Seattle City Council 3/29/22

Thank you.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Today is March 29th.

It's the meeting of the Seattle City Council meeting.

It is two o'clock.

I'm Debra Juarez.

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss.

Present.

Council Member Herbold.

Council Member Herbold.

Here.

Thank you.

Council Member Morales.

Here.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Present.

Council Member Nelson.

Present.

Council Member Peterson.

Present.

And Council President Juarez.

Here.

Seven present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Moving on to presentations.

My understanding is that there are no presentations today.

With that on the agenda, we'll move over to the approval of the consent calendar.

We will now consider the proposed consent calendar.

Are there any items council members would like to remove from today's consent calendar?

Yes, go ahead.

I'm requesting that item 7, 8 and 9 be removed from the consent calendar.

That's appointments 2111, 2146 and 2112. Thank you.

Item 7, 8 and 9 are removed from the consent calendar and will be added to the end of the agenda for consideration.

Now we've removed those items.

So item seven, eight, nine had been removed.

It will be addressed separately.

I moved to adopt the consent calendar, excluding items seven, eight, and nine.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded to adopt the consent calendar, excluding items seven, eight, and nine.

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

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Peterson?

Aye.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor and none opposed.

Thank you.

The consent calendar, excluding items 7, 8, and 9, are adopted.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes on the consent calendar on my behalf?

On the agenda, moving to approval of the agenda, there's no objection.

The agenda will be adopted.

Hearing or seeing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

We'll move now to the public comment section of our agenda.

We will open remote public comment for items on the city council agenda, introduction and referral calendar, and the council's work program.

It remains a strong intent of the city council to have remote public comment regularly included on meeting agendas.

However, as a reminder, the city council reserves the right to end or eliminate these public comment periods at any point if we deem that this system is being abused or is no longer suitable for allowing our meetings to be conducted efficiently and effectively.

Madam clerk, how many people do we have signed up?

We have 16 signed up and 12 are present.

Okay.

So if let's just go with 16 and we'll see what happens.

If we can give each person 16 minutes, or I'm sorry, 16 people, two minutes equals Sarah 32. Thank you.

Can you tell me when, uh, what time would that be?

If we give the, the, um, uh, public comment, 32 minutes.

That would be 236. OK.

236. OK.

So let's just hold up.

Then when we get, I'll let you go ahead and read the instructions.

And then we'll start public comment for those 16 people at two minutes apiece.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The public comment period for this meeting is up to 32 minutes and each speaker will be given two minutes to speak.

Speakers are called upon in the order in which they are registered to provide public comment on the council's website.

Each speaker must call in from the phone number provided when registered and use the ID and passcode that was emailed upon confirmation.

Please note this is different from the general meeting line listen ID listed on the agenda.

If you did not receive an email confirmation please check your spam or junk mail folders.

Once the speaker's name is called staff will unmute the appropriate microphone and an automatic prompt if you have been unmuted will be the speaker's cue that it's their turn to speak and the speaker must press star six to begin speaking.

Please begin speaking by stating your name and the item you are addressing.

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

Once you hear the chime we ask that you begin to wrap up your public comment.

If speakers do not end their comments at the end of the allotted time provided the speaker's microphone will be muted to allow us to call the next speaker.

Once you have completed your public comment we ask that you please disconnect from the line and if you plan to continue following this meeting please do so via Seattle General or the listening options listed on the agenda.

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

Please remember to press star 6 after you hear the prompt of you have been unmuted.

And our first speaker is Howard Gail followed by Hans Scheifer.

Good afternoon.

Howard Gail with Seattle Stop dot org commenting on our failed police accountability system.

At the end of this week April 3rd it will mark the eighth anniversary of the Seattle Police killing of Cody Willis Spafford, the award-winning chef experiencing a mental health and addiction crisis, shot seven times by the SPD while holding a knife.

Cody was one of the 19 people experiencing a mental health crisis who were killed by the Seattle Police since the Seattle Police killed John T. Williams in 2010. Our current police accountability system has deemed all of his killings, quote, lawful and proper.

But deep disrespect and disregard to the memory of John T. Williams The person who was murdered by SPD started us on a decade-long journey of police reform and accountability, that we have allowed ourselves to become so inured to this unrelenting pattern of injustice and death.

Do we find this cost acceptable?

Have we simply given up?

We need to build, through a city initiative, a police accountability system that provides full civilian control, community control over police policy, police misconduct investigations, and police discipline.

as people in Newark, New Jersey, Nashville, Tennessee, Portland, Oregon, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Jose, Phoenix, Atlanta, and so many other cities have done post-George Floyd.

