City Council 7/28/2026

Okay, good afternoon.

The July 28th meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.05 p.m.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Council Member Salka?

Here.

Council Member Strauss?

Here.

Council Member Foster?

Here.

Council Member Juarez?

Here.

Council Member Kettle?

Here.

Council Member Lynn?

Here.

Council Member Rink?

Here.

Council Member Rivera?

Present.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Here.

Nine present.

Awesome.

Colleagues, there's no presentations today.

And before we jump right into public comment, I'm gonna start opening this meeting We will do a moment of silence for the victims who did lose their lives at the Seattle Center.

And people are also the ones that were shot and are recovering today.

So we will ask for a moment of silence to recognize and honor the people that lost their lives and the folks that are recovering today.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I know that we've heard calls to action from city officials, for city officials, especially council members.

We legislate laws in our city.

The executive executes and departments help deliver this work and we are all in this together.

So thank you all for that moment of silence as we pray for the victims and then also the people that are recovering right now.

We are gonna jump right into public comment and colleagues at this time, we're gonna open the hybrid public comment period.

Public comment is limited to items on today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar and the council's work program.

The council cannot accept comments on quasi-judicial items or on campaign-related matters.

I know we have over 30 speakers, so before everyone boos, everyone's gonna get one minute because those are within council rules, over 30 people.

How many folks do we have?

We have about 34 in person and 37 remote.

Okay, so...

That's 71. So usually if it's more than 60, it's one minute or less, but we are gonna do one minute.

I'd like to honor that.

And if there's no objection from my colleagues, I think less than one minute is quick.

Is that cool?

I'm just looking left and right.

Awesome.

There's no objection.

So we will do one minute for speakers.

Will the clerk please read the instructions to the public comment period?

The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner.

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

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

Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker.

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

Okay, awesome.

We're gonna be able, we're gonna call people in groups of five.

So if you hear your name and please come up to the front and just start getting up so we can kind of just keep people moving.

Don't worry if you're continuing to sign up, we'll still have, you will still be able to speak.

So first up we have L.

Harrison Jerome.

Maria, we have June, Val, and Kate.

Those five, you are up.

And on deck, we have Marta Johnson, Chris, Magdalena, Francesca, and David Long.

So Air Harrison, so we'll ask Maria to...

On deck, June, Val, and Kate Rubin.

Thank you all.

And you can start whenever you are, and the timer, you're all good.

Make sure you speak right into the mic as well.

Thank you, council.

My name is L.

Harrison Jerome.

It is hot in the rest of the country.

Not only is it hot, some places like Corpus Christi and Phoenix are on track to become actually uninhabitable.

If you think the tech boom is bringing a lot of people to the city, imagine what ecological collapse of the American Southwest will bring.

We have to be ready for our population to be in the millions by mid-century.

There is no way of avoiding this.

The comp plan we have falls woefully short of the capacity we need.

Every serious climate authority expresses that we need to urgently move toward dense housing.

This SIPA appeal process is not about democracy, and it's certainly not about environmentalism.

This SEPA appeal process is why the missing link on the Burke-Gilman hasn't gotten done.

It is why light rail is progressing so goddamn slowly.

This is why people wonder why our elected officials can't leave, because they can't.

If you think it's just one more year of delay, just one more year of homes not being built, just one more year of people being forced out of Seattle because there's not enough units for everyone, make no mistake, this EIS is 2,300 pages long.

NIMBY groups will find a technicality.

Vote yes on the bill, thank you.

Thank you, Elle.

Next we have Maria, followed by June, Val, Kate, Rubin.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, council members.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

My name is Maria Batiola, and I chair the Beacon Hill Council.

The City Bill 12125 proposes to retain projects' environmental appeals and eliminate residential appeals.

Unfortunately, Councilmember Lin has silent the actual impact of the bill, which is to deny residential owners the ability to appeal when they think the environmental protection law is not properly applied.

We understand those environmental protections are still in the place.

As an example of the value of the appeal, The SCALE appealed the Mandatory Housing Affordability Act quite a number of years ago, and they and myself presented 10-plus city department memos that concluded that either MHA did not have a race in social justice analysis as required by the city.

Our best asked to pause the bill, vote it down, or vote as amended by Councilmember Saka.

Thank you.

Thank you, Maria.

Next we have June, followed by Val, and then Kate, and Marta.

Council members, I urge you to vote yes on Amendment B to Council Bill 121215. This amendment preserves the only affordable SEPA appeal option for Seattle citizens and communities.

If Amendment B does not pass, vote no on the bill.

It's disingenuous to cite Seattle's harmful history of racist land use policies like redlining and then fail to perform a racial equity analysis on CB 121215. Please read the lived history from Lois Martin of the Central District about black community activists' successful use of environmental appeals to prevent or mitigate harm to their communities.

You may say those were project actions.

This bill preserves those.

State law and recent city action now exempt most housing projects from SEPA review.

There is no appeal where there is no review.

Project review looks at one development at a time.

Non-project review looks at the rules that shape whole neighborhoods.

It's the only stage where the city studies displacement and cumulative impact across a community.

Thank you, June.

Next we have Val, followed by Kate Rubin, Marta, Chris, Magdalena, Francesca, David.

Welcome.

Hi, I'm Val.

I'm part of District 2. I want you to vote yes on Amendment B. And if this amendment doesn't pass, please vote no as a bill as a whole.

Eddie Lynn, I'm one of your constituents.

The reason why I'm here is because of you.

I actually came here to let you know that I feel very misled by some of the work that you've been doing, some of the emails that I've been reading.

I actually felt misled by some of that.

Without Amendment B, which I had to learn about because your work was very misguided, misleading, I apologize.

Without the Amendment B, the bill does more harm to people as a whole.

I just wanted to let you know I'm not a well-resourced individual.

I don't have generational wealth.

I just want to be able to have housing, but I also want to be able to not have it come at a cost of not being able to appeal for racial equity.

That already happened to me when I lived in Yessler Terrace.

I'm not letting it happen again.

Again, vote no, vote yes and amendment B, vote no on the bill as a whole if it doesn't pass.

Thank you.

Thank you, Val.

Next we have Kate followed by Marta and then Chris.

Hi, Kate Rubin.

Oh, you're gonna speak for her, Tiffany.

It's okay if we switch, she's still in line.

Yeah, that's fine.

What number are you?

Good afternoon, Councilmembers.

My name is Tiffany McCoy.

I'm the interim CEO at the Seattle Social Housing Developer.

We have been in multiple negotiations for land sites for new construction pipeline for months.

We have site control on two parcels of land and we're getting ready to announce some of those sites once due diligence is waived.

We will be building 50% of those units at two and three bedroom units.

We are one of the only developers in this city that has a mandate to be building family size units.

but I continue to find that there is a nagging concern in the back of my mind that our voter-mandated social housing efforts will be stifled through our current SEPA system.

Why can we build endless roads and highways, but we can't site a tiny house village for our unhoused neighbors?

Or a multi-family building in our historically redlined neighborhoods?

I have no doubt that all of us here care about the environment, but I fear that some of us are using the environment for proxy means.

Otherwise, why don't we see the same faces here for the transportation levy?

Councilmember Lin, you are a breath of fresh air.

Thank you for your- Thank you.

Thank you, Tiffany.

Thanks.

Yep, you're all good.

Thank you.

Marcia, welcome.

Hello, all.

Good afternoon.

My name's Martin.

I'm here with For Seattle in support of Council Member Lynn's legislation.

Thanks so much for your efforts here.

Quickly, Seattle doesn't have a housing shortage because we lack good intentions.

We have housing shortage because we've built a duplicative system that makes it too easy to delay the homes we all deserve.

Seattle should be a city that says yes to more neighbors, more homes, and a faster path from policy to reality.

We should measure our success not by how many opportunities we have to delay change, but by whether people can actually afford to live here, get around easily, and avoid the sprawl that could endure.

I urge you to vote yes to Councilmember Lynn's bill today to reduce unnecessary delays and help Seattle build a future we can all enjoy.

Thank you.

Thank you, Marta.

Next we have Chris, followed by Magdalena, Francesca, and then David.

Welcome, Chris.

Thank you.

My name is Chris Jackins.

I am the coordinator of the Seattle Committee to Save Schools.

Five points.

Number one, the Seattle School District went into debt to buy a new headquarters some 25 years ago.

Number two, I filed appeals along with industrial users in the area.

The city then denied permits for the project.

The district then sued the city.

Number three, one stop along the way was the city hearing examiner's office.

4. The first city proposal affected a giant number of properties.

The examiner ruled that further analysis was required.

5.

Council Bill 12-1215 also affects a giant number of properties.

Has there been a required SEPA threshold determination?

Please vote no.

Thank you very much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Chris.

Is it Magdalena?

Would you mind?

You're in crutches.

Can she go before you?

Is that okay?

Okay, Francesca, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

I had you standing there the whole time.

I apologize.

Go right ahead.

Thank you, Magdalena.

I appreciate that.

My name is Francesca.

I'm an artist, a community organizer, president of District 3, and I work in District 2. I'm here to ask Council to adopt Amendment B for Council Bill 12-12-15 or vote no to Council Bill 12-12-15.

I understand Seattle is in a housing crisis, but we are also facing greater threats to our environmental safety than ever before.

Building housing or city infrastructure without environmental accountability will inevitably land hardest on communities of color.

We've seen proof of this in the past with I-90 in the Sam Smith Park and we see proof of that today with Rainier Valley light rail cutting through MLK, putting pedestrian lives in jeopardy every day.

marginalized communities cannot afford to pursue legal recourse like our white counterparts.

Protect Seattle's environmental appeal process to protect communities of color and the legacy of our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Francisca.

Next we have Magdalena.

Thank you for that, Magdalena.

And then next we have David after Magdalena.

Council, do we support black women?

Raise your hand if you support black women.

There we go.

Let's get some more hands.

I don't see any white hands in the air.

What's going on?

All right.

Do we support indigenous women?

Can we raise our hands?

Yes.

Can we support that?

Yes.

So why does it change when they're trans?

Remember Juarez.

Trans people, missing and murdered indigenous trans people, missing and murdered indigenous two-spirit people, and missing and murdered indigenous queer people are relying on you to step forward and fight for our rights in this time of civil emergency in the trans refugee crisis.

If you think that this is a white issue, think again.

Member Strauss and Commander Kettle.

Commander Kettle, you would have drummed half of the SPD out of the Navy if they had been your sailors.

Instead, we are served by mercenaries from out of town.

And tell me, what city has ever retained its sovereignty by being entirely staffed by mercenaries?

Support trans rights and give us an emergency amendment.

Thank you, Magdalena.

Thank you, Magdalena.

Next we have David Long.

After David, we have Marta, followed by Steve, and then Alice.

Hello, Council.

My name is David Long.

I am a fifth-generation Seattleite.

And first of all, I want to commend the police for their response on Sunday.

And I was out of town Heard about it immediately, made some phone calls, and just found out that the police did an exceptional job, so I just want to make sure I commend the police for their response.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the IT that's bringing brought to the city, and what is this, CB121225.

As we're looking at upgrading or adding IT or people that handle that, we need to make sure that we're upgrading the systems at the Seattle Center and all of our other public places.

A lot of people sometimes say they don't like the cameras or the police.

We need more coverage.

I'll just put it that way.

So as you're thinking about growth, as we're thinking about expanding in areas, please make sure that we're looking at ways of keeping the eyes on the people to make sure we're safe.

Thank you.

Thank you, David.

Next we have, so the next 10 speakers and we're gonna do 10 speakers here and then we are gonna go, we're gonna do 20 in person, excuse me.

If you're online, we're gonna come to you and do 10 and we're gonna come back and do in person.

So just so you know, we'll do 10 more here in person.

We'll go online and do 10 and we'll do 20 in person.

So we'll keep rotating or else it gets long for the people online as well.

So we have Martha, Martha Baskin followed by Steve.

Here are the next 10. So Martha, Steve, Alice Green, Jeff Paul, David Hill, Kenneth Davies, Jordan, Alicia, Lydia, and Steve Zemke.

So we have Martha, Steve, Alice, Jeff, David, Kenneth, Jordan, Alicia, Lydia, and Steve.

You all are the next 10 speakers.

Go ahead, Martha.

All right.

I like Martha, actually.

It's far preferable.

I'm sorry.

So good afternoon.

Hello, hello.

Please vote yes on Amendment B. And if that amendment does not pass, say no to CB1215.

The rationale behind CB1215, an amendment that would eliminate environmental appeals on all city land use legislation and any city building project is like Trump's claims about voter fraud, an exercise in deception.

