Good morning everyone.
The March 23rd 2022 meeting of the Seattle City Council's Economic Development Technology and City Light Committee will come to order.
It is 934 a.m.
I'm Sarah Nelson chair of the committee.
Will the clerk please call the roll.
Council Member Sawant.
Present.
Council Member Strauss.
Present.
Council Member Herbold.
Here.
Council President Juarez.
Here.
Chair Nelson.
Present.
Five present.
All right.
If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted.
Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.
At this time, we'll open the remote public comment period for items on the agenda.
I want to remind people right now that there is a public hearing on the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.
And so if you are signed up for public comment but really want to talk about that agenda item, please wait after the first agenda item, and we will open the public hearing after that.
All right, I thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as we operate this remote public comment system.
I will moderate the public comment period in the following manner.
The public comment period for this meeting is up to 20 minutes, and each speaker will have up to two minutes to speak.
Speakers are called upon in the order in which they registered online to provide public comment.
Each speaker must call in from their phone number provided when registered and use the ID and passcode that was emailed upon confirmation.
Please note this is different from the general meeting listen line ID listed on the agenda.
If you did not receive an email confirmation, please check your spam and junk email folders.
Again, I'll call on each speaker by name and in the order in which they registered on the council's website.
If you have not yet registered to speak but would like to, you can sign up before the end of public comment by going to the council's website at seattle.gov slash council.
The public comment link is listed on today's agenda.
Once I call a speaker's name, staff will unmute the appropriate microphone and an automatic prompt of, you have been unmuted, will be the speaker's cue that it's their turn to speak.
And then the speaker must press star six to begin speaking.
Please begin speaking by stating your name and the item that you are addressing.
Speakers will hear a chime when 10 minutes are left of the allotted time.
Once you hear the chime, we ask that you please begin to wrap up your public comment.
If speakers don't end their comments at the end of the allotted time, The speaker's microphone will be muted to allow us to call on the next speaker.
Once you've completed your public comment, we ask that you will please disconnect from the line, and if you plan to continue following the meeting, please do so via Seattle Channel or the listening options listed on the agenda.
The public comment period is now open, and we will begin with the first speaker on the list.
Please remember to press star six after you hear the prompt of, you have been unmuted.
All right, our first speaker is Jason Paulman followed by Jeremy Rowan.
Go ahead, Jason.
Hello, my name is Jason Paulman.
This is a public comment.
I was recently fired for not getting the experimental emergency use gene therapy, also known as the COVID vaccine at Seattle City Light.
My classification of inside wireman has been understaffed for the last 10 years and finding qualified high voltage workers is not an easy path.
Seattle City Light let go over 10% of my department for not getting the shot.
This has put an increased strain on the utility and has negatively affected worker morale and productivity.
Storm response, construction and maintenance...
Jason, I'm going to interrupt.
The instructions for this public comment period are that people speak to items on the agenda.
Are you speaking to an item on the agenda?
Yes, this is the City Light meeting, right?
This item is not on the agenda.
You are welcome to submit comments in writing to me and the leadership of City Light.
Thank you.
The next speaker will be Jeremy Rowan.
Jeremy, please press star six.
Hey, my name is Jeremy Rowan.
I believe you're going to direct me in the same direction.
I am not far from CLI, but this is concerning the same issue.
Yes, I will request.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I do ask that people speak to items on the agenda because often we have a very full agenda and I have to be consistent in public comment.
So thank you very much.
My email is Sarah.Nelson at Seattle.gov.
You're welcome to submit your comments to me and leadership in writing.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Christy Huffaker followed and that is our last last speaker that is signed up for the general public comment period.
Hi good morning Council Member Nelson.
My name is Christy Huffaker and I am I'm understanding that the overall general business propriety and welfare of City Light and the safety is a part of the daily general agenda, even if there isn't a specific...
No, Council Members, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the instructions are, at this time, we will open the remote public comment period for items on the agenda.
and um where's the general comment part to be able to speak is there a general is there a place to speak at a meeting in front of you for a general comment or no that that is not allowed in this committee so thank you very much and again so is that the safety of the general general city council meeting i can speak at a general comment or is this no i am not a council president and i'm not um So who's the council president, please?