Go to seattlestop.org to find out how.

That's seattlestop.org.

And I just want to remark with my remaining few seconds that the quality issue has something to do.

It's been the last few weeks, but calling in, there's very poor quality.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Hans Schaefer, followed by S.

Rivers-Dysart.

Hello.

My name is Hans Schaefer.

Hello.

My name is Hans Schaefer.

Go ahead.

Can you hear me?

Yep.

My name is Hans Schaefer, and I'm addressing agenda item number three.

I'm 13 years old, and I'm in the seventh grade.

I'm lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of large trees, and I love to go for walks every day.

More and more, I notice huge trees being cut down, and I always run home to tell my mom so that she can check for a permit.

But so many times the tree is down by the time I bring her back to where the tree is being cut.

I get so sad when I learn that some of those trees were cut down illegally, and I know that even if they are replaced, It would take many, many decades for them to grow back to the size of the ones that were removed.

Sometimes I wonder how many trees will be left in my neighborhood when I'm 20 or 30. Please vote yes on the bill so that some trees can be saved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is S.

Rivers Dysart followed by Yvette Dinesh.

Hello.

Hello, go ahead.

Thank you, my name's Rivers Dysart.

My family and my neighbor's family live on two, oh, and the thing I'm addressing is the Tree Service Provider Registry Bill.

So my family and my neighbor's family live on two adjacent properties that our landlord is selling for subdivision into three properties for development.

There are three exceptional trees on these properties and two additional exceptional trees on the property line.

The landlord has had two arborists come to inspect and assess the two trees at the front of the property, a Western Red Cedar and a Douglas Fir growing together, two huge trees.

We call them trees in love because they're growing together.

One of the arborists told me that the trees would have to go, that one of the trees would have to go, which would also, of course, kill the other one since they are conjoined.

We're worried and having to keep a 24-hour watch for illegal removal of these two trees and the two trees on the property line to the north.

That neighbor also is planning to sell soon for development.

Please pass the tree service provider registry bill.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Thank you.

Our next speaker up is Yvette Dinish followed by Colleen McClure.

Hey, Yvette.

Good afternoon, councilmembers.

Originally, I was going to comment on the housing solutions e-mail I sent to councilmembers.

However, after attending the March 16th South Precinct Advisory Council meeting, instead I want to give kudos.

Big kudos to Mayor Bruce Harreld, his right-hand person Monisha, Tim Burgess, Jennifer Samuels, and those are just a few of the names that I recognize of his incoming cabinet.

According to Erin Goodman of the Soto BIA, she said that a mayoral herald has done more in six weeks than most incoming mayors get done in six months.

Captain Peter Davis was also there, and he spoke on how the fact that the morale amongst the police ranks is much higher because mayoral herald is now president.

I'm now mayor, as well as the rest of the staff.

So morale is high because of the incoming administration.

So I can now breathe easier knowing that things are in good hands.

I'm still content about the housing situation, but at the rate of speed at which the new administration is getting things done, I'm not nearly as worried as I had when the emergency was declared for housing, what, six years ago?

I also want to give a shout out to Chief Diaz.

He's doing a remarkable job with a noticeably reduced staff.

And he seemed to lead a well-balanced life.

He's doing a great job.

I also want to give a shout out, as I said, to Captain Davis of the Southwest Precinct, Captain Moss of the South Precinct, and to Commander Heidi Tuttle of the Community Outreach Program.

She shared that we're hiring more community service officers, and that's a good idea.

That's pretty much it.

Just say congratulations.

I'll be keeping an eye on what's going on but I'm feeling real good about the way the city is heading right now.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Next up is Colleen McLear followed by Steve Zemke.

Good afternoon City Council and President Juarez.

My name is Colleen McLear representing our community council in Northeast Seattle.

We urge City Council today to vote yes on Council Bill 120207, which simply requires tree providers to register with our city.

It's an educational step that requires them to be familiar and comply with the existing tree code protections, and provides three business days notice for tree removals to the public for further examination.

SDOT has had similar requirements for years to protect our city's street tree assets, and so much same with neighboring states.

And this bill also requires providers to have adequate insurance and workers comp to protect their own employees just in case of a job site accident.

The tree registration is free and this bill represents a collaboration of several versions which also provide opportunities for all of the providers to comply by using pooled resources and experts such as arborists.

So please we urge you to vote yes today to save the trees as it is these trees that may save us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Steve Zemke followed by Christopher King.

Hello, this is Steve Zemke.

I'm chair of TreePAC.

I'm speaking in favor of constable 120207 for the tree service provider registration.

