Seattle City Council 10/18/21

Thank you so much, son.

Good afternoon.

The October 18th, 2021 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It's 2.02 p.m.

I'm Lorena Gonzalez, president of the council.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Lewis?

Present.

Councilmember Morales?

Councilmember Mesqueda?

Present.

Councilmember Peterson?

Here.

Council Member Sawant.

Present.

Council Member Strauss.

Present.

Council Member Herbold.

Here.

Council Member Juarez.

Here.

Council President González.

Here.

Eight present.

Thank you so much.

I did get a note from Council Member Morales that she does plan to join us, but she is running a few minutes late.

So when she joins us, I will make sure to note that for the record.

Presentations.

As we heard this morning, colleagues, Council Member Herbal does have a proclamation declaring October 21st, 2021. as gender-based violence providers recognition day.

Council Member Herbold is going to present the proclamation first and then I will open it up for comments from other council members and then after we hear from other council members we'll go ahead and suspend the rules to allow our guests to accept the proclamation and provide comments.

So first we'll hear from Council Member Herbold, then we'll hear from any other council members who want to make comments, and then I'll suspend the rules and we will hand it over to Meryl for comments.

So Council Member Herbold, take it away.

Great, thank you so much.

I really appreciate this opportunity to present a proclamation declaring Thursday, October 21st to be gender-based violence providers recognition day.

I want to especially call out Lon Fong in particular because she staffs the multi-branch domestic violence prevention council and she actually made the suggestion that we bring forward this proclamation with the mayor's concurrence to make sure that we are really honoring the work of folks who are doing so much in this area right now.

This morning, every council colleague had the opportunity to affix their signature to the proclamation and did so.

Many of you know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but on Thursday, the Seattle Great Wheel and Columbia Tower will be lit purple for Puget Sound Purple Thursday in recognition, not just of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but also awareness and recognition for folks who are doing service provision in this area.

Since the pandemic began, providers have been on the front lines of a significant rise in gender-based violence, and they've responded, as so many have, by stretching beyond their capacity in order to support survivors and their families.

The city of Seattle invests in a comprehensive network of survivor services and a specialized legal response to domestic violence.

And this network supports more than 10,000 survivors every year.

I'm really glad for the opportunity to highlight the heroic efforts of these frontline workers who are working with those survivors day in and day out throughout the pandemic.

representatives of the coalition ending gender-based violence here to accept the proclamation.

But as Council President Gonzalez mentioned, it would be a great time to first hear from our colleagues on council.

Thanks.

Thank you so much, Council Member Herbold, for that.

Are there any other comments from council members before we suspend the rules?

I'm not seeing any hands raised.

I want to thank Council Member Herbold for bringing forward this proclamation during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and certainly want to thank Meryl Cousin for being with us today as we present this to this really important part of our community who does critically important work.

So if there's no objection, the council rules will be suspended to allow Meryl Cousin to accept the proclamation and provide remarks.

hearing no objection, the council rules are suspended, and we want to welcome Meryl to the city council meeting, and I'm going to go ahead and hand it over to Meryl to provide remarks to the city council and to members of the viewing public.

Hi, thank you so much.

Is my volume okay?

Okay, I just want to introduce myself.

I know most of you, but my name is Meryl Cousin, and I'm the director of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.

And wish more folks could have been here from our coalition, could have been here today, but like everybody else, they're busy juggling multiple things.

So I'm here to say on behalf of our over 30 member organizations that serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and King County that we want to sincerely thank you and express our appreciation for you taking the time with everything else that's going on to declare October 21st, 2021 to be Gender-Based Violence Provider Recognition Day.

Right now, right in the middle of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I also want to say thank you for all of your long-term continued efforts to inspire awareness and action on this critical issue.

None of you are strangers to this issue.

So thank you all to council members and other folks behind making this happen.

And I know that you're all far too familiar with how significant the problem of domestic and sexual violence are in our community, how they're connected to housing, homelessness, physical and mental illness, the other crises that are taking up so much of your time.

And I know you know that services were never adequately, you know, had adequate capacity and that's all changed.

But there'll be time to talk about all of those problems and needs at future meetings, I promise you.

But today we're focusing on celebrating, you know, the really talented and committed providers of gender-based violence services.

working both inside and outside of formal systems to meet the needs of survivors.

And I just feel so, I've been so impressed by seeing the tenacity, resilience, creativity, and dedication of the folks on the front lines supporting survivors through this issue and also working with their communities to respond.

I think it's important to recognize that advocates and preventionists kept showing up over the past now almost two years despite the ongoing pandemic and all of its effects, having to pivot services, try to figure out how to keep themselves and their families safe while also trying to provide safety and support to folks, you know, survivors facing really, really difficult situations.

They've been working hard to stay engaged with communities, to stay engaged with some, you know, all of the really, really critical and needed conversations we're having in our communities around racial justice, around the need to really re-envision and transform our community, our systems of accountability and support, particularly with an attention to racial and gender justice.

And holding the complexity of all of the sometimes what seems like just paradoxical situations that we've said before, that like we know that Criminal legal systems are not going to end gender-based violence.

