City Council 8/11/2026

We're gonna go ahead and get started.

Thank you.

That's the first time I've ever had to use the gavel.

So good afternoon, everyone.

The August 11th meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 2.06 PM.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, your council president.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Foster.

Councilmember Juarez.

Councilmember Kettle?

Here.

Councilmember Lin?

Here.

Councilmember Rink?

Here.

Councilmember Rivera?

Present.

Councilmember Saka?

Here.

Councilmember Strauss?

Here.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Here.

Seven present.

Awesome, Council Member, Council Member Juarez, you said seven present?

Okay, Council Member Juarez and Council Member Foster are excused until they get here.

I know they stepped out.

Today the Council will present three proclamations, well, we'll present two, excuse me, two proclamations.

The first one is presented on Susan Hahn Appreciation Day by Council Member Rink, and the second proclamation will be presented by Council Member Saka, recognizing West Seattle Little League of the day.

So we will start with Council Member Rink.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, I am so excited to be presenting this proclamation today to honor the work of Susan Hahn of the Seattle Channel, the award-winning Seattle Channel.

Now, Mayor Wilson, along with eight city council members, have added their signatures and proclaimed today, August 11th, 2026, as Susan Hahn Appreciation Day.

Now, I know I've met Susan in community from Labor at Linda's events to also a group bike ride in Chophouse Row, but many know Susan out in community, and through her work through Seattle Channel, she has facilitated and empowered communities and people from across the city to tell their stories.

So I felt compelled to bring this proclamation to fruition after I heard of Susan's retirement from our own Brian Callanan, and I want to give a big thanks to Brian for working with my office and drafting this proclamation and bringing us all here today.

So without further ado, I'd like to read the proclamation, and then we'll have a couple of speakers to speak on Susan Hahn Appreciation Day, and we will take a group photo.

So, whereas Susan Hahn, a senior producer at the Seattle Channel since 2007, has retired after an inspiring, award-winning career, and whereas she was born in London and raised in Singapore and followed her natural, lifelong curiosity to ask meaningful questions by pursuing work overseas in the field of journalism.

whereas she moved to the United States in 1987 to attend the University of Washington, where she earned a communications degree in 1990, and whereas she began a career in broadcast journalism spanning nearly 40 years, including nearly two decades at Seattle Channel, 15 years as a senior producer at KCTS-9 and as a researcher at King TV's Evening Magazine.

and whereas her work at Seattle Channel has included coverage of the Pike Place Market Centennial in 2007, as well as programs such as Art Zone, City Stream, Community Stories, and Seattle Speaks, and whereas her ability to speak four languages English, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

And her international perspective allowed her to lead production on a program about Seattle's sister cities of Nantes.

And whereas the bulk of her work at Seattle Channel has been dedicated to producing more than 250 episodes of City Inside Out, a public affairs show known for the tough-but-fair approach she developed alongside host C.R.

Douglas and Brian Callanan.

and whereas she researched topics, wrote and edited scripts, booked guests, and became known for persuading people with opposing viewpoints to sit down together for civil conversations about Seattle's biggest and most controversial issues from gun control to homelessness, as well as spirited debates between opposing political candidates.

and whereas she has won eight regional Emmy Awards and contributed to Seattle Channel Station Excellence Award in 2025, which recognizes outstanding overall operations, local programming, and community involvement of a television station as compared to all television stations in the region of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana.

and whereas she became a US citizen in 2019 and has had a major influence far beyond television with her involvement in the Asian American Journalists Association starting in 1991, where she served as co-president and has advocated for more Asian American journalists and journalists of color in newsrooms.

and whereas her inspiring career and unmatched contributions have helped shape the Seattle Channel into what it is today, an award-winning municipal government access television station and digital media platform that inspires, informs, and connects the Seattle community.

Now, therefore, the mayor and Seattle City Council proclaim August 11th, 2026 to be Susan Hahn Appreciation Day.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Council Member Rank.

Are there any other council members that would like to give comment before we suspend the rules?

So we're gonna go ahead and suspend the rules so the proclamation could be presented.

And then we also have three guests.

We have Brian Callahan who's gonna speak, Shannon Gee, and then Susan herself.

Oh, there is someone who wanted.

Oh, sorry.

Councilmember Rivera, thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to say that I was not present at yesterday's meeting, but of course I would have signed the proclamation.

I really want to congratulate Susan Hahn for her service to the city and at the Seattle Channel.

So I wanted to say that for the record and congratulations to her.

Thank you, CP.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

Okay, so we'll go ahead and present the proclamation, and then I will call up Brian.

Are you here?

Brian Callahan?

Callanan?

I'm sorry.

I always mess up.

I'm sorry, Brian.

Yes.

Okay, awesome.

Shannon, then Brian, and then Susan.

Hi, Shannon.

Welcome.

Hi.

I'm Shannon Gee.

I'm the general manager of the Seattle Channel, and I am so excited that it is Susan Hahn Appreciation Day.

Every day is Susan Hahn Appreciation Day at the Seattle Channel.

We are so grateful and proud to have had Susan working with us and the city of Seattle for nearly two decades.

She was the incomparable senior producer for our public affairs program, City Inside Out, and we all became sharper, smarter, and more civically engaged due to her focus, her persuasive personality, and her commitment to finding the voices to speak about our city.

She brought us all together around that frosted desk in the Seattle Channel Studios to discuss, learn, and examine the things that impact us as a municipality and a community.

I love that this proclamation is happening here in Chambers, as this is a key place where Susan took her cues and ran with them.

Describing Susan as a skilled and trusted news producer doesn't say the half of it.

Her power to turn the issues discussed in this building into civic participation is testament to her ability to simultaneously hold clarity and nuance in complex issues.

And her generosity in inviting many of us into the discussion helped to widen our viewpoints and world.

So congratulations to Susan.

Seattle Channel thanks you for all your years of service, your tireless community building, and your dedication to upholding media integrity and informing our city.

Awesome.

Thank you, Shannon.

Brian, welcome.

Brief interlude before I speak.

Hello, I'm Josephine Chang, former news reporter at Como, reporter at King's Evening Magazine, producer, reporter at KCTS, as well as Seattle Channel.

I'm Lori Matsukawa, 36 years as anchor at King 5 Muse.

Hello, Joy.

And also a proud friend of Susan Hahn.

As you can see, dear City Council, Susan has quite a cheering squad here today.

That's because those of us who have worked with her and who have known her for decades definitely know that she is indeed a treasure.

At King TV, Susan was a producer at Evening Magazine.

At KCTS9, she produced many award-winning documentaries and shows.

And of course, here at Seattle Channel, where she produced City, Inside Out, as well as other Emmy award-winning stories and shows.

Hardworking, diligent, creative, and thoughtful.

Susan will not quit until the story or show is booked, until every component of a shoot is finalized, until every sentence of the script is polished, and until every frame of video is edited in the best possible way, given the constraints.

She's really conscientious about making sure multiple sides of the story are heard.

She is relentless about excellence in storytelling when so much less than that is considered acceptable.

and she is a strong advocate for civic journalism when there's so much pressure working against it.

We'd like to thank the Seattle City Council and Council Member Rink in particular for recognizing Susan, who's not only a fine producer, but she is also a wife, a mother, and a genuine friend.

Thank you so much for recognizing her.

Thank you, Susan.

Council Members, thank you for this recognition during a busy time.

Thank you to Council Member Rink for shepherding this through and all of her staff.

It's Susan Hahn Appreciation Day, and I definitely appreciate her.

So over the past 15 years, I've worked with Susan at Seattle Channel together.

We've actually produced more than 300 episodes of City Inside Out.

She's produced more than 500, so we'll make sure we get that correction out there.

And I'm talking about conversations with each of you as candidates, as you might remember there.

I can say without hesitation that Susan is one of the finest journalists and colleagues I've ever known, and a fierce and loving friend.

Before there was AI, there was Susan.

If you wanted the cell phone number of the press secretary for a candidate that was on Seattle Channel nine years ago, you would ask Susan.

If you wanted opposing voices to speak out about transgender bathrooms or immigration policy, you'd ask Susan.

Her work to research issues, book guests with competing voices to sit next to each other, and sharpen the questions that I wrote have set the standard for fairness at Seattle Channel.

Guests knew they might face hard questions, but they also knew they'd be treated with respect.

You don't often hear that word in relation to government affairs reporting in today's world, but Susan lives out that ethic every day.

Susan earned eight Emmys in her career, you probably heard that, but I'd say at least nine because the Emmy that I won for best TV host a few years back is completely thanks to her.

I hope her legacy, though, isn't completely measured by the awards she won or her decades of volunteer service to the Asian American Journalists Association or the Bellevue School District.

Her legacy is truly all around you, from informing people about the work of local government to educating people about what's on their ballot for nearly two decades.

Susan always had an exacting approach on the job because she knows the work of public affairs matters.

She's persistent because the public deserves answers, and she sees the humanity in every issue, too.

I recall working with her on a fentanyl documentary three years ago.

She set up an interview with a mother who had lost her child to an overdose.

It was Susan who talked with this mother and helped her find the courage to open the door she kept closed to her daughter's room since her death.

Talk to us about how her daughter died and tell her important story to the world.

Seattle is better informed because of Susan.

Seattle Channel is stronger because of her.

And all of us who have worked beside her are better because of her example.

I'm gonna keep working on City Inside Out at Seattle Channel to honor Susan's legacy with her spirit in my heart.

Susan, you have all my love and thanks.

Congratulations on your retirement, and happy Susan Hahn Appreciation Day.

I will appreciate you for every day to come.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you, Brian.

And now we have Ms. Susan Hahn.

Welcome.

Your day.

Thank you.

Councilmember Rink, first of all, for this nomination.

Bundy, where'd she go?

There you are.

I'm just so thrilled and relieved that the City Council and Mayor Wilson found something to agree on.

Seriously blown away by this proclamation.

For the last 19 years, my goal as Seattle Channel producer has simply been to be fair, thorough, and balanced.

Journalistic integrity is my North Star, and it means the world to be recognized for it.

A huge thank you to my family and friends who have supported me every step of the way, including those who are in the room here today.

To my first Seattle Channel station manager, Gary Gibson, thanks for hiring me.

To the amazing Seattle Channel team, especially my two Inside Out co-hosts, Brian Callanan and C.R.

Lewis, who are both here.

Thank you so much for your dedication and hard work over the years.

It's truly been an honor working with both of you.

I'm hopeful the station will continue its excellent work and keep winning those Emmys.

And to the city employees, elected officials, and community members who have said yes to our interview requests over the decades, our shows would not have happened without you.

Thank you very much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Susan.

CP.

We're gonna take, sorry, this microphone.

And now we're gonna take a group photo, so we'll have Susan and everyone come up to the front.

Not everyone in the audience, but the folks.

Sorry.

Just letting you all know.

Only the people that are coming up, I guess they know.

And then Deanna Lee will take a photo.

We'll pause here.

It will be quiet.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

No, no, no, no.

No, I know what you mean.

I know what you mean.

I think we should do two rows at least.

So everyone, so if everyone, I have a microphone Council Member Kettle, we're good.

So this is what we're gonna do.

We're gonna scrunch in as best as we can and we're gonna look at this camera right here at Deanna Lee.

So we'll scrunch in, we'll scrunch in.

Everyone scrunch in.

As much as you can.

As much as you can.

We're scrunching in as much as you can.

that might be a little shorter, you'll be in front.

Okay, awesome.

Everybody can look over here at the camera.

I'm gonna take a couple, try not to play.

Hey, Susan.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you all for indulging us.

For the record, we also have Councilmember Foster and Councilmember Juarez who have joined us.

They have been here for a long time.

I apologize.

I did not recognize y'all when y'all came in.

Thank you guys.

Thanks so much.

Okay, so now we will transition and we have one more proclamation as well.

Thank you all.

And then right after the proclamation, we'll jump into public comment.

So if you are online and listening, we have one more proclamation and we will jump right in online.

Congratulations, Susan and team and Seattle Channel.

Thank you for all the work that you all do.

We're so grateful for our Seattle Channel, Emmy Award-winning Seattle Channel.

All right, Council Member Saka will now address the proclamation recognizing August 11th, 2026 to be West Seattle Little League Softball Day.

Council Member Saka, you are recognized.

President, colleagues, members of the public.

So today we get to honor and celebrate achievement in journalism and girls' softball in West Seattle.

Today, I am incredibly proud to introduce the proclamation to celebrate the historic achievement of the West Seattle Little League girls' 11U softball team for winning the whole dang thing, the whole state tournament at this year's championship.

Their hard work, teamwork, and dedication truly embody the spirit of our community and that of our city.

They played seven games in seven days and defeated the same team that handed them their first and only loss, not once but twice, to claim the state title.

And now I'm honored to read a few select passages from this honorary proclamation.

I'll just share that I'm a fan of all youth sports across District 1. I'm a proud resident of District 1, so I've been following along on the sidelines, cheering on, reading West Seattle blog articles, articles from West Side Seattle about our various youth sports teams, and really excited to be able to cheer them on as a fan.

This one is particularly proud because I got to cheer them on as a member of the community and cheer the team on and the coaches on as the proud father of one of the players.

So I'm gonna read a few select passages of this proclamation right now.

Whereas the West Seattle Little League 11U girls softball team has demonstrated exceptional talent, teamwork, accomplishment and sportsmanship throughout their 2026 season.

And whereas the team achieved an outstanding combined record of 55 and 10, going six and one in the state tournament, playing seven games in seven days and securing a decisive victory to win the 2026 Washington State Championship.

