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The March 3rd of the meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.02 p.m.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Juarez?

Here.

Councilmember Kettle?

Here.

Councilmember Lynn?

Here.

Councilmember Rink?

Present.

Councilmember Rivera?

Present.

Councilmember Saka?

Here.

Councilmember Strauss.

Councilmember Foster.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Nine present.

Awesome.

So we're going to kick off today with some exciting stuff.

Councilmember Rink will present a proclamation recognizing March 2026 as Women's History Month.

Councilmember Rink, you are recognized to address the proclamation.

Thank you, Council President.

Hello, everyone.

Today, the Seattle City Council proudly recognizes March as Women's History Month and celebrates all the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices made by so many women leaders in our city.

society and city government has yet to reach full gender equity.

I do think it's important to appreciate our progress.

Right now in city leadership, we have a women majority on council, with five of nine members in Seattle City Council being women, our mayor and city attorney, both women, three of us openly LGBTQ, six of us women of color.

I think that's an incredible achievement in terms of moving the needle on representation.

and today we are also recognizing some incredible women, their achievements and their place in history and excited to hear their voices shortly as we present the proclamation.

You know, too often in history, women's contributions have been erased, our struggles minimized, our voices silenced.

So as we take time to reflect and celebrate our excellence, I hope we will take a moment of reflection to acknowledge the women whose names we don't know.

the woman who forged networks to guide people to freedom, the woman who crossed borders for a better life, the woman who fought to defend their ancestral lands, the woman who housed and fed people and breathed life into social movements because they too are our past and our present.

So Women's History Month is not about girl bossing.

It's about claiming our place in history books in a world that for too long said our stories, our work, our contributions are not worthy of the ink.

and with this proclamation we reaffirm the City of Seattle's commitment to fostering an inclusive community where every woman and girl can thrive.

And with those opening remarks I'd like to actually read the proclamation for today and thank you colleagues for your thoughtful contributions to this.

Whereas the month of March has been heralded since 1987 in the United States as Women's History Month, an annual celebration that honors the extensive contributions of women to history, culture, and society.

And whereas International Women's Day, celebrated globally on March 8th each year, is a significant day that applauds the economic, political, and social achievements of women around the world.

and whereas the month of March is a momentous period, not just for celebrating the strides women have made, but also a time for pushing for further progress, honoring acts of courage and determination by women who have made a remarkable impact in their countries and communities, and whereas the city of Seattle acknowledges and values the immense contributions of women to our community, our economy, and society at large.

and whereas the Seattle Women's Commission established in 1973 has been focused on addressing the unique challenges faced by women of diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to gender-based violence, economic empowerment, healthcare access, and representation in leadership roles, tirelessly amplifying the voices of women and championing gender equity in our community.

and whereas while women constitute half of the US population and hold significant roles across sectors such as business, government, education, healthcare and more, they still represent less than 30% of the US House of Representatives, the Senate, Fortune 500 CEOs and governors nationwide and are overrepresented in essential yet undervalued roles including but not limited to domestic work, childcare, human and social services and education.

and whereas it remains evident that our city has yet to fully achieve true gender equity, it is crucial to appreciate the progress thus far, notably the majority, five of nine members of Seattle City Council, five of which identifies women of color, three of which identifies openly LGBTQ, our city attorney, and the mayor of Seattle, all are women signifying a noteworthy advancement in representation and leadership.

and whereas the city of Seattle has served as a home base to the incredible leadership and professional talents both living and passed on, such as, but not limited to, Bertha Knights Landis, the first female mayor of a major American city, Ijeoma Olu, award-winning writer, Ruby Chow, community organizer, restaurateur, and small business advocate, Esther Lucero, champion for indigenous healthcare, Mary E. Brunkow, 2025 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The Wheel, Women in Black Tireless Advocates for Women Experiencing Homelessness and People Experiencing Homelessness.

The Seattle Torrent, the new professional women's hockey league established in 2025. Jody Allen, owner of the National Football League's Super Bowl 60 championship winning Seattle Seahawks.

And whereas Seattle holds steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equity and fostering a society that is inclusive and equitable for all residents regardless of their gender identity.

And whereas we equivocally condemn all forms of violence, particularly those directed towards women at home, on the streets, in workplaces, in our schools and colleges, in media and on the internet, and whereas reproductive rights and equal access on healthcare are hallmarks of an equitable society, and while these rights are being substantially rolled back at a national level, local action has been taken to protect access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including abortion.

We're almost there.

And whereas affordable childcare is crucial for the full economic participation of women, noting that childcare costs often surpass housing expenses, particularly impacting low-income and single-parent households and impeding women's career advancement, perpetuating workforce gender disparities.

And whereas it is critical to recognize and address the distinct challenges faced by all women, particularly women of color, LGBTQIA plus women, indigenous women, immigrant women, homeless and housing insecure women and women with disabilities and to work relentlessly toward eliminating barriers hindering their full participation and success.

and whereas we call for the immediate and effective measures to close for the gender pay gap, ensure that women are provided with the necessary support to succeed in the workforce and ensure equitable access to healthcare and empower women to share their voices in our city, state, country, and globally.

And now, therefore, the City of Seattle proclaims March 2026 to be Women's History Month in Seattle.

Thank you.

Awesome, and thank you Council Member Rink for all your work and leadership on this and bringing this forward.