Trump's crusade isn't ensuring everyone gets to vote.

It's about disenfranchising voters.

In this case, CB1215 isn't about reform.

It's about taking away the one avenue ordinary people have to address critical environmental issues the city is ignoring.

And with this next point, I invoke the voice of Lois Martin, a tree ally and a friend who I am honored to know.

Martin is an educator and teaching children as I speak.

The sponsor's public FAQ, she writes, invokes the ugly history of redlining and the worst health outcomes it left for black and brown residents of South and Central Seattle, yet no racial equity in- Thank you, Martha.

Thank you so much.

We have Steve, and you can put your comments in the basket too.

We have Steve, Alice, Jeff, and then David.

Welcome, Steve.

Yes, this is- As an experiment in democracy, it's so much more efficient not to have people comment.

It is so much more efficient not to have people with power, because you can do things quickly.

And our fearless leader, who's also a developer, strangely enough, thinks like a developer, believes the same thing.

I don't.

I think that Seattle has gone too far that way because we're seeing less and less good development.

Recently, I've seen a lot of older buildings being torn down in the Belltown area and some other areas of the city, and these are not going to be replaced by affordable housing.

because we refuse to look at MHA.

We refuse to save affordable housing that is not subsidized.

So let's do something for democracy.

If you have a lot of money, you can go to superior court.

If you don't- Thank you, Steve.

Next we have Alice Green, Jeff Paul, David Kenneth Jordan.

Welcome.

Thank you for hearing us today.

I'm with the Green Party of Seattle.

My name is Alice Green.

My main concern is eliminating the SEPA environmental reviews for buildings.

I do think we need to streamline it.

We need to get people into houses, but with all of the vacant commercial space and office space downtown and all the potential for deep density, we should be looking at that as well.

I would say vote for the amendment B.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alex.

Next, we have Jeff Paul.

Welcome.

Good to see you.

David, Kenneth, Jordan.

Hello, hello.

Cool.

Hello, council.

I'm going to go a little higher.

My name is Jeff Paul.

I'm the co-executive director of How's Our Neighbors, and I'm a renter in D3.

are here to speak in favor of this bill again.

I'm here because I'm still very frustrated.

I'm frustrated that people are here who claim to care about the environment, yet they're fighting against one of the most important things that we can do to address climate change and support our local ecosystems, which is dense housing that enables car-free or car-light living.

I'm young enough to get to look forward to climate collapse in my lifetime.

I'll be living in Seattle in a few decades when climate refugees pour in as entire swaths of our planet become unlivable unless we take drastic action.

Every single environmental scientist in the world says that we have to massively reduce the amount of time people drive in cars.

They destroy our atmosphere, their tires and brakes pollute our water.

Seattle is just one city, but we must do our part to move with urgency.

The only way we can do that is if we build densely.

Public transit only works when we have dense cities.

It's one of the most important drawdowns that we can make.

Please take the environmental crisis and the housing crisis seriously.

Thank you, Jeff.

Next we have David, Kenneth, Jordan, Alicia, Lydia, Steve.

Welcome.

Hi, counsel.

My name is David Hill.

I'm here representing the Transit Riders Union.

I'm here to ask you to vote yes on Amendment 1 to Bill 12-12-15.

Cities have to evolve to meet new demands.

Opponents of this change are clinging to an outdated vision of Seattle from 1995 that simply cannot support our city today.

To deliver the walkable, transit-rich future in our comprehensive plan, we must build dense housing near transit.

Density is climate action.

Right now, special interests use $120 filing fees to weaponize environmental appeals and block housing, forcing growth out to the periphery and destroying actual wildlife habitat.

Pushing housing into sprawling subdivisions is not environmentalism.

True climate justice means welcoming neighbors into our urban core.

Please end the cynical abuse of procedural red tape and vote yes on Amendment 1. Thank you.

Thank you, David.

Next, we have Ken followed by Jordan, Alicia, Lydia, Steve.

Welcome.

Hi.

A few of you on the city councils think silencing the public is a great idea.

You have plans and ideas, and you don't want to hear about any of the potential problems with it.

If the people's rights are getting in the way and they're slowing things down, well, those rights just have to go, don't they?

But have you ever seen Seattle Railroad through a policy you knew was wrong, but it was enacted anyway?

Of course you have.

So why are you wanting to take away our right to point these problems out before they become law?

This one-minute kabuki theater is a joke.

Seattle gives us the right to challenge environmental issues to have proposals that can be corrected and improved before they're entombed in concrete, before they're too big to fail and must be passed.

Don't tell the public to shut up and let the developers rule.

When you Democrats act like this, you don't need Republicans to take away our state-given rights.

You'll do that for them.

Don't become as bad as the Republicans.

Don't imitate their very worst behaviors.

Don't approve this terrible proposal.

Next we have Jordan, followed by Alicia.

If we do just spirit hands, I will keep us going.

Thank you so much.

Welcome, Jordan.

Good afternoon.

I'm Jordan Crawley, a lifelong resident of District 1, speaking in opposition to Amendment B and in support of Council Bill 121215. I'm also someone who has lived through housing insecurity and struggled with affording a roof over my head.

The underlying bill helps to streamline legislative actions critical to our ability to build enough housing at all income levels in our city.

Amendment B undermines that effort.

Presented as a mere change, it directly contradicts the core purpose of the bill.

It leaves the door open to the types of appeals that have bogged down development for decades without any meaningful reduction in processing time.

It would allow opponents of a taller and denser Seattle to reduce the effectiveness of this council and that is not what good governance looks like.

if you believe in a housed Seattle, if you believe in affordability for all, we need you to oppose efforts to undermine this bill and oppose Amendment B. Thank you.

Thank you, Jordan.

Next we have Alicia, followed by Lydia, and then Steve, and then we're gonna go online.

So if you're listening online, first 10 speakers, and then we'll come back in person.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, President Hollingsworth and members of the Council.

My name is Alicia Ruiz.

I'm here today representing Habitat for Humanity, Seattle King and Kittitas counties.

Over 1,400 letters have landed in your inboxes from our network of supporters.

They are all in support of Council Bill 1215. That's not noise.

That's a community telling you that delay has a cost.

A family doesn't need more review, they need a roof.

Every month this redundant process drags on is another month they spend waiting for a home to call their own.

That wait isn't paperwork to them, it's real life put on hold.

Habitat believes strongly in environmental protections, But this is being used as a tool to stall housing rather than safeguard our neighborhoods.

Building affordable dense homes near transit isn't at odds with our climate goals.

Instead, it's one of the clearest ways to advance them.

Seattle housing crisis demands action, not redundant process.

We urge you to pass Council Bill 121215 today and vote no on Amendment B. Thank you.

Thank you, Alicia.

Next, we have Lydia followed by Steve.

Welcome.

Thank you, Council Members.

My name is Lydia and I'm here in support of Council Bill 121215, Protecting Land Use Actions from EIS Appeals.

Many of us have participated from beginning to end of our long Seattle process just to see a few people or even one person halt implementation because it wasn't the outcome they wanted.

This is not fair or democratic.

We have suffered the tyranny of the few for too long.

We have spoken for land use code that allows more people to live within our urban boundaries and reduces car dependency, which is the greatest thing we can do for our environment.

Frivolous, time-consuming appeals prevent or delay what we have already spoken for, and I'm so tired of having to repeat everything again and again.

I'm asking that you end this tyranny.

I'm asking that you approve this bill.

Please vote no to Amendment B, which effectively negates the proposed legislation.

Thank you, Counselor.

Thank you.

Next we have Steve and then we will be online with Riley Averon.

You will be first online.

Welcome Steve.

Steve Zemke speaking for Friends of Seattle's Urban Forest and TREEPAC.

Note that we support building more housing in the City of Seattle, we support building up, we support stacked flats, and we support common walls and things like townhouses so we can get more trees on lots and nature.

In particular, we want today to thank the council members who have proposed amendments.

We think these are helpful.

They are positive changes in most cases, in particular, Amendment B we support.

We feel that it addresses the issue of SEPA appeals by the public and proposes necessary forms, such as moving these appeals to the front of the line for the hearing examiner, proposes reasonable timeframes to consider appeals, for instance, 90 days.

Support Amendment A by Council Member Hollingsworth.

Proposal reasonable addition to directors' reports.

Also support Amendment F by Kettle.

Supposedly develop a SEPA handbook and do have some concerns about not covering the council, not having to do directors' reports.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you, Steve.

Thank you, Mr. Zemke.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Riley, followed by Ken, then Lois Martin.

You're going to press star six to unmute yourself.

Hi there, council.

My name is Riley from West Seattle.

I want to first recognize that this form of public comments profoundly unrepresentative and biased towards people like me who are able to spend their weekday afternoon participating in this meeting.

That said, I urge you to pass this bill without Councilmember Saka's getting amendment.

We don't let one person waste months on pointless process when it comes to budget or the police contract or World Cup preparations.

But when it comes to allowing more homes, we do.

These appeals are the Seattle process in the worst way, a waste of time and a way to run down the clock.

Seattle's appeal process has never resulted in substantive changes to an IEIS, much less to the actual plan.

Building more homes in our cities is unequivocally good for the environment.

Recognizing this, the state has already permanently eliminated these appeals as of King County, Bellevue, Tacoma, and Everett.

Again, Seattle's SEPA appeals have never resulted in substantive changes to an EIS or the actual plan.

The status quo is not neutral and wasting time to preserve it is unacceptable.

Please pass this bill.

Thank you.

Thank you, Riley.

Next we have Ken followed by Lois Martin.

Toby is next.

Star six on mute yourself.

Welcome, Ken.

You're still on mute, Ken.

Just star six to unmute yourself.

Star six.

We'll come back.

Okay, so Lois, oh, there you go.

Hello.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yep, go ahead and start, Ken.

This is Aaron Tulloch with FMS Global Strategy.

He told me to unmute.

Okay, go ahead.

It says Kent.

Go right ahead.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

I'm Aaron Tulloch with FMS Global Strategies and the We Build Back Better Alliance, a coalition representing more than 900 community-based organizations.

Thank you for reaching an agreement with the mayor rather than making Seattle choose between feeding children and in school and feeding them when it closes.

Amendment 6 version 2 feeds up to 5,000 families a year on weekends and breaks for six years.

Universal meals reach more than 6,800 food insecure students at 53 schools not covered last year.

When the cafeteria closes, a child who eats two or three meals at school stops eating.

We support the full implementation and evaluation plan and ask you to carry both pieces to final passage intact.

Thank you.

Thank you, Aaron.

Next we have Lois Martin followed by Toby Thalier.

Good afternoon.

My name is Lois Martin, and I'm sorry I could not be there in person, but I'm here about one thing, our right as citizens to hold this city accountable.

When the city plans a major change, it has to study the harm first, including who gets displaced.

Every reviewed research of Color of Health found that transit-driven development and the gentrification around it displaces communities of color and that black residents benefit least and are pushed out more.

CB121215 takes away our right to question the city's environmental review through an administrative appeal.

Housing bill for affordability is already exempt from these appeals, so this bill does not clear the way for that housing.

It only removes our voice on the big rezones where displacement happens.

And by the city's own summary and fiscal note, no racial equity analysis was done on this bill, none.

So I ask you to support Amendment B.

and if that does not pass, the vote no on CB121215.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lois.

Next we have Toby followed by Rick Cave and Deb.

Can, or excuse me, Toby star six unmute yourself.

Hello, Toby Thaler here.

Good afternoon, council members.

The stated motive for eliminating SEPA appeals is to prevent delay in the construction of needed housing.

Thus, what housing is needed?

What we need is affordable housing.

The city attorney has stated on the record that increasing the number of market rate housing units, quote, will decrease the cost or at least limit the increase in cost and it will reduce displacement on those areas that traditionally have been displaced because they're lower cost, end quote.

In other words, the city takes the position that increasing the quantity of market rate housing is mitigation of displacement.

If that claim were true, then the 2019 MHA program would have made a dent in displacement.

But the city hasn't produced any evidence that this has happened.

Where is the OPCD?

The point of SEPA is to...

Thank you, Toby.

Next we have Rick, Deb, and then Irene.

The data showed that the public has not been abusing the appeals process.

On the other hand, some city employees and electeds have been abusing the faith that people have put in them, making shoddy policy contrary to science and excluding the scientific community from involvement.

They have been obstinate in refusal to correct even obvious errors in the analysis.

They even reworded people's comments in the EIS comment section to remove the supporting argument.

It's time for better angels on the City Council to speak up for the people and create legislation that enables intelligent public involvement.

