Great.
Good morning.
I'm sorry.
Good afternoon, everybody.
This is a meeting of the Civic Development, Public Assets, and Native Communities Committee.
The date is Wednesday, September 18th, and the time is 2 p.m.
I'm Councilmember Deborah Juarez, the chair of the committee, and I'm joined by Councilmember Sally Bagshaw.
Thank you.
And Councilmember Gonzales.
Thank you.
So with that, thank you both for being here today.
Let's move forward to approval of the agenda.
If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted.
Seeing no objection, the agenda is adopted.
I'm going to give a brief chair's report of the four matters that we have today, starting with the appointment of Andrea Akita as a member of the Seattle Park District Community Oversight Committee.
The second item regards the Seattle Children's Play Garden.
This is a parks bill that authorizes the superintendent to amend the existing 10-year lease.
with the Seattle Children's Playgarden to add a third additional extended term of five years.
Seattle Children's Playgarden, it's located at 1745 24th Avenue South.
The crux of this program opens more recreational opportunities for children with physical challenges.
The program has a central location at Coleman Playfield, which is an ideal place for specialized recreational facility.
I understand that the Parks Department is going to walk us through a PowerPoint, which includes a timeline of the lease and the history.
And this is the third extension to 2031. And I understand we'll have a good discussion about public benefits as well.
Oh, there he is.
Hey, Zeus.
The third item is, this is regarding the city of Seattle and the Muckleshoot Indian tribe.
This ordinance executes a memorandum of agreement between the city of Seattle and the Muckleshoot Indian tribe for the transfer and curation of the Chester Morris Collection.
Chester Morris Lake is located in the Cedar River Municipal Watershed.
These are archaeological artifacts representing approximately 10,000 years of human habitation.
The Muckleshoot Indian tribe wants to obtain and maintain the collection, which holds historic and cultural significance, not only for the Muckleshoot Indian tribe, but for other tribes of the region.
And lastly, item number four, our last item is an ordinance relating to the Seattle monorail, long time coming.
This would approve a letter of agreement between the Seattle Monorail Services, SMS, and the Seattle Center, as well as authorize the Seattle Center Director to negotiate and execute an amendment to the monorail concession agreement.
This is a long time coming for Seattle residents.
This is an opportune time, especially now that we have the redevelopment of Key Arena and projected traffic growth to rise.
This would allow the monorail to participate in the ORCA program and that is the one regional card for all.
I look forward to hearing more details on this item.
I should add that I have a proposed amendment that I've already circulated to my colleagues that I will be offering, requiring Mr. Nellems to return back in December, I think it's December 4th, to have us look at the amendment.
So with that, I'm going to go to public comment.
Nikki, do you want to go ahead and read out the names?
So when you come up here, please state your name clearly, what you're going to speak to on today's agenda.
You have three people signed up?
Three people signed up.
So when your name is called, please come to the microphone.
You have two minutes to address items that appear on the agenda.
And thank you for your comments today.
Go ahead, Nikki.
All right.
First, we have Samantha Farrow followed by Luca Walker.
Hi, my name is Samantha and I'm 15 years old and I'm here to speak about the Seattle Children's Playgarden.
And my experience with the Seattle Children's Playgarden started when I was very young.
I used to go there for summer camps because I had some trouble walking and playing on regular playground equipment.
The playgarden gave me the amazing opportunity to make friends and play outside in nature.
The Playgarden offers summer camps and after school programs and drop-in play dates.
Even more people are able to explore and learn about the Playgarden as a result of drop-in play dates.
It is a great place to make friends.
At the summer camp, there are tons of kids who can't participate.
who can participate, who don't normally have an option to do camps.
There are a relatively few camps that can have both kids in wheelchairs or kids with severe autism or other mental issues running around together playing.
I have been a Junior Counselor at the Playgarden for the past two years.
I have experienced on a first-hand level just how much fun kids can have running around playing with the animals there.
And these are just a few of the reasons I think the Playgarden deserves to have its lease extended for more camps and all the great things they do.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good job.
Luca Walker.
I know, I know, they're so polite.
Hi, I'm Luca Walker.
I'm here to talk about and tell the court to extend the lease for the playgarden.
The playgarden is a very wonderful place.
I've made a lot of friends there.
And I really hope that you'll extend the lease
Take your time.
Because you love it.
If you don't have anything, that's fine.
If you don't have to, if you're done, that's fine.
Okay.
You don't have to talk for two minutes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Did everybody else hear that?
You don't need to use the whole two minutes.
Nick Weiss.
Hello, Nick.
Hi there.
Oh, cool.
Hi, my name is Nick Weiss.
I am an Open Play staff member since April of this year, and I have absolutely fallen in love working for the Seattle Children's Playgarden.
I highly encourage you to renew the lease.
My experience with disabled populations is that I grew up with cerebral palsy, and I have benefited from Seattle services.
I play wheelchair basketball still for my old team that sent me off to college.
And adaptive recreation, adaptive sports, programs like that, where you can encourage more sociability from people with disabilities, sets them up for the long term.
It gives them social benefits.
It gives them health benefits.
It really makes an impact on their lives, just being generally happier.
There are numerous benefits that I don't have the time to name.
I'm on one end of the spectrum as far as I'm ambulatory.
