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Council Member Morales.
Here.
Council Member Nelson.
Present.
Council Member Peterson.
Here.
Councilmember Sawant.
Present.
Councilmember Strauss.
Present.
Chair Mosqueda.
Present.
Vine.
Present.
Excellent.
Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.
Colleagues and members of the community, thank you again for being here today.
This is our second public hearing.
We will have one more meeting that is solely dedicated to public hearing.
Just a reminder for when that is, that's next Tuesday.
Next Tuesday, November 15th.
That will be in the evening for anybody who's We have offered a 5 p.m.
public hearing that will also be solely dedicated to public hearing.
In addition to that, when we have the opportunity to see amendments from colleagues and respond to those amendments, we'll have another public comment period at our So it is wonderful to see all of you here, all of you on the line.
We are encouraging remote public comment just due to the ongoing nature of COVID-19 and the upcoming flu.
I hope that everybody has received their booster for their vaccines for COVID and received your flu vaccine as well.
And especially today, I hope everyone has voted.
If you have not voted, there is still time to vote.
And the ballot drop boxes, again, you need to get those in before 8 p.m.
So please do vote, get vaccinated, and get your boosters.
Okay, today folks, I appreciate that there's many people in the room here and the folks online, we will get through everybody who has dialed in and everyone who is present.
There are additional masks at the front podium here in case you need a mask as well, and we are keeping the doors open for the purposes of additional airflow.
We have a practice of going to the first 10 folks online and then the first 10 folks in the room.
We will get through everybody on a rotating basis, 10-10.
Before we do, we will also start today with former Council Member Rasmussen.
Thank you for being here along with A colleague who you will be providing ASL interpreter services for and apologies on behalf of our city that we do not have the ability to do that as we usually commit to today.
So thank you for doing that.
Madam Clerk, we are going to go right on in.
Let me double check and ask how many folks do we have signed up online?
We have approximately 90 online and I believe 40 in person.
Okay I think what we'll do is a minute and a half since this meeting is dedicated to only public comment so a minute and a half folks and we can go ahead and roll the video and we will start immediately with Council Member Rasmussen and Robert Roth and then we'll go to the next 10 people online.
Hello, Seattle.
We are the Emerald City, the City of Flowers and the City of Goodwill, built on indigenous land, the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples.
The Seattle City Council welcomes remote public comment and is eager to hear from residents of our city.
If you would like to be a speaker and provide a verbal public comment, you may register two hours prior to the meeting via the Seattle City Council website.
Here's some information about the public comment proceedings.
Speakers are called upon in the order in which they registered on the Council's website.
Each speaker must call in from the phone number provided when they registered online and used the meeting ID and passcode that was emailed upon confirmation.
If you did not receive an email confirmation, please check your spam or junk mail folders.
A reminder, the speaker meeting ID is different from the general listen line meeting ID provided on the agenda.
Once a speaker's name is called, the speaker's microphone will be unmuted and an automatic prompt will say, the host would like you to unmute your microphone.
That is your cue that it's your turn to speak.
At that time, you must press star six.
You will then hear a prompt of, you are unmuted.
Be sure your phone is unmuted on your end so that you will be heard.
As a speaker, you should begin by stating your name and the item that you are addressing.
A chime will sound when 10 seconds are left in your allotted time as a gentle reminder to wrap up your public comments.
At the end of the allotted time, your microphone will be muted and the next speaker registered will be called.
Once speakers have completed providing public comment, please disconnect from the public comment line and join us by following the meeting via Seattle Channel broadcast or through the listening line option listed on the agenda.
The council reserves the right to eliminate public comment if the system is being abused.
or if the process impedes the council's ability to conduct its business on behalf of residents of the city.
Any offensive language that is disruptive to these proceedings or that is not focused on an appropriate topic as specified in council rules may lead to the speaker being muted by the presiding officer.
Our hope is to provide an opportunity for productive discussions that will assist our orderly consideration of issues before the council.
The public comment period is now open and we will begin with the first speaker on the list.
Please remember to press star six after you hear the prompt of You have been unmuted.
Thank you, Seattle.
Thank you very much.
And welcome up Council Member Rasmussen and Robert Roth.
And then after that, we will go online, as we noted.
And we will start with Vivian Song-Martiz, who is a Seattle School Board member.
And then we'll go to the rest of the list online as well.
Good morning, Council Member.
Thanks for being here.
One second, Councilor.
Let me start your time over just for the microphone.
Okay, great.
Please go ahead.
Thank you, Chair Mosqueda.
Thank you for the honor of allowing me to go first.
I'm Tom Rasmussen.
I'm speaking for including $15,000 in the budget to fund accommodations for people with disabilities at the A's Memorial Pathway located on Capitol Hill.
and in Cal Anderson Park.
The app, as we call it, uses public art to provide information on HIV AIDS, tell our stories, and fight discrimination.
All the art is owned by the city.
The current design does not provide adequate information and wayfinding for people in wheelchairs or those who are blind.
Modifications are required to accommodate people with disabilities.
There is a vast need for accessibility improvements throughout the city.
The improvements made at the AMP, as we call it, can serve as a model for what can be done in other parts of Seattle.
We're grateful for the supportive comments that we heard at our previous budget meetings, at your previous budget meetings.
This is an opportunity now for the Council to live up to its commitment to accessibility.
We thank Council Member Nelson for her leadership in sponsoring this amendment and Council Members Sawant and Peterson for signing on also to sponsor this amendment.
Now I have with me Rob Roth who is one of the advocates for the AIDS Memorial Pathway and he's been an active member in the deaf community for many years as well.
Rob is going to sign his testimony because we don't have an interpreter with us today.
And then I will read his testimony following his signing.
Thank you.
And also, Ms. Roth, apologies for not having the interpreter services needed here today.
Thank you.
Please go ahead.
you
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And we'll now have the interpreter services.
I am by council member.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Council members.
My name is Rob Roth as a deaf and gay man who is also an artist and writer.
I worked on the A's memorial pathway to ensure that people with disabilities would be included in the planning.
It's been a wonderful experience.
Now we know that we need to improve accessibility, especially for those who use wheelchairs and those who are blind or deaf and blind.
I've worked with deaf blind persons for years, including those who are in the LGBTQ community.
This group of people should be able to benefit from the setting and the message of the AIDS Memorial Pathway.
That will be possible once access to the information and wayfinding is provided.
I want to thank Council Member Nelson for leading this effort.
Please support this request.
Thank you, Rob Roth.
Thank you very much, Mr. Roth.
Thank you.
Here are his comments also in writing for distribution to Council Members.
Wonderful, thank you very much.
We'll next turn to Board Member Vivian Song-Martiz online, and we'll continue with the rest of the folks in our 10-person lineup online.
Good morning, Vivian.
Excuse me, good morning, Council.
Excuse me.
Good morning Seattle School Board member Vivian Song.
Just waiting for her to pop up in my screen here.
And then as a reminder for folks we'll do 10 people online and 10 people in the room and we'll rotate until everybody has had the chance to speak.
Good morning board member.
Please go ahead.
Good morning council members.
This is Vivian Song-Ris.
I am a member of the FEPP Levee Oversight Committee and I'm also a school board director for Seattle Public Schools and a board director for Denise Louie Education Center.
Both of these organizations are operators for the Seattle Preschool Program.
Please note that I am speaking today only as an individual Levee Oversight Committee member and not on behalf of the boards of Seattle Public Schools or Denise Louie.
I'm testifying in response to proposed budget amendments for education and early learning.
These amendments bring important policy considerations for how underspend levy money is directed.
While I appreciate the want to hear more closely to the original language of the levy to direct underspend money to early learning and honor our commitment to levy voters, I'm testifying to reiterate the recommendation of the Levy Oversight Committee.
The committee submitted a letter in September to council members recommending allocation of $5.7 million over two years of the levy underscoring to Seattle Promise.
Understandably, the levy language was developed without expectation of a global pandemic, and yet there are clear impacts to programs funded by the levy, and I'd like to highlight two.
One is that the current SPP expansion plans are currently projected to be sufficiently supported without having to ship under spend dollars.
It's my personal belief there is less immediate urgency for accelerated expansion for SPP because of declining birth rates worsened by the pandemic and because of labor shortages especially for child care workers and early learning professionals which would hamstring expansion efforts.
And two there's significant learning loss for Seattle students and recent high school graduates.
I think we can all agree that remote learning is inferior to in-person classroom learning with teachers and peers.
Seattle POMIS leveraged one-time federal emergency funding to counter this learning loss for hundreds of entering POMIS scholars of its equity enhancement.
In the school year 21-22,
Thank you very much, board member.
Thank you.
Thanks, everybody.
Just a quick reminder, when you hear the chime, that's your indication that you have 10 seconds to wrap it up.
And we will continue on with the next folks that are listed online.
Thank you, Madam Clerk, for calling in the names.
Our next remote speaker is Howard Gale.
Good morning.
Howard Gale, Seattle Stop.org.
Just four months ago, a King County inquest jury unambiguously spoke.
The Seattle police did precisely what they were trained to do under SPD policy when they shot Charlene Lyles, the pregnant mother of four, seven times in front of her children.
Let's be clear.
The jury did not find the killing correct or morally justified or without alternative.
The jury found that the SPD officers acted according to Seattle city training and policy.
Two years after George Floyd, the budget the council is now considering proposes more money for the police and wastes over $11 million on a police accountability system that still has police investigating police.
This is $11 million spent denying the victims of police violence, any appeals, or any semblance of justice or accountability.
If this council cannot find a way to provide police accountability and end the unnecessary killings, at the very least, the council must find a way to ameliorate the harms that its training policy creates.
At least provide the monies to support the victims of police violence in their families in order to address the harms that you have allowed to continue.
We need to support Castile Hightower's request that the budget address the needs of families impacted by police violence.
You plan on spending over $11 million to perpetuate a facade of police accountability.
Can you not spend a tiny fraction of that to address the real harms the system has allowed to continue unabated?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Castille Hightower.
Castille.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can.
How long do victims of police violence and their families have to wait until we are treated with the same presumption of innocence as the officers who killed and harmed us and our families?
Five, 10 years, 15, or maybe with my family, almost 20, since my brother Herbert Hightower Jr. was killed by Seattle police when he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Because when millions are poured every year into the defense and justification of police violence, while we the victims and families are treated with such apathy, such condemnation, denied even monies from the city to bury the loved ones your employees murdered, and all this before an investigation even starts.
It sends a clear message who the city thinks that presumption of guilt and who that presumption of innocence belongs to.
Paid for, mind you, with tax dollars.
Allocate resources to victims of police violence and their families in the budget.
We are just as deserving of compassion and care during one of the most traumatic moments of our lives as any other victim of violence.
Yesterday, a brilliant KUOW article came out about my brother, and I relived one of the worst days of my life, which I still suffer from, that your policy helped create, and still refuse, still refuse to take any accountability for.
I ask you, my family asks you, so many victims of police violence that are six feet under the ground, my God, ask you, to have the moral obligation of the policies you create and the employees who harm us.
How long do we have to wait?
How long?
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Zachary Kirschbaum.
Hello, I'm Zachary Kirschbaum, 350 Seattle District 6. I'm supporting the people's budget and the solidarity budget.
There are too many things wrong with the current budget to get through in a minute and a half.
It's callous and hostile towards working people, social service workers, and our unhoused neighbors.
Again and again, I see funds diverted from health, social services, and aid into enforcement, surveillance, and punishment.
And that's the kind of city we're turning into, one that values punishment over kindness.
I don't understand the constant reluctance to fund our own people.
Meeting people's basic needs will address our problems at the root.
I'm tired of the mayor and council acting like there isn't an obvious source of funding for these things in the Amazon tax and the bloated police budget.
Stop sweeping our unhoused neighbors from place to place and traumatizing them.
Stop taking funds from public services and climate mitigation.
Stop pushing for ridiculous surveillance technology.
Increase the Amazon tax and divert police funds to increase funds to social services.
Put the money dedicated to Green New Deal back.
tax sources of extreme wealth to fund people's basic needs rather than punishing them.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Alice Lockhart.
Alice, you may need to press star six.
Okay, we'll move on.
The next speaker will be Kim Holland.
And then we'll come back and try Alice again.
But Kim, go ahead.
Press star six.
My name is Kim Holland, and I'm here today to voice my support for HSB 022A, which adds $1.5 million for survivor-driven advocacy services to survivors of gender-based violence.
I'm director of Project Devorah at Jewish Family Service, which offers domestic violence advocacy to survivors.
I've been in the field of domestic violence and homelessness since 2017, and there has been an increasing community need.
According to the 2022 King County Auditor's Office, DV homicide rates doubled in 2020 and 2021 compared to prior years, emphasizing the critical need for funding to support survivors.
Research also shows that domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.
Without advocacy services, survivors may stay in abusive relationships because they have no way to leave safely.
I urge you to support survivor-driven advocacy by supporting amendment HSD 022A.
Thank you for your consideration.
Thank you.
Our next speaker will be Robin Briggs.
And Robin Briggs, please press star six.
Good morning, councillors.
My name is Robin Briggs with People for Climate Action Seattle.
I am speaking in support of Chair Mosqueda's amendment, and I urge you to preserve Jumpstart funding for its original purposes.
The Jumpstart tax is there to fund items that have been chronically underfunded for years, specifically affordable housing and the Green New Deal.
These are both very big problems.
They are both getting worse, and they are also problems that Seattle residents care deeply about.
Homelessness is not solved by moving people from place to place or giving them temporary housing.
It is solved by permanent housing.
Likewise, a just transition to clean energy is also a huge problem, but we know that it is vital.
The drought affects both wildfires and our food supply.
Jumpstart is the only practical plan for getting at the root of these problems.
We will be judged by how we respond to the crises.
Please preserve the funding for now and for the future.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker will be Barbara Finney.
My, my name is Barbara Finney.
I'm a delegate to the MLK labor council for AFG local 3197. And I urge all Democrats on the city council to vote yes on the proposals from the people's budget and socialist council members to want to make big business pay.
for the economic crisis, not working people and vulnerable communities.
Increase the Amazon tax by $140 million to fund public needs.
It only makes sense to raise the Amazon tax and fund human services, inflation adjusted wages for public sector workers, build more tiny house villages and fund renters protections.
And no city fund should go to the flawed shot spotter technology for police.
As part of the $140 million increase in the Amazon tax, the people's budget calls for support of council members to want amendment to fund $3.5 million to make abortion access free for everyone in our city.
This is a women's and LGBTQ issue, a workers and labor issue, make abortion free in Seattle.
While the rich are becoming obscenely richer in the last two years, working people and vulnerable communities have suffered through the pandemic, unprecedented inflation and skyrocketing rents, and now a looming recession.
We have the most regressive tax structure in the country.
No more regressive taxes on Seattle workers.
Raise the Amazon tax to fund public needs.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Tori Fole.
Tori?
Tori, if you press star six.
Good morning, council members.
My name is Tori Rose Fole and I'm here today to voice my support for amendment HSD22A, which adds $1.5 million for survivor-driven advocacy services to survivors of gender-based violence.
I am a social work graduate student interning at a domestic violence nonprofit and I'm also a survivor.
Connection to resources and professional support changed my life and folks in our community need services to survive.
BIPOC and LGBTQ survivors face complex challenges that are not being addressed and the funding for programs is not enough.
There's a great need for housing and mental health services among survivors especially given how complicated it is to navigate these systems.
Advocates are dedicated to supporting survivors with strengths-based services that need your support for more staffing and resources.
I urge you to support survivor-driven advocacy by supporting amendment HSD22A.
I also support the full inflation adjustment for human service workers.
Thank you so much for your time and an opportunity to speak today.
Thank you.
Our last speaker for this section of the remote speakers will be Sarah Robbins.
And then we'll move on to in-person comment.
Sarah.
Good morning.
Thank you.
My name is Sarah Robbins and I'm the Senior Policy Manager at the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness and a resident of District 2.
I am testifying today on behalf of the essential workers that work in homeless and human services.
I know that each of you are committed to solving homelessness and all and supporting essential workers in this sector.
My ask today are to support a full 7.6 inflation inflation increase as required by ordinance 125865 to pass unanimously in 2019. I also ask that you support the amendment to maintain 9.4 million in the budget for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority to maintain the current shelter capacity that we have.
And lastly, I ask that you fully fund the Home for Good program through the Office of Housing run by Catholic Community Services to ensure that those that are low income and permanently disabled do not become homeless again.
Thank you very much, members of council.
Okay, our in-person commenters will begin with Carolyn Maloney.
Thank you so much, Madam Clerk, and I'll just make an announcement for folks in the room.
Sometimes there's an urge to clap.
I'd encourage people to do this instead.
I'll wave your hand so that we can keep getting through everybody that's here for public comment.
We'll come back to Alice Lockhart, who we missed.
Good morning, ma'am.
Please go ahead.
Okay.
My presence today before the council is to plead with you not to award a grant to Catholic Community Services for remodeling Chancery Place Apartments at 910 Marion Street because of the ongoing extreme elder abuse fentanyl drug use by vagrants throughout the building, and eviction threats by managers and directors, and other crimes including managers and directors inflating my rent to an exorbitant rate of 80 to 90 percent of my social security by using a fraudulent computational device called real age compliance, a scam according to Google.
Equally criminal, managers and directors cancel my HUD subsidy, effectively causing me to pay exorbitant rent.
The real page compliance is a fraud used as an eviction device solely by Chancery so that managers can decide who to allow to live in Chancery and who to evict.
thereby evading federal housing guidelines.
SPD, that is Seattle Pops and staff are engaged in criminal activities.
Somebody's buzzing my stomach, locking me out of my unit, daily surveilling me and violating my housing and privacy rights all day long.
I ask you to intervene on my behalf, thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Brandy Flood.
Good morning, Council.
We got to do a better job in this city and taking care of our elders and especially our elders of color.
It's despicable for her to even have to come in here and testify about that.
My name is Brandi Flood.
