Seattle City Council 10/22/18

Good afternoon, thank you for being here.

The October 22nd 2018 City Council meeting of the full City Council come to order.

It's 2 o'clock p.m.

I'm Bruce Harrell, President of the Council.

Will the clerk please call the roll.

Mosqueda.

Here.

O'Brien.

Bagshaw.

Here.

Gonzalez.

Here.

Herbold.

Johnson.

Hi Linda.

Juarez.

President Harrell.

Here.

Six present.

Thank you very much.

There's no objection, today's introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, introduction and referral calendar is adopted.

There's no objection, today's agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, today's agenda will be adopted.

The minutes of the October 15, 2018 City Council meeting have been reviewed and if there's no objection, the minutes will be signed.

Hearing no objection, the minutes are being signed.

That's a record.

Council Member Herbold is here, present, and ready to vote.

Presentations.

I don't believe we have any presentations this afternoon.

So at this time, we'll take public comment on an item that appears on today's agenda.

The Instructional Referral Calendar and the City Council's 2018 Work Program.

So we have a handful of folks signed up.

I'll call you out in the order with which you signed, and we'll start with William Schwitters.

And William will be followed by Earl Wilson.

Hi there.

So, while I'm honored to be here, I'm quite disappointed I have to be here under similar circumstances the last time.

My name is William Schwitters.

I'm a 12-year EMT working for AMR here in the City of Seattle.

I'm also a union shop steward for Teamsters Local 763. First off, I'd like to express my extreme gratitude to each of you all for passing Resolution 31831, which supported our EMTs here in the city and the King County.

Our EMTs finally felt they had support, and they finally felt validated, their frustrations were not misplaced.

Now I need to express my severe frustration and anger over Mayor Durkin blatantly ignoring that resolution.

I don't believe any city council member got to see that contract prior to being signed between AMR and the city.

Within this new contract signed by the city and AMR, there's language allowing AMR to retain millions of dollars in fines they're no longer going to pay this go-around.

There's also language that increases the reimbursement limitations approximately doubling what they can now charge for transport.

Again, more millions into potential reimbursements.

This new contract between the City of Seattle and AMR has taken effect.

And to the best of my knowledge, not one EMT has received a pay raise, no more contributions to our healthcare, and not one dollar has been contributed to any of our health savings accounts for this entire year.

Our EMTs in their first two years of service are still sitting at $15.54 per hour out there right now every time you hear a siren.

That's their starting wage.

During labor negotiations when AMR's vice president was trying to combat the same comparables you all used in your resolution, he told us the operation most similar to Seattle is Sacramento.

In 2017, AMR Sacramento's starting wage was over $20 per hour.

Mayor Durkan has failed the EMTs serving the citizens of Seattle.

Mayor Durkan has continued to leave our EMTs in poverty, on government subsidies, and on charity care by not holding AMR accountable.

CEO and president of AMR, Edward Van Horn, signed this contract on October 3rd of this year.

Mr. Van Horn, who according to public disclosure, earned over 800,000 last year.

It's time he received some phone calls from the city and we hold AMR accountable.

Enough is enough.

We need to protect our EMTs.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. William Schwitters.

Let's see.

It says Corey Hanson, but they ceded my time.

And then you have Earl Wilson.

If you all wanted to speak as a group, I'd be willing to give you four minutes as a group, or I'll just call you out in order.

We don't do the see the time thing.

Everyone speaks for themselves.

So I'll just go down Earl Wilson, and then Megan Murphy's in between you.

So I've got Earl Wilson, Megan Murphy, and then Kim Vital.

But Corey Hanson, did you want to speak?

No, thank you.

Okay, so we'll go Earl Wilson, and then Megan Murphy.

Hello, my name's Earl Wilson.

I'm an EMT for AMR as well and a shop steward for Teamster 763 and trying to negotiate a reasonable contact for our members.

I've served the King County citizens and the citizens of Seattle for over two decades now.

Currently, I'm dedicated to an ambulance that solely is dedicated to the City of Seattle Fire Department in the Rainier Valley Battalion 5 area.

There are so many things I love about this job.