The council president determines the rules for how full council meetings are conducted.
In this committee, items for public comment are limited to items on the agenda.
So again, I encourage you to please send your thoughts and comments to me personally and to the rest of the committee if you wish.
Okay, I did that, Sarah.
I did that, Ms. Nelson.
Thank you so much.
I'll look forward to hearing from you.
I already emailed you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for that nudge, and I will read your email.
Thank you.
Okay.
Seeing no one else listed on the agenda for public comment, the public comment period is now closed.
So I thank you very much for everybody who expressed an interest in attending and speaking today and seeing that there is nobody else here.
Everybody else who has signed up, please hold tight for the public hearing.
And we will now proceed to our items of business.
Will the clerk please call, please read item number one into the record.
Appointment 02122, appointment of Michelle Mitchell-Brandon as member, City Light Review Panel for a term to April 11th 2024. Briefing, discussion, and possible vote.
Thank you very much, Kate.
So this is our first appointment in this committee, and I'm happy to support the appointment of Michelle Mitchell-Brannan to the Seattle City Light Review Panel.
Will the presenters please introduce themselves and Ms. Mitchell-Brannan.
I thank you, Councilmember, and thank you, Councilmember Nelson, and thank you to the rest of the committee.
We're super excited to be here today.
Michelle, I haven't met you, and I'm Debra Smith, the General Manager at Seattle City Light.
And although I'm not going to talk about her because I think Lee's going to do that, but I'm going to say one thing.
As I was reviewing the resume coming into this meeting, one of the things that I am most excited about, Michelle, is that not only are you the limited income or low income representative and Lee will cover how people are identified and what the communities of interest are that we attempt to have represented on the review panel.
But Michelle also has the opportunity to really represent, I think, some of the needs of youths.
A lot of her work has been focused on youth in various ways.
And I think having that additional perspective on the review panel, which isn't an identified community of interest, but as we're in this transition about so many things, I think that will be incredibly important.
So I'm really excited about this appointment and I just want to introduce Lee Baraka, who is our, I don't know, you guys by now know I always struggle with titles, but Lee is the master of our review panel.
She keeps it going.
She directs it.
She does an amazing job with content.
And of course, she's also responsible for ensuring that it is fully populated with just the right people.
So more is here as well.
But I'm just going to turn this over to Lee.
Thank you, Lee.
Thank you.
Yes, Deborah said I work with the review panel and I manage our strategic planning process so likely I will be with Deborah and company again.
I just have a couple of slides that Mark Ruber is going to run just to give a quick overview of the strategic of the City Light Review Panel.
You can go forward.
Just a little reminder about what the review panel is.
The review panel was created back in 2010 through city ordinance.
City Light previously had had a City Light advisory board and also a rate advisory committee.
So the City Light review panel combined the duties of both of those groups.
In 2015, there were some minor adjustments made to their scope and process, to their charter, And so that was passed with yet another ordinance.
Per charter or per ordinance, the review panel's activities or role are advisory to City Light on our strategic plan, the development and the plan itself, as well as the accompanying rate path.
The review panel, each time a plan is submitted, they provide an opinion to the city council on the merits of the plan.
to the city council and to the mayor.
And for 2022, right now we are working on an update to the strategic plan, just an update to the 2022 plan that will be delivered to the council in June.
So the panel is working, we're working very closely with the panel through the development of that update.
Excuse me.
The next slide, please.
We have nine members on the panel.
Four are appointed by the mayor, five are appointed by the mayor, excuse me, four by the city council, and each serves a staggered three-year term, although at the conclusion of their three-year term, panel members are eligible to serve a second term.
As you can see, the nine members are intentionally directed to serve certain parts of our customer base.
We have an economist, as you can see, financial analyst, nonprofit energy efficiency representative, commercial customer rep, residential rep, industrial, a member at large, and a representative from one of our suburban franchise cities.
