City Council 07/07/2026

Good afternoon.

The July 7, 2026 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.07 p.m.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Lin?

Here.

Councilmember Rink?

Here.

Councilmember Rivera?

Councilmember Succa?

Here.

Councilmember Foster?

Here.

Councilmember Kettle?

Here.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Here.

Six present.

For the record, Council Member Juarez is excused, Council Member Strauss is excused, and Council Member Rivera is excused as well.

Colleagues, before we jump into the proclamation from Council Member Saka, I wanna turn it over to Council Member Foster to talk about the guests that we have in the hallway, Council Member Foster.

Thank you so much, Council President.

So I just want to take a second to acknowledge the summer camp from Estelita's library for being here with us today.

If you can't hear them on Zoom, they're clapping loudly and cheering, and I am just so honored that I got to spend a little bit of time with the summer camp earlier today.

Some really incredible scholars who asked us some very hard questions about governance, the executive branch, the legislative branch, speeding tickets, affordability.

These young people really had it all on lock.

And so I just wanna express my gratitude to them and to their professors for joining us today outside of council chambers.

And also express my gratitude to council president who came down and spent some time and a good amount of her time shared with these young scholars.

And I believe rumor has it also facilitated an activity or two.

So thank you so much to the campers from Estelita's library for being here.

Awesome, thank you Councilmember Foster.

And Estelitas Library for coming in their summer camp, which is five weeks long.

They have kids from age six to 13, and it was a really big priority for them to lower speeding tickets to $80.

That was, and just wanted to say, I thought it was a great idea, and so did Councilmember Foster.

$80, okay.

Thank you for that.

Thank you Estelitas Libraries and their professors for coming.

We love y'all.

And thank you for the invite, Councilmember Foster as well.

Now, we're gonna turn it over to Councilmember Saka, the dad from Delridge.

You have a proclamation today.

Yes, thank you, Madam Council President.

Honored to bring this forward today.

Colleagues, a recent report from Communities Count estimates that one in five people in King County are living with a disability.

And due to systemic barriers, they are more likely to be older adults LGBTQ, lower income, American Indian, Alaska Native residents, black and brown people, and have statuses of being a military veteran.

As our Councilmember Kali, Councilmember Kettle, has shared with my office recently, Washington State has a long history of challenging beliefs about what people with disabilities could learn and do, which led to the passage of Education for All.

That act signed into law by Governor Dan Evans well over 50 years ago on May 25th, 1971. This relatively short bill was born right here in Seattle and was the first of its kind in the United States requiring that all children, no exceptions, all children, had a right to an education, a right to an appropriate education, and a right so that no one or nothing around them was designed without their specific needs or disabilities in mind.

That's why I'm honored to bring this proclamation forward, recognizing Disability Pride Month.

which is celebrated annually and internationally each July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Signed on July 26, 1990, the ADA is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation.

prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, removing barriers in critical areas such as employment, public services, and of course, one of the areas that is most critical for me personally as a committee chair that oversees transportation policy in our city, preventing discrimination in transportation.

That's why some amendments in a similar policy discussion that we're having right now from myself and Councilmember Juarez to the Seattle Transit measure to increase our focus on transit accessibility and ensuring that people walking and rolling can safely access transit stops in a dignified manner.

This year's national theme, the world works better with us, provides an opportunity to celebrate the many ways that people living with disabilities, whether visible, discernible, or invisible, those people in all areas are able to participate economically, politically, and in our community here in the city.

And that's why there's also more work to do as well.

I'm grateful for the work that organizations and advocates here today and so many more do every single day to challenge us to be better, to promote the full participation of people with disabilities into all areas of the things I mentioned earlier, economic, political, community here in Seattle.

Advising this council and our mayor and the executive departments on issues of importance to people with disabilities and recommending policies, practices, and legislation.

Allow me to read a few select passages from this historic proclamation, if I may.

Whereas Disability Pride Month is celebrated nationally and internationally each July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, signed on July 26, 1990. a landmark civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, removing barriers to employment, transportation, public services, and other critical areas, and whereas this month challenges ableism and stigma.

combats their intersection with racism, xenophobia, and economic injustice, and promotes full inclusion and equity by recognizing that disability is not a deficit, but an integral part of who people are and how they move through the world.

And whereas the City of Seattle is committed to being a place where all people, including those with disabilities, can live with dignity, safety, access, joy, and pride.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Seattle City Council recognizes July 26, 2026 as Disability Pride Month.

I would now, Madam Council President, if it pleases you, would like to invite A few speakers, starting first was Cecilia Black from the Non-Drivers Alliance.

Forward to share some remarks.

Yeah, and Council Member Saka, before we do, can we, and thank you, before we do that, can we see if there's any other comments and signatures?

I'm putting the cart before the horse.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Sorry, Cecilia.

No, you're good.

Cecilia, thank you.

Before we do that, we're gonna see if other council members have comments, and then signatures, and then we'll suspend the rolls.

Is that cool?

Awesome.

Are there other council members that have comments?

Council Member Kettle.

Thank you Council President and thank you Council Member Saka for this proclamation and highlighting such an important story here in Seattle.

Just to follow up on it, it was four moms in Queen Anne who were working with two law school students who took up on the challenge because back in the day if a child had a disability, it was basically two options either institution or being locked up in the house basically and these moms took the action and they got the ear of Governor Evans and other legislators at the time in the late 60s early 70s and this bill was passed education for all and it's incredible in terms of being the the baseline in terms of education and disabilities and interestingly in the mid 70s, 75 I believe, Senator Magnuson took the Education for All Act and brought it into Congress and it was basically done word for word.

There was no changes to it.

They basically took the Washington state legislation and made it into Congress and that was passed.

And so then it became the law of the land across the whole entire country related to students, children, young people across the board with disabilities.

And as you noted, it was then subsumed into the ADA in 1990. And I just wanted to, you know, to highlight that piece.

