Seattle City Council 5/17/21

Now recording, and you're ready to go.

Thank you so much.

May 17, 2021 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.01 PM.

I'm Lisa Herbold, President Pro Tem of the City Council.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Peterson?

Here.

Sawant?

Present.

Strauss?

Present.

Lewis?

Present.

Morales.

Here.

Mosqueda.

Present.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold.

Here.

Seven present.

Thank you so much.

Next item on the agenda is presentations.

I am not aware of a presentation for today.

We'll move on to the approval of the minutes.

The minutes of the city council meeting of May 17th, 2021 have been reviewed.

If there is no objection, minutes will be signed.

Hearing no objection, the minutes are being signed.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes?

Moving on to the approval of the introduction and referral calendar.

If there is no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction and referral calendar is adopted.

Next, we have approval of the agenda.

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

Again, hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

Colleagues, next we'll be opening the remote public comment period for items on the city council agenda, the introduction and referral calendar, and the council's work program.

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

It remains the strong intent of the city council to have remote public comment regularly included on the agenda.

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

Today, I will moderate the public comment period in the following manner.

There are 76 speakers signed up for public comment.

If there is no objection, Agenda will be amended to extend the public comment period for this meeting from 20 minutes to 60 minutes.

And each speaker will be given one minute to speak.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is amended to allow for 60 minutes of public comment.

Speakers will be called on in the order in which they are registered by public comment on the council's website.

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

This is different from the general meeting, listen line, call-in information.

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

If you have not yet registered to speak but would like to, you can sign up before the end of public comment by going to the Council's website.

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

Once I call a speaker's name, staff will unmute the appropriate microphone And an automatic prompt of, you have been unmuted, will be the speaker's cue that it is their turn to speak.

And then the speaker must press star six to begin speaking.

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

As a reminder, public comment should relate to an item on today's agenda, introduction referral calendar, or the council's work program.

Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of the allotted time.

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

If speakers do not end their comments at the end of the allotted time provided, the speaker's microphone will be muted to allow us to call on the next speaker.

Once you have completed your public comment, we ask that you disconnect from the line.

If you plan to continue following the meeting, you can do so via the Seattle Channel or the listening options on the agenda.

public comment period is now open and we'll begin with the first speaker on the list.

Again, please remember to press star six after you hear the prompt of you have been unmuted.

So I will read the first two speakers into the record.

We have Howard Gale followed by Steve Hooper.

Howard?

good afternoon howard dale district seven next month will be the four year anniversary of the sbd murder of charlena lyle's a pregnant african-american woman in mental health crisis holding a knife fatally shot seven times by the sbd leaving her four children motherless after that murder council members herbal so what warren and gonzalez all claim they were profoundly disturbed and shook to their core at this brutal killing yet three months ago the sbd killed eric hayden another person in mental health crisis holding a knife Last week marked the two-year anniversary of the SPD murder of Ryan Smith, and two days from now, on Wednesday, we will mark the one-year anniversary of the SPD murder of Terry Kaver.

These were both African Americans fatally shot by the SPD when in severe mental health crisis holding knives in my Queen Anne neighborhood.

Despite the abject failures of our police accountability system, Councilmember Herbold continues to demand that Seattle's police accountability system be held to a much lower standard than what is proposed by our legislature this year.

It is time for people to get full civilian oversight in Seattle.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Steve Hooker.

And Steve will be followed by Zoe Amer.

Steve?

Hi, my name is Steve Hooper.

I'm the president of Ethan Stoll Restaurants and a proud member of the Seattle Restaurant Alliance.

I'm speaking to you all today in support of the street use permits that have been critical over the course of this pandemic and that council members Strauss and Gonzalez have shown so much leadership to support.

We are very excited about the opportunity to extend this program.

well into next year and hopefully indefinitely.

It's become a really exciting part of the Seattle restaurant scene and really changed the streetscapes in which it's become an inherent part such as Ballard Avenue and several other parts of the city.

The Alliance has been working very closely with many of you and we appreciate each of you taking time to talk to us about this critical issue and what it can do to transform the city further.

And finally, this extension is very important to restaurateurs to allow them to make the necessary investments in those outdoor spaces and begin to pay off the debts incurred throughout the pandemic.

Thank you for your time and support in this critical matter.

Thank you, Steve.

Next is, I believe it's Zoe Amer, followed by Edward Mask.

Hello, my name is Zoe Amer.

I live in District 4. Palestinians in Gaza have been under attack by the Israeli government with their colonial settler agenda for decades.

Adults and children alike have been killed by bombings, snipers, and brutally forced from their homes by hundreds of thousands.

None of this violence can be justified by the lie that there is a war or a mutual conflict happening.

The U.S. must pull its support from the Israeli government immediately if their agenda of ethnic cleansing is to be stopped.

Today, Joe Biden signed a $735 million deal, um, for arms with Israel.

And it's our responsibility as the American working class to stand against this occupation and genocide as we stood against police brutality and racist murders in the black lives matter protests of last summer.

Many of us still remember the effects of tear gas and rubber bullets on our minds and our bodies used by the Seattle police department who themselves train with the Israeli defense force.

Pass this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Edward Mast, followed by Eha Devenoor.

Edward?

Edward, if you have not already.

Great.

Thank you.

I believe I'm unmuted.

Ed Mast, Duwamish Territory, now called Wallingford, speaking in support of council members signing the letter proposed about Palestinian lives by Council Member Sawant.

Know that the political climate is changing in this country as more people stand against white supremacy.

And we're asking you to stand against ethnic supremacy and white supremacy in Israel, which is being supported by the U.S. government.

Israel was founded as a racist state and ethnic supremacist state and a white supremacist state, as shown by the fact that even non-white Jews are subject to discrimination in Israel.

Ethnic supremacy leads to ethnic cleansing.

That's what Palestinians are resisting now.

Our national government needs to hear from our municipal governments about this issue.

Please take the opportunity to speak in favor of Palestinian lives and against white supremacy.

Please sign on to Senator Sawant's letter.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Tejas Dner, followed by Catherine Dawson.

Hi, I'm Tejas, a member of Socialist Alternative and UAW 4121. I support Council Member Salman's resolution demanding that the Biden administration condemn the horrendous violence that the Israeli ruling class is continuing to perpetrate on the Palestinians.

For decades, it's been the policy of the American ruling class, Democrat and Republican, to support the apartheid policy of the Israeli government.

This consistent blessing has been crucial for the repression of the Palestinians.

As we saw with our movement's resolution to end Big Pharma's vaccine patents that we, along with Council Member Salad's office, passed in Seattle, mass pressure and solidarity from regular people can force the hand of the ruling class and end these brutal attacks on the Palestinians.

Biden is not going to do it by himself.

He is going to continue to engage in the dishonest narrative that the Democratic Party has engaged in for decades.

So I ask all of you to take a clear stand against the atrocities that the Israeli state is conducting and against the material support that the U.S. is providing to Netanyahu and the far-right settler movement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Catherine, a renter in District 3. I'm calling on the Council to sign on to Councilmember Sawant's letter to condemn Israeli violence against Palestinians and to demand an end to U.S. funding of Israel.

The U.S. sends over $3 billion per year to Israel, money which funds state oppression of Palestinians.

In the last week, 192 Palestinians have been killed.

Fifty-eight children have been killed.

As you know, this is not a conflict between two countries.

Israel is an apartheid state with billions in military funding that continues to use violence in every form to oppress and kill Palestinians.

The right to self-defense cannot be used to justify the violence of an oppressive state.

This language of self-defense used by many, including Biden, is reminiscent of the language of psychological abuse, where a person causing abuse adopts a narrative of victimization.

Yesterday, we saw thousands take to the street to demand an end to Israeli bombings of Gaza and an end to the U.S. funding of Israel.

So please take the time to listen to those rally organizers and speakers.

Finally, as we know, this fight is tied to our fight against police violence in the U.S. as the U.S. police, including SPD, collaborate and share violent tactics and weaponry with IDF.

I urge...

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Shirley Henderson, and Shirley will be followed by Nihal Fahim.

Shirley?

Hi, Shirley Henderson.

I'm calling today as a Seattle small business owner in District 3 and as someone who lived in Jerusalem from 2000 to 2003 during one of the last major upsurges in violence in Israel-Palestine and witnessed firsthand the relentless brutality of the Israeli ruling class and the deep physical and emotional trauma it inflicted on Palestinians, which is why I support Council Member Sawant's letter demanding that Joe Biden condemn the brutal attacks on Gaza by the Israeli ruling class, and put a stop to the military aid and weapons sales in the Israeli – to the Israeli regime.

And I strongly urge other council members to sign as well.

Two weeks into this deadly assault, 200 Palestinian civilians have been killed, a quarter of them children, and over 40,000 have become homeless due to the violence and destruction perpetrated by the right-wing Israeli regime.

This is coming on the heels of an already devastating impact of COVID and the economic crisis.

This violence needs to end now.

Again, that's why I'm calling on you to sign Council Member Sawant's public statement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Nihal Saheem, followed by Tracy Marks.

Hi, my name is Nihal Saheem.

I'm calling to support Council Member Sawant's statement condemning asking President Biden to condemn the attacks on the Palestinians.

As an American Muslim, I'm really disturbed by the pictures and the scenes that have been happening in Gaza, in the Sheikh Jarrah, and in Jerusalem.

What's happening to the Palestinians is not just self-defense, it's an ethnic cleansing.

And as an American citizen, I am really disturbed also by the billions of dollars that America has been sending and supporting the Israeli army, helping them to kill innocent children and innocent civilians for no reason.

I would like to ask you to please sign the statement, and this is the least we can do.

I don't want my tax money going into killing children.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker is Tracy Marks.

And Tracy will be followed by Janani Ranganathan.

And Janani is showing is not present.

If she's not back, we will move on to the next speaker.

But for now, we'll hear from Tracy Marks.

Hello, my name is Tracy Marks.

I'm a Jewish prayer leader.