I can interact with a lot of different equipment and different playgrounds and whatnot.
Not everybody has the same ability as I do.
And so we work with people of all abilities, whether they're children, whether they're young adults, people with very severe physical disabilities, or people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
And it's a place where they can come and just have fun.
There is no space like the Playgarden.
It's all designed around the kids and the youth of this city.
If I didn't have my personal physical benefits and I was limited, I would not have the same opportunities to figure out how I could interact with my peers or continue to live a really happy life.
And programs like this make all the difference in the world to people with disabilities.
So please, please renew the lease of the Seattle Disability Guard.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Does anyone else have anything else to add?
Okay.
So with that, we'll close public comment and we'll move to the items of business.
You want to read the first item in from there and then we'll start.
Appointment 01426, appointment of Andrea C. Akita as member Seattle Park District Community Oversight Committee for a term to March 31st, 2022.
Why don't I have you guys introduce yourselves and then we'll get started here.
Hi, good afternoon.
I'm Andrea Akita.
So I'll let you go ahead Jesus and introduce miss Akita We obviously have her her all her information in front of us her confirmation packets, but I'll let you go ahead introductions Well, yeah, we all know her
Well, I'm pleased and honored to nominate Andrea Akita to be our District 2 representative to the Park District Oversight Committee.
Andrea currently serves on the Board of Park Commissioners.
Andrea has a master's degree in urban and regional planning and public administration and has worked for many years in the non-profit and public sector.
She's currently the Executive Director of Communities of Opportunity, a community-led public-private initiative through public health, Seattle and King County, and the Seattle Foundation.
This initiative is designed to create greater racial, economic, social, and health equity in King County.
Andrea has been on the Board of Park Commissioners since 2016. She provides astute analysis of our policies and programs, especially through a social justice lens.
She notices who is not in the room and reminds others on the board to do the same.
Her understanding of how city government works adds depth and richness to the board's input and advocacy.
As a mom, Andrea understands and appreciates the importance that Seattle Parks and Recreation plays in family life and in the communities that we serve.
Andrea will be a great representative of District 2. Her education, work history, and experience in the community and on the park board will provide the wealth of relevant context, knowledge, and experience.
Thank you.
Is there anything you want to add, Andrea, before we ask you a few questions?
Well, thank you very much.
Thank you, Jesus.
It's been my great honor and privilege to be able to work as a commissioner on the Board of Parks Commission, and I look at this as another opportunity to actually help bridge some of the work across those, and the department's done an excellent job to bring us both together in the PDOC as well as the Board of Park Commissioners.
to help increase the transparency around how the public can add their input into the work of the Parks Department and how that's connected up with the other work that's happening across the city.
So thank you for the opportunity to come meet with you this afternoon.
Andrea, we've been working together since I got this job, so it's good to see you again.
You've been really wonderful for us in the Park District Oversight Board and the community issues that we've developed, and you've been good and instrumental.
And you used to work for the city at HSD.
I did not know that.
Yes, I did.
Is there anything my colleagues want to add?
I want to extend my thanks.
I know how much time it takes to volunteer for something like this.
Maybe I could just ask you this question because you have such a fabulous housing background and community service background.
How do you see the intersection between parks and the importance of parks, particularly in low-income areas where people may not have big backyards?
Most of my career has been working at the intersection of a lot of these issues.
So I've been working at the intersection of housing and human services, health.
And a lot of that depends on the opportunities people have to be able to be outdoors.
to be able to gather together.
And I think that the values and goals that the city of Seattle has put forward around livability and affordability are really critical.
Housing, where people live, where, you know, having access to being able to stay in the communities where they grew up or to come into communities.
where they're vibrant, and that means diverse, and where there's economic opportunity, and then there's also opportunities to be able to feel safe and go out, explore nature.
We're so fortunate to have all the assets that we have, both in terms of land and water.
that those opportunities have to be, I think, connected to have ability for people of all income levels to be able to enjoy them.
So I think they're integrally tied together.
I think that the conversations that we're having across the city hopefully will be able to include the holistic way of how a community is put together with parks at the center, housing at the center, all those things.
Thank you.
OK.
So your term is till 2022?
That's what it says?
On the PDOC, yeah.
Yeah, on the PDOC.
OK.
Are you still on the other committee?
I think it's in the process of pending a renewal on that.
Okay, I was getting them confused because I know I see your name all the time.
Okay, thank you.
Okay, so if there's nothing else then we'll move forward on this.
Okay, I would like to move the committee to pass appointment of Andrea Ikeda.
That's appointment number 01426. All those in favor, say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed, no.
The ayes have it.
It's official, kind of, till Monday.
We'll forward all this to full council Monday for a full vote and we'll be recommending that they approve your appointment.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for your leadership across the city and with our parks department.
Thank you.
Thank you.
All right, what's the second item?
Item two, council bill 119648, an ordinance relating to Seattle Parks and Recreation authorizing the superintendent to amend the existing 10-year lease with Seattle Children's Playgarden to add a third additional extended term of five years.
So I understand you can do your introductions, but we have this great PowerPoint with pictures, which is great.
And thank you for the public comment, folks.
Why don't we do introductions, and then we can start with the PowerPoint.
And again, we want to thank the people that came to provide public comment.
