{"id": "king_a22d16aa-0e1d-42e0-abab-fcb659bfa88d", "input": "On May 1st, 2021, meeting the King County Council's committee of the whole to order. I'm John McDermott, chair of the Committee of the Whole. And as we start today, I'd like to acknowledge that we are in the traditional lands, the Puget Salish peoples, past and present. We thank these caretakers of the land and who have lived here and continued to live here since time immemorial. I'd also like to acknowledge the many urban Indians who have brought their their cultural ways of life here and greatly enrich our community in major public health emergency. We're having a virtual meeting again today, as we have for over a year now. And the governor has, of course, suspended the section of the Open Public Meetings Act that requires we have a fiscal space for the public to watch our meetings. We have two items on the agenda today, our regular briefing from director Dave Lee on the county's COVID 19 response, followed by interviews with potential appointees to fill a district court vacancy. I would ask members of the public and staff to keep your videos off until just before you speak. And also if you plan on offering public comment, if you can, please join the meeting by the Zoom app and not simply by telephone. In a couple of different technical glitches or avoided if you're in the Zoom app, which will make it all work easier for everybody. Without Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bellucci here. Councilmember Dombrowski. You're. Councilmember Dunn. Council member, councilor. And the member Lambert. Council member of the Crown Air. Council member upon regular air. Council members are like. You're. Mr. Chairman. Here. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum. Thank you. Colleagues, I would entertain a motion to approve the minutes of our July 7th meeting. Mr. Chair. Isomer. Thank you. Council member calls the minutes of our July 7th meeting are before us. See no discussion. All those in favor please signify by saying i. I. I. Those opposed nay by an overwhelming majority. Our minutes have been approved. Madam Clerk, is there anyone in the window for public comment? Mr. Chair, we might have one or two. All right, then. Let me abbreviate our ground rules for public comment. I'm. We asked public comment be limited to 2 minutes and be pertinent to and presented something on today's meeting agenda in Zoom. We will call your name or the last three digits of your phone number. If you wish to testify. State your name and pass so we can confirm that we can hear you. And then if you continue by saying installing your name. So we have it accurate for the record. If you're here for some other reason and didn't intend to ask for testimony, you can just say pass and we'll move on to the next person. I'm going to take the risk of thinking that's enough for today. Madam, quick, ask you to start calling people for public comment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first person is Stacey Valenzuela. Good morning Stacey balance where we're can Kenmore. Go ahead, please. Stacie. My last name is Val EMC u e l a. Thank you. Kenmore residents have been pleading with the city for years and recently added PSC AA, the state and King County leaders to help with local testing and. Enforcement of clean processes. Both state and National Environmental Policy Acts call for review and analysis of direct, indirect or cumulative impacts of proposed actions on public health and safety. The primary stated purpose of the State. Environmental Policy Act, S.W.. 4320 1a010 is to stimulate the health and welfare of human beings, as well as to provide that needs will place an increasing responsibility on. All segments. To regulate the utilizations of our natural resources in a manner that will protect and conserve our clean air. Our pure waters and the natural beauty of our state. We call for these actions to maintain public health and safety under state law. RC W 70 05060 which it states is the power and. Duties of local. Board of Health to enact rules and regulations necessary to preserve and improve public health and provide enforcement, as well as the duty of local health board to provide prevention, control and abatement of nuisances detrimental to the public health. We ask you to request the Department of Ecology to test the emission soils and waters in the area of Canmore. Industrial. Area and the asphalt plant as well. As protect our area of tall Orchards Park, which is up for cementing in many of the areas with a time of climate change. We need the action to protect these areas, for our health, for our safety, for. Our wildlife, for ecosystems and. Our wetlands. I hope you guys will help us out and take some action as soon as possible. Thank you. Thank you. The next person is. Judge Virginia. Amato. Did you wish to speak? Pass. Thank you. The next person is Joseph. If you wish to speak, please the mute yourself and provide us with your full name. That's a z. O. S. E. P. Mr. Chair, I believe I called everyone on the line. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Joseph None. I mean. Do you whistle for testimony? I am asking them to unmute themselves and they are not. As am I. So they've gotten numerous requests. Okay. All right. That will thank everybody. And Madam Clerk for managing that. And that takes us to item five on today's agenda. Our briefing from, I believe, the director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget will update us on the county's COVID 19 pandemic response. Mr. Ivory, the line is yours. Good morning, council members. For the record, Dwight, I believe the director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget. It's always a pleasure to have the opportunity to do this presentation, particularly today, when there is nothing but good news. So I have four things that I thought I would share. First of all, we talked about two weeks ago there was a chance that the federally declared emergency would end this month and that now is not going to happen. The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the current emergency through October 17th of this year. Obviously, they can always extended further, but at this point, that's extended to that point. The consequence of that, or one consequence of that is that the female funding, Federal Emergency Management Agency and 100% reimbursement for all eligible expenses would continue at least through the end of September of this year, which is what was announced early in the year by the president when he declared that FEMA would do 100% reimbursement. So it seems likely that FEMA would extend that date at least till October 17th. But at this point, we are confident that we won't be eligible for FEMA reimbursement through the end of September. So that's good news because right now, the big things that we are getting there that are either directly funded by female or we expect to be reimbursed are all the work we're doing, the vaccination and the isolation and quarantine facility. So that was good news that the Federal Government has extended the emergency at least that far. So let me pause, as is our practice and see if people have questions about that. Colleagues. Mr. Zeigler, you see relief that the emergency continues. Yes, I know it is perverse. I have to admit, it'd be nice if the emergency were over, but only if it was really over. Right? The fact that the federal government has acknowledged it isn't really over, that, I guess is a good piece of information. Okay. Second item, I think we discussed this briefly two weeks ago. So the cruise ship industry is back. I know it is sometimes a controversial industry because of some of the environmental consequences of it, but from an economic perspective, it is a significant revenue source for the region. The very first cruise ship actually left on its cruise this past Monday, so two days ago comes from our CO wells and I both live within sound distance of those terminals and so we could hear the horns honking as it was leaving. And this one had a particularly lengthy departure horns on Monday. I was very surprised by that. There's a total of 84 cruises that are planned for this year through late October. So that's not quite as much as the kind of fall season that we typically had in the year like 2019, but nonetheless a significant economic boost for the region. So that from a financial perspective is good news. We pause and see if there's any questions about that. Dwight. I can't remember if it was. It must have been Monday, perhaps Sunday, in West Seattle. We could hear the horns for the cruise ships departing. And in fact, it wasn't just tones. They were playing the theme To Love Boat. Were they really? Yeah, I was in downtown Seattle on Saturday morning and there were actually five cruise ships in the harbor. We only have three places for them to dock, but there were two moored out in the harbor. So that was the largest number I've ever seen in Elliott Bay at one time. Any questions about that for Dwight? All right. All right. So moving on to item three, then, giving you an update on hotel occupancy, because that still is the sector of our economy that has been the most significantly affected by the pandemic. So in the first full week of July, occupancy countywide was up to 66%, which is the best it has been our kind of steady state basis since COVID hit. And the good news is it's now pretty even across the county where they've been very disproportionate for a long time. So the only area that wasn't above 60% was the east side and it was at 58%. So we're starting to see the hotel industry pick up at the right time across the county. And I wouldn't say it was fortuitous. I think that the council enacted the health through housing program when you did last fall, because if we had waited much longer, I suspect the market for hotels would have gotten a lot tighter. And the ones that we've been able to acquire are in the process of acquiring would have, at a minimum been more expensive, if not totally unavailable. So I'd just say you might want to congratulate yourself a little bit on your timing about that, because I think it worked out very well. So let me pause and see if there are any questions on that one. Councilmember Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And not really a question, Dwight, but I heard on KUOW. This morning. That the. Big hotel has been purchased, this one in Auburn. Yes, that is one of the healthier housing locations that is being announced either today or tomorrow. So, yes, that is the next one in the queue. Thank you. Getting four. Okay. So item four has three parts. ABC and this is the longest one, but also I think in many ways the most interesting. So I think Councilmember Caldwell's and Casper Lambert are already familiar with most of this information, but I wanted to make sure that all the council members had it. We received last week from our Office of Economic and Financial Analysis the July revenue forecast, which is the most significant update we do in essentially the second half of the year. There will be an August update, but it really typically is only around the property tax. So I want to talk about three different parts of the July revenue forecast. So part A is sales tax, and I have lots of numbers here, so I'm going to go slowly. But I think it's a it's a very interesting story of what's happened to our economy as reflected in the sales tax. So comparing the July forecast to the March forecast, so the forecast we did four months ago, the sales tax base countywide, in other words, the the all the items that are subject to the sales tax so not the revenue, but the tax base is up 8.9% for this year in the new forecast. So just in the last four months, the projection of 2021 sales tax base countywide is up 8.9%. So that I think is a very useful indicator of how quickly at least much of our economy has recovered. The excitement that many people have about spending money now that they can do some things that they haven't been able to do for a while. And so despite the product shortages in some segments that we've talked about, the sales tax base is doing really, really well. And what I did this morning, just out of curiosity, is I went back to the pre COVID forecast. And I want to give you the numbers that compare what the forecast of the sales tax base was for this year before COVID hit. And what the forecast for this year is as of today. So before COVID. The projection for the countywide sales tax base for the year 2021 was $81.1 billion. So the value of everything that is subject to sales tax was projected to be $81.1 billion if COVID had never happened. As of the July forecast that we just got that same number, the taxable sales base for 2021 is $79.8 billion. And that difference is well within the forecasting error that we always would experience. So set a different way. Where we are today for 2021 is about where we thought we would be before COVID ever happened. And so by that measure, the economy in general has recovered. Now, we obviously know that different sectors are in different places, that many individuals are still really struggling. But it's almost as if COVID had never happened from the perspective of our sales tax base. It's a one way that I was thinking about that this morning. If you translate it in your own personal experience, it's like you had a job. And you had an expectation of your pay increases over the next few year. You got laid off. And so you were on unemployment and some maybe some supplemental income for a year or so. You now got your job back and your employer hired you back at the same wages that you had expected that you would have this year. And so in a sense, you had a one time 12 to 15 month event in your personal life that cost you some money that you're probably never going to get back, but you're back to where you otherwise would have been. And that seems to be what's happened to King County's economy. Broadly defined is that we had a one time event where we lost some significant amounts of revenue during that period, but now we're right back to where we expected to be, and that's a phenomenally fast recovery. And there's obviously tons of factors that go into that around what the federal government did, around the nature of our economy, the fact that many people were able to keep working with minimal impacts. A lot of the things that the state has done, the county has done, some of our cities have done. So there's a lot of things that went into it. But just to kind of tell you, we're really back to where we thought we were going to be, as if COVID had never happened. And so let me quickly translate that into some numbers about the actual revenue we get from the sales tax this year. And these are comparisons, again, of the July forecast that we just got versus the March forecast from four months ago. And the time period that I'm going to use is the current budget biennium. So these are revenue increases in the current biennium. So 2021, 2022 as compared to the March forecast. So for the general fund for this biennium, the sales tax forecast is up $30 million, three $0 million. For the middle fund mental illness drug dependency fund were up $17 million again compared to March for Health. Through housing, we're up $12 million. And the reason it's not the same as MIT is that, as you recall, some of the cities opted to take that revenue themselves. And so those cities probably have something like $5 million beyond what they expected to have. In Metro Transit for this biennium compared to March, is up $145 million. So there's a ton of good news in the sales tax forecast across all of our functions that depend on sales tax. Obviously, we have lots of claimants on that revenue in many places, but I wanted to make sure you were all aware of how quickly that has recovered. So let me pause there. I know there was a lot of information and I suspect there were questions. As the number goes on. They may just have stunned silence. We all were. I think we're still some stunned also by learning earlier this week that the recession was over before, you know, a month after it started. Yeah, before we even knew it started. Councilmember Debusschere. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for all these numbers. Trying to do the math in my head, but just focusing on one, the last one, the transit one, the sales tax revenue is up $145 million over budget, I think is what you said. And these are March for. The most over March forecast. So that march was better than we had expected to rent. So and then we received a few hundred million dollars of federal aid in the Metro Transit. Do you think at one of these updates we could get a general and I know what the right form would be. Maybe it's in our budget committee or here, but I kind of know where we stand or in my mobility committee when we reconvene, where we stand on the Metro Financial picture, short, intermediate, and then long term, I no longer term, we've got more work to do than we've got money to do it. But my sense is just from the cumulative recent presentations that we're in reasonably good shape for the short to intermediate term. Yeah. Councilmember Tomasky Just as an aside, I had suggested to Councilmember Cole Rails and I know she's thinking about this, that we would come in and do a general fund financial update either at the Budget Fiscal Management Committee or maybe at this committee. I think we would I know we would be more than happy to do a Metro Transit Fund update for your committee, the Budget Committee, wherever you would like to do it. I think it would be good for the council as you're going into the mid biennial budget process that we'll be transmitting an ordinance to you at the end of September to have an update. And at least on those two funds. And I would also recommend, if you have time, the mental illness and drug dependency, fine, because that's one that gets a lot of attention and and also, of course, is very affected by sales tax revenues. So we would be more than happy to do that. I think it's the way I want to suggest we do. It is similar to what was done for a few years before we had COVID, which is we'd come in and actually present the financial plan for the funds. But you weren't just looking at the revenue, you were looking at the reserves, you were looking at the expenditure forecasts and so on. So we would be more than happy to do that. And I'm sure that Terry White and the folks from Metro would would be happy to join me in doing that for your committee or whatever form you recommend. And be great. And maybe we'll talk among ourselves about how to do it, whether it's Councilmember Caldwell's a more of a budget item. But it seems like for example, on the transit or even the mid, it's so tied to the policy work and the service delivery that knowing the revenue and then what we want to spend it on it could maybe in the policymaking committees be a worthwhile exercise in dialog to have those briefings there. So in terms of timing, we now have the July revenue forecast where we have all everything we need on the revenue side. What I'd recommend is we use second quarter actuals for spending, which we'll know roughly by the end of this month. So either in late August or early September would be a good time to do these briefings if that works for the Council. We'll make time in the Mobility Committee and you can get eight out of nine members updated. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Dwight. And. O. O Wells. Zahalka. Council members. Hello. Followed by Cole Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much, Dwight, for this helpful explanation. My question is related to Councilmember Dombrovskis question, but I'm going to ask what I usually ask of you, which is to give us some budget, one on one lessons for our audience and for me, too. But when you say are our forecasts for July are $145 million over our March forecast for Metro, for example, how does that play out in the real world? Does that mean that we should expect to have 145 million more dollars to spend for Metro coming up? Or just take us through what that actually means when a forecast goes over so significantly from month to month. So. Councilmember eight Your explanation is exactly right. So in every one of our funds, you collectively have approved a certain level of spending, and that is what we are currently planning to spend, whether it's in metro or in public health or whatever agency it happens to be. The. Part of your decision making about that level of spending was an expectation about how much revenue would come in an analysis of how much money we had saved, if any, and how much we needed to save if we wanted to add to that. So from the perspective of the current situation, it's completely correct to say Metro has $145 million more. Assuming the forecast is correct, then we thought they did as of March, and unless more appropriations are made, that will simply go in to Metro's fund balance and will be available for future use. And so to go back to something Councilmember Dombrowski said, you know, our our long term forecasts are that as we continue to make investments in transit, the current amount of revenue and reserves may not be enough in six, eight, ten years. But in the near term, there is more money than we are planning to spend. Thank you. Uh huh. Cowell's. Customer calls. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Dwight and I may have been remiss, but I thought I had already approved going ahead with a presentation and whether it would be and be a farmer cow. Either one would be fine with me. And would. I think you were supportive of. Don't believe we have yet to schedule that. Okay. I'm happy to do it when you're. When you're ready. Thank you. Lambert. Councilmember Lambert think you well. I appreciate all your work and your team's work and Dave Reichs and his team's work on the forecast. It was very exciting to see those numbers and maybe we were stunned. They were doing quite happy dance. Somebody on crutches probably wasn't doing that, but the rest of us might be. So thank you for your good leadership on that. My question has to do with our overhead expenses. So now that we're closing some of our floors, administration of building part of the Kent Street, what what are we planning to do to reduce those expenses ? And what is the timeline for some of those to happen? So let's talk specifically about the administration building. So the current plan is that the last tenants of that building will leave probably around the beginning of spring next year. It's likely the last tenants will be the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division. They're moving to our Black River building in Renton, and it takes a significant amount of remodeling before that happens. So when they move out, we will mothball the administration building. We still need to maintain the tunnels and the first floor lobby and for access to the tunnel, to the courthouse. But the rest of the building will be able to essentially turn off. So no lights. You know, he doesn't need to be as warm as they normally would be and so on. So FMB, in the adopted budget is ramping down their staffing and ramping down the operating cost for that building, and that was already built into the budget that you adopted. So we are we are realizing those savings and some of those are being used to pay for the cost of moving everybody. And you've appropriated funds to do that because as we consolidate space, and particularly in King Street Center, and then we're gradually moving agencies out of the administration building, there's obviously cost to that. So in the current biennium, there is not really an expected net savings, but then in the next biennium, beyond that, we will have significant building operations savings because we are building and we're concentrating people in our other two downtown office buildings. So a point yesterday or listening to judge. Rogers talk about the fact that they don't have jury pool rooms, that because the jury hopefully isn't there for very long, you know, that that might be a good interim step to keep a floor at that building available for jury pool, because when it's intermittent, hopefully not for very long . And as we ramp down, hopefully they'll be catching up. So and COVID regulations will change. So it might be a good symbiotic relationship to look at some of that space for jury pool space. So I just want to throw that out. That's an idea. Yeah. The Superior Court has approached SMD about exactly that issue. Oh, good. May turn out to be more cost effective to actually lease space in a nearby office building rather than have to operate the administration building that because that building is old and we haven't invested in it. It will probably be difficult to operate just one floor and not have to, you know, heat the whole building. So everybody will look at what the tradeoffs are between keeping part of the admin building open versus actually maybe going down, let's say the Dexter Horton building or some nearby office building for space. Thank you very much. Other questions. Oh. Wells Council member. Carlos, thank you. And which way? One more thought that might be of interest for council members to hear about what's going on with the lodging tax. That's item B on my list. Oh, okay. Good. Thank you. Okay well thank you to Councilmember Carl Wells item for be on my list was in fact the charging tax. So the. The one revenue source significant revenue source that is not recovering anywhere near as quickly according to our forecast is the lodging tax. And so just to remind everyone, this is the 2% tax that for decades was diverted from the county's use to support largely the debt service on the stadiums. Some was available for youth sports, but most of it was going to the stadiums starting the beginning of this year. That revenue flowed back to the county and both through state law and your own ordinances, there's a pretty rigid allocation of how that's split among various purposes. So. Not surprisingly, this is the revenue source that declined the most in percentage terms and is gone is projected to be the slowest to recover. And so the numbers that I put here are the difference between the pre-COVID forecast and the July forecast. So even though the July forecast is more optimistic, there are still big revenue losses. And so I looked at four years just to share and show you how slow the recovery is forecast to be. So in 2020, so last year, the actual lodging tax revenues were $2 less than the pre-COVID forecast and down from about 35 million to 9 million that we actually received. Again, not surprising since hotel occupancy went down to like 18% for this year. Even though the industry is recovering, the revenue loss compared to the pre-COVID forecast is still 21 million. The. And part of that is the lower occupancy, particularly in the first half of the year. But also prices have come way down because there's much more competition now. So the tax is based on the actual price that's charged. So the revenue loss is still very significant. Next year, 2022, the forecast is still $11 million less than pre-COVID. And even out into 2023, it's still $6 million less. So although the industry is recovering, it's a long time, five or six years, according to this forecast, before they would get back to sort of where they would have been pre-COVID. So unlike the kind of economy as a whole, as reflected in our sales tax, this sector, the lodging sector is still the one that was hit the hardest and has the longest kind of path to recovery. So as we look at all the various planned uses of those funds, it's not just this one time loss that we have in many of the other funds. It's going to be an ongoing problem for several years out into the future, at least according to our revenue forecast . So let me pause there and see if there are questions on that. Oh, well. Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Chair. And why would you please speak about the projection in terms of when we start having conventions terms? So in the last information I saw, there are some conventions that are actually expected to start in downtown Seattle in September. They are all operating at a lower capacity than they normally would have been allowed to. 75% is the current kind of standard of occupancy compared to what it was pre-COVID. Many are starting to rebook, particularly the ones that are annual events are rebooking. So that's a good sign. You heard yesterday from Judge Rogers that the maiden power center in Bellevue is also starting to have some of their convention businesses come back again more gradually, not way back to where it was pre-COVID. But one of the reasons that that lease is being given up is that it just isn't very practical to run jury trials and conventions at the same time in the same building. So we're again seeing kind of a gradual recovery of that industry. What I actually talked to a couple of people who are in that industry and some of the larger national and international organizations are pretty hesitant yet about rebooking because they really don't have a sense of how their members will think about going to a convention and are they going to like I am able to go for two years. I'm really excited. I really want to come to this one. Or is it going to be. Well, I want to wait and see, you know, see what happens with the Delta variant. So there's a lot of hesitancy to make too many commitments until we get a little further along. So that's kind of the current status. You. The questions. Say none. Okay. So very last item is item four C. So the other thing that was changed in the revenue forecast, which I was actually surprised by because I had forgotten something, was that the parks levy forecast for 2022 and beyond has gone up very significantly. You may recall that that levy, unlike most of our others as a growth rate that is tied to inflation and population growth. And the way that the inflation measure for that was set was the June over June inflation rate. So in this case, June 2021 compared to June 2020. And as I think you're all aware, we have this probably short term spike in inflation right now, driven by a lot of shortages, whether it's lumber, whether it's chips that go into cars and other products. That has led to some price increases in certain segments of the economy. And so because the parks levy is tied to that inflation measure, the revenue collection for next year is a lot higher than originally had been assumed. And so the forecast that is built into the July revenue forecast is we get about $5.1 million more in parks levy revenue next year than had been assumed back in March. And that trends then out into the future because that's been added to the base. And so every year in the levee, beyond that, you would continue to see that growth. And so the aggregate over the four remaining years of the parks levees from 2022 through 2025 is about $24 million of additional revenue. So you also probably remember that there's a fairly rigid allocation formula within the levee about how money gets spent. And so there isn't a ton of discretion there. But one of the things that I suspect we will be bringing you in September, in the middle by any ordinance, is an update to the parks levee appropriation to reflect that change in revenue. So that was the final item that I thought I would share from the revenue forecast. Happy to answer questions about that. Colleagues. I had one on that, and maybe I missed it. Good night. You may have just said this. I apologize if I if I missed it, but we had done a kind of a across the board, I think, haircut. I just remember from some of our special kind of allocations or buckets to our is the plan to kind of restore those cuts or does the council need to take action on that? What is so both of those are correct. So much of what is in the parks levy is formulaic. So when the original first year of the levy turned out to be less than had been assumed, there had to be reductions in many of those things based on that formula. So similarly, now that the revenue forecast is up, most of the allocation will be automatic. Not all of it, but most of it will be automatic. But even though that's the case, we will still need a changed appropriation from the council in order to have authority to spend that. So so that I'm almost certainly will include in the mid by any ordinance in September. Okay. So that would be good news for some of those special. I just think that some of the special partners like our friends at the zoo or the aquarium or even other kind of trail corridor projects that we identified will have will be able to re level those up. Yes, sadly. And I should have done it and I just didn't do it. I think my my instinct is that the increase that we're seeing now in the levy should offset all of those losses, maybe even be a little more than that. So there may be an opportunity to actually get back to where people expected to be and maybe even get a little higher. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Chair. But. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. So one of the things that has to do with this park is that we hadn't really anticipated was the number of rescues that were going to be needed on our trail and search and rescue sent out nearly daily doing rescues. So making sure that we have the money to help with that, that the volunteer organization and really they're tired because they're doing rescues on such a regular basis. So I don't think we had anticipated that many people getting lost, needing to be rescued, as well as some oversight in our parking issues with so many people coming, but really need some more supervision. So as we look at the budget for parks, if we could reevaluate the number of people that are actually coming and some of the impacts that we didn't expect this kind of volume and and that there are issues created by that some good, some not so good, but definitely things that need to be considered. So I'd like to throw that up as part of our considerations. So you may want to reach out to your legal staff and have them review the language of the parks levy to see if they believe that is an allowable use. Most of our levy lid lifts, we've had a practice of being pretty specific about how the money can be used. And so the kind of the first step in your thinking would need be is that revenue available for the purposes you're describing. And I honestly don't know the answer to that question. Okay. When I find out, I'll let you know. And that would be great. I appreciate that. Thanks for all you do. Any further questions of Dwight? Thank you again for your thrilling briefings. I implore you to listen to the horns when they're actually playing. I think the songs will do. Thank you very much. And now we'll see you after your recess. Thank you. Right. All right. Let me call as we begin the next item on today's agenda. Let me call members attention to an email sent to all of us, most recently at 812 this morning from Erika Newman with the application materials for the three people we will now consider for a vacancy in King County District Court. And also attached to that same email is a list of proposed interview questions. I call members attention to that so they can have the not only the application materials open, but the interview questions when needed as well. They're not assigned to be ready now with that disclaimer out of the way. Indeed, the next item on our agenda is making an appointment to fill a judicial vacancy in the West District of King County District Court, a process governed by King County Code for the appointment day. The Council advertised the vacancy and accepted applications until June 24th. We received full applications from three eligible candidates during the period. This process will proceed like our recent district court appointments. Members were sent and should have received the application materials by email on Monday. These materials were, as I said, sent again this morning. And we will begin today's proceedings with a brief staff report on the proposed motion from Erika Neumann of Central South, who sent that email most recently at 812 this morning. And after the South report, the committee will interview each candidate one at a time. During the interview, the candidates not being interviewed will be placed in the zoom waiting room so as to not get advance and get in advance on their interview questions or the other candidates responses. So again, members resist the urge to admit people from the waiting room. Once each candidate has been interviewed, if there is an interest among council members, the committee will go into the executive session to evaluate the qualifications of the candidates. If we do, we would then come out of an executive session and only then take up the legislation itself and make decisions. Are there any questions as well as to how we will proceed from either members or candidates before we get started? Cornwall council member calls you Madam. Mr. Chair, it's not. A question about the process, but rather did we have a subcommittee this time around in. We did not. We had three applicants, three fall out sessions, and so we did not have a subcommittee process. Thank you very. Much. All right, Miss Newman, the line is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Eric Zimmerman, Counsel, Central. Staff Guidance for Apple's Motion Tool 210266. Begin on page eight of your packet. District Court is the county's court of limited jurisdiction and has responsibility for traffic infractions. Small claims and misdemeanor criminal offenses in the counties. Unincorporated areas. Cities that do not have the civil courts and contract with the firm. To. Provide those services are. For the. Adjudication of state offenses. How the court. Handles approximately 250,000 filings and throughout the four divisions letter, which are the north, south, east and West divisions. The proposed motion is to. Fill position number two in the. West electrical. District that was made. Vacant by the retirement of Judge Mark Couch. Under state law. King County Council, as a kind of legislative authority, is. Directed to fill. District court. Vacancies. By appointment. As the chair mentioned, there are three eligible applicants to be interviewed in the. In the. Current. For. The proposed motion, there's a blank for the name of the person. That will be appointed a. Problem and it will be needed to insert the name of the. Selected appointee. Mr. Chair, that concludes my remarks. Thank you, Miss Newman. Questions? Based on that, seeing none. Mr. Chair, I just had one orientation question, please. Thank you. I looked through all the materials and and I'm always interested in the bar ratings we have had in the past. A little summary chart to compile them. And I wondered if if that, if we had that in our material somewhere. Ms. NULAND Can you speak to that? Yes, the Bahrain council member Tomasky are in. The town meeting Paca. As well. As the app in the packet that you see there 812 this morning. Okay, I look there and thank you, Eric. Ah, is there a chart that summarizes them or is it just within each member's materials, which I did see them there. This is just a grid. Like a chart. Yeah, it could be. Let us know what page in the materials. That song or someone. Would that be great? I just didn't know much. Give me just a second. Since Page 14 of the KAL package. Thank you so much, A.J.. Erica, thank you so much for your work on this. Thanks, Mr.. Good catch. See no other questions. I expect we will interview. Each interview will take roughly 20 minutes in awesome candidates to provide an opening and closing remarks, each to be limited to 2 minutes with a timer. And as I you may have heard me mentioned, members receive a interview questions by email. As recently as 812 this morning. In accordance with past practice, I asked members to volunteer to ask those interview questions. Before the meeting, we randomly assigned the order of the interviews and will begin with call gender Dylan followed by Jennifer Cruz and finally Pauline formed. Unless there are any questions now, I will ask the clerk in a moment to place a Ms. Cruz name is framed in the zoom waiting room. The questions at this point. Then, Madam Clunk, if you would move those two people into the waiting room. And as a reminder to members and staff, please let the class and people from the waiting room and avoid the temptation to click on the admin button. And if the clerk's office can confirm for me when that's done. Mr. Chair, the two candidates are in the waiting room. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's Dylan. Thank you for your interest in the judicial position and welcome again to the committee of the whole. I would invite you to begin with a two minute opening statement and then we look forward to a conversation with you about the position. Thank you so much, Council. I'm just going to check my audio. Are you able to hear me? We are. Thank you. Thank you so much. It is an honor and a privilege to be before this committee. I was last before you about four months ago. I talked to you then about my background and how my background informs who I am today. You may recall, I'm the daughter of East Indian immigrants. My parents didn't go to college. My parents worked really hard. My father was a bus driver and my mother sewed clothes and raised three children. My parents also faced challenges of racism. Today, I'd like to tell you a little bit about the values that guide me. Values of hard work, gratitude and service to others. My work ethic comes from seeing my parents work hard. My parents put in long hours and saved money to buy a small grocery store. One of my jobs at the grocery store at the age of 12 was was going to the produce market at 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays to help my dad carry boxes of fruits and vegetables on Sundays. My parents would give back to the community by feeding the homeless population through their church. I've had opportunities that my parents could never dream of. I'm the first person to go to college and the first person to get an advanced degree in my family. But I've never lost sight of my values of giving back to the community. Before law school, I worked as the domestic violence victim advocate, first in the shelter and then in the King County prosecutor's office. I've also been a public defense attorney handling large caseloads in King County Superior Court, juvenile court. As well as. The district court. I've handled criminal cases as well as civil cases. In 2018, I achieved a dream of mine, and that was to work as a pro tem judge. But the last few years I've put in over 1000 hours on the King County District Court bench. I serve in all of the divisions. I've earned the reputation of being a hard worker who's prepared and efficiently manages large calendars and complex cases. Recently, I was entrusted with handling an in-person jury trial with a case that in the district court is rather complex a DUI blood draw case with expert testimony and interpreters that were not from certified or registered languages. I have a lot of gratitude for the judges and their guidance that they've given me, as well as the court staff. I'm also humbled and honored to gain the trust of the of the King County judges. You will see in your packets that I have submitted an endorsement list. I'm endorsed by 22 of the 25 King County judges on the district court. I'm also humbled to be endorsed by numerous superior court judges who I've appeared in front of during my practice. As the counsel knows, there is significant work that needs to be done. The council has heard from Judges Rogers and judges, not Judge Mahoney, of the backlog and the cases that are waiting going to trial due to the COVID pandemic. My values of hard work will guide me and my guide me. And the gratitude that I have will also guide me as I hope to address the this backlog. But I will never forget that this position of judge is a position of public trust. And I'm happy to answer your questions. Thank you so much. Colleagues. Someone prepared to ask the first question. Councilmember Balducci. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and welcome back. It's good to see you again. The first question we have for you is. What is it about King County District Court that interests you the most? Thank you so much. What interests me the most about King County District Court is that it's the People's Court. Oftentimes in the King County District Court, it's the first time people have ever had a brush with the legal system. The King County District Court is a high volume court, but it's also a court where people come to resolve disputes with neighbors. It's also a court where and I've had the privilege of assisting people change their names to better fit who they are today. And that is an honor and a privilege to be part of people's who are and who do that. I feel that the King County District Court is a place that still has a lot of hope. I have worked in the King County Superior Court system for a number of years. I've handled large volumes of cases. Unfortunately, because of the sentencing guidelines, oftentimes judges hands are tied about whether they have discretion to sentence people to a lower potentially a lower sentence, even though there are alternatives in the district court. I feel more hopeful, which is why I want to be a judge in the King County District Court. I feel hopeful that oftentimes with a little bit of accountability by giving people the right resources, potentially, that could be asking somebody to fulfill chemical dependency evaluations and follow up treatment, and also maybe putting them in touch with benefits and supports that they didn't know that they had access to. We can truly help to strengthen the community. But at the same time, I, I believe that as a judge, we also need to hold people accountable. And my philosophy of when I'm on the bench is to progressively sanction people. And what I mean by that is when I'm on the bench handling review hearings, I'm very, very clear with the people who appear in front of me. I ask them if they understand what I have asked them to do in my sentencing order and whether there are any barriers that they face when trying to fulfill that sentencing obligation. I tell them what my expectations are very clearly, and then I ask them to repeat back to me what they understand about the sentencing order that I'm putting out that I'm crafting. To me, the District Court is a really hopeful place, and it's my hope that we can help people who occasionally have a brush with the legal system get back on track with their lives. In terms of people who we can't always see come back to the legal system again and again. It's also my hope that through programs like the Community Court Program, we can assist people with having providers in the same location as the judge sets so that they can be assisted . I believe that people should be held accountable, but I also think it's the district court's obligation and the judge's obligation to help people connect with resources so that they can better their lives and break the cycle of repeated recidivism. Thank you. Next question, colleagues. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. Is it okay if I take it the case is out of order? Or do you want me to go in order? Doesn't matter to me. Okay. So I'm going to jump to question number five because that's the one I'm most interested in. The district court is facing a significant case backlog due to the pandemic disruptions over the past year. I'm sure you're well aware. What steps or strategies do you think? The Court And then of course, you as a judge should implement to expedite the people's opportunity to find justice within the courtroom. Thank you for your question, Councilmember Lambert. Nice to see you again. You are correct that there is a significant backlog. I know that the council has heard from the judges, Rogers and Mahoney. I logged on and watched that council meeting to inform myself of the issues that the district court faces. Obviously, the most critical issue that's facing the district court is is twofold. The first is before you is in your capable hands, it's the funding issue so that the district court can continue to provide justice in a meaningful way and and also address the backlog that the council has heard of in the district court. In the district court, we've been unable, because of the pandemic, to address small claims matters and also infractions. What concerns me also is the number of unfilled cases. I believe that there are a number of things that have assisted the District Court recently that will help us address the backlog. I have the skill set to expeditiously and fairly provide hearings. The things that have assisted the court recently is there is a new rule will 3.4 that allows defendants to appear through counsel. That's based on a case called state versus godliness. And this has allowed the district court to have shorter pretrial calendars. The defendants are, if I'm sorry, counsel is permitted to appear instead of their clients. That has shortened calendars. Oftentimes when we have just attorneys appearing, those calendars are shorter. That allows the court, the judges, to address issues such as mitigation by mail and other cases that we may not have had the time to address because of the heavy calendars that we used to have in the pretrial context. Some of my ideas to address the backlog are potentially having night court operate similar to how they how Seattle Municipal Court used to attack their large caseloads. Night Court is an excellent way to address infractions and small claims calendars. I'm hoping that that could be staffed by either additional magistrates or pro-tem judges. And if the budget budget doesn't allow potentially having the judges who are already on the bench have different shifts, we don't necessarily need to have a 9 to 5 workday. Through the pandemic, we've learned how to pivot and how to have the court operate in different ways than the traditional courtroom. And so not requiring defendants necessarily to be present through 3.4 definitely saves time for the court. Night court for infractions and small claims matters. Also, I think judges should strongly encourage mitigation by mail. And even though people have a right to a hearing on content on infractions, I believe that letting people know that they and that could be something simple by inserting into the the mailing for a hearing, we can simply insert a document that would let people know that they should should write their argument and present it to the court via mail. And the court will simply rule on that. That certainly will save a lot of time. I'm also encouraged that the prosecutor's office is also potentially going to have a King County deputy address some of the discovery issues as they relate to infractions. I believe that the prosecutor's office has, in their funding requests, have asked for staffing for the infraction calendar so that we are not the judges are not put in the position of dismissing infractions because discovery is not sent out in a timely manner. At the end of the day, the Council I'm sorry. The Court needs a judge who is capable of expeditiously handling handling large volume calendars in a fair way. I think that we can also use our remote hearings. I'm sorry, the remote technology that the court has has obtained through the pandemic to continue to have remote hearings as an access to justice tool. And Council Member Lambert when I sat on the city calendars where we still do infractions. I have heard from so many people that they have never had the chance to come to court because of the barriers that they face with parking in the West Division, parking downtown, meeting to get child care so that they can come to court for a couple of hours. The Zoom platform and remote hearings allow people to have meaningful access to the court. And it's my hope that the judges continue to use our remote platforms to provide access to justice so that we can efficiently work through the backlog. So I may make one quick. That's me. Yes. Sorry. Pardon me. You know, Bob, when you have near you, you're also including e-mail in that, right? Yes. The mitigation by mail is can be an electronic form. Our new case management system allows for people to to write to type their mitigation argument to a judge through the remote technology in our new platform. And I am proficient at using that new E court platform. And we we as you know, that was rolled out in October of 2020. If I met the judge, do not know about that. I'm very excited because that calls our CW in addition, at the same time, it speeds up your work, too. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It does. Thank you. Thank you. And I might have been remiss in not pointing out at the beginning, as I mentioned in the larger section, we're shooting for about 20 minutes per interview. So I would ask both members and Ms.. Dillon to be is to be mindful of that and thorough of course, but concise as possible as well. Councilmember Dombrowski. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have a customized question, if you'll in a minute. Ms.. Dillon. I'm just reviewing your resume. You've got a terrific background working in the legal system excuse me, from a number of perspectives, including at the Center for Children and Youth Justice, where you worked on gender bias issues, and a girls court to the Dorn Domestic Abuse Women's Network, where you worked in the field of domestic violence and helping those out. You were a prosecutor, you've been a defender, and you've worked in the courts as a judge. Quickly, just very quickly, I don't I don't mean to interrupt, but I have never worked with a prosecutor. I worked to the domestic violence victim advocate at the prosecutor's office. Thank you. That's what I meant. I wasn't I wasn't as clear there. But I appreciate you correcting the record with with that experience. And if you were to be a judge, you'd have a role or could have a role beyond just running your courtroom and dealing with individual cases or judges. And our courts have a a systems voice often in Olympia or before the county council or other bodies. And a big part of our work here at the county council and also in Olympia is looking at reforms to, in particular, a criminal legal system. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your views on whether there are things in the courts that are doing today cases and types of disputes or or currently criminalized conduct that you view maybe shouldn't be, and areas that we could do systemic systematic reform or systems reform to maybe deal with folks in a little bit different way, maybe away from the arrest prosecute jail model to a more of a a care model. And I just wondered if you have some thoughts on that and how you might be involved in that work to be on the district court. Thank you so much. I do think it's important that judges not only preside in the courtroom and do administrative work to in the running of the court, which is important work. But I also believe that judges should be in the community and a face of the legal system so that communities who may not have trust in the legal system gain more trust by having that personalized contact. I know that in the work that I've done through the juvenile court and working on reforming the sanctions model, and I worked collaboratively with the prosecutor's office and the school system to address status offenses so that that that also addressed disproportionality of racial minorities within the legal system . And we also the other goal was to reduce the number of incarcerated youth. So I do believe that working at the policy level to address and to have a social justice and equity ones based on the policies that the courts put in place, I do believe that we should be viewing everything that the court does in terms of policies and procedures through our social justice and equity ones. In terms of answering your question about my thoughts about other cases that potentially could be diverted from the system. I think it would be proper for me to talk about what I am familiar with. I'm familiar with the fact that the prosecutor's office would like to start a DUI court in the King County district court. Obviously, that is going to cost money. But the good thing about the DUI court is that there is federal money available for DUI courts. And I would look forward to working using my skill set in therapeutic courts to help the district court potentially start a DUI court or even preside in that court or assist the judges in any way to get that program off the ground. So I definitely believe in therapeutic processes. I'm also familiar with the fact that there is legislation and a movement to decriminalize and also not file driving while license suspended cases. I do believe that it is important for the community as a whole that we have insured drivers. Given given the pandemic and given the backlog, you've heard from civil attorneys who have testified before this council about the the fact that the cycle of poverty can be triggered by a traffic accident that's caused by somebody who isn't insured. I think that we should have programs such as the relicensing program. I think that that program should be robust so that we can assist people through the district court to be properly licensed and insured. And I and I believe that obviously I will follow as a judge the the law. And if I'm only to follow sentencing people or to hear cases of driving while license suspended that are progressive, cases such as driving while license suspended in the first degree or second degree, I will follow the law that is before me. I do. And so I'll give my answer to that, that I hope I answered your question. Yes, you did. And I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for allowing me to deviate from the script there. I'm happy to do it with the other two as well. And we'll look forward to that. Okay. Further questions. Instilling you trust this in part in your last response. But let me even be more direct in the question. Please describe your efforts to implement anti-racist and equity and social justice practices within the criminal justice system. Thanks so much. Very briefly, when I was the lead attorney in juvenile drug court, I worked collaboratively with the prosecutor to restructure policies, specifically sanctions and drug court for violations and whether someone was terminated from the drug court program. I also worked with the drug court team to implement evidence based interventions and supports to make sure that the youth who came before the youth who were part of that program had culturally appropriate services. I have read many studies and been educated through national drug court trainings for juveniles and adults of the importance of culturally appropriate service providers. And so I have done that type of work. Also, I've been part of the King County Public Defense Office addressing social and equity issues through working very briefly on videos that were made that were made, addressing youth rights when stopped by law enforcement. I've also taken part in cultural competency trainings, and I've educated myself through the National Judicial College on implicit bias that I may have and also that a court potentially could occur in the courtroom. As you know, the district court and the superior court uses the video to educate jurors on implicit bias. And those conversations during the voir dire process are conversations that the jurors seem to really enjoy and the lawyers seem to enjoy. So I'll keep my comments brief. Thank you. And with that, I would suggest that is our last question and ask you to share your closing comments with us. Thank you so much. I'll keep it really brief. In my opening, I talked about why my personal experiences, values and unique perspective will enhance the district court bench. I've served as a judge pro tem for the last three years. It's been a rewarding, challenging and enriching experience. I've averaged sitting as a judge pro tem for 2 to 3 days a week during the pandemic when other judges may not have been able to serve. I was able to serve for weeks at a time. I've earned the respect of the judges, the clerks. I take any guidance they give me. I asked the judge. I asked the clerks after every calendar, is there anything that I could have done that would have helped your job or would have efficiently made the calendar more efficient? I have a reputation for honesty, integrity and fairness. What this what the position entails at this point, it's somebody who's able to step in from day one and handle the work of the district court. I am I am able to handle that work. I'm also guided by my values of public service. And what I want you all to know is that I understand that this position is a position of public trust. Thank you so much. Thank you. Appreciate your continued interest in this record, your conversation with us today. And thank you so much for spending the time with us. Thank you. Madam Clerk. It can if you can move Dylan to the waiting room and Miss Cruise. Into the main room. MSC Cruises. Ready for you, Mr. Chair. Great. Welcome. Good. Good. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning and welcome. Really appreciate your joining us today, your interest in this record. I mean, serving on the bench and well aware that the application process is a substantial undertaking in and of itself. And we're really glad you're here with us to answers engages in the conversation really about the position. We're shooting for about 20 minutes I'd asked you to well time the opening and closing but 2 minutes. But we'd ask you to just be mindful of being concise. I think we have about four questions in between the opening and closing. Now, it will rotate through members and look forward to the conversation. And with that, I'll begin by asking you for your opening. Okay. And good morning, ladies and gentlemen, council members. It is a pleasure and an honor to be before you today and to be considered for the appointment to King County District Court Judge in the West Division. My name is Jennifer Kruse and I am a lifelong member of the West Division. I was born and raised here in Seattle, Washington, in the Rainier Valley, and I came from modest means. My father immigrated to the United States when he was only 18 years old in 1929 at the height of the Great Depression. So he was quite a bit older when he had me. He was about 60 years old, and he worked as a migrant farmer. He worked out tending crops and moving. As the seasons became colder, he would go to Alaska and he would fish there. And so from him, I learned that there is a strong work ethic, because that's one of the things that he instilled in me, is that it was you needed to work hard for anything that you wanted to do. And so growing up, although he was not working, my mother, who was a secretary, did work and we lived in modest means. I was able to go to the University of Washington for my undergraduate education, and then I went on to Seattle University School of Law. Subsequently, I worked as a contract public defender for the last 20 some years, and it's been an honor and a pleasure to serve that community. I am a conflict public defender, meaning I don't work for an agency, but I take conflict clients, primarily felony clients. And I also do handle a number of involuntary treatment cases, people who are being treated due to mental health issues. Additionally, I have been over the last five years a pro tem judge serving throughout King County. I do serve primarily in King County District Court. However, I am also a judge in the different municipalities as a pro tem such as Kent Kirkland, Issaquah and Pedro Way. And so I am on the bench regularly, while also trying to maintain a small practice with conflict clients. And so I am very busy, but I am up to the challenge of wanting to be a district court for question. Thank you so much, Councilmember Balducci, for the first question. And Mr. Chair, and welcome. It's so good to meet you and to see you in this process. Thank you. It's nice to meet you as well. Council member about you. Thank you. So my question is, what is it about King County District Court that interests you the most? Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that question. What interests me the most about King County District Court is I'm very connected to the community. King County District Court, as you know, is the People's Court and the West District is where I grew up. I have my roots firmly planted here and I am connected with the community. Not only having grown up here and had my children attend a public school, all three of them have went to public school. Two have graduated from Garfield High School. I've been in an involved member of the PTA and all of the schools that they've attended as well as I have contributed in the community. I am a board member with the Filipino Community Center. I have helped there and it is a honor and a pleasure to help there. I work. I worked during the pandemic as a volunteer coordinator and volunteering my time to help with the food bank. And that is basically we were serving hot meals three days a week to the seniors who could not come to the senior program. Delivering bells and also delivering Foodbank items to those seniors. And being involved in the community is very important to me. And I very much see King County District Court as a people's court where people of all walks of life. That is the first time that they are appearing in court. It's usually the first experience where they're very, very anxious as to what's going to happen. A lot of people have never been before a judge before, and I feel that it is very important in terms of that position that there be people who represent what the community is like. Being a judge is not about the person, it's about the position. And that position is a position of power. And in terms of how power is distributed, I think that what needs to happen in light of everything going on these days is that there should be a reflection of the community and lived experiences for those who are in power. That way, when people come to the court, they can feel a little bit more comfortable that they see somebody with their own lived experience and it's not as intimidating. Additionally, I do believe that when there is a diversity of people who are in power that can bring about creative ways of solving a lot of the problems that are occurring in the court system. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome. I would like to ask a question about the backlog and for the questions that the district court is facing a significant case backlog due to the pandemic disruptions over the past year. What steps or strategies do you think? The Court And of course, you, as the judge said, implement to expedite people's opportunity to find justice within the courtroom. Thank you, Councilmember Lambert. And as a cochairman of sitting pro tem, I have heard and seen the tremendous backlog, particularly I know in district court we are behind in terms of small claims trials. There are there's an extreme backlog with regard to people who have filed small claims, and that is essentially their way and means of resolving an issue without having to hire an attorney. If the the amount of their loss is less than the $10,000. And so a lot of people seek this court to try to help that. And unfortunately, due to COVID, these small claims trials have not been going on. I think that there is a huge backlog there as well as I know that there is a huge backlog with not only criminal trials, but with simple things such as infractions , everyday infractions that people get tickets where they are really wanting to have their day in court and have their say and figure out what really is going on in terms of strategies. I know that there has been a lot of talk about potentially adding more calendars, such as having a night court or having a weekend court. And I would be up to those challenges and I would volunteer to do night court or the weekend court. As of now, whenever someone is unavailable, has a sitting judge to serve on the Saturday calendar, the jail calendar. I regularly fill in for that role because I do feel that it's important that everyone has a chance to be heard, even if it is on the weekend. And so I think creative strategies such as that, having adding extra calendars, extra times when the courts are open and or maybe having one specific week, several specific weeks where we only hear small claims trials because we need to get moving on some of the small claims trials or having specific months even designated to catching up with criminal trials, because I know that there is a huge backlog with regard to that. And the one thing in particular is people who are in custody and their freedom is at stake. And it's been very difficult and very frustrating for a lot of people because of the fact that courts have shut down, courts have modified and courts are not in-person and there are no jurors. And so I think we all need to work together, but that there are some solutions to try to catch up and try to meet those backlogs so that we can again be a court where we are running efficiently and people are having the justice that they need done swiftly and justly. Thank you. Thank you. That's a member, Dombrowski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And hello, Ms.. Cruz. Great to see you again. Congratulations on making it to this stage. And the process you've had is, by my count, looking at your materials, about 25 years of experience as a lawyer starting early on, as a Rule nine intern in the Seattle City Attorney's Office, doing prosecutions and working at our own prosecutor's office as a victim's advocate and DV advocate and restitution specialist. Then you worked as a staff attorney at Scrap, one of our then public defender agencies, and then of course, for a long time as a private practitioner in that line of work. And my question relates to something a little bigger than the day to day operations of the court and working in the courtroom with individual cases. And that is more on a systems basis. I wonder with all of the experience that you've had, what your views are about the system writ large, what reforms do you think might be appropriate to maybe decriminalize certain conduct and shift in cases where it might be a better outcome away from the arrest prosecuting jail model to more of a kind of a care model, a health based model, a restorative justice model, where maybe things some certain conduct doesn't even come to the court. And judges have a voice to work on behalf of the system in front of legislative bodies that the county council, the state legislature. Do you have thoughts or views if you were to receive this position or are in this position about what you might do in that capacity, if that makes sense? Yes. Yes. Well, you were correct, Councilmember Dombrowski, but in my experience as an attorney for the last 25 years, I have encountered a lot of things in the system that are challenging. They are challenging for people coming through the system, that there is a lot of disproportionality in terms of socioeconomics and racial bias. There's a lot of implicit bias. And in terms of taking all of those things and bringing them to the bench and my knowledge there, I do believe that there are other ways to handle things. There are a lot of therapeutic courts, and I know that the King County District Court does have and has started community court as well as mental health court, DUI court, veterans court. Those are all really great courts and dealing with the outside providers. I think that having that kind of a a commitment to people when we are dealing with people in the community, we're doing dealing with community providers. And then also the court can kind of bridge a gap for a lot of people. In my practice, I have found that the great majority of people I have represented are people of color, people who are not socio economically advantaged. And in terms of that, I think that there needs to be a bridge to help those people. A lot of people also have mental health issues. They have trauma that has that they may not even realize is going on. They also have addiction issues as well as just issues living day to day. And I think that in looking at the community court and some of the other restorative courts, those are very good ways of letting people know we want to fix what what we want to help you with what the underlying problem is not just taking a look and saying, well, you did something bad on this particular day, so you should go to jail. And now you owe all this money. And since you can't pay all this money, we're going to add fines on top of that. I think that that's not what we want. We need to look at it more in terms of community and how we want to deal with each other and deal with problems in the community. And I think that the community courts and the alternatives are one way to do it. Another thing that I have noticed that is of concern to me is with regard to jury selection. I talk to my clients a lot and I've gone to I've been had the pleasure of representing a lot of clients and picking juries. And one of the chief complaints that I hear from a lot of my clients are that there are no there is not a jury of their peers. And I think that that is a big problem, because as Chin County has grown and expanded and become more diverse, I think that there is an issue with regard to jury pools. I think that more education needs to be done and get. Out into the community educating people. What does it mean when you get that three sides? What? What are you supposed to do? What is it like to sit on a jury? What does that mean? How much time is it going to take? I think a lot of times there are barriers to people who want to serve on juries. I've talked to people who have said to me, well, I would love to serve on this jury, but my work doesn't pay for me to take off, even though I know that the county supplements and unfortunately the supplement that you get is a bus pass and I think maybe roughly 10 to $15 a day, which, you know, was fine. However, when somebody is working to pay their mortgage, to pay their daily expenses, that's not something that is sustainable for them. And if they have to choose, do I be do I, you know, attend this jury selection process or do I go to work? A lot of people will go to work because of the fact that personally they can't afford that. And that's unfortunate because I think that the more diverse voices we have on jury panels, the more that we are going to have do justice. I don't believe that in terms of the way that jury panels work. Now, the vast majority of people who can sit on lengthier trials and I know that this is not district court but in County Superior Court for lengthy trials, those people are people who are employed by some of the bigger companies who will pay for them their regular salary to be on jury duty, or they have a nanny or they have someone also retired. They have someone to take care of their children. They have someone that the that they have a regular, steady income where they're not forfeiting that so that they can be fully