SPEAKER_140

Thank you, and good evening.

The Select Budget Committee will come to order.

It is 5.01 p.m., November 12, 2024. I'm Dan Strauss, chair of the Select Committee.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

SPEAKER_56

Councilmember Morales?

SPEAKER_133

Here.

SPEAKER_56

Council President Nelson?

Councilmember Rivera?

Councilmember Saka?

SPEAKER_133

Here.

SPEAKER_56

Councilmember Wu?

Present.

Councilmember Hollingsworth?

Here.

Councilmember Kettle?

Councilmember Moore?

Chair Strauss?

SPEAKER_140

Present.

SPEAKER_56

Five present.

SPEAKER_140

Wonderful.

Thank you.

We are going to get going this evening.

I do have some comments to share before we get going, which is I want to kick off tonight's public hearing by acknowledging that America looks very different than it did last week.

now it's up to all of us in this room and on this dais to fight harder than ever for our shared seattle values throughout the coming weeks and months it's going to be critical that the council and the mayor work together to identify ways that we can protect our most vulnerable neighbors we also have to find ways to safeguard programs that our community depends on from public transit to fighting climate change we also need to reckon with major issues seattle and the rest of the country faces far too many in our community and across the country the everyday basics have become unaffordable.

It's not a problem that the elected leaders up here on this dais created and it is our responsibility as elected leaders to fight on the behalf of working class Seattleites to fix it.

The chairs balancing package which I've released is in deep collaboration with every council member and that begins our fight against this unaffordability across our community and across our nation.

A few things that our balancing package does is we're increasing the funding for our food banks, meal providers, and meal programs.

We're increasing access to affordable childcare to get working class families off the wait list into Seattle's popular childcare assistance program.

We're investing in both our workers and small businesses by restoring fundings for the city storefront repair program, strengthening our labor protections through additional outreach, and increasing our funding for workforce development and opportunity programs.

We're doing right by our own city workers and this is one of the hardest choices that we had to make, which was, There are some layoffs in this budget, and we're also extending the amount of time that they're able to be employed by our city by another six months to make sure that continuity planning is able to be done for every worker in Seattle.

We're also increasing our investment in affordable housing and homelessness, including almost $6 million to create new non-congregate shelters like tiny home villages.

We've got money to build new affordable housing projects and job training center for homeless youth in partnership with youth care.

We've got another almost $4 million in additional rental assistance to help people stay in their homes, an additional $3 million to help people living in their RVs transition into housing, and additional funding for home ownership opportunities.

Between these investments and the mayor's budget proposals, Seattle will be investing more in affordable housing this year than any year previously.

At the same time, we know our work to bring down housing prices is far from done.

We need to improve our zoning laws to allow for more affordable housing to be built, and we need to streamline our permitting system.

Addressing our affordable housing crisis is going to take complex thoughtful and multifaceted solution, which is why I'm proposing a statement of legislative intent asking the Office of Housing to explore what it would take for the city to implement a similar program to the billion-dollar bond proposed by King County Councilmember Grimay Zahilay to finance regional workforce housing.

We also need to work towards ensuring that we have more money from the Jumpstart payroll expense tax going toward affordable housing.

As one of the original sponsors of Jumpstart, I know how important this funding is.

Each and every year since we passed Jumpstart, we've used a portion of it to help support things in the general fund, which is the main source of funding of many important things from our work to address homelessness, to supporting small businesses, to funding public safety.

This year, We are facing a $250 million budget deficit before the mayor sent down their proposal.

Then just three weeks ago, the news got even worse with a revenue forecast showing our general fund was going to bring in nearly $50 million less than expected.

This has only happened in 2020 in October and in 2008. So we're not in a good position.

If we were for the first time ever to not use higher than expected jumpstart revenues to offset lower than expected general fund revenues, we would be looking at deeper cuts to critical services, and it would be the first year that we would be doing this.

we would be having to look at aggressive layoffs without any transmission period we'd be funding things funding things like food banks to homeless services would be hit harder and we would have been hitting our budget with an axe and not a scalpel it would have been unacceptable At the same time, it's important that we work towards stabilizing our general fund, refocusing Jumpstart on its intended purposes, and I've introduced legislation to do just that over the next four years.

Ultimately, we can't grow our way out or cut our way out of this structural budget deficit.

Said another way, We can't fix our structural budget deficit issues simply by cutting programs or just increasing taxes.

We have to take a careful approach that balances the needs of our city that remains the focus on the affordability crisis that so many Seattleites face.

approach to addressing the structural budget deficit.

This deficit is a product of a decade of high growth and low inflation.

Solving an issue in a decade and making it in one year is not responsible governing.

We have many statements of legislative intent within this budget, starting up the next round of our budget reform work.

And I do need to be clear, we can't promise the funding levels for the programs that we achieve this year, we can't promise that in the future if The chair's package was a product of all of us on council working together.

This is not the package I would have created on my own, and it is a better package than what I would have created on my own because we are better together.

And colleagues, we should feel proud of the package presented because it is all of our package, not just mine.

While we could have made history by having no amendments to my package, I see that that's not the case.

We are now in the stage where each council member can make or propose the changes that they want.

And that's where we're moving into for the rest of this week.

I want to conclude by thanking all of you in this room for coming out tonight and for everyone online.

In a moment where there is more uncertainty than certainty, there's no place that I'd rather be than with all of you here exercising our civic duty.

With that, I want to let you know that tonight everyone is going to have two minutes to speak.

It's going to be long, so if we get to about 9 or 9.30, I might make an adjustment to bring it down to a minute.

We do have childcare that is available until 7 p.m., and as I said, the parking garage closes at 10 p.m.

If you enter the parking garage after 4 p.m., you can just tell them on the way out, and it's only $5.

So there's that.

We also have public comment tomorrow morning.

I've had standard advisement for public comment at my committee, which hasn't been used, so I'll let you know what it is now.

If we have more than 30 people sign up, so under 30 people, I'll give two minutes in the morning.

If there's more than 30 people, it'll be down to a minute.

And if it goes longer than two hours, it'll be 30 seconds after the 120th person.

So that's for tomorrow morning.

Hopefully everyone will be able to express themselves fully tonight with that.

Colleagues, any questions?

I think I've gone over, I filibustered the intro statements so that everyone could be here.

We are still only waiting on Councilmember Kettle to let them reflect that everyone here is here and Councilmember Kettle was excused until he arrives.

So tonight we are holding a public hearing on the city's 2025 general revenue sources including a possible property tax levy increase the mayor's 2025 to 2026 proposed budgets in the 2025-2030 capital improvement program and the proposed revisions to the city's 2025 general revenue sources and mayor's proposed budgets and CIP.

If there is no objection the agenda will be adopted.

hearing no objection the agenda is adopted and uh for those of you in the room i already kind of gave you the rundown the select budget committee will now open the public hearing on the 2025-26 proposed budget including the three items that i just mentioned each speaker will have two minutes we will do 10 people in the room 10 people online 10 people in the room 10 people online online and in person.

SPEAKER_56

We currently have 70 members of the public signed up online, 115 signed up in person.

SPEAKER_140

Okay, it's gonna be long.

Speakers will be called in the order in which they registered.

Speakers will alternate between 10 sets of in-person and remote.

Speakers will hear a chime when you have 10 seconds left.

So when you hear the chime, you've still got a moment to wrap up.

And we will move on to the next speaker as soon as that period is up.

And every two hours, we're gonna take a minute stretch break.

Great, with that, let's roll.

I'm gonna go with list A in-person speakers.

So I have list A one through 10, Cecilia Black, someone Haynes, Steve Pumphrey, Gloria Pumphrey, someone Ellis, Edward Dumas, Annie Moore, Joaquin Garrett, Mr. Salisbury, and Jim Buchanan.

So when you hear your name, that means come line up so we can just tick right through.

Cecilia, thank you for leading by example.

Good evening.

At your convenience, we'll get going.

SPEAKER_24

My name is Cecilia Black, and I'm a wheelchair user, renter in D4, and community organizer at Display Rights Washington.

I urge you to protect the majority of Seattleites who are renters and increase funding for tenant services by $5.3 million.

I am also urging you to restore the $2 million in SDOT's budget for ADA funding.

Nearly every year, council tries to cut ADA funding, citing that Seattle's ahead of its curb cut goals.

And I want to remind you that these goals are the absolute minimum required at a consent degree.

And at the same time, less than a quarter of crossings have accessible pedestrian signals.

The funding in the levy is meant to be additive and not intended to replace existing funds.

I also want to acknowledge that I have not had time to look at any of the recent amendments.

And council erodes the public trust when it publishes huge budget documents so close to public hearings and removes tools like its budget tracking tool.

And I want to make sure you understand that we are here showing up as community with community experts and social service providers and as renters and as climate activists and as transit riders.

And we are asking for budgets and policies rooted in best practices in data and fiscal responsibility and safety and equity standards.

So we are holding levy funding hostage, creating obstacles to bus lanes, rating jumpstart and effectively ending eviction defense.

I'm asking you to think about who you are responding to.

Is it community members, practitioners, program experts, or the special interests of a select few?

SPEAKER_99

Thanks.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Cecilia.

Up next, we have Mr. and Mrs. Haynes.

Hello.

Sorry, I am bad at reading handwriting, and I'm going to mispronounce people's names.

My apologies in advance.

Over to you.

SPEAKER_82

My name is Deidre Haynes, and I'm here on behalf of a grassroots group, the Harbor Alki Neighbors, 170 strong.

There are several others here in the room that will speak tonight.

We are made up of owners and renters on Alki.

Please approve the budget to change the diagonal parking area at Duwamish Head, along with implementation of technology in the form of speed and noise-activated ticketing cameras.

No one living in this area wants to restrict Seattle residents and visitors from enjoying all that Alki has to offer.

Those of us living there are also entitled to quiet enjoyment.

We are afraid to go out on the street after dark year round.

You've seen the videos and photos we've sent.

You've heard the stories of the sleep deprivation we suffer, the very real dangerous safety issues that exist.

You know about the drug dealing and use, drunkenness, public urination, and defecation.

cars traveling at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour, cars being slammed into and pushed or driven into the bay, cars parked on the street being hit and totaled by drunk drivers, car break-ins and thefts, property damage, littering, and the abject horror of gunfights that have included a fatality.

This environment change and use of efficient technology to aid our police in doing their jobs is necessary for both residents and visitors to the area.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Deidre.

I've also been advised I need to let folks know where the restrooms are and emergency exits.

There are emergency exits and restrooms out that door, as well as there's a gender neutral restroom on the other side of the Blue Bridge.

SPEAKER_90

My name is Steve Pumphrey.

I'm going to basically say the same things that Deidre just said, but I want to say one thing that at 5 o'clock this past Sunday morning, I chased a man and a woman out of our landscaping while they were in there urinating.

That's what it's like on our street these days.

I'm here to talk about public safety in this budget, specifically about neighborhood public safety.

From the West Seattle Bridge to Alki Point, The residents of Harbor and Alki Avenues are under siege by the very things that Deidre just explained.

Seattle police are woefully understaffed.

They are basically not able to act responsibly, let alone be proactive.

And as a result, there are no consequences for a lot of the bad behavior that takes place in this city, especially along Harbor and Alki.

Public safety, though, can be more than policing.

It can be technology, like speed-activated camera ticketing systems, noise-activated ticketing systems, CCC TV, and other things.

It also can be changes in the neighborhood environment.

Redesign the streets, redesign the parking.

Make parking access work to be more safe for people.

Make our parks access work to be more safe for people.

We can do all of this and still maintain friendly, welcoming neighborhoods that are safe.

The last thing I would say is these systems are effective and they're in use elsewhere.

They're color blind, they're race blind, and they're language blind.

All they do is note a vehicle doing something that it's not supposed to do in that area.

Council Member Saka has two line items specifically in the budget that address the changes we need.

One is the alteration of the parking at Duwambish Head and the other is the use and implementation of speed activated cameras.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Steve.

Up next is Gloria and Council Member Kettle has been present for the last four minutes or more.

Gloria, welcome.

SPEAKER_127

Thank you.

My name is Gloria Pumphrey.

Welcome to my world.

I live on Harbor Avenue Southwest across from the Duwamish Head Diagonal Parking Area.

Look out my window, waves of families, walkers, bikers, skaters, young and old, a rainbow of cultures and colors.

They joyfully move along the Alki Trail.

It is daytime, June 22nd, Saturday.

The darkness of the night falls to the street.

4 a.m., wake up to the sound of bullets flying.

Run to my front window.

There is a body laying in the diagonal parking.

The parking area empties as cars race away, abandoning the dying body.

There is a bullet hole in my front window.

Our street is not safe.

People are afraid to go out at night.

The diagonal parking area is a dangerous epicenter for illegal activity and a staging area for racing, drug sales and use, drinking, excessive noise and music, shooting and fights.

Puget Sound waters, our streets and neighborhoods are being polluted.

with broken bottles, cans, burned tire rubber, razor blades, foil, fast food wrappings, and alcohol boxes.

This is just one of the instances that we experience almost nightly.

We must alter the area while continuing to allow positive daytime activities.

We support changing the parking area configuration and the use of speed cameras to make the area less attractive for illegal activities.

Please help us become a safe neighborhood.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Gloria.

Up next is Austin Ellis, Edward Dumas, Annie Moore.

Do we have Austin?

There we are.

Good evening.

SPEAKER_46

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS AUSTIN ELLIS.

I AM A REAL CHANGE VENDOR AND I HAVE BEEN FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I'M ALSO CURRENTLY UNHOUSED.

I'VE BEEN THAT WAY FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I'M WORKING WITH DESC TO GET HOUSING AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO ME AND EVERYONE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW TO JUST BASICALLY STAYING ALIVE.

THE NEED FOR FUNDING AND HOUSING IS CRITICAL AT THIS POINT.

I don't, I can tell you right now, nobody really wants to really be out there, ladies and gentlemen.

It's not fun.

It's nothing exciting.

And I just know that it would be critical at this point to have funding and housing.

So thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Austin.

Thank you.

Up next is Edward Dumas, followed by Annie Moore.

Edward, welcome.

SPEAKER_97

I'm speaking in support of Council Member Saka's budget proposal for a very important road safety project on Dale Ridge.

The proposal has taken a lot of criticism.

There has been personal attacks against Council Member Saka and the immigrants and refugees communities in the communities that are not relevant to the project.

Different views are okay, but personal attacks are uncalled for.

This road safety project is critically needed.

There are many immigrants and refugee families living and working in the area who are not safely able to access a small business or daycare facilities and have voiced their concerns for years now.

Rob Saka's proposal finally gives a voice to the community.

This is a road to safety and equity issues.

The Delridge Safety Project ensures the The city brings impacted communities together and find solutions that make it safe for everyone, drivers, bicycles, pedestrians, and family workers.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Edward.

Up next is Annie Moore, White King Garrett, Mr. Salisbury, and then Jim Buchanan.

Good morning.

SPEAKER_95

My name is Annie Bice Moore.

Oh, sorry.

My name is Annie Bice Moore, and I am going to be speaking about tenant services.

I'm a senior renter residing at Columbia Gardens in Rainier Valley in District 2 since 2014. We are seniors living on fixed incomes and are predominantly brown and black people.

I'm urging the Council to support the amendment from Council Members Morales, Moore, and Hollingsworth to fully restore funding to tenant services at the same level as 2024 and to encourage doubling this funding in the future.

Please don't pit rental assistance against tenant services.

We need them both.

I had been a homeowner most of my life, so when I transitioned to apartment living, I was naive to think that if I paid my rent on time, the landlord would do their part.

The first few years of apartment living was great.

Then it went downhill when the owner, Southeast Effective Development, also known as SEED, hired a new property management company named Coast Property Management in 2019. It seems like it's always something with Coast.

Since this past summer up to the present, there have been four separate occasions where there had been no hot water in the main building, pest control was given the key to the wrong apartment, and a variety of violations to the 48-hour notice to enter.

There's more, but I would run out of time.

Equipped with tenant information, education and materials provided from Tenants Union and Bee Seattle and their backing, we have been able to write more effective emails with specific wording to coast with copies to seed to keep them accountable, to let them know that we mean business.

So please, fully fund and others can continue to support renters like us.

Thank you for your time, thank you for listening.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Annie.

Up next, Mr. Garrett, then Mr. Salisbury, then Mr. Buchanan.

Welcome.

Good evening.

SPEAKER_70

Good evening.

KY King Garrett, CEO of Africatown Community Land Trust, speaking today as a third-generation community builder and co-founder of King County Equity Now.

The first issue is in support of council member...

Hollingsworth amendments.

We are grateful and thank Councilwoman Hollingsworth for her leadership as well as the support of Councilmembers Kathy Moore and Tanya Wu and the rest of the Council to honor the intent of resources allocated to mitigate the impacts of anti-black racism and create a new normal rooted in equity those funds are long overdue to the community to support economic development public safety and generational wealth in our community Secondly, the issue is hands off the jumpstart tax.

Anti-black racism and corporate greed are the number one threats to public safety in our city and around the country.

The results of that is what you see happening in the streets of Seattle, which the lady was unfortunately speaking to before.

And diverting funds from affordable housing, economic opportunities, and summer youth employment will only worsen these inequities, keep more people in the streets, and create the very conditions that fuel crime and unsafe communities.

It's really not acceptable, and we say that you do not permanently divert this funding to balance the budget and to reject any legislation that would change the spending plan without more public process.

We want to see We urge you to fully fund community-led projects such as the Banu Community Home, the only shelter program dedicated to addressing the overrepresentation of black men in the houseless system, William Grove Center, $10 million for legacy black homeowners, black-called businesses, and black arts youth culture enterprise.

SPEAKER_68

We have to replace negative culture with positive culture.

Take negative culture out of it.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mr. Garrett.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr. Salisbury, you're up next.

And photographer, you are at the public comments space, so you need to keep that free and clear of your cameras, please.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_146

Oh.

It's identified here.

It's Shakundi Salisbury.

SPEAKER_140

We'll come back to him.

Yeah, he went to go move his car.

No comment from me today, sir.

Sir, yes, sir.

Mr. Buchanan, you're up next.

SPEAKER_146

Thank you.

Greetings, Council.

I'm Jim Buchanan, President of the Washington State Descendants of Slaves Coalition.

I'm present today to testify and support Councilmember Hollingsworth's amendments directing resources to the black community.

The amendments help address key critical areas, homelessness, food insecurity, public safety, arts and culture, and business development.

I would like to thank Member Moore and Wu for co-sponsoring the amendments, and President Nelson for your leadership and guidance throughout this process.

I would also like to thank Budget Chair Strauss for your bold willingness to help and tackle tough issues for the black community, and Council Member Kettle for your consistent support, along with members Saka, Morales, and Riviera.

We appreciate you all listening and responding to the voice of the Black descendant slaves community.

We look forward to continuing and strengthening our relationship in the future.

Now we ask for your continued support by voting yes on Councilmember Hollingsworth's amendments.

We have developed a large coalition of a lot of groups that now have totaled over 200,000 members.

And our goal and objective is to continue to advocate for the right thing, specifically in the corner for black descendants of slaves, because we are so misused, abused, and overlooked consistently.

And as we support all issues, obviously, because they affect us.

I'm talking to everybody in this room.

They affect us more than anybody.

But we are zooming in on what affects descendant of slaves.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Buchanan.

SPEAKER_140

Chikundi?

SPEAKER_137

No.

SPEAKER_140

Yeah?

Sorry, what's your name?

SPEAKER_137

Javon.

SPEAKER_99

Who?

SPEAKER_137

Hello?

Javon.

Javon.

SPEAKER_140

You're not up yet, my friend.

Yeah, sorry.

That's what got me confused.

Mari, we'll just have Chikundi start at the next round.

So we're going to transition to online speakers now.

We're going to do the first 10. I'm going to call everyone's names so that they know where they're at.

We have Marshall Bender, Chris Woodward, Peter Conant, Garrett Moore, Robin Briggs, Selvin Osageto, Tanya Moore, Isabel Diaz, red asterisk.

So with that, we'll bring the first speaker up.

I see Marshall, you're here, star six to unmute.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_42

Hello, my name is Marshall Bender and I'm a Seattle Public Library employee and a AFNI 283 member.

Solidarity is my union comrades.

The views I express today are not of that of my employer.

As a library employee, I see daily the struggle of Seattle's residents.

Addiction, homelessness, crime, and more are present in Seattle's libraries, and we are often the first to respond to these issues in our neighborhoods.

While the STD sits on their hands and sleeps on the job, taking hours to respond to assaults and traffic crimes, we, library workers, have to de-escalate, direct struggling people to resources, and work to keep ourselves and our communities safe.

We need a solution to these problems, and the solution is affordable housing, not killer cops.

Council, I urge you not to gut jumpstart tax for the general fund.

Affordable housing is the only solution to the problems of crime, antisocial behavior, and homelessness.

When we build housing, we create stability and an opportunity for people to rebuild their lives and climb out of the horrors of addiction and living on the streets.

To gut this budget to pay for cops and suites will be a disservice to the people of Seattle and a violation of your supposed commitments to Seattle's residents.

Fund housing, not cops.

Additionally, please restore funding to fund tenant services further and in the future.

The majority of Seattleites are renters like me, and we must be protected so that we can afford to live in the city we work in and love so much.

Lastly, I would like to voice my opinion.

We need more progressive revenue in Seattle to fix budget holes like this.

To summarize, stop funding cops, start funding housing.

Thank you very much for listening.

I yield my time.

SPEAKER_140

Thanks, Marshall.

Up next is Chris Woodward.

Chris, as soon as you are put forward.

Chris, I see you're there.

Star six to unmute.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience, please.

Great.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_47

Good afternoon, budget committee members.

My name is Chris Woodward.

I represent the Alliance for Pioneer Square.

We're in D1.

The Alliance is an economic development nonprofit working for the betterment of the Pioneer Square Historic District.

First off, just thank you, committee members and staff who are working to create a comprehensive budget package, providing comments regarding the budget today.

The Alliance is in support of the following proposed budget allocations and a proviso that promote the economic development and public safety in Pioneer Square, which includes, I'm not going to name the amendment numbers specifically.

I'm going to send over a written comment.

The transfer of $448,000 of arts and culture funds in 25 and 26 from SPR to arts for downtown buskers, number one.

Number two, using $800,000 in jumpstart funds in 25 and 26 for OED's door fund repair program.

Number three, increasing SDOT's budget by $7 million in 25 and 26. for a new council district fund.

Here's a proviso for $500,000 for the Seattle Transit Measure Fund in SDOT for Waterfront Shuttle Transit Service.

And finally, increasing SPD's budget by $10 million for officer overtime.

These investments will ensure Pioneer Square is safe, welcoming, and vibrant for years to come.

Thank you for your attention.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Chris.

Up next is Peter Condit, followed by Garrett Moore, Robin Briggs, Selvin Osagura.

Peter, I see you're off mute already.

Take it away.

Good evening.

SPEAKER_148

Thank you, Chair Strauss.

Good evening, Council.

I am Peter Condit in Green Lake.

I want to feel safe and be safe as I go about my life.

In my experience, safety comes from relationships and resources.

Housing is crucial.

Housing creates safety.

intended purposes, this council is exacerbating the homelessness crisis and undermining public safety.

I ask first of all that you reject Council Member Strasser's bill 120913, which would make the jumpstart raid permanent.

Second, the city should be spending less on the police department.

It is not possible to create safety through policing and incarceration.

Since 2015, one in 10 homicides in Seattle has been perpetrated by law enforcement.

As you surely know, SPD's harms disproportionately fall on Black and Native individuals.

This is called structural racism.

By giving SPD bonuses, raises, and expensive technology, you, council, expose all of your constituents to the harms inherent in unchecked racism.

For example, it should be no surprise that this department also remains mired in sexism and misogyny.

For the safety of all Seattleites, you must commit to nonviolence and anti-racism by supporting non-police responses to harm.

This year's $96 million budget increase for policing courts and cages should instead be diverted to proven solutions such as violence interruption programs, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment facilities, expanded library hours, affordable housing, and guaranteed basic income.

All of these programs improve safety and are cost effective, especially compared to the criminal legal system that we currently prop up with hundreds of millions of dollars of discretionary funding every year.

In this budget, I ask that you defund SPD, restore Jumpstart Housing Investments, restore funding for tenant services, restore funding for environmental education, and provide human service workers with at least a 5% raise.

Thank you for listening.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Peter.

Up next is Garrett, followed by Robin.

Garrett, I see you're here.

You're already off mute.

Take it away at your convenience, Garrett.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_45

Hi, Chair Strauss, council members.

My name is Garrett Plesko-Moore, and I am a resident of the Central District.

I am here tonight to encourage you to support Council Member Hollingsworth's amendment to fully fund the Garfield Superblock Redevelopment Project.

My wife and I have lived in the city for a few years, and we really look forward to continue walking the neighborhood, enjoying hopefully a redeveloped Garfield Park, and eventually sending our kids to Garfield High School.

But we need a safe future for our kids, and that's free from gun violence.

I listen to my neighbors, and we know what makes progress towards both safety and safety feelings of safety, that's access to health, well-being, a good job, and community connection.

Garfield Superblock helps make progress on all of these fronts, from the art pieces representing diverse ethnic backgrounds of the CED to the connections to businesses all around the CED, an accessible walking path, and even multi-generational play at the park.

GSB does it all.

I'm also really excited in the movements towards additional progressive revenue that the City Council is showing.

I want to encourage you to please continue this direction to ensure we don't have to take from housing and programs that are combating climate change to be able to invest in park and community activation.

So please support Council Member Hollingsworth's amendment to fully fund GSD and continue seeking progressive revenue for the future of Seattle.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Garrett.

Up next is Robin Briggs, followed by Selvin Osageta.

Robin, I see you there.

You're off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_29

Welcome.

Okay, thank you.

My name is Robin Briggs.

I live in Capitol Hill, and I'm very concerned about the climate.

This council and mayor have deprioritized climate and housing in this budget and need to take action to ensure that this is not repeated in the next budget.

If we cannot pay our bills on our own, maybe we need more progressive revenues.

Or maybe we need to open our city to more newcomers who can help share the load.

Spending on climate initiatives is down 28% compared to last year.

This means that programs meant to help residents decarbonize are going unfunded.

We need to work more, not less, on new policies to help reduce emissions and improve resilience.

The reduction in funds for housing means more people have to live further out and commute in, which raises emissions.

This has been a huge driver, not just for unaffordability and homelessness, but also for our region's emissions and air pollution.

With more people living closer to jobs and services, there will be reduced pollution, lower cost of service, and more revenue for the city.

The city has promised to reduce our emissions 58% by 2030 in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

It's not like our emissions go down on their own.

It requires work and investment and assistance from the city.

We will never fix our social problems without housing, and we won't have a good economy without a decent climate.

With respect to amendments that are before you, shutting down the three-car seems short-sighted.

We need multiple ways to get around.

Doing a study of bus lanes is unlikely to get different results than previous studies of bus lanes.

And with respect to the proposal to tear down the wall, if each of you were to give up the $2 million slush fund you have, that would double climate funding.

These appropriations will get measured against the value of the things we had to cut to make them.

Please consider that carefully.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Robin.

Up next is Selvin Asageta and then Tanya Moore.

Selvin, I see you're there, star six to unmute.

Selvin, star six to unmute, not pound six.

If we could bring up Tanya Moore and you can leave Selvin there.

Tanya Moore, you are here.

Star six to unmute.

Tanya, star six to unmute.

We're going to move on to Isabel Diaz.

I saw Tanya come off mute.

Star six, try that one more time, Tanya.

SPEAKER_39

There you are.

You're off mute.

All right.

Thank you so much.

My name is Tanya Moore.

I'm the co-director at B Seattle and a renter in D five.