I will pause here to see if any other colleagues would like to make any comments.

Council Member Rivera.

Thank you.

I wanna thank my colleague, Council Member Rink, for bringing this Women's History Month proclamation forward.

It is really humbling, the women that you read, Council Member Rink, into the record and who are being honored today.

all making such amazing contributions to our city and to our country.

And then I also wanna say just a minor, it's the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, not the Peace Prize, but nevertheless, a similar type of honor.

And it is just so amazing.

I know some of the women are here today and I'm just so glad to have folks in chambers and have this moment today to recognize these women, incredible women.

And these are not the only women, we're recognizing a few women today of the many women who make contributions every day, big and small across our city and across our country.

So thank you again, Council Member Ring for bringing this today and I look forward to affixing my signature to it.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, council member Rivera.

Are there any other comments before we do our wonderful presentation of the proclamation?

Okay, awesome.

So hearing no further comments, if there is no objection, the rules of the council will be suspended to allow council member Rink to present the proclamation to our guests and to allow our guests to provide some comments.

Hearing no objection, the rules are suspended to allow Council Member Rink to present the proclamation and allow our guests to address the council.

And so now Council Member Rink will present the proclamation.

I will call up the folks who are speaking.

And then after we finished speaking, we will then take a group photo as well.

So Council Member Rink will present the proclamation to the guests.

And here, I'm gonna read off the guests while she is walking and doing that.

It's members of the Seattle Women's Commission.

So it's Emily Rose Barr, Tally Mills, Crystal Guerrero, Marta Itowu, and Esther Lucero, who's here as well.

We also have Mary Brunkow, who's here.

We have Ijeoma Olu, who's here.

We have Maddie McNamara, who is from the director of team operations from our wonderful Seattle Torrent.

And then we also have Anita Freeman from Wheel Women in Black.

Did I say everyone on there who is here?

and all the other women that are here as well that I did not say as well.

We love y'all too.

Awesome.

And so next we'll have members from the Seattle Women's Commission or whoever, I have lists of all the folks that are speaking.

So I don't know if Emily Rose, someone from the Seattle Women's Commission wants to speak first, followed by Esther, then Mary, Awesome.

Welcome.

Thank you, council members.

My name is Tally Mills, co-chair of the Seattle Women's Commission, and I want to thank you for recognizing Women's History Month and for reaffirming Seattle's commitment to gender equity.

This proclamation reminds us that women's history is not only something we celebrate, it is something we are continuing to write every day through advocacy, leadership, and community action.

The Seattle Women's Commission is honored to work alongside the city to elevate the voices of women across Seattle and to advance policies that ensure every woman and girl can thrive.

We appreciate your partnership and your commitment to making Seattle a place where women belong in every space where decisions are made.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

Hi, my name is Crystal Guerrero.

I am on the Seattle Women's Commission, former co-chair.

I live in District 4. I just wanted to quickly thank you all for your support of women and everything that you do to uplift women in our community, and we really appreciate all of you.

We focus on gender-based violence, housing stability, and women's health and wellness, so if there's anything that we can do to collaborate to push those initiatives forward even more so this year, please reach out.

Awesome, thank you so much.

Okay, awesome.

Esther, you're up next.

Come on, girl.

Go, Esther.

Yat'e, President Hollingsworth and council members, it's really great to see you all.

I stand before you as a woman, as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister, and standing before you in the footsteps of incredible ancestors, folks that come from the American Indian Women's Service Leagues, you know, Pearl Warren, Adeline Garcia, Thank Auntie Julie Johnson.

Those are folks that actually gave birth to the organizations that we have the privilege of serving our people through today.

I feel really humbled by that.

I want you to know that I actually had the privilege of attending a women's college.

Yeah, Mills College for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Why is that important?

It's important because 20% of our female congressional members all went to women's colleges.

30% of the rising stars within the business world also went to women's colleges.

There is value in placing her story at the center of history.

There's value in that.

This city has a history and legacy of honoring our people, indigenous people, and also with respect to Council Member Juarez, making sure that whether we are here or we are no longer here, like our missing and murdered indigenous women, taking a stand on that as a city and making sure that we were the first city to step forward and say that this is a problem.

Now there's a Cheyenne proverb, it says, our nation is not on the ground until the hearts of its women are on the ground.

And I'll tell you, we're not, we're here.

This nation isn't on the ground and it's not until women take their rightful place in leadership as we're beginning to see on this council that we will begin to heal and that we will begin to thrive.

I just want to say thank you for this proclamation today.

It is an honor to be here.

I want you to recognize every single indigenous female leader in this city because right now it's become a vortex of power and that comes from being an indigenous woman.

Awesome, thank you, Esther.

Next we have Mary, is Mary here?

She is?

Yes, Mary.

Brunkow, yes.

Can I speak at the taller microphone?

Anyone, anyone.

Okay, I actually wasn't planning on saying many words here, but as a representative for women in life science research, I have loads of gratitude for the women who came before me and kind of opened the path to allow a lot more girls and women to go into STEM.

subjects and thrive in research, but we have a long way to go still to really reach full equality and really strongly encouraging young girls and women going into these fields.

And also really, I think there's a big bottleneck at the point where women make it into real leadership positions in these fields.

And that's where we really need to keep working.

But I am very grateful for the recognition here.

And the Women's History Month is a very important concept still.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Mary.