The goal should be to reduce the need for appeals rather than blocking accountability.

Now is not the time.

We need all hands on deck pushing for accountability in Washington DC and your actions here locally are discrediting that.

Only a total hypocrite can let the billionaires own the Seattle City Council and then complain that they own DC.

If you want accountability in DC, model it here.

Remember, you don't know who will be in office after you.

Vote no on this disenfranchisement bill.

Commit instead to increased accountability, claiming that there's no need for accountability.

Thank you.

Next, we have Deb, followed by Irene, James, and then Patrick, and then we'll come back in person.

Star six, unmute yourself, Deb.

Hello, my name is Deb Lester and 1-2-1-1-5 should not be passed unless an amendment is adopted, which preserves the public's right to appeal during the non-project phase.

Problems identified in the non-project phase can impact the entire city and must be corrected before they reach the project level when it's too late for corrections.

The DMHB option is not feasible for most due to cost.

An analysis no one can afford to challenge is not rigorous and accountability is lost.

State law and recent city action now exempt most housing projects from fee for review.

There is no appeal when there is no review.

Without the appeal option or folks that can't afford the DMHV process, public input is limited to these one-minute public comments, written comments during a comment period that are often not included or responded to or contacting your council person who in many cases will not respond to or meet with their constituents.

These are all frustrating options.

Seattle can do better by maintaining the opportunity for residents to identify key environmental issues so they can be corrected before the damage is done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Irene Wall, followed by James Wu, Patrick Taylor, and then we'll come back in person.

Hello, this is Irene Wall, resident of District 6, to address CB 121215. The flurry of late amendments shows the matter is not ready for a final vote today.

Amendment B is worthy of consideration as the basis for a substitute bill, but otherwise the amendments don't address the fundamental reason the majority of people strongly oppose this action.

Attempts to justify this bill fail to convince anyone.

Yes, we elect the council to represent us, but that does not mean replace us or silence us in matters as important as the future of our city.

Please read the comments in the Seattle Times following the pro-con opinions.

When community leaders and residents from very different neighborhoods voice their opposition, that should be your guide, not the tear-stained allegations that rare SEPA appeals are preventing the construction of affordable housing.

Those projects are already exempt from SEPA and design review.

Getting SEPA right is about getting mitigation needed to get development

Thank you.

Next we have James followed by Patrick.

James followed by Patrick and then we'll come back in person.

Star six and unmute yourself.

Thank you.

Dear council members, I'm a PhD student or PhD scientist working in healthcare.

I would like an environmental impact study of the climate harms of not building housing densely enough.

How do I make sure this gets studied?

I would like a ratio to equity analysis of existing high opportunity, wealthy majority white neighborhoods of the city, preventing dense rental homes from being built in their own neighborhoods.

How do I get this study started?

These are of course rhetorical questions.

The answer is I cannot.

Apparently citizens only have the right to delay change, but never the right to question the damage of the status quo.

You've heard today from property owning tree reactionaries that this status quo works just great for them.

Well, studies show that housing delay kills.

Renters have three and a half years shorter life expectancy than homeowners due to the health impacts of suffering instability.

past 12, 12, 15 as is.

Thank you.

Thank you, James.

Next we have Patrick and if we could just do spirit hands, we have over a hundred speakers and so we'll try to move through as best we can.

Next we have Patrick and then we're going to come back in person.

Before you go Patrick, the people that are up on deck next is Alexandria, Sarah Clark, Shimona, Mackenzie, Logan, Jonathan, Fritter, if I said your name wrong, I really apologize.

Bennett, Lam Ho, and then Harper.

You all will be next after Patrick, you speak online.

Go ahead, Patrick.

Star six, unmute yourself.

Hi, my name is Patrick Taylor, D2.

My comments are guard at CB 12-12-15.

I'm sure everyone in council has talked about improving the Seattle process and cutting red tape.

This is the opportunity to do so.

Council member Lynn's proposal is a sensible reform that will speed up much needed policy changes and important projects while maintaining an opportunity for appeal.

It will eliminate malicious appeals that cost the city time and taxpayer money spent on additional study and delay, but don't improve policy or environmental outcomes.

Work on the One Seattle plan has been going on for over four years, with several more to go.

There have been numerous open houses, public comment periods, council hearings, several elections, and a 2,000 page EIS.

Residents have had abundant opportunity to express their feelings loud and clear.

Yet a small group of affluent people with free time and money have been able to subvert the process, delaying the comp plan and much needed housing opportunities.

This is not what democracy looks like.

This is not what smart environmentalism looks like either.

Please pass the bill and vote down the amendment.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Patrick.

All right, Alexandria, welcome.

Followed by Sarah, Shimona, Mackenzie, Logan.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

I'm Alexandra Kleeman, a partner at Hillis, Clark, Martin & Peterson that practices in our environmental group.

One area of my practice relates to the cleanup of contaminated sites undergoing redevelopment.

The cleanup that occurs as part of this new construction is one of the most effective ways to improve environmental conditions in urban locations.

If these sites are not redeveloped, then they are often not cleaned up.

Urban redevelopment leaves behind a cleaner environment.

In addition to the cleanup that occurs as part of this redevelopment, Washington State's baseline technical codes, like the Energy Code and the Stormwater Code, result in green new development.

Passing new code to implement pro-housing policies is one of the best things this Council can do to encourage redevelopment and cleanup of contaminated sites.

Council Bill 121215 makes that code adoption process more efficient, and I encourage your support.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Alexandra.

Next we have Sarah Shimona Mackenzie Logan.

Welcome Sarah Clark.

Hey Council President Hollingsworth, members of the Seattle City Council.

For the record, my name is Sarah Clark and I'm here today testifying on the over 2,600 members of the Seattle Metro Chamber speaking in support of Council Bill 121215. Seattle's business community has been consistent in our advocacy on housing policy.

We have a huge deficit and in order for us to build all the housing across all types at all income levels for all people in Seattle, we need a comprehensive approach and we feel that CB121215 is getting us into a better direction by eliminating redundant reviews in the SEPA process.

For Seattle's business community, the lack of affordable housing also contributes to other struggles to recruit and retain workers.

And we are in a vulnerable place, and we can't afford to lose more.

So we are respectfully asking the committee to pass this legislation before you today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sarah.

Next we have Shimona, followed by Mackenzie, and then Logan.

Welcome.

Hello, good afternoon Council President and members of the Seattle City Council.

My name is Shimona Moreno and I'm the Executive Director at 350 Seattle.

I'm here today to ask you to please pass Council Bill 121215. This is a practical process reform.

Environmental review remains in place and the bill addresses a redundant local appeal path that can add months to legislative housing decisions without building a single home or improving environmental outcomes.

Here at 350 Seattle, we believe that housing is a human right and a powerful climate solution.

When we build affordable, dense housing where our people work, shop, play, and pray, we drive less, which means less pollution, less sprawl, less time in traffic, and lower monthly bills.

Dense affordable housing is the critical first step to neighborhoods where everyone can get their needs met by walking, rolling, biking, and busing.

Climate resilience can't happen without it.

I had the honor of being part of the mayor's transition team, and a big thing people mentioned in our stakeholdering is in the holdup in Seattle's planning processes.

Thank you, Shimona.

I'm sorry.

I know you can put your comments in the thing if you want, or you can email them to us as well.

We'd love to hear them.

Okay.

Awesome.

Looking forward to those.

Mackenzie followed by Logan and then Fritter.

Welcome Mackenzie.

Hello, City Council.

My name is Mackenzie Mayfield.

I grew up in Seattle and I'm a current grad student in environmental science at UW.

I'm here to urge you to adopt Council Bill 121215. The ability of just a few well-resourced individuals and organizations to stall reform with SEPA appeals long-term is neither democratic nor is it good environmentalism.

Continuing to limit housing density in a growing city will lead to suburban sprawl and increased car traffic.

This will lead to increased inputs, of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, increased stormwater runoff into the waterways.

We know this, and I understand the fear around urban growth, but rather than being afraid of change, we need to face it and adapt to it.

We have a city with a growing population and a housing shortage.

Let's not kid ourselves that making Seattle less livable will improve the environment or that delaying building will stop growth.

Instead, I urge the city to face the problem head on with solutions like building more walkable neighborhoods and increasing public transit access.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mackenzie.

Next we have Logan followed by Fritter, Jonathan, Bennett, Lamho, Harper.

Welcome, Logan.

Afternoon, Council.

Logan with MBACs, and also District 5 resident.

I'm here today in support of Council Bill 12-12-15, and I urge you to vote yes today, including a yes on amendments A, D, and E.

Seattle's in the midst of a real housing shortage, and we can see that as permit applications continue to drop to all-time lows and home prices continue to rise.

While this bill itself doesn't build more housing, It does help ensure that the city does not experience further unnecessary delay in planning for and implementing zoning and policy changes that will build more housing.

And I want to reiterate, because this cannot be stated enough here today, this is a procedural reform, and it does not eliminate public process or take back environmental standards.

Voting yes today will help ensure that we can build more housing of all types, build faster, and without delay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Logan.

Next we have Fritter.

Is Fritter here?

Wallet?

Is that you, sir?

I messed up your name, I'm sorry.

Fritz?

Okay, I didn't see the Z.

Fritz Wallet.

Okay.

Thank you.

Your Z's a little, you gotta admit, because people on TV are gonna think I can't read.

Can you just give me that, that the Z's a little off?

I'm sorry, what?

Never mind, on your writing.

I'm talking about your writing, that I didn't.

I apologize.

No, no, no, okay, thank you.

I don't want people to think I can't read.

Thank you, Fritz.

Okay, then Jonathan, Bennett, Lamb, and Harper.

Thanks for giving me that one.

So I come here today to oppose 12-12-15 as it's presently written.

If Amendment B were to pass, that would vastly improve its revisions.

I am a former assistant city attorney.

I worked under three city attorneys while I was here for 18 years.

And I have never seen a bill quite like this during the time I was there that took away rights.

In Seattle, we generally speaking preserve rights or we increase rights.

We don't take them away.

We leave that to the folks on the banks of the Potomac in the White House to do that.

I regard 12-12-15 as an overreaction to Jennifer Godfrey's victory in the Court of Appeals, and we got a lot of helpful information in the Court of Appeals.

Let's move on to pass a bill that supports the environment and trees and salmon.

Thank you.

Thank you, Fritz.

Next, we have Jonathan, followed by Bennett, Lamb, and then Harper.

We just do our spirit hands.

We'll get to Jonathan, Bennett, Lamb, and Harper.

Welcome.

Okay.

Good afternoon, Council President Hollingsworth and Council members.

My name is Jonathan Lopez, and I serve as an appointed member of the Seattle's Immigrant and Refugee Commission, and I am here in that capacity today to advocate for Seattle's immigrant and refugee communities.

I want to thank Councilmember Rivera and the members of the Select Committee for advancing the FEPP Levy Implementation and Evaluation Plan.

Seattle's immigrant and refugee communities do not lack talent, ambition, or the desire to contribute.

However, many from these communities are not presented with the same access to professional networks, career preparation, mentorship, and opportunities to help reach their potential.

Passing this plan is important, but its success will be measured by whether these opportunities reach the communities that have historically been furthest from them.

Please pass Council Bill 121240 and continue prioritizing investments that allow every young person in Seattle to learn, contribute and thrive.

Thank you, Jonathan.

Thank you.

There you go.

Bennett, Lamb, Harper.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Bennett Hazleton, and today, outside the Storm Fever game at Climate Pledge, there is an anti-trans group planning to hold a rally.

Now, when I say anti-trans, look, if the group said something like, oh, we need to think about doing something with the rules because trans women have such a physical advantage over Swiss women, and personally, I don't think that's hate speech, but a bit of these things, and they never stop with that.

It's always this ugly shit, like saying a trans woman is a man in a dress, calling trans women mentally ill, claiming that trans women are dangerous to kids, which is fucked up, and also obviously not supported by statistics.

We need to go on record that this rally that's happening does not represent Seattle's values.

There is a good chance that Victoria Palmer's going to be there.

She, of course, most of you know is the piece of work who's on the executive board of the King County Republican Party and is the one who came to city council claiming that trans people are committing a genocide against our young people or something.

It's fucked up shit.

So I would invite you if you have time or anyone here or anyone watching to come and help protest this.

I'm going to be there with a sign exhorting ticket holders please throw your you know what's at these idiots not onto the court.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bennett.

Bennett.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bennett.

Can we have Lamb and Harper?

We love your signs, Bennett, by the way.

Lam, and then Harper.

Good afternoon, Council President Hollingsworth and council members.

My name is Lam Ho, and I'm the general manager of the Transit Riders Union.

