Seattle City Council 1/2/2024

We're ready to record.

Stand by, please.

Recording in progress.

We are recording.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Happy New Year, everyone.

The January 2nd, 2024 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.02 p.m.

I'm Tammy Morales, Council President Pro Tem of the City Council.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Present.

Council Member Kettle.

Present.

Council Member Moore.

Present.

Council Member Moschetta.

Present.

Council Member Nelson.

Present.

Council Member Rivera.

Present.

Council Member Saca.

Here.

Council Member Strauss.

Present.

And Council President Pro Tem Morales.

Here.

Nine present.

Thank you.

Before we begin, somebody has something on.

Okay, here we go, thank you very much.

Okay, sorry, there was an echo back here.

Okay, good afternoon, everybody.

I wanna welcome everybody.

It's so great to see all of our beautiful community here in the audience today.

Thank you for being here.

I wanna take just a few minutes to explain what's gonna happen this afternoon.

So for folks who don't know, I am the senior most council member right now, which means that I am serving as the council president pro tem until we have a voting process for a new council president, and that's gonna happen in just a few minutes here.

At that time, I'll switch seats with the person who is elected, and that person will chair the remainder of today's public meeting and will serve as the council president for 2024 and 2025. Following that, each council member will be sworn in and provide remarks to the public.

So as we begin a new term with the majority of new council members, I do want to take this opportunity to welcome my new colleagues.

I'm hopeful that together we can build a culture of collegiality and respect.

And I think we can manage some collaboration too.

That's my hope.

that we can work together for the good of all Seattleites, and that we can engage in lively discussion about policy, that we can agree to disagree about policy without acrimony or without personal animosity.

I think that's how we serve the city best, and I think we all agree, because we've all had conversations about that already.

Each of us has been duly elected by our constituents.

We can all acknowledge that our districts have some priorities that are unique to their respective constituencies and neighborhoods, and that at the same time, we have to work hard to ensure that all of our neighbors are served well.

We also know that the people of Seattle are served best when we work towards shared prosperity and equity for everyone, and with a focus on building healthy neighborhoods across our city.

Finally, this afternoon, we'll be discussing the appointment of a vacancy that will be created tomorrow when Council Member Mosqueda begins her new role as a King County Council Member.

So I wanna take this opportunity to thank Council Member Mosqueda for her years of service to the council.

You will be missed here on city council, but we couldn't ask for a better partner at the county.

So congratulations.

Okay, colleagues, we have a challenging year ahead, as I know you all know.

In 2024, this new council will vote on a new comprehensive plan to determine how our city changes and grows over the next decade.

We'll vote on a transportation levy proposal for how we ensure that our constituents can get around the city safely and reliably.

We'll be voting on the new SPOG contract, which I hope will improve accountability within our police department.

And we'll need to decide how to address a $250 million budget deficit while maintaining essential services, especially to our most vulnerable in the city.

We have not one, but several enormous tasks ahead of us this year.

So as we quickly turn our attention to appointing a new colleague by the end of the month, I hope that Seattle really continues to value critical experience that can assist us in making the really important decisions that we have to make this year.

I look forward to working with the next council president and with my colleagues as we engage the community in appointing our future colleague.

And my sincere desire is that we appoint someone who brings a level of expertise in one or more of these areas to help guide our conversations.

So, colleagues, I want to thank you for indulging me for a few moments while I have the mic.

We'll now move to the first agenda item, which is the election of our next council president.

So, we will proceed to elect the council president for 2024 and 2025. Are there any nominations?

President Pro Tem Morales.

Yes, Council Member Elect Kettle.

I nominate Council Member Nelson for Council President.

Thank you.

Council Member Nelson is nominated.

Did I hear a second?

You did.

Council Member Strauss, thank you.

Are there any other nominations?

Are there any other nominations?

I don't know if I have to do this three times, but what the heck, are there any other nominations?

Okay.

Hearing no further nominations, we will close nominations and proceed with the vote.

Will the clerk please call the roll on electing Council Member Nelson as Council President for 2024 and 2025.

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Nelson.

Aye.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

And Council President Pro Tem Morales.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

Congratulations to Council President Wilson.

We were waiting for the podium.

Well, hello, everybody.

It's a full house.

Happy New Year.

Congratulations, Huskies.

And thank you all, friends and family, for showing up today for this very momentous occasion.

And thank you, colleagues, for putting your trust in me to carry out the duties of council president.

I promise to be fair and transparent and support your success.

I'm going to keep this short.

We have one job, and that is to work together with the Harrell administration, and it's great to see also members of his cabinet and leadership here, so thank you very much for coming, to work all together to do the most good for the greatest number of people, period.

That's it.

I'm not going to list a bunch of priorities that are going to make up our legislative agenda because we know what we were sent here by the voters to do.

What really matters is how we do it.

For example, being in person.

And I have to say that it is so exciting to see everybody here getting settled in today and at the dais, actually, and seeing your staff running around.

And I'm really hoping that that continues because when we're here on site, it's just so much easier to be accessible to each other and get things done faster.

And things do move fast here, I have to say.

They do.

And they will.

But we don't rush our legislation.

We need to take the time to get the details right and really listen to all sides of an issue.

That's how we minimize unintended consequences.

So I'm really hoping that that is a practice going forward.

And then finally, we really do need to double down on our oversight role, and that means making sure that our outcomes, measuring our outcomes, are producing the intended results.

That is accountability.

I know I heard you all mention that on the campaign trail this past year, and that's how we build trust.

So I have to say that maybe people out in TV land hadn't heard me.

I have to say that my grand vision as council president is simple good governance.

And I believe that if we do business this way, we will do a whole lot of good for our constituents and deliver results for the people of Seattle.

So I'm proud to be here.

We've got a fresh start.

Now let's get to work.

Thank you very much, everybody.

All right, now let's get to the real show, right?

Remain standing.

We are going, what?

Do you want to remain standing or do you want me to move?

I'll stay here for a bit.

Okay.

All right, so we now move on to the swearing's in.

So we will proceed to the oath of office.

Ceremonies for newly elected district council members.

And we'll go in the order of the district numbers.

So, as listed on the agenda, this will be followed by brief remarks by each council member.

We'll commence with council member Rob Sacca, representing District 1. And the oath of office will be administered by council member Sacca's daughter, Maeve Sacca, and she'll be joined by his wife, Alicia Sacca, to affix the city pin.

So I will move out of the way and let you take it away.

Okay.

Okay, okay.

Raise your right hand.

I state your name.

Is the microphone on?

You can take that one out.

Here, here.

Hello, hello?

This sounds like a hotter mic.

Let's use this one.

Can you use this one maybe?

Sure.

All right.

Good job.

I state your name.

I, Rob Sacca.

Swear or affirm.

Swear.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of City Council Member.

For the position of City Council Member.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a city council member.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a city council member.

Congratulations, Daddy.

Thank you.

You look beautiful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you.

All right, first off, shout out to, give a hand for Fairmont Park Elementary's, one of Fairmont Park Elementary's finest, Meg Saka.

Thank you, and my lovely wife, Alisha, for that.

All right, good afternoon.

I am Rob Saka, and I have the absolute privilege of representing District 1, a district that represents some of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Seattle.

West Seattle, South Park, Pioneer Square, Soto, and Georgetown.

Like many of you all, I've had the honor of wearing many hats and serving in many roles in my life.

Father, son, husband, veteran, attorney.

Now, I have the incredible privilege of serving as a Seattle City Council member.

I'm thrilled to start working every day to fight and advance solutions for the city that I love.

I want to thank my family, starting with my wife, Alicia, my kids, Maeve, Wiley, and Huxley, who are here with me today, as we've learned, and have been with me every step of this incredible journey.

I wouldn't be the person I am today without you, so thank you.

Also thanks to my father, Martin, whose wise words and lessons have guided so much of me in my life.

Today I want to talk about resilience and unity.

These principles are what brought me here today.

I am the proud son of a Nigerian immigrant.

I cycled through in and out of the foster care system in the state of Minnesota before my dad, who was a Nigerian immigrant, was able to rescue me from those circumstances at age nine.

We moved out west, landed in South King County in Kent, and our struggles continued, but we struggled together.

And I watched as my dad worked long hours doing physically demanding work, including as a frontline warehouse worker in Kent, just to keep a roof over our head.

So I know what it's like to struggle, like many of the people I'm hoping to help now in this new capacity.

But it's his love, his example, that taught me the importance of resilience and community.

Resilience to come from places of injustice and inequity and unfairness and work toward a better future, not just for yourself, table stakes, but for all of us, your community, Resilience and unity are why I originally enlisted in the United States Air Force.

Right after the 9-11 attacks and some of the nation's darkest days and moments when smoke was still billowing from the ashes of the Twin Towers.

It's the spirit of resilience and unity that inspired me to serve our nation.

Resilience and unity are frankly why I became an attorney and decided to move back to Seattle after law school.

I wanted to use the power of the law to help people overcome systemic barriers that I had to face and navigate growing up.

And I also wanted to fight to create more equitable, create a better, more equitable future for people from black and brown communities.

So in the spirit of resilience and unity, that's really what inspired me to run for Seattle City Council.

And the challenges before us today, make no mistake, they're immense, they're great.

We need to improve public safety in a manner that everyone feels protected and respected.

We need to build a ton of affordable housing.

We need to take urgent action to end homelessness.

We also need to focus on critical public infrastructure projects like fixing bridges, maintaining our roads, filling potholes, and building sidewalks.

These are the basics of a well-functioning city government.

During the campaign, I repeatedly heard demands from residents across District 1 to focus on the basics.

In fact, I ended up campaigning heavily on this principle.

So much so, in fact, that I was talking to a resident of District 1 recently who said that she sort of joked, as much as you talked about all your messaging and your whole agenda on focus on the basics, it sounded like you want to be the king of potholes.

For clarity...

Yes.

I do want to be the king of potholes in District 1. And I'm calling upon my new council member colleagues to join me in this great work of becoming pothole royalty across this city.

As your council member, I am committed to prioritizing effective oversight and the effective delivery of core services that make a positive difference in people's everyday lives.

The little things in life matter, folks.

Because as General Colin Powell once said, if you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you need to develop the habit in little matters.

I'm confident in our ability to collectively accomplish these things, large or small, because of our resilience and our collaborative spirit.

I spent the last year talking to people across District 1, and I know that there's nothing we can't do when we work together.

We also have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the culture here at Seattle City Hall from the ground up, a culture that truly unifies our city.

Now, when I say unity, I don't mean that we're all going to agree on everything every single time.

We're not.

But rather, we are unified in our mutual respect and confidence that each of us are working towards a shared goal and our absolute hardest to do what we think is right and best for the city that works for most and all.

District 1 is incredibly diverse, over 100,000 people in this district.

And I personally knocked on 16,000 doors.

And through the help of volunteers, we doubled that number, knocking on 32,000 plus doors throughout the course of this campaign.

I've participated in televised debates.

I've talked to small community groups and I've sat down one-on-one with small business owners who shared with me their struggles to get by.

We ran a grassroots campaign that's focused on community building and hearing from everyone.

That's the kind of council member folks that I'm gonna be.

Someone who is available and accessible to the good residents of District One.