Next, we have Ijeoma.

Welcome.

Hello, my name is Ijeoma Oluo.

And at a time when black women are being erased from national job markets, from our press, our media, from overall representation, at a time when our tax dollars are being used to drop bombs on women around the world, I am grateful for this recognition and to be in such esteemed company.

And I hope that with recognition, comes true investment in the values that we say we have as a city, in protecting all women, women of color, black, brown, indigenous women, queer, trans, disabled women, and allowing us to not only survive but thrive.

And so I hope with this recognition, we see in future years recognition of the future we are creating for more women to stand up here with true investment in the work that we're doing, in programs that can help us, and truly standing strong against national politics that seek to harm us and harm women around the world.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Maddie McNamara, followed by Miss Anita.

Hello.

I saw some of you last week at our gold medal presser, so thank you for having me.

Council president, council members, and honored guests on behalf of the Seattle Torrent, our players, coaches, staff, and fans, thank you for this proclamation and for recognizing Women's History Month in such a meaningful way.

Seattle is a city that shows up for women.

You've proven that in packed arenas, in record-breaking moments, and in your unwavering belief that women's sports matter.

When young girls walk into our arena and see elite women competing at the highest level, they are not just watching a game, they are seeing what is possible.

This honor belongs to the women who came before us, the leaders who fought for opportunity, visibility, and equity in sport and in our communities.

Because of them, we are here.

We are proud to represent Seattle on the ice, and we are committed to continuing this work, expanding access, elevating women in leadership, and building a franchise that reflects the strength and diversity of this city.

Thank you for believing in women's sports and for helping us write the next chapter of history together.

Thank you.

We have Ms. Anita, welcome.

Thank you.

Anitra Freeman here.

Oh gosh, I kept saying, I'm sorry.

I'm thinking of Anita Baker.

I'm so sorry.

That's my bad.

You'll never forget it again, right?

No, never.

So I'm here with friends from Weal, Women in Black.

We're honored to be here today with in such company.

In 2000, WEAL, a grassroots organizing effort of homeless women, founded silent women in black vigils for homeless people who die in King County.

All are welcome to join, women and men, housed and homeless.

We've stood vigil for more than 3,000 people to date, including children.

We stand only for homeless people who died outside, in public, or by violence.

These deaths should shock our moral conscience, yet are often ignored or treated with victim-blaming contempt.

The vigils are one small way for our community to remember people in dignity, since many homeless people have no remembrance at all.

We've named each person with cause and age of death 50 years old on average.

We stand because we care about every person.

We stand because sometimes it's the only remembrance a person will have.

We stand because everyone had meaning and love in their lives that should be celebrated and honored.

We stand even when we know nothing about the person who died.

We stand to remember we are a community, undivided.

We name the dead because it's the anonymity and invisibility of homeless people that we stand against.

We name the dead because every person has someone who will want to know what happened to them.

We name the dead with cause of death because these causes, untreated medical conditions, hypothermia, murder, overdose, and others, are a toll of the bell for a society that abandoned its own people.

We remember.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Anitra.

Thank you so much.

We're really moved by people's words and you just see the depth and breadth of women and all the experiences and everything that you all bring to this community and this world and this land and we are so grateful.

and now if you all would entertain us, we're gonna do a group picture.

We've never done it with this many people before.

So this is our first time.

It's usually one or two.

So we'll have people stand below the date.

Yeah, absolutely.

You can have, we thought you can totally stand in front if you wanna do that, Council Member Rank.

Ideally, we were gonna do it.

Do you wanna do one by yourself first?

No?

Okay, awesome.

So we were gonna have people come on this side of the dais, split each side of these desks, and the council members were gonna stand up and come to the middle, okay?

Is that cool?

Awesome.

So we'll see if this works, if the pictures is good.

So we're gonna have everyone come stand on this side.

You're gonna be facing this way, because we're gonna take a photo facing Deanna Lee.

Deanna Lee, raise your hand.

Awesome.

Yeah, would that be cool?

Yeah, they'll stand and then we'll stand behind them.

And if that doesn't work, just let me know.

We'll braid your hair.

No, not back here.

I apologize for your eyes.

Three, two, one.

I guess it's not even using it right now.

One more, a little bit closer.

If everyone can kind of just like squeeze in.

One more, thank you.

Three, two, one.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, all right, awesome.

So now, Mr. Zimmerman, please sit down.

We're not, not today.

Not today.

Thank you.

I'm not on one today.

All right.

Not today.

Not today.

Not today.

All right, colleagues, at this time, we will open the hybrid public comment period.

Public comment is limited to items on today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar and the council's work.

Clerk, how many speakers do we have?

We have four remote and seven in person.

Okay, that is under 30. We have 11 speakers.

So that means that everyone's gonna get two minutes.

If we had over 30, that means that we go to one minute.

So we're super excited.

We have seven, eight, nine, 11 speakers and we will be two minutes.

Will you please read the instructions for public comment?

Speakers will be called in the order in which they are registered.

Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of their time.

Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker.

Awesome.

First up, Mr. Alex Zimmerman, followed by Yvette Dynish, Dennis, Charlotte, Morgan, Peter Manning, Howard Gale.

Mr. Zimmerman, welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Yeah, my name is Alex Zimmerman and I want to speak about something what I speak for many years.

Your income, approximately $150,000.