You know, it's a link for Seattle, and that link is continued on today with the Northwest Center that continues the work for those with disabilities for education and then for employment opportunities.

And I just want to thank Northwest Center for their work.

But really, going all the way back to those four moms of which I knew one daughter of one of those moms, I still do.

and it's an incredible story.

And I just thank you for adding it to proclamation and breathing life into that story because I think it's a story worth knowing.

So thank you, Councilmember Sacco.

Thank you, Council President.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Are there any further comments regarding this?

And I do want to give and say thank you, Councilmember.

Thank you, Saka, for bringing this.

I know that oftentimes people have proclamations and people might think they're performative.

This is not because I've seen the work that you've done behind the scenes, especially with transit and transportation in your committee and upholding these values in every single type of legislation.

and information that you do.

So I definitely really appreciate that and your work on this as well.

So happy to sign on for this.

Are there any other further comments that we have on the table?

All right.

So before we do that, can we see who would like to fix their signature to the council, to the proclamation recognizing July, 2026 as disability pride month presented by council member Saka.

Council member Lin.

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Six signatures will be affixed.

Awesome.

So it is proclaimed July 2026 to be Disability Pride Month in Seattle.

And yes, we can all clap for that.

And now we'll suspend the rules to, and I don't know if you have more than one speaker, but whoever is here to speak on behalf, Cecilia, more than happy to have you here and thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka, President Hollingsworth, and all of the Seattle City Council for recognizing July as Disability Pride Month.

My name's Cecilia Black.

I'm a wheelchair user and organizer of Non-Drivers Alliance, a statewide organization that works with disabled non-drivers to help build a transportation system that works for us.

And throughout the year, I talk a lot about the barriers that still face the disability community, and I hope that we can continue to reflect on what still needs to be done for the month of July.

But my wish for myself and Council and the City of Seattle is that we use this month, Disability Pride Month, to really feel the power of the disability community.

because the ADA was not passed overnight, and people with disabilities do not passively wait for history to happen to us.

The ADA was fought and won by disabled leaders who organized, not despite their disability, but used the power of their entire selves and all of the identities they wore to create a intersectional cross-disability movement.

And they changed the world.

If and when you or a family member receives supportive elder care, it is because of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have fought to be in the community.

If you've ever watched a TikTok video on your commute or used Siri to send a text, it is because of the technologies that are pioneered by blind and deaf disabled activists.

and if you've ever pushed a suitcase or a stroller down a sidewalk and used a curb cut is because of people with mobility disabilities.

In the last two months, the federal government has eroded the rights and supportive services of children with disabilities to receive an education.

and they have attacked the very idea that people with disabilities should be living in communities.

So this work is so important, and I really hope that we can continue to honor the advocates that have paved the way and continue to make our world better for not just people with disabilities, but our entire communities.

Thank you.

to the floor.

Thank you, Cecilia.

I know Ms. Black has another arrangement at 2.30.

I'm hoping you can stay.

We'd love to take a photo in the next couple of minutes.

We have one more speaker, if you're able, no worries.

Madam Council President, if it please, the Council President.

We have one more speaker lined up.

three amazing organizations here with us today, the National Federation of the Blind, the Seattle Chapter, the Non-Drivers Alliance, we heard from Cecilia a moment ago, and also members of our very own Seattle Disability Commission.

And may I please the Council President would love to invite our next speaker, who will speak on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind.

Welcome and thank you in advance.

Mr. Colin Wong.

Thank you so much council members and for this historic proclamation.

I'm honored to represent the National Federation of the Blind.

We're a membership organization of blind people across Seattle and across Washington and nationally.

When I think of Disability Pride Month, I think about the fact that disability does not have to be the end.

It could be the beginning of a new life, but that starts with inclusion and accessibility, and that starts with having a home where you can feel included, where you can participate meaningfully, and you feel included.

And to me, Seattle is that place.

Seattle is my home.

I belong to District 1. And one thing that stood out to me from Councilman Saka was the fact that there is room to grow.

And I think oftentimes when we think of progress, we think that of completion.

But I think it's a very powerful statement when we acknowledge that there is room to grow in terms of accessibility and inclusion.

Accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities is not the last step, but the first step, because it's the first door to opening continued dialogue where we can learn from each other, where we can continue growing as a community, and where we can continue growing that home and that community where where blind people and other people with disabilities have a place of full inclusion.

People with disabilities are active participants all across Seattle and across Washington.

They are our neighbors.

They are people like me.

They're fellow students and pedestrians, and it's important that they have and I have equal access to Seattle.

Seattle has demonstrated a historic effort in including people with disabilities.

It was just last month when Tom Hewitt, who represents the ADA Department of Transportation for Seattle, spoke to the members of the NFB about the progress that transportation is is occurring, what type of accessibility is being focused on, and most importantly, hearing our concerns.

I believe that continued dialogue is important as things change every single day.

Concerns continue to evolve and I believe there's room for growth and we're looking forward to be a part of that conversation.

I want to thank everybody here.

I'm a proud person with a disability and I'm a proud person living in Seattle and I look forward to Seattle continuing to grow and being an example to the rest of the country.

Thank you so much.

Let the record reflect.

We have Councilmember Rivera here.

Councilmember Rivera, a verbal yes if he would like your name added to the proclamation.

Yes, yes.

Awesome.

Thank you.

So seven signatures will be affixed.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Saka, any closing words before we take a photo?

No, I want to thank members of the Seattle Disability Commission, Mr. Wong, Ms. Black for being here, and now would love to invite representatives from the National Federation of the Blind, the Non-Drivers Alliance, I think Cecilia left just a moment ago, but other members of the Seattle Disability Commission, Ford to take a photo with me and my council colleagues.

awesome and so we will have folks come next to rakira and they will come up on the stage if that is or the dais it's all the day or is there some place should we come down yeah okay so we'll come we'll come down here to the front then council members we'll just come down to the front and then we'll jump right into public comment thank you so much

Thank you.

Good job.

All right, we're getting good at pictures, thank you.