I'm the Director of Community Justice at REACH.
I manage the LEAD program and work with CoLEAD.
I'm here to maintain, and I've been in this work for 20 years, and I'm a resident of Rainier Beach neighborhood.
I'm here to maintain funding for LEAD and CoLEAD.
I appreciate your focus on focusing on existing programs.
We do have the best approach of working with public safety in partnership with communities dedicated to serve the most complicated people in our city.
And just this year alone, my staff in 2022 and working with 750 participants have housed 115 people in permanent housing, 187 have engaged in substance use support, 139 are engaged in mental health services, and 263 have been connected to their legal coordination.
We have, I'm sorry, 540 incoming referrals if our services are not cut to work with some of the most complicated people in the city struggling with homelessness and substance use and the criminal punishment system.
I also want to support a cost of living wages for all human services workers and homeless service workers.
Imagine your city without us.
If you're having problems now, imagine your city of homeless service workers and leave was not here in your city supporting the most vulnerable people.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Reverend Hannah Walker.
Good morning.
Thank you.
My name is Reverend Walden, Harriet Walden.
I'm the founder of Mothers for Police Accountability, and I'm speaking today in support of the shot spotter.
Portland has just signed a contract five-year contract.
Houston has a contract.
And these are recent stats.
Detroit has a contract.
And even a place that people wouldn't even think about is Rocky Mountain, North Carolina has a contract.
And I hear nobody talks about the weeping black mothers because this town don't care about them.
I mean, it's amazing.
that nobody cares about the mothers who are crying.
I mean, we got Devon Pickett right now.
I mean, his memorial is going to be on Thursday.
Okay, nobody cares about our community in this way.
If the police had killed all the people in this city, the town would just be rightfully so upset.
But because the violence is in the community, nobody cares.
So we mothers supports the shot spotter.
We want to create a community.
where our children don't have to grow up hearing gunshots and afraid all the time.
It is really time to understand and listen to us and listen to the people who console the mothers.
They're unconsolable when their children die in their arms and when they see their loved ones die.
So mothers are here to support the shot spotter and no closing of late Washington Boulevard.
It's a civil right issue.
Handicapped people have a right to be on that street.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Devin Mica.
Good morning, council members.
It's good to see some familiar faces, and thank you for your continued support.
I'm here this morning speaking as someone who's been working in the human services and homelessness field for over 15 years, and I've had the opportunity to work here in Seattle at our LEAD program for the last eight years.
We don't have a big ask today.
What we ask is that you just maintain the current funding for LEAD and CoLEAD so we can continue doing the innovative and powerful work we're doing to address issues of public safety and community well-being here in Seattle.
It's very scary to think about what our city would look like if the thousand people who are currently being served by our program were to suddenly have that pulled out from under their feet.
This morning while I stand in front of you, we have a staff member visiting folks in our King County jail system who are cycling in and out because of the lack of resources.
We have a staff member moving someone into permanent housing.
And we have a staff member who's sitting by someone who's next of kin we can't reach, who will likely die in the next week.
Our program works from a relationship-based approach that connects with community members to serve some of the most vulnerable people in this city.
And we ask that you just restore the funding that we've previously had for this year so we can continue doing this good work.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and support.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is, excuse me, Wakefield, I believe.
Sorry if I'm getting some of these wrong.
Thank you.
You got it exactly right.
I'm Wakefield.
I'm a citizen of the city of Seattle and I'm Wakefield.
I'm a citizen of the city of Seattle.
And I want to, first of all, thank you for the challenge that you're facing and for the land acknowledgement because the Duwamish people believe in community building and sharing resources.
And that's what I'm here about today.
Thank you.
of Council Member Nelson and everyone for supporting our $50,000 suggested budget work that will help remove barriers for access to people in wheelchairs and for blind persons to ensure that the AIDS Memorial Project is accessible.
I came to Seattle 23 years ago when the city was funded to be the leading place where HIV vaccine research had happened.
We've just been through a pandemic where we found out we still don't have an HIV vaccine, but we have COVID vaccines, a miracle of science in just a couple of years because of that work that we were doing and that we have done.
I guarantee you that the AIDS Memorial Project and what it means to people currently at risk for HIV, the epidemic is not over.
Most of the people currently being infected are under the age of 35 and black and brown folks.
We don't need to wait until there's another pandemic to deal with that, but we need to help people remember what has happened in the past pandemics and the pandemics that we've all lived through and the pandemics where we can't see how the solutions are gonna help us, but the education of the AIDS Memorial Project will be a partial solution to that.
And I encourage you to continue to support this line item.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Eddie Chavez.
Eddie.
Good morning, council members.
Thank you for your time.
My name is Eddie Chavez and I represent Seattle's LGBTQ plus center, formerly gay city.
I'm here to urge you to include $50,000 in the 2023 budget for accessibility improvements to the signage, the AIDS memorial pathway for artwork and wayfinding.
The AIDS Memorial Pathway located on Capitol Hill uses city-owned public art and technology to tell a story that is relevant to everybody.
It's a story of dignity, social justice, and the response to a crisis in which there is no cure.
It serves as a call to action and continues to fight to continue the fight against HIV AIDS, stigma, and discrimination.
Without these accessibility improvements, the space which is meant for remembrance, reflection, and storytelling about the continuing epidemic would exclude many of those the memorial is about and meant for.
The requested funding not only meet the 2017 City Council resolution to foster inclusion for all of its residents, but it additionally helps fulfill the city's commitment and obligation to provide accommodation to the AIDS Memorial Pathway.
I appreciate your support for the allocation of these funds.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Mark Adrian.
Mark.
Here's the microphone right here.
OK.
My name is Mark Adrian, and I previously worked for the state of Washington Department of Services for the Blind for a couple of decades.
or the city council, I also worked on the first commission for people with disabilities that the city put together.
I'm here in support of the accessibility of the Memorial AIDS Project.
And what I really want to emphasize is the fact that universal access means that public installations that are Title II are accessible to all, which means they're designed and created to be accessible and enjoyed by all.
AIDS has had a huge impact on large communities of people, including people with disabilities, and they should have the same right and ability to access the project that would assist them in remembering and moving forward.
Access is not an backburner concept.
$50,000 actually brings it into compliance with the ADA, but it also brings it into the community so that City of Seattle is honoring all of its citizens and honoring all of the citizens' right to public access to city regulations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The last in-person public commenter for this time period will be Rick Robertson, and then we'll go back to the remote speakers.
Rick?
Good morning, council members.
My name is Rick Robertson, and I represent SHARE, and we support the solidarity budget.
I'd like to speak about the increased funding for encampment sweeps.
Encampment sweeps do not work.
They're not fiscally responsible because it does not do anything to end homelessness.
It's like a tree falling on your house, and instead of fixing the roof, you just paint the tree to look like the rest of the house.
And then all of a sudden you realize that your heating costs have tripled, you have water in your basement, and you have squirrels living in your kitchen.
It does not work.
In order to end homelessness, you need to provide funding for emergency shelters, you need affordable housing, and you need treatment options.
That is how you end homelessness.
Sweeping these encampments under the rug just for the sake of, you know, not upsetting tourists and things like that will never end homelessness.
Please stop sweeping these people.
Please stop arresting these people.
Please stop giving them tickets.
Try for a change, giving them hope.
You'd be amazed at how powerful a little bit of hope is.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
We'll now move into the next 10 remote speakers, and we'll be starting with Emily MacArthur.
And then after that, Madam Clerk, is it okay if we try Alice Lockhart again?
Alice?
I think she dropped off as present.
Is she still there?
Oh, she is.
Okay.
So after Emily MacArthur, we will see if Alice Lockhart is on and able to unmute.
Hi, my name is Emily MacArthur.
I'm a renter in District 2, and I'm calling to support increasing the Amazon tax by $140 million, which has been proposed by Council Member Shama Sawant.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 54% of the price hikes we've seen from inflation are coming from corporate profits.
What's that mean?
It means that corporations are profiteering off of this crisis.
As we're told, there's no choice but to cut crucial programs for working on poor people in the city We know that the money is sitting in the accounts of union-busting corporations like Amazon, Starbucks, and Nordstrom right here in Seattle.
Don't cut the Green New Deal, eviction protections, and tiny houses at a time when they are crucially needed as we are facing down a recession.
Please don't try to justify cutting these programs to fund billionaire profits because that is the real choice that sits before you.
Council Member Sawant has proposed to expand the Amazon tax by $140 million to close the budget shortfall and to make sure that this capitalist fueled crisis does not fall on the backs of working people as it always does.
This amendment includes crucially support for $3.5 million in funding for abortion services for people who are fleeing reactionary governments across the country.
We have the opportunity to make history here in Seattle and become a real abortion sanctuary city.
The unwillingness of a single other council member, all of whom are Democrats, to support the expansion of the Amazon tax, to close the budget hole is a stunning betrayal.
You can't call this a budget that has compassion if you're willing to cut programs that working class people depend on.
Thank you.
Now we'll try Alice Lockhart.
Go ahead, Alice.
Good morning, Budget Committee.
Thanks so much for getting back to me.
I'm Alice Lockhart with 350 Seattle, and I would like to thank Chair Mosqueda, Council staff, and this committee for doing the hard work that the executives abdicated by rating Jumpstart.
I trust that you all will protect Jumpstart over the long haul, but also in 2023. Many items in the mayor's budget use jumpstart funds to supplant previous general fund spending or fail to align with jumpstart allocation plan entirely.
We ask that none of these items will be funded by jumpstart in the final balancing package.
And instead we ask that essential jumpstart spending be prioritized.
Housing, small business support in the communities that need it most and underfunded and unfunded green new deal oversight board priorities like the clean heat program and energy efficiency for low income homes.
We emphatically support solidarity budget positions.
We need a budget that says no to ghost cops, no sweeps, no shot spotter, no to subsidies for sports and big business, and yes to fair pay for human services workers, yes to Vision Zero and safe streets, yes to social housing, yes to help for small business, and yes to a Green New Deal.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker will be Michael Ruby and Michael will be followed by Teresa Dillard.
So Michael Ruby you are up.
My name is Mike Ruby.
Yes.
Seattle faces many important problems.
All should be aware that we also have a climate crisis here in Seattle.
It has been more a public health and environmental crisis in other places.
It is flooding of disastrous proportions.
Windstorms with equally disastrous consequences or droughts causing mass migration.
Seattle needs to respond to the climate crisis like the crisis it is.
But you cannot respond if you don't have a plan.
And Seattle does not have an actionable plan.
This year's budget must provide the funding for the development of an accountable plan and at least one new position in OSC to coordinate the response by the various city departments.
One step we know will help is to better manage our urban forest.
Significantly increasing our tree canopy will be an important step forward.
Trees are known to not only absorb carbon, but they also can mitigate the urban heat island that also contributes to adverse public health outcomes.
This year's budget must provide the funding for an urban forester in OSC to again coordinate the city activities relating to its urban forest.
We have stalled around too long already.
We have only a few more years to achieve significant progress on the climate crisis.
We cannot wait another year.
We are sliding from a climate crisis to a climate disaster.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Teresa Dillard and she will be followed by Mike Stewart.
Teresa.
Good morning, Council, and thank you for the opportunity to speak and for your continued support.
My name is Teresa Dillard, and I am with the Housing and Essential Needs Program, also known as HEN, at Catholic Community Services, and a member of the Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness.
I am calling today in support of funding the Home for Good program.
We were alerted that the Home for Good program was not included in the proposed budget.
Home for Good's shallow rent subsidies play a key role in keeping Seattle residents with disabilities housed as rents continue to rise.
We are asking that you please support an amendment for $500,000 in 2023 and $723,000 in 2024 to keep approximately 54 clients housed and moving towards long-term permanent housing.
We appreciate your consideration in funding the Home for Good program and look forward to continuing our partnership serving the most vulnerable members of our community.
In addition, I'm asking you to please follow through on commitments for a 7.6 inflation adjustment on human services.
This is needed to keep up with costs, including wage increases to help our staff manage the escalating cost of living.
Thank you for your time this morning.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Mike Stewart and Mike will be followed by Sam Wolf.
Go ahead, Mike.
Good morning, city council members.
My name is Mike Stewart.
I'm executive director of the Ballard Alliance, an organization that represents hundreds of small businesses and thousands of residents in Ballard.
I'm here today to voice support for council budget action DON003A sponsored by council member Strauss and supported by council members Nelson and Peterson.
This budget action would fund a community safety hub coordinator for Ballard.
Over the past several years, Ballard has seen an increase in property and other crimes Some of these crimes require law enforcement intervention, however, many do not.
Small business owners often don't have the ability to report on safety issues, let alone coordinate with neighboring businesses and key city departments.
So if funded, this position would play a critical role in improving safety by developing relationships with business owners and residents to create a platform for ongoing coordination, assisting business owners with proper reporting, and working with Civilian Beat Patrol and SPD to address identified issues.
This is important community work and this modest budget action presents an opportunity to pilot this initiative in Ballard with the potential to expand on this work in other neighborhoods throughout the city.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Sam Wolf and Sam will be followed by 49123 Ant-Man.
Hi, my name is Sam Wolf.
I'm a senior project manager for the LEAD program here regarding the LEAD COVID budget restoration issue.
We're working with people who don't have other forms of support or case management.
We reduce the incidence of 911 calls, of jailing, and of behavioral health crises via long-term wraparound case management.
And this year alone, we've gotten over 100 of our people into permanent housing.
Housing is a huge step, but it's not the end because behavioral health care is complex.
And because of this, we walk alongside our people through ups and downs until they are fully stable and healthy.
Funding cuts will impact our people, and that's why it's important to maintain the funding for LEAD and CoLEAD.
I'd also like to voice my support for Lake City Partners as they advocate to maintain the GLA Day Center.
This is a place where unsheltered folks can be indoors, tend to human needs, and connect to support.
I spent a lot of time working in North Seattle, so I know this is an important resource that we need to maintain in a region where those resources are scarce.
Thank you, council members.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is 49123 Antman, who will be followed by Michael Vitswong.
Good morning.
My name is Iris Antman.
Sorry about that.
And I live in Columbia City.
I'm encouraging you to support the one-time appropriation of $455,000 to help fund the development of a community-led resilience hub on the campus of Bethany United Church of Christ on South Beacon Hill.
Bethany, along with Green Buildings Now, a faith-based community group I'm a member of, have raised more than $250,000 to begin work on this project.
The one-time appropriation requested from the city through the amendment that council member Morales put forth, would fully fund the completion of this project, which will weatherize and decarbonize all of the buildings on the Bethany campus and create a robust resilience hub for the community, providing shelter during extreme weather events and other emergencies such as earthquakes.
This project demonstrates how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in a largely BIPOC community and neighborhood, thereby centering environmental justice.
Please support this amendment.
We must address the climate crisis and its disproportionate effect on communities of color.
I also strongly encourage you to develop and fund a robust and actionable climate action plan that informs the development of the One Seattle Plan in order to meet our city's greenhouse gas emissions reductions target.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Michael Vitz Wong and Michael Vitz Wong will be followed by Michael Bayan.
Michael Vitz Wong.
Greetings.
My name is Michael.
I'm a lifelong Seattle resident currently working at the Seattle Public Libraries organized by Ask Me 2083 speaking in a personal capacity.
And I'm calling today to ask you which side you're on.
Do you represent working people or big business.
In the face of the budget shortfall, the proposed solutions are to cut public services and push more regressive taxes on working people, such as increasing car tabs.
Regular working people are already struggling to pay for gas, to get to jobs whose wages are not keeping up with record inflation.
We're all struggling to get by and you want to bring pennies from the poor to pay for more police.
Not only is this unacceptable, frankly, it's stupid.
The answer is glaringly obvious.
We already have a wildly successful tax on big business, the Amazon tax, and some of the richest billionaires in the world live right here in Seattle.
Amazon has made record profits during the pandemic, so much that Jeff Bezos can fly to space for leisure, all by illegally busting unions and brutally exploiting workers.
I demand that you support the people's budget and the proposal to increase the Amazon tax by $140 million.
It's basic arithmetic.
Corporations like Amazon have billions of dollars, so much that this tax is barely a drop in the bucket for them.
Working people already cannot afford to live in this city.
You will make it abundantly clear whose side you're on with your decision this year.
Will you pass an austerity budget or will you tax the rich and pass the people's budget?
We could use a mere $3.5 million of that to make all abortions in Seattle free.
We could build permanent affordable housing.
but instead the mayor wants to inflict more violence against vulnerable communities by sweeping our unhoused neighbors with no plan to help them.
The proposed budget dumps more money into- Thank you.
Our next speaker is Michael Byun.
And he will be followed- Yes, hi.
Yes, thank you.
And he'll be followed by Marissa, who will be our last speaker for this group of remote speakers.
Go ahead, Michael.
Yes, good morning, members of council.
Thank you for having me, Michael Byun, Executive Director for Asian Counseling and Referral Service.
I'm calling today to testify in support of the 7.6% increase that was approved in 2019. We're really concerned about the mayor's proposed budget cap on cost of living adjustment of the 4%.
It will have a devastating impact on safety net services to our communities.
It's gonna mean longer waiting times for our clients who are seeking healthcare.
It's about folks who are addressing food security and not having access to it because we don't have enough folks to deliver those meals to them.
It's about youth services who are especially vulnerable right now due to the stresses of the pandemic.
One of the things that I wanna just emphasize is that as a culturally and linguistically relevant support services organization, our staff reflect our community, we're one in the same.
And so we need to invest and continue to invest in supporting our staff so that we can take care of our community.
So I ask for you to strongly support the existing 7.6% 2019 approved increase.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker, this will be our last remote speaker for this group is Marissa Langlois.
Good morning, council members.
My name is Marissa Langlois, and I'd like to voice my support for Amendment HSC-022A to add $1.5 million for survivor-driven advocacy services to survivors of gender-based violence.
