Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Clerk and thank you son.
Good afternoon everybody today is Tuesday, February 7 2023. The meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order, the time is two o'clock.
Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll.
Councilmember Morales.
Here.
Councilmember Mosqueda.
Present.
Councilmember Nelson.
Present.
Councilmember Peterson.
Present.
Council Member Sawant.
Council Member Strauss.
Present.
Council Member Herbold.
Here.
Council Member Lewis.
Council President Ores.
Here.
Thank you.
Before we begin, if there's no objection, Council Member Sawant will be excused from today's City Council meeting.
Not hearing or seeing an objection, Council Member Swann is indeed excused from today's City Council meeting.
I have a feeling Council Member Lewis will join us soon.
I just saw him.
I am here, Council President.
Sorry, I was being added as a panelist as my name was being called.
But I am present.
Thank you, Council Member Lewis.
Okay, with that, colleagues, we do not have, moving on our agenda, we do not have any presentations today.
So we'll move on to public comment.
And at this time, we have to we have our hybrid public comment.
My understanding is that we have thirty three people that are signed up remotely and we have four people in chambers.
So we are going to give everybody please pay attention, particularly you, those on the line, one minute.
And please, please, please push star six so we can hear you and listen for the chime that will tell you you have ten seconds.
I think the most frustrating thing is having to cut people off after one minute.
So with that, we will start with the in-person folks, and they will each have a minute.
And then I'm going to hand it over now to Madam Clerk, who will start the directions and the recording for public comment.
Go ahead, Madam Clerk.
Thank you.
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.
All right, our first in-person public commenter is Marguerite Richard.
Hello, everyone.
I can't, well, I'm hearing the echo, but I used to be able to hear myself better than what's going on here.
But in other words, moving right along, I only have a minute with 60 seconds in it, which is terrible.
I feel like that's abuse.
This is Black History Month, and also human rights is on the agenda.
And we're being violated.
So I speak on behalf of what's going on right now with Tyree Nichols.
It's happening in every systematic, it's called official oppression.
And that's a good term for some of you knowledgeable lawyers out there.
I never heard of official oppression until they beat the hell out of him.
See, you beat the hell out of us every day.
And then you expect us to come down here and have any respect for you up in here?
Deborah has worse than reparations for your people, huh?
You're not gonna get it before you leave?
What's going on?
Our next speaker is Azhane Smith.
My name is actually Azhane Smith, and I'm coming here on behalf of the people of Seattle.
And I just want everybody to know that your people are struggling, your people are hurting, your people are on drugs, your people are homeless, and I am 23 years old and I am, of course, a person of color, and I am struggling.
I was born and raised in the city of Seattle, Washington, and I want my people and my city to do better.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Alex Zimmerman.
Thank you.
Sieg Heil, my dirty damn Nazi Gestapo democracy fascist, a mob and psychopath.
My name is Alexey Murman, I always stay with my red sign and my yellow David star, because I don't show my face, sorry.
I want to speak about agenda number one, appointment somebody from Human Rights Commission.
Every time, but as I see somebody appointment for Human Rights Commission, and these people here, by definition.
So, I ask very simple question, why Human Rights Commission don't see, so nobody show us faces when we speak for 10 months right now.
You are pure criminal.
So, Last Saturday, I made a complaint to the director of the Human Rights Commission.
I asked them, what's going on?
Why they don't show faces?
It's a crime.
You are a bandit.
You are a Nazi pig.
That's exactly who you are.
Stand up!
Clean this dirty chamber totally!
Our next speaker is Ernie Dornfeld.
Hi, thanks for the opportunity to speak.
I'm Ernie Dornfeld, President of Friends of the Market.
I'd like to speak in support of Amendment 1 to Council Bill 120456. We support Council Member Lewis's amendment, which removes changes to the authority of the Pike Place Market Historical Commission from the bill.
The commission regulates changes in design and use in the market.
It does its work in public.
Its members are appointed by the mayor from people who have a demonstrated sympathy with the purposes of the historic district.
Some are nominated by community groups.
There are members who are business owners, residents of the market architects, and one member who is a property owner.
The commission with robust staff support from the Department of Neighborhoods Historic Preservation Program can continue to be a success if it is supported and keeps its full authority.
Please support Amendment 1 to Council Bill 120456, which would maintain the authority of the Bank of America Historical Commission.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Heather Pilty.