I stand with Council Member Sawant, adding my voice to demand that President Biden condemn Israel's brutal attacks on Gaza, end the occupation, and suspend all military aid to Israel.

I ask that you please sign Council Member Sawant's public statement to President Biden.

Palestinian life is on the line.

Freedom is on the line.

The U.S. can end this.

Enough is enough.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Still seeing Dhani as not present, so we'll move down to Amna Ali.

Amna will be followed by Ingrid Campos.

Hi, I'm Amna Ali from First Congressional District, and I am TV right now.

I felt ashamed when I saw Netanyahu's message thanking America for supporting Israel's occupation of Palestine.

54 jet attacks on a nation which has no airport.

How can we even support that?

And I just feel that our words, when we say that we are apologizing to Native Americans, are empty.

When we support Israel killing innocent people and women, please support Council Member Thowen on her bill.

Support human life.

We deserve better than this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Ingrid Campos, followed by Jordan Quinn.

Ingrid?

Yes.

Hello.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I'm here to demand that the Seattle City Council support and sign Council Member Kshama Sawant's statement to President Biden regarding Israel's genocide on the Palestinian people.

As of this morning, the Biden administration has approved another $735 million in weapons sales to Israel.

Biden has also blocked three international ceasefire attempts, giving Netanyahu the green light to kill as many people as they want.

This must end.

Please co-sign this statement.

Do the right thing.

Please do not support genocide like Biden has.

We must pressure him to also do the right thing.

Defund Israel.

Free Palestine.

Save Palestine.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ingrid.

Next, we have Jordan Quinn.

And, Jordan, we're followed by Selena Carciotis.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Cool, thanks.

My name is Jordan.

I'm a renter in District 2 and I'm a member of Socialist Alternative.

I'm calling to urge the Democratic City Council members to sign on to Council Member Sawant's letter urging the Biden administration to stop providing military aid and selling billions in arms to Israel and to condemn the attacks in Gaza.

The brutal airstrikes and killings by the Israeli military on Palestinian civilians are an escalation of the Israeli government's ongoing policies.

The policies of forceful settlement, which means militarized evictions of Palestinian families from their homes, brutal attacks by far-right gangs, by the IDF, by police, and more.

These are similar tactics used by the police against black families and against the Black Lives Matter movement here in the U.S., but on a heightened scale.

While the U.S. government, under both Democrats and Republicans, is continuing to support the occupation, the City Council here doesn't have to.

Please sign on to Council Member Salon's letter condemning these attacks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Selena Cartesio, followed by Logan Swan.

Selena?

Hello my name is Selena Carciotis and I am a resident of District 6. I live on Bitter Lake in a lakefront community comprised of 92 units.

Homeowners here enjoy recreating on the water especially during the summer.

Bitter Lake is designated by the stormwater code update as a small lake which sustains aquatic life but we who live on it know it as a hidden gem and treasure the natural habitat which is home to blue herons and bald eagles.

Water quality is a grave concern to all of us who live on the lake.

We see firsthand the environmental impacts of people living in tents on the shoreline at Bitter Lake Park.

Council Bill 120044, as it relates to regulations to protect people, property, and the environment, addresses Bitter Lake community's concerns about the adverse impact of the encampment on stormwater and the lake water.

For example, shampoo, soap, and detergent have a negative impact on water quality.

Next, my neighbor, Justin Simmons, will be addressing the remainder of these issues.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Logan Swan, followed by Safiya Parveen.

Logan?

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

My name's Logan Swan.

I'm a renter in District 2, and as a rank-and-file union iron worker, I'm joining the groaning numbers of unions and their members condemning the violent occupation and apartheid of Palestine by the government of Israel, and demand that the elected Democrats of this city do the same by signing on to the statement from Socialist Council Member Kshama Solan.

You can't wring your hands over systemic racism and the legacy of colonialism here in Seattle but wash your hands of its modern manifestation being supported by the U.S. government and the Democratic Party you're all a part of.

As Desmond Tutu said if you're neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressors.

What choice will you make today.

Will you stand with the oppressed and demand justice and an end to ethnic cleansing or will you side with the oppressors and keep quiet while the leadership of your party aids and abets murderous imperialism.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Safia Parveen, followed by Brian Dang.

Hi.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Okay.

Hi.

Thank you.

So my comment is in support of the letter by Council Member Sawant.

What we fail to understand is that Palestinians are an entire race.

They're not just the Arabs or the Muslims, and it's baffling when Christian Palestinians are overlooked When their faith literally originates from that very land.

And this is not about a particular faith.

This is a humanitarian crisis.

There are homes being bombed, hospitals, schools, media towers, nothing's being spared.

And this is not the language of self-defense.

And imagine children growing up, will they ever get over this trauma?

We cannot be a part of it.

You should not just condemn it, but you should stop this.

Cut off the U.S. military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli state.

Stop aiding the killing of children.

The world is suffering from a refugee crisis and we are funding it in billions right now.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Brian Dang will be followed by Justin Simmons.

Brian.

Brian, are you with us?

I see that you're still muted.

Can you hit star six?

Okay, again.

There you go.

Oh, hello.

I'm so sorry.

You're good.

I can hear you now.

Thank you.

My name is Brian Dang, and I live in District 4. I'm here to speak in support of Kshama Tawad's letter in support of Palestine and demand that Seattle still cancel Sinai as a collective.

It's been clear that the U.S. itself is complicit.

However, Seattle's complicity is deeper and more sinister, and we must answer to this.

Boeing and other manufacturers of aircrafts here in the Pacific Northwest are a huge employer of Seattle.

Seattle's economy is literally fueled by their military contracts, and the least that Seattle can do right now in support of Palestine is to send this letter to President Biden.

We must push forward on ending military aid, or Seattle becomes stained with the blood of international warfare.

We know that the U.S. is interested, interest in Israel is imperialistic and not an actual supportive Jewish community.

To quote President Biden himself in the 70s, it is the best $3 billion investment we make.

Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to go out and invent an Israel to protect our interests in the region.

I hope you take this really simple action.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

The next speaker is Justin Simmons, and Justin will be followed by Jude Howe.

Justin?

Thank you.

I'm Justin Simmons, resident of District 5, and I'm speaking to number 4, the ordinance related to the stormwater code.

You heard from Selena Carciotis a few speakers ago.

I also live in a large community at Bitter Lake and am also allied with the group Save Bitter Lake and Broadview Thompson K-8.

We've got a situation here where we were out around 1,000 taxpayers living around the lake who are not comfortable swimming in the lake or using the adjacent park because of the large growing population of campers gradually filling the park, misusing the lake, and undoing the important ecological improvements made in recent years.

The city can respond to this in a way that would protect both people and the environment.

Policy guidance indicates the providing hygiene facilities will reduce environmental impacts and public health risks and increases outreach opportunities.

We request the council take the following actions which are consistent with the stormwater code update.

One, open adjacent hygiene facilities at Bitter Lake Community Center.

Thank you, Justin.

You can please send on the remainder of your comments via email or snail mail.

The next speaker is Jude Hanno, and it'll be followed by Riley Wallund.

Jude?

Hello.

My name is Jude Hanno, and I'm speaking in support of the Free Palestine Movement.

As an Egyptian, Syrian, and an American citizen, I'm appalled at the complacency of the U.S. in regard to Israel's apartheid state.

At least 192 Palestinians have already been killed, including over 58 children.

I'm also appalled that Council Member Sawant has been the only active council member in 2014 to speak out against Israel and the genocide occurring in Gaza.

We need to demand an end to the occupation in Palestine, hold Israel accountable for violating multiple international laws, and stop sending billions of dollars a year to Israel.

I can't even begin to imagine why on earth our taxpayer dollars are funding the murdering of women and children.

The U.S. recently vetoed the U.N.' 's call to cease to fire, and the U.S. cannot credibly claim to stand for human rights when we can't even stand up to who we consider an ally.

I support Councilmember Sawant's call to condemn the violence, and I strongly urge other Councilmembers to do so as well.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

The next speaker is Riley Walloon, followed by James Fokler.

Riley?

Hi, I'm Riley.

Good afternoon.

I'm also calling in regards to the apartheid state.

I wanted to highlight just a few of the international law violations by the Israeli forces on Gaza, the targeting of civilian infrastructures, the direct bombing of hospitals, roads to the hospitals and refugee camps.

This is a direct attack on civilians, and Hamas cannot be used as an excuse to kill civilians and children.

These are all war crimes against international law.

Joe Biden has blocked three international ceasefires and approved more military funding.

He is complicit.

If it weren't for U.S. backing, this would stop.

How many dead bodies will it take for our politicians to be brave enough to stand up and end this apartheid state?

I ask that you be brave and sign Council Member Savant's statement to President Biden.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is James Fokler, followed by Summer Webster.

James?

Yeah.

Hi, James Fokler.

I'm a resident of District 2. I'm a ICC certified building inspector, a former member of the Carpenters Union, a current member of Pro-Tech 17. I'm calling to I'm testifying in regards to the current changes to the stormwater code.

My wife and I have a property in the Central District that we'd like to develop into a small apartment building and provide affordable housing.

A recent preliminary assessment report from Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections states that we would be required to do a stormwater extension the length of our property in order to develop And this would increase the cost of our project in excess of a quarter million dollars in addition to the MHA fees that we would be providing or paying or rather providing.

This amounts to approximately three quarters of a million dollars in fees.

I urge a no vote on the stormwater code until we can establish sensible regulations or sensible

Thank you.

Summer Webster is not showing as present, so we'll move on to SynSaf.

Come here, SynSaf.

Hi, my name is SynSaf.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sinstet.

I'm speaking today asking the Council to support Council Member Sa'ab in a public statement demanding that President Biden condemn the violent attacks on Gaza and cut off all military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli state.

Tensions have been escalating over Israeli moves to evict Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem.

More than 600 worshippers and protesters were injured as Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque using tear gas and rubber bullets during the holy month of Ramadan.