It's the best yet.
Go ahead, Tracy.
Tracy Ress of Council Central Staff.
Jesus Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Terry Burns, Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Liz Bullard, Seattle Children's Playgarden.
Go ahead, Jesus.
So I'll kind of introduce it and then Terry will go through the PowerPoint and I'm sure Liz will chime in and share some more information.
But just by way of background, the concept for the Seattle Children's Playground was proposed in 2003 initially in partnership between its co-founders and Seattle Parks and Recreation at Coleman Park in South Seattle.
We're excited that the Playgarden's mission aligns really well with our mission in that they provide children of all abilities a safe, accessible, and adventurous place to play.
And it also provides employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities.
Initially, we entered in a formal long-term agreement with the Playgarden in November of 2006 that included this initial tenure term.
And then two additional five-year extensions that would put its final expiration date to November of 2026. Recently, the playground applied for and it's been awarded a grant from the Washington State Pathways to Play Improvement Project.
And this grant actually requires that they have a lease in place that goes through 2029. And so this third five-year extension we're asking for is to allow the playground to be able to meet those grant requirements.
Playgarden is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose budget is just over $500,000 for operating the park and the programs.
And one of the programs that was alluded to by the public testimony, the open play program is really an invaluable part of the programming at the Playgarden.
It ensures that all of the interactive elements at the playground are open and functioning.
including caring for the animals, gardening, and game playing.
Staff are also trained to create inclusion by understanding how to organize safe play among children of different abilities.
Since 2006, the playground has invested over $3 million in additions and improvements to the facility.
Improvements have included summer camps, which have transformed from tents and porta-potties to a permanent facility.
The creation of beautiful gardens, a playground, and wheelchair accessible basketball court.
installation of a Bongo Benny Quartet musical sculpture by world renowned artist Trimpen, and the installation of a wheelchair accessible tree fort.
Since 2006, the summer camp enrollment has increased from 60 to 250 young people.
And preschool started in 2010 and now serves 75 little ones of whom 50% have disabilities.
Thank you.
I think Council Member Baxter has a question.
Not a question.
I just want to say thank you for doing this.
It's good to see you again.
We first looked at this and I can't believe that it was 2016-2017 because I had recollection that we were involved in it many years before and I see Our good doctor and the audience want to say thank you for your leadership on this.
This is really highly important to me, and it's where I first learned about yellow swings and the idea that kids of all abilities can come and play and include their families.
That was, I think, the thing that touched me the most is that You don't have people with special abilities off on their own corner.
The whole family comes on this.
And that led to some other really profoundly good things that happened at Seattle Center.
Thank you, Robert Nellums, where we had the artists at play.
But we learned long ago that we want to be as inclusive as possible in our parks.
This was the very first one that I was aware of.
But I just want to acknowledge that, say thank you.
And of course, I'm supporting this lease.
So please.
And I think I would say in full disclosure, I've had a chance to visit the garden, but also this past summer, my daughter was actually a camp participant in the program and had a fantastic time.
So thank you, Liz.
Well, good afternoon.
Today, I have the pleasure to present to you an amendment to an existing 10-year agreement that we have with Seattle Children's Playgarden.
This amendment, if passed, will add an additional five-year term to the agreement, which will enable the children, which will enable Seattle Children's Playgarden to finalize an amazing project that we have in Southeast Seattle.
Oh, sorry.
This thing moves so it makes it easier for you.
Seattle Children's Playground located in South Seattle on the Coleman Playground encompasses one acre of the park.
It's on the 23rd Avenue South located near the Jimi Hendrix Park and the Northwest African Museum.
In 2002, Liz Bullard, the executive director of Seattle Children's Playground, had a vision to create an impact on the lives of families who have children with a disability or without disability, to give them a break from the exhausting schedule of doctors, tutoring, therapy, and created the play garden's vision.
This vision had core principles for the park and created in the design.
The park needed to be fully inclusive.
All children should be able to play together safely.
They needed to have an adventure place that children can learn from taking risks and being together.
They also had a garden to table philosophy where children would learn how to grow food and learn how to cook it and eat it.
Their mission for the Seattle Children's Playgarden mission is children of all ability will have a safe and accessible and adventurous place to play.
To understand where we are today, we need to talk about the lease history.
In 2006, Seattle Children's Playgarden was issued a 10-year lease with two five-year extensions.
In 2016, Seattle Parks and Recreation renewed the agreement with a five-year extension, which will expire in 2021, which leaves them with one five-year extension remaining, which will expire in 2026. Granting a third term would allow Seattle Children's Playgarden the ability to accept Washington State grant funding, which requires the recipient of the grant to be on site and have possession for 10 years after the project is completed.
Today, to be clear, Seattle Parks and Recreation is asking for an amendment to the Seattle Children's Playgarden to add one five-year term.
No other terms or conditions will be changed with this amendment.
Just like all of our community partners, we're working in 2019 and 2018 to improve how we report the public benefits that are in the Seattle Children's Playgarden, so the report on their annual public benefits that are required.
This third amendment, if approved, would allow Seattle Children's Playgarden to accept the funding and finish the project.
Currently, Seattle Children's Playground is in good standing with the city and has done amazing work to transform the park.
Thank you for putting in a lease history.