One thing this job has taught me is that life is precious.

We do not know when it's going to end.

This job has also taught me that your bank account doesn't determine how good of a person you are.

This job has also showed me that I will never have a big bank account.

That's not what I'm asking for.

None of us are asking for that.

We are asking for the company to pay us exactly what they pay other AMR EMTs doing the same exact job for the same type of cities.

We have bills to pay to put a roof over our head, make sure that our children have health care, supplies for school.

As we sat down to negotiate with this company, they told us that they do not start any EMT greater than $17 an hour.

We have a contract signed by Dave Bonelli that starts people washing ambulances, putting supplies in them, starting over $20 an hour.

As he said, the city down south, that's the most comparable.

They start the EMTs at over $20 an hour.

We're asking, The City Council's help to keep your vendors accountable to the contract they sign.

In 6.4.4, it says that we should receive comparable benefits and comparable pay.

That is all we're asking for, for the service that we do for this city and for the people out here that call on us and depend on us.

Please hold them accountable.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Megan Murphy.

Thanks for letting me speak.

I think it was wrong that Mayor Durkan went behind and didn't include the people who work for AMR in the decision about their working conditions in a way that they collectively don't like.

I think I was here for the Fight for 25 and I believe in workers' rights and not using power to make contracts that they don't agree with or like.

Because if I'm right, I don't know.

I think health care deserves a living wage.

And I was here for the Fight for 25, and I'd like to see it win.

I'd also like the people's budget Affordable housing for all, the private for-profit housing market has clearly failed us.

We need to build tens of thousands of unit of social housing paid for by taxing business like in the McKinley Report.

So that's one thing.

We need a world-class mass transit system.

The climate crisis is bringing yearly wildfires to Seattle and hurricanes and other extreme weather around the world.

We need a massive expansion of bus and train infrastructure and service to provide viable alternatives to reliance on car-based transit, living wage jobs, and union rights for all workers in the transportation sector, and free public transportation or capacities for not only school-age children, but also students and our higher education systems and people throughout the city.

health care and child care for all, racial and gender justice, police accountability, defend women's rights.

Everybody has a right to a job and a living wage.

It is enough to talk about it.

I would like to see the laws actually concretely enacted, stop nickel and diming and criminalizing homeless people, share wheel and other shelters which provide a lifeline, need to be funded, fight immigrant detention and deportation, and tax big business and the rich.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Murphy.

Kim Vidal will be our last speaker.

Hi, excuse my nervousness.

I'm an EMT for AMR for 13 years, but what I'm going to read to you today is a farewell from someone who we couldn't keep, who we should have kept.

So, three years, five months, six days.

In that time, I've gone from a bright-eyed, hopefully empty, to someone who was nervous being in the back of the ambulance, to a well-recognized face in the throng of chaos.

I've gone from a sea of firsts.

First call, first stroke, first priority drive.

And they weren't wrong, saying this is the best job I will ever hate, yet the worst job I will ever love.

I've lived out people's worst moments multiple times a day, always gone back for more.

I've rejoiced over births, held parents as they lost their children, held children as they lost their parents.

I've been one of the first faces seen in this world, and the last hand someone has held.

I've worked side by side with Seattle Fire and Police.

King County Sheriff, State Patrol, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the Navy and Army.

I've been told I have a smile of an angel and a caring personality.

I've been told that I have a calming demeanor, inhuman ability to maintain a straight face even in the most humorous of circumstances.

I've been physically assaulted nine times, verbally abused more times than I can count.

I've calmly sat by as people threatened myself and my family, and I've gone back for more.

I've worked side by side with the most amazing people who I'm blessed and honored to have met.

We've laughed, we've cried, we've been through a lot.

The bond between partners is fantastic, one that words can't really explain.

I have enjoyed working with all of you.

I've learned a lot about life from all of you and treasure those memories.

I will also never forget those we've lost, Ben, Victor, David, Becca, and Ian.

gone well before your time, but unsung heroes to us all.

Tonight, however, it's time to close this chapter.

Tonight was a night of last, last call, last priority drive, last report, last laughs, last life touched.

