[MUSIC] [MUSIC]
-- MORNING. COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
GOOD MORNING. COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ. WE ARE STARTING. GOOD TO
SEE YOU., THE JULY 29th SPECIAL
MEETING OF THE GOVERNANCE AND
UTILITIES COMMITTEE WILL COME TO
ORDER. IT IS 9:33 A.M.. I'M JOY
HOLLINGSWORTH COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- PRESENT
-- COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
-- PRESENT HERE.
-- VICE CHAIR JUAREZ.
-- HERE.
-- CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- HERE.
-- CHAIR. THERE ARE FIVE
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT.
-- AWESOME. AND I WANT TO THANK
MY COLLEAGUES FOR SQUEEZING THIS
MEETING INTO THEIR SCHEDULE. I
KNOW THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, SO
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL
TAKING THE TIME TO GET THIS VERY
IMPORTANT MEETING FOR THE
SPECIAL GOVERNANCE AND UTILITIES
COMMITTEE. IT'S ALMOST AUGUST.
THE SUMMER HAS FLOWN BY. WE HAVE
A PACKED AGENDA. SO LET'S GET
STARTED. WE'RE NOW GOING TO
CONSIDER THE AGENDA. AND IF
THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING
NONE, THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED.
WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO NOW
OPEN UP THE HYBRID PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD. PUBLIC COMMENT
SHOULD BE RELATED TO ITEMS ON
TODAY'S AGENDA OR BE WITHIN THE
PURVIEW OF THE COMMITTEE. I SEE
THERE'S ONE SIGNED UP IN PERSON
AND ONE ONLINE. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE IN PERSON. I'M GOING
TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
EVERYONE'S GOING TO GET TWO
MINUTES AND THEN WE WILL GET IT
GOING. SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD WILL BE MODERATED IN THE
FOLLOWING MANNER. SPEAKERS WILL
BE CALLED IN ORDER IN WHICH THEY
ARE REGISTERED ON THE COUNCIL'S
WEBSITE OR SIGN UP SHEET
AVAILABLE HERE IN COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, STARTING WITH THE IN
PERSON SPEAKERS. FIRST, IF YOU
HAVE NOT REGISTERED BUT WOULD
LIKE TO, YOU CAN SIGN UP BEFORE
THE END OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD. BEFORE THE END OF THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OR ON THE
COUNCIL'S WEBSITE. WHEN
SPEAKING, PLEASE BEGIN BY
STATING YOUR NAME AND THE ITEM
THAT YOU ARE ADDRESSING. YOU
WILL HEAR A CHIME WITH 10
SECONDS ARE LEFT FOR THE
ALLOTTED TIME. IF THE SPEAKERS
DO NOT END THEIR COMMENTS AT THE
ALLOTTED TIME, THE MICROPHONE
AUTOMATICALLY SHUTS OFF AND WE
ARE NOW GOING TO BEGIN THE
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. AND YOUR
NAME IS HANNAH. WELCOME. GOOD TO
SEE YOU. YOU'RE GOING TO GET
TWO MINUTES. WE'LL GET THE
TIMER UP AND THEN WE WILL GET IT
STARTED. AND THEN WE'LL GO RIGHT
ONLINE. HANNAH, WELCOME.
-- THANK YOU. MY NAME IS HANNAH.
I'M FROM PIONEER SQUARE AND I
WANT TO ADDRESS THE UTILITIES
COST LIGHTING AND PIONEER SQUARE
AND EMERGENCY EFFORTS. AND I
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS
TOWARDS THIS. AND WHEN I THINK
ABOUT UTILITIES, THE FIRST THING
I THINK ABOUT IS MY FAMILY
MEMBER WHO HELPED RAISE ME.
SHE'S A HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR.
SO ANYTHING THAT GOES WRONG IN
THAT HOSPITAL, FROM MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT TO EMERGENCY PLANS FOR
HURRICANES, SHE'S IN CHARGE OF
WRITING THAT. SHE DOES A
PHENOMENAL JOB, AND SHE'S THE
BEST IN HER COUNTY., JUST FOR
STANDING ON BUSINESS. SHE
DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A COLLEGE
DEGREE., UTILITIES ARE VITAL FOR
PRODUCTIVITY. IN A HOSPITAL AS
WELL AS THE CITY., ALL ACROSS
THE WORLD. SEATTLE OWNS CITY
LIGHT, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL
ECONOMY AND LIVELIHOODS. I'VE
HEARD ONE PERSON SAY THEY WANT
TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE COST
OF WATER, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS
KIND OF ODDLY SPECIFIC. AND NOW
THERE'S THIS MEETING COMING UP.
SO I WANTED TO RELAY THAT TO
YOU., 10% COST INCREASE IS
ASTRONOMICAL IN FISCALLY
IRRESPONSIBLE COST INCREASES OF
UTILITIES SHOULD REFLECT
INFLATION. AND THIS IS A CHANCE
FOR US TO ECONOMICALLY STIMULATE
OUR CITY ACROSS THE BOARD. FROM
THE BOTTOM UP SIDEWAYS EVERY
WHICH DIRECTION. OTHERWISE WE'RE
GOING TO GO BACKWARDS AND INSIDE
OUT. NO ONE I KNOW DOWNTOWN. SO
I, LIKE I SAID, I'M IN PIONEER
SQUARE. SO THIS IS AS FAR AS I
COULD SEE. I DON'T KNOW., BUT
NO ONE I KNOW DOWNTOWN SAYS
IT'S NOT ADEQUATELY LIT. AND,
WE DON'T WANT OUR COPPER LIGHT
POSTS REPLACED IN THE PIONEER
SQUARE PROTECTED AREA. THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO
PROTECT THE CHARACTER DOWNTOWN.
THANK YOU.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU. HANNAH,
IS THAT EVERGREEN COLLEGE FROM
OLYMPIA? YOU ARE THE GOOEY
DUCKS. THAT'S YOUR MASCOT.
AWESOME. THANK YOU. HANNAH. NOW
WE'RE GOING TO GO ONLINE., WE
HAVE MR. ALVAREZ. YOU ARE UP.
STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. AND
THEN DAVID HAYNES.
-- THANK YOU. AND GOOD MORNING.
THERE ARE AFFORDABILITY PIECES
IN TODAY'S AGENDA. WATER AND
POWER BILLS FOR PEOPLE AND
DISCOUNT PROGRAMS. AND FOR
RESIDENTS NEEDING EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE. YET HOW MUCH OF HIS
WORK AND AFFORDABILITY WILL BE
NEGATED BY THE BUDGET CUTS TO
CRITICAL SERVICES THAT PRESIDENT
HOLLINGSWORTH AND MEMBERS FOSTER
AND STRAUSS WILL BE PROPOSING?
THE MAYOR HAD PROVIDED A VIABLE
AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE PLAN
FOR UNIVERSAL MEALS FOR ALL
CHILDREN NOW, THIS CRITICAL NEED
WILL BE ROLLED INTO THE BUDGET
DEFICIT PITTED AGAINST OTHER
CRUCIAL SERVICES LIKE TODAY,
BEFORE THE WEEKS PASS LEADING UP
TO COUNCIL'S ACTIONS AND DEALING
WITH THE BUDGET, FAMILIES AND
ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD BE GIVEN
EARLY NOTICE THAT COUNCIL IS
AIMING TO CUT SERVICES OF PEOPLE
IN DIRE NEED. IN ONE COMMITTEE,
YOU PROP UP THE APPEARANCE OF
HELPING WITH AFFORDABILITY. IN
ANOTHER, YOU WILL HURT FAMILIES
WITH PROPOSED SERVICE CUTS THAT
THEY DEPEND ON. MAKING ALL THIS
WORK TODAY. PERFORMATIVE AND
HYPOCRITICAL. THANK YOU ALL AND
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
-- THANK YOU, MR. ALVAREZ., NEXT
WE HAVE DAVID HAYNES. GOOD
MORNING.
-- HI. GOOD MORNING DAVID IT'S A
TELL TALE SIGN THAT WE HAVE A
RACIST, TAINTED SCHOOL AND LIVED
EXPERIENCE PLANS THAT THE
COUNCIL IS LOOKING THROUGH
BEFORE THEY DECIDE THE FATE OF
DOLLARS AND POLICIES. AND
SPENDING PRIORITIES. AND IT'S
KIND OF WEIRD HOW THE CITY
COUNCIL SEEMS TO LIKE IT'S
ALMOST LIKE Y'ALL WANT TO TEAR
EVERYTHING DOWN AND THEN PICK
AND CHOOSE SKIN COLOR TO PROP
UP, WHETHER IT'S YOU'RE RAISING
THE RATES ON EVERYTHING SO YOU
CAN PAY $4 BILLION TO THE
TRIBES, AND THEN YOU'RE
IMMEDIATELY FOCUSING ON THE
MAJORITY OF WHERE THE BLACK
COMMUNITY IS ON THE SOCIO
ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHIC OF 80% AMI,
WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO
THROW THE MAJORITY OF THE
ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THEM, BECAUSE
WE'RE GOING TO PROP UP THEM.
IT'S LIKE IT'S EVIDENT THAT
THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY
COUNCIL IS CONDUCTING A RACE WAR
BASED ON SOME IGNORANT PAST THAT
KEEPS GETTING REGURGITATED BY
YOU ALL. AND IT'S REVOLTING.
AND IT'S A REAL CONCERN,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE TOOK OUT THE
ACCOUNTABILITY, BECAUSE YOU
DON'T WANT TO IMPROVE THE
POLICIES THAT WERE BAKED IN THE
BUDGET FROM THE LEFTOVER FAILED
MAYORS THAT KEEP UNDERMINING
PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE HOMELESS
CRISIS AND THE HOUSING CRISIS
AND THE CRISIS FOR THE WORKERS,
NOT JUST ONE SKIN COLOR OF
WORKERS, BUT ALL THE WORKERS WHO
ARE BEING CHEATED OUT OF THE
UNFORESEEN CAPITAL GAINS. IT'S
LIKE IF YOU REALLY, TRULY CARED,
YOU WOULD FOCUS ON LEGISLATION
TO DISCIPLINE THE GREED OF THE
NON-WORKING SHAREHOLDER
MIDDLEMEN WHO KEEP DRAINING THE
LIFEBLOOD OF THE WORKING CLASS.
AND YET, INSTEAD, YOU WOULD
RATHER PLAY RACE WAR CARDS TO
PIT ONE AGAINST ANOTHER, TO
DISTRACT FROM THE FACT THAT
THERE IS AN IMMORAL FINANCIAL
SYSTEM AND YOU ALL ARE NOT
ADDRESSING IT PROPER. YOU TAKE
THESE IGNORANT IDEAS OF THE PAST
LIKE, OH, SOMETHING WAS DONE TO
SOMEBODY WAY BACK IN THE DAY. SO
WE'RE GOING TO ACT LIKE THAT
JUST HAPPENED AND WE'RE GOING
TO RETALIATE AS IF IT JUST
HAPPENED. IT'S LIKE THE KING OF
ENGLAND SAID 250 YEARS AGO WAS
SOMETHING THAT THEY DISCUSSED AS
IF IT JUST OCCURRED YESTERDAY,
WHICH MEANS.
-- THANK YOU, DAVID HAINES. IF
THERE'S NOT ANY MORE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD, PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD IS NOW OVER. WE'LL JUMP
RIGHT INTO AGENDA. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM NUMBER
ONE INTO THE RECORD AGENDA ITEM.
OH. GO AHEAD. NO NO NO. YOU'RE
GOOD.
-- AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
COUNCIL BILL 121246. AN
ORDINANCE RELATING TO EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE FOR SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES CUSTOMERS AND COUNCIL
BILL 121247. AN ORDINANCE
RELATING TO CITY LIGHT
DEPARTMENTS EMERGENCY BILL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR BRIEFING,
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I
KNOW WE HAVE. BRIAN. GOOD NIGHT.
HERE AT THE TABLE. WE'LL MAKE
SURE YOUR MIC GETS FIXED. NO
WORRIES. GOOD MORNING. IS IT
GOOD? OKAY, AWESOME. IS IT OKAY?
AWESOME. GO AHEAD AND STATE YOUR
NAME FOR THE RECORD, BRIAN, AND
JUMP RIGHT IN.
-- ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. BRIAN. GOOD NIGHT. COUNCIL
CENTRAL STAFF., SO THESE FIRST
TWO BILLS,, THIS IS THE SECOND
DISCUSSION FOR THEM AS THEY'RE
BOTH PRESENTED BY SPU. AND THE
COMMITTEE DISCUSSED THEM AT THE
JULY 9th MEETING. SO THESE TWO
BILLS RELATE TO THE EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY
BOTH SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES
AND SEATTLE CITY LIGHT. ALTHOUGH
THE PROGRAMS VARY SLIGHTLY, THEY
GENERALLY OFFER THE SAME TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE. AND THE TWO BILLS
GENERALLY PROPOSE THE SAME TYPES
OF CHANGES TO THE PROGRAMS. SO
IN SUMMARY, THE BILLS WOULD DO A
FEW THINGS. FIRST, THEY WOULD
CHANGE THE ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD
FOR THE PROGRAMS FROM 80% OF
STATE MEDIAN INCOME TO 80% OF
AREA MEDIAN INCOME. SECOND, THE
BILLS WOULD ALLOW THE CUSTOMERS
ALL CUSTOMERS TO ACCESS THE FULL
AMOUNT OF POSSIBLE CREDIT,
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY HAVE
CHILDREN IN THE HOME, AND THEY
WOULD REDUCE THE BURDEN ON
CUSTOMERS BY THAT ARE APPLYING
FOR ASSISTANCE BY AUTOMATICALLY
GIVING THEM THE FULL MAXIMUM
CREDIT AMOUNT, RATHER THAN
HAVING THE CUSTOMERS HAVE TO
CALL BACK MULTIPLE TIMES. AND
THEN THIRD, THEY WOULD MOVE SOME
PROGRAM POLICIES OUT OF THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE AND INTO
RULES OR POLICIES THAT ARE
CONTROLLED BY DEPARTMENT
DIRECTORS, AND THAT WILL HELP
WITH FUTURE ADMINISTRATION OF
ANY CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED.
OVERALL, THE CHANGES ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE PROGRAM
ACCESS BY ABOUT 13,000 CUSTOMERS
FOR SPU AND ABOUT 50,000
CUSTOMERS FOR SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT. AND THEN LASTLY, ONE
AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR
EACH OF THE BILLS. SO THEY'RE
BOTH TITLED AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE
FOR EACH BILL, AND THEY'RE BOTH
SPONSORED BY COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. AND THEY WOULD CHANGE
THE EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE BILLS
FROM APRIL 10th OF 2027 TO
JANUARY 1st OF 2027. AND
ALTHOUGH COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS
CAN SPEAK MORE FULLY TO THE
INTENT OF THE AMENDMENTS, IN THE
SIMPLEST TERMS, THEY WOULD ALIGN
THE CHANGES IN THESE BILLS WITH
THE EFFECTIVE DATES THAT WERE IN
PRIOR BILL THAT THE COUNCIL
PASSED RELATED TO THE UTILITY
DISCOUNT PROGRAM, AND ALSO WITH
THE EFFECTIVE DATES FOR
FORTHCOMING RATE CHANGES, BOTH
FOR SPU AND FOR SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU. MR.. GOOD
NIGHT., COLLEAGUES, DOES ANYONE
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TWO
BILLS BEFORE US? I DO SUPPORT
AND I WANT TO THANK CENTRAL
STAFF AND SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES AND ALSO COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS FOR HIS AMENDMENTS AS
THEY JUST AS PLAINLY AS BRIAN.
ARTICULATED TO US THAT THEY JUST
BRING IT INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE
START DATE OF THE PROGRAM. SO
WE'RE ALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH
DATES AND THEY CAN BE EFFECTIVE
ONCE THESE PROGRAMS, ONCE THEY
START TAKING EFFECT WITH THE,
THE EXPANSION WITH ADDING
ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS. SO,
REALLY SUPPORT THESE AMENDMENTS.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS
FOR CATCHING THAT. AND I'LL BE
SUPPORTING THOSE COLLEAGUES. IS
THERE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THE
BILLS BEFORE US BEFORE WE START
MOVING INTO AMENDMENTS AWESOME.
YOU ALL MAKE IT VERY EASY. MY
JOB. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK
YOU., OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO
MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF COUNCIL
BILL 121346. IS THERE A SECOND.
-- SECOND, SECOND.
-- THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED
AND SECONDED TO RECOMMEND
PASSAGE OF THE BILL. ARE THERE
ANY COMMENTS ON THE BILL? I'M
GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, SIX AS PRESENTED ON
AMENDMENT ONE SECOND. THANK YOU.
IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, TO
AMEND THE BILL AS PRESENTED ON
AMENDMENT ONE. COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS IS THE SPONSOR, AND I
WILL TALK ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT.
AS BRIAN HAD SAID, IT'S PRETTY
STRAIGHTFORWARD. THIS SPECIFIC
ONE JUST BRINGS US INTO
ALIGNMENT WITH. ONCE THE PROGRAM
STARTS, IT JUST MAKES THE DATE
EFFECTIVE TO EXPAND WHEN PEOPLE
ARE BROUGHT ON IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? YES
YOU DID. OKAY. AND IF I DIDN'T,
YOU COULD HAVE SAID THAT TOO.
BUT ANYWAYS, THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. AND IF
THERE'S, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS
REGARDING THE AMENDMENT BEFORE
US? AWESOME. ALL RIGHT. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
THE ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT ONE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. I
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. I
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS I VICE
CHAIR JUAREZ. I CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- YES.
-- FIVE IN FAVOR. NONE OPPOSED.
-- MOTION CARRIES. AN AMENDMENT
ONE IS ADOPTED. ARE THERE ANY
FINAL COMMENTS ON COUNCIL BILL
ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO, FOUR SIX AS
AMENDED? ALL RIGHT. WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL, AS
AMENDED?
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
-- AYE.
-- VICE CHAIR JUAREZ
-- AYE.
-- CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- YES.
-- FIVE IN FAVOR. NONE OPPOSED.
-- MOTION CARRIES. COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION TO PASS THE BILL,
AS AMENDED, WILL BE SENT TO THE
AUGUST 4th CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT THE
COMMITTEE RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF
COUNCIL BILL ONE TWO, 1247. IS
THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IT'S
BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. THANK YOU.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
-- I'M ON IT.
-- OKAY. YOU'RE OFF. YOU'RE OFF.
-- MUTE COUNCIL. I WAS JUST
SAYING I'M ON IT. I'M VERY
ENTHUSIASTIC. I APOLOGIZE,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
-- I'M JUST GLAD YOU'RE EXCITED
ABOUT UTILITIES AND WATER AND
DISCOUNTS. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND
SECONDED. MY MOTHER REMINDED ME
THAT IT'S NOT. SECOND. IT'S
SECONDED. THANK YOU. THE ENGLISH
MAJOR FROM HBCU TO RECOMMEND
PASSAGE OF THE BILL. ARE THERE
ANY COMMENTS ON THE BILL BEFORE
US? SO I'M GOING TO MOVE TO
AMEND COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO,
ONE, TWO, FOUR, SEVEN AS
PRESENTED ON AMENDMENT ONE.
SECOND IT'S BEEN MOVED AND
SECONDED TO AMEND THE BILL AS
PRESENTED ON AMENDMENT ONE.,
BRIAN, CAN YOU JUST REFRESH OUR
MEMORIES, WHAT THIS AMENDMENT
DOES FOR THIS COUNCIL BILL? IT
DOES THE SAME THING AS THE FIRST
AMENDMENT.
-- IT DOES EXACTLY THE SAME
THING AS THE FIRST ONE. IT JUST
CHANGES THE EFFECTIVE DATE FROM
APRIL 10th TO JANUARY 1st OF
2027.
-- FROM APRIL 10th TO JANUARY
1st. SO WHEN THESE PROGRAMS KICK
IN AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR,
EVERYONE IS INCLUDED ON THOSE.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. EXCELLENT WORK. SO
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.,
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS
REGARDING THE AMENDMENT AND THE
CHANGE OF DATE FROM APRIL 10th
TO JANUARY 1st? SEEING NONE,
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL ON THE ADOPTION OF
AMENDMENT ONE?
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA AYE.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS AYE. VICE
CHAIR JUAREZ. I CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH YES. FIVE IN
FAVOR. NONE OPPOSED.
-- THE MOTION CARRIES AN
AMENDMENT ONE IS ADOPTED. ARE
THERE ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS
ON COUNCIL BILL ONE, 21247.
AWESOME SEEING NONE. I LOVE THIS
ONE IS SPECIFICALLY TO SEATTLE
CITY LIGHT AND I KNOW THAT THAT
IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLKS
MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE
ACCESS TO LIGHT AND DISCOUNTS.
SO I WILL DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE. EXCUSE ME, WILL THE
CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON
THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL, AS
AMENDED?
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS AYE.
VICE CHAIR JUAREZ.
-- AYE.
-- CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- YES.
-- FIVE IN FAVOR AND NONE
OPPOSED.
