Great.
Good afternoon, everybody.
I understand that we have a quorum, so let's get ready to go here.
The January 18, 2022 meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.
It's 2 o'clock.
I'm Deborah Juarez.
Will the clerk please call the roll?
Morales?
Here.
Mosqueda?
Present.
Nelson?
Present.
Peterson?
Present.
Sawant?
Present.
Herbold.
Here.
Lewis.
Present.
Council President Moraes.
Present.
Eight present.
Today, Council Member Strauss has informed us, me, all of us, that he will be absent from today's City Council meeting.
There's no objection.
Council Member Strauss is excused from today's meeting.
Hearing no objection, Councilor Strauss is excused from today's City Council meeting.
Let's go to presentations.
I'm not aware of any presentations today.
Approval of the minutes.
Minutes of the Seattle City Council meeting of January 4th and January 11th have been reviewed.
If there is no objection, the minutes will be signed.
Hearing no objection, the minutes will be signed.
Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes?
Let's go to approval of the IRC.
That's the introduction and referral calendar.
If there's no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.
Okay, did not hear an objection.
And so the IRC is therefore adopted.
Go into approval of the agenda.
There is no objection.
The agenda will be adopted.
Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.
So this time we're gonna go to our general public comment.
I understand today that we have two public comments.
We have our general standard public comment that we'll do now.
And then later on, we'll have a second separate public comment regarding resolution 32039 in which I will look to council member Lewis to walk us through.
So at this time we'll do our general public comment and we will open the remote public comment period for items on the city council agenda, the introduction referral calendar and the council's work program.
If you've signed up to speak to Resolution 32039, that's related to the Seattle Public Schools Proposition 1 and 2, that the public comment period will take place later in the meeting, as I shared, when the City Council considers Resolution 32039. It remains a strong intent of the Seattle City Council to have remote public comment regularly included on meeting agendas.
However, as a reminder, the city council reserves the right to end or eliminate these public comment periods at any point if we deem that the system is being abused or is no longer suitable for allowing our meetings to be conducted efficiently and effectively.
Our city clerk will moderate this general public comment period.
So now I'll hand it off to, is it Jody?
It is okay.
Great.
Jody for Jody to read the instructions.
Go ahead, Jody.
Good afternoon.
The public comment period for this meeting is for up to 20 minutes and each speaker will be given two minutes to speak.
Speakers will be called upon in the order in which they registered to provide public comment on the council's website.
Each speaker must call in from the phone number that they used for this registration and using the meeting phone number ID and passcode that is emailed to you prior to the meeting.
This is different than the general meeting listen line call-in information.
If you've not yet registered to speak, but would like to, you can sign up before the end of this public comment period by going to the council's website The public comment link is also listed on today's agenda.
Once the speaker's name is called, staff will unmute the appropriate microphone and an automatic prompt of you have been unmuted will be your cue that it's your turn to speak.
The speaker must then press star six to begin speaking.
Please begin speaking by stating your name and the item that you are addressing.
As a reminder, public comment should relate to an item on today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar, or the council's work program.
Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of their allotted time.
Once you hear the chime, we ask that you begin to wrap up your public comment.
If speakers do not end their public comment at the end of the allotted time provided, the speaker's microphone will be muted.
Once you have completed your public comment, we ask that you please disconnect from the line, and if you plan to continue following this meeting, do so on the listening line options.
Seattle Channel is currently not working, so the listening line option is the best option.
The public comment period is now open, and we'll begin with the first two speakers on the list.
And please remember, once you hear that you've been unmuted, please also touch star six.
Okay, our first two speakers today are Howard Gale, followed by Peter Meyer Howard.
Good afternoon, Howard Gale District 7 speaking on our failed police accountability system.
You have sat passively by as our police accountability system has determined all SPD killings quote lawful and proper unquote or not even worth investigating.
Days before the police murder of George Floyd was the SPD murder of Terry Kaver, followed by the all too predictable SPD murder of Derek Hayden last year and now Just 13 days ago, another person in a mental health crisis, Willie Nyes, was gunned down by the SPD.
