Dev Mode. Emulators used.

Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights & Culture Committee 1/27/23

Publish Date: 1/27/2023
Description: View the City of Seattle's commenting policy: seattle.gov/online-comment-policy Agenda: Call to Order; Approval of the Agenda; Public Comment; Appointment to Seattle Human Rights Commission; CB 120456: relating to historic preservation review procedures. 0:00 Call to Order 3:04 Public Comment 45:25 Appointment 54:39 CB 120456: relating to historic preservation review procedures
SPEAKER_14

We are recording.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Good morning, everyone.

The January 27th, 2023 regularly scheduled meeting of the Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights and Culture Committee will come to order.

It's 9.31.

I'm Tammy Morales, chair of the committee.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

SPEAKER_28

Council Member Strauss?

Present.

Council Member Lewis?

Present.

Council Member Nelson.

SPEAKER_37

Present.

SPEAKER_28

Chair Morales.

Here.

Or present.

SPEAKER_37

Great.

Thank you very much.

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

Hearing no objection, today's agenda is adopted.

Folks, this will be a relatively brief meeting.

We've got two items on the agenda, an appointment to the Human Rights Commission, and one piece of legislation related to the Historic Preservation Review procedures, and that will be it.

So, as we move into public comment, I'm going to open up the general public comment period.

As a reminder, we do have folks in person and I believe we do have people signed up electronically.

Is that right, Devin?

Okay.

I'm sorry, I don't have that sheet up.

How many people do we have virtually?

SPEAKER_28

We have 10 signed up virtually and three that are marked non-present.

Okay.

SPEAKER_37

Okay, so what I'm going to do then is start with the folks who are virtual, and then we'll move to the folks who are here in public, in chambers.

So, as a reminder, we have, I'll ask everyone to please be patient as we operate this hybrid system.

It does remain the intent of Council to allow for public participation, and it remains our intent to make sure that we are keeping things in order.

So if the system is being abused or unsuitable for any of our meeting, we will cut the mics and ask you to refrain from continuing your comments.

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

We'll have up to 20 minutes.

Let's see, how many people do we have?

I'm gonna give folks one minute.

We've got, looks like about 40 people signed up.

So we'll give folks one minute to speak.

I'll call on, as I said, the folks who are virtual first, and then I'll begin with the folks who have signed up here in chambers.

Once you speak, if you're virtual, please press star six to unmute, and remember that you will receive a chime when you have 10 seconds left, so please wrap up your comments so that we can move on to the next speaker.

Okay, I am going to open up public comment with the virtual folks.

I'm getting a security warning when I try to open the public comment sheet.

So Devin, I'm gonna ask you to call the virtual folks and then I will use the sheets that are here.

And we'll give folks one minute.

SPEAKER_28

So first up we have Megan Murphy.

SPEAKER_41

Hi, thanks for letting me speak.

I'm in support of Ezra Allum being elected to Civil Rights, Human Rights Commission.

My story is much like Ezra Allum's because I've experienced extraordinary hardships of being stalked for over 12 years now, which is the cause that my son ended up in the foster care system and adopted.

With these billionaires in the shadows stalking me, one was a client of Jeffrey Epstein and psychologically abusing me using my AA meetings to send people that look like them to psychologically harass me and make me feel like no matter how hard I kick and scream and fight, they're still gonna stalk me.

And I demand that they are held accountable and forced out of my life.

Just like Ezra Allen experienced hardships and he wished that somebody would help him.

These are not the people that I want helping me that are psychologically abusive.

It's been extremely painful.

And I demand it stopped.

People with money need to be held accountable just because they have money gives no excuse to be able to stalk a woman and sexually harass me from a distance without ever having sat down with me at a table face to face and asked me if it's okay and minimizing my feelings as if they don't matter when it really hurts bad.

And I've demanded several thousand times.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Your time's expired.

Thank you very much.

Devin, will you call the next person please?

SPEAKER_28

Next, we have Devin McComb.

SPEAKER_45

Good morning, and thank you, Chair Morales and valued City Council members.

I'm very grateful to be with you today.

I only wish I could be there in person to see this good community work happening.

My name is Devin McComb.

I'm the current chair of the Pike Place Market PDA Governing Council, and I'm calling you today and making this comment in support of the proposed amendment the council bill 120456 that you're considering.

I've sent a letter as chair of the PDA council with an explanation of our support for the removal of the Market Historic Commission from the impact of this council bill.

We're just beginning the process to create a 50-year master plan for the market.

We'll be working with all of the members of the market community, the friends of the market, including members of the Market Historical Commission, the foundation and others, and city leadership, to ensure that the market stays true to its history and is positioned to remain a thriving soul of the city.

And we want to address any questions around this at that time.

So please vote in support of this proposed amendment and thank you.

SPEAKER_28

All right, it looks like we have Bob Messina not present.

So I'll hold on for Bob, but we'll go to the next person in line, which is Chris Woodward.

SPEAKER_37

Chris, are you there?

Remember to press star six to unmute.

SPEAKER_09

Thank you.

Hey, good morning, council members.

My name is Chris Woodward.

I'm with the Alliance for Pioneer Square.

I'm just going to provide brief comments today in favor of the committee's passage of Council Bill 120456, with the amendment regarding high price market included.

The COVID pandemic had a serious economic impact on Pioneer Square.

One of the positives that came out of the COVID pandemic was the city's approval of legislation to allow for minor historic preservation applications to be reviewed administratively by the Historic Preservation Program staff.

This streamlined process for minor projects is advantageous for all, including the Historic Preservation Program, concerned staff capacity, as well as applicant time.

In 2019, we engaged Place Economics to do a report on how to support historic districts, and one recommendation from that was shifting routine reservation approvals to staff to streamline the process.