As of yesterday, in the Israeli airstrikes, at least 192 Palestinians have been killed, including 58 children.

President Biden only condemned the rocket attacks by Hamas and conveyed his unwavering support for Israeli rights to defend itself.

As AOC mentioned, by only naming Hamas, and refusing to acknowledge the Palestinian rights, Biden reinforces the false notion that Palestinians started the cycle of violence.

Israel has one of the most powerful militaries in the world and also one of the most advanced defense systems, which has been possible only because of the continued aid and support it receives.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Julie Rubenstein, and she will be followed by Emily MacArthur.

Hello, my name is Julie Rubenstein.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Excellent.

I'd like to call upon all council members present to co-sign and support Council Member Kshama Sawant's public statement, which demands that President Joe Biden condemn Israeli apartheid and cease all military aid and weapons sales to Israel.

All of what I'm about to say has been said before.

I will say it again for our council members to hear.

Since 1948 and the first Nakba catastrophe of destruction, displacement, and ethnic cleansing at the hands of the IDF, Palestinian Arabs have faced an unending struggle for the right to live in peace in their homeland.

Recently, we have seen the most recent and most vicious aggressions against the Palestinian people.

At least 200 besieged people have been killed in Gaza.

Recently, the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah is being forcibly gentrified by means of racist laws.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Emily MacArthur.

Emily will be followed by Hamdia Lugo.

Hamdia Lugo is showing as not present.

And if she is not back, then we will follow with Jawad Frangia.

Emily.

Hi.

I'm also speaking today to urge council members to sign on to Council Member Sawant's statement condemning the violence from the Israeli regime of Netanyahu and the far-right settlers against Palestinians.

As socialist Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said this week, no one should worry about death falling from the sky.

The bombs and weapons being used to murder innocent civilians, women and children in Gaza, don't come from nowhere.

They're largely manufactured by and funded by the U.S.

We have an ability to speak out against this.

You, with your position of power, have an ability to speak against this.

Donald Trump greenlit the most vicious, racist, emboldened elements of Netanyahu's policies.

Democrats widely condemn Trump as a vile racist, but it's up to them to take a clear stance that's different, to differentiate their actual approach.

Use your position, sign on to Socialist City Council Member Shama Sawant's statement, and take a clear stand against the violence being perpetuated against Palestinians.

Thank you.

Seeing that Hamdiya Lugo and Jawad Rangia are not present, we'll move down to Eman Hashim.

Eman?

Yeah, I'm here.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Okay.

So I'm calling today in support of Council Member Swan's statement to President Biden.

I am originally from Gaza, and I'm fortunate to have survived two similar aggressions by the Israeli forces.

These aggressions came with significant number of casualties from my family and friends, including civilians, women, and children.

The narrative that Israel has the right to exist and defend itself is in itself incomplete.

The right is not exclusive to Israel.

It goes both ways.

That's the fact that's often ignored.

Over the last 14 years, thousands like myself have been living in the world's largest open-air prison, with two million people living in an area that's smaller than San Juan County.

and over 50 percent unemployment rate and no access to clean water or electricity because Israel prevents it with no air or seaport because Israel destroyed them.

After more than seven decades of being forced out of their land, deprived of basic human rights, and subject to continuous violations, Palestinians and my frustration run deep, and I urge you to sign this resolution to help steer things slightly in the right direction.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Fadaf Ijaz.

Fadaf is not showing as present.

We'll move down to Adele Youssef, and Adele will be followed by Kaylin Nicholson.

Adele?

Hello, everyone.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Adele.

I'm calling to support Public Counselor Suantos' statement today, as you heard from others.

In the last seven days, the Israeli military continues launching intense raids on the Gaza Strip, killing civilians and flattening more than 15 residential buildings.

As of today, there are at least 192 people dead, including 58 children and 34 women.

Fifty percent fatality are in children and women, and they have been killed only in Gaza Strip.

As an American citizen, it really helps me that during the holy month of Ramadan, to see that instead of kids celebrating the end of Ramadan with balloons and gifts, they're being killed with Israeli bombs that are funded with my tax money.

I am calling you and I'm asking all of you to support public counsel's statement demanding President Biden to condemn the racial attacks against Gaza and Palestinian Islamic cleansing and cut off all the U.S. military aid to Israel.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Kayla Nicholson.

Kayla will be followed by Alia Hillel.

Hi, my name is Kayla Nicholson.

I am a working mom and renter in District 5. I am also calling to urge Council Members to sign on to the statement from Council Member Shama Sawant urging President Biden and Congress to condemn Israel's brutal attacks on Gaza and to cut off all military aid and weapons sales.

I think, yeah, as other callers have said, this is not even a new issue.

It's horrific what is happening right now.

But this issue of apartheid and brutal racist violence by the Israeli state supported by the U.S. is something that has been going on for a long, long time and has been supported by both Republicans and Democrats.

And I just want to echo other speakers that it is a Democrat in the White House right now that is sending this money and these fighter jets and bombs for this violence to happen.

And the Democrats on the council need to take a clear stand.

There was a protest yesterday in Seattle that over 1,000 people were at.

Council Member Sawant was the only elected city council member there.

I believe she was the only elected representative there at all.

There was not a single Democrat present at that protest.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Aliyah Hilal, I believe is the name, followed by Mehar Khan.

Aliyah?

Hi.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

My name is Aliyah Hilal.

I am supporting a council member.

I want a public statement demanding President Biden to condemn the racist attack against Gaza and Palestinian ethnic cleansing.

and the cut off of all the U.S. military aid and weapons to the Israeli state.

In the scarred site of al-Aqsa, Palestinians have endured aggressive violence at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces for the past several days.

In the last days, there is One hundred and twenty-two to ninety-two people, including 58 children and 34 women, have been killed in Gaza strike.

Instead of kids celebrating the Eid, the Eid al-Fitr and the end of the Ramadan, they're having been killed.

So I am supporting council members.

I want a public statement demanding President Biden to condemn the racist attack against Gaza.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker, Meher Khan, is not showing his presence, so we'll move down to Larissa Sanicova-Sebain, followed by Guy Oron.

Larissa?

Hello, my name is Larisa Semykova-Sedin, and I am calling today to ask council members to sign on to the Southland's public statement demanding that President Biden to condemn the brutal attacks on Gaza and to stop any military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli regime.

For 80 years, Israeli governments have been taking lands and destroying homes of Palestinians by authorizing illegal settlements, which violate international agreements.

Israeli government has the state-of-the-art technologies and military, funded by powerful nations like the United States.

Not only the United States spends millions of our taxpayer dollars to support Israeli government, but it refuses to acknowledge apartheid, state cleansing, and outrageous violation of human rights.

The United States is giving the regime a justification under the label of self-defense.

Jimmy Carter once said, Israeli's continued control and colonization of Palestinian land have been the primary obstacles to a comprehensive peace agreement in the Holy Land – peace, not apartheid.

Thank you.

MODERATOR Thank you, Larissa.

Our next speaker is Guy Oron, and Guy will be followed by Medina Kedihir.

Guy, you are still on mute.

Can you push star six, please?

There you go.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Guy.

I am a Seattle District 5 resident.

I'm calling on the City Council to sign on to Council Member Sawant's letter condemning Israeli apartheid and senseless colonialism.

The City of Seattle must end its complicity in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian homes, such as those in Sheikh Jarrah, The Seattle Police Department must end its cooperation with Israeli military and security forces.

Seattle pensions and other contracts with complicit companies such as D4S must be terminated.

Please sign on to this letter and condemn U.S. support for ethnic cleansing in Apartheid.

Thank you.

Thank you, Guy.

Our next speaker, Medina Kahir, is noted as not present.

Following Medina is Amila Kazik, also showing as not present.

We'll move down to Azmath Khan, followed by Mahad Saqeel.

Azmath?

Hello.

I'm calling to support the public statement of Council Member Shoma Sawan, demanding President Biden to condemn the the attacks on Gaza and stop the military aid.

And we don't need to be a part of the ethnic cleansing that has been happening to innocent people of Palestine.

58 innocent children have been killed.

How many innocent children do we need to see to be killed before we take any action?

I strongly urge other Congress members to support and sign the public statement.

Please stop the military aid.

This violence needs to end now.

It is not self-defense.

It is ethnic cleansing.

It is high time America stands up against this mass murder of innocent people.

what have been started in the past minute none of the country had a bit of my destruction but they did not get but they're not getting happening right now and i think i think the the moderate if any part of that while you can get that international law and i'm not helping them i don't want my tax money to contribute by the killing of innocent children but i would like to be used to be paid to get america to put the media medical people i think that that's all you know that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that

Thank you.

The next speaker is Mahad Shaquill.

And Mahad, you'll be followed by Suzy Baroud.

Mahad?

Mahad, I'm seeing you on mute.

Can you please hit star six?

There you go.

Thank you.

We could hear you now.

I'm not hearing you, but I'm not seeing you on mute either.

I'm showing you on mute again, and now you're off.

I am going to have to move on to the next speaker.

I'm really sorry.

There you go.

How about now?

I'm so sorry.

Let's move on to, let's see here.

Maha Shaquille?

Okay.

I hear you clicking, trying to get off of mute.

just not working.

So, Susie Baroud is our next signed-up speaker, showing as not present.

Nail Uddin is also signed-up to speak, but is not present.

Naveed Siddiqui is signed-up to speak, but is showing as not present.

Amna Awaid is signed-up to speak, but is showing as not present.

Cairo is showing up as not present.

Arum Sultan, not present.

Ross Cushenbaum, not present.

David Bushnell, not present.

I'm going to give Mahad Shakeel one more try, and then I'm going to move on to the next person who is showing as present.

And it looks like Mahalit has exited.

I'm so sorry.

The next person who is showing up as present is Kanwal Kadir.

Hello, do you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Kanwal and I live in District 1. So I'm calling in support of council member Salman's demand that President Biden should condemn the brutal Israeli attacks on Palestinians and they should cut off the U.S. military aid to Israel.

