City Council Special Meeting 7/28/2025

Good morning, everyone.

It's good to see you all today.

The July 28th, 2025 special meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 935. I'm Sarah Nelson, president of the council.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Council member Rink.

Present.

Council member Rivera.

Present.

Council member Saka.

Here.

Council member Solomon.

Here.

Council member Strauss.

Here.

Council member Hollingsworth.

Present.

Council Member Kettle.

Here.

Council President Nelson.

Present.

A present.

Thank you very much.

All right.

If there's no objection, the rules will be suspended to allow public comment at today's special city council meeting.

Hearing no objection, the council rules are suspended and we will proceed with the public comment.

And Council Member Saka has joined us.

Pardon?

Oh, Councilmember Psaki, you're raising your hand.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Council President and colleagues.

Apologies, I can't be with you in chamber in person today.

We'll be planning to join immediately after this meeting.

Kiddo, summer drop-off logistics are a challenge for 9.30 a.m.

Monday morning meetings.

But I did, Madam Council President and colleagues, want to take a quick moment to a personal privilege.

to recognize members of our Kobe Sister City Association, who, as I understand, are in chambers today and are off and about to a number of exciting things shortly, like in the middle of this meeting.

But I do want to recognize them and including Ari Yagi, who is one of the leaders of the group and delegation that is in chamber today.

Thank you colleagues.

Thank you members of this esteemed delegation.

I am as the council liaison for Kobe, our sister city Kobe.

I'm honored to welcome them here today.

Thank you.

Thank you very much Councilmember Saka and welcome.

Thank you for coming.

All right.

So I'll just repeat what I just said recently.

Hearing no objection, the council rules are suspended and we will proceed with public comment.

Colleagues, at this time we'll open the hybrid public comment period.

Please note that because this is a special meeting of the Seattle City Council, comments must relate to items on today's agenda.

Clerk, how many people are signed up today?

We have 18 in person and 12 remote.

Okay, we will give everybody two minutes to speak, and we'll do the 10 in 10 things, starting with in-person.

Okay, the public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

Public comment period is up to 20 minutes.

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

Speakers will alternate between sets of in-person and remote speakers until the public comment period has ended.

Please begin by stating your name and the item that you are addressing.

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.

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

We have Catherine King and then Shannon Wilson.

Good morning, council members.

My name is Kathryn Gibson, and I join you today to request your vote for Dr. Julie Kang for the open council seat in District 5. As a resident in District 1 for more than 35 years, I care about the overall composition of our city council and its ability, your ability, to effectively address the challenges and opportunities confronting our city.

I believe Julie will not only responsibly represent District 5 constituents, she will work with each of you to champion progress, solutions, and accountability for all Seattleites.

I've seen Julie in action as an academic leader at Seattle University and as a committed and energetic community volunteer at Seattle Rotary.

I know her broad, hopeful, and inclusive approach will serve us all well.

I encourage you to select Dr. Julie Kang to join you on the Council.

Thank you.

Good morning, council members.

My name is Catherine Kang, and I'm honored to return as the proud daughter of Julie Kang.

The first thing I learned in politics is this.

If you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

In other words, if you're not part of the decision-making process, then choices will be made for you.

Representation matters.

And through this process, I've watched my mom not only continue to show up at tables she's been at for 20 plus years, but also taken her seat at new tables she's been invited to.

She's brought in new voices from District 5, engaging with small businesses to researching every issue brought forward.

She's shown up again and again for District 5. We need someone who shows up, not only when it's required, but because they care.

That's why last week I walked up the hill during my lunch break from my internship to stand beside her, and I know I wasn't alone.

To everyone here today and the 30 plus who've come out or called in, thank you for making the time.

Before last week's meeting, some members of the labor union were outside this very chamber celebrating with cupcakes as if the decision had already been made.

But council members, I choose to believe in this process.

I choose to believe that democracy still matters, that each candidate deserves a fair and thoughtful evaluation, and that our continued presence in support of Julie Kang is a statement of what this district truly values.

Because this decision matters, not just procedurally, but symbolically.

And I trust the eight of you to lead with vision.

Nearly 1,000 petition signatures recognize the unique light that my mom brings to the table.

I hope you'll demonstrate your leadership by selecting a candidate who focuses on the future, not just repeating what's been done.

Please don't disappoint us by choosing anything less.

Thank you.

And Shannon Wilson, and then we'll have Erica Chunk and Matthew

Good morning.

My name is Shannon Wilson, and I'm here to support Robert Wilson for the District 5 appointment.

I've known Rob since 2006. We've been married for 16 years, as you can probably guess by the last name.

And I wanted to speak to you today about just his curiosity and his ability to learn.

I've always introduced him as one of the fastest learners I've ever met, and I think he's just lived his life demonstrating that.

Started at the University of Notre Dame, where he studied history and Chinese and took himself out of his comfort zone to go study in China and immerse himself for the best learning experience.

Then when he started his Navy career, he toured, you know, did a couple different things and decided that he wanted to choose submarines because it was the most academically challenging and rigorous assignment of all of the things that he did.

So he chose that path, pursued it, served his time in there.

And then to round out, he's, let's go to business school.

So in between his deployments and his service, he passed his exams, applied for business school, and then was able to go to Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth before starting his Amazon career.

When it was time for us to choose where we could live, District 5 felt like home.

So we brought our family here in 2016 and dove right in.

We raised our kids knowing the value of taking public transit, using the libraries, using all of the public services available for us here in Seattle, and then also dove into volunteer service.

So you'll find us on Saturday mornings, bringing the family to North Helpline, which serves both our neighbors in Lake City as well as Bitter Lake.

And you'll also see us super involved in our Title I school, Olympic View Elementary, where you'll see us on the PTA board running the festivities, and as well as teaching kids how to ice skate and helping with the school drama department.

So thank you for your support for Robert Wilson today.

Erica Chung, and then I believe it's Matthew Benchia.

I'm sorry, I mispronounced your last name.

I'm just trying to read your handwriting.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam President, Council Members.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input again.

My name is Erica Chung, and I'm here to enthusiastically ask for your support and appointment of Dr. Kang to the vacant Seattle City Council position.

Seattle is facing many pressing issues, a significant budget shortfall, need for affordable housing, comprehensive plan, ongoing public safety concerns.

In this critical time, we need a committed Council Member who will act in the best interest of both the District and the City for the long haul.

Someone who is collaborative, principled, and focused on equitable solutions.

Over the past few weeks, you've heard from many community members about Julie's exceptional qualifications.

She is a community-centered servant leader who listens deeply, engages thoughtfully, and consistently puts the needs of others above her own personal or political interests.

Julie has a strong foundation of public service and leads with integrity, transparency, and a collaborative spirit.

She will bring a valuable combination of lived experience, knowledge, and professional expertise to the table, making her uniquely qualified to help guide Seattle through its difficult, challenging times.

More importantly, Julie is a natural bridge builder.

She thrives in bringing people together across generations, cultures, and perspectives to advance shared goals.

She will also bring a diverse voice to the council that is currently underrepresented, particularly given the demographics of both District 5 and the broader Seattle community.

Her presence on the Council will be a meaningful step towards ensuring that our leadership better reflects the people it serves.

For the reasons mentioned, I ask for your thoughtful and serious consideration of her appointment.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Council President and council members.

My name is Matthew Banuska.

I'm here to ask for the appointment of Dr. Julie Kang to the District 5 vacancy.