So, for those reasons, I'm urging the council to, or the committee, to approve this council bill, again, with the amendments regarding High Place Market.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_28

Next, we have Christine Vaughn,

SPEAKER_37

Christine, you'll need to press star six to unmute.

SPEAKER_38

Have I unmuted?

There we go.

Thank you.

This is Christine Bond, and I'm speaking to CB120456.

The citizens, in their wisdom, put the preservation of the Pike Place Market in the hands of the Market Historical Commission, and the city, in its wisdom, put the management of the market in the hands of the PDA.

Both these organizations have joined the voices of members from all sectors of the market community.

asking the market be taken out of Council bill one 2, 0, 4, 5, 6, There is no jeopardy to new housing in heating these voices because there is no new housing planned in the park by place March market.

It is already an exemplary model of how mixed-rate housing can work.

Please pass the amendment offered by Council member Lewis that takes the market out of the legislation.

It ain't broke.

Please don't fix it.

Thank you for the time.

SPEAKER_28

Okay, next speaker we have is also marked not present, Howard Gale.

We'll come back to Howard as well after we move through.

So the next person present we have is Irene Wall.

SPEAKER_39

Good morning.

My name is Irene Wall.

I'm a Seattle lifer and a member of Friends of the Market.

This week, there was a widely circulated article from the New York Times about the ubiquity of modern architecture.

Embedded in the article was a challenge to correctly identify the location of several new buildings between Denver, Nashville, and Seattle.

It wasn't easy, and I only got one right.

But if any of those pictures had been of any building in the market, it would have been a no-brainer.

High Place Market is wonderfully distinctive, and we need to keep it that way for our shared identity as Seattle and for the success of the farmers, vendors, artists, agencies, and businesses who keep the place humming.

The best way to do this is the historic way, where the Market Historic Commission maintains its full authority over decisions about the infrastructure, buildings, and commercial enterprises in that unique web of activity in the marketplace market.

Please support Amendment 1 to remove the market from Council Bill 120456. It's the right way to keep the market authentic and as a great place in the heart of the city and in the hearts of Seattleites.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_28

Next, we also have marked not present Robert Messina.

So we'll move on to Lauren.

Lauren Rudeck.

SPEAKER_40

Good morning.

My name is Lauren Rudeck.

I'm a commissioner for the Pike Place Market as well as a business owner in the market and an architect.

I want to thank Council Member Lewis for his amendment to remove the Pike Place Market from Council Bill 120456. It is imperative that the historic review process remain a public process for transparency and accountability.

Though some of these items may seem small in the original bill, they have great impact on the Pike Place market.

These little details make the market a unique place that it is today.

During the past few years, when administrative approval was allowed, the Department of Neighborhoods approved applications that violated the guidelines.

They did not post these decisions until after the appeal time, making it impossible for the public to voice their concerns.

If these mistakes were made then, what will stop them from happening in the future?

The survey the Department of Neighborhoods presented at the last meeting was only given to a select group of people for Department of Neighborhoods cherry pick and was only responded by 33 people.

As a market business and an architect and a commissioner, I ask you to remove the Pike Place Market from the Council Bill 120456 as proposed by Council Member Lewis's amendment.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_28

Okay now it looks like Howard Gale is present so we'll move on to Howard.

SPEAKER_02

Good morning.

Howard Gale with Seattle Stop dot org.

This morning as you make an appointment to the Seattle Human Rights Commission it is important for you to make clear to these volunteers whether you expect them to be a force for change or a front for pretense.

Last April the Seattle Human Rights Commission voted overwhelmingly to inform the federal court of Seattle's failures of police accountability and its continuing police abuses.

Less than 24 hours later, the city attorney's office successfully and illegally threatened and bullied the Human Rights Commission into inaction and silence, as documented by Carolyn Bick.

The council and this committee have remained silent in the face of this assault on human rights, which continues now in 2023. Worse yet, Chair Morales chose on September 29th to participate in a meeting where Human Rights Commissioners were chastised, insulted, and bullied by members of the Community Police Commission.

Since then, well over half of the Human Rights Commission has resigned.

It is extremely disheartening when, in an attempt to maintain a fiction of a functioning police accountability system, council members are willing to destroy their own Human Rights Commission.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_28

Those are all the speakers that we have, Mark, present for the time being from online.

SPEAKER_37

OK.

Thank you, Devin.

All right, so we'll begin with the folks who are in chambers.

First, I have Dion Lucero, followed by Haley Land and Joan Paulson.

There's two mics up here, so y'all can come on up and we'll hear what your testimony is.

SPEAKER_33

Good morning, Chairperson Tammy Morales.

My name is Dionne, and today I just want to speak very briefly about, I hope this will begin the series of conversations that I would have, I would like to have regarding the economic state of Black Americans.

In this society, the illiterate and the illiterate are the most marginalized and unrepresented.

I would like to talk about the achievement and wealth gap between black and white Americans.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress data results revealed that 83% of blacks in America were not shown proficient in reading at the 12th grade level.

This is important because we know that the debilitating and crippling effects of illiteracy denies access to the freedoms, liberties, civil or human rights afforded to citizens of democratic societies The data results from this research would thus inform us that in this society, the illiterate are the most marginalized and underrepresented.

And I hope, I've given you a letter, Ms. Tammy Morales, and as well as the mayor, and I hope this will begin a conversation pertaining to the civil rights of the illiterate.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Next we have Haley Lynn, followed by Joan Paulson.

Good morning.

SPEAKER_23

First, I wanna thank Council Member Lewis for his responsiveness to our pleas.

I reviewed the entire tape of your December meeting, and I realized that besides the Department of Neighborhoods supplying not one reason for taking authority away from the MHC, and besides all the arguments given for the MHC's superior transparency, accountability, accessibility, knowledge, diversity, and agility, there's one other compelling argument to make.

