SPEAKER_33

Good afternoon, everyone.

The August 13th, 2024 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.03 p.m.

I'm Sarah Nelson, President of the Council.

Will the Clerk please call the roll?

SPEAKER_60

Councilmember Wu?

Present.

Councilmember Hollingsworth?

Here.

Councilmember Kettle?

Here.

Councilmember Moore?

Present.

Councilmember Morales?

Here.

Council Member Rivera?

Present.

Council Member Saka?

SPEAKER_70

Here.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Strauss?

Present.

And Council President Nelson?

SPEAKER_33

Present.

SPEAKER_60

Nine present.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

Item C on the agenda is presentations.

We do not have a presentation today, but since we won't be having a city council next week, I do want to take a moment to recognize that one of our longest serving staffers, Joseph Piha.

As many journalists watching will know, Joseph has been a member of the city council's communications team for the past decade.

In that time, he has served 27 council members and done award-winning work, including creating innovative websites to make the council's budget process much more accessible to the public.

And he's back there in the room with us.

Thank you.

And that project ended up winning a National Communications Award.

Joseph is leaving the Seattle City Council next week.

I'll let him share his own news about his future plans, but I will say that everyone on the second floor is devastated to see you go, but so incredibly excited for your next adventure.

Joseph, on behalf of the City Council, I want to thank you very much for your innovative spirit, your friendship, and for your distinguished service for the public good.

Thank you very much.

Okay, colleagues, at this time, we will open the hybrid public comment period.

Madam Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today?

SPEAKER_58

We have about 30 in person and remote.

I need to get that number really quick, just a second.

Remote, we have 27. Yeah, thank you.

28 remote.

SPEAKER_33

All right, everybody will have one minute, and I'll let the clerks read the rules.

However, I've seen a trend growing between silence and jazz hands and snapping.

I will ask that folks respect each other, and in the interest of time, if you must express yourself, please do so either silently or with snaps.

And we will start with speakers in chambers first.

Go ahead and read the instructions, please.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_60

Yes, speakers will be called in the order in which they're registered.

We will alternate between sets of in-person speakers and remote speakers until the public comment period has ended.

Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of their time, and speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker.

And we'll start with our in-person speakers.

SPEAKER_58

Our first three speakers is going to be Shannon Mayo, Mateo, and then Kathleen Rose.

If you can please start lining up to either one of these two microphones.

SPEAKER_45

Hi.

My name is Shannon Mayo.

I am a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, and I'm the Community Gun Violence Prevention lead here in Seattle.

I'm here today to strongly again encourage you to fully fund the $20 million that will help with student mental health, community violence intervention, social-emotional resources and beyond.

Why is this so important?

How did we get here?

Well, last November, you voted and said that $20 million should be dedicated to these funds.

You made that promise to the broader community, and that was a year after the school shooting at Ingram.

Since then, we've had more school shootings and incremental shootings just around the community.

And I don't know if you saw the Seattle Times headline today, but It was reported that the Council for Criminal Justice has found a 50% increase in gun violence homicide in the first half of 2024 in comparison to 2019, the first half pre-pandemic.

So now is the time to fully fund, not cut by 50%, when the numbers are up 50%.

SPEAKER_33

Please be prepared to come up to the mic right after the other person has spoken.

SPEAKER_58

Mateo, then followed by Kathleen Brose and Jacqueline Gordon.

SPEAKER_02

As a veteran of the Navy, I'm sickened to see a city of this caliber fumble our housing issues again and again, only to be lobbied by corporate and business interests.

I'm horrified and disgusted with the treatment that our most vulnerable community members are subjected to.

It's criminal.

We're tired of seeing this lazy, septic city council abuse their seats and watch our unhoused neighbors turn to paste and waste away on our streets before our eyes.

The city needs socialized housing and not more jails.

It's racist, ableist, homophobic, violent, and a disgusting abuse of power.

This is a disgrace, and you know it.

We need socialized education, not jails.

We need rent control, both commercial and residential, not tent sweeps and evictions.

We need industry-wide minimum wage standards, and the solutions can't be on the backs of our minimum wage workers.

We don't need more cops in the streets infecting our society with undue violence.

We need to protect sex workers and not punish them.

Vote no on soap, score, and soda.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_31

Good afternoon.

My name is Kathleen Brose and I'm from District 6. Thank you for serving as a council member.

I recognize that your job trying to please the citizens is not easy.

Thank you for whatever you can do to promote public safety for the whole city of around 800,000 people and not just the people who attend these meetings.

Thank you also for supporting struggling small businesses.

Please do not sunset the $15 minimum wage exemption for small businesses, which could cause many to shut their doors.

We need their tax revenue to help fund the Challenge City budget.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

Following Kathleen will be, sorry, the next speaker is Jacqueline Gordon, then Seamos Lofton, and then Eve Lamarine.

SPEAKER_35

Hello, my name is Jacqueline Gordon.

I'm here from District 4, and I'm here to ask you to vote no on Councilmember Moore's SOAP law.

I have had the great privilege to know many sex workers in my life, and I know firsthand that both those who do sex work by choice and those who are trafficked have been failed and hurt and targeted by our institutions.

I too want to address gun violence and trafficking so that everyone can feel safe in their own neighborhoods, but the way to do that is to create programs that will lift people out of poverty, not criminalize them and make it harder for them to find jobs in the future.

Loitering laws in particular criminalize people for just being in public, and a police force that is free to arrest who they want for whatever reason they choose should have no place in a so-called free society.

You say this is a yes and solution, and you want other programs to protect victims, so where is the and part?

And why are loitering laws the first thing that we're turning to rather than the ultimate last resort?

I urge you to vote no on this unconstitutional and cruel law.

SPEAKER_58

It's Simos Loftus, I believe, and then Eve.

And if I'll be Elizabeth Nelms.

SPEAKER_05

Hello, my name is Seamus Loftus.

I'm here to speak about the minimum wage.

It is no surprise that the Democrats on this council would take the first chance they can to steal money directly from the pockets of the working class.

And when that didn't work, they resort to backroom dealings that they call a collaborative approach.

Instead of putting forth legislation that would benefit poor and working people like rent control and taxing the rich, The council seeks to give a handout to wealthy businesses and the interest groups that support them while using COVID, wherein thousands and thousands of working people died as cover.

These so-called progressive Democrats have wasted no time in showing us their true identities.

It is clear that their agenda is to rob working class folks of their dignity and to pit us against each other.

We need political independence from the Democrats.

It is obvious that they will do everything they can to claw back our hard-won reforms.

SPEAKER_71

My name is Eve Lamarck, and I live in District 6. I own a small business on Greenwood in North 85th.

I'm asking you to vote no on soda and soap.

I was a sex worker when I was a teenager, and I'm also a former psychotherapist who is an expert in complex and severe trauma.

I worked for a decade working with the populations you're trying to protect, and I was a member of the population as well.

This bill will result in more racial profiling, endanger sex workers and trans people, and ruin the lives of many.

It ruined many of my clients' lives and mine.

While I got out, many don't.

The laws you want to use are going to just create issues in another part of the city.

Laws like this rip away people's ability to survive and makes them exponentially more vulnerable to trafficking.

As someone who was incarcerated in my youth and homeless, I know the battle to come back from that is long and painful.

Nothing about my incarceration was helpful, nor was the violence I experienced at the hands of police who arrested me.

It removed me from one violent situation and put me into another.

No one wants gun violence, but nothing in this bill will do something to address that.

We need funding for resources to protect people, not laws that reinforce systemic violence and failure.

What works is funding community resources for cultivating greater accessibility of these resources.

In your analysis, I encourage you to make sure that you're assessing the entire city, not just where you put these laws.

SPEAKER_58

The next speaker is Elizabeth Nellems and then Alex Zimmerman.

SPEAKER_16

My name is Elizabeth Nellems.

I was born and raised in Seattle, and I manage one of the longest running dispensaries in Seattle, located on Aurora Avenue North.

And I'm asking you to vote no on the soda and soap bill for several reasons.

First, because criminalizing sex work harms my business, both financially and communally.

Last year, when the city ordered temporary closure of the two motels nearest to my shop, We suffered significant losses as people we had previously seen every day were forced out of our community.

They were our friends.

Additionally, as with sex work, most of the people employed in my industry are women.

In my seven years working on Aurora Avenue, I have never worked with a woman who had not been mistaken for a sex worker either at or near her job.

Laws like this not only increase the risk that any of us could be wrongfully arrested, but also further endanger sex workers by pushing them out of our community and conflating consensual sex work with trafficking.

I hope the council will reconsider this and all other measures which criminalize those who, like all of us, just want to get home from work safely.

SPEAKER_58

Thank you.

Alex and followed by Alex will be Ariana Riley and then Jeff.

SPEAKER_23

See, hi, my dirty damn Nazi fascist hound, a bandit and killer.

My name Alex Zimmerman.

I want to speak about budget.

My question very simple.

How you can speak about billion and billion dollars for one minute?

Who this idiot who give us chance speak about billion and billion people money for one minute so my proposition very simple i'm a businessman for all my life in a business consultant we need open better room in city hall one day per week from nine to nine you speak for three minutes so we can speak about everything openly without your control you are pure nazi controllers It's exactly what has happened before.

I use word Nazi.

No, because you're Nazi.

Because you're Nazi socialist working party.

You identical socialist in this freaking idiot.

750,000 idiot.

Accept this one minute.

Why they accept one minute?

Because it's a slave.

You know what this means?

The bunch of idiots.

750,000.

SPEAKER_36

My name is Arianna Riley.

I am a sex worker who, like the vast majority of other sex workers, chooses to do sex work independently, just like I now choose to make most of my income from delivering food.

Prostitution remains illegal in Seattle.

I might remind everyone, the bill that is being proposed will make it a crime to stand on the street and gesture or wave.

No sex has to be offered.

No money has to exchange hands.

All you have to do in order to be arrested under this bill is wave at someone or stand on the street and gesture.

You can then be banned from half the city after waving your arms around.

As well, you guys want the power, you have to accept responsibility.

If you don't want people to shout at you for hours, you have two choices.

Number one, don't hold public office.

Or number two, you can propose bills that people actually support.

If you hate your job so much, I think a diversion program to help you exit public office would be a great tool for many of you.

SPEAKER_58

Next is Jeff.

I believe it's Cast or Coste.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_32

Hi, my name is Jeff Cote.

I'm in District 7. I think what gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to A lot of the legislation that's being discussed here today, including the anti-loitering legislation brought by Ms. Moore, is the everyday reality of living in this city as a person of limited resources.

When I was a kid, I dreamt of moving to Seattle.

It was a city not just of personal safety, but of emotional safety.

It took over half a decade for me to gain financial stability enough to feel like I had achieved even a part of what I had been looking for.

Sex workers are and sex workers are doing what they have to do to survive in the city that you have created for them.

Please do not support this legislation.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

We will now move into remote speakers.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our first remote speaker will be Tiffany McCoy, and Tiffany will be followed by J.C.

Fretz.

I'd like to remind the remote speakers to press star six after you hear the message that you have been unmuted.

Star six.

So go ahead, Tiffany McCoy.

SPEAKER_55

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I'm Tiffany McCoy.

I'm the Policy and Advocacy Director for How's Our Neighbors Initiative 137. calling to provide a brief history of ballot initiatives for this council since there was a lot of misconceptions viewed yesterday.

Charter Amendment 29 was certified on July 26, 2021. By July 29, there was a resolution, and on August 2, it was placed on the November ballot.

One week passed between introduction and passage of CA 29. A court later removed that from the ballot, which is the role of the court, not the legislative branch.

Approval voting.

was introduced on July 5th.

Council members publicly announced on the date of that introduction that they were holding a special meeting.

They held a special meeting one week later, and then they passed the alternative and the original resolution onto the ballot for voters.

For Initiative 137, we don't know what you're doing.

We don't know if you're working on an alternative.

You have not made these transparent.

Please make your attention clear to the public and allow your process to be

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is JC Fretz and following JC will be Lena Nguyen.

Go ahead, JC.

SPEAKER_68

Hello, my name is JC Fretz and I'm a fifth grade teacher at Emerson Elementary in Seattle School District.

It was brought to my attention this week that you all plan to cut funding for mental health from 20 million to 10 million.

As an educator in schools, a former mental health professional and an advocate for expanded mental health programs and supports, I urge you to rethink your decision.

This council seems to often be wondering about what to do regarding houselessness, public safety, and gun violence.

Money is poured into different projects in reaction to conditions, and yet the root causes are not addressed and the issues only are getting worse.

One of the answers to solving these issues impacting our society is to invest in more mental health supports for youth.

I've seen firsthand the positive impacts that restorative justice and mental health programming can have on the trajectory of young people's lives.

These kinds of restorative justice programs and essential mental health services are needed to be funded.

After the tragic shooting at Ingram High School, youth demanded an investment from the city into mental health services.

After the tragic shooting at Garfield High School, youth demanded an investment from the city into mental health services.

And now the city is slashing the budget that was created for this.

I implore you to make the right choice and invest at least $20 million.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Lina Nguyen.

And following Lina will be Alberto Alvarez.

Go ahead, Lina.

SPEAKER_50

Hello, my name is Lena, and I'm a math and school counseling student.

I also serve as both a restorative justice practitioner and as a school counseling intern in Seattle Public School District.

In my two years serving in elementary schools and my one year in high school, restorative practices has been a crucial foundation and guiding light for mental health practitioners and school counselors across the district.

School counselors and therapists are taught to root themselves in authentic relationship with their communities and students in order to encourage students to step into their agency and feel empowered to care for their lives.

They are responsible for seeing children as whole human beings and growing their supporting community.