And we want to thank council members, Alex Peterson and Dan Strauss for co-sponsoring this bill and council members, Mosqueda, Morales and Nelson for voting for this bill in the land use committee.

The legislation will meet one of the goals in the resolution 31902 passed in 2019 to help increase tree protection.

So we need to, however, also move on beyond this to pass the other provisions in the resolution.

Example is this morning, starting at 9 o'clock and still ongoing, there's a chainsaw, a tree company working in the neighborhood cutting down trees when I went out to check one of the trees was a large cedar tree probably 70 feet tall that was when I asked was quote being topped for solar access.

Topping is not a standard practice that you're supposed to do for saving trees.

They didn't know that the diameter of the tree the tree was half down again without a permit system and two week notice and posting on site.

We still have a complaint based system unfortunately.

Three days notice.

It doesn't say that they're permitted to do this.

It just says this is what the company is going to do.

So that needs to be clarified.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Christopher King followed by David Haynes who has joined us not present so we will move on to Tom Norwalk.

The next speaker is Christopher King.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Sir.

Uh, Christopher, are you there?

Okay.

Hey, Madam Clerk, let's see if we can loop back, but let's go to the next person.

Wait, I'm here.

Is it on now?

Yeah, we can hear you now.

Sorry about that.

Yeah.

Okay, terrific.

Yeah, this is Christopher King, seven-year resident of Seattle, and my family's lived in Seattle on both sides since the 50s, off and on.

So I'm here to talk about some of your recent expenditures, And in point of fact, there was a $35,000 expenditure on legal fees relative to the previous mayor, Jenny Durkin, when she refused to even meet with black cannabis professional Riyadh Corbray from Game Collective and me to discuss cannabis equity.

We just wanted a meeting, seeing as the mayor's name is on a city business equity department.

You know, it's there.

We didn't get a meeting.

So we ended up suing to try to find out the documents that, you know, what was the communication and why didn't we ever get a meeting, you know?

And so the thing is, the city allowed the liquor cannabis board and local cops and the feds to threaten the blacks in the medicals out of business and to invalidate valid business licenses under the threat of I-502.

And that was never the legislative intent, or so they say.

And they were grandfathered, these stores were grandfathered under the law as medical providers under RCW 1771-011, okay?

They did it all to bring in more revenue after the mortgage crisis and the sale of the state liquor stores, the state without enough income.

So boom, force out the medical cannabis people because they weren't taxed and bring in all the recreational cannabis, which isn't tested as well.

That's another issue.

Bring them in, you know.

And along the way, all the Blacks got, you know, extinguished.

So that's why you have zero Blacks owning shops in Seattle.

And that's crazy.

So no, Mayor Harrell, You're a former civil rights lawyer, just like me, right?

So can't you see that this is wrong and that those shops are entitled to lost income for that?

And what about the city councilors, too, who ignored the request for a meeting, OK?

Do you find this activity to be fair to Blacks and to the medical?

OK, because all this time has gone by where other jurisdictions, like Evanston, Illinois, have some sort of actual equity program.

But out here in the progressive PNW, we've got nothing, OK?

Our next speaker is Tom Norwalk, followed by Alicia Ruiz.

Good afternoon, council.

This is Tom Norwalk, president of Visit Seattle.

We're the destination marketing organization and the program manager for the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.

I'm calling in support of Council Bill 120273, which is the assessment increase for the STIA.

Thank you so much, council members, for the ongoing rich engagement and discussions about the critical role tourism plays in Seattle's recovery.

It's needed now more than ever and we know that tourism is impacting every neighborhood and these funding increases through the assessments will help us increase our marketing efforts, help us compete harder, and really help more visitors move around the city in an equitable fashion to all of the neighborhoods.

On behalf of over 58,000 workers in our travel tourism and hospitality industry.

I urge you to please pass this bill this afternoon.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Alicia Ruiz followed by Ruth Williams.

Good afternoon President Waters and members of the council.

My name is Alicia Ruiz.

I am the Seattle Government Affairs Manager for the Master Builders Association of King and Sonoma County.

I'd like to thank the council for meeting with us to listen to our feedback and concerns with the original version of this bill.

We feel the version that you are considering today better defines and clarifies components that we felt were too vague.

As builders, we are important partners in moving our city forward and support this bill.

We look forward to working with the council in the future in developing a new tree ordinance that supports trees and desperately needed housing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ruth Williams.

And after Ruth Williams is Libby Haynes-Markle, who has joined us, not present.

Jane Simons, who is not present.

So the next speaker after Ruth Williams is Christy Huffington.

I'm here.

Yeah, go ahead.

I'm Ruth Williams.

OK, thank you.

