Good afternoon.
Thank you for being here on October 29th the October 29th 2018 City Council meeting of the full City Council come to order.
It's 207 p.m.
I'm Bruce Harrell president of the council will the clerk please call the roll O'Brien So what?
Bagshaw here Gonzales here herbal here Johnson Juarez here.
Let's get a President Harrell here nine present.
Thank you very much before we get in on to our business with the introduction and referral calendar.
I think all of us have been painfully aware that on Saturday morning, October 27th, 11 people became killed or dead and six more wounded, even including police officers, after a mass shooting at the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
As we speak, the U.S.
Attorney's offices filed 29 charges against the shooter, filed 11 counts of criminal homicide against the shooter, along with six counts of attempted homicide and six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.
But even notwithstanding those criminal charges certainly will not heal the pain suffered by the family members and the congregation members and this entire country.
So we thought it appropriate to just have a moment of silence in recognition of the pain that we've all suffered.
Perhaps a few of my colleagues may want to say a word or two before we do that.
And now would be a great opportunity to do that.
Council Member Herbold.
Thank you.
As a Pittsburgh native, this atrocity at the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, the city of my birth, has hit me really hard.
I want to thank the Tree of Life for providing resettlement services to refugees, just like our own Jewish Family Services does, and also appreciate that the mayor and SPD have committed to additional steps to protect our Jewish communities here in Seattle.
I want to just read a short excerpt, I promise it will be short, from the local Pittsburgh newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune, because I think it's just really a strong statement.
Pittsburgh has a heart of gold, but a core of steel.
Pittsburghers know better than anyone that under the white, hot heat of fire, solid ore becomes liquid.
But that is just the start of the process.
When you work that liquid, shaping it and cooling it, what you're left with is something stronger.
We believe that Pittsburgh is stronger than hate.
We believe Pittsburgh is strong enough to rise out of grief and pain in a way that will be a model for other communities.
We believe Pittsburgh will show that by attacking a worship service in the Steel City, hatred has met its match.
we believe no we know that hatred can't break pittsburgh because pittsburgh is a city of champion underdogs pittsburgh is a city that doesn't just make it steel it's made of steel from the bridges to the buildings to the people and hatred isn't stronger than steel thank you thank you very much council member herbold would any of our other colleagues like to say a few words council member bangshaw thank you council member herbold thank you for that that uh...
It's gonna make this just a tiny bit harder for me.
I want to really acknowledge my friend, Rabbi Daniel Weiner.
He said something yesterday that I just greatly appreciated, and he says, an attack on any Jew, person of faith, or innocent citizen in our nation is an affront to all we hold sacred and secure.
And like you, I oftentimes feel that when we say our love and prayers go out to the families, it feels so empty.
But to the people in the Pittsburgh Jewish community, and even here in Seattle to our Jewish Federation, greater Seattle community, remember in 2006 there was the painful shooting here.
I oftentimes wonder how in the world people find the capacity to move forward, to find the comfort and faith and pathway to healing that we need as a country to come together, especially since oftentimes I feel like at the top of this nation, we don't have somebody who's leading us towards coming together in unity.
But that said, Daniel Wiener, again, was saying, to cease living out our principles, even in the face of threat and tragedy, is to lose far more than what intimidation and bullying seek to take from us.
So it is with great heart that I say we need to be standing up to these bullies and to do what we can to come together, to hold hands, to send love to people here in our city and to Pittsburgh.
And yes, to do what we can, even vote, to make a difference.
And tonight at the Temple to Hirsch Sinai, there will be a vigil there.
And I want to say thank you for those who are inviting us to come, and I will be there with you.
Thank you, Council Member Bagshaw.
And so, if we just have a moment of silence for a few seconds.
Thank you very much.
If there is no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted, but I think Council Member Juarez may have something to say about that.
Thank you.
Council Member Juarez.
Thank you, Council President.
And again, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I had that wrong.
That is the agenda.
You will have something to say about our agenda today.
That's for sure.
So I don't think anyone's going to say anything about, if there's no objection, the introductory referral calendar will be adopted.
If there's no objection, the introduction and referral calendar is adopted.
Thank you, Madam Clerk, for pointing that out to me.
And at this point, I'll move to adopt the proposed agenda for today's meeting.
But for that, Council Member Juarez, you have the floor.
Thank you.
And Council President Harrell and Council Member Herbold and Council Member Bagshaw, thank you for your kind and warm words, and I know we all feel the same.
Thank you for speaking up today.
Okay, so I moved to amend the proposed agenda by adding Resolution 31851 entitled, A Resolution Addressing the Proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay and urging the Trump or the current administration to undergo the appropriate environmental review economic assessment, and consultation with the public to protect the wide-ranging interest in the region, including that of Seattle's business community, and by placing the resolution after agenda item number three.
Is there a second?
Second.
It's been moved and seconded that the proposed agenda be amended as stated by Councilmember Wuerz.
Any further comments?
All those in favor of approving the agenda as amended, please vote aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, vote no.
The motion carries and the agenda is adopted as amended.
The minutes of the October 22, 2018 City Council meeting have been reviewed and if there's no objection, the minutes will be signed.
Hearing no objection, the minutes are being signed.
Presentations, I'm not aware of any formal presentations this afternoon, so at this time we'll take public comment on items that appear on today's agenda or our introduction and referral calendar or our 2018 work program.
And the public comment will last for 20 minutes.
We'll give each of you two minutes.
I'll call you out in the order with which you signed.
And we'll start off with Scott Gregory-Peters in the middle mic, and then perhaps Jennifer A., our second one, could take this mic over here and we'll keep it rolling.
Scott, you have the floor.
Hi, everybody.
Hope everybody's happy today.
Yeah, my name is Scott Peters.
I was born in Seattle, Washington.
I have a lot of concerns about what I see as the loss of low-income housing within the city of Seattle.
I'm also for tenants' rights, which I feel need to be strengthened in this day and age.