present in the jury room and really listen to what is going on. And I feel that that is such an important piece of it where we need some reform in terms of how we select jurors, how long we want jurors to be present, and then also educating the the general population that this is a very big civic duty and it's an important civic duty because people are depending on us and and their livelihood and their freedom is at stake. Really appreciate the experience and views and the work that you have done in that area. Thank you very much, Jennifer. Thank you. And my question the last question will be, please describe your efforts to implement anti-racist and equity and social justice practices within the criminal court system. Okay. Well, I have served on a number of committees. I was for several years. I was on the Washington State Diversity and Inclusion Committee through the Washington State Bar, and I still participate in some of the events that are part of that. I just was two days ago, we had an event where we welcomed the first year law students at Seattle. You and I participate in this event every year because I was part of that program when I went to Seattle. You. And that is the ARC program, which is an academic resource program, which is geared towards people who are nontraditional students, people who are people of color, people who are there part time. And I feel it is important to advocate and also to encourage those people. And so every year we have a reception for them to welcome them for their summer quarter. And we get to do a roundtable discussion with them where they can ask any questions about law school, about being a lawyer. And I am always so happy to participate in that because the one kind of message I want to convey to them is I've been an attorney for 25 years. You can do this, although it may seem daunting and that you've had other challenges just to get to law school. It is something that is worth working for and that you can do it. If I can do it, you can do it. Yes, there are struggles, but there's struggles in anything that we do. And so I think that a lot of time people need that extra support. And that's one of the ways that I have helped in terms of trying to expand the people who are attorneys. Additionally, I also participate in the mock trials, the YMC mock trials. I have sat on those. I was also when I worked for Seattle Municipal Court, I was also the co youth coordinator of Youth Court. And I think that that was a very vital piece because I feel that education is very important in terms of seeing the community and the society succeed. And Youth Court is essentially the youths being part of a trial and seeing how things work. Somebody is a defense attorney, somebody is a prosecutor. There's a defendant. There is someone who takes the form of the judge. And these are actual tickets that these individuals may have gotten. And they are also sitting as jurors. And you have you see how the court works and have them in a courtroom and see what that actually looks like. And play roles, I think is very important in terms of making sure that everyone has the access to knowledge about the law. And so that is another way that I have been working towards wanting to help the individuals and help diversity and inclusion as well as I have in the past. President of the Filipino Lawyers of Washington, where we do encourage people of Filipino descent to be attorneys. Not a lot of them had been in the past applying to law school. And we are seeing that there are more and more people now doing that. And I think that that is helpful to have that different perspective. Additionally, I have served on various other committees such as with education. When my children were in middle school and grade school, I served as the Diversity and inclusion representative for the special education program that they had. And so I try to be visible in the community. I try to participate in things that are important to me in the community and also bring the knowledge of what I have as an attorney to that so that people can visibly see that. Thank you. And if I could invite you to show your closing statement. Okay. Thank you. And so, council members, thank you so much again for this opportunity. I would be honored to be the district court judge in the West Division if you were to choose me. I would listen. I would bring my lived experiences to the bench. I would apply the law as I know it and as it is written. And I would take into consideration the needs of the people who come before me. I think that as a district court judge, it is so important to be involved in a community. I am involved in the community and will continue to be involved in the community that I live in, as well as serve on the bench and listen to the needs of the people in the community. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you so much for your interest, for joining us, for the conversation today and for sharing so much of yourself and your experience with us. We're better for it. Thank you. And, Madam Clerk, I ask you to move Ms.. Cruz back to the zoom waiting room and Ms.. Find into the foreground. Ms.. Frank is ready for you, Mr. Chair. Thank you so much. This find welcome. Thank you so much for your interest in serving on the District Court in the West Division and for the application materials that we've all received. We recognize that it is a no small undertaking just to complete the written application materials. So thank you so much for your interest in joining us today for really a conversation about the court. My hope would be that this interview might take about 20 minutes and we'll time the opening and closing in 2 minutes, time the questions. But there'll be, I believe, four questions in between the opening and closing. And if I can shoot for members and your responses to be concise, we should have no problem. I'll do my best. Thank you very much for having me. So we'll wait. And if I could ask you to go ahead and begin with your opening comments. Thank you very much. Chairman McDermott. Good morning. Thank you very much for having me. I'm honored to be here today. My name is Pauline Freund, and I grew up on the south side of Chicago. My high school was very different. I grew up in an area where I was very much in the minority was my high school was 85% black, 10% white, 5% Asian, Pacific Islander and Latina. My dad was born in Romania. He survived the Holocaust and the Soviet invasion before leaving the country. My mom's childhood was also equally traumatic for my family dynamic reasons, but she succeeded and got a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago back in the sixties. And I like to say we got it together because she was eight months pregnant with me at the time. They instilled in us a love of learning, a strong word, work ethic and duty to use our privileges to the benefit of all of society. My husband and I moved here about 28 years ago. We loved the area, the mountains, the Puget Sound, a vibrant, diverse community. We moved to Beacon Hill 26 years ago. I'm active in the community, volunteered in all of my kid's schools, helped design the beautiful Jefferson Park. During the pandemic, I delivered meals to seniors through the Southeast Seattle Senior Center, and my highlight is coaching mock trial for Franklin High School. We have an incredibly diverse team in every way you can possibly imagine. I love to particularly to work with the new kids and watch them go from being a deer in headlights, staring at the hearsay rule to confidently standing up and objecting to violations. I came to the law a little bit later in life. I actually had a slew of hourly wage jobs after college, and I then worked as an electrician on movies and TV shows, and I even have a screen credit as a busboy slash girl. But when we were pregnant, when I was pregnant, my third child, we had a battle with our insurance company. And our birthing choice is at the one minute one. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. If you want to wrap up your thought. Okay. And I do a lot of legal research and took the LSAT and started law school when she was ten months old. And ended up graduating from high school magna cum laude despite having three small kids at home. I started working with the King County Prosecutor's Office, but during that I was a contract employee and during it was 28 and the economic collapse happened and we were laying off prosecutors. So I had no hope of being hired there and then went on to federal aid, where I served as the domestic violence prosecutor for seven and a half years. There I gained an appreciation for people as real whole, complex people. For the past three years, I've been a full time program judge and in ten different municipal courts and King County District Court. I'm drawn on all my experiences in and out of court to be the best judge I possibly can. I strive to be just equitable and find practical solutions to the problems facing people. I believe that I'm better serving my community as a judge than as a litigant. And for that reason I'm asking that you select me for the appointment to the West Division. Thank you. I'm Councilmember Belden, Chief, for the first question. Thank you. It's very nice to meet you. I thank you for participating in this process. Thank you. It's lovely to meet you as well. My question for you is, what is it about King County District Court that interests you the most? Well, I have a lot of experience with King County District Court. I'm there on average. I'm going to say two days a week. Some of my favorite judges are there. My favorite clerks are there. And I just love the ethos of the court. I think it lines up with my own interests. The Specialty Courts, Veterans Court Down DUI Court, Rustic Violence Court are wonderful opportunities for people to address their underlying issues rather than in a way that's more focused on what their actual issues are, rather than in a sort of cookie cutter one size fits all stance. And I think that I feel very at home there. I love to call it home. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mine has to do with the backlog created by the pandemic. So this court is facing a significant case backlog. Due to the pandemic disruptions over the last year. What steps or strategies do you think the courts and you as a judge should implement to expedite people's opportunity to find justice within the courtroom? Well, first of all, I want to say I don't think that all of the things that the pandemic has wrought on the court have been negative. The introduction of Zoom is a fabulous thing. It really increases access to justice for people who can't get to court. If you're working full time, you don't have to take a whole day off work just to make that three minute court appearance that you're going to have. You can zoom in for it during your break. I've seen that happen many times. We had people stuck across the country in the beginning of the pandemic and they were still able to make their court appearances. I even had people outside the country, one gentleman who had been deported and was in Mexico, and one way in his path to getting back into the country was to deal with the warrant he had in King County District Court, and he was able to zoom in for that hearing. Additionally, all the safety measures that are now in place, the the the plexiglass barriers that are around everybody and cleaning, I think have really cut down on disease in general. I mean, I think I don't know about you guys, but I certainly enjoyed not being sick all winter. And I think that can help also with things like Mersa and tuberculosis, which are also chronic in the court. To address your question more specifically with the backlog. I know there's also and it's my understanding anyway, that there's King County is about to dump a whole bunch of cases on the court that they've been holding on to for sort of the lesser offenses. Superior Court is bringing back retired judges to help handle their back load of trials. And I think that's something district court may want to look at as well. I know there would be a shortage of courtrooms, but perhaps we can also use some of the strategies the Superior Court is using and move them into conference centers or other locations. Some of the courts I've been in, I've done a couple of trials during the pandemic in other jurisdictions and we've had some interesting strategies. Zoom voir dire is, but the jury selection has been very successful using the actual courtroom as the jury room rather than putting people in a smaller room. And everybody just leaves the courtroom, turns the recording system on such that the courtroom can be the jury room for deliberations and for breaks. So I think there are more strategies that we can look at. It's going to depend a lot on what King County chooses to do with all those cases, and maybe a lot of them will be amended. I'm also concerned a little bit with the changes in the controlled substance laws and now making simple possession a misdemeanor that may increase the volume as well. So we'll have to see how that plays out. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Dombroski. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And Mr. Brine, thank you so much for applying and for your answers today. It's been very helpful. Thank you so much for having me. It's fair to do math here online, but I think you've been practicing a law for looks like maybe 18, 19 years and have had. 15. 15. Okay. There we go. I shouldn't do math. Well, you've had a lot of varied experience, including externship for then Superior Court Judge Mary. You and the King County system. You've done some non criminal work in a long practice, as you mentioned in your opening as the DB prosecutor for Federal Way. And you've done some pro bono or not pro bono, but pro tem work as a as a judge. So you've kind of seen the system. And my question is, based on that experience in our system for so long, do you if you were to be appointed to the bench, you'd obviously be running a courtroom. But judges have a bigger voice as well to help policymakers on system reforms. And there is a movement that says maybe we then maybe there's conduct that shouldn't be criminalized. Maybe our system of arrest, prosecute in jail is not the most effective either from a cost or outcomes perspective. And maybe we there are certain instances of conduct that should be treated with a care model, maybe outside the courts even. I'm wondering, based on your experience, if you have views on that area and what, if anything, you might do as a district court judge to bring reforms to our criminal legal system to achieve better outcomes at lower costs? Well, that's an interesting question. And some of the changes that came with the change in the controlled substances laws. Require at least two opportunities at diversion prior to having a case file and the changes to RTW 7124 require that treatment be low barrier person centered informed by people with lived experience and culturally and linguistically appropriate. And I think that low barrier aspect is perhaps the most important. I fully believe that substance abuse disorder is a disease. We know for a fact that it changes brain chemistry and brain function, and people who are actively in the middle of withdrawal are going to make terrible decisions to try and make that go away. We need to treat it as a disease and not as a moral failing. And honestly, I know that Oregon has decriminalized simple possession and we seem to be moving in that direction. We've done it with marijuana. We've now minimized the penalty for simple possession. And I would hope in the long run that the court that the legislature decides to do to follow Oregon's example. Until that happens, we could partnership more strongly with programs like the LEAD program and the REACH program and some of the other programs that are drug diversion options. I was thinking, and this is one of the frustrating things about being a pro tem, is that you can't affect court structure. You can't start programs. I mean, you're just a felon. And this is why I want to be a judge. With the change bumping simple misdemeanor, simple possession down to a misdemeanor, I think it may be time for district court to created a drug diversion court like the one in superior court and models like that that can help people find a way out of their charges with the result, the end result being that the charge gets dismissed if you make it to the end. Substance use disorder is not a crime. It leads to criminal behavior. And that's what needs to be addressed. I think that answers your question. Yeah, it does. And I really appreciate your perspective on it and the experience you bring to the issues. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. And for what I believe is our last question. Please describe your efforts to implement anti-racist and equity and social justice practices in the criminal legal system. I work with. I try actually, I consider that such an effort in the sense that the members of our team are every single race. We have a student right now, the woman of color who's at Yale Law. We would bring our kids into court. We would borrow courts from Superior Court on Friday nights and have our scrimmages there. So our kids became comfortable on the court based on the court that the whole courthouse is their building. They got to know some judges. They knew a bunch of lawyers, including one who's a partner at Perkins. But they sat on the bench. They sat at the tables and they became familiar with the system, like how a trial moves forward. And these are not little things to take away at the end of of even if they don't go on to law school . I think it gave them a sense of the court as can be a positive place for them, not just a scary place in court. I do my best to honor everyone's personal pronouns, to honor everyone's language and make sure they have an interpreter. Make sure they have representation. I would encourage people of color apart from different, differently abled, whatever that. The spectrum of people in our community should also be comfortable in court, and I would encourage them. To follow up with the courts for something other than, you know, not being brought in. But to see it also as their home. One of my favorite things to do in district court you don't get to do in municipal court so much is name changes. And right now, the overwhelming majority of them are transgender people, changing their name to a chosen name that reflects their their gender. And it's just so heartwarming to me. It's one thing. It's one of the happy things that happens in court. But they're just so happy. It's such a relief to finally have the name that reflects who they are. I had one woman who I had originally done her name change in South Carolina and going through the process. She said it was absolutely traumatic. They insisted on referring to her gender assigned at birth throughout the entire process until the name change was finalized and they actually made a typo. And that's what she was correcting in King County. And she was just in tears at the end, just so relieved to have a positive experience and moved her to a confirm who she was. And I would I strive at all times to be as inclusive and following the principles of equity, not just equality in my work. I saw a wonderful cartoon that had the first panel showed equality, and it had three people at a fence, each on the same sized block, and the first person could comfortably see over the fence. The next person had it at eye level and the third person couldn't see anything. The next panel showed equity, which had them all on different sized blocks that kept them all comfortably over the fence. And they could see. And we need to employ those same principles and that that means meeting people where they are and figuring out what they need to succeed. And I try to employ those principles at all time when I'm in court, no matter which side of the bench I'm on. Thank you very much. And I invite you to share your closing comments with us. I want to thank you again for having me today. This is it's got it's stressful, but it's been really nice to talk to you all. I think you've gotten to know me a little bit more beyond what I am on paper. I believe I have the knowledge, the drive and the passion to be the judge that you want to have on King County District Court. All the bar associations that have rated me have rated me exceptionally well qualified. I know all of the systems in King County District Court, including the new court system, and I can be up and running on day one. People's first experience with the court needs to be. I mean, they can come in for anything, whether it's a traffic ticket or a DUI or a name change. They deserve to have their day in court with understanding, respect and due process. And I mean due process in the broadest possible sense in that whatever is most equitable for their situation, that's how it needs to be addressed. I hope I. I tried to be a cheerleader as much as possible for everyone in court, and I'm in their corner. I want to celebrate the small successes, even if it's just something as simple as making it to court. A lot of people don't have a sense of agency, don't even know how to get things done. They say we order them to do X, Y and Z, and they're like, I don't even know how to start with X , Y and Z. I even know who I talk to about X, Y, and Z. So instead I'm just going to hide under a rock and we need to break it down into small pieces and bring them into court and celebrate the tiny little pieces that they can get done. Because if they feel like they can get one little thing done, maybe they can get the next thing done, too. That being said, if there's a hard decision that needs making, I'm comfortable doing that too. I have a reputation for fairness, and I prized that above everything else. I have courts where prosecutors and defense attorneys have both requested that I be the pro tem. They both believe that I'm fair. On the other hand, I've also, I think, pissed off prosecutors and defense attorneys just about equally. As I said, protons can't affect current policy. They can't start new programs. And I want an opportunity to make that impact. And I'm honored and humbled today before you and I ask that you select me for the open position. Thank you. Just fine. Thank you very much for sharing your experience and more about who you are and what you what you would bring to the position with us today in this conversation. We're richer for it and appreciate your interest. Thank you. And with that, Madam Clerk, I'd invite you to bring the other two candidates in from the waiting room. And then members. Is there an interest in having some consideration in executive session? Then the committee will. Being executive session under the purpose for executive session is under CW. 4231 ten each going into executive session to evaluate the qualifications of the candidate for appointment to elective office. The the committee will be in executive session for approximately 15 minutes until about 1150. Councilmember DEMBOSKY I'm doing math on TV again. The committee will be off this zoom call for executive session, together with only those county employees directly necessary for the discussion. Thank you so much. Members and I want to ask you to navigate to the executive session. The meeting. We will return here following an executive session. And regarding the vacancy in the West District of Kim County District Court. Motion before us would be 2021 266. Mr. Chair, as your Vice-Chair, I would like to amend the underlying motion and insert the name Gender Dillon as the Council's appointee for this particular position. Thank you. Councilmember Dunn has moved. We cannot do pass recommendation the motion 2021 266. And amended. Offered a verbal amendment that we add and call gender Dillon's name as the appointed appointee. Discussion. Councilmember Dunn. Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, let me say this is an excellent group or cluster of fantastic candidates here today. And and any any one of them, I think, could have done the job. And what I see here historically is that maybe it takes a time or two in the process if you're coming through before may be the right fit and the right position at the right time with the right level of experience. And I think we see that with Ms.. Dylan here today. I would encourage the other candidates to continue their interest as there are additional vacancies that have come up and can go to District Court, two more than I am now aware of. So stay involved, stay engaged, continue that long serving commitment to justice in your community. But with respect to what's going on, she's an excellent and well-rounded candidate for this position. She impressed me the last time she came before this committee and I think did very, very well today. And I encourage my colleagues to vote yes. In appointing her to the district court bench. Thank you. Thank you for the discussion. I want to on my own behalf, I want to underscore Councilmember Dunn said we had three very engaging, robust conversations with people who are committed to the strong operation administration of our criminal and civil legal systems and doing their best to instill justice into those systems and would encourage, while we make one choice for one vacant seat today, would encourage more frightened admins crews to look to other opportunities to to apply and serve the people of King County in District Court. You clearly bring passion and interest to this work that would serve the people well. Mr.. Allen We've again had an engaging conversation with you today and really value the the passion, experience and work you would bring to District Court. Further discussion. Councilmember Dombroski Famous Chair I'm pleased to support the motion to amend the motion here for this deadline, and I want to compliment her on her very strong background and package packaging materials. And sometimes we know that it takes a couple of times through this. I wish there were three openings because we've got three qualified candidates. Ms.. Cruz, I want to say your roots in community and your commitment to community are impressive to me, and I hope that soon we'll be able to appoint the first Filipina to the King County District Court. And we really hope that we'll see you again on the next round. And a miss friend. I just want to say that your interview today really resonated with me, your sincere commitment to treating people in your courtroom when you're protecting that respect and dignity and honoring who they are as individuals. That moved me emotionally, and I want to see you back hopefully before us on one of these if you're willing to continue to serve. So I'm trying to give a little bit of hope to those who are not selecting today, but with good basis. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Chair, to participate in this process again. Any further discussion. All those in favor of the verbal amendment offered by councilmember dunn placing the five most thing i. I. I opposed nay. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. We have the motion 2021 266 as amended before us. Further discussion. Urge your support. With that. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Banducci, I. Councilmember DEMBOSKY, I. Councilmember Dunn. All right. Councilmember Coles, I. Councilmember Lambert. I have. Councilmember after the. Hi. Councilmember Bond right there. I. Council members online. I. Mr. Chair. Hi. Mr. Chair. The vote is 19 as journalists. Thank you. By your vote, we have given in to pass recommendation the motion 2021 266 as amended and with members consent. We will expedite that to full council and place that on the consent agenda. So it would be on the consent agenda, on Tuesday's Council agenda. I'm seeing no objection. That's what we shall do. Madam Clerk, I don't believe anybody missed any votes in full council in the committee of the whole today. That is correct, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Then with that, we have completed our business today. I want to thank everyone for participating. And with that, we are adjourned. ", "output": "A MOTION making an appointment to fill a judicial vacancy in the west division, west electoral district, judge position number two of the King County district court."}