All of these values and practices overlap and parallel those of restorative practices.

This year in our schools, counselors have implemented circle practice in their counseling practices of small group, peer mediation, and psychoeducation, all of which have positively shifted school environments to be ones of healing and community building.

Restorative practices live in each and every profession in school communities and are impactful and integrated for our mental health counseling needs.

As our full needs of our students continue to rise, the extension implementation of restorative practice in schools must also meet them.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

I have to go down or counsel.

SPEAKER_38

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_60

Someone needs to meet there.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Alberto Alvarez.

And following Alberto will be a NAB newer.

Go ahead, Alberto.

SPEAKER_13

Point number one, adult sex workers are the first to report and testify against child trafficking.

We need them as eyes and ears.

Do not bully and exile them for simply earning a living.

Point number two, Jerry Pollitt from the Washington House of Representatives, District 46, covering areas like Green Lake, UW, Sandpoint, and Lake City, said in a statement to DoorDash, DoorDash's ham-handed efforts to roll back minimum wages and worker protections for its drivers include announcing a new fee on deliveries in Seattle.

This blackmail fee will further harm small restaurants, their workers, and consumers.

These tactics are not ones I embrace for setting sound policy.

Thus, I am returning your contribution.

End quote.

I am thankful that there is an elected official who is willing to call this what it is. blackmail to force uh to force policy change in favor of billion dollar companies uphold living wages dignity and safety for all drivers thank you our next speaker is an abneuer and following an ab will be jack kyle go ahead and that you may need to press star six

SPEAKER_54

Hello, my name is Annabner and I'm the curriculum and instruction specialist at WABLOC and a former teacher.

I left classroom teaching due to burnout, but as I worked with WABLOC, learned about restorative practices and supported classroom teachers in greater school communities in implementing restorative practices, I've seen teachers not only feel more connected to their school communities, but also to one another, mitigating the impacts of burnout and stress.

Teacher and school staff mental health is crucial to the overall well-being of the school community, and the implementation of restorative practices supports this.

As an organization, we provide strategies, routines, special development opportunities, and consultations with schools in pursuit of making safer, more inclusive, and stronger school communities.

In this upcoming school year, we are having to do this with reduced funding and resources.

The full funding of youth mental health supports by this city is necessary at a time when many schools are reaching out to WABLOC and other organizations like ours for this type of support.

Moreover, students were promised a full $20 million for youth mental health, and they deserve what they were promised from this city and from the council.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jack Pyle, and following Jack will be Melissa Sims.

Go ahead, Jack.

SPEAKER_65

I live in District 5. I am calling to oppose soap and soda.

I commute daily through the proposed soap zone.

I see these undesirables that...

These bills are meant to target.

I am married to a sex worker.

I myself am a survivor and recovering addict, and many of my loved ones are sex workers and survivors.

As an indigenous Latino man with no criminal record, I have personally been racially profiled by SPD downtown.

I can only imagine how they would profile people who look like me walking on Aurora.

These bills would do nothing to support victims of sex trafficking and drug-related crime.

They will only serve to satisfy the aesthetics of the predominantly white, not-in-my-backyard crowd.

All while this city council...

CONSISTENTLY OPPOSES BILLS SUPPORTING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY, REZONING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND FUNDING SOCIAL SERVICES, INCLUDING SANDBAGGING THE SOCIAL HOUSING LEVY LAST WEEK.

I WOULD ASK COUNCILMEMBER MOORE, WHY DID YOU HAVE THE CENTRAL STAFF MEMO TO THESE BILLS SCRUBBED BETWEEN FRIDAY AND MONDAY AND MENTIONED THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF THESE BILLS ON PEOPLE OF COLOR AND HOW FURTHER CRIMINALIZATION WOULD DISSUADE COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT?

IS IT BECAUSE YOU CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT THE VICTIMS TO LET THE CONCERNS GET IN YOUR WAY?

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Melissa Sims, and following Melissa will be Aiden Carroll.

Go ahead, Melissa.

SPEAKER_52

Good afternoon.

My name is Melissa, and I'm a longtime District 7 resident and commuted for years up Aurora into Shoreline.

I also serve as a board member for the anti-trafficking organization, the Cupcake Girls.

The soap and soda bills that Council Members Kathy Moore and Bob Kettle have proposed are not only misguided and misinformed, but incredibly harmful to vulnerable members of our community.

Instead of finding compassionate and empathetic solutions to prevent trafficking, creating viable pathways for those wishing to leave sex work, and addressing the root of drug addiction and gun violence, this bill criminalizes sex workers and sex trafficking victims, as well as those struggling with addiction, creating greater barriers to support and ultimately perpetuating a cycle of poverty.

These bills prevent folks from accessing not only potentially their homes and families, but urgently needed resources for safety and survival by restricting an entire access of seven mile border to the city on top of penalizing them with arrests and fines.

I earnestly ask that you do not move forward with this bill and instead.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Aiden Carroll and following Aiden will be Mary Ramirez.

Go ahead, Aiden.

SPEAKER_64

Hi, I'm alumni of Ingram High School, current paraeducator, and also did some teaching at Garfield last year.

It's like any other crime, regardless of how we look at it, shootings have causes, and those individuals have childhoods and families, and not all crimes are the same, but the common thread is that if you look at how people end up in a situation where they would want to, That's more effective than any kind of policing and surveillance.

I didn't have a chance to speak this morning, but I want to just point out, like, do we all remember that Councilmember Moore ran last year on a platform of legalizing sex work?

Like, brothels?

I mean, that's not what sex workers want, which is full decriminalization, but that would be better than this.

The common thread is puritanism.

We have low information, liberals, half of whom are dealing with real problems because they don't get it, and the other half are scared of it.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Mary Ramirez, and following Mary will be Ramona Collins.

Go ahead, Mary.

SPEAKER_38

Just in the first quarter of 2024, there were 407 bullets fired in Seattle with 20 people killed.

We must not accept rampant gun violence as a new normal, and we must not accept the continued shattering of lives in communities.

We must invest intentionally and with purpose into mental health supports.

My name is Mari and I work as a restorative practitioner in Seattle public schools, elementary schools.

When we ask ourselves, what can we do about gun violence?

What can we do to heal our communities and make sure this doesn't continue to happen?

Restorative practices are the direct healing and solution.

Through countless circles and conversations with young people, I've seen the impact of having adults on your side who care for you deeply, help you access tools for emotional regulation and communication, and teach how to move through conflict with care and grace.

The relationship building we do as restorative practitioners and mental health experts is violence prevention.

And to continue to build this work, we need expanded funding.

Know that restoring the full $20 million will only move our communities forward.

Know that by voting to restore full funding for mental health support, you are going beyond just talking about this problem and actually building up a solution.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our last speaker for this remote group of 10 is Ramona Collins, and then we'll move back to in person.

Go ahead, Ramona.

SPEAKER_57

Hi, thank you all for taking the time for me to speak.

I live in District 5. I moved to Seattle when I was, let's see, in 2018. I'm a on and off sex worker.

However, I was not a sex worker in 2018 when I was waiting for the bus on Aurora after I got off work at the community center that I work at, and two police rolled up to me at on bicycles they rolled up to me in a man that i was conversing with i guess because you know they didn't expect to see two people just chatting not up to anything bad well they they ran both of our ids it made me feel like no matter what i do i'm going to be seen as a prostitute and as someone who doesn't have a car and walk wherever i go it's it's it's scary enough on aurora but to have that added threat that i could potentially be criminalized just for existing it adds it Really, it exacerbates my mental health.

It makes me feel like if I don't have a car and a house, and what if I got arrested?

Do I have to move?

Because I live within the soap zone.

So I implore you not to pass this.

I think it's a short-sighted solution.

It's going to harm.

SPEAKER_58

Thank you.

We will now move into the next 10 speakers, and it's going to be speakers number 11 through 20. If you can please line up, I'll call up the first four speakers who did not have a number.

That's going to be Keith Havrich, River B. Jackson, and Emily Dott.

And then again, speakers number 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. If you can start lining up in either one of these two microphones, both microphones work.

Thank you so much.

Keith.

SPEAKER_11

I don't want to talk to yous.

I want to talk to yous.

The scam lords and scam lawyers who showed up here to tell us that we don't deserve...

A living wage and a decent standard of living because of your own business failures.

That takes a lot of chutzpah.

We are not your whores.

And I've had it with these housing and labor violations.

And I'd rather sell my ass on Aurora Avenue than prostitute my hands and feet to satisfy your greedy, exploitative abuse ever again.

If you can't afford to provide living wage jobs, you can't afford to run a business.

So our boycott list of your establishments will help you see your way out.

Because we don't need you.

You need us.

I yield my time.

SPEAKER_56

River?

Hi, my name is River.

I'm a sex worker living in Cathy Moore's District 5. The city central staff's independent analysis of the anti-loitering and prostitution soap bill released on Friday originally included sections examining the corrupt and racist application of the previous bills that were unanimously repealed in 2020 and also underscored how sex workers and sex trafficking victims will be incarcerated and targeted more than pimps and sex buyers by this harmful legislation.

The analysis questioned the core intent of the bill as the predicted impact is going to be incarceration of the most vulnerable, not the violent.

Yesterday, Cathy Moore pressured central staff to remove these sections of the analysis critiquing her bill, and the edited version no longer includes the primary points from the opposition.

As we've seen in previous council testimonies, there are no peer-led anti-sex trafficking or gender-based violence organizations serving Aurora supporting this legislation.

I urge you to pull this bill and talk to the communities that it will affect and come up with something that will actually stop gun violence.

SPEAKER_58

B. Jackson, followed by Emily Dott.

SPEAKER_44

Council members, my name is Bea Jackson, pronouns, fae, fair.

I'm a licensed independent contractor working in District 5, and I oppose SOAP.

Marginalized, vulnerable, and impoverished communities have a place here in Seattle, despite every measure that's been taken to limit our existence and keep us out.

the priority focus could be on providing sustainable resources like safe affordable housing to improve our lives instead of measures that post barriers for those residents to receive help evidence from when this law was in place exemplified people of color poor people and members of the lgbtqia two-spirit plus community are primarily targeted my gender non-conforming My identity as a disabled, Afro-Indigenous, gender non-conforming person make me more susceptible to being stressed and frisked while going to work.

Please remember that we are constituents who are also against gun violence, sex trafficking, and forced sex work.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

Following Emily is going to be speaker number 15, Jason.

SPEAKER_19

Hello, I'm here because I'm deeply concerned about gun violence in our community, and I know the proposed soap and soda bills will make violence worse.

My neighborhood by 12th and Jackson has seen rising gun violence for years.

Just this weekend, there was a shooting right outside my building.

I am terrified of what will happen if I'm walking down the street at the wrong time, just like many residents along Aurora are rightly terrified.

Gun violence has risen dramatically across the U.S. since COVID, and Seattle is no exception.

The proposed bill will criminalize behavior that does not involve guns or violence, like waving at cars and talking to passersby.

Then it will ban people from entire neighborhoods before they are even convicted of any crime.

So what does it mean for us to banish people from the only community they know, especially before they've even seen trial?

We know from decades of research what the conditions correlated with gun violence are.

Income inequality, lack of access to mental health care resources, and lack of opportunity.

This policy means less resources, less opportunity, and less stability for people who are already living on the edge.

Please do not throw gas onto this fire.

Please vote no on soap and soda.

SPEAKER_58

Following Jason is going to be number 16, Oliver, and then 17.

SPEAKER_06

Restaurants are shutting down.

This week, Baka Bak Chicken closed two of its three Seattle locations.

The owner of the chain stated specifically it's the app-based delivery fees that are the major factor for the closures.

Now restaurant employees have nothing to do with pay up of lost or jobs.

So many restaurants have been put on the track to go out of business.

The sooner action is taken by council members, the less closures will be.

I work as a courier on four different apps.

On August 7th, I made $32 in nine hours.

The following day was my most profitable day of the past week where I made $121, earning somewhere between $3 an hour and $13 an hour as a result of pay up.

Prior to pay up, I reliably earned no less than $20 an hour.

The law needs to be revised right now.

SPEAKER_58

16, Oliver?

SPEAKER_08

Hello, my name is Oliver Misca.

I'm a school teacher in Seattle Public Schools, an education policy lobbyist, advocate, and working at the intersections of federal, state, county, school board, district, and occasionally city council jurisdiction.

There's some validity to your claim that it's a state issue, the mental health funds.

It is.

Our state is failing to fully fund our education system, and they often keep kicking the football up to federal, blaming them as well.

just as we're seeing in council today to Olympia.

Now, those of us who work in education know that innovation comes from local cities, districts bold enough to invest in restorative justice practices, ethnic studies, and other practices that students have been calling for since before 2017. You have the opportunity to lead this work.

In September, you have the opportunity to tell the legislature to tax the rich by passing progressive revenue to fully fund our schools.

Don't tell kids it's not your job.

Go tell the legislature in Olympia.

SPEAKER_58

Number 17, Phil, and then followed by Vivian, and then 19.

SPEAKER_74

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS PHIL LEWIS AND I AM A SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS VOLUNTEER AND A PASTOR WHO WORKS WITH YOUTH IN THE SOUTH LAKE UNION AREA IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 7, YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER KETTLE.

I'm here to ask for you, Councilmember Kettle, along with the wider Council, to vote yes on Councilmember Morales' amendment to reinstate the full $20 million committed to our youth.

I was on these City Hall steps two years ago advocating with our youth for the Council to do something after the Ingram shooting.

This money belongs to our youth.

The previous council made a commitment in response to the rise in gun violence to do something.

Many of you campaigned on this promise to do something and to advocate for our youth.

And honestly, we should not be here again asking for this money.