Good at pictures.

All right, thank you all.

And so now we're gonna transition into public comment.

I'll wait till we get a little settled here.

Thank you, the public, for your patience and the proclamation.

I know we're doing a little transition.

13 speakers.

Awesome, so we do have 13 speakers.

That is online and in person.

Everyone's gonna get two minutes.

We have 13 speakers, two minutes.

Will the clerk please read the instructions for the public comment period?

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

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

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

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

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

Just a reminder, council cannot accept comments on quasi-judicial items or any campaign related matters.

We have 13 speakers.

We'll start with, I'll call people in groups of three.

We have Kendall, welcome, we have Scott, and then we have Ivana.

Kendall, Scott, and Ivana, welcome.

Good afternoon, council.

My name is Ken.

I am a candidate member with the American Party of Labor.

This morning, the mayor stated that the installed stadium cameras have been turned off because the World Cup is over.

Now, I think we all know that telling the public that the cameras are off is so blatantly a move to regain what little support this administration is clinging onto.

You know, people are calling the mayor shady Katie.

They're calling her Shady Wilson because she is capitulated on so many of the things that she promised, as has this counsel.

I think we all know that the mayor knows that the cameras never should have been fucking installed in the first place.

These are threats to the public.

They are not deterrents to any kind of crime.

We know that because Christopher Leahy disabled the camera before he stabbed Juniper Blessing 40 times.

Off isn't unplugged.

Off isn't physically removed.

Cameras are not deterrents.

Cameras are tools of the surveillance state to stalk and harass the public.

There are reports from all over the country about how pigs, cops, are using these cameras to stalk citizens.

So I'm going to take some of my precious time to ask each and every one of you a question.

Yes or no, please.

If you do not answer, I will safely assume that the answer is no.

Council Member Saka, will you commit to physically removing the cameras?

That's a no.

Council Member Rivera, will you physically commit or commit to physically removing the cameras?

I'll take that as a no.

Council President Hollingsworth, will you commit to physically removing the cameras?

I'll take that as a no.

Council Member Rink, will you commit to physically removing the cameras?

I'll take that as a no.

Council Member Lynn, you're smiling.

Will you commit to removing the cameras?

I'll take that as a no.

Council Member Foster, do you commit to physically removing the cameras?

I'll take that as a no.

Council Member Kettle, I know you're online.

Will you commit?

Thank you, Ken.

And just a reminder, this is your public comment time, so sometimes council members are not responding back, but I appreciate your comments, Ken Kendall.

Scott, welcome.

I'm Scott Buzzard, a candidate member of the American Party of Labor.

I ask you, City Council, why was your police force used to defend Nazi propagandists against your queer community in Capitol Hill?

Fascist agitators have been terrorizing Cal Anderson for the last month, pulling guns on park-goers and creating violent conflict against queer and trans people.

And instead of protecting the innocent park-goers and the courageous people opposed to this filth, your police force chose to protect and escort Nazis.

Let me say this again in case you are not listening.

Your $486 million police force defended violent criminals against the masses of innocent and frustrated people during Pride Month when these people should feel the safest in our city.

You all use queer issues as a platform for election, for photo ops, but when the queer community is in clear danger from Nazi organizations, you are silent and instead send the child-beating brigade of SPD to defend these vile bigots.

Your commitment to public safety through SPD looks more and more like a commitment to public fear.

You attack the queer community for defending itself.

You create a conflict by having notoriously violent police officers come to corral people as they fight for their right to exist.

This is utter failure in your role as public officials.

This is a betrayal of your duties and responsibility to protect Seattle's various communities.

When these agitators have arrived in the park, it has not been your pig farm that has protected the people.

It has been the masses.

It has been the organized effort of people's movements that have driven back the horde of evil that has terrorized our friends, colleagues, and comrades.

It has been the American Party of Labor that has stood up to these criminals and defended the masses from your negligence.

Only the people of Seattle have been successful in protecting themselves while you all sit by idly.

You are nothing without the people, City Council, and we are realizing this.

Remember this as your failings inevitably continue.

Remember the history of people's movements against injustice and the vampiric systems you uphold.

The people will always fight for true freedom by any means necessary.

Thank you, Scott.

Next we have Ivana.

Is Ivana here?

Ivana, welcome.

Thank you, council members.

My name is Ivana Jovanovich.

I am the division secretary of the Puget Sound Division of the American Party of Labor.

Recently, Christopher Leahy, as previously mentioned by my comrade Ken, was ruled unfit to stand trial.

remind the council that this is a trial over stabbing a young transgender girl 40 times in the face.

If he is unfit to stand trial, how is he mentally fit to disable every single security camera in a UW-owned housing unit?

He was well aware of what he was doing.

The courts, this council, and the city administration should be ashamed of themselves for this ruling.

Secondly, there has been a massive delay in the signing and ratification of the civil state of emergency for a trans refugee crisis, internal political refugees moving to this city.

This has been something that's been going on, not this year, not the last five years, decades.

It is coming to a point where every third trans person in our community is a transplant to this city.

I was born and raised here, and every trans person I meet moves to this city for safety, not just within this country, but from around the world.

Not signing this proclamation is complacency in the emerging genocide of trans people.

until this proclamation is signed.

And after this proclamation or the civil state of emergency is signed, the American party of labor will continue our work radicalizing trans people against the system that is perpetuating this trans genocide against the capitalist system, the political order that upholds it.

We will train them practically, tactically in combating capitalism effectively.

And we will arm them to the teeth.

Do with that what you will.

Thank you, Ivana.

Next we have Clive, welcome, followed by Mante, did I say that right?

Okay, awesome, thank you.

And then Matt, welcome.

On July 4th, Independence Day, a visual artist came to the waterfront with the intention of creating his artwork.

Before he'd begun, he was excluded from the promenade and threatened with trespass, despite no apparent safety issue.

The irony of preventing artistic expression on the day we celebrate our freedoms is hard to miss.