So you represent only 10% of people in Seattle who make more than $120,000, $150,000.

So you not represent 90% of people because 90% of people make approximately $60,000.

And I talking about this for many years.

For many years, no one console want to move to $60,000.

No one console don't want to represent 90% of people.

Why?

Can somebody explain to me?

Why this happen?

How is this possible?

Who are you?

Shame of you doing this.

This is number one.

And number two, we have new, beautiful, stupid mayor.

She won cut salary for employee for government by five, 10 percentage.

and she's appointed a financial director.

I don't too much remember her name.

She was named like Alex Penny, something like this.

And she give her $250,000 salary.

And I'm talking about this for many years.

I don't understand where you find these people who make $250,000.

Why is it so smart?

She, for my understanding, never have experience with businesses.

Right now, Seattle have a dozen billion dollars business.

Where did you find this idiot?

I can do this job for 50,000 and I'm a businessman like Donald Trump for all my life.

This is a very important guy.

You're acting like a degenerative idiot.

This is good for many years.

250,000 for people who never make money with its own hand.

Viva Trump!

Viva New American Revolution!

Stand up, slave, and happy cow.

Stop acting like an animal from dirty garbage rats.

Thank you.

Next we have Miss Yvette Dynish, followed by Dennis, then Charlotte Morgan, Peter Manning, Howard Gale.

Good afternoon.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And in honor of Women's History Month, I'm getting a little personal.

As a testament to determination, my daughter, my second child, dropped out of high school at 14. I wasn't having it.

So she went and got a GED, went to Evergreen and got a bachelor's degree, and ultimately got her PhD in quantum theoretical chemistry, which I still don't know what it's about, but anyway.

And right now she's currently the head of her department.

Mayor with three kids, that's what determination will get you.

Thank you very much.

And also I wanted to have a couple of handouts regarding You know, I take the newspaper.

I'm so old school.

But there's a couple of things that I found of interest.

One was a guy, a letter to the editor, about how he strived to get the attention of King County and Seattle government regarding homelessness.

And he has solutions.

And someone, I got a copy of that for you.

And also back to a couple of meetings where we've talked about the cameras.

I'm curious to know that, like I think Mr. Manning has mentioned that there's some cameras that are installed in Main and Beach but are not activated.

and is this something that we can go through the Find It, Fix It app to get those activated?

Because we're concerned about safety of our kids in the Rainier Beach area, particularly those young boys that got murdered a couple weeks ago, which has still not been solved.

And then this handout is showing the article in the Times indicating quite eloquently how the Seattle safety cameras have proven their worth.

And in closing, Councilmember Kettle, Sabrina sends her regards.

She does her and I collaborate to feed the homeless and cattle.

She wanted to let you know that.

Hello.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Miss Yvette.

Next, we have Dennis, followed by Charlotte, Morgan, then Peter, and then Howard Gale.

On behalf of the Downtown Seattle Association, we want to thank Councilmember Kettle for Resolution 3-2-1-9-1 and its clear intent to advance a bold, forward-looking vision for one of the most important centers in our city.

My name is Dennis Sills and I work at the DSA.

This resolution recognizes the moment we are in and the opportunity before us to thoughtfully revitalize Westlake Park and its surroundings as a place that reflects Seattle's values, supports downtown's growth, and positions the heart of the city to serve future generations.

Westlake is more than a place on a map.

Anchored by Westlake Center and the Seattle Center monorail, this area has served for decades as Seattle's civic living room where people gather, celebrate, commute, shop, and experience the shared energy of the city.

The downtown Seattle transit tunnel, once home to buses, now serves as the backbone of the region's expanding light rail system.

In just a few weeks, the tunnel will directly connect with the heart of our city, with east side communities strengthening regional access and underscoring Westlake's importance not only at downtown, but to the entire Puget Sound region.

We commend the city for convening the Westlake Civic Committee and for this thoughtful framework.

This framework ensures Westlake remains the front door of Seattle, one that reflects our values, supports a thriving downtown, serves residents, workers, visitors, and commuters for decades to come.

We also look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Wilson administration, including the Office of Economic Development, which has worked on this, as we move forward together in developing a new vision for Westlake Center.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dennis.

Next, we have Charlotte, followed by Morgan, followed by Peter, followed by Howard.

Welcome, Charlotte.

Thank you, Madam President, members of the council.

My name is Charlotte Philippe.

I'm a resident of District 3. Shockingly, the numbers lady has more numbers for you.

407, 244, 365, 30, 195, 123, 609. Day marks 407 days since the president took office, 244 days since Homeland Security opened to Alligator Alcatraz.

Nearly one year since ICE deported Kilmaradeo Garcia, since ICE detained for over one month.

195 days since Mohammed Zayed Chowdhury, a National Guard veteran, is also detained by ICE and held for 123 days.

Today I once again rise to ask this body to take action to protect our community from the egregious and there are some of you who labor under the delusion that the federal government will follow the law or go about things the right way, and you need to disabuse yourselves from that.

We have seen time and again this government flat out ignore Article 3 judges and illegally access, even in this state, confidential state databases.

If they can bypass the State Department of Licensing, what on earth makes you believe they could steamroll the city of Seattle?

If we absolutely must have these technologies, the Select Committee on Federal Administration and the Public Safety Committee must work together to create these firewalls of firewalls.

And Bob, if these safety measures get overrun, if they're breached, I expect to see your resignation letter in my email inbox via a newsletter within 12 hours.