I have been a Legislative Assistance Center, Paul Shin, and I'm a Budget Analyst for a local school district.

Over the past nearly 30 years, I've been in public service.

I've served on nonprofit boards as an officer as well.

I know Julie since 2010, and she's a worker bee, is passionate about making a difference.

Do you know the 80-20% rule, right?

That 20% of your board members do 80% of their work?

Well, Julie's one of those worker bees.

I've been proud of work with her on a lot of issues and projects, and she's always thinking about community.

That's the bigger picture she works for.

I've been actually looking forward to the day that she steps up to public office, and today is that day.

While she may be a novice with respect to public policy, she'll work hard to educate herself and do its best for the community.

I'm confident in her leadership and proud to support her today.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

We now have Julie Kang and then Robin Pez and David Woodward.

Good morning.

My name is Julie Kang, and today I ask President Nelson and council members for an equitable opportunity to represent District 5 and Seattle City Council.

And here's my why.

I'm running for the people, for my neighbors.

When I make commitment, I'm committed long-term.

I'm seeking your appointment to amplify the voices of immigrants and refugees, to support our neighbors and small business owners, Those who can't always come to the City Hall at 930 in the morning to share their concerns.

I will go to them.

I hear their issues.

I also bring new energy.

I have decades of proven service in education as well as in community leadership paired with a fresh new perspective.

I've done my homework to understand what's been done by our current talented council members, as well as what's ahead.

And I'm ready to roll up my sleeves, or in fact, I have already done that, to work hard to support our community.

You've heard from candidates talking about showing up.

I model this behavior every day for my neighbors, students, and our daughter.

I was the only candidate who came both to the LD46 and LD32 community summer events.

I was present because District 5 spans both legislative districts and I wanted to hear the concerns of our constituents as well as their ideas.

I was the only candidate at the AANHPI candidate forum where District 9, 8, as well as D2 candidates were speaking.

AANHPI represents almost 20% of our Seattle residents.

And I ask for your support in considering representation at the city Seattle level.

Thank you.

Is it Robin Peel?

My handwriting has not improved from last week.

Yeah, it's P-E-E-L, like orange peel.

Thank you.

Good morning, Council President Nelson and council members.

My name is Robin Peel, and I'm here in full support of Julie Kang and asking for her appointment.

I'm a Seattle resident, and I strongly believe Julie is the kind of leadership our city needs right now.

Julie's deeply rooted in the North End, but her values, her experience, and her results-oriented leadership is what we need for the city of Seattle now.

Last week, I told you Julie was an energizer bunny.

I hope that you've seen that along the way.

She brings a new energy and a proven commitment and decades of showing up for people, building coalitions, and delivering smart community decisions.

My partner is Asian American, and she recognizes the value Julie brings to be that inclusive for all communities around Seattle.

She's not here to play politics.

She's here to get things done.

And right now, we need leaders at City Hall who understand the urgency families and small businesses are feeling we do not need a placeholder.

Julie has a vision of the future that works for all of us citywide.

She's the kind of steady, trustworthy voice at the council table, one that centers people over politics and progress that's rooted in community.

I urge you to appoint Julie Kang.

Seattle will be much stronger from her addition to the City Council.

Thank you for your time.

We have David Woodward, then Jack Wisner, and then Elise Orlik.

Good morning.

I'm David Woodward.

Thank you for allowing me to address you today.

I'm going to go off script and keep my script in my pocket.

And the reason is that I just wanted to say I'm supporting Dr. Julie Kang, but I've already said in the prior comment period about the general connection we have through higher education, Seattle University.

I mentioned my role as chairing Taproot Theatre's board.

She's a supporter of the arts.

I mentioned my role on the Seattle International Affairs Advisory Board, which you oversee.

And I wanted to mention that specifically because what I'm not hearing said yet is the importance of Dr. Kang's connections globally, her global competency, her sophistication, around international education, which has been my career for 45 years.

We're in a time where higher ed is in a major crisis, particularly in the international education field.

And we need somebody like Dr. Kang, who has worked with the University of Washington, Seattle U, and many other institutions to provide our city the expertise it needs as an emerging global city.

I'm also the chair of the District Export Council of the State of Washington.

Same thing.

I'm working with people across the state on exporting.

It's a very difficult environment to do exporting for small businesses, minority-owned businesses.

And we do need somebody who represents the Asian American community.

I have seven family members who are Asian American from different parts of Asia.

So I really want to see our city council have that global competency, referring to the Asian world as well.

And she's way beyond that.

She has so much competency in many different sectors.

So thank you for considering her seriously for this role.

I would be really excited to work with her in any way I can.

So thank you very much.

We have Jack, and then after Jack will be Elise, and then we'll go into remote public speakers.

Good morning, council members.

My name is Jack Wisner.

I live in District 6. I don't want to speak to the choice of who you appoint, but I want the council and the mayor to help the new appointee and the residents of District 5 in a particular way.

There are huge transportation issues all over the city, but I want to highlight three of them in District 5. One is that King County Metro has adopted the Linwood Link Ordinance.

It was adopted in 2024, and it does not complement the new link station that's going to open in 2026 that Council Member Juarez and Sound Transit Board Juarez got for us.

So I really hope that the mayor and the council will lobby the county to change that network as soon as possible.

Second, Aurora is a huge issue in District 5, and the state legislature has allocated $50 million for the Aurora project.

But the phasing is still somewhat distant, and it was poorly targeted.

It's targeted for a part of Aurora that already has sidewalks.

It's clear that the part of Aurora north of North 115th Street should have the money first.

There are no sidewalks there.

There's no access management.

That's the part of District 5 that needs the help first and most.

The third issue is that District 5 lacks sidewalks more than any other district.

So it's important that the council and the mayor target its limited resources carefully.

And I recommend that it go first toward those frequent transit arterials that lack sidewalks.

Half of 30th Avenue Northeast, Sandpoint Way, Aurora, those are the examples.

Thank you very much.

Good morning, council, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today.

I am Elise Orlick.

I'm the executive director of Fair Vote Washington, and I work alongside Nilou Jenks in that role.

While it would be very difficult to lose her from our team, all Seattle voters would be lucky to have her on city council.

Nilou is incredibly smart and hardworking, and she's dedicated to making life better for communities across our city.

When the majority of you are up for re-election in 2027, the race will be conducted using ranked choice voting.

And as we've learned from cities like Portland, the success of that election will depend on voter understanding and trust in this change.

Neeloo is the person for that job.

She's been involved in implementation discussions for over a year.

and brings a deep understanding of the policy, the relationships involved, and potential obstacles.

She could lead this process if on council, including securing necessary funding for voter education work and looking for opportunities to utilize ranked choice voting in council matters.

For example, this appointment could be made using ranked choice voting.

Our city's national leadership as a defender and innovator for our strong democracy is going to be at stake with national eyes on us, so it's critical that this election goes smoothly.

For that reason and many others, I urge you to support Neeloo Jenks for this position.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to working with the new council member.

We'll now move into remote speakers.

Our first remote speaker is Hye Kyung Kang.

Please press star six when you hear the prompt that you have been unmuted.

Go ahead.

Good morning.

My name is Hye Kyung Kang and I'm speaking to support Dr. Julie Kang for the City Council District 5 appointment.

I'm a long-term Seattle resident and also a first-generation Korean American immigrant and a former social worker.

I got to know Julie Kang as a colleague at Seattle U And as a member of Seattle's Asian American community.