Someone who works with our community to find common sense solutions.

someone who will focus on building bridges between people and neighborhoods and city government, and also someone who will represent the interests of all communities, all the diverse communities across District 1. I am truly grateful for your trust and trust that I am committed to working with intensity to repay the confidence you have placed in me.

Indeed, I will work tirelessly every day, every single day, to serve you with great pride, honor and distinction.

And when we're aligned on these shared goals, I know that there's nothing we can't do together because above all else, we are resilient and we are united.

Thank you.

Next, representing District 2, Councilmember Tammy J. Morales.

Her son, Mateo Morales Teicher, will administer her oath of office and affix her city pin.

And the councilmember will also be joined by her son, Josh Teicher, and her mother, Janine Waller.

I'm supposed to use this.

Raise your right hand.

I say your name.

I, Tammy J. Morales.

Swear or affirm.

Swear.

That I possess all the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of city council member.

For the position of city council member.

That I will support the constitution of the United States.

That I will support the constitution of the United States.

The constitution of the state of Washington.

The constitution of the state of Washington.

And the charter and ordinances of the city of Seattle.

And the charter and ordinances of the city of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as Seattle city council member.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as Seattle city council member.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Okay.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon.

Well, thank you, Council President Nelson.

Thanks, everyone, for being here, and thank you to my family, my son, Mateo, as long as we're shouting out Seattle Public Schools, a proud Cleveland High School student.

Thank you.

To my husband, Harry, my son, Josh, and my mom, thank you all for being here.

I think everybody up here knows that when you run for office, you don't run by yourself.

Your whole family runs with you, and you just can't do it without their support.

So thank you all.

I'm honored to be here today to begin my second term representing the people of District 2, a part of the city with so much brilliance and so much potential.

I want to thank everyone who supported me, not just in the last year, but in the last four years as I began what was an extraordinarily unusual first term of office with a global pandemic, a global economic crisis, and a racial reckoning.

It was a lot for a brand new council member to deal with, especially when we were dealing with it mostly from home, at least for the first two years.

So thank you to everyone.

And I wanna thank the entire district for the honor of continuing to serve you.

I do wanna welcome my new colleagues to the Seattle City Council again.

I'm looking forward to working with each and every one of you.

I know we won't always agree on policy matters, but you'll always know where I stand, and I hope that that candor allows us to develop strong working relationships.

It can't be overstated how quickly four years goes by, but through collaboration and conviction of your principles, we can achieve so much.

Throughout the last year, I've been reflecting on the commitments that I made in 2019. Those commitments included investing in our young people by connecting them to higher education and to apprenticeship opportunities, to investing in restorative justice and alternatives to policing, to establishing a public development authority so that we can ensure permanently affordable housing and permanently affordable cultural space in our city.

and to creating a permanent source of funding for the Equitable Development Initiative, which helps prevent residential, commercial and cultural displacement in the city and allows for meaningful economic impact in communities of color.

Together with my colleagues support in the last few years, through various budgets, through passing 27 pieces of legislation, we were able to deliver on all of those commitments.

We invested in the Seattle Maritime Academy to connect some of our high school students to pre-apprenticeship programs.

We invested in restorative justice in South End high school programs.

We created two public development authorities, the Cultural Space Agency and the Social Housing PDA, both of which will support the city's goals of stabilizing our creative sector and stabilizing housing for renters throughout the city.

And we ensured that 9% of the Jumpstart payroll expense tax revenue is dedicated to the equitable development in communities of color.

In my next term, I'm excited to be chairing the Land Use Committee, assuming our resolution passes today.

This committee will be vital to addressing the quality of life for every Seattleite as we work on passing a new comprehensive plan that is designed around people.

That's how we serve the city of Seattle best.

My priority will be to build a Seattle within reach, one that ensures that people can have access to all the essential goods and services that they need within walking or rolling distance of a home that is affordable to them in a neighborhood that they love.

As a trained neighborhood planner, I'll be focused on community economic development, on building resource-rich neighborhoods in every part of the city, and in building social housing.

And by resource-rich neighborhoods, what I mean is making sure that our small businesses have access to commercial space that's affordable to them throughout the city, including in what is typically just residential areas.

For example, having a small business, a pharmacy, a childcare center.

As we increase density throughout the city, we'll ensure that we also create thriving, healthy neighborhoods.

One of my first actions in committee will be to pass phase two of our equitable development zoning legislation, which my office crafted with community and with our office of planning and community development to jumpstart our efforts to build generational wealth for black and brown communities and to add density without cultural, commercial or economic displacement.

I'll also be working with our fire department and with our permitting and planning departments to address commercial vacancies in district two.

We have a lot of empty buildings in our district and that's a lot of unmet potential that we need to address quickly.

We'll be working with SDOT, not just to fix potholes, which I absolutely agree with, but to ensure that our sidewalks and streets are safe for neighbors to navigate.

And we'll be working with the Office of Housing to ensure that vacant properties are going toward the kind of development that can lead to affordable and social housing.

And most importantly, I'll continue regular in-person office hours so that our constituent services continue to meet people where they are.

This is my commitment to the people of Seattle and to the people of District 2, and I'm looking forward to our next four years together.

Thank you so much.

All right, next up, representing District 3, Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth.

The oath of office, I know.

The oath of office will be administered by Leah Trevino-Jones, and the council member will be joined by her father, Raft Hollingsworth, Jr., to affix her city pin.

Thank you.

Tess, no?

Is this one right?

Hi, Leah.

You ready?

You got this.

I think you have to talk.

Testing, one, two, okay.

Please raise your right hand.

I, state your name.

I, Joy Hollingsworth.

Swear that I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle city charter.

Say that one more time, I'm sorry.

Swear that I possess all of the qualifications.

Swear that I possess all of the qualifications.

Prescribed in the Seattle city charter.

Prescribed in the Seattle municipal city charter.

In the Seattle municipal code.

In the Seattle municipal code.

For the position of city council member.

For the position of city council member.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Charter and Ordinance of the City of Seattle.

And the Charter and Ordinance of the City of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself.

And I will faithfully conduct myself.

As City Councilmember.

As City Councilmember.

Thank you, Leah.

I should have done it on your phone.

Thank you.

Thank you, Leah.

Thank you, Dad.

I'm going to just hold this one.

I told Leah if she messed up that I had to start all over again with running a campaign.

So I might have made her mess up.

I'm just playing.

Can't scare the baby like that, I'm just playing.

Thank you, Council President Nelson.

Good afternoon, I'm Joy Hollingsworth, and an absolute honor to be here today as your Seattle City Council member for District 3. I would also like to first recognize all the people that made it possible for me to be here, from your love, support, prayers, donations, volunteer hours, text messages, phone calls, pep talks, high fives.

you have been an absolute source of my strength.

The campaign started and it grew from the womb.

And I talk about this a lot, word of mouth.

It was a true team effort and there's a powerful village that literally holds me up today, every single day.

As many as you know, I was born and raised in Seattle.

My family has called District 3 home for the last four generations.

I talk about the campaign trail three generations, but actually it was my great grandmother who moved here, so four generations.

I'm just a kid from the Central District who grew up at the knees of civil rights legends, who helped shaped our city.

I'm just a kid who ran a lemonade stand with my brother at our parents' driveway, shooting layups at Garfield Community Center, hitting golf balls at Jefferson Park with my dad and Fred Couples.

I sang in the church choir at First Amy Church.

I see my pastor here, Pastor Anderson.

I was at Alto.

I could hold a note every now and then.

And my choir teacher, Miss Sandra Jackson, and I see Simeon here as well.

I played piano at recitals at Meany Middle School.

Speech contests at Topset Seward.

District 3 is literally in my DNA.

My parents, Raft and Rhonda, would drive to the ends of the earth for every basketball game.

And now you're sitting from a bleachers of the hot summer gym, now you're sitting at City Hall watching me give this speech.

You have been my biggest cheerleader since day one.

You've been married for 40 years.

And mom says, dad, you have 40 more to go.

I'm going to pray for you.

Growing up, I had three amazing women in my life who helped prepare my world.

My mother was my teacher.

She was born and raised in the Calio projects in New Orleans.

She taught me every day how to be smart and be nimble and how to navigate a world that did not look like me.

I had my Aunt Jackie, the second woman in my life.

She was the example.

Another kid from the Central District who grew up to be a Boeing executive.

She exposed me to a world I never knew existed until you sat me in that office chair at 11 years old and said, can you see yourself one day sitting in a chair like this?

And last but not least, my grandmother, Dorothy.

She was my role model.

Born in South Carolina.

Born in South Carolina, she would later move on to move here in the 1940s to Seattle.

She would graduate from the School of Social Work from the University of Washington and later become our council president in the 1970s.

She didn't have to teach me much.

She just did.

How she walked in a room, how she talked, how she presented herself, her red high heels, that signature smile.

She was known as the Velvet Hammer.

And then I also see a bunch of women that are sitting in this audience that when I walked in, I saw you.

And I might forget some of you, but I saw Mother Harriet Walden, Miss Janet Preston, Representative Deborah Intiman, former Council Sherry Harris, my godmother, Linda Taylor, Vicki Beach, former Representative Don Mason, my first basketball coach, Marvena Kemp, Ms. Domarie Cooper, Ms. Roxanne Buchanan, Ms. Charlotte, there's so many of you here.

I know I forgot some of you, so please don't get mad at me.

I just ran through.

But you all, I've been standing on your shoulders as well.

I ran for city council because I love the values of Seattle.

This has been the second most hardest thing I've ever done.

A lot of people don't know, at the age of 16, I had heart surgery at Children's Hospital.

That was the first hardest thing.

This has been the second hardest thing.

Community, culture, and commerce.

We know it was when we knew our neighbors.

We shook our hands face to face.

We looked them in the eyes.

We had conversations on our differences, but we always found the commonality.

We as adults, bless you, we as adults took pride in being role models for our youth and working as a team.

That was the Seattle way.

Leah, the young lady who swore me in, 13 years old, has a cold crossover, she's quick to the ball, and has an amazing floor presence.

She's a seventh grader at Rainier Valley Leadership Academy.

Leah deserves to grow up in a city where she has an opportunity like I did.

Affordable childcare, clean parks, abundant after school programs, vibrant community centers, and activities for our youth.

To Grandma, yes, that is her name.

Everyone calls her Grandma, who turned her apartment into a food pantry for her entire building in South Seattle.

Grandma deserves to access affordable food and services for her community, and she also deserves to age gracefully in place.

To Bart, the owner of Blue Water Bistro, a small business that has been open for over 30 years, who struggled to make ends meet.

but he kept his business going for his employees and customers in the neighborhood of Leschi Community.

So the artists, musicians, and creators of Capitol Hill who make things that last a lifetime, you have kept us engaged and connected.

And as we build as a city to bounce back, the arts is going to be a priority in that movement.

First responders from our fire department, social workers, police department, family support workers, doctors, nurses, and EMTs.

We have more hospitals in District 3 than any other parts in the city.

And I love that.

I own that.

We also have one of the busiest fire stations.

We're also home to the East Precinct, a precinct that Sam Smith, the first black city council person, helped establish in our city.

You have all have worked overtime to keep our city safe and healthy.

Thank you, your work does not go unnoticed and we will work hard as a council to help advocate and for more support and resources for your continued work.

To the daycare owners who provide an essential public service to help educate our kids, especially early learning, thank you.

Apple, Ms. Deborah, Ms. Lois who is here.

