THE DECEMBER DECEMBER 17th LAND
USE COMMITTEE WILL COME TO
ORDER. IT'S 2:03 P.M. I'M
EDDIE LIN, CHAIR OF THE LAND USE
COMMITTEE. WILL THE COMMITTEE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
>> VICE CHAIR STRAUSS.
>> HERE.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER RINGCK.
>> PRESENT.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA.
>> PRESENT.
>> CHAIR LIN.
>> PRESENT.
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FOUR MEMBERS
PRESENT.
>> AND COUNCIL MEMBER JUAREZ IS
EXCUSED FROM TODAY'S MEETING.
LET'S SEE, IF THERE'S NO
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED. HEARING NO OBJECTION,
THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. GOOD
AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. THANK YOU
ALL FOR BEING HERE. AS ALWAYS,
THANK YOU TO OUR CITY CLERKS,
COUNSEL CENTRAL STAFF, SDI FOR
HELPING US TO PREPARE FOR THIS
MEETING. WE WILL NOW OPEN THE
HYBRID PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
PUBLIC COMMENTS SHOULD RELATE TO
ITEMS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS
COMMITTEE. PLEASE HOLD COMMENTS
REGARDING ITEM 1 THE FLOOD
PLAINS ORDINANCE UNTIL THE
PUBLIC HEARING WHICH WILL BE
HELD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. CLERK,
HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE SIGNED UP
TODAY?
>> WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED
UP.
>> EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO
MINUTES. WE'LL START WITH --
WELL, WE'LL START WITH OUR ONE
IN-PERSON SPEAKER TODAY. THANK
YOU.
>> CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ
THE PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD,
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE
IN ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE
REGISTERED. IF THEY DO NOT END
THEIR COMMENTS WITHIN THE
ALLOTTED TIME, ALLOW US TO CALL
THE NEXT SPEAKER. PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS NOW OPEN. WE WILL
BEGIN WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER ON
THE LIST, AND THAT IS STEVE.
>> FIRST AND LAST.
>> I WILL BE LAST AS WELL. IT
COMES WITH THE ONENESS, AS WE
SAID. IT LOOKS LIKE THE
CHRISTMAS PACKAGE FOR THE
DEVELOPERS MAY BE DELAYED THIS
YEAR, BUT THEY DID SO WELL THIS
YEAR THAT THEY SHOULDN'T FEEL
TOO BAD. AND THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS THIS COMMITTEE COULD DO
ON HOUSING. AND I THOUGHT I
WOULD USE THIS TIME INSTEAD OF
SPEAKING OF THE ISSUE WHICH IS
NOT HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT
RAISING MHA FEES. OURS ARE SO,
SO LOW. NOW, THE ADVANTAGE OF
RAISING OF THE MHA FEES IS WHEN
THEY COME IN, THERE WAS A
PROMISE IT WOULD BE 50/. YOU
KNOW, FOR THE REALLY, REALLY
RITZY BUILD, WE WEREN'T GOING
TO -- YOU KNOW, THEY JUST
DIDN'T WANT THE POOR PEOPLE.
THEY COULD BUY THEIR WAY OUT.
WELL, EVERYBODY IS BUYING THEIR
WAY OUT. THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING
THE HIGHER FEES IS YOU GET YOUR
HOUSING MUCH FASTER BECAUSE THEY
DON'T PAY UNTIL THEY GET THEIR
OCCUPANCY PERMIT, AS I
UNDERSTAND IT. NOW, IF THAT
MONEY IS RECEIVED WHEN THE
BUILDING GETS ITS OCCUPANCY
PERMIT, THERE'S PROBABLY TWO,
THREE, FOUR, MAYBE EVEN FIVE
YEARS BEFORE YOU SEE THAT MONEY
ACTUALLY COME IN TO HOUSING.
WELL, IF IT CAME INTO HOUSING
WHEN THEY GOT THEIR OCCUPANCY
PERMIT, THAT MIGHT BE A BIT OF A
VALUE. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SEATTLE NOT BE ALL WHOM ONG
NIEZED. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A
SEATTLE WHERE PEOPLE ARE SPREAD
AROUND, WE DON'T HAVE BIG
CLUSTERS OF WEALTH OVER HERE,
POOR DOWN OVER HERE. IF YOU HAVE
BUILDINGS WHERE YOU HAVE A
SPREAD OF PEOPLE, THEN THAT
WOULD BE BETTER. NOW, WE ALSO
COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE
LIVING WAGE MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP
SINCE THE COSTS ARE SO MUCH
HIGHER NOW.
>> PLEASE BE SEATED.
>> THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO
ADDITIONAL REGISTERED SPEAKERS,
AND WE'LL NOW PROCEED TO OUR
ITEMS OF BUSINESS. SO WE'LL NOW
MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM OF
BUSINESS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
READ ITEM 1?