There are 160,000 Asian Americans in Seattle.

That is almost 18% of Seattleites.

So it is important for the City Council to have a member like Julie Kang who really knows the community and served extensively to promote civic engagement there.

But I wouldn't be here supporting Julie if I thought she could represent just our community.

I'm here because I know she's a bridge builder who will collaborate across communities to find innovative solutions for all Seattle lives.

For instance, as a Korean American Coalition of Washington board member, Julie can collaborate with Latino community members to provide Korean and Spanish speaking voter registration materials that enhanced opportunities for both Korean and Spanish speaking voters.

Also, as a chair and founder of Pacific International Bank, Julie helped create a community bank to support small businesses right there in District 5. Julie Kang has a strong sense of ethics, but not hung up on ideology.

She has demonstrated again and again that she will always show up, listen to community members, and reach across differences, find practical and innovative solutions to complicate and tough issues.

She doesn't walk away from tough issues.

She solves them.

I believe these are leadership qualities that our city needs right now.

I hope that you will support Julie King.

Thank you for your time and opportunity to speak to support Julie King.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Brian Frisch, to be followed by Maya Margarati.

Thank you, Madam President and council members.

My name is Brian Frisch.

I'm a middle school teacher in the Auburn School District, and I love Seattle.

My comments today are to fully endorse Dr. Julie Kang for Seattle City Council District 5. Julie is an exceptional leader, intelligent, driven, and above all, deeply compassionate and selfless.

On a personal note, Julie played a major role in my journey to becoming an educator.

I would not be a teacher today without Julie's efforts.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as the director of the teacher certification program at Seattle University.

Despite the immense challenges at that time, Julie went above and beyond to ensure I was able to complete the program and achieve my goal.

She also made intentional efforts to ensure that our cohort was not only excellent, but truly reflected the diversity of the students we would one day serve.

Julie lives by what she teaches, she represents.

She actively championed the development of a diverse, multilingual teaching force, and she did the work to make that vision real.

That same commitment is exactly what we need in the city of Seattle.

We need council members who are both excellent and reflective of Seattle's rich diversity, including greater Asian American representation.

Years later, Julie and I remain connected.

She still makes the effort to reach out, meet in person, Offer mentorship and check in on how we're all doing in the field.

That consistency and care speak volumes about her character.

I have no doubt that Julie will bring that same dedication and heart to serving the people of Seattle.

The city would be fortunate to have her on the council.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Maya Mogherati.

After Maya will be William I. Page, Jr.

Please press star six, Maya.

My name is Maya Magalati.

Good morning, everybody.

My name is Maya Magalati.

I'm calling from District 5. I am actually a resident of District 5 in Seattle.

I've lived here for more than 15 years, and I love my neighborhood and District 5. In fact, I am near the mosque.

We have only one mosque in this area and near the light rail station in Northgate.

And council president and council members, I'm here to ask you to support and select and appoint Dr. Julie Kang to the council member.

I ask you to invite her to join your team because Julie is not only a compassionate leader, but also has many, many innovative ideas how to support the residents of District 5. I am Nepali American.

I used to serve on the board of Nepal-Seattle Society, and I volunteer in District 5 in many, many aspects.

Right now, Where I live in District 5, there are lots of new housing projects going on with lots of old trees being removed from our neighborhood.

I do want to ask the council members to support and appoint Julie Kang so that you can all together Next speaker is William Page to be followed by Becky Schroeder.

William, please press star six.

The members.

Good morning, Madam President and council members.

I'm here to speak on behalf of Dr. Julie Kane's appointment.

I'm a council member actually in Mount Lake Terrace.

I'm executive board member for the 32nd Democrats and chair of the 32nd endorsement committee on which I served with Julie Kane.

As I have gotten to know Julie, she impresses me with the energy and commitment she has brought to her community for the last 30 years as an advocate for progress rooted in community, as a leader that her community trusts, as well as her work on the committee with her fresh approach.

Julie has delivered on her promise to be a committed participant on the committee.

Her insight and thoughtfulness has brought another level of excellence to the committee That has enabled us to be better at what we do.

That she will bring working with you.

As the first Black American chair of the endorsement committee, as well as MLT's only third Black American on council, I am truly inspired by Julie's ability, willingness, and commitment to service to all.

She's committed to a future that works for all Seattleites.

I know she will show up.

She will represent, she will always listen, and she will deliver.

So I urge you to appoint Dr. Julie Kang to the District 5 seat.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Becky Schroeder to be followed by Alberto Alvarez.

Good morning, Councilmembers.

My name is Becky Schroeder and I am a proud resident of District 5. I'm calling in here today to voice my strong support for Dr. Julie Kong and ask that you seriously consider her for the open council seat position.

Julie is my neighbor and my friend, but more importantly, she's someone that I've seen work tirelessly in our community.

She shows up, whether that's meeting with small business owners, helping to organize local events, or just really listening to what people are going through.

Julie is present and she has a strong commitment to follow through.

What really stands out to me about Julie is that she doesn't just talk about change, she makes things happen.

She's someone who connects the dots, she brings people together, she inspires others to take action, and she gets things done.

She's the kind of person who sees a need and she moves quickly and with purpose.

I've seen her build relationships across all kinds of communities, especially with folks who don't always feel heard by city officials.

She's earned a lot of trust and that's what matters.

At a time when people feel disconnected from local governments, I believe Julie would bring not only competence, but also integrity and energy to this role.

I know she would serve with heart and with the community front and center.

So I strongly urge you to appoint Dr. Julie Kong to the Council.

Thank you for your time.

Next speaker is Alberto Alvarez, followed by Sujun Choi.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Wealthy people bring greed and arrogance.

It was hurtful to hear a politician say that public transit was a luxury to people with mobility issues.

When I was a teenager, my grandmother died when her body atrophied from issues with MS. In the years leading up to her passing, when she was wheelchair-bound, I helped her get to her medical appointments on public transit.

It was difficult, but her family couldn't afford another car.

I was old enough to help at least.

Public transit is not a luxury.

It is a lifeline for working families.

Parents with strollers, elderly people, people with mobility issues depend daily on public transit.

It seems backroom deals have already been made, bringing more wealth, more greed, more arrogance to the Council.

I pray you all do the right thing.

Have a good day.

Please press star six.

Sujong, are you there?

Okay, we're going to move on to Karen Park now.

Come back to Sujong if available.

Karen, please press star six.

Unfortunately, we're not able to hear from either of our remote speakers.

We can go back to them, Phil.

So we'll go back into in-person.

So back to in-person.

So we'll go with Ariana.

Sorry, it's Ariaya, Sandys, and then David Siu, and then Grace.

Hello, everyone.

Thank you for your time.

Closer.

Hello, everyone.

Thank you for your time today.

I'm Araya, and I'm advocating for Nilou Jenks for Seattle City Council District 5. As someone who works in mental health and environmental justice, I know the value of having representatives and policy leaders who understand their community's needs, who want to stand alongside activists, community members, and everyday Seattleites alike to build the world we want to see and thrive in.

We deserve to have someone listen to us, help us create the world we want to live in, and be a model for others to follow instead of running a campaign on one thing and ending up supporting corporations and profits over people.

Some policies and platforms I personally love that Neeloo Jenks advocates for are education and implementation of ranked choice voting.

Safe sidewalks and a people over cars thought process encourages civic engagement as well as prioritizing how to prepare for climate refugees that will be living with us and will become our neighbors.