To name a few amazing daycare providers in our district, you work day and night helping feed the minds of our little babies.

I had a basketball coach.

I'm going to end with this.

I had a basketball coach.

His name was Coach Hopkins.

He coached for the Seattle Sonics for a little bit.

And when he retired, he took a project on like me.

I had a little smart mouth every now and then.

But two times a week, we would go in the gym, and he'd put me in the corner.

He'd make me pivot for 30 straight minutes every single time.

And anyone who's in here played sports, you don't want to pivot for 30 minutes basketball.

You want to dribble.

You want to shoot.

You want to go ahead and be like Mike.

And so one day I asked, I said, hey, Coach Hopkins, why are you putting me in the corner to pivot all the time?

Like, why are you doing this?

And he said, girl, I am teaching you the fundamentals of the game.

If you don't know the fundamentals, you can't know the game.

That is where our city is at right now.

The fundamentals of our city have to be prioritized for us to continue to grow.

The functionality, not politics.

Not politics.

As we continue to help Seattle be a safer, cleaner, greener, and economic opportunity for everyone, let's start taking ownership and accountability and responsibility and stop saying the city of Seattle and start saying our city of Seattle.

Looking forward to working with my new teammates on a new team for a new goal, for a new championship.

And we will work hard together.

And God bless Seattle.

God bless the people who call the city home.

Thank you so much.

Next, representing District 4, Maritza Rivera.

The oath of office.

The oath of office will be administered by her daughter, Elena Cully Rivera, and her city pin will be affixed by her mother, Ada Maldonado.

I, state your name, swear or affirm.

I, Maritza Rivera, affirm.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle city charter.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle charter.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of city council member.

For the position of city council member.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the state of Washington.

The Constitution of the state of Washington.

And the charter and ordinances of the city of Seattle.

And the charter and ordinances of the city of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as city council member.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as city council member.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

I love you so much.

I love you too much.

Thank you, Council President Nelson, and good afternoon to everyone here.

I first want to thank my family, especially my mom, who along with my dad instilled the importance of serving community, and it's the reason I'm standing up here before you today.

I also want to thank residents in the D4 and my friends across the city who are responsible also for me being here today.

I'm grateful for your support and your trust in my abilities.

And thank you all for being here today.

Happy New Year.

We're launching a new city council term as well as a new year.

And I am energized and looking forward to working with my colleagues and with Mayor Harrell to bring Seattle back to the safe and vibrant city that we all love.

I decided to run for office after the terrible shooting at Ingram High School where both my daughters attend.

Public safety was my top priority during my campaign and it did not take long to learn that it is also a top priority for the residents of District 4 as well as residents across the city.

On the behalf of the residents of District 4, I will act with urgency and focus to reduce 911 response times, get enough officers on the streets to keep our children and all citizens safe, and create public safety alternatives because we know that every situation does not require a uniformed officer.

I'm also committed to bringing both accountability and civility back to City Hall.

Our city programs should be consistently delivering their intended results with robust systems in place to measure progress and outcomes.

If programs don't deliver, then we must act and make necessary changes to meet our city's goals.

As city leaders, we owe it to Seattle to work together as respectful partners to ensure that positive progress is made.

This group of people embodies so many rich backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and opinions.

I will always be ready to listen to and work with everyone to restore Seattle to the safe and welcoming and more affordable city that I moved to more than 20 years ago.

I believe we can earn back the trust and respect of residents of Seattle.

I'm humbled by the privilege to work with my colleagues on the council, with Mayor Harrell, and with our entire community.

Now let's get to work.

Thank you, gracias.

All right.

Next, representing District 5, Councilmember Kathy Moore.

The oath of office...

The oath of office will be administered and her city pin will be affixed by her father, Gerald Moore.

Are you ready for this?

I'm ready.

Aye.

Aye.

State your name.

Kathy Moore.

Swear or affirm.

Affirm.

That I possess all the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle city charter.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle city charter.

And the Seattle municipal code.

And the Seattle municipal code.

For the position of city council member.

For the position of city council member.

That I will support the constitution of the United States.

That I will support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a city council member.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a city council member.

Oh goodness.

So I think I'll use this mic.

Hello, everyone.

This is just such a momentous occasion.

I wanted to say, Council President, colleagues, my dear family, and well-wishers near and far, it is an absolute honor to stand before you today as the newly elected council member for the best district in Seattle, District 5. I wanted to thank the many individuals and organizations and groups across District 5 and citywide that made this privilege possible today.

And I also wanted to shout out a special thank you to my early supporters, many of you who are here today, for propelling me through the primary.

And I wanted to make a special shout out to Mayor Bruce Harrell and also to LIUNA 242 and the building trades, our amazing firefighters and TREPAC.

I've always considered myself lucky to call Seattle home.

It is a dynamic city known for paradigm changing innovation, publicly accessible natural beauty, and a social and environmental consciousness that has put us at the leading edge of social and progressive change.

But proud as I am of our city, we do have work to do.

When I started this journey 10 months ago, I believed that I would find others who shared my concern for the future of Seattle.

But what I found was far more than that.

I found people across District 5 and the city exhausted.

Exhausted by the tectonic shifts wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ravages of the fentanyl epidemic, an eight year and counting homelessness emergency, and a rapidly reshaping city landscape and climate.

I found people hungry for connection, for normalcy, and for order.

So I see this recent election as a call for a lifeline out of this bewildering and battering storm that our city has endured these past four years.

Finding our way forward will require us to recalibrate thoughtfully and carefully, to build upon the positive changes and advances forged out of the crucible of the past four years, advances such as the Civilian Alternative Response Team, while also being unafraid to reshape or retire approaches that fall short, particularly when addressing our homelessness and housing affordability needs.

So friends, at this time, when the sirens of a strong man sing loudly, we must demonstrate that a pluralistic society and a democratic government can meet the needs of all of its residents for safety, for shelter, for opportunity, for comfort, and for joy, and for care.

I have no doubt that Seattle will rise to this challenge and that we will once again be a leader.

Thank you so much.

Godspeed.

All right, next, representing District 6, Councilmember Dan Strauss.

The oath of office will be administered by retired King County Superior Court Deputy Clerk Nestor Tamayo, and a city pin will be affixed by former Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw.

Congratulations.

Thank you, thank you.

Anybody?

I won't.

Right hand.

Okay.

I state your name.

I, Daniel Aaron Ingersoll Strauss.

Swear and affirm.

Swear and affirm.

That I possess all the qualifications described in Seattle City Charter.

Did I say that again?

Okay.

Who wrote this?

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

That I possess all of the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

We did this once before.

We did.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

And the Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of City Council Member.

For the position of City Council Member.

And I will support the Constitution of the United States.

And I will support the Constitution of the United States of America.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Charter and Ordinance of the City of Seattle.

And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a City Council Member.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as a Seattle City Council Member.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Master.

I love you, dude.

Good afternoon.

I'm council member Dan Strauss representing Ballard, Fremont, Finney, Green Lake, Greenwood, Magnolia, many micro neighborhoods and everyone in the city of our city of Seattle.

I want to first, it is a humble honor to get to represent the district and the city that raised me.

I do want to first thank my family for all the love and support you provide.

For my wife, Caroline, even on our hardest days, we get through them because we get through them together.

And to my parents, Robert and Chris, for giving me the life that I have lived.

Thank you.

Because I really could not do this job without you.

I also want to thank and introduce my friends Nestor Tamayo and former council member Sally Bagshaw.

You both give me so much strength in hard times and in good.

Nestor's got a lot of fans in this world.

Nestor dedicated his life to service with the United States Army Department of Defense and as a King County deputy clerk and as an active member as well as former commander of the Ballard-Eagleson Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Councilmember Bagshaw dedicated her life to service with the University of Washington, King County Metro, the County Prosecutor's Office, and here at the Seattle City Council.

One common thread that they did realize before we came out here today is that they both worked for Norm Mayling, who cultivated collaborative government and was a towering figure in our community because of how he worked to bring people together and treated them with respect.

By doing so, he elevated each person's ability to solve daily problems and rise to their full potential, serving our community.

I see Norm in both of you, and living his example is what gives me strength needed to serve our city today.

A short story while they're here with us.

One evening, I was sitting with Nestor and our friend Casey.

I was complaining about this or that, and Nestor looked at me and he challenged me.

He said, well, then why don't you do something about it?

And he and Casey urged me to seek this path because it isn't good enough to complain.

We must each do all we can to solve the issues we face.

So thank you, Nestor and Casey, for encouraging me to seek office and get things done for our city and our community.

I then went to Sal, Councilmember Bagshaw, to ask for her opinion about this, running for office.

And before the end of the day, she said that I was going to do it.

Wait, I was just asking your opinion.

And before I knew it, she was telling others that I was running for office even before I felt confident that I was.

Thank you, Sally, for never letting me look back and always believing in me.

Colleagues, I know each of you are here because you want to be the change we want to see in our city.

We each have the people in our lives like Nestor and Sally who give us inspiration by dedicating their own lives to service, to dedicating their lives to our community and to our nation.

We together have the opportunity to reset the culture here at the Seattle City Council.

As many of you stated, it is my vision that we have a collaborative team where we can disagree without being disagreeable or disparaging each other.

Yes, we are off the campaign trail.

And yes, we are here to govern in a way that sets our city up to reach its highest potential.

A place where we don't have to put each other down to put ourselves up.

A place where we come to build upon each other's strengths to get the job done.

Council Member Saka, proud resident of Delridge.

I already see you bringing this collaborative energy.

I'm going to go off script because your pothole king comment is I'm right there with you.

Let's get this job done.

Council Member Morales, I look forward to continuing to work with you on land use issues.

As you know, that subject is so close to my heart.

It was hard to give up, and I am comforted and confident to know you are at our helm.

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Community, culture, commerce.

Those three words summarize the Seattle I grew up in.

And while Ballard is so far away, we did not have as many people as you were able to bring from the Central District.

And I know we didn't grow up together, but in some ways it felt like we did.

Because back then, the 48 bus route ran straight from my house straight to your house.

That bus doesn't exist anymore all the way it used to.

But that connection kept our communities together.

And the vision that I already see you rooted in is one that I believe in as well.

Councilmember Rivera, we've already worked together reopening farmers markets during the pandemic and making government work for everyday residents.

I'm looking forward to partnering with you and Councilmember Moore representing North Seattle, especially since Green Lake, which I consider all part of our district since it is the center of North Seattle and the heaviest used park in the entire city.

Councilmember Moore, you bring a unique perspective, having served in so many important roles, including superior court judge, understanding the separation of powers, and having inside knowledge into the systems of behavioral health and the judicial system will be invaluable to all of us.

Councilmember Kettle, I think you're the only one of us who has briefed at the White House.

I'm honored to share Magnolia with you, and I know that there's so much that we can accomplish together as long as we use the Panucci Rule.

Council Member Mosqueda, I'm gonna miss the heck out of you.

Facing the biggest budget hole in recent memory, you have set us up well to tackle the problems ahead, and if we need anything, including funding, I know we'll just call across the street.

I'm joking, but in all seriousness, I'm gonna miss working with you every day.

Council President Nelson, In such a short amount of time, we've already set the foundation to reset the culture of our legislative bodies in such important ways.

And this is on script, even though you said it earlier, this is how much we're already alike.

You read the details, all of the details.

And with this level of oversight, I'm proud to call you council president.