I went to urge the council to support the amendment from council members, Morales, Moore and Hollingsworth to fully restore funding to tenants level is 2024 and encourage doubling this funding in the future.

I want to thank them for that support.

I also want to urge council to reject the second provisio in SBCI 006A focused on the right to counsel.

The limitation included in there, which would limit it to clients with incomes at or below 200% of the poverty level, would exclude almost anyone who works full time in the city of Seattle.

A minimum wage worker in Seattle earns approximately $41,000.

$537, therefore a family of one or two would be removed from accessing the services.

And this would thereby increase the likelihood they would lose their housing.

I also want to encourage the council not to pit rental assistance against tenant services.

We need both.

In order for tenants to remain stably housed, rental assistance is of course essential.

I have had to use it before in my lifetime.

But without tenant services to help educate tenants to continue contact with their landlord and how to do that effectively, rental assistance is a stop gap and will not help people remain housed.

We appreciate, again, council members Morales, Moore, and Hollingsworth for supporting the amendment to fully restore funding tenant services.

And we encourage council to do the same.

Thank you so much for your time.

SPEAKER_68

Thank you, Tonya.

SPEAKER_140

Let's go to Isabel Diaz, then Red Asterix, and then we'll come back to Selvin.

Isabel, welcome.

Star six to unmute.

There you are.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_12

Hello.

My name is Isabel Diaz.

I'm a Seattle resident of District 4. I work in Ballard, and I'm also the coach and player of the Little Frogs, a softball team within the Seattle Parks and Rec softball program.

I'm calling today to ask the members of City Council to keep adult athletics within the city budget.

Currently, Parks and Rec is proposing to cut the adult athletics coordinator position, which is a single full-time staff position supporting the adult athletics program.

So eliminating it would effectively end all league-based sports programs offered by Parks and Rec.

I am one of 2,500 participants of the Seattle Parks and Rec softball program, which is not to mention the eight other sports the city offers.

These programs have a huge reach.

The softball program hosts teams that have been in the league for 20 years, many of which are intergenerational with parents and their adult kids on the same team, a testament to how these teams are community touchstones.

And unlike for-profit sports groups, access and equity are integral to parks programming, offering lower fees, making it accessible for my team to play.

This low-barrier league provides a space outside of a bar setting to get to know your neighbor across cultures and generations, and those types of connections keep our community strong, safe, and fun.

I hear city council members stress that they want to keep Seattle safe, and that is done by having strong, vibrant community, and that is what this program does.

Softball is a source of joy when things are hard for so many of us.

For me, when my mom was receiving breast cancer treatment last summer, having these games to go to and having a space of normalcy was pivotal for my mental health.

This is a program that also has minimal effect on the park's budget.

We pay to play.

We pay the city each year to participate in this program.

It is close to net neutral program for the city.

This is all to say that keeping an adult athletics program within the city budget is a no-brainer in terms of both cost to the city and the value of the community at Foster's.

I ask you to please keep this community alive and keep adult athletics within the park's budget.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Isabelle.

Up next is Red Asterix.

Red Asterix, star six.

You're off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_06

Good evening, council members.

As you work to balance the budget, I urge you to prioritize protections and funding for tenant unions and renters.

With Project 2025 reshaping national housing policies, Seattle must lead in safeguarding tenants and empowering our community to stay housed.

The evidence is clear.

Tenant protections are vital, especially in a high-cost city like ours.

Keeping people housed improves their ability to work, strengthens mental health, and maintains connection to essential support networks Investing in these protections is investing in the stability and health of our community.

Project 2025's reset of HUD, including ending the Housing First model, threatens proven life-saving measures.

In response, we must double down on supporting tenants, particularly through tenant unions and renter advocacy organizations that work to keep Seattle residents in their homes.

You have the power to ensure our city remains committed to protecting our residents.

and preventing an increase in housing insecurity this winter and beyond.

Support ten unions of Washington and renter advocacy in this budget cycle to keep Seattle housed and thriving and stop raiding Jump Start funding.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Red.

We're going to go back to Selvin.

One last call on Selvin, and then we'll come back to Selvin at the next group.

Selvin, star six to unmute.

Selvin, star six to unmute yourself.

We're going to go one more time.

Selvin, if you could start.

There you are.

Fantastic.

Good evening.

SPEAKER_111

Sorry about that.

My name is Selvin Oseguera.

I am the owner of La Cabana Central American Restaurant.

I am here today to speak about the proposed budget for 2025-2026.

It's my understanding that this proposed budget includes significant cuts to various agencies, including the Office of Labor Standards, which provide vital programs such as Business Outreach and Acquisition Funds, or BOEF.

I just wanted to let you know that over the last four years, I have personally benefited from the support and the resources provided by this program.

Because of this program, myself and other small business owners have been able to gain a deeper understanding of the rules and regulations at the city, county, state, and federal levels, which has directly improved our business practices.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Selvin.

We're gonna return to our in-person speakers, but before we do that, I'm gonna read the next 10 online speakers that we will come back to in about 20 minutes.

That's Alice Lockhart, Lydia Felty, Iris Antman, Janice Delgucci, Mike Stewart, Deepa Sivarajan, Alberto Alvarez, Ted Dehman, David Haynes, who's not present, and Hilary Dammerman will come back to Alice in about 20 minutes.

We're going to now return to the in-person speakers.

Mr. Salisbury, please, you're up first, followed by David Toledo, Ray Rogers, First Lady Lanisha Davis, Sahara Meany, Rebecca Riley, George Moffitt, Rose, no last name, Jeremy Vrablich, Anitra Freeman, and Marcus White.

So with that, Mr. Salisbury, the floor is yours.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_74

Thank you.

Thank you, counsel, for taking the time to hear me today.

My name is Shikandi Salisbury, and today I am here representing services, a lifestyle and black legacy homeowners.

I'm here as a community member and a lifelong resident of Seattle and and a home owner.

I'm here in support of the package that is put forth by Councilmember Hollingsworth that includes Black Legacy homeowner funding, arts and culture preservation funding, housing and homeowner support, which is what we do, economic mobility, and small business growth.

This package is important to many in the community, and I know that there will be others today to come and talk after me and possibly before me as I was moving my car.

But the thing that's important to me about this package is that while we most certainly have many programs that seek to help homeowners, And a lot of people here are talking about renters' rights and tenants' rights, and those are very important as well.

But many of the existing policies that we have on the books, such as the existing AMI, are actively driving existing homeowners out of the city.

even exist in the city, you have to almost be above 80% AMI.

So what we are looking to, in particular, as part of this package, is adopting across the city a community-adjusted AMI that really looks at homeowners that are there and what they can afford.

This broad-based approach of an AMI that speaks to just everyone there is not helping existing homeowners.

In fact, it's really hastening a slow death, if you will, or slow gentrification, a slow displacement.

We're not able to apply for the programs.

We do not qualify.

And if you have worked and lived in this community your entire life, you ought to be able to retire in the home.

SPEAKER_140

Amen.

Thank you, Mr. Salisbury.

Up next, we have David Toledo, Ray Rogers, First Lady LaNesha Davis.

David.

SPEAKER_116

Thank you.

I'm here today to support Council Member Saka's Delridge Road Safety Proposal.

I've lived in that community for 20 years.

My brother raised his family there, my sister as well.

We've seen a lot of changes.

And unfortunately, two years ago, we saw some changes to that roadway that the community just didn't have a voice in.

And we feel that Council Member Saka is trying to remedy that.

And we are just hoping that you stand behind him and support that.

I'm going to go a little off script as well and just say how proud I am of this council.

A year ago, we saw many of you, Hollingsworth, Kettle, Moore, Rivera, and Saka come to this council.

And there was a...

I think a common belief in public safety is a necessity, and I just want to say thank you, each of you, for your bravery in standing for that.

A speaker earlier talked about the personal attacks against Rob Sacca, and I know many of you have suffered that because of your stance on public safety, and I just want to say please continue standing and being strong.

Last thing, two years ago, I stood before you and talked about the fentanyl crisis.

I lost two people in my circle because of that.

At that time, Sarah Nelson was a strong advocate for public safety.

Council Member Strauss actually after the meeting came down here and handed me his card.

And I just want to say thank you to both of you for your ongoing support of public safety and just your strength.

Please keep this coalition together.

Support each other, please.

And that's all.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mr. Toledo.

Mr. Rogers.

LENISHA, WHICHEVER YOU WANT.

FIRST LADY.

SPEAKER_78

OKAY.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER SACA'S BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR A CRITICAL ROAD SAFETY PROJECT IN DALE RIDGE.

I KNOW THIS AREA, IT'S COMMUNITY, IT'S FAMILY, AND IT'S SMALL BUSINESS.

THIS IS A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA THAT SEES HEAVY car traffic, as well as pedestrians walk into and from the Boren STEM school, as well as to the local daycare grocers and small businesses.

We also know that the community has been left out of discussion on what is best for its immigrants, businesses and residents.

Too often people far removed from this community are making the decisions for those most affected without giving those same people at the seat at the table.

This road safety project is critically needed.

There are many immigrant and refugee families living and working in the area who are not safely able to access small businesses in the area.

Although the intentions of those from the outside of the community might be well meant, Black and brown communities do not need them to speak out on our behalf, especially when they are only making assumptions about what is best for us.

We are here to speak for ourselves.

And what we are saying is please support the Rob Saka Delridge Safety Project.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

And if folks can say their name to make sure that I got it right, that would be helpful too.

SPEAKER_117

Greetings, council.

My name is Bishop Rogers.

I am likewise here to echo the same sentiments in support for Sokka's budget proposal for important road safety project in the Delridge area.

Council members, I urge you again to take a complete stand against these personal attacks that have occurred against Rob himself.

Delridge deserves to know that it is safe to walk to the local store, to the schools or to the daycare.

Please, I urge you to support one another in this endeavor.

It's very critical in such a time at which we stand that we come together and to right some of those wrongs.

Again, I urge you in support one another to pull together And my final conclusion, this young lady wanted to wave to Sarah.

She remembers she's seen him when she's seen him.

She said, can I go and wave to her?

Thank you, guys.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Sahar Amini, followed by Rebecca Riley.

Rebecca, if you want to use this stand, too, we can just go back and forth.

Sahar, over to you.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_75

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr. Chair and council members.

My name is Sahar Amini.

I'm the advocacy and policy manager at Habitat for Humanity Seattle, King County.

First, I want to extend our appreciation for including an additional $3.5 million to support affordable home ownership.

This commitment brings us closer to making housing accessible for many Seattle families who are priced out of the communities they love.

On the other hand, we remain concerned about the continued permanent reallocation of PET funds away from affordable housing.

This shift risks reducing the resources needed to build homes housing market to keep up with demand.

We know from our work that when funding is steady, developers can deliver more housing options.

If this reallocation becomes a long-term shift, we'll face deeper shortages of affordable homes.

Lastly, though, I would like to share our support for Councilmember Moore's proposal on citywide capital gains excise tax.

Stable, ongoing funding for affordable housing is essential to addressing Seattle's growing housing needs, and a local capital gains tax would be a step towards securing a predictable source of revenue for this critical work.

Investing in homeownership isn't just about housing, it's about strengthening communities and supporting long-term economic stability.

As you move through this challenging budget process, we urge you to keep PET funds intact in future years.

The decisions made in this chamber have a lasting impact on Seattle's housing landscape, and we need to avoid gaps in funding that could turn into permanent setbacks.

Thank you again for your leadership and support, and we look forward to partnering with all of you and making Seattle a place where everyone can call home.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Sahar.

Up next is Rebecca Riley, followed by George Moffitt.

Rebecca, welcome.

SPEAKER_98

Hello, my name is Becca Riley, and I'm speaking today about the 2025-2026 proposed city budget cuts.

Please restore funding for Discovery Park, Carkeek Park, and the citywide environmental education team in Seattle Parks and Recreation.

And please don't let parks privatize environmental education.

I work for Seattle Parks and Recreation and my position along with nine other one of my coworkers are all slated for elimination in this budget proposal.

If passed, the impact of this will reach all corners of Seattle.

Discovery Park is a gem in this city.

hard fought for and protected by the people of this city for over 50 years.

As the largest park in Seattle, it is uniquely protected from development by the passing of the Discovery Park Master Plan in 1974. The proposed closure of the Discovery Park Visitor Center will put the core values of this park in jeopardy, and these are protected by the Seattle Municipal Code.

Defunding and privatizing environmental education is the wrong choice.

How can Seattle pride itself in being a green city, a leader amongst other cities, when it is actively defunding our naturalists, our education specialists, and closing our environmental learning centers?

Please restore funding for Discovery Park, Carkeek Park, and the citywide environmental education team, and don't let parks privatize environmental education.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Rebecca.

Up next is George, followed by Rose.

George, welcome.

SPEAKER_67

Hello, my name is George Moffitt.

I'm also here to speak in opposition to the privatization of the environmental education program.

But more generally, I just want to speak against the idea that we can solve our budget problems by privatizing important city work.

It doesn't really do what you think it does.

It may rustle up a couple bucks short term, but in the long term, it inevitably costs more and reduces our ability to serve the public.

I can't count on any city budget proposal that privatizes city work and eliminates union jobs, and neither should you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, George.

Up next is Rose.

And if you could, first and last name for the record, please.

That's it.

SPEAKER_73

Thank you, Mr. Strauss.

My name is Rose McMurray.

I'm a proud voter in District 3. I'm here to appeal to City Council on behalf of public funding for low-income housing and meal programs which benefit our whole community.

After the election of Donald Trump, we as a city have an obligation to step up even more in helping our city and our nation survive and show how no matter who's at the helm of the federal government, we in Seattle always support those who are most vulnerable in our community.

We as voters had an opportunity to show this last November with an overwhelming vote of support for Mayor Harrell's housing levy.

We as passionate members of our community show up by turning up for various meal programs and mutual aid groups who use funding from you to support our communities every day.

You and City Council now have an opportunity to show unity with Seattle voters by protecting Jump Start funding and continuing our city's proud tradition of supporting our most economically vulnerable communities.

We know that we are not going to be saved by the federal government.

We will not be bailed out.

However, we also know that it is important now more than ever to fund our people and not send even more money to police in sweeps that are proven to exacerbate the problem and cause death within our community.

Please show us that you will stand with us and not Trump's government and reconsider the current budget and protect our most vulnerable neighbors.

Thank you so much for your guys' time.

Thanks, Rose.

Jeremy, welcome.

SPEAKER_132

Hello, Council.

My name is Jeremy Ravlik, and I am the owner of Cascadia Produce and Cascadia Fresh Market on Delridge Way in District 1. Rob, it's good to see a neighbor here.

I'm here to speak today in favor of investing in Seattle meals programs.

I want to thank Council Member Hollingsworth and Strauss for supporting Amendments 4 and 10, adding to the capital budget and operating budget.

While the meal programs do great work in the community, they also have a direct impact on small businesses and farms in the city and surrounding areas.

These funds will create jobs and support many small businesses involved in the Seattle food system.

Every dollar spent with these farms gets multiplied with growth in the local economy.

Supporting meal programs falls in line with the food action plan and the values-based purchasing that has been adopted by the city.

So I'm grateful for that and encourage it.

Additionally, being a resident just off of Delridge and having a grocery store on Delridge, would like to say thank you for looking out for the safety of my wife who has to walk across Delridge every day from 25th Avenue to the store to be able to keep it open.

And so the safety of Delridge is extremely important to me along with the plan to continue to support local stores, smaller retailers throughout the city that can truly be an economic impact for all of our neighbors throughout the city, but also for those businesses that are supported.

Thank you.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Anitra Freeman, you're up next, followed by Marcus White.

Anitra, welcome.

SPEAKER_05

Thank you.

Anitra Freeman with Wheel Women in Black.

We are disappointed, very disappointed, that in spite of broad community support and public comment, The funding for a day center that is critically needed to replace Mary's Place after it closes is not in this budget.

Those critically needed survival services are not going to be saved by this budget.

Please remember that there are lives that depend on you to find that funding before next March, or women will die.

You are still rating Jumpstart.

Please don't make that permanent.

Stop it.

Keep the guardrails on and find a better way to balance the budget next year or next time.

You added back some of the funding for tenant services.

Figure out how to add more, or you will have more homeless people, and you will have more homeless deaths.

Keep working.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Anitra.

Marcus, welcome.

Good to see you.

SPEAKER_66

Yes.

Hello, everyone.

I hope you all are doing well.

I just want to voice support for Councilmember Saka's amendment for the Transportation Safety Project on Delridge Way.

The purpose of government is to make life easier, enjoyable, and more efficient for everybody in the city.

And this adjustment will help reach that end.

Working as a commissioner that is primarily there to help disenfranchised groups become more involved in city government.

This adjustment of listening to it will help them to feel that they're included in government processes.

One reason why a lot of people aren't in government process is because they feel disaffected.

And I think this amendment will show that we care about the city and helping to move it forward and just making their life an inch better.

Life is a game of inches.

And I think removing this median will help give these refugees and people who go into the RIFC on a daily basis just a little bit easier, because who knows that the struggle and the strength they have to go through on a daily basis.

And I think removing this median will help them to see that, hey, the nine council members, we care about you and we're there for you.

We want to make sure that...

Your voice is heard in this city.

Thank you so much.

And also, too, wanted to say for Councilmember Cycle, regardless of whether this amendment is being just want to say that it makes the most sense to just adjust the project and try to, like I said, make things easier for people in the city.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Marcus.

We are now, and it seems like folks did leave to make more room for the folks that are downstairs.

Just a reminder that once you've spoken, Megan, Jesse, do we still have people downstairs or are we all up here?

We're good to go.

Thank you.

Everyone's taking care of it on your own.

We're going to move back on to online comments.

I'm going to read everyone's name now.

so that you can be ready.

Alice Lockhart, Lydia Felty, Iris Antman, Janice Degucci, Mike Stewart, Deepa Sivarajan, Alberto Alvarez, Ted Demin, David Haynes, Hilary Damerman.

With that, Alice Lockhart, you're up next.

I see you're here, star six to unmute.

You're off mute, take it away, Alice.

SPEAKER_27

Good evening, counsel.

Make no mistake, Washington's blue shift was an indication that citizens correctly fear repression under a presidency.

And there is already evidence that we are right in the form of H.R.

9495 that would allow Trump with zero process to strip nonprofits like those providing abortion services that are in fact any services in blue Seattle of their tax exempt status and label them as terrorist organizations.

If you have a shred of human kindness, which I know you do, please first defund and repeal new surveillance legislation that now would, not would, but will endanger young women accessing reproductive care and will, not would, be subpoenaed or otherwise hijacked to surveil law-abiding but left-leaning Seattleites as well.

Then ensure that community and environmental justice nonprofits that count on city funding could continue to thrive and provide critical services.

If you have a shred of human kindness, which I know you do, move quickly on substantive progressive revenue and protect Jumpstart, Tenant, and other human services, housing, EDI, and Green New Deal now and in the long term.

I urge you to reject legislation that would end Jumpstart as we know it and instead reject pass a much kinder and more balanced Morales proposal that is on tomorrow's agenda.

If you have a shred of human kindness, and I know you do, reject Amendment B that would remove all packages, restoration of cuts to critical services.

Renters, workers, vulnerable communities, and the coming depend on your kindness.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you Alice.

You still have 20 seconds.

Oh I'm good.

Thank you so much.

Thank you Alice.

Then we're going to move on to Lydia Felty followed by Iris Anderson.

Lydia you're already off mute.

Job well done.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_32

Thank you.

Hello my name is Lydia Felty.

I'm a renter and nonprofit employee.

I live in District 3 and I am also a chair of the Seattle Renters Commission and I'm here to urge you to support council members Morales, Moore and Hollingsworth Amendment to fully restore funding to tenant services at the same level as 2024, to reject the proviso whose income requirements effectively exclude full-time workers from accessing right to counsel, and to consider increasing the amount of funding for tenant services in the future.

Ventures make up nearly half of Seattle's population, and as we wrote to you last month, many are facing unprecedented challenges due to the growing housing affordability crisis and economic uncertainty.

Housing is a fundamental human right, and access to secure, stable housing is critical to ensuring the dignity, health, and well-being of individuals, as well as to promoting community cohesion.

We need funding for both rental assistance and tenant services, not to choose between them.

To fund tenant services is to invest in public safety and community cohesion.

Tenant education, outreach, and counseling help improve tenant-landlord relationships, leading to fewer needs for city intervention and better care of our limited housing stock.

reducing the burden on code enforcement.

They also connect tenants to resources to stabilize housing, which reduces the risk of displacement, homelessness, and the social conditions that contribute to instability and higher crime rates.

Can you already hear a theme in how fully funding tenant services not only supports renters, but also alleviates the pressures on already burdened city departments?

Tenant services also make rental assistance more effective, thereby ensuring better use of resources to maintain housing stability.

And of course, with unpaid rent beating the leading cause of eviction cases in the state, the most cost-effective way to address homelessness is to prevent it, and by helping families and individuals stay housed with rental assistance and tenant services.

Please don't choose between rental assistance and tenant services.

Fully restore funding for tenant services to the incredible organizations who support renters and prevent displacement, and reject the proviso limiting crucial access to right to counsel.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Lydia.

Up next is Iris Antman, followed by Janice Degucci.

Iris, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Not pound six, but there you are.

Iris, take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_31

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Iris Antman, and I am a renter living in District 2. I'm in several grassroots climate and environmental justice groups, and I'm concerned that the proposed city budget is decreasing spending on climate by 28% relative to last year.

Jumpstart funds, which are specifically for addressing portable housing, economic development, Green New Deal climate projects, and the Equitable Development Initiative, as well as youth mental health services in Seattle public schools, are being used to fill in gaps in the general fund.

Reducing funding on any of these issues is short-sighted.

If we are to thrive as a city, we must takes seriously the need to meet our greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Increasing spending on climate projects is moving in the wrong direction and not only ignores the goals and the health of the environment we need in order to thrive.

Please, find new progressive revenue sources so that funding on climate and affordable housing can be maintained in future years.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Iris.

Up next is Janice Degucci, followed by Mike Stewart.

Janice, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

There you are.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_40

Thank you so much.

Hi, my name is Janice Degucci, and I'm Executive Director of Neighborhood Health and a member of the Seattle Human Services Coalition.

I'm also the co-chair of the Coalition's Raising Wages for Changing Lives campaign, and I would like to uplift the City Council-funded study conducted by the University of Washington that determined human services workers earned 37% less than workers during comparable jobs in other settings.

The study the Council Commission recommended an immediate 7% post-inflationary wage equity adjustment to human services contracts.

And last year, we received a 2% adjustment, but no equity adjustment this year.

At Neighborhood House, our 350 staff speak over 40 languages.

And like most workers in human services, they're predominantly women and people of color.

They provide early learning, resource navigation, job search, citizenship support, housing stability, youth development, and health navigation for older adults and people with disabilities.

I commend the council for considering progressive revenue sources to critical basic needs for Seattle residents and urge you to address this growing wage gap for people providing the essential human services that are needed for a livable city that affords opportunities to all.

We also support the food banks, meal delivery programs, and culturally nourishing food programs and support the restoration of cuts to gender-based violence response investments.

In addition, I support my SHSC colleagues to oppose HSC 039A1, which will reduce tenant services funding, and oppose SDCI 006A1, restricting access to funding Seattle residents need to prevent eviction.

We strongly urge the city to also reject Council Bill 120912, which eliminates allocation requirements for the Jump Start payroll expense tax and the oversight committee opening this funding to be used for whatever needs the council needs them.

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Mike Stewart followed by Deepa Shivarjan.

Mike, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

There you are.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_155

All right.

Thank you.

And good evening, council members.

My name is Mike Stewart.

I'm executive director of the Ballard Alliance, an organization that represents hundreds of small businesses and thousands of residents in Ballard.

I'm here today to voice support for F.104SB.

Earlier today, the Ballard Alliance submitted a letter of strong support on behalf of a broad coalition representing hundreds of small businesses and residential stakeholders across Ballard, Fremont, and along Westlake Avenue.

including the North Seattle Industrial Association, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, the National Nordic Museum, Lake Union Live Aboard Association, and the Northwest Marine Trade Association, to name just a few.

This SLI represents a critical action to help ensure that new neighborhood transportation investments are implemented based on current local data, which ensures better outcomes for our communities.

I'd like to thank Council President Sarah Nelson, along with her co-sponsors, Council Member Rob Saka and Council Member Bob Kettle, for championing this important action.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today, and thank you for your consideration and support.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mike.

Up next is Deepa Shravarjan, followed by Alberto Alvarez.

Deepa, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_41

Thank you.

My name is Deepa Sivarajan.

I am the local policy manager at Climate Solutions, a clean energy nonprofit in the Pacific Northwest.

I wanted to echo some of the comments from other folks before, Robin Briggs, Iris Antman, Alice Lockhart around climate in this budget.

And I also wanted to share that Climate Solutions supports the priorities outlined by the Green New Deal Oversight Board and their two letters about the climate, climate investments and Green New Deal investments in the budget.

And particularly, I want to speak to Jumpstart and not rating Jumpstart to prop up the general fund.

I think what's been disappointing to hear and is missing from council conversations about Jumpstart is that the fund egalitations were not decided because of council or the mayor's office at the time.

They were advocated for by the broad coalition of community that helped to get this payroll expense tax passed in the first place.

that included environmental organizations, affordable housing organizations, racial justice organizations, unions and labor advocates, and so many more small businesses.

And to then gut that fund to fund things that are directly in opposition to the community care that Jump Start was passed to fund is unconscionable.

So, you know, I really urge council to keep Jumpstart for affordable housing, for climate investments, for equitable development investments, because none of those crises have abated in Seattle since the payroll tax was passed.

I also want to speak more specifically to some of the funding around the Office of Sustainability and Environment.

We appreciate Councilmember Wu's amendment to restore the $400,000 in funding to the economic development.

But we also urge council to restore funding to the Environmental Justice Fund and to fund, fully fund and continue funding Indigenous sustainability projects that are really core to Seattle's mission of respecting and empowering.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Deepa.

Up next is Alberto Alvarez, followed by Ted Demmon.

Alberto, I see you're here and you're off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_123

Council over 200,000 Seattle voters delivered a mandate to you.

The demand is to build, build, build affordable housing, enact progressive revenue, uphold worker protections and wages to build a Seattle that works for all.

It must be made clear.

That showing up is never enough.

A plan has to be put forward and real action has to take place.

A great example is today's amendment for a progressive tax on the wealthiest groups to fund rental assistance, home ownership, and fight food insecurity.

I want to commend council member Moore and all members who co-sponsor her plan.

It may just be a first step, but this is the work and partnership we want to see.

Our work and our spending is the bedrock of city revenue.

It is time the wealthy pay their fair share.

Take action on what 200,000 working class people are demanding.

affordable housing, worker protections, progressive revenue.

Thank you and have a good day.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Alberto.

Up next is Ted Demmon, followed by David Haynes and Hilary Dammerman, and then we'll move back to A11 through A20.

Ted, take it away.

SPEAKER_122

Hi, my name is Ted Demmon.

I'm a land use planner at SPCI, and I'm commenting on the budget rebalancing proposal.

I want to thank you for considering comments regarding the proposed layoffs, and I support the City Budget Office Amendment 002A1 to extend all at-risk positions by six months to help retain institutional knowledge and relationships within the city.

However, I would also ask you that you propose to earmark or restore specifically land use planner positions within the city, as this position is disproportionately affected by the budget proposal.

and restoring those positions would help guarantee that building permits move through the system efficiently and keep Seattle growing.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ted, and thank you for your service to our city.

Up next is David Haynes, followed by Hilary Damerman, and then we'll move back to A11 through A20.

David Haynes, star six to unmute.

You're off mute at your convenience.