I've also been a community lawyer for almost two decades in low-income communities.

So due process and a democratic legal system is something that is my guiding principle of my work.

and I'm here to ask for you to vote for 121215 without Amendment B because it is the Democratic option.

When you think about due process, it factors in meaningful access, which Council Member Lin has thought very meaningfully about and maintained and administrative process, which I'd like to point out is actually without a fee.

So there still is an administrative appeal process as well as a judicial option that's still available to communities to question decisions by the city.

But you also have to balance it with the impact when meaningful access does not provide a resolution to what is just.

And what is just is ensuring that Seattle is not harmed by the continuing affordability crisis and the crisis that we deal with homelessness.

We can't allow

Thank you, Lum.

Thank you, Lum.

You're all good.

Harper, you're next, and then the next 10 people, and then we'll jump back online.

Before you go, Harper, give me one second.

I'm gonna say the next 10 people, thank you so much.

Sandy, Kathy, Jessica, Susan, David, Megan, Catherine, Mark, Manti, and then Paul.

you all are next.

So if you all start standing up and getting ready, you all will be the next 10, and then we will go through them and we'll jump back online.

Harper, Nally, you are up.

Hello, I'm Harper Nally, and I'm a lifelong environmentalist, which is why I support 121215 without Amendment B. The sides to me are clear.

I care about trees, which is why I believe we should make it easier to prevent sprawl.

I care about trees, or if you care about trees, you care about deforestation.

If you care about preserving your home value and your wealth, you care about opposing SIPA streamlining.

Abuse of SIPA by homeowners is a huge part of why LA and San Francisco are some of the least affordable cities in the world.

Right now, we are, sorry, I finished my script.

There are ways that we can preserve tree coverage in Seattle that don't harm housing.

We can replace street parking with planters.

This is a very, very simple solution to this problem that, in theory, satisfies both sides.

Ask yourself why it doesn't.

Thank you.

Thank you, Harper.

Next, we have Sandy, Kathy, Jessica, Susan, David.

Welcome, Sandy.

Great.

Good afternoon, council members.

I'm Sandy Shetler.

At every meeting on this bill, someone has asked the sponsor, does CB 12-1215 take away project appeals?

And every time, we've been reassured that it doesn't.

But this is disingenuous because CB 121093 already removed almost all project, sorry, removed all SEPA and the project appeals that go with them.

For example, a 30,000 square foot big box store is completely exempt from a project appeal from a SEPA if it has one ADU in the basement.

Affordable housing is also already exempt.

Administrative type five appeals are all we have left and they are the most important.

It's the only stage where the city studies cumulative environmental impact and displacement across a community, not one parcel at a time.

Without the check of a potential appeal, EIS quality will certainly decrease.

Thank you, Council Member Saka, for sponsoring Amendment B. Thank you, Sandy.

Next, we have Kathy, followed by Jessica and Susan.

Welcome, Kathy.

Hi, thank you.

My name is Kathy Kaplaner.

Today, citizens have a right, indeed a responsibility, to make sure government considers the full extent of various impacts before irreparable harm is done, to try to make sure big money does not recklessly destroy the environment.

CB 12, 12, 15 would move the timing of that right to only after permanent slash long-lasting harms have been done.

I do not take kindly to being denied my rights.

We can have both trees and dense housing just done right and carefully.

So I ask, is this a council that will summarily abandon greed space advocates Again, trees with housing.

Is this a council that will bend its knee to the industries that would see our fair city look like New York City?

I urge you, I need you to stand up for democracy and science and vote no on CB 12, 12, 15. Thank you, Cathy.

Thank you, Kathy.

Next we have Jessica, followed by Susan and then David.

You can put your comments if you want or send them to us, whatever is best for you if you want.

Thank you so much, Kathy.

Jessica, welcome.

Hi, thank you, Council.

Hi.

Whichever one you want to use.

Hi.

My name is Jessica Dixon.

I'm in District 6. I'm asking the Council to vote no on CB 12-12-15 unless Amendment B passes.

Amendment B preserves the public's right to appeal while reforming the process to streamline housing-related appeals.

CB 12-12-15 disenfranchises Seattle voters.

Other appeals processes cost thousands of dollars, lots of time, and only happen after legislation is enacted.

CB 12-12-15 is a solution in search of a problem.

As noted by FutureWise, Seattle has consistently led the nation in producing housing.

This would not be possible if appeals were really holding up the housing production.

and an argument that SEPA appeals cost time and money falls flat.

Since 2016, Seattle's average just 2.7 appeals per year and only eight of the 27 appeals involved housing.

Eliminating the right to address fewer than one housing related appeal per year is out of scale.

Vote no unless B is passed.

Thank you, Kathy.

Next, we have Jess, or that was Jessica, sorry.

Thank you, Jessica.

Next, we have Susan, followed by David, and then Megan.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

Susan Fedora for District 1. I'd like to express opposition to CB 12, 12, 15 as written, not as anti-housing, but as pro-accountability.

Citizen appeals and public participation are not obstacles to progress, they're how we catch unintended consequences before they become permanent.

Amendment B effectively addresses the concern that prompted the bill and also protects meaningful public participation.

I strongly urge council members to support the amendment and offer thanks to Councilmember Saka for sponsoring it.

A stated intent of this bill was to meaningfully address climate change for a city that believes in science, yet the Urban Forestry Commission, comprised of scientists and an arborist appointed by city leaders who volunteer expertise to integrate ecological wisdom into urban planning, are largely underutilized if not ignored.

By contrast, developers are granted private monthly meetings who are not stakeholders in our communities, they are guided more by profit than science, which is why we continue to lose some of our biggest trees for more parking spaces.

The public deserves to maintain a seat at the table, and amendment fee allows for that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Susan.

Next we have David, followed by Megan, Catherine.

Hi, David.

Good afternoon.

My name is Dave Gloger from District 5. Council Bill 12-1215 has been presented with a staggering amount of misinformation.

Here are a couple examples.

It is a claim that appeals slow affordable housing development, but no evidence has been shown to support this.

The ORCA appeal was filed because the EIS for the One Seattle plan had serious flaws.

It was not to slow affordable housing.

The city attorneys have filed legal delays at every step of the appeal process, so blame them, not the appellant, or blame the city for producing an incomplete EIS.

The sponsor of 12-12-15 claims to care about South and Central Seattle, but he condemns a similar national appeal process from 50 years ago that was crucial to the black community's fight for lit over I-90 and the Rainier Valley Mitigation Fund.

The national process doesn't apply to local issues, and CB 12-12-15 would take that away.

So vote no on 12-12-15 unless we get Amendment B from

Awesome, thank you so much.

Next we have Megan, followed by Catherine, Marie, Manti, and Paul.

Greetings, everybody.

Greetings.

I never am real happy to be here, and I'm almost losing hope.

I'm Megan McKiernan.

I'm a third generation Seattleite and I got to cure the childhood blues by stomping around in Thornton Creek.

And I want so much for the city to grow in a way that preserves as much as possible.

Our canopy are everything that we know we need and love.

I don't have grandchildren.

I'm doing this work for everybody else's grandchildren.

Council member Lynn, thank you for caring enough to work this hard to bring this bill forward.

It needs help.

I understand that you are concerned about the environment, but we need more time.

We need...

The voice of the people.

Please include the voice of the people.

Please vote for Amendment B and then let's have a new bill.

And let's have a new tree ordinance.

Thank you, Megan.

Next we have Catherine followed by...

Welcome.

Hello, my name is Catherine Haberbush, shoemaker, and I live in Northeast Seattle, and I'm standing here with many of my fellow citizens to urge the City Council to vote no on CB 121215 unless Amendment B passes.

If passed without Amendment B, this bill would effectively eliminate the only affordable legal pathway for Seattleites to challenge the city's assumptions and conclusions about the impacts of the city's development decisions on waterways, trees, and animals.

The city's assumptions are sometimes based on inaccurate or incomplete information.

Let Seattle citizens speak.

Voters and taxpayers deserve the ability to affordably, legally, and formally challenge the environmental conclusions the city makes when there is available information to the contrary.

Many residents in the city are desperate to work with but not against the Seattle City Council to achieve common goals of increased housing while preserving our environment.

Please do not shut us out of the process.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

Colleagues, we're about an hour in.

Again, if there's no objection, I'm going to extend the public comment period for another hour.

We do have about 40 people online and then we have a remaining about 30. We do six.

Okay.

So around, so yeah.

So if no objection and then if we have to extend it, we'll continue to extend it.

Okay.

No objection?

Awesome.

All right.

Catherine, that was Catherine.

Was that Catherine?

that just spoke?

That was.

Okay.

Now we have Marley.

Is Marley here?

Marley Holland?

That's you?

Did I say your name wrong?

Come on, Marley.

Yeah, you're up.

You've won the lotto.

Come on.

Powerball.

Mark.

Oh, okay.

You're Kay.

Hold on.

Okay.

Vote no on 121215. I helped win an appeal against the Cheesty Bike Park on Beacon Hill as a member of the Friends of Cheesty.

An appeal meets the legal definition of the First Amendment right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Your colleagues are asking you to approve a law to eliminate the right of most, but not all citizens to file a CEPA appeal.

All but Eddie Lynn's high-paying corporate clients.

Our appeal made the Parks Department do their job right.

For example, SPR will never again be allowed to control permitting for projects in green spaces and natural areas.

All permits must now go through SDCI.

Two, SPR will never again let a single compromised employee control the public involvement or permitting process to benefit his friend's company on which he served as a board member.

Three, SPR will never again file for a permit in natural areas without first doing necessary geotechnical and wildlife safety.

Our appeal protected Chiste Green Space and ultimately all green spaces and democracy in Seattle.

Vote no on CB121215.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mark.

Next we have Manti, followed by Paul, and then we're gonna jump online.

Our first speaker online will be Rachel Nathanielsen.

You may call me Monti.

I am a spiritual leader in the trans community here in Seattle.

Keep your oaths and have mercy for my people.

The regulations are written in blood.

Kill no trannies, rape no trannies, dox no trannies, erase no trannies, exploit no trannies.

Every day the cruel government of this nation does all it can to break these rules, betraying its children, and look what happens.

Your leaders are demented.

Disease stalks the land.

Your crops are failing.

Your cattle are dying.

In war you blunder.

Unrest and violence spreads.

Now natural disasters are coming.

The government of this nation has lost the mandate of heaven for what it does to my people, and if you do not wish to join them in perdition, you cannot sit back and do nothing.

you must fulfill your promises of sanctuary to transgender people.

I would say, have you no room at your inn, but unlike you, the innkeeper did not promise a room to Mary and Joseph before they traveled to Bethlehem.

If you do not know how to love a wretch like me, you do not know how to love God.

Have mercy on my people.

Thank you, Manti.

Next we have Paul.

Welcome, Paul.

and then we're gonna go online.

If you can hear me online.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Then we have Rachel who will switch to online.

Welcome Paul.

Hi, two weeks ago the Blue Angels made the news with an extremely dangerous low pass and I'm not surprised because last year they flew barely higher than that above my house.

Mind you, it's not part of the show.

It's not visible by the public of Seafair.

I am not even in the area that is said to be affected by Seafair.

Yet here we are, every year, with extremely low pass that are so low, so loud, it triggers car alarms.

What do you think it does to a child's ears?

So I'm asking to you all, this year, what are you doing to prevent dangerous maneuvers and extremely low paths above our habitations?

What are you doing to protect the people of the city?

What are you doing to hold the pilots uncomfortable?

Because we know they will not.

Listen, we are not communing with the army and its war machines.

Every year, we are the unwilling collateral damage.

It is time to put at least some common sense limits on that.

Thank you.

I support the bill, by the way.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Now we're going to jump online.

So online, 10 speakers.

Rachel, followed by Ruth Dite, Lady Scribe, Mark, Rose, Jason, Brandon, Orla.

and Mariana.

Star six, unmute yourself, and then we'll come back in person.

Star six, Rachel.

Star six.

If not, we'll move on and we'll come back to you.

Let's come back to you.

Let's go to Lady Scribe.

Star six, unmute yourself.

Star six.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Go ahead, Scribe.

Oh, okay.

Good afternoon, Council.

I'm Lady Scribe.

I'm a mother and community organizer.

I wish I could give an educated opinion on CB 12-12-15, but as we are continuing burying our babies and bystanders, I don't even have the mental capacity to do so.

I'm here to fight against racism and the hate feeling from just trying to find a way to feed our children.

The FEPP findings confirmed What many of us have known for years, food insecurity is a barrier to education, health, public safety, and the opportunity.