And it's been so depressing to see that my tax money is being used in such a way in killing of innocent children.

So please stop doing that.

It's been so depressing.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Chris Boylan.

Chris?

Hey there.

My name is Chris and I'm a resident of District 4. I live in Ravenna.

I'm calling today to ask my council member Alex Peterson and the rest of the city council to sign on to council member Swan's statement condemning the war crimes that the apartheid state of Israel is committing against Palestinians in Gaza.

I recognize that none of you work for the federal government, but the most populous city in the state officially speaking out against these crimes is a powerful first step in bubbling up the attention to our state representatives and beyond.

Many of you pledged support for Black Lives last summer.

I remind you of that now because the state-sanctioned violence that the U.S. is literally funding in Israel allows similar state-sanctioned violence to continue happening here at home.

A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

With that being said, I implore you to take this small step and demand that the Biden administration condemn Israeli apartheid and cut them off from military aid and weapons sales.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chris.

Next speaker is Marwa Plett, and Marwa is showing up as not present.

So we'll move on down to Kathleen Myers.

And Kathleen Myers will be followed by Adele Heery.

Kathleen, are you with us?

Yes.

Perfect.

Okay.

president of Seattle for most of my life.

And I'm calling on the issue of the Shama Sawant statement, which I strongly support, because we need to the people of the United States apparently have to exert enough pressure on the president so that he can't commit continue to support Israel.

One effective way is for our municipalities to take a stand and Seattle's ready for it.

The population is behind this and it's our duty to separate ourselves from the policy of the United States government so long, every government until now.

So, please, sign on.

Sign on to the Shama Suwant statement.

Thank you, Kathleen.

The next speaker, Adele Tierhey, is showing as not present.

So, we'll move down to Zeeshan Bakir, followed by Michael Harris.

Zeeshan?

Oh, hi.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Thanks for providing the time.

I'm here to call out on the council members to support the statement that's being prepared and proposed by Council Member Simon.

And being a member of the resident of District 9, and also a taxpayer here, it's really heartbreaking to see that the tax money that you, I, and other U.S. citizens are giving is being used for of in the last few holy days of the month of Ramadan.

So really requesting all the council members to stand for the truth because silence is complicit.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Michael Harris and Michael will be followed by Sarah Khan.

Michael, you're with us?

I see you're still on mute.

Hit star six, please.

Michael, if you're hearing us, I need you to hit star six to unmute yourself.

All right.

I'm not seeing any change here indicating that you're hearing my request that you hit star six.

I'm going to move down to the next speaker.

Sarah Khan, please.

Sarah Khan, you are showing as on mute also.

Can you hit star six?

There you go.

There you go.

Thank you.

Great.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sarah Khan, and I'm here today to ask that the City Council please support Council Member Kshama Sawant's statement to President Biden, as stated by so many other individuals here.

Israel imprisons around 700 Palestinian children a year.

It routinely destroys Palestinian homes in the West Bank, especially East Jerusalem, leaving thousands of Palestinians homeless, and it illegally annexes more and more Palestinian land and water.

And all this is being funded by our own taxes.

Instead of investing in our health care, education, and environment, our government is funding Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people.

This conflicts with our values in our own society and especially is important for me as a Muslim to reflect upon as it's been the holy month of Ramadan and seeing this oppression of many Palestinian Muslims has been especially hard for many Muslims here as well.

I'd like to ask that we demand President Biden to condemn the vicious racist acts in Gaza and to cut off US military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli state.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker we have signed up is Lawrence Bushnell, followed by Aman Aya.

Lawrence?

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is David Bush.

Now I graduated from the University of Washington with my MA in policy studies and I work as a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant with a portfolio, including clients like the city of Baltimore, the city of Houston and the state of Delaware.

I'm Taiwanese American.

My family was evicted from our ancestral home by a US backed settler colonial regime of Shanghai shack in the late 40s.

It is because of this personal family history that I stand before you today demanding that you, one of the most powerful deliberative bodies on the West Coast, sign onto Council Member Sawant's letter to pressure the Biden administration to stop any and all aid to the State of Israel while it continues its apartheid of the Palestinian people, and demand that the City of Seattle divest from any and all businesses and contracts profiting off the exploitation and apartheid of the Palestinian people.

With any remaining time, I will read into the record the names of the dead Palestinian children.

Apologizes for any mispronunciations.

Rashid Abu Ara, age 16, killed May 12, 2021, shot twice while protesting Israeli raid on a city.

Saeed Odeh, age 16, killed May 6, 2021.

Thank you, Lawrence.

Our next speaker is Aman Aya.

Aman will be followed by Junaid Saeed, who's showing is not present, but if Junaid is with us, we will hear from Junaid after Aman Aya.

Hi, I wanted to talk about Palestine and Israel, of course.

This is the main topic everyone's talking about.

We have had over 100 deaths in the last five days, 58 of them children.

34 women.

We have had over 10,000 people that have been injured.

250,000 that have restricted access to water.

41 schools have been destroyed.

725 houses have been damaged.

76 buildings have been destroyed.

United States is funding this and you all are quiet.

Please sign that today and make sure the Biden administration is taking ownership of being a progressive countries speaking out against all of these crimes.

Seattle is one of the most progressive cities in the United States, and you have to be a leader in speaking out against these crimes.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Junaid Saeed, is showing up as not present still, so we will go down to Mavish Pathan, and Mavish will be followed by Taniq Muhammad.

Mavish, you're up next.

My picture's showing as a mid, can you hit star six, please?

Hi, this is Mary.

Yeah, I'm here to talk to the Seattle Council to condemn the Israel state's attacks on Palestinian people.

And in order to support Sawant's public statement demanding President Biden condemn the vicious racist attacks on Gaza and cut off all U.S. military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli state, U.S.

President Joe Biden said he's working towards a sustained calm between Israel and Palestine.

whereas Biden's administration has approved $735 million in arms sales to Israel amid Israel's bombardment of Gaza.

We need our people to stop this human suffering, the widespread destruction that has been happening in Palestine over the last two weeks.

At least 200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 39 children.

Please stop.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, signed and present, is Tariq Mohamed.

And Tariq Mohamed might be followed by Juliana Deirdre Rose if Juliana Deirdre Rose joins us.

She is showing is not present right now, but let's move on to Tariq Mohamed in the meantime.

This is Tariq Mohamed.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

I'm an American-born citizen, and I'm a homeowner in the 7th Congressional District of Washington.

I'm calling on council members to support Council Member Sawant's statement to President Biden condemning the Israeli state's genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid against Palestinians of all religions, and to place sanctions on Israel.

Every single nation on the UN Security Council has called to hold Israel accountable for war crimes except the United States.

Albert Einstein said it would be his greatest sadness to see Zionists do to Palestinians much of what Nazis did to Jews.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Juliana De Rose.

Juliana is showing as not present, followed by Mahad Saqeel, also showing as not present, followed by Keha Anna, also showing as not present.

The next person we have signed up and present is Jennifer Batim.

Jennifer will be followed by Razak Asim.

Hi, my name is Jennifer.

I'm a renter and cultural heritage worker in District 3, and I'm calling on council members to support Council Member Sawant's resolution demanding President Biden condemn the genocidal attacks on Gaza and stop supporting the apartheid system Israel maintains against Palestinians.

To share a sign I saw at yesterday's rally at Westlake.

It's not war.

It's colonialism.

It's not eviction.

It's ethnic cleansing.

It's not conflict.

It's occupation.

It's not complicated.

It's genocide.

The cruelty of the IDF is connected to the cruelty of SPD, many of whom have received Israeli Defense Forces training.

It is unacceptable that our tax dollars bring this cruelty to the people of Palestine and the people of Seattle.

Our taxes should be rebuilding Palestine's critical infrastructure.

not funding their genocide, not dehumanizing fellow humans.

Seattle City Council must be brave and speak up and say no more and condemn this genocide.

We must collectively tell Biden the people reject genocide and apartheid.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker signed up and present is Razak Qasem, followed by John Siegel.

John Siegel is showing is not present.

Hopefully, John will be back, but let's move forward with Razak Qasem.

Thanks for the time.

I hope you are able to hear me.

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

I'm calling on behalf of the support that for the Palestine people, and I support Shama Sawant's statement on the Palestine, and I also urge all the council members to sign off whatever is needed right now, immediately, so that this president, or any of the president in the future, clearly understands what is the difference between supporting a Jew or a Muslim or a Christian in Palestine versus a Zionist regime, which only aim is to land grab and kill innocent people.

This is very clearly written to everyone.

Even though our Western countries failed to save the Jews in the Europe itself, and that instead of taking them to their nation, they simply gave them to the Palestine people and made them suffer till now.

It's not going to end.

And if this is going to continue, unfortunately, U.S. has been written as a person who is actually the culprit, who is actually supporting the Israel and who is actually doing it.

Thank you.

Our next speaker that we have signed up is Dawn Siegel.

Dawn is still not present, so we'll go down to Alicia Ruiz, and Alicia will be followed by Lawrence Kleszek.

Hi.

Hi, my name is Alicia Ruiz.

I'm the Seattle Government Affairs Manager for the Master Builders.

And I wanted to briefly speak on the stormwater update.

And first, I'd like to thank SPU for engaging the builders.

They had a great conversation with us, asked for feedback, and actually made some amendments to some of the proposed code, which we definitely appreciate.

But we'd also like to call attention to some of the other pieces of the code that are ultimately going to add to the cost of housing.

One, for example, is, you know, tying into the main sewer.

Builders are no longer able to do that, and they've got to pay for costly extensions.

And as always, you know, we're raising the red flag.

The cost of housing is continuing to get higher and higher.

And, you know, somebody needs to take heed to that call.

Thank you.

Thank you, Aisha.

The next speaker is Lawrence.

Lawrence should be followed by Safina.