I'm currently a Master's of Social Work student at the University of Washington, and in my work with young adults experiencing homelessness, I've seen the ways that domestic violence contributes to housing insecurity and keeps people from getting housed.
People end up stuck between a rock and a hard place where they might have to essentially choose between housing and staying in a domestic violence or gender-based violence situation.
Sometimes survivors will get blamed for this impossible choice.
People will ask, well, why would you choose to stay in an abusive relationship?
And the answer is that there's not enough support for survivors and the services that do exist are underfunded and understaffed.
which is why I urge you to support Amendment H.S.B. 022A, as well as the full inflation adjustment for human service workers.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak today.
Thank you.
We'll now move into our in-person public speakers, and we'll begin with Julia Griffith.
And just a reminder to, you kind of have to speak way into the mic for it to pick you up appropriately.
Okay.
Hi, my name is Julia Griffith.
I've worked at the Wheel Women's Shelters for about two years.
We house over 60 women at our two shelters in the First Hillette neighborhood.
We operate on a low barrier model and allow every woman to be heard and part of a community.
We don't turn anyone away.
We've struggled throughout the pandemic like all other shelters and social services.
The decay of the surrounding health care and mental health care systems, as well as the effect of the pandemic has created new challenges.
I'm disappointed that the city would reward our work with a pay cut.
I want to be able to live in the city that I serve.
um the capping of the social workers cost of living adjustment at four percent rather than matching inflation is short-sighted please correct it thank you thank you our next speaker um starts out with wheel but i believe it's anitra freeman
You can pull that mic down lower also.
It's adjustable.
This is Nancy's first time.
No, not my first time, but...
I'm just speaking in front of a lot of people.
Okay.
My name is Nancy.
I am a participant at the First Fred's Wheel Shelter.
I know what it's like to be homeless.
I know what it's like to be on drugs.
I've been in recovery for 21 years.
I didn't get here by myself.
I didn't go to treatment 13 times.
And each time I learned a bit more.
I find a new community that will help me live instead of having me die.
Sweeps don't help people or form communities of recovery.
Stop the sweep.
Fund more housing, shelters, mental health, health centers.
Help us help ourselves because I'm poor for what I can do.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And Anitra, are you going to speak also?
Yes.
Thank you.
Thank you, Nancy.
Nancy is part of the writing group that up at first press shelter.
Yeah.
So my name is Anita Freeman with wheel women in black.
And hold on a minute, because I left my water.
So we stand again tomorrow on the 4th Avenue steps for 25 more people who died homeless, outside or by violence in King County.
Please join us.
And thank you, Council Member Strauss.
I remember you standing beside me in October.
This is the fifth month in a row that we've stood for 20 people or more at one time.
The total this year is 216. It's our most horrible year ever.
What does it take to qualify for disaster funding?
In this terrible time, it is more important than ever.
that you support your most vulnerable citizens.
Stop the sweeps and fund real help.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next person will be Sean Smith.
Our next speaker is Sean Smith.
Alex Zimmerman.
Alex Zimmerman, you are warned.
Do not do that signal again.
If people wanna indicate support, they're welcome to do this, nothing else.
Thank you.
Good morning, Council.
My name is Sean Smith, and I'm currently a participant in ShareWheel's Historic Ten City Three.
I think we can all agree that the last few nights have been extremely cold and wet, but it is even colder and wetter and more miserable for those who've had what little shelter they had ripped away from them.
please stop funding the sweep.
While we're at it, let's end this crazy idea of funding cops that don't even exist.
And while we're at that, let's raise the revenue from the jumpstart tax and start paying our essential frontline workers a livable wage, lest they fall into homelessness.
I yield the rest of my time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Justin Goetz.
Good morning, city council members.
I appreciate the opportunity to come up here and speak today.
My name is Justin Goetz.
I have been part of Tent City 3 for a couple of months now.
It's nice being a part of a community.
Um, but I want to be a part of a community where we are all working together to meet our essential needs, waking up every morning, cold, wet, going to bed, not knowing if I'm going to have a place to wake up to with people who support me. and care about me because we got these sweeps going on and not everybody is as fortunate in this situation as I am to be surrounded by these people that care.
And I want to grow as a community, as a society where we can all get our hands in something to provide for the city that we live in.
Thank you and I, boy, I'm wasting my time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Chris Hamilton.
How do you do?
I'm Chris Hamilton.
I'm here to speak in behalf of District 9. We had on the docket for a vote.
We voted no.
Other people voted, and then it's become a big issue.
And I've dug through it, and I found it's a simple mistake pertaining to an over-adjusted park that has a Victorian schooner that's too large on the 75 cents.
or 1,000, and it's a simple misunderstanding if we can just look at it and clear it up, because 7 billion, 15 million is a lot more than we should pay of my property, of a little bit of tax.
If I can take out of my salary, I could agree to, but this is ridiculous, and I'll get it back into the later, and that's all I have to say about it now, so I don't wanna go too much into it.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Ezra Dickinson.
Hello, Council Members.
Thank you for hearing our comments today.
My name is Ezra Dickinson.
My Tlingit name is Yanak.
I am a practicing artist contributing work to the city since 2005. Today, I am here to speak in opposition to the doubling of the graffiti abatement budget.
I feel that the visual plight of graffiti in the city is a direct result of a lack of investment and community.
That's basically the size of it.
If we look at the spaces that we're creating for cultural investment, for historical investment, and for artistic investment, We can find a pathway towards incorporating artists, incorporating community, incorporating historical acknowledgement and find a pathway that brings about touch points on our city that people can surround and build upon versus blank walls and emptiness.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next in-person speaker, we'll have four more in-person speakers before we go back to our remote speakers.
Our next in-person speaker is Paul Nguyen.
Or Nguyen, I'm not quite sure, Paul.
Hello, council members.
Thanks for hearing comments this morning.
My name is Paul Nunn.
I am an artist and an arts administrator for an organization in Seattle, Urban Artworks.
And I'm speaking today because I take a personal issue with the enhanced graffiti abatement line items being categorized in the healthy communities section as a budget priority.
It's a logic fallacy that healthy community has no graffiti.
These line items are based on enforcing an outdated ineffectual 1996 graffiti nuisance ordinance that is 100% prohibition and has fostered the lose, lose, lose situation for property owners, the cities, and individuals looking to express themselves without creative restrictions for the last two and a half decades.
rather than taking a purely punitive approach to erasing graffiti from the urban landscape, which is impractical and unethical resulting in at least three graffiti productions and commission murals being destroyed in the last year by overzealous buff mobs.
The city could create an innovative policy environment that is based in research and incentivizes investment in art and artists as opposed to running with the anecdotal narrative from for-profit graffiti removal businesses that painting over graffiti is effectual when I've seen time and time again, it's not.
Love to create an environment that makes Seattle a world-class destination for accessible public art.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Aneesa Mohammed.
Aneesa?
Hello everyone.
My name is Anisa Muhammad and I am a second year Seattle Promise scholar from South Seattle College.
Today I'd like to share my thoughts regarding the current proposal to amend the budget for Seattle Promise.
As you may already know reducing the committed budget from 6.3 million to almost 1.6 million dollars will have immediate effects on not only the program itself but students like myself.
I and many other students apply for this very scholarship and I'm so grateful it was there.
Not long ago, my laptop broke during remote operations in the middle of my very important midterm season.
I was looking high and low for a replacement and I didn't have the funds to replace it at the moment.
It was difficult and I had to figure it out.
Unfortunately, my laptop wasn't working again, but this time it was different.
I had extra funds, extra money from this very scholarship to help me repair my laptop and continue my important schoolwork.
I've used this scholarship for supplies, books, and anything else I needed to continue school.
I believe a lot of students have been in tough positions where something happened and they need a little bit of extra funds to support themselves.
Many students need materials for school and cannot get them because of their own situations.
I truly and honestly cannot believe that the city council would want to take the option away when students really need the assistance.
I'm not very familiar with the City Council and politics, but I know that there are probably other options and other places to get these funds needed rather than taking it from students who need it, students like myself.
I want you all to understand a majority of students in college are not wealthy.
We are trying our best and the City Council is coming for the people at the bottom.
There are many other options to look for funds elsewhere.
Please, please take the time to reconsider this very impactful decision.
Thank you for listening and considering my remarks today.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Jane Nichols.
And following Jane, we'll have number 20 on our in-person sign-in list, which will be Dawn Shepherd, and then we'll move back to remote, but Jane Nichols.
Hello, City Council.
Thank you for listening to each of us.
We all have a lot we want.
The Seattle Times editorial board last week wrote, when it comes to saving Seattle's trees, city government is stumped.
Too many officials are involved and no one is in charge.
Did you hear the UN Secretary General Guterres yesterday talking at the climate conference in Egypt that we're in the fight for our lives and we are losing and city council is stumped.
You know what trees do to greenhouse gas emissions.
You know what the shade from tree canopy, especially in urban areas does to save lives in the heat.
Trees save lives.
How can you be stumped?
I urge the council to fund the position of the urban forester for the city of Seattle.
It was a position that was proposed 13 years ago.
And I urge you to put a stop to all development in this city that involves the destruction of trees and tree canopies until you actually do have someone in charge.
We are all literally dying while we're waiting for someone to be in charge.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our last speaker in the in-person public comment for this group is Dawn Shepard.
Morning City Council Members.
Thank you for hearing our comments today.
My name is Dawn Shepard.
I'm a Program Manager at REACH.
And some of you may know me from time that we've spent out in the field together.
We may not always agree on the means, but I think it's safe to say that the homeless crisis is a top priority for everyone in this city.
This work is not entry-level work.
And in order for us to be able to retain the staff that has the experience, the expertise and the passion to really make a difference in this work, we have to move the needle forward and not backwards.
So I'm asking this council to invest in the evidence-based solutions that actually work, close the budget gap for LEAD, continue to sustain the healthcare for the homeless network infrastructure funding, and keep the commitment that this council made to those of us who work in this field to maintain the cost of living increase in 2022 through 23 of 9.5% so that people like me who can't even afford to live in this city can at least afford to put gas in our cars and food on our tables.
Investment in human services is an investment in our healing, our reparations and our justice in this community.
And my lived expertise is what makes me so committed to this work and the folks that we serve.
But I should not have to choose between that work and my own financial security.
Thank you, I concede my time.
Thank you.
We're now gonna move into the remote public commenters.
We will take 10 remote speakers.
The next one is listed as number 21 online, and that's GB Wolf.
Please remember to press star six when it's your turn to speak.
Yes, thank you.
My name is G.B.
Wolfe, and I've been a behavioral health provider and leader in King County since 2017. I come from Massachusetts originally, and right now I am the lead hospital optimization and one call crisis service clinician at Crisis Connection.
And before that, I worked at Aurora Commons.
That's in Council Member Horace's district.
And thank you, Council Member, for all the help you do there.
I know you do a lot.
I'm reaching out because with this one call program we have is amazing.
I mean, I'm just going to be real with you.
We need to keep funding for that, please.
It's the HSD020A.
The reason it's really good is because the police and the fire departments and mental health clinicians that work with them can call us up and say, hey, you know, Joe, somebody is on the street here and they're having a hard time.
I have a little information.
What can you do to help us?
And sometimes we deescalate right there on the spot.
And sometimes I have the information in our databases about them, okay?
So, that's good.
But the reason, another thing I wanted to just mention is that, without getting into too much detail, because of privacy, there was a person about six months ago, okay, was Indigenous and missing, and I was able to locate that person through different services we have, and No One Call is the reason of that.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Harold Hillseth, and Harold will be followed by Richard Voget.
Harold?
Good morning council members.
My name is Harold Hillseth and I'm the policy and advocacy manager for the Chief Seattle Club and I'm here today to express our urgent and unwavering support for Jump Start Fund continuing in the upcoming budget namely maintaining mandated inflation contract increases of 7.6 percent for 2023. These increases stand to benefit all of our frontline staff most of whom are American Indian and Alaskan Native who are serving in crucial day-to-day functions of the club.
serving our members.
We have an obligation to continue supporting our essential frontline workers, especially in these times of crisis.
Regardless of the challenging revenue forecast that does lie ahead, this is our necessary ask to the city council.
Please fund the critical 7.6% inflation wage increases required by Seattle law using 2022 human services contracts as the base for 2023 and 2024. Thank you for your time today.
Thank you.
Our next speaker speaker is Rich Bogut followed by Sandy Shetlar.
Rich.
My name is Rich Bogut.
We are in a climate crisis.
Dollars are needed for Green New Deal projects.
The jumpstart payroll tax would use 10 percent of the revenue to fund those projects.
This budget uses the excess jumpstart funds to fill budget holes.
You can say those are excess funds, but that money and more will be needed to meet our 2030 climate goals.
The recent Seattle greenhouse gas emissions inventory indicates that emissions are poised to continue to rise.
We are running out of time.
With that in mind, I suggest one hands off the 10% of the excess jumpstart funds so they can be spent now.
Two, if you take those funds, then make it a loan to be repaid with the new tax Mayor Harrell is working on.
Three, roll that new tax out fast.
Don't wait two years.
The sooner the tax is in effect, the less loan money will have to be repaid.
Four, fund an actionable climate plan that includes schedules that forecast and can be used to track implementation of climate budgets.
actions, budgets that show how actions will be funded and what gaps may exist, and transparency and accountability that enable citizens to understand what progress is being made.
And if not, why not?
Thank you for listening.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Sandy Shetler and she will, Sandy will be followed by Austin Price.
And Sandy, you may have to hit star six again.
Hi, please retain the chief or urban forester position to save tax dollars and trees.
We need to be more efficient.
I've seen the same set of oaks on Market Street in Ballard pruned by SDOT one week and City Light the next week.
Last summer SDCI lost tree review paperwork in their system resulting in two exceptional cedars being cut down unnecessarily in West Seattle.
Professional management of our urban forest is long overdue.
Summer heat threatens our most vulnerable residents.
Smart management.
of our urban forest will spread cooling throughout the city.
We're spending millions to develop cooling centers for people to go to during heat waves, but most people would prefer to remain where they are under the cooling shade of a big tree.
Thanks so much to council members, Peterson, Herbold, Strauss, Lewis, Nelson, Sawant, and Mosqueda for sponsoring this budget amendment and Tammy Morales for her support.
Thanks so much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Austin Price.
And for people who have asked, that's approximately number 25 on the remote list.
Following Austin Price will be Jody Nathan.
All right, good to go.
Hello?
Hello, go ahead.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Okay, Austin, it looks like you went back to...
Go ahead, we can hear you, just speak up.
Okay, I'm Austin Price.
Thank y'all for taking the time to listen to me this morning in this public hearing.
I just wanted to comment on basically my major concern here is the austerity budget that we've all been talking about.
We're all hearing a lot of people voice very fucking pressing concerns about how they're being affected in very material ways at the same time that we're hearing about cutting public spending, cutting money to public servants, cutting money to our homeless services at the same time that we're talking about increasing the police budget and police surveillance.
I think it's pretty patently ridiculous.
So I'm urging all Democrats in the city council to join council members in rejecting this austerity budget and increasing the Amazon tax by $140 million so the richest in the city pay for the economic crisis and recession instead of imposing those prices and fines onto the rest of us and making sure that we pay off the dividends.
Billionaire's got plenty of money.
We've seen how successful Jumpstart has been, successful enough that they're trying to take that money and use it for services that it was not earmarked for because they recognize that it's actually doing exactly what it's supposed to do.
So yeah, I'm hoping that we can see the sense in using that money for what it's supposed to be used for and expanding those services and getting away from the surveillance state and police and making sure that we have places for our homeless neighbors, making sure that we address the problems of the Green New Deal, making sure the city is just more accessible and livable for everybody who's not wildly wealthy and rich.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Jody Nathan, who will be followed by Alex Schlesinger.
Jody.
Good morning, I'm Jody Nathan.
I live in District Two and I'm here to express my support for the solidarity budget demand.
To spend $17 million on Seattle Police Department's ghost position that the department has no intention on hiring is not just wasteful, but also insulting as it's a refusal to address the real safety needs of our residents.
We know true safety will come from redistributing SPD's budget to meet basic needs and fully funding community controlled responses to increase people's safety and well-being.
I'm also outraged by the pay cuts to human service workers proposed in the mayor's budget.
In a budget in which police officers are being offered recruitment and retention packages, this legislation was truly a slap in the face.
If we were actually serious about ending homelessness, then we need to pay these essential workers more, not less.
That's why I'd support the Solidarity's budget pay increases and retention bonuses for human service providers.
Lastly, we're currently seeing a record number of unhoused people dying, and we need a budget to live, not a budget that is spent on sweeps that traumatize and harm our unhoused neighbors.
Sweeps waste taxpayer dollars, and they make everyone in the neighborhood less safe, as they worsen the conditions that lead to isolation, harm, and violence.
Please defund sweeps of homeless encampments, and instead fund such things as mobile pit stops, vehicle safe lots, and non-congregate housing.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Alex Schlesinger and Alex will be followed by Tricia Matu.
And Alex, you may need to press star six.
And if we don't have Alex available right now, we'll move on to Tricia Matau.
Oh, here's Alex.
Thank you.
Yep.
Sorry about that.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Okay.
Good morning.
My name is Alex Schlesinger and I am the training coordinator for the REACH program, although I was previously a housing case manager working to get our unhoused neighbors inside.
I am speaking today to ask the Democrats on the City Council to join Councilmember Sharma Sawant in rejecting the terrible, unhelpful austerity budget and to make the disgustingly wealthy in Seattle pay for necessary services, not the working class.
I fully support the efforts of the people's budget and believe that police funding should be diverted to social and public services, and the Amazon tax should be increased by 140 million to support a variety of needed services across the city.
Additionally, I am pleading with the council to recognize the immense efforts of the social workers, case managers, and on the ground workers, diligently outreaching, coordinating, and supporting our unhoused neighbors, especially those dealing with the horrible and useless encampment sweeps.
However, recognition alone is not enough.
social workers at homeless support agencies must be paid a livable wage to decrease burnout and turnover rate and to make sure the unhoused of Seattle get the support they so desperately need.