That's why Amendment 6 matters.

As someone who grew up black in Seattle, it was deeply disappointing to see Councilmember Eddie Lynn acknowledge that Amendment 6 would benefit children in District 2, yet not support it.

for many of us that reflects the systemic inequities and disenfranchisement we've experienced for generations.

I want to just say thank you to the president, Hollisworth and council members Foster and Strauss for working to find a path to, without taking away from Seattle's most vulnerable.

And also please look into who owns your city.

Thank you, Scribe.

Next we have Mark Brunson, followed by Rose and then Jason.

Star six to mute yourself, Mark.

Good afternoon.

My name is Mark Brunson.

I urge the council to pass CB121215 and reject Amendment B. Our city faces a climate crisis, an affordability crisis, and a traffic safety crisis.

Our city needs to act on these crises with the urgency they demand.

The consensus of climate scientists and the IPCC is that cities must build dense housing that focuses on mobility, that focuses mobility on walking, rolling, cycling, and public transit.

All the research on tire and brake dust emissions from vehicles makes clear that it is hazardous to human health and lethal to our salmon population.

I can't appeal the current zoning that confines new multifamily housing and commercial space to colluded and unsafe arterials.

Unfortunately, the destructive status quo is sacrosanct in our system and any attempts to improve it must survive long and arduous process.

We should not be providing a mechanism of delay for anyone who wants to maintain unaffordable housing and maximise driver's convenience.

Please pass the spell with its original intent intact.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mark.

Next, we have Rose, followed by Jason and then Brandon.

Hello.

This week, we are reeling from the shooting that happened this last weekend.

The trans community is also reeling from a suicide that happened of someone killing themselves at Red Square over the memorial for Juniper Blessing.

was memorialized in May.

We are currently suffering in ways that are beyond description.

Council member Hollingsworth, I reached out to you all about talking about what the incidents that we've had with the police as well this last week and I have not received much of a response.

I wanted to set up a meeting or a time or things to be able to talk what's going on and that hadn't happened either.

We need an emergency declaration.

People are losing hope.

People are feeling like they are lost and we need to be there for them.

And right now they don't feel like the city is there for them and they're choosing to kill themselves in response.

How many more of my community members will we have to bury before something is done?

Before we start looking into those that are suffering and struggling and just want to eke out an existence in the city.

Thank you, Rose.

Next we have Jason followed by Brandon and then Orla.

Jason, Brandon, Orla.

Hi, good afternoon Council Members.

My name is Jason Weil.

I am a homeowner in District 6 and I am calling to give comment in favor of passing CB 12-1215 and rejecting Amendment D. The City of Seattle declared a state of emergency about homelessness 13 years ago and since then our population has grown and our unhoused population has also grown and the cost of housing continues to grow past the point of affordability.

for many of our vulnerable neighbors.

Building more housing has been shown by talented researchers including Greg Colburn at the University of Washington to be directly related to housing prices and housing prices are related to the level of homelessness.

SIPA was started with the best of intentions but it has been used in bad faith by many well-meaning people to slow the growth of affordable housing and all housing.

We need more housing in our city, so I urge you to pass the bill.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you, Jason.

Next, Brandon, followed by Orla and Mariana.

Star 6 on mute yourself, Brandon.

I want to speak about Council Bill 12-12-15.

You've heard many people say the rights of residents are most important, but all humans have equal rights, including those who do not live here.

The people who do not live here yet are not able to speak at this meeting to defend themselves.

The only way we can hear their voices is if we build the requisite housing for them to become residents.

I also want to remind the council again that during the middle of a 9 to 5 workday, the vast majority of people who are able to comment are the ones privileged enough to not have to work during this time.

You can now hear the two sides.

People who don't want anyone else to move into this city unless they're displacing residents who are more likely to be people of color, disabled, or poor, and the people who are willing to welcome new neighbors.

The only way new people can move in without displacing others is if we build more housing.

Please reject Councilmember Saka's poison pill Amendment B to this bill.

Amendment B would get the bill entirely.

It retains the existing right to appeal, which defeats the entire purpose of this bill.

Consider some hopeful language that doesn't meaningfully change any realities about the appeal process.

Please vote no on Amendment B and yes on CB 12-1215.

Thank you.

Thank you, Brandon.

Next we have Orla followed by Mariana and then Aretha.

Good afternoon.

This is Orlik and Kim and thank you for this opportunity.

I am asking you to please vote no on CB 121215 unless amendment B passes.

As it stands, the bill disenfranchises and muzzles Seattle residents and the bill removes the only affordable way for the public's right to file appeals.

This is far from democratic.

Further, this bill should not pass without a racial equity toolkit analysis.

The current orca appeal has been delayed by the city's attorneys, not the appellants.

It is incredibly unfortunate to penalize the public and concern people who volunteer their time to save nature and particularly endangered resident orcas without other special interests as claimed.

Rather, the special interests strike me as the 30 private meetings that the city has had with developers without any environmental groups presence.

As noted by FutureWise, Seattle has consistently led the nation in producing housing.

This would not...

Thank you, Orla.

Next we have Mariana, followed by Aretha and then Joanna Cullen and Greg Smith as our cutoff for the people online.

And then we'll go back in person and we'll alternate.

Hi, Mariana.

Wonderful.

Hi, good afternoon chair and council members.

Again, my name is Mariana Haig with the North Coast State Carpenters Union.

I'm here today in support of Resolution 12-1215.

We know there's a significant need for housing.

We've heard it a couple times on this call already.

And we must create more opportunities for projects to be built.

This resolution can help by opening the door for new development and move us closer to meeting the needs of our communities.

Now we do have an opportunity to build much needed housing and other infrastructure, but also investing in the workers who build it.

So I just ask you real quickly, you know, please respectfully ask for your support.

This is a great resolution.

Again, 12-12-15 in full support.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Next we have Aretha followed by Joanna and then Greg Smith and we'll come back in person.

Hello, council members.

This is Aretha Basu, political director at Puget Soundstage.

I'm calling in today in support of changes to SIPA.

The long-term economic and racial segregation that Seattle has seen because of single family zoning must end.

All neighborhoods need to accept their fair share of housing.

In the struggle over who gets density and who doesn't, SIPA appeals have primarily been used by well-off homeowners to stop density in their neighborhoods.

For this reason, Puget Soundstage supports the change to the city's SIPA process.

Over the last 40 years, BIPOC communities have faced extremely high rates of gentrification and displacement from their historic neighborhoods.

In the larger, longer struggle over land use, marginalized people almost always lose.

So in addition to changing people's rules, I urge the council to commit to setting the needs of working class BIPOC neighborhoods as you make more changes to land use policy in the next few years.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Aretha.

Joanna Cullen, followed by Greg Smith, and then we'll go back in person.

Star 6, unmute yourself, Greg.

Or Joanna, sorry.

Go ahead, Joanna.

I'm sorry.

Am I unmuted now?

You are unmuted.

Go ahead and just talk.

Thank you.

I'm Joanna Cullen in the Central District.

Please vote no on CB 121215. Remember, there are important reasons why the community values the current appeals process.

The process helps save the community from historic demolition and total environmental destruction.

It empowers those who may not have access to power behind closed doors.

It invites the community to examine and understand even when they don't object.

Seeking concessions is how I-90 lived and the Rainier Valley Mitigation Fund were one.

For communities without wealth, political power, and leverage, the appeal process is not an abuse of the process.

It empowers the people to hold their government accountable.

Please don't take away our rights and don't silence our voices.

Thank you, Joanna.

Thank you.

Next, we have Greg Smith, and then we'll come right back in person.

Before you go, Greg, I'll tell you the people that need to get ready.

We have Cedar.

Hi, I'm Greg Smith.

Hey, Greg, give me one second.

I'm going to go ahead and call the next people up, so give me one second, okay?

Don't start yet.

Cedar, Julie, Susan, Sola, Carol, Noah, Kate Rubin, you switched with Tiffany.

Kate, are you still speaking?

Yep, okay, awesome.

Kate Rubin, followed by Caroline, Amanda, and Andrew Witten.

So Cedar, Julie, Susan, Sola, Carol, Noah, Kate, Caroline, I think it's Amanda, and then Andrew.

Okay, Greg, go right ahead.

Hi, I'm Greg Smith.

I live in District 3. I urge you to vote FAR, CB 12, 12, 15, as is, to reduce redundant appeals.

CB 12-12-15 is pro-environment and will make Seattle more affordable.

CB 12-12-15 will also reduce displacement.

Displacement in any particular neighborhood is caused by lack of enough housing in a city.

Building more reduces displacement.

They need to be building as much as possible, as fast as possible, to reduce displacement.

The recent six-month delay of the comp plan via CBO appeal means six more months of displacement.

Please vote FAR-CB 12-12-15, reject Amendment B. Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Greg.

So Cedar, Julie, Susan, Sola, Carol, Noah, Tiffany, Caroline, or excuse me, not Tiffany, Kate, Caroline, Amanda, and Andrew, you all are next.

So just start coming up on deck.

Go ahead, Cedar.

Okay, so over the next few years, we are in some exciting times.

First off, we have the expansion of the surveillance state that will see cops replaced with robots.

Next is the mass surveillance centers.

Now, as a member of a family in the American 1%, we are building mass surveillance centers to steal water from the majority of the American public to poison the habitats.

the farmers experiencing stillborn livestock and people having countless health effects living near them.

So yes, we are building them to hurt the American public and the job market.

The military and police are both replaceable at this point, having long served their purpose.

As far as replacing goes, we are also attempting to hurt the majority of the American public by making farming an affordable poisoning your water through Monsanto and other corporations and good old capitalism.

So if any of you have any questions about this, I will be in the hallway.

Thank you.

Next, we have Julie, followed by Susan and then Solo.

Welcome, Julie.

Hi, council members.

Thank you so much for allowing us to speak.

Growing up, all my parents and teachers have always emphasized to speak up.

Let your voice be heard.

This is me speaking up.

And in my opinion, we need to have a process for appeals.

The developers talk about faster and quicker, and they think that taking away the process will make things faster and cheaper.

Well, we all know that each law is unique, and we can't rubber stamp land use, water use, tree canopy with no process.

We're assuming that each development is the same, and we need to be smarter, we need to be flexible, and we need to be open to a process.

Otherwise, it feels like the institutions are just telling us citizens to just shut up, piggy.

And that is just not right.

Thank you.

Thank you, Julie.

Next we have Susan, followed by Sola, and then Carol.

Is Susan here?

Susan Jones, welcome.

You are up, followed by Sola, Carol, and then Noah, welcome.

Thank you very much to all of you for the opportunity to speak to you.

My name is Susan Jones.

I live in District 2, and I am here to add my voice to those who preceded me in opposing 12-12-15.

I am especially disturbed by the disenfranchisement of our citizen rights.

under this bill, and I'm especially disappointed that Council Member Lynn is the one who authored this bill, because I went to a neighborhood meet and greet before he was elected, and I asked him specifically about his feelings and values for the environment and tree canopy, and he assured me that he would uphold those values.

So anyway, I hope you will continue.

Thank you, Susan.

Next, we have Sola, followed by Carol, and then Noah, Kate Rubin, Caroline, Amanda, Andrew.

Welcome.

Sola.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

Council President and members of the Council, my name is Sola Plumacher, and I'm the Director of External Affairs for Plymouth Housing.

I'm asking you to pass Council Bill 12-12-15.

and reject Amendment B. Plymouth Housing believes deeply in environmental stewardship, meaningful public participation, and responsible planning.

This bill does not end environmental review.

It changes a locally created administrative appeal process for legislative land use decisions, a process state law does not require.

When redundant procedures add months to housing placement review, communities pay the price, literally because delays cost millions.

Plymouth residents already face limited options for housing, scarce public funding, and long wait lists.

Council should continue demanding strong analysis, transparency, and public engagement, but a duplicative appeal path is not the same thing as environmental protection.

Good review should inform decisions.

It should not delay becoming a tool for immediate...

Sorry.

It should not become a tool for indefinite delay.

Plymouth asks you to pass this bill and preserve

Awesome.

Thank you, Sola.

Next we have Carol, followed by Noah, then Kate Rubin, Carolyn, Amanda, Andrew.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

My name is Carol Burns.

Let me start with, I'd like to urge you to preserve an accessible citizen appeal process and vote no on 12-12-15.

The ability to appeal a city decision is a cornerstone of accountable government.

It recognizes that no decision-making process is perfect and that independent review protects both the public and the integrity of our city government.

If appeals become more expensive, more complicated, or more limited, the people who lose access won't be large organizations or well-funded interests.

