City Council Briefing 9/8/25

Good afternoon, everyone.

Today is September 8th, 2025. The council briefing meeting will come to order and the time is 2.03 p.m.

Councilmember Hollingsworth is excused from this meeting.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Kettle.

Here.

Council member Rink.

Present.

Council member Rivera.

Present.

Council member Sacca.

Here.

Council member Solomon.

Here.

Council member Strauss.

Here.

Council member Juarez.

Here.

Council President Nelson.

Present.

A present.

Thank you very much.

All right.

If there's no objection, the minutes of August 11th, 2025 will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the minutes are adopted.

All right.

President's report.

Today we have one presentation from the Get Engaged program, one proclamation from Councilmember Strauss for signatures, and we'll be joined by Greg Doss from Central Staff to review the amendments we anticipate in the public safety discussion at City Council tomorrow.

On tomorrow's City Council meeting agenda, there are 11 items on the introduction and referral calendar.

The weekly bill payment ordinance, a resolution of intention to change the assessment rate and exemptions for the Soto parking and business improvement area, An ordinance relating to the Soto Parking and Business Improvement Area, changing the assessment rate and exemptions.

An ordinance relating to updating the structure and processes of the Office of City Auditor.

An ordinance relating to the University District Parking and Business Improvement Area.

An ordinance relating to city employment, adopting the 2025 citywide position list.

An ordinance relating to land use and zoning amending chapter 2332 of the Seattle Municipal Code at page 100 of the official land use map to rezone parcels located at 352 Roy Street.

An ordinance relating to historic preservation imposing controls upon Tolliver Temple Church of God in Christ, a landmark designated by the Landmarks Preservation Board.

Two appointments to the Landmark Preservation Board, an ordinance relating to the Seattle Fire Code clarifying provisions relating to preventable alarms and securing of premises in amending sections 112, 2002, 311, and 901 of the 2021 Seattle Fire Code.

All right, that's the IRC.

The consent calendar includes the weekly bill payment ordinance and 19 appointments of get engaged participants who we'll hear from shortly.

And there are six pieces of legislation from committees.

One that went straight to City Council for approving a collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Seattle Fire Chiefs Association.

Two from Public Safety related to SPD's CCTV and Real-Time Crime Center programs.

One from Finance Native Communities and Tribal Governments Committee related to public works contracts and the small works roster.

And then two from the Land Use Committee.

One's for a small rezone in Lake City and the other is for the installation of netting poles at Jefferson Park Golf Course.

So that's what we've got for full council tomorrow.

And now we'll hear from the Get Engaged program.

And I want to welcome all of our guests today to council chambers.

I'll pass things off to our presenters in a moment, but I just want to introduce Get Engaged as a program through the YMCA that helps young people aged 18 to 29 get engaged in civic participation by serving on city boards and commissions.

And this is always one of my favorite meetings because I like being able to hear from our young people and what is motivating their interests to be involved, not just in this program, but what they're thinking about afterwards.

And it's uplifting to witness your passion and your dedication.

And I would just say, colleagues, look at the people sitting around Our table when they're up here because we may be seeing them on the Supreme Court one day or in Congress one day or even here at this dais.

So these are very well motivated and civically engaged folks and it's a pleasure to have you here today.

Our future leaders, I might add.

All right, so why don't you come along, why don't you make your way up to the table and I'll just finish my remarks.

Um, most of us at the dais have had the opportunity to hear this presentation before, but for those who haven't, here's how this is going to go.

So first I'll introduce our presenters, Bailey Burgess from the Office of the Mayor, along with, um, Imani Bender from the YMCA.

And they'll talk briefly about the program and, uh, and then we will invite our candidates for appointment to the podium to address the council as, um, as to their qualifications and why they would like to serve.

And then once this is complete, we'll thank our guests.

And then the vote for these appointments will be on tomorrow's consent calendar at City Council.

With that, okay, Bailey and Imani, please take it away.

Go ahead and introduce yourselves with your full name and correct pronunciation.

Thanks.

Hello, Council President Nelson and Council Members.

Thank you so much for having me and for considering these appointments for the Mayor.

My name is Bailey Burgess and I work in the office of Mayor Bruce Harrell.

First, I just want to say we appreciate all of the work you do to support the great boards and commissions we have here at the City of Seattle.

The Get Engaged positions bring essential voices to city government and provide a great opportunity for young folks to get engaged.

This is an incredible group of applicants who will do great service to our city, and we are really excited to be putting forth these appointments for your consideration today.

Mayor Harrell strongly believes in supporting young people across Seattle and hearing from them directly about their perspectives, their lived experiences, and their ideas about the issues that impact all of us.

It is critical that our boards and commissions fully represent Seattle's communities, neighborhoods, and residents, and this includes representation from young people and those who are most impacted by the work the city does.

Thank you to our great partners who helped make this work possible, including the staff at the city who support our boards and commissions and our partners from the YMCA.

And now I'm going to pass it over to Imani, who will talk a little bit more about this program.

Thanks, Bailey.

Can you hear me okay?

Yes.

Move the microphone.

You can move it towards you.

There you go.

All right.

How about that?

Okay.

Good afternoon.

My name is Imani Bender, and I am here representing the Y Social Impact Center, which is our social services branch of the Y of Greater Seattle.

And I have the privilege of leading our Get Engaged program, which places young adults age 18 through 29 on city boards and commissions, where they provide a really important youth perspective to city affairs, right?

So Get Engaged was established in 2001, and it represents this really long-lasting partnership between the city and the Y.

And over 20 years of the city and the Y working together to really uplift youth voices and empower our future leaders as well.

So a bit about the program.

During their year-long term, our Get Engaged Commissioners act as fully vested in voting members of the 20 different boards and commissions that participate in the program.

We also ask that they attend our monthly cohort meetings.

So those are facilitated by the Y and are really a great opportunity for Peer support, professional development opportunities, and we also see a lot of collaboration across boards and commissions in that space, which is really great to see.

So those cohort meetings are really a space for young people to find support, guidance, network, right?

And we find that it's also a space that young people are creating really long-lasting community with one another that sort of goes past their participation in the program.

We also find that young adults in this program make an impact on the boards and commissions of the city that last past their year long term.

So currently we have co-chairs on the Human Rights Commission, LGBTQ Commission, the Technology Advisory Board, and the Renters Commission, who are all get engaged alumni.

And of course we have many other alumni who are on other seats on the boards and commissions as well and continuing that service.

So, you know, that's exciting because for a lot of the young people sitting here, this is the beginning of a, you know, long journey in civic service.

So I think that they're just a reminder of what we gain from investing in our young people.

I want to talk a bit about our recruitment process as well.

So each spring, the Y works with board and commission liaisons to put together our Get Engaged cohort.

The Y's role in that is really to oversee recruitment and outreach and connect our boards and commissions to the applicants for the program in that interview process.

So recruitment went really well this year.

We spread the word on social media, connected with local colleges, young professionals groups, and I was even bopping around the city dropping off flyers in person.

So a big effort there.

We also remain committed to centering equity and diversity in this process.

As a social services agency, the Social Impact Center has a large and growing network of youth-facing community partners.

So think organizations like Year Up, Lambert House, the Mockingbird Society, Urban League.

And we share this opportunity with those partners to really make sure that we are connecting with young people who are from communities that have been historically denied access to these civic decision-making spaces.

So, you know, we're very intentional about putting together a group of young people who represent a wide variety of racial and cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, and lived experiences.

So really our goal each year is to put together a cohort that's representative of the many communities in this city.

So I also just want to take a moment, because we don't do all that work alone, I want to take a moment to thank the board and commission liaisons who do a ton of networking, recruiting on their own, in their own networks, and are of course there with me for every single interview.

They're just amazing, and we could not do it without them.

So many, many city staff are a part of this effort as well.

So with that, I'll sort of move on to our nominations for the 2025 Get Engaged cohort.

Today, I will be introducing you to 19 hopeful appointees, and I've had the opportunity to meet with this group of young adults during the interview process, and they are truly remarkable.

So that's really the spirit and the theme of this program.

I think year after year, we're just so in awe of all the applicants that we are lucky enough to meet.

It's really an opportunity to hear young people's stories and witness those stories and hear about what their dreams are for the city and for themselves.

So that's really a gift.

The young people in this program are so passionate about improving public life in the city of Seattle and about creating systems and communities that work for us all.

So I'm excited to introduce them today.

We have 10 of today's 19 Get Engaged nominees present.

And I will be reading for the nine appointees who were not able to make it today.

OK, so I've got the agenda here with sort of the order that I'll be calling them up.

For those that I'm reading for, I will let you guys know the first, let's see, it looks like about five are not here with us, so you will be hearing quite a bit from me in the beginning here.

So I just go ahead and call them up?

All right.

Before you begin, I have a question.

Is Get Engaged replicated at WISE across the country or just in the state?

Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Not that I know of.

I think that this is a pretty rare program in that.

Seattle's special.

Seattle's special, you know?

But I think that there's an opportunity for this model to be replicated in other places and really invest in our young people in the civic space, absolutely.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Okay.

So first is Agni Bhattacharya, who is seeking appointment with the Seattle Renters Commission.

Agni's not here with us, so I will go ahead and read his introduction.

Agni is a product manager at Stripe, a fintech company in their Seattle office, and a former venture capital-backed entrepreneur.

He rents in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and is excited to join the Seattle Renters Commission to balance a triangle of needs between renters, landlords, and developers by leveraging quantitative and qualitative insights from all stakeholders to drive equitable and meaningful policy change for Seattle renters.

Okay.

Next, we have B.B.

Denton, who's seeking appointment with the Seattle LGBTQ Commission.

I'll also be reading B.B.' 's bio.

So B.B. Denton has been selected to serve on the LGBTQ commission.

With a professional background in advocacy, policy, and healthcare, they are excited to explore community-led governments through their appointment.

Although Seattle is known for its rich LGBTQ history and culture, it is far from a safe haven.

The compounding impacts of our local cost of living crisis and the national attacks on LGBTQ rights and identities have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, particularly those in the community who hold multiple marginalized identities have been subjected to increasing violence.

Amidst this landscape, it is important to ensure that policy is working for the queer community as it determines access to resources, funding, and special protections.

BB is excited to work with their peers to advocate for an intersectional approach to local government that is built on relationship building and reciprocity.

Alright, next we have Charlie Nguyen, who is seeking appointment to the Seattle Disability Commission.

Charlie Nguyen is the Get Engaged member that has been selected to serve on the Seattle Disability Commission.

Since becoming more aware of the importance of civic engagement to society, Charlie has sought to increase his involvement in civic affairs as a Seattle resident.

Joining the Seattle Disability Commission is of particular interest to Charlie because disability matters have been and continue to be a crucial part of Charlie's life and work experiences.