Landlords are raising their rents.
and they're taking advantage of, especially people of low income, and that low income housing are those that accept them.
They do not manage their buildings properly.
The buildings don't meet minimum standards.
And there's no excuse for that, quite frankly.
I think that they should come back to a more appropriate mandatory building inspection program to ensure that all the buildings meet standards, or at least don't degrade further to the point where they'll have to be demolished.
I don't have the answers here.
I know I have a slumlord that isn't a low-income, they accept low-income people, but they harass people, especially people that complain, like me, and do all kinds of things, like illegal search and seizures, and just, I won't get into the whole thing.
But I'd like to see, like I said, I'd like to see the city also come up with or adopt a thing in your own, whatever it is, chart, I don't know what you call it, saying that landlords cannot use illegal surveillance equipment within rental unit, apartment units, without their knowledge, consent, or prior to them leasing it to a prospective tenant.
I think I have four seconds.
So have a good day.
Thank you.
Following Jennifer will be Linda DeLillo Morton in the middle of microphone.
Hi, Councilmembers.
While I rarely agree with your policies or actions, today is an exception, as you take vote in support of protecting my home State of Alaska.
I have commercial fished in Bristol Bay for nearly 35 years, each year going home to the village of Naknek to fish the waters of Bristol Bay.
Bristol Bay, Alaska, is home to breathtaking natural beauty, thriving wildlife, and the most valuable and sustainable sockeye salmon fishery in the world.
Our fishery is sustainable because it is regulated.
Successful regulations are the reason we have fish by the millions that will return to spawn.
Harvest, this allows for a harvest of salmon, but also allows for the appropriate amount of salmon to make it up the rivers of Bristol Bay to continue the cycle of life.
In addition, many who live in Bristol Bay year round depend on salmon returning each year as a way of feeding their family.
Seasonally, salmon, caribou, and moose are harvested.
It's called a subsistence way of life, living off the land and the waters as a mean of supplying food for your family.
This past year, fishermen, Fishing the waters of Bristol Bay in an area called Nushagak, Alaska, a village in Bristol Bay, harvested over one million fish on four separate days.
That's one million fish, not pounds.
The average salmon weighs about 5.5 pounds.
To allow mining in the most pristine areas of our country is reckless.
As I mentioned, Alaska wild salmon is a sustainable resource.
Mining is not.
Thank you for taking a stand on no-pebble mine.
The proposed pebble mine is the wrong mine in the wrong place.
Thank you.
Hi, I'm Melinda Delillo-Morton, and I represent the Seattle Restaurant Alliance, and I am here to address the Bristol Bay Resolution.
We're an active network of 2,600 restaurants focused on the issues that impact the Seattle restaurant community.
The Seattle Restaurant Alliance, as restauranteurs, we operate responsibly and ethically to create a healthy and sustainable business environment and help our communities prosper.
We proudly stand with City Council in its resolution to protect the salmon population and commercial fishing industry and the environment of Bristol Bay, Alaska.
If allowed, the proposed Babel Mine would have direct negative economic impacts to our city and our state.
Bristol Bay is the world's largest salmon fishery.
During the 2018 season, fishermen harvested over 40 million sockeye salmon, nearly 50% of the world's sockeye salmon resources.
Salmon is the quintessential dish of the Northwest cuisine.
It's what we are known for around the world here in Seattle.
The Bristol Bay salmon are caught by Seattle-based fishers and served by the Seattle restaurant and retailers.
The salmon support more than 3,000 Washington jobs every year and generate $580 million in revenue.
It has clearly demonstrated, or no mine the size of proposed Pebble Mine has ever been built in a seismically active, sensitive environment without causing irreparable harm to nearby habitat and waters.
It's been clearly demonstrated through the decade of scientific review that the Pebble Mine will have significant and unacceptable impacts on Bristol Bay salmon habitat.
The Seattle Restaurant Alliance urges the EPA to refrain from allowing the mine industry to negatively impact the businesses that sell Seattle home on Bristol Bay.
Thank you so much for addressing this important issue and for passing this resolution.
Thank you.
Our following Travis will be Jesse Murray in the middle mic.
Thank you council members.
My name is Travis Rosenthal.
I'm also on the board for the Seattle Restaurant Alliance.
Locally I own Tango Restaurant, Rumba and Sandpoint Grill.
Guests specifically come to Sandpoint Grill for our salmon.
Bristol Bay provides almost 50% of the world's sockeye salmon run in the world and all five species of Pacific salmon spawn in the Bristol Bay watershed.
Seems pretty obvious to me building a pebble mine nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon covering an area larger than Manhattan in Bristol Bay might not be the best thing for such a fragile special ecosystem.
Not to mention the other impacts such as keeping Seattle-based fishermen employed and salmon on the plates of Sandpoint Grill Diners.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Following Jesse would be Tammy Morales on the other mic.
Thank you, Councilmembers, for considering Resolution 31844 today, affirming the UN Declaration of the Rights of Human Rights Defenders.
My commission, so my name is Jessie Murray.
I'm the co-chair of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission.
My commission and others under the umbrella of the Office of Civil Rights started conversations with Councilmember Herbold's office a couple months ago, concerned about what we saw as targeted harassment, stalking, and other retribution against activists in various spaces.
There have been some high profile instances of this.
Immigration activists targeted for deportation.
We've seen in our community a prominent trans activist, Danny Eskine, seemingly having her passport held up by the State Department because of her gender identity.
as well as others.
There's lots of anecdotal data right now that's going around in this city where in a time when we need to really be fighting back for human rights and standing up for each other, the people who are on the front lines of this don't feel safe themselves.
And so we're very appreciative of beginning this conversation.
We hope that it continues to make sure that folks who are putting their their well-being on the lines are are being backed up by Seattle.
So thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
Following Tammy will be Brett Verhussen on the middle mic.
Good afternoon, Council Members.
My name is Tammy Morales and I'm here on behalf of the Seattle Human Rights Commission.