Yes, I'm speaking on behalf of Thornton Creek Alliance, an all-volunteer organization of 160 members.

working to preserve and enhance the Thornton Creek riparian corridors in Northeast Seattle and Southeast Shoreline.

Thornton Creek Alliance strongly supports Council Bill 120207 requiring registration of tree service providers and onsite posting of permitted tree cutting.

This legislation represents a strong step forward in protection of our forest resources by ensuring professional treatment of trees and helping to track their numbers.

Thank you to Council Members Strauss and Peterson for moving this forward.

We understand that it passed unanimously out of committee, so thanks also to Council Members Morales, Mosqueda, and Nelson.

We hope that you will pass it through the full Council in the same way, and thank you for this opportunity to speak today.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Christy Heffaker, followed by Joe Kunstler.

Christy is that what you said.

Yes Christy Huffaker.

Christy are you there.

OK.

Let's move on to the next speaker then if Christy shows up we'll come back to her.

OK.

Joe Kunzler.

Hello.

Hello.

Can everyone hear me.

Yep.

Go ahead Joe.

It's good to hear your wonderful voice.

It's one of your fans, Joe Kunstler here.

Just a couple of things.

First, I really encourage the City Council of Seattle to really look at middle housing and getting, you know, that legalized all throughout Seattle.

Let people decide whether or not they want to have ADUs and middle housing.

Um, I definitely would like to live in a city with abundant transit, like Seattle.

Um, the second point is, is, uh, if you could please, um, you know, fund your police in your budget, you know, and make sure that the police are anti-racist, that would be appreciated.

Um, cause I strongly support law enforcement.

I also strongly support anti-racism and anti-sexism as well, even though I'm very much a guy.

Um, You know, one last thing, and this is just the way I think and the way I operate, is it would be really nice if we could crowdfund naming a bus lane in Councilmember Straus' district, the Heidi Wells bus lane, and we could plant rose bushes along it and really make it look nice.

And, you know, it would really make people want to go there and remember one of Seattle's great civic heroes right alongside Councilmember Jurez.

and obviously the former council president, council member Maureen Gonzalez, and really just wish all of you well, including council member Mosqueda, who I think I always shout out to.

So thanks for having me today.

Hope you have a great day.

Thanks.

Thank you, Joe.

Madam Clerk, are we done?

Well, we have Christy Huffaker showing up.

Christy, if you could please press number six.

There we go.

Go ahead.

Hello?

Yeah, go ahead, Christy.

Okay, I made the star six work out.

Hi, my name is Christy Huffaker.

Good afternoon, council members.

I first wanted to thank all nine of you for answering the mighty call to uphold the city's mission statement, which I'd like to just read real quick off the website that states under respect that the city of Seattle values of diversity and collaboration of opinions and backgrounds and creates an environment that is inclusive of everyone.

And I'd also like to just state the employee ombuds mission statement also states that any system that is permissive of any bias and inclusion is ripe for crimes of hate.

And I would just like to bring to the city council's attention that given this council's sworn commitment to uphold these values, I would like to address the fact that enforcing a vaccine mandate is actually quite the opposite of these values.

And I would like to just bring respectfully to the city council's attention that surrounding cities such as Tacoma, Pierce County, Everett, Spokane, these cities are all under Governor Inslee and they have all found ways with their strong values with their mayor and with their city council to fight for and save and accommodate and avoid firing any of their employees.

And given the city's deep commitment to inclusivity and tolerance I would just encourage Seattle to be a leader in tolerance and inclusivity.

And for that reason I am just strongly respectfully encouraging the City of Seattle the City Council to stand behind their values to find ways just as Tacoma did to keep the people that have all been fired over this mandate.

There's been up towards about hundreds of firefighters, police officers, line workers, parks workers, 911 dispatchers.

It's put our city in chaos.

Thank you so much for your time.

I appreciate it and I appreciate all you do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That's the end of the public comment registers.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

So we will now, we've had public comment, we will now close public comment.

We had our registered speakers in allotted time.

So with that, let's move on to our agenda and to committee reports.

Madam Clerk, can you please read the short title of item number one into the record?

Agenda item one, council bill 12286, relating to city employment, establishing indigenous people's day as a legal holiday for certain city employees and a legal parking holiday.

Thank you.

This is mine.

So I will go ahead and first move, I will move to pass Council Bill 120286. Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded to pass the bill as a sponsor of this bill, I will address this item.

Council Bill 120286. 86 is legislation that would authorize several actions related to our two new city holidays.

As a reminder, in December 2021, the city enacted two ordinances relating to new holidays.

Ordinance 126505 established Juneteenth as a legal holiday for non-represented city employees and a parking holiday for the public.