{"id": "king_02d3b7d0-7728-48d9-be5f-d1e576fbb3e2", "input": "Order. The meeting of the committee at the hall for February 1st, 2017. With this meeting, please come to order. Okay. Will you please call for the roll? Thank you, Madam Chair. Council Member Banducci. Council Member DEMBOSKY. Council Member Dunn. Council Member Dorset. Council Member. Commonwealth Council Member Council Member McDermott. Council Member of the Grove. Council Member Von Bauer. Madam Chair. Here. I'm sure. You have a quorum. Now. Just to see you. All right, great. So we are going to start with our first item proposed motion 2016 0510. The motion approving the Executive Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Trail Master Plan. And we have Liz IP, quick example with that and also Erica Jacobs, our project manager. And David, did you want to come to the table? Two are not really happy. Why did you come to the table? I think everybody should see the dynamite team that's working on this. We are very lucky that we have these employees working for the county that do amazing work, taking something that was nothing and making it into something beautiful and wonderful. So it's been a lot of hard work. So, Leigh, would you like to begin. Sir? Thank you. Good morning. Council members I'm Leah crackles IP council staff. And with me is Erika Jacobs, DARPA project manager for the East Side Rail Corridor Regional Trail. And David John from DARPA also very involved for a long time with the East Side rail corridor. And the materials for this item begin on page seven of the packet. And as you know that you said, rail corridor is a 42 mile former rail line extending from Renton to Snohomish and passing through many growing cities on the east side and as well as and or unincorporated King County. And in 2013, King County acquired property interests in 15.6 miles of the rail, banked a portion of the corridor. And last year, July 2016, King County Parks completed the final master plan, an environmental impact statement for the East Side rail corridor, regional trail. And so the motion before you would approve that plan, the plan identifies a preferred alignment that was chosen based on estimated costs, potential environmental impacts, partner plan and trail experience. The preferred alternative would be on rail bed for most of the corridor, but would move off rail bed in areas for doing that. During doing so reduces and conflicts with known trail corridor plan and reduces environmental impacts or enhances the trail experience. So Erika is going to give you an overview of the master plan process and walk through the preferred alternative and then also provide a briefing on some next steps that could happen if the Council were to approve the trail master plan. And after Ms.. Jacobs presentation, I'll also give some analysis of the plan. Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the Council. Thank you for having me this morning. I'm I'm pleased to be able to present an overview of the Eastside Rail Corridor Trail Master Plan and look forward, as I was mentioning, at some potentially high priority next steps. Should the plan be adopted? Get bearings here. Okay. Today I'll give an overview of the master plan and explain the preferred trail to alternative alignment for each of three segments that we broke the corridor down into for planning purposes. And I'll give you a recap of the key themes that came out of our community and stakeholder engagement process throughout the planning process. Then looking ahead, I'll cover some of the highest priorities to move forward into implementation, including such things such as moving the WILBERT in segment into design to take advantage of partner plans and funding opportunities . Rail removal from Kirkland to Renton to Phase one of removal of rails and ties. Segments of interim trail that could come online in the near term. Design efforts underway for the Northeast State Street Crossing in Bellevue and Wilbert since I-405 Crossing and Wilbert and trestle design and construction plans as well as washed out having plans for implementation of trail in the East Side rail corridor and portion of it south of I-90. Okay, so culminating a two year planning process. King County Parks published the final master plan in July of last year. It is also an environmental impact statement. As of right now, it is is out on the website at the at the website indicated at the bottom of the slide. And merely at this point, identify as a preferred alternative in each segment pending council approval of the plan, DRP would then go forth and issue a notice of selection or select the preferred alternative formally and issue or I should say, a notice of action that would commence a 30 day appeal period under the rules of CPA, following which we would be able to go forth and implement trail in the corridor. The Eastside Rail corridor as a whole. I mean, in its multi-use context, with all of the potential uses for transit, utilities and trail provides connection opportunities for the East Side like nothing before and in the context of Trail of the Trail within the corridor. These connection opportunities are very tangible in in terms of what we can do to integrate an entire regional trail system into one connected, integrated system of trails that not only connect the east side, but have the potential to connect to over a million people. When you consider that the connections to the west side of Lake Washington via the I-90 trail and the 520 trail, which will directly intersect with the I.R.S., the Eastside Rail Corridor Trail will pass through numerous urban areas on the East Side and provide opportunities for recreation and non-motorized transportation that the East Side hasn't really benefited from before. It will also connect to many high capacity transit opportunities, such as two nearly direct connections to Eastlink light rail, as well as Rapid Ride on Northeast State Street and Bellevue and the South Kirkland Park. And right just to name a few of these multimodal transportation connections. Okay. So to go into an overview of how we broke down the corridor and what that will mean for or what that did mean for the trail alternatives in each segment. I'll just give a quick overview of geographically. So moving from the south to the north, we have the lakefront segment that is in Renton from I-90, from their southern terminus at Gene Cullen Park in Renton, all the way up to I-90. This is our most residential segment and it really provides some great opportunities for regional trail connections. And in the south end of King County, such as to the Cedar River Trail and the Lake to Sound Trail in the Gilbertson segment, which is from I-90 up to 108th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue, where we would connect to the southern end of Kirkland's ownership area, also known as this Cross Kirkland corridor. This is our most urban and commercial, the most providing the most opportunities for trail and transit oriented development in a rapidly redeveloping Bellevue area east of downtown Bellevue. We have this the Wilbert, an area poised for redevelopment and the spring district in the Belle Read, which both will have exciting connection opportunities to the east side rail corridor. This is also an area where sound transit owns a mile of the corridor and is actively designing and constructing Eastlink light rail in a portion of the corridor . Not only that, but with City, there are plans to extend sound transit, high capacity transit north to Kirkland at some point. So the planning for trail within the corridor is deeply in the context of rail with transit or trail with transit, I should say in a big section of the well-written segment. This segment also contains the historic Wilbert and Trestle and numerous bridge major bridge structures such as the Steel Bridge over I-90, etc.. In the Valley segment to the north, this is from Totem Lake up to Woodinville on our mainline, and then we have a rail spur that then proceeds from Woodinville back down into Redmond. In the counties ownership portion, we have a master planned trail that envisions connections between the two sections of the area, as well as with the Sammamish River Trail just adjacent to the east. This is our most rural and it does pass through the agricultural valley and the wine valley. So some very exciting different trail use experiences throughout the corridor. Okay, so given that the corridor has such a diverse array of planning conditions and contexts, trail alignment alternatives were not one size fits all for the entire quarter. We really looked at the corridor with the specifics of the context in mind. And we, as Leah was mentioning in her staff report, we looked at partner plans, topography, wetland challenges, natural and environmental impacts, community impacts as well as relative cost to develop trail in relation to all these other factors under consideration. Therefore, in the Lakefront segment, we don't have very any imminent plans happening from our partners owners in the corridor. And we also have a context in which the corridor was constrained in the end and in a context of steep cross slopes and adjacent titles adjacent to residential area. Therefore, in this in that segment, it is primarily a on rail bed alternative alignment for the trail. And essentially just for context, we did look at on rail bad versus off rail bed alignments and the varying degrees of cost and and impacts that would be that were incurred between the two. So moving north into the Alberta segment, as I mentioned, we have a greater context for the need to place and co-locate the trail with transit. And so for a big portion of that segment, the north portion of that segment in particular, you would see something that is typical to the picture in the middle, which would be trail aligned on the far western edge of the corridor and sharing the corridor space with transit in the Valley segment, we actually have a piece of it that is still currently active freight and we also have interest in future potential future excursion service or use of the existing rails yet to be explored. Therefore, the planning context there often looked at trail alongside the existing rails. In some places in the corridor there would be it would be trail on the rail bed, particularly in areas of extremely steep slopes and higher environmental impacts and less likelihood of needing to use the rails for other uses. That would be on the mainline portion at the very far north end of that segment. Okay. So with a little bit more detail for each one because as we zoom in, we can see that there are a few nuance details that are important. As we as we stated, the preferred alternative in the master plan in the lakefront segment, the community really expressed a strong preference for the on rail but alternative. They really wanted the corridor to remain as natural as possible, avoid the impact of having a lot of retaining structures and cutting into the steep hillsides and such. That said, we also navigate throughout a very constrained right of way. In fact, in a couple of places it's extremely tight up against lake lanes that are narrow and homes that are tightly adjacent to the corridor in those two areas and choose spots, particularly Lake Washington Boulevard and Ripley Lane. We have opted to adjust while it's still essentially an on rail but alternative. Adjust its alignment slightly 5 to 10 feet eastward in the corridor to provide a little bit more room and breathing space for the trail to to coexist with these residential neighborhoods. A.J., thank you very much. Councilmember Balducci. May I just add and you may be about to say this, but in part of the challenge in this tightly constrained part of the lakefront segment is a little thing called I-45. You can only go so far East before you hit the state right of way. And so there's not a lot of room to do much other than just pass through as narrowly as possible. Absolutely. Thank you for that reminder of that context. Just directly to the east of this is, in fact, four of five, which washed out, is currently planning to continue to expand further westward toward the corridor in there. Rent to Bellevue Expansion Project upcoming. Thank you for that. Okay. Here we go. So I'm going to the next one in the Woolverton segment. You know, I've been really mentioning and emphasizing the co-location of of trail with transit. That's primarily in the north portion of the segment that's indicated by the orange or yellow line. It's the dividing line between what is sort of the specifically off rail bed. Co-located with transit is roughly around Northeast Eighth Street. Be continued south of Northeast Eighth Street. We quickly move out of the sound transit ownership area and out of an area in which sound transit has any future plans. And we also move to an area where we are often traversing on and off of constrained structures such as the historic Wolverton trestle. That planning area therefore really lent itself more towards an unreal, better alignment from roughly just south of Northeast Eighth Street, all the way back down to I-90. So this quarter had such unique, different characteristics going on that even within this segment we didn't have a one size fits all alternate preferred alternative. Can I ask a question on that? Sure. So the orange section, which goes all the way up to Kirkland, does that go all the way at this? In the Humboldt County border, the. Orange section stops at 108, that at Kirkland's Southern End, at end of ownership, which is the southern end of the Cross Kirkland corridor. So that orange section is one thing, but above that orange section to the border has active freight on it right now. Is that right? North of Totem Lake on the rail spur only, which would be between 175th Avenue in Woodinville to approximately one miles south of that point, and only on the rail spur and not on the mainline do we have some active freight still. So there is active freight going into Snohomish County to the city of Homesh. Correct. From from the spur in Woodinville northward. Okay. So is this in any way going to disturb that? Not at all. In fact, the as we go into the next slide, I'll talk about the Valley segment alternative. And the trail would always be placed off of the rail bed in the active freight area and never, never disturb or threaten the existence of active freight. So from. Okay. So in Snohomish isn't how much goes all the way down to Woodinville where it's active to one seventh, right. So they're from one 3 to 2. Totem Lake is what. From when I made as well. Okay, if you don't mind, Madam Chair, I'll move into the next slide just for the visual reference. Thank you. Yeah. This slide zooms in on the geographical context of the mainline, which is the the blue line, bracketed in red on the left, where you see milepost 23, 22, etc.. And the the line to the right of that is it has some blackish marks on it representing the active freight portion of the corridor. And you can see from the portion where there's a two come together, we call that the Y at milepost 24. And north of that is all active freight. It's actually currently in the city of Wooden Bells ownership area. And once we hit the county line, there's no Rush County line. Snohomish County then owns the corridor moving northward from there to the city of Snohomish, all of which is active freight. Our portion of ownership includes active freight from that milepost 24 at the Y down on the spur to milepost one. The trail alignment there and in our master planning context is off rail bed certainly to to perpetually protect and coat co-locate with freight. So I because I represent part of that but I'm not the only one that represents part of that I would I personally know as the other two who represent that area what they think. But I would personally like to see it going down at least a milepost 22. How would we go about making sure that at some point we hook up from 22 all the way up. On the mainline? The mainline currently articulates a preferred alternative, either on rail bed, although the implementation of development of trail would be phased in future years for that because of so many uncertainties and the need to explore the opportunities for freight and excursion rail services on those existing rails. As you may recall, Madam Chair, and the rail removal plan that was adopted, I believe at the end of 2015, we split rail removal in the corridor into two phases, the second phase of which has to do with this Valley segment remaining untouched until we have vetted all of the possibilities and demand, market demand for use of those rails if there is none expressed. And we did proceed with rail removal up there and the master plan does anticipate trail being placed on the rail bed there, mainly because it is in the context of really steep side slopes with underground springs and wetland seeps. That would make it extraordinarily. Expensive to place trail off rail. But there, due to the need to shore the hillside and build extensive retaining wall structures and drainage structures, the on rail bed would still have some of those impacts, but far less, far less to a far lesser degree. So even if we did take the rails out, we could put a bus on there or a minivan to help people with the four or five traffic there. That which is horrible. Sure, that could certainly be so. If we put the trail on the rail bed between 22 and 24, is that going to make it so that we won't be able to have minivans or something on that? No. In fact, I think the width is sufficient in the rail corridor to accommodate all of those uses. It's just a matter of the degree to which we grade down the profile and install retaining structures and develop a corridor to accommodate those physical uses. Additionally. The trail master plan in that area, there's a lot of redundancy between the two the spur, the main and the existing Sammamish River trail. So it contemplates different options for phasing that those sections construction of the trail in those sections and the phasing kind of contemplates that the mainline at the northern portion would be the last. To be implemented. Okay. Councilmember Dombroski. And thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm sorry, I know you got into the details here, but I a bit of a I'm a little confused on this part. We've got that the main layout mainline and then we've got the which is to the west and then we've got the spur which to the right it's divided by a road with some buildings that the the two tracks are in Essex. Right. There's a North-South road there. And then what is the preferred alternative in this segment for the trail? I'm sorry. It's a very basic question. Is it to stay on the mainline or is it to jump over to the spur? Oh, that's an excellent question. And I hadn't quite explained that yet. No, you're absolutely right. No, on it's like I was just mentioning on the mainline if if the trail were fully developed out. But the master plan, I should say, envisions and proceeds to contemplate in context for full development of trail on mainline and spur, mainly because it is also an environmental impact statement. And we wanted to be sure to be thorough in expressing the potential impacts of all of that buildout should we ever decide to prioritize that. But as Leo was mentioning, there are lots of opportunities for phasing and development of one versus another, and such that we may not need to completely develop all of the redundant in parallel pieces up there. But that said, in the context of full development, this the mainline on the far left would be a on rail bed preferred alternative except for the portion shown in Orange south of milepost 21 that looks to have an east west orientation near the vicinity of Totem Lake in Parkland. That would be off rail bed, mainly because we specifically coordinated with Puget Sound. Energy has an alignment of its Sammamish to Juanita power transmission line project there and we coordinated footprint with that and we stayed slightly to the south there on the southern edge of that for off rail. But but as we move into the blue, blue represents on rail bed where it is bracketed in red on the mainline represents a slight shift, I believe, to the east in the corridor just because of that context of the steep cross slopes and the wetlands to avoid environmental impacts and cost, we would shift it slightly off of the rail bed, but maintain for the most part essentially being close to the center line on the spur. That red portion in the north that has the rail cross-hatching certainly off rail bed because of the freight context. There is a piece that is between that outside of my plus one that would be off rail bed I mean on rail, but excuse me, but we would move into a section where it would make more sense to be off rail bed in relation to driveways in the commercial district along the Woodinville Redmond Road. And we also have some wetlands that need to be avoided. So to the benefit of all many criteria, it was better to be off rail bed there, but south of 1/24, the corridor gets very constrained. We move down to a context of only having about 30 feet of width in the corridor from the Chateaux that Michelle Winery and the sod farm south, I mean south of 1/45, down to 1/24 excuse me, in that area we're looking at an on rail bet alternative. But again, freight excursion opportunities will be explored long before we ever advanced implementation planning for this segment. A lot more would be known before we ever advance. Yeah. That was a very detailed answer. And because you know this project. Book by foot. It's very clear. Which is amazing is 42 hours. You can do that. I wrote about 42 miles. Let me tell you what I think I heard in response to my question. What is the preferred alternative, mainline or spur in that section? I think I heard you say it's an ERISA, so we envisioned and studied a build out on both coasts. Okay. Okay. And would there be a priority would there be a priority between the both with the vision being to build out the mainline? First actually trial purposes or for jumping over. I think I can help with that. No, I speak directly, more directly to that. The phasing opportunities now, the master plan. What it does is it just set forth a potential scenario but doesn't lock in a plan for how we would phase that. What we contemplate is that because of the near proximity and the redundancy, we could actually prioritize, build out of a portion of the southern portion of the mainline as it comes out of Totem, like Kirkland Totem Lake and comes into the Woodville area. But as soon as we get to the Chateau San Marshall Winery at 1/45, we would cut across with a connection to the spur, not continue to develop the mainline north of that point. Okay. Prioritize a connection to the Spurs and then a connection to the Sammamish River Trail. And really at some point north of 1/45 use in the near term, the Sammamish River Trail as the trail for the entire area because the three are in direct parallel proximity at future phase. Can I interrupt you here? There's a lot of information you know better than I do. I want to make sure I understand what you're saying. Jump near Totem Lake like an early alternative might be to jump over to the spur, go up to 1/45, and then connect to the Sammamish River Trail rather than use the main line or the spur as kind of a corridor. And that eliminates conflict with rail and the challenges of the environment and getting it off real bad. It eliminates the driveway risk of all those folks going into those commercial buildings for wineries and everything else and gets you onto the trail. And that's trail connectivity to back to the Eastside Rail Corridor proper at the North End where we are at near milepost five, I mean at milepost 24, it brings us back to the same location you would arrive at if you were to continue on a trail on the mainline or the spur. They all come back together. And that's kind of a hub up there, right, with the good. Okay. Thank you. That's helpful. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. So you said something, too. And that part by saying Michelle Wainwright that says 30 feet right there, I'd like to see a trolley on there a.S.A.P moving people that are going to the wineries through there so that we take some congestion off the ribbon wooden rail road. Are we going to design that with that potential as a potential space allowing? We can certainly plan all kinds of uses. At some point when you only have 30 feet of width one, you may need to acquire additional right of way or property for it all to fit. Or the trail could could shrink in size down to our minimum standard, which is a 12 foot paved surface with two foot shoulders . Therefore it would be 16 feet and there could be room for something adjacent to that, but it would have to be studied. And I couldn't say at this point if it still wouldn't need some additional easement or right of way on the adjacent parcels. So and again, there's three of us that represent that area and then there's nine of us represent all of it. But that is the connection of our three districts. It is indeed. So that's why I'm trying to be really careful to not step on what other people are thinking. Interesting. But for me, getting that special traffic off the Redmond Waterville Road and onto there, if that could be done yesterday, I would be happy. So I think as we go forward and, you know, obviously checking with the other team members and then everybody here, but that is an imperative for what's going on out there right now. And I don't want to see us design something that doesn't do what we really want it to do. And then we have to take it all up and do it again and put more cost in it. I really want us to be looking at what do we want and let's do it right the first time. So there's a lot of work going on right now and that sections, I really want us to not put it in a section where we would have troubles getting whatever vehicle it needs to be in that section for the wineries. Okay, Councilman, I knew that would be good. I want both of you to speak to so custom of about duty. I'm sorry, but I had a slight distraction down this end, so I know where we are on the map. And I heard part of the conversation. But can I just ask you, Madam Chair, what is it that you're when you say all kinds of vehicles, are you suggesting building a road on the trail for any kind of vehicle like cars and everything or. I missed part of it. Knowledge or know some kind of excursion train so that we can get people back or a trolley was the other one. I don't envision somebody Ferrari going down there, just some kind of excursion thing and. I think that's reflected as a possibility, at least here on the slide. Is it reflected in the trail master plan itself that the possibility of a. In the corridor. Yes, it is. And in fact, we discuss the context in narrative form in the in the master plan of our next steps in terms of putting out a request for proposals for excursion or other. We could we could certainly make that open to a trolley or some kind of local transportation system between the wineries. But we will be after the master plan is is finalized and adopted, putting out a request for proposals to see what kind of operators in market possibility there is for that type of operation. In fact, and should that come to the fore, we would plan trail around that context even in the most constrained areas of that portion of the corridor. And I just will put my $0.02 in to say that given the level of activity, economic activity and winery activity that's going on in the valley now and is likely to continue to go on and maybe even grow into the future, that seems like a very wise move to attempt to try to take some of the car traffic and make it into something that will be attractive, interesting fun for people to go around, but also do it in a way that limits the amount of vehicle traffic we're seeing all around that area. I mean, that could be a real win win economically and transportation wise. So I appreciate the I appreciate the exploration of that possibility. Thank you. Councilmember Countryman, domestically domestically in that. Well, a couple of thoughts. One, I understand and this is related to the all the activity that's going on there and how we facilitate movement and access. One interesting thing is to the extent you go up the Sonoma River trail, it's on the east side of the Sammamish River. Right. And a lot of the retail tasting facilities are what have become retail taste stores in the former industrial park. You wouldn't really have access to those in terms of biking or what have you if you went up the east, if you went up this Mammoth River trail instead of taking advantage of the spur or something adjacent to the spur. So that's a thought you're going to have. You want to I think folks are going to want to do that maybe. And then I understood there was some work or contemplation given to improving the East-West connection maybe on 1/45, and I don't know if you want to talk about that, but I think that would be of interest to members and an important piece. Sure. Yes. Thank you, Councilmember, for bringing that up. It is an important context for the ability to strategically phase development of both the mainline and the spur in the Valley segment. Because while we can jump off of the mainline, connect over to the spur at 145, that in and of itself would only, as you mentioned, get you to the spur. What we really also want to do in that phased development is get people to the Sammamish River Trail along 1/45 with an enhancement of the existing trail that it now exists on the north side of 1/45 or potentially something in the right of way on the south side of 1/45, but in one way or another, get people across and connecting to what is really the Hollywood portion of the wine valley and a really essential connection both for unincorporated King County areas of the Wayne District of the Wayne Valley and Woodinville portions as well. And the only other thing I might float, Madam Chair, and this is. Not related to any of this except with respect to rail, to the extent it stays there and is underused or not used for freight. Some communities closing down in Oregon have brought in a private vendor to let folks use those little Pullman. I think they're called a Pullman, you know, where you can pump it and they, you know, pay a fee to do that. And it's a pretty light use. I don't know. It's a big generator, but it could be some piece of economic activity that could be used for a rail system that probably can't support for much longer if still freight rail. I mean, you know, taking all that out is a consideration as you look at your RFP for possible uses. There's some interesting video online. One one thing that Ericka didn't mention is that the freight use on that mile of the spur, there is a legal there's an agreement that allows that it's not in perpetuity. There's it's time limited. I think the end date on that is 2019. It's renewable, I think. So any other contemplated use of the rails would have to take that into account. So the folks that are using that area for head and. Tail operations like turn trains around. Would still have a strong voice and any prospective future use of those rails, particularly in that timeframe where they have a have a right to use those rails. So two quick things and then we can go on. But first off, the spur is an asset that I don't know we'd ever get back in. No matter what anybody needs in the future, not being able to turn a train around is not going to be helpful. So the spur is imperative in my mind that we keep that. Secondly, I see the RFP for an excursion train being one thing and an RFP for a shuttle trolley whatever in the waiting area, a different thing. So if we don't get anybody that wants to do an excursion train, I don't want us to say, oops, well , we don't have anybody because I think we are going to want to have something to help us in that area, whether it's a trolley, a minivan from the fleet pool or whatever. But I can't see with all the other things we're planning on as not wanting to do something there, in my opinion. And it sounds like others are agreeing with that. Okay, thanks. Go ahead. Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay. So with that, I'll move us into just a brief summary and recap of the community engagement that took place. In what we heard. We really did an extensive process of outreach to the community and stakeholders. We held numerous open houses, public meetings of various types in living rooms and out walking the corridor with neighbors, and including bringing community into the corridor for special events such as the Trailside Cafe that took place last fall. Spike removal ceremonies, events that were staged at the Wilbert and Trussell and so on. What we really heard as core themes from community members and it really did fall very consistently, a lot of trail support for the trail, just generally , by the way in but in getting into their specific concerns, they were very concerned about environmental impacts adversely affecting the corridor and wanting to keep it as natural as possible and protect the sensitive wetland areas and creeks and so on. Trail safety emerged as a very strong concern, really, people wanting to see a wide allowance for separation of uses so that bikes and pedestrians went right on top of each other and people feeling sort of intimidated by that, safe crossings and so forth. The local residential concerns had a lot more to do with privacy, security and parking impacts and the proximity of that trail to their homes. So we've been working with them closely to make sure that any specific concerns can be addressed during the design phase and trail character and amenities. There is a strong desire to see this as we we heard often the phrase be a world class trail gateways, art, community spaces and really a place where people just want to be trail design. And with the details of design, it would be have a paved surface and a soft surface. We actually articulate that in the plan, but we got a lot of community feedback about the support for that concept. We and we really heard that people want this trail to accommodate all user types and volumes as it traverses these very different types of segments. And of course, the time to build the trail now, a lot of demand and excitement about the near term implementation opportunities this trail can provide to the east side. So next steps in the context of just the master plan before I move into sort of some of the near-term implementation priorities is just that upon approval by the Council and pending approval by the Council, Dan ARP would publish the notice of selection. And we would of course have the 30 day appeal period prior to any kind of implementation moving forward. But in the context of moving forward, we would also be issuing RFP for consultant design services for the Wilbert and segment in Bellevue, the Northeast State Street Crossing, which we would be. Zoning in coordination with City of Bellevue and Sound Transit so that it has a direct connection to the Wilbert and Light Rail Station and other priorities to advance in the corridor so that nothing gets neglected and we're able to move forward on all fronts. Washington has some pretty near term plans for expansion of 405, particularly south of I-90, with the To Bellevue expansion. So we would be working closely with them with their more details later to come back in this presentation. But there are opportunities for them to build a portion of trail in Isaid rail corridor south of I-90 and also time their build out of the Wilbert and Gap bike pedestrian bridge across four or five at that same time in the next few years. So we'll continue just generally and specifically at certain areas coordinating with Sound Transit, Puget Sound Energy and all of our other partners in the corridor, not just through our Regional Advisory Council, but specifically at the planning and staff and project level coordination. Absolutely. Continue ongoing community stakeholder and community engagement and it will be imperative that we seek and be ready to be prepared for funding opportunities as they arise to facilitate the development of the corridor. Okay. Okay. All right. And then we set up the next part. Yes. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for your attention. Okay. And this should be pretty quick. This is the next portion of this presentation takes a focus on what could be upcoming in the very near term, some exciting development opportunities. And just this year will be removing rail from Kirkland to Renton's Phase one rail removal. It provides opportunities for implementation of some interim trails segments, a lot like the Cross Kirkland Corridor, particularly in the area from the southern end of the Cross Kirkland Corridor down to 520. We will be extending that type of trail experience and everywhere else while rail is removed, we'll have gravel surface. So that's that's a new development. This year. We'll be working on accommodating some connection across numerous trestles, at least interim connections and potentially expanding extending the ownership area in the corridor south of our current Milepost five to the southern end of Tinkle on Park in Renton. By 2020 we will have completed design and even constructed the retrofit of the Wolverton trestle with trail on its surface. This is timed to coincide with watchdog's construction of the Wilbur tonight four or five bike pit bridge the two coincide and I'll show you that in a moment. Trail south of I-90 and construction of a gateway and trail connectivity to the Main Creek Trail in Renton. By 2023, Sound Transit will have constructed interim trail from Northeast eighth to 520 in Bellevue. So the Wolverton segment design is one of our near-term priorities. It includes design for the Wilbert and Trestle, and it includes coordination with these plans for the grand connection and how that will interface with the East Side rail corridor in the Wilbert, an area of Bellevue, along with numerous other opportunities for coordinating with partner plans and developments and funding opportunities. There's a strong reason to move this segment forward as the first segment of our design from 2017 through 2019, as I mentioned, and I won't believe it here too much, but rail removal, we would begin that process this year with it being pretty much complete by about the third quarter of this year and open to the public and sections of interim trail being open to the public later this year. The Northeast Eighth Crossing has been a collaborative design process so far with sound transit in the city of Bellevue. We're currently approaching a 30% design milestone on that, and we would in 2017 begin to move that forward into a final design phase and continue to make sure that the ultimate goal is achieved of integrating to the best we can the trail and it's into the to the north entrance to the Wilbert and station so that the trail and station are are connected the Wilbert and trustful and I four or five crossing are directly related geographically in the picture to the right the gap Bret the bridge that would need to be built over four or five is in the is in the background of the picture and then a some are traversing to the north approaching the foreground. They would immediately come upon the wilbert and trestle. The two really need to be done at the same time or else they will both be somewhat dead ends and the trail user would not be able to pass through. So we are working, coordinating closely with Wash Dock for the timing of those to be constructed together by 2020. On the trestle. Are we preserving any of that for artwork or any kind of historical remembrance of? That's what it used to look like. Yes, the structure is listed as eligible for National Historic Preservation and we will seek in the design and construction to preserve that character and as much of the structure as as possible. Great. Thank you. Okay. Now, in order to get. That trust, I'm sorry I won't work on the funding for the Wilbert and Gap, which is is down the Warburton tunnel. And I remember we got some in the state transport package like ten or $15 million or five or something, but it was how are we doing on the funding for that. So whenever we got a map to completed. Or we do, we have secured funding commitments, both an initial 5 million that had always been set aside by Washington. And then in the new 5 million that was added at in an appropriation from the state legislature in 2015. So the bridge as contemplated currently has a cost estimate, around 7 million. So we're we're sufficiently funded or washed out and sufficiently funded to go ahead and construct that. Yeah. And my understanding is that the plan is for them to construct it at the same time as they do the 405 widening project. Is that still correct? Correct. And it should be completed in 2020. Starting starting by about 2019. It'll be the first one of the first things that they they have their design build contractor actually complete in the early sequence of their their written to Belleview project. Thank you. Thank you but. Okay and speaking of funding commitments and more focused on the Wolverton trestle this year has been an issue. Citing one for the culmination of a lot of energy around advancement of this important part of the corridor. And just last October, executive Constantine and Governor Inslee came together with a number of other partners in an event at the trestle announcing funding commitments toward its construction. The total construction estimate, including non construction, sort of engineering and administrative costs, comes to $13.2 million. We now have in hand commitment funding commitments worth totaling $10 million coming from an amount that's identified in the current budget proposal at the state, 2 million from King County, 2 million from the city of Bellevue, and half million committed from Group Health. And then a half a million in a grant that came through the Puget Sound Regional Council. Okay. And this is the final slide to emphasize that for about two and a half miles south of I-90, one watch that does expand four or five. They'll be eliminating portions of the existing Lake Washington loop trail. And to mitigate that loss, they would replace the trail in the east side rail corridor. And we're working closely with them to ensure that the trail that they place in the East reporter is in fact the master planned trail. And we'll continue to coordinate closely with them on that as that moves forward through design. And that is essentially to look forward at what may be coming up the next few years after the master plan. But as always, it's been fascinating and lots and lots of good work has gone to getting us here. You know, just two quick points for me. One is I'm very concerned about the life cycle costs that we don't do something and then have to tear it up later on so that the whole thing is a trail. And then one of the other owners says, I need to do this or that, and then we have to tear it all up again. So really being aware of what who the other owners are and making sure that one group, whichever one of the groups is, doesn't take their half out of the center and then cause trouble in the long run for overall. And then where is a transportation quarter and where it should be a transportation corridor as coming in to total? Like with the new work being done at Totem Lake that we are looking forward and anticipating if Total Lake is going to be built out to be these wonderful things, then we do need to get both people and products into there. So that's going to be what I'm going to be watching and making sure that we're planning ahead proactively and not, oh my gosh, we didn't think about that. So those would be my thoughts. Thank you very. Much, Madam Chair, compared to do you want me to present the stock report or what? I think we've been reported. Okay. Thank you so much. We got it. Good job now, I'm sure. Are we ready to move this to the full council? It's been over with us now for quite a while. And I think it would be helpful, correct me if I'm wrong about this staff, but to have this move forward to approval by the council so that you can continue to take your next steps around funding and the planning for the near term investments. Am I right about that? Yes, thank you, Councilmember. In fact, many of those funding obligations are for beginning in 2017, 18 and 19. And with that anticipation of constructing things by 2020, we can't really move forward in advance that until we've fully culminated the master planning process and gone through that potential judicial appeal period through SIPA. If my colleagues are prepared, I would move that. We approved proposed motion 2016 0510 with the due pass recommendation. I think that sounds like a good idea. Any questions? Okay, quick, will you please call for the vote? Thank you, Madam Chair. Councilmember Banducci Council Member Dan Bass by Council Member Done by Councilmember Gossett Councilmember Crowell Council Member McDermott Borough Council Member of the Group Council Member Yvonne Bowers. Madam Chair, I am Chair of the vote of Six Eyes No nos and Council Members Gossett of the Grove and Bond right there were excused. I'm okay with this being put on consensus since we've talked about it for so many years. But I'm happy if somebody wants to talk about it again, they don't. Mind. I have a brief speech that I would like to give, but not today, because we've already spent a lot of time on this today. All right. Well, that's fine. And especially with the issues happening in the northeast area, I'm sure you might have some. So. Yes, so it will not be on on consent and due care if it's expedited or doesn't need to be okay. Expedited is great. Non consent. Good job. Thank you. This is in really good hands and I really appreciate all the hard work. All right. That moves on to the briefing that we're having today. And it is briefing 2017, briefing 23. And this topic is about climate change impacts on solid waste. As we all are very familiar with. We are working on climate change and we also have a solid waste master plan and we won't be talking about it today. But in the back of your head, our biosolids plan could also fit into this and that is also very exciting to me to have that also potentially in the future be part of this. This is a topic that I've been interested in for ten years in my travels to Europe to to learn more about this. And I have met over those ten years some absolutely brilliant people. And one of them I met a couple of months ago. And my first comment to him was, could you just talk for 16 hours so I could just sit here and listen? I don't say that to a lot of people, but we have a professor. Who is a graduate of Oxford and MIT. Who's going to be talking to us for the next couple of minutes to educate us on a lot of things that we probably haven't heard a lot about before as we go into making