SPEAK
TO. IT OUR OFFICE RECEIVES ABOUT
$700,000 OF THOSE DOLLARS THAT
GOES TOWARDS ONE OF OUR
READY-TO-WORK PROGRAMS. AS OF
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE STRATEGIZING
WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS ON BEST
CASE SCENARIO, WORST-CASE
SCENARIO. IT IS A REALLY
DIFFICULT TIME BECAUSE NOT ONLY
ARE THEY AT RISK FOR LOSING
THOSE WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT
FEDERAL DOLLARS, BUT OTHER
PROGRAMS AS WELL. SO WE HAVE
BEEN IN A LOT OF COMMUNICATION
WITH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS TO
MAKE SURE WE'RE MANAGING
EXPECTATIONS.
>> THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT RECEIVES
THE HUD FUNDS. I HEAR YOUR
QUESTION ABOUT WANTING TO
UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS ITEMS
THAT ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY
THAT, INCLUDING NOT ONLY WHERE
WE PROVIDE A BIG MAJORITY OF IT.
THERE ARE SERVICES, AS WELL AS
CAPITAL, SO WE WILL GET BACK TO
YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE
ACCURATE INFORMATION.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KIM. I
APPRECIATE THAT. IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT AS WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THIS TO SHOW THE PUBLIC
WHERE THESE FUNDS -- WHO'S
FEELING IT THE MOST. WE KNOW
BECAUSE WE'RE INTERNALLY
WORKING WITH THOSE GROUPS,
ORGANIZATIONS WITH OUR RESIDENTS
ON THE GROUND. AND I WANT TO
MAKE SURE FOLKS UNDERSTAND WHEN
WE SAY WE'RE GETTING FEDERAL
CUTS, THE LEVEL OF THAT, THAT IS
IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW, SO
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL
GETTING BACK TO US ON THAT. THEN
ON THE LEGAL DEFENSE, GOOD TO
HEAR THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE UP. I
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING
ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS
THAT YOU DO EVERY YEAR, EVEN
BEFORE JANUARY, THAT ARE
IMPORTANT. LIKE THE
NATURALIZATION CLINICS AND
THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THAT I
VERY MUCH SUPPORT. AND I WANT TO
MAKE SURE BECAUSE I'VE HEARD
VERY CLEARLY WE NEED MORE
DOLLARS FOR LEGAL
REPRESENTATIONS, SO I WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE MEETING THAT
MOMENT IN HOW WE ARE DECIDING TO
ALLOCATE THESE DOLLARS. SO THANK
YOU FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR
GETTING MORE INFORMATION LATER.
WE SEE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF WHAT
THAT IMPACT IS. WE KNOW IT'S
GREAT. WE JUST WANT TO SEE
WHERE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AND ALSO COUNCIL
MEMBER. YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF
THE CONVERSATIONS. WE HAVE AN
ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF
OUR COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS SPACE.
WITH OUR IMMIGRANT REFUGEE
COMMUNITY, WE ARE ALSO BEING
VERY RESPONSIVE TO KIND OF WHAT
YOU'RE HEARING. THEY'RE ALSO
TRYING TO STRIKE THE BALANCE OF
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT
JUST SURVIVING HERE, BUT ALSO
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO GROW
AS WELL. AND SO SOME OF THIS
ALLOCATION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW
MUCH ARE WE PUTTING INTO WHICH
BUCKET, COMES FROM THE COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK. IT WILL BE AN ONGOING
DISCUSSION WITH THEM. SO JUST
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S
CLEAR AS WELL. WE ARE TRYING TO
BE RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY
NEEDS DIRECTLY.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT, DEPUTY
MAYOR WONG, AS WE HAVE FOLKS
COME HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT
THE NEEDS SPECIFIC TO LEGAL
DEFENSE, AND THAT'S WHERE I'M
GETTING THE INFORMATION ABOUT
HOW I KNOW THIS IS A BIG NEED,
BUT I ALSO KNOW WE WERE IN A
CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY
DURING THEFT LEVY, FOR INSTANCE,
SO THAT IS HOW I KNOW, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE SOME THEFT DOLLARS IN
THERE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
MEETING THE ONGOING, NOT JUST
THE NEED FOR TODAY, BUT THANKS
FOR SAYING THAT. THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU. DIRECTOR EDER?
>> YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR
STRAUSS. I WANTED TO POINT OUT
THE $300,000 THAT WAS CONTINUED
IN THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET
FROM THE MONEY ADDED IN THE MID
YEAR SUPPLEMENTAL IS ONE OF, BUT
NOT THE ONLY POT OF MONEY FOR
LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR IMMIGRANTS
AND REFUGEES. WE WILL FOLLOW UP
AND PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ABOUT
THE OTHER PARTS, SO YOU CAN SEE
THE BIGGER PICTURE.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT, FOLLOWED
BY COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON?
>> THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
SO I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE
-- WELL, I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR
MYSELF. I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE
IN THIS STATE OF THE NATION'S
ECONOMY RIGHT NOW. NOBODY REALLY
KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
WITH THE TARIFFS AND THE FEDERAL
CUTS, AND HOW THEY WILL IMPACT
DIFFERENT STATES,
MUNICIPALITIES, ETC. WE DO HAVE
A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREPARE FOR
THIS FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY, AS
BEST AS WE CAN. AND AT THE SAME
TIME, WE CAN'T JUST BUDGET BY
WHAT IF. WE REALLY DO NEED TO
KNOW, WHAT IS MOST LIKELY TO
IMPACT SEATTLE AND QUANTIFY IT,
AND THEN PLAN FOR IT OR BE ABLE
TO RESPOND? SO I THINK IN THE
BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, THERE
WAS A MENTION OF A $315 BILLION
CUT. WAS THAT TO S.N.A.P. OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT? THERE WAS A
NATIONAL CUT THAT WAS MENTIONED
THROUGHOUT THESE CONVERSATIONS
IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. I'D LIKE
TO NOT HAVE THE NATIONAL BIG
SCARY CUTTING BY THIS MUCH. I
WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS THE
QUANTIFY THE AMOUNT FOR HELPFUL
PEOPLE OF SEATTLE? THAT IS THE
ONLY WAY I COULD MEASURE OR
EVALUATE THE, I DON'T KNOW. THE
VALUE OR THE RIGHT SIZE OF THE
PARTICULAR BUDGET THAT IT SEEKS
TO RESPOND TO THAT KIND OF
THING. SO IF I COULD HAVE THAT
ANSWER, THAT'D BE GREAT. I'D
LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE DETAIL OF
THE $11 MILLION FOR HSD. I'M
JUST CONFUSED ABOUT SOME OF THE
HSA SUPPORT, AND I DID RUN INTO
THE DIRECTOR, WHOSE NAME IS
ESCAPING ME AT A LUNCH EARLIER
TODAY. SO IN THE -- PRESENTATION
EARLIER TODAY, THERE ARE $5
MILLION IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS
A PART OF $29 MILLION FOR AN HSA
PROJECT IN NORTHGATE. CAN YOU
JUST EXPLAIN THE JURISDICTIONAL
-- DO WE OFTEN CONTRIBUTE TO HSA
PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE
DIVIDING HOUSING, THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE
PROJECTS. I'M JUST CURIOUS. AND
THE SAME QUESTION FOR VOUCHERS
BECAUSE I DO KNOW, IMPORTANCE OF
ASSISTANCE. HOW DOES THAT WORK
WHEN WE'RE PROVIDING THAT TO
HSA TENANTS?
>> WELL, I KNOW THAT COC IS A
LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED IN THAT.
ONE, HSD NO LONGER RECEIVES THE
COC FUNDS. WHAT WE USED TO HAVE
NOW GOES DIRECTLY TO KCRHA. SO
IN THE CASE OF OTHER ENTITIES
LIKE HSA, THEY ALSO ARE DIRECTLY
BENEFICIARIES OF FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DOLLARS. WHERE UNLIKE
THE HUD DOLLARS, NOW I REALIZED
THIS SOUNDS LIKE ALPHABET SOUP,
SO I APOLOGIZE. HSD IS -- WE
RECEIVED THE HUD DOLLARS. BUT
COC ARE PROVIDED TO OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY, NOT TO
HSD, SO I WANT TO DETANGLE THAT.
WHAT HSA RECEIVES, THAT'S A
REALLY GOOD QUESTION. I'M HAPPY
TO CONNECT WITH HIM, SO YOU HAVE
SOME BIGGER UNIT VERSE
INFORMATION, BUT THAT'S NOT
SOMETHING WE ADMINISTER, IF THAT
MAKES SENSE. IS IT COMMON WE
PARTNER WITH HSA ON PROJECTS AND
PROVIDE SOME OF THE FUNDING? I
ALWAYS THOUGHT --
>> I NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU ON
WHAT PROJECT YOU MIGHT BE
REFERRING TO. I'M NOT --
>> YOU WOULD KNOW, COUNCIL
MEMBER?
>> I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP HERE.
>> DIRECTOR NOBLE, AND I'M
GOING TO REEL US BACK TO
EVERYONE CAN SPEAK ONE AT A
TIME. I CAN FACILITATE. WE COULD
USE A TALKING -- ANYHOW, OVER TO
YOU, DIRECTOR.
>> I HAPPEN TO BE WORKING FOR
THE EXECUTIVE AT THE TIME THE
NORTHGATE PROPERTIES BECAME
AVAILABLE, AND THE CITY WAS
APPROACHED BY HSA ABOUT
POTENTIAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT. I
COULD BETTER TELL THE STORY. BUT
IT WAS SOMEWHAT AN UNUSUAL WAY,
SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS
LOOKING FOR PARTNERS TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE. SITE HAD A LOT OF
HOUSING ON IT, BUT IT WAS AGED,
AND IT HAD CAPACITY FOR
SIGNIFICANTLY MOORE. I
UNDERSTAND THE OPPORTUNITY
THAT'S BEING PURSUED. THAT WAS
THE USUAL ARRANGEMENT. THE CITY
WAS APPROACHED. IT'S GOT TO BE
FOUR, FIVE YEARS AGO, AT LEAST.
SO THAT'S WHAT I KNOW, NO TERMS
OF BACKGROUND.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
ANYTHING FURTHER?
>> THAT'S IT.
>> ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMEMBER
SOLOMON, FOLLOWED BY
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK.
>> A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS
AND A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR
DR. KIM. YOU HAD MENTIONED
EARLIER IN RESPONSE TO
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA THAT THE
MONEY THAT'S BEING SET ASIDE
FOR TENANT OR RENTAL ASSISTANCE
ALSO INCLUDES MONEY FOR TENANT
SERVICES? IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THE MAJORITY IS FOR RENTAL
ASSISTANCE ITSELF, BUT YES.
THERE IS SOME FOR TENANT
ASSISTANCE.
>> DO YOU HAVE ROUGH DOLLAR
FIGURES FOR WHAT THAT WOULD BE?
>> I DON'T OFF THE TOP, BUT
I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT FOR
YOU.
>> OKAY, I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER
QUESTION. I THINK THIS MIGHT BE
MORE FOR ONE-ON-ONE
CONVERSATION, AS OPPOSED TO
TAKING UP TIME HERE. BUT I'M
CURIOUS ABOUT HOW WE COULD
EXPEDITE THE DEPLOYMENT OF TINY
HOMES. SO AGAIN, I'LL PROBABLY
HAVE MY PEOPLE CALL YOUR PEOPLE,
AND WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP.
DIRECTOR CAULFIELD, YOU KNOW, AS
YOU MENTIONED THE FRESH BUCKS
PROGRAM AND THE EXPANSION OF
THAT. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF
A BUDGET PRIORITY THAT WE HAVE
TO INCREASE THAT, SEEING THAT IS
ALREADY IN THE MAYOR'S BUDGET.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY
THAT BECAUSE NOW THAT ALLOWS US
TO LOOK AT OTHER THINGS THAT DO
NEED FUNDING LIKE OUR SERVICES
FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, OUR
IMMIGRANT, YOU KNOW,
POPULATIONS. HEARING THE
BREAKDOWN FROM YOU, I HAVE TO
TELL YOU VERY IMPACTFUL, VERY
INFORMATIVE, VERY DEPRESSING. SO
THANK YOU FOR WHAT'S COMING
DOWN FROM THE FEDS, BUT IT ALSO
POINTS OUT TO US WHAT WE NEED TO
DO LOCALLY TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE
FROM THE MADNESS THAT'S COMING
BACK, COMING AT US. I ALSO WANT
TO SAY THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING
GARDNER HOUSE ON SLIDE SIX IN
YOUR PRESENTATION. D2,
REPRESENT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT
THIS POINT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
SOLOMON. COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR, THANK YOU
FOR THOSE REMARKS. ACTUALLY JUST
BUILDING ON THAT POINT SINCE YOU
BROUGHT UP TENANT SERVICES. I
KNOW THIS IS OUTSIDE OF THE
SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING
DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING
RIGHT NOW. BUT IT IS MY
UNDERSTANDING THAT LAST YEAR,
TENANT SERVICES HAD A 40% CUT IN
AMOUNT, AND THAT HAS NOT -- THAT
AMOUNT HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FOR
THIS BUDGET RIGHT NOW. IS THAT
CONSISTENT WITH YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEEN
PROPOSED?
>> I KNOW THERE ARE NO
REDUCTIONS.
>> OKAY.
>> OF COURSE, WITH THIS ADD,
THAT'S SIGNIFICANT, BUT THERE
ARE NO REDUCTIONS.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU. TO THAT, I
ALSO WANT TO TAKE A QUICK MOMENT
TO SPEAK TO THE POINT THAT THE
COUNCIL PRESIDENT RAISED JUST
BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW WASHINGTON
STATE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT, THEY ACTUALLY
RELEASED SOME PRELIMINARY DATA
ON HOW TRUMP'S BIG BETRAYAL
BILL WILL IMPACT S.N.A.P.,
SPECIFICALLY IN WASHINGTON
STATE, SO WE DON'T HAVE SEATTLE
SPECIFIC, BUT WE HAVE WASHINGTON
STATEWIDE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT
137,000 WASHINGTONIANS COULD
LOSE S.N.A.P. BENEFITS FROM
ELIGIBILITY CHANGES AND WORK
REQUIREMENTS, AS PREVIOUS
EXEMPTIONS FOR VETERANS, FORMER
FOSTER YOUTH, PARENTS OF
DEPENDENT CHILDREN, AND THOSE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE
CUT NOW. SO I THOUGHT I WOULD
UPLIFT THAT TO COLOR THE
CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT. WE
CAN DO ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS TO
UNDERSTAND SEATTLE SPECIFICALLY.
BUT GIVEN WE'RE THE LARGEST
CITY IN WASHINGTON STATE, IT'S
FAIR TO SAY A GOOD CHUNK OF
THOSE FOLKS ARE OUR RESIDENT.
REALLY APPLAUD THE EXECUTIVE
INCLUDING EXPANSION TO THE FRESH
BUCKS PROGRAM. I'M A HUGE FAN
OF THIS. THE COMMITTEE I CHAIRED
EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND I THINK
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW AS WELL.
PROGRAM IS INCREDIBLY LEAN, AND
DIRECTOR, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF
I'M WRONG. IT'S CURRENTLY
ADMINISTERED BY SIX STAFF. IS
THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT. YES. SIX
STAFF WHO ARE SERVING 12,000
HOUSEHOLDS IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
IT'S MY WORKING UNDERSTANDING
THIS WOULD MARK THE FIRST
INCREASE TO THE MONTHLY
ALLOCATION AMOUNT. SINCE THE
START OF THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE AN
INCREASED MONTHLY ALLOCATION,
BASED ON INFLATION. IS THAT
CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT. SO REALLY, I
WOULD JUST VOICE MY EXCITEMENT
AND SUPPORT FOR THAT INVESTMENT.
I DID WANT TO RAISE JUST A
COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR TODAY.
ONE BEING JUST AROUND THE POINT
OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE. SINCE
WE'RE SEEING EXPANSION TO
RENTAL ASSISTANCE. MY OFFICE
CONTINUES TO HEAR CONCERNS ABOUT
FOLKS BEING ABLE TO MAKE ENDS
MEET. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE
LISTENING PUBLIC, HOW DOES ONE
ACCESS RENTAL ASSISTANCE? DO
THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH? WHAT DO
THEY NEED TO DO?
>> THAT'S SUCH A GOOD QUESTION.
SO PREVIOUSLY IT WAS
ADMINISTERED BY THE SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF WHAT DOES SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND
INSPECTION.
>> WE RECENTLY SUBMITTED A SLIDE
RESPONSE ABOUT RENTAL ASSISTANCE
BECAUSE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBER
ASKED US TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO
WE STREAMLINE. SO I THINK YOUR
QUESTION IS A GOOD ONE, AND
PROBABLY TOP OF MIND FOR MANY.
AND SO WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING
ON A SPEND PLAN RIGHT NOW, BUT
WE ARE SOON TO PROPOSE A MORE
STREAMLINE WAY. BUT FOR THE
VIEWING PUBLIC, I'LL MAKE SURE
I GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT THE
SPECIFIC WAYS, IN WHICH PEOPLE
CAN CURRENTLY ACCESS, BUT I
DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON
TOP OF MIND.