And whereas this marks the first ever state championship won by a West Seattle Little League softball team.

first ever, making down three West Seattle Little League teams and the only girls' softball team to earn a state title.

Whereas the girls captivated the hearts of those following their historic run, inspiring a wave of community pride and excitement in West Seattle and beyond.

And now, therefore, The Seattle City Council does hereby proclaim August 11th, 2026 to be West Seattle Little League Softball Day.

Congratulations on this historic run.

Colleagues, I'll note that not many teams from the City of Seattle Little League or rec teams from the City of Seattle end up winning major state championships like this.

And so we're incredibly proud of the West Seattle Little League team, because their accomplishments and achievements reflect not only great credit upon the West Seattle community, but from a citywide perspective as well.

and, again, first girls' softball team in West Seattle history to do it, joining only two other baseball teams over 20 years.

So congratulations.

Would love the opportunity for a few speakers to say a few words, Madam Council President, if it please.

Absolutely.

And then we'll present the proclamation.

Absolutely.

You got it, Council Member Saka.

I'll pause here to see if any other council member would like to say some comments.

Council Member Rivera?

Thank you, council president.

Like the last proclamation, I was not present when signatures were needed to be added.

So congratulations.

I would have added my signature had I been here and I'm so excited for you all.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Council Member Rivera.

And then now, if there are no objections, I'm gonna suspend the rules.

So Council Member Saka can present the proclamation.

In my understanding, you have the team manager, Brent here, coaches, Brooke Fox and James Frazier.

that are here as well, and then other speakers?

Yes, that's correct, Madam Council President.

Shall they speak first before we do the official presentation?

Yeah, you could present the proclamation and then they can speak whichever way you'd like.

Maybe we'll let them speak first.

Okay, awesome.

All right, so we're having Team Manager Brent and then Coaches Brooke and James.

Welcome.

I'm a coach of the West Seattle...

Talk in the microphone, Brent, or use your coach voice.

I'm the coach of the West Seattle Little League, along with Coach James and Coach Brooke.

Council members, coaches, families, and community members, thank you for this incredible honor.

On behalf of our U11 girls softball team, we are proud and grateful to accept this proclamation, recognizing our state championship season.

These young athletes showed tremendous dedication, teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the year.

Their success resulted in countless hours of effort, along with the support of their coaches, parents, and the entire community.

Most importantly, they learned a great thing that can happen when you work hard, believe in each other, and have fun along the way.

Thank you for celebrating these amazing girls and this special achievement with us.

We are truly honored.

Awesome.

Thank you.

I'm going to let Mackenzie Hart speak now.

She's one of our star pitchers of the team.

Awesome.

Welcome.

Hello.

Hello.

My name is Mackenzie Hart, and I am one of the pitchers for the West Seattle Luta League 11U All-Star State Championship Team.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share what my teammates and I accomplished this season.

Last year, as the 8-, 9-, 10-year-old all-star team, we came just one game short of our goal.

We had a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the championship game at the state tournament.

Instead of letting that loss discourage us, we used it as motivation.

We came back this year ready to work hard, play together, and give it everything we had.

With the support of our coaches, parents, families, and friends, we worked hard all season.

During the district and state tournaments, we played 10 games, collected 90 hits, and scored 86 runs.

We won the district championship and headed into state tournament with a lot of confidence.

Our first state game ended in a tough 3-1 loss, which put us into the constellation bracket.

At that point, we knew that if we didn't keep winning, our season would be over.

so we kept fighting.

We played almost every day.

We grew stronger as a team, supported each other, and never gave up.

Then, on championship Saturday, we had to win twice to become state champions.

We won our first game 2-1 in an extra inning thriller.

Then we came back and won again 4-1 to secure the championship.

We finished the district and state championships with a 9-1 record.

We outscored our opponents 55-10 and went 6-1 at the state tournament.

During the state tournament, I threw 433 pitches, recorded 48 strikeouts, and allowed just four earned runs.

But the biggest accomplishment wasn't the numbers.

We made history as West Seattle's first Little League softball state champions.

to my teammates.

I'm so proud of every one of you.

Our outfielders made game-saving catches.

Our infielders made incredible plays, including some that I honestly didn't think were possible.

And Carmen, our catcher, caught all seven of our state tournament games.

What makes this team so special isn't just that we won, it's the way we played.

We respected our opponents, supported each other, stayed positive through the tough moments, and carried ourselves with class dignity whether we won or lost.

I am incredibly proud to have been part of this team.

It has been an honor and privilege to be the starting pitcher for the West Seattle Little League 11U state championship team.

I also want to thank our coaches Brent, James, and Brooke for your dedication, encouragement, and countless hours you spent helping us become better players and better teammates.

Thank you to our parents, families, friends, and everyone in our community who supported us, cheered for us, and believed in us along the way.

And most of all, thank you to my teammates for believing in each other, fighting for each other, and never giving up.

Last year, we came up one game short.

This year, we finished the job.

We didn't just win a championship.

We made West Seattle history.

Thank you.

And then the rules have been suspended.

Councilmember Saka will come to present the proclamation.

And then would you also like a picture, Councilmember Saka, as well?

Okay, awesome.

And then we will invite the young girls to come up.

We're gonna take a photo together.

So if you all just start making your way right here to the right.

Just this way, just follow.

Awesome, and then right after this photo, we will jump right into public comment, okay?

Awesome, thank you all.

So we'll come up here, we'll take a photo with our young girls from the 11U, the state championship team.

Hey!

Congrats, congrats.

Awesome, you guys come in this way.

Congratulations, my friends.

Congrats, congrats, congrats.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Okay slide that way.

How do we look?

Congratulations!

I heard the girls up here talking about back-to-back.

That's what I heard.

I heard them say back-to-back titles.

That's what I heard.

Someone said back-to-back.

Okay.

We're gonna jump right into the public comment.

Colleagues, at this time, we're gonna open up our favorite time, which is our hybrid public comment period.

Public comment is limited to items on today's agenda.

The introduction referral calendar and the council's work program.

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

Clerk, how many speakers do we have signed up today?

We have 75 in person and 30 remote.

You said 75 in person plus 35, 30 remote.

Okay, awesome.

So we are gonna go over time and that's a lot of our public comment period.

So I am gonna ask my colleagues, we're gonna hear everyone speak today.

Is that cool?

I will not continue to extend the time.

We'll go as long as it takes.

Is that cool?

I'm looking left and right, awesome.

All right, so because we have over 100 people, We have about 100 people.

We are gonna do one minute.

If you have 60 or less, it's less than one minute.

I think that would just be ridiculous to do 30 seconds.

So everyone's gonna get one minute.

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 register.

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

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

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

Awesome, if you're waiting online, we're gonna do the first 30 in person, then we're gonna bounce to you online and we're gonna come back.

So if you are online, we're gonna do 30 in person and then we will come to you so that will be about around 3.05, 3.10 is when it looks like we'll jump back online.

All right, we have Yvette Dynish followed by Josephine Chang, Samantha, Poe, then we have Pal, Julian, Manti, Elle, Aaron, and Josh.

And I apologize if I said your name wrong, I apologize.

But first we have Miss Yvette, come on up.

Josephine, Samantha, Poe, Paul, Julian, Manti, Elle, Aaron, and Josh.

impressive attendance today, isn't it?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I also want to support Councilmember Rivera's urging the mayor to work with the National Network for Safe Communities, widely recognized for delivering results.

I encourage her to keep pushing on that.

There's a program in Philadelphia called the 8GBIC that's had very much success in reducing gun violence and keeping our kids from dying unnecessarily.

And the other thing I have to say is, bravo to the parents and the support team who support these girls in becoming state championship in baseball.

I wish they'd have those programs when I was a kid, girls sports.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Miss Yvette.

Next, we have Josephine, followed by Samantha and Poe.

Is Josephine Chang here?

Josephine?

No?

Okay, next we have Samantha.

Samantha Good, welcome.

Hi Councilmember, Samantha Grad here on behalf of Teamsters 117 in support of the rental junk fee legislation.

For many years as a renter in the city, I remember that dread and frustration when your lease was up and you were trying to figure out, is it going to go up too much?

I'm not going to be able to afford my place.

You then have to start looking online, scouring the internet, trying to find a place that is in your price range.

You go do the tours, you find something that works, you feel that relief, except for wait.

When you go to fill out the paperwork, all of these surprise fees suddenly kick it out of your budget.

Our members are feeling that same squeeze right now.

It is incredibly hard to find that.

It is incredibly challenging to go through the entire process, only to then be met with that surprise at the end.

We are seeing folks all across our community experience this death by a thousand cuts, and that's what these rental junk fees feel like.

You feel like you finally found something that is in your budget, only to then have the rug pulled out from you, and it's confusing at best, and at worst case scenario, it's dishonest.

Please pass this legislation to ensure transparency in renting.

Thank you.

Next, we have Poe followed by Paul.

Poe Paul Julian.

Is Poe?

Polipi?

All right, welcome.

Hello, Polar Pai here with the Washington Housing Alliance in strong support of the proposed ban on junk fees.

Thank you Council Member Foster for your leadership and to all five council members on the committee who voted yes.

Please vote yes today and ensure that no amendments are added that will weaken protections including anything that allows pet rent or requires tenants to opt out.

Power dynamics are a significant factor and opt out requirements put tenants into very difficult situations.

No tenant should be forced to pay these unfair, expensive, and often deceptive fees.

Renters in Seattle are sharing that fees are oftentimes added after move-in at lease renewal, trapping tenants who can't afford to move.

And the fees they are being charged are ridiculous.

Seattle renters are paying a fee to pay rent, fees to cover utilities and management offices, fees to submit maintenance requests, fees that cover their landlord's insurance, and more.

But these are just a few examples of unfair and costly fees that tenants are being forced to pay.

You have an opportunity to stop this today.

Please vote yes today and no on any harmful amendments.

Thank you.

Thank you, Poe.

Next we have Paul.

Paul here.

Julian.

Paul here.

Paul.

Okay, welcome.

Then Julian, then Manti.

I'm Paul Glumash.

and I'm a leader of the Republican Party of King County.

Earlier I came here to speak about the corruption and criminality of the homeless industrial complex.

Today I'm going to address something deeper.

Instead of treating crime and drug trafficking as matters of law enforcement, we are treating these as behavioral health matters.

no belief could be more damaging to our city and its permissiveness to crime, but also in its rejection of the dignity of the criminal by rejecting the principle of personal agency and responsibility.

If this continues and people continue to think that that's how we solve the problems, Taxpayers who are now leaving in trickles will later be leaving in droves, leaving behind poverty and misery in our neighborhoods.

Thank you, Paul.

Next we have Julian, followed by Manti.

Julian followed by Manti.

And just a reminder, when people are speaking, if we could just be respectful, no booing, I'm not gonna let them boo you either.

So let's just try to keep it cool, all right?

So next we have Julian.

I'm Julian.

You're Julian Blackthorn?

Yeah, that's me, hello.

Okay, hold on, Julian Blackthorn, and then we have Manti, and then Elle, Erin, and Josh.

Julian, welcome.

Hello, my partner V and I moved here in 2014. I am trans, mask, and non-binary, and I was raised MAGA.

We fled Florida in the middle of the night because we weren't treated like humans.

I've been told my whole growing up life that Seattle was a liberal paradise and it sounded like paradise to me, a place where queer and trans folks like me and my partner could be accepted and just live.

Unfortunately, it's truly only a haven for the richest white cisgender gays among us.

Anyway, our car alternator died and I lost my job.

We became houseless the first time in my life and it was 18 months of hell.

We got a hand up from Nicholsville and have lived in the same apartment now for 10 years.

So why can't we have trans refugee villages?

Why can't we use the millions of dollars Harold was spending on sweeping our houseless neighbors from street to street when an inordinate amount of them are queer and trans, and especially if they happen to also be black indigenous people of color?

Why can't we use some of the millions going to the cops for surveillance when it didn't stop Juniper Blessing's public murder, nor the shooting murders at Bight of Seattle?

This is one of the richest and queerest cities in the world.

We need more than 300,000 for this influx of refugees, transgender and otherwise, and an office of QT affairs, please.

you'll be invested in the poor, queer, and trans folks and we need that right now.

Thank you.

Thank you, Julian.

And then Elle, welcome.

You may call me Monti.

I'm a spiritual leader in the Seattle trans community, and I am here to speak truth.

Two weeks ago, I said Seattle was like the innkeeper who promised my people rooms, yet when they arrived, had no rooms available.

I ask you for mercy.

Now you have shown us a small mercy, for while a pile of hay in the stable loft may not be adequate accommodations, it is in fact a room, and it is in fact at the inn.

For this, I express small gratitude.

With a 0.3 million equivalent to the salary of about two and a half junior police officers, our local mutual aid orgs could house 16 trans people for a year.

To those who complain about how even this is too much, I ask you, why do you care about so much about so little money?

The chief of police alone has 19 million budgeted, the SPD overall 488 million.

Think of the 20,000 people that money could be housing rather than being used to ruin lives with violence.

Yet ruining lives is what the critics are here to do.

They claim to be budget hawks, but they are vultures who prey upon me and my community for fun and profit.

I ask the city council not to heed the words of such godless people.

Pray they someday find love and do not make their shame your own by concede their bloodlust.

And Ari, please don't put guns on people in the park.

So next we have Elle.

Thank you, Matti.

Now we have Elle followed by Aaron and then Josh.

Welcome, Elle.

Hi, thank you.

I am from Stone Soup Crew and I am a transgender refugee and I'm here to say thank you to everybody that's on this panel and as a member of this district.