My name is Heather Peel, and I'm speaking to Council Bill 120456. And thank you to Council Member Lewis for proposing Amendment 1 to this bill to remove the Market Historical District.
Thank you to the Neighborhoods Committee for supporting that amendment today.
The Pike Place Market Historical Commission's role was created by the voters initiative that saved Pike Place Market.
This is the only historic district that was saved by voters initiative in the United States.
The people who serve on the commission are extremely devoted to preserving the character of the market.
As Ernie said, they have a demonstrated interest, but they are absolutely committed.
They spend many hours.
and they have the expertise to oversee changes big and small.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our last in-person public speaker is A.D.
Skip Knox.
Good morning.
I've almost caught my breath.
What's the phrase?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The core area is when it's broke and you don't know it, you can't fix it.
I'm here to tell you that the relationship between the Department of Neighborhoods and the Market Historic Commission is broke.
Through what appears to me, and I've done a year long study of it, to be intentional neglect, suppression, obstruction, disingenuousness, whatever it is, it's a sad state of affairs from what I remember being a really well run organization.
I've been with the Department of Neighborhoods from that close ever since Jim Street wrote the initiative that put the thing on the city calendar.
And to see what Jim Deere has left behind as its administrator for the first 14 years of its existence, it's sad.
I'm sorry.
I missed the clock.
I appreciate your taking a look at this initiative and this legislation, and I hope it will do pass.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We'll now move into our public commenters that are remote and please remote callers remember to press star six to unmute your phone.
Our first speaker is Dimitri Potemkin.
Potemkin, excuse me.
My name is Dimitri Potemkin.
I am commenting on the proposed task ordinance I'm a Jewish American who has lived among Hindus, including my Indian native wife, for 27 years.
Honorable council members, like every other immigrant community, Hindus have come to America to shed the oppressive social structures of their home countries and to start fresh with the opportunities that America provides.
I know them personally.
They left caste consciousness behind, and this caste legislation will reintroduce it in their new homeland.
We fear that at a time when Hindu phobia is on the rise in the U.S., that Councilwoman Savant's caste legislation will further endanger the Hindu diaspora by designating them as a suspect class.
Furthermore, we fear that corporations seeking to avoid caste-related controversies may simply stop considering Hindus for employment.
This could result in the loss of livelihoods for many families.
For these reasons, I implore the council to, if not reject the cast legislation immediately to at least table it pending further study.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Arul.
Last initial P.
Good afternoon, council members.
I'm Arul.
I'm a writer and a technologist.
I would like to urge the city council to ban cast discrimination so that we have a legal option to ask for justice.
Caste transcends across South Asian religions in the South Asia.
Though caste-based discrimination is now illegal in India, the impacts are still far-reaching and can manifest in every aspect of life.
With growing Indian and South Asian diaspora in the US, the system has been brought into a new continent.
I have seen casteism being practiced in many public spaces under the pretext of cultural context.
Discrimination is practiced in every aspect from food to festival to workplace.
What makes the popular notion in the West, Indians are vegetarians, while 70% of the Indians eat meat.
This is the privileged population who grabbed the chance to settle in the West, created the notion, and that is the baseline of discrimination based on food.
I strongly urge the city council to take the lead in this human right issue and pass the ordinance making caste discrimination illegal.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Manmeet Singh.
Good afternoon, City Council.
Good afternoon city council members.
My name is Manish and I'm a CAF privileged here to voice my support for the addition of CAF as a protected category and the banning of CAF discrimination.
Previously I was involved with the advocacy process at the California State University that went on to become the largest four-year public university to ban CAF discrimination.
Despite the small amount of pushback that we received from very local, from very local folks operating from fragility, our university is firm in its commitment to equity and justice and I ask you to do the same.
Adding caste as a protected category is an additive approach.
It's an additive layer of protection to ensure civil rights.
It does not take away from existing protections to any religious or ethnic group.
It doesn't take away from anyone nor lead to discrimination for anyone.
It's merely adding protections against discrimination on the basis of caste.
And I urge you to also join us in this movement as we make history and ban caste discrimination.
Thank you, our next speaker is first initial G, last name Kaur, K-A-U-R, Kaur.
Hi folks, my name is G Kaur, I'm a Sikh and Caste privileged person and Jock speaking from the University of California system.