-- MOTION CARRIES. THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION TO PASS THE BILLS
WILL BE SENT TO THE AUGUST 4th
CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THANK YOU
COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU, CENTRAL
STAFF. THANK YOU. SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT, SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS, FOR YOUR GREAT
AMENDMENTS., NOW WE'RE GOING TO
JUMP INTO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
THREE, WHICH IS COUNCIL BILL TO
READ INTO THE RECORD COUNCIL
BILL ONE TWO, ONE, 245, AN
ORDINANCE RELATING TO RATES AND
CHARGES FOR WATER SERVICES OF
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES. THIS
IS FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE SPU COMING
TO THE TABLE.
-- AND POSSIBLE VOTE.
-- AND THANK YOU AND POSSIBLE
VOTE. THANK YOU. ALEX. CLERK. IN
YOU WILL INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND
JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.,
-- MARIA KO, SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES RATES AND FINANCIAL
PLANNING MANAGER.
-- HI, MARIA.
-- AND COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU. WE'RE
LOOKING FORWARD TO RETAIL WATER
RATES.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS
LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO ITEMS.
THIS IS THE SECOND DISCUSSION
FOR COUNCIL BILL ONE TWO, ONE,
TWO, FOUR FIVE, COMMONLY KNOWN
AS THE 2027 TO 2029, WATER RATES
ORDINANCE., SO I'LL JUST RUN
THROUGH SOME SLIDES THAT LARGELY
MIRROR THE CONTENTS OF THE STAFF
MEMO THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE
AGENDA. AND THAT WAS SENT TO
COMMITTEE MEMBERS LAST WEEK. AND
IF THERE ARE, OF COURSE, THE
MEMO PROVIDES MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION, BUT I'LL TRY TO RUN
THROUGH THESE RELATIVELY QUICKLY
TODAY., SO FIRST, A COUPLE OF
BACKGROUND SLIDES. SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES OR SPU OPERATES
THREE DISTINCT UTILITIES,
DRAINAGE AND WASTEWATER, SOLID
WASTE AND WATER COUNCIL
TYPICALLY CONSIDERS RATE SETTING
LEGISLATION FOR ONE OF THE ONE
OF THE UTILITIES EACH YEAR, WITH
RATES BEING SET FOR A THREE YEAR
PERIOD. COUNCIL ALSO ADOPTS A
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN EVERY
THREE YEARS, AND THOSE PLANS
HAVE A SIX YEAR TIME HORIZON.
THE COUNCIL MOST RECENTLY
APPROVED THE BUSINESS PLAN IN
SEPTEMBER OF 2024, AND SPU IS
EXPECTED TO SEND OVER THE NEXT
ITERATION OF THE PLAN NEXT
YEAR., TURNING MORE SPECIFICALLY
TO THE WATER UTILITY, SPU WATER
SYSTEM SUPPLIES DRINKING WATER
TO CUSTOMERS BOTH INSIDE AND
OUTSIDE OF THE CITY BOUNDARIES.,
REVENUES FOR THE SYSTEM ARE
RAISED PRIMARILY FROM THREE
SOURCES. THE FIRST IS RETAIL
WATER RATES, WHICH IS THE
SUBJECT OF THIS ORDINANCE, AND
THAT COMES FROM CUSTOMERS THAT
THE CITY SERVES DIRECTLY. THE
SECOND IS WHOLESALE CONTRACTS,
WHICH ARE NEARBY CITIES AND
WATER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THEIR
OWN WATER DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND
ASSETS. AND THEN THIRD, THERE'S
OTHER NON RATE REVENUES. AND
THAT'S LIKE THINGS LIKE
INTEREST INCOME AND FEES. AND
WITHIN THE RETAIL GROUPING, SPU
USES A COMPLEX COST ALLOCATION
PROCESS TO DISTRIBUTE COSTS
AMONG DIFFERENT CUSTOMER
CLASSES. A CUSTOMER CLASS ARE
ESSENTIALLY GROUPS OF CUSTOMERS
THAT HAVE SIMILAR DEMAND
PATTERNS. AND ALSO THAT COST
ABOUT THE SAME FOR THE UTILITY,
FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES.
SO AS IS SHOWN ON THE SLIDE,
THERE ARE FOUR RETAIL CUSTOMER
CLASSES. THE FIRST IS
RESIDENTIAL AND THAT'S SINGLE
FAMILY HOMES AND DUPLEXES. THE
GENERAL SERVICE CLASS IS
COMMERCIAL, GOVERNMENTAL AND
INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS. AND IT
ALSO SERVES MULTIFAMILY
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS. AND THEN
THERE'S PRIVATE FIRE, WHICH IS
SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ON PRIVATE
PROPERTY. AND LASTLY, PUBLIC
FIRE, WHICH ARE THE GOVERNMENTAL
AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRE
PROTECTION AND INCLUDE THINGS
SUCH AS FIRE HYDRANTS. IF ANYONE
IS INTERESTED IN A MORE DEEP
DIVE, THE ACTUAL FULL WATER RATE
STUDY DOCUMENT IS ATTACHED TO
THE SUMMARY AND FISCAL NOTE FOR
THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION.,
MOVING ON TO THE BILL ITSELF. SO
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, FIVE DOES THREE THINGS. IT
ESTABLISHES THE RETAIL WATER
RATES FOR 2027 THROUGH 2029. IT
REVISES ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE UTILITY DISCOUNT
PROGRAM. AND WE'LL COME BACK TO
THAT TOPIC IN JUST A FEW
MOMENTS. AND THEN THIRD, IT
AUTHORIZES WITHDRAWALS FROM THE
WATER FUND REVENUE STABILIZATION
SUBFUND. AND THERE'S ALSO A
SLIDE ON THAT LATER IN THE IN
THE PRESENTATION. SO I'LL DIVE
INTO THAT MORE LATER BUT FIRST,
BEFORE GETTING TO A FEW OF THE
ISSUES OR A FEW OF THE ASPECTS
OF THE BILL, I JUST WANTED TO
BRING UP THIS CHART, WHICH SHOWS
A COMPARISON OF THE PROPOSED
RATE INCREASES FOR 2027 THROUGH
2029 COMPARED AGAINST TWO
DIFFERENT THINGS. THE FIRST ARE
RATE INCREASES ENDORSED IN THE
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANS. AND
TWO OF THOSE PLANS ARE
REPRESENTED ON THIS SCREEN.,
BOTH 2021 AND 2024. AND THEN THE
RATE INCREASES THAT HAVE BEEN
PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE
COUNCIL. SO THE LIGHT AND DARK
BLUE BARS ON THIS CHART SHOW THE
BUSINESS PLAN RATE INCREASES
THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE STRATEGIC
BUSINESS PLANS. THE GRAY BARS
SHOW, RATE INCREASES THAT HAVE
BEEN ADOPTED BY COUNCIL
PREVIOUSLY. AND THEN THE ORANGE
BARS SHOW NEWLY PROPOSED RATES
THAT WOULD BE ADOPTED BY THIS
BILL BEFORE YOU TODAY. SO AS YOU
CAN SEE, THE PROPOSED RATE
INCREASES FOR 2027 AND 2029 ARE
LOWER THAN THE INCREASES THAT
WERE ENDORSED IN THE 2024
BUSINESS PLAN, BUT THE RATE
INCREASE FOR 2028 IS A LITTLE
BIT HIGHER., OVERALL, THE 4.3%
RATE INCREASES FOR EACH YEAR
WOULD RESULT IN A LOWER
CUMULATIVE RATE INCREASE OVER
THE THREE YEAR PERIOD THAN THE
RATES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE
BUSINESS PLAN., AND AT THE
COMMITTEE'S LAST MEETING, SPU
INDICATED THAT THE RATE
INCREASES HAVE BEEN MODERATED,
AT LEAST IN PART, BY MORE
FAVORABLE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION
MARKET. AND ALSO THE
DEPARTMENT'S GOOD BOND RATING,
WHICH HELPS SAVE SAVE IN TERMS
OF THE COST OF DEBT SERVICE.
OKAY, SO THE NEXT FIVE SLIDES
ARE INTENDED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT
SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF THE
PROPOSED WATER RATES OR THE
PROPOSED LEGISLATION. SO THIS
FIRST ONE RELATES TO THE UTILITY
DISCOUNT PROGRAM OR THE UDP.
CONSISTENT WITH THE EXECUTIVE'S
RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL STATEMENT
OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT OR SLI
FROM LAST FALL, THE PROPOSED
WATER RATES ASSUME A CHANGE IN
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE UDP, AND THE
BILL PROPOSES CHANGES TO THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE TO
IMPLEMENT THAT SHIFT. EARLIER
THIS MONTH, HOWEVER, THIS
COMMITTEE AND ALSO THE FULL
COUNCIL PASSED ORDINANCE 127468,
WHICH MADE THE SAME ELIGIBILITY
CHANGES THAT ARE ASSUMED IN THE
PROPOSED BILL., MOVING FROM AN
INCOME THRESHOLD FROM 70% OF
STATE MEDIAN INCOME TO 60% OF
AREA MEDIAN INCOME. THEREFORE,
AN AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED,
AND IT'S LISTED AS AMENDMENT
NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA
SPONSORED BY COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. THAT WOULD REMOVE THE
NOW UNNECESSARY DUPLICATIVE CODE
CHANGES FROM THIS BILL THE
SECOND HIGHLIGHT FROM THE BILL
RELATES TO THE REVENUE
STABILIZATION SUBFUND, WHICH IS
ODDLY KNOWN AS THE RSF. SO I
THINK THAT'S BECAUSE OF FUND
INSTEAD OF SUBFUND. SO WHEN I
SAY R SF, JUST TALKING ABOUT
THAT SUBFUND. SECTION FIVE OF
THE BILL AUTHORIZES THE GENERAL
MANAGER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER OF SPU TO MAKE ONE OR
MORE WITHDRAWALS FROM THE R SF
UP TO A CUMULATIVE MAXIMUM OF
$19.8 MILLION. THIS
AUTHORIZATION IS CONTINGENT UPON
THE SF BALANCE REMAINING ABOVE
$17.1 MILLION. SPU EXPECTS TO
USE THE AUTHORITY AND FUNDS FROM
THE SF FOR POSSIBLE CAPITAL
EXPENSES, LATER THIS YEAR, AND
THE DEPARTMENT WOULD REQUEST
ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION
AUTHORITY AT THAT TIME IF
NEEDED., SO JUST BESIDES SIMPLY
HIGHLIGHTING THIS ELEMENT OF THE
BILL, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION,
MENTION THAT AMENDMENT NUMBER
ONE, ALSO AMENDS THE BILL'S
TITLE TO CALL OUT THIS
AUTHORIZATION. AND THAT IS JUST
CONSISTENT WITH PAST PRACTICE
FOR WITHDRAWALS FROM THE SF. THE
THIRD ITEM FROM THE PROPOSED
RATES HIGHLIGHT IS IN REGARD TO
RATE SMOOTHING, BY WAY OF A
LITTLE BACKGROUND, THE COUNCIL
HAS ESTABLISHED A SET OF
FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR THE
MANAGEMENT OF THE WATER SYSTEM.
AND THOSE WERE MOST RECENTLY
UPDATED IN 2005. TYPICALLY,
WATER RATES ARE SET TO GENERATE
ENOUGH REVENUE TO COVER THE
SYSTEM'S COSTS AND TO SATISFY
ALL OF THOSE FINANCIAL POLICIES.
WITH THE PROPOSED RATES.
HOWEVER, THE INCREASES ARE
DESIGNED TO SMOOTH THE IMPACT OF
A CAPITAL PROGRAM IN 2029
THAT'S LARGER THAN PRIOR YEARS.
SO TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, SMOOTHING
THE RATES IN 2027 AND 2028 ARE
PROPOSED TO INCREASE ABOVE THIS
MINIMUM REQUIREMENT AMOUNT IN
ORDER TO GENERATE A CASH
BALANCE, WHICH IS THEN USED IN
2029. SO THAT ESSENTIALLY BUYS
DOWN THE RATE INCREASE IN 2029.
SO ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF
PRACTICE IS ENTIRELY OPTIONAL,
RATE SMOOTHING HAS OFTEN BEEN
USED BY THE CITY IN ORDER TO
PREVENT RATE VOLATILITY AND
LARGE RATE SPIKES FROM YEAR TO
YEAR. ANOTHER INTERESTING ASPECT
OF THE PROPOSED RATES THAT I
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE
COMMITTEE FOCUSES ON, INCREASING
THE SHARE OF FIXED REVENUE. SO
AS CURRENTLY DESIGNED, WATER
RATES ARE A COMBINATION OF A
BASE SERVICE CHARGE, WHICH IS
ESSENTIALLY A FLAT FEE THAT'S
DEPENDENT UPON A WATER METER
SIZE AND A COMMODITY CHARGE,
WHICH IS BASED ON WATER USAGE.
SO THE BASE SERVICE CHARGE
REPRESENTS FIXED REVENUE AND
THAT THE REVENUE IS CONSISTENT
FROM MONTH TO MONTH, WHEREAS THE
COMMODITY CHARGE FLUCTUATES FROM
MONTH TO MONTH BASED ON A
CUSTOMER'S WATER CONSUMPTION.
SO THE PROPOSED WATER RATES
INCREASE BASE SERVICE CHARGES AT
A FASTER RATE THAN COMMODITY
CHARGES ARE INCREASED. AS IT
CURRENTLY STANDS, SPU GENERATES
ABOUT 28% OF ITS REVENUES FROM
BASE SERVICE CHARGES, BUT THE
REGIONAL AVERAGE FOR FIXED
REVENUES IS ABOUT 40%. SO IN
THIS RATE PERIOD AND IN THE LAST
ONE AS WELL, ACTUALLY, SPU IS
TRYING TO NUDGE THAT REVENUE
PERCENTAGE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER
FOR FIXED REVENUES., THE
BENEFITS FROM HAVING A LARGER
PORTION COME FROM FIXED REVENUES
IS BOTH FOR SPU AND FOR THE
CUSTOMERS. SO FOR SPU, IT
PROVIDES REVENUE STABILITY AND
FOR CUSTOMERS, IT RESULTS IN
MORE PREDICTABILITY FROM MONTH
TO MONTH ON THEIR CHARGES. AND
THE LAST ONE, SO THE LAST
HIGHLIGHT FROM THE PROPOSED
RATES IS RELATED TO ANNUAL FIRE
HYDRANT INSPECTIONS. AT THE LAST
COMMITTEE MEETING ON JULY 9th,
SPU INDICATED THAT ONE OF THE
NEW INVESTMENTS SINCE APPROVAL
OF THE 2024 BUSINESS PLAN WAS
THE TRANSFER OF ANNUAL FIRE
HYDRANT INSPECTIONS FROM THE
SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CURRENTLY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
PERFORMS THIS WORK, AND IT'S
FUNDED ENTIRELY BY THE GENERAL
FUND IN PREPARATION FOR THE
UPCOMING PROPOSED BUDGET.
HOWEVER, THE EXECUTIVE IS
CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR SHIFTING
OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THIS WORK TO SPU. ADDITIONALLY,
THEY'RE EXPLORING WHETHER SPU
WATER UTILITY BENEFITS FROM THE
INSPECTION PROGRAM AND COULD
THEREFORE JUSTIFY HAVING THE
WATER FUND COVER SOME OF THE
PROGRAM'S COSTS. SO FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THE WATER RATE STUDY
THAT UNDERLIES THESE, THE RATE
PROPOSAL SPU ASSUMED ASSUMED A
PRELIMINARY COST OF
APPROXIMATELY $273,000 PER YEAR
FOR THE WATER FUND., THIS IS A
RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF
FUNDING IN TERMS OF THE CONTEXT
OF BOTH THE PROPOSED RATES
PACKAGE AND FOR THE WATER FUND
GENERALLY., BUT THIS IS A TOPIC
THAT THE COUNCIL CAN ANTICIPATE
PROBABLY SEEING AGAIN THIS FALL
DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND
THE FINAL SLIDE JUST RELATES TO
AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, WHICH I'VE
DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY., SO THE
AMENDMENT DOES TWO THINGS. IT
WOULD REMOVE THE DUPLICATIVE
CHANGES RELATED TO THE UDP AND
IT WOULD ADD LANGUAGE TO THE
TITLE REGARDING THE REVENUE
STABILIZATION SUB FUND
WITHDRAWAL. THIS AMENDMENT CAN
BE VIEWED AS PURELY TECHNICAL.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING
SUBSTANTIVE ABOUT THE BILL, BUT
IT'S THERE FOR CLEANUP
PURPOSES. AND WITH THAT, I'LL
TURN IT OVER TO MARIA AND I'LL
SWITCH THE SLIDE PRESENTATION SO
SHE CAN TALK ABOUT A FOLLOW UP
FROM COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
-- AWESOME. AND I'LL, BEFORE WE
GO INTO QUESTIONS. YEAH. WELL,
NO, NO, NO YOU'RE GOOD. BRIAN,
THAT WAS GREAT PRESENTATION. AND
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMO ON IT.
IT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND JUST
GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION. I
WANTED TO PAUSE HERE TO SEE IF
ANY COUNCILMEMBERS HAD ANY
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU. MR.. GOODNIGHT. AND
THE CENTRAL STAFF TEAM, A LOT OF
INTERESTING POINTS THAT WERE
RAISED THAT NOT, YOU KNOW,
PROBABLY SHOULD BE REMARKED ON
BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE
IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY FOR THE
GENERAL PUBLIC. ONE IS JUST THE
BASE RATE SYSTEM., YOU KNOW,
HAVING THIS SIX YEAR LOOK, YOU
KNOW, THREE YEAR SOLID THREE
YEAR, YOU KNOW, GUIDING, BUT NOT
SET, I WON'T SPEAK FOR COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, BUT I WAS
FLABBERGASTED THAT THE COUNTY ON
THE REGIONAL WATER SIDE, WASTE
TREATMENT DIVISION DID IT YEAR
BY YEAR. I HATE TO USE THE WORD
WINGING IT, BUT, THEY DIDN'T
HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE. THE
DEPTH THAT OUR SYSTEM HAS AND,
AND IT SHOWS IN THE SITUATION
THAT WE'RE IN, IN TERMS OF LIKE
THE BIGGER PICTURE WITH THE WTD.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS, THIS
PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO
HAVE THE SIX YEAR LOOK OUT, YOU
KNOW, THREE SOLID AND THEN THREE
ADVISE, YOU KNOW, TO SET UP FOR
THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THREE YEAR
PERIOD. AND I DON'T THINK
PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IT IMPACTS WHERE WE ARE FROM
A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE. BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO PLAY
CATCH UP. YOU COULD SEE IT IN A
GRAPH, LIKE WITH THE THREE, YOU
KNOW, LEVELING OUT, YOU KNOW,
YOU COULD SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING
AND YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE
THOUGHT BEHIND IT TOO. SO I
THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT,
TO RAISE., AND, AND SHOW THE
CONTRAST AS WELL. YOU, YOU
QUICKLY MENTIONED BOND RATES.
THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TOO.
RECENTLY I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT
ABOUT AFFORDABILITY IN THE SENSE
OF THE COMBINATION OF BETWEEN
WHAT WE DO HERE IN THE CITY, BUT
ALSO THE COUNTY AND THE STATE
AND ITS IMPACTS ON PROPERTY TAX,
SALES TAX, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY,
UTILITY RATES IS ANOTHER BIG
ISSUE HERE. AND AS WE'VE SEEN,
IN OLYMPIA WE'RE AT RISK FROM A
STATE PERSPECTIVE. THE STATE
TREASURER ADVISED THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR ON
THIS, AND THEY WENT AHEAD. AND
THEN NOW WE'VE BEEN GIVEN
WARNINGS. IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE
SAME THING, THIS WOULD IMPACT
OUR ABILITY TO DO THIS FROM A
FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE
YOU MADE A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.
BOND RATES., AND I JUST WANTED
TO FOOT STOMP THAT BECAUSE IT
WAS LIKE ONE, TWO AS PART OF THE
PRESENTATION. BUT THERE'S A LOT
BEHIND THAT, WHICH I DON'T THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE TRULY
APPRECIATE. AND WE NEED TO
PROTECT THAT. AND WE NEED TO
HAVE THIS APPROACH ACROSS THE
BOARD, NOT JUST WITH UTILITIES,
BY THE WAY. AND IT'S NOT JUST
US, THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND THE
STATE, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S
GOING TO COST US IN THE LONG RUN
IF WE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO
THESE FUNDAMENTALS, IF YOU WILL.
SO THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT.
MR.. GOODNIGHT., I APPRECIATE
THE WORK OF MY COLLEAGUES ON
THE, YOU KNOW, THE DISCOUNT
PROGRAM THAT ALSO GOES TO THE
AFFORDABILITY PIECE. AND EVEN AT
THIS LOWER LEVEL, WHEN YOU
COMBINE THIS WITH CITY LIGHT,
WHEN YOU COMBINE IT WITH THOSE
THAT HAVE PUGET SOUND ENERGY,
AND THEN WITH THE SALES TAX
PIECES, AND NOW I'M HEARING
THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER TAX
COMING, WE COULD HIT 11% BY THIS
TIME NEXT YEAR WITH A
COMBINATION ON THAT. AND I THINK
THE UTILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM CAN
HELP THOSE THAT ARE BEING MOST
SEVERELY IMPACTED BY THIS
COMBINATION THAT IS BEING DONE.