Charlie currently works in a governmental role involving upholding employment rights for people with disabilities.

He is thankful for this opportunity to serve on the Seattle Disability Commission, and he hopes to use his knowledge and background to support the Commission's work of being a voice for the disability community in Seattle.

All right.

Up next, we have Hector Garcia, who is seeking appointment with the Seattle Rights Commission.

And Hector actually wasn't able to make it today.

Had a work.

Something come up last minute.

So I'm going to actually read his bio off of my phone, because I did not have time to print it.

So I apologize for that.

Let me grab it.

OK, so Hector Garcia is seeking appointment with the Human Rights Commission.

Hector's background is in property management and community leadership, where he has consistently advocated for housing justice, equitable treatment, and opportunities for young people to be engaged in civic life.

His direct experience navigating complex legal and civic issues has given him a strong perspective on how city policies affect residents in their daily lives.

He is passionate about creating Excuse me, he is passionate about creating pathways for youth engagement and ensuring that fairness, accountability, and equity guide the Commission's work.

Hector looks forward to contributing his skills, energy, and lived experience in service to the people of Seattle.

Let's see here.

All right, and next we have Sophia Brown, who's also not able to make it today, so I will be reading Sophia's bio.

Sophia is seeking appointment on the Seattle Women's Commission.

Sophia Brown is a student living in Seattle.

She is very passionate about advancing equity in our beautiful city, particularly around issues that affect women and gender diverse communities.

She is very excited to serve on the Women's Commission because she believes strongly in policy work and community driven solutions when it comes to addressing challenges like housing insecurity, economic struggles, and general safety in and around Seattle.

She wants to contribute her perspective, listen to community voices, and work with the council and fellow commissioners to ensure Seattle continues moving toward being a more inclusive and supportive city for all.

While Seattle is a great city, we can make it even better by collaborating and working hard to improve it for everyone.

Okay, and that's all you're gonna hear from me for a while.

Up next, we have Eric Alipio, who is seeking appointment on the Seattle Design Commission.

Does he go up here to this podium?

It does say podium in my notes, so that might be easier than everybody having to get through there, et cetera, and plus this is a better view for the TV.

Thanks, Eric.

Thank you.

And the other mic is taller and maybe more comfortable.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, counselors.

My name is Eric Alipio, and I'm a District 6 resident and a current Master of Landscape Architecture student at the UW.

I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve on the Seattle Design Commission this year.

Having now been a resident of Seattle for the past nine years, through both undergrad and grad school, I've come to recognize both the positive and negative effects our built environment has had on us.

It has both equipped us to address social injustices as well as contributed to those societal inequities.

As a GetEngaged member on the SDC, I aim to provide feedback and recommendations to major public design projects throughout the city with an emphasis on equity, cultural competency, and community development.

It is within our public realm that we can make collective and meaningful change within our society.

So it is important we center social justice and racial equity in the design of spaces that connect us not only to one another, but the places that we live, work, and play.

I'm eager to get going with this work and find my place in continuing to make Seattle uniquely Seattle.

So thank you for your time.

Thanks, Eric.

So next up, I will call Kiana Andres, who is seeking appointment on the Design Review Board.

Aloha mai kakou.

My name is Kiana Andres, and I'm honored to be selected to serve on the Design Review Board through the Get Engaged program.

As someone of Native Hawaiian ancestry, I see architecture not just as design, but as a relationship between people, place, and history.

Growing up in a community that deeply values culture and stewardship, I carry with me a commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and culturally grounded design.

I'm excited to serve because I believe the built environment should reflect the values and voices of the people it impacts.

Through this role, I hope to bring a perspective rooted in equity, cultural awareness, and environmental responsibility, values I've developed through my education, my design work, and my heritage.

It's a privilege to contribute to shaping Seattle's future in a way that's thoughtful, connected, and respectful to both community and land.

Mahalo for this opportunity.

All right, next we have Maeve Gillis who's seeking appointment to the Urban Forestry Commission.

Hi, my name is Maeve Gillis.

I use she, her pronouns, and I was selected for the Urban Forestry Commission.

I am honored to serve the people of Seattle through protection and expansion of Seattle's urban forests.

My background is in chemical engineering.

I've worked across conventional and renewable energy industries, but I'm passionate about protecting the original carbon capture innovators, our trees.

My aim in the Urban Forestry Commission is to increase equitable access to Seattle's trees and green spaces, a critical resource for our city's climate resiliency and for individuals' health and well-being.

I believe Seattle's trees provide the opportunity to fall in love with the natural world, an experience I am passionate about protecting.

Thank you.

All right, next we have Margaret Zelis, who is seeking appointment to the Seattle Planning Commission.

Margaret was not able to make it today, so I'll read her introduction.

Originally from Boise, Idaho, Margaret now resides in the Fremont neighborhood and is beginning her third year of law school at the University of Washington this fall.

As a student, she's curious about the intersection of land use law with environmental justice, which inspires her interest in serving on the city's planning commission.

She looks forward to exploring the legal and policy implications involved in shaping livable communities.

Prior to this, she worked as a planner in Ada County, Idaho.

Starting off in current land use planning, she watched the cities she grew up in shift and adapt to the rapid growth in the Boise metropolitan area through reviewing developmental applications.

She found her way into a long-range transportation planning role where she programmed and prioritized funding for a five-year infrastructure plan for the county and its six cities.

It was through this work that she got to coordinate and balance stakeholder interests from the city's advisory committees and public participation while furthering the goals of the elected commission.

Working in such close proximity to these varying interests is what inspired her to serve on the Seattle Planning Commission.

Through her legal education, she has explored the intersection of land use planning, decision-making, and the law.

The work of the Seattle's Planning Commission goes to the heart of her academic and professional interests and provides her with the opportunity to bridge her legal education with the on-the-ground practical experiences This is the planning for sustainability and resiliency in a complex urban space like Seattle.

All right.

Next, we have Jonathan Lopez, who is seeking appointment with the Seattle Immigrant and Refugee Commission.

Can you guys hear me?

Yes.

Hi, my name is Jonathan Lopez and I was selected to serve on the Immigrant and Refugee Commission.

I know that now more than ever, our immigrant and refugee communities need as much advocacy as possible.

My roles, including my board position at the national nonprofit Europe United, my employment with King County as an engineer for Metro Transit, and my experience as a first-generation Latino equips me with the knowledge necessary to serve our community in this capacity.

I look forward to working alongside you all.

And yeah, thank you for your time.

All right, next we have Cameron Wong, who's seeking appointment to the Landmarks Preservation Board.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Cameron Wong, and I'll be joining the City's Landmark Preservation Board.

As someone who grew up in the Seattle area, went to UW, and currently serve on a few different community development and nonprofit boards locally, I'm really honored to have this opportunity to serve and steward our city's amazing historic landmarks and neighborhoods.

For me, preservation is much more than just old buildings.

It's about understanding our places, their past, and how we can learn from them to make a better future for our communities.

I chose to serve on this commission because Seattle has seen so much growth and change in recent years.

There's a lot of exciting developments like our new waterfront and World Cup coming next year.

I believe that preservation isn't just compatible with these things, it can be a partner and a tool for shaping solutions that are both forward-looking and deeply rooted in place.

Thank you.

All right, next we have Cameron Janczyk, who's seeking appointment on the Community Involvement Commission.

I will be reading Cameron's introduction.

Cameron Yanchik is honored and excited to serve on the Community Involvement Commission.

Cameron is a proud citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, originally from Oklahoma City and now living in the Interbay neighborhood in Seattle.

Cameron graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in political science and Native American studies, and her research focused on identifying barriers and motivating factors that impact Native participation in both tribal and non-tribal elections.

She currently works as the political navigator with Native Action Network, where she manages leadership development and advocacy training programs designed to foster Native women's participation and representation in local, state, national, and tribal affairs.

She is passionate about furthering community empowerment in the political process, especially amongst Native young people, and hopes to use her position on the Community Involvement Commission to help foster equitable and inclusive engagement across Seattle, especially for communities that have historically lacked access.

All right, next we have Montana Houston.

Montana was not able to make it with us today, so I will read her bio as well.

And Montana is seeking reappointment, actually, to the Pioneer Square Preservation Board.

Montana Houston is honored to be selected to serve on the Pioneer Square Preservation District Board.

As a lifelong Seattleite, a black woman, and a community advocate, Montana is deeply committed to preserving the rich history of Pioneer Square while helping shape a more inclusive future.

She still remembers her first underground tour and how it brought Seattle's story of resilience to life.

That experience stayed with her and sparked a desire to protect and honor the legacy of the district.

Professionally, she brings legal and operational expertise as senior commercial legal analyst at Dropbox, where she's negotiated over 500 contracts worth more than $105 million.

She also serves our community through her work with Leadership Tomorrow and her own platform, Reuminate, which helps young adults navigate life's milestones.

She is excited to contribute to the board by supporting thoughtful preservation, increasing representation among vendors, and ensuring Pioneer Square remains a space that reflects the vibrancy of all Seattle communities.

All right, next we have Lauren Campbell with the Seattle Center Advisory Commission.

Hi there.

Good afternoon, City Council members.

My name is Lauren Campbell, and I'm honored to have been selected for the Seattle Center Advisory Commission.

I was born and raised in the greater Seattle area, and I've been living in the city proper since 2019. Currently, I work as an event coordinator at the Gates Foundation, just across the street from the center, and I reside in Capitol Hill with my partner and our two cats.

When I was younger and living outside of the city, Seattle Center was the city to me.

I have a lifetime of cherished memories there, and I assume that everybody else in this room can think of at least one day that was enhanced by their time at the Center.

The Seattle Center is the ultimate gathering space in this city, and in my time working in the event industry, I have come to understand just how important it is for us to have opportunities to gather, which is why I wanted to be the champion for the Center from the Get Engaged program.

Although I'm new to serving in an advisory capacity, I hope to make up for my lack of experience by bringing my unique perspective as an event coordinator and an event attendee, as well as a vibrant passion for learning.

I'm here because I believe in the power of civic engagement, and I want to ensure future generations get the opportunity to make their own memories in a place that I hold near and dear.

Thank you very much.

All right, up next we have Brian Bacher with the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.

Hello, council members.

My name is Brian Bacher.

I have been selected for the board of Parks and Recreation.

Tremendously looking forward to this opportunity.

The reason I'm doing this, I wanted to serve my city a bit more than picking up trash on the street or selling books at the bookstore at the flagship library.

Also doing this for some professional growth and beyond anything else, to learn and work with my peers as we deal with all the challenges Seattle throws at us.

Thank you.

All right, up next we have Jack Nash with the Seattle Arts Commission.

Hello, council members.

I'm Jack Nash.

I was selected for the Arts Commission.

I'm a software engineer by day, and I have a background in performing arts.