What hasn't been said is that by the latest count, the market hosts 15 million satisfied customers a year.

So it must be conceded that the market, the self-governing little neighborhood that it is, must be doing something right.

and it will not do it as right without its deliberative bodies, including the MHC, which has met regularly for 50 years with the commitment to preserve the market's character for the next 50 years and for those millions and millions of people still to come.

So for the public's sake, please make the obvious decision and remove section eight from bill 120456.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Joan Paulson followed by Sarah Patton and Janet Wei.

SPEAKER_11

I am a person who wants transparency in government, small g.

I am a supporter of the Washington State Open Public Meeting Act, 1990. Thank you for the consideration of the removal of the Pike Place Market Historical Commission from Dawn's oversight.

This action will continue to support the 1971 and Market Initiative vote to save this market yet again.

However, the other seven districts will not have transparency or the State Open Public Meeting Act protections.

The reason why this is important now is because the Pike Place Market has been engaged in the past four years in a non-transparent and non-open public meeting process in their 50-year planning process.

This will undermine the market's efforts since the 1971 initiative.

If this master plan...

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

If you would like to submit the rest of your comments in writing, please do that at Seattle Council backups.

Okay.

We have Sarah Patton followed by Janet Way and Billy O'Neill.

Please go ahead.

SPEAKER_30

Hi, my name's Sarah Patton.

I've been a volunteer for Friends of the Market since 1964, and I served on the Market Historical Commission for 10 years.

I'm here to urge you to adopt Council Member Lewis's amendment to 12456. It's incredibly important that these decisions to be made not behind closed doors, but in a Market Historical Commission The historical commission prohibits guidelines, prohibit franchises and chains of the market, unless of course you started there, hence Starbucks.

And so, but the commission keeps other chains out.

So no Burger King in the market and that's hard, but the commission no to big business and please adopt the amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_37

Janet Way, Janet Way, followed by Bill O'Neill.

SPEAKER_31

Good morning.

My name's Janet Way.

I'm with the Save the Market Entrance Group, the group that landmarked the Hahn Building.

And we are strongly in favor of Council Member Lewis' amendment, and because the Pike Place Market matters.

It matters to people around the world.

It's world famous.

My family has been visitors there for the past 40 years, as have everyone in this room.

And it should not be just in the hands of the Department of Neighborhoods with no public oversight.

It should be in the hands of the market itself.

And its historic value can't be underestimated.

And so I urge you to adopt the amendment.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Billy O'Neill, followed by Elaine Spencer and Heather Peel.

SPEAKER_43

Please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Billy O'Neill.

My mom and I came to this country in 1966. My earliest memories as a kid was going to the Pike Place Market with my mom, who would take me down a couple times a year.

I'm now lucky enough to have a space in the pipe place market called Glass Eye Studio, located on Flower Road.

I've been there for almost five years, excuse me, four years, and I've seen significant change by Director Mary Bacarella to dissolve and take the power away and the checks and balances away from the contingency, excuse me.

Please don't let this happen.

The pipe place market is truly unique.

It's the only thing we have that's still truly Seattle.

And it needs to stay Seattle.

We need to have checks and balances.

We need to have oversight.

And I implore on all of you to please do not let this happen.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Elaine Spencer followed by Janet, sorry, Heather Peele.

SPEAKER_20

Good morning.

My name is Elaine Spencer.

At the hearing on ordinance 120456 and indeed today, would appear that it was unanimous that the park place market should be removed from the ordinance.

Since then, we've learned there are a few people who would like it to remain in the ordinance as initially drafted, mostly property owners and business owners in the district.

You shouldn't be surprised by that.

Nothing's actually unanimous.

I've spent my career trying to help businesses navigate government process and most business would rather not be regulated, but context is everything.

where the context as it is here is one of the most beloved iconic places in a world-class city.

A business needs to expect that it will be subject to the legitimate rights of the public to review and supervise what goes on.

Thank you, Council Member.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Heather Peele followed by Paul Fellows and Miranda Arney.

SPEAKER_29

Hi.

I'm deeply honored to read a letter from Alex Reluda from Reluda Architects.

He had planned to be here today, but he's home with a cold, so he reached out to me to read his letter.

Good morning, City Council members.

My name is Alex Reluda.

I am a licensed architect and have an architecture firm in Pioneer Square.

More importantly, I have served on three historical preservation boards as a board member and chairperson.

These include the International District, Pike Place Market, and most recently, Pioneer Square.

Currently, I serve as a board member on CCDAC, that's Capital Campus Design Advisory Committee in Olympia.

We advise the state capital committee chaired by the Lieutenant Governor.

I am in full support of the amendment.

I was chair of the Pike Place Market Preservation Board during the 2008 renovations.

to make sure renovation improvements were minimally visible to the extent that I requested they provide pipe run mockups.

I was, I'm sorry, I'm gonna run out of time.

SPEAKER_37

That's all right.

Yeah, your time has expired, but you're welcome to send those to council members, and we're happy to take those.

Thank you very much, appreciate it.

Paul Fellows followed by Miranda Arney, and then we'll have Frank Albanese.

SPEAKER_01

Please go ahead.

Good morning, committee members.

I strongly support the Lewis Amendment to remove the Pike Place Market from this legislation that's currently being considered.

The voters of Seattle decided to create a special district and commission to protect the market, its buildings, and the function of the district from pressures of the highest and best use, so often responsible for the destruction of iconic buildings and places here in Seattle.

Because of this wise decision on the part of the Seattle voters, The market has continued to be a magnet drawing many tourists as well as locals from far and near.

There is kind of a magic in the way the Pike Place Market works as a district, especially to those who visit the place.