And I'm urging council members to join UC Davis, the California State Universities and Brown Universities and more to vote protection for caste based discrimination and to bask to ban caste-based discrimination in Seattle which has been normalized in India and now in neighborhoods, corporations, universities of the U.S. to the point where caste-privileged people feel it is okay to exclude, silence, dox, and murder caste-oppressed people or those associated with caste-oppressed people.
According to a survey caste in the United States by Equity Labs, one in three BELLIS students reported experiencing discrimination during the course of their education.
41% of Dalit students surveyed reported facing discrimination in educational institutions in the diaspora.
Only 3% of upper caste respondents reported the same.
It's important that we protect folks that have injustices against them.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Suresh Krishnamurthy.
Good afternoon.
The proposed ordinance on caste by Council Member Chhama Sawant does not specify how a caste is to be determined.
I'd like to offer a reference.
Castes of East Bengal by Sir Herbert Hope Risley, published in 1891. And I quote, hundreds of names of caste clans or families have been unavoidably relegated to the unknown group because no one could say what the main caste they belong to.
If we take a series of castes in Bengal, Bihar, and northwestern provinces and arrange them in the order of the average nasal index so that the caste with the finest nose shall be at the top and that with the coarsest at the bottom of the list, it will be found that this order substantially corresponds with the accepted order of social precedence.
I urge the City Council of Seattle to immediately embark on an anthropometric exercise to classify the caste status of all the people of South Asian origin.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Howard Gale.
As I've repeatedly noted over the last 13 months, in January of 2022, a man running naked on Beacon Hill, experiencing a severe behavioral health crisis, was chased by Seattle police, had a canine sit upon him attacking his naked crotch, and was then shot to death by the Seattle police.
Also, as I repeatedly noted, the council has apparently cared so little for this man's death that you have still not provided any oversight in the fact that our entire police accountability system has buried this case.
We still do not know the outcome of any investigation.
We still have no accountability.
What could possibly account for the lack of empathy and action for this police killing in 2022, but such public and proactive action around the police running over and killing Janavi Kandula two weeks ago?
Is it that Janavi is deemed innocent, but a man in behavioral health crisis is deemed guilty of bringing about his own murder, which is precisely what our police accountability system has determined with past similar cases in which it's a twisted accounting of events that a community police commission commissioner provided just last week with no pushback and no counter narrative.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Chetana Stokes.
Hi, my name is Chetna.
Hi, my name is Chetna Stokes and I urge the council to vote against the cast ordinance.
I am concerned Hindu resident.
I work in higher education and I just like to point out a couple of facts that you should know.
The CSU policy as cited in evidence and precedent has already been resulted in a lawsuit being filed against that university.
Similarly, Brown University in enacting a similar rule admitted that existing laws are sufficient to handle discrimination based on caste, Brandeis University has not recorded a single case of caste-based discrimination in the three years since their caste was added as a protected category on the campus.
I would like to point out that these facts directly contradict the exaggerating claims that caste-based discrimination is widespread or rampant.
I do feel that this ordinance, if passed, will bring more racist views towards South Asians.
And I'd just like to thank you for your time.
And again, I would like you all to vote no against this caste.
Your next speaker is Siri Ravi.
Siri Ravi.
Let's see, I don't.
For the tile, I see Mr. Ravi is there, sir, pushed our six.
We can move on and try back if you'd like.
Let's come back to Mr. Ravi.
Thank you.
The next speaker will be Pita Prasad.
Hi.
My name, hi, my name is Peta.
I am a South Asian person of color, a minority immigrant woman.
I have always valued Seattle as a place that celebrates diversity.
So today I'm here to express my shock that you guys would be considering a deeply racist and discriminatory ordinance introduced by Councilwoman Sawant to add caste as a protected category.
Please note caste is a deeply racist and colonial trope rooted in the worst successes of the 18th and 19th century.
when it was believed that white men carried the burden to civilize us brown savages.
Seattle, don't take on that role today and tell us that South Asians are uniquely genetically inclined to discriminate or have more hierarchy than every other group in humankind.
disregard the flawed data from Equality Lab, a hate group that has openly stated its goal is to demolish Hinduism.
That's fair, right?
It's a private group, but not something the city should be mainstreaming.
Today, you guys got a letter from a group of Dalit and Bahujan South Asians who also...
Thank you.
We'll try Sri Ravi one more time.
Sri Ravi.
Thank you, Madam Clerk, and I should remind everybody again, please.
It's one minute and you have a ten second reminder.
And many of the callers that are calling in are about a matter that's not on today's agenda.