>> THANK YOU. WAS THAT A HAND
FROM DIRECTOR EDER?
>> PLEASE, DIRECTOR EDER?
>> I WANT TO JUST NOTE I'M
GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON THE POINT
THAT'S BEEN MADE A COUPLE OF
TIMES ABOUT THE 40% REDUCTION TO
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE. I
DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S ACCURATE,
BUT I WANT TO ANSWER THAT IN A
DETAILED WAY TO TRACE SOME SOFT
HISTORY. THERE WAS SOME MONEY
PROPOSED TO BE REMOVED. IT WAS
ADDED BACK ON THE ONE-TIME
BASIS. THAT MONEY AGAIN WAS
SUPPOSE TO GO AWAY, AND WE'RE
REPLACING IT ON THE ONGOING
BASIS WITH THE FUNDING FROM THE
PORTION OF THE TAX WE'RE
DISCUSSING NOW.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, DIRECTOR
EDER. IF I MAY AS A POINT OF
CLARIFICATION. WE'RE RUNNING
THE LISTING PUBLIC, AND I'M NOT
CONFUSED. I'M NOT SPEAKING TO
RENTAL SUPPORT SERVICES, WHICH
IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROGRAM.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT LAST
YEAR, THAT WAS CUT BY 40%, SO
THERE IS STILL MONEY THERE, BUT
WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT AMOUNT
RESTORED IN THIS BUDGET, THAT
HAS NOW BEEN TRANSMITTED.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT
CLARIFICATION.
>> YEAH, THANK YOU.
>> AND I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR, WE
HAD A VERY ROBUST DISCUSSION
AROUND ALL OF THIS. THERE WERE
AMENDMENTS GOING BACK AND FORTH.
DO WE INCREASE OR DECREASE? AND
YES, FIVE VOTES WILL MAKE PUBLIC
POLICY. COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER
QUESTIONS HERE? MIGHT JUMP INTO
MINE? DIRECTOR HAMDI MOHAMED,
PLEASE?
>> I DID WANT TO ADD AND MAKE A
CLARIFYING POINT AND DR. EDER'S
COMMENTS ABOUT THE LEGAL DEFENSE
PROGRAM. I KNOW IT SAID $300,000
ON THE SLIDE, AND IT MAKES IT
LOOK LIKE THAT IS JUST $300,000.
I WANT THE PUBLIC AND COUNSELORS
TO KNOW IT'S THE LARGEST
PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, AND IT'S
CURRENTLY FUNDED AT $1.3
MILLION, AND IT'S RENEWED
ANNUALLY. SO IN ADDITION TO THAT
$1.33 MILLION, YOU ALL ADDED THE
ADDITIONAL $3300,000. SO THIS
YEAR, WE HAVE ALLOCATED $1.6
MILLION GOING TOWARDS LEGAL
DEFENSE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST
PROGRAM IN OUR OFFICE. SO IF THE
TAX IS PASSED, THEN THAT WOULD
ALLOW US TO CONSIDER EVEN
ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO GO TOWARDS
LEGAL DEFENSE. I IMAGINE THE
MAJORITY OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE A
LARGE CHUNK OF THOSE DOLLARS
WILL GO TOWARDS THAT. SO I JUST
WANTED TO MAKE SURE I CLARIFIED
THAT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR OF THE
OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
AFFAIRS. IT'S AN EASIER TITLE.
[ LAUGHTER ] WITH THAT, I HAVE
TO -- I KNOW DIRECTOR KIM, YOUR
DEPARTMENT IS NOT SMALL, BUT YOU
STILL PUNCH ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT
WITH THE NUMBER OF GRANTS YOU
ADMINISTER. THAT'S TRUE FOR
ESPECIALLY OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
AND REALLY, YOUR DEPARTMENT
PUNCHES ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT AND IT
WAS DESCRIBED JUST A MINUTE AGO
THAT SIX PEOPLE ADMINISTER A
PROGRAM THAT WILL CHANGE SO MANY
PEOPLE'S LIVES. DIRECTOR
MOHAMED, JUST THE POINT YOU
MADE. IT'S BEYOND JUST SIGNS
THAT WILL SAY SEATTLE IS A
WELCOMING CITY. IT IS ACTUALLY
GOING OUT THERE, PROVIDING THE
FUNDING TO COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE TRUSTED BY
THEIR PEERS TO SPREAD THE GOOD
WORK AND MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW
THEIR RIGHTS THAT THERE IS A
PROGRAM AND PROCESS TO BE QUICK
IN RESPONSE. I REALLY
APPRECIATED THE WORDS THAT YOU
SHARED JUST THE OTHER DAY ABOUT
WHY AND HOW IT IS NOT
NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE FOR
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO BE DOING
THAT WORK. IT'S ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING
THAT WORK, PUTTING OUR MONEY
WHERE OUR MOUTHS IS, AND BEING
THERE FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS
WHO KNOW HOW TO DO IT IN A WAY
NO MATTER WHAT THE CULTURE IS,
IT'S RESPONSIVE AND CORRECT. SO
I WENT OFF MY NOTES OF JUST
IMMENSE GRATITUDE TO THE THREE
DEPARTMENTS HERE. FOR ALL OF
YOUR WORK, DIRECTOR KIM, DO YOU
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?
>> I HAVE NOT HAD LUNCH YET, BUT
SMARTER PEOPLE WHO HAD LUNCH
JUST SENT ME AN EASY CHAT TO
REMIND ME THAT COUNCIL MEMBER
MERCEDES RINCK, ANYONE BECAUSE
THIS IS IMPORTANT, SO FOR FOLKS
WHO WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE, THE
EASIEST WAY IS TO CONTACT 211
BECAUSE WE CONTRACT WITH
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO FORGIVE ME. I'VE HAD TOO
MUCH COFFEE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KIM. I'LL
JUST TICK THROUGH THE NOTES I'VE
TAKEN IN THESE PRESENTATIONS.
DIRECTOR CAULFIELD, THE FRESH
BUCKS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME
PERSONALLY. IT WAS THE FIRST
BUDGET AMENDMENT I EVER MADE,
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME
GENERAL FUND WAS USED TO SUPPORT
THAT PROGRAM. WHAT WE SAW, WE
WERE ABLE TO CUT THE WAIT LIST
OFF AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, WE
WERE ABLE TO GET EVERYONE OFF
THE WAIT LIST. AND THEN THE
CITY, IT NO FAULT THROUGH
ANYONE, BUT AS A POLICY, WE
DECIDED NOT TO REOPEN THE WAIT
LIST UNTIL WE HAD MORE MONEY. IT
DIDN'T DEMONSTRATE THE TRUE
NEED OF THAT PROGRAM TO HAVE,
AGAIN, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE
FOOD, THE ACCESS TO IT, WHETHER
IT'S AT FOOD BANKS, ETC. WHAT
WE'VE DONE JUST THAT YEAR AND
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK'S COMMITTEE,
DEMONSTRATED YOU ALL MADE THE
SMART CHOICE TO SAY WE'RE GOING
TO OPEN THE WAIT LIST, EVEN IF
WE DON'T KNOW WE CAN FUND IT.
HOW DEEP THE NEED IS, SO I WANT
TO THANK YOU FOR THE POLICY
CHOICE YOU MADE AHEAD OF US
COMING TO GRAPPLE WITH ALL THESE
CUTS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THE
DATA IN A MUCH BETTER WAY, SO
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
>> YES, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
I APOLOGIZE. THROUGH THE POWER
POINT. SO I SAID, MICHELE, OR
MS. CAULFIELD?
>> MICHELE IS FINE.
>> OKAY, GOOD. I JUST WANTED TO
BE APPROPRIATE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
>> TWO THINGS, SOME OF US WERE
AROUND WHEN WE DID THE SUGAR
TAX.
>> THE SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX.
>> YES, WHATEVER. SO WE HAD A
BIG FAT FIGHT OVER THE MONEY,
AND I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT
PUSHED HARD THAT IT SHOULD GO TO
FOOD BANKS, AND THAT IT SHOULD
NOT ONLY GO TO FOOD BUCKS, BUT I
WASN'T KEEN ON FRESH BUCKS, BUT
I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A
MINUTE. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH
MONEY FROM THE SUGAR TAX,
WHATEVER, IS GOING TO FOOD
BANKS? BECAUSE AS WE KNOW FROM
DIRECTOR KIM, THEY DON'T JUST
HAND OUT FOOD. THEY DID
MEDICARE, MEDICAID, EVICTION
RENTAL, ALL THE MONEY THAT WENT
TO ALL OF THAT. AND SO DO YOU
KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT WILL GO TO
FOOD BANKS?
>> I DO NOT HAVE THAT OFFHAND,
BUT I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE
DIRECTOR KIM DOES.
>> I SEE HER HAND.
>> OH, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR
THAT, SO WE'LL GET BACK TO
THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET
THE CORRECT AMOUNT.
>> I WANT TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP
NOW BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO
BACK AND LOOK AT MY OLD STUFF.
I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THAT TO
BE INCREASED EVERY TIME BECAUSE
I WASN'T HAPPY THAT A MILLION
WAS GOING TO UDUB TO DO A STUDY
ABOUT WHY KIDS GET FAT IF THEY
EAT SUGAR. I DON'T THINK WE
NEED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT.
SO IF THIS IS EVER A TIME TO
BOOST THAT UP, THAT WOULD BE IT.
I'M ANTICIPATING ON DOING SOME
AMENDMENTS IS AND SOME SWITCHING
AROUND ON INCREASING FOOD BANKS.
AS YOU STATED AND WE BOTH KNOW,
THAT FOOD BANKS DO SO MUCH MORE
THAN JUST HAND OUT BAGS OF FOOD.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD
REALLY QUICKLY. ON FRESH BUCKS,
WE HAD AN INTERESTING
CONTROVERSY FOR THE FIRST FOUR
YEARS. SOME OF IT GOT SETTLED,
BUT WHAT MADE ME LISTEN CLOSELY
IS THE FRESH BUCKS PROGRAM. ARE
YOU TELLING US AT ONE POINT,
YOU'RE HAVING CULTURALLY
RELEVANT FOOD? HOW DO YOU COME
TO THAT? THE PROBLEM WE'RE
HAVING, AND I'LL BE
STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH YOU.
INSTEAD OF HAVING CULTURALLY
RELEVANT FOOD, RATHER THAN
CHEESE AND APPLE CIDER, ALL
THESE OTHER THINGS. ONE OF THESE
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FARMERS'
MARKET PEOPLE IS THEY WOULD HAVE
A CLASS TO TEACH IMMIGRANTS HOW
TO SHOP, WHICH I FOUND
INCREDIBLY CONDESCENDING. WHAT I
WANTED TO HEAR WAS HOW ARE YOU
GOING TO GET TO WHAT IS
CULTURALLY RELEVANT? SO HOW DID
YOU GET THERE?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING AND
EXPRESSING YOUR INTEREST IN
THAT.
>> DIRECTOR CAULFIELD,
MICROPHONE.
>> YOU CAN MOVE IT TOO.
>> OH, I NEED TO MOVE IT CLOSER
TO ME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
YOUR QUESTION. SO WHEN FRESH
BUCKS STARTED, IT WAS AVAILABLE
IN FARMERS' MARKETS ONLY. WHEN
THE SWEETENED BEVERAGE TAX
PASSED, WE EXPANDED FRESH BUCKS
TO BE AVAILABLE IN SAFEWAY
STORES ACROSS THE CITY. WE ALSO
EXPANDED FRESH BUCKS TO BE
AVAILABLE AT GROCERY STORES AND
LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS OWNED BY
REFUGEES, PROVIDING RELEVANT
FOOD IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, SO
PEOPLE COULD USE THEIR FRESH
BUCKS DOLLARS TO SHOP IN THE WAY
THAT THEY WANTED TO SHOP. SO
CURRENTLY NOW, AND I CAN GET YOU
THE LIST. I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF
ME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LIST IT
ALL OUT. BUT WE HAVE ABOUT 12 TO
14 INDEPENDENT SMALL GROCERS.
IT'S THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE
ON AURORA AVENUE. IT'S A LATINO
OWNED GROCER, I KNOW THE COUPLE.
THEY HAVE BIG BANNERS OUTSIDE.
YOU MIGHT SEE IT. THERE IS HC
GROCERY, AN ASIAN GROCERY THAT
PROVIDES ASIAN VEGETABLES AND
FRUITS. THERE IS HALAL GROCERS,
PROBABLY LOCATED IN SOUTH
SEATTLE. WHAT I'M TRYING TO
EXPRESS, THERE ARE A RANGE OF
GROCERS WHO ARE A PART OF THIS
PROGRAM. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE
FRESH BUCKS IS AN INCREDIBLE
BENEFIT TO PEOPLE TO INCREASE
THEIR PURCHASING DOLLARS, BUT
IT'S ACTUALLY A HUGE BENEFIT TO
THE BUSINESSES THAT WE PARTNER
WITH TO ACCEPT THE DOLLARS. I
REMEMBER GOING TO AN OPENING AT
ONE OF THE GROCERS DOWN ON
RAINIER, A SEW MALI GROCER, WHO
TOLD ME THEIR SAILS DOUBLED WHEN
THEY BECAME A FRESH BUCKS
RETAILER. SO A PART OF THIS
PROGRAM IS ALSO SUPPORTING
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL
GROCERS, SO THAT WE HAVE ACCESS
TO FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
THROUGHOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS,
AND WE'RE NOT ABANDONED. THAT
IS IN PARTNERSHIP.
>> DIDN'T WE PASS THE CORNER
STORES?
>> YEAH.
>> ARE WE GOING TO BE USING THAT
TO ADD TO MARKET? LIKE OPEN UP A
CORNER STORE BECAUSE YOU CAN USE
FRESH BUCKS IN THESE PARTICULAR
NEIGHBORHOODS?
>> YES, AND ACTUALLY, DAN EDER
MAY KNOW THIS.
>> DAN DOESN'T KNOW.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER THE EVENT WE
ATTENDED?
>> YES.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT THE
INVESTMENT.
>> YES.
>> SO ONE OF THOSE INVESTMENTS
IS GOING TO THE OFFICE OF
DEVELOPMENT ACROSS
NEIGHBORHOODS. SO WE'RE EXCITED
TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON THAT AS
WELL. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT
THAT WAS. THAT'S EXCITING.
>> A MILLION DOLLARS MAYBE, I
DON'T KNOW.
>> LET ME WRITE THAT DOWN AND
THANK YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
>> IT IS SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU
BACK, COUNCIL MEMBER JUAREZ,
SHOOT, STRAIGHT TALKING TO THE
POINT. THIS IS ALSO WHY WE WOULD
HAVE A RULE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I
WAS STAFFED AS AN EARLY COUNCIL
MEMBER. BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD,
AND THEY ARE FACTUAL. NO, WE
DON'T NEED A STUDY TO
UNDERSTAND WHY SUGAR MAKES KIDS
FAT. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE
FARMERS' MARKETS TEACHING OTHER
PEOPLE TO DO THINGS THAT THEY
HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY THEIR
PARENTS FROM AGE ONE, RIGHT? AND
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CAULFIELD --
AND MAYBE AT THE END OF THE
PRESENTATION, YOU WANT TO READ
OUT ALL THE PARTICIPATING CORNER
STORES. THE PROGRAM IS JUST SO
DIFFERENT THAN WHEN IT WAS
ORIGINALLY CREATED. IT'S BEEN
ABOUT THAT -- WHAT'S GOING ON
DOWN THERE?
>> I'M LAUGHING BECAUSE I KNOW
I'LL GET NASTY MAIL FROM THE
UDUB, SO I'LL PUT IT OUT THERE.
LIKE I DID LAST TIME.
>> I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO
THE TEAM AT THE OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT.
LIKE THANK YOU FOR THANKING ME.
BUT I NEED TO THANK MY TEAM
BECAUSE ALL THREE OF US UP HERE
HAVE INCREDIBLE STAFF THAT ARE
DELIVERING ON THESE THINGS. I
KNOW ROBIN WAS THERE AND
PRESENTED TO YOUR COMMITTEE. BUT
YEAH, WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE
WHO ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
THIS WORK.
>> SO WITH DIRECTOR EDER?
DIRECTOR EDER AND THEN I'LL
SHARE SOME THOUGHTS.
>> JUST TO ANSWER THE QUESTION
OR ON THE SAME SUBJECT AS THE
QUESTION COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ
WAS ASKING ABOUT. FOOD BANKS, WE
ARE ADDING $3 MILLION TO A $3.5
MILLION BASE. THAT BRINGS US UP
TO $6.5 MILLION IN THE PROPOSED
BUDGET. THE HUMAN SERVICES
COALITION, EVERY YEAR HAS A LIST
OF THINGS THEY'D LIKE TO SEE
FUNDED. ASKED FOR $2.5 MILLION
FOR ADDITIONAL FOOD BANK
INVESTMENTS. SO WE HAVE MORE
THAN ADDRESSED THE HUMAN
SERVICES COALITION PROPOSAL.