Another failure of police reform, unremarked upon by the council.
This was the 19th person suffering a mental health crisis killed by the SPD since John P. Williams.
In time, all are deemed either, quote, lawful and proper, or not even worth investigating.
That included Charlene Alliles.
And now we discover that the SPD engaged in a dangerous disinformation campaign during the summer of 2020 vastly increasing paranoia and influx of guns to capitol hill with a severely flawed opiate investigation holding no one responsible and not really getting to the root cause or how widespread it actually was.
These abuses of justice do not just happen.
It requires the folks in power at the OPA, the OIG, and the CPC to actively undermine accountability.
Two high-level investigators at the OIG risked their livelihoods and well-being to sound the alarm and explain to us how all these failings of accountability are possible, yet you ignored them.
ko w reported on the abuses engaged in by andrew meyerberg when he worked as a seattle city attorney and his entire career spent defending police that too has been ignored last week the public safety committee heard from the very folks that have worked to minimize and cover up the fpb information this information campaign instead of hearing from the people who've suffered this abuse and cover the facts about this campaign council has failed and continues to fail us it is clear that only through a citizen's initiative can we build a police accountability system that provides full civilian community control over police policy, police misconduct investigations, and police discipline, as so many other cities have done post-George Floyd.
Go to seattlestop.org to find out how.
That's seattlestop.org.
The next speaker is Peter Mayer, followed by Melissa Pelthorpe.
Peter?
Peter's here for the second public comment as is Melissa.
Thank you.
Our last speaker signed up for regular public comment would be Jim Burns.
Jim Burns is not present.
So that would end our public comment period for regular public comment.
Thank you, Jodi.
So we have reached the end of our allotted time, as you heard the clerk say, for public comment today.
So the public comment period is now closed.
And thank you for your comments today and for those of you who called in.
Let's move to payment of the bills.
Payment of the bills, please read the title, Jodi.
Amendment bills, Council Bill 120257, an ordinance appropriating money to pay certain audited claims for the week of January 3rd through January 7th, 2022, and ordering the payment thereof.
Thank you.
I move to pass Council Bill 120257. Is there a second?
Second.
Thank you.
It's been moved and seconded that the bill pass.
Are there any comments?
Seeing no comments, well, clerk, will you please call the roll on the passage of the bill?
Morales?
Yes.
Mosqueda?
Aye.
Nelson?
Aye.
Peterson?
Aye.
Swant?
Yes.
Herbold?
Yes.
Lewis?
Yes.
Council President Juarez?
Aye.
Eight in favor, none opposed.
Thank you.
The bill passes, and the chair will sign it.
Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation?
Thank you.
I will move to committee reports.
There are no committee reports on today's agenda.
And we have adoption of other resolutions.
We will now consider adoption of other resolutions.
Will the clerk please read item number one into the record?
Agenda item one, resolution 32038, a resolution relating to Seattle City Councilmember participation for 2022 and 2023 on King County Committees, Regional Committees, State Committees, and City of Seattle Committees, and superseding Resolution 31927. Thank you, Jodi.
So you guys got this last week, I believe.
So let me speak to it in a minute.
So I move to adopt Resolution 32038. Is there a second?
Second.
Thank you.
As sponsor of this resolution, I will address it first.
I sent an email to you all last week about this resolution.
So let me read what I have written out here.
I'm pleased to offer you today resolution 32038, which establishes council members' participation in 34 external committees.
Last week, we considered and approved a resolution to determine the membership of the internal standing committees that allow us to operate here at Seattle City Council day-to-day.
Today, Resolution 32038 establishes membership for all external committees, including King County committees, regional committees, state committees, and several City of Seattle committees that are not standing committees.
Your willingness to serve is appreciated.
Superintendent Dell's words.
These committees ensure that as a jurisdiction, we're able to fully engage with other jurisdictions on regional issues.