It is through the oversight of the special commission that the pressures of development, which we can see negatively changing many of our well-loved districts, is mitigated.

If you move decision-making on the future, of the pie place market into this proposed new blanket planning scheme.

It won't be long before developers take over modification and we will lose.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Miranda Arnie, please go ahead.

SPEAKER_26

I believe this bill was created in good faith of good government.

I also believe that it's impossible to create good governance about Pike Place market without the input from its constituents.

The market has sustained and thrived through many outside challenges precisely because all of its proposed changes are open for discussion from the public and more specifically from the people that the change might affect.

I realize this may take more time and effort to complete the process this way, but sometimes efficiency is not the best answer.

While I understand that the proposed changes included in this bill may seem minor, any change in one of these proposed areas, mechanical, seismic, accessibility, fire safety, etc., could usually affect the overall character of the market if it's not executed with care and with public review from the people from the voices of the people that it might affect.

This may seem like a tedious process to you, and frankly, it is.

But this is how the Pike Place Market remains the shining crown jewel of Seattle.

It is how we promise to stay accountable to each other, and it is how we sustain this special place.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Frank Albanese followed by Sharon Shaw and Gina Carraba.

I'm gonna ask the audience to restrain from applauding after each speaker so that we can get through everybody in the time that we have, please.

Frank, followed by Sharon Shaw and Gina Carraba.

Please go ahead.

SPEAKER_46

Thank you.

I wrote a two minute speech, so I have to cherry pick what I can out of here.

Previous owner of 15 years in the market with a store and served four years on the Historical Commission, two years as chairman.

Once I opened and became part of the market environment, I very quickly understood and respected the importance of the Historical Commission.

Embracing the character of the market is key to the market's success now and well into the future.

Pike Place Historical Commission Board is comprised of individuals that live, work, and dedicate personal time to ensure that the character of the market is well balanced and adheres to the guidelines established in the 1971 Save the Market initiative.

This sacred responsibility must be governed in the public's eye by the Pike Place Historical Commission, not behind closed doors of the Department of the Neighborhoods with no public input and no commission oversight.

The Historical Commission has guided the market for 50 years, maintained its character, ongoing vitality, its deep-rooted history, and an inviting market for Seattleites and visitors alike to enjoy well into the future.

Don't you ever forget that.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

Okay, Sharon Shaw and then Gina Carraba.

Please go ahead, Sharon.

SPEAKER_05

Good morning.

I have the wonderful privilege of being the mother of the Pike Place Market.

And what you see here today, I have a huge action in.

I spent the last month talking and walking the Pike Place Market and listening to my community.

And we all know that the way that the market is working now is absolutely perfect.

It's really difficult at times, but it's what's necessary.

We need the public comment for anything basically that happens at the Pike Place Market.

We do understand the length that it takes and we do understand how hard it is, but we need to continue to do the job ourselves.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_25

I was part of the shareholders committee for the new development at the market and I got to see firsthand how everybody.

Reached out to the community to find out what we all needed and what we all.

Wanted for the new development and We were able to have a beautiful pavilion and all of these amazing views that people throng the patio to come out and see.

And we really focused on making sure the flavor of the market was preserved and that everybody had a say.

And it was a really amazing process, which would have been absolutely impossible with city council.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Colleagues, it is almost 10, and we do still have, well, Devin, can you grab that?

We probably have another 20 people.

I'm gonna suggest that we go till 10, 10, 20, if colleagues don't mind.

Is there any objection?

Okay, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, Maggie, please go ahead.

I'm Maggie Haynes from Friends of the Market.

I echo what everyone else has said, supporting Council Member Lewis's amendment.

The market's like an organism that is supported by different legs, and one of those legs is the Market Historical Commission.

We need it to continue for the market to function in all of its parts, and removing the market would, I mean, removing the Market Historical Commission could change the authenticity of the market, which would have a huge financial impact on the city of Seattle because it brings so many tourists and Washingtonians down there.

I really appreciate Council Member Lewis's amendment and fully support it and thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Great, we have Kate Craft followed by Bruce Rutledge and Richard Caldwell.

SPEAKER_10

Hello, I'm Kate Craft.

I'm a member of the Friends of the Market.

First, I want to thank Andrew Lewis for introducing this amendment to Council Bill 120456. By adopting this amended ordinance or council bill, you will be recognizing thousands and thousands of the citizens of Seattle who voted in 1971 by public initiative to preserve the Pike Place market and to preserve not just the buildings, but the character of the market.

you will be recognizing the creation of the Pike Place Market Historic District and the Market Historical Commission.

That commission is, has been made up for 50 years, a diverse group of citizens who are devoted to the market.

So thank you for recognizing the work of the commission, not just in the past, but for the future.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Bruce, followed by Richard Caldwell and Alex Rasmussen.

SPEAKER_44

Thank you, Chair Morales.

I'm Bruce Rutledge.

I'm a business owner.

I've been a business owner in the market for the past nine years.

My store is in the down under, the third floor of the Fairlie building.

And I want to say we're thriving right now.

We're coming out of the pandemic stronger than ever.

And one of the reasons is the hyper focus of the Historical Commission, who cares about our neighbors and the mix and the collaboration on the floor.

I strongly urge you to support Councilmember Lewis's amendment and keep the market on the path to success.

Thank you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Richard, followed by Alex Rasmussen and Gulnaz Mohammadi.

Okay, I'm sorry, what's your name, sir?

Okay, thank you.

Alex Rasmussen, Golnaz Mohamedy, and Grace Leon.

SPEAKER_34

Good morning.

I'm a Seattle native, street musician, and salesperson at Pike Place Market.

With its rich history and eclectic mixture of local businesses, the market has often been described as the soul of the city.