You're going to vote today on something that's very near and dear to my heart.

We are a community-based organization in Stone Soup Crew.

Every Wednesday we're out there meeting and greeting and feeding many of the refugees that are coming here.

Don't tell me that we're not putting ourselves on the line, and we deserve our recognition.

And as such, we've invited y'all to our anniversary dinner that is going to be held on the 26th of September, and I put that in your basket.

I just wanted to show something real quick.

This is the stone donation that I received on Wednesday that was whizzed by my head on 12th and Howell while I tried to help a unhoused transgender person.

And this is the reality that we face.

We deserve our place in the sun, too.

and thank you for letting me be among these transgender giants that are sitting here behind me and that will lead this world someday.

Thank you very much.

Hi, hard to follow that.

My name is Josh Fries.

I'm the treasurer of Seattle's LGBTQ Center and Calcucci O'Connor Initiative, a trans faculty network.

My opinions are my own.

You're going to hear, you've already heard some of the experiences, the lived experiences of the trans folks here.

You're going to hear so much more after me.

What I'm gonna tell you right now is the financial logistical part.

We are ready for this money that you appropriated last week.

We have budgetary controls, we have spending controls, we're ready to deal with HSD grants.

So for all those that are behind me that say that we don't know how to spend this money, that we don't know what to do with it, I say we're gonna show you so much joy and community care than you'll ever see.

And if you have a question about a budget, ask me.

I can tell you how to balance a balance sheet.

Thank you.

Next we have...

Are you Aaron?

Okay, awesome.

All right, Aaron, welcome.

Before you go, let me tell the next 10 people.

So we'll have Jillian, Ruth, Craig.

We have Ms. Torres.

I can't read your first name, I apologize.

Ms. Torres.

We have Michael, Danica, Victoria, Rachel, Alexia, and Caroline.

You all are up next.

Okay, welcome.

All right.

My name is Aaron.

I'm here to talk about the amendment allocating funds to provide resources to the trans community.

I am a trans person who relocated here from the Dakotas to find community and a better life for myself.

I'm not going to lie.

This search for a better existence has partially eluded me since losing my corporate job.

It's hard enough to find consistent work as a trans person, especially when there is more variety in a chip aisle than the city's job market.

I did, however, find community and I would not be standing here today if it wasn't for this.

I have met people who are willing to donate out of pocket what little money they had to help trans people with rental assistance, food, medical costs, and other basic needs.

Which leads to the question, what message does it send that those that barely assent to their name are doing more to help the trans community than our own government?

You can claim and protect trans people, but actions speak louder than words.

I plead with the city council to find it in their hearts to vote yes on that amendment.

Thank you, Aaron.

Next, we have Jillian, followed by Ruth, Craig.

Welcome.

Council members, my name is Gillian England.

Seattle faces shrinking business activity, high office vacancies, and rising property taxes.

The commercial tax base is under pressure.

Yet we're being asked to expand spending on discretionary programs for a narrow category of newcomers, while the city's more core services and fiscal foundation remain strained.

Every new obligation competes with public safety, infrastructure, and the basic conditions that keep employers and residents here.

Compassion that ignores the budget is not compassion.

It is deferred cost shifted to the people already paying higher taxes.

Stabilize the tax base first, then consider expansions, please.

My name is Jillian Engman.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jillian.

Next we have Ruth, followed by Craig.

Ms. Torres.

they have the freedom to do that, to lift those up.

Well, it doesn't seem right because then they were taken away from my voice.

They can't block the person behind them, but they are allowed to hold the signs.

OK.

Thank you, Ruth.

Thank you.

My name is Ruth Berga.

I live in Seattle.

I referenced the song IT by Christine in the Queens on the album Chalet Humana to my comments.

On August 4, this council voted on Amendment 5, CB121253, amending ordinance 127362. This proposal is about sex, and that word describes both a body type and an activity.

This proposal adopts the current definition this week of LGBTQ, which includes something different, an identity.

Not an identity that can be proven through court or hospital records.

Simply the identity an individual has chosen for the day.

The equivalent of about 60 single-family homes would donate their entire hard-fought property tax to fund a slush fund for people who can't even prove what they are, what they claim to be.

Pause your time.

Hold on.

Pause time.

We'll put 15 seconds back so she can finish.

I'm just gonna ask really nicely.

That would be respectful to everyone.

I will not let anyone get booed, no matter what their comments, how we disagree, agree, whatever it is.

We just gotta be respectful.

I hear you.

I hear you, but I'm going to protect your right to speak as well.

I got you.

I hear y'all.

15 seconds.

Only 15 seconds.

She already talked.

Just 15 seconds.

Replace.

I'm being respectful to everyone.

No, just give me one second.

The city already sets aside millions for the homeless and more millions for immigrants.

Hold on one second.

We'll start your time, and then you'll be able to continue.

OK, thank you.

Yep, you're welcome.

So I said, for a slush fund for people who can't even prove that they are what they claim to be.

This city already sets aside millions for the homeless and more millions for immigrants.

Yet this subgroup of people come asking for a special handout.

They want this money without any strings and with their own definition.

Thank you, Ruth.

You can put your comments in the basket as well.

You're good.

No worries.

Thank you, Ruth.

OK, now we have Craig, followed by Ms. Torres.

Welcome, Craig.

Thank you, President Hollingsworth.

My name is Craig Thompson.

I'm a longtime advocate and activist on Northwest Beacon Hill.

I am also called the Jungle Guy.

There, how's that?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

OK.

So I'm here today to support Council Member Lynn's amendment to Council Bill 121253. This would create two positions that would help coordinate the outreach and other efforts that are taking place today in Little Saigon, the North Rainier Valley, and also Northwest Beacon Hill.

These positions will help make a whole program possible so that there will be a public safety component taking place in our neighborhood, and there will be real outreach.

So I hope that all of you will support Council Lynn's amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Craig.

Next, we have Ms. Torres.

I messed up your name.

That's my bad.

Hi everyone, my name is Amaranthia Torres from the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence.

We support the ban on hidden fees and amendments A and E, as well as the amendment supporting the trans community.

I'll be reading remarks from Tosh Hansen Day, who couldn't be here today.

They support deaf and deafblind survivors at member program Abuse Deaf Women's Advocacy Services in D5.

Tosh says, survivors experience trauma from the abuse they go through, including financial abuse.

People who cause harm will often use finances to control survivors and force them to stay in abusive relationships.

This could look like ruining their credit, sabotaging their job, or for deaf survivors, taking their monthly social security checks.

Sometimes abusers take over survivors' finances so they never learn how to budget or manage money sufficiently.

The result is often poor credit, homelessness, and poverty.

Most survivors subsequently struggle to find stable housing after fleeing abuse.

Add the exorbitant housing costs in Seattle and the situation is often impossible.

Oh my gosh.

Survivors deserve a transparent move-in process where all fees are stated clearly.

Join our work to end gender-based violence by leading by example.

Do not continue practices that mirror financial abuse.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Michael.

Is Michael Woodward here?

Michael?

Michael Woodward?

No?

Okay.

Deanna?

Oh, my bad.

I'm sorry, Michael.

I missed you.

It's all right.

Hello again, council members.

Michael Woodward from Traction.

I've been living in the world as a trans man since the 1990s.

I'm here to urge you to vote yes on CB 12-1252 as amended last week.

Trans displacement is a civic emergency.

You've already heard the numbers.

More than 50,000 displaced trans people are already here or on their way.

The need is only growing.

In the three years since we started this work, we've received one $10,000 foundation grant for all this work, just one.

I'm still standing here as Traction's sole paid staff member only because some individual donors came through just as our account balances were sliding from black to red.

We all know $300,000 is not enough, but I want to come back here and thank you.

I want the city to be the first to say trans people who flee here deserve help.

Sharon McMahon wrote, the arc of the moral universe doesn't bend itself.

Someone has to pull it.

That can be you.

Vote yes.

Let us thank you.

Then let us get back to work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

Next we have Danica.

I got you.

Danica, next by Victoria, Rachel, Alexia, and Caroline.

Danica, Victoria, Rachel, Alexia, Caroline, welcome.

Hello, my name is Danica Noble.

I spent 20 years with the Federal Trade Commission, and the last 10 years as the chair of our State Bar Association's Antitrust, Consumer Protection, and Unfair Business Practices section, I am in favor of the junk fee ban.

And it's more than a question of just an extra fee.

It's more than the invisible tax raising prices across the economy.

It's more than all the convenience fees that we've all paid and have never found convenient.

It asks a question about whether our markets can be fair in an increasingly digital world.

And it's something that we absolutely need.

The digital markets promise transparency for consumers.

Junk fees hide those and prevent that.

Chair Khan at the Federal Trade Commission assumed 54 million hours would be saved by a nationwide junk fee ban.

The other problem is it incentivizes dishonest business practices and punishes those that would make those transparent.

So if a consumer should pay it, they should see it before they decide to buy.

That's how we make this not deceptive.

Thank you.

Thank you, Danica.

Next we have Victoria, followed by Rachel, Alexia, Caroline.

Welcome.

Hello, counsel.

My name is Victoria Palmer, and I am a District 6 resident and executive board member of the King County Republican Party.

I'm here today to speak against funding for the trans and queer community.

Like the $300,000 proposed in today's budget amendment bill, CB121253, Mayor Wilson's office rejected the request for an emergency.

There's no reason to spend money, public money, to pay expenses for what is simply adults moving to Seattle.

The videos I posted on this topic have drawn much public attention and outrage with over 330,000 views on all platforms.

It's time to put an end to our reputation for being free at all and return to funding projects that build our city and benefit all.

gauging by primary election results and Danny Westneet's analysis in the Times, this whole socialist movement thing actually isn't catching on here.

And while we Republicans don't get much respect in Seattle- Thank you, Victoria.

Victoria, thank you.

Thank you so much.

Rachel, I can control the meeting, okay?

You guys are all good.

Okay, we have Rachel followed by Alexia and then Caroline, and then after that, we'll go to the next 10 people, and then we're gonna go to online.

So that's 30 in person, then we'll go online and we'll come back.

Rachel Snell, welcome.

and members of the City Council.

My name is Rachel Snell, and I am strongly here to advocate for banning the junk fees.

In a time where rent's already unbelievably expensive, no one should have to choose between medical bills, groceries, or rents, let alone adding junk fees on top of it all.

I mean, are you kidding?

Anyway, this piece of legislation will provide much needed relief to renters like myself and many other renters that are in this room today, as well as other people that are not in this room today.

And just a friendly reminder that to be an elected official is an honor.

It is an honor to be an elected official, because you are voted on by the people And so it is your job to enact and enforce legislation that help improve the lives of your constituents, not harm your constituents.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rachel.

Next we have Alexia, followed by Caroline.

Alexia.

Welcome.

Then Caroline, you're up.

Thank you.

Hello, guys.

Hi.

My name is Alexia Sattler, and I'm a renter living in South Lake Union.

I urge the council to ban rental junk fees and take meaningful action to protect renters in Seattle and oppose amendments C and D.

When I lived in Eastlake, I was charged a $15 administration fee and $50 technology fee on top of the advertised rent.

And these charges may seem small, but housing is already very expensive for a lot of people, a lot of my friends, my coworkers too.

For every single apartment I rented in Seattle, I found myself going back and forth with property managers, trying to negotiate or question what these charges were.

only to be told that there was nothing they could do about it.

I'm a college student with two jobs.

This is really unfair.

Renters should not have to fight their landlords just to understand or challenge the true cost of their housing.

I ask the council to stand with the majority of Seattle households who rent their homes.

Please support the bill to ban rental junk fees and oppose harmful amendments.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alexia.

Next we have, thank you.

Next, Caroline.

Before you go, the next people up before you go, all right, it's gonna be Chris, Apostate, did I say that right?

Apostate?

Apostate?

Anyway, I'm sorry.

Anitra, Ivan, Heather, Tennessee, Aiden, Kristen, Lexi, and Vera.

And I apologize if I mess up your name.

Caroline, welcome.

Hi, Council.

My name's Caroline Russell.

I'm a renter in District 3, and I'm here in support of banning all rental junk fees, but I want to talk specifically about pet rent for a moment.

I've been renting in Seattle for seven years, and in that time, I paid thousands of dollars in rental fees, with most of that coming from pet rent for my cat.

She has cost me as much as $75 a month in pet rent, despite never doing any damage to my apartment, let alone the building itself.

This money has been pure profit for my landlord.

Landlords have tried to pitch pet rent as an equity issue to give this fee the veneer of progressivism, but it is the poorest and most marginalized people in the city who are the most impacted and the most at risk of eviction over the inability to pay an extra monthly fee, especially since these fees are not covered by housing vouchers.

Pet rent preys on tenants' love for their pets to extract every last drop of profit from them.

This is a majority renter city, and we are all tired of being nickled and dined by landlords while rent prices skyrocket and threaten our housing stability.

I urge you to ban junk fees, to pass amendments A and E, and to vote no on amendments C and D, which will weaken this bill and hurt renters.

And protect trans people now and forever.

Thank you, Caroline.

Chris?

Chris?

Chris Paul- Good afternoon, Anita Freeman.

Hold on, Anita.

Hold on one second, Anita.

We're looking for Chris.

Chris is up next.

Chris, and then- Chris Paulson, I'm a renter living in Madison Park.

Yeah, go ahead.

My name is Chris Pauls.

I'm a renter living in Madison Park.

I urge the council to support the proposed ban on rental fees.

I oppose arrangements C and D.