Welcome.

Hi, thank you, David Haynes.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, sir.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_48

Yeah, hi.

I was going to come in there tonight with a sign that said, one Seattle that's unsafe to live, work, play, and visit.

Because we still have a public safety crisis where we're waiting for the laws and the spending priorities that trespass all these junkie-thieving, low-level drug pushers all throughout the community, and not just in the crime hotspots, And then have been questioning at the jailhouse to find out when they keep getting it to shut it down.

And our homeless crisis has been the first thing that keeps getting cut from the budget, making unnecessary suffering proliferate while they like virtue signal, racist policies that get in the way of solving the homeless crisis, the housing crisis and public safety, or you're judging skin color instead of the content of a criminal character.

who's a repeat offender, who destroys their fellow man's life, who ruins the pursuit to happiness.

And then they get the housing and services first because it's a wraparound, more profitable, politically connected to the reelection apparatus of the Democrat Party that trades the integrity of the oversight to solve the crisis.

And it justifies having an independent voice for the homeless crisis to be solved where they supersede the suspect oversight from the King County Regional Homeless Authority and they report directly to the council to oversee the budget to solve the homeless crisis.

Because there's money that could be paid for the resource of materials and rebuild rapidly some emergency housing for people who've been trafficked and that are in desperate situations and straight up in like, like B5, like Aurora area, where all these slow motels have destroyed people's lives with the human trafficking.

We take them over.

We have the Army Corps of Engineers cut the photos from the foundations and start saving a little bit of money on the labor and build some great American housing build-outs on all levels.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, David.

Up next is Hillary Damerman.

Hillary, welcome.

Star six to unmute, Hillary.

There you are.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_37

Good evening chairman Strauss and committee members.

My name is Hillary Dameron and I am a resident of district three with children attending their neighborhood public schools.

And I'm a proud member of the Garfield super block coalition.

I think council member Hollingsworth and the budget committee for their inclusion of the necessary funds to finish the Garfield super block park renovation in the balancing package.

Please adopt this amendment and fulfill this decades old promise to central district residents and users of the park.

addressing real needs related to mental health, safety, and community investment.

In addition, please address the inequity of the Garfield ball fields and provide funding to turf the softball infield at Garfield Park.

This hardworking park is used by everyday people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

An investment in this park is an investment in the people who use it.

It is an investment in publicly used infrastructure.

It is an investment in mental health.

It is an investment in youth.

The Garfield Superblock and surrounding neighborhood persistently experiences gun violence.

It demands a response from the Seattle City Council.

The long-term effects of positive activation through the GSD park renovation will aid physical and mental health, will increase the users of the park, and will increase the diversity of activities occurring at the park and will result in increased safety.

Let's make the Garfield Superblock a place that calms and addresses violence, not a place where violence occurs regularly.

Please join Council Member Hollingsworth and fully fund the GSB project with the capacity funds for the GSB Coalition to organize positive activations on the campus during construction to keep the Garfield Superblock safe and vibrant.

I thank the City Council for their past support and investment, and we ask you now to push your investment over the finish line to benefit the people of Seattle.

Thank you for your service to the city.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Hillary.

We're going to move on to in-person A11 through A20.

You can start lining up here.

I'm going to call the next 10 people that are on remote.

So you will be called in 20 minutes if you hear your name right now.

Amaritha Torres, Michelle Thomas, Brendan Colding, Dennis Sills, Brian Puchel, Rita Gray, Lois Martin, Hannah Lindell-Smith, Jared Velikquez, and Janelle Morgan-Jones.

You are going to be called in about 20 minutes.

We're going back to in-person.

We've got a 11 already ready to go.

Deborah Hendrickson, Skylar Schmidt, Lars Erickson, Nicolessa Hernandez, Nicole Andrews, Bruce Hall, Melissa Larson, Nellie Jasuja, Cesar Garcia, and Christopher Tini.

Welcome, Deborah.

Thank you for being ready.

SPEAKER_63

I'm Deborah Hendrickson, and I am here today, along with several others, to represent a group of 170 West Seattle residents known as the Harbor Alki neighbors.

We stand before you today to ask you to support Councilmember Saka's public safety budget items.

These line items will fund steps to further address the street racing, stunt driving, and illegal activities that continue to threaten our community.

People have been hurt.

A young man recently died.

We do not have enough police to patrol this area to stop the crime and make it safe.

We need to take advantage of camera technology that captures the license plates of racers doing 70 miles an hour in a 25 mile an hour zone.

We need to take advantage of street design improvements that specifically target a chronic all night staging area for stunt driving.

This, by the way, is where the young man was recently shot and killed and bullets tore through the homes of local residents.

Council Member Saka, we appreciate how hard you're working on behalf of the community you represent.

Council President Nelson, we appreciate your unwavering leadership on matters of public safety.

To all council members, we are asking you to please, please prioritize public safety in the budget.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Debra.

Up next is Skylar Schmidt.

Actually, I'm taking Skylar's spot.

SPEAKER_90

My name is Juergen.

SPEAKER_140

That, unfortunately, doesn't work that way.

So if you can sign up, unless I...

I don't believe it works that way.

Okay.

SPEAKER_90

She had asked, but I understand.

SPEAKER_140

My apologies.

We will have a time for you as well.

Thank you.

Up next is Lars Eriksson.

Lars, welcome.

SPEAKER_57

Thank you, good evening council members.

My name is Lars Erickson and I'm here tonight on behalf of the over 2,500 members of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

First, thank you for the work you've done in partnership with the mayor's office to create a biennial budget and balancing package that uses all available resources to fund voter priorities like public safety, first responder investments, downtown activation, homelessness support, historic investments in affordable housing, and reinvesting in the storefront repair fund.

To ensure that these priorities are funded, flexibility in utilizing the jumpstart payroll expense tax is necessary and responsible.

Every year since the tax has passed, Seattle City Council has used higher than anticipated jumpstart collections to address general fund shortages.

Thank you for your proposal to maintain that practice while honoring the original spending categories.

We also need city government to be more efficient and transparent, which is why we support the provisos and statements of legislative intent that ask for reports on fund balances and outcomes on our investments.

These are essential in understanding where our city can deliver services more effectively.

This year, Chair Strauss and the mayor initiated a full-scale budget review that will put our city on a path for more sustainable spending and growth.

These accountability measures are a necessary next step.

Since 2017, the Seattle City Council has approved over $300 million in new taxes.

Now is not the time for new revenue.

The city is collecting more money than ever before, this year alone bringing in nearly $180 million more in payroll expense tax than anticipated.

Thank you for your commitment to not just investing in your constituents' priorities, but including measures to ensure that those investments are effective.

We trust that you will continue to operate in their best interest to ensure safety, affordability, and a strong economy.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Nicolessa Hernandez and Nicole Parrish Andrew.

Are you all a group?

We're just going to go one by one?

SPEAKER_94

We're a group.

SPEAKER_140

All right, let's just go one by one.

Nicolessa, you're up first.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you, so my name is Nicolasa Hernandez, and I'm speaking in regards to SPR line item 105A, the reduction of environmental programming starting in 2026. I am one of the last remaining naturalists in the City of Seattle organization.

This is a role that is set to be eliminated by 2026 at the proposed budget cuts go forward.

For this hearing, I wanted to share with y'all the yearly reports that I had written for my programming, but unfortunately, my office is at Camp Long and it burned down last night.

So after the outpouring of community support last night, it's clear now more than ever just how important our environmental learning centers are to the people in the city.

I work and live in District 1, and my nature programs happen in District 1 and District 2 and in District 3. One program in particular I wanted to share about is Tree Equity in Education, which is otherwise known as Tree, which has served the 11th grade classes of Cleveland High School since spring 2023. Through this program, students see the impact that Seattle's history of redlining has had on their neighborhood through the loss of tree canopy coverage.

At Tree, students gain the opportunity to earn service hours while transforming a neglected historical orchard in Beacon Hill just blocks away from their campus.

I've seen the transformation in both this space, which is roughly two acres, but most importantly in the students.

and I invite each one of you to come out and visit us and see the work the students have done.

These cuts would not only eliminate crucial educational programming for youth and vulnerable populations, but it also means a loss of connection for tens of thousands to nature.

This city has three environmental learning centers, one just burned down last night, the other two are set to be eliminated.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Nicolessa.

Thank you for your service to our city.

We have Nicole Parrish Andrews next, followed by Bruce Hall.

Nicole, welcome.

SPEAKER_61

Thank you.

My name is Nicole Parrish Andrews and I am a constituent of District 1. I'm here to speak on line item SPR 105A.

I also work as a public education program specialist with Seattle Parks and Recreation.

I'd like to talk about how disappointed I am in our leadership within parks, actually, that told us that we were not allowed to speak and advocate for ourselves and our programs on our own time previously, which was a lie.

I would like to mention, though, how impactful our community school and public programs are, such as the one that Nicolasa just mentioned, as well as Salmon Stewards, a program out of Carkeek Park.

that just last weekend reached over 1,200 people educating community on watershed health.

This is another program that is at risk and another program that you all are welcome to come visit every weekend at Carkeek.

Recently, city and parks leadership have been alluding to a mysterious plan they have in the works, which, either way you look at it, would be illegal.

One option of replacing our team of naturalists would be to replace them with employees within SPR, a practice called skimming, which our union is filing a formal grievance about.

Another option is to unethically hire outside contractors and privatize parks programs.

or they're just not planning on having environmental education in Seattle anymore.

But I also want to bring up the financial implications of training new staff instead of keeping the highly skilled and effective staff and volunteers that we already have, while eliminating our entire team and Discovery Park Visitor Center only saving less than a million dollars per year in the budget.

I wanna give a thank you to Council Member Moore for being the first to propose a new revenue with your capital gains tax.

Council Members, let's protect Seattle's roots.

Make good choices.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Friends, remember, thank you.

Up next is Bruce Hall and Melissa Larsen.

Bruce, take it away.

SPEAKER_69

Hi, I'm Bruce Hall, and I'm a chair for a program called Shared Breakfast at First United Methodist Church on Denny, right on the border of Uptown and Belltown.

Every Sunday morning, we serve a hot breakfast to those in need, mostly unhoused people, an average of 130 breakfasts each week.

I'm here today to speak in favor of investing in Seattle meal programs.

I want to thank Councilmember Hollingsworth and Strauss for amendments HSD 4 and 10, adding capital and operations funding for meal programs to the budget.

And I also want to thank Councilmember Moore for proposing a capital gains tax to fund food security, among other critical needs.

So our Shared Breakfast program at First Church is completely volunteer-run and staffed and rely on donations, any grants, and public money that we can get to provide the food and supplies we need to serve this vulnerable population.

And it's getting harder and harder to fund.

We focus on treating all guests equally with dignity and warmth, realizing that we may be giving them the only kind words they hear on a given day or week.

And when we can, we share community resources to steer them to.

We're very efficient with our food.

It's cooked and served that morning.

Our church also provides space to the Blaine Veterans Center, our partnership with Compass Housing, so any leftover food we give to the Blaine Center.

Thanks so much for your advocacy and support, and I hope we can rely on you to help us help those on the streets and those in shelters in our community.

Thanks a lot.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Bruce.

Up next is Melissa Larson.

Welcome, Melissa.

SPEAKER_144

Thank you for having me.

I'm Melissa Larson, and I've been a member of one of the Team Feed monthly.

Oh, and I get all upset about it because we serve youth from 13 to 24 who are homeless, and they are food and nutrient insecure.

And I've been working with them as a volunteer meal team lead since 2002. And they're an amazing group, Team Feed is, but they could use, and I'd like to thank...

Councilwoman Hollingsworth and Councilmember Strauss for supporting the amendments to help add meal funding.

These people do an incredible job with the funds that they can find.

They get from our volunteers, we get them from our companies, Everywhere we can, they use Food Lifeline.

They offer all kinds of different avenues for volunteers and donors, and it's fabulous.

I've seen young people come in where they can barely hold the plates we hand them, and after a few months of coming in for a nightly meal with a safe group of adults, because they have allies and family, other adults that sit at the tables with them, they're not preached to, they're not made to do anything, but they can get services, they can get help, they can just vent.

So we see these people just grow and get a home and a job and whatever education is they want.

And during COVID, we all these teen feed staff found a way for us to still create meals even though we could only have three people in the kitchen.

So the money we need would help keep those shared kitchens going and the little tripods that we have to fill out to give over to the people at the root shelter.

Thank you so much for listening.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Melissa.

Up next is Nelly, followed by Cesar, and then Christopher.

And then we'll move back to online commenters, starting with Amaritha.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_55

Okay, thank you.

My name is Nelly Jasuja.

I live in District 2. I work in District 1 and 2 and serve youth in all of your districts.

I'm testifying to protect Jump Start.

oversight board.

I work at Young Women Empowered managing our youth farming and food justice program called Why We Grow based at Mara Farm in South Park.

This program was made possible and has been sustained by the city's Environmental Justice Fund and the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund over the last six years.

Funding for community-led environmental justice projects led by community face major cuts under the proposed changes to Jump Start, putting vital programs like ours at risk.

BIPOC youth involved in Why We Grow are bombarded by environmental racism, food insecurity, over-policing, school shootings, displacement, and resulting mental health challenges.

For example, in South Park, where our farm is located, as well as many youth we work with, first and second generation immigrants of color are surrounded by heavy industry that dump down the street, the EPA Superfund site at the Duwamish River, the freeway just up the hill with planes flying closely overhead every 90 seconds.

Our soil is contaminated with motor oil, Roundup, and heavy metals.

Kids in South Park have highest rates of hospitalization for asthma in the city as well.

With funds we've received, we have co-created a sanctuary space with young people where they can come as they are, heal with the land, each other, and adult mentors, and learn skills to take care of our community outside of racist systems.

Youth grow produce to share with food insecure neighbors.

They build garden boxes, test the soil and air for toxins, remediate the soil.

They come back year after year, bring their friends, take on leadership as interns.

They join our staff.

They get green jobs.

They also advocate around environmental justice.

So programs like Why We Grow are not disposable.

Jumpstart funding is intended to advance the Green New Deal and make programs like this possible and accessible.

Council members, I ask that you please protect the Jumpstart Spend Plan, convene the Oversight Board, and raise new progressive...

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Nelly.

Up next is Cesar, followed by Christopher.

Cesar, welcome.

SPEAKER_64

Good afternoon, Select Budget Committee and Mr. Chair.

My name is Cesar Garcia and I am co-founder of Lake City Collective and also a former Transportation Equity Workgroup member.

However, I'm here to speak as a parent in solidarity with the Refugee and Immigrant Family Center Bilingual Preschool, RIF, a nonprofit located in South Eldridge.

This pertains to item 92 of the chair's balancing board package.

On October 16, the school directors offered their public comment, but today they are mourning the passing of beloved teacher, Maestra Carla, who lost her battle to cancer last week.

My voice is their voice.

RIF and its sister school, Southwest Early Learning, have played an important role in the early education of hundreds of kids in Seattle, including my kids, who attended their bilingual program in a span of six years.

They are family to us and to the nearly 50 families that they serve at RIF every year, not including Swell.

I would like to point out that RIF is an early success of the EDI program, which funded the purchase of their site in 2018. Ever since they opened their school nine years ago, they never had issues or accidents until the median barrier and bus stop was built in front of them.

Since then, there have been at least three crashes, vandalism, and burglaries at the school.

The school director has now taken the role of a traffic officer.

They have impact to deliveries and student drop-offs and pickups.

It needs to be fixed.

But let's make no mistake.

Fixing this is not sacrificing safety.

It's allowing ESDOT and RIF to sit down at the table and find the best equitable solution.

The community is also a subject matter expert in transportation projects.

As someone who is part of a CBO that has partnered with ESOT, in community engagement, I know a positive outcome is possible.

I could be here advocating for other issues, but sometimes it's about showing up for others that could not be.

Please join me in showing up for RIF.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Cesar.

From Lake City to Delridge, Cesar Garcia is everywhere.

Up next is Christopher Tenney, and then we'll move back to online comments.

SPEAKER_126

Hi, Council.

My name is Chris Teeny.

SPEAKER_140

Yep, thank you.

SPEAKER_126

Thank you, thank you.

That was embarrassing.

Hi, Council.

My name is Chris Teeny.

I'm co-owner of Farm Stand Local Foods and Pacific Coast Harvest.

Since 2017, my team and I have provided an online marketplace for local farms, and we deliver all across the city, including actually RIF, which I'll talk about in a second.

We deliver to home chefs on houseboats, James Beard Award winners, and importantly, meal programs, why I'm here to talk today.

When we started in 2017, we were a motley crew with barely a pallet jack to our name.

But the city of Seattle had a $250,000 opportunity through the sweetened beverage tax.

They worked with us to ensure that the priority of that funding went to local farms.

And the reason is because it aligns with the now current food action plan.

We're generating jobs, combating food insecurity, and the long-term climate resilient mission.

And that investment paid off.

To date, we've had over $7 million of non-governmental revenue gone to local farmers.

Of course, that once-in-a-lifetime COVID funding played a big role, but it also created efficient distribution networks and supply chains that are before you and this council today.

Because of proper funding, to this day, we are able to connect over 100 local farms to over 30 meal programs in the city.

We're also able to connect with Jeremy, who was here earlier, who does food rescue, and use our fleet of vehicles to simultaneously deliver local product along cost-efficient products to these meal programs.

It's unlikely that ever again Will the public understand the importance of how economic resilience and climate resilience dovetails with a proper investment in food and meal programs?

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Chris.

Remember, friends, and we're going to move back online.

I'm going to call everyone's name that's in this next section.

And then when we come back to in-person comments, it will be B11 through B20.

So we all know where we're at.

The next 10 people online, Amaritha Torres, Michelle Thomas, Brendan Colding, Dennis Sills, Brian Puchel, Rita Gray, Lois Martin, Hannah Lindell-Smith, Jared Velasquez, Janelle Morgan.

Amaritha, I see you're off mute.

Welcome, take it away.

SPEAKER_21

Thank you so much.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Amaritha Torres, and I'm the co-executive director of the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence and the co-chair of the Seattle Human Services Coalition.

I'm speaking today to urge you to maintain the integrity of the Jumpstart Payroll Expense Tax Spending Plan.

This tax was passed to ensure that affordable housing in BIPOC communities are prioritized by our city.

Domestic violence is the leading precursor to homelessness among women and children, and BIPOC survivors experience disparities in virtually every system they reach out to.

As they leave abusive relationships, survivors rely on a range of housing support such as rental assistance, tenant services and protection, eviction prevention, shelters, and, of course, affordable housing.

These services are all part of survivors' efforts at seeking safe and stable housing, and they must be robustly funded.

Please keep the promises that have been made to our communities and do the necessary and serious work of addressing the structural shortfall in the city's general fund so that we have what we need to make Seattle a city where people can afford to live and where BIPOC communities are supported and where survivors can seek out safe and stable housing.

I also, if I have time, want to share appreciation and support for all the amendments related to gender-based violence, such as HSD 14, 15, 27, and 28. I hope to join some of the meetings later this week to speak more to that.

But thank you all so much for your time today and for the time to speak.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Michelle Thomas, followed by Brendan Colding.

Michelle, I see you're here.

There you are.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_25

Hi, I'm Michelle Thomas with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and the Resident and District 1. Thanks, Council Member Morales, for your amendment to restore funding for tenant services and to Council Members Moore and Hollingsworth for co-sponsoring it.

Unfortunately, since rental assistance that was previously in its own funding bucket was added to the tenant services bucket in the Mayor's budget, this still represents a decrease in funding for critical tenant services that Seattle renters need to navigate their rights and their responsibilities.

Rental households represent over half of the people who live in our city, and renters need access to tenant services in times of crisis, especially now as evictions are at an all-time high.

Seattle's BIPOC households are much more likely to be renters, and supporting their housing stability through supporting tenant services is critical to advancing racial equity in the city and to address the disproportionate experiences of evictions and homelessness that BIPOC households face.

Please also reject any amendments to limit right to counsel services to only people with extremely low incomes.

People with incomes higher than 200% of the federal poverty line are also facing evictions and need legal assistance but can't afford attorneys.

Please also reject any amendments that ask shelter providers to move away from harm reduction best practices.

Creating barriers to shelter moved us backwards in our attempts to end homelessness.

And lastly, thank you council member Moore for proposing progressive revenue and we urge support of that.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Michelle.

Up next is Brendan Colding, followed by Dennis Sills.

Brendan, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Brendan stars, not pound six, but star six.

Brendan going one more time, star six.

We're gonna move on to Dennis Sills.

Dennis star six to unmute.

There you are.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_49

Welcome members of city council.

Good evening.

My name is Dennis sales and I work for Plymouth housing in Seattle.

We provide permanent supportive housing to more than 1400 individuals who have experienced homelessness.

And this supports the overall funding levels in the budget.

And thanks council president Nelson, for HSD 026A1 to continue our resident recovery services, including contingency management.

Preserving the Jump Start Spend Plan is fundamental to the future of affordable housing in our region.

CB 120912 would jeopardize the city's long-term investment in affordable housing.

While the proposal preserves some of the goals of the Jump Start Spend Plan, it falls short of ensuring adequate funding for housing and makes investments and optional.

Lastly, the recently proposed OH007A1 has not had time for thorough review and has the potential for serious unintended consequences.

This amendment could delay important human services to formerly homeless Seattle residents.

Potential increases of public safety risks associated with this proposal have not had sufficient review time.

We urge council to pause these proposals, BB120, 912 and 0H00781 until it can guarantee that human services for residents and public safety will not be negatively affected.

Thank you very much.

Have a good night.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Dennis.

We're going to go on to Brian Buchel, Rita Gray, Lois Martin, and then we'll come back to Brendan Colding at the end of this section.

Brian, you're already off mute.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_149

Thank you, Chair.

My name is Brian Puchel.

I live in Ballard, and I work in Interbay.

I am here as a supporter of public transit.

Since I moved to the Seattle area about two years ago, I have committed to a car-free lifestyle.

The main results from that have been a loss of 120 pounds on my end, which has been very nice.

And that is all due to a transit program that is safe, reliable, and consistent.

As for these reasons, that I would support a budget that funds projects like the Route 40 Transit Plus project.

The Route 40 Transit Plus project is a shining example of a project which is immensely popular in its community by delivering benefits such as 42,000 minutes of cumulative daily ridership time saved through the use of bus-only lanes.

This budget should support projects like this which have undergone extensive community engagement to reach a solution with all stakeholders at the table.

and cut red tape, which only serves to delay the delivery of these benefits to our community.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next, we have Rita Gray, followed by Lois Martin.

Rita, welcome.

You're off mute.

SPEAKER_38

Take it away at your convenience.

Hello, honorable people.

My name is Rita Gray.

I am Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and I'm a City of Seattle employee.

as a learning partner on the Learning and Development Team in the Department of Seattle Human Resources.

I am currently the project manager and school learning designer for the Tribal Nations Training Program, which was a commitment from Mayor Bruce Harrell.

My position and this program are set to be cut with the proposed layoff.

All three positions being eliminated in the Learning and Development Division are filled by women of color.

Our white manager, who has been with the city a shorter time than all of us, is not being laid off.

As a strategic advisor, I'm not a civil service employee, therefore I do not qualify for project hire.

While I am truly devastated by losing this project as it is a critical piece to tribal and urban native relations, I am also extremely stressed and overwhelmed for personal reasons.

I am the mother to a special needs child who relies heavily on my medical.

The cost of COBRA will essentially cost what I would be paid through unemployment, which is truly unfeasible in this economy.

The current job market and economic situation within Seattle and the United States is unsettling and has made it incredibly challenging for those of us looking for employment.

It is my understanding that Council Member Strauss has recommended to reduce the number of proposed layoffs and delay the remaining layoffs for six months.

While I would love to convince all of you to reconsider my position and the Tribal Nations Training Program, I recognize that it's unlikely.

So I'm here to ask you to please consider Council Member Strauss's amendment to the budget and delay the layoffs by six months.

The current job market is taking job seekers six plus months to find employment.

So this amendment would be incredibly helpful for those of us that are being laid off.

Thank you.

I am finished.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Rita.

And yes, the six months is not being amended out unless somebody brings a walk-on amendment.

So I think we should be good there.

Moving on to Lois Martin, then Hannah Lindell-Smith, followed by Jared Velazquez.

Lois, welcome.

SPEAKER_16

Thank you.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Lois Martin, and I'm a legacy home and business owner that lives in the Central District of Seattle.

I'm requesting that you pass the amendment sponsored by Council Member Hollingsworth, with support by Council Members Wu and Moore as co-sponsors.

Finishing the Garfield Superblock and other Garfield amenities, having access to cultural places, being able to age in place, or receive assistance to buy a first home, providing a safe place during the day for unhoused adults, providing safe spaces for children and youth to spread their wings, along with access to healthy, fresh food in areas filled with old and new Urban trees is vital to communities having the ability to thrive.

A direct fiscal investment can positively impact organizations that contribute to the daily well-being of each of us.

And it's the best way to ensure the black community continues to be a vibrant part of the fabric of the city.

Support this work by voting yes to the proposed amendments.

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Lois.

Up next is Hannah Lindell-Smith, followed by Jared Valasquez, Janelle Morgan, and then we'll come back to Brendan Colding.

Hannah, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Not pound six, but star six.

Hannah Lindell-Smith, star six to unmute, please.

Going one more time.

Hannah Lindell-Smith, unmute, please.

We're gonna move on to Jared Velaquez.

Jared, I see you're here, star six to unmute, please.

Jared Velaquez, star six to unmute, please.

I can't read well, I'm sorry.

Jared, you're off mute, take it away.

SPEAKER_110

Hi, this is Jared Velazquez, Mr. Chairman.

I'm the owner of El Catering White Center.

And I'm talking about the proposal budget for 2025-2026.

And I understand that this proposal may include some significant cuts of some of the programs that myself, as a small business owner, benefit from.

And it will be affected for the Office of Labor Standards, which has the program that Business Outreach Education Fund, which for the last five years I've been having some classes, skills that I have been learning.

And I had applied for this budget cut and this program that helped us Be part of a community, not just a citizen, but someone who can provide.

And looking forward to .

We cannot talk about a city safe without talking about law enforcement.

Thank you very much for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jared.

Up next is Janelle Morgan.

And then we're going to go back to Brendan Colding, Hannah Lindell Smith.

And then we will return to in-person speakers B11 through B20.

Janelle, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute, please.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_18

Hello, my name is Janelle Morgan-Degla, and I'm a 25-year veteran of the city, currently working in Seattle Human Resources on the learning and development team, like my colleague we just heard from Rita.

Set to be laid off as of December 31st.

I started with the city as an intern and have devoted the entirety of my career to the success and forward progress of the city and its employees.

And so I'm here to say I strongly support Council Member Straub's budget amendments.

My family greatly relies on me for financial stability, health care, and insurance benefits.

And I'm deeply concerned about the layoffs proposed in the budget, especially given the workforce and the current challenging job market.

I would love to request support for six months or longer employment as a position that I work in supports all 13,000 employees who are looking for leadership development, workforce development opportunities.

As a veteran of the city, I know firsthand losing learning and development will create a void in the city's capacity to serve the public, as well as employees receiving support for professional development, which is what I've given my career to do.

Um, many of those of us facing layoffs are still breadwinners and, uh, the aftershocks of losing our livelihood would reverberate throughout our families.

I respectfully request the council to heed council member Strauss's recommendations to minimize and delay layoffs.

This small change could make a big difference for our families, um, and for the other employees in this same position.

Thank you for the consideration.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you very well said and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service to our city.

We're gonna go on to Brendan Colding and then Hannah Lindell Smith.

Brendan, I see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Not pound six, but star six.

Brendan Colding.

Brendan Colding, star six to unmute please.