Position number seven, which is our, we're so happy right now that with this appointment, we will have a full panel, which is something we've been working on for quite some time.
And position number seven is the low income customer representative.
And with that, I am pleased to announce, to introduce Michelle to speak with you.
Thank you.
I am so excited to be here and to be a part of this appointment.
So just a little bit about me.
I am born and raised in Seattle in the Central District.
My grandmother was a pillar in the city as well as my grandfather who built a large African-American church there.
And we started servitude very early on in age.
So to work within the African-American and low-income communities is definitely a privilege and an honor for me.
And I'm excited to be able to lend the voice of the community to this position and to the work so that we are informed about making the best decisions for those that will be impacted in a way.
And so again, I'm excited.
I've been doing this for over 20 years.
And yes, I can't explain to you that I can't wait to get to work on this whole panel.
definitely give again voice to a community that I am so privileged and love to serve.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Michelle.
And it's wonderful to meet you.
Thank you very much for your service.
For those that haven't read your resume, could you just let folks know what you do right now in your day job?
Absolutely, Council Member Sarah Nelson, will do.
I am a Director of Education and Youth Development Education Support at Atlantic Street Center, which is an organization that's been around just a few years, 112, since February, working in the Central District and South End of Seattle.
And so some of the programs that I, again, am privileged to run are our youth afterschool programs, which is the preventative supports of youth that are at risk Also, Teen Parents, Tina's Parents Program.
And for those of you that haven't seen it in the Seattle Times, six years we have been in the Seattle Times about the work that I've been fortunate to be able to do with the Tina's Parents Program.
Also, I have the Kinship Care Providers, which are kinship providers who are taking care of their great-grandchildren or relative kids.
And so that's another program that I run.
And then a huge...
young parent program where we go into the homes and remove any barriers about getting them connected to supports or employment, um, housing.
And so a lot of the families that we work with are 100% low income.
Um, but some are 65% of them are, are, um, um, homeless or unstably housed.
And, and so that's the work that I do every day, um, that I'm privileged to, to do and work alongside partnering with families, so that they can change the trajectories of their lives and then allowing them to inform us, right?
So that programs are designed to meet their needs.
So that's just what I do on my day to day.
Well, thank you very much for that because you are a very busy person and serving on this panel is a great responsibility.
So thank you very much for giving of your time and service and expertise.
Eric, do you have any comments or additions?
Just to say that it's been great for me over the past few years to attend the meetings.
I tend to just to keep an eye on things for council to interact with council members about what's going on the review panel to be informed when the review panel brings recommendations to the committee and the council.
And I'm consistently impressed and with people who are willing to step up and do this work because it's a big commitment.
But overall, I think the city and the rest of us, folks like me that live here and our customers are well served by them, so I appreciate them.
Yeah.
Thank you, Eric.
Colleagues, do you have any thoughts, questions, comments?
Okay, seeing none, I move that the committee recommends confirmation of appointment 2122. Is there a second?
Second.
Sorry.
Thank you very much.
It has been moved and seconded to recommend confirmation of the appointment.
Are there further comments?
All right.
Hearing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the committee recommendation that the appointment be confirmed?
Council Member Sawant?
Yes.
Council Member Strauss?
Yes.
Council Member Herbold?
Yes.
Council President Juarez?
Aye.
Chair Nelson?
Aye.
five in favor none opposed.
The motion carries and the committee recommendation that the appointment be confirmed will be forwarded to the City Council on March 29th 2022 for a final consideration.
Thank you very much for attending this meeting and congratulations from the chair of the committee so thank you.
All right moving on to our second agenda item will the clerk please read item 2 into the record.
Item number two, Council Bill 120273, an ordinance relating to the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area, modifying the assessment rate and amending ordinance 123714. Public hearing, discussion and possible vote.
Thank you.
Today, so as a reminder, last committee meeting, we had a discussion of this legislation.
Today, we will continue that discussion of the proposed rate change for the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.