This is money that belongs to our youth.

To go back on this commitment is to say with your actions, youth's lives don't matter.

We know investing in mental health resources saves lives.

Working with youth, I've seen what happens when policy is made about youth without youth.

And so today, I'm asking...

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

and be ready to speak right after the person before you does.

Go ahead, please.

SPEAKER_26

Good afternoon, council members.

I am Vivian Song.

I am a resident of District 3, Seattle public school parent, and a former school board director.

This is my third time testifying in support of funding for youth mental health supports.

I recognize the complexity of closing a significant budget deficit when there is tremendous need and challenge our city is facing.

I don't envy you, having been in a somewhat similar position as a school board director.

For those of us who work with kids, we know relationships are paramount.

That is why community-based organizations like Community Passageways have to be part of the solution.

Let's make sure that we have the coverage of middle and high schools to have the full impact we want in our community.

We need the budget to reflect this.

The good news is that previous budgets have included some pilots, and we know it to have impact.

The good news is that this does not have to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

This is in the range of less than $10 million.

I would put this in the category of a good investment, the kind to keep in a budget.

Preventing youth gun violence is a matter of public safety.

This is why I continue to be persistent on this.

We cannot ignore the trend.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much, and I apologize for not asking you to speak first as a former elected.

I'm sorry, I didn't notice you were in the room.

SPEAKER_58

After Brandon will be our last speaker, which is Bennett, number 20. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

Last city council meeting, Bob Kettle made a motion to remove the I-137 agenda item with the justification that legal issues have been raised but not addressed without specifying a single example or describing what kind of legal issues there might be.

I-137 would implement a payroll tax, which is illegal under Washington state law.

According to Title V, Chapter 38, Section 30 of the Seattle Municipal Code, there's a progressive payroll tax in effect already.

The tax proposed in I-137 would simply add another level.

This tax is imperative for funding Seattle social housing, which currently does not have a dependable funding source.

Every delay means longer before unhoused people can benefit from this program.

I'm deeply disappointed by the behavior and the decisions of the council.

You were elected to represent us, but you do not.

I recommend you start listening to your constituents over your corporate donors if you want to avoid a recall, because as you've seen, we can get the signatures.

SPEAKER_25

Right.

So regarding the council's decision not to vote on I-437 last week, as Council Member Malaral has said at the time, the city charter says that if a initiative has enough signatures, it becomes the city council's top priority above everything except emergency measures.

You can either pass it or reject it, as you know, but if you reject it, that triggers a requirement to put it on the ballot.

There's also a rule that if you wait 45 days and do nothing, it also goes on the ballot, but that seems pretty clearly like it's written as a fail-safe in case you're not following the first rule.

It's not supposed to be a default way for things to get on the ballot, and if you're just sort of bringing up for 45 days and do nothing to run out the clock, that feels like cheating, even though I don't know if it's technically legal.

And as Council Member Kettle so eloquently put it last week, speaking into a hot mic during the public comment period, this freaking drives me nuts.

And yes, I had to change it because this one week was when the kids were here.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

We'll now move into remote speakers.

And as a reminder, remote speakers, please press star six when you hear the message that you have been unmuted.

Our next remote speaker is John Burbank.

And John will be followed by Sierra Parsons.

Go ahead, John.

SPEAKER_63

Hi, my name is John Burbank.

Last Tuesday, the City Council pulled Initiative 137 off its agenda.

After the meeting, Council President Nelson read the following excerpt from the City Charter.

Consideration of such initiative petition shall take precedence over all other business before the City Council.

With that reading, Council President Nelson indicted herself and the entire City Council for violation of the City Charter.

You can't pick and choose what dates you abide by the law and what dates you will break that law.

By violating the city charter on August 6th, you have prevented Seattle citizens from exercising their power granted by the city charter to enact Initiative 137 at the November ballot.

Let's be frank.

Your opposition is based on coddling of corporate elites who think that compensation, which is more than 38 times the minimum wage, is their right and privilege.

You also seek to coddle real estate magnets and market rate housings This is a trumping approach to undermining our democracy and working class economic well-being.

Let's Trump-proof Seattle.

Vote.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Sierra Parsons.

And following Sierra will be Leon Caspi.

Go ahead, Sierra.

SPEAKER_52

Hello.

My name is Sierra Parsons, a community member and educator from South Seattle.

I first want to thank Council Member Morales for continuing to fight to resource community-led youth mental health initiatives.

I'm urging the rest of the council to support Council Member Morales' amendment to fully fund mental health with the entire $20 million Jump Start Provide bill that was won by and promised to students last year.

The growing demand for restorative practices in Seattle Public Schools, recognized as a critical mental health strategy and approach to creating safe and welcoming school environments, has outpaced Beal's current capacity to meet school needs.

If DEAL were allocated just a portion of these funds, it could significantly increase the implementation of restorative practices in schools by both clinical and non-clinical practitioners.

Please vote yes to fully fund youth mental health support.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Lyon Caspi, and following Lyon is Trish Hegarty.

Go ahead, Lyon.

SPEAKER_53

Good afternoon.

My name is Leon Cassie and I'm the restorative practices program manager at Seattle Public Schools.

I lead a small but mighty team that together with community partners supports over 100 school communities with restorative practices and justice initiatives.

Today I urge you to restore the full 20 million dollars in funding for youth mental health and restorative practices.

This funding is crucial for the well-being of our students and the health of our school communities.

Our team supports schools in fostering relational school cultures resolving conflicts and providing crisis support during tragic events.

such as the recent gun violence deaths at Garfield High School and Ingram High School.

With a severely reduced budget over the past years, we've had to cut essential positions, impacting our ability to support our schools effectively.

We collaborate closely with partners like WABLOC and Wairudo to deepen the implementation of restorative practices.

However, the limited funding from DEAL for this next year threatens to leave our students and communities without the support they desperately need.

This investment is not just about funding.

It's about providing our young people with the support they need to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.

Please restore the school $20 million.

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Trish Haggerty, and following Trish will be Samuel Bogwandan.

Go ahead, Trish.

SPEAKER_49

My name is Trish Haggerty, parent of two grown children, and have served our children and youth in education for over 30 years through evidence-based practices, prevention-based support services, and implementation science.

As an educator and youth advocate in Seattle Public Schools, I'm highly concerned about meeting the very real mental health needs of our students and reducing violence in our communities.

Margaret Wheatley has a reading called Turning to One Another, and the first line struck a chord with me in thinking about the decisions the city council must make today about funding needs for mental health and specifically an approach of supporting restorative practices.

There is no greater power than a community discovering what it cares about.

A restorative approach nests all support in humanizing and empowering practices.

Restorative practices synonymous with community and empowers youth through collaboration and agency in support of their mental health and well-being.

If this council fully funds mental health and does not cut funding.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Samuel Bogwandan, and following Samuel is Cleo Gallagher.

Go ahead, Samuel.

SPEAKER_69

All right.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Hey, my name is Sam.

Um, I don't live in the soap zone, but I live, uh, kind of walking distance adjacent to it.

And I'm just trying to say, please do not, uh, vote for the soap and soda and score bills.

Um, they personally would like, like make my life more dangerous and like less safe.

They would probably make gun violence worse by like increasing tension.

On the street, I don't really understand the thinking here.

Yes, there are studies that show that these bills don't work and exacerbate the problem, but if you just think clearly what will happen on a day-to-day basis, this will just criminalize sex workers, which will be the natural reaction.

That would increase violence and increase sex practices.

I also think that giving police another thing to arrest people and stop people for will also...

increase the tension in public this will literally make it feel and be less safe to be outside which is like the opposite of what the goal is that's why they rolled the exact same rule back four years ago it's on the record that these were found to be thank you our next speaker is cleo gallagher and following cleo will be alex kim go ahead cleo cleo you may need to press star six

SPEAKER_51

Hi, I'm Cleo, Seattle resident and worker.

In terms of a stakeholder process for minimum wage law, I'd like to remind city council and the mayor that we are aware of who the millionaire restaurant lobbyists are who have championed the narrative that paying workers minimum wage is an impossible task.

For example, SRA board member Eric Tanaka of Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen owns a house appraised at $2.8 million.

If we want to talk about how to address inflation Seattleites have faced in the last decade, we better be listening to workers.

And if you want to help small businesses, Commercial rent is also striking upward due to a runaway real estate speculation.

Locally owned businesses get replaced by national chains or larger businesses that can negotiate better rent or subsidize a high-visibility location.

But I don't hear the SRA speak on how to address these types of inflation besides paying workers less, probably because they reserve the right to benefit from some of this free inflation themselves.

And speaking of harmful and unpopular proposed legislation, vote no on soap.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Alex Kim, and following Alex will be Brianna Martinez.

Go ahead, Alex.

Alex, make sure you press star six.

There you go.

SPEAKER_07

Hi, I'm Alex Kim, District 2 resident, commenting against the proposed anti-loitering ordinance.

Part of the reason this law is being proposed is to reduce shootings and violence.

This should be obvious, but about 80% of those arrested for violent crime are cis men and 90% for homicide are cis men.

So why is the law that pretty much only targets women and trans people being proposed as an effective way to reduce violence in Seattle?

And let's be real, this bill will only shift activities to different areas.

When the city is already in a severe budget deficit and police have difficulty responding to violence, this is the wrong move to make.

This law also fosters an environment that Seattle needs less of, not more, and that is distrust of our neighbors.

There are not enough police resources to enforce a huge banishment zone on Aurora.

What will happen is vigilante civilians will start reporting and harassing everybody that they do not view as acceptable.

When this law disproportionately targets women and trans people of color, in the fifth widest major city in America, you're creating a recipe for disaster.

Please reject SOAP and instead focus on productive things like funding mental health in schools.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Brianna Martinez.

And following Brianna will be Suresh Chanmugan.

Go ahead, Brianna.

SPEAKER_48

Hi, my name is Bree, and I've been a teacher, a student, a restaurant worker, a community organizer, and a bartender.

And I'm here to sincerely ask City Council, why are you so committed to advocating against giving your constituents and our city fewer resources?

Why don't your actions reflect that every person has value beyond their labor costs?

Instead of resources, you knocked down a popular effort to get social housing on the ballot.

You want to enable the cutting of mental health services in schools.

And at the same time, you also claim to want to cut gun violence.

You don't want whole workers to earn a minimum wage.

You want their hard-earned kids to subsidize their own wages, making workers and consumers pay for our own labor and time.

You want to further criminalize sex work and drug use and employ systematic profiling.

You want to ban people from where they live.

And the people in this chamber represent only a small fraction of the community who knows what y'all are doing, and we're not going to stand for it.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Suresh Chanmugam.

And following Suresh will be our last speaker for this remote group of Wesley St. Clair.

Go ahead, Suresh.

SPEAKER_10

Hi, my name is Suresh Chanmugam.

My wife and I and our three children live in District 3 just outside of Little Saigon.

I am a member of the Tech for Housing Steering Committee and speaking on behalf of our organization in opposition to the SODA and SOAP legislation and in solidarity with sex work.

LGBTQIA plus, and anti-violent organizations.

There's a reason we repeal our prostitution loitering laws.

They don't work.

They don't keep me and my family safer, nor do they prevent trafficking and exploitation of sex workers.

Poverty and financial instability, largely driven by the high cost of housing, are the root cause of most violent and property crime in our city.

Instead of depriving sex workers and people suffering from substance use disorder at their rights, Let's focus on making Seattle more affordable by demanding a more robust comprehensive plan to increase the supply of housing on the for-profit market, passed by 137, the social housing payroll tax, and increasing minimum wage to an actual living wage, including for tipped and gig workers.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Wesley St. Clair, and then we'll move back to in-person speakers.

Go ahead, Wesley.

SPEAKER_62

Honorable members of the Seattle City Council, my name is Jay Wesley St. Cloud.

As the former chief juvenile judge at King County Superior Court and a key advocate for introducing restorative practices in our community, I want to emphasize the critical importance of investing in mental health services for our youth.

Early mental health intervention is transformative.

It not only helps young people navigate immediate challenges, but also sets the stage for long-term community health.

Every dollar we invest today reduces the need for costly intervention later, like involvement in our criminal legal processing system.

The more we spend now on mental health, the better the outcomes for our youth and community.

This investment is not just a moral obligation, but a practical one, ensuring that all young people in Seattle have the support they need to thrive.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

Thank you.

We'll now move into in-person speakers, and we will be going through numbers 21 through 31, starting with Casey, Travis, DeMonte, Trinity.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_17

Hello, Council.

My name is Casey Paschup, and I am a resident and business owner in Council District 7. Over the past eight months, I have watched as this council has neglected the city's largest public safety issue, the high cost of housing.

This doesn't only hurt residents' pocketbooks, but it also adds undue stress to their daily lives and causes a mountain of societal consequences.

I know this council is very concerned with visible homelessness, one of the things that has been proven time and time again to be caused exclusively, almost exclusively by the high cost of housing.

When voters go to the polls and they see that every problem they care about has gotten worse, they will not vote for you.

This is especially important for Tanya Wu this November.

We've all seen the numbers, and they do not look good.

A council handpicked by the mayor that is still too inept to solve any issue or pass any meaningful legislation is a one-term council.

A do-nothing-but-harm council is a one-term council.

To begin on this path to rebuilding its reputation and focusing on the issues that matter to your constituents, I urge you to pass I-137, the payroll tax.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_29

Can you guys hear me?

All right.

My name is Travis Anderson.

I serve as the restorative specialist for SE Network, and I stand before you today to strongly advocate for the release of the $20 million allocated for critical initiatives in our community.

I am a direct product of these programs.

As a young child, I was in foster care.

I got my first job with SE Network.