One last time and then we're gonna go on to Hannah.

Brendan, if you could press star six to unmute.

We're gonna move on to Hannah Lindell-Smith and we'll come back to Brendan in the future.

Hannah, star six to unmute please.

Hannah Lindell-Smith, star six to unmute.

There you are, you're off mute.

SPEAKER_20

Hello.

SPEAKER_140

Good afternoon.

SPEAKER_20

My name is Hannah Lindell-Smith and I'm a youth representative on the Green New Deal Oversight Board and I'm here to encourage the Seattle City Council to revised the proposed budget to include funding for the climate and environmental justice grant system.

These are not negotiable funding.

They're not something that can just be cut, especially as the climate crisis and all the impacts that our communities are facing from it grow ever worse.

We need that source of funding.

We need the opportunities that it brings for young people, for people from communities that are getting flooded, and polluted and have been for decades.

We really need the source of justice, the source of health, the source of opportunities for all of our people in the city of Seattle.

And I would like to say, especially as a West Seattle resident and student and public transit user, I would like to say that the Seattle Transit 3 projects including the Ballard and West Seattle Light Rail, the Environmental Justice Fund is not the appropriate place to take those funds out.

It is reserved specifically for projects in frontline communities, Indigenous Loads Sustainability Projects, the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund, and while public transit is absolutely necessary, it should not be taken out of that fund.

It should not be pitted against environmental justice.

So I would like to encourage the city to Restore the Inferminal Justice Fund, the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund to its 2023 to 2024 funding allocation as a member of the board, as an organizer, as a young person, and as someone who believes that justice means all of us and that justice means funding and actions towards it.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Hannah.

We'll try Brendan one last time, and then we're going to go back to B11 through 20. Brendan Colding.

Brendan Colding.

Collin once.

Brendan Colling.

Brendan Colding twice.

Brendan Colding three times.

Going to go back into in-person comments.

B11 through B20.

We've got both microphone places.

Alan Francis.

Tyrell Bampino.

Jessica Peterson.

Stephen Clara, Lauren Hill, Stephanie Ingram, Robert Stevens, Hallie Willis, Jen Mouzet, Daniel Lugo, Alan?

Is that you?

Are you Alan?

SPEAKER_76

I'm Alan.

Fantastic, take it away.

Hello, my name is Alan Francis.

I am participant of Seattle Housing and Resource effort and I'm formerly homeless.

SHARE supports the solidarity budget.

There should be no reduction in shelter beds or day center space.

Please allocate $500,000 to ensure women have a safe place when Mary's Place Day Center closes in 2025. End encampment sweeps and replace with a lot more shelters of all kinds.

Leave Jump Start money for its intended purposes of affordable housing, which we desperately need.

We need full restoration of tenant services funding.

Without it, more people will become homeless.

Tenant services are essential for health.

landlord-tenant issues, and connecting to resources.

Cutting funding risks escalating conflicts between landlords, tenants, leading to eviction, displacement, and homelessness.

Continued funding is crucial for stability and preventing crises.

as a cost burden low-income renter in Seattle's District 4 Roosevelt neighborhood, one significant medical event or rent increase, and I'm terrified of this, could push me right back into homelessness.

If this ever happened to me, I would hope, I would pray we have tenant services available to advocate for me so I don't have to go back.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Alan.

Friends, remember, jazz hands, not snaps.

Tyrell Palomino.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_139

My name is Tyrell Palomino.

I'm from Y2K at SHARE.

There should be no net losses of shelters for women and shelter beds for the day centers.

I feel like you guys should add $500,000 to the budget for women's shelters and There should be an end to the encampment sweeps because they are simply just not fair to the homeless of our community.

And that's all.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you for coming out and sharing your voice with us tonight.

Up next, we have Jessica Peterson, followed by Stephen Clara.

SPEAKER_147

Hi, Council Members.

I'm Jessica.

I'm a participant in SHARE, and SHARE suggests we support the solidary budget, no let loss of day centers, shelters, and Cher is asking for $500,000 for day centers because without them, like women die, men die, we just need our shelters.

And without it, like, people just pass away.

So please consider and keeping them open.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jessica.

Up next is Stephen Clara.

Stephen, are you in the audience?

Stephen, raise your hand.

Nope.

Moving on to Lauren Hill.

Lauren, welcome.

SPEAKER_106

Hello, my name's Lauren Hill.

Thanks for letting me give a chance to speak.

I'm here supporting the Garfield play field, infield improvements.

It's gonna be transformative, but we need to go a step farther and do the whole field, synthetic.

I mean, it just makes so much sense.

Right now, it's dark from November 1st to March 1st, just a big mud pit.

If that place was turf, people could be out there playing for six hours a night.

Also, it's going to add 2,000 to 3,000 programmable hours of non-historical use.

So this is an opportunity for a lot of people that can't get playtime to be there.

It's in between the community center and the high school.

So there's going to be all this opportunity for the high school to use it, for JV sports, for PE.

Community center to use it for daycare it just you know, and if there isn't the money Let's make a pathway to make it happen in the community.

Let's force parks to put and in their bid package, you know alternative add to what it's gonna cost to do it because I think they're inflating their number because they don't like to do more fields because that's poor maintenance and And let's maybe put some money in to get somebody to call up and go for donations, grants.

I mean, it clicks all the boxes for a place.

And I mean, it will bring safety, security, and fun.

OK, I'll just leave it at that.

But let's not miss this opportunity.

We already blew it at Ballard at that play field where, you know, And we're building all these houses in our backyards.

We're densifying.

We need to do more play fields.

Okay, good night.

Thanks, everyone.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Lauren.

Up next is Stephanie Ingram.

Stephanie, are you here?

And then we've got Robert Stevens.

If, Robert, you want to come to this one, then we'll go.

Hallie, we've got you up next.

So, Stephanie, welcome.

SPEAKER_124

Good evening, Council Members.

Thank you for listening to us today.

My name is Stephanie Ingram.

I'm here to support Council Member Hollingsworth's budget item to support the Garfield Superblock and the Garfield softball field improvements.

As a resident of the Central District and future Garfield parent, I strongly support this investment in our most important public gathering space.

Improvements in the park, including new lighting, accessible walkways, and a new restroom building will improve safety and provide activities for people of all ages and abilities.

In addition to the continued usage of the sports fields, the improvements will provide a walking loop, a parkour park, new and improved play areas, better game day viewing, and opportunities for informal gathering.

These types of positive activities are an important part of creating an active, safe, and inviting environment.

As our community continues to struggle with gun violence, I strongly believe that positive investment in our public spaces is an important tool in supporting the community and making changes.

This is a community led project that has been in the works for 20 years now.

This additional funding will help ensure that many of the elements that are most asked for by the community and that will have the biggest park or park and high quality site furnishings will be able to be included in the park.

Thank you so much for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Stephanie.

SPEAKER_107

Up next is Robert.

Welcome, Robert.

Good evening, good evening.

My name is Robert Stevens.

I am a legacy homeowner and resident of the Central Area since 1959. a proud Vietnam-era vet and founder and curator of the Garfield Campus Superblock Renovation Project.

We come before you this evening to ask for your support in continuing that 20-year promise.

Sometimes the city and the school district kind of forgets about us, but as you know, this project was brought about during the renovation of Garfield High School.

We wanted to build Quincy Jones a new theater, and they didn't have enough parking spaces.

So they had to go through the city to get a city ordinance.

Committee had to come back, ask the community, for the community to say if it's okay.

And then they promised to renovate the whole block.

and somehow they forgot.

I'm a July baby and I understand they're a little bit stubborn.

So I held on to this project because I promised my community that we would get this and they would not forget us.

So we're at the place that we can see the end of the tunnel.

This coalition we met all the way through the two years every week during COVID.

And during that time, Parks finally heard us.

This is the coalition that helped me with another 20 year project that I had promised my community.

It's called the Central Area Design and Review Board and the Central Area Design and Guidelines.

So please help me to keep the promise to my community so I'm not tarred and feathered and ran out at seven, eight years old.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Robert.

If only we had more Robert Stevens in our Seattle, we would be a better place.

Up next is Hallie Willis, followed by Jen Muse and then Daniel Lugo.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_84

Good evening, council members.

My name is Hallie Willis.

I'm the policy manager at the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness.

I'm a renter in D6, and I'm here tonight in my role as a member of the Jumpstart Stakeholders Coalition.

While we appreciate council member Strauss for moving the 2040 sunset on Jumpstart, the proposed Jumpstart legislation would still allow council to spend Jumpstart funds, which are currently allocated to some of the community's highest priorities on virtually anything.

We urge you to preserve the jumpstart spending plan, raise progressive revenue, convene the oversight body, and keep any jumpstart to general fund transfers limited to this biennium only.

Many organizations have joined us and signed on to these recommendations, including El Centro de la Raza, Catholic Community Services, Chief Seattle Club, OPEIU Local 8, Economic Opportunity Institute, the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence, Elizabeth Gregory Home, Puget Sound Sage, Plymouth Housing, the Housing Development Consortium, the Seattle Human Services Coalition, Solid Ground, Youth Care, Washington Build Back Black Alliance, 350 Seattle, Catholic Housing Services, Bee Seattle, Climate Solutions, Coordinated Care Agency of AHA, How's Our Neighbors, Lake City Task Force on Homelessness, Lehigh, Multicultural Community Coalition, People's Economy Lab, People Power Washington, Porchlight, Queer Power Alliance, Rainier Valley Food Bank, Real Change, Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness, Seattle Solidarity Budget, SHARE, Sound Generations, Transit Riders Union, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington Working Families Party, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, and WHEEL.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Jen Mouzet.

Jen, welcome.

SPEAKER_94

Good evening, council members.

My name is Jen Musee.

I'm executive director of the Ballard Food Bank and co-chair of the Seattle Human Services Coalition.

Thank you, Council Member Strauss and Hollingsworth, Council Member Wu, for supporting investments in food banks, meal programs, and culturally nourishing food programs.

Every day we see new faces, we hear their stories.

They are our neighbors.

We need to do better.

The need has grown exponentially and will only increase with the incoming federal administration.

These investments are a great next step to strengthening food access.

We strongly urge City Council to reject Council Bill 120912. Long-term, we need to keep Jumpstart for its intended use.

Investments in affordable housing, equitable development, and climate initiatives must be prioritized by our city.

We support exploring progressive revenue to support human services.

The fact is, investments in human services are critical to addressing the challenges we face in our city.

We must fund human services at a level that allows agencies to operate at full capacity, including investing in wage equity for their staff.

Please prioritize holistic investments across human services, programs that support all residents, including youth, families, seniors, investments in shelters and day centers, housing, homeless services, food banks, meal programs, and gender-based violence services.

It also means we prevent homelessness by keeping people housed.

Invest in tenant services and rental assistance.

We need to make these programs easier to access, not harder.

We need to increase investment, not decrease.

The years ahead will be challenging for our neighbors.

Let's make sure we have a safe and thriving community for everyone, not just a few.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jen.

I don't know how many times I'm going to ask.

hands not snaps.

Appreciate you all.

Love you all.

Daniel.

SPEAKER_121

Good evening council members.

Always good to see you.

For the record my name is Daniel Lugo.

He him pronouns.

I work at Youth Care as their director of government affairs.

Youth Care is a Seattle nonprofit dedicated to ending youth homelessness.

And I would be remiss not to say my thanks again to Council Member Wu for championing our budget request this year and Council Member Morales for co-sponsoring and Council Member Strauss for including us in the in the budget.

With that said, I'm here to echo community support for protecting Jump Start.

Just yesterday, the Seattle Times reported that in the 2024 point in time count, they found 16,000 individuals were homeless on any given night.

Just to put that into perspective, that's more people than who live in White Center.

And we know that a significant amount of these people live in Seattle.

Data about youth care.

So youth care, we have data that suggests that 50% of all adults who experienced homelessness were homeless as youth as well.

And so of those 50% of young people, our clients include 37% who identify as female, 30% who identify as LGBTQ+, 25% come from the foster care system, and 74% identify as BIPOC.

So I just ask you to please consider these people as you continue to look at Jumpstart.

These are the people who are going to be impacted by your decisions.

So again, just echoing the community sentiment that Jumpstart needs to be protected as much as possible.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Daniel.

We're going to move into online speakers.

And when we come back to in-person speakers, we will be on list A from number A21 to A30.

So be ready in about 15 to 20 minutes.

We're moving back online.

Janelle Morgan has already spoken.

Sorry.

We're going to go to Wren Wilson, Sharon Tsui, Helen Gilbert, Vanessa Rodriguez, Taluna Reed, Mike Gain, LaTanya Du Bois, Elizabeth Powell, Rafael Ruiz Gomez, and Hannah Jones.

With that, I see Wren is online.

Star six to unmute Wren and take it away.

Wren, you're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_156

Thank you very much, Chair Strauss and select budget committee members.

I'm Red Wheeler here to address the city's 2025 general revenue sources and proposed budget.

I'm a member of the Race and Social Equity Task Force and a staff member at Wynwood Museum in District 2. I'm very concerned about the mayor's proposed budget raids on the payroll expense tax revenues back to the general budget needs and that the council is proposing altering the tax allocation to allow this to happen.

The payroll expense tax originated for very specific reasons, none of which were to fulfill general operating needs on a long-term basis.

The payroll expense tax was developed by community, and since that method has been so clearly successful, I urge you to consider using that model to figure out the general operating budget situation.

And that is all I have to say.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Wren.

We're going to move on to Sharon Soy, followed by Helen Gilbert.

Sharon?

Sharon Soy is not present.

So we're gonna move on to Helen Gilbert.

Helen, I see you're here, star six to unmute.

There you are, welcome.

SPEAKER_29

Hi, my name is Helen Gilbert and I'm speaking tonight on behalf of Seattle Radical Women.

We are working class feminists and our members are appalled at the cuts to essential needs that are being proposed in a city of millionaires.

These budget cuts include food programs, gender violence prevention, housing and rental assistance, public health, and the jobs of public employees who handle the needs of residents.

And also as the climate is going haywire, as we all see, you're cutting parks department programs for environmental education.

I have to say, what are you thinking?

There are some winners with this budget, the already bloated Seattle Police Department, and the rich, who once again will gripe about homeless people outside their luxury condos, but won't send a dime to solve the problem.

We have high earners.

It's no coincidence that the one bright spot with a budget surplus is due to the jumpstart tax that assesses business with high earners in order to find solutions to homelessness and environmental destruction and other very necessary goals.

But instead of keeping jumpstart money where it's most needed, Mayor Harrell wants to rate it for the general fund.

We say no way and do not talk about increasing property taxes.

That's just another way of forcing people out of their homes and increasing gentrification.

Radical Women demands no layoffs of city employees and no cuts to human services.

We call on you to immediately pass the proposed city-level capital gains tax to make the city serve all who live here.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Helen.

Up next is Vanessa Rodriguez, followed by Taluna Reed.

Vanessa, you're here.

Vanessa, star six to unmute.

There you are.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_10

Hi.

Hi, Mr. Schroeder, member of the company.

My name is Vanessa Rodriguez, and I'm the owner of BR Accounting Services.

I am here today to speak about the volume, or the proposed volume, for 2025-2026.

It is my understanding that this volume includes things that can cost to various agencies, including the Office of Labor Standards, which provides programs as business outreach education funds.

Over the last five years, I have personally benefit from the support and resources provided by this program.

Because of this program, I have been able to learn how to launch and manage a business here in Seattle's area.

When we come from another country, everything is so new for us.

Today, I am not only the proud owner of an accounting firm, but also support many small businesses that were in that were once in a similar position to where I started.

SPEAKER_140

Vanessa, are you still there?

SPEAKER_10

Yes, I'm here.

SPEAKER_140

Great.

SPEAKER_10

Can you hear me?

SPEAKER_140

Yes, we can hear you.

Yes.

Okay.

SPEAKER_10

In light of the positive impact this program has had on my business and many others, I urge you to invest in the Office of Labor Standards so that I can continue supporting small businesses, owners, and fostering economic growth.

Thank you for the opportunity.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Vanessa.

Anything else tonight?

SPEAKER_10

No, that's it.

SPEAKER_140

Fantastic.

Well, thank you for calling in.

Up next is Taluna Reed, followed by Mike Gain, LaTanya DuBois, Elizabeth Powell, Hannah Jones.

You're off mute, Taluna.

Take it away.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_30

As chair and council members, my name is Taluna Reed.

I'm with the Tenant Union of Washington State.

And as a former elected official, I want to acknowledge the difficult decisions that you all have to make day in and day out.

So thank you for your service and your patience during this process and for centering the voices of those most impacted by your decision.

The budget process isn't fun and the decisions you all have to make are very difficult and the process is grueling.

This part of the job is similar to the job of someone who having to scrape gum off of sidewalks.

In my opinion, both are pretty important.

I'll let you decide which one you prefer.

I'm advocating for investment in tenant services and eviction legal services.

Rather than focusing on allocating funding specifically to rental assistance, I support the amendments made by Council Member Morales and then the provideo made by Council Members Moore, Rivera, and Saka.

Racial inequity in housing, which continues to leave the most vulnerable residents at risk, a problem.

Black and Hispanic households are evicted at rates nearly double than those of white households.

This translates into families uprooted, children displaced from their schools, and individuals thrust into instability, often exacerbating the cycle of poverty and trauma.

We can tackle these disparities head on.

Access to legal representation in eviction cases is critical.

It empowers tenants with knowledge and advocacy.

Studies show that legal assistance can prevent eviction in up to 90% of cases, averting what would otherwise be life-altering experiences for families.

For those struggling to navigate the complex legal system, having a knowledgeable advocate can mean the difference between keeping a roof over their heads or facing homelessness.

Tenant Services offers essential resources and support that extend beyond legal representation.

Intervention, medication assistance, educational workshops, We're equipping families with the tools they need to advocate for themselves.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Thank you.

And if you have additional comments, please do feel free to write us and submit written public comment.

Up next is Mike Gain followed by LaTanya and then Elizabeth and Hannah Jones.

And then we'll go back to in person.

Mike, I see you're here and off mute.

Welcome.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_151

Hi, my name's Mike Gain and I'm a lifelong resident of West Seattle.

I'm in support of funding cameras to enforce our laws.

Our local community groups have been meeting quite actively over the last few years with many of our city leaders to make our community a better place to live, work, visit, and enjoy.

A few years ago, our Seattle City Council and the mayor's office wanted to reimagine policing, and we all saw how that worked out for us.

We defunded the police, and it didn't turn out good for our city.

I believe our current city council is headed in the right direction and has an opportunity to repair the damage that was done previously.

They seem to once again believe in funding and supporting our police, returning law, order, and enforcement.

Those who break our laws and endanger the lives of others, even those who participate and attend illegal activities on our public streets, need to face some consequences.

We need the funding necessary to return our city to a safe place once again.

We need funding to begin to use the cameras to assist our law enforcement and the police.

We don't have enough officers and will not have in the near future.

We can't just keep taking this can down the road and hope it improves.

It's time for less conversation and some more action.

We need to get these cameras going sooner than later.

Benefits of cameras, there's quite a few of them.

We have a safe and efficient way to enforce our laws.

No officers are needed for enforcement.

No confrontation or conflicts with those being ticketed.

No more police chases.

No expenses for purchase and maintenance of vehicles.

A source of revenue that will most likely...

Also, it passes the diversity test.

On another note, please do not bring another tax, capital gain tax,

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mike.

We are going to move on to Latonya Dubois.

And any additional written comment, please do send us in.

Latonya, you're already off mute.

Well done.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_15

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, everybody.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Latonya VH Dubois.

I'm the founder and executive director of the Silent Task Force.

We are a black woman-led grassroots community-based organization that My team and I have worked in our communities in Seattle, South Seattle, for over 30 years, providing and rendering services on a litany of what we're discussing today, from housing to domestic violence, to youth employment, workforce development, education, arts, health and wellness, all the things.

We are currently concerned about the mayor's budget and the priorities, which to us, the silent task force aren't in line with what's actually happening on the ground in our communities.

We're truly concerned with where it's top heavy, particularly in areas with participatory budgeting, which is one of the commitments that we are, I know this is not necessarily the space we're in for that.

However, we're talking about money, we're talking about budgeting, and we're talking about commitments that were made by the Seattle City Council.

a couple of years back, and we need to see those resources placed in our community.

We're also supporting Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth, Councilmember Moore, who's co-sponsoring her, and Ms. Tanya Wu regarding advancing our community's economic stability, regarding Five Points of Progress.

And so we'd like to support those amendments.

We want to thank President Sarah Nelson and all of the rest of the council members that have worked diligently.

We understand that this is a very, very serious time in the world and in our state.

And we understand that there are needs that need to be met for the community, the greater community.

We hope that there is measures of accountability that occur because a lot of people get funding, larger organizations get funding, funding, funding, funding.

And the problem is not going away.

The problem is in better.

And then the money's going.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Latonya.

We're going to move on to Elizabeth Powell and then Hannah Jones, and then we'll be back to in-person.

Welcome, Elizabeth.

I see you're here.

You're already off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_77

Thank you so much.

My name is Elizabeth Powell.

I'm one of the attorneys at the Tenant Law Center.

Our mission is to keep people housed.

And so what I'd like you to take away from my next couple of minutes of remarks is that an ounce of prevention is always more efficient than a pound of cure.

I talk to people every single day who are living in homes that are in disrepair, people who are disabled and there's something wrong with their housing that they can't get fixed.

I talked to people whose primary language is not English and some of them have issues with their status that make it very difficult for them to feel comfortable approaching a court.

I can explain to them how they need to do that.

On every single eviction summons that goes out in King County, it says, you know, you have to respond, get help, and it gives a phone number.

And no matter what that phone number is, it comes to my office.

And we have to triage people pretty darn hard to make sure that they can get some help.

So what we're focusing on is that the Housing Justice Project, completely different group, but they are so slammed that they cannot help with ejectments, which is another way that landlords are doing evictions, kind of a backdoor thing, or subsidy terminations when somebody's being told, that they're not going to have access to their voucher that they've had for God knows how long.

Sometimes there are reasons that we can walk them through.

And in this state, Google Esquire tells people that if they have any beef with their landlord, they shouldn't pay rent.

And that's not true.

So if we, if we can counsel people, We can keep them housed.

Thank you so much.

DIRECTOR DEWOLF.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you Elizabeth.

Up next is Hannah Jones.

Hannah welcome star six to your off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

SPEAKER_19

HANNAH JONES Hi my name is Hannah Jones.

I'm a homeowner who lives in Crown Hill and a volunteer at the Ballard Food Bank.

I am speaking today to voice my concerns about the proposed budget for 2025 to 2026 that plans to divert $300 million from the Jump Start funding.

Our city desperately needs the affordable housing, climate resilience, and equitable development funded by Jump Start tax.

Stable housing is key to physical and mental health, increased education and employment, and reducing rates of criminal convictions and increasing food security.

By diverting funding from Jump Start, set aside for building affordable housing and instead increasing funding for encampment suites and police that cause great harm to the unhoused community, it massively exacerbates the homelessness crisis and puts lives at risk.

I strongly encourage councils to maintain funding and ideally increase funding for affordable housing and tenant services, as well as eviction defense.

Reject CB120912.

preserve jumpstart priorities, and pass new progressive revenue to address the budget deficit.

I also want but the mayor and council plan to cut funding for by 50%.

This includes the Environmental Justice Fund and the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund.

This cut does harm to the communities most affected by climate change.

As an environmental educator, I work with youth every day who have real concern and anxiety for the future.

We need BIPOC-led environmental projects in our communities.

Please restore the Environmental Justice Fund.

Thanks.

SPEAKER_140

Thanks, Hannah.

We're going to move back to in-person speakers.

We have about 120 people left, so if everyone spoke for one minute, we'd be here until 9.30.

If everyone speaks for two minutes, we'll be here until 11.30.

Welcome, friends.

We've got A21 through A30.

Ian West, Greg Thiessen, Mary Sue Galvin, Phil Lewis, April Little, Chloe Gillett, Reverend...

Michan Pritchard, DeeDee Evergreen, Celia Castle, Jesse McCabe.

As you're all lining up, I'm going to call for the folks who are online.

You will be called in 20 minutes from now.

Jamie Carlson, Camilla Baldwin, Wren Wheeler, Dee Powers, Monica Matthews, Edmund Truelove, Kim England, Shane Dombowski, Yvonne Long and Fran Wood, you're coming up in 20 minutes.

Thanks for taking both podiums.

Ian, welcome.

SPEAKER_85

Thank you, Council Chair, Budget Chair.

Good evening, Council Members.

My name is Ian West, and I'm lead organizer of the Faith Land Initiative at the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

I'm also a resident of District 2. I speak to you as a member of the Church Council's Budget Roundtable, which is in alignment with the Solidarity Budget and Human Services Coalition, and as a person of faith to say, budgets are a moral document.

We are united in demanding a budget that reflects care over punishment, preservation of the jumpstart spending plan for its intended purposes, and call on the council to be bold in pursuing additional progressive revenue sources to address our budget deficit.

I present to you all the letters of your constituents representing faith communities across the city who are in alliance with our budget roundtable, in solidarity with our allies, and in agreement with our calls to action.

We are all on the same page, no more balancing the budget on the backs of our communities.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

I yield my time.

Thank you, Ian.

Greg Thiessen, Mary Sue Galvin.

Greg, welcome.

SPEAKER_130

Good evening, Council Members.

My name is Greg Thiessen.

I'm here as a member of Seattle Mennonite Church, located in the Lake City neighborhood within Council Member Moore's District 5. I stand united with the Church Council of Garcia's budget roundtable.

As people of faith, we deeply believe that budgets are moral documents.

Nearly 50 years ago in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the Beyond Vietnam sermon in which he said that a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

While Seattle is not a nation, I do believe that the same can be said of our city's budget.

Today in 2024, the budget advanced by Mayor Harrell, with your legislative support, allocates new money for cops, surveillance, and jails, while simultaneously cutting services and rating jumpstart funds.

While SPD's budget is increasing to cover huge raises, ineffective signing bonuses, ghost cop positions that won't be filled, and new surveillance technology, programs of social uplift are being defunded.

The Department of Education and Early Learning, Environmental Education, Office of Labor Standards, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs are all seeing cuts.

How many people here tonight are here to advocate for programs that they see as vital, such as the Women's Day Youth Center and how many other programs that people have testified about tonight?

what has been put forth as a budget leading towards spiritual death.

The people of Seattle deserve a budget that prioritizes care over punishment.

We deserve the jumpstart funding priorities that we fought for and were promised, dedicated to creating abundant and affordable housing, equitable development, and Green New Deal initiatives.

Creating new progressive revenue streams is an obvious solution to filling the budget deficit, as is eliminating ghost cop positions.

By cutting just 27 of the 212 ghost cops, you could restore funding to emergency services, rental assistance, and tenant services, restore legal counsel for homeless youth, behavioral services, and restore programs addressing gender-based violence and worker protections.

Budgets speak to the values of...

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Up next is Mary Sue Galvin, followed by Phil Lewis.

And Phil, if you want to take this stand right here.

Welcome, Mary Sue.

SPEAKER_141

Good evening, my name's Mary Sue Galvin.

I'm a 48-year resident of Seattle and live in Eastlake.

Raised my two kids there, went to TOPS at Seward and Garfield.

I am united with Church Council of Seattle Seattle Human Services Commission and the Solidary Budget.

As people of faith, we believe that budgets need to reflect our values, they're moral documents, and we want to see a budget that fully reflects those priorities.

I also spent 43 years as a nurse and nurse practitioner, and I want to echo earlier words about prevention, it costs a lot less than bailing people out.

My church community spends considerable resources, 300 active people helping to fill gaps in social services.