MORE MONEY, YET MORE MONEY WOULD
BE EVEN BETTER, I AGREE, BUT
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE BALANCING
TRADE-OFFS HERE. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> WITH THAT, COLLEAGUES, I JUST
STARTED MY NOTES FROM WATCHING
THE PRESENTATION, SO I'M GOING
TO FINISH WITH WHERE I WAS
GOING. THANK YOU FOR THAT FRESH
BUCKS DETOUR, THAT WAS
BEAUTIFUL. JUST TO SAY, AND
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ WAS SAYING
THIS ALSO, AS WELL AS A NUMBER
OF PEOPLE. THE NAME, FOOD BANK,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE BALLARD FOOD
BANK, IS MISNUMBERED. WHAT I
WATCH IS THEY DO MENTAL, DENTAL,
PHYSICAL HEALTH. I HAVE WATCHED,
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO BE
ABLE TO GET PEOPLE INTO HOUSING.
THEY HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS, THEY
HAVE A WALK-UP FREE CAFE AT ANY
TIME. IT'S NOT I'M GOING TO GO
GET SOME FOOD OUT OF A BACK
PANTRY, BUT FEELS LIKE A GROCERY
STORE AS WELL. WHAT I HAVE HEARD
FROM THEM, THERE'S BEEN
MULTIPLE CUTS TO FEDERAL, FROM
THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE
FUNDING. WHAT I HEARD FROM THEM
IS FOOD LIFELINE IS NOT ALWAYS
INEXPENSIVE WAY TO GET GOOD
FOOD, THAT FOOD BANKS GENERALLY,
I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR BALLARD.
FOOD BANKS HAVE HAD TO GO TO THE
GROCERY STORE, TO COSTCO, TO
FIND FOOD TO PURCHASE. THAT'S
THE SITUATION WE HAVE AT HAND.
SO I HEARD THE QUESTIONS OF, YOU
KNOW, PROVE THE NEED. I HEARD
THAT APPEAR TODAY. THESE
ORGANIZATIONS, WHO ARE PROVIDING
MENTAL, DENTAL, PHYSICAL HOUSING
AND FOOD ASSISTANCE TO NOT
PEOPLE WHO ARE NECESSARILY, YOU
KNOW, THEY'RE PROVIDING THESE
SERVICES TO ED SEATTLE
SEATTLITES. IT'S FOLKS YOU
WOULDN'T SUSPECT. WE REALLY DO
RELY ON THIS. I HAVE TO TAKE
THIS MOMENT TO THANK
COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH FOR
ALL OF YOUR FOOD ADVOCACY FROM
LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. I THINK WE
BROKE SOME RECORDS. THAT WAS
BECAUSE OF YOU. WHEN I TALK
ABOUT THIS WITH FOOD BANKS
ALREADY RECEIVING FEDERAL AND
STATE CUTS, IT'S BEYOND THEY
CAN'T AFFORD A CUT FROM THE
CITY BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY
TAKEN IT TWICE AND HAVE TO PAY
MARKET RATE FROM THEIR FOOD. IF
ANYTHING, WE, AS THE
MUNICIPALITY, NEED TO INCREASE
OUR FUNDING, NOT CUT THEIR
FUNDING, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE IN A
STRUCTURAL BUDGET DEFICIT.
OVERALL, THESE INVESTMENTS IN
THE FOOD BANK AND BEYOND AND
EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, THESE
INVESTMENTS WILL MAKE SURE THEY
DON'T GO HUNGRY. THESE
INVESTMENTS MAKE SURE THEY
NOTARY HAD RIGHTS AND KNOW HOW
TO RESPOND. THESE INVESTMENTS
MAKE SURE PEOPLE, AND THIS GETS
TO THE SHELTER PIECE, WHERE WE
ARE HOLDING MONEY IN CASE THE
FEDS CUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR
SHELTER. THESE INVESTMENTS MAKE
SURE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOTTEN
THEMSELVES OFF THE STREETS INTO
SHELTERS AREN'T PUT BACK OUT
ONTO THE STREETS. AND SO YES,
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS
CONVERSATION ONGOING ABOUT THE
STRUCTURAL DEFICIT. WHY WOULD WE
INCREASE INVESTMENTS? THESE ARE
THE REASONS WHY. WE CAN'T LET
PEOPLE GET HUNGRY OR KICK BACK
OUT ON THE STREETS. WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THEIR RIGHTS
AND HOW TO RESPOND. SO JUST
DEMONSTRATING THESE ARE PROGRAMS
THAT SEATTLE CANNOT DO WITHOUT.
IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I
JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE
PRESENTATION TODAY. I KNOW
BEFORE WE GOT INTO BUDGET, I WAS
REALLY GRILLING A NUMBER OF YOU
ON THESE QUESTIONS, SO THAT'S
WHY I DON'T HAVE FURTHER
QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. I DO SEE
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA HAS HER
HAND. ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL
MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT YET SPOKEN
WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MOMENT?
SEEING NONE, COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. JUST THANK
YOU, DIRECTOR MOHAMED, FOR
CLARIFYING ON LEGAL DEFENSE.
THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF
CLARIFICATION BECAUSE THIS IS
SOMETHING WE ALL CARE A LOT
ABOUT. I CARE A LOT ABOUT, AND
IT'S GOOD TO HEAR IT WASN'T
JUST THE $300,000 THAT THERE IS
MORE. WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT
THAT PARTICULAR INVESTMENT, SO
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. VERY
IMPORTANT, AND THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO THERE.
IT'S BEEN A LOT FOR YOUR
OFFICE, AND I SEE AT LEAST ONE
OFFICE MEMBER HERE. HI, BACK
THERE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE
WORK THAT YOU HELP DO TO SUPPORT
OUR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
COMMUNITY IN SEATTLE. IT'S A
SMALL TEAM OF FOLKS, SO WE VERY
MUCH APPRECIATE ALL YOUR
SUPPORT. THEN ON THE FOOD BANK,
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. IT WILL BE
A PART OF THE FOOD BANK
INVESTMENT. I WILL SAY THAT THE
U DISTRICT FOOD BANK HAS A
GARDEN ON THE TOP OF THE
BUILDING. SO THEY WERE ACTUALLY
GARDENING FOOD THAT THEY
DISTRIBUTE TO THE FOLKS. THEY
ALSO HAD A HOT FOOD AREA AS
WELL. SO ALONG WITH WHAT MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, THAT FOOD
BANK IS ALSO TAKING UP A LOT OF
WORK THAT GOES WELL BEYOND JUST
DISTRIBUTING BAGS OF FOOD. SO
JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP THE
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT. AND THEN
THE LAST POINT I'LL MAKE IS
THAT NOW WITH THE CORNER STORE
PIECE THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE
COMP PLAN, I SEE A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITY IN NEIGHBORHOODS,
WHERE THERE ARE FOOD DESERTS TO
DO MORE INDEPENDENT GROCERS AND
SMALL GROCERS TO TAKE UP THE
WORK, SINCE WE'RE LOSING A LOT
OF OUR GROCERY STORES. WHO COULD
PARTICIPATE IN FRESH BUCKS, FOR
INSTANCE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE
SOMEONE DO A BODEGA OVER THE
PARK BECAUSE IT IS A FOOD DESERT
OUT THERE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE
A CONVERSATION WITH OED AND OSD
AND HSD. FOR THAT MATTER, TO
TALK ABOUT ARE THERE WAYS THE
CITY CAN HELP SUPPORT FOLKS THAT
WANT TO OPEN A GROCERY STORE?
I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF
FOLKS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
MAYBE EVEN OED IS DOING THE WORK
IN THE SPACE, AND WE DON'T KNOW
ABOUT. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.
THERE IS MORE OF A NEED NOW
BECAUSE WE'RE LOSING SO MANY
BIG GROCERS. SO I THINK THERE IS
A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SMALLER GROCERS TO TAKE UP THIS
PIECE THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL IN
OUR CITY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON
THIS PRESENTATION? I WAS REMISED
TO NOT CALL ON COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS
SESSION, AS SHE'S THE CHAIR OF
THE FEDERAL RESPONSE COMMITTEE.
SO I WILL BE GIVING YOU THE LAST
WORD. COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. COLLEAGUES,
IT'S BEEN A LONG NINE MONTHS OF
THE SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY. I
FEEL I'VE AGED A FEW JEERS. I
WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO AT
LEAST BRING US BACK. I CALLED
FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY
CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THAT
INITIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THAT
FREEZE IN FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH
I THINK SHOOK ALL OF US.
TREMENDOUSLY UNPRECEDENTED MOVE.
I WANT TO EXPRESS AND SAY THANK
YOU TO THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT FOR
ANSWERING THAT CALL AND ALLOWING
THE COMMITTEE TO STAND UP, SO WE
CAN HAVE A REGULAR SPACE, WHERE
WE ARE UNPACKING THE IMPACTS OF
ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE
COME OUR WAY. IN COMMITTEE, WE
HAVE HAD ROUND TABLES AND
DISCUSSIONS FROM A VARIETY OF
TOPICS FROM LABOR PROTECTIONS TO
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE ACCESS,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVING
DIRECTOR OF OEM COMING IN,
DIRECTOR, MAYOR, TALKING ABOUT
THE CHANGES IN FEMA POLICY. THE
FACT WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED
OUR CHECK FROM FEMA RELATED TO
THE WIND STORM THAT HAPPENED
EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT KNOCKED
OUT CITY POWER FOR THOUSANDS OF
OUR RESIDENTS. WE'VE BEEN
UNPACKING A LOT OF THESE
IMPACTS, BUT I WANT TO UPLIFT
ONE THING. FACT EARLIER THIS
YEAR, MY TEAM WAS ABLE TO JOIN
WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER
JURISDICTIONAL PARTNERS AT THE
CONFERENCE HELD IN CHICAGO THIS
YEAR. I WANT TO REMIND US WE'RE
NOT ALONE. JURISDICTIONS ACROSS
THE NATION ARE DEALING WITH THE
EXACT SAME ISSUES WE ARE.
GRAPPLE LING WITH THE SAME
IMPACTS. CIRCLING AROUND THE
THREE AREAS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN
THESE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS NOW.
THESE ARE THE BIG THREE THAT
MANY JURISDICTIONS ARE FOCUSING
THEIR ATTENTION TO. MAKING SURE
PEOPLE STAY HOUSED AND FED, AND
STEPPING UP TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL
IMMIGRANT REFUGEE COMMUNITIES.
SO I REALLY WANT TO UNDERSCORE
THAT POINT THAT I THINK THE
INVESTMENTS LAID OUT HERE ARE
THE RIGHT ONES IN THE MOMENT,
AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR
FROM OUR CITIES ACROSS THE
NATION. AND SO I ALSO WANT TO
TAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF
PRIVILEGE TO THANK EVERY MEMBER
OF THIS BODY FOR YOUR CONSISTENT
ENGAGEMENT ON THE SELECT
COMMITTEE. FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT
ON THE LEGISLATION THAT SEATTLE
SHIELD INITIATIVE, WHICH IS NOW
BEFORE VOTERS. TAKE A MOMENT TO
THANK EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS
PRESIDENT HERE AS WELL. PLEASE
EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF
THE TEAM. IT'S HARD WORK. IT
CAN FEEL HOPELESS, BUT IT'S A
DISCIPLINE. IT'S INVESTMENTS
LIKE THESE THAT IS GIVING US THE
RIGHT THING. SO THANK YOU, ALL.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS.
>> THANK YOU. I ALSO FORGOT TO
ASK IF THERE ARE ANY FINAL
REMARKS BEFORE I GAVE YOU THE
LAST WORD. SO SECOND TO LAST
WORD, AND THEN DEPUTY MAYOR
WONG, LAST WORD TODAY.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE
COUNCIL FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, FOR
YOUR REMARKS, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROPOSAL FOR
MAYOR HARRELL IS, AS
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK SAID, HOW WE
MEET THE MOMENT. WE'RE IN A
CHALLENGING TIME. THE THREATS TO
OUR PEOPLE, TO OUR CITY ARE
REAL. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE
HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEP UP AND
MEET THE NEEDS FOR OUR MOST
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, MAKING
SURE PEOPLE STAY FED, HOUSED,
AND OUR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE
COMMUNITIES ARE PROTECTED. THOSE
ARE THE PRIORITIES. WE LOOK
FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT OF THE
PROPOSAL AND OUR ONGOING
DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WILL
THE CLERK READ THE FOURTH ITEM
INTO THE RECORD?
>> ITEM 4, COUNCIL BILL 121083,
AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO
TAXATION, IMPOSING A LOCAL SALES
AND USE TAX TO FUND INVESTMENTS
IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, REPEALING
OBSOLETES SALES AND USE TAX
PROVISIONS, ADDING A NEW
SELECTION.
>> CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW
WEDDING. CONGRATULATIONS.
FOR THOSE WATCHING SEATTLE
CHANNEL, THE CITY HALL IS A
PLACE WHERE MANY PEOPLE WILL
COME. WE'VE GOT A NEWLYWED
COUPLE. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL
MOMENT IN LIFE.
>> THEY GET DIVORCED ACROSS THE
STREET.
>> THEY GET DIVORCED BECAUSE OF
HERE.
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. [ LAUGHTER
]
>> WONDERFUL, WITH A MOMENT OF
LEVITY PASSING, BACK TO SERIOUS
BUSINESS. ITEM NUMBER 4 ON
TODAY'S AGENDA. IT'S OUR
CONVERSATION REGARDING THE .1%
SALES TAX TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY
PROGRAMS. THE ITEM HAS BEEN READ
INTO THE RECORD. WE ARE JOINED
BY ANDREW MYERBERG, NATALIE
WALTON-ANDERSON, SARAH SMITH,
ALL FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE,
DIRECTOR DAN EDER, DIRECTOR
NOBLE, AND TOM MIKESELL. WE DO
HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS
IT THIS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE ONE
FROM THE EXECUTIVE SIDE, AS WELL
AS ONE FROM THE CENTRAL STAFF
TEAM. AND SO COLLEAGUES, I'LL
SAY AT THIS POINT, WE'VE GOT AN
HOUR AND 45 MINUTES UNTIL 5:00
P.M. FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS
ALONG THE WAY. IT WOULD BE BEST
IF WE WERE ABLE TO WRAP UP A
COUPLE MINUTES BEFORE 5:00 P.M.
SO WITH THAT, OVER TO YOU, MR.
MYERBERG.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TODAY
TO DISCUSS THE SALES TAX
PROPOSAL. WE JUST WENT THROUGH,
I'LL DO A QUICK ROUND OF
INTRODUCTIONS. ANDREW MYERBERG,
THE MAYOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF.
>> DAN EDER, BUDGET DIRECTOR.
>> NATALIE WALTON-ANDERSON,
CHIEF OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> SARA NELSON, PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> TOM MIKESELL, CENTRAL STAFF.
>> BEN NOBLE, CENTRAL STAFF
DIRECTOR.
>> THANK YOU. AND ACTUALLY
BEFORE YOUR PRESENTATION STARTS
OFF, WE HAVE COUNCILMEMBER
NELSON IS THE SPONSOR, SO I WILL
CALL ON YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
DIRECTLY AFTER THE FIRST
REMARKS. COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO
OUTLINE THE PROCESS WE'RE
CONSIDERING THIS LEGISLATION, IN
ORDER TO START COLLECTING
REVENUE FROM THE SALES TAX
INCREASE AT THE BEGINNING OF
NEXT YEAR. WE WOULD HAVE TO PASS
THIS LEGISLATION BY MID-OCTOBER.
BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE BRIEFING
THE BILL TODAY. WE'LL HAVE SOME
ADDITIONAL BRIEFINGS, BUT THIS
IS ATYPICAL. THIS IS AN
EXCEPTION TO THE RULE IN HOW WE
WILL BE PROCESSING THIS PIECE OF
LEGISLATION AS COMPARED TO THE
25 OTHER PIECES OF LEGISLATION.
DID I GET THAT NUMBER CORRECT?
>> IT'S CLOSE. IT'S CORRECT.
>> IT'S 26 WITH THE POINT 1?
>> YES, FOR THE OTHER 25. THERE
YOU GO. MR. MYERBERG, OVER TO
YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
SO I'LL JUST GO OVER A LITTLE
BIT OF THE BACKGROUND. I THINK
EVERYONE UP HERE KNOWS, HAS A
BACKGROUND AROUND THIS TAX. BUT
AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, THE STATE
LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZED
JURISDICTIONS TO ADOPT A .1%
SALES TAX. THIS SALES TAX, THIS
LEGISLATION REQUIRES COMPLIANCE
WITH THE NUMBER OF POLICE REFORM
AND ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES THAT
ARE SET BOTH BY THE LAW, THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRAINING
SESSION. IN SEATTLE, THE .1%
WILL GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $30
MILLION, $39 MILLION OF REVENUE
IN '26. WHAT IT ALLOWS, AS WELL
AS IT UNLOCKS, ACCESS TO GRANT
MONEY AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE
STATE HAS $100 MILLION WORTH OF
GRANT MONEY THAT AGAIN IS BEING
ADMINISTERED BY THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE TRAINING SESSION, AND BY
GOING FORWARD WITH THE SALES
TAX. WE WILL NOW HAVE ACCESS TO
THAT MONEY. WE DON'T KNOW HOW
MUCH. WE'VE BEEN IN PRELIMINARY
CONVERSATION WITH THE TRAINING
SESSION, BUT THIS NUMBER IS
STILL TO BE DETERMINED. THE
PROCEEDS MUST BE USED FOR
PURPOSES UNDER STATE LAW, AND
THOSE ARE ALL SET OUT IN THE
HOUSE BILL. NEXT SLIDE. IN JULY,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON
SPONSORED, AND THE COUNCIL
ADOPTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS 8.0,
WHICH HAS TWO MAIN SECTIONS.