I want to thank Council Member Herboldt's staff for working with us on this resolution and also just as an aside to thank you for acknowledging the events of this weekend.
Seattle has declared itself a human rights city and declared itself a welcoming sanctuary city.
And so the commissions who have been working together on this resolution are here to ask that you make sure these aren't empty declarations.
As Jesse mentioned, we have citizens who are being targeted by the State Department, by immigration.
And while we can't do a lot about what's happening at the federal level, at least we have no control over that, here in Seattle, we also know that activists are being targeted and human rights defenders are being targeted, harassed online, in their homes and workplaces.
And what we're here to do is to ask all of you to make sure that these aren't empty declarations We're here to ask that you actively affirm your commitment to human rights in this city And so the resolution is asking for a commitment of resources to our police department to be able to investigate When acts of harassment are being reported?
We know that Things are happening online, people are being stalked, and those charges seem to be, those complaints seem to be getting dismissed, and the reason given is because there isn't sufficient resources.
So we're here to ask you to actively affirm your commitment to protecting and defending human rights by making sure that these complaints get investigated.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Following Brett will be David McCoy at the mic here.
Thank you, President Harrell, for the opportunity, and thank you, Councilmember Deborah Juarez, for sponsoring this resolution.
My name is Brett Verhuisen.
I'm a coalition director for businesses for Bristol Bay.
I'm a lifelong Alaskan commercial fisherman, a Seattle resident, CEO of Ocean Strategies, and very proud graduate of the University of Puget Sound and University of Washington.
For nearly eight long years, I have been working on the campaign to protect the world's largest salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska from the threat of the proposed Pebble Mine, a proposed open pit golden copper mine that, if built, will have devastating impacts on Alaska, Washington, and our Nation's economy and food security.
Pebble Mine will also disrupt a Native subsistence way of life that has existed for millennia.
Seattle and Bristol Bay are inextricably linked through shipping, seafood processing, boat building, grocery stores, outdoor recreation, and restaurants whose chefs serve America's most trusted protein to hungry patrons every day.
Bristol Bay's fisheries pump over one and a half billion dollars into our nation's economy every year.
Unfortunately, these business voices are being ignored by the Army Corps of Engineers, who's permitting the largest mineral extraction project in Alaska's history at record speed.
I thank the Seattle City Council for sending a clear message that our voices deserve to be heard.
because after a record-breaking summer where 43 million sockeye salmon were sustainably harvested this year, it's clear that Bristol Bay means business.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Following David will be Satyabha Turner.
Hello, thank you.
My name is Dave McCoy.
I own Emerald Water Anglers, a fly fishing guide, retail, and travel service here in Seattle with 10 employees.
Bristol Bay region of Alaska is widely heralded as one of the planet's top destinations for anglers and represents a significant amount of revenue annually to my business and our staff.
The Bristol Bay Outdoor Recreation Industries contribute approximately $170 million annually to the U.S. economy, of which $58 million of this is from sport fishing.
Right here in Seattle, from the months of May through October, we see a significant number of local and traveling anglers pass through our doors en route to this region, many of whom have been doing so for decades.
Many of these anglers view this annual trip as a trip of their lives and fish only in this destination every year.
By jeopardizing this region, the dollars would simply disappear, leaving my business and other outdoor industry businesses with considerable loss of sustainable annual income for the sake of someone else.
On behalf of Bristol Bay's Outdoor Recreation Industries, I thank the Seattle City Council for passing this resolution.
Business voices are being silenced while Pebble Mine is being permitted faster than any other mine in U.S. history.
We need our elected officials to take action, and I thank you guys for doing so.
Thank you.
Tiara?
Good afternoon.
Thank you, Council, for having our testimony here today.
My name is Tiara Turner.
I'm originally from Dillingham.
It's a prominent fishing community in Bristol Bay.
I work in Seattle for the Freezer Longland Coalition.
We are a group of 11 fishing companies.
We have partnerships with four Alaska Native corporations, and we operate 25 hook and line cod vessels in the Bering Sea in Alaska.
There's a lot of investment on both sides.
We have private, family-owned businesses.
We work to support coastal communities that are in Bristol Bay who depend on salmon as the resource.
There we have approximately 1,500 employees that are from Washington State that work on our vessels and we have 200 employees in the managing offices locally here in Seattle.
Those partnerships are really important and I myself am a product of not only Bristol Bay but the partnership that our Native Corporation shares with the fishing communities in Alaska and Seattle.
As both a professional in the commercial fishing industry and an Alaska Native resident, I share my concern for the permitting process for the Pebble Mine.
The Pebble project is a grave threat to the ecosystem in Bristol Bay.
Salmon is a really valuable renewable resource.
The salmon fishery offers an economic opportunity.
It is an incredible source of nutrition.
It's a food security.
And it also provides a cultural connection between generations in Bristol Bay.
There are many other considerations, but the bottom line is the pebble mine project would have a disastrous effect on this unique and diverse ecosystem in Bristol Bay.
And I want to thank you for this opportunity to share my concerns.
Thank you.
Our next two speakers will be Christiana Obey-Sumner and following Christiana is Alex Zimmerman.
Hello, my name is Christiana Obi Sumner, and I'm here to speak to you today.
This past week has been one that's weighed heavily on my heart.
I grew up in the Philadelphia area, and the tragedies of Pittsburgh deeply pierced me.
And so closely after the shooting of two black elders, now ancestors of Louisville Kroger, that was in the neighborhood I lived in for over five years.
One I shopped in myself.
One my family who was still in Kentucky shared that they are terrified to return.
Our country is becoming increasingly divided, increasingly dark, for both the citizens and our representative leaders.
Human rights leaders like Seattle's Maru Mora, Villa Pondo, and Danny Askini are heartbreaking examples of the mounting systemic and sociopolitical violence disrupting the work of community organizers, activists, self-advocates, and others who fight for equity, justice, and peace.
people like me, people like you.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, only light can chase away the darkness.