However, we're going to go ahead and hear more public comment.
It's not even on the introduction referral calendar, but let's let's continue with the public comment.
All right, Sari, are you there?
Nope, not present now.
Okay, we're gonna move on to Mira.
Last initial P, Mira.
I see she's- Hi, I'm here.
Hi, I'm a cashless tech worker at a big corporation here in Seattle.
I urge all council members to vote yes on the ordinance proposed by Council Member Shama Savant.
to ban caste-based discrimination in the city of Seattle.
Across the nation, institutions are adding caste into their anti-discrimination policy to further equity.
Brown University recently added caste into their anti-discrimination policy.
Cal State East Bay passed a resolution through their Academic Senate.
UC Davis added caste as well in their policy.
And the Cal State Student Association that officially represents over half a million students across California also unanimously passed a resolution in support of adding caste as the protected category.
Major universities are taking this vital action to protect caste-oppressed people because caste-based discrimination does exist, so protections are absolutely necessary.
This is a human rights issue, so as Democrats, the Council must vote yes.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Shahira, and the last initial is K.
Shahira K.
Good afternoon, Councilmembers.
I am a Sikh, Dalit, caste-oppressed woman with Equality Labs.
I want to break down caste.
Caste is a system of exclusion and oppression that affects over 1 billion people across the world.
Caste determines social status and spiritual purity.
We have seen evidence-based research in the U.S. that caste-oppressed groups continue to face extreme injustices.
Caste, which is analogous to race, was created in order to exploit.
We have seen again and again in the diaspora that these injustices persist Therefore protections for caste-oppressed folks must be implemented in Seattle.
My family and I have experienced these injustices being called slurs by juts who are the dominant caste Punjabi groups throughout the U.S.
A legal ban on caste discrimination will protect me my family and caste-oppressed folks for generations to come.
I urge all council members to vote yes on the ordinance proposed by Council Member Shama Sawant to ban discrimination in Seattle.
Thank you.
Thank you, our next speaker is Vidula Vajramushti.
Vidula, Vidula?
Hello, Vidula, you need to speak up.
Let's start you again.
We can't, you gotta speak up.
As a former Microsoft employee and also a current Amazon employee, I'm calling the city of Seattle to oppose the introduction of this caste-based ordinance.
We have a motto, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
If someone does experience discrimination, they must use the existing protections in the law of race, gender, national origin, et cetera.
Race for caste is actually very difficult to prove for all those who are calling themselves Dalit or, you know, experience this There is no way in the scope of law to prove that.
So how are you planning to do this.
What hierarchy are you going to assign for class-based discrimination in the case of the Christian Dalit versus Pasunda Muslim Dalit.
I implore the City of Seattle to use the taxpayer money wisely on issues that truly matter to taxpayers such as mental health and sentiment.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Vin Kat with the last initial S.
Vin Kat?
Vin Kat?
So I see they're unmuted, so they're there.
Hi, this is Vin Kat.
I work in a tech company.
So here I ask everyone to cast discrimination but introduced by someone.
So here I do see so many groups are being formed and based on the cost and you know in the companies the promotions whatever is going based on the cost only.
So even I personally I familiarized with the asking cost in the company where you from which community you belong So everything is going to community only.
So I request everyone to, you know, vote as to this caste discrimination, abandonment, so that my community will help, get help.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Rajeshwari Goboli.
Hello.
Namaste.
My name is Rajeshwari and I'm against the caste ordinance because this ordinance is discrimination in itself.
Why is the one person minority committee being singled out when that committee has always given back in multi-fold to whichever country they have lived in?
And the country where they come from has given refuge to every other community of the world with respect and kindness.
My humble appeal to the conscientious among you is to at least do some due diligence on the subject, instead of believing a disturbingly faulty survey of Equality Lab.
These surveys are no better than the colonizers who created this fake fault line of caste.
I'm proud to belong to a community that follows a most honorable ideology.
one that sees the divinity in all beings, not just humans.
Does it make sense then that such an ideology will support any kind of discrimination at all?
Please recognize the powers that wish to divide and hurt the one community that has always contributed significantly to the well-being of this country.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Robin Taylor.
Hello, my name is Robin Taylor.
I urge the city of Seattle to vote no to the caste ordinance.
This is a racist act against the Hindu community.
As a black American Hindu myself, I feel this is an aggressive push to attack the Hindu community as a whole.
In America, the caste system held no basis as every man is equal under God per the U.S.