We can fight climate change.

We can advocate for environmental justice, stand up for human rights where queer, BIPOC and immigrant lives matter, where housing is a human right and where we know we are all smart enough, focused enough and powerful enough to create a future where we all can thrive.

We're all connected.

No one is alone.

No one policy stands alone.

The climate, housing, affordability of living, healthcare, the genocide in Gaza are all connected.

And we as people living and witnessing these struggles know this well.

And we deserve to have council members who also understand this.

And I believe Jenks will do just that.

And something I personally love about Jenks is that she's an advocacy committee member for the Seattle Public Library and as PBS taught my generation and many others, having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.

So it starts with safe and accessible sidewalks and ends with a healthy, abundant, and hopeful world where we all, our youth, and everyone in the future no longer has to just survive but can thrive.

So thank you all so much.

Is there a David?

David CEO?

S-E-O?

Thank you.

And then after David will be Grace.

Thank you for time.

Really close.

Hello?

Yeah.

My name is David.

I'm here for Julie Gang, but everybody is saying about good thing about her.

But I come here for speaking with the counselor that why we need to have a Julie Kong here in Council in District 5. I'm a small business owner in Seattle.

And lately, we got two breaking in, and cost of a window is about $10,000.

And the insurance deductible is about $2,000.

And we given the police department the name of the person, address, and everything.

They said, there's no enough manpowers.

And they could not really get in to find that person.

And we got second time breaking in, it's about same person.

We called them, and police department know who he is.

So basically, we need to say, dear counselor, you guys are having a tremendous nice job and good job, but we, a minority people, we have a person who can talk regarding about the struggling of the business in Soto area or Seattle.

There are 20% of minority people running business in Seattle, and we want to have somebody we can talk.

And so that will be helping all the counselor, City of Seattle, that who can speaking for minority people.

I think it's Julie Kang is the person.

Thank you.

After Grace, it'll be Bennett Halston.

Good morning, council members.

I'm here to speak for Dr. Julie Kan's appointment.

My name is Grace Jones, and I'm a graduate student, and I'm finishing on my MSBA program at Seattle University.

I have worked in Dr. Julie Kan's office, but not directly reporting to her.

She brings our unit Joy, literally.

She founded Joy Club to bring Joy to our office.

During lunch, she hosts monthly tea parties to gather community.

She brought China and changed our lunch room to build community.

She celebrates cultures and is inclusive.

Even though I'm a student worker, she does not have hierarchy.

She treats each person with respect and kindness.

I think she models leadership with respect, kindness, and genuine connections.

I'm still learning about politics and government.

With someone like Dr. Ken in politics, I will stay engaged and keep hope for a brighter future for our students.

I know our public safety, transportation, and affordability will improve.

Thank you for listening.

After Bennett, we'll go to Jennifer Doon and then Kelly Brown.

Sorry, I yield my time so you can move on to the appointment.

Thanks.

Jennifer.

And then after Jennifer, it'll be Kelly Brown.

And then it's Iluca Howard.

Hello, members of the council.

Please bear with me.

It's far easier to sing in front of a classroom with first graders than it is for me to speak in a group of adults.

I'm Jennifer Dunn, and I'm speaking today not only as a veteran teacher at Olympic View Elementary, both a board of directors leader and a five-year member of the political endorsement team for the Seattle Education Association, a fellow Maple Leaf resident, But as someone who has had the joy of knowing Rob Wilson as a parent, volunteer, and a tireless advocate for our community, I've had the privilege of teaching Rob's youngest child and coaching his middle child through the Girls on the Run program.

And if there's one thing I can say for certainty, it's that Rob shows up consistently, humbly, and with heart.

He's one of the rare people who makes things better by not only being part of them, whether he's helping organize a school event or jumping in to volunteer at a moment's notice.

Rob brings energy, thoughtfulness, and a real spirit of service.

Our school events have become not just more organized, but more fun, thanks to his leadership and creativity.

Now Rob is stepping up to be a successful candidate for the City Councilor, and honestly, I can't think of anyone better suited.

He knows how to listen, how to bring people together, and how to get things done without needing the spotlight.

He doesn't just care about our neighborhood, he invests in it.

So if you want someone on City Council who already walks the walk and leads with kindness and purpose, join me in supporting Rob Wilson.

Let's bring his heart for service to City Hall.

Thank you.

We have Kelly Brown, then Luca Howard, and then Julissa Villegas.

Hello, council members and Madam President.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak.

I am a resident of District 5 and I work in the social service sector in District 5. And I wanna take a moment to also thank all the candidates for coming forward.

It's been so lovely to see all the passion and ideas that we have for this district.

And I thank you and I really look forward to the election in 2026 and the candidates that come forward then.

I'm here today to support the nomination of Deborah Juarez.

Her past representation and advocacy for social services organizations in her districts resulted in increased investments from the city, focused on geographic parity, making sure the folks in District 5 were receiving the amount of support that folks in other districts were, and we're extremely grateful for that, and that has expanded services for our neighbors.

Her prior experience on council makes her uniquely qualified for this opportunity and with the ability to hit the ground running, especially as we enter into a budget process this year.

Thank you for your consideration.

I'm going to keep it super brief, but have a wonderful day, everybody.

Hello Council, it's good to be able to speak here today and I just want to say that Neeloo Jenks I think is the only person here with a proven track record of people-focused advocacy in District 5. I think that Neeloo Jenks is the only person here with a track record of people first advocacy in District 5. And I think the most important qualification that anybody could have in the time between now and when the next election is going to happen for council is going to be the extent to which the council member engages with the community.

And I think that Neela Jenks is the person that's going to engage with advocates as well as work with implementation for ranked choice voting.

And this is why I think you should nominate her for the District 5 position.

Thank you.

And Julissa?

Good morning, counsel.

Can you hear me?

Good morning, counsel.

My name is Julissa Villegas, and it's an honor to be present here today in support of Dr. Julie Kung.

I met Julie when I moved to Washington about 25 years ago, and she was so welcoming to me.

We've obviously remained really good friends.

I was a transplant from California, and I've had the privilege to see her grow as a community leader, an educator, which I feel educators are pillars of our community, as a mother to beautiful Catherine Kung, who also grew up with my son.

And I'm here more on a personal friend level to see First account that she always was so good in inviting us to Korean education.

And as a Latina myself, it's nice to see different communities kind of come together and learn all the cultural differences.

And that was one thing that will always stay with me when my son was young and learned about the Korean culture.

I was also a Seattle small business owner and having Julie's support for our business was incredible.

She is definitely a person that is going to bridge communities And I think it's evident today in the number of supporters that she will be a very strong leader for District 5. So thank you.

We'll now move back to remote speakers.

Okay, we'll try again with our remaining remote speakers.

And as a reminder, please press star six when you hear the prompt that you have been unmuted.

So we'll start with Su-Jung Choi and then Karen Park.

Hi.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Sujung Choi.

It's an absolute pleasure to express my support for someone I deeply respect, Dr. Julie Gang, a candidate for Seattle City Council in District 5. I speak not only for myself but for my two young children today.

I'm asking for the representation that reflects many faces of the city.

Over the past decade that I've known Dr. Julie Gang, I've witnessed her dedication to the Seattle community.

A standout example is Korean American Day 2024. As a president of the event, Dr. Gang worked tirelessly to bring the Korean community together and broader our audience across Washington State.