WITH NO APPARENT UNDERSTANDING
OF WHAT THE OTHER ELEMENT IS
DOING, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE STATE
AND COUNTY ARE DOING. I DON'T
THINK THE COUNTY HAS AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CITY
AND THE STATE ARE DOING. AND THE
STATE, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL,
DOESN'T CARE, DOESN'T HAVE ANY
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT THE
COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE DOING.
AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC. AND IT
GOES TO GOOD GOVERNANCE. AND
I'M SO I'M GOING TO LEVERAGE
THIS BRIEFING AND THESE
DIFFERENT POINTS YOU MADE. MR..
GOODNIGHT, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO
BE MADE AS PART OF THIS BROADER
DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
TWO QUESTIONS THAT I HAD IN
ADDITION TO, TO THOSE POINTS,
ONE WAS THE, ON THE, THE RSF
AUTHORIZATION. THIS ALSO IS A
FINANCIAL RESERVES ARE VERY
IMPORTANT., AND WE'VE SEEN THIS,
WE'VE SEEN IT WITH GENERAL
FUND, WE'VE SEEN IT WITH THE
PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX RESERVE
FUND. WE SEE THIS IN DIFFERENT
PLACES AND THEN THEY GET RATED.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN OLYMPIA
BY THE WAY, WHICH IS WHAT GAVE
US GOT US THE WARNING AS A
STATE., IN TERMS OF BOND RATES,
FOR EXAMPLE. AND, CAN YOU GIVE I
MEAN, IT MAKES ALL SENSE., BUT
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME HISTORICAL
CONTEXT? IS THIS STANDARD LIKE,
YOU KNOW, IS THIS A REPEATED
THING? ARE WE STAYING WITHIN OUR
LIMITS? ARE WE, ARE WE TESTING
THOSE LIMITS? ARE WE GOING
DIPPING BELOW THE KIND OF
STANDARD NORM? CAN YOU GIVE SOME
CONTEXT IN TERMS BECAUSE THE
RESERVES IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND
WE'VE BEEN LOOSE WITH RESERVE
ACROSS ALL ELEMENTS OF
GOVERNMENT OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS. AND I JUST WANTED TO HAVE
SOME CONTEXT ON THAT.
-- YES. THANK YOU., IN TERMS OF
SO THE, THE LAST TIME COUNCIL
UPDATED FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR
THE UTILITY WAS IN 2005. SO IN
THAT RESOLUTION AND THERE'S A
COMPANION ORDINANCE THAT GOES
WITH IT, THE MINIMUM THAT
THEY'RE SUPPOSED THAT SPU IS
SUPPOSED TO KEEP IN THE PSF IS
$9 MILLION. FROM A PRACTICAL
STANDPOINT, SPU ESSENTIALLY HAS
BEEN KIND OF INFLATING IT FOR
THEMSELVES OVER TIME. SO THAT'S
WHERE THAT 17.1 MILLION COMES
IN. SO EVEN THOUGH THE COUNCIL
ADOPTED POLICY, SAY 9 MILLION IS
THE MINIMUM, THEY ARE TREATING
ABOUT 17 MILLION AS THEIR
MINIMUM., IN THE EFFORT TO BE
RESPONSIBLE AND ALSO TO PROTECT
BOND RATINGS. SO, THIS
WITHDRAWAL RIGHT NOW, THE
CURRENT BALANCE IS ABOUT $38
MILLION. SO EVEN IF THEY TAKE
THE 19, IF THEY TOOK THE FULL
$19.8 MILLION AND SPENT IT ON
CAPITAL EXPENSES, THEY'D STILL
REMAIN ABOVE THAT LIMIT. SO I
THINK, WITHDRAWALS OCCUR FROM
TIME TO TIME. THE LAST ONE WE
DID WAS TO REBATE SOME WHOLESALE
WATER REVENUES THAT HAD COME
IN., BUT I THINK CONTEXTUALLY
THIS IS THIS FITS WITHIN THE
HISTORICAL STANDARD AND ISN'T
SOMEHOW OUTSIDE OF THE NORM.
YEAH.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU CAUGHT
MY ATTENTION THERE. SO SPU IS
BEING RESPONSIBLE BY HAVING AT
THE 17 MILLION MARK, RIGHT? ARE
WE BEING IRRESPONSIBLE BY HAVING
OUR SET AT 9 MILLION?
-- WELL, I THINK THE COUNCIL
COULD LOOK AT IT. I MEAN, IT'S
BEEN OVER 20 YEARS SINCE WE
UPDATED THE FINANCIAL POLICY.
MANY YEARS. 2005 WAS THE LAST
TIME. SO I THINK.
-- 20 YEARS.
-- RIGHT.
-- WE GOT WE HAVE THE FINANCE
BUDGET CHAIR ON THE DAIS. WE
HAVE COUNCIL PRESIDENT AT THE
TABLE. AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW,
THE RIVERA DUE DILIGENCE, WHICH
IF WE STICK IT TO THIS, I THINK
COULD GET SOME INTERESTING
RESULTS. AND OF COURSE, YOU
KNOW, OUR EMERITUS, CP WITH THE
LONGEVITY HERE ON THE COUNCIL
WHO COULD.
-- PROBABLY YOU MEAN OLD?
-- ELDERLY.
-- THAT'S OKAY. I'LL TAKE IT.
I'LL TAKE IT.
-- WHICH I'M. I'M PRETTY MUCH
THERE WITH YOU. SO THAT'S KIND
OF STRIKING. HASN'T BEEN LOOKED
AT 20 YEARS. AND AGAIN, GOOD
GOVERNANCE, DUE DILIGENCE. ANY
WORD YOU WANT TO USE,
PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF
WHERE WE ARE TODAY ACROSS ALL
ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT IN
WASHINGTON STATE, I THINK THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK
AT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO I LIKE TO
ASK CENTRAL STAFF, I HATE TO,
YOU KNOW, BUT A REQUEST HERE
FROM THE DAIS, BUT I THINK WE
SHOULD LOOK AT THAT., JUST FROM
A. WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT. YOU
KNOW, IF WE TALK ABOUT GOOD
GOVERNANCE, WE TALK ABOUT DUE
DILIGENCE AND WE HIGHLIGHT
DIFFERENT PIECES. AND THEN WE
DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH. I THINK
THAT'S A BIT OF AN ISSUE., SO
THANK YOU. THIS IS INTERESTING.
THE LAST ONE IS PARTICULARLY AS
CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I FIND
THIS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE
FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THE
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY
UPSTAIRS, I DID NOT HEAR THAT
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS LOOKING
TO OFFSHORE, IF YOU WILL., THE,
YOU KNOW, THE FIRE HYDRANT
INSPECTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
TO SPU SO I'LL HAVE SEPARATE
CONVERSATIONS WITH FIRE ABOUT
THAT LEARNING, BUT GOING BACK TO
BUDGET AGAIN, WE HAVE FINANCE
BUDGET CHAIR WITH US. THIS IS A
WAY TO PUSH THINGS OFF GENERAL
FUND. WE DO THIS ALL THE TIME
WITH ALL THE LEVIES. AND YOU
KNOW, IT'S PART OF THE A BIT OF
A, YOU KNOW, THE SHELL GAME AS
IT COMES TO BUDGETS AND, YOU
KNOW, AFFORDABILITY AND ALL
THESE PIECES. SO I UNDERSTAND
110%. I DON'T KNOW IF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHY
WE WOULD WANT. I THINK SPU
PROBABLY CAN DO IT AND DO IT
WELL., BUT IT IS A CHANGE AND
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF
LIKE, HEY, SHOULD WE DO FIRE
DISTRICT? IT'S ALL ABOUT
SHIFTING MONIES AND SO I JUST
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS BECAUSE
THIS IS MORE THAN JUST, SHIFTING
FROM FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE ACTUAL
INSPECTIONS, THIS IS A FINANCIAL
BUDGET MOVE AND IT SHOULD BE
UNDERSTOOD. AND PARTLY BECAUSE
THERE'S GOING TO BE OTHERS WHO
WILL BE SAYING, OH, LET'S DO
THIS. THEY'LL USE NUMBERS
RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE
GENERAL FUND PERCENTAGES,
HISTORICAL PERCENTAGES. THERE IS
SO MUCH SHIFTING GOING ON THAT
IF SOMEBODY MAKES THAT ARGUMENT,
IT'S A BIT OF A JOKE. AND THIS
IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE. YOU
HAVE SO MUCH SHIFTING FROM
GENERAL FUND AS IT RELATES TO
PUBLIC SAFETY, WHETHER IT'S, YOU
KNOW, THINGS GOING INTO,, THE
LEVEE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, OR IN
THIS CASE, TO A PUBLIC UTILITY.
SO THANK YOU
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE.
-- I ENJOYED THIS CONVERSATION.
MR.. GOODNIGHT. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. YOU
CAN ALWAYS SPEAK FOR ME WHEN
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WASTEWATER
RATES AT KING COUNTY. SO WE'RE
ALIGNED ON THAT PIECE, AND THEIR
PLANNING., COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT
AND CHAIR., I'M ACTUALLY I HAD
SIMILAR QUESTIONS TO MY
COLLEAGUE COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
SO I'LL JUST, I'LL SAY A COUPLE
OF THINGS TO UNDERSCORE WHAT
HE'S ALREADY RAISED IN TERMS OF
THE REVENUE. PIECE AND ALSO EVEN
THE OFF SHORING, THE FIRE
HYDRANT PIECE TO, TO THE
UTILITIES IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE
BEST PRACTICES AND INDUSTRY
STANDARDS FOR EACH OF THOSE IN
TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE
RESERVES. AND THEN ALSO, YOU
KNOW, OUR OTHER, OUR OTHER
UTILITIES TAKING UP THIS FIRE
HYDRANT PIECE, OR IS THAT IN
OTHER PLACES? VERY MUCH SQUARELY
ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. I THINK
IT'S IMPORTANT. COUNCILMEMBER
KETTLE YOU RAISE, AN IMPORTANT
CONCERN THAT I'VE HAD AS WELL,
WHICH IS WE KEEP WANTING TO
OFFSHORE MORE THINGS TO THE
LEVIES THAT WE COLLECT. THAT HAS
A HUGE IMPACT ON, ON, THAT
LEVIES THEMSELVES BECAUSE NOW
WE'RE SHIFTING BURDEN TO THE
LEVIES AND WE'RE INCREASING
LEVIES IN ORDER TO SHIFT BURDEN.
AND IF WE DO THAT, IT SHOULD BE,
THIS SHOULD BE CLOSELY,
CONSIDERED. AND SO WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN?, IN THIS CONTEXT.
I'D LOVE TO FIND OUT MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. AND, AND
THEN, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF,
DOES THIS LIMIT THE UTILITIES
CAPACITY TO DO SOMETHING ELSE?
IF THIS IS GETTING TRANSFERRED
OVER? SO I KNOW SPU IS HERE AND
MAYBE WILL BE ADDRESSING SOME OF
THESE THINGS LATER IN THE, IN
THE MEETING, BUT JUST RAISED
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE ON
MY MIND IN TERMS OF THIS AND,
AND BEST PRACTICES AND INDUSTRY
STANDARDS, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE
ARE BEST PRACTICES OUT THERE. I
JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
SPECIFIC TO THIS. FOR EACH OF
THESE PIECES.
-- AND,, FOR TODAY'S
DISCUSSION, COUNCILMEMBER, I'LL
JUST CHIME IN AND SAY, I THINK
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE
EXECUTIVE IS CONSIDERING. AND IT
STRUCK ME AS A SURPRISE AT THE
LAST PRESENTATION AS WELL, WHICH
IS WHY I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT.
I THINK IF INDEED THE EXECUTIVE
DOES PROPOSE THAT AS PART OF THE
BUDGET, THAT WOULD BE THE MOMENT
WHERE LIKE, I DON'T THINK STAFF
TODAY IS PREPARED TO, TO ADDRESS
THESE THINGS. BUT CERTAINLY,
LIKE I WAS TAKING NOTES WHILE
YOU WERE TALKING AND THESE ARE
THINGS WE'D BE PREPARED TO
EXPLORE WITH THEM IF INDEED THEY
DO PROPOSE TO, TO PROPOSE THIS
SHIFT IN THE BUDGET. YEAH. SO,
-- MAY AYE. YEAH. THANK YOU
BRIAN. I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR
YOU'RE TRACKING IT. AND
DEFINITELY I'M LOOKING INTO IT.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD WAIT
UNTIL THE PROPOSAL IS MADE. I
THINK THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN
RAISED IS PROBABLY UNDER SERIOUS
CONSIDERATION, OR WE WOULDN'T BE
HAVING THIS DISCUSSION IN
CHAMBERS. SO I THINK IT'S
PRUDENT FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND
AND GET THAT INFORMATION SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER. SURE,
ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. CHAIR.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER SEPA., IF THERE'S
NOT ANY MORE IF THERE'S NOT ANY
MORE QUESTIONS. COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT,
IF WE COULD TAKE BACK TO SLIDE
FOUR. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
THIS ONE MORE TIME. CAN YOU I
KNOW YOU WALKED THROUGH THIS
DURING THE PRESENTATION FROM THE
LIGHT BLUE OF WHAT THE 2021
STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN WAS AND
THEN WHAT THE RATES WERE, AND
THEN THE UPDATE OF THE DARKER
BLUE OF WHAT WAS PROPOSED AND
WHERE WE'RE AT. I UNDERSTAND
THAT WE HAVE A LOWER AVERAGE
RATE INCREASE COMPARED TO THE
STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT I DO SEE ONE
OF THOSE ORANGE LINES A LITTLE
BIT HIGHER THAN THE BLUE LINE.
SO CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH JUST
ONE MORE TIME TO BRING ATTENTION
TO THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU, THE
SPU, HAS DONE TO MANAGE BONDS,
TO MANAGE COSTS? WALK US THROUGH
THIS ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE.
-- SURE. I THINK WHAT YOU SEE
THERE IS, WELL, THERE'S,
THERE'S TWO PARTS TO IT. SO
THEY'RE BOTH IN THE THREE YEAR
PERIOD THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING
RATES FOR. SO THEY'VE KEPT THIS
4.3 CONSISTENT ACROSS THE THREE
YEARS., PART OF THAT IS,,
BECAUSE OF THE RATE SMOOTHING
THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING, RIGHT
TO KEEP IT RATES FROM SPIKING
TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW., SO DURING
THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD, EVEN
THOUGH YOU SEE THE 2028, THAT IS
A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. THE
CUMULATIVE INCREASE OVER THAT
THREE YEAR PERIOD IS LOWER THAN
WAS ADOPTED IN THE STRATEGIC
BUSINESS PLAN. AND THEN THE
SLIDE, I DON'T HAVE IT READY FOR
YOU THIS TIME, BUT WHAT THEY
PRESENTED LAST TIME, THE
COMMITTEE, EVEN OVER THE SIX
YEAR PERIOD, IF YOU BLEND THE
PROPOSED WATER RATES AMONG THE
WITH THE DRAINAGE AND WASTEWATER
RATES AND THE SOLID WASTE, SOLID
WASTE RATES, THE AVERAGE OVER
THE SIX YEAR PERIOD CUMULATIVELY
IS ALSO DECREASING FROM WHAT THE
UTILITY DID. SO TO YOUR POINT,
THEY'RE TRYING TO BE
RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS., SOME
BENEFIT FROM A MORE BENEFICIAL
CONSTRUCTION MARKET., SO BIDS
ARE COMING IN A LITTLE BIT LOWER
THAN ENGINEER'S ESTIMATES. AND
THEN OBVIOUSLY THEY PLAN TO
HAVE, THEY PLAN CONSERVATIVELY.
SO WHEN OUR BOND RATES STAY GOOD
AND EVERYTHING IS HEALTHY, THEN
WE'RE GETTING BETTER RATES ON
OUR DEBT SERVICE AS WELL.
-- AND THIS IS EXCUSE ME, THIS
IS REALLY GOOD NEWS BEYOND JUST
US PLANNING AGAINST OURSELVES
AND COMING IN WITH BETTER
OUTCOMES, MORE AFFORDABLE
OUTCOMES FOR SEATTLEITES, I
NOTICE THAT THERE'S A COMPARISON
CHART ATTACHED TO THE LEGISTAR
ITEM HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
HAVE IT HANDY, BUT I CAN JUST
SPEAK TO IT IF YOU DON'T.
SHOWING OUR AVERAGE MONTHLY BILL
COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORS, ONLY
REDMOND IS LOWER., I'LL DIG IN.
WHY? REDMOND IS BEATING US ON
THE CHARGE THERE LATER, BUT NOT
FOR TODAY. THIS IS JUST A REALLY
IMPORTANT TO SLIDE TO SHOW THAT
BEYOND US HITTING, MAKING
REALISTIC TARGETS, BEING ABLE TO
ACHIEVE BELOW THOSE TARGETS
ACROSS NOT JUST THIS LINE OF
SERVICE, BUT ALL THREE LINES OF
SERVICE. AND THEN IN COMPARISON
TO OUR NEIGHBORS, WE'RE STILL
DOING REALLY WELL. I GUESS I
DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I'M JUST
WALKING. I JUST WANTED TO BRING
SOME FINAL ATTENTION TO THIS TO
HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD WORK OF
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES FOR NOT
ONLY CREATING TARGETS THAT THAT
ARE REALISTIC, BUT THEN DOING
BETTER THAN THEM., THIS IS WHEN
WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT
AFFORDABILITY THROUGH THE
UTILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM. BUT NO
MATTER IF YOU ARE OR ARE NOT ON
THAT UTILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM,
ADDITIONAL RATE INCREASES CAN
IMPACT YOUR BOTTOM LINE. AND SO
THAT'S WHERE I'M JUST HERE
SINGING YOUR PRAISES FOR DOING
GOOD WORK AND BRINGING US RATES
THAT ARE LOWER THAN WHAT WE SAID
WE MIGHT DO. AND SO I REALLY
APPRECIATE THAT. COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO
MOVE MY AMENDMENT TO THIS BILL
RIGHT NOW?
-- THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT I
THINK WE WERE GOING TO HEAR
INFORMATION FROM MARIA. WAS THAT
CORRECT?
-- OH, YEAH. SORRY, I JUST
JUMPED.
-- ACTUALLY TEED UP MY SLIDE
QUITE WELL. THANK YOU.
-- THAT'S OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL
DO YOUR AMENDMENT. THANK YOU. GO
AHEAD MARIA.
-- SO AT THE REQUEST OF
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS WE DO HAVE
REGIONAL WATER BILL COMPARISONS.
YOU KNOW THIS IS THE AVERAGE
MONTHLY BILL FOR EACH OF OUR
REGIONAL NEIGHBORS. AND YOU DO
NOTE THAT AS HE SAID, SEATTLE IS
SECOND TO ONLY REDMOND., WE HAVE
BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE IN HITTING
IN OUR MAINTAINING AND MANAGING
OUR SYSTEM. SO WE DON'T WAIT TO
GET OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
IN., WE'VE BEEN AHEAD OF THE
GAME WITH A LOT OF THEM, EVEN
THOUGH WE HAVE A LARGER SYSTEM
THAN MANY OF THESE, WE HAVE
TRIED TO ACTIVELY MANAGE OUR
SYSTEM AND ACTIVELY BE STEWARDS
OF OUR FINANCIALS AS WELL. SO WE
DO MAINTAIN WE'RE AAA RATED. WE
MAINTAIN THOSE. WE TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF BOND REFUNDING WHEN
WE CAN, AND WE DO WHAT WE CAN
FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND
GETTING THOSE GETTING RATES AS
LOW AS POSSIBLE. SO THE RESULT
IS COMBINED WITH A STELLAR
CONSERVATION ETHOS THAT CITY OF
SEATTLE RESIDENTS PARTAKE IN IS.
SEATTLE DOES HAVE A TYPICAL
AVERAGE MONTHLY BILL FOR SINGLE
FAMILY RESIDENTS OF $50.71.
REDMOND PART OF THEIR BILL BEING
LOWER IS THEY HAVE A LOT OF
THEIR OWN WATER IN VARIOUS
AQUIFERS. SO YES. ANY FURTHER
QUESTIONS?
-- SO IT COMES DOWN TO
REDMOND'S GOOD SPRINGS.
-- YES, YES. PART OF THEIR
SUPPLY. YES.
-- WONDERFUL. WELL, JUST REALLY
GOOD WORK. THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS ADDITIONAL SLIDE
AND DOING THE ADDITIONAL WORK ON
BEHALF OF SEATTLEITES. JOB
REALLY WELL DONE. THANK YOU
-- AND MAYBE.
-- THE
-- THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. OKAY. NO.
SO WE HAVE THIS BILL BEFORE US
WHERE WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT FROM
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, AND I'M
JUST CHECKING WITH MEMBERS
BECAUSE WE ARE WE HAVE THE
SCHEDULED FOR POSSIBLE VOTE. AND
I JUST WANT TO CHECK TO SEE IF
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL
LIKE WE CAN GET OUT OF COMMITTEE
TODAY. I SEE THUMBS UP.