This helped me build a sense of responsibility.

Years later, I ended up homeless on the streets, and through these programs, I was able to get jobs, I was able to get somewhere to stay, and I was able to get on my feet as an actual human being in society.

Now I'm 32. I have a successful business.

I've come back to inspire all these kids that you see here today.

I'm a husband and a father of two.

Please, I implore you, release these funds so that I can help and we can help change their lives like these programs change mine.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

For round number 23, thank you.

SPEAKER_27

Mental health community kids.

Mental health community kids program, $2 million for student social emotional programs.

Hi, my name is Demonte, and today I'm here to talk about mental health and troubled youth and how the Rainier Vista can help and why we need the funding.

I've seen troubled youth and how they messed up their lives at a young age.

At the Rainier Vista, there are staffs that can help put you on the right track.

You can make better choices.

They help us make better choices in our lives.

They give us field trips, foods, and disciplines, and help us make good decisions.

That's why we need the funding for the Rainier Vista.

SPEAKER_09

Mental health and community kids programs, $20 million for student social emotional programs.

Hi, my name is Trinity.

I'm going into the eighth grade.

I'm with the work and learn earn program in the Rainier Vista.

Through this program, I have been given the opportunity to do many new things.

Today, I wanted to talk about one of the field trips we went to.

Went to Wings Over Washington.

Basically, it's a roller coaster that virtually flies over all of Seattle.

It was one of the best experiences I ever had.

Me and my community wanted to ask for more money so we can keep having field trips and enjoying new experiences through the Boys and Girls Club.

Experiences I would have never had otherwise.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

So we're at number 25, I believe it's Aiden.

And then number 26, Hayel, I believe, Wilkins.

And then Rico.

SPEAKER_18

Hi, my name is Aiden.

I was pretty much bullied most of my life from first to where I am now at seventh.

At the King County Rainier Vista, I have met some great adults and even kids who have helped me through everything.

They have given me way more confidence and helped me acknowledge more of my self-worth.

With an appropriate amount of money, we can have more of these great adults and kids to help other troubled teens with their self-confidence and self-worth.

let's build a foundation that kids can build off of for the next generation.

SPEAKER_12

My fault.

Hello, my name is Ajala Wilson Daraja.

I'm here as a restorative justice specialist from the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club of King County.

And here today, I'm here just to represent myself as a product of the Southeast Safety Network that runs out of that operation.

And so I'm just here to talk about the program and the importance of this funding and advocating for the release of this funding for the programs.

Often it is too often just as youth.

I'm 22 years old right now, born and raised in Seattle, city of Seattle.

And I don't often feel represented throughout my community, whether that be through the council, whether that be represented through the actual city of Seattle, whether that be represented in institutions such as the Seattle Public Schools.

And the Rainier Vista, for me personally growing up in recent years and also my teenage years, is the first time in the first place I came to where I was represented and heard.

It is too often that we're killed.

It is too often that we're left alone in these streets as youth and nothing's being done about it and we're not being represented.

So I'm here just to advocate for these funds.

SPEAKER_99

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Please remember that when you hear the chime, you have nine or ten seconds left to complete your comment, and please remember to snap your fingers instead of clapping.

Go ahead, please.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_46

Hello, my name is Raquel Jones, and I work for Southeast Network as a targeted program director.

I am naturally a grave supporter of the $20 million being released to community.

We've made that commitment.

We need to follow through on that.

I ask you, Council President, as it is within your power, to make a motion to amend the agenda to move the vote for Council Member Morales' mental health proviso to before the appointments currently making it so that these...

students will not see the process of city council.

There have been concerns of the council fostering civil discourse.

We ask you in the spirit of education for these youth and transparency in the process to amend the agenda as soon as testimony is over and make this vote in front of these young people.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_30

Good afternoon.

My name is Ted Evans, Jr.

I'm here to represent community passageways as well as other community organizations.

I'm a product of this city.

As you can see, this is our future.

Help us.

If you guys are part of community, as you guys should be, help us to help us.

That's it.

SPEAKER_58

Number 29, I believe, is Jante.

And then the last speaker in the set is Lexi, number 31.

SPEAKER_34

Only got 60 seconds, so I'm not going to speak to some of the highlights of the budget and this and that, but I am going to speak to the beauty in what we do.

And what this shirt represents right here is the difference between a mother crying over somebody that's in the casket And that's a price.

You can't put a price on that.

But also, this shirt is magical.

This shirt stops bullets.

It keeps guns jamming when they're shooting.

It can increase the amount of followers you have on Facebook.

If I give this shirt to you, you probably won't need glasses no more.

The community passageways, what we done built up, the legacy, what we built up with these highlighter shirts, man, it's priceless.

Do what you're supposed to do.

SPEAKER_33

We're moving on to the remote speakers.

How many more do we have?

SPEAKER_58

We have one more in this set, which is Lexi.

And then after Lexi, we'll go back to remote.

And remote speakers, we have about four people.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_73

Hi again.

You'll keep seeing me until we get this done.

Please vote no on soap and soda.

Vote yes on I-37 and restore the $20 million owed to students.

These issues are all intertwined, and I know you know that.

I was kicked out of my house for being gay when I was 15. If I had not been so lucky as to have friends give me a place to stay, it's unlikely I would have graduated high school and unlikely I would have made it up here to Seattle 15 years ago and become a queer and sex work community organizer.

I turned to sex work in my 20s because I was tired of working a minimum wage job.

Please don't lower it.

I was in debt because I was never taught any financial literacy.

The work changed my economic trajectory.

I have not been punished like my street-based siblings because I've had the privilege of working in legal arenas and working indoors.

I'm standing here now thanks to the resources I was given by community when I had none.

I've read this entire bill and listening to this morning's testimonies and support for these, I can tell most of them haven't.

And almost every single person I saw today in support of these was white.

I got all, okay.

You know what?

We already know that pimping is illegal.

Gun violence is illegal.

If criminalizing drug use and sex work, it works, then why is it still...

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

We'll move on to the remote speakers now.

SPEAKER_60

Our first remote speaker for this set is Jabali Stewart, and following Jabali will be Keiko Ozeki.

Go ahead, Jabali.

SPEAKER_61

Greetings, member of the city council, especially you, Council Member Morales.

and to you youth in the audience who might hear and see and salute my name is dr jabali stewart and i come to you as a co-founder of wireudo a group within deeply embedded in schools doing restorative work for years we stayed at a critical juncture one where promises made must be kept where the voices of our youth demand more than just acknowledgement they demand action The $20 million allocated for school-based youth mental health support is not just a number, it's a lifeline.

It's a commitment made to students throughout the city, including those from Ingram, Garfield, Rainier Beach.

These students were promised support, and it is our duty to ensure that promise is fulfilled.

Let's remember, many parents with the means to do so can afford to send their children to private schools where funding is ample and access to mental health services is not a concern.

But what about the schools?

What about the teachers, the unsung heroes who bear the brunt of the mental health issues?

We know that proactively restorative work within our school.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Keiko Ozeki and following Keiko will be Anthony D'Amico.

Go ahead, Keiko.

I see that you're ready.

Can you speak?

Okay, Keiko just muted him herself.

We will move on to Anthony D'Amico, and then we'll come back and try Keiko again.

Anthony, please press star six, and you'll be ready to go.

SPEAKER_47

Yes.

My name is Keiko.

I'm a dedicated community member at Wairuiro Company.

I am deeply concerned about the ongoing challenges we face, especially the issue of gun violence such as Garfield and Ingram.

As we strive to build a healthy, just, and inclusive environment within our schools, it is imperative that we prioritize mental health service for our youth.

Today's young people confront unprecedented pressures and without proper support, these challenges can have profound and lasting efforts on their well-being and our community.

Investing in accessible, culturally competent mental health services is not only a moral obligation, but also a vital step toward ensuring that every young people in Seattle has the chance to thrive.

By supporting these essential services, we committed to a future where all young people are seen, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Anthony D'Amico, and following Anthony will be Chris Ramirez.

Go ahead, Anthony.

Actually, Anthony, press star six once more.

There you go.

You should be good.

SPEAKER_66

Thank you very much.

I'm a teacher at the biggest school in all of Seattle, which is in District 4, Go Links.

I teach civics, and this past year we had lots of conversations about elections, including and especially the ones locally.

One thing young people stress is that we get so polarized that we neglect the people who need our support.

We want to punish those different from us.

This feels particularly prescient for this council to understand.

I've had the privilege to teach and know some of the students who organized a massive walkout after a shooting at Ingram High School as those call for better systems and support.

after a tragedy in our schools students throughout the city organized you promised to listen promise to fund and now you're going back on your promise well i'm tremendously proud of our students for advocating for better systems one must ask why they have to fight so hard and why this council wants to take money away from that cause beyond humanitarian aspects you'll have to run with that on your record forever i hope today you all have the courage to do the right thing to invest in support in our young people thanks everybody

SPEAKER_60

Thank you.

That was our last remote speaker.

SPEAKER_58

We will move back into public comment in chambers and we're at number 32 through 38, starting with Gabriela and then Kyla and Jenny.

SPEAKER_75

Hello, I'm Gabby.

I've worked in District 5 in multiple careers, therapist, CPS investigator, sex worker.

I'm here to ask you to vote no on the SOAP law.

You're hoping to address gun violence, yet there's no evidence that loitering increases gun violence.

This law is just a free ticket for the police to target our black, brown, trans, and queer neighbors.

Saying this is an attempt at gun control is clearly a facade.

The true problem is that you don't like seeing sex workers in public.

Wait, hold on, let me change that.

You don't like it when the poverty this city helps facilitate is visible.

Please at least act like you're representing your city and vote no on the soap law.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_59

Hello, my name is Kaylin Quinn, and I'm a homeowner and business owner in District 1. Please vote no on SOAP, yes on I-137, and return the full funding of $20 million for the critical initiatives.

This matters to me because I was homeless as a kid.

My mom struggled with addiction and died from lack of health care when I was a teenager.

I went on to work with House of Survivors of Domestic Violence for 12 years in King County.

People struggling publicly are not a result of a moral failure of the working class.

This is a result of an affordable housing crisis and decades of failing to fund the mental and physical health of working class kids.

Most women are homeless because of domestic violence.

These women have been through abuse and trafficking and have perhaps engaged in sex work.

All of this puts them in a position of structural precarity, and you think a cop and a criminal record is going to save them.

You'll only trap them in this one part of their life that you see as so shameful you want to arrest them because you have to look at them.

You're not saving them, and some of you are trying to sabotage the rest of their lives.

SPEAKER_58

We're at number 34, Jenny, then Timothy, and Leo.

SPEAKER_33

We have now gone quite far over our time, our 20-minute time.

Of course, we have extended it several times, but please be ready to speak as soon after the person in front of you stops.

SPEAKER_39

Yeah, I'd really like to address you, actually.

Okay, when do I begin?

Right here, I have a report from July 11th against a man who sexually assaulted me, but he owns two houses in Madison Park.

These are multiple reports of me addressing sexual assault from June to July from this man.

But he owns two houses in Madison Park, just like Sarah Nelson owns Fremont Brewery.

This is the restraining order I got weeks after I finally got him, who lawyered up with a lawyer he could afford.

He's a three-time convicted felon, but he's white, from Mercer Island.

I'm not the first person he's raped.

He also has two DUIs.

I watched him drive drunk.

But because he's a millionaire, he can lawyer up.

I have a really valid case.

And I worked at a club with somebody who also was serving minors, who was also employed by Sarah Nelson at Fremont Brewery.

I am the living, breathing example.

I am a Hollywood kid.

I took down that barricade that one time.

I've been targeted over and over for telling you.

Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_58

After Jenny, it's Timothy, then Leo.

SPEAKER_24

Hey, can you hear me?

Okay, cool.

Hi there.

All right, let's see here.

Hello, I am Timothy Kitchen from Fremont.

Thank you, Council Member Strauss and Council Member Rivera for attending Fremont Neighborhood Council in our July and June meetings, respectively.

I support the 20 million in funding for mental health therapists, violence intervention, culturally aware community programs.

When I was nine and a half, Child Protective Services took me out of a home devoid of love and let me live with my mom, who was my hero.

Middle school and high school felt like going to battle every day due to severe social anxiety.

I was afraid if I did anything wrong in school, the bottom would fall out and I would be rejected by everyone.

Fortunately, my mom was now a place of love and peace.

My home was going to get provided a fresh start where I found my calling and began therapy, learning what complex PTSD is and why I have a tendency to catastrophize and feel deep unwarranted shape.

It's behavior.

My kids self learn to survive eight years of living hell with my father.

Um, if I had a therapist and more intentional community programs when I was younger at school, maybe child protective services, pull me out of the living hell.

It wasn't sooner.

And, um, Yeah, and I wouldn't have to live with the level of complex PTSD that I still do to this day.

I tell you from experience of life-changing impact therapy as well as persistent love and care has had on me.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_58

So we now have Leo, followed by number 37. I believe the last name is Greering.

And then Alexis.

SPEAKER_76

Hello.

Hello, I'm Leo Falfe-Monte.

I'm a sophomore at Nathan Hale High School and executive board member for the Seattle Student Union.

I'm here to testify to ask for you to support Councilmember Morales' amendment to fully fund youth mental health by restoring the Jump Start proviso to 20 million.

Most students in my high school are not even aware that we have a school mental health therapist and social workers, but still they are unable to assist most students who need help, and this makes it that most students' needs are unmet.

In December of 2023, we had a mental health survey to see how we were doing.