She reached out to numerous cities and successfully secured official proclamations in 13 cities, including Seattle, transforming a grassroots effort into a public civic milestone.

I endorsed Dr. Gang candidacy Not only for everything she has achieved, but more importantly, for who she is.

She grew up from a single immigrant mother who experienced poverty.

She really understands the daily challenges many residents face.

In a city where Asian-American voices remain under-representative, her presence would bring much-needed diversity to the city council.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

And the next speaker is Karen Park to be followed by David Haynes.

Good morning.

My name is Karen Park and I'm speaking in support along with so many others this morning for Dr. Julie Kang.

And I guess I just I would just be adding to everyone else's voices this morning around how Julie's a born leader.

She's just an extraordinary person who's willing to listen, to support the underdog.

She brings hope and light and laughter to every space she's in.

I really admire how she doesn't come in with her mind made up on issues.

She often will try to understand all of the different perspectives on an issue.

Although in the end, she does stay true to her values, which really are at the core all about equity and about fairness.

I just admire her so much.

And I think we really in Seattle need a born leader who also has the mindset of a public servant.

Her energy is simply unmatched, and so is her commitment to our community and to our beloved city.

Thank you for your time this morning.

Next speaker is David Haynes.

Go ahead, David.

David Haynes, today is proof that progressive Democrats are the ones circumventing our democracy and stacking the dais with unelected landlords and corporate Wall Street lawyers who sell out the working class.

District 5 has suffered bad leadership for too long, yet Council wants to repeat the past while regurgitating the same race-baiting, white man-hating agenda to misjudge skin color that runs interference for BIPOC repeat offenders in floating society, exacerbating public safety crisis, causing a budget crisis, steady and progressive decline.

We've witnessed District 5 the last nine years Only suffering, bad spending priorities, spilling the budget, undermining society, the budget crisis, public safety, the homeless crisis.

Yet over eight years, only seven shelter beds for trafficked women with the Aurora Commons, which is closed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and only open for three hours between 10 and 1, and then they close.

And then maybe they open for another three hours.

This is like working the pay plan, and this is the level of commitment from the Council's partnerships and efforts.

It's a telltale sign there is impaired judgment coming out of City Hall, the real stall in progress.

You know, Seattle won't even get an NBA franchise because Bruce Harrell and Deborah Juarez allowed for the memorandum of understanding to be violated at Climate Pledge Arena, creating a modern third-world infrastructure with a 1960s-era Ugly cement cracked rooftop, as if there is something iconic about Cold War concrete.

Yet thanks to Deborah Juarez and council president at the time, Bruce Harrell, they circumvented the science of civil engineering and voted from the council to bypass the scrutiny and approve permits for unsafe tiebacks to hold up the unstable walls at Cracked Roof Arena, a.k.a. Climate Pledge Arena.

We need to improve the city chapters.

Thank you.

There are no additional remote speakers present.

We have one more in-person speaker, so we're going to be going back to in-person speakers, and we have Nicholas Jeffries.

Hope everybody's having a good morning.

I'm testifying as a community member and former educator.

I'm a proud resident of the amazing District 3. I've had the opportunity and privilege to work with Neeloo, and let me tell you, she's simply amazing.

She's the real deal.

When I'm having a hard time understanding, when I'm having a rough day, she's a community member that I call on.

to help educate me on what we're doing civically.

I saw her at Black Earth Day.

And let me tell you, I have never seen somebody jump for joy about civic engagement.

I have never seen anybody jump while talking about ranked choice voting.

I've never seen anybody jump while talking about democracy vouchers in a way that gets people who aren't traditionally engaged civically engaged, excited, and invigorated.

She truly shows up for this community.

She truly loves this community.

And she truly loves all community members.

Even if community members aren't always showing the most love back to her.

She is an incredible individual and I would really love to see her appointment to this council.

She is simply amazing.

And thank you guys for giving me this opportunity.

And I think everybody's doing a great job.

Have an amazing day.

We are now at the end of our public comment and believe we'll be at ease.

Okay, thank you everyone for your patience.

The public comment period is now closed.

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

Seeing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

All right, so I move to adopt a voting procedure for the appointment of City Council District 5 position to be as followed.

As Council President, I will move to nominate all six finalists as candidate to fill Council District 5 position until a candidate in the November 2026 general election for District 5 is elected and qualified.

After the motion is seconded, council members will be given an opportunity to comment on the factors or criteria they used in deciding whom to support and other information they wish to share before voting begins.

When it's time to vote on appointing one nominee to fill the vacancy, the clerk will call the roll.

Council members will respond by stating one nominee they wish to appoint.

Council members will not be able to change their nominee until the next round of voting, should there be one.

If one nominee receives five or more votes, that individual is appointed to fill the District 5 position and will assume office immediately after accepting the position and taking the oath of office.

If one nominee does not receive five votes, then we will repeat the voting process until one nominee Receives five or more votes.

This is the same procedure we have done the first couple times, the first two times in filling a vacancy, and you received information about this prior to this meeting today.

So, is there a second to the proposed voting procedure to nominate and appoint the City Council District 5 position?

Second.

Thank you.

It's moved and seconded to adopt the voting procedure to nominate and appoint the City Council District 5 position.

All right.

Are there any comments on the voting procedure?

All right.

I'm not seeing any.

Will the...

Just a second.

One more glance.

Nope.

All right.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the voting procedure for appointing the City Council District 5 position?

Council Member Rink?

I'm going to be coming off mute right now.

Thank you.

Pardon me?

Okay, go on.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera?

Aye.

Councilmember Sokka?

Aye.

Councilmember Solomon?

Aye.

Councilmember Strauss?

Aye.

Councilmember Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Council President Nelson?

Aye.

Eight in favor, none opposed.

The motion carries in the voting procedure to appoint City Council District 5 position has been established.

All right.

So that was the easy part.

Okay.

The City Council will now vote to fill the vacant City Council District 5 position.

I move to nominate all six finalists as candidates to fill Council District 5 position until a candidate in the November 2026 general election for District 5 is elected and qualified.

The nominees are as follows.

James Borey, Katie Hema, Nilu Jenks, Deborah Juarez, Julie Kong, and Robert Wilson.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and seconded to nominate the six finalists as candidates to fill the Council District 5 position until a candidate in the November 2026 general election is elected and qualified.

All right, now I will open the floor to comments.

And after comments, we'll vote to fill the vacancy.

Are there any comments on these six nominees?

Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to thank everyone who came out here to give us feedback on this appointment.

This is my third time doing this, and every time it is a difficult decision because we have such great candidates and people just willing to step up, and I'm always humbled by that.

And at the same time, I know that it's important when these are district positions to really allow for the district members to decide who they want to represent them here.

So this is an especially difficult choice.

But I know that in 2026, residents of D5 will be able to do that for themselves.

And until then, we have the job of having to select someone.

So I want to say to all the candidates, thank you so much for your willingness to step up.

These are difficult jobs and is an honor and a privilege and also a very difficult Opportunity to get to represent folks in the district with varied thoughts and needs and wants.

So I really do appreciate all the commitment that you've made by even putting your name on the hat to begin with.

And we can only select one person.

So I'll just say my door is always open to talk with any of you about your thoughts about the city and how council can, you know, what we should be doing.

And if there are things that we can be doing better, I want to hear that too, to be a thought partner and to collaborate because you don't have to Sit on here to be a thought partner and to collaborate and to represent folks across the city and the things that you see.