And I'm really excited to serve, not just for the opportunity to work to make Seattle better, but also to get this firsthand experience with the decision-making process that shapes our city.

Public art is such a great way to improve a space, and it's relatively cheap and quick to implement, and it gives the city an opportunity to collaborate with communities to give them the chance to see themselves represented in their built environment.

I'm looking forward to serving the public and advocating on behalf of art in Seattle.

Thank you.

All right, next we have Jeremy Knapp with the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board.

Good afternoon.

My name is Jeremy Knapp.

I use they, he pronouns and I'm a resident of Capitol Hill and I'm super excited to join the Pedestrian Advisory Board.

In my day job, I work in the Washington State Senate on transportation issues and have seen how crucial It is for community voices to be heard and integrated into decision-making to truly create people-centered infrastructure.

I'm also a daily pedestrian in Seattle, and like too many others, have lost people because a driver made a reckless choice, And our infrastructure did not do enough to keep pedestrians safe.

I hold a deep-seated belief that infrastructure is fundamental to the well-being of our community and that it needs to be safe and accessible for all users, not just cars.

Thank you for your time, and I'm eager to work collaboratively and ensure our infrastructure reflects the values of a people-first approach and creates a more connected, equitable, and vibrant Seattle.

All right, next we have Naomi Cutler seeking appointment to the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board.

Naomi was not able to make it today, so I will read her introduction.

Naomi is interested in connecting people to their natural environment and providing people with the information they need to adapt to the changing climate.

She wants to support her community in living happier, healthier lives.

And she believes that biking for recreational or transportation purposes is a wonderful avenue to do that.

She's excited to support the Bicycle Advisory Board in making cycling in Seattle safer, more accessible, and equitable, and more fun for our communities.

All right, and next we have Sydney Orr, who's seeking appointment to the Seattle Transit Advisory Board.

Excuse me.

Hello, council members.

My name is Sydney Orr, and I'm a Seattle transit user, a community engagement professional, and a South Delridge resident.

To me, Seattle is without a doubt the best city in the United States, and a thriving transit system makes this city a place where people want to live, work, connect, and grow.

As a career community engagement consultant, I've been lucky to work on transportation projects with SDOT, King County, Sound Transit, and WSDOT.

I want to bring my knowledge of the various transit entities that make up our transit network to the TAB and continue to advocate for multimodal transit systems that excite everyone and serve Seattle's diverse and vibrant community.

Thank you.

All right, and those were the 19 appointees that we have for you today.

Thank you so much.

Do you have any last words?

No.

We appreciate the council's consideration today and thank you to all of the great young people who applied and turned out.

Thank you.

Are there any comments?

Let's see if I have any.

I'll note that I also want to thank you so much for coming and for all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make these appointments and this happen and this program so successful.

And we look forward to voting out the actual confirmations tomorrow at full council and colleagues all of the Appointment packets are online.

They're linked to the agenda so you can get to know folks a little bit better.

Feel free to do that before the vote.

And special shout out also to Tao Madsen from the legislative department who coordinates our boards and commissions with the mayor's office and is instrumental every year in planning this presentation.

So thank you all so much.

It's inspiring to hear your stories and your interest in your passion for the city.

Look forward to taking the vote tomorrow.

Thank you.

Councilmember Saka.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Excuse me.

I just want to congratulate all the members, the proposed nominees for your willingness to serve and your desire to serve and getting it this far.

Look forward to voting on them.

I think tomorrow.

Yes.

But this is a huge milestone, more to come.

I'm incredibly, having had the opportunity to review all of your resumes and applicant materials, et cetera, and hear from almost over half of you, over half of the slate, I can say that this is a very well-qualified, exceptionally well-qualified group And I'm looking forward to working alongside you all and seeing more importantly what you all are able to accomplish and supporting you in any way I can on a going forward basis.

As chair of our city's transportation committee, I'd like to specifically comment on and commend three candidates for appointment.

Jeremy Knapp, the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board, Jeremy noted that he's a legislative assistant in Olympia.

He actually works for State Senator Marco Elias.

I know, I know, I'm finished.

The fin messed up the proper pronunciation.

But in any event, transportation chair.

And so I know that Jeremy, by virtue of that, Real world actual experience brings a tremendous amount of background and expertise to this role.

Excited to be able to support you in that work.

Naomi.

Naomi Cutler for the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board.

Naomi is an avid cyclist.

She is also committed to making cycling safer and more accessible in support of community well-being and adaption to climate change.

And looking forward to working with Naomi in her capacity as a new advisory board member on the Bike Advisory Board.

And then last but not least, Sydney, South Delridge resident, one of my constituents.

Sydney brings extensive community engagement and professional experience and is obviously very passionate about transportation, environmental justice, and building healthy communities through outreach and education.

And importantly transit.

So great slate of nominees.

Also note that Montana Houston would be doing work in my district to support my district's wellbeing.

The Pioneer Square Preservation Board, very well qualified person.

And nothing necessarily within my remit, but just want to comment on how How Margaret, one of the nominees for the Seattle Planning Commission, is currently a 3L, a third-year law student in law school.

Like, we have a couple colleagues here at this dais who have went to law school and remember the, I guess, the dire straits that we're in as law students.

But that is a very remarkable thing for any active, current, sitting law student to not only want to Pursue their education, pursue their internal school extracurricular activities and then, but also leverage their passion and skills and expertise outside of that.

Wow, that's very impressive.

So kudos to this slate.

That is all I have.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Thank you very much.

Council Member Saka.

Go ahead, please.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you all for your upcoming service to our city.

I'm really looking forward to confirming these appointments.

And at a time when trust in our government feels like it's at historic lows, and I think we can all understand why that is, I want to thank you for stepping up to the plate.

Hope is a discipline, and you all certainly give me hope about the future of our city.

And, you know, I learned something today.

I could have been in the Get Engaged program until a few weeks ago, so I just aged out.

But I bring that up to say it's time for young people to take a hold of our future, and I'm so excited that you all will be serving our city, and I look forward to engaging with you all in your positions on these commissions.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Strauss.

Thank you.

We'll be brief to thank you all for your volunteer service, for your work here getting, pun intended, getting engaged with the different boards and commissions.

Many times people will time out of their time on the get engaged positions and take the full-time position.

So don't think of this as a temporary journey.

If there's a different board or commission that you're interested in, you can also then join that one once this time is over.

It really speaks volumes about who you are to want to be participating in government in this way.

Because again, we're not paying you.

This is all volunteer service.

And this is you taking direct action to make our city a better place to live.

Yes, we are amazing already.

And because of you, we get to be a little bit better.

Thank you for your service.

All right, I think that that concludes this presentation.

Thank you very much for coming and presenting so greatly.

And again, thank you all for your service.

All right, our next item is that, let's see.

Councilmember Strauss has a proclamation for signature proclaiming October 9th, 2025 to be Christopher Williams Day.

Councilmember Strauss, please lead the discussion on the proclamation for any additional feedback before I request signatures to be affixed to it.

Thank you.

I will defer my time to Councilmember Juarez.

No, I'm kidding.

I was wondering when we were going to do a Christopher Williams Day.

It is both happy and sad to bring this proclamation forward.

Christopher Williams has been a longtime servant in service to the City of Seattle and the people who live here.

If I walked through the laundry list of all of the things that he has helped accomplish and every piece of park infrastructure or parks programming that he has his fingerprints on, we would actually be here for a full week.

Thank you, Greg.

It's a heavy heart that we're going to see him leave the city of family in his formal role, and I know that there's going to be a lot more time for him to go fishing.

He's retiring.

And so we'll have him here tomorrow.

Colleagues, I want to bring something up about the presentation that is going to be a deviation from standard protocol.

Tomorrow when we have Christopher Williams here to receive the proclamation, it has been customary for just the sponsor to get up and take a photo.

I would like all of us to get up and take the photo with Christopher.

He has been here through countless iterations of City Council, through countless superintendents.

Council Member Juarez, I'm going to ask you to say something here.

I do have to.

I wish you're done, Council Member Strauss.

But, you know, Christopher is one of those people that you might forget the words he said, but you'll never forget the way he made you feel.

And he's just somebody that has always been two feet Directly rooted in community and making this place a better city for all of us.

And I'm just very happy and sad to see him go.

So.

Council Member Juarez.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just want to add that I chaired parks for four years and worked with Christopher for eight.

And I cannot think of a better public servant when I'm kind of laughing because we have been through so much together and we just opened the waterfront park.

And if you knew what we had to go through, I would say at 63 lawsuits, I think.

But having Christopher and our former superintendent, Jesus Agare, all the work that we did at Seattle Center, the aquarium zoo, the waterfront climate pledge, Pea patches, bike lanes, I could go on and on.

But I also just want to say, working with Christopher, he's just an amazing person, incredibly kind, always dignified.

And I think the thing, and also, which a lot of people don't know about Christopher, He served our country.

He's a veteran.

And he just has that quiet strength.

And I've never, ever seen Christopher be rude, mean, sarcastic, snarky, always been professional and kind no matter what.

And so with that, I'm really sorry that he's going, but I wish him the best.

Thank you.

Any comments from colleagues?

Just real quickly.

Go ahead.

Mr. President, sorry, I buried the lead in there.

Tomorrow, colleagues, I will ask that we all rise and take the photo with him together.

I know I kind of mushed that in there with all my other remarks, but I know that that's deviation from standard protocol, but I think it's worth it.

Thank you.

That is super welcome.

And to my knowledge, there is no protocol.

Council members who are presenting to the...

Council members who have proclamations sort of run the show and orchestrate the presentation moment.

When we had the legendary Zorn in here the other day, it was decided that the gathering to get signatures was the place where folks could be together.

Yep, thank you very much for that opportunity because I'm sure that everybody would like to be part of the history of the goodbye.

And I would just simply like to say that every...

I know that there have been many attempts to conscript Christopher to higher positions in this city and he has resisted all of them.

He's just like, oh, don't you want...

Nah, I'm good, I'm good.

And so he's always been in a position to be of maximum help for at least myself and I'm sure for my colleagues as well and just seeing those dimples all the time.

Anyway, we can gush tomorrow even more.

All right, any other comments on this one?

Okay, let's see.

Tomorrow, so now, since there's no further discussion on the proclamation, will the clerk please call the roll to determine which council members would like their signatures affixed to the proclamation honoring Christopher Williams?

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Solomon?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council Member Juarez?

Aye.

And Council President Nelson?

Aye.

Eight signatures will be affixed.

Thank you very much.

Okay, moving on.

At this time, we'll invite Greg Doss of Council Central Staff to join us at the committee table.

As usual, he's You know, he's got the edge on us.

In preparation for tomorrow's City Council meeting, Greg will provide an overview of the proposed amendments to Council Bill 121052 relating to closed circuit television camera systems.