You know that I like that, so thank you.
Because I always want to know the dates when all this happened.
Since the beginning of the lease with the city, the Seattle Children's Playground has provided public benefits, which include They maintain the one-acre sites, which includes the facility structures and the grounds.
The amenities of this park include a 1937 shelter house, which they totally rehabilitated, and they added a multi-use facility, which they called the Garden House, for their programming.
They have a garden.
They have a basketball court, which was important for the community.
They have an orchard.
They have a playground.
They have a farm.
They have a tree fort.
How fun is that?
The playground has attracted over 7,000 visitors on an annual basis.
It hosts a preschool, a summer camp, supervised play that's all-inclusive.
They've raised over $3 million funds to rehabilitate the 1937 shelter house, create a multi-use garden house, and a one-acre site for the community to use.
But before you go, Terri, thank you for putting in the public benefits piece.
Oh, you're welcome.
Did you do that?
Yes.
Yeah, because we've been pushing that on the concessions and lease agreements, and you guys have done a really good job.
Thank you, Superintendent, on the public benefits piece, because now I'm finding that people are starting to have this algorithm now.
We're starting to list what the public benefits are, what the outreach, that you've hit those goals, and I appreciate that.
I know it takes extra work and time, but I do appreciate it.
Oh, it's important, sorry.
Yeah, thank you.
So a little bit about the project.
So Seattle Children's Playgarden has a Pathway to Play project, was awarded a Washington State grant to do additional work to the site to make it safer by adding or improving the gates that are there.
to communicate to the community better by inputting informational kiosks and signage, and, if possible, to be more fun by acting interactive play features where children can play together.
To be able to get the 330,000 grant fundings, which is 70% of the project funding needed, they have to have site possession for 10 years after the project is completed, which means that they have to have this possession of the site until 2030.
Can I ask you a question, Terry?
Sure.
I know that the city isn't putting any money in this.
And I see private foundations and private donations.
I think that's the first time that I've seen, as chair of this committee, that there's more money funding available for the project budget.
So who are the private foundations and private donations?
What's the difference?
Individual donations, private organizations?
The private foundations are the Nesholm Foundation, the McEachern Foundation, Boeing Employee Community Fund, And then we do have some funding from King County.
And the city did, there was a phase of this project that happened previously, which was the renovation of our playground, which happened last summer.
And that was with city funding from Department of Neighborhoods too.
And then the private donations, yeah, that's just private individuals donating to the play garden for this project.
Thank you.
Yeah.
As you can see from the design and pictures in this presentation that this is a well-designed park, providing great community service to families of all abilities.
And it matches what the city of Seattle values, creating a fun place for the community to gather, learn about the environment, and a place where you can grow food that you can eat, and it's totally inclusive.
Thank you.
Seattle Children's Playgarden and Seattle Parks and Recreation would appreciate your support for this amendment.
And it concludes my presentation.
If you have any questions or comments at this time.
I've said my piece.
Are you OK?
Did you have something to say?
Do I have something to say?
I was just here to answer any questions, but I'm just happy to hear that everybody likes the Playgarden so much.
Yeah.
Thank you, Sally.
Good.
Okay, so I guess we're finished with that.
We'll go ahead and take a vote.
Okay.
I move that the committee pass Council Bill 119648. Second.
Motion has been seconded.
All those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed.
Ayes have it.
So we will pass this committee and we'll present to full council on Monday for passage of the plague garden.
Thank you so much.
Well done.
Thank you very much.
Item 3, Council Bill 119-647, an ordinance authorizing the general manager and CEO of Seattle Public Utilities to execute a memorandum of agreement between the City of Seattle and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for the transfer and curation of the Chester Morse Collection and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
Great.
Hi.
So let's have you guys all introduce yourselves and then we'll start.
Hello.
Hello, I'm Amy Labarge.
I'm the Interim Watershed Management Division Director with Seattle Public Utilities.
I'm James Amspacher.
I'm the Acting Watershed Public and Cultural Programs Manager with SPU.
Good night, Council Central staff.
Nicole Willis, Tribal Relations Director, Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
Hi.
So who's gonna, are you kicking us off, Nicole, or are you doing it?
Okay, okay, great.
We're here to request the committee approve the legislation before you authorizing SPU to execute a memorandum of agreement between the City of Seattle and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for the transfer and curation of the Chester Moore Slate Collection.
So how did SPU come to possess the collection?
In 1986, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit to Seattle City Light and Seattle Water Department for safety improvements to the Masonry Dam and the Cedar River Watershed, which is located approximately 35 miles east of Seattle near North Bend.
While mitigating to protect and preserve cultural resources adversely affected by the project, nine pre-contact hunter-gatherer sites were located along the shores of Chester Morse Lake and the Cedar River Watershed.
The Chester Morse Lake Archaeological District was nominated and accepted for the National Register of Historic Places and includes all nine of those sites.
As a result of the excavation of these sites between 1986 and 1989, the City of Seattle is in possession of the Chester Morse Lake Collection, which contains roughly 12,000 prehistoric artifacts.
These artifacts include projectile points, cores, cobble tools, flakes, and fire-altered rocks.
The artifacts represent over 9,400 years of human habitation around Chester-Morse Lake.