Most renters getting stuck with these fees don't have the luxury of taking time out of the middle of a workday to testify at City Hall, so I want to use my time for them as much as myself.

I currently pay $30 a month to keep our cat, which I already pay a damage deposit for, and the landlord bears no additional cost simply for the presence of my cat in the unit.

I also get charged $250 a month for just paying the rent.

So I'm just going to surrender the rest of my time just to say that I support the bill and oppose the amendment to unity.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chris.

Apostate?

Okay.

Hello.

Hi, my name's Ari.

I came in to talk about the $300,000 that you guys want to give to the trans and queer community.

I just think it's absolutely ridiculous that in a city that has a housing crisis, sex trafficking problem, in a city that has a serious drug problem, you guys want to give $300,000 away in the name of a fictional genocide that's not occurring.

I think it's really insulting to people who have actually suffered an attempt by governments to systemically erase their existence from this land.

I think it's insulting to this nation.

What's really happened is trans migrants have moved from state to state, just like me.

I came here 10 years ago for the same thing, just for opportunity, rebuilt my whole life, found love.

But they've moved because women, adult human females, have said they're not comfortable with males in their bathrooms, in their prisons, in their rape shelters.

and so they've come here to hide so they can oppress women.

That's what it's really about.

And I just think it's absolutely ridiculous to see a city council with this many women on it who do not know what women are.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous.

You have Trump's FBI breaking up sex- Thank you, Ari.

Thank you, Ari.

Next.

Thank you, Ari.

All right, so we're gonna go to the next speaker.

Anitra is next, followed by Ivan.

Anitra?

We're still doing public comment, y'all?

I'm here speaking in favor of the junk fees legislation.

For one thing, all agreements should be opt-in as a matter of simple fairness.

You shouldn't have to sign a lease and find out that you've obligated yourself to 30 extra expenses that you didn't know about.

And the other thing, I've had a cat for 30 years.

I'm used to putting a deposit down.

I don't know any apartment dweller in Seattle who takes their cat outside at all.

That cat is in our apartment.

I have a deposit for any damage it does.

I don't need to be charged for anything that happens anywhere outside the apartment.

So keep it fair.

Thank you.

Thank you, Anitra.

Next we have Ivan followed by Heather.

Ivan, Ivan, and then Heather.

Welcome.

Ivan, Heather, Tennessee, Aiden, Kristen, Lexi, Vera, and then we'll go online.

Welcome.

My name's Ivan.

I'm in District 5. I am homeless, but you know, I really would love to be able to afford rent.

I am on disability, which means pretty much I can't afford rent.

The landlords are adding fees and other predatory billing practices to skirt protections designed to protect renters from price gouging.

And like I always say, Jesse James needed a gun.

Thank you.

Now we have Heather, followed by Tennessee, Aiden, Kristen, Lexi.

Welcome.

Hi, my name is Heather.

I live in Tent City 3, located in District 4. Our tagline today is, we can't afford the rent, so we live in a tent.

Urge to cancel to take action today to ban unnecessary housing costs, but strongly oppose Amendment C and D.

My biggest hurdle in acquiring traditional housing is pet rent.

There's no way a single mom with a pet making less than $60,000 a year can afford rent in Seattle, let alone pet rent and other predatory unnecessary housing fees.

Thank you so much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Heather.

We have Tennessee.

Did I say your name right?

Tennessee?

Yeah.

Okay.

Awesome.

Aiden, Kristen, Lexi, Vera.

Welcome.

Hi, I'm Terence McGibbon.

I'm a longtime resident of Rainier North.

First, I want to thank Council Members Lynn and Foster for all their help in our neighborhood and stuff.

They've been real champions helping us out.

I'm here to support and ask you to support Amendment A. I don't have all the answers, but I will tell you this, if this money is appropriate, you have myself and the trash walkers around Rainier Avenue North, you'll have boots on, you'll, what's that saying?

Boots on the pavement, whatever.

You'll have a lot of support from us, because I want to get our neighborhood back to where it should be.

And I want to thank a few people beside the council members, Jenny Franco, Adoptive Street, Tracy from Find a Fix It, I'm the Find a Fix It King, and I'm the Adoptive Street King, so I appreciate all the help that everybody does.

Thank you.

Thank you, King.

Next we have Aiden, followed by Kristen, Lexi, Vera, and we'll go online.

Welcome.

My name is Aiden.

I'm a renter in District 5 off of Lake City, and I want to comment on the junk fee ban.

The proposed ban on junk fee is what they call an easy win.

Make a little splash in the news, feel good about being a representative.

Normal people, your voters, get to keep a little bit of their hard-earned wages on your behalf.

And I'm sorry, how exactly is my pet supposed to be paying rent again?

Is Todd the Cat supposed to get a job?

I suppose Todd the Cat needs to set aside a little money every month from his social security check so he can pay his rent.

Todd the Cat is going to be evicted for failing to pay his rent on time and needs to plead his case in court so he can keep a roof over the head for his 14 kittens.

What are we talking about?

What kind of evil Dr. Eggman type thinks pet rent is something we would tolerate?

Pets can't pay rent.

Pets don't pay rent.

Don't let landlords make up nonsense fees so they can squeeze every last dime out of the hardworking voters of the city.

Please vote yes on amendments A and E, which will strengthen this bill, and vote no on amendments C and D, which weaken renter's protection.

Thank you.

Thank you, Aiden.

Next we have Kristen, followed by Lexi and then Vera.

Kristen.

Welcome.

Then Lexi and Vera.

Hi, just for the record, my name is pronounced Kirsten.

Kirsten, I'm sorry.

K-I-R-S-T-E-N.

Kirsten, I'm sorry.

My bad.

Let's restart our time.

No worries.

It happens all the time.

We'll restart your time.

Okay, restart our time.

There you go.

Okay, started my time.

Okay.

No, we restart it.

I am an intern at Bird Bar Place.

It's a nonprofit, and we help at, we just help the community.

And I'm not speaking on their behalf, but I'm speaking on what I see and what I hear from my own personal experience working in social services.

we get about one, soft numbers, we get about one in four calls asking for rental assistance due to evictions.

So we are facing a crisis in housing and evictions right now in King County, right now in Seattle, not just north, not just south, all over, even in Bellevue, even Shoreline.

So it's sort of this western part of Seattle.

Anyways, I want to invest in the community.

We want to invest in the community.

So we can't have these fees because we want to invest in families, communities, education.

Thank you, Kirsten.

Next, we have Lexi, followed by Vera.

Welcome, Lexi.

Hello, I'm Lexi Salas.

I'm a renter in District 3, and I'm here today to urge our council to vote to ban junk fees without amendment C and D.

Council President, you met my dog, Zombie.

You thought he was so cool, so please don't make him pay rent.

Seattle's a majority renter city, and it's about time we have a council that represents our interests and doesn't uphold the status quo, privileging property owners over tenants.

For too long, landlords and developers claimed that any additional protections for tenants will result in the sky falling.

However, renters in our city experience the sky fall on us whenever we have to choose between food for our pets or pet rent.

The sky falls on renters when we are slammed to pay our vacate notices and we don't have money for moving costs.

The sky falls on renters when we are evicted and left to fend for ourselves on the streets of Seattle.

The sky falls disproportionately on trans renters, which is why the council must also fund resources for our trans neighbors.

So Seattle City Council, you have the opportunity today to be a national leader for renters by banning rental junk fees without amendment C and D.

So please make the right choice and side with renters who make up the majority of our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lexi.

Next we have Vera.

Welcome.

Hello, my name's Vera.

I'm an organizer at Got Green, and I urge the council to support the proposed ban on rental fees while opposing amendments C and D.

Through hundreds of conversations with our working class black and brown neighbors in South Seattle, Got Green has heard that rent increases, housing insecurity, displacement, unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, and disrespect are what renters contend with every day.

Meanwhile, landlords and real estate tycoons amass wealth, and there's less and less public investment in healthy housing.

Landlords have the power to make business decisions, including setting rental rates.

With that power, they must bear the costs and the risks.

Just like any other business, this bill, which reduces hidden and unnecessary housing costs and staffs SDCI to enforce them, is an important step in the right direction.

Support the bill to ban rental fees and oppose harmful amendments C and D, and moving forward, keep strengthening rental protections and enforcement.

Thank you.

And I want to say trans rights are human rights, trans rights forever.

Thank you, Vera.

Next, we're gonna go online.

All right, now we're gonna go online.

So we have Angie, Wes, Mr. Alvarez, Ryan.

You're gonna press star six, unmute yourself.

Welcome, Angie.

Star six, unmute yourself.

You're on mute, Angie.

Star six.

We'll bump up, oh, there you go, go ahead.

Hi, my name is Angie.

I'm a small board from Ballard and a co-founder of Seattle Grassroots Landlords.

We are opposed to the bloated and flawed rental fee legislation.

We participated in the mayor's charade of a stakeholder process.

Excuse me, I just had to run in from working outside and out of breath.

One moment.

Renters deserve transparency of costs, not an expensive, over-idealized approach that makes lofty promises without grounding in the actual costs, risks, and complexities of providing rental housing in Seattle.

This moved out of council's committee with a 5-0 vote and not one meeting involving housing providers or Q&A about rental operations.

You haven't even publicly released the 2025 end of year real report.

This is poor governance in action.

Please vote no.

Please work on collaborative problem solving.

Thank you.

Thank you, Angie.

Next we have Wes followed by Mr. Alvarez, star six to unmute yourself.

Good afternoon, members of the city council.

My name is Wes Mills and I'm a renter in Northgate with my wife and our adorable dog.

I would have joined you in person today, but while I am to the left, I'm also employed, so I have to call in during work hours and thank you for the action.

I'm commenting in support of the overall proposal to ban gent fees, and particularly in opposition to amendment P&D.

Nobody likes gent fees, and if we did, everyone would be lighting up the same appraisers of Comcast and would speak highly of the process of financing the car.

But housing is different.

I can choose not to go to some businesses, but I have to have somewhere to live.

And disclosure is not enough, because by the time we've gotten 80 pages deep in a lease, only discover the convenient opt-out for some valuable program, or worse, that a junk fee is actually required, it's already too late.

Thank you, Wes.

Next we have Mr. Alvarez followed by Ryan and then to Luna.

Thank you.

I'm strongly against amendments C and D for the junk fee legislation.

What's most egregious with the pet rent car belt is that the amendment ties it to inflation in the economy.

When do renters get any such benefit into law?

Landlords don't care about the rates of unemployment or layoffs or that wages don't keep up with sales taxes, medications, grocery prices.

The rent is always due.

no matter what the Consumer Price Index reports.

Until we have, excuse me, until we have rent discounts to help with dips in consumer income, landlords should have no such benefit for themselves.

Know on all junk fees that nickel and dime us into crisis and homelessness.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

Next we have Ryan followed by Taluna and then Kelsey.

Star six, unmute yourself.

Hi, counsel.

My name is Ryan Talon.

I'm a registered nurse at Harborview, and I'm a renter in Capitol Hill.

I urge this council to ban rental junk fees and to oppose amendments to D&D.

Honest markets require honest pricing.

When I moved into my building, I budgeted carefully based on the advertised rent, but hidden pet rent and recurring administration fees caught me completely off guard.

The true cost was buried in fine print, making it impossible to compare options accurately or plan my finances.

This lack of transparency hurts renters and it distorts the entire housing market.

Banning junk fees is a simple step towards a fairer market where advertised prices reflect real costs.

Renters deserve to know what housing actually costs before signing a lease.

Please support this bill to increase transparency and ban deceptive junk fees and oppose harmful amendments to C and D.

Also lastly, I just want to say that the trans community trying to move Seattle by making housing costs more transparent is a way to help them.

So please support the legislation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ryan.

Next we have Talona, followed by Kelsey.

Susan.

Hi, my name is Talona Reed, the Pretendent Union of Washington State.

Please vote yes on the junk fees ordinance and reject amendment C and D.

Of the callers, we get over 200 callers a month with different issues and approximately 80% of those are about junk fees.

Pets do not have jobs and cannot afford to pay their rent either.

It is very important to ensure that Seattle residents are able to afford their rent.

These are hidden costs that renters are already paying, and renters deserve straightforward pricing that reflects what they will actually be paid out of pocket.

Pet rent is predatory.

It exploits the love people have for their pets, and landlords should not be allowed to find new and creative ways to get money for the people who rely on them for housing.

Please vote yes on this ordinance.

Thank you, Talana.

Next we have Kelsey, followed by Susan, star six.

Hello.

My name is Kelsey Timmer and I'm a renter in District 3 as well as a city worker and member of ProTech 17. I'm speaking today to ask City Council to support banning junk fees, support amendments A and E to allow renters to be fairly compensated for harms and to oppose amendments B and D.

It's hard enough to afford living in the city I work for and junk fees only make it harder.

To junk fees I have paid the most are pet rent.

Each year I pay over $300 extra in rent because I have a cap This just doesn't make sense.

Any extra risk of damage should be covered under a refundable pet deposit and any utilities my cat is somehow using I'm already paying for.

Pet rent is just one of many junk fees and another excuse for landlords to increase their revenue which makes it harder for people to afford housing in our city.

I urge you to please support the bill to ban junk fees, support amendments A and E and oppose amendments C and D.

Finally, trans rights are human rights.

Please support our trans neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kelsey.

We have Susan, followed by Ken, and then Rose.

Susan.

Good afternoon.

Susan Riggs with the ASPCA.

I'm speaking in support of the junk federal fees ordinance is currently written and against the proposed amendment C.

As it stands today, landlords have at their disposal both security deposits and pet deposits to address any pet-related damages.