FIRST SECTION WAS THE COUNCIL
RESOLVE TO CONSIDER LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD INCREASE THE SALES
TAX BY .1% FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
PURPOSES. AND WE TRANSMITTED IT
HAD LEGISLATION FOR
CONSIDERATION. AGAIN,
APPRECIATING CHAIR STRAUSS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A QUICKER
TIMELINE. WE TRANSLATED THE
LEGISLATION ON SEPTEMBER 10,
AHEAD OF THE REST OF THE BUDGET.
NEXT SLIDE? THE RESOLUTION ALSO
CALLED OUT COUNCIL NELSON'S
LEADERSHIP. CATEGORIES OF
SPENDING. RESOLUTION ASKED 25%
OF THE REVENUES THAT STEMS FROM
THE PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX BE
USED TO FUND VARIOUS INVESTMENTS
IN THESE AREAS. I HAVE LAID OUT
THE INVESTMENT AREAS HERE ON THE
SLIDE. I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO
THEM IN DETAIL. AGAIN, IT'S A
VERY CONTROVERSIAL LIST THAT
WOULD CONSTITUTE TREATMENT,
WHICH WAS ADDICTIONAL RECOVERY.
IN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, WE WENT
BUILDING OFF THE WORK COUNCIL
PRESIDENT NELSON DID. WE
INVESTED 30% OF OUR PROJECTED
REVENUES IN A NUMBER OF THE
AREAS SET FORTH ABOVE. WE SIMPLY
COULD NOT, BUT WE PRIORITIZE A
NUMBER OF THESE INVESTMENTS,
INVESTING APPROXIMATELY 30%. WE
VIEW THIS TAX AND THE INVESTMENT
BUDGET AS REPRESENTING THE
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PUBLIC
SAFETY THAT OUR ADMINISTRATION,
I BELIEVE CHAIR KETTLE, SORRY,
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE AND OTHERS
HAS TAKEN ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S PUBLIC HEALTH, IT'S
DIVERSION, ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE.
IT'S YES, AND. THAT'S WHAT
WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN THIS
INVESTMENT PACKAGE. SO WITHOUT
FURTHER ADIEU, I THINK I'LL
TURN IT OVER TO YOU NOW.
>> THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US
TO PRESENT THIS TODAY. AS ANDREW
MYERBERG JUST INDICATED, THIS
PRESENTATION IS REALISTICALLY TO
TALK ABOUT THE HOLISTIC APPROACH
TO SAFETY. THE FACT WE ACTUALLY
NEED TO BE REIMAGINING WHAT
SAFETY LOOKS LIKE WITH
ALTERNATIVES. I THINK THESE
INVESTMENTS REFLECT THE MAYOR'S
COMMITMENT TO A HOLISTIC
APPROACH THAT ENSURES EVERY
NEIGHBORHOOD IS SAFE AND FEELS
SECURE. AND BY MAKING THE
FOLLOWING INVESTMENTS, BOTH
PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH,
WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP A
CONTROVERSY. I THINK I'VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH ALMOST ALL OF
YOU AND THE FACT THIS IS
NECESSARY, AND WE NEED TO DO
THIS EFFECTIVELY. THAT'S WHY
IT'S CRUCIAL. SO OUR NEXT
SLIDE. SO ULTIMATELY THIS IS THE
OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING
FOR, FOR THE MAYOR SPENDING. WE
ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THIS
PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX TO
SUPPORT OUR EXPANSION OF OUR
DIVERSIFIED RESPONSE PROGRAM.
FIRST FOR CARE CRISIS RESPONSE,
WHICH I'LL GO INTO IN A BIT.
AND ALSO ADDING $2.6 MILLION TO
ADD 911 CALL TAKERS. AND $15
MILLION TO STABILIZE THE ONGOING
CARE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE
LOOKING AT INCREASING OUR FIRST
RESPONDER STAFFING BY ADDING
$2.1 MILLION FOR 20 ADDITIONAL
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
RECRUITS. IN ADDITION TO THAT,
TREATMENT AND DIVERSION PROGRAMS
FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER
EXPAND OUR SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, TO OVERDOSE TEAM,
AND OUR POD PROGRAM AND ADDING
THE COMMUNITY TREATMENT BEDS.
AND $5 MILLION TO SUSTAIN LEADS
AND CURRENT CAPACITY. SO FIRST I
WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR
INVESTMENT IN CARE AND THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SINCE
THE PROGRAM BEGAN, NOT JUST TWO
YEARS AGO, BUT THE END OF
OCTOBER IN 2023, RESPONDING TO
THOUSANDS OF CALLS. DATA
REFLECTS 6,000 EVENTS THAT CARE
HAS RESPONDED TO. IN DOING SO,
THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
CONNECT AND REFER PEOPLE TO
SERVICES IN REAL TIME. STARTED
WITH SIX RESPONDERS IN 2023.
EXPANDED TO 16 IN 2024, AND 24
EARLIER IN 2025. WITHIN THE LAST
SIX MONTHS, THOSE 24 COMMUNITY
CRISIS RESPONDERS HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO SERVE THE CITY, CITY WIDE.
THE CURRENT CARE DEPARTMENT'S
CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO RESPOND
TO LOW ACUITY CALLS, THAT DO NOT
REQUIRE POLICE, HAVE ALREADY
SAVED THOUSANDS OF POLICE HOURS.
AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, IF NOT
MORE SO, IT'S PRESENTED AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE IN
CRISIS TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE
CONNECTION TO SERVICES. I WANT
TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME
OF THE CURRENT WORK THAT OUR
COMMUNITY RESPONDERS DO ON THE
DAILY BASIS. THEY HELP CLIENTS
ACCESS THROUGH THE PROVIDER
LINE, THROUGH CRISIS CONNECTION,
TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS, RECORRECT
INDIVIDUALS TO SERVICES THEY
MIGHT HAVE BEEN TEARED WITH OR
CONNECTED WITH. OUR COMMUNITY
CRISIS RESPONDERS HAVE BUILT
RELATIONSHIPS OVER LOTS OF
DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY
PARTNERS. SOME OF THOSE WILL
INCLUDE TO CONNECT WITH
SERVICES, REFERRED TO THE
CENTER, MAKE COMMUNITY REFERRALS
TO LEAD, AND REFER AND TRANSPORT
INDIVIDUALS TO OUR CRISIS
SOLUTION CENTER AND ALSO CRISIS
CONNECTIONS IN KIRKLAND. ABOUT
ONE-THIRD OF THE CALLS THAT
RESULTS IN TRANSPORTS. THAT'S
NOT JUST A RIDE, BUT TRANSPORT
TO CENTER AND DAY CENTERS.
RECONNECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH
THEIR OWN SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT
ARE OUTSIDE THE CITY. MOVING IN
TO 2026, OUR GOAL, OUR OBJECTIVE
IS TO BEGIN TO DIRECTLY DISPATCH
CARE TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED OF
LOW ACUITY CALLS ALL OVER THE
CITY. THAT'S WHY WE ARE
INVESTING $6.9 MILLION INTO
DOUBLING THESE TEAMS FOR 48
CRISIS RESPONDERS AND SIX
SUPERVISORS AND ONE MANAGER.
NEXT SLIDE. I WANT TO FOCUS NOW
ON THE OTHER INVESTMENTS IN THE
911 CALL CENTER. ONE OF THE
MAYOR'S KEY PRIORITIES IS IN
HIS FRAMEWORK TO MAKE SURE WE
CAN RESPOND TO 911 CALLS
EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. OUR
CALL CENTER, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW,
OUR CALL CENTER IN SEATTLE,
OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN
DAYS A WEEK, AND 365 DAYS A
YEAR. OUR CALL TAKERS AND
DISPATCHERS ARE TRULY OUR FIRST
IN THE REALM OF FIRST RESPONSE.
THEY'RE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE
INFORMATION OF AN EMERGENCY WHEN
SOMEONE NEEDS HELP. LAST YEAR
THEY HANDLED 890,000 CALL FOR
SERVICE. SPECIFICALLY TARGETING
THE CENTER TO ADD ADDITIONAL
CAPACITY. 12 ADDITIONAL CALL
TAKERS, TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
TRAINING, BEST PRACTICES, AND
QUALITY ASSURANCE, AND MAKING
PERMANENT THREE BUSINESS SUPPORT
STAFF THAT ARE NEEDED FOR OUR
GROWING DEPARTMENT. WE'VE HAD A
HIGH TURNOVER RATE IN OUR 911
CENTER, AND THE CALL CENTER WILL
ALSO RELY AT TIMES ON OVERTIME,
WHICH IS MANDATED. SOMETIMES
WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY ARE
MANDATED AT THAT TIME TO EXTEND
THEIR SHIFT FOR REQUIRED
OVERTIME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE
THAT CENTER OPERATED. THEY WILL
PROVIDE NECESSARY SHIFT RELIEF
FOR THE DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO AS
OUR CITY GROWS, AND WE CONTINUE
TO URGE PEOPLE TO CALL 911, IT
IS EVIDENT THAT OUR CALLS WILL
CONTINUE TO GROW AS WELL, AND WE
NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR PHONES ARE
RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THREE
TRAINING POSITIONS THAT ARE
BEING TREATED HERE WILL ASSIST
IN TRAINING THE NEW
DISPATCHERS. AIMING TO MAKE
PERMANENT IS THE HUMAN RESOURCES
AND THE PAYROLLS, WHICH WILL BE
TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE
DEPARTMENT AND THESE POSITIONS
ARE ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE
NECESSARY BUSINESS FUNCTIONS OF
THIS DEPARTMENT. NEXT SLIDE.
NEXT, I WANT TO GO TO THE
INVESTMENT OF THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. IT'S A NATIONAL
LEADER IN MANY AREAS, INCLUDING
FIRE PREVENTION, RESULTING IN
FEWER FIRES IN SEATTLE THAN
OTHER CITIES WITH COMPARABLE
POPULATIONS. OUR CITY IS
GROWING, AND WITH THAT, WE NEED
TO INVEST IN CONTINUED STAFFING
FOR OUR CRUCIAL PUBLIC SAFETY
DEPARTMENT. SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT THROUGH INNOVATION
LIKE THE NURSE NAVIGATOR AND
HELP ONE, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO
REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CALLS
THEY'LL GO ON, BUT THE CALLS
ARE STILL OUTPACING THEIR
STAFFING. THIS PROPOSED
INVESTMENT WILL ADD $2 MILLION
TO FUND AND HIGHER AND TRAIN IN
ADDITION 20 FIRE DEPARTMENT
RECRUIT IN 2026, BRINGING THE
TOTAL, RECRUITS TO 100 THAT WILL
BE FUNDED. THIS WILL BOLSTER
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S
EFFORTS TO BUILD THE VACANCIES
TO BETTER RELY ON REGULAR
STAFFING AS OPPOSED TO OVERTIME.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 99 FIREFIGHTER
VACANCIES. THE ADDITIONAL
FUNDING WILL SUPPORT CLOSING THE
GAPS AND THE VACANCY TO SUPPORT
CRITICAL STAFFING FOR THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO CONTINUE TO
PREVENT AND FIGHT FIRES AND
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY
OF OUR CITY. NOW, I'LL TURN IT
OVER TO SARAH SMITH TO TALK
ABOUT OUR INVESTMENT AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMMING.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
NATALIE. SO NOW THAT I HAVE THE
MICROPHONE, I'M GOING TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT ONE OF MY
FAVORITE DEPARTMENTS, THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. SO I'M FROM THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT. BEFORE I CAME
TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. I WAS
ACTUALLY A PART OF THE COVID
RESPONSE TEAM. AND SO THAT IS
WHERE I CAME FROM. SO PUBLIC
HEALTH IS A PASSION OF MINE.
BEFORE THAT, I WORKED AT THE
YMCA BEFORE I WOWED ABOUT TAKING
CARE OF THEIR HEALTH. SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR PASSING THE
RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
FOCUS IN ON RECOVERY, ON TAKING
CARE OF FOLKS HOLISTICALLY. SO I
APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING
THIS. AND I WANT TO ECHO MY
APPRECIATION FOR EVERYONE HERE
FOR PASSING THE RESOLUTION IN
JULY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO IN
2024, THERE WERE 1,000 FATAL
OVERDOSES IN KING COUNTY. 570 OF
THOSE HAPPEN SPECIFICALLY WITHIN
SEATTLE. MEANWHILE OVERDOSES,
THE DEATHS, ARE DOWN ABOUT 20%
COMPARED TO LAST YEAR IN KING
COUNTY. THE PREVALENCE OF
OVERDOSES REMAINS TOO HIGH IN
OUR COMMUNITY. SO LOOKING AT THE
GRAPH ABOVE, THIS GRAPH IS ONLY
DATA FROM THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. IT IS SHOWING THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT'S WEEKLY
RESPONSES TO OVERDOSES ON THE
WEEKLY BASIS. AND THERE ARE TWO
KEY THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT.
ONE, IT IS VERY CLEAR WHEN
FENTANYL HIT OUR STREETS. IN
2022, YOU CAN SEE A MASSIVE
INCREASE IN OVERDOSES IN
SEATTLE. THIS IS IN SEATTLE, IN
OUR STREETS, THIS IS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. MASSIVE INCREASE. YOU
CAN ALSO SEE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE
STARTING TO SEE A PLATEAU IN
OVERDOSES IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT
IS STILL PLATEAUING AT A FAR TOO
HIGH NUMBER, COMPARE TODAY WHERE
WE WERE IN 2020 OR BEFORE. JUST
A FEW WEEKS AGO, LITERALLY JUST
A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE HAD OUR FIRE
DEPARTMENT RESPONDING TO 91
OVERDOSES IN ONE WEEK. THAT'S
13 OVERDOSES A DAY. THESE ARE
FIREFIGHTERS WHO ARE SUPPOSE TO
BE RESPONDING TO FIRES, AND THEY
ARE RESPONDING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE
REALLY NEEDING CARE. SO AGAIN,
THAT'S WHY I SHOW MY
APPRECIATION FOR THIS
RESOLUTION. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO NOW I'M GETTING INTO WHAT
CAN WE DO ABOUT IT AND WHY THESE
INVESTMENTS ARE INCREDIBLY
CRUCIAL. WITH THIS PROPOSAL, WE
HAVE A SERIES OF INVESTMENTS
THAT ARE GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT RECOVERY FROM DIFFERENT
ELEMENTS. THE FIRST ONE IS
WITHIN OUR SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT. AGAIN, MY
DEPARTMENT. WITH THIS PROPOSAL,
WE ARE INVESTING $1.5 MILLION IN
THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S
POST OVERDOSE TEAM. THIS
INVESTMENT IS GOING TO EXPAND
THIS SERVICE TO ANOTHER
SEVEN-DAY EFFORT BECAUSE
OVERDOSES DO HAPPEN ON THE
WEEKEND. IT SHOULDN'T BE A
SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT HAPPENS.
WHAT I COULD SAY ANT THIS,
FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE RECORDER
IN 2023, THE SEATTLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED
THEIR TEAM IN JULY OF 2023. THIS
TEAM WAS MODELED AFTER OTHER
SIMILAR EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS,
WITH THE GOAL OF RAPIDLY
RESPONDING AND CARING FOR
OVERDOSES, DIVERTING PEOPLE FROM
THE EMERGENCY ROOMS, AND GETTING
THEM CONNECTED TO SERVICES AND
TO THE RECOVERY PATH. THIS
SMALL, BUT MIGHTY TEAM HAS
RESPONDED TO OVER 1,400
OVERDOSES. IN THAT TIME, THEY
HAVE KEPT LEARNING. THEY HAVE
LEARNED SO MUCH. JUST EARLIER
LAST YEAR, THEY REALIZED THAT
THEY NEEDED TO HAVE SOME FOLLOW
UP WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, MORE
CASE MANAGEMENT, SO THEY BUILT
OUT THEIR HEALTH 98 PORTION,
WHICH IS A FOLLOW-UP TEAM TO
MEET WITH PEOPLE A DAY LATER,
TWO DAYS LATER, TO GET THEM
CONNECTED TO DETOX, TO
TREATMENT, TO HOUSING. THEY ALSO
REALIZED THE HEALTH 99 TEAM
CANNOT DO ALL THIS WORK
THEMSELVES, AND THERE ARE A LOT
OF EMTs WHO ARE READILY
AVAILABLE, READY TO GIVE OUT A
LIFE SAVING SIDE TO SAVE LIVES.