And together, we have the opportunity to stand in solidarity as a beacon, an illuminating force to affirm and encircle those who have and continue to lead the charge in human rights.
I ask you to stand with us in solidarity and enthusiastically join in coalition to pass the UN Human Rights Defenders Resolution and see the asks and appropriations through to completion.
Thank you for your time and service and to the Office of Councilmember Herbold.
and also to the Office of Civil Rights five chairs.
Together I know we can not only make a difference, but also work towards healing our communities as we march forward, elbows locked, through the darkness, in the light and love of solidarity.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Following Alex Zimmerman will be Lucrece Green, and that'll be our last speaker I've signed up.
Behild my dirty Nazi pig, antisemite.
That's exactly who you are.
City Seattle is very interesting fascist city.
It's not because one idiot many year ago killed many Jew, yes, in Jewish Federation.
It's okay with you, no problemo.
But you by definition are Nazi Gestapo mentality.
That's exactly who you are.
And I don't talking about eight trespass me because I am a Jew.
to my nail and my feet.
Eight trespasses for 900 days.
No one trespass legal.
And you're doing this for how many years?
Yes, 10 years I come to this place.
2,000 times speak.
You're acting every day like a Nazi, Gestapo, like a pure anti-Semitic, anti-Semite.
And you are anti-Semite.
I see in Seattle, when I live more than 30 years and come, it surprise me.
I never can imagine, and I come from Moscow, so Seattle have official anti-Semite government, like Soviet Union have, like German Nazi have.
You more dangerous than Nazi or communist.
Mr. Zirin, what agenda item are you speaking on here?
Agenda number one about
If you can't bring it back to the general work plan or...
This is exactly what I'm talking about, about increasing targeting of local activists.
I am a local activist.
This is exactly what I'm talking about.
And you're doing this exactly for one particular reason.
Because I'm an activist, because I'm an immigrant, because I'm a Jew.
This is exactly what's happening.
And I don't violate the rule, never for one second.
And right now you trespass Marguerite Richard four times for six months.
Why?
She's a black African.
Why?
Why you did this?
Why did you have this?
So she cannot come right now.
I'm putting on notice that you're not speaking to...
And don't interrupt me, you Nazi pig, because it's exactly what I told you about.
You're not speaking to today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar, and the city's work program.
So if you refuse to speak on those items, I'm going to hold you disruptive, and you will be banned from the courtroom.
So I put you on notice.
By the way, they can hear me, the people that need to hear me on this mic, so we could speak at the same time if that's your preference.
I'm putting on notice that your comments are not on today's agenda, the introduction referral calendar, or our 2008 work program.
So if you continue to speak off topic, I will hold you disruptive.
You've been warned.
You've been put on notice.
Please proceed, sir.
You have 23 seconds.
Exactly what is I talking?
Targeting of local activists.
I'm go six time for election, twice U.S.
Senator, right now position number five.
I am not activist, so who I am?
So you give me eight trespasses for 900 day.
900 day, eight trespasses.
Nobody in America doing this.
You are Nazi pig, you are Nazi pig.
It's exactly, you see my, who you are.
So, one second, he had one second left.
I find you disruptive.
I'm gonna ask that he be removed from the council.
That is not on our, Those comments were not on our agenda the introduction referral calendar and the City Council's work programs I'm asking that he be removed and you had a second left to Lacrisse green you are on ma'am, and I think so she I don't have you I had your name, but I had to crossed out so we're Okay, so and we'll have separate miss green you have the floor ma'am
If you remember right, last week I did not testify because I was not on agenda items.
May I have the opportunity to use my two minutes for non-agenda items?
You may speak on a topic that has to do with our work program.
That means things we're working on, the introduction and referral calendar, or today's agenda.
Those are the rules.
And so if it has something to do with one of our issues that we're working on, please proceed.
Will you stop me when I get out of order?
The oath of office said that you would uphold the Constitution.
Well, a man is only as good as his word.
And if you can't depend on a man's word, what then?
The Bible says it is better not to make a vow than to make one and not keep it.
Our state constitution says no man shall be disturbed in his personal effects, private affairs, or home without the authority of the law.
The authority of the law is the local elected sheriff and our local elected judge.
That means no one has the authority or the right or is allowed to step on my property for any reason, especially to question, censor, seize, investigate, interrogate, or to straighten me out.
Can you stop the clock for one moment?
And I just have to be consistent, Ms. Green.
I apologize for interrupting you.
What are you talking about?
I am talking about Ms. Sawant usurping authority over the Justice Department to go to Mr. Iverson's house, and I'm talking about stopping the destruction of property.
The showbox required the injunction of a judge.
If you're talking about the issues we've taken with the showbox, then that's a fair topic.
That is action we've taken, so please proceed.
To stop the destruction of property, the showbox in this case, required the injunction of a judge.
Again, the City Council members, at the behest of Ms. Allant, urged authority over the Judiciary Department to stop the destruction.
If the property was zoned for high-rise building, then the petition and signatures of $80,000 was a waste of time.
that was also brought to the wrong department, it belonged in the Justice Department.
As long as there is not an injunction against the showbox owner, he has a right to destroy the property.
What you have done is illegal.
Thank you.
That will close our public comment, our general public comment.
And with that, let's move to the payment of the bill, so please read the title.
Council Bill 119369, I provide the money to pay certain claims in order and payment thereof.
I'll move to pass Council Bill 119369. It's been moved and seconded that the bill passed.
Any further comments?
Please call the roll on the passage of the bill.
O'Brien.
Aye.
Sawant.
Aye.
Begshaw.
Aye.
Gonzales.
Aye.
Herbold.
Aye.
Johnson.
Aye.
Borres.
Aye.
Mosqueda.
Aye.
President Harrell.
Aye.
Nine in favor, none opposed.
The bill passes and the chair will sign it.
Just one moment.
Okay, let's move to our first agenda item, please.