Ordinance number 126516 established Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples Day as legal holidays for city employees represented by the Coalition of City Unions.

Although the city has already established Indigenous Peoples Day as a day of observance and legal holiday for city employees represented by the Coalition, Legislation is required to expand this holiday to non-represented city employees and establish a parking holiday.

The proposed legislation would authorize the following actions.

Number one, establish Indigenous Peoples' Day as a legal holiday for city employees on the second Monday of October.

Number two, establish Indigenous Peoples' Day as a parking holiday.

Number three, approve a memorandum of understanding with three unions to establish Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day as a new paid holiday.

And four, make technical updates to facilitate observance of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Direct costs would include additional pay for minimum staffing requirements and the loss of on-street parking revenue for the parking holiday for up to about $132,000 for each parking holiday.

Completing the establishment of Indigenous Peoples Day as a new holiday will demonstrate the city's commitment to honoring the culture and contributions of Indigenous people.

The establishment of both Juneteenth and the Indigenous Peoples Day will also signal a commitment towards achieving racial equity, working towards an anti-racist future, and ending the historical and continued harm towards Black Americans and Indigenous peoples in this region and the United States.

For next steps, after council approves the bill today, the executive will transmit The executive will later transmit separate budget legislation to appropriate funding to cover the direct costs.

Those are the costs that I just shared with you.

Is there any comments on the bill?

I would just briefly like to thank Council Member Morales for bringing the Juneteenth to us.

I believe it was in her committee and we passed the legislation.

So thank you, Council Member Morales.

So it looks like both holidays will have free parking.

So let's be thankful for that.

So anyhow, thank you.

I'm not seeing any more comments or hands raised.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Peterson?

Aye.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

Madam Clerk, will you please affix my signature to the bill or to the legislation?

Thank you.

Moving on to our second item from the Economic Development, Technology, and City Light Committee.

Madam Clerk, will you please read item two into the record?

Report of the Economic Development, Technology, and City Light Committee.

Agenda item two, Council Bill 120-273, relating to the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area, modifying the assessment rate, and amending Ordinance 123-714.

The committee recommends that the bill pass.

Thank you.

Council Member Nelson, it's all you.

Thank you very much, President.

So just a brief background for folks that haven't been following this.

This bill effectuates a rate change from $2 a night to $4 a night for the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.

And the improvement area was formed in 2011 to promote leisure tourism to Seattle.

The rate has remained the same for the past several years, well, since the very beginning.

And this bill was heard first in the committee on March 9. We discussed the bill further and had a public hearing and voted it out unanimously last week on March 23rd.

So I just want to give a little bit of background and just say that, you know, everybody knows that the pandemic has hit Seattle hard, but it has particularly hurt the tourism industry.

This bill doesn't just benefit the hotels.

This bill will benefit all of the businesses downtown and across the city that benefit from tourism in Seattle.

The Seattle Tourism Improvement Area is in the downtown core and the waterfront.

It comprises about 60 hotels.

But Visit Seattle, which manages the revenue generated by this fee, promotes all of Seattle.

So I'm just going to cut to the chase and say that the passage of this bill is crucial to our economic recovery and to an equitable economic recovery.

Because Visit Seattle takes this money and promotes every district of the city.

That means that all of the retail shops and bars and restaurants, museums, entertainment venues, etc. in every neighborhood end up benefiting from this promotion.

And that's why I say that it's important to our economic recovery and as well the taxes generated from those enterprises in the on occupancy in their hotels.

That means when a guest goes there, 2% of their bill goes to their tourism improvement and promotion area.

Ours is a flat fee.

It doesn't go up as room rates increase.

And so that is why it is so crucial that we pass this.

and bring back some more life downtown and generate business and support of our businesses across the city.

So this has been a long time in the making.

I am proud to be sitting in this position right now to see this effort come to fruition, especially as the Visit Seattle's director, Tom Norwalk, is retiring.

And I just want to say thank you so much, Tom, for your service.

for everything that you've done, not just for downtown, but for Seattle.

So I will ask my colleagues to please pass this bill.

Thank you, Councilor Nelson.

Do any of my colleagues have any questions or comments for Council Member Nelson?

Okay, not seeing or hearing none.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Peterson?

Aye.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor and nine opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

And Madam Clerk, can you please affix my signature to the legislation?

Great.

Thank you, Council Member Nelson.

Let's move on to item number three from the Land Use Committee.

Madam Clerk, will you please read the short title and then we'll hand it over to Council Member Strauss.

According to the Land Use Committee, agenda item three, Council Bill 120-207, relating to land use and urban forestry, adding a tree service provider registration procedure and requirement.