It is 609 days until Election Day in 2027.

Thank you Charlotte.

Next we have Morgan May followed by Peter Manning and then Howard Gale.

Welcome Morgan.

And any microphone works.

Hi, my name is Morgan May.

I'm with the Mutual Aid Network for Trans and Intersex Individuals in Seattle, and I'm a resident of District 3. I want to speak to you today about the policing resolution that's on the agenda.

The resolution concerns the professionalism of the Seattle Police Department.

I believe that this resolution speaks to the lack of trust between the police department and the city that serves.

If there were trust, these things would not need to be said.

As a representative of a community that is frequently on the receiving end of police unprofessionalism, this is of great concern to me.

I believe that this lack of trust exists because the police are being used as a band-aid to address issues that they are not prepared to address such as homelessness, non-violent drug use, and sex work.

And over-policing diverts resources from programs that could actually more meaningfully impact these problems such as increased shelter space, drug treatment programs and employment opportunities.

As long as we try to use the police as a band-aid for these problems, They are going to be dispatched to situations that they're ill-equipped to address and they will waste the resources of the city and of the people whose lives they're interfering with, such as unhoused people who are merely trying to, you know, stay sheltered and stay warm.

I would urge the City Council to divert resources from policing and towards services.

Thank you, Morgan.

Next, we have Peter Manning, followed by Howard Gill.

Just a heads up, the middle microphone is the one that we have to use, this one over here.

No, anyone.

Yeah, the one over here is not working.

Thank you, Mr. Manning.

Thank you, Council President and Council Members.

My name is Peter Manning.

You guys may know me for pioneering the social equity program for Washington to get black and brown people included in this industry.

Let me give some clarification here.

There's most definitely a disconnect.

There's an issue with black and white in this state, in the city of Seattle as well.

In the 1990s, whites called for harsh penalties for black people that had drug problems.

The jails were overcrowded.

White people, on the other hand, in the 2000s, are doing drugs, and now it's drug-free zones, or you can do drugs there, and there is no penalty for drug doing.

So the sharp contrast, when I have kids dying in the South and in the Central District, the black community's asking for cameras.

I have white people stepping up saying, hey, we don't need cameras.

No, they don't need cameras, like we didn't need jail in the 90s.

We need cameras for our people.

We're going to protect our children.

I would respectfully ask white people to stay in their lane.

Seriously.

We have issues in our community we want to deal with.

We want cameras.

We're going to get our cameras.

Second thing, the city of Seattle stripped all opportunity from black-owned dispensary owners.

unjustly on some BS.

Black people got social equity licenses now.

They're ready to come back to Seattle.

And this council is making no move to make that happen.

I don't know what you guys want from us.

You make us fight for everything that we want to get that were stolen from us.

We got it back.

We fought for it.

Nobody gave it to us.

We fought.

We sued in federal court.

We won.

Now we're here.

This city council needs to give us our stories back.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Manning.

Next we have Mr. Howard Gale.

And just before you start, Mr. Howard Gale, the people online, we're gonna switch to you all online after Mr. Howard Gale.

So we will, if you are not present online, this is your call to be present.

Mr. Howard Gale.

Good afternoon, Howard Gale, 36th District Dems.

So for six months now, the council as a whole, plus individual council members, have refused to comment on the 36th District resolution to protect all Seattleites and immigrants.

I don't have the time to go through the seven bullet points in our resolution, but two of the most important are advancing legislation providing Seattle Police aid private property owners in preventing warrantless access to their property by federal agents, and also, number two, requiring SBDD prioritize taking law enforcement action when nonviolent protests or nonviolent civil disobedience is occurring in the context of trying to protect people from being taken and abused by federal agents.

You guys have remained silent on that.

What I've heard is two arguments.

One, that the mayor should do it, don't bother us, to which I would refer you back to grade school lessons you might have missed regarding how co-equal branches of government are supposed to function.

The second argument I've heard regards legality, which is really rich coming from a council where just in September 2024, the majority of youth current sitting council members voted or allowed the council to place an illegal alternative to social housing on the ballot.

You're going to be overturning that.

Just last March, one third of you voted for clearly illegal legislation to place housing in Soto.

So in both of these cases, a council majority voted against overwhelming opposition, against public interest, and with both serving lawyers on this council voting for something that was illegal.

None of this should surprise us when this and prior councils have ignored illegal actions by Seattle police that King County inquest juries along with county and federal juries have determined were criminal or constitutional violations.

So here it is.

The law is never really in question.

It's a facade and it's an excuse.

The question is ultimately about how do you preserve power and the status quo?

And are you willing to fight that and protect what is going to be two, three hundred thousand people in Seattle

Thank you, Mr. Gill.

We're going to switch to online.

So Luam, I see Luam, you are first.

You're going to press star six and then you'll go ahead and give us your public comment.

Next will be Lady Scribe, followed by Michael Woody, followed by first name Seattle, last name resident, followed by David Haynes.

Hello, my name is Luam Gabrihewitz, a resident of District 7 and a graduate student studying social work at Seattle University.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

I am here to advocate in support of House Bill 2489, which would prohibit cities and counties from clearing unauthorized homeless encampments unless they provide adequate alternative shelter options for the people affected.