The report of the City Council, Agenda Item 1, Resolution 31844, Proclaiming that Seattle affirms the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in the Wake of Increased Targeting of Local Activists.
Council Member Herbold.
Thank you.
As we have heard, this resolution is the result of a broad community effort specifically designed to address the targeting of local activists and leaders.
Danny Eskine, one such activist, and the former director of the Gender Justice League, a local gender and sexuality civil rights organization, reached out to the city council a number of months ago about several concerning threats and experiences of harassment.
This harassment ranged from specific detailed threats via email to property destruction and physical in-person threats.
Much of the harassment targeted at Missisgini included specific anti-transgender language, and we know that the violence experienced in this instance is not isolated.
We have heard similar concerns from other LGBTQ leaders and leaders of color in Seattle.
This resolution was introduced, or we started working on this resolution before the Trump administration's memo targeting transgender people.
This resolution in support of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders is now since that memo even more poignant in the face of continued federal erosion of civil rights protections.
We worked with the four Office of Civil Rights Commissions, the Human Rights Commission, the Women's Commission, the LGBTQ Commission, and the Commission for People with Disabilities in putting together this language.
And in it, we proclaim that Seattle affirms the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
The resolution describes the declaration and its history.
It outlines Seattle's support of local human rights defenders and recommends that local law enforcement examine current practices with regards to supporting human rights defenders and activists who are experiencing threats and harassment.
And as an aside, my office did share this resolution with the police department and we have heard back from the police department and understand that they have no problems taking a look at what their practices are and making some joint effort towards addressing the fact that there is very little, if any, enforcement related to cyber crimes.
I want to thank the LGBTQ Commission, the Human Rights Commission, and the Women's Commission, and the Commission for People with Disabilities, and Shannon Perez-Darby from my office for their work on this resolution.
And I would just like especially to thank Jessie Murray, the LGBT Commission co-chair, for her leadership on this issue.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilor Herbold.
Would any of my colleagues like to make any other remarks on the resolution?
I think we're good.
I want to thank all of those that came out to testify and think.
Thank you, Councilman Harbaugh, for your leadership.
Okay, I will move to adopt Resolution 31844. Second.
It's been moved and seconded to adopt Resolution 31844. Those in favor of adopting the resolution, please vote aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, vote no.
The motion carries and the resolution is adopted.
Please read the next agenda item.
Agenda item two, resolution 31845, studying the public hearing on the petition of Seattle City Light for the vacation of a portion of Broad Street between Harrison Street and Taylor Avenue North.
Council Member Johnson.
Nope.
Nope.
Council Member O'Brien.
I was right for a joke, by the way, but I'm not gonna touch it.
Council Member O'Brien, I had bad notes.
Thank you.
This resolution simply sets the public hearing for street vacation.
The street vacation is near the Broad Street City Light substations.
City Light is a small parcel of land to expand the substation.
And again, this is a City Light would be looking for a street vacation for this and we would, the resolution just sets the public hearing for I believe December 4th.
Very good.
Any further comments?
So I will move to adopt resolution 31845. It's been moved and seconded to adopt resolution 31845. Any further comments?
Those in favor of adopting the resolution, please vote aye.
Aye.
Those opposed vote no.
The motion carries and the resolution is adopted.
Adoption of other resolutions.
Correct?
Yes.
Please read that agenda item.
Well, just a minute here.
We have two of them, correct?
Yeah, I think I'm last.
Okay, please read the next agenda item.
Yes, just one moment here.
Not coming at me.
Thank you.
Okay, as provided under RCW 42.17A.555, the City Council now consider the adoption of Resolution 31850. Make sure I'm reading the correct one.
Yes.
And at the conclusion of the Councilmember comments, the Council will hear comments from the members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution, which endorses Statewide Initiative 940, which concerns law enforcement, on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot.
An approximate equal opportunity to speak will be given to members of the public.
Having said that, will the clerk now please read agenda item number three.
Agenda item three, resolution 31850, supporting Washington initiative measure 940 and urging Seattle voters to vote yes on initiative 940 on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot.
Okay, just to, as a matter of process, and we'll have some speaking opportunities here in a second, I'd like to formally move it first, and then there may even be an amendment.
I move to adopt Resolution 31850. Okay, it's been moved and seconded to adopt the resolution, so we'll now hear comments from council members on the resolution.
I'll begin the comments that basically, if you aren't following the issue, and I wanna thank Council Member Gonzalez for co-sponsoring that with me, This is a resolution that supports Washington initiative measure 940, which urges Seattle voters to vote yes on initiative 940 on the November 6th ballot.
What does this do?
The goal of the initiative is to decrease the use of deadly force by police in Washington state.
On March 8, 2018, the Washington State Legislature adopted this initiative as well as House Bill 3003, which modified the initiative as a compromise between, quote, de-escalate Washington, an organization, community leaders, and law enforcement agencies.
But the Washington Supreme Court held that the initiative required a vote of the people.
Personally, I believe the systemic racism, and I think that history would validate this, implicates all facets of society.
And our history has shown deep racial disparities in policy and the criminal justice system.
Numerous reports reflect the fact, as an example, that black men age 15 to 34 are significantly overrepresented in police shootings relative to other demographic and age groups.
The current standard under RCW 9A.16.04 to determine whether law enforcement is criminally liable for using deadly force is a standard requiring proof of, quote, malice, unquote.
Washington State is the only state that requires this extremely high malice standard for criminal liability in the use of deadly force.
Initiative 940 would change the standard for when a law enforcement officer may justifiably use deadly force to, quote, good faith, unquote, a standard that has been adopted by other states.
Initiative 940 would also require law enforcement officers in Washington to take violence de-escalation training, mental health training, and first aid training.
A few other points of this resolution.
that I believe are noteworthy that initiative 940 would also require investigations to include tribal governments where their members are involved.
In short, I believe this is good policy.
This is good policy for the residents and people of the city.
This is good policy for the police department.