And we also know that until we have the supportive and just communities that we want, some survivors will end up having to turn it to that system or engaged in it in some kind of way.

So at least for some temporary safety.

and harm reduction.

So one thing that this past year and a half has taught me is just the importance of taking time to focus on gratitude.

And it's almost like a platitude, but really just to remember to recognize and celebrate the resilience of our communities and of the folks working to support people having a hard time.

And I just also have such gratitude for living somewhere where there are so many engaged and committed community leaders and public officials such as yourselves who really support and are working to transform our communities to places where safe and just relationships can thrive.

You all have significant influence in your offices and we really thank you for using that power to recognize gender-based violence providers and inspire action today and every day of the year.

I really believe that together we can create communities where safe and just communities where everyone can thrive.

So thank you.

Thank you, Meryl.

Very well said.

And I know you have spent a lot of time expressing gratitude to us for acknowledging the important work that providers do in this space every day.

And certainly COVID has been a very significant event that has really stressed the system, even in the context of already, frankly, being stressed and really want to express our immense gratitude towards the thousands of workers in this area who have shown up every day, you know, putting themselves second and putting members of our community first in order to really deliver this critically important service.

So thank you, Merrill.

I hope we will send our best.

to everyone and including yourself.

Thank you so much for being here and for all of the advocacy work that you do.

I know that we will see you very soon as we continue to talk about how to center the needs of our community and the safety of our community in our budgets.

Thank you, Meryl.

Thanks so much.

Take care.

Bye.

Bye.

Okay, folks, we're going to move to our next item, which is approval of the minutes.

The minutes of the City Council meeting of October 11th, 2021 have been reviewed.

If there's no objection, the minutes will be signed.

Hearing no objection, the minutes are being signed.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes?

Okay, we're going to move to approval of the introduction and referral calendar.

I move to adopt the introduction and referral calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you so much.

It's been moved and seconded to adopt the introduction and referral calendar.

Colleagues, as we heard this morning, Council Member Sawant does have an amendment that she'd like to make a motion for.

So I'm going to go ahead and recognize Council Member Sawant to make her motion.

Thank you.

I move to amend the introduction and referral calendar to introduce a council bill entitled quote an ordinance relating to employment in Seattle requiring employers to provide parking or compensation for parking expenses to construction employees working in Seattle amending section 3.02.125, 3.15.000, and 6.208020 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and adding a new chapter, 14.35, to the Seattle Municipal Code, and by referring it to the City Council on November 1st.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

could I get a courtesy second so that I could at least describe what this legislation does and also just keeping in mind this motion is simply about whether to introduce the legislation.

Council Member Sawant, I can't let you speak to the substance of the motion.

I'm just explaining what the vote is about.

I think council members know what the motion is and what the effect of the motion is.

I want to make sure members of the public understand.

Council Member Sawant, this is not an opportunity for that, you have to have a second before we can speak to the substance of the motion.

So is there a second?

I'm not speaking to the substance.

I'm just saying that this is just about whether to introduce the legislation.

That is the substance of the motion.

The substance of the motion is to amend the introduction and referral calendar, which is a procedural perspective.

So you need a second before you can talk about the motion.

Is there a second?

I'm calling for a second for the third time.

This really shows the political power of the contractor bosses.

I'm not hearing a second.

Council Member Sawant, you are out of order.

Council Member Sawant, you are out of order.

Council Member Sawant, I'm going to ask IT to mute you if you continue.

This is out of order.

Council Member Sawant.

Council Member Sawant, I'm not threatening you with anything.

You just threatened to mute me.

You just threatened to mute me.

Council Member Sawant, I asked you to please comply with the rules of which you are very familiar because you are the most senior council member on this body.

Don't shame me about rules, Council President Gonzalez.

I'm just asking us to move along.

We know what the rules are.

The bosses call the shots on the city council and you're making it up to them.

There is no second.

Therefore, the motion fails for a lack of a second.

And hearing no second, we will go ahead and move on to other items of business on today's agenda.

Approval of the agenda.

If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is now adopted.

We'll now move to public comment.

Colleagues, at this time, we will open the remote public comment period for items on the City Council agenda.

introduction and referral calendar and the Council's work program.

I thank everyone for their ongoing patience and cooperation as we do continue to operate this remote public comment system.

It remains our strong intent to make sure that we have public comment at all of our meetings.

However, as a reminder, the City Council reserves the right to end or eliminate these public comment periods at any point if we deem that this system is being abused or is no longer suitable for allowing our meetings to be conducted efficiently and effectively.

I'll moderate the public comment period in the following manner.

The public comment period for this meeting is 20 minutes, and with each speaker having up to two minutes to address the city council.

However, we have about 30 people signed up for public comment today.

So in an effort to hear from as many people as possible, I'm gonna go ahead and extend the public comment period, but shorten the amount of time that's provided to each public commenter from two minutes to just one minute.

So if there is no objection, the public comment period will be extended to last approximately 30 minutes.

Hearing no objection, the public comment period is extended to 30 minutes.