Furthermore, there's little evidence that landlords incur widespread pet-related costs that justify ongoing monthly costs.

Specifically, recent research has found that only 9% of pets cause any damage, the majority of which is repaired by tenants prior to vacancy, with the average damage costing just $210, which is easily covered by the current requirements.

Opponents of this ordinance argue that eliminating pet rent and non-refundable fees will force landlords to raise rent for everyone.

However, data from Denver, Colorado, where pet rent rental fees were capped effective January 2024, showed a significant reduction in rents following the laws enactment and no change in pet-friendly rental inventory.

Thank you.

Thank you, Susan.

Next we have Ken, followed by Rose.

Ken star six.

Hello, my name is Ken Timmons.

I strongly support Amendment A to Council Bill 121253. I have lived in Mount Baker for 34 years.

I last spoke to you on April 7th and described the crisis in our neighborhood.

Well, the crisis continues.

In the past four months, we've had arson, shootings, overdose deaths, more encampments, drug dealings, theft and vandalism to businesses and property and a recent home burglary and now suspected prostitution.

We have made multiple 911 calls, filed many find-it-fix-it reports, and contacted Metro numerous times to address drug use at our bus stops.

We have been trying to improve our neighborhood, but we are exhausted and we are frustrated.

Councilmember Lynn's amendment will bring a focused effort on a problem that is too big for us.

Pass this amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Rose followed by Steve and then Alice.

Hello.

Thank you, Council President Hollingsworth.

I was able to meet with your office yesterday and have some productive conversations.

I look forward to having more conversations in the future.

The trans community is in crisis.

I came here 20 months ago hoping that there would be more support here for the community, but myself and many others paid out of our pocket to help the community with resources that the city should have been providing.

There are many individuals that are at the breaking points, both mentally and financially.

We need this support, and this support is good that we have today.

I would encourage the Council to not just see this as a one-time financial measure, but to look forward to how we can help the community going forward because this is an ongoing issue that is only going to get considerably worse as the years go on.

So please support our communities.

We deserve it.

It is what we all need.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rose.

Next we have Steve, followed by Alice.

Welcome, Steve.

Hello, my name is Steve Kinnold.

I've been a resident of North Rainier for 34 years.

Today I'm urging you to support Councilman Lynn's amendment aid to supplemental budget to establish a community fund intended to bring public safety outreach programs to our neighborhood.

On April 7th, a group of us attended your council meeting and presented an impact study that we conducted along North Rainier.

We asked you to address issues of crime, general safety, and to help beyond house.

We now feel that you've listened to our concerns because this proposed amendment addresses these issues.

Councilman Lynn Foster and Hollingsworth, you've been on the ground in this area many times and you understand the urgency of implementing this plan.

And Councilman Strauss, you've spoken of its success in other districts and your willingness to expand to North D2.

We want to thank you all.

We also want you to know that once this community fund is established, we're ready to go to help the outreach staff.

Thank you, Steve.

Next we have Alice followed by Dr. Janus and then James Wu.

Good afternoon, Council.

This is Alice Lockhart calling from District 5 and I wanted very short to urge you to please pass the B12125 for the junk fee ban and keep it a complete ban by not passing weakening amendments.

I'm sorry C and D I believe the last two Ketala amendments.

You know it's the right thing to do.

Stay strong.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Alex.

We're going to do Dr. Janice and then James, and then we're going to come back in person.

So Dr. Janice Clark and James Wu.

Good afternoon.

I'm Dr. Janice Clark, founder, visionary, and president of Safe Homes.

I rise today in strong support of the five appointments to the Indigenous Advisory Council and with deep gratitude to the Department of Neighborhood President of Seattle Council, ma'am, you, and all council members for the award process at Selected Safe Homes Women Veterans Program Pilot for Food Security and Resiliency Initiative.

This pilot, funded through the Sweet and Beverage Tax, affirms that food is culturally, emotionally, and intellectual nourishment.

It feeds the brain and shapes decisions that affect the safety of those who live, work, and worship in our city.

As we move forward, it is essential that indigenous women veterans are also identified and given the opportunity to participate.

Thank you for your leadership.

Thank you, Dr. Clark.

Next we have James.

Before you start, James, this is just a time check.

We still have about 60 more speakers.

So I'm gonna say the next 10 speakers that are in person, we're gonna have James Wu go online, but before, so we can kind of get set with people in the queue, we have Kate Rubin, followed by Casey, we have Andrea, we have Margaret, we have Ben Wong, Samuel Wolfson, Megan, Steph, Aaron, and then Ruby.

R-U-B-A-I Rubai.

So we have those people that are next.

James, you will go and then we'll go to Kate Rubin.

Welcome, James.

Hello, my name is James Wu.

I am a homeowner in D5.

I urge the council to support 121254 and the amendments A and E, as well as the budget elements for trans-refuge funding.

I find it very interesting that only homeowners get 30 years of permanently stable housing price control, but that in the middle of a housing crisis, a climate refugee crisis, and a trans-refuge crisis, renters instead get creatively hidden layered fees like pet rents.

I also oppose amendments C&D.

I know that Councilmember Kettle have no qualms criticizing fees that are, quote, one-off and piecemeal as long as they're called taxes.

Last July, he criticized one-off tax solutions.

This March, he railed on the layering of tax on tax and piecemeal taxes.

Last month, he argued taxes are being passed individually with no notion of cumulative financial burden.

Well, rental one-time off fees are layered on fees on fees and piecemeal fees when it's for private profit, just not to fund public services.

Thank you.

Thank you, James.

Next, we have Kate Rubin, Casey, Andrea, Margaret, Ben, Samuel, Megan, Steph, Aaron, Ruby.

My name is Kate Rubin.

I am the co-executive director of Be Seattle, and I am co-facilitator of the Stay House Stay Healthy Coalition, a group of about 40 organizations that have been working on this bill.

The coalition supports amendments A and E that would help renters get some of the money back that their landlords have taken from them.

And we are opposed to amendments C and D.

We think that pet rent is exploitative.

There is no justification for charging renters $300 per year plus inflation.

and there is no justification for opting renters into optional fees.

We urge you to stand with renters and pass this common sense bill.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kate.

Next we have Casey, followed by Andrea, and then Margaret.

Welcome.

Thank you for having us this afternoon.

My name's Casey.

I am a vice chair of the Seattle Renters Commission.

I'm also a member of the Stay House, Stay Healthy Coalition and a former tenant attorney.

I'm asking that you support this junk fee ban with the exception of amendments C and D.

The fact that there is even a cap that is being proposed suggests that what landlords have been charging, they don't need.

And frankly, they don't need to charge it, period.

They've got security deposits.

They've got pet deposits.

Your landlord can go after you if there's damage to the unit when you move out.

Seattle renters spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, just to make sure that they can keep their companion with them.

And for landlords, this is dollars and cents.

But for renters, this is their home, their family, and their support.

Simply put, pet rent is not fair.

It's a scam.

And we ask that you pass this bill without C&D.

Thank you, Casey.

Andrea, welcome, followed by Margaret.

Hello, my name is Andrea, and I've been a resident of a renter in Seattle for 19 years.

I'm also a proud dues-paying member of the Carpenters Union for eight, nine years now.

And I'm also a proud longtime single mom of a trans young adult.

As other people have mentioned, junk fees are a way for landlords to squeeze more out of us tenants without being subject to regulation.

This council has the power today to end that, starting now.

As a renter and mother of a beloved trans person, our interests as people who are trans, who love trans people, and are renters should not be pitted against each other.

So I urge council to grant the proposed funding for trans support now and to look for other ways that don't add to housing costs for working class people, cis and trans.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Hi, I'm Margaret Shield from D5, and I'm here in support of Councilmember Foster's bill to prohibit unfair, unregulated rental fees.

So I'm a homeowner now, but during the 20 years I was a renter here, landlords did not use these fees on us.

This is a recent unfair practice that evades fair market competition and renter protections.

Unpredictable extra fees are a significant factor in how people get behind, get an eviction, and become unhoused.

This needs to stop.

Amendment C and D create unjustifiable loopholes.

Please oppose them.

Charging pet rent is double or triple dipping because renters already pay two damaged deposits.

Insurance should be an opt-in, not a confusing opt-out.

You know, every type of business carries liability insurance, including my small business.

We work those costs into the price of our goods and services.

There's no reason why rental property businesses need to be any different.

Lastly, there is no room for hate in Seattle.

We love our trans neighbors.

Please fund the budget amendment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Margaret.

Next, we have Ben, followed by Samuel, Megan, Steph, Aaron.

Welcome, Ben.

Hello, my name is Ben Wong, and I was born, raised in Seattle, and the last 20 years I've been living in Queen Anne, and I came here to ask you to please support the ban on the junk fees.

We need the transparency.

I've been talking to some people who, it seems Mr. Kettle, my representative may have introduced some amendments that put loopholes in, as the previous speaker said, and I'm concerned that that might weaken this whole ordinance.

So please, pass it, but without any amendments that would weaken it, which I believe were C and D.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ben.

Next, we have Samuel, followed by Megan.

Is Samuel here?

Samuel Olson?

Hey, hey, Sam.

Hi, council.

My name is Sam Wolfson.

I am a member of the Seattle Renters Commission, and I'm a renter in District 3. I'm here to urge you to take action against junk fees imposed on renters in our city.

These fees allow landlords to advertise artificially low rent prices and hide the actual monthly cost of tenancy.

As someone who is actively working on finding a new place to live, the process is early, exhausting enough.

The fact that I can't even put in my budget and trust that I can actually afford a place without going and digging in and finding all these random fees added to every listing makes the whole process even worse.

This bill is good for everybody, landlords too, I think, because it creates mutual understanding of what fees are actually justifiable, like utilities, and what needs to just be included in the rent.

It reduces potential conflict between tenants and landlords and improves pricing transparency.

Please support this bill.

Oppose amendments C and D, which weaken it, and support amendments A and E, which strengthen it.

Thank you.

Also, you should probably just do whatever the opposite the Republicans tell you to do.

Megan?

Is it Megan?

Is it Megan?

Megan, I'm sorry.

Megan, Steph, Erin, Ruby.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Megan Nelson, representing Seattle Humane and a coalition of animal welfare organizations.

We support CB121254 because unnecessary pet fees create real barriers to housing and keep families from staying together.

At Seattle Humane, about 15% of pets surrendered to us are given up due to housing-related challenges, and other shelters and service providers report even higher rates.

Amendment C would undermine that goal by allowing up to $25 per month per pet in pet rent, an arbitrary charge not connected to actual damage or costs.

Property owners are already protected through pet damage deposits.

For many renters, these added monthly costs can be the difference between keeping a pet and surrendering one.

We ask you to support CB121254 and reject Amendment C. Thank you, Steph and Erin.

Steph, Steph, come on up, Steph.

and then we have Aaron over here

Thank you, counsel.

Hi there, I'm Steph Haggerty, a renter in Seattle, and I'm here on behalf of myself and my friends who are teachers, nurses, service workers in Seattle who can't be here today because they're trying to work to pay the bills, pay the rent, pay the junk fees.

So please support the junk fees ban and reject amendments C and D which weaken it.

Just an example, one of my friends is a community mental health therapist, makes very low income, is charged a $250 fee a year just to renew the lease, $60 a month.

fee to just pay the rent on the landlord's portal, landlord business expense, the list goes on and on.

And the stress of increasing rent and fees, having to move to find an affordable place to live, impacts their ability to provide care in the community.

Amendment C, as others have spoken about, discriminates against pet owners.

300 bucks a year for lower income folks may mean the difference between paying rent and being housed with their animal companions and service animals.

So please keep my friends housed and families together.

Renters are increasing your voters and constituents.

Thanks a lot.

Please support our trans community too.

Thank you.

Thank you, Seth.

Aaron, welcome.

Good afternoon, council president and council members.

Aaron Tullock, legislative aide with FMS Global Strategy, speaking on behalf of the We Build Back Better Alliance.

We support CB12-1254, amendments A and E as amendment, and we appreciate council member Foster's leadership.

We also value our relationship with council member Kettle.

However, we join our coalition partners in opposing amendments C and D.

On pet rent, if a tenant has already paid a security or pet deposit to cover potential damages, an additional $25 a month fee, $300 a year per pet, whether any damages occur or not.

for rentals already struggling in Seattle's housing cost, that is significant.

Black households are also more likely to rent and experience housing cost burden, so additional reoccurring fees can deepen existing disparities.

On renter insurance, tenants should be able to choose any qualified insurer and policy that meets properties owner's reasonable coverage requirements.

that protects consumers' choice, competition, and affordability.

If the concern is damage, address damage.

If the concern is insurance, establish reasonable coverage standards, neither should become the pathway for our necessary recurring costs.

Protect housing stability, preserve consumer choice, reject C&D.

Thank you.

Thank you, Aaron.

Next we have Root.

Did I say your name right?

Root Bay?

Root, Root.

It's Rubai.

Rubai, Rubai.

Before you go Rubai, I'm going to say the next 10 people.

So just give me one second.

We have Michelle.

So just all y'all are in the queue.

Michelle, Will, Simon, Catherine, Purple Six, Lou, Steve, David Hill, Amanda, and Lee.

You all are next.

So that's Michelle, Will, Simon, Catherine, Purple Six, Lou, Steve, David Hill, Amanda, Lynn, and Lee.

Rubai, you are up.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you council members for your time today.

My name is Rubai Arora and I'm here on behalf of Woodland Park Zoo to urge you to adopt the supplemental budget ordinance.