And I strong proudly to support initiative 940 and would invite members from the dais to also speak to it.
I'm aware of at least one amendment that will be advanced by Councilmember Sawant, which basically takes out two whereases.
I support this and look at this actually as a friendly amendment in that the issue in front of us is whether we are supporting Initiative 940, which I believe we are.
as our own police department is still on an evaluation period, we are hoping, many of us are hoping that we stay in compliance.
But I think it is worth noting that accountability is something that you never sleep on.
Accountability is a value that is at the forefront of good policing.
So I think the initiative, so I welcome Council Member Swann's comments and her, basically amendment, and before we get into that, let's have some general words about the base legislation, and then we'll take any possible amendments that I became aware of.
So I'll give you all a minute to get your notes ready.
President Harrell, can I just ask one question?
Yes, you may.
I'll wait for you to call on me to move the amendment, but I have a few general comments about the resolution as a whole, which I'd like to do afterwards.
Absolutely, very good.
Councilmember, so you're going to speak generally and then we'll come back to you on the amendment.
Is that what you're saying?
No, the other way around.
Okay, that's fine.
Councilmember Baggio?
I'll just say this is that I will support your recommendation to remove those two whereases and I certainly support moving forward with this resolution.
Thank you.
Councilmember Gonzales, you'd like to speak?
Sure.
Well, I want to thank you, Council President Harrell, for leading us as a council on this important resolution to support Initiative 940. There's a lot of initiatives on the ballot this fall, so I think it's important for the City Council to follow through on what I have been hearing a lot of our constituents express, which is a very strong favorability for this particular initiative.
So with this resolution, we'll have an opportunity to state publicly our support for this as a city, and I'm looking forward to taking a vote on this.
I just wanted to comment on a couple of things, and I think, Council President Harrell, you did a really great job of describing the overall components of initiative 940. I wanted to emphasize a few things.
One is that I think it's absolutely critical for the public to understand that in order for us to be able to save lives of people who come into contact with police officers, we need to make sure that those police officers and that all law enforcement receives improved training to both deescalate the situation and to also make sure that law enforcement, if they do have to use excessive force or deadly force, that they receive mental health treatment in order to prevent a tragedy from occurring again in the aftermath of those critical incidents.
This initiative would also provide a fair process when a tragedy does occur for all those involved, but in particular for families and the communities that those individuals come from.
And, you know, I think it's really important for us to acknowledge that the state of Washington has the harshest rules and the hardest burdens to meet when it relates to officers who have engaged in deadly force.
And there has been a lot of study done in this issue.
The Seattle Times published a report I think it was about a year ago that talked about how out of the over 200 incidents across the state that involved deadly force, only one had been brought to prosecution in a court of law.
And I think that that is an incredibly unjust outcome as a result of this law, and I think that the impact that it creates on our families and our communities, on our black and brown communities in particular, when they first of all lose a loved one, and then on top of that, to add injury to insult, we end up creating a situation where they can't even pursue any form of justice in our criminal court system.
And so I really think that this is an important initiative for our residents to support.
And I would urge all of our colleagues up here to join us in voting in favor of this resolution and supporting Initiative 940. And like you, Council President Hurrell, I also do not have an objection to Council Member Sawant's amendments and see them again as friendly amendments.
Very good.
Council Member Swant, before you proceed, let me sort of walk us through the process because it's a little confusing when we're going to hear from public comment as well.
So, Council Member Swant will speak to the base legislation and her amendment, but we're not going to vote on it.
Then we're going to hear from public comment.
and then we're going to come back after public comment and then vote on both the base legislation and the amendment, okay?
Do you want me to move the amendment before public comment or?
Why don't you not do that because I think if we get into a colloquy after then I have to open it back up for public comment.
So it's a closed public comment and then we're supposed to vote.
But can't she move it before without the vote?
So I should vote on the amendment before public comment?
Yes?
Okay, so I stand corrected.
So we'll take your amendment, vote on it, but we won't vote on the base legislation.
And then I also want to make it clear, I see Mr. Zimmerman is one of the persons that has spoke on this agenda.
My intent was not to deprive him an opportunity to speak on this agenda item.
I don't know where he is, but he is allowed to speak on this agenda item, at least per my request, unless there are other issues that I don't know about that security may be aware of.
So, having said that, Councilmember Swann, you have the floor on both the base legislation and your potential amendment.
Thank you, President Harrell.
First, I move to amend Resolution 31850 by removing two whereas clauses which say, quote, whereas the Seattle Police Department has led the nation in implementing the reforms on its use of force, particularly in the area of crisis intervention, and whereas the Seattle Police Department has reached full and effective compliance under a consent degree with the Department of Justice and continue to seek best practices in the investigations and reviews of officer-involved shootings and other uses of force." And that's the end, unquote. I will wait for a second.
I'll second.
Thanks.
Thank you.
The resolution as a whole supports statewide initiative 940, which I am very much in favor of, and I appreciate the comments made by President Harrell and Council Member Gonzalez on the amendments already.
This is a statewide initiative, and so first of all, I do not think it is specifically about the Seattle Police Department, and so whereas clauses about the Seattle Police are unnecessary.
But while referencing the Seattle Police is unnecessary in this resolution, we should also be clear that this initiative was a grassroots citizen's initiative initiated and organized by the families and communities of John T. Williams and Che Taylor, both of whom were shot and killed at the hands of the Seattle Police Department.
In this amendment, I am only proposing that we remove the references to Seattle Police not proposing to add anything, although ideally I think the narrative of the communities that have been impacted by Seattle Police could also have been added.
Since they could not prove malicious intent when SPD officers shot and killed their loved ones, and because of course you cannot prove intent, these community organizers gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures to put Initiative 940 on the ballot so future families do not face the same injustices.
I fully support 940 and will vote yes on the resolution, but I also think that these two whereas clauses would be completely contrary to supporting the people who have suffered violence at the hands of police officers.
So I think we should remove these and I appreciate the support that has already been given to the amendment.