Constitution.
This is a blatant singling out of a minority based on unsubstantiated claims.
This should not be taken lightly.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Navakiran Dandu.
Thank you.
My name is Navakiran.
I support the ordinance that the ban of cash system.
I would like to quickly discuss four incidents that happened in four months of time since the arrival to the U.S.
In the first case, when I'm opening in the bank statement in the Bank of America, one guy from North India suddenly come and ask, you have a lot of reservations in India.
Why did you come to U.S.?
It's very terrible to me.
And second thing is when I was in the party, I could hear one of my, there are the discussions.
We are in topper cash and you are in the lower cash.
And there are discussions happening.
I was not involved in that discussion, but I could see there is a caste-based arguments that we are low and we are high.
And another thing, when I was looking for the opportunities, many people who came recently, the students especially, they are grouping by the caste-based system.
And one of the speakers recently said that because of too close a Hindu system, they have said that.
But I'm proud to say I'm Hindu.
Even though I've never said my religion as a Hindu, even though they are discriminating on the name of the caste.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Radhika Marwaha.
Radhika?
Hi.
I'm a dominant caste Hindu and Sikh graduate student, and I've witnessed several instances of caste bigotry and discrimination against my caste-depressed peers in classrooms, student organizations, housing situations, and more.
Casteism is a queer and gender justice issue.
It's a feminist issue, a workers' rights issue, you know, an anti-racist and indigenous rights issue.
And so none of us can be truly free until everyone is free.
And moving forward with caste protections within the city of Seattle is one step forward in seeking collective justice against oppression.
So please don't let those expressing like fragility, you know, detract from that, or even attack Dalit feminist scholarship.
Please vote yes on this ordinance.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Robert Messina.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Uh, city council.
My name is, uh, Bob Messina, Robert Messina.
I want to support the amended council bill one two zero four five six, which includes council member Lewis's amendment that exempts and removes The Pike place market historical commission from the bill, the governance by the Pike place market historical commission, the PDA council and the PDA itself have worked successfully over the decades to keep the market attractive, historic, and successful.
And this includes open public meetings with public comment.
The market historical commission was involved with the implementation of the voter approved 2008 Pike place market renovation bond issue.
As well as the 2015 construction of the new market front building, the market commission deals with large scale proposals, as well as small scale ones like the size of a vendor's sign.
I support keeping the market commission whole.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Shanti Raghavan.
Shanti.
I see Mr. Rakhon's tile is up there.
It's star six.
There you go.
This is Shanti.
Go ahead.
This caste system ordinance is discriminatory, racist, and actually ridiculous.
This was banned 50 years ago by the government of India, and it's a non-issue.
It doesn't exist in USA.
Our children are all married to Americans, so what caste do they belong to?
much less what are their children's caste.
There is nothing like caste here.
That's one thing.
And already laws exist here protecting the employees.
And I think we should make sure these are enforced.
I think that's all I have to say.
I'm absolutely against this ordinance.
So my answer is no, please ban it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Christine Vaughn.
Christine, press star six, possibly.
She, Christina was right.
Oh, there you go.
She's back, Christine.
Thank you.
Yes, this is Christine Vaughn.
And I want to thank Council Member Lewis for introducing an amendment to Council Bill 120456 that takes the Historical Commission out of the legislation.
And thanks to the committee that unanimously approved it.
I hope the full City Council will see the wisdom and approve it as well.
I also hope that whoever oversees the Department of Neighborhoods will look into why the Statement of Commitment to Racial Equity that City Council, by ordinance, requires the added to the Commission guidelines in 2015 and that the commission subsequently drafted, approved, and sent to the Department of Neighborhoods, literally years ago, is still not finalized and added to the guidelines as requested.
I look forward with hope to your vote today for passing CB120456 with the amendment offered by Council Member Lewis.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Enyon with the last initial N.
Enyon?
Hi, I am a dominant caste Hindu person from a Southern California community with lots of family in Seattle working in tech.
I graduated from university just last year.
This university has a large South Asian international and South Asian diaspora population.
While on campus, I witnessed hurtful instances of caste discrimination multiple different times.
Once at an event for South Asian students, before other students decided they wanted to talk or even associate with other people, they tried to figure out caste backgrounds first.
When they got to me, I asked them why they cared.
I don't believe people should decide their friends, colleagues, and coworkers based on caste.