Safina is showing is not present, but hopefully we'll have Safina back after Lawrence.

Hi, this is Lawrence Tykes from District 5. I'm calling to the Seattle City Council today to ask for their support of Council Member Sawant's statement to Biden denouncing Israeli state's attacks on the Palestinian people, and to call for President Biden to stop funding to Israel for a couple of reasons, because Seattle can't support Israeli's actions, because we are a safe city and must hold up our reputation as a protector of the oppressed.

And that is exactly what's happening in Palestine and Israel right now.

And then Seattle, we must also call to stop funding to Israel, because it's the best way to curb Israel's actions, and the money can be used much more wisely here in the States.

So thank you for your time.

Bye-bye.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Safina Chowdhury, and Safina is showing up still as not present.

Sarah Khan, also not present.

Finally, we've got Sonia Parnas, followed by Sarah Saeed.

Sonia?

Tanya, you're with us?

I see you're here, but I need you to star six so you can unmute yourself, please.

Twice.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hello, you're okay.

Okay, now it works.

Okay, I stand with council members to one and support this resolution.

To pressure President Biden to stop funding this madness in our names.

Many have already been killed in these brutal, racist attacks, including children, and hundreds more have been injured and lost their homes.

We are seeing people all around the world standing up and protesting and standing with the Palestinian people.

Today, Biden was even confronted by the press for once.

about the billions that go to Israel, where his only answer was he's going to talk to baby Netanyahu.

But we have to pressure him to do the right thing.

And you have that power.

Council members must speak out against this, as Council Member Sawant does.

It matters what you do and how you vote.

This killing is funded by the U.S., and we need to speak out against it.

So please support this resolution and vote yes.

Enough is enough.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's see here.

We've got Sarah Saeed followed by Caitlin Mulrooney.

Sarah.

Hi, my name is Sarah Saeed and I'm calling in support of Councilwoman Salman's statement demanding the Biden administration to condemn Israel attacks on the Palestinians and to stop the military and financial aid to Israel.

The attacks have killed families, have left infants, babies, kids, without parents, families without homes and basic necessities, and left Palestinians with proper medical care, without proper medical care.

So I urge and request all other members, council members, to support Councilwoman Salas and stop the aid that's being sent from U.S. to Israel.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

The next speaker is Caitlin Mulrooney, followed by Kevin Vitzwong.

Kaitlin?

Hi, my name is Kaitlin Mulrooney.

Hi, you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Okay, perfect.

Hi, I'm Kaitlin Mulrooney.

I'm a resident of District 4, and I'm calling to urge my representative, Alex Peterson, and all other council members to sign on in support of Council Member Kshama Swan's letter demanding Biden condemn the attacks on Gaza and suspend all military aid to the Israeli government.

Just today, Biden has approved an additional $735 million in weapons sales to the Israeli government, and it is our responsibility to condemn these attacks and prevent our country from funding these egregious acts of ethnic cleansing.

We know an overwhelming majority of those killed in these attacks have been women and children, and I urge all of you to rise up against oppression and sign on in support of this letter.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Kevin Vitswong, followed by Gabriel Mahan.

Kevin.

Hello can you hear me.

Yes we can.

Thanks.

I'm calling asking council members to support someone's letter repudiating the Israeli government's brutality against the Palestinian people as well as Biden's role in it.

Democrats must accept that this is the responsibility.

You cannot continue funding white supremacist oppression and colonialist violence either here in Seattle or elsewhere and then claim to stand against it.

You must take action.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Kevin.

Our next speaker is Gabriel Mahan, followed by our last speaker, Kerry Lutz.

Gabriel?

Hi, my name is Gabriel Mayhem, and I'm a renter and tech worker in District 3. Yesterday, I was proud to stand with over 5,000 other Seattleites, all calling for an end to the violence in Israel-Palestine, and to stop the U.S. government and the Biden administration from funding that violence.

I'm calling on the Council to support Councilperson Shama Sawant's letter in condemnation of the violence and of the U.S. funding of that violence in Israel-Palestine, and to cut off all weapons sales to the regime.

You have a real opportunity to signal to the Biden administration and make a difference at a national level.

And you cannot call yourself a progressive.

You support the bombing of children, news agencies, and the complete disenfranchisement of a whole group of people.

I'm calling on you to support the letter.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Our last speaker to stand up for public comment today is Jerry Lutz.

Jerry?

I'm going to turn this off.

I think there was actually one other speaker, but I'm calling to comment about referral calendar items 9, 10, and 9, 11, and 12. I'm assuming but would like clarification whether the referral calendar means the ordinance listed are going to require action today by the council.

Second, we'd like to remind the council that it sits as a board of equalization and must independently consider each of the objections made to the role.

It cannot abdicate that requirement by relying entirely on the hearing examiner's decision.

Third, because the LID assessments involve deprivation of property, affected owners have a due process right.

Accordingly, RCW 35-44070 and S.A.

The 2004 or nine require the council to hear appeals from the examiners report.

Council delegated the appeals to the public asset committee, but it simply relied and adopted the hearing examiners findings without any appeal.

Thank you.

Mr. Lux, the referral calendar itself says where the bill in question is going.

If it indicates that it's going to full council, that means it is going to be voted on.

But typically, it is referred to a committee.

I don't have the referral calendar in front of me.

I believe 9 and 10 are referrals to a committee.

And your comment with another speaker, I do not have another speaker.

Thank you so much for looking out for us, though.

With that, comment is over and let's move into the items on our agenda today.

So just switching over.

Thank you.

Will the clerk please read item, let's see, number one into the record.

The payment of bills.

That's not item one.

I appreciate it so much.

Let's move into the payment of bills before item one.

Please read the title.

Thank you.

Payment of bills, Council Bill 120070, an ordinance appropriating money to pay certain audited claims for the week of May 3rd, 2021 through May 7th, 2021, and ordering the payment thereof.

Thank you.

I move to pass Council Bill 120070. Is there a second?

Second.

Second.

Thank you.

It has been moved and seconded.

Does the bill pass?

Are there any comments?

Hearing no comments, please call the roll on the passage of the bill.

Peterson?

Yes.

Sawant?

Yes.

Strauss?

Yes.

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Yes.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold.

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Now, will the clerk please read item one into the record?

The report of the Governance and Education Committee, agenda item one, Council Bill 12066, An ordinance relating to city employment commonly referred to as the first quarter 2021 employment ordinance, returning positions to the civil service system, adjusting the pay zone structures for 2021 for titles in the city's discretionary pay programs and amending section 4.13.010 of the Seattle municipal code.

The committee recommends the bill pass.

Thank you so much.

Councilmember Mosqueda will provide this committee report on behalf of Councilmember Gonzalez.

Councilmember Mosqueda, you are recognized in order to address this item.

Thank you very much.

Councilmember Herbold, I appreciate the opportunity to speak today.

And again, as we mentioned at the beginning of our council briefing this morning, every council member expressed our deepest condolences to Council President Gonzalez and to her family, especially to her husband, Cameron.

We're all thinking of you.

Today I'm going to be presenting on behalf of Council President Gonzalez on Council Bill 120006. Council colleagues, this is the first, this first bill is routine legislation that makes technical changes related to personnel matters for positions in various departments across the city of Seattle.

It does three things.

First, it returns six positions to civil service system.

Second, it adjusts the pay bans for three job titles.

And third, it amends the Seattle Municipal Code to reclassify two exempt positions.

The committee unanimously recommends passage of the bill.

Thank you so much.

Are there any comments?

Not seeing any comments, will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Peterson?

Yes.

Sawant?

Yes.

Strauss?

Yes.

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Yes.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold?

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you, the bill passes and the chair will find it.

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

Moving on to item number two, will the clerk please read item number two into the record.

Report of the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee agenda item two, council bill 120067, an ordinance relating to the 2021 budget, authorizing the director of the Department of Neighborhoods to accept a grant and execute related agreements amending ordinance 126237, which adopted the 2021 budget, changing appropriations to various departments, and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts, the committee recommends the bill pass.

Thank you.

Council Member Strauss, as chair of the committee, you are recognized in order to provide the committee report.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem Herbold.

Do I need to second the motion?

Do we need to put a motion forward?

No, you do not.

Thank you for that clarification.

Speaking to this Council Bill 12067, the Department of Neighborhoods grant acceptance.

This legislation authorizes the Department of Neighborhoods to accept a $20,000 grant from the National League of Cities and Local Democracy.

This grant will support Department of Neighborhoods ongoing post-census community engagement work that will include the establishment of the Civic Engagement Digital Academy, which is the new version of the PACE Academy.

It will be similar to People's Academy for Community Engagement, PACE, which focuses on working with historically undercounted communities to stay engaged as the census results are applied to policy and funding decisions in the upcoming years.

I want to recognize and congratulate the Department of Neighborhoods and their community partners who worked on census engagement.

Because of their great work, Seattle has a return rate of 76.3%, one of the highest in the country.

Great work, Department of Neighborhoods.

And Elsa, couldn't have done it without you.

Council President Pro Tem, that is my report.

Thank you so much.

Are there any comments on this legislation?

Seeing no comments.

Clerk, can you please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Peterson?

Yes.

Sawant?

Yes.

Strauss?

Yes.

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold?

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Moving on to item number three on the agenda.

Will the clerk please read item number three into the record?

Agenda item three, council bill 120068, an ordinance relating to street and sidewalk use, amending ordinance 125706, and the street use permit fee schedule, authorized by section 15.04.074 of the Seattle Municipal Code.

The committee recommends the bill pass as amended.

Thank you so much.

Council Member Strauss, again, as chair of committee, you are recognized in order to provide the committee report on this bill.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem.

We are here discussing my council bill with Council President Gonzalez as a co-sponsor to extend the free sidewalk, curb space, vending and cafe permits for another year to help businesses recover from the economic recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We started this program as a pilot, and we want to get it to a permanent feature, and that requires the bill before us, which is that interim step that takes what worked well, releases what didn't work well in the pilot, and then makes all of that permanent so that we can have pergolas permanently here in the city.