This discussion is limited to policy questions.

Debates on the merits of each amendment will take place during tomorrow's City Council meeting.

So this is basically just what does the amendment do, right?

I assume.

Okay, so Greg, please provide a brief overview of the bill and then walk us through each amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

As you pointed out, Greg Doss, Council Central Staff, for the record, and good afternoon, Councilmembers.

Brief overview of the legislation that you'll hear tomorrow for final vote is Council Bill 121052, which authorizes CCTV in three new locations.

As you know, it will authorize new CCTV cameras in the Garfield High School area.

A prior amendment from Councilmember Hollingsworth will restrict camera installations in that area to arterial streets only.

It will authorize CCTV within the Capitol Hill nightlife district and it will authorize CCTV within the stadium district where the city is expecting to use such cameras for the upcoming FIFA events.

You'll also hear Council Bill 121053, which is on the authorization of the Realtime Crime Center to incorporate into its live feeds 366 SDOT cameras.

So those are the two pieces of legislation that you'll be voting on tomorrow.

Today I'm going to discuss five amendments to the CCTV bill, 121052. Some of these amendments will reflect instruction that the council would give to the executive via ordinance on the evaluation and some other components that would affect both bills.

They're only made against the CCTV bill because it's That's an area that was of specific concern to the sponsors, but it does affect both areas as advised by law.

So with that, I'll jump into the substance.

I believe that you have received earlier today from me an email with all five proposed amendments and also a cover sheet with a table for the amendments.

I'm going to go through them, but right off the top, just as sort of an orientation, I'll let you know that The last two amendments, Amendment D and Amendment E, are conflicting.

When you get to tomorrow's vote on these amendments, if these amendments are moved, then you all will have to decide which one to take up first, because if you vote on one, it could conflict or prohibit the other from being adopted.

And we'll get into more of the reasons for that as I move through the presentation.

So I'll jump right in.

So Amendment A is brought to you by Council Member Rink and Council Member Kettle.

And what this amendment...

Well, I'm just going to go through the amendment.

While the city cooperates with federal immigration authorities in criminal matters, it does not do so in civil immigration matters, except as required by law.

The city is deploying the CCTV camera system to address and improve our public safety posture.

The city has stated that its CCTV camera system, I'll get it right by the end of the day, is not to be used for federal immigration Enforcement and that it will oppose such use.

This amendment is intended to address any future circumstances in which, despite the city's effort, Seattle CCTV data is demanded or released to federal authorities for civil immigration purposes.

In this instance, SPD and under this amendment, SPD would pause the CCTV program in order for the city to consider its legal options and the policy choices underpinning the program.

The amendment would authorize a 60-day pause when the city or its vendor receives a warrant, subpoena, or court order for Seattle CCTV data or the city or its vendors has released Seattle's CCTV data for federal civil immigration purposes.

With that, I'll stop and ask if there's any questions and defer to the sponsors for any input they want to give.

Yes, Council President is out.

She asked me to man the deck here.

I don't see any questions.

Obviously, Council Member Rank and I are both sponsoring this amendment.

It's pretty straightforward.

Any questions for Greg, for Mr. Doss?

I think we're good on this one.

Mr. Doss, if you can go to the second one.

All right.

Moving along, Amendment B is sponsored by Council Member Rink, and this has to do with the evaluation requirements for the CCTV pilot, and as I introduced in my first opening comments, it will also apply to the other bill on RTCC.

The amendment would require the Office of the Inspector General for Public Safety to ensure that any evaluation plan of the RTCC and CCTV pilot projects examines five different components, and that is impacts on calls for service, police action, and criminal incidents, examination of impacts on individuals involved in police actions, criminal incidents, and cases assisted by the RTCC, An examination of impacts on case clearance and investigative outcomes, a process analysis of RTCCs, implementation and operations, and an exploration of community perceptions.

These five areas that will be examined as part of the evaluation are the universe of all analysis that will be done by the University of Pennsylvania's Crime and Justice Policy Lab that the Office of Inspector General is currently devising an evaluation research plan and contracting with for the evaluation.

So this is entirely comprehensive of everything they're going to study.

It will also incorporate a methodology that uses control group areas and a quasi-experimental design to determine if CCTV, when used in combination with the RTCC, is associated with a reduction in violent crime, human trafficking, or persistent felony crime.

By way of background, this is similar but changed from an amendment that was brought before the committee.

The amendment that was brought before a committee would have required that the analysis focus on impacts of the cameras on violent crime, and human trafficking and persistent felony crime as this one does.

This one is specific to say that these cameras must show an association with a reduction in crime.

It also is inclusive of all of the elements that the University of Pennsylvania is going to study anyway.

It will not prohibit or preclude any additional study that the University of Pennsylvania wants to do.

And it's been reviewed by both the OIG and UPenn researchers to ensure that it's consistent with their plan.

The last thing that this does is it attaches two letters that you all received within the last two business days.

One was a Seattle Office of Civil Rights policy memo, and one was a CPC letter, both on the RTCC and CCTV ordinances.

Ask the sponsor if I missed anything or if there's any questions.

Ms. Thank you, Greg.

I think you've thoroughly covered it.

I don't have any additional detail to add.

Thank you.

Ms. Shall I go on?

Go ahead.

Oh, go ahead.

I'm sorry.

I didn't see you.

Go ahead.

Ms. No, it's okay.

I was going to raise my hand, and I ...

Thank you, Greg.

Can you just clarify?

I think I heard you say the evaluation will focus, the prior evaluation, or I guess what's added about this is it would have to show a reduction in crime, not that the use of the tool has led to, you know, solving of a crime.

Yeah, that's more or less it.

It's going to have to show that there's an association, not showing causality and not showing deterrence per se, but an association between the cameras and a reduction in crime, and specifically the goals of the pilot, which are reduction in persistent felony crime, human traffic or violent crime.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Chair.

Go ahead, please.

Great.

Thank you for providing us an update from your email to the table that you handed out.

So just this is because there's so much paper and I didn't know we're going to walk on five amendments to this bill for to vote on tomorrow.

So are you saying that Amendment B is not like the amendment that failed in committee?

I am.

You talked about deterring violent crime, which failed.

So you just took out deter and put in reduction?

There's a few changes, specifically addressing the concerns that the committee had.

One was, as I just mentioned to Councilmember Rivera and in answer to your question directly, yes, there was, in the prior amendment, A requirement that there be a causal relationship between the cameras and crime reduction, and that has been changed to just say that there should be an association, which is a slightly less strict standard.

The evaluation plan between OIG and the researchers has been, it's a dynamic plan.

It's under negotiation and the contract hasn't been signed yet.

So the change in the amendment partially comes from ongoing conversations between the OIG and central staff.

The other things it does, the committee expressed concerns that the council or the committee amendment would restrict the study only to determining that causal relationship.

This one doesn't restrict the study in any way.

It encapsulates all the things that the researchers want to study.

And then the last thing is there was some concern about a contract and whether or not putting the evaluation requirements into a contract might some way Someway constrain researchers from being able to do what they wanted to do.

So this moves it from putting the requirements in the contract to putting them in an evaluation plan that OIG is working on with the researchers.

And again, they've all reviewed, both the OIG and the researchers, this amendment and they see no conflicts.

I think those are the two issues that I raised, that how would you measure whether or not you deter violent crime?

And second of all, how would you put that in a contract that it's enforceable, and how would you measure it?

So it sounds like you just took it out of the contractual discussions and put it on the side, which makes more sense, because that's more objective, subjective, however they want to do it, as opposed to being in a contract where we'd have to be much more objective.

And I know we may have some differences here, but so when I was reading this, I thought, I thought this was the same one that failed.

But okay, now I see the difference.

Thank you.

Shall I move on to Amendment C?

Go ahead, please.

No, go ahead.

Council Member Rivera.

Thank you, Suri.

I just want to get back to this issue of would have to assure reduction in crime.

When we passed this last year, my understanding is this is a tool to help address the crime that happens, be able to solve for crimes.

Leading to a reduction in crime is a different A different thing that you're evaluating.

So it's not just that it's going to help you solve crime is that and doing in the, I guess, what is the extrapolation to, I mean, I get helping you solve a crime via this tool.

There is now, and because of that, folks are going to be deterred because we, you know, they did something wrong and we were able to solve, see what I'm getting at.

And it was not my understanding that we passed this last year because we were, it was going to lead to a reduction in crime.

It was to help solve for crime.

Yeah, thanks.

And it is the case that the executive has identified multiple uses for these cameras, one of them being evidentiary purposes to help solve crimes.

But the goal of the pilot, as stated in the surveillance impact report that's attached to your ordinance, specifically talks about a reduction in crimes.

And specifically violent crimes, as we've talked about, human trafficking and persistent felony crime.

It didn't go in the surveillance impact report so far as to require a causal determination, but it does talk about reduction in crime.

But it was not the main, I mean...

I'm just trying to get to one, there are two separate issues here, and how do you evaluate the one?

Where are we evaluating the use of the tool in being able to solve for crimes, the evidentiary part that you talked about, versus the reduction in crime?

Yeah, all of the above, including impacts on calls for service and perceptions by the community, and as we talked about, evidentiary case clearance and investigative outcomes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One question here.

I'm still looking at B since you're getting me thinking.

What is the timeframe by which that reduction must have been shown to have occurred?

Yeah, thank you.

So the evaluation plan that has been submitted to the OIG by the UPenn researchers is such that the evaluation would be completed over a two-year period.

Giving a little leeway for the passage of the bill and for it to take effect, I would say it's likely that the end of the period will be somewhere near the end of 2027, potentially as far as December 31st, 2027. So it would be a little ways away and it would be over a two-year period.

So would the baseline be basically now, and then the comparison would be two years from whenever the baseline is?

Yeah, I imagine that's the case without having too much detail.

Yeah, that would be a typical pre-post design.

And to the extent that the researchers are able to put control groups into play using a quasi-experimental method, Maybe draw some other comparisons there.

Okay, maybe offline or between now and tomorrow I can understand more if there's any consideration of the fact that there will be a whole bunch more people next year, at least around the stadiums.

So I want to know how that will be accommodated.

Yeah, and those are the kinds of things that the researchers will get into the weeds on.

and make sure that their comparisons are apples to apples.

Thank you.

Okay, you can continue, please.

All right, thanks.

So Amendment C, which is sponsored by Councilmember Rank, would limit the approval for the CCTV pilot to two years.

That's that period that the evaluation will be conducted.

So unless the amendment would prohibit the use of CCTV beyond So, I'm going to go ahead and say, The council would also request that the SIR that would be forwarded by the department would contain the information, data, and recommendations that are included in the evaluation of the CCTV pilot, again, meeting all the requirements of a new technology to include public outreach and racial and social justice analysis.