One of the reasons it's maintained its charm is the fact that it operates as a self-contained universe, fending for and making decisions for itself in the midst of a metropolis that is deteriorating before our eyes.

I'm asking that the City Council allow us in the Pike Place Market family to maintain oversight of our cherished little corner of Seattle.

Otherwise, if you begin calling shots without our essential input, I and many others fear the market will begin to lose its unique character that makes it a staple of our vibrant community and a travel destination for visitors from around the world.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_35

As a Pike Place Market Historical Commissioner, I'm asking Council Members to exclude Pike Place Market from Council Bill 120456 as proposed by Amendment 1, Version 1 from Council Member Louise.

Pike Place Market, if not only, is one of the few vibrant places, parts of the City of Seattle left.

While big corporations such as Macy's and Nike left Seattle, The unique nature of charming market powered by small resilient business owners has kept market a place that millions of people visit every year.

Pike Place Market has been preserved by MHC for 50 years.

Please allow us to preserve it.

Also, I wanted to emphasize as a commissioner that any seismic study or mechanical repair that might happen at the market, MHC with unique set of skills is there to help with the project and commission.

Always valuable and by no means available and by no means will delay or have ever delayed the process, yet they are there to improve and help the process.

Justice.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next we have Grace followed by Leilani Jensen and Tisbury Pringle Ennis.

SPEAKER_32

Thank you.

My name is Grace Leong and first I thank you Councilmember Lewis for proposing the amendment.

Grace can you hold the mic a little shorter.

I'm an architect, I'm a neighbor, and I am the current chair of the Market Historical proposal of this being a streamlined process or a more streamlined process.

And in the last few years, we have not been inundated with applications.

We have had meetings canceled, and we have had meetings with one or two applications.

So the Historical Commission really strives to make the process as robust as possible to include public comment, and that should not be taken away.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Leilani Jensen.

SPEAKER_22

Hi, I'm Leilani Jensen.

I'm new to the market, one of the newest artists there.

And all I can say is, I don't know that much, but I know it's working.

I talk to people from all over the world there, and they love it.

And they love it because it feels real.

It doesn't feel corporate.

It feels like its decisions are being made by the people who work there.

And you can't mess with it.

You just need to leave it alone.

And it's beautiful.

It's one of the last beautiful things in this city.

And it brings people to not only the businesses that are in the market but hopefully as downtown comes back it will bring them out of the market and into the surrounding so it's it's really in the whole city's best interest to keep it the way it is thank you thank you uh tisbury followed by skip knocks and brooks cold

SPEAKER_36

Hi, thank you.

My name is Tisbury Pringle Ennis.

I've been an artist and business owner at Pike Place Market for 20 years.

I strongly support Council Member Lewis's amendment to remove Pike Place Market from legislation 120456. Let the Historical Commission continue to do its good work.

There is absolutely no reason to make a change.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19

Good morning, council members.

My name is Skip Knox.

I'm not gonna read all of this to you.

I'm not even gonna read anything at all, really.

Everybody's talked about the ordinance, but somebody has to implement the ordinance, and I'm sorry to say it cannot be the Department of Neighborhoods.

I've done some research on their behavior to, quote, support as requested, as the ordinance reads, the Pike Place Market Historic Commission.

When they set out on a survey and don't tell the Market Historic Commission they're going to do it, that's not supporting.

That's suppressing.

Withholding information when it finally came back in the form of a report is not supporting.

The first thing that the commissioners heard about the survey was when it showed up.

They'll simply say this.

They've done everything they can to suppress and suffocate and stall what should be done with support for the commission, and I hope you...

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Brooks Cole, followed by Ernie Dornfeld and Nick Setton.

Sorry if I got the last name wrong.

Please go ahead.

SPEAKER_13

Hello, my name is Brooks Cole.

I'm with the Seattle Allied Arts Foundation.

And as you may know, our parent organization, Allied Arts of Seattle, was right there in the beginning of the fight to save the market in 1971. Ever since we've watched as the Pike Place Market Historical Commission has done an excellent job preserving the market.

So I want to agree with all of the comments that have been made so far very eloquently by others.

And I share the concern that the Pike Place Market could become of a corporate entity if the amendment to remove it from the legislation is not approved.

So on behalf of the organization, we heartily recommend the amendment be passed.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Ernie, please go ahead.

SPEAKER_07

Thanks for the opportunity to speak.

I'm Ernie Dornfeld, President of Friends of the Market.

I'd like to speak in support of Amendment 1 to Council Bill 120456. We support Council Member Lewis's amendment, which which removes changes to the authority of the Pipelace Market Historical Commission from this bill.

The commission regulates changes in design and use in the market.

It does its work in public.

Its members are appointed by the mayor from people who have a demonstrated sympathy with the purposes of the historic district.

The knowledge and experience of commission volunteers have enabled the commission to be successful in regulating changes during two large-scale renovations of the market, first in the 1970s and 80s and later on in 2008 to 2010. The market has adapted its publicly owned structures to meet accessibility standards as well as fire and safety requirements.

This work was done under the regulatory guidance of the Market Historical Commission.

The commission needs continued robust staff support from the Department of Neighborhoods.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you, Mr. Dornfeld.

Appreciate it.

Thanks very much.

Nick, followed by Ezra Alem and Ryan Atala.

SPEAKER_03

Hi, I'm Nick Seddon, I'm a resident in the neighborhood.

I am with the Friends of the Market through vote of the Market community.

I sit on the PDA Council.

Thank you, Councilman Lewis, for proposing your amendment to Council Bill 120456. At this point, over the last few months, y'all have heard from Market Historical Commissioners, you've heard from the Market PDA, you've heard from the Friends of the Market, you've heard from countless Market community members whose lives, whose minds and hearts are intertwined with this place.