And for anyone who didn't know, she is a doctor.

It is us working together that will create the success we all want and know we can be.

My office spends the most amount of our time on our three top priorities, addressing public safety, addressing homelessness, and creating housing that is affordable for working families, because the family that I grew up in should be able to afford to live in the Seattle of today and tomorrow.

On top of focusing our time and resources on these priorities, in the last year, we've gotten a lot done.

We reopened the Ballard Commons Park.

We proposed a workable solution to the Burke-Gilman Trail missing link.

We passed the strongest tree protections in municipal city's history.

We've protected our maritime and industrial lands.

We passed key elements of the downtown activation plan, and we addressed the climate crisis by passing the building performance standards and so much more.

I have to thank my team, Kate, Naomi, Amy, and Anthony for being able to get this work done.

But I have to...

be very candid, that these achievements were only because of our partners in the community, in Mayor Harrell's office and with the mayor, and to everyone who stood up to stop complaining and help achieve the solutions.

My office is just a conduit for getting things done.

And it's an honor to do office hours every single week and have our district director in district so much of the time.

We set the table for partners to be part of the solution, which is how we were able to get so much done last year.

And of course, with Mayor Harrell's leadership from the top down, we have improved our city over the last two years in ways I honestly never thought possible.

With his leadership, we've reset the trajectory of our city and we still have so much more work to do.

He has brought an approach I haven't seen before.

I don't think it's corny, but some people say it is.

But it is the one Seattle approach.

And it's so important because we break down barriers to work together to solve the most intractable problems.

Mayor Harrell leads with his heart and with love, and by setting this example from the top down, it gives our city workers and everyone involved express permission to solve the issue of the day through collaboration, urgency, and outcomes that are uniquely Seattle.

Because of his leadership in our work, we are in a better position than our West Coast peers.

We're better positioned than Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, And things are better, but better is not good enough.

I know we all agree, which is why we're all here together.

And it's not good enough to be better than our peer cities.

We must be the best we can be.

We have strong bones and with our reasonable expectations, we know that we can be the gem of the nation, of the West Coast and of the Pacific Northwest.

We have so much work to do and to do it together.

To be the gem of the nation, we need more than good bones, though.

We need the vibrancy that makes our bones colorful and unique.

Our city is a collection of neighborhoods, each which provide unique contributions.

And we will create the vibrancy we need by government focusing on the basics and staying out of the way through business activity and community involvement, just like we've been doing in downtown and we have already done on Ballard Avenue.

Growing up in District 6, I see the horizon, and it has a brighter future than what we have today, as long as we don't let up.

I've dedicated my life to public service, I've navigated hard times, and I've delivered for our city and district by bringing people to find common ground.

I'm committed to keeping the momentum to make our city the gem we know it to be.

I look forward to working with each of you, working for the residents of District 6 in Seattle, and now, let's get the job done for our city.

All right.

Finally, representing District 7, Councilmember Robert Kettle.

The oath of office will be administered by his father-in-law, Anthony Dunn, and daughter, Evelyn Kettle.

His wife, Sarah Dunn, and daughter will affix the city pin.

I learned a lesson from the earlier ones.

I brought the oath, and I'm placing it right here just in case.

Raise your right hand, please, Bob.

I, Robert Kettle, swear that.

I, Robert Kettle, swear that.

I possess all the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter and the Seattle Municipal Code.

I possess all the qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter and the Seattle Municipal Code.

For the position of city council member.

For the position of city council member.

That I support the Constitution of the United States.

That I support the Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution of the State of Washington.

And the Constitution of the State of Washington.

In the charter and ordinance of the city of Seattle.

In the charter and ordinances of the city of Seattle.

And that I will faithfully conduct myself as the city council member.

And I will faithfully conduct myself as a city council member.

Congratulations, Bob.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you, Council President Nelson.

My colleagues on the City Council, as so wonderfully done by Dan in terms of highlighting their strengths.

And most importantly, thank you, District 7. I also want to make a special thank you to my father-in-law, Tony Dunn, and especially my wife, Sarah, and our daughter, Abby, for my ceremonial oath.

As a new council member, I'm looking to bring my public service experience from my naval career and the past decade of being a civic volunteer and community leader to my new role.

So in that point, I want to thank my former military commanders, but also my nonprofit community leaders here in Seattle for their support.

Jackie Miller from the World Affairs Council Seattle.

Ellen Monrad and Paula Mueller from the Queen Anne Community Council.

Allie Teeter Baker from the Baylor Eagleson VFW Post 3063. And now I have to give a shout out to Nestor as well, who's also representing with a few others from the VFW Post.

Thank you.

And also Lane Ross, chair of the West Precinct Advisory Council.

Thank you for your support over the past decade and growing me into the Seattleite that I am now.

Moving forward.

My focus remains on public safety, public health and homelessness.

These pillars are needed to further our ability to activate our downtown neighborhood, the viability of our public transport system and sustainability of our post pandemic recovery.

Ultimately, though, it's about creating a safe base for our children, our families, our small businesses, and bigger ones too, our schools, our buses, but also importantly, for the most vulnerable among us and for those in crisis.

More broadly, a focus for me includes the fact that we are a port city.

We were a port a century ago and will be a century from now.

We cannot escape our topography, our geography.

We must protect our port and address the issues facing it and our city.

And this comes with our members here in District 1 and 6. We have to work together.

But also, we need to acknowledge, too, that our port city's role is not just for our city, but also for our region, our state, and our nation.

Further...

Our city is a gateway, our city, not the city, is a gateway to the world.

We must embrace this not just for the economic reasons, but also for the academic, the sporting, and the cultural benefits our city receives.

Understanding the world means understanding how beautifully diverse our world is, and in turn, understanding how beautifully diverse our city is becoming and can become.

My father came to America, sure, with an American dream that was in part centered on educational opportunity.

So he would often ask me, hey, why did I come to America, Bob?

And the answer was always, even after the thousands time, education, education, education.

With respect to education, we need to champion our libraries, a charter duty for their role in our communities.

As a stay-at-home dad, I saw how important libraries were for early education, but also what they've become for the elderly and everybody in between.

They've essentially become a community center.

So we must support our library system and ensure all communities have access to one.

A focus on policy and issues is important, but as important is good governance.

Good governance is centered on leadership.

Leadership with a North Star.

Incorporating accountability and transparency with program oversight being central.

Good governance also means being engaged with neighborhood and community organizations.

It underlines everything and includes bringing in all stakeholders, listening to all stakeholders, being positive in its engagement.

As noted, like the mayor's one Seattle plan, we need that positive engagement, but it's about getting the nuts and bolts of local government done.

To this end, we will create the District 7 Neighborhood Council and hold meetings, bringing together the neighborhood community councils and other community organizations to help connect them to City Hall and, more importantly in some respects, to each other so they understand the needs of our district and our city.

So, in closing, I am grateful for this opportunity.

I am honored to work with my fellow council members in partnership and collaboration, all of you.

and I'm committed to serving our city.

I want to thank again my family, both here and in Western New York, for their love and support, and God bless the city of Seattle.

Thank you.

Well, I have to say, and this is completely unscripted as well, how can you not listen to all those speeches and recognize, I don't know, how lucky we are as a city to have these leaders now.

And, yeah.

You heard common themes and I just have to say that we will, we're gonna follow through and you're gonna keep us, you're gonna keep on us and you're gonna make sure that we do it.

So thank you all very much.

You're our witnesses and I want to say one thing that we will have a short reception that will follow the conclusion of this meeting.

The reception is located in Bertha Knight Landis on the first floor and all are welcome to attend.

One last thing, I just have to say, I can't just wait to get to work with you.

I am really looking forward to getting to know you all.

And I think we're gonna have some fun too on top of everything.

One shout out to my husband, Matt, and my son, Nelson.

I was sworn in by Zoom two years ago, so I just wanted to say thank you very much for coming.

This sort of felt like my oath taking as well, so.

All right, this is a natural time to leave if you don't want to stay, but you're very much welcome to stay.

We're going to move into public comment now.

Madam Clerk, how many speakers are signed up?

Oh, yeah, we're going to transition.

So, natural break.

My people.

Man, I didn't even see you.

Just a hot mic.

I didn't even see you.

You look...

I'm sorry.

I would...

We got this together.

Thank you.

I would have gave you a...

I'm sorry.

I would have gave you a shout-out.

I love you.

Hey, good to see you.

Thank you for coming.

Testing, testing.

love you so much thank you thank you for being here

Alrighty.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

Am I allowed to go say hi?

You know, it's kind of weird.

So stay in place.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Chair Nelson, are we ready to come back to order?

We are ready to come back to order.

Thank you.

It's been the last time I'll probably use this gavel.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Peter.

All right, colleagues, at this time, we will now open the public comment period of our hybrid meeting.

Madam Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today?

We have five in person and six remote.

All right.

We'll start with the speakers that came in person first, and everybody will have two minutes.

Okay, thank you.

I will read the instructions here.

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

The period for the meeting is 20 minutes, and each speaker will be given two minutes.

I'll begin on calling on the in-person speakers, and I'll call in the order that you were signed up on the sign-in sheet.

I'll call on each speaker by name, and once you come to the, once I call your name, come to the podium and speak.

For remote speakers who will be called on after the in-person speakers, once I call your name, listen for a prompt of you have been unmuted, and that will be your cue to press star six to unmute your phone.

Speakers remote and in-person will hear a chime when there's 10 seconds left of your public comment, and that is your cue to wrap it up, because we will be turning off the mics.

So our first two speakers in person, the first speaker is Matt Chan, and Matt will be followed by Carolyn Malone.

Is Matt Chan here?

Oh, there you go.

And also, it's good to speak right into the microphone so it picks up your voice.

Go ahead.

My name is Matt Chan, and I'm here to actually congratulate Council President Nelson.

Thank you.

He's been a big supporter of the Chinatown International District.

And my comment today really is I want to address everyone who's new on the council to really take a look at trying to solve this year, this term, the intractable problems in the Chinatown International District.

12th and Jackson has been a blight on this city.

And I want you to think of maybe centering the solutions on the children, the residents, and the businesses.

Far too long we look at the problems and think we can police our way out of this.

I don't think we can.

But I think as a new council, if you look at this and together come up with a real solution to solve this problem once and for all, because the neighborhood deserves more than that.

It's the last functioning Chinatown in the Pacific Northwest.

and it deserves better than it's getting.

Because you can go down there anytime, day or night, and not feel safe.

And if your priority is public safety, I encourage you all to live up to your word and take care of this blight on this community, my cultural home, and the city of Seattle.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Carolyn Malone, who will be followed by Alex Zimmerman.

Go ahead, Carolyn.

I have a pretty loud voice, so I think you can hear me without this.

I'm Carolyn Malone.

I've been here numerous times.

I live in senior housing on First Hill, Catholic Housing Services.

And my senior housing should not be the residence of Seattle Police.

Joseph Ellenbos is one of them.

Thank you.

Person, another.

And then the infamous Daniel Autora.

And in case you discount what I'm saying, then I ask you to keep in mind that what Daniel Autora and Mike Solon said about a young woman from India, that her life had limited value.

Keep in mind what Burden Hill said, vulgar language taught an Asian elderly woman for telling him to put his dog on a leash.

Keep in mind what...

the East Precinct mockery, tombstone mockery of Demarius Butler at 12th and Pine.