It will be ordinary Seattle residents who simply want a fair opportunity to be heard, which we're entitled to.

and we should keep that in mind.

Public trust is built through transparency and accountability, not by making oversight harder.

I'll ad lib a little bit.

Faster to me, hearing all these arguments, I totally get it.

We have a host of problems in this city, housing, everything, right?

Taking away my rights and the citizens of Seattle.

Thank you, Carol.

Thank you, Carol.

Thank you, Carol.

Next, we have Noah, followed by Kate, Caroline, Amanda, and Andrew.

Welcome, Noah.

Thank you, counsel.

My name is Noah Williams from West Seattle, but I was born in Alaska, a state where I was forced out because of, amongst other things, the cost of living that kept increasing.

Growing up there, I saw a lot of environmentally destructive deregulation per profit, and this bill is not that.

This is keeping the environmental regulations and allowing the regulators to be the ones to enforce them.

One of the most salient and damning criticisms of this country is that we've trained a nation of lawyers, not engineers.

If you pass this bill without Amendment B, you'll have legislation with strong environmental protections remaining in place.

This bill eliminates the private right of action, which was abused by racist NIMBYs over and over again, who don't give a damn about the environment they try to hide behind.

If we want to start undoing the damage done by these decades of deeply malicious and racist, keep those people out of here policies, we have to pass this bill and do so without Amendment B. And to the old white people advocating the continuation of this, I see you, I hear you, and I'm more disappointed in you because of it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Noah.

Next we have Kate Rubin, followed by Carolyn, Amanda, and Andrew.

Welcome, Kate.

Hello, my name is Kate Rubin.

I'm the co-executive director of B Seattle and a renter living in District 2. I urge you to support Councilmember Lynn's bill regarding SEPA appeals.

It's easy to feel virtuous protecting the tree outside your own house, but that ignores the fact that there are entire forests being cut down to build housing for people who have to spend an hour commuting because there isn't enough housing here to accommodate them.

I grew up in the woods in unincorporated South King County.

It's nearly unrecognizable now.

Seattle's refusal to grow is creating massive urban sprawl that has far greater impacts on the environment as a whole than concentrating growth in the largest city in the state.

The duplicative SEPA appeals process has been weaponized to keep renters out of neighborhoods under the guise of environmental protection.

The area median income for homeowner households is nearly twice that of renter households.

We desperately need more housing, especially affordable housing and social housing, and we need it now.

Please support Council Bill 121215. Thank you.

Thank you, Kate.

Next we have Caroline followed by Amanda and then Andrew.

Welcome, Caroline.

Hello and thank you for the opportunity to comment.

My name is Caroline Villanova and I'm the Director of Government Relations at Seattle Park Foundation.

I want to share that we are grateful for the thoughtful amendments that council members created and put forward for CB121215.

And while we see the benefits of all the amendments you're considering today, we really believe that Amendment B is a must pass.

This amendment improves the appeal process rather than removing it outright, allowing for civic engagement and environmental review of public projects.

A faster and more efficient hearing examiner process that prioritizes housing related appeals is a clear win for developing the much needed housing in the city.

And today you can show it's impossible, it is possible to improve a process rather than dismantling it.

and build a livable and climate resilient city.

Thank you for your time today and we encourage you to adopt Amendment B so that you can vote yes on CB121215.

Thank you.

Thank you, Caroline.

Thank you.

Next we have Amanda followed by Andrew.

Amanda Lynn, welcome.

And then we have Andrew.

And then after Amanda and Andrew, we have Peter, Starr, Curtis, Clive, Carl, Ruth, Jennifer, Amber, and Cedric.

Afternoon, council members.

My name's Amanda Lynn.

I am an organizer for How's Our Neighbors.

I'm also a renter in District 3. When we talk about protecting the environment, we often picture forests, wetlands, open space, but as you all know, the most effective environmental policies we have to protect those lands is actually allowing more people to live in the city.

Beyond the delays and costs I talked about last time I was here on this issue, which most drastically affect our affordable housing developers, this is a major environmental issue.

And as an environmentalist, I'm listening to the experts.

If we are serious about addressing the climate crisis, protecting our natural lands and creating more equitable communities, then we need to embrace compact, transit-oriented growth that allows more people to live where they can thrive.

We need to think beyond the boundaries of our immediate neighborhoods and single trees that make our day-to-day life pleasant and instead see the larger picture, creating a green, equitable city where everyone has access to trees, affordable housing, opportunity, and a high quality of life, where we have a future in which everyone has clean air and water.

The position aligned with environmentalists and environmental science is to pass this legislation.

Thank you, thank you.

Andrew, is Andrew here?

Andrew, are you here?

What was his last name?

I gave it to you, Amelia, I'm sorry.

Andrew, next we have Peter, then Star, then Curtis, Clive, Carl.

Andrew Witten.

Is Andrew Witten here?

Andrew?

No?

Okay, hi, Peter, good to see you.

One second, let me just say everyone's name.

You cool?

Okay, awesome.

Star, Curtis, Clive, Carl, Ruth, Jennifer, Amber, Cedric.

We're gonna finish out the people inside.

Pamela, we have X, we have Hannah and Henry, and then we'll go jump back online, okay?

Hi, Peter.

Hi.

Hi, council members.

I'm Peter Hasegawa.

I'm a resident of D7 and a board member of 350 Seattle here in support of 12-12-15.

I want to start by recognizing the neighborhood advocates who came today.

Involved neighborhood advocates are a prerequisite for healthy neighborhoods in our city.

The fact that people feel stewardship and ownership in their neighborhoods is a civic asset, and I urge the council to try to reach respectful, reasonable compromises.

But the reason that I think passing this ordinance is the right change for our city comes from my perspective on climate change.

In my son's Seattle Public School, we are friends with one family who moved here after their home burned in Eastern Oregon.

Another family moved here from Arizona because they do not see a livable future in the Southwest, and because we will have one of the few good climates left in the United States, this trend is going to continue.

We also have an affordability crisis.

The more people we have sharing the cost of a neighborhood coffee shop, a Seattle City light dam, or a road, the cheaper all of these things can become for all of us.

Thank you for supporting this ordinance.

Thank you, Peter.

Next, we have Star, followed by Curtis, Clive, and Carl.

Star here?

Star M?

Okay, you go get her.

I'll just go to the next person.

Thank you.

All right, Curtis, followed by Clive.

We'll go Curtis, then Clive.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Yes on Amendment B or no on CB 12-12-15.

CB 12, 12, 15 is not a blow against special interests.

It's a blow for the real special interest developers.

And no, I'm sorry, climate change is not going to be addressed by limiting environmental appeals.

That's absurd.

What's next?

Let's cut down the trees in order to save them.

no friends, allowing faster urban development without regulation does not stop urban sprawl.

Both are happening at the same time.

Both are eliminating green space, and they're aided by things like this proposal and the comp plan.

The market is not going to save you.

is not going to result either in more affordable housing with these plans.

They're only going to let developers build whatever is most profitable.

Example, 2024, most housing built in Seattle in all time.

The majority of apartments built were luxury apartments.

Average price for new home, over $1 million.

Condos, $950,000.

We lost 4,000 trees.

Meanwhile, we need a plan, an overall plan.

Thank you, Curtis.

Thank you, Curtis.

You can put your...

Thank you, Curtis.

Thank you, Curtis.

Next, we have Star.

Come on up, Star.

It's your beautiful baby.

Hi, my name is Kiana Montgomery and I'm asking you guys- Hold on, let's start your time over, but talk in the mic so we can hear.

You're good, you're good, you're good.

Hi, my name is Kiana Montgomery and I'm asking you guys to pass CB 121215, reject Amendment B. As somebody who was homeless, I was an addict, and there was a couple of things I've been through in this city waiting for people to keep re-editing and doing like that.

I had to wait multiple years for housing.

I was getting assistance from the REACH program and the LEAD program.

They're a very great program.

I am now a mother to three beautiful kiddos and I just got my house in two years ago and I've been maintaining it.

There's a lot of oversight that there's a lot of things that can be approved, but I'm not going to sit here and say that is absolutely terrible program.

I do feel like the more we have people coming in and delaying programs and re-hashing out bills.

It makes it harder for people like me to get housing.

I was waiting for housing since 2018. I was 18 years old.

I was homeless.

I was trafficked.

I was brought here.

So I feel like we need to make things better and make things more accessible.

I'm not saying that I hate the trees or anything like that.

My kids love going to the park, but I'm saying that we needed to make it to where people can get housing.

Thank you so much and glad you got housing for your babies, you and your babies.

Have a good day.

Likewise, thank you, Queen.

All right, we got Clive, welcome, followed by Carl, come on.

I'm a street magician who has performed on the Seattle waterfront for over a decade.

The tiny number of designated free speech zones on the waterfront are unnecessary.

Instead, the city should use narrowly tailored content neutral rules such as reasonable noise limits, keeping sidewalks clear, and maintaining emergency access.

Those measures protect the public without restricting constitutional rights.

The current system enables selective enforcement against performers, discourages protected expression, and has driven many performers and artists away from the waterfront.

You're not only limiting free speech, you've taken away people's livelihoods.

For many performers and artists, this is their only source of income.

Seattle has already lost in the Ninth Circuit over similar restrictions.

I urge you to replace the rules for the designated free speech zone with narrowly tailored rules that protect our First Amendment rights.

Thank you, Clive.

Next we have Carl, followed by Ruth, and then Jennifer.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Carl Nelson.

I'm a 17-year renter in District 4, a tenants organizer, and co-chair of the Cedar Crossing Tenants Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Social Housing Developer.

I'm here today in my personal capacity, though, to voice support for Councilmember Lynn's legislation reforming our broken SEPA process.

Let's be very clear about the big picture here.

There is no greater threat to our salmon population, our orcas, our trees, our tree canopy, our clean air and water, and all our children's future than the continuous sprawl created by our refusal to build the city we must.

A Seattle with dense, affordable housing, walkable neighborhoods, and ample access to public transit.

This is a future that all our children deserve.

Today, Councilmember Lin is giving us a common sense, long overdue piece of legislation that helps our city build the future it needs instead of clinging to an unjust and unsustainable status quo.

I urge the Council to adapt this legislation without Amendment B, without delay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Carl.

Next, we have Ruth, followed by Jennifer, Amber, and Cedric.

Welcome, Ruth.

Hello, good afternoon.

I'm Ruth Williams, representing Thornton Creek Alliance, largely in D5, speaking against Council Bill 12-1215 as it stands.

We thank Council Member Sacca for working to redeem the bill with Amendment B. This amendment is exactly the kind of thoughtful perspective the city needs in a time when we know that all the facts and figures we cite can be written off to unsubstantiated impure motives.

We volunteer our time here and plead our case to you, the Council, while moneyed interests have routine meetings with SDCI.

Appeals to the hearing examiner do offer an inkling of fairness.

Just the possibility also helps keep legislation more reasoned and can help bring in a cherry-picked response to housing and climate change that ignores heat island effects and the contributions of the natural environment.

Please vote yes for Amendment B. Thank you.

Thank you, Ruth.

Next, we have Jennifer, followed by Amber and Cedric.

Welcome, Jennifer.

Hi.

Please pass Amendment B or vote no on 12-12-15, and please do the RET.

The city caused delays.

My appeal didn't delay or limit housing.

My appeal is on the King County Superior Court calendar, while Seattle delays the date again.

Banning the ability to correct dangerous errors in the largest environmental review when public comment fails is anti-democratic.

I attended public meetings to correct dangerous errors for 10 months before appealing the 2,859-page-long EIS.

The city still meets monthly with developers privately.

The EIS states the comprehensive plan preferred alternative will have the second highest vehicle miles traveled.

The Nature Conservancy showed no loss of density when protecting water filtering and cooling big trees.

NOAA's salmon and orca recovery plans both say to protect salmon habitat in urban and rural areas.

It's not if, but how.

When public comment process fails, appeals are necessary to make sure council has the best information in front of it, as the state court of appeals ruled.

and the Lake Washington study left out the majority of harmful contaminants to salmon and orca.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jennifer.

Next we have Amber, Cedric, followed by Pamela.

We have X, Hannah, and then Henry.

Welcome.

Hello, Council.

I'm a lifelong environmentalist, and I support CB 12-12-15.

Rode my e-bike here, and I also teach at UW, and I'm only available to be here because I happen to not teach class today.

I urge you to think about who are we excluding by having public comment at 2 p.m.

on a Tuesday?

Well, most full-time workers.

So I'm here for all of my friends that are hard at work powering Seattle, paying taxes, making sure that our city becomes a more livable place.