While I made minimum wage these past few years, Looking back, I've made a world of difference.

Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't change this experience for the world.

Thank you for letting me serve you, Seattle, and for teaching me more than I ever knew I could.

It's been an honor.

These are the people that we should be able to keep.

Thank you, Ms. Pinal.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We'll close public comment at this point and move to the payment of the bill section, so please read the title.

Council Bill 119367, appropriating money to pay certain claims in order in the payment thereof.

I move to pass Council Bill 119367. It's been moved and seconded that the bill pass.

Any further comments?

If not, please call the roll on the passage of the bill.

Mosqueda.

Aye.

O'Brien.

Aye.

Bagshaw.

Aye.

Gonzales.

Aye.

Herbold.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Juarez.

Aye.

President Harrell.

Aye.

Eight in favor and none opposed.

Bill passes and shares Senate.

Please read items one and two.

The report of the City Council agenda items one and two, Clerk File 314388, full unit lot subdivision of a UTP LLC to subdivide one parcel into 87 unit lots at 2101 Northeast 88th Street.

Council Bill 119366, approving and confirming the plant of Ravenna North in portions of the southeast quarter and southwest quarter of Section 33 Township 26 North Range 4 East WM in King County, Washington.

So this is a clerk file and a bill that Councilmember Johnson scribed this morning.

So I'd ask that Councilmember Johnson sort of describe them both and then after his words, unless they're in other words, we'll just take both of the managers and vote on them together.

So Councilmember Johnson.

Thank you, Council President.

To refresh the memory of those who missed council briefing this morning, this is an action that we are required to take by state law.

So the action comes straight to full council as a result.

It's the confirmation of a full unit lot subdivision at 2101 Northeast 88th Street, the formerly University Trailer Park, which is now a set of townhomes.

The action here would effectively facilitate the subdivision of that single parcel into 87 lots for sale or lease of 87 townhomes.

The Department of Construction and Inspections, Department of Transportation, and our council central staff have all confirmed that the plat would meet all applicable conditions and recommend final subdivision approval.

The hearing examiner also reviewed these findings and we concur with the hearing examiner's preliminary plat approval for approval.

So a couple years ago, we as a council authorized $190,000 through the city's tenant relocation assistance ordinance to the low-income residents of the trailer park who qualified.

This was in addition to the state assistance that many of them qualified for as well.

So the trailer park has been relocated.

Those that could be relocated were.

Those who needed the access to the state and local funds got it.

And the construction of these townhouses is already complete.

So the action that we take today is to simply affirm that the conditions have been met.

And with that, I'm happy to answer any questions that there may be.

But if there aren't any, I'm not seeing anybody rushing to a microphone.

I guess I would move to place on file, clerk file 314388.

Okay, any comments about the clerk file that we're about to put on file?

It's been moved and seconded to place the clerk file on file.

Those in favor of filing the clerk file, please vote aye.

Aye.

Those opposed vote no.

The motion carries and the clerk file is placed on file.

Any other words about the bill itself, Council Member Johnson?

No, sir.

I would just move to pass Council Bill 119366. It's been moved and seconded.

To pass Council Bill 119366, please call the roll on the passage of the bill.

Mosqueda.

Aye.

O'Brien.

Aye.

Baxter.

Aye.

Gonzales.

Aye.

Herbold.

Aye.

Johnson.

Aye.

Juarez.

Aye.

President Harrell.

Aye.

Aiden Favren and opposed.

Bill passes and the Chair will sign it.

We're going to move on to the adoption of other resolutions.

So let me just say a few words about the action we're about to take, or we're considering taking.

It's provided under RCW 42.17A.555.

The city council will now consider the adoption of resolution 31846. And at the conclusion of our council members' comments, the council will hear comments from the members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution, which endorses the statewide initiative 1639 on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot.

An approximate equal opportunity to speak will be given to members of the public.

So having said that, will the clerk please I'll read agenda item three into the record, which is under the section adoption of other resolutions.

Agenda item three, resolution 31846, a resolution supporting Washington initiative measure 1639 and urging Seattle voters to vote yes on initiative 1639 and the November 6, 2018 general election ballot.