LET'S GET THEM TRAINED UP. SO
HEALTH 99, THAT GROUP AND OUR
FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE THE FIRST
EMTsIN THE NATION TO BE
AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER, WHICH
IS SOMETHING I HOPE WE ARE ALL
VERY PROUD OF. SO THIS TEAM HAS
BEEN DOING SO MUCH. SO IT IS
SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
INVEST IN TO DO THIS IMPORTANT
WORK. NEXT SLIDE. AND NOW I WANT
TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE GO NEXT.
AND SO THIS RIGHT HERE, IT'S
JUST A SNAPSHOT. I'M NOT GOING
TO GET INTO THE DETAILS. I'M A
HUGE NERD ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU'RE PROBABLY HEARING THAT.
I'D LOVE TO SPEND MORE TIME IF
YOU WOULD WANT. BUT THIS IS ONE
SLIVER OF WHAT THE OVERDOSE CARE
ECOSYSTEM LOOKS LIKE. FROM WHAT
OUR TEAM, WHO IS IN THE FIELD
RAPIDLY RESPONDING TO A 911 CALL
AND OVERDOSE IS DOING TO WHEN WE
START WORKING WITH OUR FOLKS WHO
ARE COMING IN, ACTUALLY ABLE TO
GIVE LONG ACTING, WHICH WILL
LAST FOR A MONTH, WHO THEN COULD
ACTUALLY START CASE MANAGEMENT
AND GET PEOPLE INTO OUR NEW
STABILIZATION CENTER. THIS IS
ONE PART OF THE SLIVER OF THE
ECOSYSTEM TO RECOVERY. YOU HAVE
TO HAVE EACH ONE OF THESE
ELEMENTS TO ACTUALLY BE
SUCCESSFUL, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP
HERE. WE HAVE TOWN VEST IN OTHER
PARTS, THE NEXT STEPS, IN ORDER
TO BE SUCCESSFUL. JUST THIS
MORNING, I RECEIVED A STORY, AND
I'M GOING TO KIND OF CUT IT
DOWN A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT IS
LONG. BUT I RECEIVED A STORY,
TALKING ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS
THAT ALL OUR DIFFERENT SERVICE
PROVIDERS CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE. SO I'M GOING TO
READ A PORTION OF THAT E-MAIL
RIGHT NOW. THIS CAME FROM OUR
ORCA CENTER. YESTERDAY, AMR
CALLED US ABOUT A PATIENT WHO
HAD BEEN FOUND DOWN FROM A
SUSPECTED OVERDOSE. AS WE TALKED
MORE, WE LEARNED THE PATIENT HAD
RECENTLY BEEN RELEASED FROM
JAIL, HAD RETURNED TO FENTANYL
USE, AND WAS FINALLY FEELING
MOTIVATED TO MAKE A CHANGE IN
THEIR LIFE. AFTER REVIEWING
OPTIONS, WORKING WITH THE TEAM,
THEY CHOSE LONG ACTING
INJECTABLE, WHICH THEY THEN
RECEIVED THE SAME DAY. OVER THE
CURSE OF THIS DAY WITH ORCA,
THEY CONNECTED TO A PEER
SPECIALIST, THEIR CASE MANAGER
WHO CAME IN PERSON TO THE CENTER
AND A RECOVERY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
FOR LONGER TERM CASE MANAGEMENT
AND SUPPORT. OUR TEAM, ACCORDING
TO THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
AND THE CLINIC, PRIMARY CARE
PROVIDER TO GET RESTARTED ON
MEDICATION AND GET READY FOR ALL
THEIR REFILLS TO BE ARRANGED
THAT DAY. THEY WERE ALSO
SCHEDULED FOR FOLLOW-UP PRIMARY
CARE BECAUSE AS MOST OF YOU
KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF
OTHER REFLECTIONS THAT THEY ARE
DEALING WITH. SINCE THAT PATIENT
IS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS,
THEY STAYED THE NIGHT AT THE
ORCA CENTER AND WILL CONTINUE TO
WORK WITH CASE NAVIGATION THIS
MORNING. THIS IS JUST ONE
EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF CARE
THAT'S POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE
CREDIBLE NETWORK OF SUPPORTERS
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF OUR
SYSTEM. IT'S A SMALL STORY, BUT
IT SHOWS HOW YOU NEED A WHOLE
SYSTEM OF PROVIDERS AND PEOPLE
TO COME TOGETHER TO REALLY HELP
SOMEONE IN THEIR RECOVERY. NEXT
SLIDE. THAT IS WHY ALSO IN THIS
PROPOSAL, WE WILL BE INVESTING
$1.2 MILLION TO EXPAND DESC
ORCA'S OUTREACH DIVISION, THEIR
ORCA POD, WHICH IS THEIR FIELD
TEAM OF NURSES THAT GOES OUT AND
GIVES CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT AND
MEDICATION SERVICES. UNLIKE
HEALTH 99, YOU'RE ABLE TO GIVE
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF MEDICATION,
AND YOU CAN CONNECT THEM TO
PRIMARY CARE. THESE INDIVIDUALS
WILL BE EXPANDING THEIR PROGRAM
INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING, WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE
AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF OVERDOSES.
ADDITIONALLY, AS THE NEXT STEP
OF TREATMENT, WE WILL BE
INVESTING $2.84 MILLION TO BE
USED FOR DETOX AND/OR INPATIENT
TREATMENT BED/PROGRAMS IN 2026.
BEDS AND IDEAS AND WE'RE OPEN,
SO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OPTIONS.
COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, I KNOW
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY
CARED FOR. I REMEMBER IT WAS ONE
OF THE PROGRAMS WE STARTED BASED
OFF YOUR WORK. SO WE WOULD LOVE
TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH YOU
AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS
INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE INVESTING
$1.8 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE
REOPENING OF THE SEATTLE INDIAN
HEALTH BOARD'S THUNDERBIRD
TREATMENT CENTER. THIS IS A
92-BED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
FACILITY THAT OFFERS EXPANDED
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES,
INCLUDING DEDICATED BEDS FOR
PREGNANT AND PARENTING ADULTS,
WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN
COMMONLY FIND ANYWHERE. NEXT
SLIDE.
>> SO I WILL JUMP IN TO DISCUSS
LEAD QUICKLY. SO AS YOU ALL, I
BELIEVE KNOW, FOR SOME PERIOD OF
TIME, RELIED ON DIFFERENT
FUNDING SOURCES TO MAKE THEIR
PROGRAMS WORK. OFTEN THEY'RE
ABLE TO GET GRANT FUNDING,
WHETHER FROM A STATE OR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, AND IS ABLE TO
EXPAND CAPACITY THAT'S NEED,
ALWAYS LOOKING AT A SHORTFALL.
WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THE
SALES TAX IS TO PROVIDE, AGAIN,
A STABLE FUNDING SOURCE. WHEN
SARAH SMITH IS TALKING ABOUT THE
ECOSYSTEM, LEED IS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM. THE
DIVERSION THAT COULD INTERVENE,
AND HELP FACILITATE THE RECOVERY
THAT COULD TAKE A LONG TIME FOR
SOME PEOPLE. WE BELIEVE IT IS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO BOTH
SUSTAIN AND STABILIZED
INVESTMENTS, TO ALLOW THEM TO
TAKE ON MORE COMMUNITY REFERRALS
AND TO DO MORE WORK THAT'S
NEEDED TO DEAL WITH THE FENTANYL
CRISIS. NEXT SLIDE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS IT. SO
OPENING UP FOR QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU. WONDERFUL
PRESENTATION. IMPORTANT TOPICS,
AND OFTENTIMES, DIFFICULT TO
DISCUSS. IT IS CRITICAL NOT ONLY
WE HAVE THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO
ATTEND TO THE PEOPLE ON OUR
TREATS, WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A
PLACE FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS
TO TAKE THEM. I REALLY
APPRECIATE THIS PROPOSAL.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AS SPONSOR OF
THIS TAX, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO
KICK US OFF.
>> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. I MUST NOTE I AM, MY
SPONSORSHIP IS A FORMALITY, I
BELIEVE, BECAUSE THIS TO MOVE
QUICKLY. I THOUGHT, IN FACT, IT
WAS GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL
MEMBER STRAUSS OR KETTLE BECAUSE
OF THE NATURE, THE SUBJECT
MATTER. SO I MUST SAY MY
OWNERSHIP OF THIS LEGISLATION IS
CONFINED TO THE PART ABOUT THE
TREATMENT INVESTMENT, WHICH I
BELIEVE IS $2.8 MILLION. SO JUST
WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW I'M
HAPPY TO SHARE THE CREDIT. SO
SIMPLY I'LL SAY AS NOTED IN
JULY, I HOSTED A PRESS
CONFERENCE WITH PROVIDERS. OUR
LARGEST PROVIDER IN THE CITY OF
SOME OF THE HOUSING AND THE
TREATMENT SERVICES, AND THOSE
PEOPLE REPRESENTED THE FULL
RANGE OF APPROACHES TO ADDICTION
TREATMENT IN WHAT WE SHOULD DO
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FENTANYL
CRISIS, WHICH IS NOT JUST THE
FENTANYL CRISIS, BUT THE
FENTANYL, MYTH, ALCOHOL, ETC.,
ETC., ETC. THAT'S WHY SOME OF
THE INVESTMENTS IN THIS PACKAGE
IS A LONG LIST THAT I WAS TRYING
TO PULL UP MY RESOLUTION. SOME
OF THE INTERVENTIONS THAT I'M
CALLING FOR, BEING ABLE TO BE
COVERED BY CITY FUNDING IS THE
SUBSTANCE THEY'RE STRUGGLING
WITH. THAT'S WHY INPATIENT
TREATMENT IS SO IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT COULD HELP WITH RECOVERY, BUT
MY -- THE RESOLUTION IS NOT
EXCLUSIVE TO RESIDENTIAL
TREATMENT. SO I JUST WANTED TO
SAY AS TO THE MERIT OF THE SALES
TAX INCREASE, MY COLLEAGUES WILL
BE TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
PIECE OF LEGISLATION. WHAT IS
CLEAR TO ME IS BECAUSE ADDICTION
IS LINKED TO BOTH PUBLIC SAFETY
AND CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN
TRYING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON FOR
SO LONG IN A CITY THAT I BELIEVE
IT'S TIME WE DO PUT TREATMENT
IN ADDICTION AND A FOCUS ON THIS
ROOT CAUSE AT THE CENTER OF THE
CITY'S AGENDA, WHICH IS SIMPLY
WHY I CAME FORWARD AND PROVIDED
THAT LIST. MY LIST OF
INVESTMENTS, ASKED THAT 25% OF
WHATEVER REVENUE CAME IN FROM
THE PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX
INCREASE BE ALLOCATED TO A WIDE
VARIETY OF TREATMENT SERVICES,
INCLUDING STABILIZING OUR
EXISTING INVESTMENT, SO
EVERGREEN TREATMENT SERVICES,
FUNDING THAT'S WORKING. AND
ALSO ADDING OTHER THINGS. ONE
MISSING PIECE IS RECOVERY BASED
HOUSING. I WAS AT THE POP UP
THAT THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
DID THE OTHER DAY, LAST WEEK IN
LITTLE SAIGON, WHERE THEY WERE
OFFERING INJECTABLE NALOXONE TO
PEOPLE. AND I REMEMBER TALKING
TO A REACH SUPERVISOR WHO SAID,
IN FACT, THE LACK, FOR LACK OF A
BETTER WORD OR THE SHORT WORD,
SILVER HOUSING, BECAUSE OF THE
LACK OF SOBER HOUSING, IT
DIMINISHES PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS
TO GO INTO TREATMENT. IF YOU GO
INTO TREATMENT OR YOU TRY TO
HELP WITH YOUR ADDICTION, IF YOU
TRY TO WORK ON IT, THEN WHERE
ARE YOU GOING TO GO BECAUSE YOU
NEED AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL
SUPPORT THAT. MY WHOLE POINT IS
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THANK THE
EXECUTIVE FOR PUTTING THOSE
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS INTO THIS
PACKAGE. I'M SPONSORING THIS
BECAUSE I THINK THEY HAD TO MOVE
QUICKLY, I SUPPOSE. SO THAT'S
PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAD TO SAY
ABOUT THIS. BUT THE SPONSOR OF
THE LEGISLATION THAT AUTHORIZED
MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES
ACROSS THE STATE WAS VERY CLEAR.
PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT JUST
POLICE. AND THIS IS ABOUT
COMMUNITY SAFETY. IT IS ABOUT
GOING BEYOND JUST THE BADGE AND
THE GUN AND REALLY LOOKING AT
WHAT WILL KEEP US SAFE AND
HEALTHY AND STRONG AS A
COMMUNITY. THANKS.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE, AS CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE, YOU'RE
RECOGNIZED.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR STRAUSS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. MYERBERG
AND MS. WWALTON-ANDERSON, AND
MS. SMITH AND THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE, DIRECTOR EDER, OF
COURSE, AND DIRECTOR MIKESELL,
JOINING DIRECTOR NOBLE FROM THE
CENTRAL STAFF, JOINING US ON
THIS VERY IMPORTANT -- JUST A
FEW QUICK POINTS. OBVIOUSLY
WITHIN PUBLIC SAFETY, IT
REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH. THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU
KNOW, IN THE VARIOUS FRAMEWORK
PLANS WE'VE BEEN DOING. BOTH
THE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK PLAN
AND THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
PLAN. SO THAT IS KEY TO WHAT
WE'RE DOING. BOTH FROM THE
EXECUTIVE LEGISLATION SIDE. THAT
SHOWS THE COMPATIBILITY. THE
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WITHIN
PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE THING. BUT
THE APPROACH ACROSS THE CITY
GOVERNMENT IS ALSO VERY
IMPORTANT, SO THANK YOU. A THEME
OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR AND
THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HAS
BEEN THE IDEA OF CREATING A MORE
FUNCTIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM BECAUSE THERE'S LITTLE
HICCUPS HERE AND THERE THAT ARE
IMPORTANT THAT WE NEED TO
ADDRESS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, I
REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOCUS, THE
ATTENTION ON THE 911 CALL
CENTER. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
REALIZE IT. I'VE BEEN THERE,
I'VE SPOKEN TO THE TRAINING
TEAMS, THE TRAINING CLASS. YOU
KNOW, IT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF
THEIR WORK AND A PART OF THIS IS
HAVING THE PEOPLE TO DO IT AND
HAVING THAT SUPPORT. THEY'RE
KEY. THAT'S THE FIRST PIECE
REALLY WHEN THAT CALL COMES IN,
WHATEVER, HOWEVER IT COMES IN.
BUT THE OTHER AREA OF THE
CRIMINAL FUNCTIONAL CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM IS THAT
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE POLICE
FORCE AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEALTH
SIDE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
THE LEAD PROGRAM IS KEY. I
RECOGNIZE THE FAILINGS OF THE
FEDERAL AND STATE, WHICH TO BE
BLUNT, THE STATE HAS FAILED US
ON THIS. I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T
WANT ME TO SAY THAT, BUT IT'S
TRUE. WE'RE STANDING UP TO
ADDRESS IT. AGAIN, IT'S CRUCIAL
IN A FUNCTIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM TO HAVE IT THIS LINK.
IT'S CRUCIAL TO HAVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ASSIST IN THE
DIVERSION. IT IS CRUCIAL TO HAVE
THAT DIVERSION HAPPEN, SO THAT
LEAD GETS THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE
THAT WILL GO INTO THE SYSTEM,
YOU KNOW, THE DATA MANAGEMENT.
ALL THESE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT
WILL GO INTO THAT AND BECAUSE OF
THE FEDERAL PIECE THAT LAYING
DOWN, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON'S
STORE WILL BE SO KEY WHEN
MEDICAID COMES. CAN YOU WORK OR
NOT? THE KEY DOCUMENTATION IS
THE WORK OF THE CASE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM. SOMETHING THAT WASN'T
REALLY CONSIDERED BY OLYMPIA, I
DON'T THINK. BUT STILL, AT THE
END OF THE DAY, AS I SAID MANY
TIMES, YOU CANNOT SUCCEED IN
PUBLIC SAFETY IF YOU ALSO DON'T
SUCCEED IN PUBLIC HEALTH. I'D
LIKE TO NOTE THE MAYOR STOLE
THAT DURING HIS ANNOUNCEMENT
LAST WEEK. BUT HE COULD HAVE IT
AS WELL. AGAIN, COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
BUT IT REALLY DOES HIGHLIGHT
THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE. YOU KNOW,
WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON IT. I
RECOGNIZED THIS AS I SAID LAST
YEAR, THERE WOULD BE TWEAKS AND
CHANGES ALONG THE WAY THAT WE'LL
HAVE TO DO, CAN BE IS FINE. IF
YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING NEW AND
TRAIL BLAZING, YOU KNOW, ACROSS
THE COUNTRY AND THE CITY, YOU
MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. THAT'S
FINE. BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT
ADDRESSING, AS I'VE BEEN
CALLING IT, THE SAYING. I DO
BELIEVE THE EXECUTIVE HAS HEARD
THAT. AGAIN, IN A COMPREHENSIVE
WAY, ADDRESSING IT. I THINK
THAT'S FANTASTIC BECAUSE IT
GOES BACK TO A FUNCTIONAL
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, SO I
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ON THAT.