You're obviously all very engaged and I am so grateful for that.

So thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

All right, I'm keeping it open to see if anybody would like to speak.

Councilmember Hollingsworth.

Just a clarification, Council President, this is our addressing folks before we do our vote.

Right.

And if you're wondering, well, will we keep, will we speechify in between each round if there's more than one round?

No, we will go ahead and if there's more than one round, then we'll go ahead and we'll vote once and then we'll vote again.

And last time it was after the third round that people were able to speak again.

Understood.

Okay, so I will go just so we're not keeping folks in suspense.

Is it the right word?

Suspense.

Suspense.

Okay.

One thing I don't do is I don't try to act like I'm smart up here, and so I will be vulnerable and ask, like, hey, is that the right word?

So I just want to throw that out there.

I think that's important for people.

I just want to thank everyone for Putting yourself out there, and you'll hear that a lot, it's a lot on your nervous system, it's a lot emotionally, it's a lot for your family, and it's also a lot just to go through all this, and especially a new process.

And so I just, I literally just wanna thank you, because I just know how it feels to have that nervousness and stuff.

I enjoy talking to everyone, and I did wanna highlight some things that I heard from District Five and from you all, James, and I'm gonna walk through this, and I'm sorry, and I did this before, but after getting to talk to you, I had a little bit more details and got to know folks and just your understanding for this position and what you would bring to the table.

James, your expertise in transportation, it was just off the charts, and it was really great to hear What you wanted to bring to the table on the transportation side, but just like that civic engagement piece was phenomenal.

So thank you for that and educating me on that piece.

Katie, the kid-friendly piece was the vibes that I got and not just like You know, you helped me understand and open my mind to talk about just like the design piece of a kid-friendly city, but as also to like, hey, we need more housing where you can be able to see your courtyard so you can see your kids play and thinking about of that piece, which I, it just unlocked my mind.

And I was like, oh, I didn't even think about that.

And then the housing, I talked about the housing flag that you always wore and talked about that too as well.

So thank you for that.

Nilou, thank you for the, obviously I've known you since you ran and all of the flags that you have worn, but particularly the civic engagement piece and the youth component of getting our youth and our young people involved in the ranked choice voting that you advocated for and that is going to start here in Washington State, which is Which is phenomenal.

And some stuff that we agreed on, some stuff that, you know, our values were super aligned and then, you know, opened my mind to different perspectives about things, about how we can operate as a city and your passion and seeing where you wanted to lead the city I thought was tremendous.

So thank you.

Deborah.

I learned a lot from you just sitting down and talking to you and what you bring to the table, obviously your experience, and then most importantly, just like your perspective on the historical component to things and how to navigate things.

And I thought it has just been very uplifting and eye-opening and the healing piece that calming nervous systems is great.

So I just want to thank you for that.

Also, Dr. Kang, Julie, I get that motherly figure, that caring, that nurturing component from you, how you always talked about your students and you invited me over for some meals and the cooking that you do for people.

And it really starts, when you want to get to someone's heart, it starts through their stomach.

We all know that.

Good food, though.

It can't be bad.

It has to be good food.

And your willingness to lead and just being everywhere.

I've been seeing you everywhere, all over, on Facebook, but just in person at events and connecting with people.

And you always have a smiling face, and your presence is really welcome and great.

And so I just want to thank you for that.

And also, last but not least, Robert.

By far, the funniest conversation I had on the phone.

The jokes, literally the levity, it's levity that you brought to the conversation, but also the logistics and how you were able to connect dots that I didn't even knew could be connected, but then also brought the joking piece.

And I really appreciate that, and I think that's really important during this time.

I just wanted to thank you and understanding your background too in the military and what you learned from that piece and how you would apply it to here and your family, man.

I think it speaks very highly of your wife coming to speak in support of you for this job.

So just wanted to thank you as well and just thank all the candidates for your willingness to lead.

And really, really, really, really, really, really tough time.

So just thank you all for that opportunity and looking forward to this process.

Council Member Kettle.

Yes.

Thank you, Council President.

I just wanted to add my voice following our colleagues, Council Member Rivera and Council Member Hollingsworth to note that We had 22 good candidates, very good candidates, and I believe five candidates that I think could step up and contribute to the Council.

A strong slate from top to bottom, as I noted last week, and stronger than the other races, as I also noted.

And I find it interesting and the reasons why are worth examining, because they're a stronger slate than the past races and present as well.

For the five candidates that are not selected today, I encourage you to run in 26 and actually 27. I also ask that you please look to volunteer, for example, with neighborhood community councils, which provides such good insight on issues citywide, but also the district perspective too.

In the end, I believe we need someone who could step up It's really important.

And when we have an extra high op tempo now, which is higher this year than it was last year, between our committees, our external representation requirements to include external challenges from the federal government and also the various special select committees that we've had and the upcoming budget season, which will be more difficult.

I should note too, representation is also important, and that's come out different ways over the course of this.

And with that, I just want to thank everyone.

Initially, the 22 who put their names forward, that's really important, but also for the six of you there today, I wish you all the best of luck.

Thank you very much.

Mr. President.

All right.

Council Member Salomon.

Thank you very much, Council President.

Again, echoing thoughts that have already been said.

Thank you for your courage to step up, to be willing to put yourself through this process, knowing that you're stepping in at a time where we got a lot going on.

Locally, federally, that we're all dealing with.

The one thing that I've found since I've been here is that there is never not a full plate.

Okay.

So that's something that you're going to be walking into.

I've had the opportunity to speak with A lot of you directly and learned a lot about you, learned a lot from you, some great conversations, great insights.

You know, Mr. Wilson, if you are selected to be up here, we would make history for the second time by having four veterans seated on the Seattle City Council.

Although I don't know if I want to balance another Navy guy on here or not, but that's okay.

You know, I think about, you know, Katie, the conversations we've had about neighborhood planning and SEPTED and design and the whole bit.

And regardless of what happens, I want to pick your brain, you know, immensely.

Jim, you gave us homework last week, you know, to take with us, you know, a thumb drive with You know, a document that had, I don't know how many megabytes it was, but it's like, here's some light reading about Newport News.

It's like, yeah, thanks, man.

And Dr. King, you had me at Seattle U, you know, as a Seattle U alum, you know.

Needle of the work that you've done, you know, in community.

And Auntie, what can I say about you?

I mean, you speak for yourself.

So again, I want to thank you all.

You know, I asked that question, you know, what's your why?

You know, why do you want this job?

And what became clear to me is that you want to be here because you care about the city and you care about its people.

That's why we're here.

You know, I'm not looking to, you know, use this as a stepping stone to go anywhere.

I'm here because I love the city and I want to take care of it.

And I get that same sense from you all.

And I thank you for your heart.

And regardless of how the vote shakes out today, I know you will continue to care.

And I know you will continue to serve in one way or another.

Thank you very much, Madam President.

Councilmember Saka.

Thank you, Madam Council President, and I just want to thank each and every finalist who has taken the time to apply.

I really appreciated getting to know each of you over the past few weeks, over the course of this journey, and specifically meeting with each of you last week.

We have before us an outstanding group of nominees for this position, and I think each of you offers vital perspective and experience Needed on this council now more than ever at this pivotal moment in time.

Again, I sincerely thank each of you for your courage and desire to serve.