The same artist has created his artwork in city parks, on public sidewalks, throughout the city without issue.

There's no reason the waterfront should be treated differently.

To my knowledge, he is the fifth artist who has been excluded or trespassed from the public park.

These are artists and performers who bring vitality, culture, and a sense of place to Seattle's public spaces.

Also, on July 5th at 9.40 p.m., I called Seattle Center Emergency Services Unit because a tourist needed medical aid.

ESU declined to respond and instructed me to call 911 instead.

The city's website states that ESU provides first aid and responds to emergencies.

I ask the council to review whether ESU practices are consistent with those public commitments.

I ask you ensure the waterfront remains a place where public safety and free expression are both protected.

that visual artist was taken into custody, a homeless black man.

He's now in county jail.

Thank you, Clive.

Next we have Mante followed by Matt and Terry Jones, John, Yvette Dynish, and then Howard Gale.

I am Montai, a spiritual leader in the trans community of Seattle, and I am here to speak truth to power.

I'm here to express my outrage that the man who stabbed 19-year-old art student Juniper Blessing 40 times has been declared unfit to stand trial.

This is unacceptable, this is abhorrent, and this is exactly the sort of systemic neglect my people have come to expect from the syssexist, racist, ableist, and misogynistic so-called justice system of these United States of America.

If Juniper Blessing had been a syssexual woman instead of a transgender one, I highly doubt that this murderer would be treated quite so gently and with so much tender, loving care.

Sadly, this is normal, for under the laws of this city, this state, and this constitution, it is explicitly the case that transgender people are not created equal.

There is a long history of cis-sexuals who murder trans people getting lighter sentences by pleading a trans panic defense.

Apparently you cis-sexuals have decided that cis-sexual men cannot be reasonably expected to control their urge to kill us.

Meanwhile in Texas, transgender women are facing multi-decade sentences on bad faith terrorism charges.

In the men's prisons into which they will be thrown, they will be systemically raped with the assistance of the prison staff in the practice known as V coding, where transgender women are gifted to the most violently and sexually aggressive inmates to calm them down by being forced to act as their government provided sex slaves.

A few weeks ago, the U.S.

Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, declared that transgender people shall not have equal treatment under the law.

We are explicitly second-class citizens in your country, and it is only your country, because in your country, only cis-sexuals are afforded their rights as human beings.

I demand my right to life.

I demand my right to liberty.

I demand my right to pursue happiness.

I demand equal rights from my people under your laws.

Stop the transgenocide.

Declare a civil emergency now.

Thank you, Monty.

Next we have Matt, followed by Terry Jones, John, and Yvette Dynish.

Matt?

Hi there.

Is this working?

Yeah, just talk right close into the camera.

You're good.

Hi, guys.

I just want to say this looks like a hard job, and I appreciate what you're doing.

I specifically came to thank you for the bike lanes in Fremont.

I biked from Fremont to downtown, and the worst part of the commute was Fremont Ave.

And now there's a beautiful, protected bike lane.

So I wanted to thank you guys for that.

And then I wanted to thank you for continuing to focus on open drug use and how to mitigate that very tough problem, because it's very scary to be in my own community around folks that are openly using drugs.

So I appreciate the continued focus on that.

And then finally, I would hope that you all might consider, or maybe you've already done this, I know it's hard work to clean up Lake Union, but and it's hard to understand how to get involved.

But folks are swimming there, and it's such a lovely thing to be able to swim in a lake in the middle of the city, but it's also very polluted.

And so considering how we can collaborate together to clean it up so that people who are already there will be less diseased, then that would be great.

And just thank you again.

This is hard work.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Is it Matt?

Awesome.

Thank you, Matt.

The geese next to Lake Union, they poop about 30 to 50 times a day.

I found that out.

So there's a lot.

Interesting fact.

Okay, Terry Jones.

Welcome.

Terry Jones, followed by John and Yvette.

This is Yvette.

And then we have Howard Gale, and I know some people who came in, signed up.

Welcome, Terry.

Hello, I'm Terry Jones.

It's hard to follow the goose poop comment, but I think I'll try.

I'm here representing Disability Empowerment Center, and I'm here to participate in and to celebrate the Disability Pride Month Proclamation.

Our organization, we serve service and help people in King County with disabilities maintain their independent living.

that includes helping them apply for benefits or everyday living skills.

We're located in Capitol Hill, or not, sorry, First Hill and Auburn and in Redmond.

I am just thrilled to be a part of this, and I think that's all.

I want to say anything else before I mess up.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.

Welcome.

Next, we have John Smith, followed by Yvette Dynish, and then we'll go to the list that people have.

Welcome, John Smith.

Welcome.

Hello, council members.

I am here because two nights ago I have watched 911 fail to help one of our disabled neighbors in our community.

The council is not using its funds to its full ability to address the homelessness crisis.

I'm aware there's a budget shortage, but the jumpstart tax is not being used for only for its intended purpose.

I'm aware that it may be used for the general fund, but its intention was for adding additional housing within the city of Seattle.

You are also letting out-of-state AI triage systems abandon and kill our disabled neighbors.

I'm aware of that.

This is not something in common on due to ongoing wrongful death lawsuit.

and two nights ago, I called 911 and Medic One abandoned a diabetic blind man on Union Street and did nothing to ensure his safety.

He was left there to rot and no one did anything to help him.

I reached out to anyone I could find.

No one wanted to help him.

I called and the only option I was given was, oh, we're sorry, we have a care team.

but they're off duty right now.

It's nighttime.

There's nothing we can do.

Do you want to send a police officer?

What is a police officer going to do to help them?

What are they going to do?

Is there anything you could do to help?

People are dying in this city.

People are dying.

If this is not an emergency, I don't know what else is.

I come from Louisiana.

When we have natural disasters of any kind, we help our community.

Why is the city council not doing everything it can?

if this were any other place in the world they would be doing everything they could why is nothing happening why is nothing happening why are the disabled being abandoned why is no one helping them just please someone tell me I just want to know why is no one helping anyone please please please I understand, like I understand things are tough right now, but please, please, please help, please.