You've heard from the Market Foundation.

You've heard things from a contemporary lens.

You've heard things from a historical lens.

Listen to the market community.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Ezra Alem, followed by Ryan Rayan Atala and Leslie Bucher.

SPEAKER_15

This gentleman wants to withdraw his

SPEAKER_37

Okay.

Okay.

What's your name, sir?

SPEAKER_15

Rayan.

SPEAKER_37

Okay.

Thank you.

Leslie Bucher, followed by Larry Barton.

SPEAKER_21

Hi, I'm Leslie Bucher.

I'm a current member of the Market Historical Commission.

And as you've seen here today and last month, the public has a lot to say about Pike Place Market.

Sometimes our commission meetings go three hours long or longer because we are listening to all the public comments.

with every single thing that comes in front of the Historical Commission.

And if you pass this bill in its current state, we'll be removing the opportunity for public comment on all these things.

So please pass the amendment, remove Pike Place Market, and give these guys a voice on every single thing they like to comment, including every shrub, every sign, every light fixture, all of these things.

They have an opinion.

Let's let them share it.

Please remove Pike Place Market.

Thank you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Larry Barton, let's see, followed by Buster Simpson and Duncan Thiem.

SPEAKER_18

Everything that people have said here during these comments can be condensed to six words.

It ain't broke, don't fix.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

I have Buster Simpson, Duncan Thiem, John Brink, and the last speaker I have is Brock Braun.

SPEAKER_12

Thank you, thank you.

Andrew Lewis for the amendment.

I'm Buster Simpson.

I was a resident in the neighborhood, the market for about 15 years and on the commission in the early 80s.

I love the comment about the market is real.

I think it all just boils down to that.

And you don't get it through processes that aren't grassroots.

The city has on record, both the mayor and the council of, uh, of, uh, more citizen engagement.

This is an example, a classic example of a laboratory where, uh, ideas get developed and improved upon it's dynamic.

And that's what you need.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_30

Duncan.

SPEAKER_42

Hi, my name is Duncan Thiem.

I'm proud to be a friend of the market.

I'm here today to support and echo the sentiments of this community.

Council Member Lewis, thank you so much for hearing this community and for proposing your amendment to this legislation.

And to the rest of the council, I would offer the observation that whenever asked, the citizens of this city rise up and support the market resoundingly just the way it is.

And I ask you to join that tradition today.

Today is the day we need your support for the market.

Join that tradition.

Join the market.

Restore the full authority of the Historic Commission.

I look forward to the unanimous support of this committee and of the full Council next Tuesday.

It ain't broke.

Don't fix it.

SPEAKER_37

Okay.

John Brink and Bob Braun.

SPEAKER_14

Hello, thank you, my name is john Brink I operate a tour guide business in the market and one of my.

joys and my job is to show people from all over the world how unique the market is.

They always leave with a different understanding about the community.

They feel the family, market family, obviously, you know, in the house today, and I'm kind of, you know, being redundant, but again, just, you got to think of it as an ecosystem, and it's a delicate ecosystem.

Just leave it the way it is.

Anything worthwhile as human beings takes time, takes attention, and the market's a perfect example of that.

Thank you, Mr. Lewis, for your support and for listening.

And that's all I got to say.

I support the amendment.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Please go ahead.

SPEAKER_00

My name is Robert Braun.

I am the acting chair of the market constituency.

The market constituency is the elected body that governs or manages or assists in managing, maybe is the better way to say it, the market.

We have 400 citizens that are members of the constituency.

Not a single member has voiced support.

for this transfer of authority to the Department of Neighborhoods.

Unanimous in our thinking is that item B of the original proposal, which was to exclude the Pike Place market from this law entirely, should be adopted by the city council.

We're very hopeful that you will simply exclude the market from this transfer of authority from a working model of citizen participation to another authority.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Okay, that concludes our list of speakers.

So we will move on to the first legislative item.

Devin, will you please read item one into the record?

SPEAKER_28

Item one, appointment 02441, appointment of Ezra Alem as member Seattle Human Rights Commission for a term to July 22nd, 2023, for briefing, discussion, and possible vote.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

I understand Mr. Alem is here.

Is Mr. Alem here?

Good morning.

Please come up to the table here.

And we have Meredith Stone from Department of Neighborhoods.

Meredith, do you want to speak to the appointment?

Sure, thank you chair Morales.

SPEAKER_24

My name is Meredith stone and I'm happy to be here as a representative of the office for civil rights advisory commissions and to address introduce as a alum who's been nominated to join the Seattle human rights Commission.

As a brings experiences and foster care the criminal justice system and educational systems as well as involvement in nonprofit organizations.

He has worked with legislators to help change and create new and better systems for those involved with the child welfare system.

Ezra is currently attending Seattle University and expects to graduate in 2024. Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Good morning.

How are you today, sir?

SPEAKER_17

I'm doing well.

How are you?

SPEAKER_37

Good.

Thank you for being here.

We'd love to hear from you about your interest in the commission and maybe tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_17

Of course.

I think she practically said a lot of things that I wanted to say, but in a different way.

I have a lot of experience both sides from personal and academic experience when it comes to foster care ship and.

For a long period of time, I'd never had a chance to speak up for myself, or didn't know how to, or had a mentorship to help me through hardships.

And after I aged out, I thought I knew what I was supposed to do.

I gave up on a lot of dreams and goals because my past constantly comes back to me.

And a lot of times now, I mean, I have to make one correction.

I don't go to school anymore because I gave up on my dream.

But being able to be a part of the commission, to supporting the next generations of youth who are struggling, who are traumatized or emotional about certain things.