This legislation creates that pathway to permanency.

S.

Dot could have spent their time this last year doing the needed outreach and reevaluation of what's working and what's not.

But instead, they spent their time approving permits, which I applaud because.

Because of their great work, we now have more businesses with these street permits than before.

When the pandemic hit, our businesses were thrown into turmoil, forced to shut down, and struggled to survive.

We've lost so many businesses in this last year that I'm relieved to be able to extend to our businesses a lifeline that they can use their outdoor spaces to remain open and capitalize on the good weather to attract customers as we look forward to a full reopening at the end of June.

Last year, the Seattle Department of transportation, started new programs to allow temporary uses of our right-of-way, and I want to see us use these rights-of-ways in creative ways.

Pedestrianizing streets for peoples of all ages and abilities to use.

And the street and sidewalk cafe program gives our businesses the space to use their entrepreneurial spirit to be creative in these outdoor spaces.

It's not just for restaurants.

Retail and other businesses can also benefit from utilizing these outdoor spaces.

Recovery will be a long road ahead, and we need to continue to support our small businesses in their recovery.

As we look towards the permanent program, we will need to address how much these permits cost.

And we also need to hear feedback from all business types to lessen any negative impacts and ensure that sidewalks continue to be accessible and easy to navigate for all ages and abilities.

Businesses need certainty and this bill provides that.

We need them to know whatever they build today will be able to last through the next winter.

through the bad weather, the rain and the cold.

This summer before us is actually our first summer with these sidewalk cafe curb permits and cafe streets and I am very excited to see how businesses use their entrepreneurial drive to make our streets more vibrant.

In Ballard we had a great partnership with the farmers market to utilize curb space permits for for when the farmer's market came in.

So there's some and this is some of that outreach that SDOT needs to do to to make these regulations permanent is understand how can we share this space.

It is public space after all and we should be helping support our businesses through the pandemic and we should make sure that it's shareable for everyone.

I'm proud of how our city has responded to this pandemic, and we have more work to do.

We here at City Council passed the Small Business Stabilization Grants that helped many small businesses in dire moments, and by allowing businesses to operate in our streets, we provide them a pathway to economic recovery.

and we should make this pathway a permanent feature of our city.

In Ballard we're going to have a design charrette for Ballard Avenue.

Ballard Avenue is unique in and of itself because it cuts off at the Ballard Bridge and at Markup Street.

It's not a through street and what we want to do is create a replicable program so that every neighborhood in the city can have a street dedicated to their small businesses.

Through this last year of uncertainty, we've continued to plot a path toward equitable recovery with the certainty businesses need to be successful.

I just want to take a moment to thank all of the people that have helped me because, again, In this situation, the City of Seattle provided the permits and got out of the way.

Small businesses did.

They're the ones that came up with the designs for the pergolas.

They're the ones that activated the public space.

The small businesses using their entrepreneurial drive created more vibrant communities all across the city.

Before I go on, and any longer, if Council Member Juarez was here, she would be telling me to say my thank yous finally, please, and let's keep going.

So I need to thank Elliot Helmbrook and Sabrina Beaulieu from the Mayor's Office, Elise Nelson and her entire team from Public Use, Shana Larson and Director Zimbabwe, Amanda Pleasant-Brown in my office, Calvin Chow from Central Staff, Mike Stewart and Devin Reynolds from the Ballard Alliance for Art Organizing, Doug Farr of the The Seattle Farmers Market Association for demonstrating how we can share the space on a Z bar for keeping our focus on all ages and abilities, and every single business owner who has used this permit to put forward entrepreneurial spirits to put their on.

entrepreneurial spirits to work, making our city more vibrant.

Just to clarify for the for colleagues, these permits are permanent and available as before the pandemic and after the pandemic.

What this bill before us does is two things.

One, it extends the free aspect of these permits for another year so that businesses can recover.

The second thing it does is it requests a report from SDOT by December 15th, 2021, explaining what aspects of the current program should remain, which need to change, and plots a pathway forward for us to be able to take up final legislation before this current legislation ends.

on Memorial Day, 2022. So it takes again, two things, ensures that these permits are free for another year.

And then secondly, plots the pathway forward to permanency with a deadline of December 15th, 2021 to be implemented by May of 2022. Council President Pro Tem, that is the committee report.

Thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Are there any questions or comments?

Council Member Peterson.

Thank you, President Pro Tem Herbold, and thank you, Council Member Strauss, for advancing this legislation.

I think you clarified it pretty well, but we would be voting on whether to continue the free permits.

Right now, it's just through May 2022, so we'll be doing another vote next year on this, correct?

Good question there.

We do have to charge for these permits eventually.

I just need to be clear here.

because the public space program in SDOT is a fee recovery-based program.

So they have been operating in the red so as to give a lifeline to the small businesses.

We need to make sure that small businesses have an additional year of free permits so that they can recover correctly.

I am interested in following with Budget Chair Mosqueda to follow up to see if we have money from the American Rescue Plan available to backfill SDOT because they have been operating at a loss to ensure our small businesses get the support they need.

So what we will be voting on next year will be the parameters of a permanent permit.

And SDOT may very well call me tomorrow and say, Dan, you're not gonna be voting on that because these permits already exist.

And so SDOT may just be tweaking their current programs.

Thank you both.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Thank you President Pro Tem Herbold and thank you Chair Strauss.

I'm always excited to join your meetings and To be a champion of good legislation like this, I just wanted to provide a little bit of context as well, because I am perhaps equally excited or not maybe as excited as the chair, but I wanna show my enthusiasm for this approach.

During this pandemic, I know that it's been really important for us to all recognize that COVID has really turned upside down daily life and our patterns, and that current rules have made it really difficult in many situations, especially for smallest businesses to be able to respond quickly.

to this upheaval and are not able to continue with business as usual.

Coronavirus has laid bare our inequities in many ways, and by creating these temporary suspensions to our rules, we recognize that our local shops are doing everything they can to make it through this really difficult time.

Businesses have anecdotally spoken in favor of these changes, saying that they believe that without this option, they would not have been able to get through the pandemic.

And indeed, research shows that this is true.

In Brooklyn, for example, an underutilized parking area was turned into public space for public events, increasing the visibility to small businesses there, which has been a 172% increase in retail sales.

It's good for patrons, it's good for the business owners, and it's good for the health of our local communities as well.

Further, a Boston study showed that creating a seating area out of a curb lane can potentially increase sales at a front-facing business by 14%.

I recognize that there's concern from small businesses in certain areas around the loss of parking.

And I believe that through the intent of this legislation, which will allow for time to study permit changes, we can help mitigate those concerns while creating lasting positive impacts for businesses and do what the data has shown, actually increase sales for small businesses.

as we decrease the need for cars and parking spaces around our city as well.

I look forward to being able to vote yes for this, and I really appreciate the sponsor's work on this, and have duly heard you on the desire to make sure that we are also looking at the cost needs for SDOT related to potential issues that are coming up with this ordinance, and we'll look forward to discussing those ARPA-related conversations over the next six weeks here.

Appreciate it, council members, and looking forward to voting yes.

Great, thank you.

Any other comments or questions?

Council Member Strauss.

Final word.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem.

I have to say for the general public who isn't in my conversation with Council Member Mosqueda, she brought me the idea because of her desire to make this a permanent program, so we want to uplift her.

And I want to say to our colleagues, I could not have Um, thought of this legislation without Council President Lorena Gonzalez.

Her husband's perspective is well valued in my life.

Um, so wanting to take this moment to highlight that couldn't have done it without Council President that those are my reports.

Thank you so much.

Fitting in closing with the clerk, he's called role on the passage of the bill.

Peterson.

Yes.

So warrant.

Yes.

Strauss.

Yes.

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold?

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

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

Moving on to item number four.

Will the clerk please read item four into the record?

The report of the Transportation and Utilities Committee, Agenda Item 4, Council Bill 120044, an ordinance relating to the stormwater code update, amending chapters 22.800, 22.801, 22.803, 22.805, and 22.807 of the Seattle Municipal Code, the committee recommends the bill pass.

Thank you so much.

Councilor Peterson, as chair of the committee, you are recognized in order to provide the committee report.

Thank you, President Pro Tem Herbold.

colleagues, as I mentioned at our council briefing this morning, at our Transportation and Utilities Committee meeting on May 5, we unanimously approved this update to the city's stormwater code.

This is Council Bill 12044. The update was crafted by our Seattle Public Utilities team after a long process and is required to comply with stronger environmental requirements from our state government.

Due to the larger amount of information, we delayed its arrival to the full city council for a week to provide additional review time for council members who are not on the committee.

And here we are.

So we're required by our state government to have this code updated and in place by July 1. And the ordinance needs 30 days to take effect.

So that makes today time sensitive.

Our committee unanimously recommended approval today.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Are there any comments or questions from council members?

Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll?

Peterson?

Yes.

Sawant?

Yes.

Strauss?

Yes.

Lewis?

Yes.

Morales?

Yes.

Mosqueda?

Yes.

Council President Pro Tem Herbold.

Yes.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you so much.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature?

Let's see, it's the bill.

On my behalf, thank you.

Moving on to other business.

We have a letter that Council Member Sawant circulated this morning.

And in order to collect signatures on this letter, we need to do that in open session.

So folks who are interested in signing, after Council Member Sawant's comments, we'll do a roll call so that signatures can be affixed to the letter to President Biden and the U.S.

Congress.

A letter sponsored by Council Member Sawant related to the Israeli state in Gaza and U.S. military aid and weapons sales.

Council Member Sawant, you are recognized in order to present a letter before signatures are requested to be affixed to it.

Thank you, President Pro Tem Herbold.

I appreciate this opportunity.

Earlier today, I circulated a draft of this public statement to city council members, inviting council members to sign on to it, denouncing the brutal Israeli atrocities being inflicted on the people of Gaza and demanding that the Biden administration condemn the policies of the Israeli state and that Biden and the U.S.