I worked in all the boredom, I worked at Holloman Air Force Base helping Afghan refugees, and now those same Afghan refugees are in their deportation by our current dictator, Donald J. Trump.

Thank you, John.

What was my service for?

What did I do?

What did I do?

What did I do to this workplace?

Thank you, John.

Thank you, John.

Thank you, John.

We're good.

No, no, no.

John, your time has expired.

I'm more than happy to have a conversation after this, but I have to get through the public comment period, okay?

No one's going to come up here and kick you off, but we're just going to ask you nicely if we can move through public comment.

Is that okay, John?

I will talk to you after this meeting, but I want to get through the public comment.

Your time's expired.

No one's going to come up to you or push you out, but I'm just asking you nicely if we can move through public comment.

Is that cool?

You're good.

So there, can I ask someone to help come assist you to that seat that's closest to you?

Is that okay?

Okay, so the person behind you is named Shireen.

She's our city clerk.

She's phenomenal.

She's gonna get you to this front area and we're gonna give you a glass of water too as well.

Is that cool, John?

You're good.

So you're gonna see her on your right side.

We got you.

And I'll talk to you after the meeting to address some of the concerns you have about 911 and other stuff.

Is that cool?

I got you, you're good.

I'm gonna give you some water too, okay, John?

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Council Member Foster for that water for John.

Appreciate that so much.

Thank you, John.

Okay, we have, thank you, Council Member Foster.

Just drink up that water, John.

Next we have Miss Yvette, welcome.

Good afternoon.

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

As summer ramps up, I want to thank you council for your funding of events.

such as the Chocolate Sundaes at Beersheba Park, the Rainy Beach Jazz Jam, the Chinatown Sea Fair Parade, the Nia Fest, and more.

It gives the community something to do and just get us out and about engaging with each other, which is always a very good thing.

And I want to thank you again for funding Tilt Alliance's Good Food Bags Program, which I mentioned before, and they provide organic fruits and vegetables to our seniors and our preschoolers.

And Council Member Lynn, thank you for arranging the Zoom meeting regarding The Raina Beach community is concerned about closing Lake Wynton Boulevard, and yes, I will be there.

Also, I read the newsletter and it was intriguing about the Seattle transit measure and the benefit district meeting upcoming.

And it got me to thinking because CID is struggling, business is down.

To think about having a, on a trial basis, maybe a year round shuttle between the CID and Pike Place Market, going between the two to bring people through there and to the both places, because they're both tourist attractions.

And quite frankly, the bus I take to get back to Bainey Beach, I go by the CID, but I'm too lazy to get off the bus and explore, so I just keep on rolling by.

So just kind of see if you can figure out a way to do that.

And then...

This has nothing to do with anything, but when the education for all legislation came up, I had a flashback whiplash because when I was enacted, I was a toddler and a two-year-old and now they all grow.

Where did that time go?

But anyway, thank you for the work you do.

I very much appreciate it.

Awesome.

Thank you, Miss Yvette.

Remind me to get you some Arizona gear.

That Oregon gear is not appropriate in council chambers.

Mr. Howard Gale, you are next.

Very offensive Oregon gear, by the way.

Mr. Howard Gale.

Good afternoon.

Three weeks ago was the ninth anniversary of Charlene Lyle's murder by the SPD, an event passed unnoticed and seemingly unmentioned by city and electeds.

July will bring us the 11th anniversary of Sam Tashiro Smith's murder by SPD and the 12th anniversary of Larry Andrew Flynn's murder by SPD.

All three of these people were in crisis holding an edged object when killed by SPD.

If they had lived in the UK or Japan, they would still be alive.

Also, speaking of Disability Pride Month, it's a little hypocritical when in fact all those people I mentioned had severe mental health crises and over half of the people that are killed in Seattle and most other cities are killed when they're in mental health crisis.

So when you're still killing people in mental health crisis, it's a little hypocritical to declare this a Disability Pride Month.

Three weeks ago, King County Inquest jury split on its findings of the 2020 SPD murder of Sean Furr shot in the head while holding his infant son and holding no weapon.

Three of six jurors found this killing authorized use of deadly force and not criminal.

despite all aspects of our police accountability system deeming this killing, quote, lawful and proper.

Next week, there will be another King County inquest jury into the murder, also deemed lawful and proper, of Ryan Smith in 2019, an African-American man in crisis holding just a two and a quarter inch knife with four cops who decided within a couple of seconds to shoot him dead.

Currently, police scorecard has Seattle ranked SPD killings higher than 83% of all departments across the country.

83% of departments across the country.

I hear the word accountability thrown around by this council a lot.

In 2017, the city auditor demanded or requested an audit of our police accountability system.

Nine years later, that's still

Thank you, Mr. Gill.

Next we have, if you're online, we're coming to you after the last four in-person speakers that we have.

We have Bennett, you're good, followed by Camille, Erica, and Naomi.

And if you are online, we're coming to you right after our four in-person speakers.

Bennett, welcome.

We'll start when you start.

I understand.

Thank you, counsel.

So remember last week, I was talking about how I was attacked with pepper spray and punched out at Cal Anderson Park, and I had mentioned that the vast majority of violence that occurs at left-wing protests has a common cause.

Both the men and the women in the protest movement have said offensive things, but sometimes if a woman says something offensive and a man criticizes her for it, they often retaliate by calling it sliding into DMs or harassment.

So I'm going to give you another example.

I am sorry about the language, but this is factual information about something that happened.

I'm glad the kids left, but Seattle Channel subtitled person, if this is still being done by a human, I am sorry.

You can hear that anyway, but I'll do it again.

I cranked the volume down in case I accidentally started playing it in the back of the room and if I turn it back up.

He'll listen to you.

I know he eats your ass.

I bet you eat his ass.

Is his ass good?

Are you guys gay?

Oh my God.

Congratulations for coming out.

I love it.