We support community nonprofits like Teen Feed, Mary's Place, Compass Housing Alliance, Wellspring Family Services, and many more.

Please use Jumpstart funds as they're intended with the full value of the full percentage as was intended in perpetuity.

This includes support for small businesses, as you know, equitable development initiative, and definitely affordable housing that is so desperately needed.

We have to prioritize caring for each other, supporting one another over punishment by funding mental health services and access to housing and shelter instead of sweeps and surveillance.

Budgets speak to the values of our city.

We want this place to be a livable place for everyone and that supports people of all different backgrounds.

I would like to see a budget that truly reflects those values of community care.

We'll all be safer when everyone in our community is housed and secure and has mental health services.

Thank you for your time, and I appreciate the hard decisions to be made.

SPEAKER_140

Thanks, Mary Sue.

Up next is Phil Lewis, followed by April Little.

Welcome, Phil.

SPEAKER_108

Thank you.

Good evening, council members, and I want to thank you for your time and your work on the budget this past year for the 2025 budget.

My name is Phil Lewis, and I'm one of the pastors at Union Church in the South Lake Union neighborhood within Councilmember Kettle's district.

I stand in solidarity with the Church of Greater Seattle's budget roundtable.

As people of faith, we believe that budgets are a moral document, and in my tradition, we are reminded that where your treasure is, there lies your heart.

The well-being of our city is directly tied to the budget that you all will implement this year.

I've witnessed firsthand the effects on our neighborhood when funds that are intended for affordable housing and youth mental health are diverted elsewhere.

Our youth suffer, our neighbors suffer, and subsequently, our community takes the brunt of these decisions, and oftentimes our church sees the brunts that the community is impacted by.

Please do not balance the budget off the backs of our youth and our under-resourced community members, because they do not deserve to have the budget balance off of them.

I urge you to approve the budget that fully reflects our shared values and priorities in community investments such as preserving and expanding the Jump Start funding for its intended purposes.

Supporting small businesses, the Equitable Development Initiative, the Seattle Green New Deal, and the development of desperately needed affordable housing for Seattleites in our community.

Budgets communicate the values of our city through public investment.

And I ask that as a council, that you adopt a budget that truly reflects a commitment to care and transformation that each and every Seattleite deserves.

Because we believe, I believe, that you all are elected to this position because you all love our city.

And I ask that you would reflect that in the budget that you put forward.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Phil.

The first self-identifying District Six member of the public, District Seven, excuse me.

Up next is April Little followed by Chloe.

Welcome, April.

SPEAKER_99

Good evening, council members.

My name is April Little.

I am here as a member of First United Methodist Church, located in the Belltown neighborhood within Councilmember Kettle's district.

I stand united with the Church Council of Greater Seattle's budget roundtable.

As people of faith, we believe that budgets are moral documents, and where we put our funds should contribute to the flourishing of all in our community.

I want to thank you for supporting a $1,500,000 investment over the next two years for meal programs.

I urge you to vote yes on Amendment HSD 4 and HSD 10 to ensure this funding is included in the final budget.

My church's shared breakfast program, which feeds many each Sunday, would benefit greatly from this funding.

I also want to see a budget that fully reflects my values and prioritizes community investment, like preserving and expanding Job Start funding for its intended purposes, supporting all small businesses, the Equitable Development Initiative, Seattle Green New Deal, and developing the affordable housing our city desperately needs.

Budget speaks to the values of our city through public investment.

I want to see one that truly reflects the values of community care.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Two D7s right in a row.

Chloe, you're up next.

SPEAKER_83

Good evening, council members.

My name is Chloe Guio, and I'm here as the Director of Community Engagement at Quest Church, located in Ballard in District 6 within Councilman Strauss' district.

I stand united with the Church Council of Greater Seattle Budget Roundtable.

As people of faith, we deeply believe that budgets are a moral document.

In the book of James, our scriptures say, if a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, keep warm, and eat your fill, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?

What good does it do for us, as citizens of this city, as leaders of this city, to look at those in need in our community who need food, who need housing, who need social services, and to wish them the best while using the funds set aside to address those needs to fund policing and sweeps that harm our communities?

Our church over the years has seen a constant stream of people and communities seeking shelter in our parking lot and outside our doors.

We will keep finding ways to give out clothing and sleeping bags and food and do whatever we can because we see the needs of our community and we do not want to be people who see those needs and do nothing.

But those are temporary solutions to long-term needs, long-term needs that funds like Jumpstart are intended to be used for.

And so I'm here on behalf of my church community with letters from my church community to say that we need our representatives to invest in long-term solutions for care for people in our community.

We need our representatives to invest in and protect progressive and sustainable revenue sources so that community care is not put on the chopping block when budget deficits need to be filled.

Our church is doing our best to be good neighbors, and we implore you to do the same.

I want to see a budget that values and prioritizes care over punishment.

I do not want to hear more stories of my neighbors being swept from place to place, losing all their belongings again and again.

We should be fully funding access to housing and shelter and to crucial services that keep all people safe.

Budgets speak to the values of the city through public investment, and I want to see one that truly reflects our values of community care.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Chloe.

Up next is Reverend Mishen Pritchard.

Reverend?

Not here, we're gonna move on.

Dee Dee Evergreen.

Welcome Dee Dee.

SPEAKER_101

Good evening council members.

My name is Dee Dee Evergreen.

I am here as a member of South Seattle Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, better known as Quakers.

We meet in the Central Area Senior Center within Councilmember Hollingsworth's district.

We stand united with the Church Council of Greater Seattle, Greater Seattle's Budget Roundtable, and the Solidarity Budget and Seattle Human Services Coalition.

South Seattle Friends meeting wants to see a budget that fully reflects our values and priorities.

We are submitting packets for each city council member containing testimonies from our membership.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Dee Dee.

Up next, we have Celia Castle.

Celia, welcome.

SPEAKER_72

Good evening council members.

My name is Celia Castle and as you can probably tell by the t-shirts, I'm also from South Seattle Friends Meeting.

We worship in the Central District and this is our friend Sally.

I also live in Council Member Hollingsworth District.

The proposed budget continues to prioritize policing, expanding surveillance, sweeps and punishment over care for our at-risk communities.

I understand the council is planning to enact legislation, Council Bill 120912, ensuring that the Jump Start funds will continue to be diverted from its intended purposes.

Those purposes were to support small businesses, the Equitable Development Initiative, Seattle Green Deal, and developing affordable housing.

I am strongly opposed to this change.

I do want to thank you all for your service to our community.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Jessie McAbee.

Jessie, welcome.

SPEAKER_50

Good evening, council members.

My name is Jessie McAbee.

I attend University Congregational United Church of Christ in the University District, and I live in the Wedgwood neighborhood.

I have a son who goes to Roosevelt High School.

I've lived in Wedgwood for 20 years.

These are all in...

I am united with the Church Council of Greater Seattle's budget roundtable.

We believe that budgets are moral documents.

The city often relies on churches and other charitable organizations to fill in the gaps in social services.

Our church building on the corner of 45th and 15th Avenue Northeast hosts the following services, team feed, University Churches Emergency Fund, Trenton Early Learning Drop-in Center, U District Youth Center, Child Learning and Care Center, Tent City, and the Interagency High School.

Jumpstart has intended funding priorities that address underlying issues in our community, such as mental health, substance abuse, and inadequate affordable housing.

On the other hand, if those funds are diverted to the general budget now or in the future, Funding priorities would include sweeps, surveillance, and policing, solutions that address only the symptoms of these problems in ways that are dehumanizing to those who are most impacted, and therefore also deny us of our own humanity and caring.

Building a humane and livable Seattle for all residents requires that jumpstart funds be preserved for their intended purposes and not diverted, as well as finding sustainable, progressive revenue sources.

Thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

We're going to move back on the online comment.

When we return to in-person, we've got B21 through B30.

So be ready in about 20 minutes.

Colleagues, I did say we're gonna take a stretch break with so many people signed up.

And so we're just gonna keep plowing through, but I'm standing up.

Feel free to stand up and stretch as we're going through this.

With what we got going on now, I'm going to call everyone in order in which they are on here.

So we've got Jamie Carlson, Camille Baldwin-Bonnie, Monica Matthews, Edmund Truelove, Kim England, Shane Dombrowski, Fran Wood, Aaron Goodman, and Sarah White.

And so with that, we will start with Jamie.

Are we waiting?

Waiting for Jamie.

Jamie, you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

SPEAKER_22

Hello?

Oh, perfect.

Hi.

My name is Jamie Carlson.

I am a land use planner at the Department of Construction and Inspections and a ProTech 17 union member.

I wanted to comment on the budget rebalancing proposal in regards to the proposed layoffs Thank you for the proposal of delaying the layoffs by six months.

I also just wanted to urge you to continue to consider how these layoffs will impact our department with the permitting timelines and customer service, you know, as these, you know, extended six months go on.

So thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jamie.

Anything else this evening?

Well, thank you for calling in and thank you for your service.

Literally from the bottom of my heart.

I did also note that we had some IT mix-ups here.

We're going to call Ren Wilson again.

I don't know if we have two Ren Wilsons or what's going on here, but I've been instructed I need to call Ren Wilson next.

Ren, we see you're here.

Star six to unmute.

There you are.

SPEAKER_17

Good evening council members.

My name is Ren Wilson and I am the public realm manager for the Ballard Alliance, an organization that represents both small businesses and residents in downtown Ballard.

The Alliance co-authored a letter to you today along with nearly 20 business organizations located all throughout the city.

We are unanimous in our support for the storefront repair fund number OED-001-A-1.

This fund means a continuation of a program that has already proven itself effective, and it is an absolute critical lifeline for Seattle small businesses who are challenged by repeat break-ins and costly property damage.

Thank you, Council President Nelson, for leading this effort.

I'd also like to voice support for budget amendment OPCD-001-A-2, offered by Council Member Dan Strauss, that would provide funding for the Ballard sub-area plan as it relates to the establishment of Ballard as a new regional center.

This study is critical in ensuring that new residential development in Ballard doesn't grind to a halt with uncertainty about what the new zoning designations will mean in terms of building height, growth, and density.

Thank you, Councilmember Strauss, for your leadership on this important initiative, and thank you, City Council, for your support on these critical budget items.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ren.

That's why I was confused.

There's two Ren Wilsons in this world.

Didn't expect that.

We're going to move on to Camille Baldwin-Bonnie, followed by Monica Matthews, Edmund Truelove, Kim England.

I see Camille is off mute.

Take it away, Camille.

SPEAKER_22

Good evening, council members.

My name is Camille.

I'm a member of People Power Washington and a supporter of the Solidarity budget.

As I am sure you are all too aware, we are entering a dark time.

I am sure that you, like me, were devastated by last week's national election results.

I hope that in this dark time, Seattle can continue to be a sanctuary city.

But there are two major barriers to that, mass surveillance and lack of housing.

We cannot be a sanctuary city if there is no room at the end.

The City Council is spending millions of our taxpayer dollars to procure a massive cloud-based surveillance network.

In so doing, you have just handed the Trump administration and red states a powerful weapon to terrorize our immigrant communities, those seeking gender-affirming and abortion care in the state, and those exercising their free speech rights in peaceful protest.

We need to treat homelessness as a state of emergency, which it is.

We need to provide the opportunity for every person experiencing homelessness to come inside four walls, a door they can lock, connected to the services they need, This includes mental health, chemical dependency, and social services.

Those are not my words.

They are CM Strauss' words in a 2019 interview with KUW.

Jumpstart has been the single largest source of funds for housing in the Seattle budget, increasing funding for equitable development, and is the only source of Green New Deal funding.

415 people died outside last year.

Affordable housing is one of the most critical public safety investments we can make.

I urge you all to reject Amendment Group B and reject Tim Strauss's Council Bill 120912. Instead, I implore you to do what is both fiscally and morally responsible.

Preserve jumpstart priorities, defund mass surveillance, eliminate the...

seven ghost cop positions, and pass new progressive revenue to address budget deficit.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Camille.

Up next is Monica Matthews, followed by Edmund Truelove, Kim England.

Monica, you're already off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_23

Good evening, Seattle City Council members.

My name is Monica Matthews, and I'm calling in today first as a proud mother, but also as a community member who offers a variety of academic advancement opportunities to Black youth, I am also a black business owner of Clean Care Products, located in the District 2. I am deeply invested in the health of the black community.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the budget amendments proposed by Councilwoman Hollingsworth's office.

These amendments hold the potential to make a transformative impact in the black community in Seattle, a community that has faced historic barriers and continues to experience disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and support.

I fully support and represent community support for funding the following, arts and cultural preservation, black home ownership, day center and shelter, food equity and farming, and youth shelter and centers.

These budget amendments focus on community health, economics, social services, and cultural enhancement that is essential for healing and supporting our families.

The legacy of systemic inequities has taken a toll on the black community particularly in areas such as mental health and wellness.

It is critical that we prioritize funding that will address these disparities.

Today, I urge each of you to consider the significant impact that your support for these budget amendments will have on our community.

This is an opportunity to show that the city of Seattle is committed to equity, justice, and inclusion.

Let us embrace this moment to cultivate a city where all families can thrive, where businesses can flourish, and where the vibrant culture of the black community can be celebrated and uplifted.

Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your commitment to empowering our community.

Together, we can make Seattle a place where every family and business can succeed.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Well said, and thank you for calling in tonight.

Edmund Truelove, Kim England.

Edmund, you're already off mute.

Take it away.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_150

Okay, my name is true love my wife and I live on harbor avenue have for 25 years we greatly appreciate the need to address problems of homelessness housing food insecurity and safety.

They feel one of those issues that affects us dramatically tell a few years ago harbor and Alki were examples of the beauty and welcoming environment of our city.

Now the Harbor and Alki Avenue neighborhood are overrun at night by youth groups engaging in high-speed races and speeding in modified race cars.

Nightly extreme sound ordinance violations from modified expensive vehicle sound systems, open use of drugs and alcohol, disregarding the safety and rights of others, street takeovers and gun violence, assaults, street fatalities, and even murder.

Fragrant violation and city ordinances regarding parking and park occupancy hours.

Our problem has nothing to do with those who are homeless, live in poverty, or face food insecurity.

This is a safety issue.

We support rational and non-discriminatory budget proposal of members TACO, including limited access to parking and park properties through reasonable street redesign, enforcement using speed-activated cameras and excess noise-activated ticketing systems.

These measures target those who violate the law, not the homeless, not the disadvantaged.

SPD has done as much as it could with its resources.

Responsibility rests with solutions that are controlled by the council and mayor.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ed.

Up next, we have Kim England and then Shane Dombrowski.

Kim, welcome.

Star six to unmute.

You're off mute.

Take it away at your convenience.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_11

Thank you, Council Members, for hearing my remarks.

I am Kim England, and I am a professor of geography at the University of Washington and a faculty associate of the UW's Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.

I am also a member of the Seattle Domestic Workers Coalition.

I want to thank Council Member Strauss for the amendments to reverse the proposed cuts to the Office of Labor Standards, in particular, saving three full-time OLS positions and continuing to provide funding for the Business Outreach and Education Fund, already mentioned by other speakers this evening, as well as the Community Outreach and Education Fund.

Seattle is nationally recognized for its decades-long history of policymaking supporting workers' rights.

Seattle is recognized for its leadership enforcing over a dozen labor ordinances, including the minimum wage policy, and so very close to my heart, the Domestic Workers Ordinance.

Across the country, I repeatedly hear how Seattle's Office of Labor Standards is held up as the gold standard for city-level labor law enforcement, as well as a model for its community partnership.

I am proud to have been involved in a successful push for the city's Domestic Workers Ordinance.

I am grateful for the continued remarkable partnership with the Domestic Workers coalition has with OLS around education and enforcement.

The Community Outreach and Education Fund supports the community organizations supporting Seattle's domestic workers, and thus this funding is critical to their work.

In my role as a UW Labor Studies faculty member, I also wish to point out that the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington has been partnering with OLS for a few years, providing high quality research to the city.

In addition, and in partnership with the Bridges Center, the Office of Labor Standards provides valuable opportunities.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

And up next is Shane Dombrowski, followed by Erin Goodman.

And then we're going to return to in-person with B21.

Lynn, you'll be up first.

Welcome, Shane.

You're off mute.

Shane, we see you're off mute.

Start at your convenience.

You went back on mute.

Star six to unmute.

Did you mute your telephone on your telephone?

If you pressed your mute button, you got to unpress that.

SPEAKER_43

Hello, can you hear me now?

SPEAKER_140

We can hear you now.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_43

Apologies.

Good evening council.

My name is Shane Dombrowski.

I live in work in district six.

I just want to call in today to give my support for a city budget that funds transit projects like the route 40. Surveys conducted by SDOT show overwhelming support from respondents for this project in Fremont and Ballard.

There have been nearly four years and nearly a hundred opportunities for the public to engage SDOT on this matter.

It is immensely popular, which is why I asked the council to reject budget amendment SDOT 104S-B.

The proposed requirements are uniquely and unfairly levied on effective, affordable, and very popular transit improvements.

Other general projects are not required to justify their existence through reporting, metric gathering, and local data.

In my personal experience, buses such as Route 40 are often idling and wasting operator hours because they're stuck in traffic.

Further delay transit projects in Seattle.

We have goals to reduce emissions, traffic deaths, and the cost of living for current residents.

We also have accessibility commitments to our neighbors, regardless of how they move around our city.

Transit and the improvements that come with these projects can help do this.

Ultimately, the requirements are simply an irresponsible use of public money to prove, time and time again, what we already know for free, that transit reduces these emissions and connects our communities It simply gives our neighbors more choices to safely and effectively move throughout the community.

In a time of tighter household budgets, it presents the choice of not owning and paying for an automobile, maintenance, and parking.

It allows more customers to reach more small local businesses.

So let's fund it and know that now is not the time to further delay and hinder critical popular improvements with more needless, targeted, and wasteful requirements.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you, and have a lovely evening.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Shane.

Up next is Erin Goodman, and then we'll transition back to in-person.

Erin, welcome.

SPEAKER_04

Good evening, Council Members, Chair Strauss.

This is Erin Goodman with the Soto Business Improvement Area.

The Soto BIA represents over 1,200 businesses and more than 40,000 employees in the Soto industrial area.

And we are encouraged by the proposed budget and balancing package that makes strong investments in economic development, affordable housing, essential homeless services, and a range of public safety measures.

We are due to support this balancing package including specifically continuing the funding for the storefront repair program, the expansion of the care team, and the increase of funding for programs to support RV residents to transition to shelter and permanent housing.

However, to do this, the flexibility to use the jumpstart payroll tax for all priorities on a permanent basis is essential.

This year alone, the city's payroll tax will bring in over $400 million, about $179 million more than expected, which will allow council to use these funds for these important city priorities while still maintaining the original intended investments.

UR City Council was elected on the promise of improving accountability efficiency and transparency and aligning their policy choices of voter priorities, which have consistently been public safety, affordability, and homelessness.

This balanced package reflects these priorities and should be passed as presented.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Erin.

We're going to move back to in-person.

I'm going to call the names of everyone that I will be calling online in 20 minutes because Yvonne Long is not present.

Fran Wood's not present.

Sarah White's not present.

Stacey Barnes is not present.

Ebony Arunga, you are present.

Natalia Ramirez, not present.

Yvette Dienisch, Terry Anderson, Michael Mullaney, Sheila Mead, David Scott, Sue Luke is not present, and then Reed Hampton.

You'll be the next set of online speakers.

Right now, we're moving back to B21 through B30.

Lynn Domingo, thank you for being ready.

Yes.

SPEAKER_13

Good evening.

Good evening, council members and budget chair.

My name is Lynn Domingo, and I'm here to advocate for LELO's relicensing program, Priority Hire.

LELO is a legacy of equality, leadership, and organizing.

We are over 50 years old.

I began the relicensing program after 1999 and finished once I became disabled, and we continue to work on low-income drivers who need their driver's license back.

It really is a essential program, although our numbers have shown that it has been reduced, but there is also many more solutions we can do to contact those drivers.

The reason these drivers need their license back is for employment, it's for health reasons, it's for taking care of your family, it's for childcare.

Transportation is not that easy today and we do not condone people driving around with unpaid traffic tickets.

However, this program was made because we needed jobs in Rainier Valley and it started out with Sound Transit.

Now, since Urban League and the other construction areas have taken up the relicensing, we still have a responsibility to other workers for priority hire.

We're talking about clerks, we're talking about Hotel workers, we're talking about restaurant workers.

We are going to see a bunch of layoffs, people changing jobs, and they do need to have their license.

Just recently, I applied for a job for the county, and they required a driver's license.

And of course, I don't have one.

But that is one of the inequalities of not having the driver's license.

So thank you very much, and please refund, maintain the LELO relicensing program under the priority hire.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

And up next, we have Ricardo Ortega.

Welcome, Ricardo.

SPEAKER_80

Good evening, council members.

My name is Ricardo Ortega and I work for Lilo Community.

It's a community organization that is led by people of color.

Through Lilo's community organizing partnership with the City of Seattle Attorney's Office and the Department of Finance and the Priority Hire Program, we create the prefiling relicensing program to assist our community impacted by the criminal justice system that disproportionately affect low-income people, and communities of color.

Our service helps our clients to understand why the driver license is suspended, in which court they have tickets, how many tickets they have, and how we can do to recover the driver license together.

We contact the courts to ask to remove the tickets from collection, reduce the fines, and offer a payment plan to our clients.

Also, time to time, we call our clients to remind them to do the monthly payments and also to complete community service.

This takes a lot of time.

The program provides service-based alternatives to criminal charges for people who have been ticketed by the Seattle Police Department for driving with a driver's license suspended in the third degree.

The aim of this program is to reduce the racial disproportionality in criminal cases filed against individuals that are historically categorized in the criminal system as Asians, Black, Latinos, Native Americans, and Alaska Natives, and the groups of people of color that we know that has been not content.

Please keep funding the legal licensing program.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ricardo.

Up next is Bennett Halsman, followed by Melissa Freese.

I can't read this handwriting, but it's B25.

Bennett, welcome.

SPEAKER_134

Good evening, council members.

Welcome to You Have Too Much Faith in the Police, episode 11-y billion.

Before sending another $457 million to the cops, do you remember when I told you guys about the time where I was arrested about a week after there was a riot outside the East Precinct police station or somebody set a dumpster on fire?

Now, I was not there.

Once again, swear to God, I had nothing to do with it.

I had credit card receipts proving I was buying pizza at Pagliacci a mile away when it happened.

And it turned out later we figured out they had a list of us who were volunteer safety drivers in the completely legal street marches during the day.

And they just put out probable cause statements for all of us who were safety drivers saying that we were part of this riot outside the police station.

And it turned out we caught them because they copied and pasted that same statement from somebody else's probable cause statement into mine.

and they forgot to change the name from Jang to Hazelton, which means officially I spent two days in jail for a riot I had nothing to do with because SPD claims that they had me mixed up with a 90-pound Asian woman with green hair.

Okay, update.

So I filed a complaint with the Office of Police Accountability about what I considered to be a false arrest, and this is what they said.

Fires were set at approximately 1852 hours.

Video from a nearby traffic stop also showed a vehicle resembling the complainant's.

That's my vehicle at East Madison Street.

That's Pagliacci Pizza at about 1856 hours.

According to GPS, the complainant would have had to leave just before the first fire was recorded to make it to the traffic stop location.

So their official excuse is that criminal mastermind Bennett could have set the fire at the dumpster and then hightailed it over to Paglacci to buy a slice of pizza, establishing myself an alibi.

Hang on a second.

I want the mic to pick this up.

SPEAKER_90

Thank you, counsel.

SPEAKER_140

Up next is Melissa Friess.

Use the microphone though.

SPEAKER_88

Yes, I'm sorry.

My name is Melissa Frese and I'm currently at Wheel.

I am someone that has used Mary's place for the past year, daily to shower, change clothes, do laundry, accept mail.

Without it, I feel it would be a great loss to the city.

As you know, they're closing in March.

I hope that your budget plan fits in something with that.

I support fully tenant services.

Without that, more women like myself will be homeless.

There should be no net loss of shelter beds or day center space.

Please add money in for something in place of Mary's.

We need all kinds of shelters for men and women.

and please stop sweeps, add services.

Also, jumpstart tax money should be used for affordable housing.

We desperately need it.

We wanna stop homelessness, get these people off the streets and make the city beautiful again.

Thank you very much.

Have a good night.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Melissa.

Jazz hands all around.

Hello, I'm sorry, I couldn't read your name.

SPEAKER_102

Yeah, my name is, or good evening, council members.

My name is Fatra Hussain.

I'm a junior at Franklin High School in District 2. I'm on the executive board for Seattle Student Union, and we are demanding $20 million for mental health resources in high schools throughout the Seattle area.

Mental health resources have been evidently necessary for students in this day and age, which is why we need funding to implement mental health services for students to be able to access.

While working with students in community building circles and working towards wellness rooms at our schools, We found that students really do need these resources implemented in schools.

When the 2020 lockdown occurred, students with mental health needs for therapy or counseling all moved to online, and it caused some of those students to move away from using these resources.

And now it has stayed the same.

Students with unsafe home conditions stopped using these online resources ever since COVID ever since schools in the South Seattle area have lost more and more funding to the point where we only have online counseling services in terms of mental health for students.

Ever since the 2020 Ingram school shooting happened, students made the decision to start taking their needs into their own hands.

Last year we won 20 million but this money has been cut by the council and we had to work towards fighting for the mental health resources in schools without having access to the 20 million.

This year we stand here demanding that 20 million and student leaders having access to it and schools to make the change we need to see in our schools.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next, we have Leo Fallop-Bayamonte.

And Leo, if you could connect with Jesse from my team before you leave tonight.

SPEAKER_81

Okay, yeah.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Leo Fallop-Bayamonte.

I'm a District 4 resident and a student District 5. I'm also a member of the Seattle Student Union.

I'm a sophomore at Nathan Hale High School.

I'm here to ask you all to fully fund mental health resources and have it so youth have a say in where the money is going.

If you all spend time in our schools like we all do, you'll see why students are actually asking for this money.

You'll see students crying in the hallways and students being scared and unhappy during and on the way to classes.

You all have the ability and the responsibility to change all this by fully funding our mental health resources at our schools.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Leo.

Up next is Catherine, followed by Howard Anderson, Tan Mac, and then Amanda, no last name.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_54

Hello, my name is Catherine Chinose.

I am a student at UW, and I organize with the Seattle Student Union, a collective of students across the city.

As young people, we are growing up in crisis.

On a global scale, the climate crisis.

On the national scale, the rise of Christofascism.

In schools, students are experiencing traumatic incidents of gun violence and a crisis of mental health.

Last year, Seattle Student Union worked with this council to pass $20 million to hire mental health counselors in schools.

This money has seen multiple cuts already, and it is unclear whether it has or will be spent in accordance with the students' demands who fought hard for what they urgently need.

As currently proposed, this budget includes $19.25 million for a broad category of mental health and violence prevention money, which is set to be cut to $16 million next year.

I have here 60 letters signed by students at Lincoln High School calling for Jump Start money to be used according to its intended purposes.

These letters call for care over punishment through fully funding mental health services and violence prevention programs rooted in restorative justice instead of funds for expanding surveillance and over-policing our communities.

Young people are continually showing up to plead this city to respond to the state of mental health resources and violence in schools with at least a fraction of the urgency it deserves, only to be disregarded to see promises gone back on.

SSU stands in collective power with solidarity budget's proposed budget that demands the city keep its promise to spend $20 million on mental health counselors in schools.

Students know with what urgency that I'm sorry.

It's with urgency that I ask you to build partnerships with young people that are not symbolic, but are vested with real power to guide the decisions that can restore health and safety to Seattle schools.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you very much, Catherine.