So my complaints will continue until Seattle Police are removed from my house.

And I've contacted numerous agencies.

I've contacted Adult Protective Services.

I've contacted the Attorney General.

I've contacted Solid Ground.

I've contacted Housing Justice Project, Northwest Housing, and I get thwarted, and the retaliation continues.

Right now, the door on my apartment is busted.

Someone did it?

I don't know.

I taped it, came here today.

Being black in Seattle and King County should not be a marker for police harassment, intimidation, violation, and violence.

And I shall return.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Alex Zimmerman, and Alex will be followed by Reverend Harriet Walker.

Yeah.

Yeah, you can start.

Yeah.

Ze Heil, my commie Nazi fascist, a newcomer from Animal Farm.

My name, Alec Zimmerman, a president of Stand Up America.

Thank you very much.

I very appreciate you.

You make me very big guy, celebrity now.

I spoke here almost for 20 years, except 16 trespass for $1,400.

So for four year, I cannot come and speak this, but I very appreciate you because you make right now me celebrity because nobody in King country, state Washington or America have 16 trespasses for 400 day.

You're doing very good job.

I like you guys.

You are best, best freaking idiot.

But as I see for 40 year, what as I live here, it's a nice, nice, nice.

And I very appreciate you.

So many from you support by Mayor Harrell, who first mayor.

And my history, you know what this mean?

In under my eyes, for two year, never have one Q&A.

How many Q&A will be have you, huh?

My question, why you quiet?

Are you going to talk to people?

New generation of animal farm?

Or this will be one science pig and another science pig?

Yeah?

It's a shame for you.

I've been talking about this for many years.

You need to go to council.

for public hearing in your district every month.

And for 10 year I talking open better room in city hall, one time per week for open public conversation.

We have a fascism government controlling by degenerate idiot.

It's my experience.

I talking about this for many year, zero reaction.

You will be different?

No, you not will be different.

Because when you will be different, Seattle will be different.

So stand up, America.

We need clean another generation of bandita who make us life miserable.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Reverend Harriet.

One moment.

I just wanted to say our rules prohibit abusive and harassing language and disrupting behavior.

That is...

comes close to an example of such, so please don't speak like that to us and to your fellow citizens and residents when you give public comment.

Thank you.

That's right.

Yay, yay.

Council President, Council President, point of order.

Council President, point of order.

I am putting on the record that his opening statements were abusive and harassing.

Yep.

Thank you.

Yes.

Reverend Harriet Walker, please.

Hi, good afternoon.

My name is Reverend Walden, and I've been speaking to the city council since 1990. And I work with all the police chiefs from Chris Simon to the present one.

And I'm just so happy to see a new council.

I mean, the last four years was just something.

So anyway, I'm just happy that you're here.

And I'm speaking for Mothers for Police Accountability and not the Community Police Commission.

So I'm speaking for an organization that's 34 years old, working for police accountability.

We're collaborators.

We stayed at the table.

We never took our marbles and went home.

So I'm absolutely ecstatic about working with the new council and public safety.

We have a community that has been forgotten when it comes to public safety.

I mean, everybody comes and talk about Black Lives Matter when the police has harmed people.

But when we're harming ourselves and we having all the mothers who are weeping, especially in a lot of the other districts, nobody says a word.

It's silence.

And so all the people who say they speak for Black Lives Matter, I guess they see today, Black people can speak for themselves.

We've been speaking.

We've been here before the Civil War.

Our ancestors.

We're the stolen ones.

We've been here for a long time.

Long time.

So really, I'm just really glad to be here.

I'm glad to see the new council.

I work in collaboration and let's keep Lake Washington Boulevard open for people who are differently able.

Don't let the bicycles win and they take Lake Washington Boulevard away from people who are differently able.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Evan.

Our next speaker is Manny Conning, I believe.

Manny will be followed by Jewel Rolls.

Good afternoon, honorable chair and distinguished members of city council.

I'm Manny Kowalian, executive director for Inspire Washington.

We champion opportunities for a broad statewide coalition of cultural businesses with missions in science, heritage, and the arts, and the commercial creative industry.

From large organizations to small in urban or rural regions, all businesses are vital because of the communities that count on them for high quality of life.

On behalf of our broad cultural coalition, we congratulate all of you.

We were thrilled to get to know many of you during our candidate forums, and we look forward to working together on Seattle's cultural future.

Here in Seattle, arts and cultural programs are a source of inspiration and civic pride.

In our city, our vibrant programs are not extra, they are basic.

The city's historic investment of admission tax revenue provides stability to hundreds of small cultural businesses and therefore jobs to thousands of creative and cultural workers that are trying to make a home here.

We look forward to speaking more about Seattle's policy of 100% dedication of admission tax to the Office of Arts and Cultural Sector.

We believe in their leaders and being able to provide those funds equitably to all of our businesses.

There are many cultural opportunities and challenges ahead.

For our sector, the pandemic has a long tail.

And many businesses need further help as they stabilize and restart programs in a very challenging landscape.

You probably heard our good news.

Inspire Washington, after a passionate campaign with the help of our coalition of advocates, earned the unanimous support of the Metropolitan King County Council to adopt Doors Open.

This is the local authorization of Washington's cultural access program, and our company served as the primary proponent.

Yes, cultural funding will expand significantly through 4Culture, our county's cultural agency, but City of Seattle's support through admission tax remains a critical piece of the puzzle.

I look forward to briefing you all on Doors Open and working with you on this big, exciting future.

Thank you.

Thank you, we'll now move into remote public commenters.

And our first remote public commenter is Toby Thaler, and Toby will be followed by David Haynes.

And remember, please press star six to unmute your phones.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

We could.

All right.

Happy New Year and welcome to the new council members and welcome back to CM Strauss and CM Morales and for just today to CM Mosqueda and a special congratulations to CM Nelson as council president.

Have fun.

Two major issues before you in 2024 are of great concern to me and many other Seattle residents.

First, the tree ordinance adopted last summer is an example of the council failing to properly exercise its legislative and oversight powers in the face of executive actions.

It has been well documented in the press how this happened.

The council allowed private interests to manage the development of the new ordinance and largely ignored recommendations by the urban forestry commission expressly designated in the city code to advise the council on urban forestry issues.

Second, regarding the comprehensive plan, this is a major update required by the state growth management act.

CM Morales accurately noted that the comp plan is the first listed task before you in 24. Improved urban forestry policies can be included in the comp plan and you would serve the city well to do so.

Finally, the provision of additional housing, especially low income housing, is a major, if not the major issue to be addressed in the comp plan.

The update process includes consideration of and mitigation for impacts on the environment, including displacement due to the loss of low-income housing.

The best mitigation measures for displacement are to prevent it from happening.

The best way to prevent displacement is to require the replacement of existing and construction of new housing affordable to low-income people when giving to

Thank you.

Chair, I missed two in-person speakers, so I'd like to call on Jules Rawls, who will be followed by Nate Miles, and then we'll go back to the remote speakers.

Okay.

Thank you.

Go ahead, Jules.

Hi, it's Julie Rawls.

I'm new to Chinatown for about a year and a half.

And I happen to be a fan of ceasefires, collie intruses, and the idea of a 988 system.

I brought my little kit that I wear around in Chinatown.

When I first got there, there was a lot of turmoil.

I contacted Joe McDermott's office and asked, I'm a physician but disabled, how can I be involved?

And I was told, oh, he's already picked the people he wants to work with.

OK, so I still managed to be involved.

I found this woman, Tanya Wu.

And I'm also a fan of Tanya Wu.

And I would like you to consider voting her in to replace Theresa, who already left, I guess.

Just want to share with you some of the things walking around Chinatown.

Just going to the library or to Uwajimaya To see somebody under a blanket?

I already have PTSD from different things in my life.

It terrified me.

So I went over to ICHS to try and get Narcan.

Figured you could just walk in and they give it to you.

Nope.

Had to order it.

So I ordered it, put it on a necklace, because seeing addicts around, they will walk off.

Their stuff will be stolen.

I try and talk them into using it.

And people around the neighborhood wear it and learn how to use it.

We also love our local library and they have the resource guide.

Thank you city for providing us with that.

My time's getting short.

I always carry water too.

The 988 system, I was in a workshop spring of 2022, came here, nobody seemed to know anything about it.

So I really appreciate it.

I got Tammy and Teresa to work on that because we have to do it as a network.

So I just say goodbye, Joe McDermott.

See you later, alligator.

To Teresa, Tammy, and hopefully Tanya, no matter what, we're all going to be in there together.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Nate Miles, and then we'll return back to remote speakers.

Good afternoon.

Um, uh, Madam President and members of the Council.

It's a great day in Seattle.

I just gotta say, um, I've been in and around the Seattle in the politics a long time in this place and I know, like a lot of people here, it's a fresh start.

It's a time for change, a change that many of us, especially in the business community and in the community at large, has been waiting for a long time, where you're talking to the mayor's office, the mayor's office is talking to you, and you are the change that many of us have sought for a long time.

And we're just looking for that fresh start to take place.

We've heard a lot about the police and whether the police gonna do.

I can just tell you, I'm glad to see the police and us talking about the police, but the police in a different way.

I've seen the police now back on bikes.

We haven't seen that in a long time.

I've seen the police now.

We're talking about the police and mental health, that they get to a place, and it's not just police in uniforms going to lock somebody up, that they're going there in case there's mental health issues going on.

They can help take care of those people who have some mental health issues Councilwoman Hollingsworth that they can talk to and take those people and make sure they get the help they need.

That's the thing that we need to make sure that they get the right help that they need.

And this is a council that understands that, that it's not just pour a bunch of money into something that means lock people up.

It means pour enough money into taking care of people that need to get taken care of.

And I like that because that's the kind of conversation we're going to have to have out of this body.

And I'm so glad to hear it.

I heard it on the campaign trail.

Now we're starting to hear it in here.

And that's the thing that we needed.

And so thank you so much.

A breath of fresh air in here.

And whatever we can do from this community, the black community, from me, just call.

You know the number.

Most of you know the number.

Please let me know if there's anything we can do.

I'm at One Nation, One Country.

We are more than happy to help out in any way we can.

Thank you so much, and keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our remote speaker, next remote speaker now, will be David Haynes, and David will be followed by Joe Kunzler.

Go ahead, David.

All right, thank you.

David Haynes, congratulations to council.

It's been almost two months since your election.

You've had plenty of time for celebration.

Now it's time to get to work to right the wrongs of the past council.

For example, we need to stop exempting low-level drug pushers from jail.

The police chief is refusing to question repeat offending drug addicts to find out where they get the drugs to go shut them down.

And we need to stop prioritizing criminal repeat offending self-destructives who conspire to ruin the pursuit of happiness of other people in the community while giving first dibs and priority on a very limited offering of housing and services.

You're undermining the efforts when you allow the criminal element of drug pushing into the homeless and services while purposely, raciously forsaking and discriminating against innocent houseless people, some of whom that are still owed back pay from corrupt local businesses that are still coercing the cops to persecute innocent workers who are still owed back pay.

Yet we have this racist woke agenda that's tainted and permeated our progressive policies to the point of emphasizing the bottom of the barrel, manipulating skin color incarceration rates at the expense of public safety and a homeless crisis that deems it suitable to discriminate against the innocent person because they're not considered vulnerable enough because they got white privilege.