IT IS ALSO ABOUT PUTTING IN
PLACES LESSONS LEARNED. THE ORCA
CENTER IS IN REPRESENTATION OF
THAT. YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HAVE
BEEN ON THE GROUND SO MUCH.
IT'S SCARY, LIKE HOW MANY
PEOPLE I KNOW, DRUG LEADERS,
UNHOUSED PEOPLE, THEIR
NEIGHBORS, THE NETWORKS. I
REALLY THANK THEM FOR THEIR
WORK, BUT ALSO OUTSIDE PROVIDERS
AS WELL. YOU KNOW, IT'S B ABOUT
TAKING THOSE ON THE GROUND
EXPERIENCES AND PUTTING THEM IN
PLACE. I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT
ON THE MORE PROBLEMATIC LEVEL,
LIKE THE ORCA CENTER. IT'S
TAKING IN THE LESSONS LEARNED OF
THE FAILURE OF THE NAVIGATION
CENTER, FOR EXAMPLE. I THINK
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT AND
SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO
LOOK AT, THAT LESSON LEARNED
MENTALITY. HEY, IT'S OKAY. THAT
WENT WRONG. THE MENTALITY OF
HAVING THE LESSON LEARNED
APPROACH. AT AT END OF THE DAY,
IT'S ABOUT BUILDING CAPACITY
WITH OUR FIREFIGHTERS AS WE
TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING, IN
TERMS OF THE LINK. IT'S ABOUT
WHERE DO THEY GO? YOU KNOW, THE
KIRKLAND CARE CENTER CANNOT BE
THE ONLY ONE. WE'RE SUPPOSE TO
HAVE FIVE. WE CAN'T JUST HAVE
ONE. YOU KNOW, THE ORCA CENTER,
OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS. I HAD A
GREAT MEETING WITH EVERGREEN TWO
WEEKS AGO. THEY'RE
INCORPORATING LESSONS LEARNED,
BY THE WAY. I APPRECIATE THEIR
WORK. THAT'S REALLY KEY, YOU
KNOW, ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, TO
BUILD CAPACITY AND TO HAVE THOSE
CONNECTIONS. SO WITH THAT, I
JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR
THIS PRESENTATION. I'M IN
SUPPORT OF IT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA AND
THEN COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR, THANK YOU
ALL FOR BEING HERE. I ACTUALLY
WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL NOTE OF
GRATITUDE TO NATALIE FOR YOUR
PARTNERSHIP SINCE YOU'VE BEEN
HERE. WITH ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY
EXPERIENCE IN THE D4. I THINK
ONE THING, AND ALONG THE THEME
HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT
JUST TALKING ABOUT WORKING WITH
SPD, WHICH WE ARE, BUT ALSO HOW
DO WE TACKLE THESE OTHER ISSUES
RELATED TO ADDICTION AND SOME OF
THE FOLKS WE'RE SEEING INVOLVED
IN THIS SYSTEM, WHO REALLY JUST
NEED TREATMENT. SO I REALLY WANT
TO THANK ALSO COUNCILMEMBER
NELSON FOR PRESSING ME SINCE
I'VE BEEN HERE. SHE'S BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE
TREATMENT. I VERY MUCH
APPRECIATE THAT. I'VE ALWAYS
SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT HOUSING FIRST, I
AM ACTUALLY GOING TO BE
CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I HAVE NOT
BEEN IN SUPPORT OF HOUSING.
FIRST, I DON'T THINK IT'S
FAIR. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR
TO REQUIRE SOMEONE WHO HAS
EITHER A MENTAL ILLNESS, A DRUG
OR ALCOHOL ADDICTION, TO JUST --
WE WILL GIVE YOU A HOUSE, AND
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE
SUPPORT. OR WE WILL GIVE YOU A
PLACE, A SHELTER, AND WE'RE NOT
GOING TO GIVE YOU SUPPORT. I
DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR. I
DON'T THINK THAT WILL LEAD TO
GOOD RESULTS FOR THAT PERSON. I
THINK WE NEED TO PUT OUR MONEY
WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND DO A
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HELPING
THAT PERSON STAY HOUSED. THEY'RE
NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY
HOUSED IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE
TREATMENT SERVICES. SO I AM VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF TREATMENT SERVICES
FOR FOLKS, AS WE ARE PROVIDING
THAT HOUSING. THEY NEED BOTH.
AND THEN I THINK THAT'S A HUGE
ASPECT OF THIS PUBLIC SAFETY
ISSUE. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS
ABOUT IT THIS PRESENTATION. IS
THIS INVESTMENT FOR ONE MORE
HEALTH 99 UNIT? DOES THAT MEAN
THAT WILL BE TWO UNITS THAT WE
WILL HAVE OVERALL?
>> YES, EXACTLY.
>> SO TWO UNITS ACROSS THE CITY.
>> COUNCILMEMBER, CAN I JUST
CLARIFY ON THAT A LITTLE BIT?
>> OF COURSE.
>> TO THINK ABOUT IT, THERE WILL
BE TWO UNITS. THAT SECOND UNIT
WILL BE SHARED WITH THEIR
FOLLOW-UP TEAMS, SO TENDS UP
BEING TWO AND A HALF. IT'S A
WEIRD MATH, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU. SHOUT OUT TO
YOU. WE'VE BEEN WORKING
TOGETHER. WE WERE COVID FRIENDS
IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. WE HAVE
SOME MORE TOGETHER. I SHOULD
HAVE GIVEN YOU A SHOUT OUT FOR
THAT. IT WAS A HARD TIME, AND WE
SAW SOME DIFFICULT THINGS. WE
ARE NOW STILL EXPERIENCING SOME
OF THESE ISSUES WE ARE SEEING.
WE ARE IN LARGE PART BECAUSE OF
COVID AND WHAT FOLKS WERE
EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, WHAT
HAPPENED THEN. I HAVE A
QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR THE
HEALTH 99. ON THE 911 CALL
TAKERS, NATALIE, I JUST WANT TO
MAKE SURE THIS INCLUDES CAPACITY
FOR THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE.
IT'S SOMETHING WE CONTINUE TO
STRUGGLE WITH. I KNOW LAST YEAR,
I PUT IN THE BUDGET, AND I
APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES
SUPPORTING THE FOUR CALL TAKERS,
DEDICATED TO THE NON-EMERGENCY
LINE. BUT I'M STILL HEARING
FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT IT IS
REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH,
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE. I WOULD
LOVE A FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND
MAKING SURE THIS WILL HELP
SUPPORT THAT AS WELL. A LOT OF
FOLKS DON'T NECESSARILY FEEL
LIKE THEY NEED TO CALL 911 FOR
CERTAIN THINGS, BUT WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT
NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE BECAUSE
THEY DO NEED TO REPORT CERTAIN
THINGS. MANY TIMES IT IS
IMPORTANT SOMEONE NEEDS HELP
CONNECTING TO SERVICES AND THEY
ARE CALLING THE NON-EMERGENCY
LINES. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT, SO WE'RE
CONNECTING FOLKS TO THE HELP
THAT THEY NEED. SO THANK YOU FOR
THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT. AND THEN
ON THE LEAD PROGRAM, THE $5
MILLION, I'M JUST TRYING TO
MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENTATION AND THE SLIDES.
SOME OF THE INFORMATION I READ
IN THE BUDGET. SO IT'S $5
MILLION. WE'RE BACK FILLING
FROM WHAT THE FEDS, THEY'RE
LOSING FROM THE FEDS? IS THAT
CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT IN PART. SO
THERE ARE ONE-TIME FUNDS THAT
LEAD HAS BEEN RELYING ON.
THAT'S A PORTION OF THE
ONE-TIME FUNDS. WE CAN GIVE YOU
THE BREAKDOWN. THEIR CAPACITY
DEEDS HAVE INCREASED. WE'RE
ASKING THEM TO DO MORE THAN
LESS. MAINTAINING COMMUNITY
REFERRAL, WHICH IS STILL
IMPORTANT. AND ALSO TAKING ON
THE ADDITIONAL REFERRALS THAT
ARE STEMMING FROM INCREASED, YOU
KNOW, INCREASED ACTION AROUND
FENTANYL AND OTHER DRUGS. SO IT
BOTH STABILIZES EXPIRING FUNDS,
AND MAKING THEM HOLE FOR THE
CAPACITY NEED THEY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU. SO WITH THIS
ADDITIONAL FIVE, CAN YOU JUST
CONFIRM? I THINK I READ WE ARE
GOING TO BE CONTRACTING THEM FOR
$14.5 MILLION, IS THAT RIGHT
OVERALL?
>> $14.5 MILLION FOR THE LEAD
TRADITIONAL DIVERSION SERVICES.
THEY ARE TRADITIONAL
INVESTMENTS. IF YOU ADD THOSE
TWO TOGETHER, I BELIEVE IT'S
$19.6, ABOUT $20. AS FAR AS TO
YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, COUNCIL
MEMBER, THE DIVERSION PIECE
AROUND JUST OVER $14 MILLION.
>> THANK YOU, CHIEF OF STAFF. I
WILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT
THIS. I MEAN, $20 MILLION IS A
LOT FOR A PROGRAM. OBVIOUSLY WE
HAVE DEPARTMENTS, FOR INSTANCE,
THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS, THE
OVERALL DEPARTMENTS. JUST TO
GIVE YOU A COMPARISON. WITH THAT
SAID, I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S
IMPORTANT. PLEASE DON'T WALK
AWAY THINKING THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT LEAD. IF YOU'RE
WATCHING, I'M NOT SAYING THIS
IS IMPORTANT. AND I NEED TO BE
ABLE TO INTELLIGENTLY TELL MY
CONSTITUENTS WHY WE NEED TO
SUPPORT THIS. I DON'T FEEL,
SINCE I GOT HERE LAST YEAR, THAT
I HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT I
CAN REALLY SPEAK TO HOW REALLY
ARE WE HELPING PEOPLE? I
UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT MORE
PEOPLE IN THIS SYSTEM. IDEALLY
WE'D BE -- PEOPLE SHOULD BE
GOING INTO RECOVERY, AND THEN
WE'RE TAKING UP NEW PEOPLE. I
DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT'S
HAPPENING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO
BE UNFAIR. SO I JUST NEED MORE
INFORMATION, PLEASE.
>> LET ME OFFER A COUPLE OF
THOUGHTS.
>> I'M GOING TO CALL ON ANDREW
MYERBERG AND THEN NATALIE
WALTON-ANDERSON, AND THEN I AM
JUST DOING TIME CHECK. WE HAVE
EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THEIR
HAND RAISED, ONE HOUR AND SEVEN
MINUTES AND ANOTHER PRESENTATION
TO GO THROUGH.
>> I'LL KEEP THIS VERY, VERY
QUICK.
>> THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT
IT IS -- AND I'M NOT SAYING. IT
IS STILL A LOT OF MONEY, BUT
THINK ABOUT THE $14 MILLION.
$6.5 THAT CO-LEAD PAYS FOR,
INCREDIBLY RICH HOUSING. THAT'S
USED TO PLACE PEOPLE FROM KIND
OF SOME OF OUR HOT SPOTS. SO
LET'S TAKE THAT ASIDE. WE CAN
EXPLAIN HOW THE MATH WORKS
THERE. WITH REGARDS TO THE
DIVERSION PIECE. IT IS A BIG
EXPENDITURE. OVER THE LAST YEAR
AND CHANGE, NATALIE AND HER TEAM
HAVE BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN
DETERMINING HOW IS THE MONEY
BEING USED? SO WE COULD GIVE YOU
-- WE EXPECT AS A FUNCTION OF
THIS SYSTEM THAT PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO FAIL OUT. MEANING A
SOCIAL WORKER IS LIKELY GOING TO
HAVE TO WORK WITH SOMEONE FOR
OVER YEARS TO ENSURE THEY NOT
JUST KEEP MOVING, BUT THEY'RE
GOING TO RELAPSE. THEY'RE GOING
TO USE AGAIN. SOMETIMES PEOPLE
USE, AS WE ALL KNOW, BECAUSE
THEIR FAMILY, THEIR FRIENDS USE.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BREAK
THAT CYCLE. WE EXPECT THE PASS
THROUGH, AS WE CALL IT, IS NOT
ALWAYS GOING TO BE OPTIMAL. BUT
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
>> SORRY.
>> I THINK COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS
EARLIER. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THE PARTNERSHIP. AND ALSO, I
REALLY APPRECIATE, I THINK, JUST
THE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS THAT
WE'RE HAVING TO REALLY MOVE US
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THE
URGENCY OF IT. YOU PUSH ME, I'LL
PUSH YOU, AND I THINK IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO
THAT. I KNOW WE HAVE LIMITED
TIME. BUT IN TERMS OF 911, THE
CALL CENTER. FIRST OF ALL, THANK
YOU FOR THOSE DEDICATED
POSITIONS LAST YEAR. ONE OF THE
KEY PIECES OF THIS IS WHILE IN
JUNE, THEY PILOTED HAVING AN
ADDITIONAL DESIGNATED PERSON TO
ANSWER THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE
STARTING JUNE 1 DURING THE
CRITICAL TIMES, SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK, WHICH ADDED TO THREE
DEDICATED AT BATS. WE'RE STILL
SHORT NINE POSITIONS. SO THIS IS
-- THIS INVESTMENT IS REALLY
GOING TO HELP US TO BE ABLE TO
CONSISTENTLY STAFF THAT
NON-EMERGENCY LINE WITH MORE
THAN ONE DEDICATED TWO
ADDITIONAL THAT ARE THERE.
THAT'S THE GOAL IN ADDING THESE
ADDITIONAL POSITIONS TO BE ABLE
TO DO THAT. IN TERMS OF LEAD,
YOU KNOW, I HAVE WORKED OFF LEAD
FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. CHIEF OF
STAFF MYERBERG, TRANSFERRED LEAD
AND COLEAD TO OUR PORTFOLIO
EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND SO WE'VE
BEEN TAKING A CRITICAL LOOK AT
NOT ONLY THE BUDGET, BUT WHAT
ARE THE OUTCOMES? WHO IS STILL
IN LEAD? AND YOU KNOW, IS THIS
REALLY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN
LEAD, SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT HAD
CONTACT FOR SIX MONTHS? IS THAT
WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OUR
LEAD ON ATTENTION. I WOULD
WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS BECAUSE
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND
LOOKING REALLY CRITICALLY AT THE
BUDGET, AND WHERE IN THESE LEAD
DOLLARS, WHERE ARE WE SPENDING
OUR MONEY? REALISTICALLY, WHILE
THERE SHOULD BE SOME
ADMINISTRATIVE COST. THE BULK OF
THE MONEY SHOULD GO TO OUTREACH
TO THOSE SERVICES THAT ARE KEY.
SO WE WELCOME THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU, NATALIE. YES, WE
DO PUSH EACH OTHER, AND THAT'S
FOR THE BETTER, AND THAT'S HOW
THE SYSTEM SHOULD WORK. AGAIN, I
SO APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU,
CHAIR, I KNOW THERE WERE OTHER
QUESTIONS. SORRY, COLLEAGUES.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ?