Okay, before any council members like to speak on this, let me sort of move the process along.

I'll move to adopt resolution 31846. So it's been moved and seconded to adopt resolution 31846. And so we'll now hear comments from council members pertaining to the resolution.

So any council members who would like to speak to it, please proceed.

Council Member Gonzalez, you have the floor.

I would love to speak as to my resolution.

So this is a resolution that I'm bringing forward in collaboration and conjunction with Mayor Durkin and really excited about setting forth another action by the Seattle City Council in support of common sense gun legislation.

as you all know, taken many steps over the last several years to act where we believe we can act as the city of Seattle.

And, in fact, last week received wonderful news about our own gun safety storage ordinance that we passed here at the City Council.

The NRA moved to file suit against us, and that case was dismissed last week, and our law was upheld as being constitutional.

And in an effort to continue to be responsive to our constituents' requests to continue to advance common sense gun safety legislation, it is with great pride that I introduce this resolution concerning firearms.

This particular initiative, Initiative Measure 1639, will be on the general election ballot on November 6, 2018. This initiative seeks to make changes to state law.

that are contained within the firearms and dangerous weapons chapter of RCW 9.41.

Initiative 1639 would create an enhanced background check system and require firearm safety training and waiting periods before semi-automatic assault rifles may be purchased or delivered.

And initiative 1639 would impose age limitations on who may purchase or possess certain firearms, including prohibiting purchases by persons under the age of 21. And this initiative would also require certain secured firearm storage or trigger locks and criminalized noncompliant firearm storage if it results in unauthorized use.

Use so it is my great honor to be able to present this resolution to the City Council in hopes that the City Council will have a unanimous vote to Urge Seattle voters to vote.

Yes on initiative 1639 in the November 6 2018 general election Thank You counselor Gonzalez Would any other members like to comment on the resolution before us?

I?

Okay, Council Member Baxter.

Only that I want to say great thanks to my colleague Council Member Gonzalez and all who have worked on this.

I wholeheartedly support it and I'm glad to see our state moving forward in this direction.

I concur.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

That concludes the comments from council members and we'll now hear from comments from the members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution and the total time allotted for the comments will be 10 minutes in two-minute increments and the speakers recalled in an order which they signed up and I believe Mr. Alex Zimmerman is here to speak on Resolution three one eight four six you have the floor sir

Behi, my daughter, a Nazi pig, a criminal, a cretina, anti-Semite, tax sucker, and killer.

Resolution about gun is very unique.

You guys, very good.

You go deeper and deeper with Nazi Gestapo principle.

I think Hitler did this something in Tories, similar.

So right now, every policeman, every sheriff officer can come to home, knock on your door, and arrest you without order from It's very unique.

America, Seattle come to condition of absolutely identical what is have before Nazi with Gestapo principle.

And Soviet communists with KGB have exactly same.

You're very good guys.

You open door right now, so everybody right now go to people house without court order and search and doing everything.

I like you guys.

I've come and speak to her 2,000 times for many years, and I see more and more deeper you go with Nazi, Gestapo principle.

You, by definition, supposed to be going to jail, all of it, because you're a criminal.

But I don't blame you for 100 percentage.

Because 700,000 idiots who live in the city.

Emerald degenerate idiots who live in the city.

Brainwashed idiots who live in the city.

Very happy with this.

So right now, everybody can knock on my door and tell me, please, show me your gun.

I can show you something different from my body, but this not legal will be exactly, not exactly legal.

So guys, and I speak right now to everybody who listen to me, we need clean this door in Nazi chamber, Nazi Gestapo chamber, totally in 19. It's only one chance restore American constitution.

Thank you very much.

The time allotted for public comment on this item has expired.

The council will now proceed with a vote on resolution 31846. Okay, so it's already been moved and seconded.

So those in favor of adopting resolution 31846, please vote aye.

Aye.

Those opposed vote no.

The motion carries.

The resolution is adopted and the chair will sign it.

Is there any further business coming for the council?

If not, we stand adjourned and everyone have a great rest of the afternoon.