But the one thing that unites young people that I talk to is how hard it is to find housing.

And the thing that I hear from people of all political stripes is that we need to make it harder to delay housing.

Housing delayed is housing denied.

Thank you.

Thank you, Amber.

Next we have Cedric, followed by Pamela X. Hannah Henry.

And then we'll go back online.

Is Cedric here?

Cedric Jones.

Cedric Jones once, twice, sold to the sign-up sheet.

Next we have Pamela.

Is Pamela here?

Pamela Adams, there you go.

You popped up fast.

Pamela Adams, freelance beaver detective coming back.

Anyway, I wanted just to say there's some oversights that I discovered in my five years here.

One, beavers were not included on the list of wildlife when you're doing a development, and I brought it up to city council and they told me it was an oversight.

I was also told I was wearing a bear suit, but that was an oversight too.

I just think I would love to see Rapsaska's be passed or do not continue because when we take public away, we think we might lose gaps.

There's oversights and there's oversights that could be filling in a gap like Pikes Lake Market when the public came in and talked about, hey, we could do something better.

We've got that now.

We need public input at all points.

The 28 times that this appeals process has been used is not an obstruction.

It's not obstructing housing.

So why are taking it away?

I don't understand that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks.

We have Pamela Adams.

Oh, that was you.

Sorry.

My bad.

That was Pamela.

My bad.

Thank you, Pamela.

X followed by Hannah and then Henry and then we'll go online.

Welcome X.

Hello, councilwoman, my councilwoman.

Hey, guys.

I'm just so tired from this irrational argument that one thing leads to another, that we have to make sure that we have six-story housing throughout the city when all you have to do is look out there to see a hole in the ground because we don't have land use taxes that make sure that we're developing the land that already exists for high-density housing.

There's a brand new Starbucks in Ballard.

It's huge, but it's a parking lot.

Why?

Why does Ballard Blocks have no housing?

Why does U Village have no housing?

Why do you go to Whole Foods in Inner Bay and there's no housing?

And why is it that you guys are allowing this kind of stuff to happen while we pit neighbor against neighbor instead of saying, what are we going to do to make sure that we have an increase in tree canopy when we have a global warming crisis that will be at our doorstep?

We have orcas who are disappearing, and we have wildlife in this city that needs us to do better.

It's kind of just old, stale, and incorrect.

We need to be critical thinkers, not reactionary, as a lot of folks here today have been.

Thank you.

Thank you, X.

Next we have Hannah, followed by Henry.

Thank you.

I'm Hannah from Pioneer Square.

I just want to take a moment to recognize that we're on native land.

I think it's a little disappointing that we went through this whole meeting and nobody recognized that, as far as I know.

When I go with my friends to find that they're looking for an apartment I own downtown, I walk here, These are giant apartment buildings built by developers.

They're 98%, 99% full.

And then we have big holes in the ground everywhere, and it makes it unsafe for walking.

In this meeting, there's people who want housing, and there's environmentalists, and then they're fighting over the democratic process.

All of these things go together.

We should be cooperating, not fighting over these three things.

So it just seems kind of like a clue.

I really want to commend Lynn for targeting what went wrong, because we needed this housing yesterday.

And hopefully we can find in this process what went wrong overall to triangulate these three things.

Thank you.

Thank you, Hannah.

Next we have Henry and then we will jump right online.

Thank you, Hannah.

What's up, Henry?

And we're gonna go straight to Ethan.

Ethan is next online.

Welcome.

Hi, my name is Henry and I'm a homeowner in District 7. SEPA is an excellent process for preserving property values through artificial scarcity.

For merely $120, appellants can throw appeals at the wall to see what sticks while delaying much needed housing and wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Last year, appeals largely from Seattle's wealthiest zip codes helped push the comprehensive plan one year behind the state deadline.

Housing delayed is housing denied.

Urban sprawl is the biggest threat to the environment, worsening deforestation and climate change.

Removing redundant barriers to denser abundant housing in walkable inclusive neighborhoods is the science-based answer.

If you want Seattle to be a welcoming city for everyone, including younger, working, people of color like myself and my son, and to save the Orcas, please vote yes on CB 12-12-15.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, we have Ethan online.

And then we are going to, I skipped over some people, Rachel Nathanson and then Ruth Dite.

So they will be after Ethan.

Ethan, welcome.

Star six.

Good morning, council members.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Alright, my name is Ethan Carlindsay and I live in Madison Valley.

I'm speaking in strong support of Council Bill 121215 and urging you to reject Amendment C. People was intended to protect the environment, but in Seattle it has been weaponized as a tool to block progress and fight against change.

With wildfires, smoke choking our skies and crushing a housing crisis, it is clear that change is already upon us, whether we like it or not.

We cannot stop change, but we do have a hand in shaping what kind of change we get.

I want a future where we build the housing and green infrastructure needed to face the climate crisis head on, rather than huddling to protect a few privileged enclaves in a growing city.

Urban living is lower impact than sprawl, and it is crazy that SEPA, of all things, has delayed the citywide up zone for this long.

This up zone came from a mandate for more housing, but we're still waiting.

Please approve it without amendment fee.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Ruth, or excuse me, Rachel Nathanson and then Ruth Dite.

Star 6, unmute yourself.

This is Rachel Nathanson.

I'm calling to urge you to not approve CB 12-1215 unless Amendment B is attached to it.

This bill is a permanent change to the way we've been doing things.

It is a taking of rights we have had since SIPA's inception in 1972. But keep in mind, someday this entire council will be filled with other decision makers.

The city staff will be different.

And keep in mind that the loss of appeals affects much more than just housing.

Do we really want to remove this check on the system and leave it to the future as yet unknown decision makers?

What will their agenda be?

Will they be good at their jobs?

As we've seen, a regime change in our national politics has created a disaster.

Let's not approve CB 12-1215 and take away the one small check on the system we currently have and may very well need in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rachel.

Next we have Ruth Deit.

Press star six to unmute yourself and then Julia Shetler.

Star six to unmute yourself, Ruth.

Star six.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Hello.

Thank you.

I'm here to ask you to preserve our democratic right to appeal inadequate EIS's and vote for Councilmember Saka's.

Amendment B. Too often we conflate a housing crisis with a housing problem, but they are not the same.

A housing crisis is people living on our streets or who are so rent burdened they can't afford to buy food and medicine.

justifying dramatic action that may require sweeping aside rules.

People who work in the city but can't afford to buy a home is different.

This is a housing problem and we have time to deliberate on it.

We up zone significantly already under HB 1110 and with wide increases in all the LR zones.

We have substantial capacity right now.

Trump creates a crisis around everything from immigration to voting to justify anti-democratic moves.

I see state and city decision makers doing the same.

Framing housing as a crisis to limit citizen involvement, roll back quality of white development standards, and curb environmental review.

Thank you, Ruth.

Next we have Julia, followed by Julia.

Star 6, unmute yourself.

Hi there, can you hear me?

Yes.

Hi, thank you.

Yeah, my name is Julia.

I am an engineer and a renter, and I'm asking you to please pass Amendment B or vote no on CB 12-12-15.

First, please pay attention to who is giving these comments.

I've heard lobbyists and law firms comment in favor of this bill.

Everyday Seattleites, which is your constituency, is asking you to reject it.

Since 2016, only 27 appeals have come forward and the vast majority are quickly struck down.

I've heard so many commenters say that these appeals are used by wealthy landowners to stop housing.

Not only is this false, but the bill's sponsor has provided no evidence that removing appeals would speed up housing.

In reality, these appeals have been extremely valuable.

It was a SEPA appeal that resulted in the creation of the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund.

Ironically, this bill's sponsor cited redlining in his public FAQ in support of this bill, but no racial equity analysis was even performed.

Amendment B is the only path that would retain SIPA appeals with reform.

Please vote B or vote no.

Thank you, Julia.

Next we have Andrew Lynn, followed by Keith, and then Matt.

star six to unmute yourself.

Star, the low star and number six to unmute yourself.

If not, we'll come back to you.

Oh, there you go.

There we go.

It took a couple of tries.

Thank you very much.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Angela Niskerdo from Pierce County District two.

and I am speaking today in regards to a very important issue that is an emergency for women who are having to endure illegal pregnancy experimentation, including myself.

While Washington State is a no-ban abortion state, there's still a huge problem with trying to gain adequate abortion healthcare from hospitals in the city of Seattle.

According to Washington State University, more than two-thirds of resident abortions in western Washington, occurring in King's Pierce and Snohomish County.

While we have the largest statistics at the side of our state, we are still lacking in medical care for actually having to receive an abortion surgical procedure or abortion medication.

For about three years, I have assessed for abortion medication due to being a victim of illegal preventive treatment.

I have not been able to get any.

Thank you, Angela.

Next we have Keith.

Colleagues, we're going to extend, if there's no objection, extend public comment period for another 20 minutes.

We're about two hours in and we have about 18 more people.

Objection.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Keith, welcome.

Hello, my name is Keith and I'm a homeowner in District 4. I'm commenting on CB 12-1215.

It seems to me that introduction of this bill is motivated by the ongoing legal challenge to the FEIS of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan.

The city attempted to prevent an appeal of the FEIS but lost at the state level.

So now some council members are trying to change the law to avoid having to do the right thing for the city's environment.

It is the city council's unnecessary pushback that has resulted in delays.

There were hundreds of comments on the ways that the FEIS could be improved.

rather than address these shortfalls, this council has put significant effort into vilifying and thwarting those who seem to seek to improve the FIS.

It is unfair to say that those who seek to retain the city's green space and protect the region's wildlife are being malicious and attempting to weaponize SEPA.

We are not a small number and we are not weaponizing a system.

Please vote no on Council Bill 12-12-15 or if the bill moves forward, please pass the version that includes Amendment B. Thank you.

Thank you, Keith.

Next we have Matt followed by Richard.

Hi, I'm Matt Hutchins and I urge you to vote no on B and yes on CB 12-12-15.

Seattle's comprehensive plan so far has taken five years and has been shaped by thousands, tens of thousands of citizen comments.

But today it hinges on whether every single person who has a spare $120 can file an appeal that they're satisfied with every potential, even marginal impact has been studied.

Council spent $555,000 on the 1CL plans EIS.

It's more than 3,000 pages long and somehow it's not enough.

You budget another $350,000 for the supplemental EIS.

Newsflash, this one is going to get appealed too.

Why?

We don't know.

But delay is the goal.

Without Councilmember Lin's reform, the next EIS will be even more expensive, exhaustive, and esoteric to the point where any zoning reform is going to cost taxpayers a million dollars before it can even be considered.

Thank you, Matt.

Next we have Richard, followed by Sarah, then Nathaniel.

Richard Star6 unmute yourself.

You're off mute, Richard.

Hello.

Hello.

I am Richard Ellison, a resident of District 4. I oppose CB121215 banning public appeals on CEPA decisions as written, but support Amendment B by Councilmember Saka, which preserves and streamlines the appeal process.

The loss of affordable housing in Seattle is rooted in the 1990s decisions by the City Council, allowing developers to tear down affordable housing, but not require replacement affordable housing.

and decades of leadership from the Master Builders Association has only resulted in expensive market-rate housing.

Now the Council wishes to remove environmental appeals on any secret decisions as a supposed panacea to the housing crisis.

This housing crisis is because the Council for decades has been run by the Master Builders Association who doesn't want to build affordable housing with lower profits.

Compact and dense affordable housing can be built around trees and open space.

More housing built taller around trees and open space.

but to posture and say environmentalism is nimism and total BS is drinking the mass builder's Kool-Aid, clothing with lots with 100% impervious surface.

Thank you, Richard.

Next we have Sarah followed by Nathaniel.

Sarah the Nathaniel.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Thank you for waiting.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Great, thank you.

I'm calling to urge you to support Amendment B and if Amendment B does not pass to vote now on CB 12-12-15.

I'm wondering if the previous speakers who mentioned toxic stormwater runoff from tires are aware that the final environmental impact statement for the comp plan contains a statement claiming that Pollutants and stormwater runoff are immediately diluted to concentrations too low to affect marine life.

That's simply false.

Retired King County aquatic toxicologist Deb Lester submitted comments identifying this error over multiple years, yet it remains in the document today.

If public comments were consistently and meaningfully addressed, there would have been no need for the ORCA appeal.

Environmental appeals exist because agencies sometimes fail to correct significant errors despite extensive public participation.

Environmental appeals are not an obstacle to good government.

They are a safeguard that helps ensure decisions are legally and scientifically sound.