Speakers are called upon in the order in which they registered to provide public comment on the council's website.

Each speaker must call in from the phone number used for this registration and using the meeting phone number, ID, and passcode that was emailed to them upon confirmation.

This is different than the general meeting list and line call-in information.

Again, I'll call on each speaker by name and in the order in which they registered on the council's website.

If you've not yet registered to speak but would like to, you can sign up before the end of public comment by going to the council's website at seattle.gov forward slash council.

The public comment link is also listed on today's agenda.

Once I call your name, staff will unmute you.

You will hear the prompt if you have been unmuted, and then that will be your cue to press star six before you begin to speak.

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

And again, as a reminder, today's public comment should relate to an item on today's agenda, an item that is on the introduction and referral calendar, or the council's work program.

Speakers are going to hear a chime when you have 10 seconds left of your allotted time.

Once you hear the chime, we ask that you please begin to wrap up your public comment.

If you do not end your comments within the one minute, then we will have to mute your microphone in order to move on to the next speaker.

Once you've completed your public comment, please disconnect from the line, and you can continue watching this meeting on Seattle Channel or one of the listening options listed on the agenda.

Public comment period is now open, and we're going to go ahead and begin with the first speakers on the list.

And I'm going to call folks out at three at a time, so that way you all can be ready.

Again, for those of you who signed up for public comment today, You will have one minute instead of two minutes, so please start whittling down your comments if you had planned on giving a two-minute testimonial.

Thank you so much.

First up is Margo Stewart, and then we will hear from Howard Gale, and then Blythe Serrano.

Margo, welcome.

Hi, my name is Margo.

I rent and work on First Hill, and I'm calling to demand that the council urgently pass council members who want legislation for contractors to fully pay parking for built-in trades workers You know, I'm incredibly proud that my council members steadfastly walked the picket lines with hundreds of Frankenthal carpenters and tradesmen and championing this legislation in solidarity with their key demands.

My question for other council members who gave statements of support and were present at solidarity rallies, where are you now, not even hearing arguments in favor of the demands of the carpenters?

Hundreds of statements have been sent to the council.

There's absolutely no case to be made that this issue can't be addressed during budget season.

Not only does the council have capacity, this issue is directly related to budget matters of creating a city that is affordable to live in for those who work and build it.

There are at least half a dozen job sites within a 10-minute walk of my apartment.

How many of those are going to provide affordable housing for carpenters and their families who've been forced to live outside city limits and burn huge portions of their paychecks and time commuting to work in parking?

The workers who build our city can't afford to live here, and that parking isn't considered a cost of building in Seattle for contractors is absolutely shameful.

This legislation needs to be passed right now.

Next is Howard Gale, followed by Blythe Serrano, and then Logan Swan.

Good afternoon.

Howard Gale, District 7, speaking on the budget.

The plan 2022 budget includes $10.8 million for failed police accountability through the funding of the CPC, the OPA, and the OIG.

The SPD has budgeted another $10-plus million for faux accountability through the FIP, the FRB, and other non-OPA-related entities.

The city attorney's office spends another $17 million on its civil division, a portion of which is used to defend police abuse and deny people justice.

Yet this entire council, regardless of whether one is a Democrat, a progressive, or a socialist, has not questioned one penny of these approximately $30 million spent on falsifying investigation and creating the illusion of police accountability as recent revelations have made clear.

You are charging Seattle taxpayers twice for police abuse, once to cover it up and a second time when you rarely compensate victims.

We must invest these monies in a system that provides full civilian community control over police.

Go to seattlestop.org to find out how that Seattle Stop

Okay, next was Blythe Serrano, but she is now showing up as not present.

So Blythe, if you call back before we conclude public comment, I'll give you your one minute.

Next up is Logan Swan, followed by Nina Wirtz, and then Colin Moen.

Hi, can you hear me?

We can, go ahead.

Yeah, my name is Logan Swan.

I'm a rank and file union iron worker out of Local 86, NID with Longstorm and Local 19. Yeah, I'm calling in favor of the paid parking for construction workers.

And, you know, I want to thank Thomas to want for bringing this legislation forward because every week that carpenters go with, you know, and building trade workers go having to pay for parking is 100 bucks at least out of their pocket.

And yeah, I just I got to say, I think it's absolutely shameful that council members and people running for office would walk the ticket lines with carpenters and say they support their demands.

and then not even second to vote, not, you know, and not vote in favor of this very common sense legislation that would save building trade workers like myself thousands of dollars every year.

I just, I'm, I'm disgusted and you all should be ashamed of yourselves.

Thank you, Shama.

Next is Nina Wirtz followed by Colin Moen and then Barbara Finney.

Nina, welcome.

I'm also a carpenter out of local 30. I need the council to support legislation for contractors to fully pay parking for all construction workers now without delay.

Many construction workers support this.

but they but they work during the day during the inconveniently scheduled meeting you've got to oppose that are out of touch with the boots on the ground rank-and-file workers who lose upwards of five hundred dollars a month on parking it seems that many democrats many of the union leaders have forgotten through the union actually it It's the boots-on-the-ground people who put their lives on the line every day to build the city you live and work in.