And most kids whose that responded to them being concerning were not brought in until May of 2024 because teachers and staff did not have the responsibility, not responsibility, not have the ability and enough hours in the day to be able to meet with all those students.

students cannot learn when they're scared and unhappy and you guys have the ability and the responsibility to make it though none of this stuff that i've shared has happened at my high school and other ones which is dan strauss's old high school nathan hale we're at number we're at number 37. thank you after that it'll be number 38 and then followed by number 41 as our last in-person speaker

SPEAKER_00

Hello, my name is Tremarco Green and I am a public figure.

For Seattle, King County, a little bit about myself is I have a nonprofit organization.

I have LLC, EIN number, and I do community outreach work for the people in need.

I was with these youth before at a point in time, and I noticed one thing about it is a lot of us are people of color, a lot of us, and majority of us need the resources.

The resources is what helped me get to where I'm at today.

I was going through the system juvenile.

I thought I was going to die by the time I was 18. You know, I didn't have my life planned out for me.

I was involved in gangs.

I was in community pathway.

They helped me see life at a different trajectory.

And now, like I said, I have a LLC, have a nonprofit organization, gang intervention, gang prevention work and outreach.

And next year in Kent, I'm running for Councilman of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

So please vote for me, Chamarco Green.

You have to look me up on change.org.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_43

Hello.

Okay, we're going to this time.

I'M PRETTY TALL.

HI.

MY NAME IS ALEXIS ROOFY.

I AM A RENTER IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT, JOY HOLLINGSWORTH DISTRICT.

I AM HERE TODAY FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING FOR YOUTH.

I CAME TO LAST WEEK'S CITY COUNCIL HEARING, MEETING, AND I WATCHED AFTER STUDENT, STUDENT AFTER STUDENT ASKED YOU TO GIVE FUNDING.

I watched how Daniel Strauss, you have let out an applaud for the room, for the students, and then had the audacity not to vote for them.

Have a legacy that is worth having.

Have a courage of conviction to look these youth in the eyes and make a decision to benefit them.

They should not have to beg.

They should not have to plead for this funding.

And I ask you to follow the motion before of Sarah Nelson to move this vote so that these youth can see you make a decision for them and can see you choose to do the right thing.

I'm here to urge you to make the right decision.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_58

Our last speaker is Michelle Montgomery, I believe.

SPEAKER_67

Hello.

My name is Michelle.

I'm originally from Memphis.

I'm no longer a transplant.

I live in Seattle.

I live in Seattle.

I've been a case manager or a person who works in social services for at least the past, what, 35 years?

When I came to Seattle, I had to and I chose to become homeless and live in a homeless camp in order to survive.

to get out of the way of being abused.

And from that, I navigated my own way with the assistance, very little assistance, from a case manager.

From that point, going from one organization to another, I was finally planted at Community Passageways, and I'm just here to say, Please, please release the money.

As someone who's not from here, but who's accepted Seattle as being my forever home, please release the money.

The people that sit behind me, they're the ones on the front line, and I promise you, I guarantee you, that we save babies all the time.

We save the children that you don't read about in the newspaper.

Please, please.

SPEAKER_58

That was the last registered speaker.

SPEAKER_33

OKAY.

WE'VE REACHED THE END OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.

IT'S NOW CLOSED.

THANKS, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.

AND WE'VE GOT A SLIGHT CHANGE TO THE AGENDA.

IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE'LL CONSIDER THE INTRODUCTION AND REFERRAL CALENDAR AFTER CONSIDERATION OF INITIATIVE 137. SO HEARING NO OBJECTION, WE WILL NOW CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.

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

SPEAKER_28

Yes.

Council President, I move to amend the agenda to have Council Bill 120812 as the first item after the introduction and referral calendar, or after the consent calendar.

SPEAKER_33

Are you talking about the information item?

SPEAKER_28

After that, after the first bill that we'll take up.

SPEAKER_58

So moving item four, which is Council Bill 120812, to be the new item one?

SPEAKER_28

That would be correct.

SPEAKER_33

I'll second that.

Because everybody's here to hear that, and so why not?

Okay.

I don't really have a big problem with that.

Does anybody have a problem with that?

Do we need a voice vote?

SPEAKER_58

If there's no objection.

SPEAKER_33

There's no objection.

Okay.

The agenda is adopted to put the mid-year supplemental legislation before everything else but after the initiative I-137 and the consent calendar and the IRC.

Are we good?

SPEAKER_40

We are good.

I have a question, Council President.

Before we take that vote, are we going to have the opportunity to hear from the executive?

We had some questions about funding, allegations about funding cuts that were made yesterday.

Will we have an opportunity to have that answered?

SPEAKER_33

Yes, we will have all of that when we discuss that legislation.

SPEAKER_40

Great.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Yep.

All right.

The agenda has been amended, and we will now end.

Hearing the objection, it is adopted.

Okay, so Initiative 137 is before the Council for consideration.

The Council will continue to consider the options provided by the Charter and within the allotted 45 days provided.

We're joined by Jen Labreck to answer any questions that people have.

In anticipation of question, we'll suspend the rules.

If there's no objection, the rules will be suspended to allow Council Central staff to address the Council should there be any questions.

HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE RULES ARE SUSPENDED AND WILL NOW PROCEED WITH DISCUSSION OF INITIATIVE 137. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS OR QUESTIONS FOR JEN?

HEARING NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.

YES?

SPEAKER_58

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

OKAY.

SPEAKER_33

HEARING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL NOW MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

We've reached the point now to consider the IRC.

I move to adopt the introduction and referral calendar.

Is there a second?

SPEAKER_70

Second.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you.

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

Are there any comments?

SPEAKER_21

Yes, Madam Council President.

Proceed.

All right.

I move to amend the introduction and referral calendar by adding appointments 2949 through 2962 and resolution 32145 for referral to the Transportation Committee.

The short titles are as follows.

Appointment of Delaney Lind as member Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board for term to March 31st, 2025. Appointments and reappointment of Stevie Ray Brown, Kelsey Nyland, Tracy Timmons Gray, Fallon Boyle, Chris Grigich, and Wes Mills as members.

Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board, four terms to March 31st, 2026. Appointments and reappointments of Nicole Clay, Mark Hoker, Nigel Barron, Dan Gatchett, Dan McKisson, and Stanley W. Ryder, Seattle Freight Advisory Board, four terms to May 31st, 2026. Appointment of Maris Zavartz as member Seattle School Traffic Safety Committee, four term to March 31st, 2027. And almost done.

Resolution 32145, a resolution related to transportation infrastructure improvement and maintenance responding to Resolution 32137 regarding the establishment and recommendations of the Transportation Funding Task Force to develop policy and funding recommendations for long-term transportation infrastructure needs with specific focus on building out Seattle's sidewalk network, improving existing sidewalks, improving pavement, condition and replacing and rehabilitating aging bridges.

SPEAKER_33

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and seconded to amend the introduction referral calendar to add appointments 2949 through 2962 and resolution 32145 for referral to the Transportation Committee.

Councilmember Saka, would you like to address this amendment?

SPEAKER_21

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Yeah, this is due to an oversight error on my end, mea culpa.

We would have ordinarily had these already included in the IRC.

So this minor amendment here allows us to hear these items, these important items, in our next Transportation Committee meeting as soon as we come back from Labor Day on Tuesday the 3rd.

So I ask for your support.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

I completely understand, and I have no comments or questions or concerns with that.

All right.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the amendment to the introduction and referral calendar?

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu?

Yes.

Council Member Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Council Member Kettle?

SPEAKER_70

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Moore?

Aye.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Yes.

Council President Nelson.

Sure.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

The motion carries and the items are added to the introduction and referral calendar for referral to the Transportation Committee.

Are there any further comments on the amended introduction and referral calendar?

Hearing none, the amended introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AMENDED INTRODUCTION AND REFERRAL CALENDAR IS ADOPTED.

ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON, WE'LL NOW CONSIDER THE PROPOSED CONSENT CALENDAR.

ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR INCLUDE COUNCIL BILL 120838, PAYMENT OF BILLS, 11 APPOINTMENTS TO THE LAND USE COMMITTEE, FROM THE LAND USE COMMITTEE, AND ONE APPOINTMENT FROM THE SUSTAINABILITY CITY LIGHTS ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE.

ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE FROM TODAY'S CONSENT CALENDAR?

Hearing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

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

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

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu?

SPEAKER_99

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Moore?

Aye.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Yes.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

SPEAKER_33

All right.

The consent calendar items are adopted.

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

Okay, we're now moving on to committee reports and we have changed the order of the agenda.

So we will be addressing item four instead of item one.

So will the clerk please read item formerly four, now item one into the record.

SPEAKER_58

Agenda Item 4, Council Bill 120812, amending Ordinance 126955, which adopted the 2024 budget, including 2024 through 2029 capital improvement program, changing appropriations to the various departments and budget control levels and from various funds in the budget, revising project allocations for certain projects in the 2024 through 2029 CFP and adding CFP projects, imposing a proviso, creating position-modifying positions, abrogating positions, and modifying conformity in prior acts.

The committee recommends the bill pass as amended.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

So Councilmember Strauss is chair of the committee.

You're recognized to provide the committee report on this particular legislation and then we'll deal with the amendments.

So go ahead if you have any comments on the base legislation.

SPEAKER_28

Thank you, Council President.

I'm going to kind of wrap everything up into one so that we don't have to come back to me in just a minute.

I just want to thank you all colleagues for your engagement during the Select Budget Committee last week.

I won't take the time now to summarize the work we did because everyone was in committee and I appreciate your YOUR ENGAGEMENT THERE.

AS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY DURING COUNCIL BRIEFING, I NOTED COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES INTENDS TO BRING HER $10 MILLION AMENDMENT BACK AGAIN TODAY AND THAT I HAVE A SIMILAR AMENDMENT THAT IS COSPONSORED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MORALES ADDING 2.25 MILLION.

SPEAKER_33

I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BASE LEGISLATION.

I WOULD LIKE TO THEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ADDRESS YOUR AMENDMENTS, LET ME DO A LITTLE INTRODUCTORY SPEEL FIRST, PLEASE.

SPEAKER_28

I am going to address this bill, and then I'll pass it right back to you, Council President.

Thank you kindly.

I have a similar amendment co-sponsored with Council Member Morales adding $2.25 million to the underlying $10 million, and that is posted to the agenda today as Amendment B. This bill, our amendment, adds the $2.25 million.

$5 million to the $10 million within the underlying bill and requests deal to collaborate with HSD and other departments to focus investments on existing programs and partnerships with community-based organizations.

The concerns I raised last week are still concerns I have today.

I'm not going to repeat them because I'm focused on how we can actuate the goal of getting the dollars out the door to community-based organizations and increasing access to mental health resources in our schools.

I believe we have the ability to implement the programming and get the funding out the door at the $2.25 additional million level.

I don't have that confidence with the ability to implement the programming and get the funding out the door at the additional $10 million level.

We will be revisiting this entire conversation in a comprehensive manner when we take up the entire budget next month.

This is not the end of the conversation.

This is continuing the conversation.

And so I will now pass it back to you, Council President.

The rest of the bill is a good bill.

The supplemental package represents a dry run for our fall budget process.

I appreciate everyone's work and inputs, and I'm going to urge a yes vote on the underlying bill.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you.

So, audience, we have two amendments before us today.

They are Amendments A and B, and they're mutually exclusive.

So in order for council members to understand the choice of options, here's what we're going to do.

I had planned on reading Amendment A into the record, and then Council Member Morales will present it, and then council members can ask questions, and then we'll do the same for B, and then we'll move to the formal moving of each amendment and votes.

You have previewed the content of the amendments, but I will allow for Council Member Morales to have a fuller discussion of her amendment.

So that's the procedure that we'll have today.

I think it's fair for council members to know both options before them instead of just voting on the first amendment, and if that fails, then proceeding to the next, or if it wins, just going to the base legislation.

Two different ways of doing these amendments and that is, I think, the most transparent way.

So I do first have a procedural matter.

Yesterday, when Council Members Morales and Strauss previewed their amendments, Council Members had questions about Amendment A that were not answered at the dais, and Council Members had only learned about the amendment, I believe, that morning.

So we've extended the very rare invitation to executive staff to be present today, and also I believe Council Central Staff Director Noble is in the audience as well.

SO WE'VE EXTENDED INVITATIONS TO EXECUTIVE STAFF AND DIRECTOR NOBLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE AMENDMENT IS DESCRIBED.

AND THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE NORMALLY I SAY THIS IS RARE BECAUSE NORMALLY WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT AMENDMENTS ADDRESSED IN COMMITTEE, BUT WE CAN'T REALLY POSTPONE THIS.

In order to vote this out before we go into recess, we're allowing for this more substantive conversation during city council meeting.

So to allow for this process to proceed, I will have to suspend the rules to allow our guests to participate.

So if there's no objection, the council rules will be suspended to allow council central staff and executive staff to address the council if needed.

Hearing no objection, Central Staff Director Ben Noble, Deputy Mayor Washington, and Human Services Director Tonya Kim are available to answer questions.

All right, with that, Council Member Morales, as sponsor, you're recognized to address Amendment A. Again, it'll be moved formally after the discussion of both.

Go ahead, please.

SPEAKER_42

Okay.

Thank you very much.

I will have a couple of questions for Director Noble, but I will just proceed.

Am I moving this or do you want me to just discuss?

If we move it, then we have to vote on it.

SPEAKER_33

Okay.

SPEAKER_42

I'm just addressing.

Yeah.

Okay.

Got it.

Okay, thank you very much, colleagues.

Thank you all, students and providers, for being here.

This council has an opportunity to address the root cause of violence in our communities with this investment.

I am bringing this back because we've heard overwhelmingly that the solutions that young people need are safe third spaces and mental health services with trauma-informed response to address gun violence.

We have fully funded SPD, and now we must fully fund this mental health work.