So in sum, this would approve the executive for use of cameras just during the evaluation period.

And then when the evaluation period ended, it would eliminate the authorization for cameras to continue.

And the council would have to pass a new ordinance to allow them to continue.

In that process, there would have to be a racial and social justice analysis and community outreach.

I think that that's all I have on that one.

Ask a sponsor if I've missed anything or if there's any questions.

Not seeing any.

Go ahead and go on, please.

So amendment D is the first of the amendments that is a conflict amendment, and this one is brought by Councilmember Strauss.

This would restrict all new cameras to the stadium district only.

The amendment would restrict cameras to the stadium districts as identified by the boundaries in the surveillance impact report.

The council could return to the question of authorizing camera installations in the Capitol Hill and Garfield high school areas at a future date.

Ask if there's any questions or if I missed anything by the sponsor.

Go ahead.

I don't understand, really.

We don't do this often here with Greg coming in before Council.

Do you want me to speak to this or...?

You're welcome to.

Okay.

I'll wait till tomorrow unless folks have questions.

Okay.

Not seeing any other questions.

Go ahead, please.

I'm going to move on to the final amendment, Amendment E, which is sponsored by Councilmember Rink.

This has to do with restricting camera installations on only arterial streets in the Capitol Hill area.

Similar to the restriction that the committee adopted, restricting cameras to arterial streets in the Garfield area.

And so, as I say, it would restrict installations to arterial streets only.

Non-arterial streets would not have cameras.

The sponsors indicated that camera installation should be limited to arterial streets, until a program evaluation shows that CCTV deters violent crime, human trafficking, or persistent felony crime.

Additionally, that cameras placed on some non-arterial streets or neighborhood access streets may infringe on individuals' policy rights as there may be some reasonable expectations of privacy in and around parks, neighborhoods, or other areas that contain housing.

For these reasons, the sponsor indicates that the negative impact of surveillance should be limited until the evaluation is complete.

Central staff determined the arterial streets and the neighborhood access streets through use of Seattle Department of Transportation's Seattle Streets Illustrated.

That was data that was published on September 2nd, 2025. Seeing more on that, there is an interactive map that SDOT has, and there's a link in the amendment that will lead you to that map.

Staff at the Seattle Police Department have indicated that there's an operational need to use these cameras on streets with a view of Cal Anderson Park, which has in the past been the location of some violent crime.

This amendment would prohibit cameras on certain streets that abut the park and therefore prohibit SPD from viewing the park through the cameras.

It's the case that if you look at the map for the executive's planned installation of cameras around Cal Anderson Park, The three streets, one to the east, one to the west, and one to the south, are all non-arterial neighborhood access streets.

Therefore, SPD could not put cameras on those streets and would not have a view of the park.

And as I said before, the committee already passed an amendment that would limit two arterial streets installation of cameras within the Garfield High School area.

Finally, this would also attach the two letters that I mentioned before.

So with that, I'll ask if I missed anything of the sponsor or if there are any questions.

I have a question.

Go ahead, Councilman Boras.

Thank you.

So just help me out here, Greg.

So the whole point of Council Bill 121052 is to have cameras because we've had crime and we want to do some things in real time.

So my confusion on the whole point of the Capitol Hill nightlife area where we've had homicides, crimes, thefts, you name it, not going to go into the fact that we were down so many officers.

So would this amendment Does this amendment just go against the actual intent of Council Bill ending in 105.2?

That's something the executive would be a better position to speak to.

I think in terms of the intent of the Seattle Police Department to monitor the parks for violent crime, it would not allow it.

In terms of the cameras that are placed on arterial streets that might have a view of Capitol Hill nightlife activities, it would.

So it certainly limits the intent, I think, of the mayor and the legislation.

And just, again, for the viewing public and also for me as well, can you give us a quick definition for Seattle specific, centric arterial and non-arterial?

Because in different neighborhoods, I think I see a shift.

So for Capitol Hill, can you share with me just an idea so I can visualize?

It's been years since I've lived there.

Arterial and non-arterial.

So, again, if you want to get real specific information, click on the link and it'll take you to SDOT's map.

But just as a highlight, and it's listed in the amendment for the Capitol Hill Nightlife District, the arterials are Broadway, Union, Pike, Pine, and 12th Avenue.

The streets that are around the park, Nagel Place, 11th Avenue, and Denny in that instance are non-arterials.

Would it be helpful if we, I'm not saying how I would vote one way or another, but maybe I can direct this to the sponsor, to be specific on the streets where you would or would not, rather than just having the generic arterial, non-arterial?

I'm sorry, I can jump in.

It is specific.

Is it in there?

Okay, I didn't see it.

The streets that I just read to you, the arterial streets are in the amendment.

It's in the language period, so I apologize if you don't find it right away.

Okay, I was looking at your...

I got two things here.

I got your email from 1258, and then I got the one that you handed out.

So it is in the...

Yeah, it's in the operative language of the amendment.

Restrict Capitol Hill cameras to arterial streets, and then you listed out these streets.

Yeah, so if you go to the bill language that's in underlined in strikethrough, under Section 1, down at the bottom, you'll see Capitol Hill Nightlife District, and then it lists the arterials there.

Capitol Hill Nightlife District, that's the specific what we call that now, these streets.

That's how the mayor is defining it in the surveillance impact report.

And there is in the Sur and also the presentation that the mayor's office gave a map that shows that area.

But just for shorthand, it is the park.

It is the one street being Broadway, I believe, to the east, and then Pike and Pine to the south.

Okay, thank you.

I apologize.

I did not catch that.

I was reading the other one.

Okay, I got it.

Thank you.

Councilmember Salomon.

Yes, thank you very much, Madam President.

I believe that you already answered the question I had about Cal Anderson.

So Olive, Nagel, Denny, and 11th would be Basically, we couldn't put cameras there because they're non-Ontarials.

Is that correct?

Yeah, that's correct.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Council Member Rivera.

Sorry.

Thank you, Greg.

Thank you, Council President, as well.

The Broadway, East Union, Pine, Pike and 12th, that's where the executive was proposing to place these?

I'm sorry, I didn't catch the last part.

Is that where the executive is proposing to place these?

The executive is proposing to place them on the major arterials, Pike, Pine and Broadway, and also on the side streets, the ones that surround the park, specifically to view the park.

And there are businesses on some of those side streets.

Yes.

I mean, I know there are because I've been up there.

I'm outing myself that I go up to Capitol Hill and enjoy the restaurants and businesses that are there.

So, okay.

Thank you for that clarification.

Greg.

Okay.

Anything else?

No, you're done.

Um, oh, council president.

Yes.

Um, so just so I understand four and five are, um, uh, conflicting because, um, four restricts the use of CCTV cameras everywhere, but the stadium district and the, and five would say, uh, well says that, um, Where they're planned for is fine, except for that on Capitol Hill nightlife area, they would be restricted to arterials.

So four is more restrictive of the use of CCTV cameras than five is, correct?

You've just given the last half of my presentation.

Yes, Council President, that's exactly right.

If the Council chooses to adopt Amendment D, number four, then cameras would only be installed in the Stadium District, and that makes the whole Cal Anderson-Capitol Hill Park conversation moot.

Are there any further comments or questions?

Well, I'll just note that I have asked the SPD for some background information on their outreach efforts because I think it's important to me to know what the neighborhoods, both businesses, residents, nonprofits, whoever is in these areas where CCTV will be deployed, what their input has been.

So hopefully I can get that before the meeting.

Okay.

Not seeing any further comments or questions.

Thank you all.

Go ahead.

Wait a minute.

Don't leave so fast.

Sorry.

Councilmember Rivera.

Craig, just on the retention policy for SPD, I'm reading here, SPD limits local storage retention to five days.

Video evidence is moved from the camera's local storage to evidence.com when it is needed for an investigation and is then subject to the retention schedule for that investigation.

This means that outside of specific known cases, data is not available after five days.

So is it that SPD reviews If something happens within those five days, then they'll look to the footage to see if there's some evidence, you know, and then if so, then they move that somewhere where they can continue to investigate it, and then everything else gets purged after five days?

Yep, that's exactly right.

Let's say an event that happened in Cal Anderson Park during a demonstration, an event that might have been criminal and they need to investigate it, they would pull the cameras, pull the footage from the cameras so it's not auto-deleted in five days, and they would hold it for criminal investigation purposes up to 30 days.

If they determine that there is a criminal incident, then they could hold it longer for investigation purposes.

You just said auto, does it?

It auto-deletes every five days.

Every five days, this information that's gathered from all the CCTV cameras is deleted automatically.

Thank you.

Unless they pull it from the local camera.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

You are released.

Okay.

Okay, let's just go ahead with our round robin exercise today.

And I just want to make sure that Council Member Kettle is able to contribute before you've got to leave.

So why don't we start with you?

And it just so happens that you are first in roll call today.

Thank you, Council President.

Yes, I appreciate that.

I do need to leave.

Starting off with the Public Safety Committee, we have a meeting tomorrow.

And the lineup kind of goes to what we're talking about with respect to functional criminal justice system.

We have the Seattle Municipal Court in attendance with the presiding judge Crawford Willis regarding the topic of pro tem judges.

Which would be an intro.

And we do have a quick fire code update, pretty matter of fact.

And then a update from the city attorney's office that ties in.

We'll have them the following meeting, too, regarding technical code updates related to the RCW and the SMC, the SMC in this case being Seattle Municipal Code, not the Seattle Municipal Court.

And so that would be a very important lay down.

And again, one of the things with the committee is the functional criminal justice system.

By the way, I wanted to add on our 23rd meeting, we have the community safety, something that we've been talking about.

Again, the SMC Pro Tem, the technical codes from the city attorney's office as it relates to RCW and the SMC.

And finally, CPC appointments for the Community Police Commission, a couple from the mayor, but also I just wanted to note, colleagues, that last week, during the consent decree hearing with Judge Robarts, I sat next to Mr. Williams, Mr. Rick Williams, brother of John T. Williams, and asked him, as part of following up on CPC outreach, wanted to make that point, to join the CPC.

And I think that's an incredibly poignant step forward for us.

Because the consent decree process started with the killing of John T. Williams.

And on the day that the judge lifted the consent decree, because of all the hard work that's been done over the dozen plus years, And the place where we are now.

To have Rick Williams join the Community Police Commission, I think the symbology of that is really important and really highlights that we're gonna continue to work with SPD, with the Mayor's Office and others in terms of constitutional policing in our city.

And I just wanted to highlight that piece.

Great honor to sit with Mr. Williams during that session there at the court.

As we've been discussing tomorrow, public safety has a couple bills ahead of tomorrow's council meeting.

For my office for this week, I just wanted to highlight today, it was at Woodland Zoo.

They're doing some great work and prepping for their future.