I am asking that the city council approves at minimum the 7.6% cost of living increase that social services workers need and deserve as well as maintaining or increasing the current budget for reach, lead and co-lead.
You know it is the right and necessary thing to do.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker, turn that down a little.
Our next speaker is Tricia Matau, followed by Aaron Rance.
And those will be the last two remote speakers for this group.
Tricia.
Good morning.
Good morning, council members, and thank you for your time and attention to these important issues today.
I'm Tricia Matthew with the Housing and Essential Needs Program at Catholic Community Services, a member of the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness.
I'm here today to speak in support of the Home for Good program, which is not currently included in the proposed budget.
Home for Good's shallow rent subsidies play a key role in keeping Seattle residents with disabilities housed as rents have risen significantly.
Please support an amendment for $500,000 in 2023 and $723,000 in 2024 to keep an estimated 54 clients housed and moving toward long-term housing.
In addition, I'm asking you, as others have today, to follow through on commitments for a 7.6% inflation adjustment on human services.
This is needed just to keep up with costs, including wage increases, to help staff manage the escalated cost of living.
and keeping up with inflation isn't enough.
Please go further and raise funding for equitable wages so we can recruit, train, and sustain an experienced workforce for this essential work.
Our communities are counting on you to provide the needed funding.
Thank you so very much for your time and support.
Thank you.
Our last remote speaker for this group is Erin Rance.
Good morning, council members.
My name is Erin Rance, and I'm speaking in support of the solidarity budget.
In particular, Jump Start Seattle and living wage increases for human service workers.
As a former case manager working with people experiencing homelessness, my job was to help people get into permanent housing.
We were making a dent in housing people, but now it's a different world and so many more people have slipped into homelessness.
We need to preserve and create every possible method of providing shelter, transitional and permanent housing.
Despite the projected decrease in REIT funding, we must use the jumpstart funds for life-saving choices that the community decided on, such as deeply affordable housing, in order to move people out of homelessness.
In regards to the mayor's wish to stop living wage increases for direct service workers working with homeless folks, we need those workers to run our current shelters, tiny house villages, and permanent supportive housing.
They can't afford to continue doing this work without these raises.
And without these incredible workers, the infrastructure for the system fails to move people out of homelessness.
And finally, the sweeps have to stop.
It hurts people so much to force them to move from place to place while living outside.
Thanks for your time.
Thank you.
We'll now move to in-person speakers.
And we are on number 21 on the in-person sign-up sheet.
And I believe it's Tanya Ho.
Tanya Ho.
community for economic recovery, housing, behavioral health services, and public safety.
So we've been here, we've been telling you multiple stories, and I just want to give you a brief summary.
We are a residential neighborhood.
Our seniors are fearful because they've been attacked They've been spat on, they've been yelled at.
They walk around in groups, in parking lots next to where they live because they're afraid to venture out.
Our businesses are suffering.
We cannot retain employees because people are afraid to come to work.
People come to work at 4 a.m.
and they get hit over the head with pipes, they get attacked.
We have to arrange escort services for people coming to work at 4 a.m.
and leaving at 2 a.m.
We are experiencing a mass exodus of businesses.
It's very hard to even obtain insurance.
I am a small business owner and every day I have to walk out and scoop poop, and clean up needles, and unfortunately, shoo people away.
We have a huge unhoused residents in our neighborhood, and we need public safety for everyone, including our unhoused residents, businesses, our residents.
We need a fighting chance to be able to thrive and be vibrant, and we're not there yet, and we need your help.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Alex Zimmerman.
You have my chief dirty crook, Nazi socialist and anti-Semite.
My name is Alex Zimmerman.
Your salary is $150,000 almost, and over the last three years you've been sitting at home as a part-time jock.
And I talk about this many times, for a system you have 70,000 each, you cost us $1 million each, nine council, $9 million.
For three years, you never give a dollar to homeless or poor, never donate a dollar.
It's very interesting to me, you know what I mean?
And I try understand why 750,000 idiot in this city quiet about this part-time job, Full pie?
Same pie like before?
No, it's not good.
That's number one.
Number two, for many years, but as I come here and you crook, this is exactly who you are, approve management salary in city $400,000.
Why are you doing this?
And you talking about poor people, homeless, what's going on?
So I speak right now to 700,000, 750,000 zombie and idiot, you know what does it mean?
Stand up, cleanse this chamber totally.
That's exactly what is we need doing in 23. And I will be first here.
Stand up America, stand up for everybody.
Thank you very much.
Our next speaker is Ladidria Stallworth.
That's the second warning, Alex, about that signal.
It's not acceptable.
Good morning, sorry about that.
Please go ahead.
I'd like to thank, oh, okay.
I'd like to thank the lady here to my left for going before me.
My name is Ladidra Stallworth.
I have worked with DESC since 2014. I am a member of SEIU 1199. I leave home 1.5 to two hours before my day shift on 3rd and James, which begins at 7.30 a.m.
My bus drops me off on 5th and Seneca, or if I take the Sounder train, I arrive at King Street Station and walk to 3rd and James from there.
On my walk to work, I walked through needles, feces and urine.
I have walked by bodies under blankets, bodies lying uncovered on the cold and dirty sidewalks.
And at times homeless and hopeless people inside of open businesses refusing to exit.
I have administered Narcan.
bringing multiple people back from overdose, performed life per se, excuse me, performed life-saving protocols and call 911 for medics and SPD.
Oftentimes when calling for SPD, I'm transferred to a non-emergent number.
I also must assist homeless individuals and individuals in mental health crisis towards services.
I have encouraged homeless people to move off of the cold and dirty sidewalks with the offer of hot coffee or tea to encourage people in the mental health crisis.
The city of Seattle has committed to the 7.6% increase and has now refused going back on their promise offering 4%.
Due to inflationary rates, the 7.6 is now mute.
and a 39% increase is needed for people like myself working unnoticed in the city of Seattle.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is David Held or it's possible David Heldy.
My name is David Heldy.
I'm a shelter case manager at DESC where I've worked for seven and a half years.
I am here asking for the 7.6 cost of living adjustment because, well, because it's incredibly difficult doing the job that myself, Ladidra, the other frontline staff workers do.
When I first started at DESC, one of my coworkers told me that his goal was to make sure that the people at the shelter we worked at didn't stay there as long as the workers did, which I thought was a really elegant way of stating that they would get housed quickly and that we would cut down on job turnover.
And that just isn't even close to true.
That his vision, his goal is nowhere even close to being a reality right now.
The turnover is sky high for staff.
The housing rate is rock bottom.
That vision is not anywhere close to a reality.
And we need this funding.
We need so much more.
Just please.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is going to be Jen Muzia.
Good morning, Council Members.
I am Jen Muzia, Executive Director at the Ballard Food Bank and Co-Chair of the Seattle Human Services Coalition.
Our staff need equitable wages.
Human service workers are essential.
They've been on the front lines working to ensure people in our community have access to food, housing and services.
The need in our community has increased.
The fact is the recovery from COVID will be long.
And with the added layer of inflation, we know that much more is needed to support an equitable recovery.
Our expenses have increased.
Funding less than the actual rate of inflation means we will have to cut services.
Capping inflation adjustments will not only harm communities now, but will continue to inhibit our ability to provide services in the future.
This means we need a full commitment from you to honor the 2019 ordinance that ensures an accurate and complete inflation adjustment to our contracts.
Thank you for sponsoring this Council Member Mosqueda, Council Member Herbold.
Thank you for the support you've all already shown.
Thank you for valuing our expertise and knowledge of our communities.
And thank you for your time this morning.
The next speaker is Emily Pena.
Good morning, council members and fellow city advocates.
I am Emily Penna and I work at Fair Start in District 7 and I live in District 2. I'm representing the Meals Partnership Coalition and the Seattle Human Services City Budget Task Force.
I'm one of the co-chairs.
The Meals Partnership Coalition is made up of member providers across the city and provide essential human services to the people who've been hit hardest by this pandemic.
and the institutional inequities since the colonization of our country.
I am here to reiterate that it is essential that the work of human service organizations who have been supporting our communities through this trying time are fully funded.
This means we need a full commitment from all of you to honor the 2019 ordinance that ensures an accurate and complete inflation adjustment to our contracts alongside Council Member Mosqueda, Morales, Herbold and Lewis who have proposed and publicly supported this budget amendment.
I'm also here to thank Council Member Sawant for proposing and Council Members Juarez and Morales for co-sponsoring the budget amendment HSD-013A, specifically the $3 million of essential meal funding for shelter and permanent supportive housing.
I urge all of the council members to support both of these budget amendments.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Janice DiGucci.
Good morning, Council Members and fellow community members.
My name is Janice Taguchi and I'm Executive Director of Neighborhood House and a resident of District 2. We employ over 300 essential workers that are 75% BIPOC that speak 45 different languages.
They provide early learning, after school programs, employment, housing stability, health and social services to over 14,000 individuals in Seattle and King County.
I'm here with the Seattle Human Services Coalition in support of fully funding human services, including the full inflation adjustment.
Neighborhood House operates the Parent Child Plus Home Visiting Program, which is funded by the city and the county.
Our home visitors are BIPOC women from the communities that we serve.
And this particular contract has endured three years with zero increases, even though we have experienced double digit increases to our health insurance costs and still have provided wage progression for our employees.
I'm also here to request that you increase the budget for the new citizenship program from $922,000 to $1 million.
This modest increase will ensure our residents can gain the support they need to obtain citizenship.
Thank you for prioritizing community safety and wellbeing.
Next speaker is Barb Oliver.
Good morning, Council Chair Mosqueda, city council members.
I'm Barb Oliver.
I'm director of operations with Sound Foundations Northwest.
We build transitional tiny homes for the homeless.
In September, we announced a four-year plan to get every single homeless person a roof over their head and a lock on their door.
And I've come to you today with some good news and props.
So when we set out to do our four-year plan, we assumed that there was between 15 and 20 homeless people.
Based on King County RHA's numbers now, if 13,385 were able to modify our four-year plan, to go next year, basically it was a second Hope Factory, which would employ homeless and formerly homeless people to build the tiny homes.
And then a third Hope Factory in the third year and a fourth Hope Factory in the fourth year.
We're able with a new plan on the fourth year to do it with only three Hope Factories.
So this is how the money shakes out, okay?
Seattle Conservation Corps will provide the homeless and formerly homeless people and pay their wages.
That is money that's gone through the parks department.
So all of the $6.4 million suddenly goes away.
Okay, I only have eight seconds left.
Bottom line is we're gonna save the city over $28 million with this plan and get every single homeless person off the ground.
So I will send you the details for that.
Next speaker is Brie.
Next speaker is Brianna Rose King.
Hello, my name is Rose King.
I teach biochemistry at UW Seattle and I work at Roots Young Adult Shelter.
In short, I do essential work.
To the committee, I'm telling you this so maybe you'll hear me.
Now, let me tell you one more thing, so maybe you'll feel me.
My father died in police custody.
As a surprise to no one, there were no criminal charges brought for his death.
But I did gain a superpower, and that is to feel every death at the hands of the state as strongly as I feel the death of my father.
And there is so much death, record setting deaths outside in King County and record setting deaths inside King County Jail.
When I look at the budget proposal for next year, I see that it prioritizes the police and big business over human lives.
And so to this committee, I'm asking you to reject a specific $55 million that the mayor has earmarked to kill us.
Reject the $38 million earmarked for violently displacing our neighbors or sweeping them as it's called.
Stop the sweeps, sweeps kill.
Reject the $17 million slush fund for SBD's ghost cops and fascist surveillance technology.
Divest from SBD, cops kill.
Use that $55 million to fund housing, support victims of police violence, and more broadly, fund the community-based solutions outlined by the Solidarity Budget for Seattle.
Thank you.
We are now, excuse me, John Rios will be our last in-person speaker for this set.
Hi, thank you.
My name is John Rios.
I work for DESC.
I live in Seattle.
I'm also an executive board member for SEIU 1199 Northwest, as well as a member of the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness.
I want to say thank you to the council for hearing everybody speak today, especially those who have continued their commitment to the work that all these organizations do and continuing to champion our causes.
I also really want to thank all the people that have come here and spoke before me, especially those people that work for service for some of the service sector.
You know, it's really hard for us to take the time to come here and be here today because of all the hard work that we're doing, but also the challenges that we're experiencing with the workforce.
Right now, the wages are not keeping up with what we need to continue to employ people.
And so it is a big struggle.
And when we come to talking about budgets and everything, I think where we put our money really states what our priorities are.
And we saw with the mayor's budget that those priorities weren't really with the city and taking care of those that are really the most vulnerable.
And so I think when we look at the priorities this year that we really need to make sure that we're funding all the vital programs.
We've heard of a number of people from Reach, Co-Lead, the Food Bank, all these sources, all these folks.
These are vital programs that we need to continue, but we need the workforce to actually be there to do those jobs, to see these visions through.
And so it's very important that we continue to fund through.
We're now transitioning into the remote public commenters.
Our next speaker is estimated number speaker 30, and it's Amaranthia Torres.
Hi there.
Good morning, council members.
My name is Amaranthia Torres, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.
I'm speaking today in strong support of Amendment HSD-022A, which adds $1.5 million for survivor-driven advocacy services to survivors of gender-based violence.
I've worked as an advocate with survivors of sexual and domestic violence for about 18 years now, with half of that time at a buy-in for orgs that serve queer and trans survivors.
And I know from my own experience in that work that survivor-driven advocacy works.
But it's also an evidence-based practice that results in increased safety, housing stability, and self-efficacy for survivors and their children.
Advocates meet survivors where they're at, both literally and figuratively, to provide support, safety planning, to navigate so many complex systems and so much more.
But we know, as people have heard today, programs are understaffed and under-resourced, and local programs are reporting that calls for services are up two to three times just since the beginning of this year.
Survivors deserve to have their courageous disclosures of abuse met with a robust network of well-resourced advocates that they can call upon when they need support.
Meaningful investments in services for survivors of gender-based violence is essential to this goal.
We urge you to support survivor-driven advocacy by supporting Amendment HSD-022A.
We also support the full inflation adjustment for human service workers and thank all the council members thus far who've offered their support in that effort.
Thank you so much for your time and the opportunity to speak today.
We'll now hear from Latanya Sabir.
Good morning.
My name is Latanya Sevier.
I'm a black non-binary renter in D2, and I demand council to stop the sweeps by ending all funding that goes to traumatizing our unhoused neighbors.
We are seeing a record number of unhoused people dying.
Our city budget must end these deaths, not exacerbate them.
I support Solidarity Budget's call for a budget to live.
Sweeps are a costly rotating door that wastes our taxpayer dollars, making everyone in our neighborhood less safe, because they worsen the conditions that lead to isolation, harm, and violence.
Defund sweeps of homeless encampments and fund mobile pit stops, vehicle safe lots, and non-congregate housing.
It's a shame that the mayor's budget makes such huge cuts to human service workers in a budget in which police officers are being offered recruitment and retention packages.
This legislation is a slap in the face.
If we are serious about ending homelessness, we need to pay these essential workers more, not less.
That is why I support the Solidarity Budget's pay increases and retention bonuses for human service providers.
In the context of a budget shortfall and in the wake of the desperate needs for affordable housing and basic services, Mayor Harold's funding for ghost positions, positions that SPD has no intention of hiring, is not just government waste, it is a refusal to address the safety needs of Seattle residents.
I support the Solidarity Budget demand to cut all 120 ghost cop positions and move the $17 million they represent out of SPD.
Keep civilian functions out of SPD.
We need parking enforcement to stay within the SDOT to allow the PEOs greater collaboration with SDOT to make our streets safe.
Our next speaker is Teresa Curry-Almaty.
Hello, council members.
My name is Teresa Curry-Amouti, and I'm the Homelessness Prevention Manager at Solid Ground, located in District 4. I'm calling to ask for full inflation adjustments to human service wages.
I've worked in human services in King County for 15 years, at Solid Ground for nearly 11 years.
I urge the council to invest in the city's essential human service workers by keeping wages up with the level of inflation that is actually impacting staff and community.
I live in Snohomish County because I cannot afford to live in King County.
And I have employees that I supervise who live in Snohomish, Pierce, and even Thurston County because they cannot afford to live in King County where they work.
I struggle to pay my rent, childcare, and other necessary expenses each month.
And this year, my rent increased over 20% while my pay only went up 3%.
Similarly, I have an employee whose rent increased by over $500 per month.
This math does not work for human service workers who are doing some of the most important work in our community.
People working to prevent and end homelessness should not be at risk of becoming homeless ourselves.
Keeping up with inflation is the bare minimum to be able to sustain services and stabilize the workforce.
I urge the council to support the budget amendments that provide the full 7.6% inflation adjustment for human services.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Our next speaker is Steve Zemsky.
Good morning.
My name is Steve Zemsky.
I'm speaking on behalf of Seattle's Urban Forest and TreePak.
We want to thank council members Peterson, Schultz, Mosqueda, Gerbold, Swatt, Nelson, and Lewis for being sponsors of this budget amendment to add the Seattle Urban Forest position to the Office of Sustainability and Environment.
There's a strong need for independent oversight, coordination, and accountability in dealing with maintaining and sustaining Seattle's urban forest and the benefits it provides to the health and livability of those living and working in Seattle.
While Seattle is doing urban forest management plans and LiDAR canopy studies every five to six years, there is no one currently overseeing and coordinating these efforts statewide in the nine city departments that currently deal with trees.
OSC in their evaluation to the mayor's office stated This position would work with executive leadership and staff across departments to establish and or affirm citywide department specific strategy intended to support the robust urban forest in Seattle, providing ongoing assessment on the efficacy of policies and programs and meeting these goals and recommend changes as needed to decision makers.
The mayor and council have seen the need to have this type of oversight and creating the citywide coordinator for climate initiatives being moved from OSC, from SDOT to OSC.