The committee recommends the bill pass as amended.

Council Member Strauss.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, I was happy to partner with Councilmember Peterson on this legislation to ensure we hold tree service providers accountable for illegal tree cutting and we promote the businesses that are known for best practices regarding arborist work.

This registration legislation is just the first step of a four-pronged approach to strengthen tree protections in Seattle and I'm really happy to move this bill forward through the Land Use Committee while the other three parts of the proposal are under SEPA appeal.

There are several changes that I brought forward along with Council Member Peterson on some in our substitute and my standalone amendment that I would like to highlight because I believe they show how our partnership made this legislation even stronger.

We added a date certain of November 10th for tree service providers to register, giving them clarity to comply with this new law rather than having to do the math of when was the bill enacted and how many days did the mayor sign it and then how many days after that.

A date certain provides additional clarity.

We added a requirement that when a tree service provider is removing a hazardous exceptional tree, they get a different independent tree service provider to conduct the hazard analysis and apply for the permit to eliminate any potential conflict of interest of that tree service provider.

We also aligned the penalties for violations of the tree code with penalties under SDOT's tree provider registry.

And lastly, we also adjusted the public notice requirements for tree removal from three days to three business days to prevent someone from posting a notice on Friday afternoon from Monday removal.

Overall, I'm very excited for the final passage of this bill today.

I'm really looking forward to continuing to work with Council Member Peterson and all of my colleagues, all of you, to continue strengthening tree protections later this year, once it comes out from underneath the SEPA bill.

With that, I have nothing more to say, and I'd love to, with your permission, Council President, pass it over to Council Member Peterson when he's ready.

All right, are you ready, Council Member Peterson?

Yes, thank you, Council President, and thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Colleagues, this legislation will prevent reckless tree cutting in Seattle and is a small but mighty step toward protecting the health and environmental benefits of mature trees in our emerald city.

As heat waves and flooding increase with the climate crisis, we need to increase protections for our priceless tree infrastructure.

And Council Bill 120207 delivers the accountability and transparency needed as we work to deliver a more comprehensive tree protection ordinance later this year.

I want to thank our land use chair, Council Member Strauss, for his co-sponsorship.

the introduction of this bill and for his expert enhancements.

A special thank you to all the city staff who worked on this bill and to all the conservationists and tree advocates who have called into many public meetings over the past several months.

In addition to this widespread support from dedicated urban forest conservationists in Seattle such as the Audubon Society, A statistically valid survey conducted by the Northwest Progressive Institute in 2021 showed that 75% of Seattle voters support requiring tree care providers like arborists to meet minimum certification and training and to register with the city.

And that's what this bill takes care of.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Peterson.

Is there any of my other colleagues that would like to comment on this legislation before we go to the vote?

Well, I just want to say Council Member Strauss and Councilor Peterson, thank you both for being so collaborative and working together.

We got here and I appreciate that.

And I'm glad that we heard from the people that called in for the greenways and the trees.

And a lot of them are long time people that have been working on this tree canopy issue.

So thank you both.

with your commitment and modeling behavior that, you know, if we really try to work together and work out our differences, we can actually get some legislation passed that means something.

So thank you, both of you.

Is there anyone else that would like to share?

Didn't mean it that way.

So, oh, Council Member Nelson.

I just want to say, to second that emotion, that this was a collaborative process and there were a lot of details to run through.

And thank you very much for bringing this forward.

I thank you for your efforts, so thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Nelson.

Okay, so with that, Madam Clerk, not seeing any other hands raised.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Thank you, Councilmember Strauss for that sign.

Will you please call the roll on the passage of the bill?

Councilmember Strauss?

Yes.

Councilmember Herbold?

Yes.

Councilmember Morales?

Yes.

Councilmember Mosqueda?

Aye.

Councilmember Nelson?

Aye.

Councilmember Peterson?

Yes.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

And Madam Clerk, will you please affix my signature to the legislation?

All right, moving on to item number four.

Looks like we have Councilor Strauss again.

Will the clerk please read item number four, the short title into the record?

Agenda Item 4, Council Bill 120-265, relating to land use regulation of home occupations extending from six months, interim development controls.

The committee recommends that the bill pass.

That's Member Strauss.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, this legislation extends the policies for home-based businesses we adopted last year in the Bringing Business Home legislation.

This six-month extension will allow time for the departments to complete the work on permanent regulations so that we don't rush to make conclusions in our final regulations, that we take the time necessary to make sure to get it right.