I'd first like to thank council member Kettle for your attention to the issue of coyote coexistence in Seattle.

We are grateful for your sponsorship with this important work.

We also want to thank Committee Chair Strauss and the Finance Committee for members of their support in the supplemental budget as well.

This ordinance includes a reasonable one-time funding $15,000 to cover zoo staff time to develop a coyote coexistence plan for the city.

With our mission to save wildlife and inspire conservation, we are well positioned to take the lead on city-wide coordinated approach to peaceful coyote coexistence.

The plan would be developed by our resident carnivore experts who will review best practices and work with key stakeholders to ultimately create a plan that could be adopted by the city in 2027. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

Council President has asked me to read some of the next names.

Michelle Kim, please.

Hi, I'm Michelle Kim.

I live on North Beacon Hill.

I support Eddie Lynn's Proposal A to fund neighborhood coordinators to help suffering people on the streets in Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill.

I am a CNA and I work with my elders.

I am also autistic.

Seattle is a place I am thriving.

And I know the only reason I am thriving is because of luck.

I could easily be one of the people struggling in these areas, but I have had so many serendipitous moments in my life that have led me to figure out how to heal.

Eddie Lynn is on the right track.

This is the tip of the iceberg.

I would love to see Seattle become a healing city.

That would be something I would be thrilled to pay taxes for.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Will Oberst.

Will?

Will.

Hi, everyone.

First off, thanks for all the work you're doing today.

It really does feel like the people's house today.

Hearing everyone, whether you agree with them or not, it's really important work.

So I'm Will Oberst.

I'm a grocery store worker and a restaurant worker and a renter in District 3 and, as of recently, now a PhD student studying political science with the UN program.

So I'm looking forward to working with some of you on that later.

But I'm here to support the ban of junk fees.

I think that transparency and fees is something that we really need in the city and in life in general.

So thank you all again for your work and have a great day.

Cheers.

Thank you.

Okay, Simon Thornton.

Simon.

Hello, Council Members.

My name is Simon Thorin.

I'm here to ask you to please support Amendment A to the supplemental budget.

The North Beacon Hill and North Rainier areas are in desperate need of service coordination.

Our communities need relief now, and we are so grateful that Council Members Lynn and Foster have engaged with our communities and are finding ways to address these issues with the urgency they deserve.

A common refrain I've heard during these meetings is that we don't want more meetings.

We want actions.

This amendment is the action that our community has been begging for, and so I urge the rest of council to please vote yes on Amendment A and grant our neighborhood the relief it deserves.

Thank you.

Thank you, Simon.

Thanks.

We have Catherine followed by Purple Six.

Welcome, Catherine.

Hi, I'm a member of Beacon Hill.

I'm a resident of Beacon Hill, and I thought there was going to be a lot of people talking about this, so I prepared a statement that's just very focused and just a snapshot of the area.

I'm a bicycle commuter, and I'm always trying to get all of my community to take the bike whenever they can.

if you're coming from Beacon Hill to go anywhere in the city you have to go through the North Beacon Hill, Little Saigon area and it is absolute chaos and to go through there unarmed by a car around me and to give just the little snapshot that I prepared for today just the other night I was going through there and there was a guy who just suddenly giant pipe from the road and just started swinging it over his head so that we had to veer way out of the way on our bicycles.

And then a police car pulled right in front of me, and then I had to swerve around that because he was dealing with other chaos.

The whole area is dangerous, and I'm just a small person going through on my bike.

The residents and the business owners deserve our

Thank you, Catherine.

Thank you, Catherine.

Next we have, thank you so much.

Next we have Purple Six, followed by Lou.

Welcome, Purple Six.

Lou, Steve, David, Amanda, Lee.

Hello, I'm here to talk about the trans refugee crisis.

I want to thank the council for doing the barest minimum of effort in addressing this and earmarking $300,000.

That is something that should have been done a year ago, but obviously the administration at the time was not amicable to such proceedings.

I will say that This is peanut money.

This is such a small amount of money for this city.

You are spending millions to expand fucking flock cameras.

And in that respect, anyone here who votes against such a small amount of money, the peanut money that my community needs, anyone who votes against it is signaling strongly that they are on the side of atrocity.

They are on the side of bigotry.

They are on the side of the people who are brandishing guns on my community.

They are on the side of a villainy that this country should have extinguished a long time ago.

So I want you to understand that as public servants, we will hold you accountable.

So next we have Lou, followed by Steve, David, Amanda, and Lee.

Welcome.

We've heard some noise of the right-wingers that are against trans refugees, I guess.

I guess they're threatened by funding for care, for life, for housing, because we're fleeing their culture of death.

We are giving our community space to breathe.

They aren't the ones taking refugees into their homes.

They're not giving refugees an actual future.

They're not talking people down from the suicide that they've invoked.

We are saving people's lives.

What do they have to show?

What do we have to show if we are intimidated by their noise?

The news is scary, but hesitance in this moment is death, and the way to cut through it is action with our voices resonating together and saying, no, Trump, we choose life.

Fund the trans refugees, call on the mayor to declare a state of emergency, and don't have loopholes.

Thank you, Lou.

Next we have Steve, followed by David, Amanda, Lee.

Welcome, Steve.

David, Amanda, Lee.

Steve.

David, Amanda, Lee.

I'm next, right?

Steve.

Thank God.

OK.

Got you.

Hi, my name is Steve, and I have lived here in Washington my entire life.

I have friends, close family that are queer, trans, et cetera, and it's very just regular inside my life and inside of their lives as well, but outside of just a couple of states that I can count.

It's treated like a much bigger deal, strangely.

Folks, young folks getting kicked out of their house, the house they grew up in, getting kicked out of the state that they grew up in, having to restart their life or just start their life at all.

Because a lot of them, you know, they face this kind of stuff when they're much younger.

Of course they're coming to a place like this, you know, that's It seems like it's going to be a good, respectful environment for them.

And I imagine that you guys, you know, love this community.

That's why you got the job.

Yeah.

But they don't have anything right now.

All they have is themselves.

They deserve so much more.

Thank you.

Thank you, Steve.

Next we have David, followed by Amanda and Lee.

David, Amanda, and Lee.

David, Amanda, David Hill.

Is David Hill here?

Okay, Amanda and Lee.

David, Amanda, Lee.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, council.

My name is David Hill.

I live in District 4. I'm the treasurer of the Transit Riders Union.

TRU strongly supports Council Bill 12-12-54, banning rental junk fees as introduced.

Housing stability is a critical component of transit justice, and corporate junk fees are a backdoor way for property managers to exploit low housing supply and bypass our city's renter protections.

Again, I urge you to pass the bill as written and also to reject Amendment C. This amendment weaponizes the legislative process to protect a corporate cash grab, pet rent.

Since 2018, I've paid $4,500 in pet rent for my dog, Maggie.

That is over $600 a year for a dog that doesn't use building amenities or accrue maintenance costs.

That $4,500 I could have spent in our local economy instead of padding my corporate landlord's balance sheets.

Reject Amendment C, amend penalty discounts for bad actors, pass a strong junk fees ban, and protect our trans neighbors.

Thank you.

Thank you, David.

Next, we have Amanda, followed by Lee.

Is Amanda here, followed by Lee?

Welcome.

Hi, council members.

My name's Amanda Lynn.

I'm an organizer for How's Our Neighbors.

I'm also a renter in Capitol Hill.

Landlords insist junk fees have a direct correlation with costs.

The last few months, I've listened to comments after comments about their costs.

I've also spent years working in affordable housing and community development.

I know insurance, maintenance, and operating costs have gone up, but that's not the whole story.

The rental housing industry tells a very different story to investors than it tells to its renters.

Its own market reports show property income is still growing and they celebrate the fact that new construction has fallen by nearly 60% because it means even greater pricing power for existing landlords in the years ahead.

That's before we even start discussing how much their assets and overall wealth are appreciating.

That's far from an industry on the brink, but the working class citizens of this city have been on the brink for years, and too many of us are falling off the cliff.

That's why these junk fees matter.

Every mandatory fee is one more dollar transferred from a working renter's paycheck, not to cover costs, but to grow a landlord's wealth.

Junk fees aren't providing anything.

Ban them.

Thank you.

Thank you, Amanda.

Next we have Lee.

And before you go, Lee, okay, we have about 40 more speakers.

So we have the next 10 people up is Morgan, Shanae, Kat, Danny, Lydia, Ian, Olivia, Alia, Daniel, and Gabriel.

You are up next.

Morgan, Shanae, Kat, Danny, Lydia, Ian, Olivia, Alia, Daniel, and Gabriel.

Welcome.

Hello, City Council.

My name is Leigh.

I'm a District 3 voter.

I'm here to support the LGBT relief funding.

You already heard me speak on the 4th about my experiences with discrimination in the workplace.

So this time, I want to mention that right-wing streamers like Ari, who talked trash on us earlier, were allowed to harass trans people during Trans Pride back in July.

They were trespassing, SBD was called, and they did not show up.

$300,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions you give SPD to ignore us when we are being antagonized and filmed by fascist creeps.

Please pass the funding.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lee.

Next we have Morgan, followed by Shanae and then Kat.

Welcome, Morgan.

Thank you.

Thank you, council members.

My name is Morgan.

I'm a resident of District 3 and an organizer with the Mutual Aid Network for Trans and Intersex Individuals in Seattle.

I'm here to speak in support of funding for the trans community.

The most financially secure trans people that I know are struggling to hold on to their jobs and their houses.

And the least financially secure trans people that I know are sleeping in parks and dealing with organized harassment from right-wing streamers.

The situation is dire.

Our community struggles to support ourselves and to support each other, but it's difficult when there's pervasive discrimination and harassment.

We desperately need assistance and I would appreciate the council's funding.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Shanae, welcome.

Then Kat, welcome.

Hello, my name, can you hear me?

Yes, ma'am.

Hello, my name is Shanae.

I'm a single mom.

I am in District 2. I have lived in my unit for the past, since 2014. I've had a pet the entire time.

We've gotten a new manager.

I've never had a deposit or anything like that.

And now that we have a new manager, they're using these fees as a weapon.

They are like, You owe $300 for a deposit and $35 for rent, and then that's not fair because you don't give any notice.

Then they backdate it.

I pay my rent on time.

I have to pay a fee because I write a check, which is unfair.

I have a fee for them just having to communicate, a $50 fee for them communicating with me, which is unfair.

I have...

I'm feeling targeted, and I feel that it's not fair that they can use these fees and just throw them in there at any time that they want and don't tell you anything on why they're giving them to you.

So I would really, really appreciate it if you all could .

Thank you.

Next, we have Kat, followed by Danny, Lydia, Ian, Olivia.

Go ahead, Kat.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council President Hollingsworth, Councilmembers.

I'm Danny Aschini.

I'm the Executive Director of Gender Justice League here in Seattle.

And I'm urging your approval of the $300,000 amendment for the LGBTQ community response to the trans internal displacement.

City Council cannot change the anti-trans laws that are sweeping this country.

They can't change federal policy.

But what you can do is help us support the people that are arriving because of those changes.

I provided all of your offices with a white paper that goes really in depth.

I'm not going to repeat all of the complexity in those 54 pages.

I do want to share a personal story that I've not shared.

It's incredibly painful, but I feel like it is illustrative.

This week is a very painful anniversary for me.

Last year, my husband died by suicide.

He died by suicide in large part because he didn't want to displace for a third time.

We moved from Seattle to Sweden, Sweden to DC, DC to Virginia, and for him, one more move because of the fact that we're trans and he didn't feel safe as a federal employee was one move too many.

I had to bury him and then I flew right back to support people who were arriving.

I do that every day.

Gender Justice League has seen a 600 and we've served over a thousand people in the last year and I just wanna share that with you.

The stakes are high and very real.

It is not hyperbolic that people are dying.

Thank you, Danny.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Lydia.

And just hear me out, y'all.

If we do spirit hands, we can kinda move through.

I know people are supportive, and I don't wanna suppress noise, but if we did spirit hands and the snaps, that would help, so I can call the next speaker in between.

Did I skip over Kat?

Okay, awesome.

Kat, thank you, Danny, for that.

Kat, and then Lydia, welcome.

Thank you.

I'm going to start, actually, in the wake of that story by saying let's support our trans community with dignity and with resource.

So thank you for that story.

Good afternoon, Council.

I'm Kat Munson.

I'm a new renter in District 4. and I'm also the Community Engagement and Advocacy Manager at Sound Generations, where we support older adults through Meals on Wheels and much, much more.

I'm here in strong support of Council Member Foster's bill to ban rental junk fees.

Low-income older renters we serve live on fixed income, so even a seemingly small hidden fee can tip the balance towards housing insecurity.

and older adults are often specifically targeted by predatory landlords who capitalize on the fact that they're much less likely to move.

My own mom, who lived in a Capitol Hill shag housing complex for like 15 years, fought against her pet rent for her beloved dog and companion Phoebe for much of the time that she lived there.

So I urge you to pass this bill and reject amendments C and D and support our trans community.

Thank you, Kat.

Next we have Lydia, followed by Ian, Olivia.

Welcome Lydia, Ian, Olivia.

Hi, I'm Lydia Rubenstein.

I'm a renter in District 3 and I'm a tenant educator with the Tenants Union of Washington State.

I'm here in strong support to ban rental junk fees and say no to amendment C&D that would weaken this in any way.

These rental junk fees directly threaten our ability as renters to stay housed, especially renters using a voucher, living on fixed incomes, and anyone living in affordable housing complexes.