And first we will hold a public hearing on this issue and then afterwards have additional time for discussion and possibly vote in a little bit of background about this legislation.
But first we will go right into the public hearing.
At this time, we will open the remote public hearing for item two, Council Bill 120273. I will moderate the public hearing in the following manner.
Each speaker will have up to two minutes to speak.
The public hearing will end once all of those who are signed up and are able to speak have done so.
Speakers are called upon in the order in which they registered online to provide comment.
Each speaker must call in from the phone number provided when registered and use the ID and passcode that was emailed upon confirmation.
Please note this is different from the general meeting listen line ID listed on the agenda.
If you did not receive an email confirmation, please check your spam and junk mail folders.
Again, I will call on each speaker by name and in the order in which they registered on the council's website.
If you have not yet registered to speak but would like to, you can sign up before the end of public comment by going to the council's website at seattle.gov slash council.
The public comment link is also listed on today's agenda.
Once I call a speaker's name, staff will unmute the appropriate microphone and an automatic prompt of you have been unmuted will be the speaker's cue that it is their turn to speak.
And then the speaker must press star six to begin speaking.
Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of the allotted time.
Once you hear the chime we will ask that you please begin to wrap up your public comment.
If speakers do not end their comments at the end of the allotted time the speaker's microphone will be muted to allow us to call on the next speaker.
Once you have completed your comment we ask that you please disconnect from the line and if you plan to continue following this meeting please do so via the Seattle Channel or the listening options listed on the agenda.
The public hearing is now open, and we will begin with the first speaker on the list.
And right now, there are four listed speakers.
And the first one will be Mike Stewart, followed by Mary Baccarella.
Please go ahead, Mike.
Good morning Chair Nelson and Council Members.
My name is Mike Stewart and I'm Executive Director of the Ballard Alliance.
We're a business improvement area in Ballard that represents hundreds of businesses that focuses on among other things marketing and tourism to drive visitors to Seattle and to the Ballard neighborhood.
I'm here today to voice support for the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area and the proposed rate change that will allow the Seattle tourism industry to thrive and maintain its competitive position among other regional tourism destinations.
While Stia's funds are generated by paid guests of downtown hotels, the marketing efforts supported by Stia celebrate Seattle's diversity and experiences across the city and region, including neighborhood businesses like Ballard.
Stia has supported campaigns and events like I Know a Place, Seattle Museum Month, and others that really help illustrate how consumers are inspired to explore Seattle through its neighborhoods, natural landmarks, arts, culture, culinary offerings, and more.
Many of our alliance members and partner businesses have been featured in Steia campaigns, which serve as an advertising arm for their business for our neighborhood.
The Ballard Alliance has also developed its partnership with Steia and visits Seattle over the past several years.
And our local independent small businesses from high-end restaurants, cultural organizations to craft brewers have greatly benefited from collaborative marketing programs and events.
There really is a symbiotic relationship between Central Business District, the tourism industry, and Neighborhood Business District.
And the Ballard Alliance recognizes that having a thriving tourism industry within Seattle's Central Business District will, in turn, help ensure that Ballard businesses and attractions also thrive.
Increased funding through STEA stands to benefit our small, independent businesses and communities that have been hit the hardest throughout the pandemic, at a time when it's really needed most.
So thank you for your time today, and I strongly encourage your approval of this legislation.
Thank you very much, Mike.
Go ahead, Mary, please.
Good morning.
Can you hear me?
Yes, I can.
Go ahead.
Okay, sorry about that.
I feel like I should know how to do this because we have our own council meetings.
I'm sorry I've been a little bit of a pain this morning.
This is Mary Becquerel.
I'm the executive director of the Pike Place Market PDA and I represent over 500 small businesses within the Pike Place Market community.
And as you know it's one of Seattle's most recognizable and popular points of interest.
It's heavily impacted by the visitors to the region.
It helps us thrive with the visitors to the region.
And as you know it was very devastated by the pandemic and the loss of those visitors to our region the last couple of years.
As we find ourselves getting out of this pandemic and hopefully starting to move into a recovery phase, this ability to bolster our destination's advertising, marketing, public relations efforts, it's very, very critical right now.