>> ITEM 1121143, AN ORDINANCE
RELATING TO FLOOD PLAINS 10th
EXTENSION OF INTERIM REGULATIONS
ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE 126113
AS AN AMENDED BY ORDINANCE
126536 FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX
MONTHS TO ALLOW THE INDIVIDUALS
TO RELY ON THE UPDATED NATIONAL
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAPS TO
OBTAIN A FLOOD INSURANCE THROUGH
THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCY'S FLOOD INSURANCE.
>> THIS IS IN OF OUR FINAL WHICH
WE PLAN TO ADDRESS EARLY NEXT
YEAR. AS PRESIDING OFFICER, I AM
NOW OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING
ON COUNCIL BILL 121143 RELATED
TO EXTENDING THE FLOOD PLAINS
ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE 126113.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS ARE
SIGNED UP FOR THIS HEARING?
>> WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER.
>> EACH SPEAKER WILL BE PROVIDED
TWO MINUTES. CLERK, I WILL NOW
HAND THIS OVER TO YOU TO PRESENT
THE INSTRUCTIONS.
>> IT WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MATTER, UP TO 20
MINUTES. IN-PERSON SPEAKERS WILL
BE CALLED FIRST IN WHICH WE WILL
MOVE TO REMOTE SPEAKERS. THEY
WILL HEAR A CHIME WITH 10
SECONDS LEFT. THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS NOW OPEN AND WE'LL
BEGIN WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER ON
THE LIST. STEVE.
>> WELL, THIS ACTUALLY LOOKS
LIKE IT'S DOING THE PUBLIC'S
BUSINESS. THIS IS EXTENSION OF
RIGHTS FOR SEATTLE CITIZENS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT
WILL HELP MORE THAN JUST A FEW
PEOPLE MAKE MONEY. AND THIS IS
SOMETHING I DON'T SEE OFTEN
ENOUGH BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE.
AND SO I AM NOT TOO SURPRISED,
BUT I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE IT,
AND A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND
ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME OF
FLOODING IS VERY, VERY
APPROPRIATE SO I'M GOING TO
GIVE UP THE REST OF THE TIME
BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BAD TO
SAY OR THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD
ADD OR CHANGE.
>> THANK YOU. THAT WAS OUR LAST
REGISTERED SPEAKER. PRESENT TO
SPEAK AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
THE PUBLIC HEARING ON COUNCIL
BILL 121143 IS NOW CLOSED. WILL
OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM COUNCIL
CENTRAL STAFF PLEASE JOIN US TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL MAY
HAVE? THANK YOU.
>> CHAIR, POINT OF PERSONAL
PRIVILEGE, NOTING THE SPEAKER,
THE PUBLIC SPEAKER REFERENCED
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. IT IS NOT
CHRISTMAS TODAY. IT IS HANUKKAH
TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE
YOURSELF?
>> SURE. KETO FREEMAN, COUNCIL
CENTRAL STAFF.
>> AND DO ANY -- I KNOW THIS HAS
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
SEVERAL TIMES, ANY FELLOW
COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS? OKAY. AND IF THERE'S
NO OBJECTION, THE COUNCIL RULES
WILL BE SUSPENDED TO ALLOW THE
COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON THIS BILL
ON THE SAME DAY A PUBLIC HEARING
WAS HELD. HEARING NO OBJECTION,
THE RULES ARE SUSPENDED, AND THE
COMMITTEE WILL PROCEED WITH A
VOTE. I MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF COUNCIL
BILL 121143. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO
RECOMMEND PASSAGE. SHE HAVING
CONNECTION ISSUES?
>> SHE'S NOW BACK IN.
>> I'M HERE. SORRY.
>> WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
>> I WAS ADDED A PANELIST.
SORRY.
>> WONDERFUL. SO WE JUST
SECONDED TO RECOMMEND. IT IS
MOVED AND SECONDED TO RECOMMEND
PASSAGE OF COUNCIL BILL 121143.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE
RECOMMENDATION TO PASS THIS
BILL?
>> VICE
>> COUNCIL MEMBER RINCK.
>> YES.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA.
>> AYE.
>> CHAIR LIN.
>> YES.
>> CHAIR, THERE ARE FOUR VOTES.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES, AND THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION THAT
THE COUNCIL PASS THE LEGISLATION
WILL BE SENT TO THE JANUARY
13th, 2026 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND SO THANK YOU, KIETEL. WE'VE
REACHED THE END OF TODAY'S
AGENDA. IS THERE ANY FURTHER
BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE BEFORE WE ADJOURN?
HEARING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO
COME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, WE
ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.