As you may recall, the Bring Business Home legislation made it easier to operate a home-based business during the pandemic by easing some of the restrictions on home-based businesses, including removing the limit of two non-resident employees at the business, removing the restriction that customers can only visit by appointment, and ending the requirement that businesses retain the appearance of a home, and allowing for a slightly larger sign at home-based businesses, while also closing the loophole that you could have as many small signs as you wanted.

During the past year, I have not personally received complaints about home-based businesses due to the changes in this Bring Business Home Bill.

And I look forward to working over these next six months to make the right parts of this legislation permanent.

Thank you, Council President, colleagues.

That is the committee report.

Thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Does any of my colleagues have any comments or questions for Council Member Strauss?

Oh, Council Member Peterson does.

Thank you very much.

Just to be consistent with my vote on the original Council Bill 12-0001, I'll be voting no on this, but looking forward to the final regulations to consider those later.

Thank you.

Really?

You're going to go on no on this one, the fry bread bill?

I want to be consistent with my previous vote.

Yeah.

OK.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else, any concerns or questions they want to ask Council Member Strauss before we go to a vote?

Okay, not seeing any.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Peterson?

No.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Six in favor, one opposed.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

Madam clerk, will you please affix my signature to the legislation?

So let's go to item number five.

Again, we have Council Member Strauss.

Will the clerk please read item number five into the record.

Agenda item five, resolution 32048, approving and ratifying the decision of the Metropolitan King County Council to adopt a revised set of countywide planning policies.

The committee recommends the resolution be adopted.

Sorry, go ahead, Mr. Strauss, I mean, Council Member Strauss.

Thank you, Council President, colleagues.

This resolution ratifies countywide planning policies, which were recently adopted by the King County Council.

The countywide planning policies were adopted by the County Growth Management Planning Council with Council Members Juarez and myself representing the city during that process.

Council Member Morales and I, along with the mayor, are currently representing the city of Seattle at GMPC.

The countywide planning policies can be ratified by either taking no action or by taking action through resolution.

Seattle has done both in the past, and we chose to do a resolution this year to provide an opportunity to brief the Land Use Committee on new policies.

The countywide planning policies guide how the county will grow and shapes local jurisdictions' comprehensive plans.

The 2021 countywide planning policies include updates to the 2019 to 2044 housing and employment targets for jurisdictions in King County.

Changes to the centers, to center social equity and health in the policies and changes to integrate regional and statewide policies, including Puget Sound Regional Council's Regional Growth Strategies, say that 10 times fast, known as Vision 2050 Plan.

These regional policies and countywide planning policies will now inform the One Seattle comprehensive plan update that is launching right now and is concluding in 2024. There were some questions at committee about how numbers of growth, job employment, and housing were needed, and I would say that overall, They were too low.

I know that we're gonna have more growth than what is in here.

So I think that's something that we need to take into consideration.

As for right now, this resolution does the job that is needed and I urge a yay vote.

Council President, you are still on mute.

Okay, sorry about that.

Are there any comments for Council Member Strauss?

All right, not seeing any.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Strauss?

Yes.

Councilmember Herbold?

Yes.

Councilmember Morales?

Yes.

Councilmember Mosqueda?

Aye.

Councilmember Nelson?

Aye.

Councilmember Peterson?

Yes.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor and none opposed.

Thank you.

The resolution is adopted.

The chair will sign it.

And Madam Clerk, please affix my signature to the resolution.

Okay, so let's move on to item number six from the Public Safety and Human Services Committee.

This will be Council Member Herbold, but Madam Clerk, will you please read item number six into the record?

The report of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee, agenda item six, council bill 12280, relating to the 2022 budget, amending ordinance 126490, which adopted the 2022 budget, changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, adding provisos and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.

The committee recommends the bill pass as amended.

Thank you.

Council Member Herbold.

Thank you so much.

So as explained in Council briefing yesterday afternoon, this bill is brought forward as a holdover from the budget process, the 2022 budget process.

You may recall that in that budget process, the Council accepted $3.8 million in funding from the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security, the Urban Areas Security Initiative, otherwise known as OWASI.

Of the funds, of the $3.8 million that we accepted in the budget process, we only appropriated $750,000 of those dollars, and those were funds for the fire department.

The budget committee opted to delay appropriation of the balance which was the Seattle Police Department's $2.3 million until members of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee could conduct additional briefing and analysis on the recipients of that $2.3 million in funding.

So this legislation includes the OWASI grants and allows the SPD management of those grants because those funds go to several different local jurisdictions.

As the staff memo notes, project funding decisions are made through a collaborative process involving multiple public safety emergency response agencies throughout Mahomish, King, and Pierce counties.

And just background, the committee held a first briefing on the recipients of these grant sources on March 8th.