I want to thank Councilmember Saka for bringing forward Amendment B. It preserves citizens' rights to environmental appeal while making the process more efficient, and that's a reasonable compromise.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Nathaniel, followed by Hans and then Scott Nelson.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you, Nathaniel.

Hello.

Great.

Hello, council members.

My name is Nathaniel.

I'm a six-year renter in District 3. I'm asking you to please vote yes on Amendment B for CB 12-1215, and if that does not pass, please vote no on CB 12-1215 as a whole.

The claims that SEPA appeals delay housing are not grounded in reality.

Rather, failures in the city's own environmental reviews and bureaucratic foot-dragging and hearing these appeals are what are bogging the system down.

Accurate environmental review should be the city's goal, not public disenfranchisement.

Furthermore, Seattle has consistently led the nation in added housing stock in the past two decades, yet vacancy and affordability issues persist.

That indicates a problem with a money development lobby, not with an accessible appeals process.

Please, again, vote yes on Amendment B, or if that does not pass, please vote no on CB 12-12-15.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Hans followed by Scott and then David.

We have about 10 more speakers.

Thank you all for waiting.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Hans.

I'd like to voice my support for Bill 1212-5.

I've been engaged in a number of these comprehensive plan advocacy meetings and the process for a few years now and It seems there is no end to what would be deemed adequate process or public engagement.

The city spends hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars and years and years collating and collecting public comment and input on its process.

We have a representative form of government.

We have elected the council to make a decision amongst a bunch of competing interests and to form a government.

They've done that.

and the technical review can still occur for the work product, which can happen at the Growth Management Board level.

Removing this appeal does not take away our voice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have, that was David Haynes, followed by Jason Lee.

Star six, unmute yourself.

All right, thank you, David Haynes.

It's a proven fact, and it's directly correlated that when you exempt misdemeanor drug crimes, it escalates violence between rival drug gangs.

And yet we see Seattle repeating the same bad history of allowing for the same bacon to the budget from the three previous failed mayors and top cops that allow for bad policies to continue to be played out.

It's almost as if George Soros is using Seattle's police reform as a pilot project to destroy America's efforts to get public safety right.

And LEAD, who always is running interference for the criminal junkie-thieving repeat offenders, are filling up the capacity of housing and purposely racially denying innocent people, homeless citizens, any access to normal housing while being subhumanist-treated.

We need to address the fact that City Council is allowing Baltimore, which had 30-some...

Thank you, David.

Scott Nelson, followed by Jason.

Hi.

Good evening, Council.

My name is Scott Nelson, and I am co-chair of the Seattle Disability Commission.

just commenting here today to give heartfelt thanks and to describe the importance of what is on the consent calendar today.

The Seattle Disability Commission is having three new members confirmed, and that is rarer than it should have been for a few years there, but ever since Councilmember Juarez came back to the Council, and thanks to Councilmember Foster, the Seattle Disability Commission is nearing its full capacity.

For that, I just wanted to thank the Council and encourage more folks to get civically involved.

Thank you, Scott.

Next, we have Jason Lee, followed by Ruby Holland.

And thank you all for waiting two hours on the phone.

My name is Jason Lee.

I'm a resident of Capitol Hill.

I'm a homeowner, actually, and I'm here to speak in favor of Council Bill 121215 as written.

As many people before me have stated, Seattle is in the middle of a dire housing crisis and we need to act as quickly as possible to make sure that we get this resolved and allow people to live where they want to live in Seattle.

I really love Capitol Hill, but I know that a lot of my neighbors and a lot of my friends either can't afford to live in Capitol Hill or are being forced out because there's just not enough housing.

And Capitol Hill is one of the areas that are pretty well up-zoned, but that means that the rest of the city isn't.

And we really need to be able to make sure that people can live anywhere in the city, regardless of their income, regardless of their ability, because The areas of the city with good transit are really desirable and they are severely lacking in housing right now.

We need to make sure that people can live where they desire.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jason.

Next we have Ruby Holland followed by Alberto Alvarez.

Star six unmute yourself, Ms. Holland.

I don't see her online.

I know Tech is looking for her.

All right, we'll look for her.

We'll go to Alberto Alvarez if he's still online, but keep looking for Ruby Holland, Ms. Holland.

Thank you.

Hello.

Thank you.

How many more tragedies will the police chief be away in Chicago?

or on a speaking tour in other cities, in other states, actually.

Being a chief that lives here values our city.

He can't run a police department via Zoom or with a few text messages.

Barnes especially has no right to feel upset when a reporter asked why he was going to be out of town for multiple weeks of August.

If running the police department in our city is too much of a bother for Barnes, He needs to turn over his badge or the mayor needs to fire him.

It's a bad enough problem that many police officers don't walk or live in our communities.

Even worse when you have a chief who doesn't value our city and spends his time in another state every chance he gets.

We need a chief who lives in our town.

Thank you, Alberto.

Two last speakers.

We have Kevin Means, followed by Edwin Lindo.

Kevin, star six.

Hi, council.

Thank you.

Can you hear me?

Sure can, Kevin.

Hey.

Great, thank you.

Yeah, I'm a parent and a resident and homeowner in D2, and I was calling in to support Council Bell 121215 and ask you to reject Amendment B. I have three kids who are here in the back of the minivan with me right now.

Don't worry, I'm parked.

And I would like them to be able to live in Channel 2. And right now, it's not looking good if the housing prices continue the way they have been going and our lack of building housing capacity continues in this way.

I'd also like them to live in a city that has forests and healthy oceans around them.

and that means building denser and avoiding sprawl.

So thank you.

Appreciate your time.

Awesome.

Thank you, Kevin.

Next we have Edwin.

Welcome.

And we should be able to hear you, Edwin.

You're off mute.

Your phone might be muted, Edwin.

But you look awful.

I am.

Thank you.

There you go.

Can you hear me?

Okay.

Loud and clear.

Hi, everyone.

I appreciate it.

Hi, everyone.

Edwin Lindo with Atelita's Library.

Just wanted to share my support for 12-12-15 with the amendments, not including Amendment B. I appreciate Council Member Lynn and others really refining this.

making sure that there's still an appeal process for non-residential projects on the individual project level so that still exists and that the amendments to make sure that there is at least reports being presented to council when those are asked by council members but I also wanted to highlight a lot of the concerns communities have including myself is that there isn't an actual review for the impact of displacement on many of these projects including residential and I would really love for council to explore together how we can create something to the effect of an anti-displacement or displacement review process or board.

It is incredibly important for our communities as we continue to grow that we aren't exacerbating the displacement taking place in the high risk areas, particularly in the south end of Seattle.

Thank you, Edwin.

Are there any more?

There's no public comment speakers.

We're about two hours and 15 minutes in public comment.

I don't see anyone else online who is not present.

We'll give it like 10 seconds.

Sam Wolfson, Nicole Corrado, Ruby Holland, Harper Nally and Star Hope and Ken Letterman.

Okay, public comment period is now closed.

Thank you all for coming for public comment.

Very grateful.

I know people stood in line for a long time and then people were on the phone for a long time.

So really, really appreciate that and your comments today and taking time out of your day.

I also want to check in with my colleagues before we move and power through the agenda.

Does anyone need a recess or are we good?

I'll be looking Some people could use one, five minutes.

Is that, okay.

So right now it's gonna be 4.15.

If we came back at 4.20, my favorite time, we will come back and restart the meeting, okay?

Thank you.

Okay, testing, Seattle Channel, are we on and we're ready?

Let's go ahead and begin, resume, roll.

We're gonna start.

All right.

Will the clerk please?

We are here.

Testing, one, two.

Testing, one, two.

All right, good.

All right, we're gonna start.

We're gonna start.

We're gonna start it up.

foot on the gas.

All right, can the clerk please call the roll while we're driving this car?

Council member Salka?

Here.

Council member Strauss?

Here.

Council member Foster?

Here.

Council member Juarez?

Council member Kettle?

Here.

Council member Lynn?

Here.

Council member Rink?

Here.

Council member Rivera?

Present.

Council President Hollingsworth?

Yes, here.

A present.

Awesome.

Council Member Juarez is excused until she gets here.

Council Member Juarez is here, so please call her again.

I want her to make sure that she doesn't get counted as late.

Council Member Juarez?

Yes.

Awesome.

Present.

All right.

If there's no objection- Thank you.

Thank you.

If there's no objection, the introduction referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction referral calendar is adopted.

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

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

We're now gonna consider the proposed consent calendar.

Items on the consent calendar include minutes of July 21st, Council Bill 121260, which is payment of the bills.

We have one bill from the Human Services Labor and Economic Development Committee and 19 appointments from the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee.

Are there any items council members would like to remove from today's consent calendar?

Hearing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and second to adopt the consent calendar.

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

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council Member Foster?

Aye.

Council Member Juarez?

Aye.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Lynn?

Aye.

Council Member Rank?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendar is adopted.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes in the legislation on the consent calendar on my behalf?

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

They reported the Select Committee on the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy, Six-Year Implementation and Evaluation Plan, Agenda Item 1, Council Bill 121-240, an ordinance relating to the 2025 Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy approving an implementation and evaluation plan as required by Ordinance 127-238.

The committee recommends the bill passed as amended with Councilmember Rivera, Hollingsworth, Foster, Juarez, Kettle, Lynn, Rink, and Strauss in favor, and Councilmember Saka opposed.

Councilmember Rivera, as chair of the committee, you are recognized in order to present the committee report.

I can't believe we're here, colleagues.

This is so exciting.

This is, as you all know, I've been working on my team and many of us have been working on this for the past two years, really.

And so this is a really big moment.

This is a levy that everyone can get.

excited about and can stand by, passed by 80 percent of voters.

We saw and we had the opportunity to hear from the department on all the wonderful work that gets done with this particular levy.

So, clerk, do we need to do I need to we do eventually?

You do.

Yes.

And just checking, I see Councilmember Strauss has his hand.

Understood.

Got it.

Got you.

My bad, Councilmember Strauss.

Councilmember Rivera, continue, please.

Thank you.

It's been a long meeting today, so I'm not going to say much more.

I said what I was going to say at the select committee meeting, but just want to thank everyone for your consideration, your attention to this.

I know this is something, as I said earlier, we all very much care about, and I want to thank my team and your offices and our clerks and everyone who was involved in getting to this vote today on the FEP IME and also the Department of Education and Early Learning.

Some folks are in the audience, so I want to acknowledge them.

And the mayor's office, really, it's when we all, like I always say, when we all work together, we get better outcomes and results.

And this is a product of that.

So I'm really excited to take this final vote today.

Chair, thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Council Member Rivera.

So you're going to move to amend.

I'll let you do that and then people will probably have their final comments.

We'll get through the amendments.

Okay, great.

Clerk, can you just confirm, do I move the bill and then move to amend the bill or just move to amend?

Just move to amend.

All right.

I move to amend Council Bill 121240 as presented on the proposed substitute to Amendment 1.

It's been moved and second to amend attachment number one to the bill as presented on the proposed substitute.

Councilmember Rivera, you are recognized in order to address it.

Thank you, Council President.

The substitute was needed, the substitute, so that's what the amendment is, to fix page number references, add clarifications on two pages, 54 and 63, and make technical corrections to address central staff errors in the spend plan.

That is basically what the substitute is doing.

Happy to answer any questions.

Are there any comments on the substitute to attachment number one?

Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the substitute to attachment one.

Council Member Saka?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Wires?

Aye.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council President Hogsworth?

Aye.

None in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries.

Substitute is adopted.

Council Member Saka, you are recognized to move your amendment.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

I move to amend Council Bill 121240 as specifically presented on Amendment A.

It's been moved and second to amend the bill as presented on amendment A.

Councilmember Saka, you're recognized in order to address it.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera, chair of the committee that shepherded and oversaw this process end-to-end for, as was noted, two for two years now.

So colleagues, this amendment is straightforward, practical, and intended to strengthen how we expand the Seattle Preschool Program over the life of this levy.

I want to thank again Chair Rivera, council colleagues, and Deal for their work on this implementation plan and for the collaborative conversations we've had throughout this process.

simply clarifies that as DO considers where to expand preschool capacity in future years, it should explicitly consider two important factors.

First, the geographic areas with the highest concentrations of families on the SPP wait lists.

And secondly, opportunities to help close the kindergarten readiness gap for children who are furthest from opportunity.

As we continue expanding SPP, demand will continue to outpace available seats in some parts of the city.

But when we're investing public dollars to create new capacity, we should be thoughtful about where those investments will have the greatest impact, and this helps get us there.

I ask for your support.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka.

Are there other folks that would like to comment about the amendment before us?

Councilmember Foster.

Thank you so much, Council President.