People experiencing homelessness are some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Many are forced to sleep, eat, rest, and protect themselves in their personal property and public spaces simply because adequate shelter is inaccessible to them.

Criminalizing those survival behaviors does not solve homelessness.

It punishes people and increases barriers to safety, well-being, and long-term housing stability.

House Bill 2489 promotes a humane evidence-based approach by ensuring that enforcement of anti-camping ordinances only occurs when appropriate shelter options truly exist.

This encourages local governments to coordinate with service providers, expand accessible shelter options, and prioritize dignity and human rights in their responses to homelessness.

It also helps reduce trauma associated with displacement and repeated loss of personal belongings.

As a social work student, one of my core commitments is to promote social justice and the dignity and worth of every person.

Working with individuals in community behavioral health settings and hearing their stories has only revealed that the root causes of these issues are systemic, meaning that it could happen to many of us if there were to be a loss of employment or medical emergency.

Ensuring that people without housing have access to alternative shelter respects their human rights and aligns with the humanistic approach that acknowledges their inherent dignity, which can empower them to change the trajectory of their lives.

I urge you to support House Bill 2489 and work towards funding and resources that make alternatives to encampment clearing real and accessible.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Luem.

Next we have Lady Scribe followed by Michael Woody and then David Haynes.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay, okay.

Hello, my name is Lady Scribe and I'm here today to make sure you do not forget about Black Seattle.

This is for the mayor's office and our council members.

Our youth are afraid, our seniors are afraid, our veterans are afraid, and the working class in the middle are so busy surviving that they don't even feel safe admitting their fear.

Our young people in Rainier Beach and across South Seattle are scared to get on public transportation.

Even our trains have stopped running because of copper theft.

Buses feel unsafe when basic infrastructure fails.

It seems to be a message to us that we are not protected.

I want to thank Council President Joy Hollingsworth for staying connected to Rainier Beach youth.

That matters.

But connection must now turn into protection and preparation.

We are watching global unrest.

We are hearing conversations about new identification requirements, even passports tied to banking access for Indigenous Black Seattleites.

That raises real concern.

And the raising cost of SEA Airport, the extra $45 many families don't have, and the climate of racism that makes simply identifying yourself feel dangerous.

These are not abstract fears.

These are lived experiences.

And then there is the big one.

The earthquake we know is coming.

The floods we've already seen.

The emergencies we think cannot happen to us until they do.

Black Seattle is not prepared.

We do not have the bunkers.

We do not have the clear evacuation plans.

We do not have the cultural competency when it comes to emergency training.

We do not have accessible resources that teach us how to protect our families.

Preparedness builds confidence.

Confidence reduces trauma.

Right now, what we are experiencing is collective Black PTSD and prevention through preparation can change that.

So we're asking you to fund long-term commitment and community organizers, nonprofits, skip the RFP rabbit hole and skip the red tape.

When you walk into City Hall, you see there's a- Thank you, Lady Scribe.

Next, we have Michael Woody followed by David Haynes.

Michael, welcome.

Please press star six, Michael.

We still see you on mute.

Awesome.

There we go.

Good afternoon, Council President Hollingsworth and Council members.

My name is Michael Woody.

I'm here on behalf of Visit Seattle in strong support of the resolution you are considering today, which establishes guiding principles for the Westlake Transportation Hub.

Westlake is not just a transit stop.

It's the front door to downtown Seattle.

For many of our region's 40 million annual visitors, including convention attendees, cruise passengers, and day trippers, Westlake is their first and lasting impression of our city.

This resolution recognizes the unique opportunity created by the Westlake Park renovation, the sound transit expansion, and future monorail upgrades.

Together, these investments will shape how residents and visitors move through and experience the heart of downtown.

We strongly support the focus on functionality, safety, and urban compatibility.

A clean, well-lit, easy-to-navigate hub with strong wayfinding and visible transit presence is essential to a positive visitor experience.

When people feel safe and confident moving through downtown, they stay longer, explore more, and support our local businesses, contributing significantly to the $839 million in state and local taxes which help to fund regional housing, transportation, arts and culture, and mental health programming each year.

We also appreciate the emphasis on creating an economic catalyst for the retail core and a vibrant urban neighborhood.

A seamless connection between light rail, monorail, buses, Pike Place Market, Convention Center, Waterfront, and Historic Theater District, strengthens Seattle's position as a world-class destination.

This resolution sets the right vision and guiding principles to ensure these public projects work together to create a welcoming gateway to downtown.

Visit Seattle urges your support and we thank you for your leadership on this important effort.

Thank you, Michael.

Next we have David Haynes.

Star six, Mr. Haynes.

Thank you, David Haynes.

The resolution about the Westlake Transportation Hub is a joke.

You might as well put that piece of paper in a porta potty because it's completely unsafe in downtown because of the failures of policing and the misinterpretation of a criminal.

It's like when you come out of the Westlake tunnel and you turn left, it's a living hell.

And there's never been a rapid ride bus stop that they paid a million dollars for to be replaced.

but yet now you all wanna act like you're gonna bring light rail or whatever, like a transportation hub to a toxic park that's got shit all over it that had to have a construction project as an excuse to sweep out the criminality.

And that monorail is a piece of crap.

It is so gay and stupid.

You know, it's like antiquated and outdated from 1961 but people are holding on like they got nothing else to hold on to but a bunch of Cold War concrete up in the Seattle center area.

but the businesses can do without all the inflated property taxes that the government seems to solicitate off like a money-worshipping power monger acting like for-profit when it comes to taxing people.