When they further pressed me and outright asked what my background was and asked if I was Brahmin or the highest caste, so-called caste, I told them that my background didn't matter and that it shouldn't matter at all.
They decided this was a ground to no longer talk to me and the other people who were identifying with lower, so-called lower caste.
This needs to be added as a protection all around our country, and we need to start in Seattle, please.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Khan Hassan.
Khan, star six.
To unmute.
Hello, can you?
Yep, you're on.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
This is Khan Hassan.
I am a human rights activist and a tech worker.
And I urge all council members to vote yes on this cost ordinance.
Caste is a crime against humanity.
Caste is a blot on our society.
It's shame it's practiced in 21st century in Seattle.
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Sanjay Sisail.
Sanjay, you might need to press star six.
Sanjay's time.
Go ahead.
Hi, my name is Sanjay Yash.
I'm an caste-oppressed community of Indian origin.
I support adding caste to discrimination ordinances in Seattle.
This is a human rights issue.
There are biases, exclusions, and denying of opportunities at workplace based on caste.
I request you to add caste in discrimination policy.
so that people get protection.
I want to quote here, no one is free until everyone is free.
So I urge all council members to say yes and add CAS as protection category.
Thank you.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Anil Kambli.
Anil?
Anil?
Anil?
Hi, I'm Anil.
I'm a senior developer at a tech company in Seattle.
I urge all council members to vote yes on the ordinance proposed by Council Member Kshama Sawant to ban caste-based discrimination in Seattle City.
I'm thankful for providing a platform for marginalized and underrepresented minorities to tell their life experiences.
Minorities and Dalits in particular in Seattle are outnumbered by the privileged people by more than 90% as per a survey in 2003. So that's where I believe the voice of the underrepresented people needs to be heard.
There is very large scope for harassment and retaliation for just speaking out their minds.
I have my personal experience when in my first job itself, my seniors spoke in my face about how bad the quality of talent coming from the underrepresented minorities are.
So there are many such experiences, but I do urge all the Democrats to vote yes.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Monty with the last name initial K.
Monty K. Hello, council members.
My name is Monty, and I urge you to vote yes on this ordinance to ban caste discrimination.
Caste discrimination is rampant in the Sikh religion in the United States.
I have faced discrimination at the hands of upper caste Sikhs myself.
I was dating a girl from this just Sikh community in California, and we were moving towards marriage.
When her parents found out that I'm a lower-caste Ravidasya Sikh, they refused to even talk to me.
They called me slurs and abused and threatened their own daughter for bringing dishonor to the Sikh family for dating, in their words, a polluted, lower-caste boy.
Gas discrimination in Sikhs is evident from the fact that there are separate Sikh temples, also called gurudwaras, for the upper-caste Jat Sikhs and lower-caste Ravidasya Sikhs.
Also members, the lower-caste Ravidasya Sikhs face segregation and discrimination in the Sikh temples run by upper-caste Sikhs, so they are forced to have their own temples.
You can see them in California, Texas, and New York.
Please don't let the opponents of this bill confuse you by thinking these caste ordinances against Hinduism.
Sikhs are routinely...
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Swati Mishra.
Swati, star six.
There you go.
Hello, my name is Swati Mishra from Michigan.
I work at IIT company and I did face discrimination on multiple occasions and I support the ban of caste system.
My personal experience at my workplace when my coworker called me out and knowing that I belong to a lower caste saying that because of people like me, her sister did not got admission in MEBS.
So I don't want this to impose cause-based discrimination on my children.
Therefore, I urge the council to ban the cause-based discrimination in Seattle City.
Thank you.
Thank you for the time.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Ivana Pal.
Ivana.
And you may need to press star six.
Hi, my name is Awana and I'm an IT professional from a Buddhist faith and caste oppressed community and stand with Equality Labs in Shamasawan to ban caste-based discrimination in Seattle.
In my first week of job, our team got together in person at the workplace and just on the second day of meeting in person with the team, this peer of mine asked me, are you from North India?
Explaining how they are from this upper caste, so-called upper caste from North India, without me even asking about it.
Since my last name does not reveal any caste-specific identity, the next question was, is this your last name or something from your dad's or husband's side?
Still not being able to figure out what was intended to be found, that is the caste, the next blunt question came.
What caste do you belong to?
This is strictly caste-based discrimination practice, as this is the very first information that is gathered to now be prejudiced about how to associate with this person going forward.