Up next is Howard Anderson, Tan Mack, and then Amanda.

Howard, welcome.

SPEAKER_152

Thank you, Council, for being here tonight.

Really appreciate it.

I'm with the First Avenue Transit Alliance, and it's a group of people that are along the corridor and in the southern part of our street grid.

It's small businesses, it's entertainment centers, it's restaurants, it's the Pike Place Market and all the things that happen down there.

Those are the elements that are in our association.

We are here tonight to ask that the budget not include any funding for the First Avenue streetcar.

It is not a solution for any of our major transportation needs and should be terminated.

The delivery assessment, which you all have, it's been out since October, will document and give you good cause why this project should not move forward or be funded.

$450 million to start with.

The environmental impacts would be detrimental and overwhelming if this project were to move forward.

Traffic along First Avenue would dead end at Yesler.

The loss of 190 plus street parking would impact the business and access to Pike Place Park is a key element of this whole area.

creating a major gridlock throughout the city if we reduce it down to three lanes for the streetcar and two one-lane alleyways for the whole length of First Avenue.

We would never be able to put transit on First Avenue.

And the operation during construction and development of this would be just detrimental to downtown.

Thank you, Howard.

SPEAKER_140

We welcome additional written comments at any time.

Thank you, Howard.

Good to see you today.

Tan, welcome, and then we'll have Amanda.

SPEAKER_119

good evening city council members my name is tan makara egg and i work at the low income housing institute first i would like to thank the council for adding funding to the city budget for two new tiny house villages you have obviously listened to the voices of our clients tiny have changed their lives for the better We know this program works well to help people who have been chronically homeless find stability, safety, and eventually long-term housing.

The city desperately needs to expand the availability of enhanced shelter, and you took a step in the right direction.

I would also like to request that the City Council retain the spending plan for the Jump Start payroll tax.

Many community stakeholders came together to establish Jump Start and form an oversight body to ensure the funds are spent on affordable housing and Green New Deal priorities.

We asked the council not to make any permanent changes to the spending plan this year without a more robust community discussion.

The community placed trust in the city council to safeguard the jumpstart spending plan.

To compromise it jeopardizes that trust.

Please protect Jump Start and support new progressive revenue options, such as a capital gains tax proposal.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next, we have Amanda.

And if you could share your last name for the record.

SPEAKER_58

Sure.

My last name is Benson, B-E-N-S-O-N.

Totally.

Thank you, Amanda.

Good evening, City Council members.

Like I said, my name is Amanda Benson, and I also work for the Low Income Housing Institute.

And I wanted to start by saying we truly appreciate the City Council adding funding for more tiny house villages.

Thank you for taking steps to ensure more people experiencing homelessness can get a roof over their head.

Tiny houses are the fastest and most cost effective way to get people inside and out of cold, wet tents.

Over 50% of the villagers who move on from the program secure permanent housing, and less than 2% ever return to homelessness.

I'm also here to testify in support of a new winter shelter in North Seattle proposed by Council Member Moore.

As the winter months are approaching, we see that we desperately need more emergency shelter capacity.

Last year, 415 people who were homeless died, many of them from exposure to the elements.

Please leave the jumpstart spending plan for affordable housing and Green New Deal priorities intact.

Do not eliminate the oversight body.

We support the capital gains tax proposal.

Please protect jumpstart spending priorities and pass new progressive revenue.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Amanda.

We are now going to switch back to online public comment.

We only have 11 people present online right now.

So what I'm going to do is I'm going to call on the next 11 online people.

And then at the end, we'll come back and we'll give a little bit more warning to folks that they can call in if they're not present online.

So right now we have Ebony Arunga.

Yvette Dinesh, Terry Anderson, Michael Molini, Sheila Meade, David Scott, Reed Hampton, Angelus McNally, MJ Mencius, Jessica Green and Kyle Matthews.

At that point, we will come back to A31 through A40 and we'll just tick through the in-person speakers and then come back to the online speakers at the very end.

That's the game plan.

Don't forget to stretch.

We're gonna rock and roll.

Ebony, you're here, star six to unmute.

You're off mute, welcome.

SPEAKER_15

Hello, everyone.

Thank you so much for having me and thank you City Council for being here tonight as we get through this public comment.

My name is Ebony Arunga and I'm the executive director of Langston, a nonprofit organization centered on programming that cultivates Black brilliance and sustainability in the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, which is a city-owned building.

I'm also a long-term community member and cultural custodian of the historically Black Central District of Seattle.

I live in District 2 and I work in District 3. I'm here to voice my support for this proposed for the proposed amendment sponsored by Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth and with co-sponsorship by Councilmembers Kathy Moore and Tanya Wu.

These amendments address five essential areas of progress in our community housing and ownership and home ownership education and the arts.

health and wellness, economic mobility and small business, workforce trades and development.

These amendments are vital for the economic sustainability, community safety and generational wealth of our neighborhoods.

I'd also like to thank Council Member, Council President Sarah Nelson for her leadership, Budget Chair Dan Strauss for his dedication this session, and council members Rob Saka, Tammy Morales, Marissa Rivera, and Bob Kettle for meeting with so many the year.

I'd also like to urge our city council to protect jumpstart funding.

Investing in housing and equitable development isn't just about affordability, it's about the health, safety, and resilience of our city.

Affordable housing and strengthens public safety, reduces violence, improves mental health and physical health, supports education and employment, and enhances food security.

Please keep just.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ebony, and thank you for your service to our city.

Up next is Yvette Dinesh.

Yvette, you're here.

Star six to unmute.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_153

Good evening.

Thank you.

I'm Yvette Diners, native Seattleite, and I'm speaking on behalf of supporting Council Member Hollingsworth's amendment in particular, advocating for Black-run organizations that serve our at-risk youth, specifically the following organizations, Giving Gifts of Hope, Feed to Folks, Repair and Restore Missionary Outreach, Jews Violence Prevention Network, and my organization, the Colored Girls Garden Club.

All of these organizations participate are willingly collaborative and are doing great work, measurable work, actually, in our community.

Funding received by these organizations will be public dollars, very well spent.

I also want to thank the community at large for your participation in this budget process.

And on a different note, I want to thank you, City Council, for listing and jail-booking restrictions for low-level offenses.

And hopefully, this action will address the 12th and Jackson hot mess.

which is open-air drug use, and it's definitely a public nuisance.

And lastly, I pledge allegiance to the flag and the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And that's it.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you very much.

We're going to go to Terry Anderson next, then Michael Mulaney.

Terry, you're here.

You're off mute.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_09

Okay, thank you.

My name is Carrie Anderson and I'm the interim executive director of the Tenants Union of Washington State and I'm speaking today to urge you to restore and increase funds for tenant services and not cut these crucial services to keep renters in their homes and to prevent homelessness.

The Tenants Union of Washington State receives funds from the City of Seattle to operate a tenants' rights hotline, in-person clinics in community locations, and to conduct virtual and in-person tenants' rights workshops.

We offer these services in the languages that tenants speak and comprehend.

We have Spanish speakers on staff, and we utilize translation services for all of their languages.

Tenant Services keeps renters housed and prevents homelessness for the most vulnerable communities and households in Seattle.

We help renters who are at risk of displacement and who live in substandard housing and who live in fear of communicating with their landlords.

Renters are disproportionately black, indigenous, and people of color because of historic racist housing policies and practices that have caused a divide in home ownership based on race.

The shortage of affordable housing makes the situation worse and many low-income tenants are forced to leave Seattle to live elsewhere where they become isolated from families and communities.

Housing discrimination and retaliation against tenants who exercise their rights are prohibited by law, but tenants report these activities to our hotline on a regular basis.

The Washington Residential Landlord Tenant Act is not enforced by any government agency and it falls on tenants when repairs are not made and when landlords post illegal notices on their doors.

Without the services of the tenants union, Tenants who are unaware of the laws and their rights would move even when they have nowhere to go.

Please continue to support tenant services at and above the 2024 budget level.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Terry.

Up next is Michael Molini.

And we've had more people come back online, so we're going to stop with Angeles McNally.

Star six to unmute Michael Molini.

Michael Molini, star six to unmute.

Michael Molini.

Let's move on to Sheila Meade.

You can leave Michael up there.

Yep, so just leave Michael up.

Sheila Meade, you're up next.

Star six to unmute.

There you are.

You are with us, Sheila Meade.

SPEAKER_28

Thank you.

My name is Sheila Meade.

I'm a member of the Harbor Avenue Alki Neighborhood Group.

I am speaking in support of Council Member Saka's budget proposal regarding the cameras for speeding on Alki and Harbor.

Since I live on Harbor Avenue by the 7-Eleven and closer to the West Seattle Bridge, I have a different perspective from those living by Don Armini Boat Launch.

7-Eleven has their share of loud get togethers.

But I live at the best place to rev your engine, be it a car or motorcycle, to get your speed up to race up and down the street as it is flat and straight.

Two years ago, I kept a tally of 90 cars and or motorcycles speeding.

I had to stop calling police.

as I realized they could do nothing as they were understaffed.

I've told the story before of slowing down at an Alki crosswalk only to have a truck behind me go around with a woman pushing a stroller in the walkway.

Let's have consequences for those who continually flaunt the law with the use of the speed and noise activated cameras.

Citation is based on license plate and car description.

Please support Councilman Saka's budget to make our neighborhood safer and decrease noise pollution.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Sheila.

Michael Mullaney, are you here?

Star six to unmute.

Michael Mullaney.

Michael Mullaney, star six to unmute.

There you are.

Take it away, Michael.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

SPEAKER_52

Sorry, I kept hitting it before, but it didn't seem to work.

My name is Michael Molini.

I'm a renter in district three and I'm calling on the council to preserve the jumpstart funds for their intended use.

We need to have affordable housing and social services as these get at the root issues of the public safety issues.

So many people have called about these funds for their intended use and pursue a capital gains tax instead.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

Up next is David Scott, followed by Reed Hampton, Madison Kirst, and then Jesse Simpson.

David Scott, you're here.

Star 6, you're off mute.

Take it away, David Scott.

SPEAKER_44

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm David Scott, resident and homeowner in District 3. We've heard so much today about the vital importance of preserving funding for critical housing and community services.

And to balance the budget, we must take the lead with new progressive revenue sources like Councilmember Moore's proposal instead of raising jumpstart funds.

But right now, I am here to represent Seattle Subway.

Along with the Downtown Seattle Association, we strongly oppose the last-minute proposals to permanently shutter the South Lake Union streetcar line and cancel the Center City Connector slash Culture Connector project.

While the SLU streetcar has struggled with ridership since its inception, this is because the line is too short to connect meaningful destinations and not because it is a streetcar.

The Seattle Transportation Plan recognizes this, as the council unanimously approved earlier this year.

The Transportation Plan calls us to unlock the streetcar system's potential by not only connecting the existing two streetcar lines with a route including Pike Place Market, but also by further expanding the streetcar system to serve the stadiums, Belltown, and Seattle Center.

These late-breaking proposals would gravely undermine the city's work on the transportation plan, would leave the First Hill streetcar abandoned with no future, having never approached its full potential, and would also leave its thousands of current daily riders out to dry.

Instead of cynically focusing on past mistakes, we must invest in an environmentally conscious future where every Seattleite in every neighborhood has access to convenient, safe, and sustainable transit.

A connected, expanded, and improved streetcar system together with more and more reliable service would complement further link expansions and connect the city's neighborhoods with world-class transportation options.

Without the South Lake Union line and its storage maintenance facility,

SPEAKER_140

Up next is Reed Hampton, followed by Madison Kirst.

Reed, welcome.

SPEAKER_07

Awesome.

Thanks so much.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Reed Hampton.

I'm a resident of District 6, and I would first like to thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment late this evening.

I would like to provide that comment on the Statement of Legislative Intent, S.DOT-104S-B, sponsored by C.M.

Nelson and co-sponsored by council members Saka and Kettles.

This SLI would require a publicly funded report on the efficacy and impact of bus-only lanes on transit ridership, general traffic capacity, lead vehicle congestion, not per capita travel time, and environmental and economic impacts.

This project and the bus-only lanes included in it are immensely popular and are supported by over a dozen small businesses and nonprofits, and not hundreds but thousands of community members who have ridden the city in support of this project.

Not to mention the over 8,400 daily riders, up over 1,000 people year over year, that these bus-only lanes will benefit.

I urge this council to reject this SLI.

This SLI is the opposite of the good governance this council prefers to prioritize.

These reports take time and add additional expense to an already overstressed budget, just to re-litigate the efficacy of bus-only lanes, which have been proven time and time again.

How do we know they work?

We'll look at prior SDOT projects, such as the E-Line, which experienced a 15% increase in ridership in the first year after the bus-only lanes were installed.

The Route 40 is a low-emission electric trolley bus.

A single vehicle driving from downtown Ballard to SLU will emit on average four pounds of CO2.

At average idling rates, that means each additional rider these bus-only lanes will generate could result in over an hour of additional idling and still be net-neutral.

And that ignores the existence of electric cars, by the way.

For a route with a post-pandemic annual ridership growth rate of 13.45% for two and three quarters new riders every day, the idea that these bus-only lanes would have a negative environmental impact is just a waste of valuable funds.

Thank you so much for your time, and I hope you have a good evening.

Please reject the SLIS.104S-B in the name of good governance.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Madison, followed by Jesse and then Angelus.

Madison, welcome.

SPEAKER_34

Hi, good evening.

Echoing many of my fellow Seattle residents who have called in tonight and showed up in person.

Thanks, everybody.

I would like to urge the City Council to increase spending dedicated to the provision of affordable housing.

Please protect the jumpstart funding for affordable housing, which benefits residents at all income levels in Seattle.

City Council members, your constituents are being very clear.

We need more affordable housing in Seattle.

Yes, the currently proposed funding for affordable housing in 2025 to 2026 hails in comparison to funding for policing.

As so many other speakers have commented, lack of affordable housing is at the root of so many other concerns like lack of public safety.

Seattleites are speaking.

Please dedicate more funding for affordable housing as the best proactive proven strategy to combat homelessness, improve public safety, reduce poverty, and revitalize Seattle for all.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Jesse Simpson and then Angelus McNally.

Welcome, Jesse.

SPEAKER_154

Hey, thanks for the opportunity to testify tonight.

I'm Jesse Simpson, Director of Government Relations and Policy for the Housing Development Consortium.

We know that affordable housing is the foundation of a thriving and resilient community.

Despite some recent progress, the need for affordable housing has never been greater, as you've heard from so many of your constituents.

I urge you to double down on your commitment to affordable housing in this budget by retaining the long-term Jump Start spending plan and its robust allocation for affordable housing.

Jump Start has been tremendously successful in scaling up investment for affordable housing.

After decades of underinvestment, Jump Start has made it possible for this council and mayor to make record investments in affordable housing year over year.

While HVC appreciates that the proposed budget increases affordable housing overall, we continue to be concerned by the proposal to eliminate jumpstart sending plan restrictions permanently and turn them into an optional guidance.

We believe that any diversion of jumpstart funds to avoid major cuts to the general fund needs to be temporary, paired with a commitment to new progressive revenue to close our city's structural deficit, which is only set to grow in the years beyond this biennium.

We also believe that any permanent changes to jumpstart funding plans need to be accompanied by a much more robust public engagement process than is possible within the confines of a budget.

We know that the need for more affordable housing is a mess, but so is the capacity of our affordable housing sector, which has an active pipeline of thousands of potential affordable homes.

This fall alone, the Office of Housing received over $360 million in requests to build and preserve over 2,400 affordable homes, but only $112 million is available.

The Richard Ford Commitment funds as is available to accelerate the development of affordable housing.

Members scale up production of the affordable homes our city desperately needs but additional funding is crucial.

Thanks for your leadership and commitment to affordable housing and the opportunity to provide feedback on your proposed budget.

DIRECTOR DEWOLF.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you Jesse.

Up next is Angelus McNally.

Angelus welcome.

Star six to unmute.

You're off mute.

Welcome to it.

SPEAKER_08

Thank you.

Good evening, council members.

My name is Angela McNally.

I'm a resident of District 7 and a transit writer.

I'm speaking today to advocate for preserving the SLU streetcar, a key part of Seattle's commitment to accessible transit.

The streetcar specifically provides accessibility needs that buses often cannot match.

I know folks who pass up on a bus on the same route just because of the more comfortable ride and easy boarding that the streetcar provides.

Removing it would limit choices for many.

Beyond providing transportation, the SLU streetcar also supports economic vitality by connecting folks to local businesses and creating a vibrant and walkable district.

With new apartment buildings going up and Amazon employees returning to the offices in January, foot traffic is only going to increase in the area, which really underscores the need for diverse, reliable transit options in SLU.

Phasing out the streetcar overlooks its essential role in a long-term vision for a multimodal, connected transit network in Seattle, including the connection to the plan for a SAP streetcar.

When I think of the Seattle of my dreams, my vision has never included sitting on buses in traffic.

I urge the council to value the streetcar and other sustainable future facing modes of transit as part of our long-term vision, rather than sacrificing it for short-term gains.

The streetcar isn't even old enough to vote yet, and it has a long future left ahead of it.

While I'm here, I would also like to voice my support for the budget item for speed cameras in school zones and the revenue that would come from them.

I would also like to voice my opinion against council member Saka's proposal to remove the road divider on Delridge as this ungranted proposal costs almost half the annual operating costs of the Spruce Street car and makes the road more dangerous for all.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Angeles.

We're going to move back to in-person speakers.

We have five remote speakers present left.

So I'm going to do 10 in person, do those last five online, and then we're just going to go here.

Raise of hands, how many people parked in Sea Park?

Okay, let's try to rock and roll this, because we got an hour and 15 minutes, and we have 60 in-person speakers signed up.

So A31 through 40, Jarvis Potts, Joey Lopez, Aaron Parker, Jordana King, Marissa Perez, Ming Ming, Alex Wells, Sam Anderson, River Hayes, Casey Burton.

We can go one, two, one, two.

Are you Jarvis?

You're not Jarvis.

SPEAKER_138

James is gone.

SPEAKER_140

James Potts.

James Potts.

Who are you?

SPEAKER_138

Joey Lopez.

SPEAKER_140

Fantastic.

Joey, take it away.

SPEAKER_138

Good evening, Council.

My name is Joey Lopez.

I'm one of the co-executive directors at the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

When you're the boss, you send everyone home when you're not in the same block as them.

I live in District 3, Council Members Hollingsworth.

I work in District 2, Council Member Morales.

And I worship in District 7, Council Member Kettle.

Throughout the church council's 105 year history in Seattle, we've been an active voice for justice.

For many of these years, we acted as a direct service provider, offering programs and services that if still managed today would be on the city's chopping block.

With each successive public comment session for the budget, we've had more and more people of faith and conscience join us in proclaiming the message, budgets are a moral document, and speak to the values of our city through public investment.

Tonight we have heard from these faith communities and their leaders.

The speakers you heard from tonight brought written comments from their faith communities and left them with you tonight, including an inspired Lincoln High student.

I hope you will take the time to read these comments.

In the face of such a daunting budget deficit, it is obvious the city has a revenue problem, not a spending problem.

This is evident and appalling given the heavy cuts to human services, yet significant increases for surveillance and police bonuses.

The church council is urging you to balance the budget in a way that reflects the values of community care.

As I mentioned, the city has a revenue problem.

We are inviting you to model bold leadership by creating sustainable policy solutions that prioritize new progressive revenue streams.

We are calling on you and we're calling on you as city council to ensure that jumpstart spending plan and the revenue is protected in perpetuity for its intended purposes.

Thanks.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is Aaron Parker.

A-33.

Aaron, welcome.

SPEAKER_135

Thank you.

Aaron Parker here from District 3 with Council Member Hollingsworth.

Wanted to speak on the turf in the dirt field at Garfield.

Supporting the conversion of G3 infield to turf for a field shared by high school girls softball and little league teams is a critical investment in equity, safety, and usability.

turf provides a consistent level surface that minimizes the risk of injuries from bad hops uneven ground or rain compacted areas ensuring safer play for young athletes It is particularly important for softball fields, as many programs for girls often face inequities in facility quality compared to baseball teams.

Turf levels the playing field, both literally and figuratively, by providing a high-quality, low-maintenance service that serves athletes of all ages and genders equally.

Moreover, turf enhances the usability of the field, allowing play to continue despite inclement weather, which would otherwise render a dirt infield unusable due to mud or standing water.

This increased playability not only supports athletic development, but also encourages community engagement by maximizing field availability for practices, games, and tournaments.

Turf also reduces maintenance costs over time, eliminating the need for repeated regrading, dragging, and watering, which are resource-intensive for dirt infields.

Supporting the conversion reflects a commitment to fostering a safe, equitable, and sustainable environment for young athletes to grow, compete, and thrive.

And I hope you vote to accept the amendment for funding to address turf and G3 at Garfield and any other dirt fields that are being discussed on the agenda tonight.

Again, Aaron Parker, District 3 resident, born and raised, Seattle Central alumni, and currently serve as the president of Seattle Central Little League.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Mr. Parker.

Up next is Jordana King, A-34.

Jordana?

SPEAKER_59

Hello.

SPEAKER_140

Hello.

SPEAKER_59

Hello.

My name is Jordana, and I'm a senior on the Garfield softball team.

Garfield has been home to myself and my teammates for nearly a decade, much longer than the amount of time we've been enrolled in high school.

Many of us grew up playing on the same Seattle Central Little League team together.

We practiced and played on the same field we compete on today as high school teammates.

G3 is our home.

Due to rain clogging our dirt field, every season we are first to hold countless practices in our PE gym where we can't even use real balls.

After 10 years of watching the boys baseball team, who has their own turf field, get to play through the rainy days of March and April, it is our turn to see an even playing field.

We are a team of hardworking young women who compete at the highest level to proudly represent our school.

Turfing our field will not only benefit us, but all of the young little leaguers who the field is home to as well.

we encourage the council to support the amendment from Council Member Hollingsworth to Turf G3.

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

This is the only time you'll hear me say it, Council Member Hollingsworth, go Bulldogs.

All right, up next, Marissa Perez, welcome.

SPEAKER_71

Good evening.

My name is Marissa Perez.

I am a renter, a resident of District 1, and I serve as the Executive Director of the Seattle Human Services Coalition.

We represent over 200 organizations providing essential services across the city that are vitally important to the people of Seattle.

The upcoming years will bring substantial harm to our community.

Our organizations, clients, and staff are terrified of the looming probability of losing vital federal funding and resources.

It is up to you all to alleviate those fears by standing with your community members and increasing, not decreasing, social safety nets in a time when our most vulnerable citizens have a target on their back.

Increased investment in human services and wage equity will help vital agencies and services to build capacity and enable our community to be resilient in the face of what's coming.

We urge you to pass the recommended changes to restore cuts to housing, food equity, gender-based violence, and tenant services.

We support those amendments, which increase investment in our communities and protect our most vulnerable citizens, and we ask that wage equity for frontline human service workers is prioritized moving forward.

Though these amendments will not fully solve the problems facing our city, they are a good first step towards alleviating the harms which will be caused by an unfriendly federal administration.

In addition, we strongly urge City Council to reject Council Bill 120912, which eliminates allocation requirements for the Jumpstart Payroll Expense Tax, and the Oversight Committee intended to monitor those allocations.

While we understand the need to use those funds, we hope that it does not become a permanent source of funding for the City.

for general funds, not for the things it's intended for.

We also support the recommendations of our member coalitions, including Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness, Meals Partnership Coalition, Seattle Food Committee, Services for Seniors, and the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Next is Ming Ming.

Thank you for being ready.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_51

Thank you, council members.

Do you know that refugee women have the highest unemployment rate of 60%?

Do you also know that textile account for 85% of landfill waste?

My name's Mimi Tung Edelman.

I'm the founder and exec director of Refugee Artist Initiative based in District 5, Cathy Morris Street in Lake City.

We create green jobs for refugee and immigrant women by upcycling materials that will otherwise end up in landfill.

I'm proud to say that in the last eight years, we've diverted over 90,000 pounds of materials, created over 50 jobs, and made over 150,000 items.

The masks you wear during COVID were made from Amazon return bed sheets that are clean, and we also finished making a sleeping bag that doubles as coats for our in-house community.

I'm very grateful that we are in your budget this year.

Thank you so much for Council Member Tonya Liu.

It's under the SPU with solid waste fund.

So what this mean is that it allow us to maintain and also expand.

You see, we have refugee women almost come to our door almost daily, knocking our door looking for works.

We have over 100 women right now on the wait list.

They may not speak English, but sewing is a universal language.

They can use that language in support for their family.

So what this also means that by having this in your budget, it's not only an item to your budget item, it's also to create a more resilient and inclusive community.

I know you're busy trying to finalize your budget.

I urge you to extend the maintenance of this support so we can stitch new lives one sewing machine at a time while creating a healthy planet.

It's a win-win for everybody.

Thank you so much for your leadership and consideration.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Ming Ming.

Up next, Alex Wells, Sam Anderson, River Hayes, Casey Burton.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_00

Hello, council members.

I'm here today as a resident of District 3. I'd like to express my dissatisfaction with the proposed budget that raids over half of the Jumpstart funds intended for investments like affordable housing and the Green New Deal.

A recent report by the Seattle Office of Housing estimated that we will need 112,000 new homes by 2044, with 38% recommended to be affordable housing, coming out to about 2,100 new units per year.

The current budget falls short, with the stranger estimating that it will only fund about half of that amount, or 1,068 units.

What's even more concerning is the proposed legislation to eliminate any spending restrictions for Jumpstart, making it easier in the future to further divert funding away from the intended purposes of the Jumpstart revenues.

The proposal also increases SPD's budget by nearly 16% in order to give raises to police officers and fund the real-time crime center and CCTV cameras technology, which is ineffective at best and harmful at worst.

This budget should be directed towards investments in long-term solutions to mitigate the root causes of problems instead of over-indexing on short-term punitive measures.

And to address the deficit, the city should explore more progressive revenue options to make rich corporations pay their fair share, for example, rather than placing the burden on marginalized communities.

The city's priorities must be adjusted to focus on care and essential services for all.

People's lives depend on it.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Alex.

Up next is Sam, then River, then Casey.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_115

Good evening.

You got good bosses here, do you know that?

All of us are your bosses.

We don't beg.

We come in to inform you how to do your job.

Thank you so much.

My position is informed by this, that people deserve dignity and care, no conditions.

We see that your proposal is waging war on poor people, on BIPOC people, on people who by the system are marginalized, that pushed away.

And we see that this budget is trying to push more of your bosses away.

We are very disappointed.

Council Member Strauss, you are not more worthy than I to have my material needs met in order to thrive, in order to live.

Just like you, none of us, like Austin earlier spoke as well, he's out on the street, facing sweeps all the time.

None of us is more worthy than Austin and our neighbors and our relatives to have needs met in order to thrive, in order to live.

That is my position, that is our position, that people deserve care and dignity, no conditions.

Therefore, we insist and demand The city budget daughter, every daughter, facilitate care and not violence.

Fund essential services, not sweeps.

Fund mental health, not policing.

Fund housing, not jails.

Fund community care, not violence.

And fuck the police.

SPEAKER_140

Up next is Sam Anderson.

Was that Sam?

Who's A38?

Who's got A38?

Last speaker was out of order.

A39 River.

A39 River.

Are you River?

Yes.

Welcome to it.

Thanks for coming.

SPEAKER_60

My name is River Hayes.

I'm a resident of District 6. We represent law students from the school's chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

We support the solidarity budget's demands and their nine guarantees.

Our criminal legal system relies on the myth that crime can only be prevented through punishment.

We know that the criminal legal system is brutal and racist, but this is considered an acceptable cost for safety and order.

As poverty grows in this country, many experience neither safety nor order, and the myth is falling apart.