In 2017, the Muckleshoot Indian tribe sent a letter to the city requesting that it transfer ownership of the Chester-Morse Lake collection to the tribe.
These artifacts have cultural significance to the tribes that are known to have inhabited the area.
Let me ask you a question quickly.
As somebody who used to do cultural resource mitigation plans for tribes when I was suing the Army Corps, what took so long to return them to Moccashoot?
If you excavated these in 86 to 89, was it just a matter of waiting for the tribe to ask for them?
I believe so.
The tribe, over the last few years, was the first time that they really expressed an interest and came and visited the collection in person.
And then we started having discussions about that this was a possibility and we would be open to it.
And then they formally requested in 2017.
So have these artifacts been at SPU the whole time?
Correct.
Oh, okay.
Council Member Gonzalez?
Sure.
So, because that's still a very long period of time, was there a notification process that SPU follows?
And if so, what was that process and when was that completed?
Yeah, so we notified, because there are several other tribes that are known to have inhabited the area, so we notified them about a year ago and we asked them to provide any feedback to us regarding the transfer of the collection to the Muckleshoot Indian tribe within two months, and to date we have not received any feedback from any of those tribes.
So do you have other artifacts of other tribes?
So we do have other artifacts still from this collection.
Do you know what tribes they belong to and if they've been notified?
Well, we don't know.
If you don't, that's okay.
I'm just wondering.
Yeah, so it's hard to tell with all of the artifacts which artifacts belong to which tribe.
Well, I think the tribes would tell you if it's theirs.
I don't think you I'm just wondering what the process following what Council Member Gonzalez asked, which is a good question, and we see this a lot, so that's why I'm wondering.
So we approached the Army Corps to inquire as to what our process should be for notification, and they basically said, you know, this is a city-owned property.
city collection, you guys do what you want.
So we modeled our notification process after the federal process, kind of code of federal register, how they do their notification procedures in a letter format and send it to the tribes.
The other collections are likely non-tribal.
This specific collection is the one that's most obviously tribal.
But it is near impossible to tell which tribes these came from.
Where Chester Morse Lake is is the shortest passage through the mountains, so it was a very common thoroughfare.
So that's why we kind of cast a wide net in notifying many different tribes.
So you don't have a Kennewick man in there?
Okay, good, just want to make sure because we're curious because we're going to probably hear more about this from other city departments as well that are holding artifacts.
I know we're dealing with it with the University of Washington, the museum, and the return of repatriation of a ton of stuff.
So that's why this struck me as interesting, how they're getting this back to the rightful owners.
No, I'm just following up on what the two of you said.
I appreciate that you cast a wide net.
One of the things that I have learned from my pals on either side of me is that it takes us reaching out to people.
And really not just following the format that the Corps of Engineers might tell us, but actually finding the contacts within the tribes and the elders to say, hey, we got this.
Do you want to participate?
So if you feel like you've done that, then I appreciate it.
Thank you.
These artifacts belonged to the tribal ancestors and provide information that can be used to understand how they lived and interacted with each other and their environment.
Seattle Public Utilities strongly supports the return of the collection to the tribal community, as we agree the tribes should make the ultimate decisions about the long-term stewardship of these cultural resources.
Are these the only ones?
No, there's approximately 12,000 artifacts.
Oh, wow.
This is just a small sample.
So why did you just select these ones?
Five of them?
Exactly.
I was like, you did all this for 12 things?
There are boxes.
So there's thousands of them.
Boxes and boxes.
Oh, wow.
What is it?
Nice.
Have you actually gone through and identified what they are?
Are they being displayed?
Or are all 12,000 in a box?
Yeah, they're being stored at the Watershed Education Center.
We've used them to a limited degree in our educational programs, but there's a lot of them that stay locked up, yeah.
Okay, I'm guessing you'll be back at some other point with another box?
Okay, thank you.
So we worked with the Muckleshoot Tribe to draft a memorandum of agreement for the transfer and curation of the collection.
The MOA stipulates that the city will deliver the collection to the Muckleshoot Indian Tribes Repository, which is a federally approved facility, within 90 days of execution of the agreement.
It further states that the collection may be exhibited, photographed, or otherwise reproduced and studied in accordance with the terms stipulated in federal regulations.
From Seattle Public Utilities' perspective, it was important to ensure the collection would be available for other tribes and for the public for continued research into the future.
And with that background, we're requesting that the committee approve the legislation for the execution of the MOA between the City of Seattle and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for the transfer and curation of the Chester-Morse Lake collection.
Is there anyone here from the tribe?
No.
Okay.
Who are you working with at the Muckleshoot Tribe?
They do know that we're presenting to committee today.
We've let our contacts, Melissa Calvert, know, and Laura Murphy is the archaeologist who will be accepting and working to curate this collection.
Good, thank you.
And I did notice that the chairperson of the Muckleshoot Tribal Council signed the agreement.
Great.
Is there anything else from my colleagues?
Are we OK, Nicole?
Any other boxes we need to drag out?
We are OK.
This is an opportunity, I think, for the city and the tribe, something that we're happy to hand over to them.
And I guess I would just reiterate that they have assured us they will keep it open to us and to other tribes who are interested in studying it, since we cannot effectively say all of these are Muckleshoot items.
Oh, no, we can't do that.