Myself and many other voters are intensely disappointed in supposed leaders who can't put aside party politics to support workers.

The least you could do is make sure we're not taxed just to go to work.

Thank you.

Next is Colin Moen followed by Barbara Finney and then Reverend excuse me pardon me Reverend Robert Jeffrey.

And Colin I see that you are on the screen but you are still muted so make sure you press star six.

Sometimes the Zoom feature can be a little sticky, so try again.

Make sure it's the star button, and then six.

Still can't hear you, Colin.

Looks like you're still muted.

So try it one more time, star six.

Okay, I'm not seeing Colin, so let's go ahead and move on to Barbara Finney, and then Reverend Jeffrey, and then we can circle back to Colin again.

Barbara, welcome.

My name is Barbara Finney, District 5, Bitter Lake resident, retiree member of American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3197, and current delegate to the MLK Labor Council, speaking in a personal capacity.

I think it's shameful that none of you would give a second to legislation supporting workers in Seattle.

Very disrespectful to to your fellow council member and does not does not look good.

You council members have stood in solidarity with other groups of Seattle workers and passed legislation to improve their pay and work conditions.

The plight of construction workers has been has been shown to you.

in all different forms of the hardship of paying for their parking.

There's precedents for legislating better work conditions for workers, including unionized workers, standing in solidarity with construction workers, and bring this, Councilmember Sawant, to legislation.

Thank you.

Next up is Reverend Robert Jeffrey, and then we will try Colin Mullen again.

Reverend Jeffrey, welcome.

Hi, my name is Robert Jeffrey, senior pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

I called in for one thing, but I'm very sad that that wasn't the second given to council members to launch the motion that union workers parking be taken care of it.

I just think we need to start looking at what's going on in Seattle.

I want to also, while I thank council for voting unanimously to provide New Hope Church the money to build the 86 units of housing.

I would just hope that that money could be included in the people's budget that will be sponsored by Francois Moustouwan, as well as we met with the mayor and the mayor totally rejected our need to get our land restored.

Our land was appraised at $2,700,000.

The city paid $34,000 for it.

We need we need reparations on that land.

Thank you.

Thank you for calling in.

Okay let's try Colin one more time and then after Colin will be Addie Smith and then Monty Anderson.

Colin let's see if we can get you unmuted here.

Star six.

You are still muted.

Try one more time.

Star six.

I'm sorry Colin, looks like we still are unable to hear you, so I'm going to let you try one more time star 6. OK, let's go ahead and move to Addie Smith and then Monte Anderson and then Matt Swanson.

Hi, can you hear me?

We can go ahead Addie.

I'm calling on the city to add money or amendments or revisions to make the bosses of the construction workers pay for the parking fees.

Governor Inslee, House and Senate Democrats, and judges who are upholding systemically racist and oppressive landlord-tenant laws must stop supporting and protecting corporate landlords.

Washington State Residential Landlord Tenant Law, RCCW 59.18.130, paragraph 8, please write that down, is one of them.

The House Democrats passed this law in 2011. It targets predominantly Black people, like the same law that targets Black people in the state of Florida, but we don't hear about Washington State on the news.

The law evicts people from their apartments and housing for assaulting another person, resulting in arrest.

There is no additional revision to this law that includes self-defense or self-defense in hate crime attacks.

Black women in Washington state are being attacked, stopped, harassed, and threatened by white people and police.

Thank you, Addie.

Next up is Monty Anderson, then Matt Swanson, and then Taylor Latrice Werner.

Monty, welcome.

Oh, looks like, oh.

Hold on a minute.

Before we unmute Monty, it looks like Colin might be unmuted.

Colin, if you can hear me, go ahead.

Hey, can you hear me?

Yes.

Success.

Go ahead.

Hi, my name is Colin Mullen.

I'm an apprentice electrician with IBEW Local 46. I'm calling in support of council members to launch a bill to make contractor bosses pay for all construction workers parking.

Thank you, Councilmember Salant, for fighting to let us know that the majority of the City Council shamefully refused to second your motion.

I'm disgusted that not a single so-called progressive politician on the City Council, not Councilmember Gonzalez, Mosqueda, Herbold, Lewis, or Strauss, were even willing to second your motion to discuss this legislation.

It should be a no-brainer for any friend of the labor movement to support, especially the Councilmembers that walked the ticket lines with the Carpenters during their strike recently.

Despite the legislation is straightforward and it should be passed immediately, every week that passes without this legislation is a week in which construction workers are having to pay the cost of doing business for big contractors who are pushing this cost onto their own employees.

Nearly 400 of my fellow construction workers have signed our petition in support of this legislation, and I've personally spoken to dozens of construction workers in the past few days who support this fight, but they aren't able to call into public comment right now because these meetings are held in the middle of the workday, making them inaccessible to the majority of workers.

Okay, thank you so much for calling in.

Next up is Monty Anderson, followed by Matt Swanson, and then Taylor Werner.

Go ahead, Monty.

All right, can you hear me okay?

Yep, go ahead.