You need to do the same with passing this budget amendment to add a urban forester to OSC to oversee urban forestry citywide.
Thank you for listening.
Next speaker is Arvia Morris.
Hi, my name is Arvia Morris.
I'm a climate activist from the 46th LD and 4th Council District.
Despite the recent revenue forecast, I and other climate advocates fully expect the city council and the whole city government to remain committed to reaching our 2030 climate goals.
The final budget must keep Green New Deal funding and jumpstart funds for their intended use, affordable housing and climate investments.
Cities generate 70% of all greenhouse gas.
The budget must ensure that the Office of Sustainability is fully staffed to aggressively apply for federal and state money from the Inflation Reduction Act.
This should be done with an interdepartmental task force led by OSC to make sure that the city is acting on all levels to meet the 2030 climate goals.
This task force could meet weekly, make appropriate applications, and also make progress public.
These coordination efforts must be fully funded and staffed.
Please also fund an actionable Climate Action Plan.
The 2013 Climate Action Plan is long overdue for an update.
The Green New Deal Oversight Board and the OSC need an updated plan to ensure that Seattle will meet its 2030 climate goals.
The One Seattle Plan is not an appropriate mechanism to plan to meet our 2030 climate goals as it is a vision document, not a action plan.
And it's not due till 2024. Um, cities make 70% of all pollution.
Our next speaker is Janelle Stark.
Hello, council members.
My name is Janelle Stark and I live and work in district four.
I'm a legal assistant with Solid Grounds Legal Assistance Program, and I'm calling to ask for a full 7.6% inflation adjustment for human service workers.
Every time I go to the grocery store, I see higher prices.
In the last year, I've worked several side jobs before and after work to keep up with the rising cost of living.
I'm also a graduate school student, so this is not easy to accomplish.
Meanwhile, I frequently receive emails
from LinkedIn and Indeed in which private sector law firms ask me to apply for their positions, which usually pay considerably more for the same position I have now.
I choose to stay with solid ground because it's important to me that the work I do benefits my community.
But a social service system that relies on human service workers making this sacrifice is neither just nor sustainable.
Keeping up with inflation is the bare minimum to be able to sustain services and stabilize the workforce.
I urge the Council to support the budget amendments that provide the full inflation adjustments for human services.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Next speaker is Penny O'Grady.
Hello, I'm Penny from District 6. I'm here for the solidarity budget.
I'm sure that you on this council can feel with me when I say I'm appalled by the deep and far-ranging roots of systemic racism.
As a white person, I am doing what I can to change that.
What gets prioritized and funded can change the system or it can uphold it.
Policing as we know it upholds systemic racism and the economic class hierarchy.
I believe city council members were as appalled as I was by the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd and the vicious response to protesters by SPD.
As we come together today and face a budget deficit, there are some stark choices to make.
This is your chance.
Do you stand for unraveling racist policies and policing, against funding SPD for positions it cannot fill, or social service workers receiving equitable pay, against further trauma and death of people living on the streets by defunding sweeps, for the promised use of jumpstart funds for solution level investments in housing, small businesses and the Green New Deal against increasing surveillance of black and brown communities, such as shop spotter.
This is your chance.
Please stand up.
Thank you.
Next speaker is Andrea Piratozzi.
Good morning, Madam Chair and council members.
I'm Andrea Parentazzi, representing the Recreational Boating Association of Washington, and we're here supporting SFD001A that would allocate $300,000 in city funds over the next two years to continue the successful Mind the Zone campaign to ensure a safe environment on Lake Union in the heart of Seattle.
On any warm day in the summer, so many people recreate on Lake Union, kayakers, paddleboarders, power and sailboats, hot tub boats and remnant boats, as well as those iconic seaplanes operated by multiple companies.
Many of the recreational lake-goers are often first-time users in offices or locals who visit Lake Union occasionally.
The Mind the Zone safety and awareness campaign began last June with informational videos, digital advertising and social media, as well as signage at many lakeside businesses, 18 Seattle city parks, pocket parks, and shoreline access points around the lake.
This outreach connected with over a million and a half people in the Seattle-Tacoma area and extended up to Bellingham and down to Olympia to reach likely visitors.
Within a mere 10 weeks, this campaign was in place.
Kenmore Air and Harbor Air said their pilots reported visually seeing water goers move away from the buoys when they flashed, which was a big change compared to behavior in the last few years.
This developed in zero diverted this past summer.
And so with this, we urge you to support this amendment brought forward by Council Member Strauss and sign.
Next speaker is the Reverend Ying.
The Reverend Ying, you might be on mute.
You can please press star six.
Okay, we will move on to the next speaker and we will come back to the Reverend.
The next speaker is Hector Herrera.
Excuse me.
Sorry to interrupt.
I find it not coincidental the elevator is supposedly out and I can't go downstairs.
Ma'am, we will get someone to help the elevator.
Sorry about that.
I apologize for that.
For the folks on the line, we are still waiting for Hector Herrera and the Reverend Angela Ying to come off mute.
Good morning, Hector.
Hi, sorry about that.
My name is Hector Herrera, and I'm a supervisor at the REACH LEAD program.
I'm here to ask that the City Council maintain 2022 funding levels for CoLEAD and LEAD.
And I'll just give you a quick example of our work.
One of our LEAD clients is well-known by police officers in the University District in Capitol Hill as a very vulnerable elderly black man with severe psychosis and cognitive disorders.
This person's also on the radar of Seattle Municipal Court on their high-utilizer list.
We've been outreaching this individual for over four years, meeting him where he's at, working at the speed that he's comfortable, and building relationships with him, and working on the goal that he prioritizes.
But throughout his enrollment with LEAD, his case manager has been in contact with Seattle PD and with municipal court prosecutorial liaisons, helping him with jail releases, attending court hearings, quashing warrants, and making sure that he doesn't cycle through the carceral system that is so traumatic to him.
He's arrested for low level thefts, clothing here, snacks here, a few dollars from a tip jar.
And often he does set fires for warmth in the brutal cold.
Recently he was arrested and while in jail, his care team secured him a unit of supportive housing that we worked with our prosecutorial liaisons and the jail to ensure a jail release for and coordinated him moving into housing.
But now he's stably housed and he's working towards social security and mental health care.
He's just one of the success stories out of the hundreds of clients enrolled in the LEAD program.
It's just one of the examples of the work that we put in to ensure that the most vulnerable people on the streets are not subjected to the traumas of the carceral system.
Our public safety work keeps people out of overcrowded jails.
And the last speaker from the set will be the Reverend Ying.
Thank you, Council.
In solidarity with so many, I, Reverend Ying, urge you to reject the austerity budget and reject the shot spotter technology that hurts our working people in our communities.
Support and vote yes to the resolution from our people's budget sponsored by Council Member Sawant.
Our city will have the needed revenue by increasing the Amazon and the big business tax by $140 million.
With billionaires in Seattle, our Emerald City can afford to tax the rich to take care of working people in our most vulnerable communities.
to support the people's budget, our solidarity budget, and fund Seattle's Green New Deal programs and our resilience hubs.
One such hub is a $455,000 for South Beacon Hill Resilience Hub at Bethany United Church of Christ, sponsored by council members Morales, Herbault, Lewis, and Sawant for our South End neighborhood.
Please, no more placing the burden on our working and most vulnerable people.
No cuts to the services for our working people, our BIPOC and LGBTQ+, our neighbors with disabilities, those who are made homeless and poor, our unions, our human service workers, and all of us working for racial, economic, and climate justice and equity.
On this election day, the money is there if you and I will lead.
So let's create the revenue by increasing the Amazon and big business tax.
Our vulnerable communities and neighbors deserve and require equity and these funds.
Peace be with you.
Our next in-person speaker is Paul Williams.
Is there a Paul Williams?
Okay, next speaker is Andrea Carnes.
Hi, good morning.
Thank you.
I'm Andrea Carnes and I work at Plymouth housing, and I'm speaking on behalf of about 250 staff.
That number should be a lot higher.
That's the point.
The city is pursuing about 2000 units of shelter and permanent supportive housing this year.
but I wanna ask you who's gonna work there.
How do we open those doors?
In homeless services, we provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week services to people who have been living on the streets who move into housing.
They need our staff there to work shifts to be able to provide services.
After the end of an eight hour shift, many of our staff are asked to stay.
Why?
Because there's no one to relieve them because we don't have enough staff.
The wages and the contracts that we receive from the city for all of our nonprofits don't sustain our workers and we can't attract new staff.
So if we open a new building, we need new employees.
There's nobody to take those jobs.
We have to attract people into this work.
Our work is relational.
Turnover means that delivering services is greatly impacted every time a staff member leaves, we lose relationships.
Our residents have experienced a lot of loss of relationships.
Let's not add to that trauma.
We're grateful for Council Member Mosqueda and Council Member Herbold and Council Member Lewis, their amendment to adjust the contract to 7.6%.
We ask you
Thank you.
Excuse me if I mispronounce your first name.
I believe it's Milvia Gray.
Okay, thank you.
The next speaker is Kimberly Harrell.
First of all, I'd like to say thank you for allowing me to speak with you all today.
My name is Kimberly, and I'm here to address the need to maintain 2022 funding levels for LEAD and CoLEAD, along with the much needed cost of a living increase for those who work in the realm of community safety, public safety, human safety, and the safety for the community on the streets.
LEAD and many of the coworkers that I work with are many titles to the men and women that live on the streets in Seattle.
We take on roles and responsibilities that have been neglected by others.
We are mediators, mediators for business owners that come across some of the clients that sleep in their doorways.
We are counselors and encampments.
We are nurses that have completed wound care for those who don't trust the medical system because of immoral, dispassionate behavior and treatment after I have spent hours and sometimes days encouraging a client to seek medical attention.
I am a 911 dispatcher after hours because a client has been assaulted, thrown out of a car and raped, and they don't trust the law enforcement unless their case manager or service provider is there to support them to make sure they are being treated with dignity and respect and not judged because they are sex workers or survival sex workers.
We are never going to end homeless today, but we have the potential to with the appropriate funding for LEAD and CoLEAD program and the mandatory cost of living.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Sherish Muliharka?
Hi, good morning.
I'm Sharish Mulherkar, and I'm here to speak on behalf of Seattle Jazz Ed and the youth of Seattle.
I co-founded Seattle Jazz Ed with Lori DeCook, who's here with us today, and the legendary music instructor Clarence Acox, because we saw that high-level music instruction was not accessible to all in Seattle public schools.
Our vision was to create a musical home for students across the city, where all would be welcomed, they'd be supported, they'd be valued, regardless of where they lived or their economic circumstance.
We started in a basement in Columbia City and dreamed of a home of our own one day.
Now, with your help, that dreams within reach of multi-purpose building, combining music education and 100 units of affordable housing in South Seattle, which is now blossoming and needs continued investment to assure that it remains affordable to long-term residents.
Seattle is reinventing itself, and this project is an essential piece of the city we all aspire to be inclusive, vibrant and a compelling model for other cities.
I urge you to fully support the 1.5 million that was allocated in the budget to this important project.
Thank you for the tireless work that you do and your efforts to make the city something that we can all be proud of.
Catherine Robinson.
Good morning, Council.
I'm Catherine Robinson, District 3, and I want to share my enthusiastic support for Seattle Jazz Ed.
At Jazz Ed, kids learn how to make music without cost being a barrier to entry.
As a former JazzEd parent and current board member, I can say that this music teaches skills that go way beyond music.
Collaboration, discipline, fearlessness.
Soon JazzEd's new building Jazz House will extend benefits across the whole city.
Jazz House will become a destination arts hub for youth community.
It will energize its Rainier Valley neighborhood by collaborating with the many schools and nonprofits already there.
Best of all, partnering with Community Roots Housing will make five floors of affordable housing available to folks who can't currently afford to live in this city.
We know that this arts housing public partnership is on the radar of other communities across the nation as a win-win prototype for them.
Please fund this joyful, generous organization.
I cannot imagine a bigger bang for the city's buck.
Thank you, council.
Arlene Saragu?
Good morning, my name is Arlene Sargent and I'm a resident of District 7. My colleagues and friends at Jazz Ed have just mentioned the history of the Jazz House and I just really want to be here to tie in all the comments that we've received from the community today.
Today we've heard many, if not majority, of those comments supporting our unhoused and our essential workers and maintaining cost of living and livable wages for our residents.
So our project Jazz House is part of the solution to the housing problem.
We are partnering with Community Roots Housing to provide affordable housing on top of our Jazz House.
And not only will we be able to provide affordable housing to our residents.
We will also, our project will also create jobs and livable wages.
So I urge you and respectfully urge you to fund our $1.5 million request for our jazz house.
And I yield the rest of my time.
Buenos dias.
Good morning.
Thank you, Council, for taking your time to listen to me.
My name is Hortensia Santana.
I'm a Latina born in Mexico, been married for 30 years and have two wonderful children.
I've known Seattle Jazz Sets since it was born.
My two kids attended Sierra Jessup until they graduated from high school.
So that means I've been in Jessup for the last 13 years.
My daughter, now 27 years old, graduated from the University of Washington in 2018. And my son will graduate from Whitman College December, 2022. He's 23 years old.
Seattle Jazz Ed gave them the tools and the music to be better students and to achieve higher education.
We are all still in love with Seattle Jazz Ed.
I have been serving on the board of Seattle Jazz Ed for the last seven years.
And oh boy, I cannot tell you how wonderful all these years have been for me as a mother.
Thanks to this program and organization, I have met wonderful people, wonderful throughout these years.
The community there is very strong.
I'm so excited at the new building.
So I ask you to please consider funding us the $1.5 million.
Thank you.
David Neffos.
Good morning.
Good morning, council members.
My name is David Nefos, a working jazz musician and educator of jazz music for over 20 years and currently on staff with the Seattle Jazz Ed organization for the past six years.
I believe the city should invest in Seattle Jazz Ed for the $1.5 million allocation to the development of Jazz House, which will be located in Rainier Avenue South.
Jazz music, Jazz education is vital and makes a positive impact on our youth that builds camaraderie, character, and confidence.
Seattle Jazz Ed provides a platform of inclusivity that celebrates diversity and encourages creativity.
For the past 13 years, Seattle Jazz Ed has been nurturing a vibrant community of talented youth in our city that helps in discovering one's own voice and creating future leaders.
It would be great for the city of Seattle to support the development of Jazz House, providing a home of jazz education, open to every and all students of our beloved city of Seattle.
Thank you.
The next speaker, last name is Milherka.
I'm Anne Mulharricker, District 2, speaking to our youth, the future of the city.
I wish you could witness the thousands of students who've been impacted by Seattle Jazz Ed.
There's nothing quite like walking through rooms filled with students holding instruments in their hands for the very first time or watching the country's first all-girls jazz band rehearse.
What kids learn at Jazz Ed, playing alongside students from 82 zip codes, isn't just jazz.
It's teamwork, collaboration, and learning to trust your own voice.
It's the legacy in the city of Ernestine Anderson, Quincy Jones, and Clarence A. Cox.
And finally, having the opportunity to build a home on Rainier Avenue South, Jazzette has partnered with Community Roots Housing to build five floors of affordable housing.
We absolutely need this kind of partnership in South Seattle to create the kind of city that we want to see.
We're asking you to invest 1.5 million in this building, a small portion of our total project cost.
It's not easy to build a building in these times, Please support in full.
Marjorie Johnson.
Hello, my name is Marjorie Johnson and my clients call me MJ.
And I am here, first and foremost, I want to say that I support Tiny House Villages.
And I'm a case manager at Tiny House Villages.
And I am here today for all the staff at the Tiny House Villages and across Lehigh organization.
I support that we get a pay raise or cost of living raise.
I want to say that I've been working for side by side or frontline workers since 1998 at detox when it was 9.25 an hour.
I started back, went out.
Came back 15 years ago, started at Compass Housing Alliance, and we were making $10.50 an hour in 2007. And I'm not even going to tell you what we make right now, and it's still paycheck to paycheck every day.
And if it wasn't for me and my husband, we both work frontline workers and my daughter, we all live in the same household.
And that's the only reason why we make it today.
Otherwise we're still paycheck to paycheck.
Please consider a cost of living raise for all of us and all frontline workers.
We all deserve it.
The last in person speaker for this group will be Kip Anderson.
Okay, thank you.
Okay, the next one, then, and the last person for this group will be Megan Murphy.
Thanks for letting me speak.
The billionaire class abuses their wealth and power, not caring about the working people enough or the horrid police force.
And because of the billionaire class, I lost custody of my son because I'm unjustly stalked.
by people who have not sat down at a table and asked me if it's OK.
And at this point, I don't even know if I'd want to meet at a table with people like that or be forced to be followed and stalked and harassed by them.
And I tried to report it to the police 12 years ago in Iowa, and I lost custody of my son.
because I wasn't believed and now a lot of people do believe me.
Seattle's eight billionaires have combined net worth of $256 billion.
They need to be held accountable to helping the working class people.
That's why I endorsed the people's budget of Shama Sawant.
The burden of capitalism and the upcoming inflation is going to be really damaging.
There needs to be an Amazon tax on the top 800 companies of $140 million to address this crisis.
There needs to be more tiny houses, tiny house villages, free abortion.
Horrible surveillance and more just wages for inflation, living wages.
That's why no to austerity, no to unwanted stocking by billionaires and billionaires need to sit at the table with those that they inflict harm on and ask them if it's OK to do it because it definitely.
Our next remote speaker will be Jarrah Jendon.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Council members.
My name is Jared Rendon, supervisor for the LEAD program here in downtown Seattle.
I'm here to address the need to maintain 2022 funding levels for CoLEAD and LEAD.
It's my understanding that the city is dealing with a revenue gap, but the work that I and my coworkers do is critical to the health of our city, public and community safety, and the nearly 1,000 participants currently enrolled in the LEAD program.
We deeply appreciate the budget chair's comments about preserving existing work that addresses key issues of human needs and homelessness.