This engagement offers an opportunity for partnerships and the potential to maximize our ability to respond to the challenges facing our region.
A big thank you.
I'm going to start doing this now.
Seems to work.
Big thank you to Director Esther Handy and Ali Panucci for working with our office and putting this together with their numerous spreadsheets.
And again, your support today will help us move forward in 2022. And that concludes my comments.
Are there any other comments to the resolution regarding the assignment of the external committees?
Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the resolution?
Morales?
Yes.
Mosqueda?
Aye.
Nelson?
Aye.
Peterson?
Aye.
Sawant.
Yes.
Herbold.
Yes.
Lewis.
Yes.
Council President Ores.
Aye.
Eight in favor, none opposed.
Thank you.
The motion carries.
The resolution is adopted.
The chair will sign it.
And will the clerk please affix my signature to the resolution?
Sorry about that, folks.
OK, so let's move to item number two.
Clerk, will you please read item number two into the record?
Agenda item two is resolution 32039, a resolution supporting Seattle School District number one proposition and proposition number two, and urging Seattle voters to vote yes on proposition one and proposition two on the February 8th, 2022 special election ballot.
Thank you.
I have a few comments to state first, as we ran this through law to make sure we got the language correct, and then I'll hand it over to you, Council Member Lewis.
As provided for under the RCW 4217A.555, The City Council will now consider the adoption of Resolution 32039. At the conclusion of Council Member comments, the Council will hear comments from members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution, which endorses Seattle School District's Propositions 1 and 2, which relates to the replacement for educational and operations levy and replacement of the buildings, technology, and academics athletics capital on the February 8, 2022 special election ballot.
An approximate equal opportunity to speak will be given to members of the public.
So the clerk has already read item number two into the record.
So let me go ahead and move to adopt the resolution 32039. Is there a second?
Second.
So thank you.
So it's been moved and seconded to adopt the resolution.
We will hear comments from council members.
And Council Member Lewis, you want to walk us through this?
Yes, thank you so much, Madam President.
Really appreciate the opportunity for us to consider this resolution as ballots will be going out soon for Seattle voters to weigh in on the renewal of these levies.
Just as a quick overview, these are levy renewals of existing rates, not an increase.
so folks can expect to see a continued approximately $1.21 per $1,000 of assessed value in ongoing support to support these capital and operations levies that support the Seattle School District.
As folks are well aware, we have a very close partnership through our supplemental programming that we do as a city, as well as through a lot of shared spaces between the city's community centers and school capital facilities that in many cases are co-located.
And of course, on the Seattle Center in District 7, where the Seattle Center campus, as Madam President is well aware of, hosts a very significant public asset owned by the school district in Memorial Stadium that, of course, is frequently used collaboratively between the city and the district.
These levies contain a significant amount of support for the families and young people of the city as well as these critical capital components that I've discussed.
I'll just overview a couple that are significant to me personally.
The improvements to the aforementioned Memorial Stadium, there are improvements in the capital levy component, the BTA V capital levy to provide critical improvements to Memorial Stadium.
There are critical improvements to modernize things that we have come to rely on in the COVID era, including HVAC systems, as well as critical safety components like fire alarms in Seattle school buildings as part of the capital levy.
The operating levy, the EP&O levy that the Seattle School District relies on provide significant additional support for special education well and above what is provided in the default funding from the state of Washington, which is insufficient programmatically for the needs of our school district and special education, as well as critical support for support staff that are absolutely essential to the education experience and for the care of young people during the school day, like nurses, custodians, and other critical support staff.
Historically, the council has passed resolutions like the one before us today.
Council Member Tim Burgess, during his time on the council, routinely prime sponsored similar resolutions.
I wanna thank Peter Mayer, the former school board director, for bringing this to my attention to pursue, to follow in that legacy of the council, taking advantage of our special exception to weigh in on ballot measures in certain circumstances like this levy renewal and provide an official endorsement.
And I don't have anything additional to add to that general overview.
I'm happy to hand it back over to you, Madam President.