You'll probably see some great pictures of your colleague with some penguins, to include specifically Bubba, who I think would be the council member of the penguin population, very outgoing, positive, engaged penguin.

And then separately this week, meeting with different groups, head of budget to include the Meals Partnership Coalition.

Also, there's a Seattle Fire Foundation event this week on Wednesday.

In terms of external committees, the Puget Sound Regional Council, the Transportation Policy Board will be meeting on Thursday.

And later that day, the lead policy coordination group has its meeting.

For next week, be meeting with Lehigh related to public safety in Little Saigon.

Tuesday, Uptown Alliance, one of the neighborhood councils in District 7. That's part of the District 7 neighborhood council.

And then meeting with others.

I should also note KCRHA meeting on Thursday early and then later, that would be King County Day evidently, with the Board of Health in the afternoon.

So that's kind of like a highlight of some of the schedule items for the next two weeks.

And again with Public Safety looking to round out with a focus on, you know, on the legal side if you will with the Seattle Municipal Court and the City Attorney's Office with some add-ins from the fire.

Community safety from the HSD, Human Services side of things, and then, like I mentioned, those CPC appointments.

With that, Council President, I'm done and asked to be excused.

You are excused.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

Next in our...scrolling to the red here, I could probably try to do the alphabet in my head.

Council Member Rink, go ahead.

Thank you, Council President.

Starting off with the Sustainability City Light and Arts and Culture Committee meeting, we met on Friday, where we unanimously passed two resolutions and two ordinances, which will come before full Council next week.

And these include a resolution adopting energy conservation targets for 2026 through 2027, a resolution approving City Light's Clean Energy Implementation Plan for 2026 through 2029, an ordinance that supports City Light in establishing A demand response program offering incentives for consumption modification and entering into agreements with customers and other parties.

And finally, an ordinance authorizing the execution of a 16-year power purchase agreement with Bonneville Power Administration.

So it was a robust meeting.

Thank you all for your engagement, colleagues, and looking forward to discussing this before full council next week.

In terms of regional committees, regional policy committee meets later this week.

At RPC, we will be briefed on the best starts for kids and mental illness drug dependency 2024 annual reports.

We'll also have a discussion and possible vote on the renewal of the mid-sales tax, which helps the county address, and these are our investments for substance use disorder treatment, including also crisis diversion, rapid rehousing screening, referral services, and treatment.

To highlight a couple of things in community, I'll just highlight one day out in D5.

It was Lake City Day, started kicking off with Lake City Small Business Walk, where we were discussing, of course, investments in small businesses, seeing some of our Seattle Restored programs in action, talking about public safety, and of course, the announcement of the closure of Fred Meyer.

Following that, I was able to join alongside Councilmember Juarez at the Lake City Farmers Market, where the mayor gave his first preview of his budget, including some exciting and important investments into food access from expansions to the Fresh Bucks program, which is something I'm personally very excited about, to see six million Dollars going into fresh bucks, which would not only increase the monthly contribution amount, which hasn't seen an increase in years and years, but also clear the waitlist, meaning that 4,000 households that have been waiting on the waitlist will get access to that benefit.

So really exciting things.

And then I was able to close out that evening by joining the Refugee Artisans Initiative groundbreaking as they're embarking on their capital project.

I did get to take a sledgehammer to the wall, not to brag.

And I'll close in terms of just the community events portions that I want to highlight.

But I had the opportunity to visit ADNUCOR out in District 1. Councilmember Roy, as you were right, it is a very cool tour, and it's always a joy to spend time in District 1, Councilmember Sokka.

So colleagues, if you haven't visited Nucor yet, I highly recommend it.

They are doing really incredible, cool work from a sustainability front.

If you would have told me we had a steel fabrication plant here in Seattle, I wouldn't have guessed that.

But they certainly have a robust operation and are just a real asset to our community.

And I'll close just by acknowledging the federal situation because, colleagues, I can't let this time go by without highlighting the Decision from the Supreme Court this morning, lifting a court-ordered ban on immigration agents stopping people solely based on race, language, job, or location.

Roving bans of masked immigration agents can stop anyone they deem doesn't look or sound American enough, demand to see their papers, and detain them, whether or not they're violating any laws regardless of their citizenship.

Last week, the Trump administration announced it will empower the Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency to, quote, make arrests, carry firearms, and even execute search and arrest warrants.

These obscene expansions of federal law powers are a threat to all Seattleites.

And as we head into tomorrow's votes on surveillance ordinances, I know we discussed, I want to remind this body that Trump's new masked paramilitary forces do not care about constitutional policing.

They are going to use any and every tool available to them with or without our permission.

And on that somber note, I will end my time and I thank you for the time.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

I don't mean to undo the somberness, but I do want to know if you are able to witness the dumping in of the actual stuff to be melted.

I believe it's all the recycled materials because Nucor is so well known and it's such a value because they are major recyclers and they create rebar from from what has ended its useful life.

And so it's just fascinating to see that happen.

Were you able to check that out?

Oh my gosh.

So we did the full tour and we missed, cause it's like every 15 to 20 minutes, it's like the big ionized flash and we missed it.

And so we went to the other part to see like the different cool down sites.

We tried to rush back and then we missed the second one.

So I have an open invitation from the new core team to come on back because they really emphasize that that's the cool part.

But I thought all of it was incredibly cool and also incredible to see just all of the scrap metal and the piles of that they're able to really transform.

So I have to go back.

Yes.

And to think that so much of what you see being made there is holding our buildings up around Seattle.

So it's just fascinating.

Anyway, moving right along, Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

I'll be quick because I know we are running out of time for our meeting.

Wanted to highlight this week, we have the Library's Education and Neighborhood Committee.

At this committee meeting, we will be having the first of two hearings for the reappointment of Director Duane Chappelle, the Director of the Education of Uh, the Department, excuse me, of Education and Early Learning.

Uh, you should have received his appointment packet last week.

My office sent out to all the council offices.

Um, this will be an opportunity for Director Chappelle to reintroduce himself to you all.

And then we are able to ask questions of Dr. Chappelle at that meeting.

For those of you that are not at the committee, I welcome you to attend if you're able to, if you have time.

And then we'll have the second meeting on December 11th Due to the budget break and committee meetings, we'll have to separate it out.

But it will give us an opportunity that in between time, we will be sending out official requests for questions and providing those to Director Chappelle.

And then he'll be, as we do so with all appointments, he'll have an opportunity to send, submit his responses to those questions to us.

So I will keep you posted on all of that.

Also wanted to let you know that next week on September 15th starts Hispanic Heritage Month, goes through October 15th.

I'll have a proclamation like I did last year and I would really respectfully request your support with.

So more to come on that as my office is working on the draft language for that proclamation.

Separately, I'll say this morning I joined my colleague, Councilmember Salomon at Beersheva Park along with with Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Parks and Rec to talk about the salmon recovery efforts at that part of the lake.

It's really cool what they've been able to do with some funding from the Army Corps of Engineers.

And so if you haven't been over there, I welcome you to visit there.

Salmon have returned to the location.

It's been really great.

And so that was a really, really a great thing to do this morning.

And I just super appreciate my participation on the WIRA 8 Committee and all the hard work that our staff here at the City of Seattle are doing in terms of salmon recovery.

Separately, and the last thing I'll say, so if we can move on, is last week I met with, we had our quarterly meeting of the D4 Community Council leaders.

A lot of what's on their mind is comprehensive plan related, and so we talked about the comprehensive plan.

And then also last week I attended the PSRC Growth Management Policy Committee, of which I'm a member.

We certified some comprehensive plans for other cities.

And so I'm looking forward to when we get to present ours to the PSRC Growth Policy Growth Management Committee so we could get certified as well.

So unless there are any questions, I'll pass it along to my colleague, Council Member Saka.

All right, thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

On the Transportation Committee front, colleagues, our next committee meeting will be tomorrow, or excuse me, not tomorrow, next Tuesday, September 16th at 9.30 a.m.

Tomorrow is our Public Safety Committee, as we learned from Councilmember Kettle earlier.

But the agenda for next Tuesday's Transportation Committee meeting is still being finalized, but will likely include votes on the district project fund resolution, the district project fund proviso lift, and an e-cargo bike permitting piece of legislation.

All of these items were heard in committee last week.

And with respect to the district project fund legislation, that was actually heard In another meeting, another committee meeting before recess.

So that will be, this will be the third time it's been at the committee level.

On the regional committee front, I have a PSRC Transportation Policy Board meeting on Thursday.

It's an important regional board to help advance a holistic and regional transportation strategy.

This week's agenda will be covering a number of important policy topics, including our regional transportation plan, scenario analysis and results, regional transportation plan development approach schedule, and finally our transportation work program progress tracker that the body is concerned with.

Out in the community, excited for a number of things, including this Saturday, proud to be able to join the Cimar Fiestas Patrias Festival and event.

I will be marching in this for the third or fourth year in a row now.

This is the big annual celebration of Latin American independence and culture in South Park, featuring traditional music, dance, and food.

This year's theme is Our Voice, Our Strength.

Recognizing the unique and valuable contributions of our Latin American immigrants and is incredibly important during these times, now more than ever, under the unprecedented attacks by our Trump administration.

So, which actually leads me to my next Topic of community concern, wanted to just call out this past week, a dad of three in West Seattle was being detained by ICE and facing possible deportation to Laos.

His name is Alan Fetza Dakotne.

Apologies if I got that Laotian pronunciation wrong in any way.

I asked for grace.

But what happened to Allen originally happened in July this year during his regular faithful check-ins with federal officials, which he has done since the 1990s with no incident.

However, he was taken into custody while his three children were waiting for him in the car.

Alan is a West Seattleite.

He's also the spouse of a Sanisloe Elementary School educator in District 1. The case is now before a U.S.

District Court judge.

People Power, and I'm proud to say that People Power showed up in a big and profoundly impactful way with over 80 people packing into the courtroom this past Friday morning in a show of silent support.

It was organized fairly quickly, I think, the day or night before.

I heard about it the night before.

A committee meeting on Friday morning, but proud that over 80 members of the community were able to show up and support.

He has, Alan has been returned home for now.

He's still facing deportation.

And I think what Alan's case, unfortunately, we're seeing across Seattle, across our region, across our country, Alan Alan has been in the U.S. since he was a toddler, and he immigrated here as a toddler refugee more than 40 years ago.

Now this, facing this.

Again, the case is now in the hands of the courts.

The case remains open and pending.

Together, collectively, at best, the Trump administration and its egregious acts since retaking power have shocked the conscious and violated standards of basic human decency and mutual respect.

That's at best.

These actions, after worse, pose a significant and grave risk to our democracy and openly and repeatedly flout our Constitution by which our democracy is built upon.