>> MR. CHAIR, I'M GOING TO
DEFER MY TIME. THERE ARE OTHER
PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T HAD A
CHANCE TO SPEAK, SO I CAN LOOP
BACK LATER.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT, YOU'VE
SPOKEN. I'M GOING TO THEN CALL
ON COUNCILMEMBER SAKA, SOLOMON,
HOLLINGSWORTH, AND THEN WE'LL
GIVE YOU FIRST WORD ON THE NEXT
PRESENTATION AS WELL, IF THAT IS
ALL RIGHT? COUNCILMEMBER SAKA?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU
EVERYONE FROM THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE FOR BEING HERE TODAY,
PRESENTING THIS PROPOSAL, AND
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR INSIGHTS
AND PARTNERSHIP ON ANY NUMBER OF
THINGS, IMPLEMENTING OUR COMPLEX
PUBLIC SAFETY, DIVERSIFIED
PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGY. EARLIER
THIS YEAR, THIS COUNCIL PASSED
RESOLUTION 32167. AMONG OTHER
THINGS, WHICH INCLUDED A NUMBER
OF EXCITING FEATURES AND POLICY
STATEMENTS, AND POLICY VALUE,
STATEMENTS OF VALUES AND
INVESTMENTS. AMONG OTHER THINGS,
REAFFIRMED OUR APPRECIATION FOR
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. IT LAID
THE GROUND WORK FOR THE CONSENT
DECREE, THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY
FILE THE MOTION. LOW AND BEHOLD,
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
ALSO, IT REAFFIRMED OUR CITY'S
ENDURING COMMITMENT TO POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY, JUST BECAUSE
WE'RE NOW COINCIDENTALLY UP
FROM UNDER THE FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATION'S, YOU KNOW,
OVERSIGHT ABILITY, WHICH IS
IMPORTANT. IT DOESN'T MEAN OUR
WORK WITH ACCOUNTABILITY IS
OVER. WE REAFFIRMED THAT. ALSO
IMPORTANTLY AND DIRECTLY
RELEVANT AND JERMAINE HERE, WE
REAFFIRMED OUR APPOINTMENT TO A
TRULY DIVERSIFIED PUBLIC
RESPONSE WITH ROBUST
ALTERNATIVE, RESPONSE
CAPABILITIES. I SAY ALL BECAUSE
YES, I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFUL
RESOLUTION SPONSORED BY
COUNCILMEMBER PRESIDENT EARLIER
THIS YEAR. THIS COUNCIL PASSED
THE MOST RECENT PART OF THE
TRAJECTORY AND JOURNEY OF WHAT
THE PROPOSAL THAT IS DIRECTLY
BEFORE US TODAY. BUT CONTEXT
MATTERS. THIS SPENDING PROPOSAL
IS PART OF OUR DIVERSIFIED
RESPONSE, WHICH WE SPECIFICALLY
COMMITTED TO AS A CITY, AND THE
MAYOR TOOK THE UNUSUAL STEP OF
CONCURRING ON THE RESOLUTION. I
SHALL NOTE. THANK YOU. FOLLOWING
UP ON THE CONVERSATION ON THE
911 CALL TAKERS AND NOT 911 OR
NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE CALL
TAKERS FIRST ALL, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TREMENDOUS PARTNERSHIP, FOR
THE VARIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES
IMPACTING DISTRICT ONE. THE
ENTIRE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN
A GREAT PARTNER ON PUBLIC
SAFETY. LED BY YOU AND YOUR
EFFORTS, LEADING ALL THE VARIOUS
INITIATIVES ON BEHALF OF THE
MAYOR. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU
AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. GREAT
WORK. APPRECIATE THAT. BUT ON
THE QUESTION, THE TOPIC OF 911
CALL TAKERS AND NON-EMERGENCY
CALL TAKERS AS COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA NOTED. SHE SPONSORED A
BUDGET ITEM LAST YEAR. I THINK I
WAS A COSPONSOR. ULTIMATELY
PASSED FULL COUNCIL. IT WAS
INCLUDED IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES WITH THE 911 RESPONSE
-- CALL RESPONSE TAKERS OR YEAH,
THE 911, THE STAFFING CHALLENGES
PERTAINING TO THAT. EARLIER THIS
YEAR, ONE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK MAYBE IN ONE OF OUR
MEETINGS AS WELL, WHERE YOU
JOINED ME AT ONE OF OUR PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS. A
CONSTITUENT RAISED CONCERNS.
CALL 911 RESPONSE NUMBER, AND
YOU KNOW, STILL TAKES A WHILE.
NO ONE ANSWERS. YOU MENTIONED,
AT THE TIME, THERE IS SOME --
ALTHOUGH THE POSITIONS ARE
FUNDED, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES
IN HIRING THOSE POSITIONS. SO
JUST BE CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND
FOR THIS PROPOSAL FOR $2.6
MILLION FOR 12 ADDITIONAL 911
CALL TAKERS, WHAT'S THE CURRENT
HIRING PLAN AND STRATEGY TO
ENSURE THOSE CALL TAKERS, DO WE
FUND IT? MAKE SURE WE HIRE THOSE
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE? IF YOU
COULD COMMENT ABOUT THE 911
NON-EMERGENCY RESPONSE HIRING,
AND PLANS TO MAKE SURE THOSE
POSITIONS ARE FULLY HIRED. THAT
WOULD BE TERRIFIC AS WELL.
>> SURE, ABSOLUTELY. LET ME
RESPOND RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. YOUR
DISTRICT IS THE DISTRICT I LIVE
IN AND ALL THE DISTRICTS ARE
IMPORTANT, BUT I APPRECIATE THE
PARTNERSHIP WE'VE HAD THERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT WITH
FUNDING THE ADDITIONAL CALL
TAKERS. THE CARE DEPARTMENT 911
HAS MADE SOME PROGRESS. I THINK
IN JUNE, THEY PILOTED A BUNCH OF
DIFFERENT INITIATIVES TO TRY TO
WORK WITH THE NON-EMERGENCY
LINE. FOR THINGS THAT WERE VERY
QUICK, IN TERMS OF PARKING
ENFORCEMENT, CALLS THAT WERE
COMING PRETTY FREQUENTLY IN
TERMS TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE
BUREAU, ANIMAL CONTROL, SPU.
THEY DID THAT BECAUSE THEY KNOW
IF THEY HAD THOSE OPTIONS, THAT
WOULD REALLY DIVERT THOSE CALLS
AND HAVE THEM ANSWER MORE
QUICKLY. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO
VISIT 911 AND ALSO OBSERVED KIND
OF THE TRAINING CLASS. IT TAKES
A LONG TIME TO TRAIN SOMEONE TO
BE ON THE FLOOR BY THEMSELVES.
SO THE INVESTMENT WE MAKE IN
TERMS OF TRAINING THEM IS HUGE.
AND THEN WHEN WE LOSE THAT, IT
TAKES A WHILE TO BUILD THAT BACK
UP. IN TERMS OF THE PLANS. ONE
OF THE THINGS WE MENTIONED HERE
IN THIS INVESTMENT IS TO MAKE
SURE THREE OF THOSE POSITIONS
ARE TRAINING POSITIONS. SO WE
ARE BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE
TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO DO HERE IN THIS INVESTMENT,
WHICH IS IF WE ARE FUNDING THESE
ADDITIONAL 12 ADDITIONAL CALL
TAKERS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE
STAFF TO HELP GET THEM TRAINED
AND ON THE FLOOR AS QUICKLY AND
EFFICIENTLY, BUT ASSURING THE
QUALITY IN TERMS OF RESPONDING
TO PEOPLE IN CRISIS AND RESPOND
TO THE 911 OR THE NON-EMERGENCY
NUMBER. WHEN WE HAVE THOSE
STAFFING CHALLENGES. AGAIN, I'LL
POINT OUT TO THE FACT THAT THEY
HAVE MANDATED OVERTIME. WE
DON'T HAVE THAT FOR OUR OTHER
PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL WHEN YOU HAVE
SOMEBODY COME IN FOR A SHIFT,
AND THEN BE TOLD WELL, YOU NEED
TO WORK AN ADDITIONAL FOUR HOURS
OF OVERTIME WITHOUT PLANNING. SO
THAT'S REALLY IMPACTING OUR
MORALE, SOME OF OUR RECRUITMENT.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE THIS BENCH,
BUILD THIS BENCH OF ADDITIONAL
CALL TAKERS AND DISTAFFERS AND
THE TRAINING PERSONNEL TO DO
THIS QUICKLY SHOULD REDUCE WHAT
WE ARE ALREADY SEEING IN TERMS
OF A REDUCTION IN TERMS OF OUR
RETENTION ISSUES THAT WE HAVE
SEEN. I CAN PROVIDE MORE AT A
LATER DATE IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT
OPERATIONAL PLAN IS, IF THAT IS
HELPFUL, IN TERMS OF MORE
DETAILS.
>> SURE, NO, THANK YOU. I
APPRECIATE THE INITIAL CLARITY.
WE'LL CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS
OFFLINE AS NEEDED. BUT THAT WAS
VERY HELPFUL. MY SECOND QUESTION
PERTAINS TO SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT,
I BELIEVE, THIS STATES THE CARE
DEPARTMENT'S INVESTMENT IS $6.9
MILLION, WILL DOUBLE THE SIZE OF
THE CARE TEAM. DOUBLING THE
HOURS OF OPERATION CITY WIDE. IT
SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT INVESTMENT,
A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT. JUST BE
CURIOUS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT -- WHAT
RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS CAN
EXPECT TO RECEIVE, SPECIFICALLY
FOR THAT NEWLY EXPANDED
INVESTMENT, IN TERMS OF NUMBER
OF -- SO IT SAYS DOUBLING THE
HOURS OF OPERATIONS. DOES THAT
MEAN -- SEE, MY GOAL IS TO
EXPAND THE CARE TEAM TO A 24/7,
365, AND HAVE THAT LEVEL OF
RESPONSE CAPABILITY ACROSS THE
CITY. DOES THAT 6.9 MILLION GET
US THERE? DOES IT GIVE US FIVE
DAYS A WEEK? WHAT LEVEL OF
SERVICE OR ADDITIONAL SERVICE
AND GEOGRAPHIC AVERAGE, SCOPE,
DOES IT GIVE US?
>> SURE. ALREADY OUR COMMUNITY
CRISIS RESPONDERS ARE SEVEN DAYS
A WEEK, BETWEEN NOON AND 10:00
P.M. THIS WOULD ADD ADDITIONAL
HOURS. ONE IMPORTANT POINT, AND
I'M NOT THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS,
BUT THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT
COMMUNITY MEMBER. I'M TRYING TO
THINK OF EXACTLY WHO IT WAS THAT
SAID SEATTLE IS NO LONGER A
SMALL TOWN. WE ACTUALLY NEED 24
HOURS OF SERVICES, CITY SERVICES
WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO WITH
THIS ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR
EXPANDING CARE, DOUBLING IT, OUR
GOAL IS TO HAVE 20 HOURS. WE
BASE IT ON THE DATA, WHICH
PEOPLE ARE CALLING MOST IN TERMS
OF CRISIS AND THOSE ISSUES. WE
WOULD EXPECT.
>> THANK YOU FOR DIRECTLY
ADDRESSING THAT. FIRST ELEMENT
OF MY, WHAT WAS ESSENTIALLY A
TWO PART QUESTION. WHAT ABOUT IN
RESPECT TO GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE? 24
HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,
WHERE? ACROSS THE CITY?
>> AGAIN, THIS IS OUR THIRD
PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT. WE
WANT TO MAKE IT CITY WIDE.
OBVIOUSLY HIRING 24 ADDITIONAL
COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONDERS
TAKES TIME. YOU KNOW, I LAID OUT
ESSENTIALLY WE WENT TO 23 IN
2024. OUR ABILITY AND WHY WE'RE
BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN
TERMS OF MAKING IT A TEMPORARY
POSITION. THAT'S NEEDED TO BE
HIRED UP TO DO THE SECOND
STEENINGS PANGS WIDE. NO FURTHER
QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
SOLOMON FOLLOWED BY
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> JUST A COUPLE OF BRIEF THINGS
BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE HAD THEIR
HANDS UP. CARE EXPANSION, LOVE
IT, GREAT. WANT TO SEE MORE OF
IT. HEALTH 99, HEALTH 1,
EVERYTHING, YES, GO. I WANT TO
SEE MORE OF THAT. ALSO, THE
THINGS ABOUT TREATMENT. I LOVE
THAT. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO CHIEF
ANDERSON. MY OFFICE HAS BEEN
WORKING ON SOME STUFF. YOU'VE
BEEN BOOTS ON THE GROUND LOOKING
AT NORTH RAINIER VALLEY. I WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR NOT JUST
BEING BEHIND THE DESK, BUT
ACTUALLY GETTING YOUR FEET OUT
THERE AND SEEING FIRSTHAND THE
THINGS PEOPLE ARE CONTACTING OUR
OFFICE ABOUT. SO AGAIN, I WANT
TO GIVE YOU THAT SHOUT OUT. SIR,
JUST A FOLLOWUP FOR YOU.
SOMETHING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. DR. LEE
HUNT. THAT WAS IT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
SOLOMON. COUNCILMEMBER RINCK?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
COUNCILMEMBER SAKA ACTUALLY
ASKED ONE OF THE KEY QUESTIONS
THAT I HAD RELATED TO JUST
WHAT'S THE GOAL OF THE
EXPANSION OF THE CARE
DEPARTMENT, THE CARON CARGILL
TEAM, HEARING HIM EXPAND HOUR
WIDE FOR THE DAY, THE RESPONSES.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, JUST
HOW ARE WE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT
SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WE MAY BE LEARNING
FROM OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE
THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS? WHAT
ARE WE LEARNING FROM OTHER
JURISDICTIONS? HOW ARE WE
INTEGRATING THAT INTO OUR CARE
APPROACH TEAM HERE?
>> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION. I KNOW CHIEF BARTON
WILL BE IN FRONT OF COUNCIL, I
THINK, NEXT WEEK. ONE THING I DO
KNOW IS WE REGULARLY SHARE
INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL
TRENDS. I THINK IT'S FAIR TO
SAY SEATTLE CONTINUES TO BE A
MODEL IN TERMS OF HOW WE ARE
DOING THIS WORK. I LOOK FORWARD
TO HER SHARING MORE, IN TERMS OF
WHAT SHE'S GAINED FROM SOME OF
THE NATIONAL WORK AND STAKE
HOLDER THAT SHE HAS DONE IN AND
AROUND DIFFERENT STATES AND
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE MODELED
THIS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. CHAIR, IF
I MAY ASK ONE ADDITIONAL NOTE ON
THIS. I'M WONDERING FOR THE
CARE TEAM HOW WE ARE MEASURING
OUR PROGRESS. HOW ARE WE
MEASURING THE SUCCESS?
>> I'M WONDERING IF I COULD
SHARE A STORY TO ILLUSTRATE SOME
OF THE SUCCESS. ONE, WE TALKED
ABOUT THE ABILITY TO REFER
PEOPLE TO REAL-TIME SERVICES.
THE THOUSANDS OF POLICE HOURS
WE'VE SAVED. BUT JUST LAST
WEEK, THE MEERKAT TEAM, THE TEAM
THAT CONTRACTS, THE COUNTY
CONTRACTS WITH, HAD CALLED
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT NORTH
PRECINCT TO COME HELP THEM WITH
A CRISIS SITUATION THAT WAS
LOOKING LIKE POTENTIALLY AN
INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT SITUATION.
NORTH PRECINCT BROUGHT THE
COMMUNITY RESPONDERS THAT ARE
THERE AND STATIONED THERE AT THE
NORTH PRECINCT TO COME TO THIS
CALL. AND DURING THAT CALL, THE
CARE TEAM WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH
THAT INDIVIDUAL, AND GET THEM TO
VOLUNTARILY AGREE TO BE
TRANSPORTED TO THE SOLUTIONS,
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS IN KIRKLAND,
VOLUNTARILY. IT'S SOMETHING WE
SHOULD LOOK AT FOR SEVERAL
DIFFERENT REASONS. I THINK, ONE,
THE PERSON KEPT THEIR AUTONOMY
AND GOT TO CHOOSE TO VOLUNTARILY
GO. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT
POLICE RESOURCES SAVED. FIRST OF
ALL, THEM NOT HAVING TO ADDRESS
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN AN
INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT CENTER,
REDUCE THE RISK OF USE OF FORCE
TO THAT PERSON, AND POTENTIALLY
OTHERS, INCLUDING OFFICERS. CARE
WAS ABLE TO TRANSPORT THAT
PERSON. AND SO I THINK, FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, THAT IS WHAT WE
SHOULD LOOK AT IN TERMS OF
SUCCESS BEYOND THE DATA AND
NUMBERS. THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE
I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
TODAY, IN TERMS OF HOW WE WOULD
MEASURE SUCCESS AND OUTCOMES.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
SHARING THAT IMPORTANT STORY,
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO CHIEF
BARTON BEING HERE IN THE NEAR
FUTURE FOR DEEPER DISCUSSION ON
CARE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M GOING
TO ASK THIS PANEL FOR ANY FINAL
COMMENTS, THEN COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, I'LL CALL ON YOU
FIRST AFTER THE NEXT
PRESENTATION, SAME TOPIC, IF
THAT IS ALL RIGHT WITH YOU?
>> CAN I RESPOND TO YOU?
>> YES, IS THAT ALL RIGHT?
>> WELL, THE QUESTION I HAD, ARE
YOU STAYING HERE? ARE YOU
STAYING AT THE TABLE?
>> WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOUR
QUESTION IF IT IS TO THIS PANEL,
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE
ON.
>> YEAH, SURE, OKAY, GREAT.
>> FOR THE CARE EXPANSION, WHY
-- HOW DID YOU DECIDE BETWEEN
EXPANSION OPTION ONE AND TWO?
OPTION ONE WAS A $2.38 MILLION
INCREASE FOR THE 911 CENTER AND
A $5.6 MILLION INCREASE FOR THE
CARE RESPONSE. AND THEN OPTION
TWO, WHAT WAS IN THE PROPOSED
BUDGET? $2.6 MILLION FOR 911 AND
$2.6 MILLION FOR CARE RESPONSE.
DO YOU KNOW WHY?
>> I ACTUALLY --
>> IF THERE WERE -- THERE WERE
TWO OPTIONS FOR THE CARE
EXPANSION. OPTION ONE WAS LESS
EXPENSIVE, BUT NUMBER TWO IS IN
THE BUDGET, SO I'M WONDERING IF
THERE WAS MORE SERVICES. GO
AHEAD.
>> DIRECTOR MYERBERG?