So I vote yes to ban caste-based discrimination in Seattle.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Dukey Ram.
Hi.
Hi.
I'm a software professional working in the United States for the last 17 years and on my very first job when I joined in here through my offshore company, my immediate boss ridiculed me and around me he used to call derogatory name to lower caste people very often and he used to watch my face just to guess how would I react.
just to kind of figure out what community I belong to.
I belong to a Buddhist community, very peace-loving, and this is not the only incidence.
I've seen caste discrimination rampantly in the United States.
This is a very serious issue.
Caste is a very, very ingrained part of Indian culture.
Anywhere Indians go, particularly the higher caste Indians, they make sure that they carry the caste discrimination.
So I have lost tremendous, many, many opportunities.
We really need to look into this closely.
I really urge city council to vote yes for banning the caste discrimination and make this country even more wealthy.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Ella Smith.
Hello.
Hello.
Hi.
Hello.
I'm the upper caste Tamil Iyer Brahmin living in the United States.
And I have faced caste discrimination.
I have been made fun of the way I speak, the way I dress.
And I truly don't think that any social situation or bad behavior can explain all this nonsense that is going on.
And I would urge to vote no.
And please don't cite bad behavior in social situations as a means to legislate against people.
So it is not about higher caste or lower caste or whatever the names that you guys use.
And don't drink things from India over here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our last speaker today is Karthik Arumugam.
Karthik.
And you may need to press star six.
Hello.
Star six.
Yes.
Good.
Hello.
Yeah.
Thank you for the opportunity.
I'm Karthik and I urge all the council members to vote yes on the ordinance.
proposed by Council Member Shama Savant to ban caste-based discrimination in Seattle City.
I urge all Council Members to outlaw caste-based discrimination, thus making Seattle the first city in the country to do this.
This will be a historic win for all the caste-oppressed people in America.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That's our last speaker, Council President, our last present speaker, Council President.
All right.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
And thank you, all of you who have attended in chambers and and and remotely.
So with that, folks, that is the end of public comment for today.
And we'll move on into our agenda and to the adoption of the introduction and referral calendar.
So there's no objection, the introduction referral calendar will be adopted.
Not seeing or hearing an objection, the introduction referral calendar is adopted.
Moving on to adoption of the agenda, there's no objection, today's agenda will be adopted.
Not hearing or seeing an objection, today's agenda is adopted.
I'm going to go on to the adoption of the consent calendar.
The items on the consent calendar include, let's see, The minutes of January 31st, 2023 payroll bill, council bill one two zero five eight.
And the third item is some appointments, one appointment to the Neighborhood Education, Civil Rights and Cultural Committee appointment to the Human Rights Commission.
I believe that's out of council member paralysis committee.
Are there any items that my colleagues would like to remove from today's consent calendar?
Okay, not seeing any items at that point.
I would, I'd like to move to adopt the consent calendar.
Is there a second?
Second.
Second.
Thank you.
It's been moved and seconded to adopt the consent calendar.
Will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the consent calendar?
Council Member Morales?
Yes.
Council Member Mosqueda?
Aye.
Council Member Nelson?
Aye.
Council Member Peterson.
Aye.
Council Member Strauss.
Aye.
Council Member Herbold.
Yes.
Council Member Lewis.
Yes.
Council President Juarez.
Aye.
Eight in favor, none opposed.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
The consent calendar is adopted.
Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes and the consent calendar or the legislation on the consent calendar on my behalf.
Moving on to committee reports, we have two items on today's calendar and the first item is mine.
Madam Clerk, you please read item number one into the record.
The report of the City Council agenda item one, Council Bill 120505, an ordinance relating to city employment, authorizing a memorandum of understanding between the City of Seattle and Protect 17.
Thank you.
I move to pass Council Bill 120505. Is there a second?
Second.
Thank you.
It's been moved and seconded to pass this bill.
As sponsor of this item, I will address it now.
Council Bill 120505 is scheduled for discussion and a possible vote today, as we're doing right now.
Sorry, I wasn't supposed to read that part.
Let me tell you what this bill will do.
This bill would authorize a memorandum of understanding, an MOU, between the city of Seattle and Protech 17 and appropriate $882,000 in the general fund to fulfill the terms of the MOU.
The MOU between the city and Protech would authorize a pay increase for the police data technician classification series.
I should note that all the MOU and the fiscal note and all the information has been posted online.