Do you know who Hannah Baker is?

She killed herself.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Maybe you should do the same.

All right, so this is someone that I talked to and I said, you know, we're on the same team.

Please stop calling cops gay as an insult.

Please stop telling people to kill themselves.

She retaliated by calling it harassment and sliding into DMs, and years and years later, I played you guys the tape last week of the woman yelling rapist at me at one of the protests here.

This is because of these incidents where I've spoken out against a woman in the protest movement saying or doing something offensive like this.

People cannot believe this when they hear it.

They say, are you sure there's not?

I mean, is there anything else going on here?

I always tell people there's one party here telling the truth.

There's a bunch of other people that are not.

You will never go wrong with that assumption, but you have to stick to it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bennett.

Next, we have Camille followed by Erica and Naomi.

And if you are online, we're coming to you after our three in-person speakers.

Welcome, Camille.

Okay, I'll probably be brief.

I'm usually over-prepared and I didn't prepare anything, but I wanted to talk to you about surveillance.

I am very happy to hear that Mayor Wilson turned off the cameras in the stadium district, but we know that when turned off, they're never really off and we want them taken down.

You've heard from a number of people about the real safety concerns in our city and there are real effective solutions and surveillance is not one of them.

Just to name one on here, this is from a number of community members who have put this together, but I think you've heard enough to know that the care team, expanding the care team and freeing them from SPD would be a huge benefit to our public safety.

SPDs, rain on them, has nothing to do with public safety.

It has everything to do with power and control.

And if we want safety for our community members, then we need the right people to come and help when they are in crisis.

We also need housing.

There are many other things, but I'm going to leave you with this gift.

Thank you, Camille.

Next we have Erica, followed by Naomi.

Welcome, Erica.

Thank you all, and I want to thank the council and Council Member Hollingsworth especially for the compassion that you showed a few speakers ago.

That tone really sets a great environment for everybody here.

I want to express support for the mayor for keeping her promise to turn off the cameras in the stadium district, and I want to encourage her and the city as a whole to continue to uninstall and disinvest in this technology going forward.

Earlier this afternoon, we had a rally just downstairs with a wide variety of speakers from many communities across the city, and I want to highlight what we heard and what we didn't.

Often, when people speak against the solutions that come from SPD, that come from the surveillance community, they're painted as a uniform group by some people.

They're painted as a uniform group of uninformed people who are dismissing the safety concerns of their neighbors, but that's not what we heard today.

Everyone who spoke came from a different background.

Everyone highlighted tragedies, heartbreak, injustice, and harm that they have experienced, that their loved ones have experienced, and they also want change, and they also want safety.

The difference is that they don't want solutions built only to keep those with privilege, those with wealth, safe at the expense of everybody else.

They want safety and real safety for everybody.

I bring this up to encourage everyone here not to dismiss the concerns that people have about surveillance technology.

Their concerns are coming from real, informed, and lived places.

As you hear from them, please listen to them with an open heart and an open mind.

Thank you.

Thank you, Erica.

Next, we have Naomi.

Welcome.

and then if you are online, this is our last in-person public speaker and we'll go online.

Naomi, welcome.

Good afternoon, Council.

Just downstairs on the plaza this afternoon, I gathered with dozens of community members to oppose the continued use of surveillance by Axon cameras in vulnerable and racialized areas of the city.

We heard from many speakers of the harm that surveillance leaves on our community members.

We already know that cameras do not prevent crime.

They are, by definition, reactive and not proactive.

These ones, in particular, are also costing the city $8.8 million a year while we are facing potential cuts to services.

That's ludicrous.

That money could support public safety in proactive ways, such as mental health support, housing support, and non-police community safety initiatives, like the care team.

Our demands downstairs were directed to Mayor Katie Wilson, who could turn off the cameras at any time and did one today.

I now make the demand of you city council to make a different choice of budgeting and to move as a council to uninstall them.

We see police stalking people through camera databases.

We see ICE using these camera databases.

One of the acts on cameras is next to Planned Parenthood while we claim to be a state friendly to those seeking abortion.

Thank you to council members Rick and Strauss for voting against the cameras last year and I urge the rest of you to catch up.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Naomi.

Now we're going to move to online speakers.

Is there anyone else signed up in chambers?

We'll go online and then we'll come back if there's anyone else signed up.

Andrilyn, then followed by Rose, David Haynes, and then Joe.

Please press star six to unmute yourself.

We have four people online signed up.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Andrilyn Escudo from Pierce County District 2. I'm a human rights activist.

And my comment topic today is a token of appreciation for the strategic plan that's on the agenda today.

It has been a long time establishing an update since 2010 to Resolution 32210 regarding the 2027 to 2032 strategic plan for the City Light Department.

I would like to thank the Mayor and Council for wanting transparency and accountability added into the plan.

One does not have to be from this city to appreciate what the community needs, whether working in Seattle or touring the need attractions throughout the city.

The people have been demanding public access to government, politics, documents, and processes since the late 1700s.

We're going to pause your time.

I'm sorry.

We'll reset it to one minute.

I interrupted you.

There was a long pause.

So we'll reset to one minute so you can have your full time.

I interrupted you.

I apologize.

Okay, go ahead.

No problem.

That's okay.

Thank you very much.

Okay, so in the late 1700s, it was encouraged for protections of fragile rebellion to have an opportunity to know of debates and such.

So it is a treat to see how the answer to our ask has spread from city to city, county to county, state to state, and even more so now from country to country.

Providing access to the community has its benefits of receiving positive and influential contribution that may accelerate the amendment process and put the policy quicker into action.

While it may seem like too many cooks in the kitchen at once and with respect to confidentiality, in this particular case of planning for forth, something pleasantly surprising can arise out of nothing.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Rose followed by David and then Joe.

Hello, my name is Rose.

Disability Pride Month for many is not just about disability.

For the trans community, trans and disability are intrinsically intertwined.

This last week we had a notification of two individuals that took their life in the United States that were trans in New York and Minnesota.