>> JUST TO CLARIFY, ARE YOU
SAYING AS PART OF THE ONGOING
DELIBERATIONS IN THE BUDGET
PROCESS? THE NUMBER SHIFTED OVER
TIME. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE
ASKING?
>> YEAH, THERE WAS A REJECTED
PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW --
>> GOT IT.
>> MAYBE OFFLINE WE COULD TALK
ABOUT IT LATER.
>> I THINK THE ONE THING, THE
GOAL IS TO DOUBLE CARE
EXPANSION. SO I THINK ONE OF
THAT IS JUST THE NUMBERS OF WHAT
IT WOULD TAKE TO DOUBLE IT, BUT
WE SHOULD COME BACK WITH YOU TO
KIND OF CONFIRM THAT.
>> OKAY.
>> AND I'M GOING TO USE
CHAIR'S PREROGATIVE AND CALL ON
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ BEFORE WE
MOVE ON BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN
HERE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CARE
DISCUSSIONS.
>> THANK YOU. THAT IS EXACTLY
WHERE I WAS GOING TO GO. I'LL
ASK YOU OFFLINE, NO PROBLEM. SO
GOING BACK TO PAGE SIX, AND JUST
THE CARE. WE'VE HAD TALKS WITH
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WHEN ALL
THIS WAS GOING ON ABOUT WHAT
THIS TAX WOULD LOOK LIKE,
DOUBLING CARE, IN THE RESPONSES,
FROM 24 TO 48 FTEs, 18
ADDITIONAL FETs FOR THE 9/11. SO
I'M GUESSING SOME OF THIS,
CHIEF BARTON WILL RESPOND TO
WHEN SHE'S HERE. JUST SO WE
HAVE AN IDEA FOR SOME OF OUR
COLLEAGUES WHO WEREN'T HERE
BACK IN 2020, I'M GOING TO ADD
A FEW COMMENTS. I'D LIKE, VERY
BRIEFLY, ON THE CARE TEAM, WHERE
THIS CAME FROM. THE WHOLE IDEA
OF THE CARE, THE IDEA, ITS
HISTORY, ITS ORDINANCE. IT CAME
FROM 2020. IT CAME FROM PEOPLE,
AMONGST A LOT OF THINGS,
CONCERNED ABOUT COMMUNITY
SOLUTIONS, UPSTREAM, DIVERSION
PROGRAMS, TREATMENT MENTAL
HEALTH, AND THE CONNECTION AND
RECOGNITION THAT ADDICTION IS
RELATED TO CRIME. ALSO THAT YOU
DON'T NEED A GUN AND BADGE FOR
EVERY SITUATION. AND SO ON ONE
HAND, IF THE CARE TEAM IS
SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S PROGRAMMED
FUNDED WITH THE MAYOR IS ASKING,
WE WOULD BE THE FIRST CITY IN
THE NATION TO BE DOING THIS. I
KNOW ORIGINALLY, COUNCILMEMBER
LEWIS DID THIS. A LOT OF US DID
IT, BUT HE WAS LEADING IT AT THE
TIME AS CHAIR OF THE HOMELESS
COMMITTEE. BUT OUT OF THE
PROGRAM IN OREGON. WE LOOKED AT
OTHER CITIES. THIS IS SUPPOSE TO
BE, AND I BELIEVE IT IS. I CAN
HONESTLY SAY THIS WITHOUT BEING
AN ELECTED POLITICIAN, AND NO
B.S. WE ACTUALLY -- I'M
ACTUALLY SEEING SOMETHING COME
TO FRUITION FROM EVERYTHING THAT
HAPPENED, WHERE WE WENT BEYOND
BRICK AND MORTAR, BUT WE HAD
STAFF, FTEs, THE 9/11 OPERATORS,
DUAL DISPATCH, NEGOTIATIONS WITH
SOME UNIONS. SO I THINK WHAT
WE'RE SEEING NOW IS AN ACTUAL
PROGRAM THAT WE'VE ENVISIONED
AND WE TALKED ABOUT, AND HAVE A
THOUSAND MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES
ABOUT, THAT IT WILL HAPPEN TO
THE LEVEL, AND WE PROMISED THE
CITY OF SEATTLE. I'M GUESSING
CHIEF BARTON WILL GIVE US MORE
INFORMATION. MY WORD OF ADVICE,
I THINK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
NEEDS BETTER MESSAGING ABOUT
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FOLKS WHO
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE ORDER OF
THIS. THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY
ASKED FOR. THIS IS WHAT ALL THAT
SOCIAL UPHEAVAL WAS ABOUT. AND
SO IF THIS CAN GROW INTO WHAT WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT, SCREAMING,
HOLLERING, ANGRY, RIGHTFULLY SO,
THEN I WANT TO BE SUPPORTED. BUT
I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO WHAT
COUNCIL MEMBER RINCK WAS SAYING
AND SOME OTHER FOLKS. WHAT DOES
SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? HOW WOULD WE
MEASURE IT? I DO NOT WANT A
SITUATION, WHERE WE HAVE AN
AUDIT AND THINGS GO SOUTH.
THAT'S MAINLY WHAT WE'RE
WORRIED ABOUT. BUT AS FAR AS,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER ISSUES
HERE ABOUT DOUBLING DOWN ON THE
STAFF. JUST ONE CLARIFICATION I
WANTED TO ASK YOU ON THE STAFF.
YOU'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE
911 CALLERS UP TO 18, 18
ADDITIONAL FTEs?
>> IT'S 12 WITH THE ADDITIONAL
POSITIONS, AND THEN THE OTHER,
MAKING THREE OF THE POSITIONS
PERMANENT, AND THEN THREE OTHER
POSITIONS WERE ADDED FOR
TRAINING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE.
>> IS THAT 18?
>> YES, TOTAL. TOTAL.
>> OKAY, TOTAL. THAT'S WHAT I
MEANT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT,
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ. THAT'S FINAL COMMENTS
ON THE .1% PUBLIC SAFES TAX. NOW
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR
NOBLE AND TOM MIKESELL FOR THE
HOW. EXECUTIVE TEAM, I MIGHT
RECOMMEND YOU STICK AROUND.
>> WE WILL, SIR.
>> FANTASTIC. HOWEVER YOU WANT
TO DO IT, BUT LET'S TAKE THIS
THROUGH. AND COLLEAGUES, AS WE
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS
CONVERSATION TODAY BECAUSE IT'S
AN OVERARCHING CONVERSATION THAT
TOUCHES MANY DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS, I'LL ASK YOU HOLD
THE DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS UNTIL WE SEE THOSE
DEPARTMENTS. IF THERE IS A
QUESTION ABOUT THE WHO, WHAT,
WHEN, WHY, WHERE OF THIS TAX
PROPOSAL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. WITH
THAT, I SEE, THANK YOU NATALIE
WALTON-ANDERSON AND DIRECTOR
SARAH SMITH.
>> CHAIR, CAN I TAKE THIS
MOMENT?
>> PLEASE, PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIR
KETTLE?
>> CHAIR, I WANTED TO SAY IT HAS
COME TO MY ATTENTION, MY
COLLEAGUES HAVE GIVEN SHOUT OUTS
AND PRAISE TO MS.
WWALTON-ANDERSON AND MS. SMITH
FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS IN THE
RELATED AREAS. BUT CHIEF OF
STAFF, MR. MYERBERG, YOU KNOW,
HAS NOT RECEIVED THE SAME
PRAISE. SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MR.
MYERBERG FOR HIS WORK IN THIS
AREA, WHICH I HAVE DIRECT
KNOWLEDGE OF. WITH THAT, WE HAVE
THE PRESENTATION UP. OVER TO
YOU, DIRECTOR NOBLE AND TOM
MIKESELL. ONLY YOU STAND BETWEEN
US AND DINNER.
>> NO PRESSURE. WITH THAT, I'LL
TURN IT OVER TO TOM. I'LL DRIVE
SLIDES AND ADD COMMENTARY AS
NEEDED.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING.
CHAIR STRAUSS, VICE CHAIR,
MEMBERS OF THE SELECT BUDGET
COMMITTEE. I'M GOING TO DIVE
RIGHT IN ON BRIEF COMMENTS, THE
PRIOR PRESENTATION TALKED A LOT
ABOUT THE USES OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY SALES, THAT. I'M GOING
TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
THE TAX ITSELF AND SOME OF THE
BROADER BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS
AROUND THE TAX. NORMALLY YOU
WOULDN'T BE HEARING FROM ME AT
THIS POINT. I'D BE HERE A
COUPLE OF WEEKS FROM NOW. BUT
GIVEN THE TIMING OF THE ADOPTION
OF THIS TAX, HERE I AM. SO
CHAPTER 350, 2025, PASSED BY THE
STATE LEGISLATURE, PROVIDED FOR
.1% TAX FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
PURPOSES. AS ESTIMATED BY CITY
STAFF. ONE THING THAT'S
IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS
TAX, SINCE IT'S A STATE
AUTHORIZED TAX, THE CITY CANNOT
CREATE ANY SORT OF CARVEOUTS OR
RELIEF FROM THIS TAX. IT IS
SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM THE TAX
WE WERE HAVING EARLIER. SO DUE
TO THE DEPARTMENT REVENUE
IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINES, THIS
TAX MUST BE ADOPTED BY APRIL 18
OF THIS YEAR, WHICH IS WHY,
WHICH IS WHY WE ARE ON AN
ACCELERATED SCHEDULE, AND
ADOPTING SLIGHTLY THAN EARLIER
SCHEDULE, WHICH IS BEFORE YOU,
DURING THIS PROCESS. THERE IS A
MEETING SCHEDULED NEXT BUDGET
COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR
OCTOBER 8. THEN A FOLLOWUP WITH
THE FULL VET OF COUNCIL
SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 15.
>> IT'S THE 14th, NOT THE SAT.
APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. FULL COUNCIL
MEETING IS ON OCTOBER 14.
>> OKAY. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE? THESE ARE JUST A
FEW THING CONSIDERATIONS AROUND
THE TAX. IT'S A FAMILIAR TOPIC,
BUT SALES TAXES ARE REGRESSIVE,
MEANING THEY'RE ON THE
PERSPECTIVE. YEAH, WE LOST THE
SCREEN. THESE TYPES OF TAXES ARE
--
>> I CAN STILL SEE THE
PRESENTATION.
>> CAN YOU ALL STILL SEE THE
PRESENTATION?
>> I CAN ON MY ZOOM, AND IT'S
ON THE SEATTLE CHANNEL AS WELL,
SO WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
>> SO REGRESSIVE TAX, THE IMPACT
OF THE TAX IS FELT MORE ACUTELY
BY THOSE WITH LOWER INCOMES. SO
THE CURRENT TAX RATE ON SEATTLE
CITY PURCHASES IS 10.35%. THE
2026 TAX RATE WITH BOTH KING
COUNTY TAX WILL HAVE A SIMILAR
FLAVOR, AUTHORIZED BY THE SAME
LEGISLATION AND STATE. PLUS,
THIS INCREASE WOULD RAISE THAT
TOTAL SEATTLE TAX TO 10.55%. ONE
POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THE FOOD
FOR AT-HOME CONSUMPTION, SO FOOD
THAT IS EXEMPT. IT WOULD BE
EXEMPT FROM THE INCREASE. FOR A
BIT OF CONTEXT, THIS PARTICULAR
.1% SALES TAX INCREASE WOULD
GENERATE, WOULD ADD $25 TO
$25,000. BUT THE OTHER WAY TO
THINK ABOUT IT IS JUST IN TERMS
OF $25,000 PURCHASES OF TAX
ITEMS IN A YEAR. IT WOULD ADD
ADDITIONAL $25. SO AGAIN, THE
CONTEXT IS AT THE INCOME LEVEL
THAT IT IS MAKING THAT PURCHASE.
AND SO ONE FINAL POINT, THE
CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
WILL INDICATE HIGH INFLATION
WILL CONTINUE, AND THE FULL
IMPACT FROM TARIFFS IF IT IS
STILL UNCERTAIN. SO THIS TAX
INCREASE AND OTHER TAX INCREASES
THAT ARE BEFORE YOU WILL BE
IMPACTING CONSUMERS WITHIN THE
CONTEXT OF THOSE INFLATIONARY
INCREASES AS WELL. JUST ONE
POINT. SO THE PROPOSAL BEFORE
YOU IS TO ADOPT THE TAX IN MID
OCTOBER. HOWEVER, A DECISION
COULD BE MADE TO ADOPT THE TAX
WITH THE REST OF THE BUDGET
LEGISLATION. MAKING THAT
DECISION WOULD REDUCE THE
REVENUE COLLECTED BY ABOUT $9
MILLION, COMPARED TO THE $39
MILLION IN THE BUDGET. AND
THAT'S BASED ON WHAT'S IN THE
FORECAST OFFICE. ANOTHER
CONSIDERATION IS THAT, AS YOU
ALL KNOW, THIS PROCESS WILL BE
INFORMED BY ANOTHER REVENUE
FORECAST PROVIDED IN OCTOBER. WE
HAVE SEEN SOME RATHER POOR
NATIONAL ECONOMIC JOBS NUMBERS
LATELY. AGAIN, THE IMPACTS THE
TARIFFS ARE STILL UNCERTAIN.
OPPOSITE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
AT THE STATE RELEASED THEIR
FORECAST YESTERDAY AND
DOWNGRADED THE STATE'S REVENUE
PICTURE. ALL THAT TO SAY THE
BALANCE OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF
THE OCTOBER FORECAST. THEY WILL
PROBABLY BE MORE LIKELY BAD NEWS
THAN GOOD NEWS. JUST IN TERMS OF
THE SUSTAINABILITY CONTEXT. THE
GENERAL FUND FINANCIAL PLAN,
THAT'S INCLUDED WITH THE BUDGET
INDICATES $140 MILLION DEFICIT,
BEGINNING IN 2027, WHICH IS
ACTUALLY AN INCREASE OVER WHAT
WAS PROVIDED IN THE ADOPTED
BUDGET. DESPITE THE FACT THE
BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES $80
MILLION BUSINESS AND OCCUPATION
TAX INCREASE, AND NOW THIS $39
MILLION SALES TAX INCREASE, AS
WELL AS SOME FUND SWAPS WITHIN
THE EXPANSION OF THE FAMILY
EDUCATION PRESCHOOL PROMISE
LEVY.
>> NOT TO BRING THAT POINT HOME
TOO FAR, BUT AGAIN, LOOKING AT
27. DEFICIT IS PROJECTED TO BE
LARGER, EVEN AFTER YOU PROPOSED
TO HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL FUNDING
SOURCES, LEAVING FURTHER LIMITED
OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THAT DEFICIT
WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN 27?
>> RIGHT. SO THE POTENTIAL THAT
REMAINS, SOME OF THE FEWER
REMAINING SOLUTIONS THAT WILL
NOT BE ON THE TABLE ANY LONGER.
AND SO FINALLY TO CLOSE WITH
THAT, THE LAST CONSIDERATION
THAT THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT
AUTHORIZED THIS TAX DOES NOT
INCLUDE ANY NON-PLANTATION
CLAUSES. NORMALLY WHEN THE STATE
AUTHORIZES A TAX, THEY ARE
REQUIRED TO FUND NEW THINGS WITH
IT. THIS TAX DOES NOT HAVE THAT
REQUIREMENT. SO THIS FUND COULD
BE USED TO FUND THINGS THAT ARE
EXISTING IN THE 2026 ENDORSED
BUDGET. [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> IS THIS AN EFFECTIVE USE FOR
THE PURPOSE AND $25 MILLION, $24
MILLION FOR NEW FUNDING.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT
PRESENTATION. I'LL TURN IT OVER
TO COUNCIL MEMBER BOB KETTLE AS
CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE BECAUSE I SEE THE
SPONSOR OF THE TAX IS NOT WITH
US AT THIS VERY MOMENT. I'LL
JUST HIGHLIGHT ONE THING THAT
YOU BOTH SAID OR ONE OF YOU SAID
KIND OF QUIETLY. OH, I SEE, THE
COUNCIL PRESIDENT IS ON THE
ZOOM. I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT
SOMETHING YOU SAID QUIETLY THAT
I REALLY NEED TO PAUSE AND MAKE
SURE EVERYONE IS HEARING LOUDLY,
WHICH IS WE HAD A DOWNTURN
REVENUE FORECAST AT THE STATE
YESTERDAY. THERE IS -- WE COULD
SEE AN INCREASED REVENUE
FORECAST IN OCTOBER. I AM
CURRENTLY --
>> HONORED. WITH THAT,
COLLEAGUES, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE
A QUICK LOOK AT TOMORROW. WE'VE
GOT OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE --
SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION. TOMORROW IS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. AT THE
CONCLUSION OF THIS MEETING, WE
HAVE 18 MORE MEETINGS TO GO. FOR
THOSE OF US IN THE FAITH,
THAT'S THE GOLDEN NUMBER OF
LIFE. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS
BEFORE WE CLOSE? SEEING NONE,
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE
FIRST MEETING OF THE SELECT
BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR THIS YEAR.
WE ARE ADJOURNED.