I've seen entire affordable housing buildings struck with sudden cable and internet fees that make it hard to opt out of, and not only that, but reduce their access to the affordable internet that the city offers.

I've heard from renters who've had a pet for years face new predatory pet rent, not as a result of any damages on the property, just because a renowned slumlord in Seattle found pet rent to be the best way to squeeze more from the renters.

This pet rent resulted in threats of eviction and even more fees and late fees and administrative fee charges for providing notice.

Landlords should not be able to hide rent increases by inventing new monthly fees or renaming charges to avoid accountability.

Vote yes to ban rental junk fees.

Thank you.

Thank you, Lydia.

Next we have Ian followed by Olivia, Alia, Daniel, Gabriel.

Welcome Ian.

Hello, counsel.

My name was Ian.

I am from Utah.

I moved here four days ago.

I originally moved here in 2003 with my family, and I'm here to talk about the internal transdisplacement.

Currently, most of my friends are very worried about what Utah is like, about what Texas is like, about what other red states are like, and are in fear for their access to life-saving medications.

Seattle is something that we look to a lot as a very important and very critical hope.

by you guys considering the $300,000, I believe that would be very beneficial for people in my community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ian.

Welcome to the 206. We are so happy to have you.

Is Olivia here?

Yes.

Awesome.

Welcome, Olivia.

Hi, thank you.

Hi, City Council.

My name is Olivia, and I'm a worker and renter living in Beacon Hill.

I'm here to urge City Council to take action to support the proposed rental junk fees ban and vote no on Amendment C and D today.

Specifically, Amendment C undermines renter protections designed to protect renters from price gouging just so landlords can make a profit.

A proposed pet rent cap of $25 plus inflation demonstrates that pet rent is arbitrary and only serves to make landlords money.

Landlords often say that pets cause damage beyond the pet deposits, but a fee like pet rent isn't even applied to damages.

Renters have to pay for any damage their pets cause on top of paying pet rent and pet deposit.

Although pet rent is technically a fee and not rent, fees like pet rent raise the total practical monthly cost of rent for working people, making it difficult to find stable and affordable housing.

Please pass this ordinance without any weakening amendments, reject amendments C and D, and protect and support our trans neighbors.

Thank you, Olivia.

Next we have Alia, followed by Daniel, and then Gabriel.

Welcome.

Hi Council, I want to speak as a renter in Capitol Hill, someone who grew up in Queen Anne and as a trans woman in this community.

So I want to speak in support of the funding for the trans refugee and the local orgs that work so hard to support us as we come here.

As a trans woman and as a survivor of assaults, domestic violence, rape, and as somebody who's previously volunteered at DV shelters, I'm appalled by some of the statements we heard today from the Republicans who I guess couldn't be bothered to stick around.

But I also know that none of those stories of mine are unique.

I don't want to speak to how hard our lives can be or the discrimination that we very actively face everywhere in this country, including in Seattle.

What I really do want to speak to is, as a volunteer in Open Arms, the Attraction Local 51 , how hard I see trans refugees working to build their lives here.

We are constantly applying for jobs.

We are constantly doing everything we can to build our lives here.

And this funding would just, it's support for a crisis.

It is not anything like a free handout.

Thank you so much for everyone and for everyone.

Awesome, thank you.

Next we have Daniel, followed by Gabriel.

Daniel, then Gabriel.

Are you Daniel?

Yep.

Awesome, welcome.

And then Gabriel.

Thanks.

Yep.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Daniel Gallagher.

I'm a proud resident of District 7. I develop and operate affordable and market rate housing in Seattle, and I'm here to speak on in support of Amendment C and D to CB121254.

Amendment C allows apartment owners to charge a modest fee for pets, adjusted for inflation.

The pet deposit covers wear and tear in apartment units and ensures pet owners are the ones who pay instead of passing that cost on to other renters who choose not to have a pet.

This amendment helps ensure that the cost of owning a pet remains the responsibility of the pet owners.

Certainly, this fee should be transparently disclosed at lease signing.

We have no argument there.

And adopting this amendment, we believe, is equitable for all renters.

Amendment D, likewise, ensures that renters get insurance.

Too many times in my buildings, I've seen renters without rent insurance be very financially damaged by accidents.

And we think Amendment D helps support renters in the long term.

Thank you.

Thank you, Danielle.

Next, we have Gabriel.

Is Gabriel here?

Diaz?

Gabriel?

No?

Okay, so we'll go to the next 10 people in person, and then we're gonna jump back online.

So we have Clive.

Is Clive here?

Welcome.

After Clive, we have Kyle, then Paul.

We have Edin.

Carl, Hallie, Guinevere, Nina, and then Jeff Paul.

And then there's a number 64 here.

Tyran is the last name.

Peter, I think that looks like Peter.

Welcome Clive.

My name is Clive Hayward.

I'm a street performer, and I've performed on the Seattle waterfront since 2015. Seattle Center is knowingly and willfully violating street performers' First Amendment rights.

The city already lost this fight in 2009 in Burger versus the city of Seattle.

I filed multiple formal claims.

My damages continue to accrue.

I'm asking Council to direct the Seattle Center leadership to train its staff on performers' constitutional rights and to publicly account for claims like mine.

Seattle Center is responsible for public safety operations on the waterfront.

It is also supposed to support arts and culture.

This isn't complicated.

Follow the Ninth Circuit's ruling.

Follow the Constitution.

Thank you, Clive.

Next, we have Kyle, followed by Paul.

Welcome.

Thank you.

I'm Kyle McBride, and I live in District 4. And as a teenager who wants to continue to live in the city of Seattle, I have to wake up every day and know that, unlike my parents, I cannot be sure that my future is secure.

The exorbitant price of housing that has caused my generation immense struggle, and junk fees are part of this problem.

About a quarter of renters in the United States are part of Gen Z, while Gen Z has a higher debt to income ratio than the previous generation.

Allowing junk fees is just kicking us while we're already down.

I urge you to vote for Councilwoman Foster's bill to eliminate junk fees.

Thank you.

Thank you, Kyle.

Next we have Paul.

Is Paul here?

Welcome, Paul.

Hi.

So after Trump's pre-election, in just seven months, about one in every 10 trans people moved states, rightfully so.

In 2025 alone, 109 anti-trans bills were enacted.

They threatened their access to health care, their job, their safety, their whole existence as trans people.

At CPAC, the objective was made explicit.

Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.

This is a quote.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has raised three red flags regarding transgenocide in the US.

Still, more than 700,000 trans people still live in states where the legal risk to them is deemed severe or worse.

Many of these people need to move for their survival.

And many don't have the means.

Nobody upends their life just for hands out, like somebody said earlier.

We have to acknowledge the situation.

We have to do the right things.

We have to do more.

Thank you.

Thank you, Paul.

Next we have, I think it's Peter Tynan.

Is it Peter?

Is it Peter?

Yeah.

OK, awesome.

My bad.

Peter and then followed by Peter is Eden and then Carl.

Hello, City Council.

Hello, Councilwoman Rank.

It was good meeting you the other day.

My name is Peter.

I am a resident of Ballard, born and raised, and also a veteran.

I want to thank you, Councilwoman Rank, for spearheading this effort that was brought forward by our partners in Mantis for the sake of trans survival.

Oh, I got mixed up.

That's OK.

OK.

I love this city.

As we all know, Seattle is a sanctuary city.

And I believe that this status morally extends not only to immigrants internationally, but also to immigrants across this whole country who are fleeing violence, such as our trans friends all across the states.

LGBTQ volunteer organizations have helped hundreds of trans people and lack the capacity to help hundreds more with acquiring housing and employment in Seattle.

By passing this legislation, we can direct aid towards the organizations providing resources to these migrants, seeking safety, and giving them a chance for a new beginning.

I was extremely proud as an American and as a veteran, and even more so as a Seattleite, to see you reference the new policies.

Thank you, Peter.

No, you're good.

Thank you, Peter.

Edin, or is it Edin?

Edin Qua?

Is Edin here?

No?

Carl, are you here?

Welcome, Carl.

Then Hallie Willis.

Members of Council, my name is Carl Nelson.

I'm a 17-year renter in District 4, co-chair and founding member 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 capacity as an individual and a small business owner, to speak in favor of the legislation banning junk fees with amendments A and E and without amendments C and D.

Counsel, let's be very clear about what being a landlord or housing provider actually is.

It is a decision by an individual or individuals to go into business and thereby assume the risks and responsibilities inherent in any business venture.

It does not entitle anyone to a certain return on investment, nor does it make them exempt from the rules and expectations of fair behavior we expect in any other industry.

Arbitrary, hidden or specious fees like pet rent are annoying at best and dishonest at worst.

All this legislation does is make sure consumers are given the same level of protection that they would expect in any other business.

I urge the council to pass this common sense bill with amendments A&E and unamended by C&D without delay.

Thank you, Carl.

Next we have Hallie followed by Guinevere, Nina, and Jeff.

And we'll go online.

Welcome, Hallie.

Good afternoon, council members.

Hallie Willis with the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness and a renter and pet owner in District 5. I'm here today in strong support of the junk fee legislation sponsored by council member Foster and in opposition to amendments C and D.

Junk fees, including pet rent, raise costs for renters, often in ways they don't expect and can't afford.

That leaves people with few options and fuels our crisis of people being evicted into homelessness.

Pet rent is a scam.

It should be banned outright.

People would freak out if a landlord charged rent to a baby.

Why do we allow them to charge rent to a cat or a dog?

Please take this afternoon to support renters and support trans people.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, we have Guinevere, followed by Nina and then Jeff.

Thank you, Hallie.

Guinevere, welcome.

Thank you, counsel.

I call on you today to pass the ban on junk fees for renters.

And also I believe that even if that ban were passed, it doesn't ban rubs, which can pass on hundreds of dollars of utility fees from the landlord to the renter.

So we need to ban that as well.

And again, thank you for the $300,000 amended for the trans refugee crisis.

I want you to pass the budget with that in there.

But again, that's just a start.

And also, I'm aware of the potential for the city to pass that $300,000 and then in the coming months defund housing by 1 to 5 million so that the trans people who come here will have nowhere to live.

So I want to be aware that we're not falling for the city's tricks on that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Guinevere.

Next we have Nina, followed by Jeff.

And Guinevere, you always have the flyest glasses, by the way, the sunglasses.

They're always cool.

Nina, then Jeff.

Hi there.

I'm Nina.

I'm trans women living in District 5. I'm here to urge the City Council to pass EB 121253 with Amendment 5 intact.

The funds are already there.

The committee has recommended its passing, and so many here today have explained the profound effect this funding will have.

I have a partner that would not be here were it not for org-like traction.

Our new sisters, brothers, and all the others can and will thrive if we survive, and this funding gives us a chance to do so.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nina.

Next we have Jeff Paul, and then we're gonna jump right online to Cliff Cawthorn.

Is Jeff Paul?

Pardon me?

Jeff is going to email.

Oh, email.

Okay, sorry.

Thank you, Kate.

Okay, we'll jump on to online.

So we'll go to Cliff, followed by Rachel, star six, unmute yourself.

Thank you.

star six we have about 20 more speakers there we go uh good afternoon council members uh can you all hear me yes yep oh perfect uh my name is Cliff Cawthon I'm here today as Seattle resident some of you know me my background in housing uh policy I'm here in support of Council Bill 121-254.

I'm also in support of Amendment A and E in strong opposition to Amendment C and B.

So first off, thank you Council Member Foster for your leadership on this and for Mayor Wilson for proposing this.

Right now, Seattleites like people across the country on the back foot when it comes to affordability, banning predatory and deceptive junk fees and requiring landlords to be transparent are just a no-brainer.

These historic fees do not contribute to tenants' well-being.

They cover no real operations costs.

These fees contribute to homeless, displacement rights, housing costs, and put barriers to housing in place for those who are the most vulnerable in our housing ecosystem, trans people fleeing and oppressive states.

We need to pass this legislation protecting our vendors, ensure transparency from tenants.

Please support this legislation.

Please support us.

Thank you, Cliff.

Next we have Rachel Raj followed by Kendra.

Star six, unmute yourself.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Rachel Raj and I'm the executive director of Seattle Veterinary Outreach, a local nonprofit providing veterinary care and human services for people experiencing homelessness and low-income families.

I'm here today on behalf of the clients that we work with.

We see firsthand how difficult it is to access housing with a pet.

In 2025, 28% of the clients we saw came to us with urgency because they needed veterinary care to meet emergency shelters or housing-related vaccine requirements.

So far this year, that number has increased to 38%.

When our clients are faced with ongoing pet fees, that makes housing out of their reach.

Many will choose to remain unhoused rather than surrender their companion.

I urge you to include protections against ongoing pet rental fees.

Housing should be accessible and no one should have to choose between a safe place to live and the pet that they love.

Thank you for your time.

Awesome.

Thank you, Rachel.

Next we have Kendra followed by Kendall.

Star six.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Ken.

I'm a candidate member with the American Party of Labor, and it is imperative that you pass this funding for trans resources, especially seeing how this Council and the mayor have chosen time and time again to ignore the trans community in the past.

As a reminder, Council, it is your duty to protect and provide for these communities through programs, through funding, through actual human decency, not just apologies and sympathies from behind a microphone.

The American Party of Labor will continue to ensure the trans community are able to defend themselves against those who wish to harm and erase them, against Nazis, and against SPD who protect these Nazis and have themselves directly terrorized the trans community as we saw last May.

Any further class treachery and outright apathy from this Council and this city against these communities will only strengthen APL's resolve to guarantee community autonomy by and through any means necessary.