And this amendment is coming clearly from community and is for community.

It would restore the entire $20 million to be spent on expanding education supports, including mental health and student safety, restorative practices, investments in safe spaces, and activities.

I heard loud and clear from the executive's office that they were unable to implement the full funding towards clinical mental health services such as telehealth and in-person therapists at schools.

And I do understand that there is a national shortage of these kinds of providers and very specialized workers.

Nevertheless, what we don't have a shortage of in Seattle is people and organizations, including our own city departments, who are committed to doing the work to enrich the lives of young people in our schools and beyond through restorative justice programming, through after-school and late-19 programming with parks, through the Community Safety Initiative, through the Human Services Department, and through social-emotional learning programming in our schools.

So my amendment states that the department should focus on expanding successful current investments that can benefit from additional funding and leveraging community-based organizations that possess connections to Seattle youth and are equipped to provide services to address the youth mental health problems, which also helps address the trauma and gun violence crisis our kids are experiencing.

I am not trying to create new programs.

I'm trying to make sure that our current programs, so many of which have contacted our offices for support with state or federal funding, to be able to receive funds from their own city.

All of these organizations and programs teach our young people conflict resolution skills, how to manage their emotions safely when they're feeling escalated or elevated.

And as we saw during last week's Select Budget Committee, they take young people on enriching field trips and allow them to empower themselves.

So we have the ability to do something tangible for the young people across the city to address the urgent crisis that they're facing in their schools and in their communities.

And we're being asked by students at Ingram, by teachers and administrative staff at Seattle Public Schools across the city, by mental and behavioral health specialists, by Moms Demand Action and other gun violence prevention organizations, by Seattle Children's Hospital to make this investment and keep the commitment that we made to our young people.

The last thing I'll say is just this morning, KUOW reported that it is the mayor's intent to use the remaining $10 million, if this amendment doesn't pass, to fill the budget hole next year.

We all know that we have a huge budget crisis in front of us, and we're going to have to have some hard conversations starting next month about how we address that challenge.

But taking the money that was promised to this group of people and these community members in order to solve that problem is not fair, and it's not just.

And frankly, it's not going to solve the problems that we have all been talking about for the last few days as we talk about jails and other challenges in our community.

So I'm asking all of you again, colleagues, for your support today to honor the commitment of $20 million to invest in our young people, knowing that there are existing programs that could use this funding, as we heard through public comment.

And I ask for your support today.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Are there any questions from colleagues?

Council Member Rivera.

SPEAKER_72

Yes.

Thank you, Council President.

I actually have a question for Deputy Mayor Washington and Director Kim in terms of, I understand that there was...

Pause.

SPEAKER_33

Let's let them have a moment to come up.

Please continue.

SPEAKER_72

Good afternoon.

Thank you for being here and answering our questions.

And thank you, Council President, for giving the opportunity since indeed yesterday was the first.

time that we had heard about these amendments having passed the mid-year supplemental last year out of select budget committee, or excuse me, last week out of budget select committee.

My understanding is last year when the council put the $20 million into the budget, it did not give guidance or get guidance from mental health professionals or did any research into how to deliver this mental health support effectively.

Just as concerning, they did not provide a sort of funding model because they didn't do the research.

And then my further understanding is that the actual figure of 20 was an arbitrary figure that was not actually rooted in anything the city was currently doing or that the community, the mental health community, was calling for.

And my understanding is further that the council didn't bother to contact the Department of Education and Early Learning to see how the earlier $4.5 million that they had given in 2021 and 2022 was working.

And please correct me if I'm wrong, and I believe Dan Eder from Central Budget Office confirmed last week that that particular mental health investment was only just implemented at the start of this year in 2024. And then my further understanding is then mayor's office engaged in a robust process along with the Seattle's Office of Innovation and Performance to determine how to best implement that funding and that you all worked with professionals not only in the mental health space but also the community-based organizations working on programs to figure out how to propose a $10 million.

And Deputy Mayor and Director Kim, if you would tell us a little bit about that, we'll confirm that so I have the proper information, as well as the work that went along with that, and then also the ability really of the department to to implement additional funding at this rate for 2024, because we are talking specifically about the 2024 investment, not future investment, because I understand this was an ongoing investment.

SPEAKER_41

Correct.

And sorry, I sound worse than I am.

So I'm not going to give anybody the cooties.

But thanks for having me here.

Everything you said, Council Member Rivera is exactly correct.

I think that making this a conversation about the amount of money versus the right services is a it's a.

kind of a way of not really focusing on what matters, which is what are the services that are going to be offered?

When will they be offered?

And in terms of the ability to spend it, it's August.

HSD runs contracts for a contract year.

That means whatever services are added, even ads, require a contract amendment.

Even ads require hiring new staff.

Even ads require creating an atmosphere.

And so it's not as easy as just saying, we'll give you this money and you can hit the ground running tomorrow.

There has to be a contract amendment done.

And so by the time this committee is done and by the time a decision is made, it will be September.

That means September, October, November, December, four months to spend whatever money is decided because it's 24, rather than focusing on the 25, 26 budget, which you all will be doing in a short order.

And so I...

support everything that you laid out.

No, there was no consultation.

No, there was no deep analysis that got us to $20 million.

There was no contacting public health professionals, mental health professionals.

It was just $20 million.

And I believe that the process that...

deputy mayor emery and the innovation and performance team from bloomberg went through you will see those services rendered which is more counselors at schools telehealth more services at late night and over the summer and another thing that i want to make clear is we all care about student mental health and we all care about student safety and if the early investments that are made prove true and show promise, we will all be right back here next year having conversations about how to solidify or expand those services.

And so I appreciate council members' efforts at trying to be frugal and make sure that we only allocate money right now that can be spent by the end of the year.

Did I answer your questions or did I miss one?

SPEAKER_72

No, Deputy Mayor, I think you got all my questions, although if Council President allows, and I know there might be other colleagues that have questions, but if you'll allow me one last question, which is, Deputy Mayor, my understanding is also Because, full disclosure, as chair of the Library's Education and Neighborhoods Committee, I was in close contact with Deputy Mayor Emery and the Innovation and Performance Team and other folks that were involved in this process.

That community-based organizations and others in community were involved and were supported.

They signed on to the $10 million proposal because there was a press release that you all sent out.

And I was pleased to see that so many people like Dr. Shakita Bell with the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic at Children's Hospital that services some of the school-based health centers at the actual high schools that are part of the levy are doing.

FEP levy investment, as well as folks from our great community, our community partners like Dominique Davis and Renee Hopkins, and Dr. Leslie Walker-Harding, Chair and Associate Dean at the Department of Pediatrics at UW, as well as Janine Jones, Professor of School Psychology also at the UW, as well as Ted Howard with Seattle Public Schools.

He's the accountability officer that works hand-in-hand with the superintendent.

And Sarah Rigel with the school-based partnerships at Public Health, Seattle King County.

All of these folks worked with you all and supported this $10 million investment.

Is that true?

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_41

Yes, that's correct.

SPEAKER_72

And my understanding is you really worked hard to put together something that you could get out the door this year.

Correct.

Because the need is really important.

We are seeing more uptick of violence in schools and need for mental health investments for our students.

And you put together something that you knew you could deliver on this year.

SPEAKER_41

Correct.

And not even mentioning all the core services that already are in departments like HSD that address this work.

So that's in addition to.

SPEAKER_72

Yes, I noted there was $26 million that HSD already, about $24 million that HSD already administers.

And a lot of that does go to our community-based organization partners, because that's how HSD partners with our community-based organizations, including those that are represented here and who are doing great work in the city.

And also, I understand there's a $26.6 million directly for Seattle Public Schools from this state that will be coming down the pike.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

SPEAKER_33

THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

THANK YOU.

WE HAVE THREE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEIR HANDS UP.

SO THE FIRST ONE, AND REMEMBER, THESE ARE QUESTIONS FOR OUR, IT DOESN'T MATTER, ASK QUESTIONS OF OUR EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL STAFF IF YOU WOULD LIKE.

AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON to Amendment B, but you're welcome to make comments as well.

All right, Council Member Saka.

SPEAKER_21

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor Washington, Director Kim, and Director Noble for being here.

Quick question.

I think this is probably best directed towards you, Director Noble.

on the council's original purpose and intent of the underlying funds at issue, the $20 million Jumpstart funds.

Was this intended to be, and I definitely appreciate that, as we've learned throughout this process, that there was no plan, there was no research, there was seemingly no rational basis for arriving at the investment amount.

But an investment amount and commitment was made, and here we are.

Was that intended to be a one-time investment for 2024 only, or until it got spent?

Or was it intended to be a reoccurring, ongoing investment, 20 million every year?

Just want to better understand kind of like the original intent here.

SPEAKER_15

QUESTIONS IS WELL UNDERSTOOD.

I WILL ANSWER AND THEN I WILL SUGGEST THAT I WILL ALSO AT THE SAME TIME DEFER TO BOTH COUNCIL MEMBERS STRAUS AND NELSON WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WHEN THIS WAS APPROVED.

BUT BY LINKING IT TO AN INCREMENT IN THE PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX, THE THE OBVIOUS IMPLICATION IS THAT IT WAS AN ONGOING COMMITMENT.

AND THE FUNDING THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD IS FOR PROGRAMMING THAT IS INTENDED, AS I UNDERSTAND, TO BE ONGOING.

SO THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ORIGINAL INTENT.

AND I GUESS IF NOTHING ELSE, MEMBERS COULD.

THAT IS TRUE.

SPEAKER_33

YEAH.

AND AGAIN, THE BASE AMOUNT, $20 MILLION, was what was approved by council after $60 million was proposed originally, and I think that $40 million was proposed after that, but council settled on $20 million.

I don't remember what the vote was.

Thank you.

Council Member Kettle.

Council Member Moore.

Council Member Moore.

SPEAKER_40

Thank you very much, Chair.

I had two questions.

One is, so we just heard, apparently, the mayor's talking about utilizing the $12 million to fill the general fund gap.

My question is, wouldn't that require specific authorization from the council to do that?

The mayor can't just take that money, is that correct?

SPEAKER_41

Yes, that's correct.

Wanted to just state the mayor cares about the issue very greatly.

And so to just hear it put out there like he's just going to take this money for mental health and close the deficit gap was hard for me to hear and very untrue because he doesn't have the power to do that.

He has to collaborate with you all to change legislation around PET.

So thank you for asking that question, Council Member Moore.

SPEAKER_15

IF I MIGHT EXPAND, NO DISAGREEMENT, JUST TO EXPAND.

UNDER CURRENT LAW, THE USE OF PET FOR WHAT I'M GOING TO DESCRIBE AS A GENERAL FUND SUBSIDY OR TO SUPPORT THE GENERAL FUND, THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO WILL EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

So knowing what I do know about where the executive is in working through balancing the budget, it is with 100% certainty that I anticipate a piece of legislation that would extend the use of the general fund to help subsidize excuse me, the use of the payroll expense tax, the jumpstart payroll expense tax to subsidize a general fund into 25 and 26. The only question is how much.

And I submit to you I have every expectation that it will be at least as much as is occurring this year.

And I just, I say that without specific knowledge but general understanding and in an effort to give you all a better understanding of the context with which you're making decisions.

SPEAKER_41

And that's at the PET level.

If that happens, I think it's a diversion to make it about the mental health funding in and of itself.

So I support what you said, Director Noble, and would love to keep it at that level and not at the mental health level because the mayor cares about mental health as well.

SPEAKER_40

May I ask another question?

SPEAKER_33

Yes.

SPEAKER_40

Okay.

SPEAKER_33

Is it on a separate topic?

SPEAKER_40

A follow-up on that and then one more.

Yeah.

So I just want to be clear that any reallocation of this $10 million would require council approval.

SPEAKER_15

Correct.

And it's a little bit more complicated even than that because the way this is set up, This is actually worth explaining, so I will.

When Council last November allocated the $20 million for mental health, and that was clearly the intent, there was not at the same time an action taken to make mental health an eligible use of the payroll expense tax.

So the ordinance before you is, in fact, even to allow that initial...

any share of this initial $20 million to be used for mental health.

So in addition to legislation that would authorize the use of the payroll expense tax to subsidize a general fund, the budget will likely include legislation to authorize the continued use of the payroll expense tax for mental health and youth violence.

You are granting that authority with this piece of legislation, but that will expire with this appropriation and won't extend to an appropriation that would occur for 25 or 26.

SPEAKER_40

Thank you.

I'm sorry, one last question.

We did hear yesterday that there was some concern that some of the community restorative programs have recently been cut, and that was news to us.

SPEAKER_41

So that was actually why we...

So we checked.

I didn't hear what you said.

I said that was news to us as well.

So we checked and looked through all the contracts through DEAL, HSD, and all of them.

No contracts are going to be cut.

For community restorative...

For community restorative justice, no contracts.

SPEAKER_40

Thank you.

SPEAKER_37

And I will add, if I may, that doesn't mean that other fund sources might be at risk, but in terms of the city side, we confirm that our contracts are in place.

I will also add, because I listen to public comment very carefully, I want to recognize our partners and make sure we're not conflating the original versus now, because we have been working closely with our partners in this past month, Sprint, to develop a spending plan for originally the 2 million that we were, HSD was responsible for.

They've been very good partners.

And so we've been doing the research and we've been collaborating.

But I will mention that also I heard the Seattle Community Safety Initiative come up a couple times, SCSI, and the request to make sure that those funds are preserved.

That funding is also preserved as well as there's no plans at this time for a reduction.

And so just wanted to clarify that as well.

SPEAKER_40

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

A HOT BUDGET PREVIEW THERE.