These actions include the unlawful and aggressively harsh immigration enforcement and deportation policy and agenda, militarization and attempted militarization of our cities, attacks on civil rights and LGBTQ plus protections, unilateral and chaotic tariff policy, environmental rollbacks Health rollbacks, nutrition, housing, you name it.

Council Member Rink called out this morning's latest example.

That's just one of a laundry list, an infamous list of shameful and egregious actions, inactions that we should all be concerned about I too was concerned a couple days ago when I read in the New York Times that the administration is threatening summary executions for suspected drug smugglers without trial.

Summary executions.

These are the challenges we're facing today as a city and in our respective communities, as evidenced by Alan's example.

Begs the question, what are some of the solutions?

Well, we need to continue to affirm and reaffirm that Seattle is a welcoming city and believes in empowering our immigrant and refugee communities and the workers that represent a critical aspects play a critical role to our city.

We need to continue to support services for immigrants and refugees facing deportation or detention.

With the end of the federal consent decree, we must remain vigilant that our police reflects our community's values, not federal militarization.

And I've always said that accountability work is a journey, not a destination.

So to that end, we must continue the ongoing work of accountability We must always affirm and enforce local protections for LGBTQ plus individuals, particularly now more than ever, transgender residents in housing, areas of housing, healthcare, employment, and more.

We must build economic resilience through local policies that reduce our vulnerability to harmful federal trade actions and tariffs.

And importantly, especially in our role as a city, we must continue to stand up And speak out, speak up and speak out on behalf of our people, especially our most vulnerable, people like Mr. Allen Fetsadakone.

So we will not back down.

We will lead by example, along with leaders across the city, across the region and across the state.

And so I wanna thank members of the community again who showed up for Allen's Silent show of support at his hearing in court on Friday morning and plenty more work to do.

That is all I have by way of comments or questions, but I do welcome any comments or questions before passing it on to, I think, Councilmember Salomon would be next.

If not, we'll pass the baton.

Councilmember Salomon.

Thank you very much, Councilor President.

I'm sitting here listening to my colleagues and what's been going on and seeing the news.

It's just kind of hard not to get depressed.

However, that being said, I'm going to press on and share what we've been doing Uh, in our office.

Uh, for the Housing and Human Services Committee, um, we will be having a meeting this Wednesday, uh, September 10th at 9.30 a.m.

Uh, agenda items include the predatory house, predatory home buying for a briefing discussion and vote.

Uh, we'll also be discussing the, uh, MFTE program and have a briefing and discussion of the, uh, various amendments.

Uh, expected vote on the MFTE.

The program will be on September 22nd.

Regarding land use, we will have a special land use committee on Monday, September 15th at 9.30 a.m.

The agenda items include design review for briefing discussion and vote.

Uh, small business relief and permit timelines also for briefing discussion and vote.

Uh, and the Roy Street, uh, rezone for briefing discussion and vote.

Uh, the regular committee meeting of the land use committee on September 17th is canceled to make space for the comp plan, uh, committee.

Uh, regional committees, I attended the Puget Sound Regional Council's Growth Management Policy Board meeting on Thursday.

In other activities, this past week met with Stanford Children Washington to discuss issues related to juvenile justice.

Met with the representatives of interim CDA to discuss their priorities for the comprehensive plan.

Met with the interim executive director of El Centro de la Raza to talk about potential Action legislation proclamations regarding federal immigration policies.

I also had a chance to meet with the Community Police Commissioner regarding their concerns about the proposed surveillance pilot expansion.

Also met with neighbors regarding Mount Baker Boathouse, the fact that it had been destroyed by arson, reached out to the Parks Department to find out what is the plan for that, for the demo, because the building has had graffiti, it's had some intrusions, and even though there's a fence around it, I'm concerned that any time we have an abandoned building, it oftentimes becomes the further victim of arson, and also concerned about Anybody that may be trespassing into that property about city liability if something would happen to them.

We also discussed other public safety issues in the Rainier Corridor, primarily between McClellan and I-90.

Also met with the Urban Forestry Commission to discuss their comprehensive plan inputs.

The fun part was attending the ribbon cutting at Acer Mercer International Middle School on Friday.

We had a chance to be there with the mayor, King County Council President, as well as Director Chappelle from DEL and Representative Sharon Tomeko Santos.

So it was a good time.

And you already heard about the tour we had of Beersheba Park this morning from Councilmember Rivera.

Coming up for this week, do have, you know, actually just had a meeting with Plymouth Housing to learn about their programs and priorities regarding, you know, permanent supportive housing.

Do have a meeting with neighbors concerned about the changes at Bill Rife Golf Complex.

And even though that was voted out of committee, we're still meeting with folks to hear what their concerns are and see what else can be done to address those.

I will be having a meeting this week with both of the candidates who would be my successor, one of them will, just to brief them on the current and ongoing things in the district, things we've already done, and get a sense of what it is they would like to achieve so that when they walk into the office on November 25th, we've got stuff teed up for them and ready to go.

We'll be attending a safety walk in the international just with the CIDBIA on Wednesday and also going to be meeting with Urban Impact to learn more about their programs, including the Sharks Pitch competition.

So with that, if there are no further questions or no questions, I'll pass it over to Councilmember Strauss.

Thank you, Councilmember Solomon.

From the Finance Native Communities and Tribal Governments Committee, we will meet again once more before budget begins.

We will be meeting on Wednesday, September 17th at 9.30 a.m.

We will likely only have one item on the agenda, which is the Sound Transit Staffing Ordinance, which we talked about this last time.

It is the same week that the Tribal Nations The Tribal Nations Summit will be occurring, which is part of why the Suquamish have elected to come join us at committee in December, rather than the day after the Tribal Nations Summit.

For full council tomorrow, we have one bill coming out of the committee, which is the Public Works Contracting Code update.

This legislation brings the city in line with the state's small works roster.

It allows businesses to sign up on one database rather than multiple for each municipality.

It is not a requirement.

However, it is an opportunity and one that is good for us to take.

So I'm excited to bring it forward.

I spoke already about Christopher Williams' proclamation.

Some updates from Sound Transit.

Since the last time we had a Monday morning briefing, there have been quite some significant updates.

I provided some the other day in committee as we were talking about Sound Transit staffing and the updates are That Sound Transit has changed the way that they forecast financial responsibilities to be in a form that is more accurate.

This has been represented in a year of expenditure formula rather than just This year's dollars.

So most of the time you'll hear Sound Transit speak about costs of programs and they are held in an apples to apples comparison, which in this case is a 20-25 dollar.

And so that's where you will see two programs.

The cost difference between them, they're both represented in a 2025 dollar.

That does not do true justice to the cost that will eventually be borne because it is not taking into consideration inflation time of expenditure, and that is the year of expenditure dollar.

Without any changes to Sound Transit's program from operations to maintenance to capital, there will be a $30 billion year of expenditure problem gap.

Project specific information will start coming out this week and next month about each of the different lines, Tacoma, Everett, West Seattle, and Ballard.

There are changes and efficiencies occurring within sound transit to reduce the cost of the expenditure, make each tax dollar go further.

And this has been done by bringing in national experts to work for sound transit, modifying best practices within the agency and maturing as an agency overall.

We will have a bill later this month, I reference it, it will be in my committee next week, which adds city staffing to our city departments to process the permits and the work that Sound Transit is doing.

This is both a fact check to ensure that the financial figures are accurate as well as A way for us to speed up the delivery of sound transit projects, because in the chart, if you come to committee, you will see there is a literal bow wake.

There is a mountain of permits that are coming our way.

And if we do not staff up now, we will be the problem.

And so to get sound transit infrastructure delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible, our bill that we'll be voting on later this month is very important.

In District 6, in lieu of office hours last week, I hosted the neighborhood meetings regarding the comprehensive plan.

This follows the District 6 comprehensive plan survey that closed on September 2nd.

Thank you to the 1,100 Seattleites who completed the survey.

In the meetings last week, we held these meetings with neighborhoods in lieu of office hours.

I will be doing that again this week because we have to meet with each of the neighborhood centers.

I know that I have some office hours outstanding and we're working to figure out the best way to host office hours between now and budget, which is Many, many hours of comprehensive plan.

And so doing our best.

I also, I did like council member Kettle.

He came to district six.

I came to district seven this weekend to attend the grand opening celebration of the waterfront park.

I think what I was taken aback by is how long it has taken to build, how many hands it took to build this new waterfront park from Multiple governors to multiple county executives to multiple mayors.

So many different iterations of city council.

The thanks were ever flowing from every speaker.

Great appreciation to the Muckleshoot and Suquamish tribes and their participation in the process.

Two names that I didn't hear from the formal Remarks were former Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who really carried a lot of water here at the Seattle City Council to get that waterfront completed, as well as one of the lead negotiators from Seattle Department of Transportation.

His name is John Lazor.

And John, as well as many people who worked on the waterfront Unfortunately passed before they could see the ribbon cutting this weekend and it is just immense gratitude to both John and to Council Member Bagshaw for your work.

So with that, again, we're reorienting office hours this week.

We'll work to get some more slots opened, and I look forward to meeting with residents about the comprehensive plan.

With that, colleagues, any questions?

If not, I'll hand it from District 6 to District 5 to Council Member Deborah Juarez.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Chair, I just want to take a moment to follow, and usually I don't talk a lot, but I do want to take a moment to talk about that I attended the federal court hearing with Judge Robart with Councilmember Kettle.

And members of the CPC were present as well as the City Attorney's Office and the Mayor's Office because I felt I needed to be there because it was history in the making.

So we all know the consent decree started in 2012, but this is from a federal judge, which I thought was incredibly touching, where we had a solemn moment where Judge Robart said that we had lost John T. Williams on August 30th, 2010. And to the day on August 30th, 2012 is when we had the consent decree implemented.

And then on August 3rd, 2025, the judge granted the motion to lift the consent decree or granted the city's motion to lift the consent decree.

I took six pages of notes, but I just want to highlight a few things because these issues will come up again.

It's highly unusual, but Judge Robart is that kind of judge who speaks frankly and candidly about what this process has been like since 2012, 13 years, and has come to the conclusion of substantial compliance, and the U.S.

Attorney supported the City of Seattle's motion to dismiss or lift the consent decree.

The federal judge talked about the crowd control policies, the accountability systems, and the constitutional policing.

I also thought it was very important, and I was glad to see that the judge, Judge Robart, asked Mayor Harrell to respond and address the court, as well as Chief Barnes, who did a phenomenal job, and of course, our city attorney, Ann Davidson.

Without going into all the detail, some of the just quick highlights is that Judge Robart talked about, when terminating the consent decree, 13 years of supervising SPD and discussing and negotiating, and I was part of those negotiations along with Councilmember Gonzalez, who did the accountability legislation, the use of force, de-escalation, Investigating and reporting use of force, crowd control policies, crisis intervention, racial bias, implicit bias, cultural backgrounds, the accountability, and again reporting of misconduct, and of course a discussion about the OPA, OIG, and OPR, which of course are our accountability partners.