Mayor Harrell's proposed budget includes massive pay raises and hiring bonuses for cops.

It includes funding for ghost cop positions, mass police surveillance, and a contract with the Deadly Score Jail.

This proposed budget, along with the SOAP and SODA laws, demonstrate that Mayor Harrell and the City Council would rather criminalize poverty than address it.

Prisons do not prevent crime.

In the US, within five years of release, 70% of formerly incarcerated people will commit another offense.

Data demonstrate that four factors cause violence.

Shame, isolation, violence, and lack of resources.

These are exactly the experiences that prison subjects people to.

Incarceration doesn't prevent crime, it causes it.

It doesn't prevent poverty, it causes it.

But do you know what prevents crime?

Housing.

Housing prevents crime.

But that is not why we are here today.

We are here because we have a moral imperative to be here.

I don't know how to explain that people deserve housing.

I don't know what to build the argument on.

It is so self-evident that people deserve shelter and simple human kindness.

They deserve a chance to live out of the elements.

They deserve a door to close against the cold.

They deserve somewhere to go home to.

When you have the funds to provide housing for everyone in your city and choose not to

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, River.

Up next is Casey Burton.

Casey, A40.

Here we go.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_86

Hi, thank you.

My name's Casey Burton.

I'm a senior staff attorney at the Tenant Law Center.

That means we help with subsidy terminations, as you heard from my colleague Elizabeth Powell earlier.

We help negotiate mutual terminations of tenancy that benefit all involved parties.

We help with reasonable accommodations.

We review notices.

And ultimately, we help tenants figure out how to solve a problem before they end up in court.

And I want to take a moment to thank you Council Member Hollingsworth, Moore, and Morales for reinstating a significant portion of the funding for tenant services in this city.

And I do ask your colleagues to support you in that and to also help you introduce another amendment that replaces the rental assistance that's been removed from tenant services.

We do rental assistance with Via Communitaria and I can't even tell you some of the crazy stuff I've seen on those ledgers.

We've got legal fees being charged in violation of the law, late fees that are both too high and result from improper application of payments, higher rent without proper rent increases, you name it, I've seen it.

And so it's really important to have tenant services involved with rental assistance, because we can make sure that the taxpayer money is spent responsibly and fairly.

So that's all I have.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you so much.

We're going to go back to the online public commenters who signed up before 6 p.m.

because I think everyone else in here was here before 6 p.m.

I'm just making sure we're doing the who got here first in the order in which you registered rule correctly.

So Sharon Soy, MJ Mencedez, and Jessica Green.

And then we will come back to everyone else.

at the end.

Sharon Soy.

I'm sorry if I'm saying your name incorrectly, Sharon.

Star six to unmute.

Sharon, star six to unmute.

Sharon, if you're with us, we're ready for you.

Phil, if you could leave her up and then let's bring up MJ Mencius and Jessica Green.

Let's just bring them all three up at the same time.

Great.

So MJ, if you are here, star six to unmute.

MJ, star six to unmute.

Jessica, if you could hang on, thank you.

SPEAKER_26

I'm here.

SPEAKER_140

Fantastic.

MJ, take it away.

SPEAKER_26

Good evening, council members.

My name is MJ Mencius, and I am the government affairs manager for the Washington Build Back Black Alliances.

Today, I'm not only saying speaking as an advocate, but as someone who is deeply invested in the well-being of Seattle's Black communities.

The amendments we're discussing today represent more than just items in the budget.

They represent hope, opportunity, and real change for our community.

We've worked with Black leaders, small business owners, educators, and families to identify five critical areas where support is urgently needed.

Housing, home ownership, education, arts, health and wellness, economical mobility, and workforce development.

These aren't just buzzwords.

They're the pillars of progress that can make a lasting impact on our families, neighbors, and our future.

We've been drafted with communities at heart.

Council Member Joy Hollingsworth, along with Council Member Kathy Moore and Tanya Wu, have championed these initiatives with us.

understanding that real progress starts with targeted investment in community stability, safety, and economical empowerment.

We wanted to extend our deepest thanks to Council President Sarah Nelson for her leadership, Budget Chair Dan Straub for his commitment throughout this process, Council Member Rob Sacca, Tammy Morales, Maritza Rivera, Bob Kettle for their engagement, willing to hear us and our voices, and understanding that our vision for Seattle's black community.

Seattle is known for its progressive values and for standing with communities when in need.

By passing these amendments, you're making a statement to Seattle's black communities that it's being seen, that it's valued and supported.

Please stand with us in creating a city where everyone is supported, and they have the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, MJ.

Jessica Green, star six to unmute.

Jessica Green.

Jessica Green, star six to unmute.

There you are.

SPEAKER_18

Hello, can you hear me?

SPEAKER_140

We can.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_33

Thank you.

SPEAKER_14

I'm Jessica Green calling in from District 2. Um, thanks for giving me a moment.

I will keep it brief so everyone in the room can have a chance to speak.

Um, I'm here to speak in support of preserving the jumpstart tax and its original intent.

Um, and I just want to make sure that the large coalition of people who worked so hard to secure that are honored.

Um, we deserve greater investment in affordable housing and environmental justice in our city, and we need more progressive revenue.

like the capital gains tax.

So thank you Council Members Moore, Morales, and Saka for introducing that amendment, which I wholeheartedly support.

We need bigger, more generous, more visionary investments in poverty reduction.

We know that housing, mental health services, and education are what will keep us safe in our communities, not more cops.

And I will feed the rest of my time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jessica.

We're going to go one more time.

Sharon soy, Sharon soy star six star six to unmute Sharon.

There you are.

Welcome to it, Sharon.

SPEAKER_36

Yeah, I figured it out.

Hi everyone.

My name is Sharon.

I'm a district three resident and I also work in district seven at the Seattle public library downtown.

I'm speaking tonight in a personal capacity.

The city has been long overdue in passing more progressive revenue.

As Seattle has become wealthier over the years, the income gap has only increased and more so after the pandemic.

Furthermore, the homelessness population and the shortage of affordable housing has only increased as well.

What is the city doing to address the growing income inequality?

Although I appreciate the mayor's intention to lessen the impacts of cuts to city services, thus avoiding mass layoffs, grading jumpstart funds is just not sustainable.

I fear the Jumpstart funds will be used as a crutch and default for balancing the budget whenever general funds run short.

This is a temporary fix and not a long-term solution of what the city could be doing, which is redistributing wealth by generating more progressive revenue.

We must come to terms that significantly increasing funds for affordable housing now and in the near future will address not only the city's growing income inequality, but also improve public safety and public health.

Jumpstart's original purpose and priority was to fund and taking money away from that just to increase spending on law enforcement does not create long-term solutions for the rise both in homelessness and the criminalization of people who are just trying to survive every day.

I urge you to explore other additional revenue streams instead of taking funds away from Jumpstart.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

We're gonna move back to in-person speakers now.

We are moving to B31.

We've got about 30 people in the audience right now.

So that means that if we move quickly, Everyone in person will be done by 10. So two microphones.

Let's line up one after another.

We're doing B31 through 40. Nathan Brown, Marta Kay, John Grant, Kesa Jones, Sarah Stanley, Ansel S., Brian Lawrence, Karen Estevan, Jamie Fackler, Zoe F. With that, if you are A31, raise your hand.

Fantastic.

Take it away, Nathan.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_113

Hi, my name is Nate and I work at the Low Income Housing Institute.

I'd like to thank the City Council for adding funding for more tiny house villages in the budget.

We all know what a difference those additional shelter beds will make.

I'm also testifying today to ask the Seattle City Council retain Jumpstart payroll tax spending plan to prioritize affordable housing.

When Jumpstart was formed, a broad stakeholder group came together to determine its scope with small business owners, housing providers, environmentalists, labor unions, and many more.

REPEALING THE SPENDING PLAN AND REMOVING THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RUNS COUNTER TO THE PREVIOUS WORK DONE BY THE COMMUNITY.

BEYOND PROTECTING JUMP START, THE CITY DESPERATELY NEEDS MORE PROGRESSIVE REVENUE.

I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE'S CAPITAL GAINS TAX TO CLOSE FUTURE BUDGET HOLES RATHER THAN LEAN INTO AUSTERITY MEASURES.

PLEASE PROTECT JUMP START AND BRING IN NEW SUPPORT SO THAT ALL OF SEATTLE CAN BE AFFORDABLE.

SPEAKER_140

THANK YOU.

UP NEXT IS MARTA 32. IS THAT YOU?

THAT'S ME.

WELCOME TO IT.

SPEAKER_65

My name is Marta Kidana and I work at the Low Income Housing Institute.

I'd like to thank the City Council for adding funding for more tiny house villages into the budget.

It will make a meaningful difference in many people's lives who are experiencing homelessness.

I'm also testifying today to ask that the Seattle City Council retain tax spending plan and prioritize affordable housing and Green New Deal priorities.

When Jumpstart was formed, a broad stakeholder group came together to determine its scope with small business owners, housing providers, environmentalists, labor unions, and more.

Repealing the spending plan and removing the oversight committee runs counter to the previous work done by the community.

Please consider new progressive revenue sources such as capital gains tax proposed by Councilmember Moore.

The city of Seattle desperately needs more revenue as its residents are still recovering from the economic fallout caused by the pandemic.

We need more affordable housing, more services, and more shelter.

The proposed changes to Jump Start require more community input, more opportunities for the public to weigh in, and greater transparency in how these decisions are made.

Please protect Jump Start so that Seattle can be affordable to all.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you very much.

John Grant, you're up next.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_92

Good evening, council members.

My name is John Grant.

I'm the chief strategy officer with the Low Income Housing Institute.

Lehigh is an affordable housing developer that has developed over 5,000 units of affordable housing in the Puget Sound area and actively manages 3,500 units of housing on its own.

We're here to really urge the council to retain the spending plan for Jumpstart for a number of reasons.

Back when we were contemplating the almost billion-dollar Seattle housing levy, one of the things that we did is that we looked at the resources that Jumpstart was bringing to the table and how we could intertwine those with the Seattle housing levy.

I think that there's not really been a full discussion or analysis to figure out what the impacts are if we get rid of the spending plan as that money is leveraged with all these other resources like the Seattle housing levy.

It's also important to note the scale of the problem that we're talking about.

There are 46,000 Seattleites, actually households, so much more individuals, who are rent burdened.

That means that they're spending more than half of their income on rent.

Elections come with consequences, we understand that this Council is turning a new page, but there is a deeper commitment to those 46,000 people that this Council needs to honor.

What can we do to dramatically expand the provision of affordable housing?

And the Jumpstart Spending Plan is what can enable that kind of change.

When we look at the cost of housing right now, it's not just going up for renters.

The cost to build housing is going up as well.

Currently, Lehigh, we're spending about $500,000 per unit to build permanent housing.

That's a lot.

That's a lot of money, especially when we're talking about 46,000 households that are desperately in need of affordable housing.

Given that growing need, we need to see those resources and revenues can also grow to meet those needs.

So we ask you to retain the spend plan.

We understand that there needs to be a one-time reallocation and resources, but eliminating the spend plan is not necessary to implement the budget.

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_140

Kiesa, you're up next.

Kiesa, where is Kiesa?

No Kiesa today.

Sarah Stanley, Sarah Stanley, Sarah Stanley.

SPEAKER_80

Kiesa, you're up next.

SPEAKER_140

K-E-A-S-A.

A-34.

Jones, yes.

A-34, A-34, A-34.

No one's got a bingo, we're going A-35, A-35, A-35.

Is that you?

Thank you, Sarah, welcome.

SPEAKER_91

Thank you, Chair Strauss and council members.

I appreciate your service and your time this evening.

My name is Sarah Stanley, and I am here to encourage you to support funding for the Seattle Public Library and the final budget.

I am president of the board of the Seattle Public Library Foundation, and as you know, we are the library's nonprofit partner.

We represent thousands of donors from across our city who care deeply about our library.

Their support makes so much possible at the library, including equity-based services, free public events, and a significant investment to build our collections of books and materials.

More than 100,000 new items just this year.

Mayor Harrell's proposed budget, while prioritizing stable library operations, would have an impact on collections funding for next year.

So on behalf of our donors, I want to thank Council Member Wu for her amendment to add collections funding to the budget, and thank you to Council Members Moore and Saka for their support.

This amendment would provide more magazine and newspaper subscriptions at the library, something we know that many patrons greatly value and have been asking to expand.

The foundation is committed to expanding our support for collections so that everyone can read what and how they want through the library.

But, We cannot keep up with the high demand for books and materials through private support alone.

That is why your support for the library's budget and for this amendment means so much.

Now more than ever, we need to support increased access to reading and increased support for our library.

Thank you all and Mayor Harrell for prioritizing one of our city's most loved, trusted, and essential institutions.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Thank you.

A36 is next.

Yay!

Here we go.

Bingo.

SPEAKER_112

I'm so glad to be here.

Thank you, council members, for spending your time here with your family and your friends and home.

And thank you to all of you for your consistency and your drive in staying here.

My name is Angel Salls.

I am here to ask you to support funding for the Seattle Public Library in the final budget.

I am the proud board president of the Friends of Seattle Public Library.

As you know, we work with a grassroots network of people around the city to receive and give away book donations, inspire a love of reading in our community, and advocate, most of all, on behalf of Seattle Public Library.

We're so grateful that the library has been prioritized and protected in the budget process thus far.

We thank Mayor Harrell again for his proposal, and we thank Council Members Wu, Moore, and Saka for their amendment to add more funds for magazines and newspapers at libraries.

Thank you so much, Council Member Wu.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, and Brian will be up next.

SPEAKER_112

Wait, wait, wait, I'm not done.

Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_140

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_112

I appreciate that this budget would keep libraries open and staffed so that they can continue to be a refuge for reading and belonging and joy throughout our city.

It was amazing to see some of you, of course, at the reopening of Green Lake.

You said some really beautiful words about, of course, the use of libraries and love of libraries in our community.

And as we look ahead, I hope that you will work with us to make our libraries even stronger.

We're going to need more support to keep up with our community's high demand for books and the high need for more programs that support patrons of all ages and backgrounds.

We're lucky to live in a city that loves its library, that stands up to book bans, and that tries to expand essential services for the people who need it most.

Thanks to you and the mayor for your work on this budget, and thank you in advance for the many friends for our libraries and continuing to protect and expand Seattle Public Library.

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

SPEAKER_112

You may.

SPEAKER_140

Yes, thank you.

And if you could reopen that back door.

It's OK.

That's Yaya.

And if Yaya can come in at any time, that would be great.

Brian, up to you.

Take it away.

SPEAKER_120

All right.

Thank you, council members.

I'm Brian Lawrence.

I'm the CEO of the Seattle Public Library Foundation.

You know, no matter what branch you go to on any given morning, the 27 locations, you're guaranteed to find patrons waiting at the front door.

And chances are there'll be a dash.

to go to the newspapers and magazine collection where our patrons want to read our copies of the Seattle Times and other papers.

It's just a beautiful sight to see because our neighbors love to read, and they can care deeply about our country, our community.

I'm here to ask you to protect funding for the Seattle Public Library and your final budget.

We know our neighbors value free access to information, and they know that our library provides such services.

As our library's private fundraising and advocacy partner, we're committed to expanding access to books, to programs, to resources that help people of all ages learn and grow.

And philanthropy, what we do, can only go so far, but it does enhance public funding, and we're asking you to support public funding.

WE'RE GRATEFUL TO COUNCILMEMBER WU AS WELL AS COUNCILMEMBER SACA AND MORE FOR THE AMENDMENT TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES.

AS I SAID THEY ARE THINGS THAT OUR PEOPLE AND OUR NEIGHBORS LOVE.

SO WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

WE THANK MAYOR HAROLD FOR THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET FOR PRIORITIZING LIBRARY OPERATIONS.

It's clear that you understand the value of our libraries and the safe and welcoming spaces that they offer our neighbors.

And we pledge to do our part to seek funding from federal and state resources to continue to enhance the library and ensure that Seattle has a world-class library system.

So thank you again.

Please protect funding for the library and please include the amendment in your final budget.

SPEAKER_140

Have a great night.

Thank you.

Jamie, I'm assuming that's because Karen's not here anymore.

You're up next.

For the gentleman in the back, could you ask Yaya to come in here when he gets a chance?

Thank you.

Jamie Fackler, over to you.

SPEAKER_105

Yeah, thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Jamie Fackler, I'm a shop steward with Pro Tech 17, and I work over at the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections as a structural building inspector.

First off, just want to say thank you to the veterans in the room, especially Rob Saka and Bob Kettle.

Just want to acknowledge your service.

Thank you.

I'd also like to thank Council Member Strauss for what for holding off the layoffs for six months for impacted workers and understanding the optics of laying off folks during the holiday season.

And hopefully, our hope is that we will be able to find ways to permanently keep these positions.

I think Council Member Hollingsworth can understand What that means to raise a family and grow up with a steady income and good benefits and what comes with that.

I myself, my parents were, my mom was a teacher and my dad worked for the city of Bellingham, right?

And the benefits of that, you know, just it's huge to have that stability, right?

You know, so we have folks in our department, right?

You know, there's one just heartbreaking story of a woman who's pregnant with her second child, just bought a house.

She's a primary breadwinner, and it's her insurance that the family counts on, you know?

And so what we're asking really is that we can work to permanently fund these positions, but at least at a minimum, find ways to keep these folks employed within the city.

There's positions in these departments where they're seeing layoffs and really working towards keeping these folks employed.

And I think there's pathways to this within all the departments, and we really Look forward to working with council and the departments to find places for these folks to land.

And I really wanna thank you all for your service and thank you council members for meeting with us.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Jamie.

Really well said.

Zoe F. B40, B40, B40, B40.

Not here.

We're gonna go to A41, Kate Rubin.

So we got Kate A41 through 50. Kate, I see you're coming up to the microphone.

And so we've got Kate and then it's A42, A43, A44.

So if you know you're in this queue, just hit a microphone.

Kate, take it away.

SPEAKER_143

Hi, my name is Kate Rubin.

I'm the co-executive director of BC Seattle and endorser of the solidarity budget and a renter living in district two.

I'd like to thank council members Morales, Moore and Hollingsworth for the amendment to add $456,000 annually for tenant services.

However, an additional $527,000 is needed to actually restore the funding to the same level as 2024 as this amendment was intended to do.

I think if you heard the horror stories we hear every day of horrific and unsanitary living conditions, abusive property managers, threats of lockouts and outrageous fees, if you provided a shoulder to cry on for elderly and disabled people who are exhausted from fighting to keep their housing, then we wouldn't have to be here begging for funding to keep our jobs.

We've tried to get some of these renters to testify, but many are afraid, afraid that no one, especially people in power, will listen or that they'll face retaliation or even doxing.

I expect these stories will only increase as people move to the Pacific Northwest seeking protection for family planning, bodily autonomy, gender-affirming care, and marriage and divorce rights.

Beat Seattle is a small organization with two staff serving around 785 renters each year.

We help to deescalate conflicts that would otherwise lead to costly evictions and teach renters their rights, how to assert those rights, and how to advocate for themselves.

This knowledge spreads to their communities, often reaching those who might not otherwise have access to these tools.

Without funding renter education and outreach, the burden on STCI and city resources will only increase.

Cuts to tenant services will disproportionately impact black and indigenous communities, LGBTQ plus individuals and families, elders, and disabled people, those most at risk of displacement and homelessness.

Please support the amendment and find the additional $527,000 to fully restore funding to tenant services.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Kate.

Up next, A42, A42, A43, A43, A44.

If I call your number, raise your hand, because I'm just going to keep going.

SPEAKER_99

845.

SPEAKER_140

There we go.

SPEAKER_99

845.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Cedar.

SPEAKER_118

Hi, I'm Cedar May Nightingale.

I'm a longtime resident of Ballard.

I work for Seattle Public Library.

I'm a proud member of Ask Me Local 2083, even though I forgot my t-shirt today.

My views represent my union.

I am very upset to see the pillaging of Jumpstart that has occurred in the city, pillaging what is meant to be affordable housing money, instead seeing money move to sweeps and exclusion zones, sweeps that are ostensibly meant to move people into housing that is being defunded rather than built.

At the same time, we see President-elect Trump wanting to put homeless people in camps, Is that basically what our policy is, just to move people around and not actually help any of them?

We cannot expect any help to come from the federal government, given the latest election.

We need neighbors looking out for neighbors.

We need the city looking out for its citizens.

And this has always been true for many people.

But now, more than ever, austerity means death for many.

People of Seattle know this.

They have rejected austerity at the ballot box this last election.

We had the overwhelming passage of the transportation levy.

We defended the capital gains tax statewide.

And we have elected a new council member for this council because people are tired of the status quo this past year.

The public has no interest in austerity.

They want the money that we are entitled to, the services we are entitled to, fund services, not sweeps.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Cedar.

Jacob Shear, A46.

Fantastic.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_96

Thank you.

My name is Jacob Shear.

I'm here with my coworkers from the Seattle Public Library on AFSCME Local 2083, speaking in a personal capacity.

I want to touch on the comments made by my colleague about the national election.

I know a lot of us in this room here are still processing that, but we really don't need to go very far to confront those same ideas that we saw swept into power across the country, right?

THE MAYOR AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF CITY COUNCIL HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR TREATMENT OF THE POOR, UNHOUSED AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE IN THE CITY, THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM CO-SIGNING MANY OF THE CORE TENANTS OF THAT EXTREME RIGHT-WING AGENDA.

AND NOWHERE IS THIS MORE PLAINLY OBVIOUS THAN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR SWEEPS, WHICH IN THE CURRENT VERSION OF THIS BUDGET WILL INCREASE BY $6 MILLION TO $33 MILLION.

made possible only by rating money originally intended for affordable housing.

A recent report from ProPublica further confirmed what we already know about sweeps, that they are stunningly cruel and ineffective.

People from cities across the country, including Seattle, reported losing things like seizure medication, Social Security cards, ashes of family members, EBT cards, among many other vital necessities whose loss and destabilizing impact prolong homelessness and increase the likelihood of illness or death.

As long as the city council and mayor continue to sign on to displacement and premature death, they are just as complicit in the right-wing extremism from the very politicians they openly claim to disdain.

Stop the sweeps, fund social housing, rapid housing acquisition, tenant services, vehicle safe lots, and show us where you stand.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next, A47, A47, A48, A...

848. You're 47.

SPEAKER_114

I'm 47.

SPEAKER_140

Fantastic.

Welcome to it.

SPEAKER_114

Thank you.

Hello.

My name is Acacia Pachman and I'm here as a resident of council member Rivera's district, district four.

I'm here today because I fear that the council is squandering an opportunity for Seattle to be a real leader in addressing the housing crisis that is plaguing our country as rents rise and wages stagnate nationally.

Since moving here in 2018, I have watched as the city has invested millions of dollars in harmful sweeps that destroy people's essential documents, shelter, and meager possessions, all for the purely cosmetic gains of keeping the problem out of sight and out of mind while our homeless population has only grown.

Well, putting lipstick on a pig does not obscure the unfortunate reality of Bruce Harrell and this council proposing to get the very services that are actually capable of addressing the twin crises of homelessness and public safety that impact our city in favor of yet more ineffective Band-Aid solutions.

Introducing greater precarity to struggling people's lives will never make our streets safer, our city more welcoming, or our communities stronger.

The irony should not be lost on anyone that despite Councilmember Strauss' opening comments, two months before a shameless autocrat is set to take office, the Seattle City Council is proposing increasing the deficit to pay for more of the very same surveillance, policing, and carceral solutions that Donald Trump is sure to enthusiastically embrace over his next four years in office.

I am here today to request that the city instead invest in our community by passing new progressive revenue sources to fund vital services like eviction defense, legal services for homeless youth, affordable housing, and tenant services.

In the seventh wealthiest city in the country, none of these programs should ever be on the chopping block.

In line with this, I would like to commend Council Member Moore, FOR HER PROPOSAL OF A LOCAL CAPITAL GAINS TAX.

ADDITIONALLY, THE COUNCIL MUST ALSO PRESERVE THE PRIORITIES OF JUMP START INSTEAD OF DIVERTING FUNDS AWAY FROM THE VARIOUS SOLUTIONS WE NEED IN THIS MOMENT IN FAVOR OF THE FAILED MODEL OF MORE UNACCOUNTABLE RACIST POLICING AND VIOLENT SWEEPS.

FUNDING NON-SOLUTIONS LIKE GREATER SURVEILLANCE AND FANDOM COPS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE NEEDS OF OUR VERY REAL NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITIES IS NOT THE BUDGET SOLUTION SEATTLE NEEDS.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Up next is 48, Keisha Jones.

There are two Keishas, two Wrens.

This is a night.

Take it away, Keisha Jones.

SPEAKER_145

All right.

Members of Seattle City Council, my name is Keisha and I am here on behalf of the SDOT Transportation Equity Work Group.

We would like to reiterate the critical priorities and recommendations for transportation equity work in Seattle.

We are grateful to the voters for approving Proposition 1, the $1.55 billion transportation levy.

We strongly support Mayor Harrell's and SDOT's levy budget centered around community engagement, transportation safety, accessibility, and equitable mobility options.

We urge you to work with SDOT to prioritize these investments, especially for our most vulnerable communities, including low-income, BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, disabled, and aging communities.

Each neighborhood and committee has unique needs, and we want to emphasize that the levy investment in programs like the Neighborhood Initiated Safety Partnership Program is vital to achieve equitable investments and safe outcomes.

We would like to emphasize the importance of being intentional about addressing community needs in partnership with neighborhoods, particularly those in the Seattle's Race and Social Equity Index map.

Part of this includes having dedicated city staffing to build trusting relationships and work closely with community members and organizations to identify and support key projects that fulfill the visions of these initiatives by having purposeful we can make informed decisions that genuinely reflect equity and realize our collective vision of a city that works for everyone.

Our recommendations include language accessibility, ensuring community involvement by meeting people where they are, data-driven decisions, utilizing data on incidents such as street-specific death rates to inform funding allocations and prioritizing safety measures backed by community initiatives.

face-to-face engagement, engaging community members through trusted liaisons who can facilitate meaningful dialogue and ensure that voices are heard and respected.

The TW worked closely with SDOT to ensure the levy reflects the values of the transportation equity framework, prioritizing underserved communities.

This levy is dedicated to making transportation investments that are community-driven and equitable.

It aligns with the city's race and social justice and ensures the future transportation projects meets the needs of historical overlooked.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Keisha Jones.

Thank you for your service to our city.

Jean Jarstan.

Jean, 849, 849, 849, 850. Russell McCary Means.

SPEAKER_99

850, 850, 850.

SPEAKER_140

We're going to move on then.

We are B41 through B50.

Dan Fulweiler, Nick Meyer, PJ Hayes, Cindy Barker, Penelope P., Jesse Wasson, Alper S., Reagan Jackson, Angie Wolfe, Eric Kido.

If you've got your number, just show it, because we've got to keep moving.

What you got?

SPEAKER_99

A43.

SPEAKER_140

A43 is before A44.

Take it away.

A42 is even before that.

Come on up, and then let's rock and roll.

A42, Nick Meyer, welcome.

SPEAKER_67

Thank you.

SPEAKER_128

Council members and chair, thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

My name is Nick Meyer.

I'm a Seattle resident of District 1 and president of West Seattle Little League.

I'm here today to express support for Councilman Saka's budget amendment to provide funding to convert Fairmount Park Playfield dirt infield to all season turf infield.

West Seattle Little League is a 67 year old volunteer run youth sports program providing access to recreation level baseball and as of three years ago, girls softball to our community's young athletes.

Our focus is on participation, sportsmanship, and community building rather than just winning ball games.

Recognizing the need to provide more athletic opportunities for girls in our community, We started our Little League softball program three years ago.