-- I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- WELL.
-- I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
THESE TRANSFERRING THE
INSPECTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT
AND WHAT CONSEQUENCE THAT WOULD
HAVE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW
WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE
POTENTIAL MONEY ASPECTS WITH THE
BUDGET, BUT WHAT I MEAN, I STILL
DON'T KNOW, LIKE.
-- YEAH., I'LL TAKE A MOMENT
JUST TO TRY TO TRY TO SEPARATE
THE ISSUE FROM WHAT'S ACTUALLY
BEFORE THE COUNCIL TODAY. SO THE
WATER RATES, LIKE ANY RATE
PACKAGE, IT'S BASED ON A WHOLE
BUNCH OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT GO
INTO HOW THEY'RE FORECASTING
RATES, BOTH WHAT WE'LL SPEND ON
CAPITAL, WHAT THE OPERATING AND
MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE WILL BE,
WHAT INFLATION WILL BE. SO
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF, OF
FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT. SO THE,
AS I CAN SWITCH THE SLIDE AS
WELL. BUT, AS WAS SAID, THE
ASSUMPTION BUILT INTO THE WATER
RATE STUDY. SO WHEN STAFF AT SPU
EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS GOING
THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THEY BUILT
IN APPROXIMATELY $273,000 AS
ADDITIONAL COST EACH YEAR FOR
THIS PROGRAM. THAT IS A DROP IN
THE BUCKET. IF THE COUNCIL IN
THE FALL OR WHENEVER THE
PROPOSAL, ASSUMING IT COMES FROM
THE EXECUTIVE, HAPPENS. IF THE
COUNCIL SAID, NOPE, WE DON'T
WANT TO TRANSFER IT, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO DO IT. IT WOULDN'T
ACTUALLY FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE.
LIKE I HAD THIS CONVERSATION
WITH SPU. THEY WOULDN'T
RECOMMEND THAT WE ADJUST THE
RATE PACKAGE FOR THE NEXT THREE
YEARS. EVEN WITH THAT AMOUNT OF
MONEY. SO, I THINK IN TERMS OF
THE KIND OF CADENCE OF THINGS OR
THE SEQUENCE, I THINK TODAY'S
ACTION, IT IS INFORMATIVE THAT
THIS IS BUILT IN. WE KNOW THAT
IT'S THERE., BUT IT'S NOT SUCH
A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT
WOULD IMPACT.
-- IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN. IT'S JUST ALLOWING IT
TO HAPPEN. IF, IF THAT'S WHAT WE
SHOULD WANT TO DO IN THE FALL.
IS THAT RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN GO
AHEAD AND PASS THESE WATER RATES
NOW VERSUS WAITING. WE'RE JUST
SAYING THIS COULD HAPPEN. AND IF
IT DOES, WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT
SCENARIO. BUT WE WOULD STILL
HAVE TO PASS THE BUDGET AND
FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH THAT WOULD
BE CORRECT. AND IT DOESN'T EVEN
MEAN THAT IT'S GOING TO
TRANSFER FOR FOR.
-- IT DOESN'T.
-- DEFINITIVELY, RIGHT?
-- THE EXECUTIVE MIGHT DECIDE
THROUGH CONVERSATIONS. THEY
DON'T WANT TO SWITCH IT, AND IT
WOULD STILL BE FULLY FUNDED.
-- YEAH. GOT IT. YEAH. OKAY.
THANK YOU.
-- YEAH.
-- OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, THE DUE
DILIGENCE OF COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA IS ALWAYS ON POINT. SO
I'M GOING TO MOVE THE COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND PASSAGE OF COUNCIL
BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, 245. IS
THERE A SECOND?
-- SECOND.
-- THANK YOU, THANK YOU. IT'S
BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO
RECOMMEND THE PASSAGE OF THE
BILL. COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS YOU
ARE RECOGNIZED TO MOVE YOUR
AMENDMENT.
-- URG. SORRY, I GOT CONFUSED
WITH ROBERT'S RULES FOR THE
SECOND TIME IN A ROW THERE. I
WOULD LIKE TO MOVE AMENDMENT
ONE, VERSION ONE TO COUNCIL BILL
ONE, TWO, 145.
-- A SECOND. IT'S BEEN. IT'S
BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO AMEND
THE BILL AS PRESENTED ON
AMENDMENT ONE. COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS SPONSOR. YOU ARE
RECOGNIZED TO. IN ORDER TO
ADDRESS IT.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
I'M GLAD, MADE MY HEART PAUSE
THERE FOR A MOMENT. IF I MIGHT
NOT GET A SECOND ON THIS
IMPORTANT AMENDMENT THAT BRINGS
THIS, PROGRAM IN LINE WITH THE
UTILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM CHANGES
THAT WE MADE JUST A FEW WEEKS
AGO AS RELATED TO THE REVENUE,
REVENUE STABILIZATION FUND.
PRETTY TECHNICAL, JUST IN LINE
WITH THE OTHER TWO THAT WE
PASSED TODAY.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. DON'T
WORRY. YOU GOT A SECOND FOR ME?
WE'RE ALL GOOD. YOU HAVE A
SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH ON
THIS ONE., COLLEAGUES, ARE THERE
ANY OTHER COMMENTS REGARDING
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS AMENDMENT?
OKAY, AWESOME. IF THERE'S NO
COMMENTS, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL ON AMENDMENT
NUMBER ONE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. I
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. I
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. AYE VICE
CHAIR JUAREZ. I HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- YES.
-- FIVE IN FAVOR AND NONE
OPPOSED.
-- MOTION CARRIES. AMENDMENT ONE
IS ADOPTED. ARE THERE ANY FINAL
COMMENTS REGARDING THE BILL?
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
FOUR, FIVE SEEING NONE. CLERK
WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL?
-- COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- AYE.
-- COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
-- AYE.
-- VICE CHAIR JUAREZ. I CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH.
-- YES.
-- FIVE IN FAVOR. NONE OPPOSED.
-- MOTION CARRIES. COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION TO PASS. THE BILL
WILL BE SENT TO AUGUST 4th. CITY
COUNCIL MEETING. BUT IF PEOPLE
NEED MORE TIME, DON'T MIND
BUMPING IT TO THE 11th. BUT I
WILL TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW STANDS AS THE
FOURTH. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. MR.. GOOD NIGHT. AND
MARIA. APPRECIATE YOU. ALL
RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO JUMP
ALONG TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
FOUR. AND THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS, FOR ALL
THE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU BROUGHT
TODAY. JUST KEEPING US IN
ALIGNMENT, WHICH IS GREAT. JUST
CHANGING DATES, MAKING SURE THAT
WE ARE CROSSING OUR T'S AND
DOTTING OUR EYES. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE READ ITEM NUMBER FOUR
INTO THE RECORD.?
-- AGENDA ITEM FOR INFO ITEM
2889 RESPONSE TO STATEMENT OF
LEGISLATIVE INTENT I TD 010 S
EIGHT TWO. ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE, INVESTMENT AND
USAGE REPORT FOR BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION.
-- AWESOME. LOOKING FORWARD TO
THIS. GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL TODAY.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS
LEGISLATIVE THIS SLIDE WAS FROM
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK., WAS IT
COUNCIL? IT WAS. COUNCILMEMBER
RINCK. CORRECT. AWESOME. AND I
BELIEVE SHE MIGHT BE JOINING US
TODAY, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO
HEARING AN UPDATE FROM OUR
PHENOMENAL I.T. DEPARTMENT.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR
THE RECORD, AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD
AND START.
-- THANK YOU., MY NAME IS
SHANNON SMITH. I AM THE CHIEF
TECHNOLOGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY
OF SEATTLE.
-- MY NAME IS LISA CHAN. I AM
THE CITY AI OFFICER.
-- GOOD MORNING. COUNCILMEMBERS.
WILLIAM SMITH, CHIEF OF STAFF.
-- AWESOME. WELCOME.
-- THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST, I
WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL
PRESIDENT AND CHAIR
HOLLINGSWORTH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT, AT
COMMITTEE, THE QUARTERLY AI
USAGE REPORT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE
TO THANK COUNCILMEMBER RINCK FOR
SPONSORING THE STATEMENT OF
LEGISLATIVE INTENT. WHICH
PRODUCED THIS REPORT. I'D ALSO
LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE
GOVERNANCE AND UTILITIES
COMMITTEE., VICE CHAIR JUAREZ
AND MEMBERS COUNCILMEMBERS
KETTLE COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA AND
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. SO WITH
THAT, NEXT SLIDE. SO THERE IS A
LOT OF INFORMATION ON THESE
SLIDES. WE WILL GO THROUGH THE
HIGHLIGHTS. IN ORDER TO LEAVE
ROOM FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU
MAY HAVE AT THE END. THIS IS TO
READ OUT THE WORK THAT WE DID
FOR THE QUARTERLY REPORT. THAT
WE HAVE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. SO
WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE
BACKGROUND AND THE RESPONSIBLE
AI PROGRAM. WE ARE GOING TO GO
OVER THE INTAKE AND REVIEW
PROCESS, WHICH WE HAVE DEVELOPED
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THEN
SPEAK TO THE RESPONSE TO THE
STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE
INTENT., WORKFORCE UPSKILLING IS
NOT PART OF THAT RESPONSE, BUT
WE WANT TO INCLUDE IT BECAUSE WE
KNOW IT'S AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
SO WITH THAT, IN 2025, THE
COUNCIL ADOPTED THE 26th
STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE INTENT,
REQUESTING SEATTLEITE PROVIDE A
SERIES OF REPORTS ON THE CITY'S
INVESTMENTS IN AND USE OF
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. SO, WE
PRESENTED A REPORT, ON 4126. WE
ARE NOW PRESENTING TO YOU Q2,
WHICH IS JULY 1st, 26. YOU WILL
SEE TWO MORE REPORTS, ONE IN
OCTOBER AND ONE IN DECEMBER., IT
IS MEANT TO SPEAK TO THE USAGE
OF AI ACROSS THE CITY
DEPARTMENTS. THE COST, THE PLANS
FOR PARTNERSHIPS, BOTH, PRIVATE
AND PUBLIC AND ACADEMIC, THE
LESSONS LEARNED AND AGAIN, TO
SPEAK TO WORKFORCE UPSKILLING
THE RESPONSIBLE AI PROGRAM IS
REALLY TO UPHOLD THE CITY'S
COMMITMENTS TO, IN OUR
PARTNERSHIP POLICY AND PRACTICE.
SO THIS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON
EQUITY, SECURITY, PRIVACY, AND
COMMUNITY., WE HAVE A NUMBER OF
LINKS HERE WITH THE, DOCUMENTS
THAT WE HAVE CREATED IN SUPPORT
OF OUR RESPONSIBLE AI POLICY. SO
YOU WILL SEE HERE, WE HAVE BEEN
DOING THIS WORK FOR QUITE A FEW
YEARS, EVEN BEFORE THIS
LEGISLATION, THE FIRST POLICY
AROUND GENERATIVE AI WAS BACK IN
OCTOBER 23rd, ONE OF THE FIRST
IN THE, THE NATION., WE HAVE
ADDITIONAL POLICIES AND PLANS.
THIS IS ALL TIED TO THE MAYOR'S
AI VISION, WHICH SHE RELEASED IN
MAY OF 26 OF THE I WAS ABOUT TO
SAY OF THIS YEAR, BUT I JUST
SAID THAT. SO, WE ALSO APPOINTED
OUR FIRST CITY AI OFFICER, WHO
IS WITH ME TODAY TO HELP PRESENT
THIS WORK. OKAY. SO IN TERMS OF
GOVERNANCE, AGAIN, WE HAVE A
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITEMS. WE
HAVE, A TOOLKIT, WE DO A REVIEW,
WHICH WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
TODAY. AND WE HAVE CREATED, IN
ADDITION TO OUR MAYOR'S
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SUBCABINET, WE ALSO HAVE AN AI
WORK GROUP, WHICH HAS A NUMBER
OF DEPARTMENT LEADS WHO ARE
USING AI OR INTERESTED IN AI, SO
THAT WE HAVE A COMBINED
GOVERNANCE AND REVIEW OF THE
WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT. AS I SAID,
THIS IS ALL ALIGNED WITH THE
COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES. THE
MAYOR'S VISION AND WITH THE
RESPONSIBLE AI WORK THAT WE HAVE
BEEN DOING. WE WANT TO HELP
ACCELERATE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
CITY SERVICES. I KNOW YOU'VE
HEARD A LOT ABOUT PERMITTING.,
WE ALSO LOOK AT, CUSTOMER
SERVICE TOOLS ACCESSIBLE AND
PLAIN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATIONS
AND DIGITAL WORKPLACE. WE
EVALUATE THESE THROUGH A PROOF
OF VALUE FRAMEWORK. AND WE WORK
WITH BUSINESSES, OUR LABOR
UNIONS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO
DEVELOP THESE PUBLIC POLICIES
AND ENSURE THAT THE PROTECTIONS
ARE IN PLACE, THAT WE NEED TO
HAVE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION.
WHILE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS,
AGAIN, ARE NOT PART OF THIS,
OFFICIAL REPORT, WE FEEL THAT IN
LIGHT OF THE CURRENT INTEREST IN
THIS SPACE, AND PARTICULARLY
BECAUSE THE COUNCIL ADOPTED
COUNCIL BILL ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO,
ONE FOUR AND RESOLUTION 32204.
TO ENACT A ONE YEAR MORATORIUM
ON DATA CENTERS, A NEW LARGE
DATA CENTERS. WE WANTED TO LET
YOU KNOW THAT WE FACTOR THAT IN,
TO THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING.
SO YOU'LL SEE HERE SOME LINKS
TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
AROUND ENERGY, WATER AND
COMMUNITY HEALTH. AND AS THE
CTO, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW
THAT SEATTLEITE IS COMMITTED TO
SUPPORTING, THE INTERESTS AND
CONCERNS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE
MAYOR, AS IS APPROPRIATE. SO
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER
TO LISA TO SPEAK TO OUR INTAKE
AND OUR REVIEW PROCESS.
-- THANK YOU, SHANNON, AND GOOD
MORNING., SO ALL AI SOFTWARE
PILOTS AND PROOFS OF CONCEPTS
WITHIN THE CITY ARE REQUIRED TO
PASS A ROBUST SET OF REVIEWS LED
BY THE IT DEPARTMENT. SO THERE
ARE FOUR MANDATORY REVIEW
PROCESSES. HERE. SO FIRST, AS
THE AI OFFICER I DO AN INITIAL
REVIEW OF ALL REQUESTS WHERE I
ASSESS THE BUSINESS
JUSTIFICATION. AND EXISTING
SOLUTIONS. THE ARCHITECTURE TEAM
EVALUATES THE QUALITY AND
MAINTAINABILITY OF THE PROPOSED
SOFTWARE. AFTER THAT, THE CYBER
SECURITY TEAM REVIEWS DATA
PROTECTION AND ACCESS CONTROLS
ALONG WITH AI SPECIFIC SECURITY
RISKS, AND THE PRIVACY TEAM
LOOKS AT IF THE TECHNOLOGY IS
COMPLIANT WITH OUR CITY'S AI
POLICY. THIS IS WHERE WE ALSO
ASSESS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS,
RACIAL BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION
RISKS, ALONG WITH DATA RETENTION
AND OTHER PRIVACY IMPACTS AND
OBLIGATIONS. SO IN ADDITION TO
THESE REVIEWS, PILOTS AND PROOFS
OF CONCEPTS MUST ALSO INCLUDE AN
EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT PLAN.
AND WE REVIEW THAT PLAN BEFORE
PILOTS BEGIN, AS WELL AS RESULTS
AFTER THE PILOT IS COMPLETE. AND
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE AI
WORKING GROUP HOLDS THE FINAL
DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY, AND
THIS GROUP HAS REPRESENTATION
ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE., THIS IS A
SUMMARY OF AI USAGE ACROSS THE
CITY. IN MAY, WE ROLLED OUT
COPILOT CHAT AS THE FIRST AI
TOOL THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ALL
CITY EMPLOYEES BEFORE. BESIDES
THAT, THERE ARE 20 DEPARTMENTS
THAT ARE CURRENTLY USING AI
SOFTWARE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH
THE REVIEW PROCESS. I JUST
OUTLINED, 21 ARE IN ACTIVE USE,
ALONG WITH FIVE AI PILOTS THAT
ARE IN EXECUTION, AND THERE ARE
VARIOUS OTHER TOOLS AND PILOTS
IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF APPROVAL
AND PROCUREMENT. AND IF YOU
WOULD LIKE A DETAILED LIST OF
TOOLS, PILOTS AS WELL AS
DEPARTMENTS ARE USING THEM,
PLEASE REFER TO OUR QUARTER TWO
AI REPORT THAT WAS SUBMITTED ON
JULY 1st. SO HERE'S SOME
CATEGORIES OF AI USAGE ACROSS
THE CITY. AI IS USED IN PUBLIC
SAFETY TO IMPROVE DISPATCH
DECISIONS, ENHANCE LEGAL
RESEARCH CAPABILITIES IN
PERMITTING IN THE PERMITTING
SPACE. SDCI HAS PILOTED SOME
TECHNOLOGIES AIMED AT
STREAMLINING THE PERMITTING
PROCESS AND REDUCING BACKLOG IN
TRANSPORTATION. AS THOUGHT IS
CURRENTLY DEPLOYED, HAS
CURRENTLY DEPLOYED AI POWERED
VIDEO ANALYSIS TOOLS TO SUPPORT
THEIR VISION ZERO EFFORTS., AND
ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, AI POWERED
COMMUNICATION TOOLS ASSIST
-- WITH MANY TASKS LIKE TEXT
EDITING, IMPROVING
COMMUNICATIONS. AND ASSISTING IN
TECHNICAL LANGUAGE AND ENSURING
CONSISTENCY IN VOICE. AND
FINALLY, WE HAVE CHATBOT TOOLS.
SO COPILOT CHAT IS A GOOD
EXAMPLE OF THAT. IF A GENERAL
GENERAL USE CHATBOT THAT IS
ACCESSIBLE TO ALL EMPLOYEES. BUT
BESIDES THAT, THERE ARE OTHER
SPECIALIZED CHATBOTS THAT ARE IN
USE ACROSS A FEW DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS. OKAY. OKAY. THIS
IS THE AI PROOFS OF VALUE
CONCEPT THAT I ALLUDED TO
EARLIER. SO ALL PILOTS AND
PROOFS OF CONCEPTS ARE EVALUATED
ON A FRAMEWORK THAT HAS
MEASURABLE RESULTS AND
PERFORMANCE METRICS. SO THIS
ENSURES THAT PILOTS ARE BEING
EVALUATED ON CLEAR OBJECTIVES.
BUSINESS INCLUDING BUSINESS
VALUE, RESPONSIBLE USE AND LONG
TERM SUSTAINABILITY. SO HERE'S A
BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE EVALUATE IN
THAT FRAMEWORK. OKAY. HERE ARE A
FEW EXAMPLES OF LESSONS THAT WE
HAVE LEARNED THROUGH PILOTS THAT
HAVE BEEN EVALUATED THROUGH THAT
FRAMEWORK. SO, I WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT A FEW EXAMPLES. THE
FIRST ONE IS AROUND AI POWERED
PERMITTING PRESCREENING TOOLS
THAT SDCI HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
THESE TOOLS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO
BE CAPABLE OF REDUCING INTAKE
SCREENING TIMES BY UP TO 46 DAYS
BY LOOKING AT, A PERMITTING
APPLICATION BEFORE IT IS
SUBMITTED TO LOOK FOR ERRORS.
COPILOT CHAT. IT WAS RUN AS A
PILOT BEFORE WE LAUNCHED IT, AND
EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN THAT
PILOT REPORTED AN AVERAGE TIME
SAVINGS OF 2.5 HOURS PER WEEK
PER USER. AND FINALLY, AS A
LEARNING, RAN A PILOT TO, WITH,
WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO
IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY.
AND IT SHOWED REALLY PROMISING
RESULTS. BUT THEN AFTERWARDS,
THE TEAM DISCOVERED THAT
PRODUCTIONIZING AND MAINTAINING
THE SOFTWARE WILL REQUIRE
SIGNIFICANT EFFORT AND
ADDITIONAL STAFFING THAT MADE
THE INVESTMENT TOO GREAT. SO
THIS IS A VALUABLE LESSON WHERE
WE DON'T WANT TO BE SHIFTING
RESOURCES FROM ONE TEAM TO
ANOTHER. AND IT CAN BE APPLIED
TO OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL. YEAH.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT
OVER TO WILL.