Go lead and lead our existing efforts with existing staff that are working now and ready to take new referrals unless our budgets are cut.
Our work is one of the best ways to address public safety without inappropriately sending people into crowded jails and courts unnecessarily.
I wanted to share one personal story of the work that I've done within the LEAD program.
I had the pleasure of supporting a 34 34 year old BIPOC female who at the time was pregnant homeless with substance use disorder and mental health barriers.
This individual is heavily involved in the court system with no natural support or support system to fall back on.
Through her resiliency and hard work and the resources and support provided by LEAD she has completely turned her life around and is currently in permanent stable housing taking care of her baby girl and living a healthy productive life.
This is one of the many stories of life changing outcomes made possible through the support of.
And we will be circling back to caller Garrett Dulaney excuse me Garrett Dulaney.
Mr. Giuliani, if you're present, please press star six.
Okay, we're not seeing Mr. Giuliani take himself off mute.
So we will go back to the list.
And the next speaker is Dina Brownstein.
Dina Brownstein.
Hello, my name is Tina Brownstein.
I'm speaking on behalf of P4, a local group advocating for democracy and progressive values.
We submitted a letter to this committee outlining our concerns about public safety funding.
Our first issue is the third path to public safety.
The mayor's proposed to add only $800,000 to the council's 1.2 million allocated for alternative public safety response.
Adequate funding for an accelerated implementation of the third path approach will aid the city in reaching its goals of building equitable and trust-enhancing policing and better serve our neighbors experiencing mental health or behavioral crises.
Second, the ShotSpotter trial program.
The mayor has proposed $2 million to run a pilot program, but we are aware of significant differences across key stakeholders in Seattle's communities of color with regard to both the effectiveness and impact of gunshot detection technologies.
We request this program not be funded until a systematic analysis has been undertaken of data from cities that have paused or suspended use of gunshot detection technology.
And the communities most impacted by gun violence have had their voices heard.
Finally, cutting human service workers' pay.
At a time when nonprofit organizations have been unable to fill existing human services positions because of low wages, The city must follow through on its commitment to a 7.6% cost of living adjustment.
Thank you.
Jason Skies.
Hi, my name is Jason Sykes.
I'm from district four.
Thank you for holding this hearing and giving us an opportunity to speak.
Uh, we all know the old saying that show me your budget.
I'll show you your values.
And I just hope that each and every council member and staff member keeps that in mind as they're deciding these budget items and amendments in particular.
I would, I would suspect that each council member would agree, uh, that they value treating the victims of police violence fairly.
making sure that the family members of people who are impacted by police violence are supported, that they are taken care of in what is undoubtedly one of the most stressful, terrifying predicaments that you can be placed in.
And I hope that if you share that value, you will find a way to share some budget to actually support people like Castile Hightower and people who are impacted by actions that the police take in the name of the state, which is in the name of all of us.
And we have an obligation to take care of them.
Thank you.
Ebony Nevers.
Thank you.
Ebony, we can't hear you speak.
You might be muted on your phone.
Make sure your phone is unmuted.
Oh, there we go.
Sorry about that.
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is Ebony Nelson-Evers.
I'm the housing case manager with Catholic Community Services Bunny Wilburn Home Program.
We house 40 single adult women.
We are one of the few shelters originally funded with federal COVID relief dollars, which is now in jeopardy of losing its funding and closing its doors.
Our program has moved over 45 clients into permanent housing this year alone with an additional nine clients currently pending permanent housing.
We face a $650,000 shortfall.
These women deserve the funding promised to them.
They are working extremely hard to turn their narratives around for their greater good.
A lot of these women have been displaced because of COVID lost jobs, family, housing, and benefits.
And to be honest, this could be any one of us.
Helping these women at their lowest low and giving them hope just to turn around and put them back into an unknown.
Into the unknown again, really defeats the purpose of what we started in the beginning of the pandemic.
Um, our city council has the opportunity to provide hope and empowerment.
And most of all the funding needed to continue working towards our goals.
and ending homelessness in the city of Seattle.
Thank you so much for your time and hard work and allowing me the opportunity to speak.
We are now moving on to estimated number 47 of 101 registered online speakers.
And the next speaker is Stephanie Arauzio.
Hello.
Good morning, council members.
I'm Stephanie Ariza, program manager for the Inn Shelter with Catholic Community Services.
The Inn Shelter provides emergency housing assistance, 24-7 staff support, harm reduction, low barrier shelter for 137 of the most vulnerable adults experiencing homelessness in King County since opening two years ago.
And every single client comes from years and decades of homelessness, long-term or lifetime chronic mental illness, active substance use and trauma, Where would these 137 most vulnerable people go if the inn were not here, were to close?
One client sold to a man at 16 years old is now 47 and has only known drugs and trauma for 31 years.
Every single day of her life until one month ago when she arrived at the inn shelter.
If the inn were not here, where would the 87 people go who found housing?
Another client homeless for decades arrived at the inn a year ago, just picked up the keys to his new place Thursday and is overjoyed at the chance of living the rest of his life not stuck on the streets.
He also put down the needle after decades all on his own and only because we were here for him at the right time.
Disaster would ensue the city of Seattle and King County at the end and the 19 sister programs affected by the $9.4 million federal COVID dollars cut closed our doors.
Let's be here to provide.
the help when our clients are ready.
Imagine after decades on the street, you finally say enough is enough and there's no place to go.
With your funding, my staff will continue.
The next speaker is Michael Malini.
Michael Malini.
Okay, Michael, we will circle back to you.
And we're going to move on to the next speaker, which is Carol Ostrom.
Carol Ostrom.
Okay, next speaker will be then Liz Girard.
Liz Girard.
Good morning council members and fellow community advocates.
My name is Liz Girard and I'm the Director of Advancement at Compass Housing Alliance.
I'm speaking up for essential workers today.
I'm here with the Seattle Human Services Coalition in support of fully funding human services including a fully funded inflation adjustment for human services workers.
I want to thank the members of the council who are making equitable wages a priority and I urge the full council to adopt a budget that invests in community safety and well-being.
Compass's essential workers serve people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in our emergency services, enhanced shelter, and affordable housing programs throughout King County.
After Compass and service organizations like ours have stepped up to protect the most vulnerable in our community at great cost throughout the pandemic, both personally and organizationally, including its aftermath, it's unthinkable to consider that essential worker wages may essentially be cut.
Our essential human service workers do work that most of the community will not.
They deserve to live sustainably in the city that they serve.
And I hope that you invest in us as we invest in our community.
Our work does benefit this community and it should be valued as such.
Our essential workers should not be experiencing homelessness as they work to help others experiencing the same.
And that is exactly what happens all too often.
It's truly a house of cards.
At minimum, please commit to upholding the 2019 ordinance that ensures human service funding keeps up with inflation so that wages do not fall behind where they should be.
Thank you.
Trevona Thompson-Willie.
Hi, my name is Trevona.
Can you hear me?
We can.
Hi, my name is Trevona.
I'm a resident of District 2. I'm a third generation Black woman with roots in the city and in South Seattle.
My family has been directly impacted by the failures of Seattle.
Being pushed out of our homes, heavily policed, lack of resources and support.
Some of y'all in the same city council members who signed in to defund the police and invest in our community.
I'm in support of the Seattle Solidarity Budget.
This budget focuses on how impacted folks will live and thrive.
The mayor's budget doesn't.
I know some black folks are in favor of the shot fodder program.
However, I highly disagree.
I'm appalled that this is even a proposal to spend city money and resources for a failed surveillance technology.
I mean, just this last weekend when the Seattle Police Department attempted to almost arrest over 68,000 people exiting Lumen Field after loud, suspicious noises were reported in the area of the Seahawks game.
Imagine that being black boys being terrorized and targeted.
Imagine that being immigrant children being terrorized and targeted.
I truly, truly wish that y'all will put the needs of the impacted folks first.
Sarah Nelson told me straight to my face that she couldn't get behind the defund the police movement, but y'all are willing to take money away from homeless service providers, the same providers that are literally out here helping people.
Even just the fact that all the different people from LEAD speaking on here and even Capital Community Services, it's a slap in the face when these folks are out here doing the real work and you're gonna take money away from them.
But you're fine with supporting to continue to fund a failed system.
support solidarity budget and center care in our budget.
Thank you.
Next speaker is June Bluespruce.
June Bluespruce.
Estimated number 56. Okay, we'll move on to the next speaker, and that is going to be Robin Thompson.
Hi, my name is Robin Thompson.
I'm a renter in District 2. I'm speaking today in support of the People's Solidarity Budget.
I urge my own district council member, Tammy Morales, and other council members to keep renters, working people, and especially our unhoused neighbors, first and foremost, when rejecting an austerity budget.
Please second the motion, Council Member Morales, that Council Member Sawant puts up to raise the tax on Amazon by $140 million to fund free abortion and avoid drawing funds from human services.
The working people of Seattle's needs are not being met.
Please fund human services, essential human services workers pay raises, and Fund organizations and social programs that are actually helping people.
Programs feeding people like Clean Greens Farm and Market.
Do not give any more money to Seattle Police Department which supports systemic racism.
Stop funding homeless sweeps.
When you are not amply funding human service it is not compassionate.
When you are giving more money to Seattle PD it is not compassionate or equitable.
Please support the funding we actually need, which is more affordable housing being built, more emergency shelters, fund tiny home villages, and fund free abortion.
And also, please pass rent control.
We need it.
Thank you.
Our last speaker in this group will be Brianna Chiari.
Good afternoon.
My name is Brianna Carrier and I am addressing the cost of living adjustments for human services contracts.
I am a resident of District 2 and I work at Neighborhood House, a multi-service agency and a member of the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness and the Seattle Human Services Coalition.
Our team of frontline staff are essential workers helping families and individuals find and keep safe and stable housing and access resources to support their health and well-being.
Funding for wages has not kept pace with inflation.
The work we do is essential, but it is not sustainable unless we are funded enough to pay livable and equitable wages.
My rent increased by 10% this year, and my credit card debt has nearly doubled just from food and living expenses.
The impact felt by frontline staff is even more pronounced.
Neighborhood House is advocating for funding to continue to increase wages for our essential workers.
please fund the promised 7.6% cost of living adjustment that our staff both need and deserve.
We are facing a staffing and funding crisis in human services, and we have a shortage of suitable shelter in our region.
We know that 12 local agencies have relied on one-time COVID-related funding to operate 20 essential shelter programs, which need to continue.
I'm also asking City Council to approve the $9.4 million funding to keep these essential services going.
Thank you.
That was the last remote speaker for this group and she was speaker number 57.
And Madam Clerk, I'll just make a quick announcement.
We will come back after we go to the folks in the room to Michael Malini, Carol Ostrom, if you hear yourself, being called or Garrett Dulaney, please be prepared to hit star six to unmute yourself.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
We'll now move into in-person speakers.
The first speaker is going to be Brian Simpson.
And if you would like to speak, please, you can still sign up to speak.
We only have 10 more speakers on the list as currently.
Erum, and I am a social services and behavioral health professional, a shop steward member of OPEIU Local 8, proud spouse of a Kent Educators Association teacher, and a case manager at Plymouth Housing, part of a team of 250 dedicated workers supporting 1,100 formerly homeless tenants in permanent supportive housing.
Think about that ratio for a second.
I was 12 years old when I decided that this is the path that I needed to take.
Now, after almost 15 years in the field, I don't know if I can continue.
My passion hasn't changed, but the manufactured scarcity and austerity mindset is making this work ever harder by expanding the brutal, murderous, and ineffective practice of encampment sweeps and other policing, enforcement, and punishment models, while the promise to fund programs that actually work with necessary jumpstart funds and the inflationary adjustment is at imminent risk of being broken.
I've worked at Plymouth for two and a half years.
I am the only case manager left from the opening team of my building.
Think about the impact that that has on our clients, many of whom have gone through at least three different case managers in that time.
Many of my colleagues rely on the same services and benefits we support our clients in seeking.
Many of us now have had to leave the city.
I now myself live more than 20 miles away from my work site.
The simple fact is that we cannot support our clients' ability to thrive if our elected leaders don't do their part supporting us and those we serve.
I urge you to keep the promise made and hold your former council colleague Mayor Harrell to the vote that he can.
fund services, support workers, stop the sweeps.
There is more than enough wealth hoarded in this city to do so.
The next speaker is Eileen Richard.
Eileen Richard.
Okay, next speaker is Kyle Lane.
Hello Council Members.
My name is Kyle Lane.
I work with the Low Income Housing Institute as the Volunteer and Advocacy Manager.
I want to thank the City Council for its continued support of the Tiny House Village Program.
The tiny houses have provided a safe shelter for over 3,000 homeless people since the program started in 2015. Our program is a low barrier entry point for people to get connected in case management, behavioral health services for substance use disorders and mental health counseling, and to ultimately secure permanent housing.
And it is on that point that the program excels.
We have some great outcomes to report from January through August of this year.
908 people received shelter so far.
And of those villagers that exited the program, 63% found permanent housing.
63% is an incredibly high percentage for a shelter program.
The majority of people served are black, indigenous and people of color, which is crucial because we know from underserved communities are over represented in the homeless population.
60% of our tiny house program participants have experienced chronic homelessness.
Please support the budget ads introduced to maintain and expand tiny house villages.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is John Grant.
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is John Grant.
I'm with the Low Income Housing Institute, and I need your undivided attention.
Don't get distracted.
Um, first of all, I just want to introduce tiny the tiny house.
Um, this is, uh, one of the most important parts of our program, right, is making sure that we can get enough tiny houses to address chronic homelessness in our city.
Uh, we are asking that you support, uh, the budget ads that have been proposed for tiny house villages, but we also want to give credit.
Um, thanks to the jumpstart investments.
Uh, the low income housing Institute was able to purchase seven.
and convert them into permanent supportive housing.
The Clay, the Boylston, the 13th Avenue South, the 506. These buildings opened up in the last 12 months and we were able to move in 190 tiny house villagers into permanent housing.
That is what solutions look like.
You all made that possible and it also emphasizes why we need to protect the jumpstart spend plan so that we can purchase more properties and immediately get people off the street.
Tiny houses are a temporary measure to get people off the street and on their feet, and we know that it works.
Just through those purchases, that brought on a total of 403 permanent supportive housing units.
That is what we need.
But you know, this didn't just happen magically, right?
In a three-day period, Lehigh staff moved 45 clients into housing.
That is why we need to support our workforce with adequate wages and include inflationary increases into our contracts so that we can support the human service sector workforce.
Thank you.
Deborah Tucker.
Thank you for having me council members and Council, sir.
I spoke on October 11th at 5 o'clock or thereafter, and I thank you for having me back again.
I'm here to support the Lehigh tiny homes because the STEP program really does work.
I'm on the second step for the permanent supportive housing.
And one of the properties that he didn't mention was Dockside.
I'm here to beg, actually plea that you continue the funding for this.
It's so important.
I'm 65. I'm going to be 66. I became a homeless eight months ago.
And before that, I was outstanding.
pillar of the community, because my rent was doubled to $1,800, and I'm on Social Security, and I became permanently disabled in 2011. So, 11 years ago, I haven't worked for 10 years, so I don't qualify for the SSI, but I paid it in all my life.
And I became a permanent citizen of Seattle in 1970 when I was moved here from Central Washington and Wenatchee when my father was murdered.
So I know what it is to fight and to struggle.
And I'm thankful for Angel Caesar.
She's the manager for the tiny homes village where at Trujillo Hope where I am residing now and then I will be going to my second step.
Thank you for your time.
The next speaker is Zachary Collier.
Thank you council members.
I was also here on October 11th.
I just had my fiance give me a little bit of a like a script because I couldn't really get over my stage fright.
But anyways, I'm also here from the True Hope Village.
And I just want to say the tiny houses have given me and my fiance the ability to navigate our way through CPS and bring our baby home.
The case manager there that actually just started there a couple of days ago, like last week, has really been a big help, like huge.
And just, I don't know, guiding me and her just through everything we need to do.
They go above and beyond what they are required to do.
And we know they've made a difference in our lives and not just our lives, but everybody else in the community lives also.
They also provide food and like laundry detergent, everything you need pretty much to help us with.
And counseling, there's people there to talk to.
Yeah, just putting money into sweeps instead of like housing is just, I don't know, it seems kind of ridiculous, but thank you guys for listening and I hope you guys just put the money where it should go.
I mean, yeah, thank you.
Have a good day.
Next speaker is Dennis Hatchkiss.
Chair Mosqueda and committee members, on behalf of more than 1,100 residents and 250 staff at Plymouth Housing, thank you for the opportunity to comment.
My name is Dennis Sills, S-I-L-L-S, and I work at Plymouth Housing.
This morning, 30 of my coworkers joined more than 100 people in a rally organized on your steps by the Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness.
My coworkers joined other frontline providers in solidarity to request fair and living wages.
The initial proposal that includes a 4% cost of living cap would not move us towards more equitable wages.
We were grateful to council members, Mosqueda, Herbold and Lewis for an amendment to adjust contracts by 7.6%.
Current inflation levels are even higher near 9%.
Human service workers with the city and county make higher wages than their nonprofit colleagues, so this is an equity issue.
Also, please ensure Jumpstart funding is used for addressing homelessness and housing as intended.
This budget proposal diverts 85 million from Jumpstart to the general fund.
For providers to continue to answer the call and serve thousands of residents, these changes are necessary, not elective.
Thank you for your support.
Is there a Denise in chambers?
Denise?
Okay, I'm moving forward.
The next speaker will be Porter.
Porter, Mr. Jones.
Thank you, Mr. Porter.
Good morning City Council, my name is Cortez DeAndre Jones.
I just want to apologize for coming a little late.
Absolutely came a little late.
I'm usually here early, every day.
I just want to talk about the justice factor inside of this state.
I do believe the state is against my family thoroughly.
I've spoken about the stories of my family via comment to Seattle City Council, and I do believe that there are stories that connect to how the state of Washington has absolutely meditated against my family.