Okay, great.
Okay, so with that, we'll go ahead and I would like to move the committee pass Council Bill 119-647.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Those opposed?
Ayes have it.
Therefore, it passes and we will present this to full council to approve the MOA between the Muckleshoot Tribe and the City of Seattle.
Thank you.
Thank you, Nicole.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you.
You'll be back with more stuff, Nicole.
item four council bill one one nine six five five an ordinance relating to the Seattle monorail approving a letter of agreement between Seattle monorail services and the Seattle center department authorizing the Seattle center director to negotiate and execute an amendment to the monorail concession agreement previously authorized by ordinance one two four six seven four on terms consistent with the letter of agreement which include but are not limited to implementation of one regional card for all otherwise known as orca smart card as a form a fair payment on the monorail, alignment of the monorail fare structure with ORCA, and amendment of other fare types, establishment of a tri-annual schedule for future inflation-based fare adjustments, extension of the term of the concession agreement through 2034, and extension of the concessionaire's right to pursue monorail system non-fare revenues through 2039, condition upon concessionaire making privately funded improvements to the Westlake Station, and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
So before we begin just I'm gonna just say this briefly that I'm gonna oh, I'm sorry Go ahead and do your introduction so that I have a few things to say then I'll let you start.
Go ahead Brian good night council central staff Megan Ching general manager for Seattle monorail services.
Thank you so much for having me here today Robert Downs director of sales center
First of all, I just want to say thank you, Mr. Nelms.
I know we've met a couple times about this, and this has been going on since 2014. And just briefly, I think our main goal here is that we have it so that the monorail system participates in the ORCA program.
There's just three things I want to talk about briefly, and then I'm going to let you launch into the more details from our colleagues.
But my understanding is that the amendment will establish the terms under which MSS will implement the one regional card, ORCA.
as a form of payment so they can participate of the monorail in the ORCA program.
Also includes provisions regarding SMS to make capital investments for station improvements to improve monorail capacity, accessibility, and connections.
Got that down.
And third, authorized changes to the fare categories to align with ORCA requirements and extends the terms of concession agreement for an additional 10 years through 2034. And my amendment, which I'll do a little bit more detail later, but just in general for my colleagues, is that the amendment that I would be proposing is having you come back on December 4th so we can ratify and reaffirm what you've done with this letter of agreement with SMS.
So with that, I'll let you go ahead.
Is that it?
Okay.
Okay, good.
Sorry.
Not a problem.
I would like to start by saying I couldn't be more pleased to be here.
This has been a long time coming, and so this is something we've been working on diligently for the last few years.
So, you know, we were given some key policy direction from the council way back when in 2014, and so this proposed amendment will comply with the council's direction and fully integrates the monorail into the ORCA network.
This proposed amendment will leverage significant private investment in city assets, namely the monorail stations, and will increase capacity and the ability to move people to and from not just the light rail station, but downtown to Seattle Center, which will be a huge boon once the arena opens.
And this agreement will increase fares under the existing authority that we have in our current agreement.
and the one-way fare will go from $2.50 to $3.00.
So those are the three things that we will start with.
I would like to talk a little bit about the agreement itself.
So a little history since Madam Chair said she likes to know when things actually started.
We go back to the ordinance 124674 back in 2014. That was an ordinance which actually an amendment was added at the table to identify ORCA as a potential fair payment for access and trips on the monorail.
That language was made by one of your former council members and it asked the first step for the city and the concessionaire to look at the financial impacts of implementing ORCA on the monorail.
So between 2014 and 2017 was a view with consultants and a lot of people to try to figure out what the actual impacts might be.
And unfortunately, we never came to a real agreement on what that was.
And so between 2017 and now is we've been going back and forth trying to determine.
agree on what those financial impacts are, which is why I'm so pleased to be in front of you now because we are finally at that point where we're in agreement of what the impacts will be.
So the monorail itself, the amendment will address a few things.
The amendment will establish the terms under which SMS will implement the one regional card for all, or ORCA smart card in the form of payment.
It will include provisions, as I said before, for SMS, Seattle Monorail Services, to make major capital investments for station improvements to improve the capacity, accessibility, connections to other transit systems at Westlake and the Seattle Center Station.
And it will authorize the changes and fare categories so that the monorail fares will align with other Orca products.
And so those things are part of where we are going.
For us to participate in the ORCA program, we just can't say we're going to participate.
We have to actually be sponsored by one of the controlling ORCA agencies.
King County is going to be the sponsor, and attached to our letter of agreement is a affiliate agreement that has already been negotiated with King County to carry that piece out, so we're ready to go there.
In anticipation of passage of an amendment, we basically have an agreement between Seattle Monorail Services and Seattle Center to go ahead and start ORCA as soon as possible.
So we're going to open and implement ORCA on October 7th of this year.
And Megan can tell you a little bit about how that is going to go.
But we're going to go full speed ahead because that really is the mandate and what the real benefit is actually getting the program and the product out there and have people using it as soon as possible.
And so that's what we will be doing.
The LOA lays out the proposed terms for the concession agreement amendment.
And I think it's, I can walk you through a few of those things.
It's going to be a ten year extension of the agreement from 2024 to 2034. There's a conditional five-year extension to that because there's a scale of capital investment that is part of the agreement.