These were young trans men who weren't just their young 20s, but things have been so dire and so terrible that people are feeling more scared and desperate than ever before.

We are having individuals here in Seattle that have taken their lives.

We have individuals in Seattle that are constant risk of suicide and other things.

When we talk about the emergency declaration, the need that's needed to happen is that there are not just the needs that's being dealt by Sound Health and other mental health organizations, but housing and resources and supports are all needed to help keep people alive.

We don't have a lacking basic Basic resources, and there are individuals, such as myself, that are living on $450 a month on age-blind and disability benefits in Seattle, trying to survive every month to month.

And we're struggling, and it is not working well.

As the Trump administration says that they are cracking down, we're going to try to eliminate transgender people in response to the Supreme Court ruling.

We are in an incredibly desperate situation.

We are also experiencing all sorts of types of violence, whether it be in Cal Anderson or Asia Williams who was gunned down, a black trans woman in Maryland this last week.

Violence is a thing that is happening to us constantly and we need support to be able to push back and to help keep our community alive and healthy and the way that we should be because so many of us struggle with all sorts of disabilities and trauma everything else and we need you all's support to be able to fight against that because right now we're struggling.

Thank you, Rose.

Next we have David Haynes followed by Joe.

Hi, David Haynes.

You know, there's a twisted lie that gets spewed from leadership in Seattle where they go on the media and tell us how public safety has improved because out of all the gunshots that have taken place hitting people, hitting houses, cars, buildings.

Luckily, nobody died because people are bad shots, and yet we had three shootings yesterday, and according to the leadership, it's all good because nobody died, even though six people got shot, and yet one of them is so close to the stadium where there's still like, what, 45-some-odd games for the Mariners to be played, and yet the mayor, who keeps being misled by public safety advisors, acting overdramatic, who already took away the ineffective surveillance cameras that still think that the biggest threat is the federal government that she refuses to work with to shut down all the evil predatory criminals because the police chief is not proactively combating crime.

But he will take credit for what the feds do when they approach him to get some noble crime-fighting cops assistance.

But when it comes to the police chief supporting his captains, he keeps thinning out the resources to make sure that they don't have enough to shut down the evil predators in all of these different communities.

but they do have a type of outreach where they give a heads up to the criminals and they create these entrapment operations to let the pimps and pushers and the prostitutes know that the cops are working in the area so they can go someplace else, so they can get more sophisticated in their rape houses throughout King County, Overlake, and the U District.

Yet, council's focusing on a strategic plan to raise the city light costs all to make sure that they have enough electricity to literally help cruise boats who launder billions of dollars out of our financial system that make the locals raid the property taxes to cover the bond payments for all the debt that's created by the cruise boats and the Port of Seattle that sells out the local community with a bunch of belligerent unions who never kept sober before they show back up and screw up sound transit, which did a crappy job yesterday, by the way.

USA would have won it.

Thank you, David.

Next we have Joe.

Welcome, Joe.

Star six, unmute yourself.

Thank you, Council President Hollingsworth.

It's always good to call in to Seattle Council.

I wanted to call in today and say thank you for the Disability Pride Month.

As a disabled person, I'm deeply grateful that the Seattle City Council has the decency to recognize the disability community.

I especially want to thank all the council members, but especially Council Member Saka for leading the charge on that.

I thought you deserved a thank you.

I just really think that at a time when we have MAGA Republicans in the state Senate who want to cut the Climate Commitment Act that also provides critical funding to local transits, that we stand up for the disability community's rights, including the right to move around safely.

As you know, public transit is very important.

so I hope you will back Mayor Wilson's full Seattle transit measure proposal, please.

I also hope that you will please make sure the buses are safe and clean and effective as I will be coming down tomorrow for the first ever World Aviation Expo that will be celebrating our great aviation accomplishments and hopefully, unlike the World Cup team, I can assure you that Alaska Airlines and Kenmore Air will provide a world championship performance every single time, just like the Seattle City Council.

And of course, the council president's favorite basketball team, the Seattle Storm.

So with that, go Storm, go Hawks, and thanks for all you do, and go Seattle.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Joe, for your comments.

We'll do a double check.

There's one more.

Awesome.

One more signed up in person.

Thank you so much.

We have Phil.

Is this Phil?

Welcome, Phil.

Hold on, let's make sure your mic's on.

All right.

OK, awesome.

Go ahead, Phil.

Hi.

My name is Phil Mossack.

I am a longtime technologist.

I do software engineering for a living, but I've been very concerned about technology and privacy for a long time.

And I just came from morality outside, and I wanted to thank Councilmember Mercedes Rink for the statement and for the support.

And I was thinking about, what can I say that would mean anything to people who are not already decided on this?

I know that this issue is really difficult.

I think the mayor would like to do what I consider to be the right thing on this matter.

And I know there's extreme pressure to do something.

You have people whose children were harmed, if not killed.

And when the community comes to you and says, this is what we want, it's really hard to say no. and if you imagine a CCTV system as cameras on the wall that somebody might sit in front of or that are recorded on the tapes or that just exist and then disappear, you're thinking about a system that it seems maybe reasonable to say okay to those people who want it.

Now I would caution that those people who want it have been directly marketed to by the vendor And what I want to get across is that Axon is an information broker.

They make their money by selling subscriptions so that you can keep using the equipment that they sell you for a lower fee than it otherwise would cost.

And what they're doing is slurping up information about what happens in our criminal justice system from the 911 call, which is virtualized by a system that they purchased, to the evidence that gets used in court.

And that stuff is all private.

And they're training their, I know a little bit about artificial intelligence and large language models and how you churn through lots and lots of data to make these things do pretty amazing stuff.

You need more and more data.

And Axon are right at the center of all that data.

It's centralized.

And they stand to make a lot of money off this.

Even if you don't care about the fact that we're creating a system of tracking where people are so that you can do retrospective searches of where they have been.

You can see where they were at the time that you didn't have any reason to be looking at what they were doing.