We need to stop.

taking people's scorn-lived experience who's been traumatized and victimized and putting them in charge to dump their hatred on the innocent people like you want to find out what it feels like to suffer.

This whole community is suffering because evil low-level drug pushes have been wiped out.

Plus, we need an election for the people every 90 days when somebody gets replaced to have the people choose, not the council choose.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Joe Kunzler, and Joe will be followed by Kirk Robbins.

Go ahead, Joe.

Thank you, clerk.

First, I want to bring to your attention that when I dialed in someone, I'm not saying that I was a creep or something, and I really find that offensive, and I don't want to ruin today, but I hope there's an investigation into that incident, and the individual is disciplined.

that those kind of comments are just as vicious as Alex Zimmerman's comments and have no place in a place of public discussion.

Absolutely no place where we have some really wonderful people that have stepped up to the plate and said, this is my Seattle and I'm going to step up and I'm going to fight for it.

And to all of you, I want to say thank you.

Because I spend some of my working time in the Seattle area, and it's sad to see what was once a great city, a great city built up by heroes like Heidi Wills and Marina Gonzalez and Bruce Harrell and Karen Kitsis start to crumble under the weight of a drug epidemic, under a weight of...

income inequality.

I think that's how Council Member Armasqueta would say it.

I find that we need to come together, and I really appreciate very much what Council President Sarah Nelson did today, as well as Council Member Dan Strauss did today to call out our women's hate and bigotry is not welcome here.

I think it's an important step in the right direction, and I hope Council Member Mosqueda can insist on that at the King County Council, because I have for the past year, knowing that this day would come.

I think we're at a real crossroads here, not just in the future of Seattle, but also in the future of our country.

On February 13th, the Alaska Flight Attendants will be holding an informational picket, joining flight attendants all around the country, and I'm pretty sure Council Member Mosqueda will be joining them.

I'll be covering the event for Simple Blind, so my cheering will have to be somewhat limited.

But I know it will be a good fight against income inequality.

We also have an evil man wanting to run for president who is aided by Alex Zimmerman and possibly others in the region that we need to stand up to.

But most of all, we need to stand up for civic virtue.

And I want to thank all of you council members who have run and won to stand for civic virtue against those that want to sit at home and not vote and then make excuses for that.

Against those that want to appease and excuse and give me the quality.

Against those that want to excuse and appease bigotry and hate.

For those of you who stood up for what's right, thank you.

I salute you and thank you for your time today.

And one last thing, I'm not a creep.

I'm a nice guy.

And I hope that CL channel employee

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Kirk Robbins, and Kirk will be followed by our last speaker, Steve Zempke.

Hello, this is Steve Zempke.

I'm chair of TREPAC and Friends of Seattle's Urban Forest.

I want to congratulate all new council members on your swearing in today, and we look forward to working with you.

We want to thank you for the previous work done by the council.

on updating the tree ordinance that it does need to be fixed we need to reevaluate it and look at where uh in haze things are put in that obviously have consequences including uh how it is affected by house bill 1121 on or 1110 on the middle housing and also on the amendments that were added at the last minute into the ordinance we look forward with working with you trying to look at ways that we can make certain that we're able to reach in the comprehensive plan the 30% tree canopy goal by 2037 and 40% over time.

We need to look at how we can do more to preserve existing trees.

We urge that you consider creating a new Department of Climate and Environment with an urban forestry division as a way of eliminating conflicts that exist within existing departments in terms of their missions.

We urge also to work with the Urban Forestry Commission and the public in the process of increasing environmental equity and climate resilience to help keep our city livable and healthy as we move forward.

Thank you for all taking on the tasks that are before you.

There are a multitude of them.

We appreciate the work that you will be doing and that you have done in the past.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Our next in-person speaker, I'm sorry, remote speaker is Kirk Robbins.

Kirk will be followed by Charlotte, who was signed up for remote but is in person.

So we only have two left.

That would be Kirk, you're next, and then it will be Charlotte.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Kirk Robbins, District 6. Most of what you're going to be doing in the upcoming year is going to somehow involve budgetary matters, spending matters.

And yet, when you discuss these matters, the word spending is almost never used.

Every expenditure is called an investment by people who have a view, if any, of what the difference is between mere spending and an actual investment.

You now have a businesswoman as a council president.

Congratulations.

The doctrinaire militant socialist has been replaced by another businesswoman.

Congratulations.

Seek out their insights as to the difference.

Because the question is, with an investment, people need to ask, what have we got to show for this?

And usually the question is nothing.

People feel good.

Sidewalks take months to clear because money is being spent under the rubric of investment in homelessness, which it clearly is not producing any return at all.

This is sort of a consciousness raising.

Please use the word spending instead of investment when that's really what you're talking about.

Also, I want to...

Second, what was said about the tree canopies, I think maybe transferring the whole operation out of the building department.

It's not a building matter.

It's fairly a land use matter, the way it's been handled.

There are environmental problems associated with treating trees as simply an obstacle in the way of developers, yet that's what's been bought in campaigns previously.

So just some insight about how to handle the future We need to think more about the differences of long-term and short-term feel-good and useful expenses and expending.

And when that happens, probably we won't have to face this revenue cliff that people keep talking about.

So congratulations to all of you.

Really glad of the turnover.

And take care.

Good luck on picking a new finance chair who can see the world this way.

Thank you.

Thank you, so our last speaker now will be Charlotte Amaro.

Great.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

My name is Charlotte Kane-Amaro.

I'm a renter and a Democratic PCO in District 3. I wanna speak on the upcoming vacancy, but I wanna also briefly address our newest council members first.

Congratulations.

You have all been elected by the people in your districts to represent all the people in your districts.

And I trust that you will conduct yourselves in office with fairness and professionalisms that your role in the city demands of you.

And a heartfelt congratulations to our newest council president.

If I did my research correctly, you are the first council member in at least a quarter century to be elected president in her first term in office and certainly the first woman to be so honored.

I wish you the best of luck.

The eighth council position will soon be vacant and the Seattleite the council picks should be indicative of who Seattle is.

At day's end, that power rests with council, but I implore you to choose a council member who looks like Seattle with particular care to choose someone from a community not currently nor perhaps ever represented on this dais.

Finally, council member Moschetta, I'm sure to speak for many Seattleites when I say you'll be dearly missed on this council.

But as a constituent of yours in District 8, I look forward to seeing the work that you do across the street.

There's much work for you all to do in the next four years, I'm certain you all know.

And I hope you know just how many eyes will be on this dais and these chambers as you carry out the work of the city against people.

I wish you all the very best of luck.

Thank you.

Happy New Year.

Thank you.

That concludes our public speakers today.

All right, thank you everybody for your comments today.

We do have some items of business.

That concludes our public comment.

We have a lot of procedural votes coming up and then some significant or weighty legislation.

So please stick around and I know that folks are interested in getting down to join their families and friends downstairs.

Okay, the first item of business here is to adopt our referral calendar.

I adopt, I move to adopt our introduction and referral calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

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

Any comments?

Seeing no comments.

The rules, if there is no objection, because this is the first meeting, the rules will be suspended to allow consideration of two resolutions for introduction and adoption that were not circulated prior to 5 p.m.

the previous business day.

So seeing no objection, the rule is suspended and we will proceed with consideration with the amendments to the introduction referral calendar.

I move to amend the introduction referral calendar by introducing Resolutions 32123 and 32124 and by referring them to the Seattle City Council for adoption at today's meeting.

The resolutions are entitled a resolution designating the monthly president pro tem of the City Council of the City of Seattle for 2024 2025, suspending Resolution 32036 and a resolution relating to committee structure, membership meeting times and duties of the standing committees of the Seattle City Council for 2024 and 2025 and superseding resolution 32037. Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded to amend the introduction referral calendar to introduce resolutions 32123 and 32124 for referral to the City Council for adoption today.

Are there any comments?

Seeing no comments, we will now proceed to a vote.

Will the clerk please call roll on the adoption of the amendment?

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

All right, the motion carries.

The amendment is adopted and the resolutions will be added to today's City Council agenda for consideration.

I don't believe there are any more comments, so we will now, so if there is no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted as amended.

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

All right.

Now we'll do the agenda.

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

Hearing none, the agenda is adopted.

Now we'll proceed to consider the consent calendar.

Items on today's consent calendar include the minutes of December 12th, 2023, and council bills that are payroll bills, and they are council bills 120733 through 120735. Are there any items the council members wish to remove from our consent calendar?

Seeing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

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

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

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

All right.

Thank you very much.

If anybody's following along the agenda, we're now on item H.

There are no committee reports for presentation today.

And item I, there were no items removed from the consent calendar.

So we'll move right into J.

Will the clerk please read the title of new item one?

A new agenda item one resolution 32123 resolution designating the monthly pro tem of the Seattle City Council for the city of Seattle for 2024 through 2025. superseding resolution 32036. Thank you.

I moved to adopt Resolution 32123. Is there a second?

Second.

All right.

Go ahead.

Do you have any comments?

Oh, it's moved and seconded, so to...

Adopt the resolution.

Right.

To adopt the resolution.

Do you have any comments?

So here's the thing.

Let me say that again.

It's been moved and seconded to adopt the resolution, and as sponsor, I'll address it and open the floor for comments.

The pro tem calendar is simply a calendar of...

It's a schedule of people who will stand in for council president and, if necessary, the mayor, if and when both the president and the mayor are gone.

So it's a procedural piece of legislation that keeps us on schedule when people are not able to be here, either for planned absences or for any kind of unplanned absence.

All right.

Any comments?

Okay.

Clerk, would you please call the roll?

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saca.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The motion carries and the resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

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

All right, it's been moved and seconded to adopt the resolution.

As sponsor, I will now address it and open the floor to comments.

Agenda item two, resolution 32124 relating to committee structure, membership, meeting times, and duties of the standing committees of the Seattle City Council for 2024 and 2025 and superseding resolution 32037.

Okay, folks, this is our basic, this is the resolution that sets our council committee assignments.

Just for some background, the Seattle City Charter only identifies three committees that we have to have.

They are the Rules Committee, Finance Committee, and Labor Committee.

And we, and then, every two years, we reconfigure We reconfigure the committees to reflect what makes sense at the time.

And for the past few weeks in anticipation of being elected, Council President, I've been working with all of you collaboratively, hearing what you are interested in, and I lead with wanting to assign committee chairpersonships to the people who want it most, because that is the way to make sure that your interests are reflected and you're engaged and it's very difficult to give everybody exactly what they want but I do believe that we've got a committee structure that reflects all of your strengths and will allow us to move legislation effectively and efficiently on behalf of the good of the people.

So that is what we've got before us right now.

The resolution that will adopt the external committees is generally voted on in the following week, and so that will be coming next week.

And for all of you out there in the audience, the resolution that we're referring to right now, because it was walked on, will be available on the agenda probably in about 15 minutes.

But if you just can't wait to hear who the chairs are, I'm just going to go through the list and let folks know, starting with District 1, Councilmember Saka, Transportation.

Two, Councilmember Morales, land use.

Three, Councilmember Hollingsworth, parks, public utilities, and technology.

District four, Councilmember Rivera, libraries, education, and neighborhoods.

District five, Councilmember Moore, housing and human services.

District six, Councilmember Strauss, finance, native communities, and tribal governments.