The STIA, it was, it's a very powerful tool.
It has been in Seattle's long-term recovery.
It supports the small business community that's just been so devastated throughout the pandemic.
We really have been struggling to come through, and it looks like there's a light at the end of this tunnel, and I really encourage you to support this.
While already that it's a proven success at its existing rate, the ability to increase this assessment, to drive tourism right now where it's needed most, doesn't come to any cost to the city of Seattle.
Our small business community within the Pike Place market directly benefited from the SPIA and was supported by campaigns like I Know a Place, Visit Seattle TV, All the programs refract really inspire our visitors to explore the artisans the buskers the farmers our small businesses our crafters again over 500 of them that by the way were open through the entire pandemic throughout the pandemic.
And this makes the Pike Place Market the soul of Seattle.
I really ask you to swiftly approve the STIA legislation.
so we can drive tourism and economic impact throughout Seattle in an equitable way.
And I really thank you for your time.
Thank you very much for your comments.
And our last speaker is Joshua Hine.
Please go ahead.
Good morning.
Can you hear me.
Yes.
Wonderful.
Good morning everyone.
My name is Joshua Heim and I'm the Deputy Director at 4Culture.
And thank you so much for this opportunity to speak in support of the Seattle Tourism Improvement Area.
Now 4Culture is King County's cultural development authority and our mission is to support a vibrant cultural sector.
We do this by providing grant funding programs to over 500 cultural institutions across the arts heritage, and historic preservation.
We also support individual artists and culture producers through our national public art program.
And we are supported, all this work is supported through county lodging tax proceeds and 1% for the arts.
And today I'm speaking in support of SDIA because the revenue it generates, we know will help the city and the region recover faster.
Already STIA programs are vital to the health and success of Seattle's artists and cultural institutions.
In fact for years 4Culture has provided additional grant support to Visit Seattle specifically for the Seattle Museum Month program which has been a staple program that shines a light on the incredible cultural treasures that we have to offer and inspires visitors to explore our vast cultural and artistic communities not only in downtown Seattle but throughout the county.
But as we begin to move past the height of this pandemic and into a recovery phase the ability for us to bolster the arts has never been more critical.
And STIA has proven to be a powerful vehicle in Seattle's long-term recovery because it provides the support that artists and cultural institutions need at the very time that we need it the most.
Our research suggests that the cultural sector just in 2020 alone experience nearly $200 million of revenue losses.
So when we work together to increase visitation to greater Seattle, hundreds of cultural organizations and thousands of cultural producers across King County will benefit.
So please approve this STIA legislation so we can adequately drive tourism and economic vibrancy throughout Seattle and indeed throughout the entire county.
Thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
Thank you all.
That was our last registered commenter and the public hearing is now closed.
So thank you very much for coming.
Stay tuned.
We did have presentations on this issue at our last committee meeting, and those presentations are linked to the agenda if anybody wants to look at those as we proceed.
And we have asked the presenters from last time, Tom and Ali, to return to serve as a resource in case council members have any questions going forward.
but I thank you very much for coming.
It's not quite standard procedure.
And I'll hand it over to you, Yolanda, to provide us some background and frame this issue.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Chair.
Yolanda Ho, Council Central staff.
Just for the record, I'm going to be providing an overview of the process for changing a business improvement area's assessment rates.
which is governed by state law and note where we are in that process.
There are several procedural requirements, including two pieces of legislation.
There is a resolution that states the city's intent to change the rates.
and describes a proposed change and sets the date and location for a public hearing on the proposal that must be opted at least 15 days advance of the hearing.
Then there is also separately an ordinance that would then change the BIA's assessment rate.
In March 1st, the council adopted Resolution 32043 stating the city's intent to modify Seattle Tourism Improvement Area's assessment rates and set the date and the location for the public hearing for today, March 23rd, a remote public hearing.
Also required by state law, the city must mail all rate payers a copy of the adopted resolution and publish a notice in the Daily Journal of Commerce at least 10 days in advance of the public hearing.