My family is the Jones family and the Wheeler family, and we have worked for the city for years.
They have meditated via the work of my family.
Note that my family is connected to Dow Jones, Dow Jones Mason connection.
They have immediately collected money directly connected to the murder of Patricia Paramore, proven by Beetham Train law firm via wrongful death of University of Washington Valley Medical.
I would not allow anybody to lie about the story of my family, and this is why I continue to bring in comments.
The name is Priscilla Slava, fairly true.
Edmonds Police Officer Gagnon, Edmonds Police Officer Locke.
Conjuring and meditating on the work of my family inside of jails.
They do this as a way to continue their money.
I just want to reach a helping hand to anybody via the hashtag of black education.
Thank you.
Next speaker is Peter Condit.
Good morning, everyone, or afternoon rather.
Council Members Herbold, Strauss, Budget Chair Mosqueda, my name is Peter Condit, I live in District Six, and I support the community-led solidarity budget demands.
I want to start with some words from No More Police, which was written by two survivors of sexual violence, Miriam Kaba and Andrea Ritchie.
They write, the single greatest need identified by victims of intimate partner violence is housing.
We must not defund housing by raiding Jumpstart to pay for policing and other general fund expenditures.
We must instead defund the Seattle Police Department, which perpetrates violence and is yet to take any meaningful steps towards accountability for the people they've killed, including Charlene Lyles and Herbert Hightower Jr.
If we are serious about addressing homelessness without inflicting additional trauma and violence, we must also defund encampment sweeps and pay human service providers much more.
We must fund mobile pit stops and vehicle safe lots.
To create healthier and more connected neighborhoods with fewer street fatalities, we must fund a green new deal, plant large trees in the right of way, improve pedestrian right of ways and reduce the amount of public street area that is dedicated to private vehicles.
You can do all of these things and all of them would address the root causes of violence and harm in our city.
Stop trying to hire more cops and definitely stop paying SPD for cops that don't exist.
Thank you for listening and thank you for your hard work for the city.
And the last in person registered speaker is Haley hunt.
Hi there my name is Haley hunt, I'm a case manager at South and tiny house village with low income Housing Institute.
I want to thank you for this time.
I'm here for two reasons to encourage you to provide more money and funding for tiny house villages, and also to raise the wages for essential workers.
I also want to provide some time for you as council members to reflect individually on how you want to flourish and grow.
Flourishing to me means growing well.
I think I want that for everybody, everyone in the community, but also for you who are leading us.
So with the remaining amount of time, I want to ask you three questions.
One, What are your strengths as a leader?
Two, how do you want to be remembered, let's say five years from now?
And three, what is one thing you can do this week to help support those that are trying to survive.
Thank you.
That is our last in-person speaker at this moment.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
Let me just double check.
Is anybody else here still want to speak?
You're welcome to come to the microphone.
Please just make sure that introduce yourself and we'll get your name for the record on the piece of paper.
Are you ready?
Now, my name is Rory.
I'm on behalf of the tiny houses as well.
I'm It's a good thing.
The city is trying to get these people off the street.
So we got to get people off the street.
And the tiny houses are bringing people to get them into permanent housing.
And we need to do that.
That's what we need.
you know, because these people, I mean, there's kids and Eric, we got kids that are in some of these tiny houses.
And, you know, I know, I know you as a, as a councilman, you were into all that community stuff and I know about your history, but yeah, it's all about the kids.
It's all about the community and getting them back on their feet.
you know, I'm trying to get back on my feet.
I just had a stroke in me.
So I'm still, and at least I'm walking again, but, uh, I'm, um, without you guys, without the tiny houses, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have made it back.
And now I'm walking again and I'm start, I'm talking again.
I couldn't talk either, but, uh, I can talk to you because I know about your ties and the political ties.
I just want to help us out.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Okay, wonderful.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
For folks on the line, we're going to go ahead and go back to only remote public comment.
Everybody has spoken in person.
And we're going to start again with Michael Malini, Carol Ostrom.
This will be the, I think, third time we've called these lines.
So Michael and Carol, I see you're teed up.
If you can hit star six, Michael.
Star six, Carol.
Either one of you.
Good morning, Michael.
It's afternoon at this point.
Good afternoon, Michael.
Thank you for circling back.
My name is Michael Mulaney, I'm a renter in District 3. I'm calling in support of the solidarity budget, including maintaining jumpstart funds for their intended use, including for affordable housing and tiny villages, providing livable wages for our human service workers, and not funding ghost cop positions.
Additionally, I also support Council Member Sawant's call to add $140 million to the Amazon tax.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Carol Ostrom, star six to unmute.
Carol, star six.
Good afternoon, Carol.
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is Carol Ostrom.
I'm a longtime Seattle resident.
Some people will tell you that ridding the city of gas-powered leaf blowers is not as important as stopping crime, fixing income inequality, or ironically, preventing climate change.
But here is the difference.
This is a nasty, noxious, toxin-spewing problem we can actually tackle right now.
And for budgetary pocket change, Amendment SPR-004A-001-2023 authorizes $200,000 for next year to help the Parks Department change to battery-powered blowers.
Like other innovators they would take the important first step moving us all toward quieter cleaner Seattle safer for workers children and others.
Please let them do it.
Thank you for your consideration and for the hard work you do.
Thank you.
Next is William Towley followed by Alicia Bolivar.
William good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Council Members.
My name is William Talley.
I'm the Executive Director of Lake City Partners Ending Homelessness.
We operate outreach, day center, and enhanced 24 by 7 shelter services.
We work in close partnership with the Regional Homelessness Authority and are a key provider of services in the North Seattle area.
We are one of the organizations impacted by the sunsetting of one-time federal funding.
The funding reduction will directly impact our GLA day center program in the Lake City neighborhood.
The shortfall of $100,000 would mean a 30% reduction in our service level at a time when demand for our services at that location has increased by 30% over the past year.
Our GLA center is currently operating with a rolling 30 day census of 200 unique individuals who are centered in the Lake City business district.
The GLA Day Center, in addition to providing desperately needed services to our unhoused neighbors, is also an important aggregation point for service delivery by other providers and represents a key part of the services landscape in North Seattle.
It is a proven program with notable success and deep community support.
I'm requesting that the council fully fund our GLA Day Center program.
Thank you for your consideration.
Our next speaker is speaker number 60, and it is Alicia Bolivar.
Alicia Bolivar, number 60. Oh, I'm moving on, and the next speaker is Kathleen Baker.
Kathleen Baker.
Hi my name is Kathleen Baker and I have spoken to you before regarding Resolution 32064. I'm a retired Seattle Public School teacher and now I substitute at my local elementary school.
Recently I was distressed when I arrived at the school and was greeted on the sidewalk
with two gas-powered leaf blowers spewing pollution in the area I was parking.
Both operators had headphones and masks on but of course I didn't.
They were still at it when the children arrived on the playground with their parents.
One parent in the school has bought the custodian with his own money an electric blower because he is concerned about the effects of the dirty air caused by the two-stroke gas-powered engines to have on the children.
Now I appreciate that Seattle faces profound challenges but please provide the modest $200,000 in funding to replace these disgusting machines.
Thank you very much council members.
Our next speaker is Ben Pfeiffer.
Moving on to Margo Stewart.
Hey, my name is Margo, I work in rent on First Hill, and I'm calling today to demand council members vote yes on the proposal from our people's budget movement and council members I want to reject the proposed austerity budget and increase the Amazon tax by 140 million.
Speakers today have already said it, but it bears repeating that Seattle has some of the greatest wealth in the country, some $250 billion across eight billionaires, but also has staggering inequality and needs as Democrats have left us working people to fend for ourselves through the housing crisis, the climate crisis, the COVID crisis, and now deepening economic crisis with 63% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck with skyrocketing inflation and stagnant wages.
And we already have the tool we need to ensure that the rich, not ordinary people pay for this crisis.
That's the Amazon tax, which was won by tens of thousands of young and working people in the streets two years ago, as well as through our people's budget movement and our socialist city council seat, which working people have won and defended four times now.
I think it's shameful right now that not one of the council Democrats have spoken in favor of increasing the Amazon tax to fill shortfalls.
Instead, they're preparing to vote yes on a budget which cuts funds towards affordable housing, Green New Deal measures, tiny home villages, and inflation-adjusted wages for city workers.
And not only that, but to further put the cost of this crisis on the shoulders of ordinary people by creating increasingly regressive bike and car taxes, which further squeeze working people in especially vulnerable communities.
So we should be perfectly clear that if we can't meet these needs, it's not because it's not possible, but the question,
Our next speaker is Kaliya Baldwin.
Kaliya Baldwin, please press star six.
Okay, we're gonna move on to Matt Offenbach.
I'm here.
Oh, thank you.
Kaliya, please go ahead.
My name is Kylia Baldwin.
I'm speaking today as a staff member of Puget Sound Stage.
I'm a queer black woman and a born and raised D1 resident.
I support the solidarity budget and ask that you protect Jumpstart Investments.
Jumpstart created new resources for affordable housing and homelessness services, equitable development, economic revitalization, and climate resilience.
These investments are intended for community-driven programs that center BIPOC and low-income workers and families in creating an equitable and thriving city.
Jumpstart should not be used to backfill budget deficits when those beneficial programs and services could be funded by diverting funds away from the Seattle Police Department.
The people of our city deserve secure and stable housing.
Good jobs that contribute to our communities and our climate resilience and strong safety nets and services for our most vulnerable.
Not bonuses and overtime for cops.
Not funding allocations for ghost positions that SP cannot and should not fill.
Not sweeps and criminalization of poverty.
make good on the commitments to BIPOC communities by ensuring that Jumpstart revenues are not rated this year or any year.
Each year, our city gets less and less affordable, leaving workers who make this city run out to dry.
That's our essential care workers, our service industry workers, and our safety net workers, like those who have testified today.
I'm from Seattle, and my family struggles to keep residing within city limits.
Equitable development programs and Green New Deal priorities are critical to combating this displacement.
you must uphold that revenue from JumpStart for these purposes as it was originally intended and put into law.
Thank you for your time.
Matt Offenbacher.
Matt Offenbacher at number 68. Please press star six.
Oh, I figured it out.
Hi, council members.
Thank you for all the work you're doing on behalf of our city and all this listening that you're doing today.
I really appreciate it.
I live in District 3 and I'm an artist with a studio in District 2. I've been hearing a lot about these ghost cops that are haunting the mayor's proposed budget.
These 120 positions that are funded at $117 million that FGD knows they will not hire for, I really think this is ridiculous.
And I ask you to please remove these funds from FGD now.
I don't buy the argument that we could always pull this money back later in the year if we don't make the hires, you know.
And FGD knows for sure they won't hire for these positions.
And if we wait until later, the funds will probably be used once again for hiring bonuses or retention packages.
for our already overcompensated officers.
What we should do with this money instead and plenty of other money that's currently allocated to SPD, like for example, the $1 million shot spotter boondoggle, which is a deeply flawed approach to reducing gun violence.
What we should do with all these vast funds we put towards policing is move them with some alacrity towards the things we actually know promote safety in our city.
Things like ensuring our essential public service workers get their legally mandated 7.6% cost of living pay increase this year, like providing resources to the victims of police violence so that the victims and their families don't get pushed further into tight spots through the cost of funerals, attorney fees, childcare, and loss of work.
And there's many other.
Natalie Morgan is our next speaker.
Hi, my name is Natalie Morgan.
I'm speaking just in a personal capacity.
And I would like to encourage, like someone else said earlier, well, actually, I'd like to start by saying you're welcome for my public comment, not so much thank you, because as a council, your jobs are sort of meaningless without people and without public comment.
And it's a little bit disappointing to hear people begging, pleading, crying And to know that it might not have an impact on the people who have the power to make a difference in people's lives.
Council members like Shama Sawant are trying to make a difference in people's lives.
That's why I'm urging all the Democrats on the city council to vote yes in the upcoming budget on socialist council members, Shama Sawant's legislation to make all abortion in Seattle free by increasing the Amazon tax.
It seems like such a no brainer for a place like Seattle that has more wealth in eight billionaires than the entire GDP of Finland.
Finland also, by the way, doesn't have a homelessness epidemic like Seattle does.
It is a disgusting display of extravagant wealth, and it's more than a little disheartening to see people in power not take the steps that they could to be an actual progressive city that could help people.
So the rich must pay for this crisis.
I'm urging you to vote yes on Council Member Shama Sawant's legislation.
Olivia Bray?
Olivia.
Thank you.
Hi my name's Olivia and I'm a renter in District 6. Thank you for offering to hear this testimony today.
I support the solidarity budget demands because I believe that our government's funding should support the most vulnerable people in Seattle.
I believe that if we truly want our city to thrive we must transition to collective shared power.
If we are serious about ending homelessness we need to pay essential workers more.
They should not have to call into a public meeting to advocate for a living wage.
when they're doing the work our city desperately needs.
With our current circumstances of underfunding affordable houses, these workers are our primary resource for supporting our neighbors.
I support the solidarity budgets, pay increase and retention bonuses for human service workers to ensure they can provide adequate care for the community.
Additionally, I request that you restore funding for Seattle's free tax prep campaign is it is an essential way that we get money directly into the hands that need it most.
This critical funding has helped low and moderate income Seattle residents for over a decade.
Please restore United Way's free tax campaign grants.
Please don't jump start.
Please don't move parking enforcement to under police and please do prioritize the solidarity budget demands to show you're truly listening to the requests from the community you're intending to serve.
Perry Hartman.
Perry Hartman, if you can press star six, please.
We'll move on from Perry Hartman to the next speaker and circle back.
Oh, thank you.
Go ahead.
All right.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to listen to the reader's comments.
I'm Terry Hartman, founder of Quiet Clean Seattle, supporting the Parks District Judgment Amendment, SPR-004, A-001-2023, to fund buying electric leaf blowers for the Parks Department.
People all over Seattle are breathing in frustration every time a leaf blower fires up somewhere within a few blocks.
Gas-powered leaf blowers are horrible for the environment, horrible for the user's health, and horrible for those around them.
Next spring and summer, Seattle citizens will deeply thank you when they can sit in peace in the Seattle Park without a park leaf blower announcing its presence, if you include this amendment.
The dollar amount is a tiny piece of the budget.
I know we have a lot of really, really important things on the budget, and those are really, and I support all of them.
This is tiny and yet it's $200,000.
It's enough to replace about 50% of Park's gas blowers in the first year and the other 50% in the second year, including an ample supply of extra batteries or backpack batteries.
Without this funding, our hopes are dashed.
So do what we need to do to make our city better, cleaner, quieter by supporting this Park's budget amendment.
Thank you.
We're moving on to number 75 and that is Jessica Dixon.
Jessica, your phone might be muted.
Check your phone, please.
Yes, can you hear me?
Yes, thank you.
Great.
Hi, I'm submitting my comments on behalf of Plant Amnesty.
Here's the question.
What living thing cools the air on hot days, scrubs particulates from the air and filters and flows polluted stormwater flowing into the sound?
And obviously it's an urban tree.
Our city is facing severe threats from climate change, heat islands, days of wildfire smoke smothering our city where the air quality index levels measure in the 200s and which increased the risk of health effects for everyone within 24 hours of exposure.
These are growing threats to public health in our city that require a bold effort on the part of our city government to address.
And a key to mitigating this crisis involves a successful management of our urban forest.
While there are nine agencies that manage trees in our city, there is no comprehensive position that is responsible for all the trees in our urban forest.
And a recent Seattle Times editorial summed it up, Too many officials are involved and no one is in charge of Seattle's urban forest.
In the meantime, we're going backwards.
A recent study by the city reported a loss of over 255 acres of canopy in the city over the past five years.
I'm urging the council to fund the city urban forester position within the Office of Sustainability and Environment.
Almost all major cities in the country, including Portland, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., have an urban forester leading and implementing tree management programs and policies that strive to balance growth with the conservation and enhancement of their urban forest.
As you know, trees take years to grow and provide these lifesaving benefits.
The time to act is now.
Thank you.
Coco Weber.
Coco Weber, please press star six.
Hello, council.
Thank you for hearing us.
I'm calling from Women's Field where I'm in line to vote with hundreds of other people because I've had to move four times in the last year due to housing instability.
I'm a former housing and human services provider who made just over $30,000 a year.
And that is about how much money that we are giving the police in this city.
to just have a sign-on bonus.
It's really disheartening to hear all these people, hundreds of people calling in to ask for crumbs compared to what the city is giving the police.
The police get $373 million a year in the city.
That's about a third of the budget when we're talking about police cars, police buildings, police weapons, police pensions, police payouts to people who've experienced police brutality, to families, just the list goes on and on for prosecuting, for paying for public defenders.
We know that this is reactive and this does nothing to make people safer.
What makes people safer is stability.
What makes people safer is not sweeping their tents and encampments.
What makes people safer is getting people into housing.
So I'm asking you to not raise this jumpstart budget to blow the police budget.
I'm asking you to not fund both cops, but just go into a slush fund so the police can do whatever they want with that money without oversight and accountability.
I'm asking you to listen to the people, support the solidarity budget, and to defund STDs.
Thank you very much for your time.
Douglas Orinshaw?
Hello.
Thanks for the opportunity to speak.
My name is Douglas Orinshaw, and I live in the North Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle.
I want to speak on behalf of the budget amendment proposed by Lisa Herbold to fund the long-promised safety improvements to Fauntleroy Way here in West Seattle.
When visiting businesses in the Alaska Junction District, my family are forced to traverse a very dangerous section of roadway between the great new bike lanes on Andover and facilities on Alaska Streets.
There are currently no bicycle facilities in the area of Fauntleroy, forcing cyclists to take the lane on roads with heavy and fast-moving motor vehicle traffic or to ride on sidewalks with pedestrians and any dangerous road driveway crossings.
As my now nine-year-old son has reached an age where he's more often riding his own bicycle, this area has become even more terrifying.