I also wanted to add a few points on the resolution as a whole.
It takes a particular type of courage to respond to a personal tragedy by organizing to prevent other people from having to face the same.
So my deep appreciation to the families of those who have been killed at the hands of the police for their leadership.
In the United States, police departments use deadly force at a rate far beyond most other parts of the world.
Just for one example, in one year all the police forces of Finland combined fired a total of seven bullets total.
That is fewer bullets than Seattle police officers fired into Charlina Liles alone.
Across the country, officers have killed 798 people so far this year.
And for an officer to be held accountable for this, to be prosecuted, to be found guilty, is almost unheard of.
The conviction of Jason Van Dyke in Chicago for the murder of Laquan McDonald earlier this month was the first time in half a century that a Chicago police officer was found guilty.
And that was only made possible after a literal conspiracy to cover up video evidence of the murder involving the heights of Chicago's political establishment was uncovered.
Officers need to be held accountable for excessive force, particularly when people are killed.
And we should very much support I-940 and I urge voters to pay attention to this ballot initiative on their ballot.
It will, if passed, remove a frankly impossible burden of proof to hold officers accountable.
I would also add, though, that while winning this initiative is extremely important and critical, We should not expect that discrimination and violence at the hands of police officers would end by this important step, which is only one step.
It has required incredible dedication of thousands of activists and organizers, and it deserves our full support.
But after November, the fight for justice and policing must continue.
Thank you.
Thank you, Council Member Siwan.
We have a live amendment to delete two whereases on the floor.
Would anyone like to speak on either the amendment or the base general comments on the legislation?
If not, we're going to just vote on the amendment.
Okay.
It's been moved and seconded to amend the legislation as described by Councilmember Sawant.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Opposed?
The ayes have it.
So the base legislation is amended by deleting the two whereases.
And now, are there any further comments before we take it to the public?
Council Member Herbold.
Thank you.
I just want to echo Councilmember Swann's gratitude to the grassroots efforts and the many, many people who have come together to work for a correction of a grave injustice in our state.
Last year, more Washingtonians were killed in encounters with law enforcement than in 45 other states.
and a third of those showed sign of a mental health crisis.
I agree with Council Member Sawant that it takes an incredible amount of courage to be a family member or a loved one who has lost someone and has had the fortitude to work tirelessly to make sure that there is redress from their government in the future.
I do, in light of the amendment that we just made, want to recognize that there have been a number of law enforcement endorsements of this measure, and I want to thank the Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington, King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknet, King County Sheriff John Urquhart, former, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the National Black Police Association, retired Police Chief Jim Pugel, and retired Police Chief Norm Stamper.
Thank you.
Thank you for those comments, Council Member Herbold.
Okay, so at this point, that will conclude comments from Council Members, and we'll hear from comments from members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution.
And the time allotted for these comments will be, I'll say, 20 minutes.
And the speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up.
And they can go in two-minute segments.
First, we have Mr. Alex Zimmerman, who I believe has left the building.
And Yochi, you are second.
Yochi Makevich.
I always struggle with your name.
I apologize for that.
I think I'll have it by now.
And then Ali Lee will follow.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Sochi Makevich and I'm with Washington Community Action Network.
We are on the leadership team for De-escalate Washington, so I'm just here on behalf of the coalition to say thank you for putting forward this resolution, in particular Councilmember Gonzalez, Council President Harrell for introducing this.
And we just wanted to express gratitude for all of the support that each of you have given to this cause.
If it wasn't for the early support that many of you gave during the signature gathering, we wouldn't have gotten to this point.
And so we just wanted to express thanks.
And we're looking forward to a likely unanimous vote.
So that's all.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our last speaker was Ollie Lee.
Hello.
I wanted to thank you for your support on the endorsement of I-940, we're hoping.
As a leadership team member of De-Escalate Washington and served on the CID Community Safety Task Force after the death of Donny Chin, discussions on training for de-escalation first aid and mental health have always been at the forefront for safety in our communities.
We need to remember that teachers as well go through de-escalation first aid and mental health training.
Why would we not ask the same of our law enforcement?
I am so proud and honored to serve in a leadership team that puts impacted families and communities first and our community strong that have all supported.
I want to thank you again for your support and hope for a yes on I-940.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Are there any other members of the public who would like to speak on Resolution 31850 dealing with 930?
940, I'm sorry.
Any other members of the public?
No?
Okay.
So we are ready for a vote.
Any further comments from my colleagues?
I hope not.
We're ready to vote.
Those in favor of adopting Resolution 31850 as amended, please vote aye.
Aye.
Those opposed vote no.
The motion carries.
The resolution is adopted as amended and the chair will sign it.
And before I move to our, yay, I want to also thank the mayor and her team for preparing the legislation.
I should have made that.
I want to thank them for their work and their support on this as well.
Let's move to our last agenda item.
Please read it into the record.
Agenda item four, oh, excuse me.
Resolution 31851 addressing the proposed pebble mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay and urging the Trump administration to undergo the appropriate environmental review, economic assessment, and consultation with the public to protect the wide-ranging interests in the region, including that of Seattle business community.
Council Member Ward, the floor is yours.
Thank you, Council President.
First, I will move to adopt Resolution 31851. Second.
And so I'm going to read some things into the record that may sound a bit wonky, but I do want them on the record because we did put a lot of work and worked with the advocates and thank them who gave us public comment here today because this is important.
A lot of what I was going to share, the advocates shared, but I want to focus on one thing and then I will go into my prepared notes.
I think it's important that the people here today in the City of Seattle recognize why protection of Bristol Bay is so important and relevant, not just to the Puget Sound or the Salish Sea, but the City of Seattle.
We are looking at a $3.3 billion in seafood income alone in the Puget Sound.
It provides, as you've heard from one of the advocates, well over 3,000 jobs and also this industry generates 580 million in economic impact to the state of Washington.