SO JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CITY BUDGET DIRECTOR EADER DID COME VERY CLOSE TO SAYING THAT THE 10 MILLION THAT WASN'T ALLOCATED IN THE MENTAL HEALTH PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED, WHEN I ASKED HIM WHEN HE WAS AT THE TABLE LAST WEEK, I SAID are you planning on using any money to address our operating deficit?

And he said, well, the budget is still in process of being made, but the short answer is yes.

And so I think that does get to your question, that that's what we understood.

But of course, it's not final.

And of course, because we vote on the budget, then we have ultimate authority to say what happens with that money.

Council Member Kettle.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you, Council President.

I appreciate it.

First, I want to say thank you to Council Member Rivera, who stepped through all the different pieces of this that are not necessarily reported, not necessarily understood, and very key to understand.

So I want to thank Council Member Rivera to stepping through that.

One of the things that her rundown highlights was the lack of good governance by the old council, absolute lack of good governance by the old council, lack of coordination, lack of anything, really.

And...

And that's an issue here, and that's something that needs to be understood.

Also, I want to thank Deputy Mayor Washington for your insight in response to that and essentially confirms Councilmember Rivera's observations on all those little fact points.

Again, this goes to my point this morning in the public safety community meeting, you know, the idea of disinformation and misinformation.

Just takes one person about disinformation out there, and the next thing you know, it gets echoed out as misinformation like a virus and undermines the civil discourse that we can have on this discussion.

So I think that's another observation that needs to be made.

And I also want to thank, she's not here, Deputy Mayor Emery, because I did have a meeting with her and her team on this very topic, the $10 million, and she stepped through all the different pieces of it that was very helpful.

And then since then, I had a one-on-one meeting in my office with her again, where we discussed this, and she basically echoes what you're saying, Deputy Mayor Washington.

So thank you for that.

So my question now, and to Central Staff Director Noble, Director Kim, and Deputy Mayor Washington, highlighting what the old council did not do as a preface, can you describe any coordination, engagement, discussions, or anything along those lines that Council Member Morales had with you on this amendment of hers and what she's looking to do.

SPEAKER_41

None with me, but I'll pass it to you.

SPEAKER_37

I'm sorry, can you ask your question?

SPEAKER_03

I'm not sure I'm- What coordination did council, any engagement meetings, discussions did council member Morales have with you prior to her introduction of this amendment?

SPEAKER_37

We've not coordinated on this.

AMENDMENT.

SPEAKER_14

THANK YOU.

CENTRAL STAFF DIRECTOR NOBLE.

CERTAINLY IN DRAFTING IT WE HAVE IN FACT BEEN COORDINATING WITH COUNCILMEMBER MORALES SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.

OKAY.

IN THE SENSE OF GETTING THE ADMENDMENT INTO THE SYSTEM, CALENDARING INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND SOME DISCUSSION OF THE UNDERLYING POLICY ISSUES AS WELL.

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BOTH BY MYSELF TO SOME DEGREE BUT ALSO WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OKAY.

SO CLEARLY NOT WITH THE EXECUTIVE.

SPEAKER_03

THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO CARRY OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN COMING TODAY.

AND TO CLOSE, AGAIN, THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, FOR THE RUN DOWN.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

SPEAKER_33

OKAY.

COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP?

SPEAKER_04

Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

I did.

But actually, Council Member Moore asked the question.

Mine was about the contracts being, you know, that statement.

So appreciate Deputy Mayor Washington and Director Kim for answering that.

My apologies.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_42

Council Member Morales.

Thank you.

I would be curious to know why Deal isn't here, since that's a big part of the conversation that we're having.

It is my understanding that we've received conversations and had conversations with Deal contractees to provide restorative justice services who have said that over the last school year, their contracts have been reduced by almost 50 percent, and they are still doing the same work.

Um, so it would have been helpful to have them here so that we could ask that question directly.

Um, I guess what I would say is no one is disputing.

Um, council, uh, council member, um, deputy mayor of Washington would like to respond to that.

SPEAKER_41

So what I was saying is as the executive, we confirmed with deal.

I have an email.

I'm happy to share it.

The restorative justice contracts have not been cut.

It's my job to know that.

That is why we invited the deputy mayor.

SPEAKER_42

So as I was saying, I don't think anybody disputes the value of the $10 million plan.

There was important work that's gone into doing that and some important options that are being created for telehealth and other services.

But the issue is that the money, you know, it's been nine months since council passed the budget.

There could have been a plan delivered sooner that included the full $20 million.

And we know that there are programs that are over capacity that could benefit from additional services that provide restorative justice programming and provide the kind of mental health services that everybody is asking for.

I'm not disputing the plan that was presented, the value of that plan.

What we're asking is why it wasn't presented for the full $20 million, given what we know and have been hearing from students for years about their need for expanded access to mental health services.

This amendment would provide that opportunity.

SPEAKER_41

Would you like to answer that question?

I want to clarify because I want to make sure.

And Ben, you can help me with this as well.

And so if you're proposing that we put the whole $20 million in, we get to the end of the year, we've only spent $10 million, then the $10 million goes back that didn't get spent into general fund as underspend.

Is that the counter?

I'm just trying to figure out what you would have wanted instead.

SPEAKER_42

Well, my understanding that I, Ben, maybe you should clarify this, is that this is ongoing funding.

Did you not just say that?

SPEAKER_33

Please, is your mic on?

SPEAKER_15

Sorry.

We're going to get to some technicalities here, but they're actually perhaps worthwhile.

So an appropriation, so the full 20 million had been appropriated.

Unless there's specific language that says this shall carry forward, the appropriations of the legal authority to spend the money would lapse at the end of the year.

And in this case, the money's not in the general fund.

It's in the jumpstart payroll expense tax fund, so we revert to that fund.

There is an important exception to that that is potentially related here.

If the money had been contracted, the accounting term is encumbered, then it would automatically carry forward because the city would have made a legal obligation out of that appropriation.

So the encumbered monies would also carry forward.

WITHOUT COUNSEL ACTION.

SO THE MONEY WOULD SIT IN THE PAYROLL EXPENSE TAX FUND BUT WOULD HAVE A TAG ON IT THAT SAYS THIS HAS BEEN ENCOVERED, YOU CAN'T SPEND THIS AGAIN, IF YOU WILL.

THERE WOULD THEN BE AN ADDITIONAL 20 MILLION AVAILABLE ON A FORECAST BASIS FOR 25 AND 26. And at no point, if you play this out, at no point could you really have committed to an ongoing more than $20 million, right?

SPEAKER_42

No, but you could contract for, say, the school year rather than the calendar year, and then students could at least be assured for their school year.

SPEAKER_41

So we contract on an annual basis in HSD because contracting for the school year gets tricky.

So to what Ben is saying, it gets tricky, which is why it is helpful when we are on the executive side, as Council Member Kettle said, consult it.

I think it's a technicality that you're arguing.

It's not a fact.

So the $20 million will reappear next year for its intended purposes.

What we're saying in HSD is the money that council has already appropriated is enough to get us through the year.

And so...

It just feels like that we're arguing for no good reason.

We're not arguing like the whole 20 million should be gone.

If that were an argument, that would be an argument for budget.

It would be reflected in the mayor's budget that he was cutting it.

And then that would be a time to argue.

What we're talking about now is releasing money for services this year.

So that's why I'm a little confused about what the...

I don't understand.

SPEAKER_33

Okay, we do have to proceed through this vote and the rest of the agenda, frankly.

So this is a mid-year supplemental.

That means we're changing 2024's budget.

And so I think the question is, can we spend 10, 20, whatever, how much money IN THE REST OF 2024, YES OR NO?

IF NOT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT THIS WILL BE A BUDGET ITEM IN THE FALL DELIBERATIONS, WHATEVER HAPPENS THEN HAPPENS THEN, AND THEN IT'S AN ONGOING FUNDING SOURCE HERE ON OUT.

SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WHILE WE HAVE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND DIRECTOR NOBLE AT THE TABLE?

COUNCIL PRESIDENT.

Would you like to address your amendment now, or is this about this amendment?

SPEAKER_28

You just asked if I wanted to address the crowd.

I was just saying thank you for coming here.

You came to both the FNC committee, and I know that you had presence at the Select Budget Committee, and now you're back here full council.

And we're going to do this all again in about 42 days.

So thank you.

SPEAKER_33

And it's my understanding that there is an RFP process ongoing that was presented in the Housing and Human Services Committee, so this is focused work ongoing.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

If there are no further questions, Councilmember Strauss, you're welcome to address Amendment B, and then we will go ahead and make the formal motion of Amendment A. Motion of amendment A.

Go ahead, please.

SPEAKER_28

Thank you, Council President.

Following this discussion, I know that it is still a little bit of a stretch to add $2.25 million to the underlying $10 million, and I think it's worth it.

I think that the kids coming out and talking to us have made a very good case.

I think that what we're hearing right now is that it's going to be challenging, but let's stretch.

Let's see if we can actually implement this money.

WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER STANDS TODAY, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $10 MILLION MORE, I DON'T SEE US BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

$2.25 MILLION IS STILL A STRETCH, AND IT'S WORTH TAKING THAT CHANCE.

SO I URGE A YES VOTE.

I WOULD LOVE TO EARN YOUR SUPPORT, COLLEAGUES.

SPEAKER_33

OKAY.

YOU'RE LOOKING, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION ON AMENDMENT B?

SPEAKER_72

Well, just full disclosure also on the additional funding, since we still have Deputy Mayor Washington here and Director Kim and Director Noble, for that matter, had a conversation about, you know, it's clear, and to Council Member Strauss's point, that the city doesn't have the ability to implement an additional $10 million this year from this mid-year supplemental, which is what we're talking about.

Which is really important because I think unfortunately this has gotten to be a pitted that somehow we're taking money away.

We're not taking money away.

We have a plan to Council Member Morales' point about why was this plan not presented earlier because typically when Council and the mayor, for that matter, is making a proposal.

The work goes into that proposal to show how you would spend the money.

You're making the case for where it would go.

But in this case, that didn't happen.

And then the mayor's office had to do that this year because Deal didn't have the ability.

This is not a line of work for Deal.

and they didn't have the ability to do that work.

And having been a deputy at a city department, I understand that, and I want to make it clear that it's not that they didn't want to do it, it's that they couldn't do it, because I want to be clear about that, too.

But in terms of the additional $2.25 million, We had a conversation about could we try to do that?

Is it at all feasible for this year?

And there is, and Deputy Mayor Washington, I'll just say our conversation was the $2 million that's part of the $10 million that the mayor has already proposed.

is to go to those high schools that have, using data, the most violence in and around the schools.

And so one thing that HSD can try to do, no guarantees with this 2.25 million, is to add the middle school feeder schools to that because we know and we have heard from the same entities that the mayor has collaborated with that I just listed off, that middle schools interventions and preventions in the middle schools make a difference into the high schools.

And Director Kim, you can talk more about this than I can.

So I just want to confirm that really for transparency say we have that conversation and confirm that that you can try to do that because Then we know where the money's going versus having to go back and figuring out how to spend this additional 2.25 million correct, so

SPEAKER_41

We do have the data.

We're looking through it.

The mayor has not been briefed yet on the schools that rise to the top that have the most violence in or around the schools.

Some of the community organizations that were in that are here.

But with the additional money, I think one of the things the community said was it's hard not to do the middle schools that feed into the high schools.

We can try to do that with this added money.

A lot has to happen for that to happen.

We want to do it thoughtfully.

The community wants to do it thoughtfully.

They want to have kickoffs, assessments at each of the schools and do all of that good work.

And so your reflection of our conversation is accurate.

And I know Director Kim, did you want to add something?

SPEAKER_37

No, that was it.

I just wanted to make sure that the community partners who expressed the way in which they'd like to see this rollout get the credit.

And they really did talk about the feeders being very important.

We need to start earlier, not just wait until high school.

And then also it doesn't make sense, especially when they're adjacent.

You know, some of these schools are right next to each other that you can't ignore the other.

So it just made perfect sense.

SPEAKER_72

Thank you, and I'll also say that in terms of Ingram, Robert Eagle Staff is a feeder school, and we know there's a lot of gun violence happening on Aurora right off of where that school is, and so it makes perfect sense to really look at the middle schools because those schools are going to feed into Ingram, where we know is one of the schools that is being considered for this mayor's proposed investment.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you.

Okay.

Let's proceed to a motion.

Councilmember Moore, would you like to move your amendment?

SPEAKER_42

Morales?

I'm sorry.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

SPEAKER_33

Councilmember Morales, pardon me.

SPEAKER_42

I would like one clarifying question, if I might, on the second amendment.

It was my understanding that Amendment B is not adding $2 million, but it provides those $2 million of the $10 million that is currently in the mayor's package.

SPEAKER_15

That is not my understanding.

Okay.

It is, I believe it is two separate, it is a little, just backing up, because council hadn't authorized the use of PET money for MENTAL HEALTH, THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS USING THE PROVISO AS A TOOL TO MAKE IT ELIGIBLE.

SO AS I READ THIS, THERE ARE TWO PROVISOS.

ONE IS FOR THE INITIAL TEN AND THE SECOND IS FOR THE ADDITIONAL TWO AND A QUARTER.

SPEAKER_42

THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.

SPEAKER_28

POINT OF INFORMATION FOR A TOTAL OF 12.25.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

ARE WE READY?

SPEAKER_42

Yes, we are.

Okay.

I move Amendment A as presented on the agenda.

SPEAKER_33

Second.

Okay.

It's been moved and seconded.

Amendment A has been moved and seconded as an amendment to the base legislation.

Are there further questions, comments, or statements?

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_20

Yes.

Thank you.