Yes, thank you very much, and thank you for taking my call.

My name is Monty Anderson.

I represent about 15,000 construction workers here at Union in Seattle.

I applaud everybody who stood up for us.

You know, we collect a bargain.

We don't need councilwomens to want in the middle of our bargaining process.

The contracts that we're talking about are very unique and nuanced between our employers and ourselves.

And listen, we don't need grandstanding.

How on earth can you put a parking plan together if you don't talk to anybody that adjudicates those?

So thank you, everybody, for not getting drawn into this grandstanding of what this is really about.

This is really about somebody just trying to get press time.

So thank you, council members.

We support you, and thank you for supporting organized labor.

Thank you.

Thank you Monty for calling in.

Next up is Matt Swanson followed by Taylor Werner and then Robin Thompson.

Matt, welcome.

Thank you.

My name is Matt Swanson with the Northwest Carpenters Union and we are very excited to see that You know really the entire council has been taking up this issue of parking because more and more of our members are struggling to work and commute into the city of Seattle.

What is equally important to us is that this process play out in you know respectful to the regular order so we can achieve some consensus between stakeholders unions families that are struggling with these costs.

And I think this is such an important topic that it deserves a committee process that can perfect any legislation to ensure that it's enforceable works in our industry and has a strong commitment and consensus amongst all stakeholders.

So we believe that that sort of coordinated policy approach is the thing that works in our industry.

We want to make sure that this policy results in big wins for workers and that it's going to be workable and enforceable.

So there is some sense to the regular order.

Thank you.

Thank you Matt for calling in.

Next up is Taylor Werner followed by Robin Thompson and then Mandy Richardson.

Hi you hear me.

Yes we can.

Go ahead.

Hi I'm Taylor Werner.

I'm a member of the IBEW Local 46 and I respectfully disagree with Monty's point.

For me this legislation that council members want puts forward would have been game changing.

I'm a single mom, and when I first joined the union, I worked as a limited energy installer for $15 an hour.

And there were days when I paid three times that much to park.

I was able to do that because I had the support of my family, and I lived with them rent-free during those months.

But there are many people for whom the cost of parking is prohibitive.

The people who would most benefit from the health care, the benefits and the relatively good wages of the construction industry, like single parents, renting families, disproportionately people of color.

Those costs are prohibitive, so.

I also want to say I work at the Convention Center.

I'm surrounded by people who overwhelmingly support this legislation.

Everybody.

Thank you for calling in today, Taylor.

Next up is Robin Thompson, followed by Mandy Richardson and then Brionne Stott.

Robin, welcome.

Hi, thank you, Council.

My name is Robyn Thompson.

I'm a part of the People's Budget Movement, and I stand in solidarity with that movement, calling on behalf of Clean Greens Farm and Market and New Hope Affordable Housing Building Plans.

I also find it interesting that so much of the council is against helping the construction workers who most likely can't afford to live here, but they are supporting the builders who are charging their employees for parking and also we're trying to get affordable housing funded here and we're here providing solutions through clean green farm and market and new hope to some of the displacement going on and I would like to see the council support those groups that are causing creating solutions I don't know if that was my cutoff time, but I really want them to fund Clean Greens and New Hope and house construction.

Thank you so much.

Next up is Mandy Richardson, followed by Brionne Scott.

And then David Haynes is registered, but showing up is not present.

So then we will go to Kevin Vitz Wong.

Mandy, welcome.

Hi, this is Mandy Richardson out of Local 30. to say somebody, I am a mother to a sick child and I currently pay $31 a day for parking and I have sat on most of your endorsement hearings and I know that this is not the end and I would just like to say that I know I've spoken to you all personally and I know that this isn't the end of the fight and I do hope that you take into consideration all the construction workers that are fighting this battle and hope that we can sit together and fight this fight together because we really do need help with this battle because it's it's just like a second mortgage payment.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hello.

Can you hear me.

I can't hear you guys.

Give me one second.

Sorry.

Sorry, folks.

Is that is that is that Brionne?

Yes.

OK.

OK.

Go ahead, Brionne.

You have you have one minute and then after Brionne will be Kevin Vitswong and then Arthur Esparza.

OK, first of all, I want to give much respect to Councilwoman Sawant who is continuously fighting for our people.

She doesn't talk about it.

She doesn't just talk.

She is about that action.

And I just want to give thanks and give much respect.

Land and food has been weaponized for years to oppress black people.

And I stand with the people's budget and Clean Greens and New Hope.

Like Robin said, I am the director of Clean Greens.

We are coming up with solutions to help our people.

And Seattle is one of the most, we say, progressive cities.

But I'm not seeing that right now, where there's so many people fighting for rent control, housing, and just to be able to go to work and I have to put out extra money to pay for parking.

I am a support of Tawant and everything she does, and I'm support of the people's budget.

And I hope that the city council sees the error in their way and support it as well.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next up is Kevin Fitz Wong, followed by Arthur Esparza, and then Julianne Scott.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Go ahead.

I'm a rank-and-file member of the Seattle Education Association, and I'm calling in solidarity with my union brothers and sisters in the Northwest Carpenters' Union and other construction trade unions.