-- THANK YOU. LISA. AND SO PART
OF OUR 2025 2026 AI PLAN SUCCESS
PILLARS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAD EFFECTIVE AI PARTNERSHIPS
AND HOW WE ENVISION THAT TO
HAPPEN WAS THROUGH COLLABORATING
WITH ACADEMIA, NONPROFITS, AND
INDUSTRY LEADERS THAT HAD A
REFLECTIVE SHARED VALUES. WE
ENGAGED THE PUBLIC THROUGH
EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, RESIDENT
FOCUSED TOOLS, AND COMMUNITY
FEEDBACK. WE ALSO ALIGNED WITH
OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO MONITOR
POLICY AND ADVOCATE FOR
REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE
TECHNOLOGY LEGISLATION. THEN, OF
COURSE, PARTNERING WITH OUR
LABOR PARTNERS TO ENSURE
PROACTIVE ENGAGEMENT THAT HAD
CLEAR COMMUNICATION SO YOU MAY
ASK, HOW DID WE ENGAGE WITH THE
COMMUNITY, ONE OF WHICH WE
CREATED A PARTNERSHIP WITH UW.
AND ALLOWED ENGAGEMENT WITH
RESEARCHERS AT UW TO HELP
PROJECTS DEVELOPMENT AND
TECHNICAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
WE HAD A HUGE ENGAGEMENT WITH AI
HOUSE, IN WHICH WE ALSO HAD
PARTNERSHIP FROM THE OFFICE OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THE
ACADEMY ITSELF HAD 210,000
INVESTMENTS FROM OED TO SUPPORT
THE PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS, AND
400,000 FROM THE WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FOR REAL
ESTATE. SO 24 TEAMS RECRUITED
THE INCUBATORS 40.6 MILLION
RAISED, AND 119 EVENTS WERE
HELD, WITH 11,153 PARTICIPANTS
WE HAD COMMUNITY INNOVATION
HACKATHONS. WE HAD ONE IN
SEPTEMBER OF 2025 WHERE WE
LOOKED TO IMPROVE AWARENESS AND
ACCESS TO YOUTH ENRICHMENT
PROGRAMS CITYWIDE. IN OCTOBER OF
2025, WE STREAMLINED PERMITTING
PROCESSES, AND THEN IN NOVEMBER
OF 2025 LOOKED TO IMPROVE THE
CUSTOMER SERVICE PROCESS OR
EXPERIENCE. AND WE ALSO HAD AN
EVENT AT THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY
CENTER, WHERE OUR GOAL WAS TO
SIMPLY TALK ABOUT AI FROM ANYONE
THAT WAS WILLING TO COME AND
LISTEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH
LABOR IS VITALLY IMPORTANT. WE
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
PARTNERSHIPS WE UNDERSTOOD THAT
THERE WAS ENGAGEMENT AND
COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE COMMUNICATED TO OUR LABOR
PARTNERS THAT WE WERE INVESTED
IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO PROTECT
THEIR JOBS AND PRESERVE THE
RIGHTS OF WORKERS, WHILE
IMPROVING THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES
OF WHAT AI COULD OFFER. THE CITY
LABOR PARTNERS. THEY BROUGHT A
CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF
WORKFLOWS, WORKING TOGETHER THAT
ENSURED THAT AI SOLUTIONS ARE
CO-DESIGNED TO ENHANCE AND NOT
DISRUPT. AND WE ARE HERE TO MAKE
SURE THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP
CONTINUES THROUGH AI. IN OUR
LABOR, CONVERSATIONS WERE
CENTERED AROUND TO RELIEVE THE
BURDENS OF WHERE EMPLOYEES MIGHT
FEEL THEM. KNOWING AI IS
SOMETHING NEW, ALLOWING US TO
MAKE MUCH BETTER DECISIONS AS WE
CREATE AND DEVELOP, BUT ALSO
ENABLE LEVELS OF HIGH
RESPONSIVENESS TO STAFF AND
COMMUNITY AS WE SAW FIT, AND
THAT ARE CURRENTLY POSSIBLE.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE IS
AROUND THE UPSKILLING OF OUR
STAFF. SO WORKFORCE UPSKILLING
IS ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR PILLARS
THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER IN THE
STRATEGIC PLAN. CONTINUOUS
TRAINING AND EDUCATION IS WITHIN
THE AR JOURNEY ALTOGETHER. WE
WANT TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES
AND THE CITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD
AS TO WHAT AI IS GOING TO BE AND
WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS WE'VE
CURRENTLY LAUNCHED A
COMPREHENSIVE CITYWIDE AI
TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH IS
COMPLETED BUT ALSO CONTINUOUS
AND ONGOING. WE ARE LOOKING TO
RESKILL STAFF TO NAVIGATE
ETHICAL AI USAGE AND PREPARE FOR
SHIFTS IN ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES THAT IS ONGOING
AND PLAN TO PLACE TO CREATE IN
2026 AND THROUGHOUT ESTABLISHING
CONTINUOUS EDUCATION AND
CULTURAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND
COLLABORATION WITH UNIONS TO
SUPPORT WORKFORCE TRANSITIONS,
WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS
AND WILL CONTINUE, AND TRAINING
AND COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR
APPROVED DEPLOYED ENTERPRISE AI
TOOLS THAT IS ALSO ONGOING. SO
WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO
SHANNON TO TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL
STRATEGY.
-- THANK YOU. WILL. SO
SEATTLEITE SET A STRATEGY IN
2024 TO NOT MAKE MAJOR AI
INVESTMENTS UNTIL 2025 2026,
BECAUSE IT WAS TOO EARLY AND
DYNAMIC. AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE
HERE NOW. SO LET ME UPDATE YOU
ON WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR., WE
HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO OBTAIN A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
INVESTMENTS THROUGH GRANTS, TO
COVER THE COSTS OF THE
DIFFERENT, PILOTS AND PROOF OF
CONCEPTS ACROSS THE DIFFERENT
TOOLS THAT WE HAVE NOW APPROVED
IN OUR SYSTEMS. AS LISA
MENTIONED, INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN
SMALL. WE WANT TO TRY DIFFERENT
THINGS TO SEE WHICH ONES HAVE
THE RIGHT SET OF CAPABILITIES
FOR THE SERVICES WHERE WE FEEL
IT WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
WE ARE TRACKING ONE TIME AN
ONGOING FINANCIAL COST CLOSELY,
OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS WHEN YOU
MOVE FROM PILOT TO
IMPLEMENTATION., WE WANT TO
ENSURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE
FULL COSTS. IF WE FULLY DEPLOY
SOMETHING, MOVING FORWARD TO
REFLECT APPROPRIATELY IN OUR
SPEND. SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU
ALL FOR THE INNOVATION FUND. SO
YOU HAVE APPROVED THE $400,000
FOR US TO CONTINUE WITH PILOTS
AND INVEST, IN PROJECTS THAT
DELIVER MEASURABLE COMMUNITY AND
STAFF BENEFITS., WE HAVE AN
ADDITIONAL 700. WE HAVE
ADDITIONAL TWO SETS OF FUNDING,
AROUND PERMITTING. SO, 750,000
FOR THE PURCHASE AND ONGOING
SUBSCRIPTION FOR PERMITTING
TOOL. AND THEN, 750,000 FOR THE
WORK ASSOCIATED WITH PERMITTING
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH I
KNOW IS AN EVERGREEN TOPIC. OKAY
SO, THIS, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A
BROAD RANGE, RIGHT? SO OUR
SOFTWARE HAS RANGED FROM 199 TO
289,000. IT DEPENDS ON THE TOOL.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE
ARE USING IT., BUT THIS IS STILL
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE TRYING TO
HAVE SMALL INVESTMENTS THAT
PROVIDE THE MOST VALUE TO
DETERMINE HOW WE WANT TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH OUR ROADMAP. THERE
ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
EXPENSES., AS YOU SEE, SOME OF
THEM HAD NO COSTS FOR THE
PILOTS., SOME HAD, UP TO
$60,000. BUT IT WAS VERY, IT
WAS, IT WAS VARIED. AND ALL OF
THAT IS IN THE Q2 REPORT. SO
WITH THAT, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. AND I'M GOING TO PAUSE NOW
AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF OR THE
TEAM.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
ALL FOR THAT PRESENTATION. SUPER
HELPFUL. JUST TO KIND OF GET A
LAYOUT WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF
AI AND THE IMPLEMENTATION THAT
YOU ALL ARE DOING IN THE CITY.
AND, AND SO REALLY, REALLY THE
INTENTIONAL APPROACH AS WELL,
COLLEAGUES, DO WE HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL
PRESIDENT., CHAIR THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE. I REALLY APPRECIATE
THE UPDATE. AND TO SEE OUR NEW
AI PERSON, WHICH IS THE FOCUS OF
THIS BRIEFING,, FOR THE MOST
PART, YOU MENTIONED THERE'S 20
DEPARTMENTS AND OF THAT IS A
SUBSET IS PUBLIC SAFETY., I
WOULD LOVE TO GET A MEETING.
WITH YOU TO DISCUSS WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
SPACE., IS THERE ANYTHING YOU
CAN SAY HERE IN TERMS OF THE,
THE WORK AI IS, YOU KNOW, THE AI
CENTERED WORK THAT IS BEING
ACCOMPLISHED WITH OUR VARIOUS
PUBLIC. I HAVE NINE ENTITIES
THAT REPORT TO MY COMMITTEE,,
TWO OF THEM CITY ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE AND THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL
COURT. I'M INTERESTED IN YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUT, BUT
GENERALLY YOUR WORK WITH AI AND
THE PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT OF
CITY GOVERNMENT
-- OKAY., WOULD YOU LIKE, YOU
WOULD LIKE A BRIEFING, NOT A
COMMITTEE BRIEFING, AM I
CORRECT?
-- YEAH. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO
HAVE A MEETING AT MY OFFICE JUST
TO, YOU KNOW, DIVE IN. BUT IF
THERE'S ANYTHING, HERE GENERALLY
OR MORE GENERAL, WHATEVER THAT
YOU CAN SAY TO THAT PUBLIC
SAFETY AND AI WOULD BE GREAT.
-- YES. THIS IS OH, SORRY. THESE
ARE A FEW EXAMPLES THAT WE
SHARED ON THE SLIDE HERE., SO A
COUPLE EXAMPLES INCLUDE, USING
AN AI POWERED, DISPATCH TOOL TO,
IMPROVE THIS PAST DECISIONS FOR
NON-EMERGENCY CALLS. I KNOW SPD
IS ALSO USING, WESTLAW TO
ENHANCE LEGAL RESEARCH
CAPABILITIES SO THAT IT'S EASIER
FOR THEM TO, TO RESEARCH
POLICIES. AND THEN THERE ARE A
COUPLE PILOTS GOING ON ONE,
WHICH IS IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW
THAT IS BEING BUILT., AND IT'S
TO KIND OF STREAMLINE SOME OF
THE, SOME OF THE, WORK THAT,
THAT THE DEPARTMENT USES, WHEN,
WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING UP
DIFFERENT POLICIES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT. SO, THEY'RE, WORKING
ON BUILDING OUT A CHATBOT TO
HELP THE DEPARTMENT.
-- THANK YOU. I, I HAD HEARD OF
THE FIRST ONE, ADMITTEDLY FIRST
THROUGH THE SEATTLE TIMES,
RIGHT?
-- THAT IS CORRECT. YES.
-- WHICH IS A, A TREND
ACTUALLY., AND NOT BRAND NEW
GENERAL TREND THAT PREDATES 2026
TWO I SHOULD ADD., AND, BUT
YEAH, THE THIRD PIECE IS MORE
GENERAL. I WOULD, YEAH, TO BE
GREAT TO GET A MEETING JUST TO
UNDERSTAND LIKE WHICH
DEPARTMENTS ARE ENGAGED AND HOW
THEY'RE USING IT. AND I'LL
ENGAGE WITH THEM SEPARATELY, BUT
I WOULD LIKE TO GET IT. AND
PARTICULARLY THE AI TEAMS, VIEW
ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S
IMPORTANT TO SEE. YOU KNOW, HOW
IT'S BEING USED., YOU KNOW, AND
THE VARIOUS PIECES, I'M ALWAYS
WARY OF AI. I'VE HAD MULTIPLE
MEETINGS WITH AI WITH IT., PRIOR
TO JANUARY 1st. AND THEN ON TOP
OF THAT, MEETINGS WITH AMAZON
AND MICROSOFT AS WELL ON AI. AND
SO I WOULD LOVE TO, YOU KNOW,
DELVE INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT
MORE. I'M A, I'M A LITTLE BIT
OF A SKEPTIC A LITTLE BIT. YES,
ACTUALLY, I AM, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S
LIKE. IN THE INFORMATION WORLD,
THE INTELLIGENCE WORLD, YOU
KNOW, THERE'S DEGREES OF
CONFIDENCE. IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S
THE SOURCE? AND, AND THE
PROBABLES AND THE POSSIBLES AND
THE LIKE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
AN AREA WHERE, AND PARTICULARLY
WITH BAD ACTORS IN TODAY'S
WORLD, I MEAN, THERE'S NO SCREEN
ON THAT, YOU KNOW, AS OPPOSED TO
THE WORK THAT I DID OR OTHERS
LIKE THAT IN TERMS OF
UNDERSTANDING THAT CONFIDENCE
PIECE. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT AS IT RELATES,
PARTICULARLY WITH PUBLIC SAFETY
ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT
PARTICULARLY WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT
WHEN WHEN POSSIBLE. NO RUSH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT TOMORROW, BUT
WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT AT SOME
POINT SOON., ON THE LABOR PIECE,
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE POINT
ABOUT PROTECT JOBS AND
EVERYTHING IN THAT LABOR
SECTION. GENERALLY I'M IN
AGREEMENT WITH AND YES, ALTHOUGH
I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO AI,
IT'S NOT THE JOB TO REALLY
PROTECT JOBS AS MUCH AS USE THE
TOOLS TO AUGMENT THE POSITIONS.
CORRECT. YEAH. IT'S AN
AUGMENTATION OF THE JOB, NOT
NECESSARILY PROTECT THE JOB.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST
THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND,
TECHNOLOGY CHANGES EVERYTHING. I
MEAN, IT USED TO BE A DAY WHEN
SWITCHBOARD OPERATORS USED TO GO
LIKE THIS AND, YOU KNOW, TO
ROUTE CALLS AND SO FORTH. AND
OBVIOUSLY THAT JOB WASN'T
PROTECTED. YOU KNOW, THERE'S
PEOPLE NOT IN CITY GOVERNMENT
STILL TODAY, YOU KNOW, DOING
THAT WORK. AND SO WE NEED TO BE
MINDFUL OF THAT. BUT I DO
APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA
THAT WE SHOULD IT'S LIKE THE OLD
BASF COMMERCIALS. WE DON'T DO
THE WE DON'T MAKE THE PRODUCTS
YOU USE. WE MAKE THEM BETTER.
YOU KNOW, AI SHOULD BE
AUGMENTING AND ALLOWING OUR
WORKERS TO DO BETTER. AND THE
ROLES THAT THEY'RE FILLING, CAN
I ASK A QUESTION ON AI?
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE IN A AND STAFF
LABOR AND SO FORTH. WE'RE IN A
VERY TOP AI LEVEL AREA OF THE
COUNTRY, OF THE WORLD, FRANKLY.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETING
DEMANDS. I'M HEARING ABOUT AI
STARTUPS AND MORE TRADITIONAL
COMPANIES LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOING
OVER TO BELLEVUE. AND THEN I
HEAR BELLEVUE'S FULL, AND THEN
I HEAR MORE AI COMPANIES ARE
SETTING UP SHOPS HERE IN
ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT ARE
ALREADY HERE., WE DO ALSO HAVE
SOME DATA CENTERS AND SO FORTH
AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT PIECES.
HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE
BETTER OR WORSE IN TERMS OF
TRYING TO MAINTAIN STAFF,
MAINTAIN EXPERTISE AND MAINTAIN
THE ABILITY TO WORK AI IN A
CIVIL AND A CITY GOVERNMENT KIND
OF, CONTEXT. WELL, I THINK.
-- IT ALSO CONNECTS TO YOUR
QUESTION OR CONCERN AROUND THE
AUGMENTATION OF AI. IT'S WE HAVE
TO BE VERY OBSERVANT OF WHAT'S
GOING ON AROUND US AS IT
PERTAINS TO AI, BECAUSE IT'S
MOVING SO QUICKLY AND RAPIDLY
THAT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT
TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING, BUT ALSO
PROTECTING THE RESIDENTS AND OUR
EMPLOYEES AS WHAT AI COULD BE
AND WHAT'S GOING TO BE JUST
BECAUSE IT'S QUICKER AND FASTER
DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER, RIGHT?
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
AUGMENTATION, IT'S NOT ONLY JUST
WITH, THE ROLES AND JOBS ITSELF,
BUT IT'S ALSO TAKING OUR
EMPLOYEES ALONG THAT JOURNEY AS
TO WHAT WILL YOUR JOB LOOK LIKE
IN THE FUTURE AND HOW CAN WE
SUPPORT YOU AS AN ORGANIZATION
TO GET YOU THOSE SKILLS THAT YOU
NEED TO GET THERE? AND SO I
THINK IT'S MORE IT'S A LOT OF
INTERNAL, BUT IT'S ALSO EXTERNAL
TO YOUR POINT.
-- OKAY. THANK YOU.
-- SO I HAVE I HAVE WORKED IN
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THIS PUGET
SOUND AREA FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS.
AND, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION,
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE
THAT WE ARE COMPETING AGAINST
LARGE TECHNOLOGY FIRMS. SO
TALENT ACQUISITION IS, IT IS A
LITTLE ACCELERATED BY AI, BUT IT
IS, IT IS NOT A NEW, THING THAT
WE NEED TO ADDRESS. I WILL SAY
THAT I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S,
IT'S EXCITING ACTUALLY TO HAVE
SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, WITH THE
STARTUP COMMUNITY AND THE LARGE
TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. OUR FOCUS
IS ON, WHERE CAN WE MOVE FOLKS
TO HIGHER VALUE WORK? HOW CAN WE
USE AI TO, UPSKILL THEM OR
AUTOMATE THINGS THAT ARE MORE
ROUTINE SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THEM
TO THE MORE, THE THINGS THAT
WOULD BE OF MORE INTEREST AND
THEREFORE RETAIN THAT TALENT.
-- THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THOSE
ANSWERS. AND I'M ALSO THINKING
THERE'S IN CHAOS. THERE'S
ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY. AND WITH
THE, THE SHIFTING OF THE TECH
COMMUNITY HERE AND DISPLACEMENT
OF JOBS IN THAT WORLD, THERE'S
PROBABLY SOME TALENT. THAT'S
ALL OF A SUDDEN AVAILABLE THAT
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE.
SO FOR USE AT THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT LEVEL. SO THANK YOU.
-- WE'RE ALWAYS SCANNING. YES.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA.
-- THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
VERY HELPFUL. ONE THING I WANTED
TO HIGHLIGHT WAS THE PIECE ABOUT
COMMUNICATIONS. IN PARTICULAR
TRANSLATION TOOLS. AND I'D LOVE
TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW THE CITY
MIGHT BE USING AI TO HELP.
SUPPLEMENT OUR ABILITY TO BE
ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TRANSLATE,
WEBSITES AND DOCUMENTS FOR,
FOLKS,, IN COMMUNITY. I KNOW
THAT THIS IS A SUBJECT THAT'S
BEEN HARD FOR THE CITY. IT'S
JUST WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO
THE LEVEL OF TRANSLATION,
WHETHER IT'S, PAPER OR WHETHER
IT'S PHYSICAL TRANSLATION FOR
FOLKS WHO NEED THAT TRANSLATION
SERVICES. AND SO THIS IS AN AREA
WHERE I THOUGHT THERE COULD BE
OPPORTUNITY AND ONE THAT I JUST
HAVEN'T HEARD THE CITY. REALLY,
USING MORE ROBUSTLY, I'VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIOR I.T
FOLKS ABOUT IT. AND OF COURSE,
I'VE TALKED TO THE OFFICE OF
IMMIGRANT REFUGEE AFFAIRS, ABOUT
THE ABILITY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST
THAT OFFICE, IT'S JUST ACROSS
THE BOARD. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE, INFORMATION AND
LANGUAGES THAT OUR RESIDENTS
SPEAK. CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THAT? AND IF NOT, ALSO
HAPPY TO SCHEDULE SOMETHING TO
HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW THE WORK
THAT YOU'RE DOING, IS
ADDRESSING SOME OF THIS NEED.
-- SURE. WE'RE HAPPY TO
SCHEDULE TIME WITH YOUR OFFICE
AS IS APPROPRIATE. WE DO HAVE A
PILOT, RIGHT NOW, WHICH LISA CAN
SPEAK TO. THERE'S ONE TOOL.
-- YES. SO, THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE'LL DEFINITELY GET BACK
TO YOU ON. I THINK IN GENERAL,
THERE'S, WE'VE LOOKED AT USING
AI TOOLS TO IMPROVE
ACCESSIBILITY. SO THAT'S A,
THAT'S A BIG AREA, AND
INCLUDING TRANSLATION., ONE
THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
IS I MEAN, ALGORITHMS AND AI
HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF DOING
TRANSLATIONS FOR A WHILE., IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE TONE
AND THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, THE
TRANSLATIONS ARE ACCURATE AND
MATCHES THE CULTURAL
SENSITIVITIES OF THE, OF THE
COMMUNITIES. SO THERE'S
DEFINITELY STILL A HUMAN LAYER
THAT'S INVOLVED, BUT AI CAN BE
USED TO ACCELERATE THAT PROCESS
FOR SURE., SO WE CAN.