Council Member Wu.

And so thank you to all the community leaders like the Boys and Girls Club of King County, Abram Family, Southeast Safety Network, Moms Demand Action, Frizz Leadership, organizing around this cause.

Thank you to Council Member Morales and Council Member Strauss for your leadership on this amendment as well.

Last week, I mentioned how through my volunteer work, running a similar program in and around the Chinatown International District, I also have seen firsthand how community organizations like my group and Community Passage Wage and others are helping make our streets safer and helping our young people.

Along with groups like Urban Families, Southeast Seattle Action Network, I think we can improve community safety.

I've helped lead healing circles after community trauma incidents.

I work with students and I believe it does take community.

And I believe that community safety does involve a comprehensive response.

So for a second time, I will be again supporting this amendment.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

Any others?

Council Member Saka.

SPEAKER_21

Thank you, Madam Council President, and thank you to the youth who showed up today and testified and shared your perspective.

Thank you, Council Member Morales, for bringing this amendment again.

I supported it last week, and I'm going to support it again this week.

Bottom—so, I don't love the—I frankly despise the lack of work and effort that went into arriving at the original investment amount, the lack of forethought and planning and research and collaboration that went in, in terms of—at the time this investment was originally passed and put forward.

you know i've learned as a council member on the at the dais now for eight plus months that we don't have to have every single answer figured out necessarily uh it's never going to be perfect but there is a minimum bar of work that's sort of required in terms of collaboration and just game planning uh understanding certain scenarios and uh i don't think that was done when this was originally passed but That said, a commitment was made for $20 million.

And I don't think also that this should be something that's reoccurring and annual, ongoing every year.

A commitment was made for $20 million.

And today, the city has not yet lived up to this commitment.

I know the, and I trust the executive is, you know, working in good faith and to figure out a way to bring to life and spend the money that has been allocated.

So I think the intent, I don't purport to put words in Council Member Morales' mouth, but I think the intent was to expand that criteria of other possible things that are, you related, but less directly related to mental health, which I strongly support.

Again, I do think we need to—and that vote and this commitment was made under certain assumptions that are no longer true today.

But that said, a $20 million commitment was made, and so I think we should— figure out a way to spend this $20 million investment as a one-time thing.

It should be, from my perspective, it should carry forward until that $20 million is spent, and then let us revisit, no more commitments, and have other likely uncomfortable conversations about priorities.

But this was spent, or this was already committed to.

Let's spend it.

And so that's why I'm going to be supporting this again today.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

I will take the privilege of just noting that when council approved this money, The people that came to speak in favor of it, the ask was mental health counselors in schools.

And then the – I just have to defend the executive because it's a lot of money to figure out what to do when you're not in the business as a city of doing mental health in schools.

That is not a core line of business.

And so I would just say that the reason why – We got the plan that we did so late that we did is that it took a while to figure out, okay, there's the telehealth element, there's the community organization element, et cetera, and then it came to us over the summer and it's in the mid-year supplemental.

Anyway, thank you.

If there's nothing else, let's go ahead and it's been moved and seconded to amend Council Bill 120812 as presented in Amendment A. Will the clerk please call the roll on adoption of Amendment A?

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu.

Yes.

Council Member Hollingsworth.

SPEAKER_40

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Kettle.

SPEAKER_40

No.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Moore.

No.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

No.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

SPEAKER_27

No.

SPEAKER_60

Council President Nelson.

SPEAKER_33

No.

SPEAKER_60

Four in favor, five opposed.

SPEAKER_33

Okay, the motion fails and we'll now consider Amendment B. Council Member Strauss, you're recognized to move Amendment B. Thank you, Council President.

SPEAKER_28

I move Amendment B to Council Bill 120812.

SPEAKER_33

Second.

It's been moved and seconded to amend Council Bill 120812 as presented on Amendment B. Council Member Strauss, excuse me.

Do you have any other Councilmember Strauss, do you have any further or additional questions, I mean, statements about your amendment?

SPEAKER_28

No additional statements or questions.

I urge a yes vote.

SPEAKER_33

Okay.

Any further comments?

All right.

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

SPEAKER_60

Councilmember Wu?

Yes.

Councilmember Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Councilmember Kettle?

SPEAKER_14

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Councilmember Moore?

Aye.

Councilmember Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

SPEAKER_99

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Strauss.

SPEAKER_28

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

SPEAKER_33

Okay, the motion carries and Amendment B is adopted.

Are there further comments on the amended bill?

SPEAKER_40

Yes, Council President.

I'd like to make a comment, which is I know a number of people have left here very disappointed.

I hope that you are leaving here realizing that we have now added an additional $2.5 million, so we now have $4.5 million.

And that's just to get us through the end of the year.

And that's based on what's been told to us is actually implementable, actually doable.

And then we will be back here in September to look at what can we do next year.

And it's already been my discussion about we need to expand our, if I may, we need to expand our community safety initiatives.

We don't have a community safety initiative hub in North Seattle.

We need one.

We need your groups up in North Seattle.

And that's what we're going to do next year when we begin that conversation.

Anyway, thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Okay, we will proceed.

If there is no—go ahead, Councilmember Rivera.

SPEAKER_72

I do.

Thank you, and I appreciate my colleague Councilmember Moore's comments.

And again, I'm just going to say it.

I said it yesterday.

I'm going to say it again today.

It is problematic to be making promises to community that we very well know we cannot keep, because what you saw today is what happens.

People leave here and children leave here thinking that we are not supporting them when that is the furthest from the truth.

And that is very upsetting to me.

The performative stuff that happens here at City Council that happened before now It is not okay.

We shouldn't be making promises to community that we know we cannot deliver on as an act of symbolism because community doesn't understand the difference between a symbolic vote and an actual vote.

So what we voted on today is what we very clearly heard from the executive and from the department who actually has to implement this funding, what they're able to deliver on this year.

And you also heard them say that as an ongoing investment, they will be sending as part of the budget what they believe they can do next year.

And so everybody here, the one thing I think we all do agree on is that we need to support students, we need to support mental health investments and violence prevention programs, and we do those things as a city.

And so it is problematic to me when I hear folks coming here angry because we've taken, some of us, a symbolic vote on something we know we cannot deliver.

And so I want to underscore that, because as a mother of two children who were involved in a school shooting at Ingram High School, I have had people say to me, how can you take this vote?

You say you're a mom that has had children touched by gun violence in the schools.

Because I know that we can't deliver on the full $20 million, and I want to vote on what I know we can deliver on.

And that is what we voted on today, and I want to be really clear about that.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_28

Council President, Mayor.

SPEAKER_33

Are you having the closing word?

Because I also have something to say about the underlying legislation.

SPEAKER_28

Fantastic.

I was just going to urge that we move to a vote and continue on with the agenda.

SPEAKER_33

Yes.

I'll just remind people that this is a mid-year supplemental, and we've been talking about one...

ONE PROGRAM.

THERE'S A CHANGE OF $170 MILLION IN THIS TO THE 2024 BUDGET, WHICH IS A LOT FOR A MIDYEAR.

I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE ADDITION OF 21 CARES POSITIONS.

WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES TO THE SPD ADVERTISING.

BUT THERE IS A LOT GOING ON IN THIS MIDYEAR SUPPLEMENTAL GENERALLY.

I like it when there aren't so many changes, but here's where we are.

So I supported this in the Select Budget Committee, and obviously I'll be supporting this today.

So if we're ready to move on for a vote, go ahead.

It is now 425, and we have a lot of other items on the agenda.

And this was brought forward.

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_42

Thank you.

Colleagues, I just want to make clear that I can't in good conscience vote on this mid-year supplemental bill, not just because it goes back on the promised funding to the students.

This council voted yes on funding millions of dollars for a second jail just last week, voted on exorbitant bonuses for SPD earlier this year, all of which will contribute tens of millions of dollars to our budget deficit.

I tried three times to reduce harm in this midyear supplemental bill, including an amendment to provide permanent funding for the care team.

And of course, my amendment to try to support our young people.

That promise that we just broke.

So we've added dozens of new positions to city departments in the mid-year supplemental without identifying how we're supposed to pay for them.

But we're saying that we can't afford to fund programs for these young people.

So I will not be voting yes on the mid-year supplemental.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Will the clerk please call the roll?

SPEAKER_28

Mr. President, I still have last vote.

Do I not?

SPEAKER_33

Since it is your bill, yes, go ahead.

SPEAKER_28

Thank you.

Just using my opportunity as the chair of the Select Budget Committee with the last word on this bill, I do urge a yes vote on this bill.

Thank you, colleagues.

SPEAKER_33

Okay, will the clerk please call the roll on the amended legislation?

SPEAKER_60

Councilmember Wu?

Yes.

Councilmember Hollingsworth?

SPEAKER_70

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Moore?

Aye.

Council Member Morales?

No.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council President Nelson?

Aye.

Eight in favor, one opposed.

SPEAKER_33

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

All right, moving on to item one as it reads on the agenda.

Will the clerk please read item one into the record?

SPEAKER_58

From the regular agenda, agenda item one, resolution 32138 relating to City Light Department acknowledging and approving the 2024 Integrated Resource Plan Progress Report as conforming with the public policy objectives of the city of Seattle and the requirements of the state of Washington.

The committee recommends the resolution be adopted.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you very much.

Council Member Wu, you're recognized in order to provide the committee report.

SPEAKER_20

Thank you.

So this is City Light's integrated resource plan.

It's a technical progress report annually required to submit to the state.

So this plan gives us a comprehensive look at current and future energy sources.

I appreciate Seattle City Light's work on this and the many conversations we had in committee.

We need to pass this to be able to begin working on the strategic plan.

So our committee recommended the adoption of this resolution, and I thank you ahead of time for the possible adoption.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

Are there any comments on the resolution?

Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the resolution?

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu.

SPEAKER_99

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Council Member Kettle.

SPEAKER_70

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

SPEAKER_61

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Strauss.

SPEAKER_61

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

SPEAKER_33

The resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

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

Will the clerk please read item two into the record.

SPEAKER_58

The report of the Transportation Committee, agenda item two, council bill 120826, relating to grant funds from non-city sources authorizing Director of Transportation to accept specified grants and execute related agreements.

The committee recommends the bill pass.

SPEAKER_33

All right, Councilmember Saka, as chair of the committee, you're recognized to provide the committee report.

SPEAKER_21

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Colleagues, this legislation marks a return to the regular business of the Transportation Committee.

By passing Council Bill 120826, we will authorize SDOT to accept grant funding from our state partners from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

SDOT will use these funds specifically to study expanding green space and study barriers and opportunities for street tree planting in high priority areas ranked by the city's race and social equity index, as well as innovative work to study autonomous vehicles, including work to help prevent AV incursion into school zones and transit lanes and promoting just general transit and public safety.

I urge a yes vote.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

All right.

Are there any questions or comments?

All right.

Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu?

Yes.

Council Member Hollingsworth?

Yes.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Moore?

Aye.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

SPEAKER_28

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council President Nelson?

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

SPEAKER_33

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Will the clerk please read item three into the record?

SPEAKER_58

The report of the Select Budget Committee, agenda item three, council bill 120811, amending ordinance 126955, which adopted the 2024 budget, including 2024 through 2029 capital improvement program.

The committee recommends the bill pass.

SPEAKER_33

Council Member Strauss, as chair of the committee, you're recognized to provide the committee report.

SPEAKER_28

Thank you, Council President Nelson.

I'm going to give you first and last word on both this bill and the following bill so that we can continue on with our day.

Council Bill 120811 is our annual wage increase adjustment ordinance.

This implements the annual wage increases that have been ratified through collective bargaining process.

This bill was voted unanimously from committee, and I urge a yes vote.

regarding Council Bill 120813, Mid-Year Grant Acceptance Ordinance.

Not so different from the bill we just voted on from Council Member Saka's committee.

This bill accepts and appropriates grant funding and was voted on unanimously from committee.

I urge a yes vote on both bills.

Thank you, Council President.

SPEAKER_33

All right.

Thank you very much.

Questions, comments from anybody on either one?

Seeing none, will the clerk please call roll on the passage of the bill?

And we're talking about Council Bill 120811.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu.

SPEAKER_99

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Hollingsworth.

SPEAKER_99

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Kettle.

SPEAKER_99

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

SPEAKER_05

Aye.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Strauss.

Yes.

Council President Nelson.

SPEAKER_99

Aye.

SPEAKER_33

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Okay, will the clerk please read item five into the record?

SPEAKER_58

Agenda item five, council bill 120813 relating to acceptance of funding from non-city sources, authorizing heads of various departments to accept and authorize the expenditures of specified grants, private funding, and subsidized loans, and to execute, deliver, and perform corresponding agreements.

Committee recommends the bill pass.

SPEAKER_33

All right, this legislation has already been described.

Are there any questions or comments?

Okay.

Okay.

I'm moving right along then.

I'm just going to make sure that I have the right bill number.

Will the clerk please call the roll on Council Bill 120813?

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Wu?

SPEAKER_99

Yes.

SPEAKER_60

Council Member Hollingsworth?

Aye.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Moore?

Aye.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_33

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

All right.

There were no items removed from the consent calendar and there is not a resolution for introduction and adoption today.

If there is no further business, is there any further business before the council?

Because this is our last meeting.

Meeting before recess.

Okay, I'm not seeing any comments.

We've gotten through a lot of weighty legislation.

We've entered into a discussion of some consequential bills before us that we'll return to after the break.

I just want to say thank you all for really your deep engagement.

on everything frankly and to the public who is also uh...

for their deeply deep engagement in interest in what we're doing here at city hall so have a great break everybody thank you very much and with if there's no other business we are adjourned it is four thirty five thank you very much bye bye