Congress cut off military aid and weapons sales to the Israeli state and demand that the Israeli state immediately agree to a ceasefire.

As people in public comment pointed out, the Biden administration has just days ago scandalously approved the sale of $735 million worth of new precision-guided weapons to Israel.

Since last night, our office and other city council member offices have received emails from more than 300 community members calling on city council to sign on to the statement, and dozens of people signed up for and spoke in public comment today.

In such a short time frame, this is a tremendous demonstration of the depth and breadth of the community's support for the Palestinian people and against the brutal violence and the apartheid regime by the Israeli government.

The Palestinians in Jerusalem and the people of Gaza did not start this current conflict.

The right-wing Netanyahu regime has done that, first with their provocative attempt to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

and the armed conflict, sorry, assault on Muslim worshipers at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Second and not least, with the daily organized violence against the Palestinians by the Israeli government and by far right settlers.

Thus, the current military assault comes on top of the ongoing Palestinian struggle to survive under conditions of the pandemic, of poverty and mass unemployment and misery, of intensified Israeli occupation, including extensive demolition of Palestinian homes, military and police brutality, settlers violently preventing Palestinians' access to the farmland, and in the case of Gaza, a brutal blockade for a decade and a half.

The conditions in Gaza, even before the present assault, were described by the United Nations as, quote-unquote, unlivable.

Let's be clear, Palestinians should have a right to protest and to organize and to defend themselves.

Yes, we oppose indiscriminate firing of rockets against civilians in Israel.

As Congress member Rashida Tlaib said, quote, no child, Palestinian or Israeli, whoever they are, should ever have to worry that death will rain from the sky, unquote.

Palestinian and Jewish people and immigrants have been killed by rockets, including children.

That is horrific.

However, we condemn the outrageous attempt by the Israeli government to use these as a justification for the immeasurably more devastating bombings and military attacks they have wrought on countless defenseless Palestinian civilians.

Some council members have expressed interest in the letter, which I greatly appreciate.

But in the morning, there was a discussion about having more time to determine if they could sign or not sign onto it.

And as I had indicated in the morning, I would have been open to wait.

But I think given the urgency, many community members have justifiably expressed just minutes ago.

I would strongly urge council members to express their support today through the roll call as President Trotem-Herbold explained the process.

Furthermore, as many community members have pointed out to me, Since this morning, we cannot wait till the situation gets even worse in another week.

Council Member Mosqueda asked that we add citations to the letter.

I'm very happy to do that.

The citations will strengthen the statement by demonstrating the wide and global consensus and the factual basis of the content in the letter.

But I strongly urge the city council to express today where they stand on the statement with the understanding that we will add the citations and any other copy edits or minor edits before sending the statement to President Biden and the US Congress.

Needless to say, I would oppose any kind of watering down of the statement with arguments about blaming, quote unquote, both sides for the current violence, because that is precisely what we need to take a stance against the sort of artificial and a factually fallacious argument that both sides are equal and that the Israeli regime is not the instigator in this situation, which we know now there is a greater and greater understanding worldwide that that is what is happening.

And as I said before, that we condemn the killing of any civilian, whether it's Palestinian or Israeli, Muslim, Jewish or Christian, young or old, but there is not an equivalency of the violence.

And more importantly, the current spiral of assault that has originated specifically out of the Israeli government's attacks on Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, abetted by far right Israeli settlers, followed by the Israeli police and military assaults on Ramzan celebrants outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

I wanted to quote quickly from the statement that this – that we are discussing here.

Quote, the continued occupation and repression of the Palestinian people has been funded and facilitated by the United States Government.

It has been part of a long-term policy of U.S. imperialism to support apartheid against the Palestinian people.

Successive U.S. administrations have attempted to portray themselves as honest brokers of peace, but have in fact blocked peace both diplomatically and by providing active military aid to the Israeli ruling class.

We applaud Congress members Ocasio-Cortez, Clyde, and other members of the squad speaking out against the attacks on Gaza.

We agree with Congress member Ocasio-Cortez when she said, the president has said that Israel has a right to defend itself but two Palestinians have a right to survive.

The U.S. must acknowledge its role in the human rights violations of Palestinians.

This isn't about both sides.

It's about an imbalance of power.

The letter goes on.

We call on you to urgently condemn the brutal attacks on Gaza and the Israeli ruling class system of apartheid.

Most importantly, we call on you to cut off all military aid and all weapons sales to Israel and stop providing diplomatic cover for those brutal policies of the Israeli state.

Protests are growing in the United States and globally 4000 people protested outside the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Yesterday, thousands of people protested here in Seattle and in San Francisco, labor unions in the United States, including the United electrical workers.

And here in Seattle, UAW 4121, the Union of Academic Student Employees and Postdocs at the University of Washington have publicly condemned the Israeli attacks, joining unions from around the world and standing with the Palestinian people.

International solidarity is crucial.

The United States government must reverse its disastrous position and retract all support for the apartheid policies being carried out by the Israeli ruling class." End quote. I wanted to thank the dozens of community members and the organizations who worked on developing this statement, including activists in the United States and also in Israel. Thank you especially for the support for this statement from the Community Alliance for Global Justice, the Coalition of Seattle Indian Americans, and UAW Local 4121. I welcome other community organizations and labor unions in expressing their support for this statement and for this position as well. Thank you to everyone who testified in public comment today. And as I said before, I apologize to council members for the rushed nature of this, but as I said, ordinarily I would be open to waiting, but I feel like in this case it is called upon us, our community members have called upon us to urgently work on this. that the situation could get worse, and so we cannot wait for that to happen. I want to also, in closing, want to make sure that community members know that I've asked central staff to begin drafting legislation to prohibit Seattle from engaging with the police forces, intelligence agencies, security services, or other armed forces of any country with a consistent pattern of gross violations of human rights, including, but not limited to, Israel. The Seattle Police Department unfortunately has a track record going back nearly 20 years of having its officers attend training either by the Israeli military or police or its proxies. Elsewhere around the country, Jewish Voice for Peace and allied organizations and activists have won resolutions banning what they call the deadly exchanges. and consultation with local activists in the End the Deadly Exchange movement, I will be bringing forward legislation to do the same here in Seattle. Given the brutal ongoing attacks on the Palestinian people, this is the very least our city should do, and I would really welcome other council members who wish to work on this with my office. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Council Member Swartz.

Council Member Strauss.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem.

Council Member Swann, I understand your desire and need to move quickly.

I cannot today sign on to your letter as currently written.

I do have edits and suggestions that I would love to send you.

If you were able to wait another week, I would be happy to sign on should those edits and amendments be taken into consideration.

Thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Council Member Lewis.

Thank you, Madam President Pro Tem.

And Council Member Sawant, I appreciate you starting this conversation and bringing this letter forward.

The concerns that you're echoing are concerns that I feel very, very deeply, having very close friends who are Palestinian.

you know, having not had very much time to review this letter, which touches on a lot of extremely sensitive and very important areas, I do think it's important that we take a little bit more time to deliberate.

I just received an updated letter about 25 minutes ago that I guess manifests some of Councilmember Mesquita's feedback.

I briefly skimmed through it during your comments, and it looks like it's just the addition of some citations, but it would be useful to have time to review those.

I think there's also some developments that the letter would benefit from, including citing.

a nascent effort that has been coming together over the last 24 hours for a group of 29 Democratic senators, including Senator Patty Murray, who have officially come forward and called for a ceasefire to be negotiated, which is something, of course, that the official Biden administration State Department has not yet done.

So there are some efforts that we could reference in support in the body of the letter and give some support.

Additionally, to members of our congressional delegation here who are supporting some of these efforts toward negotiating a peaceful settlement.

And I think that the letter would benefit from a little bit more of those additions.

And I just wanted to throw that out there, given that we, that letter was not circulated until this morning and a new draft of the letter was circulated just a few minutes ago.

So I think I have a similar position to Council Member Strauss.

I do think it's important that we weigh in and instruct our congressional delegation on how we as a city would like them to proceed in pressuring the federal administration.

But in its current form, I don't think this letter powerfully accomplishes those goals and indeed could use a little bit more content referencing certain ongoing actions for what all of us want to see happen, which is a secession of these hostilities and peace and dignity for the people of Palestine.

So with that, I would join Councilmember Strauss' request that we hold the letter to make some additional revisions and also just make it more reflective of the collective voice of this council.

Thank you, Councilmember Lewis.

Councilmember Strauss, I see your hand up.

I've got you back in the queue.

Just a couple words I would like to say first.

I want to state that I unequivocally condemn the violence that is occurring in Israel and Palestinian territories over the last week, resulting in the deaths of 10 people in Israel, including 61 children in Gaza.

An additional 1,400 have been wounded in Gaza.

Strikes have damaged medical facilities, the headquarters of journalists reporting on the violence, and a refugee camp.

And the silence from the President Biden administration is deafening.

I call on him to condemn violence and act within his authority to save lives.

We're speaking directly to the letter before us right now despite the fact that over the weekend with public communication mobilizing speakers to testify today, speakers that we heard today, council only received the letter at 10 a.m.

during a meeting that lasted until 12 45 p.m.

with no chance to review or provide input to the letter.

As council member It was stated we received a new version at 316, and at 331, we received an email saying that they would continue to work on the letter to copy edit and incorporate references indicating that we have not yet seen a final version of the letter.

This letter represents the face of this body.

We must be given an opportunity to review and provide our input.

We each have content we'd like to contribute, as well as our own tone and style.

For instance, the letter references statements from the squad, which does not reference our own Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal's statement.

I expect it might, because of a difference of opinion on the characterization of the actions, begin, B, want a letter that represents the voice of the council, or only a letter consisting of a letter that is consisting of Council Member Sawant's content style and tone.

Lastly, shortly after this letter was emailed to Council Members during Council briefings, my office replied asking if YR, the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, had seen the letter.

