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Okay, good afternoon.

The December 17th, 2025 Land Use Committee meeting will come to order.

It's 2.03 p.m.

I'm Eddie Lynn, chair of the Land Use Committee.

Will the committee clerk please call the roll?

Vice Chair Strauss here.

Council Member Rink.

Present.

Council Member Rivera.

Present.

Chair Lynn.

Present.

Chair, there are four members present.

And Council Member Juarez is excused from today's meeting.

Let's see, if there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you all for being here.

As always, thank you to our city clerks, council central staff, SDCI for helping us prepare for this meeting.

We will now open the hybrid public comment period.

Public comments should relate to items within the purview of this committee.

Please hold comments regarding item one, the FEMA floodplains ordinance, until the public hearing, which will be held immediately after this public comment period.

Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today?

We have one speaker signed up.

Each speaker will have two minutes.

We'll start with our one in-person speaker today.

Thank you.

Clerk, can you please read the public comment instructions?

The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

When the public comment period is up to 20 minutes, speakers will be called in the order in which they're registered.

In-person speakers will be called first, after which we will move to remote speakers until the public comment period is ended.

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

Speakers may as well be muted.

If they do not end their comments within the allotted time, they'll allow us to call the next speaker.

The public comment period is now open, and we will begin with the first speaker on the list, and that is Steve.

First and last.

I will be last as well.

It comes with the oneness, as we say.

It looks like a Christmas package for the developers may be delayed this year, but they did so well this year that they shouldn't feel too bad.

And there's a lot of things this committee could do on housing, and I thought I would use this time instead of speaking of the issue, which is not here today, to talk about raising MHA fees.

Ours are so, so low.

Now, advantage of the raising of the MHA fees is that when they came in, there was a promise that it would be 50-50.

you know, for the really, really ritzy buildings we weren't going to, you know, they just didn't want the poor people, they could buy their way out.

Well, everybody's buying their way out.

The advantage of having the higher fees is you get your housing much faster because they don't pay until they usually get their occupancy permit, as I understand it.

Now, if that money is received when the building gets its occupancy permit, there's probably two, three, four, maybe even five years before you see that money actually come into housing.

While if it came into housing when they got their occupancy permit, that might be a bit of a value.

Also, I would like to see Seattle not be all homogenized.

I would like to see Seattle where people are spread around.

We don't have big clusters of wealth over here, poured out over here.

If you have buildings where you have a spread of people, then that would be better.

Now, we also could do something about the living wage might actually help since the costs are so much higher now.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you.

There are no additional registered speakers and we'll now proceed to our items of business.

So we will now move on to our first item of business.

Will the clerk please read item one?

Legenda item one, Council Bill 121143, an ordinance relating to floodplains, 10th extension of interim regulations to satisfy ordinance 126113 and as amended by ordinance 126536 for an additional six months to allow individuals to rely on updated national flood insurance rate maps to obtain flood insurance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood insurance program.

Thank you.

So this legislation would extend our floodplains interim ordinance in advance of the final floodplains ordinance, which has been transmitted to council and we plan to address early next year.

As presiding officer, I am now opening the public hearing on council bill 121143 relating to extending the interim floodplains regulations established by ordinance 126113. Clerk, how many speakers are signed up for this public hearing?

We have one speaker.

Each speaker will be provided two minutes.

Clerk, I will now hand this over to you to present the instructions.

The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

The public comment period is up to 20 minutes.

Speakers will be called in the order remotely registered.

In-person speakers will be called first, after which we will move to remote speakers until the public comment period is ended.

Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left at the time.

Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not enter their comments within a lot of time to allow us to call on the next speaker.

The public comment period is now open and we will begin with the first speaker on the list.

Steve.

Well, this looks like it's actually doing the public's business.

This is the extension of rights for Seattle citizens.

This is actually something that will help more than just a few people make money.

And this is something I don't see often enough before this committee.

And so I am not too surprised, but I am very happy to see it.

And a Christmas present, especially during this time of flooding, is very, very appropriate.

So I'm gonna give up the rest of the time because I have nothing bad to say or in things that you should add or change.

Thank you.

That was our last registered speaker present to speak at this public hearing.

The public hearing on Council Bill 121-143 is now closed.

Will our representatives from Council Central staff please join us to answer any questions Council may have?

Thank you, Ketel.

And Chair, a point of personal privilege noting the speaker, the public speaker referenced Christmas presents.

It is not Christmas today, it is Hanukkah today.

Thank you, Councilmember Charles.

Can you please introduce yourself?

Sure, Cato Freeman, Council Central Staff.

And to any, I know this has come before the committee several times, any fellow committee members have any questions?

Okay.

And if there's no objection, the council rules will be suspended to allow the committee to vote on this bill on the same day a public hearing was held.

Hearing no objection, the rules are suspended and the committee will proceed with a vote.

I move that the committee recommend passage of council bill 121-143.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It is moved and seconded to recommend passage Council Member Rivera.

Is she having connection issues?

She's not back in.

Okay.

I'm here.

Sorry.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Rivera.

I will not add as a panelist.

Sorry.

Oh, okay.

Wonderful.

So we just seconded to recommend, it is moved and seconded to recommend passage of Council Bill 121-143.

Are there any comments?

Okay, seeing none.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the recommendation to pass this bill.

Vice Chair Strauss?

Aye.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Chair Lin?

Yes.

Chair, there are four votes in favor of zero post.

Okay, the motion carries in the committee recommendation that the council pass the legislation will be sent to the January 13th, 2026 city council meeting.

And so thank you, Kittle.

We've reached the end of today's meeting agenda.

Is there any further business to come before the committee before we adjourn?

Hearing no further business to come before the committee, we are adjourned.

Thank you.