-- WE'RE HAPPY TO BRIEF YOU.
THANK YOU. OF COURSE.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU
COLLEAGUES. I DON'T KNOW IF
THERE'S ANY MORE QUESTIONS,
JUST COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.,
-- THANK YOU. I WAS JUST WAITING
TO SEE IF COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ,
WHO IS OUR AI HAWK, WAS GOING TO
JUMP IN. I WAS GOING TO LET HER
GO FIRST, BUT I CAN JUMP IN.
JUST WANT TO THANK.
-- I DID HAVE MY HAND UP. I
JUST, I JUST, YOU KNOW,
CATEGORICALLY HAVE SOME MAJOR
ISSUES WITH AI, BUT THOSE ARE
THE HYPOCENTERS AND WHAT THEY'RE
DOING AND I DON'T THINK WE
SHOULD, AS I SAID BEFORE,
OUTSOURCING CRITICAL THINKING.,
AND I THINK THIS BUBBLE IS GOING
TO POP, BUT IN THE MEANTIME,
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I'M
JUST HOPING SEATTLE CITY LIGHT
CAN GET UP TO SPEED TOO. WITH
THE AI, THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND
HOW THE TEAMS, BECAUSE NO ONE
CAN UNDERSTAND IT AT THIS POINT.
PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO
FIGURE IT OUT. SO IT WAS GOOD
PRESENTATION. THERE'S GOOD
FACTS. AND, WE'RE GOING TO BE
WORKING WITH SEATTLE CITY LIGHT
AND THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS FOR, FOR, PITCHING IT
OVER TO ME FOR THAT. SO I'LL
LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU.
-- NO ONE CAN SAY IT BETTER THAN
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ ON THESE
TOPICS OR MANY OTHERS. AND TO
HER POINT, YOU KNOW, LISTENING
TO THE RADIO THIS MORNING ABOUT
THE STORY ON AI THAT THE
LABORATORY AND THE CLASSROOM ARE
USUALLY PRETTY FAR APART. AND
RIGHT NOW AND WEATHER, AND
THAT'S ACROSS ALL SPECTRUMS,
RIGHT? THE THINGS THAT WE ARE
DEVELOPING BETWEEN THE THINGS
THAT WE ARE TEACHING ARE USUALLY
SOMEWHAT DISTANT., ENGLISH IS
LEARNING ENGLISH, LEARNING
READING. THOSE ARE GREAT
EXAMPLES. RIGHT., BUT FOR AI,
THAT SPACE IS INTERTWINED RIGHT
NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH
DEVELOPMENT GOING ON SO QUICKLY.
AND THE COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE
POINT, WE DON'T WANT TO REPLACE,
WE WANT TO SUPPLEMENT OR
AUGMENT. AND HOW DO WE USE THESE
TOOLS EFFECTIVELY WHILE
PROTECTING OUR, OUR DATA THAT WE
HAVE AS THE CITY, PROTECTING OUR
RESIDENTS FROM INACCURATE
INFORMATION, FROM PROTECTING
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THAT
ONLY HUMANS HAVE. OUR CITY ARE
AMAZING. SEATTLE CITY EMPLOYEES
WHO MAKE THIS CITY HUM., I
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR YOUR
PRESENTATION TODAY. I JUST BRING
THOSE HIGHLIGHTS UP. THANK YOU
FOR COMING QUARTERLY. WHAT
SHOULD WE EXPECT BETWEEN NOW AND
THE NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT? WHAT
WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR
WORK RIGHT NOW
-- SO FOR US, WE'RE IN THE
PROCESS OF PARTNERING WITH THE
MAYOR'S STAFF, TO DETERMINE
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS WE NEED
TO PUT TOGETHER A MORE,, A
CONTINUING WORK PLAN AROUND
TAKING THE, THE VISION AND
TAKING THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN
DONE PREVIOUSLY, AND PUTTING IT
INTO WORK STREAMS THAT ADDRESS
THINGS LIKE UPSKILLING THE
INTERNAL WORKFORCE. HOW DO WE
HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS? HOW
DO WE HAVE GOOD GOVERNANCE? AND
THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS
THAT WE NEED TO DO., ON THE
TECHNICAL SIDE TO ENSURE THAT
WE'RE MEETING ALL OF THESE
THINGS, IN A ROBUST FASHION. SO,
I THINK WE WILL HAVE MORE
INFORMATION ON THAT BEFORE THE
END OF THE YEAR., I'M NOT SURE
ABOUT THE TIMELINES BECAUSE
IT'LL START, BECAUSE THE BUDGET
CYCLE IS AT THE, IN THAT SAME
TIME FRAME, WE JUST WANT TO BE
SENSITIVE TO THAT.
-- THANK YOU. MAYBE THE QUESTION
REPHRASED IS, ARE YOU WORKING ON
A STRATEGIC PLAN WHERE YOU HAVE
A CERTAIN BODY OF WORK EVERY
QUARTER OR, AND IF SO, WHAT
SHOULD WE EXPECT FOR THE NEXT
REPORT? NO MATTER WHEN IT
HAPPENS, WHETHER IT'S IN BUDGET
OR DECEMBER
-- OKAY. SORRY. LET US FOLLOW UP
WITH COUNCIL AND YOUR OFFICE IN
THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WE ARE
STARTING TO DRAFT THAT, BUT I
DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, BODY OF
WORK AT THIS TIME., BECAUSE
THOSE MEETINGS ARE JUST STARTING
TO OCCUR.
-- THANK YOU KNOW, THAT'S,
THAT'S HELPFUL. I MEAN, AND
THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I
LIKE TO KNOW, WHERE ARE WE
TODAY? WHERE HAVE WE BEEN AND
WHERE ARE WE GOING? IT SOUNDS
LIKE YOU ARE NOW DRAFTING YOUR
NEXT VERSION OF YOUR STRATEGIC
PLAN WITH THE NEW MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND GETTING UNDERWAY. IS
THAT A GOOD STATUS UPDATE FOR
POSITION.
-- PLAN FOR THE PLAN?
-- ALL RIGHT. WELL, THEN WE
WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE
PLAN AT OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY.
THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. THANK
YOU. I T, GREAT PRESENTATION.
JUST GOOD TO GET A GROUND FLOOR
OF OF AI AND HOW WE'RE DOING
IT. AND THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER., STRAUSS AND
KETTLE FOR THOSE COMMENTS ABOUT
NOT SUPPLEMENT REPLACE, WHATEVER
THAT WORD YOU SAID, BUT
SUPPLEMENT AUGMENTED. THANK YOU.
BUT SUPPLEMENT THANK YOU. BUT
YOU SAID SUPPLEMENT ANYWAYS, YOU
SAID IT COUNCILMEMBERS. OKAY,
CAN WE READ ITEM NUMBER FOUR
INTO THE RECORD? FIVE ITEM
NUMBER FIVE INTO THE RECORD.
I'M SORRY.
-- AGENDA ITEM FIVE INFO ITEM
292 FOR TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND
PROGRAM OVERVIEW FOR BRIEFING
AND DISCUSSION.
-- THANK YOU. AWESOME.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
RIVERA. IF THERE'S NO.
COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA WILL BE
EXCUSED FOR THE REST OF THE
MEETING. AWESOME. THANK YOU.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND.
HEARING INFORMATION ABOUT THAT
AND
-- YES.
-- JULY HAS FLOWN BY. I'M
FILLING TIME, BUT IT'S FLOWN BY.
-- COUNCIL PRESIDENT POINT OF
PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. JUST
NOTICING. VENTING IN THE BACK,
SITTING, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF
THIS WORK COMES TO COUNCIL. HE
HASN'T BEEN UP TO THE COMMITTEE
TABLE TODAY, BUT, JUST WANTED TO
NOTE THE LAST PRESENTATION WAS
21 SLIDES. THIS PRESENTATION IS
30 SLIDES. THAT IS A LOT OF
INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE
PROVIDING US TODAY. SO I JUST
WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK
VIN FOR BEING EXTREMELY
DILIGENT. DIRECTOR, I KNOW THAT
YOU HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THIS,
BUT JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT
TO THANK VIN.
-- I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO WORK
WITH VIN. HE HAS BEEN SUPER
HELPFUL.
-- THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER
STRAUSS. YEAH, IF IF YOU ALL
WANT TO DO AN EXPEDITED VERSION
OF THE 30 SLIDES, MORE THAN
THAT'S MORE THAN WELCOME. JUST.
HOWEVER, HOWEVER YOU MOVE.
-- THROUGH, THAT IS THE PLAN.
-- OKAY, AWESOME. THANK YOU.
-- SO,.
-- PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR
THE RECORD, EVERYONE, THE NEW
FOLKS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE. AND
THEN WE'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT IN.
THANK THANK YOU.
-- HI, I'M MARY JO, DIGITAL
EQUITY ADVISOR WITH SEATTLE I T.
-- GOOD MORNING. I'M JENNY
CROOKS. I'M THE COMMUNITY
GRANTS MANAGER AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
-- OKAY, SO THANK YOU AGAIN.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT HOLLINGSWORTH
AND CHAIR FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO PRESENT ON A GREAT CITY
PROGRAM CALLED THE TECHNOLOGY
MATCHING FUND THAT DIRECTLY
BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITY., IT IS A
YEARLY GRANT PROGRAM THAT HAS
BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF OUR
DIGITAL EQUITY PROGRAM SINCE
1998. AS PART OF SHOWCASING
THIS, WE'VE INVITED RECENT
RECIPIENTS OF THE GRANTS, WHICH
IS WHERE WE SPEND THE MAJORITY
OF OUR TIME TODAY. AND THEY WILL
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEFLY
SPEAK TO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE,
TO, TO BE REPRESENTING THE
COMMUNITY. IN CLOSING THE
DIGITAL DIVIDE., WE ALSO HAVE
OUR PARTNERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY
BOARD., WITH THAT, I WILL PASS
IT TO MYRA, WHO MANAGES THE
TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND
PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
-- YES. SINCE 1998, THE CITY HAS
AWARDED OVER $9 MILLION TO 480
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
MATCHED THE CITY'S INVESTMENT
BY CONTRIBUTING OVER 10 MILLION
TO DIGITAL EQUITY. $10,000,010
MILLION TO DIGITAL EQUITY
PROJECTS. THE 2024 TECHNOLOGY
ACCESS AND ADOPTION STUDY
DEMONSTRATES THE ONGOING DIGITAL
EQUITY NEEDS OF SEATTLE
RESIDENTS. WE LEARNED THAT 63%
OF RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE ALL
THEIR INTERNET, DEVICE AND
DIGITAL SKILLS NEEDS MET. IN
2026, THE CITY WILL BE INVESTING
$455,000 TO FUND 11 COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS IMPLEMENTING
DIGITAL EQUITY PROJECTS, WITH AN
ADDITIONAL 60,000 FROM COMCAST
$15,000 FROM T-MOBILE AND $5,000
FROM VERIZON. WITH THESE
CORPORATE PARTNERS. FOR MORE
TECHNOLOGY, MATCHING FUND
PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED. THIS
YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO
SELECT 2026 TMF GRANTEES, AND I
INVITE JENNY CROOKS FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO
PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
2026 TMF GRANT CYCLE.
-- THANK YOU, MAYOR.,
NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING FUND STAFF
CARRIED OUT THE 2026 TECHNOLOGY
MATCHING FUND RFP PROCESS AS
PART OF THIS PILOT PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN ITD AND DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS. THE GOAL OF THE
PARTNERSHIP WAS TO INCREASE
OUTREACH AND ACCESS TO CITY
RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY, AS WELL
AS SHARED LEARNING AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALIGNMENT
ACROSS PROCESSES AND PROGRAMS.
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH DON STAFF,
IN ADDITION TO THE WORK OF THE
COMMUNITY GRANT STAFF, INCLUDED
COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT COORDINATORS AND
INTENTIONAL OUTREACH EFFORTS
FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. A
TEAM OF COMMUNITY REVIEWERS IN
ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD
MATCHING FUND AND TMF REVIEW
PROCESSES REVIEWED ELIGIBLE
APPLICATIONS AND THE RESULTING
RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PRESENTED
TO THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY
ADVISORY BOARD AND CTO FOR
APPROVAL. ON MARCH 10th. WHILE
THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN
NEED FOR RESOURCES, APPLICATIONS
AND THE COMPETITIVENESS
COMPETITIVENESS OF GRANT
PROGRAMS LIKE TMF, THE BENEFITS
OF THIS CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL
PARTNERSHIP MEANT PROGRAMS COULD
LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER AND STAFF
COULD CONNECT APPLICANTS TO
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ACROSS OUR
DEPARTMENTS.
-- THE TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND
GRANTS OVERVIEW, GEO EQUITY
DASHBOARD OVERLAYS, TMF OUTCOMES
WITH DATA FROM THE RACE, THE
CITY'S RACIAL AND SOCIAL EQUITY
INDEX ILLUSTRATING THAT THE TMF
PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED IN THE MOST
INEQUITABLY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES
OVER THE NEXT YEAR, 2026 TMF
AWARDEES WILL ADDRESS THE
ONGOING AND EVOLVING DIGITAL
EQUITY NEEDS OF SEATTLE
RESIDENTS BY PROVIDING DIGITAL
LITERACY INSTRUCTION, DIGITAL
NAVIGATION DEVICES AND TECHNICAL
SUPPORT AND INTERNET
CONNECTIVITY I INVITE TMF AWARDS
TO PRESENT THEIR PROJECTS FOR
THE 2026 GRANT CYCLE. ASIAN
COUNSELING AND REFERRAL SERVICE.
-- PROGRAM.
-- CAN WE JUST HAVE YOU TO JOIN?
YEAH, JUST JOIN US TO THE FRONT
OKAY, I DIDN'T HOW MANY GROUPS
DO YOU HAVE?, HOW MANY GROUPS
DID YOU DO YOU ALL HAVE INVITED?
SHOULD WE HAVE THEM ALL?
-- 12. AND SO IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS MIC SET UP
SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THEM.
-- OKAY. I WASN'T YEAH. YEAH,
THEY CAN ALL JUST COME UP TO THE
TABLE.
-- YEAH. WHY DOESN'T EVERYBODY
COME ON UP?
-- SORRY I WASN'T.
-- WE WERE JUST TEASING YOU
ABOUT THE TIME.
-- OH, OKAY.
-- DON'T WORRY.
-- COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS WAS. I
WAS I WAS I WAS JOKING TO
CRACKING, BUT BACK IN.
-- WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO
ARE EXCITED TO SPEAK TO YOU.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU. EVERYONE
CAN COME UP AWESOME I DIDN'T
KNOW THIS. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS
WAS HAPPENING. NO, I JUST WOULD
LIKE TO KNOW, ALEX, THAT THIS
WAS HAPPENING. COME THIS WAY.
AWESOME. WELCOME. THIS IS GREAT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. THIS
IS EXCELLENT. IF. DO WE HAVE
ENOUGH CHAIRS IF NOT, WE HAVE
THIS CHAIR IN FRONT OF THIS
CLERK RIGHT HERE.
-- THERE WE GO. OKAY, HERE YOU
GO. AND THEN YOU NEED ONE MORE
CHAIR. IS THAT RIGHT? I THINK
THAT'S WE'RE PERFECT. YEAH,
THERE IT IS.
-- WE HAVE ENOUGH CHAIRS.
-- THANK YOU SO MUCH.
-- RIGHT HERE TOO. AWESOME.,
-- WE'RE ALL SET.
-- WE GOT ALL THE GROUPS. OKAY.
THIS IS A WELCOME SURPRISE. I
WASN'T AWARE OF THAT. SO THANK
YOU. THAT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. I
JUST THOUGHT PEOPLE WERE
INTERESTED IN
-- [LAUGHTER]
-- TECHNOLOGY. YEAH, YEAH. OKAY.
-- VERY INTERESTED., SO ASIAN
COUNSELING, REFERRAL SERVICE.
-- OH, HI., SO THIS IS ONE FROM
AC R S. DIGITAL LITERACY IS A
BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR
PARTICIPATING IN MODERN LIFE,
APPLYING FOR JOBS, ACCESSING
HEALTHCARE, CONNECTING WITH
FAMILY AND ENGAGING WITH CITY
SERVICES. NEARLY ALL OF IT NOW
HAPPENS ONLINE WHEN RESIDENTS
LACK THESE SKILLS, THEY ARE
LOCKED OUT OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN
EVERYONE'S REACH. SO THAT'S WHY
ACES OFFERS DIGITAL LITERACY
CLASSES AT FREE LEVELS, HELPING
JOB SEEKERS TO BE MORE
COMPETENT. LEVEL ONE BUILD
FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS LIKE SENDING
EMAIL ON COMPUTERS AND
SMARTPHONES. LEVEL TWO FOCUSES
ON SAFETY, LIKE PROTECTING
PERSONAL INFORMATION, SPOTTING
AND AVOIDING SCAMS, AND STEERING
CLEAR OF MALWARE. LEVEL THREE
PREPARES FOR PEOPLE FOR THE
WORKFORCE USING AI TOOLS TO
BUILD RESUMES, APPLY FOR JOBS
AND PRACTICE FOR INTERVIEWS.
THIS WORKS MATTERS FOR
SEATTLE'S FUTURE. IT MAKES THE
COMMUNITY TO BE MORE CONNECTED,
SECURED AND ECONOMICALLY
RESILIENT. THANK YOU
-- CREATION CULTURE.
-- AWESOME.
-- THANK YOU.
-- HELLO.
-- MY NAME IS PAULO., I'M VERY
THANKFUL TO BE HERE. SO THANK
YOU ALL FOR COMING., I JUST WANT
TO STEP INTO, IMAGINATION HERE.
SO IMAGINE YOUR LIFE IF YOU
NEVER FOUND YOUR PASSION, YOUR
GIFTEDNESS, THE THING THAT YOU
ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO DO. AND EVERY
YEAR I SEE HUNDREDS AND
THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE
ABANDON THEIR GRAPHIC DESIGN
GOALS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST
OF EDUCATION, DIGITAL LITERACY
BARRIERS, AND LACK OF ACCESS TO
PROFESSIONAL MENTORSHIP. SEEING
THIS HAPPEN REPEATEDLY, I KNEW
SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE. SO
THAT'S WHY I LAUNCHED CREATION
CULTURE. WE'RE A NONPROFIT
GRAPHIC DESIGN MENTORSHIP STUDIO
THAT PROVIDES PAID
OPPORTUNITIES, CREATIVE TOOLS,
AND PROFESSIONAL MENTORSHIP TO
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH. IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SEATTLE
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, THE METRO
METROPOLITAN URBAN LEAGUE. WE
RUN IN-PERSON GRAPHIC DESIGN
PROGRAMS WHERE YOUTH DESIGN
BRANDS AND BUILD REAL APP
PROTOTYPES BASED ON REAL
COMMUNITY NEEDS,, FROM OUR
STUDENTS. THEY DESCRIBED
REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN
DIGITAL DESIGNING, FEELING
EMPOWERED TO CREATE ON THEIR
OWN. AND THEY HAVE AN INCREASED
INTEREST IN CREATIVE CAREERS AND
MENTORSHIP. TO NAME A FEW MORE
OF OUR PARTNERS, WE PARTNERED
WITH PCS FOR PEOPLE FOR
AFFORDABLE COMPUTER ACCESS AND
GIVEAWAYS. FATHERS AND SONS.
TOGETHER, OUR YOUTH ORGANIZATION
IN RAINIER AND AIGA, THE
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC
ARTISTS CREATION CULTURE IS HERE
TO BE A BEACON FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE
ACCESS TO CREATIVE CAREERS,
DIGITAL TOOLS, OR PROFESSIONAL
MENTORSHIP. IN OUR CITY, WE'RE
BUILDING AN ACCESSIBLE PIPELINE
INTO THE DESIGN INDUSTRY WHERE
SEATTLE YOUTH CAN LEARN REAL
DESIGN SKILLS, WORK WITH
PROFESSIONAL MENTORS, AND BUILD
MEANINGFUL PROJECTS. SO THANK
YOU, TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND
FOR HELPING MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
-- AWESOME.
-- THANK YOU FOR
-- GOOD MORNING, COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS BRIAN
MCCRAY. I'M MANAGING DIRECTOR
OF SEATTLE. PROUD RECIPIENTS OF
THE TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND
GRANT FOR FIVE YEARS HAS
PROVIDED TUITION FREE TECHNICAL
SKILLS TRAINING RIGHT HERE IN
SEATTLE FOR HIGH DEMAND CAREERS.