We're demanding that the council pass councilmember Sawant's legislation to require contractor bosses to pay parking for all construction trades workers, and it's shameful that contractor bosses who have made such massive profits during the pandemic force their workers to pay thousands each year on their parking.

It's a regressive tax just to work, and it falls hardest on renters, single parents, and workers of color.

The Council's refusal to hear the motion for this legislation today just shows how big business interests set the agenda and how Council Democrats and business unionists alike are happy to shut the door on workers' faces.

You can't claim to stand with workers, then claim there's no time to hear legislation that would end this tax on working.

I also want to give a huge shout-out to the rank-and-file union members organizing to make our voices heard, and I want to raise the people's budget.

Rather than siphoning off the Amazon tax, we need to increase the Amazon tax by $120 million to fund affordable housing, fund Green New Deal initiatives, provide bridge funding for the New Hope Community and Development Institute, fund McLean Greens, provide fresh produce for low-income families in the CD.

Thank you.

Next up is Arthur Esparza, followed by Julian Scott, and then Mac McGregor.

Yes, hi.

I'm Arthur Esparza.

I'm the chair of the Peel JMH Choir Group.

We're the largest rake-and-file union carpenters organization, the Pacific Northwest, maybe the country.

I want to speak in favor of having our contractors provide paid parking, specifically Sawant's bill.

I am completely ashamed that the city council didn't give a second earlier.

And I want to speak to Monte Anderson.

He should be completely ashamed of himself for his role in the building trades role in sabotaging our strike.

I say that as representing over hundreds of members, almost 2,800 people in the largest Facebook group for carpenters in the Northwest.

I also say that as the leader of the contract opposition, which shut down four tentative agreements and led us into a strike.

Thank you.

Next is Julian Scott followed by Mac McGregor and then Quill Freitas is signed up but showing up is not present.

So we will hear from Mary Cole.

So next up is Julian then Mac and then Mary.

And Julian just remember to press star six so we can hear you.

Hello my name is Julian Scott.

I'm a member at New Hope Baptist Church.

I also worked as a roofer for a while back.

Now I'm a city employee.

And so I stand with the people's budget, with Councilman Sawant.

I also am very disappointed to hear that you guys aren't going to go ahead and actually accept the proposal that Councilwoman Sawant just gave you guys, especially for people who are coming out of their city to come into Seattle to actually build, and you're still actually charging them for parking and allowing this to actually happen, that's illegal.

I feel like that should be illegal, and that should be, you guys should want better.

You want better for the city.

You say Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, and all this other stuff, and that's not happening.

It's all about your agenda and nobody else's.

get right and actually do right for these people.

Thank you.

Next up is Mac McGregor, followed by Mary Cole and then Sarah Champernone.

Hi, this is Mac McGregor.

I am the co-chair of Seattle Renters Commission, and I'm here today to thank the council for all the work you have done to help with renters' rights.

And to say that we have been having trouble sometimes meeting quorum as a commission lately.

And we went through a process of having applicants, applications for new commissioner spots because many of our commissioners either stepped off or their two-year term was up.

And we did hours and hours of interviews.

And we put forward to the council and to the mayor's office names, to be approved for the commission seats, and they have been bottlenecked for months.

So I got in contact with Council Member Sawant's office, and I'm just, I want to thank their office and thank Council Member Sawant for helping move them forward, and I'm just asking that the commission approve the new appointments today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is Mary Cole, followed by Sarah Champernone, and then Sonia Ponath.

Can you hear me okay?

We can go ahead.

My name is Mary Cole and I want to challenge the King County Council members to extend the eviction moratorium for the King County for the people of the King County that doesn't cover Seattle because those people need help too.

Go ahead.

Mary we unfortunately we can't hear public testimony about King County.

It needs to be relevant to Seattle so if you can just modify your comments to make it relevant to Seattle I'd appreciate it.

Go ahead.

Stop me over please.

You still have your clock was your clock was stopped.

Go ahead.

Okay, construction workers pay close to 200 in parking per week while the bosses rake in major profits.

Additionally, the eviction moratorium or its weaker placement, the bridge program has been extended through the end of this month.

When you call 211 or other services, you're told that the homeless is being helped first or call back next week.

The number of people still waiting for assistance are still staggering.

It makes no sense to implement the bridge program while the bridge is under construction.

People are falling off the bridge.

Governor Inslee, the bridge is faulty.

Extend the original state eviction moratorium now.

I applaud other cities that are extending the moratorium to support its constituents, its registered voting constituents.

Thank you.

Next up is Sarah Champernone followed by Sonia Ponath and then Marissa Bertaud.

Hi.

I am a tech worker here in Seattle but many in my family are iron workers and electricians around the country and all of them have brought up parking costs and talked about that for years.

So I don't know what it means to say this particular issue is unique to a specific contract.

It's actually quite universal.