No matter who was selected today, I know that all of you will continue in leading our critically important shared work across the City of Seattle and be leaders in District 5. Unfortunately, only one person, they will be selected today For those who are not selected today, I strongly encourage you to run for the permanent seat next year.

Let's see.

About each and every one of you, Mr. James Burry, you bring a rare depth of experience having led work in cities, towns, and regions across the country, from Newport in South Carolina to Minneapolis, my birth city, Phoenix, California, Probably more.

You've tackled comprehensive planning, affordable housing, financial management budgets, and public safety.

And somehow you've also found time to publish three books and over 40 articles to share your insights and expertise.

And still somehow found time to be an expert in putting things on thumb drives.

I didn't know thumb drives were a thing anymore, but thank you for that.

Katie Haima, thank you.

Thank you, thank you for all you do.

First and foremost, I love that you are a small business owner in real-world perspectives that adds a vital voice to economic development and our public safety conversations.

I think your background in urban planning and design shines through and your passion for file-friendly, walkable neighborhoods.

More sidewalks, yes.

And your commitment to collaborative vision for Aurora and all of D5 is, in my view, exactly the kind of leadership that we need.

I think perspective matters.

And I think from my perspective, one of the most valuable perspectives that I think you would bring to the table in this position is the fact that you have young kids.

And underage children, elementary school age children and younger, there's a reason why not many people with elementary school age kids and younger end up running and serving in these kind of roles.

It's challenging.

But your perspective as a parent's, who is doing their best and has been doing the best and will continue on bringing a truly child-friendly city for all is a very important and valuable perspective and I appreciate you for that and so much more.

Nilou, your leadership, grassroots passion and relentless energy are truly unmatched.

You've consistently shown up for District 5 neighborhoods Getting to the big, the small, and really everything in between with care intact.

What, in my view, what sets you apart is how deeply personal your advocacy is, whether it's tutoring immigrant refugee youth, drawing from your own experience as an English language learner, collaborating with educators, or championing care of voting.

You uplifting voices that are too often go unheard is tremendously important and valuable.

Moving on now to Deborah Juarez.

Your legacy speaks for itself as an effective public servant.

And your decision to step up again in this capacity, fully mindful and aware of the unique challenges that we all face, unlike any of the other five candidates, says everything about your love for the city.

And you've been backed clearly by many labor organizations as part of this process, including MLK Labor and Seattle Building Trades.

But your practical experience, steady leadership, with experience and proven judgment are what V5 and the whole city needs, especially right now.

Dr. Julie Kang, your focus on the basics resonates with me personally.

Your unique understanding of the situation in District 5, missing sidewalks, the importance of walkability, safety for families, and compassionate services, recognizing that most challenges require nuance and non-binary thinking.

And all these issues are highly complex.

We need to move beyond the binary thinking.

That is a tremendously valuable and important perspective.

I was very impressed about how well researched and quickly up to speed you got on all the issues facing District 5 and the entire city and essential quality for serving on a council with a constant learning curve.

I think this role, the work on council is sort of like a pie-eating contest.

The losers are runners-up.

The consolation is more pie and the winners, more pie.

And I think you are ready to meet this challenge now or next year and beyond.

Mr. Robert Wilson, Rob, as my nominee, I recognize the many important perspectives that you bring.

A veteran, family man, including a father of three, Private sector, tech manager, and leader.

Just as important, a dedicated community volunteer.

Bring a fresh face and unique perspectives.

Your responses, both in writing and at the forum and in my office, when we met one-on-one, showed, in my view, awfulness and depth, never falling back on easy or scripted answers, And one standout example was your support for continuing the Council's public safety efforts, including the careful intentional expansion of technologies like CCTV.

You all are important.

The voices and perspectives that you represent all matter.

And unfortunately, we can only choose one, but I do want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment and willingness to serve in this manner.

Thank you.

All right.

Are there any other hands up?

Councilmember Strauss.

Thank you, Council President, and I'll try to be brief.

Colleagues and friends, you all know I will not wax poetic today about my connection and love for D5.

We've done that before and we've got a lot of business to do.

District 5 has been long under-invested for decades.

What we are experiencing today is not the product of something that happens overnight.

And before council districts were in place, I found it was that the state legislators were the ones doing the constituent case work for the people who lived in the north end of Seattle because it was hard to get the attention of City Hall in Lake City.

When I went to school in Lake City in District 5, when we walked to school, we kicked rocks because we were walking on gravel that was on the side of the road.

There are sidewalks there today.

Catching the bus on Lake City Way, we were literally on the side of a highway, a State Route 522, with a three-inch paint strip, the only thing separating the speeding cars from where we sat waiting for the bus.

Today, there are sidewalks.

I've seen a lot of change since council districts became a part of our city's fabric.

More infrastructure and resources have been dedicated, more constituents have been responded to, and attention to neighborhood specifics.

Pinehurst is very different than Meadowbrook or Wedgewood.

I guess Wedgewood's out of the district, but Matthews Beach is right there.

And there's still so much more to do for District 5, which is why I'm so thankful for all of the applicants.

And for those that applied that aren't here as finalists today, Brandon, Alan, Jed, Ansel, and so many more.

And there were so many leaders in D5 that didn't actually apply.

I think a Colleen Echo Hawk, first name that comes to mind.

But what I found when interviewing the finalists before me today, Rob, your lifelong learning and humble intelligence invited me to want to work with you more deeply.

Getting to see your drive, passion, and commitment to the neighborhood and to District 5 gave me hope and gave me inspiration.

Jim, your performance metrics for Newport News are astonishing and amazing.

Thank you for that thumb drive.

I've still got it and I'm going to keep it for a long time because it really demonstrated how you were able to tell the story of Newport News through both the story but also the numbers and then tracking that year over year.

Neeloo, your connection to D5 residents, businesses, and the community is hard to match.

I've seen you at work for the last number of years, and it's this aggressive tenacity for the micro-communities that make up the fabric of District 5. Julie, I will say, selfishly, if I got one thing out of this entire process, it was getting to know you better and getting to be what I consider a friend.

You have supporters all across D5 and King County.

It's good to hear Willie from Mount Lake Terrace this morning.

I like Willie a lot.

And when I was speaking with you, I immediately felt like we could tackle Anything this world could throw at us if we worked together.

And so I really do look forward to getting to work with you in the future.

And Deborah Juarez, I guess that's the title we used today, which is I think one of the best parts about getting to work around you was getting to watch leadership by example.

And this started ever before I was actually elected.

Folks, you may or may not know, I do office hours every week in my district office.

And that was actually something that I took out of your book.

You had office hours at North Seattle College, and you found a office space at North Seattle College.

And so that has changed the way that I relate to District 6 in so many ways.

Folks, if you want to know the secret to navigating the budget process, go back and watch the candidate forum at North Seattle College.

Deborah Juarez shares it with everyone.

I'm not going to share it here.

You got to go do your homework.

And there's still three things that I, you know, when I talked about those resources, it was when I got to work for the 46th legislative district, we were talking about the Lake City Community Center.

It's still not done despite everything that you did to get it across the finish line.

Now we just got to get the thing built.

And the Northgate Commons, the housing there at the Seattle Housing Authority and the Simon Redevelopment, I mean, Beyond what other potential opportunities we have to get to make D5 the gem of the city that it deserves to be.

I did not write a closing beyond that.

Thank you colleagues.

All right.

Looking again to see if anybody has a second thought.

All right, no other, no additional comments there.

Well then, I will, just a second, my script went away.