That scale goes from a minimum of $3.5 million to a maximum of $12 million.
And to get the return on investment that allows for the debt service to be paid for, if you actually invest at the $12 million level, you're probably not, you probably haven't returned your I got your ROI or return on investment at the end of 34. So we're granting an additional five year period for SMS to maintain merchandising sponsorship and promotional revenue to offset the additional cost of the capital investment that was being made.
The agreement will lay out that the city will pay all the startup costs for this and the initial affiliation fees.
Once the arena opens, the affiliation fees will become part of the net operating income for the monorail itself.
The city had a guaranteed floor, basically said no matter what, you're going to pay us X.
We've removed that from the equation.
That's, again, part of the negotiations.
We've never actually gone below the floor in our years to date.
We probably would have gone below the floor because we'll be paying for Orca startup costs and so forth out of our revenues, etc.
So that's one thing, but over the life of the agreement, we'll actually be getting more revenue projected through this agreement than if we weren't doing this.
As I said before the fare categories will align with Orca fare categories.
I mentioned this SMS minimum and maximum investment for station improvements and we will also be modifying the revenue sharing and associated fees.
The revenue sharing right now is two-thirds to the city, one-third to SMS.
Once the capital investment is made and It will go to 60% to the city, 40% to SMS.
And so those are kind of the bones of what we're doing.
My hope had been that we would have everything all wrapped up in a nice bowl and be able to bring to you an amended agreement.
We got the LOA done last month.
We will be working and hopefully next month we'll have the amendment done.
But with your in budget and so forth, this was really our last chance before the end of the year for us to get in front of you and say, please, please, please look at this.
We think it's really going to be a benefit for the community.
We had a public hearing.
a week or so ago.
We've had, today is the last day of public comment, public comment period, a 30-day public comment period.
Overwhelmingly supportive of having ORCA be accepted.
The only issues that have been raised have been about the fares and a few people would like everything aligned with what Metro does.
Metro is a subsidized system, the monorail is not.
The monorail has to pay for all of its operations, maintenance, and capital through the income that it makes itself.
And so they're not exactly apples to apples, but for the vast majority of Orca users, this will be a seamless transition and they'll be able to tap their cards.
be able to ride the monorail as part of the transportation system.
So with that, I'll exhale and say, I'd make it an opportunity to tell you what the implementation will be starting October 7th, if you're interested in hearing that.
Or if you'd rather go to questions, I'd leave that up into your very capable hands.
I should make a correction, which Nagin corrected me, and I was reading too fast.
I forgot.
What I should have said is, and I apologize, is that this is, we're here to approve a letter of agreement to give you the authority to negotiate the amendment to the original concession agreement.
Right.
So I want to correct the record on that one.
I was reading my notes too quickly.
So I'll let you go ahead.
Okay.
Well, thank you.
Because I know you want to go through your PowerPoint.
Yes.
Well, as I said before, that's what we have.
Well, that was it.
OK.
We've done that.
But I'd love to hear from you.
And then big thank yous for all the work.
Sure.
Yes.
So Megan, general manager for the monorail.
I just want to thank you guys for having us here today.
We're thrilled and it's been, as Robert alluded, it's been a journey but we're really happy to be here.
So in terms of how ORCA will work at the monorail, Kent County Metro has provided us with portable handheld devices.
So similar to if you've ever boarded a bus from the rear of the bus and they have somebody with a portable device that's helping.
to tap and get people on board.
We'll have those devices at all points of sale.
And so as a passenger, you will walk up to the cashier, present your ORCA card to the cashier, and the cashier will tap your device, or tap the card on the device, and then you will enter, and you will board the monorail.
So our fare structure will be aligning with King County Metro.
One of the big changes for us will be that our youth fare, which used to be ages 5 through 12, We'll now be changing to be ages 6 through 18, so we'll cover a much wider range of youth under a youth fair.
Some of the other changes, we'll be participating in providing reduced fares for seniors, disabled, and also people who are eligible for ORCA Lift.
So that will come to the monorail as well, and we will be accepting transfers on ORCA cards.
We won't be taking paper transfers, but the transfers that occur on ORCA cards, we will be participating in as well.
And just to highlight, the transfers is a specific language in the ORCA system, and that transfer basically says that if you go from one mode to another mode, if you do that within a two-hour period, that second ride is free.
So if you get to Seattle Center, you can't possibly get done in two hours, but it's pretty good.
You can get back on free back to Westlake.
Yes, that's exactly right.
Thank you, Megan, because everything I was going to ask, you said.
I was wondering about the whole, it's all the Orca products, the OrcaLift, the high school kids, all of that.
That was.
Everyone from downtown to use monorail to get to Seattle Center.
Obviously, the elephant in the room is we know we're doing this because we're redeveloping to the tune of $1.6 billion, Seattle Center.
And we anticipate way more people coming there and moving people, more capacity.
And you know, thank you, Robert.
I know that this has been going on since 2014. Council Member Bagg, Sean Gonzalez understand as well.
We looked at the affiliate agreements.
Can I just ask one quick question?
Why would it, did it take so long or did it for King County to be the sponsor for the affiliate or is that more complicated?
No, I don't think it took King County that long to do that.