And I hope we can set an example in Seattle passing legislation, something to address it, especially since that kind of legislation was specifically proposed by rank-and-file carpenters during their recent strike.

uh...

and i think i think that they have a lot of my comment but i don't know what that would gain what uh...

at the beginning but i thought it would be extremely rude to shut down council members the one like that in addition at like often speaking so condescendingly to admit uh...

a grown human who deserve to inform the public of what's going on given her position and be treated as an equal but i think that i am shocked her proposal didn't i didn't get a second uh...

I think it's possible to work on this at the same time as you're discussing the budget and working out the budget.

Hi.

Can I go ahead?

Hi, this is Sonia Ponath, a working mom in District 3, and I really appreciate that Shawna Sawant tried to bring forward this legislation and show the public what the majority of this council, they shamefully refused to second it.

Council members, this legislation is a no-brainer and satisfies an immediate need.

It's simple and yet it's a very impactful way for the city council to support the thousands of construction workers who build our city.

But this shows you really don't.

Would you rather satisfy the bosses and their servants than ordinary people you claim to represent?

I think that that Monty Anderson should actually talk to the owners of his own rank and file who strongly support this bill, and he should take it as a win.

And to Council Member Gonzalez, I'm really shocked that you threatened a new council member based on bureaucratic processes and your council's inability to even offer a currency second.

So thank you.

This fight will continue.

Next is Marissa Burtout, followed by Daniel Cavanaugh.

Hey.

My name is Marissa Burtout and I am a ring phone member of IBW 46. Currently an apprentice, I'm calling in about the legislation for contractors to pay for our parking.

It's absolutely ludicrous that no one even gave the same support a thought.

I do not know anyone on any job site that has not complained about this issue numerous times.

When I started out and I moved here, I was making bottom salary for apprentices, paying $20 parking, which is cheap.

completely wiped out weekly.

It cost me grocery money, it cost me rent money that I was barely trying to make, living in the city, which is also impossible if you're a construction worker here.

I just want to express my displeasure, especially with every City of Sundy Council member that has continuously said that they're in support of the labor movement and labor workers.

We as workers are coming to you right now and telling you we need and you're not paying attention.

I'm disgusted.

Thank you.

Bye.

Thank you.

The last person I have signed up and present is Daniel Kavanaugh.

I will need to take a minute to read the names of those who are registered but not present, and that includes Aruna Babsar, JC Perkis, Andrew Light, and Sarah Jane Siegfried, all of whom are shown as registered but not present.

So our next speaker is Daniel Kavanaugh.

But hey, my name is Dan.

I'm a renter in First Hill and a working class person in Seattle.

And I'm, you know, fully supporting the demand of carpenters and building space workers for fully paid parking.

It's just a no-brainer that the multimillion dollar, you know, contractor bosses can pay for this.

And I'm shocked at, you know, Monte Anderson seemingly being way out of touch with what most workers are calling for and needing.

Most of them just absolutely disgusted by the fact that my council member, Council Member Sawant, is being silenced from even discussing this bill that workers urgently need.

And I just want to remind the council, when you're silencing Council Member Sawant, you're not just silencing her, you're silencing me and my neighbors who elected her and put her there to fight for us.

And you're silencing the carpenters and building trades workers that you claim to be supporting, so pass this legislation immediately.

Thank you.

I don't have any other individuals who are showing up as registered and present, so I'm just looking to our IT folks to confirm that there isn't somebody in the waiting room.

There are no other public comment registrants.

Great.

In that case, we will go ahead and close that public comment and move to other items of business on the agenda.

Colleagues, I apologize, but my computer seems to have broken, so I am juggling between phones here, but we will make do.

Okay, so the next item is payment of the bills.

Will the clerk please read the title?

Council Bill 120205 appropriating money to pay started claims to the week of October 4th, 2021 through October 8th, 2021 and ordering the payment thereof.

Thank you so much.

I moved to pass Council Bill 120205.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and seconded that the bill passed.

Are there any comments?

And if you do have comments, you're going to have to use the raise the hand feature because I can't see anybody because I'm on my phone.

Okay, hearing no comments, will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Aye.

Peterson?

Aye.

Sawant?

Yes.

Strauss?

Yes.

Herbold?

Yes.

Juarez?

Aye.

President Gonzalez?

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Will the clerk please read items one through three into the record?

agenda items 1 through 3, appointments 2060 through 2062, appointments of Haley Friedland and Ariana Liliano as members of Seattle Renters Commission for term to February 28th, 2022, and appointment of Rachel Sanchez as a member of Seattle Renters Commission for term to February 28th, 2023.

Excellent.

Thanks so much.

Council Member Sawant, you're the sponsor of these three items.

I'm going to go ahead and hand it over to you.

Thank you.

I move to confirm appointments 2060 through 2062. Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

It's been moved and seconded.

And to confirm the appointment, I'm going to hand it back over to Council Member Solange, who is the sponsor of these appointments, to address the item.

These three appointments are the confirmations of three appointments to the Seattle Renters Commission, or more accurately, the City of Seattle Renters Commission.

Typically, those appointments would first be considered by the Sustainability and Renters Rights Committee, which my office chairs.