SPD joined us with an explanation of each of the different projects being funded with the funds.

And then we had a second briefing on March 22nd, where the committee adopted an amendment noting that any equipment purchased with these funds is subject to Seattle Municipal Code 1418, otherwise known as the city's surveillance technology law.

Okay, is that it?

That's it.

Okay, are there any comments for Council Member Herbold before we go to a vote?

All right, not seeing any.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Pierson.

Aye.

And Council President Juarez.

Aye.

Seven in favor and none opposed.

Thank you.

The bill passes and the chair will sign it.

And Madam Clerk, please affix my signature to the bill.

Thank you.

Moving on to items number seven and eight.

This is Council Member Morales.

Madam Clerk, will you please read item seven and eight into the record?

Agenda item seven and eight, appointment 2111 and appointment 2146. The appointment and reappointment of Steve Horvath as a member of Community Involvement Commission for a term to May 31st, 2022 and a term to May 31st, 2024. Thank you.

Council Member Morales.

Thank you.

I move postponement of these two appointments, 2111 and 2146 until May 10th.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you, Council Member Mosqueda.

It's been moved and seconded to postpone the appointments to 1-1-1 and 2-1-4-6 to May 10, 2022. Any questions or comments to Council Member Morales on the postponement?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss.

Yes.

Council Member Herbold.

Yes.

Council Member Morales.

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda.

Aye.

Council Member Nelson.

Aye.

Council Member Peterson.

Aye.

And Council President Juarez.

Aye.

Seven to favor and none opposed.

Thank you, the motion carries and the appointments are indeed postponed until May 10th, 2022. Thank you, Council Member Morales.

Going on to item number nine, this is also Council Member Morales.

Will the clerk please read item number nine to the record.

Agenda item nine, appointment 2112, appointment of Ahoy Cone as member, Community Involvement Commission for a term to May 31st, 2022. Council Member Morales.

Thank you.

I move that we amend appointment 2112 by substituting version two for version one of the appointment packet.

And that was distributed earlier today.

Yes.

Thank you, Council Member Morales.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded to amend the appointment by substituting, excuse me, the appointment packet for version two.

And we have a second.

and there's no comments to the substitute.

So with that, will the clerk please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson, excuse me, Peterson?

Aye.

And Council President Juarez?

Aye.

Seven in favor, none opposed.

Thank you.

The motion carries and the appointment is amended.

Are there any other further comments on the amended appointment?

All right, not seeing any.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the confirmation of the amended appointment?

Council Member Strauss?

Yes.

Council Member Herbold?

Yes.

Council Member Morales?

Yes.

Council Member Mosqueda?

Aye.

Council Member Nelson?

Aye.

Council Member Peterson?

Aye.

And council president Juarez.

Aye.

Seven in favor and opposed.

Thank you.

The motion carries and the amended appointment is confirmed.

Thank you council member Morales.

So with that, are there any other resolutions or adoption?

Is that what that says?

Are there other resolutions for instructions adoption?

Nope.

Don't see anything else up there.

All right.

So moving on to other business, is there any other business to come before the council today?

Council Member Mosqueda, I was wondering where you were.

Oh, it's been a while.

It's been a while, Council President.

Madam President, colleagues, I would like to ask to be excused from the council briefing since we're talking about May.

I thought I'd get that in there.

On May 2nd and May 9th, excuse me, May 2nd and May 16th for council briefings, I'd like to be excused.

and would request as well for full council to be excused on May 16th.

Okay, so Council Member Morales, I'm sorry, Councilor Mosqueda would like to be excused as you heard the dates, May 2nd, May 16th, and May 16th for the council meeting.

Is there any objections?

Not seeing any.

I guess you're excused.

Thank you, colleagues.

I think Council Member Nelson has her hand up for something, so Council Member Nelson.

Thank you very much.

I'm still in April here.

Council President, I request to be excused for the briefing on April 11th and for full council on April 12th.

All right.

So we also have Council Member Nelson asking to be excused on April 11th and April 12th.

Is there any objection?

Not seeing any.

You are indeed excused.

I see Mr. Strauss now has his hand up.

All right.

Thank you, Council President.

Requesting to be excused from Council briefing on April 11th.

All right, so Council Member Strauss would like to be excused on April 11th.

There's any objection?

Not seeing any, then Mr. Council...

By the way, I always want to call you Mr. Council Member Strauss is excused on that date.

Is there any other further business to come before Council?

Okay.

I'm sorry.

I'm just starting to get the giggles.

It's been a long day.

All right, you guys.

Thank you.

I'll see you all next week.

Bye.

We're adjourned.