I think the reality from King County was until you guys actually get an agreement, we really don't have anything to sponsor.
So it was really on us to do our thing first before they could do theirs.
And it wasn't until we said that, okay, we're actually close and we're actually gonna actually make something happen that they said, okay, now we can make this work.
So it was really on us, it's not on them.
Okay, my colleagues?
Oh, yes.
I guess, go ahead.
So there are no questions, but there are thank yous and appreciation.
I want to acknowledge, Robert, your leadership.
I was here in 2014. We were working on that.
Tom Albro, thank you.
My good friend, former Port Commissioner, but the guy that has made the monorail move.
Just, I know how difficult this has been.
I want to acknowledge that.
But also, I love the fact that the Westlake Center is going to be upgraded.
We know for years that it felt like it turned the back on downtown.
And now we're, thanks to Alan Hart, to you, to Tom, to DSA, we're turning that back so it becomes a really cool place.
I also appreciate the fact that the escalators are going to go down to Westlake Center so that people getting off at Westlake, the station, the Westlake Station, so that people getting off there can go right up to the monorail, and like you said, with the intermodal transfer just jump right on.
And I love the fact that the target date is September 2021. I wonder why that is.
Anything to do with the puck dropping the month later?
So fabulous.
I'm sure it wasn't a coincidence.
And I also want to say to Council Member Juarez, We are going to have the Northgate Station open about that time.
And so with hockey being a big deal at Seattle Center, but also thanks to Councilmember Juarez, we're going to have three practice ice arenas up at Northgate so people can get there and back.
Just this regional view, it's very heartening to me.
And a few years after that, we'll have people at the 130th Street Station and Linwood coming right back down again.
Council Member Juarez, you've been the champion on that for D5, so thank you.
I'm frankly just thrilled by this because having the integrated system is what's going to make this work.
And I know what you and Marshall and others have told me is that people will get to the games.
Over time, before the games, they may stop at restaurants, which we hope they do in Belltown and Uptown and Southlake Union, but when the game's over, they want out.
And I think you've pointed to 5,000 to 6,000 riders, but we can accommodate that when we've increased the doors, the space on it, and to get people back down to Westlake.
People can do that.
They'll leave their cars at home.
We've got to give them options in order to make it work.
So this vision is thrilling to me.
I'm very grateful to all of you who've done the good work.
And with that, I will support this.
Thank you.
Okay, Robert.
Just a couple of points.
I don't want to have them lost.
The arena is going to be a huge driver and a huge benefactor from this.
One of the things that makes me very happy about this is that the other resident organizations at Seattle Center will be huge benefactors also.
Because as more events happen at the arena and people have to make choices about how to get there, If we can give them these kinds of options that allow them a seamless ride from a library station to Seattle Center, then we can accommodate so much more.
And the last thing I wanted to say, because he's not talking right now, but I wanted to thank Brian.
We didn't get this done until very late, and we gave it to him very, very late.
And he was very gracious with his patience with us and worked with us to make sure that we could answer questions and so forth with him.
But that was unusual, that's not the way we would normally like to do business.
We only did this because we want to get this started sooner rather than later, and we thought that was a worthy mandate from you all.
So I just want to thank him for the graciousness that he showed through this process too.
That's exactly what I was going to say, is central staff, and thank Brian, because normally we have a longer runway for these more detailed, complex agreements, particularly with this history.
Thank you, Megan, for what you've added, and thank you for meeting with you and the deadline.
I know I spoke to the mayor about it as well.
This is our last committee hearing, so we want to get this stuff done and give you an opportunity, and Brian as well, to come back in December to give us more analysis.
So with that, I'm going to move forward on the amendment.
Is that okay?
All right, so I have an amendment that has been distributed to my colleagues.
You guys should have it on the pink paper.
The amendment adds that the director of Seattle Center, that would be you, Mr. Nellums, submit the amended and restated concession agreement for review to the chair of this committee.
I have appreciated and respected the hard work of Director Nellums and his leadership to expand monorail services for our city.
Nagin wrote that part.
It was beautiful.
Yes, beautiful.
That's why I did appropriate to ask the director to come back with the final report and that's where Brian came in to draft up this amendment for us to insert.
That is section three on page three, line 14. But what you have in front of you isn't the, it's not the amended, but you just have the actual amendment itself.
So with that, I move that the committee pass amendment number one.
Motion has been moved in second and all those in favor say aye.
Aye.
Those opposed no.
Okay so that a it passes as amended and so I move the committee pass council bill one one nine six five five as amended.
Very good second.
Thank you.
All those in favor, say aye.
Aye.
Aye.
All those opposing, no.
The ayes have it.
Therefore, it passes.
Go forth and do good things.
We'll bring this to full council Monday and we'll be in touch.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you guys very much.
Let me wrap this up, the committee work.
Before we adjourn, let me make a few statements.
All the items today will be on city council for a final vote Monday, September 23rd.
We are headed for budget seasons.
The mayor will propose her budget on Monday and then the city will legislate, legislate, for the next two months to finalize the budget.
So that would be legislating.
So there will be no committee hearings, no committee meetings.
So the next meeting of the Civic Development, Public Assets and Native Communities Committee will be Wednesday, December 4th.
And with that, we stand adjourned.
Thank you.
Thank you.