We have not received a response to that request.

I don't believe they have had the opportunity to provide thoughtful feedback.

I just want to make a comment on the testimony that was made by Councilmember Sawant.

As mentioned earlier, I request more time of Councilmember Sawant this morning.

At that time, that might be possible.

After public comment, Councilmember Sawant contacted me testimony that Council Member Sawant's office has mobilized.

So these are conditions of her creation, of the creation of her office, from their work, their good work, but that's now the reason that we cannot wait for our input.

It seems, as somebody who would like to sign this letter, it just seems unfair.

In addition to chairing meetings today, I've been working on a timely police accountability issue following up on this morning's discussion.

And I also had another meeting about a piece of legislation that is being heard in Councilmember Muscat's committee tomorrow.

Just as a reminder, although this is not a resolution, this is a letter, council rules require that resolutions are not on the introduction referral calendar sent to council members to be reviewed by law by 5 p.m.

on Friday, the previous week to the Monday that it will be heard.

And again, the intent of this is to allow for time for a council member review.

So sort of in that spirit, it certainly seems to me that it would be fair to give us more than just a few hours of time to review the letter and provide our input.

Those are my thoughts.

Councilmember Strauss, you had some additional thoughts that you wanted to share?

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem.

I thought I was teeing up a question for Councilmember Sawant, and then we kind of went into that whole round.

So, and I do have a pre-standing 4 p.m.

meeting.

I thought we had four non-controversial items on the agenda today on my calendar.

I'm in short time at this moment.

Councilmember Swann, would you be interested in accepting some additional edits?

One in particular is the United Nations Let me get the name correctly – United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

We haven't considered any of their important work and perspective in an international conversation.

I'm sorry, I don't understand the question.

So – Could we wait a week?

Oh, the question is should we – I was planning to come into the discussion, but I was waiting Oh, yeah.

It was not.

I can raise my hand and come into the discussion.

So I've got edits.

So I guess this is this yours.

We're putting this all on the table because we're working in a tight time space.

I've got a 4 p.m.

appointment that I have to make.

I have substantive.

I don't think that they're substantive edits, but I do have edits for you.

I would like to sign on to the letter, but would need to have these edits included for me to feel comfortable.

So my question is, would you be able to wait a week and review my edits so that I can know whether or not I can sign on?

President Pro Tem Herbold, would you like me to respond to the comments now?

Do you want me to wait?

And I apologize.

I thought that I'd heard you already answered the question of whether or not we could wait a week.

So I didn't realize, Council Member Strauss, that you were asking a question that had not already been answered.

But by all means, Council Member Sawant.

Thank you.

Yeah, as I, as I said this morning and also a few minutes ago I totally appreciate that Council members need time I have, you know, my intention is not to do it in any rush manner.

And I did not present for them herbal create the conditions in reality.

I am quite impressed by community members' passion on this issue.

It's not like I made them passionate about this issue.

This shows how much support there is to urgently address the extremely horrific situation that the Palestinian people are under.

Yes, I did reach out to people, but it's the people themselves who have decided that this is an issue important enough for them to testify in public comment.

in such great numbers and with such an intensity, which I think is correctly warranted given the scale of the violence that is going on in Israel.

And given that strength that was expressed today, and also to be honest with you in the protest yesterday, I felt obligated for myself.

I'm not saying that other all elected officials should feel the same way I do, but I feel obligated that for my office, there is a great sense of urgency that is now magnified, given what I've heard from community members, which I didn't say.

I didn't tell them what to say.

They have said what was on their minds.

So from that standpoint, I feel like the way to proceed here is for the letter to go in its current form just from my office, but also in addition to that, I am extremely interested and I would really be gratified if we as a council were to have our letter also.

So what I was going to suggest is that we don't do the roll call on the letter today.

I will send a letter from my office.

But at the same time, I also want to continue working with all offices to see if we can send an additional letter in an edited form.

with many of the edits incorporated in order to send it next Monday with a roll call.

And I'm happy to work with Council Member Strauss, of course, Council Member Scata, with whom I've already been discussing, Council Member Herbold.

I'm happy to incorporate edits.

As I said, I'm happy to incorporate any edits, especially if there are citations, but the kind of edit I don't want to incorporate is specifically making it seem as if the Palestinian people and the Israeli state are on equal ground and somehow obscuring the fact that the Israeli regime and the U.S. administration's support for the Israeli regime is what is causing this crisis.

So with that understanding, I absolutely want to work on a letter that the council can send next week.

But in the meanwhile, as I said to council members, I would prefer that at least this letter just from my office go And also I wanted to point out that the reason the new draft was circulated just 25 minutes ago was not because it's in any way haphazard.

It's because we were trying our best from our side, from our office to incorporate as many edits as possible.

And also the reason the statement went out to you all this morning was because until the very early hours of this morning, and I was working on this all of last night, We were trying to incorporate feedback from community members, which I think is extremely important.

And for all the reasons that council members stated, these are very crucial issues where opinions are very strong.

We wanted to make sure that we were consulting a whole group of community organizations and also labor unions to make sure that they felt this statement represented how they felt about this situation.

I don't agree that this letter does not powerfully express what needs to be said in the moment and in reality.

The letter is not very long, and the concrete points in the letter are reflecting the, as I said before, the white consensus on what is happening.

It's not something that reflects my style or anything like that.

It reflects the broad consensus on the main points.

And the concrete demands in the letter are that the Biden administration condemn the Israeli regime's brutality and that they withdraw diplomatic, military, and weapons support.

That's what the letter says, which I think is not – in that sense, I mean, if we are to take the correct position as history demands, that's not a controversial point in my view.

And also the reason I was hesitating to delay it anymore was because Palestinians are today being assaulted with weapons provided by the United States, and I've heard personally from people who are in touch with people in Palestine who are saying please do not delay this.

So that's the position I was representing.

So in conclusion, as I said, I would be happy to work with the council for a letter that goes from all of the council, but I do want to send this letter from my office because I feel like sending something from the city council offices today is crucial.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Swann.

I appreciate your willingness to work with us on a statement from the Council.

this balance, I think, between the strongest statement as possible with all the tough words and including a strong statement, but that is representative of a larger number of people.

And so I really appreciate you finding a path that allows us to do both things.

Council Member Sawant, I see your hand is up.

Did you mean Mosqueda?

I'm sorry.

What did I say?

I only see my hand up, so that's what I was guessing.

I really don't know what I said.

Thank you very much, Council President Pro Tem.

Also, I want to thank Council Member Sawant for bringing forward this draft today.

I appreciate the opportunity to work with you and appreciate the dual strategy that I think you just outlined.

Thanks for sharing some of those citations, and I think that to the extent that we can include further citations, we'll be able to also include some of the key Israeli organizations that have also spoken out on the current events and the current state of Israel.

I'm looking forward to including some of those citations as well.

I do want to note that the importance of the citations that I was referencing and had mentioned this morning is really to continue to call attention to the international bodies that have noted the repeated violations of international law.

I think this is an important element that will correspond nicely with the draft letter that Council Member Sawant has put forward today and the future letter that will come, which I will eagerly be signing on to and very supportive of this effort, Council Member Sawant.

that you're bringing forward today to make sure that we have the opportunity to make sure that our local voice is heard among the international and national discussions around this.

I want to also reiterate some of the points that I made this morning to really bring us back to the issue at hand so that the conversation was really centered on the need to call out unequivocally and condemn the types of international violations – international human rights violations that we continue to see.

As I mentioned this morning in council briefing, there's a call from folks across the – not only across the country but across the world coming from community and elected leaders, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and so many others.

And this also includes a call for stopping the U.S.' 's role in this type of human rights violation.

from within the United States as well.

And I mentioned that there is a colleague of ours from the city of Alexandria who has written to their congressional members.

And I read from that letter to illustrate and really illuminate the call from the East Coast to the West Coast from local city council members demanding action.

And again, just to reiterate some of the points and citations included, in the council member's statement.

Council member C.

Feldine from Austin, I mean, excuse me, Alexandria notes, there's nothing complex about the continued human rights and international law violations by the Netanyahu government.

The international community recognizes these violations, including settlements, de facto annexation, construction of barriers, and excessive use of force.

The International Court of Justice opined that Israelis actions in the occupied Palestinian territory violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenants on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, cited from ICJ.

Similarly, the UN Security Council has said that it is – that at least on six occasions that Israeli settlements are a flagrant violation under international law and have, quote, no legal validity, end quote, a position backed by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights cited by the UN.org.

Again, both Human Rights Watch and Israeli Human Rights NGO determined that Israeli actions meet the legal definition of apartheid.

Again, this is from humanrightswatch.org.

And this year, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into Israel's repeated military occupations in the Gaza Strip, including the war of 2014 and its expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.

That comes from AP News.

So in addition to the ongoing conversations that we have here, I'm looking forward to working with you, Council colleagues, to continue to include additional international citations of human rights violations.

thank the Rachel Corey Foundation for their ongoing work, who I've had the chance to work with, Rachel and Craig Corey, excuse me, Cindy and Craig Corey, in the aftermath of the murder of their daughter and my old friend, Rachel Corey, and their fight to fight against the nearly 14-year Gaza blockade, and to remind us that evictions are ongoing.

These have been ongoing for years, and the last two weeks are not a one-off event after decades of illegal occupation under international law.

So I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to lift up the call at the local level in harmony with our congressional partners who are also calling for similar actions and to make sure, as the letter states from the council members, that we respond since the world is watching and history is judging.

Look forward to the ongoing conversations about this and the future letter that we're crafting.

Look forward to signing on, thanks.

Thank you, Council Member Mosqueda.

We are down to five council members and so before we lose quorum, I just want to confirm that we don't have any additional business or anything else for the good of the order.

And hearing none, this does conclude the items of business on today's agenda.

Our next regularly scheduled council meeting is on Monday, May 24th at 1 p.m.

It is 4.02 p.m.

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon, and we are adjourned.

Thank you.