On March 8th, the DJC notice was published and city staff mailed the resolution to rate payers, so they should have all received that well in advance of this public hearing.
Council Bill 120273 was then referred to this committee and is the subject of discussion today and possible vote.
And unless anyone has any questions about the process, I will hand it back to the chair.
Thank you very much, Yolanda.
I wanted to note that Tom Norwalk and Allie Daniels of Visit Seattle are with us today.
And we also have Philip Sit from the Office of Economic Development.
Do you have any further comments or information that you'd like to share, Philip?
No, not at this time, Council Member Nelson.
All right.
So do my colleagues have any questions before we move on?
Council Member Strauss.
Thank you, Chair Nelson, and thank you, Tom and Ali, for joining us again today.
What has happened between the last committee meeting and today's committee meeting was Downtown Seattle Association State of Downtown.
And during that conference, there were definitely places that we need to improve downtown, and there were some really strong bones highlighted.
It was interesting to see that the, I believe his name was Mr. Florida, who came and spoke about having been downtown 25 years ago and being here today.
We are stronger today than we were 25 years ago.
We have the bones in place to make a destination not only for Seattleites, not only for the region, but for the entire country and internationally.
And we do have some things that we need to work on, and that includes public safety and homelessness.
And so I just wanted to raise this because I think that the state of downtown really spoke to this committee meeting and to STIA increase.
And so two points here is one, I know you spoke about the I know a place and I know that I need to come and do my video with you to show you my places.
Two questions for you here is how are you using these dollars to show the world that Seattle is in fact thriving?
And how are you partnering with the Regional Homelessness Authority?
Because for the Regional Homelessness Authority to be successful, we all have to do a little bit.
And I think it was interesting CEO Dones noted that They're not the county, they're not the city, and that's why they need everyone to participate in the success.
So those are the two kind of framings of questions.
How are you showing Seattle is thriving and how are you partnering to help address the homelessness issues?
Thank you, Councilmember.
And like you, and I think all of us, I was incredibly inspired last week at the DSA's event.
Congratulations, Councilmember Nelson, on your work on the panel.
And I think all of us left that meeting knowing and feeling the optimism and excitement of this city and what's ahead of us as we come through recovery into the next number of years.
Since 2011, council members, you know, the TIA has been promoting leisure travel to the city and to the region.
And we took a different approach seven or eight years ago as we really looked at exploring deeper neighborhoods in the city, small business, businesses owned by BIPOC owners, minority, women-owned businesses, celebrating everything that we have with a real slant towards arts and culture, food, certainly, and attractions and museums.
And so we feel really good about the work we've been doing.
Certainly we know right now the need is more critical than ever to continue that work and to do it in a much stronger way.
And as I've said a number of times, we are going to need to work very hard as a city to earn tourism recovery.
And I think especially if you look at the last couple of years with negative publicity and things that are sometimes deserved, often not deserved.
We're working very hard in all areas to do that.
And so we're very proud of the work we've done and I hope, and I know you've seen a lot of the work we've done.
Last week I was really inspired by the panel and by Mark's comments from the RHA.
I've not met Mark.
We support the work of that.
We know that has been a missing link in our struggles with how we treat all of the elements around unsheltered people.
I do think and I'm proud of the work that the lodging community has done directly and indirectly through taxes and tourism and lodging taxes that have been going for housing.
And we know that's a critical element in the equation to get us further ahead in homelessness.
And I'm very proud from convention center money being spent to the King County tax in the city on lodging.
going a large amount, hundreds of millions of dollars to housing.
And certainly the short-term rental tax, as you know well over the last couple of years, has been directly appropriated to the city for use in different levels of housing.
So I'm excited to meet Mark, have not done that yet.
We support the work and know that that really is the most critical thing we could be doing as a city.
So we're all in that way.
Wonderful.
Thank you, Tom.
And just noting, you know, over these last 25 years, you've played a very large role in a lot of the marketing for our city and helping to grow Seattle as a destination, which then helps us grow as a city.