The proposed safety improvements to Fauntleroy Way will make it possible for people like us to visit and support our local businesses without having to face this dangerous gap and without having to resort to driving a motor vehicle.
This project will support the city's stated commitments, Vision Zero, and to climate justice.
I wanted to thank Councilmember Herbold for advocating for these much-needed and long-awaited safety improvements, and I urge the rest of the Council to support this project.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Ellie Cassidy.
That's number 80. Ellie Cassidy.
Please press star six.
Okay, we're going to move on to the next speaker and we'll circle back.
And the next speaker is Barbara Bernard.
Hi, I'm Barbara Bernard, District 7 resident, and I'm calling today to urge council members to add to the Seattle's urban forester position to the OSC budget.
Seattle's urban forest needs independent oversight and accountability.
Currently, there's nine different city departments that manage the trees in the urban forest, and it's just too complicated, and there's no umbrella entity double-checking that things are not being redundant or harmful to the trees.
This is really not a new budget item because the city has been working on this for over 13 years.
Since there's no yearly accountability or reporting and overseeing the forest, it's really important to have one unifying factor to be able to look over.
So hiring an experienced urban forester would provide that leadership and independence needed to increase the accountability and the effectiveness of our urban forestry program, which includes better coordination, efficiency, and most important for Seattle, potential cost savings.
The urban forester position will complement the proposed shift to a city coordinator for climate initiatives away from SBAT to OSE.
And that will also help with the emphasis of OSE for race, social justice, and environmental equity.
Lastly, I just want to thank council members Peterson, Herbold, Strauss, Lewis, Nelson, Sawant, and Mosqueda for sponsoring the budget amendment to add the urban forester position to the OSE.
Thank you so much.
Next speaker is Jordan VanVost.
Good afternoon, Council Members.
My name is Jordan VanVost.
I'm a licensed acupuncturist and District 3 resident speaking in support of the Solidarity Budget proposed by Council Member Sawant's office.
My work as an acupuncturist involves helping people balance their energy.
The health of the individual and the health of society also coexist within a delicate balance.
If we cater to billionaire greed instead of human need, a sickness within our shared world festers, resulting in widespread suffering and institutional violence.
If the City Council Democrats wish to pass a truly compassionate budget and not another austerity budget, despite statements to the contrary, I urge you to increase the Amazon tax by $140 million instead of falling back on regressive proposals such as increasing the car tab tax or the $1 million for shot spotter technology which the ACLU strongly opposes.
Please do not cut critically needed funding for affordable housing and Green New Deal programs renter organizing eviction prevention tiny homes and other services for homeless neighbors and fully inflation adjusted raises for human services workers.
Please also support the parks department budget so they can transition away from gas powered leaf blowers and appoint a city tree manager.
Thank you for your work.
Laurel Gray.
Thank you, Laurel.
Good afternoon, council members and fellow community advocates.
My name is Laurel Gray, a member of Seattle Human Services Coalition and Meals Partnership Coalition.
I'm the deputy director of OSL Operation Sac Lunch, serving the greater Seattle area by providing no-cost meals to our community members and neighbors experiencing homeless and hunger.
One of these community members being Anitra, please pardon me if I mispronounced your name, who spoke earlier and lives at Weal, one of the shelters that we serve.
I'm here to voice my support for council members to want the proposed amendment, HSD, 013A to fund meals and to reiterate that it is essential that our work and the work of all human service organizations who have been holding our communities to this trying time continue to be fully funded.
In the past two and a half years, OSL has served approximately 5 million meals throughout the emergency meal system in the greater Seattle area.
With Mayor Harrell's proposed budget inflation cap, the rising cost of goods and fuel, OSL will be forced to drop more than 1 million meals from the emergency meal system in 2023. 1 million meals.
Please do not take away this essential funding from human services.
By doing so, you are telling our neighbors experiencing homelessness and hunger that they are not worthy of the basic human right to eat and to be nourished.
Meals are an essential part of housing.
They go hand in hand.
Thank you for the support you've already shown to council members Sawant, Juarez and Morales for supporting amendment HSD 013A and to council members Mosqueda, Lewis and Herbal for their ongoing support.
Thank you for valuing our expertise and knowledge of our communities and for your time today.
Our next speaker speaker excuse me is Tomasina Schmidt and then we'll circle back to Ellie Cassidy.
Tomasina.
Good afternoon.
My name is Tomasina Schmidt and I'm the Executive Director for Seattle Neighborhood Group.
We are a local nonprofit focused on community safety and crime prevention.
I know this is a tight budget season and council members are having to make very difficult decisions.
I also know that one of the priorities of this city council is to advance a re-imagining of policing with a larger civilian response.
Two of our city contracts, Safe Communities and Rainier Beach, a beautiful safe place for youth, help to achieve this goal.
We are asking for an amendment to restore all or part of our proposed $125,000 funding cut to our safe communities contract as well as increased funding for our Rainier Beach, a beautiful safe place for youth contract by $100,000.
We have held both of these contracts with the city for over a decade.
Both of these contracts are community-led place-based violence and crime prevention programs that have been researched and evaluated by professional criminologists.
These programs have made significant impacts in the community and have helped with reducing violence and crime.
Thank you for your support and consideration.
We're now going to circle back to Ellie Cassidy and then we'll move on to speaker number 90, Ellie Cassidy.
Please press star six.
Okay, we're now.
Hi.
Can you hear me okay now?
Yes, we can.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I am Ellie Cassidy.
I am a small business owner in District 3. I am calling in to support the budget that Council Member Schewant has proposed and in addition the additional tax to Amazon.
I have a business that has a small has a sustainability focus and I know that's also in line with what Democrats in this council keep speaking to and this is the moment where we can think for this year for next year and the future.
What are the things that are important to invest in right now.
I hear have heard so much testimony about the need for the to support the underserved in our communities that have been systemically oppressed over time.
which this is a moment where it's time to make a difference in that story.
And we all have a part to play.
And moving forward with continuing to fund police and police that they won't even hire doesn't feel right.
And hearing all the testimony it seems urgent And where can we get where we're building and not really trying to put out crises that we have no resources to fulfill the need.
We are now moving on to online registered speaker number 90. And it's Ariana Luriano.
Hello.
Hello, my name is Arianna Laureano.
I'm a disabled renter in District 2. I work for B-Seattle and I sit on the Seattle Renters Commission.
As it stands today, this budget reflects Seattle's apathy for the disabled and the elderly.
Insufficient funding for Human Services Department, which funds nonprofits and services that extend to elders, the disabled and those suing abuse and trafficking, insufficient funding for tenant services to keep people housed, which like human services are historically underfunded, impacted by high inflation and flooded with those in need by the pandemic and the economic downturn.
You put 250 million for affordable housing, but not anything specifically addressing the accessibility of that housing.
Why is that?
Seattle has a severe shortage of accessible housing in all income brackets.
It seems to me that instead of building housing for those of us with disabilities, you intend to put together a ranger squad to bully us and to harass us.
take our things to force us to relocate somewhere where you don't have to see us.
70% of those on the streets have some kind of disability.
Your priorities are reflected in this budget.
This budget doesn't solve problems, it just sweeps them out of sight.
You should be supporting the solidarity budget, not austerity and police brutality.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Maxine Fuentes.
Good afternoon, council members.
My name is Maxine, and I'm here today to voice my support for Amendment HSD-022-A, which adds $1.5 million for survivor-driven advocacy services to survivors of gender-based violence.
Funding for programs is not adequate to meet the acute and complex needs of survivors, especially for BIPOC survivors, LGBTQ survivors, and survivors experiencing systematic barriers.
Community-based advocacy is often the primary way survivors connect to other services, which is especially important for culturally specific programs who support BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and immigrant survivors.
Survivors in our city deserve to get the help that they need to heal from the profound impact of abuse.
Meaningful investments in services for survivors of gender-based violence is essential.
I urge you to support survivor-driven advocacy by supporting amendment HSD-022-A.
I also support the full inflation adjustment for human services workers.
Thank you for your time and opportunity to speak today.
The next speaker is Jonathan Greasy.
Hello, I'm Jonathan and I'm speaking in support of the solidarity budget and against the pay cuts to human service workers proposed in Mayor Harold's budget.
If addressing the homelessness crisis is to be a priority for the city, we cannot underfund the shelter workers, case managers, and other human service providers who are charged with delivering critical relief to our unhoused neighbors.
That the mayor's proposed budget does all this while offering millions in additional funding for his unified care team responsible for destructive encampment sweeps shows a serious inversion of priorities.
We need to support the solidarity budget's pay increases and retention bonuses for human service providers.
As it is, the mayor's budget does not even maintain the status quo.
Thank you, and I cede my time.
Next speaker is Doris O'Neill.
Doris, please press star six.
Hi, this is Doris O'Neill with the YWCA, Gender-Based Violence Specialized Services in Seattle King County.
I want to thank the council members for being here today and hearing everyone's testimony.
We truly urge that you pass the bill of adding 1.25 mil to gender-based violence specialized services.
I've been in this field for over 30 years, and domestic violence is not going down.
Sexual assault is not going away, and human trafficking is at an all-time high.
We need funding to support survivors.
We need funding to sustain the great advocates that we have doing this work.
With an inflation cut, it's already hard to get good advocates because they want to make more money.
They want to make equitable living.
And so we really need for this bill to be passed.
And thank you all for your time.
We are now at registered speaker number 100, and that is George Barron.
Jorge Baron.
Jorge Baron.
Yes, thank you, Council Members.
My name is Jorge Baron and I serve as Executive Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and I'm a resident of District 7. I will first note that we strongly support the call from the Seattle Human Services Coalition and many other partner organizations for the Council to ensure that an inflationary adjustment that matches the actual inflation rate is provided for by the Council to ensure that services to city residents and workers are not reduced.
I also want to express our gratitude to the city for its commitment to being a welcoming city to all communities, including the many immigrant and refugee communities that reside and work in the city.
One of the ways that the city acts on the value of being a welcoming community is through programs that support community members on the pathways to United States citizenship.
In particular, the city partners with the State of Washington in the New Citizens Program, or NCP, which provides vital services to community members to access U.S. citizenship.
I want to thank Councilmember Mosqueda for sponsoring an amendment that would support a modest increase in funding for the NCP program and would ensure that the level of services remains constant in the coming year.
That amendment number is OIRA-001A.
I also think Councilmember Morales and Strauss for co-sponsoring this amendment and I urge the council to ensure this amendment is included in the final budget.
Thank you so much for your time and for your service to the city.
Next speaker is BJ Last.
Hello, my name is BJ Last.
I'm a Ballard resident, small business owner, and I support the solidarity budget.
During this hearing today, there were two sweeps taking place in the city.
This isn't surprising given that we're having been having daily sweeps this year.
And these daily sweeps are related to why we've seen the record number of people dying outside.
Over 190 people in Seattle have died while living outside so far this year, and the cold weather is just starting.
Today's sweeps were typical.
Dozens of people from SPD, Parks and SDOT, and exactly one outreach worker.
So dozens of city workers to trash people's belongings and just push them to somewhere else outside and one person trying to get people inside.
The outreach worker wasn't able to get everyone inside, which isn't surprising.
This is perfectly normal because today, like pretty much every single day that there are sweeps, there aren't enough places for people to go.
There aren't enough shelter beds for the people currently being displaced.
The majority of residents are still outside, but in different areas, and they have fewer resources than before since SPD parks and SDOT trashed a lot of their stuff, and outreach workers need to find them again.
We need to stop the sweeps.
Council can restore pay for homeless service providers by eliminating ghost cops from SPD's budget.
There's no need to raid Jumpstart.
Similarly, council can restore food access funding, increase shelter, and build RV safe law by cutting funding for sweeps.
please follow the solidarity budgets requests and give us a budget for people to live instead of a budget that continues the record numbers of death of people living unsheltered and in King County Jail.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Shannon Mayo.
Shannon, please press star six.
Thanks so much.
Hi, can you hear me?
Yes.
Wonderful.
Hi, my name is Shannon Mayo, and I'm a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
And I'm also someone who focuses on community gun violence prevention in the South and Central area of Seattle.
Our mission at Moms Demand Action is to prevent gun violence.
It is critical that we continue to invest in local BIPOC-led violence intervention and prevention organizations In the proposed 2023 budget, we urge you to support and maintain the $4.7 million for Seattle Community Safety Initiative, also known as SCSI, and to support the $1.5 million in funding for the King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective.
The Seattle Community Safety Initiative includes four organizations, all led by people of color, Community Passageways, Urban Families, Southeast Safety, network hub of the Boys and Girls Club and a live and free program of the YMCA.
Moms Demand Action works regularly with our volunteers in support of community passageways and Southeast Network Hub of Boys and Girls Club in their mission to build a more equitable public safety system, prevent gun violence and create safe communities that are disproportionately affected by gun violence.
This ongoing investment will continue to keep young people safe in Southeast Seattle Central District and West Seattle.
Not to mention that allocating funds for the Seattle Community Safety Initiative will continue to bring these transformative solutions that are proven effective in preventing and reducing gun violence.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Matthew Mitnick and then we'll circle back one last time to Mr. excuse me lost his name Mr. Dulaney but after that that'll be the last registered present speakers.
Again Matthew Mitnick.
Hello everyone.
I am a student and renter in District 4 as well as on the board for B Seattle and I'm a member of the Seattle Human Rights Commission.
And honestly, I just wanted to come here today to share with you all that in a city with a budget as large as $7.4 billion, it really should not be this difficult to provide basic human services to the people that you all are literally meant to serve.
And the public should not have to plead hearing after hearing, just asking you all to deliver these basic services.
And that's why I'm here today in support of the solidarity budget and increasing the Jumpstart Tax And I specifically wanted to talk about the proposed cuts to human service workers in the mayor's budget.
This is just unacceptable.
You all should listen to everyone who's spoken today, as well as the Seattle Human Services Coalition on this.
And I want to add that I used to work for the King County Housing Authority.
And when I was there, I saw literally firsthand how these essential workers were oftentimes the only protection between ensuring a neighbor was able to use their Section 8 vouchers or they would be discriminated against and forgotten by unethical property managers and corporate landlords.
And also many of these same case managers were receiving voucher support themselves.
So this is absolutely critical we fund.
And in my remaining 10 seconds, it would be a huge blow if you all supported shot spotter technology and ghost cops, because with the budget shortfall, it's a short sighted move to find the appeal to voters and not actually the people.
And we're now circling back one last time to Garrett Delaney.
Good day.
I am asking for your continued and increased support of the vehicle resident outreach program.
We are the folks that are generally the first point of contact to our unhoused neighbors living in their vehicles.
I just wanted to share with you today that as a outreach outreach worker on the ground.
What I am seeing is a marked increase of individuals living in their car.
It's the last resource they have after they lose their housing to take refuge in.
And we are seeing a huge influx of that and we desperately need your help and increased funding so that we can increase the number of folks.
We only have six to handle the entirety of Seattle.
Additionally please don't take away and very important tools, essential tools like GLA through Lake City Partners.
That is a place that we send these individuals as kind of a first introduction step to social services.
We're in desperate need of your help.
Please help us help your constituents, the homeowners that call you and are irate about people parked in front of their homes.
Help us get them out of their vehicles.
Many, many people want to leave their vehicles and get into housing.
Please help us.
Thank you very much for your support.
Chair Mosqueda, that was the last registered present speaker.
Thank you so much.
Please join me in thanking our clerks for helping to manage the public comment today.
Thank you all colleagues.
We got through over 140 total individuals who dialed in or signed up for public comment today.
So we greatly appreciate all of the comments.
As a reminder, we will continue to have public comment again next Tuesday at 5 p.m.
This will be an opportunity for folks to provide initial feedback on the initial balancing package that aims to incorporate many of the council priorities.
It will also attempt to address the reduction in the revenue forecast that we received last Wednesday, that is $64 million reduction in real estate excise tax $9.4 million reduction in general fund and $4.5 million reduction in the sherry sweetened beverage, all of which is compounding the already existing $141 million operating deficit that our city faces.
So it's been a challenging week for us to make sure that we can accommodate some of the council members' initial requests, as well as incorporate many of the suggestions that we've heard from public comment here today and have much more work to do, we know, once that initial balancing package is released next Monday.
Again, the initial balancing package will be released on November 11, excuse me, November 14th at 11 a.m.
During this meeting, it will just be right, we will get right into deliberation among council members and members of the public will have the opportunity then to hear the deliberation and offer public comment the following day at 5 p.m.
November 15th.
We will continue to have public comment throughout the duration of the evening like we did today.
We are nearing four hours of public comment so assume the same level of public comment tours on Tuesday, November 15 at 5pm.
Thanks again to our clerks, Jody and Amelia.
We really appreciate it, as well as your leadership from Elizabeth, who is the acting clerk.
We did receive an email as well from Elizabeth, who helped to provide additional context to why the elevator was temporarily out of service.
It was because the electricity turned off for a quick second.
If you noticed a glitch in the recording or the audio sound, it's because the electricity shorted out.
So the elevator stopped as well.
We got that fixed right away, thanks to the clerks and the crew here at City Hall.
Thanks to Eric and Ian from the IT department, Seattle Channel.
I want to say thank you to all of the councilmembers and my team as well as the central staff team who is very busy right now working to accommodate many of those amendments and try to make this package balanced as we are our final deliberations.
Again, colleagues, we look forward to seeing you on Monday at 11 a.m.
where we will have a select budget committee meeting and walk through the proposed balancing package in detail with council members and public hearing the following day, Tuesday at 5 p.m.
with amendments due to central staff at noon on Wednesday the 16th.
Council Member Strauss.
And Chair, did I hear Sun's voice on the computer today as well?
Do we have Sun Ji back?
Affirmative.
That is so exciting.
How are you today, son?
I'm adequate, thank you.
Thank goodness.
Adequate as always.
Excellent.
Thanks so much, son, and thank you, colleagues, for being here.
This meeting is adjourned.
We'll see you on Monday, November 14th at 11 a.m.
Thanks, colleagues.
Bye-bye.