District 7, Kettle, Public Safety.

And the vacant position will be that person, once they are appointed, will handle sustainability, city lights, arts and culture.

And then finally, my committee is governance, accountability, and economic development.

As a small business owner, I wanted to maintain my interest in...

in economic development.

So that will be our committee structure going forward.

You can read more about it on the agenda very soon.

Let's see.

Hold on.

I have to move.

So now I will move to adopt Resolution 32124. Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and adopted.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Unless there are any other comments.

Excuse me.

Okay.

Congratulations, Council President.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

All right, the motion carries and the resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

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

All right.

Any other business here?

Yeah, okay.

So I just wanted to make sure because anyway, so we do have one more item on the agenda, which is to discuss how we're going to go about filling this vacancy.

But this is Councilmember Muscata's last meeting with us before you go on to the King County Council.

So I wanted to provide an opportunity for you to speak, to address the audience and your colleagues.

So please take it away.

Well, thank you very much, Madam President, and congratulations to you.

Congratulations to all the council members who are here with us today, both the new council members and the incumbents.

It's very exciting to be here at my last council meeting and have the opportunity to share the dais with you.

Council Member Sacca asked in the break if I was going to get a chance to say something.

Thank you for asking, but this is really all about you all today, so I appreciate the opportunity to say some words on the way out and to congratulate you all as well.

I do wanna say it has been an honor of a lifetime to serve in the city of Seattle.

About six years ago in November, 2017, there was a vacancy.

So I got sworn in a little bit early and it was a room packed like it was this afternoon.

And it was exciting to see that same energy today for all of you who are coming in as the first time council members.

And for those who didn't get the chance to do that during COVID, it's really exciting to see the energy that's here.

I heard council members mention the importance of family and I wanna thank my family who's been here with me in spirit and also working at home for the last three years, who literally was in the room helping to be part of how we shape and invest in the city of Seattle.

So to my husband Manuel and to our daughter who is now four years old, I wanna thank them for their work It feels like it was a lifetime ago that we started this work.

It literally was a lifetime ago because Camila is now four years old.

She was not there six years ago when I started.

And it's an honor to not only be able to have served, but to also then have the title of the first sitting council member to give birth while in office.

So Camila is a representation of that.

And to my parents, they are not here.

Hopefully they will be here next week when I get the swearing in at King County Council.

But my dad, Larry, and my mom, Patty, activists, educators, inspired in me the desire to fight for more inclusive community and to fight for progressive change.

and to stand up when the status quo isn't working for us.

So hopefully you all get a chance to meet them if you haven't had a chance to meet them already.

But that is the family that's been guiding me through this.

And many of you, there's folks in this audience and some are probably downstairs waiting for you, members of both the business and labor community, folks who work on housing and in environmental justice, people who work on transportation and fighting for our most vulnerable.

We have had a motto in our office about aggressive collaboration.

And we wanted to frequently meet with members of the community through our community roundtable meetings that we held quarterly to actually hear directly from folks about what issues needed to be addressed.

So I wanted to thank everyone who've been coming to meet with us both virtually and in person prior to COVID.

to make these policy decisions happen.

It's been a collective effort.

I want to thank the mayor's office as well.

You mentioned them and there's some folks still in the room.

Thank you for your collaboration to Mayor Harrell's office, especially over the last few years as we've worked to try to emerge from the impact of the COVID crisis and to do so in collaboration and in partnership And to really do so has required all of the council members, in addition to the mayor's office, along with central staff and the department team.

So to the central staff members who are still here, to the executive team, and to every member of the city family who works for the city of Seattle, who've been on the front lines during the COVID crisis, who continue to serve our most vulnerable community and think about the city that we wanna be, we wanna thank you for the work that you've done, especially in these trying times.

and to do so in partnership with the council, especially in the last few years has been really appreciated.

So thank you to the Harold administration.

To all of the folks in the legislative department, I mentioned the central staff team, but to the clerks, to our IT team, to security, to people who make this floor run, whether it was virtually or in person, there's a lot of work that goes into these efforts.

So you guys are very lucky to have them at your side.

And it's really exciting to be here with new council members.

I did a little bit of some interviews before leaving at the end of the year.

Well, I guess today's my last day.

But I did some interviews and folks asked like, what do you think about the next council?

And I really focused on optimism.

and unity and the strength of coming together to find ways to solve some of these most pressing crises.

That's what I talked about.

I think that this is the moment, as council members have noted, to focus on where there's unity.

And I think that it runs counter to the narrative that some would like us to believe that there's great division in this city.

If we focus on where there's unity and common ground and we bridge those divides, if we do that, we can address the crises that we see growing.

I do think that voters want to see change, but what I think voters want to see a change in is the systemic crises that are growing in our community.

Whether that's health issues, behavioral health or mental health issues, whether it's housing and homelessness, whether it's investments in our business community or the growing arts sector, we all want to see changes in how we grow as a city.

We are the largest large city that continues to grow throughout the COVID crisis.

We have seen a growth in population, and we have seen a growth in needs within our community.

And I think what we have heard from the community loud and clear is that they want to see a change in what we see in terms of human suffering.

And I also know that everyone that's sitting up here had support from our labor community, every single person.

And what I think that that signals is that we are stronger when we focus on working families and investing in what working families and retirees and future workers of this city need.

The labor community who came together to support folks to sit in these seats want us to work together to deliver on these most pressing crises.

Four incumbents were on the ballot.

Three won.

75% of those incumbents winning in their races, I think, means that the new electeds and the incumbents that are here, they chose us.

And whether it's at the city or the county, we can collectively address these crises together.

We can do this by focusing on these big systemic issues.

We can do this by making sure that the funding that we are investing in delivers.

We have built some of that in when we look at how we invested in housing, for example.

The funding that we put into small businesses through equitable development.

We have built in ways that we can invest in accountability and transparency.

And I know that the voters are going to be well served by this council if we collectively focus on investing in working families and showing folks that we will be a resilient, more inclusive, more equitable, and more just city and region collectively.

So I'm excited that we have that opportunity to work together, whether I'm at the building across the street or as your constituent, Councilmember Saca, or citywide, we'll be able to work on these issues.

And with this body, I'm hoping that we can collectively focus on the urgency, the need for investing in these issues with humanity and integrity and compassion that they need.

I want to thank the council members that I've had the chance to serve with over the last six years.

Some of them were in the office.

Some of them were in the room here earlier.

I see some existing council members who still have emeritus status in the room here today.

And I want to congratulate my colleagues who I've had the chance to work with over the last few years.

sitting in the seat.

Councilmember Strauss, Councilmember Morales, and now Council President Nelson, thanks for the opportunity of work with you over the last few years.

And to our new colleagues, I'm excited for the opportunity to continue to work with you.

It has been, I think, Someone said drinking from a fire hose when I talked to them earlier.

It moves fast here, as the council president noted.

And you have a huge opportunity in the city to be able to respond to the calls from constituents with much faster pace than I've seen at the state level when lobbying there, than we see at Congress there.

And we know that with collaboration and partnership, we can have a tremendous impact in the city, but frankly, across the nation too.

because this is the city where we've led.

We've led on worker supports.

And in just our short time here in the city of Seattle, as the chair of the committee that has purview over labor, we have not only led here in our region and for our state, but for the nation.

paid sick and save time for gig workers, taxi legislation, human service provider pay, cannabis equity legislation, workforce development, grocery worker hazard pay, cash assistance for workers during COVID, paid sick leave for workers during COVID that then we made permanent, paid sick leave for public health crises so that when somebody has to call in for their loved one who is either in child care or adult care, we can take paid leave when there's a public health emergency.

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, the Hotel Worker Protections, and eliminating the sub-minimum wage for workers with disabilities, we did those in six years.

In housing, we increased the funding for housing six-fold in our time in office.

We did that by passing Jumpstart Progressive Payroll Tax.

We did that by protecting the investments that Jumpstart invests in.

With two-thirds of the funding from Jumpstart going into affordable housing, it is creating 1,800 units of new housing through Jumpstart.

That, coupled with the levy that we just passed, thank you, Seattle voters, and to the council who passed the housing levy on to the voters, we will see another 4,000 units of affordable housing coming online.

And we did that not only with investments in brick and mortar, but with the workers who help keep people stably housed.

We invested in a community self-determination fund that puts funding at the front of the line for workers, or excuse me, for organizations that are led by communities at most at risk of displacement, and to put those organizations at the front of the line to build housing in the vein of what community wants, who is at highest risk of displacement.

We prioritize community-focused acquisitions, permanent affordable housing, ownership opportunities, fighting displacement, both housing displacement and economic displacement, by investing not in just housing units, but housing that puts child care and small business opportunities on the first floor, cultural space, and child care.

Child care, thank you for the child care shout-out earlier.

We invested in community preference, affirmative marketing policies, prioritizing city-owned land and preventing it from ever being sold on the private market again to take that land and put it back into the public sector and invest in the public good, which is housing, and taking property also off the speculative market and putting it back into the city's hands.

That is how we create permanently affordable options.

We did this all within the vein of what Council Member Morales started with today with the goal of having a reckoning of what our existing land use policy means to try to actually rectify the fact that we have exclusionary policies that are still embedded in our land use code.

So I look forward to all the work that is to come on the land use policy and building on what we're trying to do, which is undoing exclusionary policy and creating a more inclusive Seattle neighborhood.

And to my colleagues who focused on transparency and accountability and making sure that we're counting all the widgets.

Thank you for those comments.

What we have done on the Seattle budget and council member Strauss, good luck, congratulations, Mr. Chair of budget.

We have helped elevate and daylight the six year financial plan so that we can better plan for the revenue and expenditure needs of the future.

We've increased access to the city budgets office data.

We've done that with building oversight, accountability, and transparency into the code.

And thanks again to central staff for that work.

And many of us know that the reason that I want to go and be your partner at the county is to focus on public health.

And public safety is an outcome of public health investments.

So I look forward to continuing to work with you on creating a healthier, safer region for everyone, a more affordable and livable and vibrant region.

And we can do this by continuing to invest in strategies that invest in the health and sustainability and security of all our residents.

I believe Mr. Miles noted it.

I don't know if he's still in the audience, but Mr. Miles noted, we can't just lock people up.

We have to free up officers so that they can respond to higher-level calls.

We are freeing up officers to respond to lower-level calls by investing in pre-filing diversion programs, community passageway investments, HealthONE investments, increased funding for violence prevention, interruption strategies, gun violence bedside interruption strategies, and making sure that our community organizations, who are closest to the community, have direct cash.

We're also investing in other strategies that partner with firefighters.

Our HealthONE expansion is something that I will eternally be proud of, because we've done that to allow for mental health providers and first responders through our firefighters to be able to respond, in addition to the standing up at the Crisis Care Center, Connection One call, and the Communications Center Department.

So looking forward to continuing all of that work on public safety and public health and building a more equitable and affordable region for everyone.

I look forward to working with you all in our upcoming efforts and as we As we know, I still have my mask up here, the impact of the pandemic, both on our physical health lingers, the impact of the pandemic on our economic stability for our region still is present.

And this is coupling the inequities that we already saw prior to the pandemic.

So, our job is a big one, both across the region and here in Seattle, to make sure that we continue to tackle the crisis of economic inequality together, so that we can all be more healthy.

There is a professor at the University of Washington, Stephen Bestruska, and he talks about Health Olympics.