However, because committee meetings are on hold because of the budget deliberations, we are referring the appointments directly to the City Council, as I earlier hoped the Council would do with the bill for construction worker parking costs.

So that the new members of the Seattle city of Seattle renters commission can be in place in time to attend the November 1st meeting of the renters commission we heard from.

Mac McGregor from the Renters Commission.

Thank you, Mac, for testifying as to how you're having trouble filling in the meetings.

And this is important work.

And my office as chair of the Sustainability and Renter Sites Committee and also the mayor's office were contacted by the Renters Commission because they have accumulated several vacancies.

and are currently having difficulty reaching quorum.

Council members may remember that the committee filled all the council-appointed positions on the commission over the summer, but there have been five positions that the mayor is responsible for appointing that have been vacant for an unusually long time.

In addition, there is a council-appointed position that was newly vacated over the summer, in addition to two recently vacated commission-appointed positions.

The Renters Commission took proactive steps to help fill the vacant positions.

They advertised the openings, received many applications, conducted interviews, and made recommendations for filling all eight vacant positions.

chair of the sustainability and renters rights committee have moved the appointment of Haley Friedland the commission's recommendation of the council appointed position and the appointments of Ariana Laureano and Rachel Sanchez the two commission appointed positions and those are the three that are on today's city council meeting agenda for a vote.

Haley Friedland is an artist a trombonist who like many artists finds it more and more difficult to have an affordable apartment every time they move inside our city.

Ariana Laureano is a disability rights activist.

who fights for renters' rights, and Rachel Sanchez works for a nonprofit supporting low-income families.

Unfortunately, even though the commission also recommended candidates for the mayor-appointed positions, we continue to wait for Mayor Durkin to make those appointments, which actually literally just requires signing her name to the appointment packets that the commission has already prepared for her.

As I mentioned during the council briefing, I urged the mayor to fill those five positions of the renters' commission.

We have seen the Renters Commission play a tremendous role fighting for renters' rights over the last several years.

They brought the recommendation to the City Council, which then passed the bill sponsored from my office, increasing the notice landlords must give renters for rent increases to six months.

This is absolutely landmark legislation.

It would not have been possible without the work of the renters commission and similarly their work is has been indispensable in winning many other renters rights bills that we have won this year.

With five mayor controlled vacancies, it leaves very small margins for quorum on a 15% commission.

It is a volunteer board.

And if only three people are absent for a meeting, suddenly they do not have quorum because there are so many vacant positions, mayoral positions.

If the mayor makes that appointment in the next two weeks, I will do what can be done to support placing those appointments on the city council agenda for November 1st, so that the commission can be fully staffed for their November renters commission meeting.

And I appreciate the staff in the mayor's office coordinating with our office, but we need action from Mayor Durkin, and we are looking forward to that.

But today we have the three positions up for a vote, appointed by council and by the commission, and I hope council members will support these appointments.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Are there any comments or questions on the appointments?

Okay, I'm not seeing any hands raised, so will the clerk please call the roll on the confirmation of appointments 2060 through 2062. Lewis?

Aye.

Morales.

Yes.

Mosqueda.

Aye.

Peterson.

Aye.

Sawant.

Yes.

Strauss.

Yes.

Herbold.

Yes.

Juarez.

Aye.

President Gonzalez.

Aye.

Any in favor, none opposed.

Thank you so much.

The motion carries and the appointments are confirmed.

Is there any further business to come before the council?

Looking for hands raised.

Okay.

I don't see any hands raised.

So colleagues, this does conclude the items of business on today's agenda.

As a reminder, the city council is deliberating.

The mayor's proposed 2022 budget and committee meetings are suspended until the adoption of the budget unless the budget chair and council president agree otherwise, which is done only in very narrow circumstances.

As I mentioned during this morning's council briefing with committee meetings suspended, it appears that our next regular meeting, which is scheduled for October 25th, will not have any committee reports for our consideration as a full council.

And there doesn't seem to be any other pressing legislative matters coming our way for consideration on that Monday, October 25th.

So as a result, it may be the case that I decide to cancel that October 25th meeting to allow the council and our legislative department staff to remain focused on the preparations related to the Select Budget Committee meetings scheduled throughout that week.

Again, please let my office know by emailing me and my deputy chief of staff, Cody Ryder, by no later than 5 p.m.

today.

if there are any pending items that do require attention at the City Council meeting currently scheduled for Monday, October 25th.

If we do not receive an objection by 5 p.m.

today, then I will cancel the City Council meeting on October 25th, and our next City Council meeting would then occur on November 1st, 2021 at 2 o'clock p.m.

Please keep in mind that the cancellation would only apply to the City Council meeting at 2 p.m.

We would still convene 930 a.m.

as a full council on October 25th for a regularly scheduled council briefing meeting.

So with that being said I hope that you all have a wonderful afternoon.

Thank you so much for your work.

We are adjourned.

I just want to remind everybody 5 30 we have the Metropolitan Park District meeting.

And in my script, I apologize.

Yes, as a reminder, we are set to convene again at 5.30 PM as the Metropolitan Board District.

We'll see you then.

Bye.

Bye.