As such, we've seen our enrollment jump 80% from 450 a few years ago to over 820 players this spring.

Since then, we've seen our dedicated group of young softball athletes that are passionate about the sport thrive, ultimately along their way to becoming well-rounded community members.

With 68 youth teams in our league, scheduling games and practices is a substantial undertaking.

Access to playable and safe play fields are critical to our program.

When spring rains render the 10 or so dirt play fields in West Seattle unplayable for several days, we end up canceling dozens of games and practices.

This amounts to a diminished experience for our young players.

Converting Fairmount Park Playfield's infield to an all-season turf will help provide consistent access in various weather conditions, allowing year-round play.

This means more opportunities for training, games, and community events, regardless of the season.

Our local athletes can benefit from extended play time, fostering their development and passion for the sport.

I ask that you support this amendment and help provide the 820 youth softball and baseball athletes in the West Seattle community with a safe turf infrastructure.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Nick.

SPEAKER_128

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

PJ, we're up next.

PJ, take it away.

SPEAKER_35

Hello, my name is PJ Hayes, and I was born and raised in Ballard.

In recent years, I returned to the neighborhood as a low-income renter.

Taking Jumpstart tax dollars away from affordable housing and putting them towards housing encampment sweeps and the carceral system is counterproductive and cruel.

Furthermore, it demonstrates a short-sighted understanding of the root causes of the housing crisis in this city.

Dollar for dollar, it is less expensive for the government to proactively provide essential services such as housing, food, and mental and physical health care than it is to push people in crisis through the carceral system.

Keeping the full $530 million in Jump Start funds towards their original goals of housing affordability, mental health services, and economic development is a more effective investment in the long-term health and safety of this city than funding sweeps and police ever could be.

SPEAKER_79

Thank you, PJ.

Up next is 44, Cindy.

My name is Cindy Barker.

I have a brand new topic for you tonight.

So I'm one of the founding members of the Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs.

And we are a community-formed, community-led group that responds for disasters.

We've created gathering spaces throughout the city of Washington, or Seattle, Seattle, Washington, throughout the city of Seattle where people can go after a major disaster before city services are back in place and have the neighbors help the neighbors.

We saw this happen in Helene.

That model we watch and that is exactly what we'll be doing.

Our problem is we are so unready as citizens in this city.

I do a lot of outreach as a volunteer, teaching people, because if we have people who are not prepared to be on the worst camping trip of their life, they cannot help other people.

So we will have more victims than people who can bring their skills, their knowledge, their resources to help other people.

The Office of Emergency Management has two questions.

coordinators that do outreach right now and that is because they're cutting the budget they used to have three and They have not been allowed to fill that third position three people down to two for eight hundred thousand people So we really thank councilmember kettle and the others who signed on to that amendment to restore the little bit of staff for administration and their training and travel but Please extend it all the way to restore that outreach position.

You've put in some for a report.

If you really need a report to believe that we're not ready, oh my god, why don't you come to one of our training classes?

And I was going to turn around and ask everybody, how many of you are prepared to be on your own for a week or two, as FEMA recommends, after a disaster?

There's usually two people.

Okay, we got three, and I did not plant them.

That's the proportion we see over and over and over again.

So please seriously consider restoring that whole person to their staff.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

Council Member Kettle will be on the ham radio tonight if you want to catch him at 1130. Alpers, B47, B47, B48, B48, B48, B49.

Are you 45?

Come on up.

Let's rock and roll.

SPEAKER_103

Good evening, city council members.

My name is Penelope Penny Kettle.

I'm a senior at the center school and I'm here to ask for a different solution to the homelessness crisis.

SPEAKER_125

What does it mean to live in Seattle?

It means walking down Ravenna and seeing people in blankets crowded around the bus stop outside the shutdown pharmacy.

It means someone with a cardboard sign and a desperate hope at each freeway entrance and exit.

It means, in a word, homelessness.

This budget will give $6 million to the Unified Care team, letting them act all seven days a week instead of five.

They already conduct 11 sweeps each day, and only 11% of all referrals by the UCT lead to people taking their offers, and it's not hard to understand that when someone breaks into the closest thing to a home you have and offers an overnight stay in a congregate shelter instead of permanent housing, you might be inclined to refuse.

99% of UCT sweeps are obstruction sweeps, meaning the city doesn't even have to offer them housing.

That isn't reducing homelessness, that's playing whack-a-mole.

Why are we funding a program that does not work?

We look at the struggles of our city, the rampant racial inequity.

52% of all homeless in Seattle are people of color.

We look at the trafficking on Aurora, our collapsing infrastructure, all the struggles small businesses go through.

Would you send a cop to fix a sidewalk to do someone's taxes?

Of course not, because we know that every situation does not require a uniformed officer.

Why do we see that as a solution to homelessness?

Seattle Times says the state's encampment resolution program closed 18 encampments in King County and brought 90% of people inside.

Slower, more methodical solutions are the path to this crisis for good.

What does it mean to live in Seattle?

It means committing to change.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Penelope.

B47, B47, Alper, B47, B48, Reagan, B48, B49, Angie, B50, Eric Keto.

Eric, welcome.

SPEAKER_131

Hi there.

My name is Eric Keto.

I live in District 4. I'd like to address my representative, Councilmember Rivera.

Councilmember Rivera, You've talked a great deal about prioritizing public safety.

I live right across the street from Magnuson Park, and I'm asking you to focus on the fundamentals that make our neighborhood safer.

Funding housing, funding services and assistance for renters, funding treatment for folks struggling with substance use disorders.

These are real issues in District 4 and across our city, and we are not going to police our way out of these challenges.

Councilmember, you've also talked about using taxpayer dollars effectively.

One of your top budget priorities this year is to spend money on a study to turn a King County sobering center into a locked facility for drug law violators.

According to reporting today from Erica C. Barnett, the county has zero interest in this proposal.

The study is a waste of time and of money.

Rather than spending money on more police and necessary studies, let's spend money supporting our neighbors and our communities.

Thanks for your time.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Eric.

Up next, we have Rita Halsman.

So we are on A51 through 60. Rita, thank you for waiting and welcome.

SPEAKER_100

Good evening, I am a lifelong resident of Seattle and have lived in West Seattle for over 40 years.

I am here to call your attention to item 92 of the Shares Balancing Package of October 30. If approved and acted upon by SDOT, it would remove a barrier to permit cars to make left turns into and out of a property on Delridge Way Southwest.

Motorists making this turn would be involved in crossing a regular car traffic lane, a bus-only lane, a separated bike pathway, and a sidewalk for ingress and egress.

and the barrier in question is on a fairly short stretch of roadway bookended by curves that limit motorists' ability to see and account for hazards posed by oncoming traffic.

In my almost 30-year career as an elementary school teacher, I did morning crossing guard duties at intersections just outside my building and worked with my colleagues to get kids safely to their cars during our afternoon dismissal time.

Our principal worked with nearby businesses, residents, and local law enforcement to ensure safe and efficient arrivals and departures each day.

Yet even with all that effort and teamwork, I witnessed a number of near misses involving drivers and pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable users.

Whether due to momentary lapses in attention, weather conditions, or other factors, the potential for tragic outcomes is there.

You may also recall that my husband was struck and killed last December by a driver attempting to turn left directly in front of him on a street near our home, so I am intimately acquainted with these types of dangers.

I am dismayed that just after passage of the 2024 transportation levy, which included substantial funding for traffic safety improvements, this project would put vulnerable users at greater risk of injury and death.

Making changes to solve one problem while simultaneously creating another one is deeply concerning to me.

I urge the council to carefully consider the potential dangers of the proposed Delridge Roadway changes.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Rita.

I want to do just one check.

Anyone else still have a car in Sea Park right now?

You do.

You're next.

Come on up.

No, wait.

I already spoke.

You already spoke.

Fantastic.

So nobody is about to be locked, have their car locked in there.

I'm going to take it down a notch and let us get through this grace a little bit more gracefully.

SPEAKER_13

I want to repeat that that garage close is because they're sitting there.

SPEAKER_140

Yes.

So the garage closes in 13 minutes.

Everyone, everyone's vice chair.

Thank you for the reminder.

So we're going to go a, so a 52 through a 60, you're a 52. Thank you very much, Brandon.

Phil, can you, I just need an answer.

SPEAKER_62

My name is Brandon and I'm renting out of bell town.

Council members, have any of you ever been homeless?

It's a difficult experience.

You might not know where you can use a toilet or a shower You might not have a place to keep your possessions safe.

It can get cold and wet when you're trying to sleep.

You could be displaced by the police simply because you have nowhere to go.

If you try to get a job, it could be hard to make yourself presentable for an interview.

And if you get an offer, you might not have an address for them to send your paycheck.

Everyone needs a home and everyone deserves a home.

The most cost efficient and ethical way of addressing this problem is to provide housing to those in need of it and to provide protections to those at risk of losing their housing.

People who have housing are less likely to commit crime and less likely to do drugs.

They are more likely to be employed and live healthy, fulfilling lives.

I came to comment tonight in support of our neighbors and in solidarity with other renters.

We have the ability to provide everyone with a home.

Please use the Jumpstart Fund for its intended purpose, housing.

Please prioritize housing over policing and other short-term solutions.

Please make Seattle a housing-first city.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_56

Thank you.

Next is A53.

Nancy.

SPEAKER_87

Good evening, Council.

We're almost there.

Good to see you all today.

My name is Nancy Huizar.

I'm a resident of District 2. I have lived in Beacon Hill my entire life.

I graduated from Franklin High School and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

And while I was at the University of Washington, I learned about how pollution impacted our waterways.

And it wasn't until I graduated college that I learned about how pollution impacted my family and the community that I live in.

I'm here today to support protecting the Jumpstart Spend Plan, specifically looking at the Environmental Justice Fund.

The Environmental Justice Fund has funded community-led solutions to our climate crisis and environmental injustices throughout our city.

My mom immigrated here from the Philippines, and she didn't have asthma.

Then she moved to Beacon Hill, and in Beacon Hill we historically had a medical incinerator, are close to freeways, have the airplane path.

And so over time she developed asthma, so did my brother, and a lot of my friends did too.

And I really didn't know that all of that was because of our environment and the pollution that we were living in.

And so I'm asking you all today to support the Jumpstart Spend Plan because things like the Environmental Justice Fund support culturally relevant environmental education, support youth leadership development, and connecting our communities to health resources and economic justice.

And as you all have heard today, there's been a lot of support from our community partners.

I was here five years ago to support the Green New Deal resolution to get the Jump Start funding in place.

And I will continue to be here.

And I'm really, really hoping that you all are with us and believe in us, believe in me and my neighbors in the solutions that we are creating for our communities.

And so with that, please protect the Jump Start Spend Plan, convene the Oversight Board, and continue passing other progressive revenues.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

And so we are now on, was that A54?

That was 53. We're on A54.

Is that you, friend?

Fantastic.

Brittany, welcome.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you.

My name is Brittany Brose.

I live in D7 and I'm also lucky enough to work in D7.

I'm here again requesting more funding.

I always note that car drivers don't have to show up to these meetings and request funding for their needs.

It's only those of us that don't drive that have to come to these meetings to request funding and keep requesting funding.

It seems like I'm always at a meeting to request funding to keep my freedom.

That's a side effect of driver convenience and car brain in this country, unfortunately.

I wish it wasn't that way, but it is.

I was told that even though I'm vision impaired, I can do anything but I'll accept drive.

That's one thing the government tells me I can't do.

With that, I rely on either my feet, my bike, or public transportation.

One of the things with public transportation is it can be god awfully slow.

What makes it faster?

Bus only lanes.

What makes it even faster is when those bus only lanes are truly bus only lanes.

What makes it even better?

Rapid rides.

Those are the best thing I've ever met.

You know what's even greater?

I love that we have street cars in this city and I love if they connected because those are frequent and reliable.

But unfortunately, car brand and driver convenience usually wins out in this city.

So I'm asking you to please continue to fund transit.

The city just overwhelmingly passed the transportation levy.

They're telling you what they want in this city.

They are begging you to keep it up.

So please, make sure that we continue to give people what they want and options in the city of how to get around outside of a vehicle.

Because there are those of us that can't drive, that don't want to drive, and at some point, you won't be able to drive.

Thank you for your time this evening.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Brittany.

For those listening in online, we've got about 20 more speakers that have signed in in person that we're going to tick through pretty quickly.

So if you are still an online registrant and you would like to call back in, now is the time to call back in because we will be coming back to online speakers soon.

We are A55, last name Oswald.

Oswald.

A56, Paulina Lopez.

A57, Carmen Martinez.

A58, Gabriel Jones.

SPEAKER_129

Second here.

Howdy, Council.

My name is Gabriel Jones.

I've been talking to you guys a lot in the last few months.

Glad to be back here again.

One thing I think we've learned over the last few weeks is Seattle is tired of solutions that don't actually work.

It's solutions that look good, throw in a little placeholder, but they're not actually making any change.

One example of that is sweeps.

Sweeps do not work.

Time and time again, we keep doing sweeps.

They don't work.

And the city of Seattle is tired of it.

If you want to know how tired the Seattle city is of sweeps, look at the fact that one of the biggest components of sweeps got 30% of the selection that many of you endorsed.

We are sick of the rating of Jumpstart and the idea that Jumpstart can be rated.

We need to make sure we have more affordable housing and social housing.

We don't need to fight against each other.

Because at the end of the day, we need more housing overall.

We need to be a housing first city.

We are so frustrated at the idea of more funding for cops.

We pay so, so much while we have so many other options we don't touch.

We have so many options we could do to make change.

But instead, we have to make sure everything and always is more money for cops, more money for cops, more money for cops.

And if we don't see change, it is going to be time to start voting people out who are not affecting change.

Another proof of this is Councilmember Wu, who got 41% of the vote.

If you guys don't start voting and start listening to the people who come here every day and speak about the things that actually need to change instead of just what you think might get you reelected, then you are next.

We'll vote each and every one of you out.

Free Palestine, fuck the police.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Language.

Is your car in Sea Park?

I'm not talking to you, Gabriel.

It is?

Yeah.

You've got four minutes.

I'm good, thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Cool.

Sure.

Javon Bird, A59.

A60, Jennifer Beaton.

We're going to go back to Bs.

B51, Belen Aydin.

Is that you?

SPEAKER_99

52.

SPEAKER_140

You're 52. Howard Greenwich.

Greenwich.

Is that you?

Fantastic, Howard, welcome.

SPEAKER_109

Nothing like being the 100th speaker.

Thank you, council, for this opportunity to speak tonight.

I'm Howard Greenwich.

I'm the research director of Puget Sound SAGE.

First, I'd like to say we urge you to not permanently divert the Jumpstart funds to the general fund.

The second thing I want to talk about was restoring the 50% cut to the environmental justice funding that is managed by OSC.

The way that the mayor presented these cuts was very confusing, maybe on purpose.

I don't know.

The EJ Fund and the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund have been combined going forward.

But what they didn't tell you was how much together they got in 23 and 24. It was $2 million.

Another thing that they said was that they were at that level because of one-time funding, which was a recommendation by the Green New Deal Oversight Board.

to increase the funding for those programs with the expectation that they would continue to make that recommendation to the mayor.

So from a community perspective, it looked like a $2 million fund, which funds small community-based organizations, obviously a lot of them in Duwamish Valley, in South Park, all over the city.

It looks like it was cut in half.

And so what we're asking you today is to restore that $1 million from the Green New Deal funds.

I'm sorry, I'm out of breath because I ran to get my car out of the theme park, so I apologize.

Is to restore that.

That $1 million in the Green New Deal funding is also funding $1.6 million to sound transit for planners, for transit planners.

Of course, we support public transit, but we think that that money is better spent on the environmental justice and the Duwamish Valley Opportunity Fund.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thanks, Howard.

Thanks for running.

We're going A53, B53, B53, B54, B55.

You're B55?

Come on up.

I will admit I can't read the handwriting.

SPEAKER_136

My name is Scott Sternberg.

I live in North Beacon Hill.

As a community and public health professional, a public health researcher, a behavioral health clinician, and a concerned community organizer, I stand with the proposals of Solidarity Budget, a true voice of the people and care.

Moreover, their principles, their proposals are grounded in evidence-based funding strategies.

It's not based on fear.

It's not based on short-sighted vision.

I can't acknowledge incremental amendments that any one of you have put forward.

We need bold, direct, comprehensive change.

This budget exacerbates the homelessness crisis by defunding rental assistance, tenant services, and eviction defense, while simultaneously increasing funding for police prisons and sweeps, which kill our unhoused neighbors.

I want to raise up the voices of our youth creative justice who had a banner Defund police, defund the pipeline to prisons, fund community care.

Funding for affordable housing creates public safety, not surveillance, not more police, not prisons, not sweeps.

Funding for behavioral health treatment increases public safety, not surveillance, not more police, not prisons.

Funding for food security increases public safety.

Not surveillance, not more police, not prisons.

Basic income increases public safety.

Not surveillance, not more police, not prisons.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you.

B56, I think we're moving back into the environmental learning of the public hearing.

And then we'll do B57.

B57.

Thank you to our environmental learning guides coming back, sticking with us late.

SPEAKER_53

Thank you so much.

My name is...

My name is Jovanina Sowers, and I'm here to just try and explain a little bit about the history of our unit of the citywide environmental education team in an effort to bring some light to what we are and what we do.

So originally, the naturalists of our Seattle parks were what you now call the ranger program.

There were no rangers in Seattle parks.

when this program began, they were naturalists.

They did both education with our Seattle Public School students, public programs with the public, and community programs, nature, fun, outdoor activities.

And they also patrolled the parks, followed the policies, park policies, and talked to people about laws and city, what was okay in city parks.

In the budget cuts of 2009, we lost two of our environmental learning centers, Carkeek Park and the Seward Park Learning Center, and we lost many of our naturalists at that time.

Also at that time, the management decided to separate out the enforcement part of the naturalist job from the education part of the naturalist job, and so forth, started the ranger program, with three of the naturalist titles being changed over to rangers.

The reason I'm telling you this today is just to let you know that over the last couple of years, the ranger program has grown and grown.

And by popular vote of the city's residents, the council, and the mayor, it has grown.

And I feel that people are confused and don't understand that the rangers in our Seattle parks are enforcement and policy enforcers, whereas the naturalists are the educators.

We reached over 10,000 youth and already this year with a minimal staff of just the people you see behind me.

In 2023, we reached over 20,000 people with our education programs because we had additional staffing and budget, but it keeps getting cut.

Please.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, and thank you for educating our youth in all you do.

Fun fact, I raised salmon at Adams Elementary School when I was a fifth grader and released them at Carkeek Park.

Up next is 50, we just did 56, B56, B57, B58, B59, B60.

B59, is it my turn?

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_89

Hi.

My name is Karen Taylor, and I'm one of those famous people who is not on the streets yet, but is always very precarious.

I'm disabled.

I live on Social Security disability, and I rent on Beacon Hill.

And I'm asking for you to restore fully the tenant services funding.

I pay most of my income, most of my Social Security check for rent, and that puts my landlord in this huge position of power over me.

Like, if I lose that, will I get another place?

What do I ask him about?

Are the dryers broken?

How do I deal with that?

And groups like Be Seattle are so wonderful in helping out with information, with advocacy, just knowing there's other people there who who are on your team.

And one thing that BC Seattle did that was awesome was I couldn't understand the Section 8 voucher process at all.

And I've always wanted to try and figure that out.

And they had this amazing workshop where they laid out all the details down to these little things like you have to sign in every month or you could lose your spot.

And so I maybe would have gone through everything but not learn from BC Seattle that you just have to sign in every month.

So then I've told many, many of my friends about that.

And so that's why I have on my sign that the tenant services impact is exponential.

This is the kind of information that people share with each other to help each other out.

If I just went to the meeting and 25 people got this information, it's really important.

So please fully fund tenant services.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you so much.

Thanks, Karen, for coming down.

B60 Margo Jones.

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_142

You guys got to bear with me because I'm hungry.

I know you guys are.

Not wrong.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Margo Jones.

I am a community leader.

leader, mentor, a legacy homeowner in the central area of over 30 years, business owner of over 30 years, and I've lived in the CD, I guess, for over 45 years, District 3. I am also the board chair of Africatown Community Land Trust.

We, a coalition of community stakeholders, business owners, organizations, and creatives, write to express our strong support for the proposed amendments in the Seattle budget that prioritizes investments directly impacting the black community.

Our priorities focus on five key areas essential to our community's progress.

That would be housing and home ownership.

That would be education and arts, health and wellness, economic mobility and small business, workforce, trades, and development.

The amendment sponsored by council member Joy Hollingsworth, thank you, Joy, and co-sponsored by council members Kathy Moore and Tanya Wu, are essential to advancing our community's economic stability, public safety, and generational wealth.

We are grateful for the leadership in championing these initiatives.

We are grateful for your leadership in championing these initiatives.

We would like to extend our appreciation to Council President Sarah Nelson for her leadership, to Council Member and Budget Chair Dan Strauss for his dedication during the budget process, and to council members Rob Sacca, Tammy Morales, Maritza Riviera, excuse me if I'm saying your name wrong, and Bob Kettle for taking the time to meet with the members of our alliance.

Seattle has long been known for its progressive approach to addressing social challenges.

These proposed investments reflect Seattle's to ensuring to ensuring that our black community remains strong, vibrant and resilient.

We urge the council to adopt these critical amendments.

Thank you very much.

And thank you all for staying so late and for your time and all you're doing for our city.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you, Margo.

Great to see you.

All right.

Now I'm going to admit I can't read any of the handwriting that's left.

I have HL is what I think this says.

Just HL are

SPEAKER_93

steph hagerty are you steph fantastic come on up and then donald c jr and can you state your name for the record hi my name is steph hagerty great thank you council for your time and staying here for all of us um yeah our city faces many challenges public safety is top of mind we talk a lot about that and i think there's a real opportunity here with this budget to make Seattle is stronger and a safer home for everybody.

And to do that, I urge you to consider preserving Jumpstart funding and prioritizing progressive revenue over cuts.

As a renter, I see a big part of public safety is about access to affordable housing.

As a mutual aid volunteer in the community, I see the impact of unmet needs on our community's well-being.

Please consider fully restoring funding for tenant services, rental assistance, and affordable housing in Jumpstart.

Investing in housing helps reduce homelessness, health care costs, and emergency service expenses over the long term, while also reducing the strain and burden we place on law enforcement.

As a worker, I see that a safe city also needs a stable, supported workforce.

Human service workers are underpaid.

Please consider supporting a 5% wage increase for these critical workers to reduce turnover and ensure community stability and safety.

Also, restoring funding to the Office of Labor Standards will strengthen support for stable, safe jobs.

As a volunteer for 350 Seattle, I see environmental justice, environmental education, and transit investments as essential.

to our safe landscape and environment as a city.

Please consider restoring the Environmental Justice Fund, full funding for ADA sidewalks, and preserve Seattle Parks and Rec education funding.

Overall, I encourage you to restore essential services funding, preserve the original Jump Start plan, and pursue progressive revenue to ensure a safer Seattle.

I believe in your ability to make a Seattle that have a legacy we can all be proud of, and I really hope when you go home tonight and think about all of what the community said, that you can look your family in the eye and tell them that you did all that you could to try to make our city a better place and consider the needs of our most vulnerable in the community.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you, Steph.

SPEAKER_140

Yeah, thank you.

Here we are.

Donald?

Yes.

Yeah, hi Donald.

SPEAKER_104

Hi, hello everyone.

Hey.

My name is Don Cassell.

I'm a victim of a nine-year-old daughter that got shot.

I am also an individual that survived behind your licensing, your relicensing program.

And I don't have your DOC number.

I've paid $250,000 in child support.

And I'm here tonight because in 1991, when my daughter died by a drive-by shooting, just as my mother was the first person in Seattle to go to the Union Gospel Mission and start a program for women and children.

The importance of all the issues at hand aren't important if we don't have people.

And if we look and don't have the empathy, then we're even more wrong.

If God gave you the PhD, it's not for you to put it on a pedestal or a wall.

It's for you to go back with the shortcut to bring those that may be misfortunate or undermined by our society the helping hand.

I also want to say that there's a case.

Pull your ink pen out.

There's a case on your mayor's desk right now OPA, OIG, have all given their recommendations.

And because this case is against Diaz, change means change.

Diaz is not change.

He was there for 35 years as a police officer, so that's not change.

But I do ask you to call your mayor and get the case number 2022 OPA and tell him to get that paperwork off his desk or you'll see me again and I'll take the case to DOJ.

I promise you that.

Thank you.

SPEAKER_140

Thank you for sticking with us so late.

SPEAKER_104

Anyone else?

I'm retired.

I ain't got nothing to do but be up in your face.

SPEAKER_140

I look forward to that one day.

And anyone else in here want to speak?

We're going to go back to online commenters.

Anyone?

I'm going to give it.

I'm going to stall just a second.

We've got two folks currently still present.

Ruby Romero and Kyle Matthews.

We will.

Anyone who was who is registered can call back now.

And we will.

Take everyone as long as we go.

With that, Ruby Romero, you're here.

Press star six to unmute.

Thank you for waiting with us.

SPEAKER_33

No, thank you guys for staying here this evening.

My name is Ruby Romero, and I live in District 1. uh to council member strauss i too released salmon in the car key park and grew up on 87th in between linden and aurora so that you know that struck a chord with me to hear the possibility or the current defunding of those education programs which just to remind you in the stark reality that we are in we are facing an administration that is also defunding education and so just to hold ourselves separate from that uh particular group.

Anyway, so I wanted to come here today as a committed community member and colleague of Council President Nelson and Council Member Moore as the chair of the Continuum of Care Board.

But I'm here to speak as an individual and offer the time to collaborate and engage in the conversations about these uncomfortable topics that we need to really get to the crux of.

And I think that we're ready to do that.

And I'm encouraged to hear that We can start working on policy that's really going to work, I'm hoping.

And just as a continuum of care, you know, I think it's a lot larger problem than any council or any group of people can do, so we really need to work together.

I'm encouraged to hear the things that we are funding, and I would just encourage you to collaborate and look for other pathways through navigating this.

And I also wanted to say thank you for always listening to public comment until nearly 1030 at night.

And I apologize for missing my name calling earlier.

SPEAKER_140

You're fine, Ruby.

SPEAKER_33

And I yield the rest of my time.

SPEAKER_140

Yeah, thanks for hanging out so late and sticking with us.

Your president right now, Kyle Matthews.

And you're off mute.

Welcome.

SPEAKER_133

Good evening.

Hello.

Good evening, council members.

I know it's late, so I'll make it quick.

My name is Kyle Matthews.

I live in District 3 and work in Districts 2 and 3. I am here to support Councilwoman Hollingsworth's amendment to the budget to help the community thrive.

The arts and cultural preservation is imperative because we need to highlight cultural accomplishments to inspire the youth and show them the greatness that they come from.

Thank you, and I appreciate the work that you do, and I yield the rest of my time.

SPEAKER_140

Thanks for waiting with us, Kyle.

That does, at this time, bring us to the end of our list of folks that are remotely or physically present.

10.17 p.m.

Went a couple minutes longer, but I talked this time, so my fault.

My apologies, colleagues.

Here we are.

We have reached the end of the list of registered speakers.

The next select budget committee is tomorrow, Wednesday, November 13th at 9.30 a.m.

Since...

Councilmember Kettle has reminded us that early is on time.

It's actually 11 hours from now is on time.

It's too late for jokes.

I apologize.

We will have verbal public comment tomorrow morning.

We do also have a public hearing on some bonds and the public may continue to submit written public comment at councilseattle.gov.

Is there any further business to come before the Select Budget Committee before we adjourn?

Seeing none, we are adjourned.

Thank you.