And the more that we invest in a more equitable economy, where there is a narrow gap between the wealthiest and the lowest income, the healthier we will all be.

So the life expectancy of our babies, the life expectancy and health outcomes of our elders, and our community and neighbors really relies on us creating a more healthy and equitable economy for all.

Look forward to working with you, Councilmembers, and congratulations on your swearing-in today.

Oh, I forgot something.

I just have at the top of my notes, I want to thank my team who we could not do this without.

Erin House, my chief of staff is here.

Thank you, Erin, for all of your work.

Farideh Cuevas and Melanie Cray on our team.

And over the years, we've also been blessed to have the work of Sejal Parikh, Michael Maddox, and Aretha Basu.

As you all know, this work is impossible to do without our team.

So please, if you can join me in thanking them for all of the work they've done over the last six years as well.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I always appreciate how you make sure to share the appreciation for everybody that takes part in public service.

So thank you for your comments, and I'll see you right over there.

All right, now we are going to move on to item K, which is the the matter of filling the vacancies.

So the city clerk, Shireen Dedman, will now lead us through an overview of the appointment process and timeline for the appointment to the vacant city council position eight, council member Mosqueda's position.

Go ahead.

How about this?

Okay, great.

I hope it's okay if I present from here.

You're also welcome to come to the table if you'd like.

Okay.

Yeah, I hope this is okay.

Perfect.

So good afternoon council members.

On December 12th, 2023, council member Teresa Mosqueda submitted her resignation to me.

And so I would like to express my gratitude to you for your service to the city of Seattle and wish you the best of luck in King County.

Your final day, her final day is today.

January 2nd, 2024 through the end of the day, which is very important.

As a result, her seat position eight citywide will be vacant as of tomorrow, January 3rd, 2024. Today, I would like to provide an overview of the process to fill a vacant city council seat.

Please consider this the official announcement of the vacant position eight seat on city council.

The city Seattle charter article 19 sections five and six determines that an office becomes vacant among other things upon the resignation of the incumbent.

If any office other than mayor becomes vacant, the city council shall within 20 days thereafter select a person to fill the vacancy.

That person shall possess the qualifications required for election to the city council office.

And the selection is effective only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of all members of the city council.

Per Article 19, Section 2, the minimum qualifications for elective officers of the city are being a citizen of the United States, being a qualified elector of the state of Washington.

Elector means any person who possesses all of the qualifications to vote under Article 6 of the state constitution.

being able to read and write the English language, and being a registered voter and resident of the city of Seattle from at least 120 days prior to submitting an application.

If the office is not filled within 20 days after it becomes vacant, the city council shall meet and vote at least once each business day until the vacancy is filled.

This means that council will not need to meet on Saturdays, Sunday, and any holidays should an appointment not be made by the 20th day.

Section 1.04.070 of the Seattle Municipal Code covers the computation of time in the charter and the code and states that the day of the event from which the time begins to run is excluded from the count.

So that means January 3rd is excluded.

The last day of the period is included unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, in which case the period runs until the end of the next day in the direction being counted.

That is not a weekend or holiday.

Therefore, the 20th day will be Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Once the vacancy is filled, the person appointed to the vacant seat shall hold office until a successor is elected and qualified at the next regular municipal general election, which will be in November 2024. The appointee will serve through to until the election is certified and a successor is elected and qualified.

Per the Seattle municipal code chapter 3.93010, the city council shall accept applications from anyone qualified to become a council member.

Within five business days of the seat becoming vacant, city council shall publish application procedures, which must include at the minimum, the method for submitting applications, requirements for the document types and content of the submissions, the deadline for the submissions, the method for submission, the requirements for submission, and an estimated timeline of necessary events under the city charter and this chapter of the Seattle municipal code.

This information must be determined by council.

After the city council vacancy application submission deadline, city council shall publish all submissions meeting the application standards as established by council.

At this point, the city clerk will provide each council member with a digital notebook that includes all of the applications received by the submission deadline.

Also within five business days, City Council shall publish application procedures for community entities interested in participating in the public forum development process, including a minimum of the method to submit applications, the requirements for document types and content of the submissions, the deadline for submissions, and criteria for evaluation.

After the community entity application deadline submission, City Council shall develop a public forum to be hosted for interviewing applicants.

This will be noted on the estimated timeline, which we'll review shortly and is available on the screen.

The City Council shall consult with the community entities that submitted applications and selected by the City Council so that the community entities can then inform the forum structure, questions, and accessibility considerations.

Only applicants that submitted completed applications material may participate in the public forum.

After this interview process, City Council shall meet to consider the applications.

This is done at an executive session.

City Council shall have at least one meeting after applications have been made public at which public comment is permitted concerning the filing of the vacancy and at which candidates who participated in the forum may address the City Council.

Only applicants who participated in the forum and addressed the City Council at the subsequent meeting may be appointed to fill the vacant seat.

Finally, council shall hold a public meeting to appoint a council member to position eight.

This may occur at the regular meeting on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024. General information about the vacancy has been posted to the city's website since December 26th, 2023, AKA five business days from January 3rd.

and included information about the vacancy and invited invitations from community entities who want to provide feedback about or participate in the public forum development.

I want to thank the entire communications group for their flexibility and availability during the holiday break to make that information available to the public.

In order to move forward with charter mandates, we would like for council to do the following.

One, adopt an estimated timeline of necessary events.

Two, to decide the following portions of the application process for position candidates, that includes the methods for submitting applications, requirements for document types for submitting applications, content of the applications, the deadline for submissions, the method of submissions, the requirements for submissions, and an estimated timeline of necessary events.

And three, we would like for you to decide the following portions of the application process for the community entity input, including the method for submitting applications, requirements for document types for submitting applications, content of the applications, and the deadline for submissions and criteria for evaluation.

And just as a side note, once the estimated timeline is established today, please reserve those dates and times in your calendars.

I am now ready to hear if you have any questions.

Thank you very much for that.

I think the takeaway is that there's a lot of information on the council website that will provide the important dates that you just read.

The vote is anticipated to be on Tuesday, January 23rd.

The application period is until the 9th, did you say?

that is for you to determine the submission deadline.

I thought that was already determined in any case.

So that's just a recommendation.

It's just what we kind of evaluated the dates, but that is for council to decide.

Okay, there will be a public forum and that date is yet to be determined.

And there will be community input and there are opportunities to provide that, and if any community organization is interested in having that input, then they can submit their...

not resume, but their show of interest on the website as well.

So there is a lot of information there.

I know that this is going to be an interesting process because this is the first time that we will be implementing codified procedure that we just heard.

This was a process that was used in, when was it, 2020?

2019.

And then later that year, it was codified into law.

So we are the first ones to actually be following code.

in this process.

So I will now open it up to any questions that people have.

I have a question.

Council Member Morales.

Yeah, thank you so much, Madam Clerk, for reviewing the process.

It's going to be important to have as much transparency as possible about this process in the next few weeks.

I will say, you know, we do have a process, but we don't have specific criteria by which we make a decision as council members.

And I will also say that I saw at least four people in this room today who I know are interested in the position.

So I think it's important that we really get some clarity among ourselves about how we will be making our own decisions about this position.

I want to say at the outset that I'll be looking for folks who have experience or expertise in any of the big issues that we have to tackle this year.

And so we do face some serious challenges in the next few years.

I'm sure that working together, we can best serve our constituents.

But as I said before, a looming discussion is how we're going to address the $250 million deficit in our budget.

We will have that conversation starting in the fall.

how we protect city workers who provide essential government services.

As we work with the executive, with CBO, with our own Office of Economic Forecasting, we will be grappling with how to make those decisions.

My hope is that we can ensure that our newest city workers, who very often have been recruited recently from communities of color, are not the first or the only people who may be looking at cuts.

The budget deficit demands that we make hard decisions about how to generate revenue and what services may need to be cut.

And I will say we're not gonna solve the $250 million deficit by cutting fat or finding efficiencies in our city government.

There's gonna be some very hard conversations for us to have.

And so between the budget, the comp plan, the Seattle transportation levy, the SPOG contract, we have some critical conversations coming this year and it's gonna be really important to me that we have somebody filling this particular seat, leaving big shoes to fill with somebody who's got some expertise or experience in these particular issues.

So I just want to state that at the outset of this for the record, because we don't have specific decision making criteria.

We have a process, but we don't have anything that specifies how we as council members individually or collectively will be making those decisions.

So just wanted to get that out for myself.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm looking down the row here to see if anybody else has any questions or comments.

We have decided, everyone, I know that at least I am ready to get to work and I want to get process legislation, et cetera, but we will not be having committee meetings this month until we fill this vacancy because we need the time.

We could call special meetings.

We...

There is a lot that is undecided, and that is because there has not been somebody in the position that is supposed to make those decisions.

And, of course, they will be made collaboratively.

So more to come to everyone.

Did you have anything else to say in closing?

No, just if there's any questions about how we did it before, I can address that.

Oh, okay.

Nothing further to say.

If you have any questions about how it was done in 2019, I have a little information about that, if that would help.

But otherwise, yeah, we're just hoping for that decision because we do have five business days to provide that information, so we need a decision sooner than later.

And I also need to make the comment that the information that's available on the website is different than what I just said because that information about the counting of time is something we newly discovered today.

So that will be corrected.

Okay.

Council President.

Oh, go ahead.

Thank you.

I was raising my hand on Zoom, but I realize I'm the only one on Zoom today.

You made a comment that a lot of these decisions have not...

been made at this time.

And I want to also highlight that we're on the second day of 2024, not even at the end of our first business day of the year.

And it's because of your steadfast hard work and because of staff's steadfast hard work that we are in a position before this vacancy is even created officially that we're ready to get to work to fill it.

So thank you, Council President.

Thank you.

Anybody else?

No?

Well, I do want to say thank you, Council President Juarez, our departed president.

I was going to wait for this to note this at the end, but talk about big shoes to fill.

I was going to end this meeting by expressing my appreciation for setting a good example for me in terms of leadership and really how to run a department.

So she did a lot of the work in between the end of last year and right now.

So got to share credit and appreciation all around.

All right.

If there are no, go ahead.

So at the very least, what we are hoping for today, if we can at least get the calendar, like if a motion could be made to approve that calendar, the recommended timeline, then we can move forward with a little more informed if that would be okay.

I move to approve that calendar.

Second.

Thank you.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

There is no thing in, but let's vote.

Okay.

It's been moved and seconded.

Let's vote on the calendar.

Council Member Hollingsworth.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Moore.

Aye.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saca.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Aye.

Council President Nelson.

Aye.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The motion carries and will the clerk please affix my signature.

Okay.

Thank you very much for your grace.

This is my first time.

We're working out some kinks here in my ability to lead a meeting.

Okay.

I do not believe there is any other business unless somebody wants to announce that they will be absent at a future meeting.

Just kidding.

All right.

So...

Colleagues, we've reached the end of today's agenda.

Our next regularly scheduled city council meeting will be held on January 9th at 2 p.m.

As a reminder, there's a short reception that will now commence at Bertha Knight Landis on floor one of Seattle City Hall.

And all are welcome to attend the reception.

Hearing no further business, we are adjourned.

It is 4.31.

Thank you very much.

We got this, everybody?

Yep.

All right.

Nicely done.

Let's continue.

Thank you.

Thank you.