Foster care is a very sensitive topic for me since it has destroyed my future, my family, and my sense of existence and sense And being able to be a part of this commission will be able to have that voice without one person who wants to be heard and acknowledged and understood that the criminal justice system is not fair in the sense of how foster kids and unaccompanied youth are treated.

It helps me to be able to kind of be that bridge between foster kids versus normal kids.

I didn't have a lot of opportunities and most people in foster care don't have a lot of opportunities.

We've always been confined into certain areas and sometimes we have a hard time adjusting to society because of the things that we went through.

Some people don't make it.

And I've seen a lot of people commit suicide and the people who I attached to committed suicide.

So it desensitized me throughout the whole experience.

And I couldn't continue on being a lawyer or wanting to pursue my degree in law because it's just too painful.

So this is my opportunity to kind of push my experience and my traumas into a way to kind of voice a change and the need of change and kind of finding a home for my traumas.

And the first time I was able to do that was helping Governor Inslee.

to developing a Department of Youth, DCYF, but I don't think that's even doing anything different.

I think that there needs to be the right people at the right place.

And I feel like I'm one of those people who's going to be at the right place and at the right time if I was given the opportunity.

SPEAKER_37

Well, thank you so much for coming here.

Thank you for being vulnerable.

That's a hard story to share.

And I see the emotion that it brings up for you.

So thank you for being here and for being willing to bring that lived experience into the Human Rights Commission.

I think you're right.

It will be a very important connection point for you.

My hope is that as part of the city family, maybe we'll be able to figure out how to help you continue your desire to finish your education and find some way for you to connect in that way as well.

Colleagues, are there any questions or comments for Mr. Lim?

Yes, Council Member Nelson.

SPEAKER_15

I simply wanted to say that I read your story, and hearing you speak about the wisdom that you will bring to this commission, I just have to say thank you very much for being willing to give your time and service.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you, Councilmember Nelson.

Other comments?

Councilmember Strauss, please go ahead.

SPEAKER_08

Thank you, Ezra.

Thank you for your strength.

Thank you for sharing what you've said today, and the work that you've already done in our state.

I know it might feel like the department at DCYF isn't doing much yet, and without you it wouldn't be there.

I think that for a lot of people in our society, in our community, if you haven't interacted with foster care, there's a lot of unknowns.

You talked about aging out without, you know, having somebody to help you and create that direction.

Society has required you to be a larger adult at a time when you were still a kid.

And that strength that you have and the knowledge that you have is the only way that we can make this change so that we can make a better future so that these practices stop and that we're able to create the interventions that set people up for success rather than setting them up to experience the trauma that you described earlier.

I won't try to summarize in any way.

I'm sorry I'm not there with you in chambers right now.

I'm working out of my district office in District 6, and I'm just very impressed with you.

I am heartened to hear that you are continuing to advocate in our community to make a difference so that the next generations of people don't have to have the experience that you did.

I'm just incredibly impressed and I'm grateful, incredibly grateful for you being with us today.

You sharing your time and your knowledge with our city.

Keep it up.

Don't stop.

And if there's anything ever I can do, please connect with me.

I'd love to be your supporter too.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well said councilmember Strauss.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Colleagues, I am going to move that the committee recommend approval of appointment 2441. Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you very much.

It's been moved and seconded.

Devin, will you please call the roll?

SPEAKER_28

Chair Morales.

Yes.

Four in favor.

SPEAKER_37

Great.

The motion carries and the committee recommendation that the council approve the appointment will be sent to the February 7th full city council meeting.

Ezra, you don't have to be there, but these will get included in the consent agenda, so I assure they will be passed.

Thank you very much for being here.

SPEAKER_17

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you.

Okay, let's move on to item two.

Devin, will you please read the short title of agenda item two into the record?

SPEAKER_28

agenda item two, council bill 120456, an ordinance relating to historic preservation review procedures, amending and making permanent certain temporary procedures for briefing, discussion, and possible vote.

SPEAKER_37

Great.

And as we all know, Council Member Lewis has proposed amendment to this legislation.

So Council Member Lewis, once we hear from the department and from central staff, the floor will be yours.

Okay.

Okay, Lish, I'm going to ask you first.

Is Lish here?

Yes, Alicia's here.

If you could refresh our memory about this bill, and then I will ask Sarah and Sarah from D.O.N. if there's anything they want to add.

SPEAKER_27

Okay, so Council Bill 120456 would amend our historic preservation provisions for the city's historic districts and landmarks.

providing authority to the Department of Neighborhoods to review projects administratively rather than bringing minor projects in front of the various boards and commissions that are appointed to review landmarks.

You had a robust discussion in December, so I'll hand it over to DON to add anything more.

SPEAKER_37

Great, thank you.

SPEAKER_16

Hi, this is Sarah bells from the Department of neighborhoods, and you know I don't think we have a whole lot to add just that this legislation is an outgrowth of temporary administrative review procedures that were in place, put into place during the pandemic.

following the city's experience with the temporary rules, as well as some outreach and engagement work that we had a consultant do, that revealed that there was, with the exception of Pike Place Market, there was generally strong support for making the temporary rules permanent in the city's other historic districts, and also for the Landmarks Preservation Board.

We advanced this legislation to the council, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be here today.

I'm happy to answer any further questions.

Thank you.

Okay.

SPEAKER_37

Councilmember Lewis, would you like to move your amendment?

SPEAKER_06

Thank you, Chair Morales.

I move Amendment 1 to Council Bill 120456.

SPEAKER_37

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded.

Councilmember Lewis, would you like to address your amendment?

SPEAKER_06

Thank you, Chair Morales, and thank you to everyone who came out today to advocate for this amendment.

I appreciate the public comment.