It's like the property taxes are driving businesses out of Seattle because you all think it's all about raising the property taxes to finance your re-election apparatuses and yet you're destroying a small business by making them pay three and four and five and six times the original mortgage on a crappy piece of real estate that's ill suited for its purpose.

But I still don't understand the fourth avenue because if you compare it to 3rd Avenue where all the transit is, there's no stop there.

Why can't you all put back the stop on 3rd Avenue before you want to spend more money on 4th Avenue for another stupid bus stop that you already had that you took away because there's a bunch of junkies that you all have created because you keep exempting drug pushers because of your LBGQT that want to take advantage of people.

Thank you, Mr. Haynes.

I actually like the monorail.

I think it's nice.

All right.

Just for the record.

Okay, so we had a dead mic over here in Charlotte when you gave your comments.

So the clerk has asked if you could come to the middle to repeat them or whatever your public comment you would like to say.

Oh, I'm not used to being over here.

Hi, I'm Charlotte Philippe.

I spoke earlier about the need to act about the threat of ICE.

I'm not as good doing impromptu public comment versus I had time to practice this for three days beforehand.

The gist of it was, please do something.

It's been 407 days since this man took office.

The Federal Administration Select Committee and the Public Safety Committee has got to figure something out.

If we have to keep this technology, it's obvious that certain members of communities in certain geographic areas of the city want these cameras.

I personally disagree with that, but I'm gonna stay in my lane.

If we're gonna have these cameras, we need to have, like I said, the firewall of firewalls.

And I'm super serious about what I said, Council Member Kettle.

You have said time and time again that there are safeguards against interference and against intrusion and if your word does not end up sticking through a federal action, there needs to be accountability for that and it has to be the public facing figures.

You have to be held accountable if you push this stuff and it comes crashing down.

There are real people, in real houses, on real streets, in real, real danger.

And we need you to do your jobs to keep us safe.

609 days until the next general election, where most of you will be up.

And we have long memories.

We will remember what you have done, not just since between now and then, but since you were first elected in 2023. Please do something.

Thank you.

Thank you, Charlotte.

So there's no more registered speakers.

I want to scan the room.

Is there anyone else who wants to speak?

Keandre, Ruth, anyone?

Nope.

All right.

Awesome.

I'm just being, trying to, one more speaker.

Okay.

This is our last speaker.

You don't like how I called y'all out by name?

Huh?

All right, welcome.

My name's Clinton Attaway.

I'm a resident of Chinatown.

I'm responding directly to what I'm just reading now by Erica Barnett.

Could you use the microphone?

There you go.

You can pull it down.

Or you could do this one, whatever one.

Awesome.

My name's Clinton Attaway.

I'm a resident of Chinatown.

Responding directly to what I'm just reading now from Erica Barnett about the kind of shifting sand under Council Member Rink's proposed ban on detention centers and jails.

Please don't weaken this.

This is a strong first step and I really...

this is where we see you taking action.

We don't need to see you stepping back that action.

So I hope any Council members who are considering going against the legislation because it might appear that you're being soft on crime.

We know you are so hard on crime, so just let this one go.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

And please sign your name.

If you could sign your, yep, just sign your name.

Thank you so much.

So we have reached the end of list of registered speakers.

The public comment period is now closed.

Thank you for your comments today, the people that give us comments online, on emails, while we're out in public, and the people that we have meetings with.

Thank you all for your public comments today.

And we really appreciate it.

If there is no objection, the agenda, or excuse me, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction and referral calendar is adopted.

If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing none, the agenda is adopted.

We're gonna now consider the proposed consent calendar.

Items on the consent calendar include minutes of February 24th, 2026 and Council Bill 121-172, payment of the bills.

Are there any council members who would like to remove from today's consent calendar?

Hearing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and second to adopt the consent calendar.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the consent calendar?

Council member Foster?

Yes.

Council member Juarez?

Aye.

Council member Kettle?

Aye.

Council member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendar items are adopted.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes and legislation on the consent calendar on my behalf.

Will the clerk please read item number one into the record?

The report of the Public Safety Committee joined item one, resolution 32193, relating to law enforcement officer professionalism and standards, reaffirming Seattle values related to professional law enforcement conduct, condemning recent actions of federal law enforcement agents, articulating expectations for law enforcement conduct within Seattle, and directing the Seattle Police Department officers to conduct and report violations of law enforcement professionalism standards.

The committee recommends the resolution be adopted.

Councilmember Kettle, as chair of the committee, you are recognized to provide the committee report.

Thank you, Council President, colleagues, and members of the public here in chambers and across Seattle Channel.

In times of crisis, it is very important to have clarity and purpose in moving forward to address the crisis, to address the uncertainty.

and in the uncertainty, it is important to be clear in one's values and our values as a city to include that yes, we are a welcoming city and with it the protection of safety, privacy, and individual rights.

With respect to law enforcement, all law enforcement, it is crucial to state our standards and our expectations.

Standards and expectations we hold for our very own law enforcement, the Seattle Police Department.

This includes the use of face masking, identification, identifying uniforms, but also following directives, policy, and the law.

Our expectation is that law enforcement being of a guardian model and not a warrior model.