I'll just briefly say as well, thank you to, first of all, the first, to all 22 candidates who stepped up, not an easy task to throw your hat in the ring, and also, and then especially to the six finalists who stuck it out to the very end.

I am going into this decision with the same mindset I've had the last two vacancy filling processes, which is keep an open mind, but also focus on what you believe the District 5 or the constituents of that district want most of all.

So I am...

After speaking with most of the candidates and also hearing what the District 5 constituents and community organizations have been saying, not just this past four weeks, but also since I've taken office, that is what is driving my decision.

And here's what I have heard.

Help those small businesses.

So looking at you, Gabe Galanda, wherever you are.

So what I have heard is that the small businesses, particularly along Lake City, the Lake City Corridor, and also 35th Avenue Northeast, which bridges 4th and 5th, A lot of these small businesses feel cut off from the rest of the city.

It's so far north already, it's difficult to feel connected to the focus on public safety when it comes, because we talk a lot about downtown, the CID, et cetera, but they are really struggling with some Repeated break-ins and really want someone who is aware of and willing to do something about that.

And what I always hear is, you know, can you please communicate to the executive that we need more patrols, more attention, focus on the things that we're going through over and over and over again up here.

So that's what I've heard from the small business perspective.

And then housing affordability.

Housing affordability, how do we get at that?

Well, there are many ways of addressing housing affordability through increased supply, through increased investments into our affordable housing partners, etc.

But I've taken all of the above approach and say we need to address housing affordability through Zoning through making housing cheaper and easier to build and also looking at different ways of supporting workforce housing, the development of workforce housing, home ownership of possibilities, etc.

But housing affordability, big topic up there.

And of course, Thinking about how the candidate that does get this appointment really does have to focus on that.

But I would also say that this council has also been talking a lot about that as well.

So we are well aware of that issue.

And then finally, there are a lot of services for low income and homelessness advocacy organizations up there.

And what I hear from District 5 constituents and businesses, but constituents is that, yes, we are a compassionate district and we need to make sure that the actual solutions or our approach to dealing with chronic homelessness and It's tied to housing affordability, but it's also just, what I hear is, I'll just be frank, We've been calling homelessness an emergency for years and years and years, over 10 years, et cetera.

And the problem doesn't seem to be getting better.

It stays the same or gets worse.

And so what is the city going to do about that?

And I hear what I have also said, which is look at substance use disorder, look at the fentanyl epidemic.

Can you do something about that?

And so I have always, this is convenient for me because of course I believe that addiction and substance use, well, substance use disorder and the fentanyl crisis are drivers of so many of our other issues, chronic homelessness, public safety, et cetera.

So I agree with constituents that want somebody who's fully aware of that issue and is willing to look at what we're doing right now.

And if it's not working, then do something different or really double down on this problem.

Those aren't the only things that I hear about.

There's also transportation, of course, what's going on in Aurora Way, went on a walk with Aurora Reimagined, et cetera.

I'm not gonna go down the laundry list, but I just wanna recognize that District 5, because of its distance from City Hall does have some additional challenges and we really do need as a body to focus on their concerns and perspectives.

So that is where I'm coming from.

So not only do I thank the candidates, I also want to thank the constituents that took the time to explain to me what they are experiencing and what they want to see in a leader.

All right, so with that, let's move on.

As a reminder on the voting process, the clerk will call the roll and council members will respond by stating one of the six nominees names.

Will the clerk please call the roll to appoint a nominee to fill Council District 5 position until a candidate in the November 26, 2026 general election for District 5 is elected and qualified.

Council member Rink.

Nilu Jenks.

Council member Rivera.

Deborah Juarez.

Councilmember Sokka.

Deborah Juarez.

Councilmember Solomon.

Deborah Juarez.

Councilmember Strauss.

Deborah Juarez, District 5.

Councilmember Hollingsworth.

Deborah Juarez, District 5.

Councilmember Kettle.

Deborah Juarez.

And Council President Nelson.

Deborah Juarez.

That is one in favor of Jinx and seven in favor of Juarez.

All right.

There is the selection.

Okay.

Thank you, everyone.

Deborah Juarez has been appointed to fill Council District 5 until a candidate in the November 2026 general election for District 5 is elected and qualified.

I would like to invite Deborah Juarez to come on up to the podium.

I have to formally wait a minute, please.

No, go ahead.

And I just I have a The City Council has appointed you as council member to the City Council District 5 position until a candidate in the November 2026 general election is elected and qualified.

Do you accept this position?

Yes, I do.

Excellent.

Congratulations.

Deborah, I'm just gonna say, congratulations Deborah on being appointed to the City Council District 5 position.

You are now, would you please join us at the dais and the City Clerk, Shereen Dedman, will administer your oath of office.

After the oath of office is administered, you're welcome to provide comments.

So that's when the whole speechifying happens.

So we will be at ease to prepare for the oath of office at the dais.

Okay.

Thank you.

Will you please raise your right hand or repeat after me?

All right.

I, Deborah Juarez.

I, Deborah Juarez.

Swear that I possess all of the qualifications.

Swear that I possess all of the qualifications.

Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

Prescribed in Seattle City Charter.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

And Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of city council members.

For the position of City Councilmember.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as Seattle City Councilmember.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a Seattle City Councilmember.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's a magnet, right?

He wasn't expecting this.

Oh, could you spell my name right?

Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

Before I begin, I want to thank Chief Seattle for what this great city is named from.

I'm really emotional right now.

I think that people thought that I walked into this room thinking this was mine.

I've never walked into a room thinking anything's mine.

And I particularly want to thank James and Rob, Dr. Julie Kane, Katie and Neeloo.

I know it was really nerve-wracking and difficult, and I enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.

And I look forward to the 2026 year when somebody runs, hopefully all of you, for this office for four years to get things done.

But this is democracy.

I had one goal, and I meant it when I said it, that I did not want to feel like a coward, that I took the emotion to feel brave and have confidence because of the California Senator Alex Padilla when he was thrown on the ground and handcuffed and he was screaming, I'm a senator, because that's the world we're living in right now.

So with that, I want to thank the tribes, tribal leadership, and the elders, all the indigenous-led organizations in this city.

I want to thank business.

I want to thank labor.

I want to thank all the nonprofit businesses that I worked with and for and represented.

And again, I'll share what my mother always used to say.

I'm not the smartest person.

I've just lived longer.

And there is a lot of wisdom in going through adversity, challenges, and sometimes growing up without privilege gives you power because you learn strategies to succeed.

And one last note I want to share, which I've learned from my elders, is there isn't one leader.

It's like a flock of birds.

Leadership is shared.

Everyone up here is a leader.

All of you are leaders.

And I've gotten to know you and talk to you.

And it's been wonderful.

And representing District 5 was a great honor when I was elected twice.

And for some reason, this feels much more emotional than the other two hard-fought campaigns.

And for that, thank you.

I raise my hands.

Thank you.

MBC 뉴스 박진주입니다.

I'm getting there.

Alright.

Welcome.

Okay, we have finished our nomination process for the District 5 seat, and now I will ask if there is any further business to come before the Council.

I will just say it's good to have you back.

Thank you.

Alright, so seeing no further business, we have reached the end of our agenda today.

It is 11-11.

I had to say that before it changed.

It's 11-11 and the City Council will meet again tomorrow, July 29th at 2 p.m.

And still hearing no further business, we are adjourned, everyone.

Thank you so much.