I mean, just to take a moment, I think this was alluded to by I'm going to go back to Bruce Rutledge and his testimony in the public comment session, but the market is one of the places we don't talk a lot about right now in the context of our downtown recovery because it is doing quite well, as Bruce testified to.

In fact, throughout the last couple of years, which have been a very difficult time for the broader downtown even in those darkest days of 2020, that the market community and the people that make up the market community never faltered and really rose to the occasion to be the gathering space of our downtown, to be the breadbasket of our downtown, to be the place that gave us hope when everything else was closing and return to the office was uncertain and challenges we still grapple with.

So I want to thank everyone in this room for being a part of that.

before I expand on the amendment.

Because I think it really is, it's amazing to have this asset in the center of our downtown neighborhood.

And the recovery that we're starting to see the beginning of is due in no small part to the work of the market community.

So thank you so much.

So in terms of the amendment for the legislation that is in front of us, It goes without saying that Pike Place Market, and I know there would be no disagreement from any member of the council or city leadership is a civic gem in the city and one of the biggest draws that makes us a unique place.

And we know that during the COVID era, There had to be some accommodation for the inability to have congregate meetings.

There had to be some accommodation for ways to make sure that the government of business could go on and adapt to a COVID-era footing.

and we're debating a number of those things now as a council with the emergency order ending and making decisions on what should permanently become part of our business, what should maybe be revisited, what should revert back to how it was pre-COVID.

And this squarely, I think, falls into that category, at least so far as the market historic commission, as something that should revert back to the arrangement that's existed for decades, the arrangement that was ratified by the people of the city, the arrangement that we at the City Council have reaffirmed time and time again that the Market Historic Commission be in a position to look over and approve the matters that are under Council Bill 120456 as the body that's making those decisions.

The market community is strongly in favor of carving out the Market Historic Commission.

I have no preference or opposition to the other historic commissions in this bill having varying degrees of this administrative authority being made more permanent because we have not heard from those bodies or from constituencies in those historic districts expressing strong opposition.

But I have not heard a single person suggest that the market historic commission should have these administrative changes made permanent.

We have seen strong mobilization that's evident today from people in the gallery who have spoken in favor of this carve out as well as a large volume of communications, emails, phone calls from people expressing the same opinion and feedback.

And ultimately, I think it's important for us to be able to do that.

You know, I firmly believe that a city council members, our accountability is to seeking how we can best deliver for the people who we represent.

a department or some other institution to do some of the business in front of the city, the ultimate accountability that we have is to work for the people and not necessarily for a department or other institutions.

We confirmed at our last meeting that there's not going to be a significant impact to the flow of work.

The commission has not requested this change, nor is there a significant number of applications in a given year.

I think in 2022, there are about four things that fall within the categories that would permanently be put under administrative review.

I don't think that unduly is a workload that is going to have a significant impact on the efficacy or efficiency of the commission or have a significant impact on the ability to get this work done in a timely and effective way.

So for those reasons, I think any argument around efficacy or efficiency is significantly outweighed by the significant public feedback opposing this change.

And for those reasons, I'm moving this amendment today, and I look forward to a discussion this morning and a vote on this amendment, and look forward to voting on the rest of the council bill without, as far as I'm concerned, any objection to it.

So thank you, Madam Chair, and with that, I don't have any additional introductory remarks to the amendment.

SPEAKER_37

Thank you very much.

Council Member Nelson, please go ahead.

SPEAKER_15

So I went to the ribbon cutting of the Seattle Convention Center Summit edition this past week, a couple of days ago.

And if you climb or descend that spectacular stairway that kind of hangs out over the sidewalk of Pine Street, what you see as you look west is the iconic market sign.

And so, and that resonates because of what the market represents, which is Seattle's history.

And then of course, everything that it still provides the community in the city today.

And the reason why it is so strong, and I hate using this word, but the reason why that brand endures so well is because of you.

I mean, you don't mess with the market because these are the people behind its stewardship.

And so, At our last meeting, basically, I signaled my support for removing this from the market from the legislation for these reasons.

I basically said that the mayor declared an emergency and now it's over.

Secondly, to to repeat what's now a bumper sticker.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And most important to my decision is always what my constituents are telling me.

And so while Ms. Spencer was gracious in saying that nothing is unanimous, this is getting pretty close.

So I will support this amendment.

Thank you very much, Council Member Lewis, for coming forward with this, and I would request to be a co-sponsor, and I will support this amendment.

SPEAKER_37

Council Member Lewis.

I'm sorry, Council Member Nelson.

Okay, any other comments, colleagues?

I'm not seeing any.

I want to thank Councilmember Lewis for bringing the amendment.

Thanks to all of you for being here today and sharing your comments.

And I do want to thank the department for the work that they're doing to try to keep the chains moving, so to speak, with the work of the city.

If there are no further comments, then I will call for a vote to Councilmember Lewis's amendment.

Devin, will you please call the roll?

SPEAKER_28

Councilmember Strauss?

Yes.

Councilmember Lewis.

Yes.

Councilmember Nelson.

Aye.

Chair Morales.

Yes.

Four in favor.

SPEAKER_37

The motion passes and the amendment is adopted.

And now we have the amended bill before us.

So I move that committee recommends passage of Council Bill 120456. Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and seconded.

Are there any further comments about this bill?

I'm not seeing any.

Devin, will you please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss?

SPEAKER_28

Yes.

Council Member Lewis?

Yes.

Council Member Nelson?

SPEAKER_37

Aye.

SPEAKER_28

Chair Morales?

Yes.

Or in favor?

SPEAKER_37

Great.

The motion carries and the committee recommendation that the council pass the legislation will be sent to the February 7th City Council meeting.

Okay.

That concludes our agenda for today.

Our next scheduled meeting is for February 10th.

Thank you all for attending.

It is 1037 and we are adjourned.