And then I thought it was really touching that Judge Robart talked about that we had lost our monitor, Merritt Bob.

He passed a couple weeks before the hearing and he did not get to live to see the day that he had worked on the, had been our court monitor with a few others as well since 2012. Without going into all the detail, I did appreciate that Judge Robart, because he is such a good judge, went back into time and talked about when we were discussing and negotiating dashboard cameras and body cameras and the George Floyd protests and what happened at CHOP in the East Precinct and crowd control.

And he also touched on collective bargaining and how that impacted the City of Seattle working with SPOG and where the court had to step in or couldn't step in.

And so without going into all that detail, I think it was important that Council Member Kettle had an opportunity to meet my friend, Rick Williams, who is John's brother.

And I thought he brought a real human element to the fact that this 13-year consent decree has finally come to an end.

However, constitutional policing will continue.

And I think we are going to have a more humane and a different response In our police, who our police are in the 21st century, and that is not what we've seen, those of us that have been around a little bit longer, that is not what we have seen growing up.

So with that, I'm just going to briefly go over what I did last week and what I will do next week.

So I had an opportunity, as you know, I just started this job.

Had an opportunity to meet with HSD, King County Regional Housing Authority, that's Dr. Kinnison.

Yeah, I think that's right.

Yeah, Seattle City Light, Office of Housing, a great meeting with Chief Barden of the Care Department and Chief Barnes and the Unified Care Team.

Met with all these groups.

For just about everything.

Last week I joined the mayor at a press conference in Lake City and I believe Councilmember Ring referred to this announcing nearly $12 million in budget investments increasing food access in D5 and across the city.

These items will be considered by the Seattle City Council as part of Mayor Harrell's 2026 budget proposal.

And this is what I understood, that we will be nearly doubling the Fresh Bucks investments, adding $3 million to support local food banks, adding $1 million to support year-round meal programs, and that the Lake City's farmers market, the time will be expanded, allocating more than $300,000 over three years to extend the Lake City farmers market by an additional 15 weeks.

And moving the market over from Thursday to Saturday.

And then ending the non-compete grocery and pharmacy property covenants that you often see on properties in which we're now exploring whether or not a covenant exists on the Kroger Fred Meyer property.

Upcoming, as you heard Council Member Solomon say, I want to continue.

I want to thank you, Council Member Solomon, to continue to chair the committee.

You've been great and keeping our staff up to date and helpful with all the amendments and everything else that's been going on in regards to MFTE.

And then, of course, Council Member Strauss, looking forward to the Tribal Nations Summit next Tuesday.

And I'm scheduled to attend the Regional Policy Council, which I did not know I was on until I got a call from Council Member Valducci.

So that was fun to find out.

And I want to thank a heartfelt thank from me personally to all my colleagues and their staff for being so helpful and kind and gracious And welcoming the D5 team.

That really meant a lot to my staff to have so many.

All of you have reached out.

You've all been great.

These are three wonderful people, Kelly Brown, Kimi Lee King, and Paul Menefey.

All of them are newcomers to Seattle City Hall, Seattle City Council, Seattle City Hall.

So having you have your staff be so available has meant a lot to us.

So thank you.

Did you know you're moderating the Travel Summit?

No, I did not know that.

Oh, yeah, I am.

Well, I'll just take this opportunity to say it's been so heartwarming to have you back, to have your energy back on the hall, your, you know, the chitchats and the stories and, you know, the occasional Grossier being dropped every now and then.

It's just great to have you back.

And so thank you for your kind words.

And what were you going to say?

I just wanted people to know something, Council President, which is, I don't know if people recognize this, but the reason why the Council President has the blanket that she has on her chair In our culture, it was gifted to me when I became council president by tribal leaders and when I left in December of 2023, which I thought I'd never return, I did the traditional thing and handed the blanket off to the chair or the new president And I think I really was encouraging the council president to use the blanket and she was hesitant.

And I said, no, it's a sign of honor.

It's not political.

It just means that thank you and good luck.

And, you know, that's why you have your blanket there.

And I just thought, I know that at first you were a little bit concerned about using it and I didn't want you to feel that way.

Well, you know, I admit I had a little bit of an insecurity complex.

And I didn't know if I'd live up to it.

And I tell you, ever since I've been sitting enveloped in its energy, life has been better.

So thank you very much.

I should have done this a long time ago.

Anyway, welcome back.

So, moving on.

Tomorrow, in full Council, I'll be sponsoring Council Bill 121065, which is an ordinance relating to city employment, authorizing the execution of a collective bargaining agreement between the City of Seattle and the Seattle Fire Chiefs Association, IAFF, Local 2898, effective from January 1st, 2022 through December 31st, 2026, and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

Why am I doing this?

Because our Labor Committee involves personnel matters which are not open to the public.

We sometimes bring in central staff to full council to answer questions.

So that's what we're going to be doing tomorrow.

Council members, particularly those who don't serve on the Select Labor Committee, may I have questions that I am not able to answer because there are some details that might be asked for that I don't have at my fingertips.

So we'll be doing that tomorrow, as I said, and we'll suspend the rules to allow Amanda Allen from Central Staff to answer any of those questions about this legislation.

And she also sent a central staff memo to all of your offices earlier today that hopefully council members will have the opportunity to review prior to tomorrow's council meeting.

All right, since we didn't have a briefing last week, I'll look back a couple weeks and highlight the Seattle Women in Film Annual Summer Party that I had the pleasure of attending on Friday, August 29th.

And so, as you know, I've been a champion of Seattle's filmmakers and film industry for years and established the Seattle Film Commission in 2022. And it was really great to connect with the trailblazers in Seattle's really tight-knit film community that night and learn about lots of really fun projects that are going on that very well might show up on a screen near you in the near future.

So I just wanted to thank the film community, not just the people that are the members of Women in Film, but the whole community for everything that you do to create jobs, push innovation in film, video, TV, And just make life more fun for Seattle.

And I wanted to provide a special shout-out to Virginia Berta Bogert, who is the indefatigable Women in Film president and recipient of the Seattle Mayor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in 2023. This is a 30-year...

Women in Film was founded in 1990, and I think that she has been the only president ever since then.

Thank you very much for your service.

Anyway, over this past weekend, I participated in the ribbon cutting for Seattle's brand new Waterfront Park.

It's been long in the making, long anticipated.

You know, we've had these sort of, you know, the Overlook Park opening and then there was an event recently down there, but this was the official Let It All Hang Out.

It's a huge all-day party event and it was fabulous to Reconnect with the old leaders that were instrumental in getting this project going.

And now I'm just going to walk down memory lane a little bit, because rightly, former Mayor Greg Nichols has been recognized and honored in print and elsewhere for all of his work leading and shepherding the project.

But I also just want to thank my former boss, Councilmember Richard Conlon, for everything that he did as well.

I joined his office in 2002. when he was just beginning as transportation chair.

And so this was on the office's plate from the get-go in my experience.

And I have to say it was, looking back, it was good times, but it was a bumpy road.

You know, there was going, cutting, First of all, there wasn't the deep bore, it was going to be the cut and cover, but then that was competing against the surface transit and then the folks that wanted to keep the viaduct going, etc.

So it was years of, I don't know, gamesmanship and also really true cooperation and a stretching of personal Uh, political and, uh, economic boundaries to really see this project through to the, uh, to the, to the deep bore tunnel that it became and then everything that's on top.

And that is Friends of Waterfront Park and, and all the other leaders that have created a new front porch to the city of Seattle.

And of course, um, the tribal leaders that were there, uh, thank you very, very much for your grace, your partnership and, um, for being a voice of conscience during the whole project, but especially in the past few years.

So that was a fabulous example.

I mean, it was a fabulous experience and I dare would say that I don't think anybody here has not been to the Waterfront Park, but if so, now's your time.

In any case, Sunday was also Seahawks' 50th season day, and it was great to hear that Jim Zorn and Steve Largent raised the 12 flag before the game.

Unfortunately, the game did not go our way.

My football experts in my office told me that our defense and special teams played great.

And then you know what?

I'm not going to say this next part because let's just leave it on a positive note.

I know that, yes, I have more facts here, but I'm just not going to go there.

All right.

So hopefully we'll see lots of improvements in the end and this special season will finish off.

I'm not going to say how they finished that sentence.

Anyway, that was a good time and also playing the game of my home state.

I mean the team of my home state.

Looking ahead, tomorrow evening I am attending a Seattle Home Builders reception where I hope to learn more about How we're addressing the housing shortage and what the city can do to get more homes built faster over the near term and in while projecting long term as well.

So that's my report.

Are there any comments or questions about what I just said?

You're nodding.

Okay, go ahead, Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you.

I just wanted to underscore the waterfront project and What an amazing project it is, and many, many, many years in the making.

And I also want to acknowledge the late former mayor, Charlie Royer, who was really instrumental and a big advocate, and also community members like Maggie Walker, who left their lives on the table for these projects.

And I do mean that.

And Friends of the Waterfront, their entire board and the many community folks that have been part of that, Friends of the Waterfront organization since the inception of the conversation about transforming the waterfront.

And I'm gonna be self-serving just for one second and to give a shout out to my spouse, Dan Cully, who has been friends of the waterfront for a long time and was also really, really committed to this project.

So a little note of pride in my home about that.

But just in general, how long it took to get this project going and all the people.

I mean, if we were to sit here and list all the people that were part of this project, we would be here a really long time.

So like everything in life, there are so many people that contribute to projects of this nature that don't always get the recognition.

So for them, I just want to say many of us here know And we thank you for your service.

Anyone that was a part of this project for the last many, many years and more recently, we really thank you for your service.

And this project is really has transformed our waterfront and including The very rightfully amazing contributions from our tribal partners.

That is also to be very celebrated and underscored.

So I just wanted to not leave today's meeting without, as we're talking about the waterfront, recognize the many contributions.

So thank you, Council President.

Thank you for mentioning that.

I don't know if the inimitable Dan Cully was involved in the initiative that was voted down on August 16th.

2011, but I was looking at my phone at pictures and there was an attempt to stop the deep bore and that failed.

I remember pictures of walking on the viaduct when it was open to the public, one last walk.

Anyway, we're dating ourselves, so I'll just shut up here.

Um, thank you for those comments.

And while I still have the mic, I do want to say Phyllis Schulman in Richard Coleman's office was lead actually on this project.

And so shout out to her.

I was, um, I was lead on the monorail, but anyway, thank you, Phyllis and Richard.

Okay.

Any further comments or business?

I'm seeing none, seeing no further business.

This meeting is adjourned.

It is 417. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.