Thank you, Council Member Lewis.
Is there anything to hear from anyone else?
Well, council member, I thought I was going to, didn't want to call on anyone.
They didn't exactly want to speak, but, um, I had a chance to look at the resolution and, uh, thank you council member Lewis for bringing that up that on page three of this four page document, we have been working with the Seattle public school since 2017 on Memorial stadium, uh, particularly when we redid the campus for the climate pledge arena, when we were working with OBG and NHL.
So this is a long time coming.
So thank you very much for inserting that and getting the language to our staff to be able to add some.
I think we added some additional language regarding Native Americans and the issue that the gap there in graduation and with other minority groups as well.
So thank you for that.
So with that, is there anyone else that would like to make any comments?
Council Member Herbold.
In light of the recent action on that we've seen on behalf of the school district from both students and teachers, I want to just give a little bit.
of additional detail to that provided by Council Member Lewis on how this funding augments the insufficient state funding.
And because one of the calls for attention from students is in the area of health and mental health, just want to highlight the fact that this levy funds, uh, 61 additional nurses.
The state only funds nine.
So with passage of the levy, 68, um, nurses can be can be funded, whereas, um, without there would only be nine nurses for the entire school district.
That is, I think, a really important, um, data point that shows how insufficient the state funding is for the needs of our students.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember Bolt.
Is there anyone else who wanted to add anything?
I do want to add a personal note.
Oh, I'm sorry, Council Member Nelson, I'm sorry.
And then Council Member Morales.
Well, Council Member Herbold hit the note that I wanted to point out that yes, in fact, only nine nurses are funded right now.
And it's unfortunate that in this era post-McCleary that Seattle residents are still being asked to kick in to pay for you know, at least 15% of Seattle Public Schools General Fund, but this is extremely important that we, that these pass, because they, you know, they, without it, our kids would be worse off, and these are very important programs, athletics and infrastructure, etc.
And in the past, we just wanna note that Seattle voters have been generous historically when these comes last.
In 2019, the operations levy passed by 69% and the capital levy passed by 72%.
So Seattle voters have a record of doing the right thing on this and I will be supporting this today.
Thank you, Councilor Nelson.
Councilor Morales.
Thank you.
I just wanted to add to the health point again.
COVID has created problems for our children, not just in terms of their risk of exposure, the need for PPE, the need for changing the ventilation systems in the schools.
But as we know, many of our kids are suffering acutely from mental health crises as well.
The isolation, dealing with technology, all of the things that have come from having to navigate these systems.
My daughter was in fourth grade when she went home because the school shut down.
She's in middle school now.
So she missed a whole year and a half of school, of socializing, of being able to talk to her friends, of having that socialization.
And so our kids really need the support, both in terms of access to health care, but also in terms of access to mental health resources.
And, you know, my my hope is that our neighbors in Seattle will acknowledge that and support this.
And I'm glad that we are getting this resolution on the books and expressing our support as a council.
Thank you, Council Member Morales.
I'm going to end on this note, then I'll see if there's anything else.
Council Member Lewis, you now have public assets, so good luck with that.
And we have our first meeting tomorrow.
And as you know, the Memorial Stadium, since 2017, We've done multiple MOUs and letters of intent with the Seattle Public School for that extra revenue stream for parking and all kinds of stuff.
So I am really excited in the next few years I can serve on your committee and assist you in getting us through this big capital project.
Hopefully, this will pass and this will happen.
So thank you for taking this over.
And I think it's a great committee for you, particularly since the largest public assets are in your district.
Anything else?
OK.
That concludes our comments from my colleagues, and we will now provide an equal opportunity to hear comments from members of the public who wish to speak on the resolution.
The total time allotted for the comments will be 20 minutes.
Speakers will be called in alternating order between those in opposition of the resolution and those in support of the resolution, in which they signed up on the online public comment form.
Each speaker will be provided two minutes.
So you wanna go ahead, Jody?