If you are a member of a marginalized community, trans or otherwise, and protect yourself, contact the American Party of Labor.

And in the words of the dead Kennedys, lynch your landlord.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ken.

Next we have Paul, followed by Adrelyn.

Paul?

Paul Steves Good afternoon, counsel.

My name is Paul Steves and I'm a renter in District 3 speaking in support for the junk fee legislation.

This issue directly affects me as I've always refused to pay these junk fees.

As a result, these slumlords and credit reporting companies are falsely portraying this refusal as rental arrears.

I urge the council members to listen to your constituents and not the slumlords who largely live outside of the city.

Shame on Councilmember Kettle for proposing amendments that weaken this badly needed piece of legislation.

If not for their continual malfeasance, this new legislation would be unnecessary.

It is my understanding that pet rent is already legal under SMC 72438, Section E. Plumlords have been blatantly disregarding the law for far too long.

This is why strong enforcement mechanisms are needed.

Junk fees are fraudulent and need to be prosecuted as such.

I strongly encourage council members to pass this legislation without any weakening amendments.

Also support the- Thank you.

Next we have Andrew Lynn followed by Lydia and then Cedar.

Star six.

So good afternoon council members.

My name is Angeline Scurdo.

I'm a human rights activist from Pierce County District 2. So from this morning's Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee meeting on the topic of King County Jail medical deferral data, mentioning by Ian Goodhue of the same exam, AKA Sexual Assault Nurse Examination, and the delays that can occur included in between the time of initiation of nurse consultation of the usual vitals to the certified licensed nurse frame and a specific legal task associated with the steps to do a stain exam.

I formally request this day of August 11, 2026 for our stain exam laws to allow an extension for at least seven days instead of five days for DNA can still be detected via swabbing which is the main part of the exam.

Plus I support making rent affordable including removing pet rent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Lydia followed by Cedar and then Heather.

Hi, my name is Lydia Felty.

I'm a renter D3 as well as a co-chair of the Seattle Renters Commission.

The Renters Commission supports banning junk fees to reduce hidden and unnecessary housing costs.

As renter advocates and renters ourselves, we are no stranger to the intimate impact of junk fees on housing stability.

This legislation is about transparency and predictability, and it's about upholding the renter protections that are designed to protect renters from price gouging.

It does not prevent landlords from setting fair market rents or charging for truly opt-in services.

As such, the Commission supports amendments A and E, which strengthen this legislation, and we oppose amendments C and D, which create loopholes that would allow landlords to continue charging these unnecessary rental fees.

This comprehensive ban is critical to ensuring renters have accurate information about housing, that honest landlords can compete in a fair market, and that new protections are enforceable.

We urge you to pass this ban on rental junk fees with the strengthening amendments A and E and to reject

Awesome, thank you, Lydia.

Next, we have eight more speakers online.

This is just a time check.

We have eight more speakers online and we have one, two, three, four, five more in person.

I don't know if there's any signed up over there.

Okay, so eight online and then five more in person.

So Cedar, you are, well, star six, you're up.

Hello, can you guys hear me?

Yes, we can.

Can you hear me?

Loud and clear.

Hi, my name is Cedar and...

I am here to speak on the coming charges that we are facing as a country.

In the midst of our food financial crisis and our water crisis due to surveillance centers and throwing the water for the elites in this country, we are also taking steps to expand our police surveillance base by putting up more flock and acts on an ALPR cameras that are further infringing upon our Fourth Amendment rights.

We can't ever really seem to find the money for social programs, but we can always seem to find more money to pay the police to constantly beat our civilians, and many departments, including Bellevue's, is actually under investigation for child sex trafficking.

we should fund the police a lot less and we should actually put my money into the farm.

Thank you.

Next we have Heather followed by Magdalena.

Hi Council President and Council Members.

I'm Heather Smith from Capitol Hill's Tike Pine neighborhood.

I'm speaking in support of Council Bill 121253 and directing funding for community-based violence interrupters to Capitol Hill.

Just last night, another person was shot at Cal Anderson Park.

That brings the number of shootings we have documented in the Greater Pike Pine to 26 in just three years, all within a very small geographic area.

Our Pike Pine community and our nightlife district in Cal Anderson Park need a coordinated, sustained public safety strategy with consistent resources clear responsibility and accountability.

The Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police Department should not be the only responders to issues around the clock.

Pike Pine is also an important economic driver for Seattle.

Violence interrupters can help identify escalating conflicts, build relationships with people at the highest risk of violence, intervene before...

Thank you, Heather.

Next we have Magdalena, followed by Erin and Elizabeth.

Am I unmuted?

We can hear you.

Wonderful.

Hello, Council.

You are legislating right now for the age, not the hour.

The hour is the empire around us that is falling.

But the age that is coming is one in which the city will still exist.

In that time, they will look to the precedent that you established during this time of transition whether you acknowledge that transition coming or not.

It has happened to all empires.

It will happen to ours.

What legacy will you leave?

When trans people were priestesses at the temples of Inanna, Europeans were still living in mud huts and figuring out how to make bronze.

We are the Arrhenes of the Scythians.

We are the Galli of the Romans.

We have literally always existed and we will always exist.

and we will resist these fascists and you have to live with us after you have to live with the results will you live with a city that you have brought to life by saving ours and the culture that we bring to create have you all thank you Magdalena next we have Elizabeth followed by Philip Haley and Matthew and we'll go back to in person Elizabeth welcome

star six to unmute yourself star six you're still on mute star six there you go hello hello thank you this is Elizabeth Marcus and I am a resident of the Green Lake neighborhood and I have been a landlord in the past and I strongly oppose junk fees I take that as a responsibility to keep people housed and not as something to make a profit off of at the expense of the people who need housing.

I also strongly support the funding for the trans community and I would love to say that I oppose this amendment C and Z.

Thank you so much.

Thank you Elizabeth.

Next we have Philip followed by Haley and then Matthew and then we'll go to our in person.

Hi, Philip.

You might be muted on your phone, Philip, but you are off mute for us.

Hi, I apologize.

Can you hear me now?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

My name is Philip Ross.

I am a small landlord in the Ravenna neighborhood.

I would also like to speak out in opposition to junk fees.

As a property owner, I find myself lucky enough to help those who do not own property stay in the neighborhood at affordable rates and contribute to the culture and diversity of my neighborhood and the city in general.

I find junk fees and exorbitant charges to be despicable and I appreciate everything you're doing to combat them.

I would also note that any amendments diluting the strength of that bill are not wanted The developers who are in favor of this, and I work for a developer separately, are charging simply for their own profits.

We still have time, Philip.

I apologize.

I thought it muted me.

Yes, I just opposed this.

Thank you.

Thank you, Philip.

Next, we have Haley followed by Matthew, and then we'll go to in-person.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Haley, and my company is a small property owner and manager here in Seattle.

I'm speaking today in support of Amendment C. Over the years, we've invested in tailoring our buildings to the needs of dog owners, installing dog runs, creating relief areas, and adding wash stations so muddy paws don't end up on the carpet, and consistently cleaning up our dogs to have accidents in the elevators and lobbyists.

These improvements cost money to create and maintain and benefit all of the tenants who have dogs in the whole building.

Pet rent is how those tenants pay their fair share for what they're actually using.

Without it, I'd have to fold those costs into rent for everyone, including tenants who don't own a pet.

and never touch these dog amenities or require these cleaning services.

That's not fair.

It's not equitable.

A small cap monthly amount tied directly to the amenities is a fair way to do it.

Otherwise, we'll have to raise 1.5% across the board.

Please support Amendment C. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Haley.

Next we have Matthew, and then we'll go right to our in-person speakers.

Matthew Star 6.

Hi there.

I'm calling in opposition to the funding for trans refugees.

I just don't fully understand the term refugee and I think it's disparaging to true refugees from other countries that need support, need funding.

I don't know why Seattle taxpayers are putting the bill for people to move within the same country.

and I guess to what end, I don't really understand where this funding will be allocated to and how $300,000 really would be supportive if it really is a crisis as it is being played out as.

So I don't really understand or support this very small amount of funding to help a very small number of people move within the country.

Thank you, Matthew.

So now we're gonna go to in-person.

We have Lydia, followed by Em, and we have David Haynes, we have Kyle, and we have Ellen.

Lydia, welcome.

Thank you all for your patience.

Lydia O. Taylor.

Okay.

Hello, I am here to testify in favor of CB 121254 and banning pet rent, AKA anti-amendment C of this bill, and banning junk fees, including amendment D, charging renters renter insurance on an opt-out basis because I believe that obfuscates the landlord's responsibility to the tenants.

There's much I could copy paste from the seattle.gov office of the city clerk, legistar.com pages recitals section, but that's 20 minutes I don't have with this microphone and I'm sure the counselors have seen that document.

I would encourage everyone who hasn't to read it.

It's incredibly insightful.

What I will say is that as a young progressive voter, this legislation is exactly the reason that we voted for the likes of Mayor Wilson and Bill sponsor Dion Foster to do for us because Councillor Foster identified unaffordability as a reason for gentrification of POC and queer communities in her campaign for office.

And this bill is simply living up to that campaign promise to fight against that in City Hall for us.

Thank you, Lydia.

Next we have M, is M here?

I think M left, M.

Okay, next we have David Haynes, welcome.

And then we have Kyle and then Ellen.

Welcome, Mr. Haynes.

I'm great, how are you?

Dreaming revolution, living a nightmare.

Hi, my name's David Haynes.

When you exempt drug pushers from misdemeanor prosecution, you allow for the escalation of violence between rival drug gangs.

When you finance nonprofits in the Human Services Department to run interference for BIPOC repeat offending criminals, you escalate the implosion of our society and undermine the integrity of public safety.

The thing is, I came down here today because we need some legislation to purge the landlords sabotaging restrictions on the comprehensive plan so we can have a better built back city of 21st century first world quality housing that goes higher than six stories for your catering to watered down, designed for non-profits that are politically connected to warehouse echo third world modern inner city real estate.

The thing is, it's like, you should be allowed to get your money back within 24 hours if you call the landlord and say, I'm moving out within 30 days because this place is double, triple, quadruple inflated.

And you should be allowed to renegotiate the property value based on 2016 when John Wilson took over- Thank you, David.

Thank you, Mr. Haynes.

Thank you, Mr. Haynes.

Next, we have Kyle followed by Ellen.

Is Kyle here?

No, Kyle, Kyle Kite and then Ellen O'Leary.

Is Ellen O'Leary here?

Number 75?

No?

Okay.

And is there, there's no more speakers over there and there's nothing online.

So I just wanna first thank you all.

I know that was a long public comment period but it was very important for us to hear people's words.

I do wanna state for the record and I've told Mr. Haynes this, he always talks about BIPOC drug pushers or black drug pushers.

so just for the record, I had asked them.

It's not actually nice to say all the time, but anyways, it's another thing.

Just wanna thank everyone for being here, okay?

And for doing public comment, the people that came down in person, that stood in line, the folks that waited online for two hours to speak, it's really important that we heard everyone.

Usually public comment period, we always have scheduled for an hour, but it was really important that we listened to everyone, so we just wanna thank you all.

I'm gonna check with my colleagues to see if they wanted to take a recess, or if you all wanted to power through, the recess would be five minutes.

I'm looking left and right, up, down.

Are people just power through?

Are we good?

Okay, so I see people saying press forward with their sword.

Okay, let's just jump right into the meeting.

If there's no objection, so we're gonna jump right into the meeting.

If there's no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction and referral calendar is adopted.

If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

We will now consider the proposed consent calendar.

The items on the consent calendar include minutes of August 4th, 2026, Council Bill 121271, payment of the bills.

Two bills and one resolution from Parks and City Light Committee.

There are five appointments from the Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee, and there are seven appointments from the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee.

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

Hearing and seeing none, I'm going to move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved and seconded to adopt the consent calendar.

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

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Foster?

Thank you.

Council Member Juarez?

Aye.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Lipp?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera?

Aye.

Council Member Sacca?

Aye.

Council Member Strauss?

Aye.

Council President Ellingsworth?

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendar is adopted.

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

That was a tongue twister.

Will the clerk please read item number one to the record?

The report of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee, Agenda Item 1, Council Bill 121-254, relating to rental agreements, regulation, required disclosure of fees, prohibiting and limiting certain fees, requiring retention of compliance records, expanding investigation authority, and establishing new enforcement mechanisms.

The committee recommends the bill passes amended.

Councilmember Fosters, Chair of the Committee, you are recognized to give the report.

Thank you.

I cut my mic.

Thank you so much, Council President.

And first I want to express my appreciation to Mayor Wilson and her team, especially Karim Levitas, who has spent a lot of time with our office and a lot of time leading on this work.

I want to also express my appreciation to H.B.

Harper from Council Central Staff, and Sage Lawrence from my team for their leadership.

Thank you to the many community members, to the Stay House, Stay Healthy Coalition, to the folks at Seattle Humane, Washington Housing Alliance, the small and large landlords and housing providers, all of whom have taken the time to come down and share their experience and testify at City Hall.

It's a lot of work, it's a lot of energy, and we appreciate each of you.

As chair of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee, I am thrilled to sponsor this legislation.

And lastly, I want to appreciate my colleagues for voting this out of committee with a 5-0 vote.

So, as we've heard today, hidden fees don't belong on concert tickets, they don't belong on airline tickets, and they certainly don't belong on the largest expense that most Seattle families have every month, their rent.

Rent is one of the most important consumer purchases that people make.

And if we believe in consumer protection anywhere, we should believe in it here.

And it should also be one of the most transparent decisions for people.