It is concerning to me in this new period of war in the Middle East to see the warrior model in federal law enforcement, for I remember quite clearly in another period of war just over two decades ago.

a period where excess military equipment was sent to local, county, and state law enforcement and where seemingly law enforcement went from blue to black.

This concern is now heightened as we see the budgetary resources going to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.

This resolution makes clear our position with respect to law enforcement and the professionalism and standards.

Stating it aloud and in resolution is equally important.

At the end of the day, we cannot have ill-disciplined law enforcement operations, where directives and policies are not followed, and where leadership is weak in our city, in our region.

This resolution makes our position clear, for again, in times of crisis, it is important to have clarity and purpose in moving forward, and so I ask colleagues for your support of this resolution.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Council Member Kettle.

Are there any other comments about this resolution?

Awesome.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the resolution?

Thank you, Council Member Kettle.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Juarez?

Aye.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Councilmember Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Collingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf.

Will the clerk please read item number two into the record.

The report of the Human Services Labor and Economic Development Committee, agenda item 2, resolution 32191, identifying the opportunity to develop a regional transportation hub adjacent to Westlake Park, creating a vision for how this hub will integrate with the surrounding neighbourhoods and setting forth directions for functionality, safety and urban compatibility along with the guiding principles for the public project plan for this area adjacent to Westlake Park.

The committee recommends the resolution be adopted.

Council Member Rink, as chair of the committee, you are recognized to provide the committee report.

Thank you, Council President.

I'll be brief because I'd like to give an opportunity for the bill sponsor to speak on this as well.

Colleagues, this resolution affirms the vision to develop a coordinated regional transportation hub adjacent to Westlake Park.

It sets guiding principles to align any future light rail, monorail, and any other transit improvements to function as a cohesive hub rather than separate projects.

Thank you to the Office of Economic Development for your work on this.

This resolution passed unanimously out of the Human Services Labor and Economic Development Committee, and I urge adoption by full counsel.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Brink.

Councilmember Kettle, you are recognized.

Thank you, Council President, and also thank you, Council Member Rink, for the work that's done on this and for your comments.

As we've heard in public comment, this is a front door.

This is a crucial area, a crucial element of our city.

It is the front door to go with the front porch, if you will, with our waterfront.

And it's key to have all these pieces included.

An efficient, effective transportation hub, so important, bringing the intermodal operations between the monorail, which I'd love to, can I add?

and buses and the light rail.

A functional urban destination, you know, this is what we need with interesting sidewalks, retail services, those kinds of pieces that we've been trying to do in so many ways, but to bring it to Westlake even more.

Of course, this is all needed and it's needed for a city related to becoming an economic catalyst for us and for that area.

But ultimately, also a unique, vibrant, and livable urban neighborhood with amenities that enable people and families to meet their needs and thrive.

It's important for us to realize that downtown is also a residential area, you know, neighborhood.

In downtown and Belltown and Denny Triangle and if going up a bit, you know, South Lake Union, uptown and across the cap hill.

it is so important to have this in our center.

And so, by the way, I thank the Downtown Community Council, the Belltown Community Council, Denny Triangle Association for your thoughts.

And these voices need to be heard moving forward as we engage on the challenges that may come up as we're putting this into place.

But the last thing I wanted to say, and I think this is important, and this has come up in different ways, is that in a lot of ways our city has a north-south orientation, you know, with I-5, with 99, in these pieces.

And I think, and I've said this before, Council President has heard me say this before, but we really need to work on those east-west connections.

Those east-west connections go over these challenges that, you know, in the past that came in the divided neighborhoods and communities.

These east-west connections create that more vibrant neighborhood feel for our city.

And this is an important area to do that.

Yes, it's a transportation hub, but it's also this kind of mix in the center between not just north and south, but also east and west.

And I, colleagues, I ask for your support along with Council Member Rink for this, for this resolution.

Thank you so much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Are there any other further comments about this resolution?

Awesome.

All right.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the resolution?

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Juarez?

Aye.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Lin?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Sacca?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf?

There were no items removed from the consent calendar and there's not a resolution for introduction and adoption today.

Is there any further business to come before the council?

Is that an old hand, council member Kettle or a new, that's old.

Okay, old hand.

Old hand, no, I'm just playing.

Thank you Councilmember Kettle.

Okay, so I do want to say and thank you Councilmember Rink for the women's proclamation.

I didn't realize it was that many folks that were coming to chambers today and so that must have been a very like a lot.

So thank you to your staff to the logistics on that.

That was great and just want to thank you Councilmembers for being patient as we figured out how we are taking group photos with the proclamation.

I think it's important that we show that we are always, all of our signatures are on that and just making sure that we are all capturing those moments in our comms team.

So thank you for that.

Thank you, Councilmember Rank.

So we have reached- Council President.

Sorry, Councilmember Strauss.

Just in my normal role of reminding us how things have always been done, I have to say that In the past, it's only been the sponsor that's taken photos with the proclamation folks.

I think it's really powerful, the change that you've made with having us all up there.

So I just wanted to take this moment to say, just because we've done it the same way doesn't mean it's the right way.

I like this change.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Strauss, for that.

and we know we can take it with large groups of people now.

We know how that flow is gonna go.

So thank you all so much.

So we reached the end of today's agenda.

The next city council meeting will be March 10th at 2 p.m.

Hearing no further business.

Guess what, y'all?

It's the end of the meeting.

Thank you.