Yes, currently we only have one speaker signed up to speak on resolution 32039, and this person is speaking in support of the resolution, and that would be Peter Mayer.
Great, go ahead, Mr. Mayer.
Did we lose Mr. Mayer?
Looks like he's still here.
Mr. Mayor, please try pressing one time star six and see if that unmutes your phone.
Maybe one more time.
We are at work.
Yes, it does.
Great.
Thank you so much.
If you can start my time, please.
Peter Mayer, I'm a speaker in support.
I'm a volunteer with the school's first campaign committee.
I'm also a graduate of Nathan Hill High School.
I'm the parent of two children who graduated from Seattle schools.
So I thank the council for this resolution and Council Member Lewis for being the prime sponsor.
As was stated, these two levies replace the expiring levies.
They renew our city's commitment to our public schools.
The operating levy provides funds for important services that are not adequately provided by the state, even after McCleary.
As Council Member Lewis stated and others, these include counselors and nurses.
Interestingly, nurses provide a great deal of mental health counseling as do counselors that are needed especially in the COVID crisis, custodians, and of course, important special ed services.
On the capital side, this levy continues the successful BTA program that provides for improvements, mostly small in nature, regarding health and safety, including things like air quality, so important in the COVID era, earthquake safety.
And then as was noted by several council members, replacement of the 70-year-old concrete grandstand at Memorial Stadium, which is very much in need of replacement.
70 years is a long time for concrete.
And then there's a significant amount of money for technology, which is important for equity reasons to make sure that our students and families can access the technology the district uses.
Thank you so much, and I look forward to your support.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Having both of my children graduate from Nathan Hale, go Raiders.
So is there, I think we're done with that.
Okay, seeing there are no further speakers, correct Jodi?
That is correct.
There are no speakers signed up to speak in favor or opposed to this resolution.
Great.
Hearing that, the council will now proceed with a vote on resolution 32039.
Chair Juarez, I'm sorry.
On your script, I asked you just to call out a voice vote.
Could you ask the clerk to call a roll call vote on this resolution?
Yeah, I'm looking at it now.
Sorry about that.
Did I skip over that?
No, you were just getting to it.
Oh, OK.
OK, Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?
Morales?
Yes.
Mosqueda?
Aye.
Nelson?
Aye.
Peterson.
Aye.
Sawant.
Yes.
Herbold.
Yes.
Lewis.
Yes.
Council President Ores.
Aye.
Made in favor, none opposed.
So the resolution passes.
And will the clerk please affix my name to the resolution?
The reason why I was looking confused is I have two number eight pages.
That's where my confusion, I apologize, Jodi, that's on me.
So I think we're done with that.
Is that correct?
Yes, we are.
Okay, so we will go to other businesses.
I see nothing here.
Is there anything from my colleagues on other businesses?
Oh, I knew it.
Customer Mosqueda.
You know, I couldn't miss this opportunity.
Council Member, thank you very much, Council President Juarez.
Last week I had asked to be excused on the 25th for full council.
I missed the opportunity at that point to also ask to be excused on the 24th for council briefing.
To the extent that we're still doing excuses and requesting permission to be excused for council briefing, I do request that of my colleagues.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
So now this time I actually know what to say.
Otherwise, last time you caught me off guard.
If there's no objection, Council Member Mosqueda would like to be excused for the dates.
Can you say those dates again, Council Member Mosqueda?
For briefing on the 24th, I believe our colleagues already gave me the 25th as a excused absence.
So January 24th and 25th.
Is there any objection?
Hearing no objection, Council Member Mosqueda is indeed excused.
Thank you very much.
It's my mom's birthday.
She will appreciate it.
Yes, happy birthday to your mom.
Let's see.
Before we adjourn, let's see.
I don't see anything else going on here on my screen.
All right.
So colleagues, this does conclude the items of business of today's agenda.
Our next regularly scheduled council meeting is on January 25th at 2 o'clock.
I hope you have a wonderful afternoon.
We are now adjourned.
Thank you.