Also, I want to thank the mayor's office who will be signing on as I will move on later when I do the amendment to support this resolution.
The Clean Water Act requires the Army Corps of Engineers to identify the least environmentally damaging practical alternative before issuing a dredge and fill permit.
Pebble Limited Partnership, a mining company, intends to mine Bristol Bay, Alaska for copper and gold.
It's also known as Pebble Mind.
This partnership is part of Northern Dynasty Minerals, which is a Canadian-based company in Vancouver.
As you heard, Bristol Bay is home to the largest salmon fishery in the world.
Native communities and environmental advocates in particular have a well-founded concern regarding the significant impact on the habitat, and therefore the wildlife and the fishing industry that depends on a thriving habitat.
The Corps contracted out to a company called AECOM, a California-based engineering company, to assess an environmental impact statement.
AECOM has regularly performed EIS services to and for the Corps.
Pebble Mine included in their recent mine plan investments to protect Bristol Bay to reduce environmental impacts.
However, ACON has stated they need financial information to fully determine if the company is financially capable of carrying out this massive project on this proposed mitigation actions.
The request for financial information has been denied by Dynasty Minerals.
Again, Dynasty Minerals is Pebble Mine's partner in this project.
And the core have decided to continue with the permitting process anyway without getting the financial information requested by AECOM.
The permit is on track for completion by January 2019. As you heard me share this morning and you heard one of the advocates state, this project and this issue has been going on since 2008 and has also spent time in the federal courts.
I take seriously the huge risk posed on the Bristol Bay habitat, native communities, the fishing industry, and consequently Seattle's economy.
I am introducing this resolution calling for a suspension on the federal permitting process to allow stakeholders an opportunity to fully evaluate the environmental and economic impact of the Pebble Mine Plan.
The resolution requests the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, OIR, to communicate the resolution to the federal government, including the White House, EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S.
Department of Interior, and, of course, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell.
So with that, I'm done, and then I will go ahead and do amend, and then I will go ahead and do another adopt.
Very good.
So I didn't.
If there isn't any more discussion.
Formal vote on the amendment.
The resolution, but is there an amendment?
Okay, so.
I have to do that too.
I just want to know if any of my colleagues had anything they wanted to say.
Any other comments on the base legislation before we specifically move to the amendment?
Mr. Chair.
Yes, Councilmember Esqueda.
Thank you.
I just wanted to echo my support for this resolution and thank Councilmember Juarez for bringing it forward and thank all the individuals who came forward to testify.
My support for this is rooted in wanting to make sure that we protect both the environment and good living wage jobs.
My family is in Homer, Alaska.
My uncle and his family have been able to have a good living wage job fishing in Bristol Bay and fishing salmon every year.
And every year, the salmon stock gets smaller and smaller.
And every year, the fish gets smaller and smaller.
We have to both protect the environment and protect the industry so that we can have good living wage jobs and we can have the ability to feed our community around the world, as you mentioned.
I want to also acknowledge that this is about making sure that we think creatively about how we protect that fishing stock going forward and do everything that we can to stop this mine.
When you are in Alaska, you see stickers, you see bumper stickers on almost every car saying stop Pebble Mine.
My uncle fished for many years on his fish.
His boat was called the Braycore because his sons were Brady and Cory.
He combined their name.
And now both my cousins, Brady and Cory, fish in Bristol Bay every summer.
This is how they now raise their two children each.
And this is how they hopefully will have a good living wage job.
But we have to make sure that this industry is sustainable, that we protect the environment, and that we prevent the Pebble Bay mine from coming in place.
I believe we can do both.
We can protect the environment as we protect this good living wage job industry, and hopefully future generations will have the ability to fish in this bay like my cousins currently do.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Council Member Esqueda.
Okay, so let's just walk through the amendment first.
That's an easy one, and I'll move it, Council Member Werth, to lighten your load a little bit.
So I'll move to amend the resolution 31851 by simply adding the mayor's concurrence on the be it resolved and signature lines.
So moved and seconded to amend it as I stated.
All those in favor of the amendment, please vote aye.
Aye.
Opposed?
The ayes have it.
Council Member Juarez, if you want to say some closing remarks on this resolution.
And I just want to say before you say that, thank you.
Thank you for working with the communities.
There are some pretty strong language in here about conflicts of interest and what this industry means to the great state of Washington, etc.
So thank you for putting forth, I think, a real significant piece of legislation.
Council Member Wuerst, the floor is yours.
Thank you.
Following up on what you said, Council President, I very seldom do this, but I will say this on the record.
In looking at the legal ramifications that this has gone through, I'm very disappointed in EPA and Scott Pruitt, and of course, this isn't This decision by EPA to withdraw this respective permit when they're on track to look at these impacts stopped in 2016 with this current administration.
And I think there's something really wrong when the lobbyist for Pebble becomes the acting EPA person.
And those are all political issues.
This project wasn't stopped because there was scientific data or concerns or more opportunity for consultation.
It was stopped for purely political purposes.
And sometimes things like that happen, and we can sometimes work our way through them.
But the damages here to this area of the world, we'll never get back.
And so that's what I struggle with.
I'm sure that's what the advocates are saying, and that is certainly what we heard from the Native American community as well.
So with that, President Harrell, I move to adopt Resolution 31851 as amended.
It's been moved and seconded, and before we vote, I want to thank members of the community for your strong testimony and advocacy as well.
Those in favor of adopting the resolution as amended, please vote aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, vote no.
The motion carries.
The resolution is adopted as amended, and the chair will sign it.
Thank you.
Yay.
Yay.
Other business?
Council Member Gonzalez.
Thank you.
I mentioned this morning during council briefing that I need to move to be excused from full council on November 5th, 2018, so that I can attend the court hearing on the consent decree.
So moved and seconded that Council Member Gonzalez be excused for the November 5th, 2018 meeting.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Opposed?
The ayes have it.
She is excused.
Any other business coming for the council?
If not, we stand adjourned and everyone have a great rest of the day.