And as you say, indirectly, everything is tied.
And so just congratulations and thank you for all your work.
I'm not going to wish you a happy retirement yet because I don't want you to leave.
Thank you, sir.
And Chair Nelson, those are all my questions.
Okay, thank you very much for bringing that up, because I think it is important to see the big picture, that in addition to supporting Visit Seattle and STIA, hotel and lodging taxes do support a lot of critical needs, directly and indirectly.
And I do have some numbers, but this is, and I'm gonna put them forward, just because I feel a sense of urgency going ahead and acting on this today, and I will have to suspend the rules to do so.
But just while we're talking, the short-term rental tax, and we're talking about tax on Airbnbs, basically, funds investment in affordable housing programs and community-initiated equitable development projects as determined by the city of Seattle.
Pre-COVID in 2019, it generated $9.4 million.
In 2020, it dropped to 3.8, and in 2021 was at about $6.1 million.
And then there's the King County 2% lodging tax, which funds affordable housing and arts and culture at a rate of 37.5%.
each for affordable housing and arts and culture.
And so for affordable housing, it's projected $559 million over the next 25 years.
And for arts and culture, same amount, $559 million over 25 years.
And then finally, the Washington State Convention Center Summit Building Project is $93 million in community investments, including nearly $40 million for affordable housing.
And then I'll just go on to note that the ability for us to promote Seattle as a destination for leisure tourism is important for downtown's recovery, but also for the whole city.
As we learned last time, the Visit Seattle promotes all neighborhoods of the city, and in doing so, helps those businesses all over the city stay in business, grow, serve their neighborhoods, and generate taxes for the city's general fund.
And then we go ahead and support, obviously, many services that are needed by many agencies, and we do contribute to the Regional Homelessness Authority.
So anyway, I just wanted to make sure that that was part of this discussion.
I wanted to know if there are any other questions or comments on this segment.
If not, the rules will need to be suspended before we move on to a committee recommendation.
If there is no objection, the council rules will be suspended to allow the committee to vote on a recommendation on the same day a hearing was held.
That is standard protocol.
Seeing no objection, the rule is suspended and the committee will proceed with a vote.
I move that the committee recommends passage of Council Bill 120273. Is there a second?
Second.
It's been moved and seconded to recommend passage of the bill.
Are there any further comments or questions?
All right.
Will the clerk call the roll?
Oh, so I'm sorry.
I always do that.
I'm reading my script and not looking at the screen.
Council Member Herbold.
I was apparently slow on the find the raised hand function.
We'll own that one.
Thank you so much.
I just wanted to say I'm really happy to support the increase our spending on promoting ourselves to travelers to our city, as we know is behind other cities.
And I appreciate that Visit Seattle presented data showing that, for example, our sister city, Portland, has more than two and a half times the annual budget used to support itself in promoting the visitors to its city.
And again, I just wanted to say another word.
It's been well said by others, but we know how the hospitality and entertainment and cultural sectors have been the hardest hit during the pandemic, and their recovery is expected to take longer than other economic sectors.
and the funding here is so important because the estimated additional $3.5 million for marketing and promotion will fuel extra spending in specifically these hard-hit industries through efforts coming up that I look forward to participating in.
Museum Month.
That's all I have.
Thank you.
Thank you, Council Member Herbold.
I appreciate that.
All right, will the clerk call the roll on the committee recommendation that the bill pass.
Council Member Sawant.
Council Member Strauss.
Yes.
Council Member Herbold.
Yes.
Council President Juarez.
Aye.
Chair Nelson.
Aye.
Four in favor.
The motion carries and the committee recommendation that the bill pass will be forwarded to the city council on March 29th, 2022 for final consideration.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations.
Thank you all very much.
All right.
This concludes the March 23rd meeting of the economic development technology and city light committee.
Our next committee meeting is scheduled for April 13th at 9 30 AM.
If there are no further questions, this meeting will adjourn.
Hearing no further questions, this meeting is adjourned.
Thank you all, goodbye.