LIKE IT SUPPORT CYBER SECURITY
AND CLOUD COMPUTING, ALL OF
WHICH INCLUDES INDUSTRY
RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS AND
ALL OF WHICH ARE NOW AI ENABLED
TRAINING PROGRAMS LIKE OURS ARE
VITAL TO SEATTLE NOT ONLY TO
ADVANCE DIGITAL EQUITY, BUT TO
EQUIP LOCAL ADULTS WITH THE
TECHNICAL AND AI SKILLS NEEDED
IN TODAY'S COMPETITIVE
WORKFORCE. LOOKING AT PRESCHOOLS
WITHIN 85% OF OUR LEARNERS ARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR, 41% ARE WOMEN
OR FEMALE IDENTIFIED IN 30%
ENTER PRESCHOOLERS WITH NOTHING
MORE THAN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
OR GED. AS A RESULT, 80% OF OUR
GRADUATES LAND JOBS WITHIN A
YEAR. IN MANY CASES TRIPLING
THEIR PRE TRAINING INCOME. AS TO
DATE, WE HAVE TRAINED OVER 600
LOCAL RESIDENTS, MOST OF WHOM
LIVE WITHIN THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
ON BEHALF OF THE OF THE
PRESCHOOL ORGANIZATION, THE
ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. WE'D LOVE
TO THANK YOU FOR BEING FOR
BELIEVING IN US. WITH YOUR
CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP, WE WILL
TRAIN 120 JOB SEEKERS THIS YEAR
ON OUR PATH TO REACHING 300
ANNUALLY BY 2030, MOVING MORE
SEATTLEITES INTO LASTING HIGH
WAGE CAREERS AND LESS RELIANCE
ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. SO TO
LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
US, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY INVITE ALL
OF YOU TO JOIN US AT OUR NEXT
GRADUATION IN NOVEMBER, WHERE
WE'RE GOING TO BE GRADUATING
ABOUT 20 LEARNERS WHO HAVE GONE
THROUGH OUR NEW PROGRAM CALLED
NEXT GEN AI IT SUPPORT. SO THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
-- THE GRADUATION EVENT IS
WONDERFUL. SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
TO ATTEND AND, AND SEE ALL THE
GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING,
SIMULATED IMMERSIVE,
EXPERIMENTAL REALITIES.
-- GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU
FOR HAVING US TODAY. MY NAME IS
AUDREY LANE, THE INTERIM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SIX HOUR,
WHO IS A SEATTLE BASED NONPROFIT
EMPOWERING UNDERREPRESENTED
COMMUNITIES THROUGH IMMERSIVE
STORYTELLING, MEDIA, ARTS AND
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. TO US,
DIGITAL EQUITY MEANS GIVING
PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN,
CREATE AND TELL THEIR OWN
STORIES, EXEMPLIFIED WITH
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. WE
PROVIDE HANDS ON EDUCATION AND
IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING, VIRTUAL
REALITY AND AI ASSISTED CREATIVE
TOOLS, DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION
AND OTHER CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES WE
SERVE, INCLUDING BIPOC,
IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE
FAMILIES, LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN LOW
INCOME COMMUNITIES HAVE LIMITED
ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL CREATIVE
TOOLS. THIS GRANT WILL HELP SIX
BUILD PORTABLE, CREATIVE
TECHNOLOGY LABS. THE EQUIPMENT
ALLOWS US TO BRING IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION DIRECTLY
INTO SCHOOLS, CULTURAL CENTERS,
YOUTH PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITY
SPACES ACROSS SEATTLE. MOBILE
TECHNOLOGY EXPANDS ACCESS BY
MEETING COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY
ALREADY GATHER. PARTICIPANTS
WILL GAIN TECHNICAL SKILLS,
CREATIVE CONFIDENCE, AND
INDUSTRY RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.
THEY WILL DEVELOP A PATHWAY INTO
HIGHER EDUCATION,
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CAREERS IN
MEDIA, ARTS, IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGIES AND THE CREATIVE
ECONOMY. OUR GOAL IS TO EMPOWER
THE PARTICIPANTS TO BECOME
STORYTELLERS, ARTISTS,
ENTREPRENEURS, TECHNOLOGISTS,
AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. LEADERS
WHO CAN HELP SHAPE A MORE
INCLUSIVE DIGITAL FUTURE. THANK
YOU.
-- UN LOOP.
-- HI, I'M KERRY JENKINS, I'M
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UN
LOOP. ON LOOP IS A SEATTLE BASED
NONPROFIT THAT FOR THE LAST TEN
YEARS HAS BEEN SOLELY FOCUSED ON
DIGITAL EQUITY AND TECHNICAL
SKILLS BUILDING FOR FORMERLY
INCARCERATED ADULTS IN THE
WASHINGTON STATE, AND PRIMARILY
SEATTLE AREA. SO MANY OF THE
PEOPLE WE SERVE LEAVE
INCARCERATION WITH LITTLE TO NO
PRIOR EXPOSURE TO THE DAILY
TOOLS THAT ALL OF US USE EVERY
SINGLE DAY TO ACCESS ALL OF THE
THINGS WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN
CIVIC LIFE. SO ON TOP OF ALL OF
THE OTHER BARRIERS THESE PEOPLE
FACE, THEY HAVE ACCESS ISSUES TO
EMPLOYMENT, TO HOUSING, TO
EDUCATION, AND TO THE SUPPORT
BENEFITS. SO ONE OF OUR
PARTICIPANTS RECENTLY HAD NEVER
USED A SMARTPHONE. THE INTERNET
OR A COMPUTER. HIS VERY FIRST
VIDEO CALL WAS ORIENTATION FOR
OUR PROGRAM. SO WHAT WE DO TO
ADDRESS THIS GAP IS PROVIDE LIVE
COHORT BASED DIGITAL SKILLS
TRAINING LED BY INSTRUCTOR WHO
IS NOT ONLY A TECHNICAL EXPERT,
BUT HAS LIVED EXPERIENCE OF
INCARCERATION. AND ONE OF THE
BIG BARRIERS FOR OUR
PARTICIPANTS IS ACCESS TO
DEVICES. THEY CAN'T PARTICIPATE
IF THEY DON'T HAVE A LAPTOP OR
INTERNET CONNECTION. SO WHAT THE
FUNDING WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR
DOES IS ALLOW US NOT ONLY TO
PROVIDE A LAPTOP AND OR INTERNET
CONNECTIVITY, BUT TO GIFT IT,
WHICH IS A HUGE PART OF THE
BENEFIT OF THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE
THEN THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD
SKILLS, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO
ACCESS EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT,
HOUSING, AND BENEFITS. OUR
THEORY OF CHANGE AT UN LOOP IS
THAT THAT ACCESS LEADS TO
FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE, WHICH
WILL LEAD TO MORE ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES AND MOBILITY. SO I
WANT TO HAVE A HUGE THANK YOU TO
SEATTLE I T MATCHING FUND AND
VERIZON FOR THE FUNDING THEY
PROVIDED THIS YEAR. FOR MANY
PEOPLE, THIS IS THE FIRST LAPTOP
THEY HAVE EVER OWNED. THANKS
-- HORN OF F OH, I'M SORRY,
WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO
HORN OF AFRICA. LOCAL
CONNECTIVITY LAB HI.
-- MY NAME IS ESTHER JIANG. I'M
A DIRECTOR OF THE LOCAL
CONNECTIVITY LAB. AT SCL. WE SEE
INTERNET ACCESS AS A CRITICAL
PUBLIC UTILITY THAT SHOULD BE
UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
AND THIS NEED WILL NOT GO AWAY.
AND TO THAT END, WE EDUCATE AND
ENABLE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO
BUILD AND SUSTAIN OUR OWN
NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE. AS A
COMMUNITY GRASSROOTS PROJECT,
ESPECIALLY IN SEATTLE'S HOMELESS
SHELTERS AND LOW INCOME HOUSING,
WE SEE PEOPLE STRIVING TO FIND
JOBS AND HOUSING AND UPSKILL,
WHICH REQUIRES INTERNET. BUT WE
SEE UNAFFORDABILITY AND LACK OF
RESOURCES FOR CLIENT INTERNET
AND DEVICES. OUR GRASSROOTS
PROJECT, THE SEATTLE COMMUNITY
NETWORK, BUILDS AND PROVIDES
INTERNET SERVICE FOR OVER 300
USERS. AT 14 TINY HOUSE
VILLAGES, SHELTERS AND LOW
INCOME HOUSING SITES, AND WE
ALSO REFURBISH AND DONATE
LAPTOPS. THE FUNDING WE RECEIVED
THIS YEAR FROM T MOBILE WILL
HELP US KEEP EXISTING SITES
ONLINE, INSTALL NEW HARDWARE AND
UPGRADE HARDWARE AT VILLAGES,
AND HOLD A PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL
WORKSHOP ON COMMUNITY NETWORKS
TO GROW OUR MOVEMENT LONG TERM,
WE INVITE THE CITY TO CONSIDER
INTERNET ACCESS A PUBLIC UTILITY
AND WORK WITH US TO ACHIEVE
UNIVERSAL ACCESS.
-- SOLID GROUND WASHINGTON. HI.
-- MY NAME IS JEN AND I'M HERE
ON BEHALF OF SOLID GROUND. OUR
SAND POINT, OUR SAND POINT
HOUSING PROGRAM IS HOME TO OVER
400 SEATTLE RESIDENTS EXITING
HOMELESSNESS AND LIVING ON LOW
INCOMES WITH ACCESS TO CASE
MANAGEMENT, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES,
FULLY WRAP TODAY, AS WE KNOW, WE
ALL RELY ON THE INTERNET FOR
ALMOST EVERYTHING WE DO, SUCH AS
PAYING OUR BILLS, LOOKING FOR
WORK, MAKING MEDICAL
APPOINTMENTS, CHECKING OUR
EMAIL, AND FOR OUR CHILDREN TO
DO THEIR HOMEWORK. AT SOLID
GROUND SAND POINT HOUSING, WE
REMOVE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING
RELIABLE INTERNET SERVICE FOR
RESIDENTS EXITING HOMELESSNESS
SO THEY CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN
AN INCREASINGLY DIGITAL WORLD.
OUR CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THAT THE
WI-FI INFRASTRUCTURE IN SEVERAL
OF OUR PRE WORLD WAR TWO
BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE MADE OF
CONCRETE, ARE MORE THAN IS MORE
THAN TEN YEARS OLD, RESULTING IN
FREQUENT OUTAGES, WEAK COVERAGE,
AND DEAD ZONES WITH NO
CONNECTIVITY AT ALL. THIS
PROJECT, WILL HELP WITH THIS
PROJECT WILL UPGRADE AND EXPAND
WI-FI INFRASTRUCTURE IN TWO
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND BRING
INTERNET ACCESS TO A RESIDENT
COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE FIRST
TIME. REPLACING AGING CABLING
AND EQUIPMENT ACCESS POINTS, AND
IMPROVING COVERAGE AND INCREASE
SERVICE RELIABILITY.
APPROXIMATELY 240 RESIDENTS,
INCLUDING MORE THAN 150
CHILDREN, WILL GAIN FREE,
RELIABLE INTERNET ACCESS IN
THEIR HOMES AND APPROXIMATELY
400 RESIDENTS WILL GAIN ACCESS
TO FREE WI-FI IN THE COMMUNITY
CENTER. OUR GOAL IS NOT SIMPLY
BETTER WI-FI. IT'S GREATER
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL BECAUSE,
RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY IS
ESSENTIAL FOR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC MOBILITY,
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES,
HEALTH CARE, HOMEWORK RESOURCES,
AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES WHILE
MAINTAINING HOUSING STABILITY.
THANK YOU.
-- CHINESE INFORMATION AND
SERVICE CENTER.
-- HI. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY
NAME IS CARRIE WONG AND I'M WITH
CHINESE INFORMATION SERVICE
CENTER, FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF
VOLUNTEERS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND
COLLEGE. WE HAVE BEEN SERVING
THE COMMUNITIES SINCE 1972, AND
OUR MISSION IS TO HELP
IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
SUCCEED WHILE HONORING THEIR
HERITAGE. DIGITAL EQUITY IS
ESSENTIAL TO THIS MISSION
BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY IS NOW THE
GATEWAY TO JOBS, EDUCATION,
PUBLIC RESOURCES, COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, AND CIVIC
PARTICIPATION. THIS NEED IS
SIGNIFICANT, AND NEARLY 90% OF
OUR CLIENTS SPEAK LITTLE TO NO
ENGLISH. AND WHILE MOST OF THEM
ARE COMFORTABLE WITH
SMARTPHONES, 62% ARE NOT
COMFORTABLE WITH USING COMPUTERS
AND MANY STRUGGLES WITH EMAILS.
ONLINE APPLICATIONS, AND
ACCESSING RESOURCES ONLINE. OUR
PROJECT BRIDGES THAT GAP BY
USING TOUCH SCREEN LAPTOPS AND
BILINGUAL, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
TRAINING. WE HELP PARTICIPANTS
TO BUILD PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR
EMPLOYMENT, ONLINE SAFETY AND
NAVIGATING DIGITAL SYSTEMS. OUR
GOAL IS SIMPLE TO HELP PEOPLE
GAIN THE CONFIDENCE AND
INDEPENDENCE TO USE TECHNOLOGY
ON THEIR OWN. OPENING DOORS TO
GREATER OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC
STABILITY AND LONG TERM SUCCESS.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
TECH MATCHING FUND AND MAKE ALL
THIS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU
-- VIA COMUNITARIA.
-- HELLO. GOOD MORNING AND THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK
TODAY., MY NAME IS GLADYS
CLEMENTE. I'M THE SKILLS AND
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
AT VIA COMUNITARIA VIA
COMUNITARIA MISSION IS TO
CULTIVATE LEADERS TO CREATE
STRONGER COMMUNITY. DIGITAL
EQUITY IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO
THAT MISSION BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY
IS NOW ESSENTIAL FOR EDUCATION,
EMPLOYMENT, HEALTHCARE, AND
CIVIC PARTICIPATION. LIKE THIS
ONE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR WORK,
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT MANY
FAMILIES FACE BARRIERS BEYOND
SIMPLY HAVING INTERNET ACCESS.
PARENTS OFTEN NEED SUPPORT
NAVIGATING SCHOOL PLATFORMS,
COMMUNICATING WITH TEACHERS,
ACCESSING ONLINE SERVICES, AND
BUILDING CONFIDENCE TO USE
TECHNOLOGY INDEPENDENTLY. OUR
PROJECT FAMILY DIGITALIS AND
ACTION OF DIGITAL FAMILIES IN
ACTION IN ENGLISH ADDRESSES
THESE NEEDS BY PROVIDING DIGITAL
LITERACY CLASSES ONE ON ONE
DIGITAL NAVIGATOR SUPPORT AND
LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR PARENTS
LEADERS. KNOW, KNOW AS DIGITAL
EDUCATION PROMOTERS. THESE
PROMOTERS, WITH THE HELP OF
OTHER FAMILIES AND SPANISH WILL
IN SPANISH ACCESS TECHNOLOGY,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENGAGE MORE FULLY
IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
OUR LONG TERM GOAL IS FOR
PARENTS TO BECOME CONFIDENT
TECHNOLOGY USERS, STRONGER
ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND
LEADERS WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES.
WE WANT FAMILIES TO FEEL
EMPOWERED TO ACCESS THESE
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT STUDENT
SUCCESS AND FULLY PARTICIPATE IN
TODAY'S DIGITAL WORLD. THANK
YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE
TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND AND FOR
INVESTING IN DIGITAL EQUITY
PROJECTS LIKE THIS ONE. THANK
YOU.
-- AND THEN I'M GOING TO ADD A
2025TMF GRANTEE CAMBODIAN
AMERICAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF
WASHINGTON.
-- THANK YOU CAN MOVE THAT
MICROPHONE. OKAY.
-- OKAY.
-- GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBER,
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING
ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I
MY NAME IS SAMBAR. I AM WITH THE
CAMBODIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON, AND WE
ARE HERE TO EMPOWER AND UPLIFT
OUR CAMBODIAN AMERICAN
COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN SEATTLE,
BUT ACROSS THE STATE. SO WE ARE
A PART OF, JUST LIKE YOU'RE
SAYING, IS PART OF THE 2025
MATCHING FUNDS AND OUR PROJECTS
THAT WE CREATED WAS CALLED THE
TECHNOLOGY AS A THIRD LANGUAGE,
WHERE WE PROVIDE DIGITAL
LITERACY TO OLDER, MAINLY OLDER
ADULTS WITH LOW ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY TO BUILD SKILLS THAT
THEY NEED TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN
THE DAY, IN THEIR DAILY LIFE.
OUR CLASS JUST GO BEYOND JUST
TEACHING THEM HOW TO USE THEIR
DEVICES, BUT WE SHOW THEM HOW TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS, COMMUNICATE WITH
DOCTORS AND OTHER SERVICES. FOR
THEIR, AND USING VARIOUS
TRANSLATION TOOLS. WE HELP THEM
ACCESS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
INDEPENDENTLY ON HOW TO USE.
IMPORTANTLY, AS WE TALK ABOUT
AI, HOW TO USE AI SUCH AS
CHATGPT SAFELY, BECAUSE A LOT OF
SENIORS STILL DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT AN AI IS. SO WE MOSTLY
DOING LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST SAY
BASICS, BUT WE WANT THEM SAFE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO
INTRODUCE IT TO THEM. SO THIS
ALLOWED THEM TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THESE TOOLS AND
HOPEFULLY INCORPORATE THEM INTO
THEIR DAILY LIFE WITH SAFE AND
PRACTICAL AND HOPEFULLY
MEANINGFUL WAY. AND ONE GREATEST
IMPACT THAT I SAW AND WITNESSED
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IS SEEING
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR
SENIORS, BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT
AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT A
FEW OF THE TECHNOLOGIES., AND
ONE OF THE SENIORS THEY SHARE,
SHE SHARED WITH ME THROUGH OUR
CLASSES THAT SHE'S NO LONGER
HAVE TO WAIT FOR HER CHILDREN.
USUALLY SHE WAITS FOR HER BOYS
TO TRANSLATE, BUT BECAUSE I'M
SHOWING HER USING THAT
TRANSLATION TOOL, SHE'S ABLE TO
USE THAT TOOLS TO TRANSLATE SOME
OF THE INFORMATION THAT SHE
RECEIVED. SO THAT WAS VERY, VERY
REFRESHING AND VERY HELPFUL FOR
ME. LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS I RUN
THIS PROGRAM. SO AS YOU SEE,
THIS PROGRAM IS A REALLY TRUE
POWER OF DIGITAL EQUITY WHEN IT
IS IMPLEMENTED WITH THOUGHTFUL
AND EFFECTIVELY. SO IT'S NOT
JUST ABOUT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY,
IT'S ALSO ABOUT INDEPENDENT
CONNECTIONS AND DIGNITY, AND
ESPECIALLY BELONGING FOR OUR
SENIORS AND OTHER LOW ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY FOLKS. SO AT THE
END, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE
SEATTLE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
AND THE MATCHING FUNDS FOR
INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITIES,
ESPECIALLY FOR RESIDENTS WITH
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. AND
TOGETHER, I HOPE THAT WE CAN
MAKE TECHNOLOGY NOT A BARRIER
ANYMORE, BUT AN ACCESS TO
OPPORTUNITIES, TO RESOURCES AND
TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN OUR
EVOLVING AND CRAZY TECHNOLOGY AS
WE WITNESS. SO. SO THANK YOU.
-- AND THEN WE HAVE THREE
PRESENTERS OF VIRTUAL
PRESENTERS. THE FIRST IS THE
LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND SEAN
-- WHICH INDIVIDUAL IS THIS?
-- SEAN. A LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE
BLIND. SEAN DOBBS
-- THERE BEING MADE A PANELIST.
NOW.
-- SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
-- SO THEY'RE BEING MADE A
PANELIST. HI, SEAN. WE BELIEVE
YOU'RE A PANELIST NOW, AND YOU
CAN GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF
AND GIVE US YOUR PRESENTATION.
HI, SEAN.
-- GREAT
-- GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY
NAME IS SEAN DOBBS. I'M SENIOR
VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION
AND COMMUNICATIONS AT THE
LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND
INCORPORATED. OUR MISSION IS TO
EMPOWER PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND,
DEAF, BLIND, AND BLIND WITH
OTHER DISABILITIES THROUGH
SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT AND
TRANSFORMATIVE SERVICES FOR
INDEPENDENCE AND CAREER
ADVANCEMENT., WE WORK THROUGH
THIS BY BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE,
TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE, THE
RESOURCES, SKILLS, AND TOOLS
NECESSARY TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN
THE WORKPLACE AND IN THEIR
PERSONAL LIVES. PEOPLE WHO ARE
DEAF, BLIND EXPERIENCE NUMEROUS
AND DISPROPORTIONATE BARRIERS TO
TECHNOLOGY, PRIMARILY DUE TO A
LACK OF ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY
AND ALSO NOT ENOUGH TECHNOLOGY
INSTRUCTORS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF
THE FOLKS WHO ARE DEAF BLIND IN
THE SEATTLE DEAFBLIND COMMUNITY.
THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY FOR DEAF
BLIND ADULTS PROJECT, ALLOWS
INDIVIDUALS TO WORK ONE ON ONE
WITH A DIGITAL NAVIGATOR AT THE
INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM TO
DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
THAT THEY NEED. AS A RESULT,
PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF BLIND ARE
NOW ABLE TO ACCESS CALENDARS,
READ, AND SEND EMAILS. THEY'RE
ABLE TO SCHEDULE DOCTOR'S
APPOINTMENTS, READ BOOKS, AND
ACTUALLY HAVE GREATER ACCESS AND
PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF
SEATTLE AND THE TECHNOLOGY
MATCHING FUND FOR EMPOWERING
PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF, BLIND.,
-- AND THEN WE HAVE HORN OF
AFRICA SERVICES. SO WE'RE GOING
TO GO BACK TO THE 2026 GRANTEES
SO GUY, ARE YOU ONLINE? SAKA.
-- YEP.
-- I THINK WE HAVE A PANELISTS.
SO GUY, YOU JUST PRESS GO AHEAD
AND UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU CAN
GO AHEAD AND GIVE US A
PRESENTATION
-- GOOD MORNING. CITY
COUNCILMEMBERS. MY NAME IS GUY.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
HORN OF AFRICA SERVICES. I'M
SHARING THIS COMMENT TO STRONGLY
ADVOCATE FOR THE EXPRESS. OUR
DEEP GRATITUDE FOR TECHNOLOGY
MATCHING FUND. THE TECHNOLOGY
MATCHING FUND IS ONE OF THE MOST
VITAL CITY OF SEATTLE
INITIATIVES. IT SUPPORTS OUR
COMMUNITIES IN NUMEROUS WAYS,
INCLUDING PROVIDING FREE
INTERNET FOR COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, CRUCIAL FUNDING,
AND MANY OTHER DIGITAL EQUITY
RESOURCES. ALL OF AFRICA
SERVICES IS ONE OF THE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAS DIRECTLY
BENEFITED FROM THIS FUND SINCE
ITS INCEPTION. OUR COMMUNITY HAS
GREATLY PROSPERED BECAUSE OF
THIS, INCLUDING OUR SENIORS,
YOUTH AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
HOWEVER, THE NEED REMAINS
PROFOUND. MANY OF THE COMMUNITY
MEMBERS WHO OURSELVES ARE STILL
IN CRITICAL NEED OF BASIC
COMPUTER SKILLS AND TECHNOLOGY
DEVICES AS FREQUENTLY PORTION OF
OUR POPULATION HAS PASSED
THROUGH IMMERSED TRAUMA WHILE
LIVING IN REFUGEE CAMPS OR
FEELING POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN
THEIR NATIVE COUNTRIES. COMING
FROM THIS DIFFICULT BACKGROUND,
ADAPTING TO THE DIGITAL FIRST
SOCIETY IS A STEEP CHALLENGES.
THE TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND IS
ONE OF THE GREATEST FUNDING
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO DIRECTLY
ADDRESS THIS GAP. BY OFFERING
THIS COMMUNITY ESSENTIAL
RESOURCES SUCH AS REFURBISHED
COMPUTERS AND DIGITAL DEVICES
THAT THEY OTHERWISE COULD NEVER
AFFORD. THANK YOU TO THE SUPPORT
OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN ABLE
TO PROVIDE THIS LIFE CHANGING
SERVICES AS A GRANT RECIPIENTS.
THIS MONEY IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR
ORGANIZATION AND OUR COMMUNITY
THROUGH THE MATCHING
REQUIREMENT, OUR VOLUNTEERS
PROVIDE SERVICES THAT MULTIPLY
THE IMPACT OF EVERY DOLLAR. THE
TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND IS
SMART, COMPASSIONATE INVESTMENT
THAT EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES AND
STRENGTHENS SEATTLE AS A WHOLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND
CONTINUED SUPPORT DIGITAL
EQUITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH
-- THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY
ADVISORY BOARD PLAYS AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE TMF
PROCESS. VOTING ON AWARD
RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROVIDING A
FORUM FOR RECRUITING COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEER REVIEWERS. I INVITE
SEATAC CHAIR PHILLIP MING TO
SPEAK ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT OF TMF
-- THANKS, MARY. I'LL KEEP MY
REMARKS BRIEF. VERY HAPPY TO
JOIN. JOIN THIS PRESENTATION.
SEATAC WAS WAS INSTRUMENTAL TO
SUPPORTING TMF ESTABLISHMENT
BACK IN IN 1998 AND AND WE'VE
BEEN PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS
PROCESS SINCE. IT'S VERY
INSPIRING EVERY YEAR TO LEARN
ABOUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND
WORK WITH SEATTLE. I.T.,
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND
OTHER CITY AGENCIES AND MAKING
THIS HAPPEN
-- AND THEN OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNER, DIGITAL EQUITY LEARNING
NETWORK, PROVIDES PRACTITIONER
SUPPORT TO OUR TMF ORGANIZATION.
SO I INVITE CATHERINE VAN HENLEY
FROM DLDELN TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR
PARTNERSHIP.
-- THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBERS, FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. I'M
CATHERINE VAN HENLEY, PROGRAM
MANAGER FOR DIGITAL EQUITY
LEARNING NETWORK, AND WE ARE A
COALITION OF OVER 100
ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS KING
COUNTY, INCLUDING MOST, IF NOT
ALL. AND IF YOU'RE NOT WITH US,
I'M GOING TO COME FIND YOU
AFTER TODAY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE,
WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO DO
EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD TODAY SO
FAR, PROVIDE ACCESS, SKILLS AND
SUPPORT NEEDED TO, FOR RESIDENTS
TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S
DIGITAL WORLD., AND WHILE DLN
AND OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS
EXPANDING ACCESS AND SKILLING,
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE HAS NOT
DISAPPEARED. IT'S CHANGING AND
IT'S EVOLVING., MORE ESSENTIAL
SERVICES FROM HEALTH CARE,
EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, SNAP,
MEDICAID ENROLLMENT ARE MOVING
ONLINE, EVEN IN THE PREVIOUS
PRESENTATION REGARDING AI AND
CITY SERVICES, WE CAN'T ASSUME
THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS HAVE
ACCESS. AND WITHOUT TRUSTED
SUPPORT, SUCH AS THE SUPPORT
THEY RECEIVE FROM TMF GRANTEES,
SOME RESIDENTS NOT ONLY RISK
BEING LEFT BEHIND, BUT LEFT IN
VERY VULNERABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.
DEEL AS A COALITION EXISTS TO
STRENGTHEN THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO
ARE DOING THIS WORK. WE CONNECT
COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE PROVIDE
TRAINING, WE SHARE RESOURCES AND
BEST PRACTICES AND HELP
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE TMF
GRANTEES TO LEARN FROM ONE
ANOTHER SO THAT THEIR IMPACT
EXTENDS BEYOND A SINGLE
PROJECT., AS A COALITION, WE'RE
BUILDING A STRONGER DIGITAL
EQUITY ECOSYSTEM THAT HELPS
SEATTLE RESIDENTS THRIVE. THANK
YOU
-- I KNOW WE'VE GONE OVER TIME,
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
PATIENCE AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING
AS WE PROVIDE THIS PLATFORM FOR
OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO
SHARE ABOUT THEIR EXCELLENT WORK
AND TO SHARE ABOUT OUR
TECHNOLOGY MATCHING FUND.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU ALL SO
MUCH. I AM VERY BLOWN AWAY AND I
DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR MY
COLLEAGUES, JUST BLOWN AWAY BY
THE IMPACT. IT'S ONE THING WHEN
YOU SEE IT ON A PRESENTATION,
YOU SEE THE NUMBERS, YOU SEE THE
ORGANIZATIONS. BUT TO HEAR YOU
ALL COME HERE, TAKE TIME OUT OF
YOUR DAY TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT
THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAD FOR THE
VARIOUS COMMUNITIES IS
ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSIVE AND VERY
MOTIVATING FOR US TO CONTINUE
SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM, AS WELL
AS WE ARE NAVIGATING, YOU KNOW,
ALL THE THINGS THAT COME WITH
CABLE AND TECHNOLOGY AND, AND AI
THAT IS HERE. SO JUST TO HEAR IT
IN PERSON FROM YOU ALL ABOUT THE
IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS THAT YOU ARE
RUNNING IS ABSOLUTELY
IMPRESSIVE. AND I DON'T WANT TO
SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I
KNOW THEY WOULD PROBABLY SAY THE
SAY THE SAME THING. I WILL PAUSE
HERE TO SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES
WANT TO SAY ANYTHING.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
-- YEAH. THANK YOU. JUST THIS IS
THE BEST 30 SLIDE PRESENTATION I
HAVE. HAD ALL YEAR LONG. JUST
REALLY, LIKE COUNCIL PRESIDENT
SAID, BLOWN AWAY. IT'S ONE THING
TO READ WORDS ON PAPER., AND
IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE TO GET TO SEE YOU ALL
HERE IN PERSON. A COUPLE
HIGHLIGHTS THAT I HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT
AFFORDABILITY. WE CONTINUE TO
HAVE THE AFFORDABILITY
CONVERSATION HERE AT COUNCIL
THIS YEAR. THANK YOU TO COUNCIL
PRESIDENT FOR USHERING THAT
CONVERSATION. AND THROUGH THE
AFFORDABILITY CONVERSATION. IT
IS SO CRITICAL THAT WHILE WE
PROVIDE AFFORDABILITY ASSISTANCE
TO ALL SEATTLEITES THAT THE
FOLKS THAT HAVE NEED THE MOST
HELP GET THAT EXTRA HELP. AND
THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING AROUND
THIS TABLE TODAY. YOU ARE
HELPING US AND THIS, GRANT
FUNDING IS HELPING US MAKE
SEATTLE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR
PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST., OVER
THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE'VE HAD AN
INTERESTING SERIES OF
PRESENTATIONS. SO I'M GOING TO
CALL OUT ASIAN COUNSELING,
REFERRAL SERVICES IN A REALLY
GOOD WAY., YOU ARE LIVING THE
LEGACY OF UNCLE BOB SANTOS HERE
TODAY WITH US. AND IN LAST WEEK
WE HAD A PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW
BERNIE WHITE BEARS UNITED
INDIANS OF ALL TRIBES IS GOING
TO BE EXPANDING ITS OPERATIONAL
FOOTPRINT AT,, AT DISCOVERY
PARK. AND THEY HAD POWWOW LAST
WEEK, TWO WEEKS AGO, CONTINUING
TO LIVE THAT LEGACY OF THE GANG
OF FOUR. WE HAD ELMER DIXON HERE
IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, WHO FOUNDED
THE SEATTLE CHAPTER OF THE BLACK
PANTHERS. YEAH. YOU KNOW THAT
LARRY GOSSETT WAS A BIG PART OF
HERE IN CHAMBERS IN THIS LAST
WEEK. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO
TAKE THAT MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE
THAT THOSE LEGACIES WERE NOT
POINTS IN TIME IN THE 1960s AND
70s. THEY'RE CONTINUING TO LIVE
THROUGH THE WORK THAT YOU'RE
DOING, THROUGH THE WORK THAT
WE'RE ALL DOING HERE TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT. I GUESS WE NEED
TO HAVE EL CENTRO DE LA RAZA
COME DOWN SOMETIME THIS WEEK,
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A COMPLETE
SET OF FOUR. SO THANK YOU FOR
LIVING THAT LEGACY. ALSO WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT SOLID GROUND, THE WORK
OF FRANK CHOPP, WHO WAS NOT PART
OF THE GANG OF FOUR, BUT HE WAS
RUNNING AROUND BEING HIM, HIS
OLD SELF BUILDING BUILDINGS AND
SUCH., IT'S ALL GROUND. WAS THE
FREMONT PUBLIC ASSOCIATION AND
IT'S JUST REALLY INCREDIBLE TO
SEE ALL OF THE WORK THAT SOLID
GROUND DOES BEYOND JUST FREMONT
NOW ACROSS OUR ENTIRE CITY.
THAT'S ANOTHER LEGACY THAT THAT
YOU ARE LIVING TODAY. AND THEN
FOR EVERYONE ELSE HERE AT THE
TABLE, SOMETHING THAT I THINK
ABOUT WHEN I RECEIVE
PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS AND WHEN
I'M HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
INTANGIBLE BENEFITS THAT WE'RE
PROVIDING, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT
IMPACT WILL HAVE ON SOME YOUNG
PERSON'S LIFE OR EVEN AN OLDER
PERSON LIKE MYSELF. AND WE
DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW TODAY
WHAT THAT LEGACY IMPACT THAT YOU
ARE CREATING BY THE WORK THAT
YOU ARE DOING TO CHANGE
SOMEBODY'S LIFE FOREVER OR
GENERATIONALLY, OR JUST FOR THE
NEXT 15, 20 MINUTES, WHICH IS
ALSO IMPORTANT. AND SO JUST,
I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT
LEGACIES ARE BORN FROM THE WORK
THAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY. JUST
NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL. JUST A
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE. BUT COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, I WOULD SAY MAYBE WE
HAVE A PICTURE WITH EVERYONE
AFTER.
-- YOU READ MY MIND.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS. YEAH,
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE A PICTURE.
WITH, WITH EVERYONE JUST TO
CAPTURE THIS MOMENT BECAUSE
AGAIN, YOU CAN HIGHLIGHT IT IN
WORDS AND PUT IT ON PAPER, BUT
TO SEE THE PEOPLE THAT'S
IMPACTED AND ALL THE GREAT WORK
THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING IS, IS
PHENOMENAL. SO JUST REALLY
GRATEFUL, AS YOU SAID, MOMENT OF
GRATITUDE. COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ,
I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE
SPOT. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
BEFORE WE END
-- I ACTUALLY, I, I'LL BE VERY
I'LL BE VERY QUICK., SO I, I'VE
BEEN AROUND A WHILE, BUT LOOKING
AT THIS POWERPOINT AND GOING
THROUGH YOU,
-- CERTAINLY, YOU CERTAINLY
SHOWED US TODAY THAT YOU HAVE
UPHELD THE VISION OF EMPOWERING
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES THROUGH COMMUNITY
LED SOLUTIONS FOR ADVANCED
DIGITAL EQUITY. I MEAN, 28
YEARS, $10 MILLION, ALL THESE
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THIS IS
WHAT WE HAD ENVISIONED. WE
CERTAINLY PROVIDED FOR IN THE
BUDGET. AND I ALSO A BIG THANKS
TO THE TEN MEMBER BOARD, THE
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY
BOARD., AND I'M HOPING THAT WE
CAN HAVE MORE ORGANIZATIONS AND,
AND, AND, CLOSE THAT WHAT THEY
CALL THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE TODAY. AND THANK YOU,
COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
-- AWESOME. THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ, I'LL TELL
YOU ALL THIS QUICK STORY BEFORE
WE JUMP BACK TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR
ENDING COMMENTS. WE KNOW THAT WE
HAVE A TON OF AND I HEARD SOME
OF YOU TALKED ABOUT LIKE HELPING
ON BOARD OUR ELDERS AND MAKING
SURE THAT THEY HAD ACCESS TO
TECHNOLOGY. AND WE'RE GOING TO
SEE A LOT. WE HAVE A LOT OF BABY
BOOMERS THAT ARE IN OUR CITY.
AND THAT BARRIER TO TECHNOLOGY.
AND THERE WAS A TON OF PEOPLE
THAT WERE IN DIFFERENT
NEIGHBORHOODS IN CENTRAL
DISTRICT AND SOUTH END WHO WERE
HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME OF
GETTING ONLINE AND APPLYING FOR
PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION. AND THE
COUNTY WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS
ISSUE WAS? WHY COULDN'T, YOU
KNOW, THEY GET ONLINE WHAT? AND
SO, THIS ONE ORGANIZATION GOT A
TECHNOLOGY GRANT AND THEY WENT
DOOR TO DOOR AND THEY WOULD GO
ONLINE AND HELP PEOPLE ENROLL
AND SHOW THEM HOW TO DO IT. AND
THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE OF
GETTING PEOPLE PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF, JUST SENDING SOMEONE OUT
TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE
THAT AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS
FOR, FOR PEOPLE. OFTENTIMES YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A PERSON
INTERVENTION AND HELP WITH
TECHNOLOGY ACCESS. AND SO
THINKING ABOUT IT THAT WAY TO
SEE THAT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL
DO, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE
INTERNET OR INSTALLING FAST
WI-FI OR PUTTING A QR CODE ON A
PIECE OF PAPER FOR PEOPLE TO
SCAN. MY PARENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT THAT IS. MY MOM'S LIKE,
WHAT IS THAT?, BUT TO BE ABLE TO
TRANSLATE IT FOR PEOPLE, MAKE
SURE IT'S IN THEIR LANGUAGE,
MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT
CONNECTION., THAT, THAT FOR ME
WAS VERY EYE OPENING THAT IT
REALLY SOMETIMES TAKES DOOR TO
DOOR. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL
ARE DOING EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO
JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR, FOR
THAT. SO IS THERE ANY CLOSING
COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ADD?
-- YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO END OUR
PRESENTATION WITH A SOME
COMMENTS FROM COMMUNITY
ORGANIZERS, ORGANIZER SABRINA
ROACH, AND ALSO MEMBER OF THE
DEEL N STEERING COMMITTEE, TO
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR
PROGRAM FITS WITHIN THE CONTEXT
OF THE GREATER ECOSYSTEM IN
SEATTLE.
-- SO DO YOU WANT ME TO GO JUST.
-- RIGHT HERE? IT'S FULL OF
SURPRISES. TODAY WE GOT A BUNCH
OF GUESTS. IT'S GREAT. ANYWHERE
YOU CAN GO. YEAH, ANYWHERE THAT
LOOKS ANYWHERE THAT'S
COMFORTABLE.
-- OKAY.
-- ALL RIGHT. BUT YOU GOT TO
SCOOT ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE AND
YOU CAN.
-- YOU'RE ALL GOOD. THANK YOU.
AND THEN YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND
GRAB THAT MIC AND JUST PULL IT
TOWARDS YOU. AND IT SHOULD BE
GREEN.
-- THANK YOU. I'M, I'M
ACTUALLY FEELING A LITTLE
EMOTIONAL ABOUT ALL OF THIS. SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING
THIS., MY NAME IS SABRINA ROACH.
I, I'VE BEEN ON THE DEEL
STEERING COMMITTEE FOR MAYBE SIX
YEARS NOW., AND I'M THE CHAIR
OF THE WASHINGTON DIGITAL EQUITY
PARTNERS COALITION, A STATEWIDE
COALITION OF FOLKS WHO, WHO
ORGANIZE AROUND THIS. IT JUST
TAKES A BIG GRASSROOTS EFFORT.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY IN
DIGITAL EQUITY. AND WE ALL
WORKED REAL HARD TOGETHER TO
PASS STATE LEGISLATION. WE
WORKED ON FEDERAL LEGISLATION.
AND, A LOT OF A LOT OF THAT IS
ZEROED OUT AT THIS POINT., BUT
THE CREATIVITY AND BIG HEARTS OF
ALL OF THESE FOLKS AND SO MANY
MORE WHO AREN'T IN THIS ROOM
HAVE REALLY MADE IT HAPPEN. AND
THE PARTNERSHIP WITH FOLKS IN
ELECTED OFFICES, IT'S JUST SO
KEY. REPRESENTATIVE MIA
GREGERSON HAS, HAS BEEN OUR
PRIME SPONSOR ON, ON THIS
LEGISLATION, I GUESS FOR
-- [LAUGHTER]
-- SIX YEARS, SEVEN YEARS WAS
THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED
ME TO SAY? JUST SORT OF A MOMENT
OF THANK YOU. AND YEAH, I'M VERY
MOVED.
-- THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
-- AWESOME. THANK, THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THAT WAS THAT WAS
PHENOMENAL. YOU SAID EXACTLY
WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID. AND WE
SAW AND FELT YOUR EMOTION THERE.
AND THAT SAID, MORE THAN
ANYTHING WORDS COULD SAY. SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH COLLEAGUES,
BEFORE WE END THE MEETING, WELL,
WE'LL END THE MEETING, BUT
AFTER WE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE A
PHOTO COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS AND
I, I KNOW SOME OF THE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS HAD HARD STOPS. WOULD
LOVE TO TAKE A COMMITTEE PHOTO
WITH YOU ALL AFTER THIS AS
WELL., AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO
THE END OF OUR JULY 29th
GOVERNANCE AND UTILITIES
MEETING. THANK YOU, EVERYONE,
AND THANK COMMITTEE COLLEAGUES
FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO
AND FOR SQUEEZING THE SPECIAL
COMMITTEE MEETING. AND TODAY,
WITH THAT, WE HAVE NO OTHER
ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER
BUSINESS, THIS CONCLUDES OUR
JULY 29th MEETING OF THE
GOVERNANCE AND UTILITIES
COMMITTEE. OUR NEXT MEETING IS
AUGUST 13th, 2026, 9:30 A.M..
THAT IS OUR LAST MEETING BEFORE
COUNCIL WILL GO INTO RECESS ON
AUGUST 21st. SO THIS THAT WILL
BE OUR LAST MEETING, NOT FOR THE
YEAR, BUT BEFORE WE DO OUR, OUR
RECESS THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR.
ALL RIGHT. IT IS 11:42 A.M.. THE
MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
-- THANK YOU
-- [MUSIC] [MUSIC]
[MUSIC] [MUSIC]