You gotta think about the fact that this is a huge transfer of public information to a private entity.

And that is what they are.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Are there any more other public commenters?

Awesome.

Well, I want to thank the people online and for the people that came in person.

I know some people already left for your comments today at City Council.

And also, I would say for the people that send us emails or see us in person when we're out and about for your public comments regarding council business or anything with the city.

So thank you all so much.

And we're going to transition right into our meeting.

And if there's no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction referral calendar is adopted.

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

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

We're now going to consider the proposed consent calendar.

Items on the consent calendar include minutes of June 30th, 2026, Council Bill 121244, payment of the bills, one bill and one resolution from Parks and City Light Committee.

We also have six appointments from the Land Use and Sustainability Committee.

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

Seeing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you both, Council Member Foster and Council Member Rivera for your second and third.

It's been moved and second.

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

Council Member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendar items are adopted.

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

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

Agenda Item Number 1, Resolution 32207, a resolution adopting updated policies regarding the establishment and management of parking and business improvement areas for the City of Seattle, and superseding Resolution 31657.

Council Member Rink, Chair of the Committee, you're recognized to give the Committee report.

Thank you, Council President Hollingsworth.

Colleagues, on June 5th in the Human Services Labor and Economic Development Committee, we unanimously voted to recommend the passage of Resolution 32207, adopting BIA policy updates at the Office of Economic Development.

The city BIA policies provide guidance for existing and potential BIAs.

This resolution will update and simplify that guidance.

BIAs are a powerful tool to allow business and property owners and neighborhoods across the city to target shared resources to meet the specific needs of their own communities.

This resolution conveys the city's strong recommendations and guidance for prospective and existing BIAs and does not fundamentally change the operations of any current BIAs.

And, Council President, I do have an amendment to move when the time is right.

Absolutely, thank you Council Member Rink in all your work on this.

I know that you did some more stakeholding in this really, so really appreciate that.

Colleagues, are there any comments before us, before I know I'm gonna turn it back to you to move the amendment?

Okay, seeing none, just looking at eyes and head nods.

There's none.

So Council Member Rink, would you like to move your amendment?

Thank you, Council President.

I move to amend Resolution 32207 as presented on Amendment A on the agenda.

Second.

It's been moved and second to amend the resolution as presented on Amendment A. Council Member Rink, as sponsor, you're recognized to address your amendment.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, after this resolution passed out a committee, but before we could bring this to full council, several city BIAs identified some minor edits they wanted to see at their quarterly meeting.

These edits were limited to just a few lines in Policy 7. That is out of 15 total policies.

So our office worked in close collaboration with OED, law, and BIA's leadership to make the needed edits, and we've brought those as a technical amendment to the legislation today.

This amendment was circulated to all council member offices on July 2nd.

I want to assure everyone that the edits requested are essentially to clarify language and does not substantively change the policy nor the city's guidelines for BIA creation or renewals.

These edits are just a reflection of our ongoing collaborative and responsive partnership with our local business leaders, and on their behalf, I strongly encourage your support.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Colleagues, are there any comments before us regarding Amendment A?

I know it was circulated.

Awesome.

I don't see any comments.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of Amendment A?

Councilmember Lin?

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera?

Aye.

Councilmember Saka?

Aye.

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries.

Amendment A is adopted.

Are there any other final comments on the amended resolution?

Before we take a roll, Council Member Rink, do you have any final comments?

No, just thank you, colleagues, for your engagement on this and your support of the amendment today.

Thank you.

I saw a hand from Council Member Rivera, too.

Thank you.

Somehow I think I got kicked off the- Did you want to have a- But I did.

Oh, okay.

Councilmember Rivera, I apologize.

That's okay.

And thank you, Councilmember Ring, for looking down here and seeing.

I just actually wanted to say thank you to Councilmember Ring for bringing this in.

I wholeheartedly support the BIAs in our city.

I am lucky to have one in D4, the University District Partnership.

So I wanted to give them a shout out.

But I also have had the pleasure of working also with Mike Stewart and Ballard and Aaron Goodman and Soto.

And I just really appreciate all the work that they do in the districts where they're located.

And I know they do so much.

beyond just helping the small businesses, they do a lot for the neighbors surrounding the area as well.

So I wanted to just say that.

Thank you, Council President.

Awesome.

Thank you, Council Member Rivera.

If there's no final comments, we will call the roll on the resolution.

Clerk?

Councilmember Lin?

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera?

Aye.

Councilmember Saka?

Aye.

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Resolution is adopted as amended and the chair will sign it.

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

If we had a soundtrack, we would play the Aaliyah song, Resolution, from 2001. Every time I think of resolution, I think of, we need a resolution.

Okay.

Yeah, so anyways, R&B for y'all.

Okay, there were no items.

That would be the soundtrack after a resolution was passed.

So there's no items removed from the consent calendar.

There's not a resolution for introduction and adoption today.

Is there any more, is there any further business to come before the council?

I'll take that as a no, your silence.

Thank you.

Hearing no objection.

So there's no, excuse me, there's no further business.

So we have reached the end of today's agenda.

The next city council meeting is July 14th at 2 p.m.

I also, before we close, I know that yesterday was our last game here hosted at FIFA.

And I will say very happy about the all of the city workers, the FIFA planning committee, the folks that really had been planning for a long time.

And a couple of things that I really wanted to highlight were the amount of people that were on the ground, whether it was the SDOT, Seattle Department of Transportation, FIFA folks, it was our first responders, it were people that were volunteering.

It was so many different folks that were helping and just really wanna thank them because I think our city really shined during this moment.

but I also pose the question, is life after FIFA?

What does that look like for our city?

Because we showed our guests a good time and now I think it's important that we show our residents the same type of energy as we move forward.

So that's the commitment that I'll be leaning into and I know that my colleagues will be leaning into that as well.

So world-class city, world-class services.

All right, hearing no further business, we are adjourned.

Thank you, council members.

Thank you.