If there's anyone that would like to go look at the documents that are posted, which is the memorandum and the addendum to the memorandum of understanding a summary and a fiscal note.
Continuing the police data technicians provide data processing functions that support the planning and operations of the Seattle Police Department.
The executive reports that an increase in the workload and responsibilities of these positions has corresponded with the high employee turnover rate resulting in continual training of new staff and a consistent rise in the backlogs that has sometimes put SPD out of compliance with state and federal record keeping requirements.
The pay increase would impact approximately 30 employees at Seattle Police Department and would be retroactive to January 5th, 2022. The funds supporting this appropriation increase were held in the city's unbudgeted planning reserve.
And again, as I shared, the rest of the documents in the MOU have been posted for the public and, of course, for my colleagues online.
With that, are there any comments regarding Council Bill 120505?
OK, not seeing any or hearing anything.
Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll on the passage of the bill?
Council Member Morales?
Yes.
Council Member Mosqueda?
Aye.
Council Member Nelson?
Aye.
Council Member Peterson?
Yes.
Council Member Strauss?
Yes.
Council Member Herbold?
Yes.
Council Member Lewis?
Yes.
Council President Juarez?
Aye.
Eight in favor, none opposed.
Thank you.
The bill passes, the chair will sign it, and Madam Clerk, please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf.
Let's move on to item number two on today's calendar.
We have some legislation out of the Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights, and Culture Committee, and Councilor Morales will be addressing that, but before that, Madam Clerk, will you please read item two into the record?
The report of the Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights and Culture Committee agenda item two, council bill 120456, an ordinance relating to historic preservation review procedures, amending and making permanent certain temporary procedures and amending sections of the Seattle Municipal Code.
The committee recommends city council passes amended the council bill.
Thank you.
Councilor Morales, it's all you.
Thank you, Council President.
Colleagues, you'll recall that in April of 2020, we passed an ordinance that would temporarily allow smaller scale land use applications that are related to historic properties to be handled by the Department of Neighborhoods staff administratively, and, or the city's Historic Preservation Officer.
The bill before us was transmitted by the executive it would, as Jody mentioned, a permanent regulations that would allow for that administrative review of certain changes to landmarks or historic districts.
The kinds of changes that would be allowed to be reviewed administratively are four, and they include installation, removal, or alteration of ductwork, conduits, fire escapes, HVAC, that sort of thing.
The second thing is installation of improvements for ADA compliance.
installation removal or alteration of fire escape or life safety equipment, and alterations or changes for seismic equipment.
So, we had some lively discussion in committee, we did have a public hearing on this bill on December 9. And as a commenter indicated earlier this afternoon, Council Member Lewis did have an amendment that would remove the Pike Place Historic District from this bill.
And that amendment was unanimously approved.
So we want to, the committee unanimously voted to move this bill as amended to full council.
I do want to thank, before I wrap up, I do want to thank Sarah Bales and Sarah Soot from the Department of Neighborhoods who have been working really hard on some of this landmark legislation in the last year, as well as Lish Woodson from Council Central staff, and I also want to thank my own staff member, Devin Silvernail, who's been working closely with them on all of that.
The committee recommended that we pass this bill as amended.
Thank you, Councilor Morales.
Are there any comments regarding the the bill in front of us?
All right, I'm not seeing anything, Councilor Morales, I understand it was very lively, but it did pass on the committee five zero, so that's good.
It's a good thing.
So with that, is there anything you want to add before we go to a vote, Councilor Morales?
I think that does it.
Thank you.
Great.
Thank you.
Will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?
Council Member Morales.
Yes.
Council Member Mosqueda.
Aye.
Council Member Nelson.
Aye.
Council Member Peterson.
Aye.
Council Member Strauss.
Yes.
Council Member Herbold.
Yes.
Council Member Lewis.
Yes.
Council President Juarez.
Aye.
Eight in favor, none opposed.
Thank you, the bill passes.
The chair will sign it and Madam Clerk, please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf.
Moving on in our agenda, we have no items that were removed from the consent calendar.
Let's see, we have no other adoptions of resolutions for the introduction, adoption or introduction and adoption calendar today.
Is that correct?
Yes, I got that right.
All right.
Not seeing any.
Is there any other business to come before council before I adjourn us?
All right, not seeing any colleagues.
This does conclude the items of business on today's agenda.
The next regularly scheduled city council meeting will be next Tuesday, February 14th.
And with that, we are adjourned.
Thank you.
Thank you.