these plans to at least know what else is happening in the world that we might want to emulate. So with that, I'd like to bring up this to Jimmy J. Jay, I thank you. And would you please begin your talk? Thank you very much. Council Chair Lambert. Thank you, King County Council, for giving me the opportunity to speak in address with you today. As the council chair mentioned, my name is Jimmy Gere and I am a professor at the Presidio Graduate School, which was formerly Bainbridge Graduate Institute when it was that particular iteration. And I teach the Sustainable Energy Solutions program there and what I have prepared for you as part of some of the content from that class when we talk specifically about waste management. I also am CEO and founder of Distributed Energy Management, where we help commercial properties and business owners manage their utilities in a much more holistic manner . And we really provide a financial service to connect the activity based costings of their consumption to their outcomes. So then that way we can understand the productivity of their consumption, not just the expense management of their consumption. And I have to say that last year in 2016, looking at it from a productivity point of view, we were able to reduce consumption across our portfolio by 11%. And we're very proud of that fact. What I want to start with, though, is when we start looking at waste to first define what it is and when we think about it, 95% of every single thing we consume gets thrown away at some point. And it doesn't matter if it's the pen that I'm holding in my hand, the chairs that you're sitting at today, or the rail line that connects Renton to Bellevue, at some point, every single thing we make, 95% of everything we manufacture gets thrown away. And so we can think of waste as either something that is you see on the right hand side, a giant landfill or waste is something that you see inside of a supermarket. And really what's inside of a supermarket is just simply organized waste. And when we put in all of this energy and resources to manufacture all of these goods, does it make sense to them at the end of the end of the day, bury all of that energy into a hole in the ground? And the answer is probably no. And so part of this is to start looking at it from that framework. What's the best way to manage that energy resource when we put so much effort into making it? Now let's look at what we can do at the end of its lifespan. First off, we have to start looking at it from a materials point of view. We know that when we manufacture these goods, that manufacturing a piece of steel is very different than manufacturing a sheet of paper. And so when we start looking at it from a waste management point of view, we have to think about it the same way. The way that we manage the waste of metals is going to be very different than the way we manage the waste of food. And you can look at the the breakdown in the composition of the waste stream here in the US. Well, there's a couple of very common and very good ways that we know how to manage these things for food. You're probably familiar with composting and fermentation? Well, composting, very active here in King County, and that is very good, which is taking that food, putting it into a system with waste, with the nitrogen, oxygen and water. So that way it goes through an aerobic digestion system and we come up with compost that then goes back into the agriculture system, fermentation. And if you like sauerkraut or computer or kimchi, you're very familiar with that as well. And it's basically taking food and putting it without oxygen, nitrogen or water into a digester. And what that creates is methane and carbon dioxide. And both of them are very, very valuable ways of managing that particular resource. Recycling is another incredibly important resource, method and resource when it comes to manage this waste. So and one of the reasons why it's incredibly important is because the reduction of energy required to use these recycled material is tremendous. So aluminum, 95% less energy is required than taking it from raw steel, 60% less energy is required to recycle than to extract from raw. Or you can see that from across the various different types. One thing, however, that we don't tend to talk about is how many times can a piece of resource be recycled? Well, for metals, for all intents and purposes, it's an infinite number of times. As long as you have a good feedstock coming into the system where it starts to get into a problem. As we talk about papers and plastics, paper for all intents and purposes can be recycled about 5 to 7 times because after that point, the fibers get so small that it. Unrecyclable and plastic suffer the same type of problems, although there is some work with pet and other plastics to extend the lifespan. But at the end of the day, those too do have a limited number of useful uses, useful repeats before they have to be disposed of in a different way. The one that we're probably most familiar with is a landfill. And a landfill is, for all intents and purposes, a giant hole in the ground. But with lots of ways that we can then start managing some of these externalities. And so for one thing, we put roofing caps and surface caps onto a landfill in order to help protect it from the the elements or weather elements. Well, what does that do? Any food scrap that goes inside of a landfill now doesn't have oxygen, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. And so it starts undergoing fermentation. And what we have, for all intents and purposes, is an uncontrolled digester for food waste, which is why then we have to declassify this food waste and then try to capture the methane and try to capture the CO2 that comes out on the other end. Now, at the bottom, when we have these this giant mixture in the Australian digester, we still have things that sort of filter to the bottom. And then at the very bottom we create these leachate collection systems to protect the groundwater from the acids that are slowly seeping downwards. And that's also very good to be able to capture that. And so at the top, we have to control. Council member. Yes. I'd like to ask you a question to finish this one. Oh, I was just going to say at the very top, we have to control for the gases that are going up. And at the bottom, we have to control for the acid that are leaking downwards. Yes. What is your question? I think you I notice on page six, well, it's your slide and composition of waste in the USA. One area that I do not see present here is something I worked on in the legislature several years ago, and that had to do with carpet waste carpet remnants that take a lot of space in the landfill. And I had legislation to work on this, and it. Turned out to be a lot more challenging. Than I thought it would be. But there is a lot going on in other countries and in some areas of our country with regard to recycling and using carpet remnants for. Other material, such. As airline seats and so forth. And have you looked into that at all? I just don't see any category here. Thank you for your question. This is we're looking at much more from a materials perspective point of view. So carpet, we would break down into plastics and some sort of agriculture fibers if it's coming from a wall or something like that. So we're not looking at end uses in this context. We're looking at the material composition of it. And so the example that you give, for instance, is a very good example of how we can upcycle or recycle some of these first time uses into second and third time uses. Can they keep coming. Back to a landfill? Though we engineer, we create these systems to manage the waste, but we rarely ask the question, how long do they last for? And so the general operational lifespan of a landfill is about 30 to 50 years. And generally speaking, we will have monitoring of that landfill for about 30 years after that. But at the end of that 30 years, at the end of this entire period, does the landfill just disappear? Well, the answer is no, the landfill doesn't disappear, and in which case it starts taking the questionable. Then how long does that landfill actually stay there for? Well, if any of you are archeologists, you will be familiar with the term called a midden. And a midden is basically a rubbish pit that these archeologists love because they can go in and try to understand the society that lived at that time. And the oldest discovered Midden of the day is 140,000 year old live is in South Africa and it is full of reeds, shells and other biological materials. So if we now consider that biological rubbish pits can last for 140,000 years, how long do our landfills last for? For all intents and purposes, forever. And one thing I like to say is if we start looking at negative externalities of landfills, we need to start quantifying it in about 140, 200,000 year life cycles, not just the 30 to 50 to 100 years of the operational cycle that we planet for. I just ask a clarifying question. Council member about it. Just trying to be familiar with the terminology that you're using because I think you're using common terms as terms of art. So the operational lifespan, when you say that, you're talking about the time period in which the landfill needs to be actively managed because it's putting off gases, because. Because we can't just leave it alone. Yes. Whereas the lifespan, then when you talk about 140,000 years, we don't have to manage it for all that period of time. It becomes a geographic feature, if you will, that then is there for a long period time. I hearing that correctly. What? Yes, that what I am the point I am trying to make is that just because the operational during the operational lifespan where we're trying to manage the externality once that ends, does that mean that those negative externalities end? And in fact, we don't know when those negative externalities end because the landfills are around for so long. The landfills continue giving off gas and at a level that requires management after 30 years. So that's something that is unknown and that is something that, you know, for all intents and purposes, every engineering design that we ever build, nothing is built to last for 140,000 years. So there's no guarantee that there is zero externalities after the expected lifespan of a lamp. Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate it. I'd like to also answer that. That was a great question because up until recently we were told that after 30 years you didn't have to monitor anymore. And we have a place that we wanted to turn over after the 30 years. But the report that just came out in August, the DOE is not saying that's true anymore. They don't know how we close it anymore. So we're kind of in a limbo right now. And I think it's somebody help me. I think it's 3.9 million a year to monitor old landfills. So we don't know how long that will go for. When I was in Germany, I saw landfills that were over 80 years old, that they were still getting appreciable amounts of methane out of that they were still monitoring. So that's what scared me when I saw that they were getting methane after 84 years and we were saying we're going to cut ours off at 30 because that's a problem to be having that much methane going into the air. Thank you. Thank you. The last technology and method I want to talk about is waste to energy. And that's a significant chunk of this presentation. This is a schematic of a waste to energy plant for all intents and purposes. Waste comes in and it goes through various different processes. And what you see on the next slide is a simplification of this. And I just want to touch on a couple of the points. We've talked a lot about the garbage in now of where this material comes from. And there's three primary outputs of a waste energy plan. First of all, there's energy. It's electricity, thermal generation, steam, etc.. The second one is emissions. And the third one is the ash and the recyclables that come out of what's left over from from the incineration process. If we look at it from an energy perspective, this is a waste energy plant that is in Florida that just came online in 2015. And these slides are taken from the Wilcox Company that helped present a couple of weeks ago here at the council here in the chamber. And you can see that it processes about 300 tons a day, which works out to about a million tons a year and powers about 40,000 homes. 40,000 homes is about the city of Renton and Burian, just to give a couple of comparables. Well, so we know that these plants are very good at generating energy and electricity. If we look at it from an emissions point of view, one thing that we have to emphasize is that these plants are highly controlled for pollution. And so you can see in the middle column the permits, the EPA levels of pollutions that are allowable. In the rightmost column, you see the pollutions that come out of the actual tests of the actual fuel tests. And what you can notice is that all of the different levels are lower than what is permitted in the ABI by the standards to make it a little bit more relatable. I went and just did my own kind of back of the envelope calculations and use some California automobile efficiency standards and found that the carbon monoxide level out of the actual test was less than 40 cars for the automobiles, and the sulfur oxides were less than three cars. So can you imagine running the city of Burien or the city of Renton on approximately a couple of dozen cars? And that's what we're talking about when we're looking at these types of plants. So certainly a shot right there because this is such a fascinating chart. And Councilmember Dan Bousquet. Thank you, Madam Chair. This one got by me a little bit. But what is the you say the actual emissions test parts. So you've got the parts per million there. What is the time period or the denominator. I mean is that the per tonne. Yeah. Processed per hour per day. That's a very good point in the footnote there. And since this is a slide from the Wilcox Company, I don't know exactly how they performed the test, but based on the footnote, it says that it was during a compliant that was a four hour test and there were nine of these tests over the course of the duration of that testing period. And so if you want more specific information, I can look that up for you. Well, that's how I perform our test. I think you just need some context. You can't just say it's 30 parts per million carbon dioxide. Yeah, that's right. Because I can't scale that. I don't know how that compares to other methods. Right? No, you're absolutely right. What I do know is those are tests that were done for compliance purposes. And so it's based on the standards of their. Of their permits. Mm hmm. Are there other emissions here? I mean, you list five pollutants. Are there other emissions that aren't listed this? Yes. I did take the slide to simplify it down for the purposes of the presentation, I am sure that there is a large binder of information from the actual the actual test. Okay. On back on your prior slide on 72 of our packet in well, maybe actually 71 is better because it's not covered. But there's a pollution control system series down there that talks about a nitrogen oxide removal system you've got in oecs on here in the mercury and dioxin removal system. Are you talking about this? Yes. Yeah. Number two, the acid gas removal system, the particulate remove. I think I know what that is in the pollution control test, which we were just looking at. So on the mercury and dioxin, is that list, are those compounds listed on the pollutants on your slide that we're just looking at? No, I did not list that one. But if you are interested, I can supply much more detailed analysis of all of the different pollutants. I think one of the common concerns that is raised when we're looking at this technology is a full understanding of its actual environmental and human health impacts. Yes. And so this is helpful as a learning exercise to kind of get an introduction or not necessarily that. But those are issues at least that I have an interest in understanding. And I think if one were to proceed with this kind of technology, you have to permit it and cited and I think got permit permitting authorities and constituents care about those issues. So that's, you know, thank you very much for your points. As I was mentioning to Chair Lambert, we're actually spending this weekend on waste management and it's a six hour class. So what you're getting is a 15 minute summary of a six hour class. So I do appreciate your concerns. But yes, forever. What the you know, our numbers are different, but what the emission slides are trying to demonstrate is that with thoughtful engineering and concern, we can engineer a lot of these and control for a lot of these pollutions. And so when we start looking at the mercury, we start looking at dioxins, when you start looking at identifying these other pollution concerns, there are other systems that are in there as well. And so, you know, if we were looking at this from a much more rather than just an educational session, yes, we would be much more detailed with the presentation. Of course, I appreciate that. And just, you know, back to your emission slide with the three columns, you've got the four hour test per unit. I think the other thing it would be interesting to know is how much tonnage you're processing in the four hour test. I said, you know, one tonne or is it 100 tonnes or is it a thousand tonnes roughly? But that's the without those without that kind of scaling or context. This slide is interesting but perhaps not useful. Yeah. Yeah. We can certainly look at and present what the EPA standards are in terms of how one of these. What we're being asked to consider here is a change in disposal. Absolutely. And so ultimately, policymakers and our staff is going to look at a number of factors. And the environmental one is and health ones are kind of a piece of it. And they'll want to know. Well, compared to the other options, it's actually. Let's compare. Right. Exactly. Can't do the science here today. No, you're absolutely right. And part of this we'll see in the ending when we put it together is we can't just look at this from a waste management point of view. We also have to look at it from an excellent negative externality point of view. And the reason why I wanted to start with looking at the landfill is to say, well, here's where the baseline is. It's that low. What are all of the other technologies that can build on top of it? And there's actually a prioritization framework and hierarchy of what you should do first. And if we're missing any portion of that hierarchy, then the entire system doesn't quite function. And right now we're talking about waste energy. That's one of the portions that has been missing in the hierarchy. So so let me get to that conclusion. Which is before you get there, I want to answer his question to. So people in Germany, in Hamburg and Copenhagen and many cities in Europe are also concerned about that. So when their plants came online, they said that we're going to have our data 24/7 online so people could monitor it because that is a concern. But with what the professor said, that is no longer something that people are concerned about and that it meets and exceeds all U.S. standards. So I think it's important. And today we're just doing the 60,000 foot education. But I think one of the things that I was asked when I asked a question in Copenhagen, I was shocked that the embassies are on the same street as the waste plant. And is how did you get all these governments around the world to agree? And without the man knowing me, he said, you must be from America. And I said, How did you know that? And he said, Because the only country in the world that doesn't understand that this is good for the environment. So I didn't ask any more questions for a while. I said. Yes. Thank you very much for that story. Many of these plants in Europe are actually located in their city centers and so the pollution controls have been addressed and we can talk about that in the future presentation. The last thing I want to talk about, the last output of these is the ash and the metals that come out of that ash. So the ash ends up we can process in such a way that it is bottom ash. And bottom ash turns out to be a nice feedstock for concrete and asphalt. And so even at the end of this waste to energy cycle, we can take the ash wood generally than if it gets put into a landfill. It's basically just lining the bottom of the landfill with concrete. Or we can use that bottom ash and put it back to use inside of the community as part of the critical infrastructures. To me, my favorite fact about this, Ash, though, is that you can still recover metals from it. And that's because, you know, there's this little piece of metal on my pen. There's paperclips on your sheets of paper. There's pieces of metals inside of our everyday things that we're just simply not going to remove during the recycling process of waste management. But after the waste to energy process, it's actually very easy to remove that metal from the ash. And here you can see a couple of different examples of that and the recovery rate of metal from the ashes around 90 to 95%. And in Germany alone, after all of that recycling that they do, they still recover enough metals equivalent to 16 Golden Gate bridges. And so if we start thinking about that and scaling it up to the U.S., what that means is we're burying several hundred Golden Gate Bridge as a year, and we're not even doing as good of a job recycling as they are. And so at the end of the day, when we put all of these different technologies together in a hierarchy, this is what you get as an outcome. And what you see on the top section is Germany. The bottom section is the U.S. and the time periods for the last 20 years that in Germany they generate less municipal solid waste. Now, even though their population has grown slightly, composting went up, recycling nearly doubled, waste to, energy went up, and their landfilling rate went down significantly from 43% to less than half a percentage point. And that and what is going into landfill is basically inert because it's a fly ash, bottom ash. Whereas in the U.S., you know, waste generation went up approximately the same as population. Composting went up slightly, recycling went up slightly, waste energy went down, and landfilling went down by 20%. So yeah, we could say our policies did do some good, but definitely not as much good as the German system have over there. And one of the reasons why the German system worked so well. Professor Hilton's second. Slide. Thank you. About your slide here says USA Dash King County and has these stats. What I want to know is are these King County statistics. So I'm sorry for that confusion in the table. It is a national statistics. The ones underneath Germany and wondered underneath King County were looking at specifically for King County. Yes. So trying to compare the cost of what it what it is for a household to basically manage their waste and dispose of their waste. I'm still confused. What I'm wondering is the waste energy, for example, statistics 14% to 12%, which. But is that some kind of King County statistic? No, no, that's a national statistic. Basically, waste to energy plants have been coming offline over the course the last 20 years nationally, and very few have been built to replace them. And so the number of waste to energy facilities and the amount of waste going to them have decreased. Because we don't have ours. Correct. Much waste energy here. We have some digester. Correct. And then the landfill in King County, that is that a King County statistic? No, we landfill in King County, about 900,000 tons. So, yeah, 250 million tons is for the U.S.. I'm sorry. I was looking down at the bottom of your sentence reduction. You know. All of the percentage reductions are national national statistics and national data. Because in King County, we're on a path with our adopted strategic plans to go to 70% recycling diversion of our waste stream into recycling. I'm trying to figure out how that might square into this table. Yeah. Because I think our composting, for example, is up a lot more. Yeah, no, I absolutely agree. Recycling. We certainly do a lot better composting here than the rest of the country. It would be very useful to know where the numbers start with in the King County area to see where that improvement can go. I think we have that data. I assure you. We have yes, we have we have local data for for all this and could get it to you. Yes, absolutely. But I can pretty much be certain that landfilling is not less than half a percent. And the point of this slide was to say, when we put together a cohesive strategy from the beginning to the end, that is the outcome that we can reach. And we our target is 70% recycling in King County, and I believe we're at 5454. So we're getting it right. I think we could do some things to get there a lot faster. And the reason I use this slide is the next slide is talking about the actual strategy then that Germany used to get to half a percentage point. And what they did was they start looking at it as a resource holistically from beginning to end. And the first thing they start with is actually avoidance strategies don't buy things when you don't need it, don't consume it when you don't have to. After that, they start looking at reduction opportunities at the source. So even manufacturers are part of that process to make their products last longer. So when you buy it, you don't have to throw it away as frequently reuse that product once it's done for the first time, and then let's start getting to quality improvements. And so. Councilmember Cole well, your example of the carpet would fall into that category and only then do we start looking at recycling. And so in the U.S., generally speaking, we start our waste management at recycling, maybe quality improvement at some point, but rarely do we look at the first couple of steps. And and so we really start with step five where as Germany starts step one, then we have to start talking about after the useful lifespan of the material , does it still make sense to bury that embodied energy into the ground? And the answer from those countries is to say no, let us extract that embodied energy out again and put it back to the electrical grid and thermal systems. What that does is not only treat the the materials well, but it also avoids consuming that resource from fossil fuel sources in order to put that energy back on to the grid. And I do have to say that waste of energy is different than incineration, and that's why I have them in two separate buckets up there. Waste to energy is the purpose of extracting energy from materials. And one of the side effects is you minimize the volume. Incineration is simply to minimize the volume of the trash. And the reason why that is different is then from the engineering and operations of those to with incineration, your pollution is higher because you're not burning as high of a temperature. You're not you don't have a sustainable, ongoing fire. So you always have to feed in natural gas to be able to keep it running. Whereas with waste to energy, because we want to do it at a higher temperature, it becomes a self-sustaining fire. You don't need to feed it more fossil fuels and it burns to completion a lot more of the possible pollutants and breaks them down. In addition to the materials points of view, I also want to talk about the economic point of view. In Germany, the waste to energy sector is a \u20ac75 billion contribution to their GDP and employs over 200,000 people to manage the waste stream. If we look at that in the U.S. and still to the U.S., what that means is, for all intents and purposes, we are burying 250 to $350 billion in economic value of that material inside of our landfills every single year, which I think is quite a shame. Looking at some King County numbers, if we scale that to King County, what that means is based on the 900,000 tons of waste generated here, that's approximately worth 4000 jobs or 1 billion, $1.5 billion. And the economic potential here in the county alone. Councilmember Coles. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I'm sorry if I missed this when you were talking about. I am listening. I have to sometimes multitask. However, have you given us the info the numbers of individuals residing in Germany as compared to King County? Because we're contrasting these a lot. Yes. No, that is a very good point. You know, the population. Above your head. When I was there, it was very close. Yeah. Yeah, I think they told me it was right about 2.2 million at that point. I see a lot of computers out here and we were about 1.9 when I was there. So they're a little bit ahead of us, but. So that's kind of they were approximately the same. The national population of Germany. I think so. Or Hamburg area. Let's just get the information from those people over here, the Humber region, which is where the it that I was looking at. Yeah, the way I came up with U.S. numbers was looking was scaling it based on quantity of waste. So that way if we know the amount of waste that we're generating here in King County and we know the economic potential of the waste in Germany, then we can basically just do a ratio and understand what that economic potential is here in King County. Sure. Yeah, go ahead, please. That's good. We love it, too, having being in Google, but I had it for 2017. Is that 81 million plus for Germany? Okay. And 81 million plus, I just think were accurate, as accurate as we can be when you have these comparisons that's brought out. That's a very good point. And I think the best comparison to do would be a waste generator per capita, and that is definitely higher in the U.S. than it is in Germany. And, you know, if you notice in the outcome slide with the numbers, Germany population went up, but the waste generated went down as a national number . And it appears that Hamburg is the one that's closest at 1.8 million. Good memory, Madam Chair. Well, that is a good memory for ten tenured back. And thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So that's why when when I was there and I can show you the slides of of being there, I got to actually run the conveyor belt for a little bit. It was a fun job and it was amazing to see what it looked like. And I was there right after a strike of two weeks. So they had two weeks of garbage for the entire area and there was no residual smell. And that was one of the biggest shocks to me that I could be standing in front of this huge garbage pit that was, you know, garbage is higher than this feeling in the pit. And I could smell anything because of the air systems that they were using. So that was amazing. Okay. Go ahead. Thank you. To end with, I want to actually present a challenge. If we start thinking about this German prioritization hierarchy system to manage landfills, we can actually realize that this is really just a prioritization to minimize a negative externality. And we can think of a landfill in this for this context as a negative externality. And they went from high percentage down to less than half a percent. Well, the challenge is what other negative externality are we faced with in King County here that we would like to minimize? And here is citizens of Washington State, and I'm sure we're all familiar with this, but it's carbon. Carbon is just another negative externality. And we can actually adopt some of these waste management strategies to look at different ways that we can now start minimizing carbon as an extra analogy as well. And it starts with prevention strategies, it goes into minimization strategies before it gets into carbon management strategies. And when we start understanding how all of these different components fit into each other, we can start looking at and filling the gaps with what's missing. And so really this challenge that I like to say is that, yes, waste management is incredibly important, has great economic value, and has it can help minimize the negative side effects. But why don't and if we implemented that type of a strategy here in King County would definitely be one of the most progressive and forward thinking counties in terms of its in the world, in terms of its waste management strategies. But we can actually use that as a pilot and a test case for better carbon management strategies and using that as a learning experience then to apply to other negative externalities that we want to minimize as well. So thank you very much for your time and I would be open for more questions. MCDERMOTT Thank you. Can you go back a slide, the last item on that list of things that would help controller priorities, carbon emissions is sequestration. Heidi, suppose. I don't know. My context for sequestration is a budget maneuver in the U.S. Congress. Sequester, carbon sequestration is basically looking at the carbon dioxide and most common method is to bury it underground into a salt mine of some sort. So then that we were basically taking it out of the atmosphere and putting it underground in some sort of a in some sort of a way. And so the reason why that is, I believe that should be the final step is we've already generated the carbon. Now let's bring it back out again. So all of the steps beforehand are ways to not generate the carbon in the first place. Great. Thank you. As I said, this is an introductory lesson in doctrine. And you say the right educational opportunity and the full tape that we had will be the link will be sent to you today. It is already up on my website. So if people in a listening audience are interested is up on the website as well as all the slides from last week, some of them are similar to this because you had started your presentation. So that is wonderful. And when we first started talking about this and Larry Phillips and I talked about how the county should proceed, I never dreamed that it would take ten years of me thinking about this to finally get to the place where we were making decisions about where there are opportunities for the next 50 to 70 years is to continue burying it in holes or to freight rail it out of here, or actually to recoup the energy and the minerals out of our garbage and turn it into no longer garbage but into a resource that we haven't used before. And looking at the full lifecycle of our products and that's really important. I think that if you haven't read, it's only eight pages, so it's easy. The closed landfill report, it's really worth reading because it's startling what we have decided that we weren't saying a couple of years ago. So, Professor, thank you so much for coming today and giving us this evaluation. And we appreciate. Your knowledge. And thank you for your time and attention. Thank you. All right. Can we have the minutes before us of January 18th, please? Move adoption. Thank you. The minutes of January 18, 2017, are before us as written. All those in favor, please say I hope others opposed name. The minutes have been approved as written. Okay. I wanted to talk to you now about proposed ordinances 2017 zero 33 and 2006 0402. These are rewrites of Section 46 and 14 of our codes. We are going to be changing Section 46 into Section 40 because the RC W is section 46. And when tickets are given, the constituents don't always know whether it's RTW or King County Code. And so it's been confusing for people and so they've asked us to change the number. In doing that, there have been a number of changes in fines and regulations. And what we've come to know in the last six months to a year that this has been going on, that there are certain regulations that are very old that nobody wants anymore and trying to figure out who wants it if we take it out or don't take it out. Ticketing horses and. Yeah, just about just about. And some of the fines are like, yeah, are like $20 that don't do anything. So yesterday we got some new information again. And basically I think we're going back to the drawing board after all this time to really get it in a more clear manner. So you'll be seeing this again, but it may be under a different number just so that we can have it much easier. You don't want to know how complicated this is then. So anyway, that will be on hold. And I just wanted you to know that it's happening so that you weren't surprised. Is there any other business to come before the committee that that this meeting is? ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE relating to the Traffic Code of King County; amending Ordinance 10278, Section 5, and K.C.C, 46.08.050, Ordinance 17668, Section 3, and K.C.C. 46.08.055, Ordinance 10278, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 46.08.070, Ordinance 17093, Section 3, as amended, and K.C.C. 4A.700.700, Ordinance 16553, Section 4, and K.C.C. 7.09.030, Ordinance 16553, Section 11, and K.C.C. 7.09.100 and Ordinance 11426, Section 1, and K.C.C. 14.16.010, adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 4A.680, adding new chapters to K.C.C. Title 46, recodifying K.C.C. 46.08.050, K.C.C. 46.08.055, K.C.C. 46.08.060 and K.C.C. 46.08.070 and repealing Ordinance 5292, Section 2, as amended, and K.C.C. 46.04.010, Ordinance 5292, Section 3, and K.C.C.46.04.020, Ordinance 5292, Section 4, and K.C.C. 46.04.030, Ordinance 5292, Section 5, as amended, and K.C.C. 46.04.040, Ordinance 5292, Section 6, and K.C.C. 46.04.050, Ordinance 5292, Section 7, as amended, and K.C.C. 46.04.060, Ordinance 17234, Section 2, and K.C.C. 46.04.062, Ordinance 11396, Section 2, and K.C.C. 46.04.065, Ordinance 16294, Section 1, and K.C.C. 4"}
{"id": "king_f3e05a2e-4236-4368-8057-1e1e01745233", "input": "Of any ballot proposition and must not include obscene speech. If the speaker fails to abide by these restrictions, I will rule the speaker out of order and require them to conclude their testimony. With that, I have two people who have signed up in advance. The first is Kasich then to be followed by Alex Zimmermann madeby. Good afternoon. But Jesus went to the mountain. You've only live now. Really? In the morning he come again into that. Came back and all the people come to him. And he sent the town and three to train them that then the script and the pre person threw everything to him. A woman kind in did on DVD under when the hunt seat here in the must this is the side to him touch. This woman was kind in identity in the very act. No Moses in the lone human document that use such such salt. Be stunned. But wait. Do you see this? The side. Trusting him that they might have something of which to this him. But he says to put down and horny on down. Don't and don't wait on the ground with his finger has fingers. He did notice. So when the commander commanded us, could he? He raised it himself up and stood to some. He. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman. He's here, Kyle. And that's his social democrat pig from Animal Farm, a fascist anti-Semite and killer. My name? Alec Zimmerman, a president of stand up America and speak about agenda. What they talk about a gentle indent into your sexual orientation. So for the last three year after a Trump win case and Hillary lose everything situation in country in exactly and see it'll come to absurd level because everybody right now guilty every man right now guilty because he sexually abuse of women. So when I for example come to see Mr. Zimmerman, I'm sure you'll be addressing your comments to the King County Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Task Force. You exactly is is exactly what is. I wonder if it hasn't been yet. So I hope you will exactly text versus it's exactly what is I want explain to you so situation which is stark versus you know what this mean absolutely. Do what it you know what this mean and I feel. This discrimination like men because woman discriminate me why is a problem why only woman can go in this territory in defense that same situation for three year in and under democratic roof scandal percentage. It's exactly what's happened. So when I talk in I think in I think in saw. Somebody a. Woman discriminate me like a sex man you know man, different sex. You know what this mean? I look like an enemy. Where is a problem? Who's equal in America? Are men equal to woman or man? Woman equal to men? We have a constitution. Freedom of speech. Why is this problem come to you or to situation? So only woman can be sexually harassed in tax court is doing this for the last three years. Every day I know this and I talking about this I can't trust process right now for completely wrongly because I want Mr. Zimmerman your trespass is are inconsequential to the item at hand in today's agenda and I did and I and I'd invite you to take your seat and listen to the presentation so you can be enlightened by their work. Is there anyone that is all who have signed up in advance for public comment today? Is there anyone else present who would like to offer public comment? CNN will close the public comment of today's agenda, and with my colleagues, permission will move to item nine out of order in order to accommodate schedules. And I'll ask Dr. Jeff Duchin, the King County health officer, to join us at the table and provide us an update on the coronavirus outbreak here in King County and our county's response. Thank you for joining us again. I'm you certainly were here two weeks ago when we had our last call meeting appreciative the gathering and information you provided then and look forward to the update. Mr. Zimmerman I was genuine. Mr. Zimmerman I was genuine in my invitation that you stay for the report of the gender identity and expression task force to be enlightened by their work. Thank you very much, sir. But not some nuclear weapons in Cuba. I apologize for the interruption, Dr. Dyson. That was my fault. Thank. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Operator with a brief update and then be available for your questions. As you undoubtedly heard, the outbreak centered in China has been expanding. There are now over 40,000 cases and over 900 deaths, only two of which have been reported from outside of China. However, a growing number of countries, up to 28 at this point have reported cases and there has been some limited person to person spread in other countries, including in the US. On January 30th, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern, and the following day our Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency in the US to aid the health care community in responding to this epidemic. As part of that, foreign nationals who visited China in the past 14 days are now not permitted to enter. The US. And U.S. citizens who have been in China during the past 14 days are screened and undergo either quarantine or isolation , depending on whether or not they have symptoms upon arrival. And this screening is happening both at their point of departure and at Sea-Tac International Airport, both with Customs Border Protection staff and with our CDC Division of Quarantine and Global Migration. Colleagues and I'll say more about that in a sec. But this situation does continue to evolve very rapidly and somewhat unpredictably. We're monitoring it very closely. And the guidance that we're getting from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to be updated very frequently here. Locally, still only one case. Since January 21st, we've assessed over 200 people who are suspected to possibly have had this infection. We've tested 1716 of. Come back negative. We have one who's pending results that we do not suspect will be positive. In addition, we have been monitoring a large number of people, including 52 close contacts of the lab confirmed case and other people who have been tested. And these people require being isolated either at their home or another community based location until they are known to be negative for the virus. And currently, we have four people that are being so monitored, three of whom were contacts of the initial case in Snohomish County and one of whom is currently being tested. In addition, we've been notified of approximately 250 travelers by our colleagues at Sea-Tac that need monitoring. These people are reportedly without symptoms, so they do self-monitoring for 14 days with some oversight from our department. But we do have to do an initial touch base, make sure they're asymptomatic, get them into evaluation and care if they do develop symptoms and give them guidance on limiting their activities during the 14 day self-monitoring period. I'm sorry, this tradition, what was what number of people were at? The number is very fluid. It changes every couple of hours. But at this point, about 250 we've heard about just in the last couple of days. And some of these people represent a backlog that had been passed through Customs and Border Protection and released, but they hadn't gotten into the information system yet. So catching up the risk to the public here because there are no known cases currently and like other communities in the U.S., there is no transmission going on at the community level. The risk remains low to the general public. The risk of this infection depends on someone's travel history and their exposure to a confirmed case. People who have been exposed to someone who has this disease are at increased risk for infection. For example, health care workers or family members of someone who's caring for a case. But the risk has nothing to do with someone's appearance, ethnicity or race. And the goal of our ongoing public health response remains to detect and rapidly isolate cases, to do contact tracing and monitoring of the symptoms of contacts to prevent any additional spread. So although it's unclear how this situation will evolve in the United States, the CDC has informed us that they are preparing as if this will be the next pandemic. And we've been strongly messaging to our health care systems and other business and community stakeholders to this is a very good time to review their pandemic preparedness plans that they've all established in the context of influenza. Many of the measures described in those plans would be very much the same that we would employ for a novel coronavirus. And we're waiting for more specific guidance from the Federal Centers for Disease Control on pandemic coronavirus response planning. So with that, I will pause and see if there are questions. Councilmember Dunn. I just want to make sure that, you know, I always ask this question softly because I don't want to ever raise the alarm bell or get people worried beyond what the medical professionals are advising. But I did hear you just say the CDC is saying that this may be the next pandemic or will be. Preparing as if it will be. Appearing as if it will be. So maybe local governments need to begin to prepare for that possibility. I think we heard some testimony up here that Tamiflu wasn't effective against this particular bug. The question I have is, are there things that we could be doing, supplies we could be purchasing or positioning ourselves to be better prepared for this bug or the possibility this bug reaches the state in a significant way? Maybe you can get back to me offline on a bit there. Any thoughts off the top of your head with the benefit? My comment off the top of my head, I would say there was some very recently released excellent guidance for businesses by the CDC, which is on their website. So novel coronavirus, pandemic planning for businesses, which has a lot of good common sense advice that would be applicable across different types of agencies and organizations. It's not really all that unique to businesses, but it does have some guidance that specific that would, I think, address your question. In addition, many businesses and governments have pandemic influenza response plans. And again, just looking at those things like continuity of operations, telecommuting, social distancing, how to decrease close personal interactions, think about how to conduct their operations with fewer staff contingency plans. Things like that would be very valuable at this point. I don't think stockpiling I mean, depending on what the business says, I mean, they may. Certain businesses may want to purchase equipment or other supplies. That's important to them if they think the supply chain will be compromised. But there's not any kind of recommendation to stockpile any particular item. I think that would depend on what the business was and what their forecast is for being able to get what they need as the global supply chain may be threatened by, you know, ever growing pandemic. All right. Thanks for that response. If you think of anything else I. Can remember, Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And after this, I want to ask you another question later, but is our airport closed now? It Sea-Tac Airport? No. Two or two of these people coming from China. We were one of the five airports in the country. And then I thought we were talking about closing is one of the five. Are we still open? No. So we're one of 11 airports, actually, that are receiving flights from China. And so anyone that departs from China was funneled to one of these 11 airports. There wasn't any consideration of closing the airport. There was a restriction of who could come to the U.S. through one of these failed airports. So it's U.S. nationals, their families and and residents. But someone who is not linked to the U.S. in an official capacity that has been in China in the past 14 days is not allowed to travel at this point. And in addition, the epicenter of the outbreak in Hubei province in Wuhan, there are no more direct flights coming out of that area. And passengers who may have been linked to that area are being flagged and screened. So I met over the weekend with a group of people whose family is there, and they've been getting some information. And one of the things that they told me, which I want to talk to you about later, I have a whole list. But the one that concerned me, one of the many that concerned me, was that the hospital that many of the people there in the province are being taken to has no medical equipment and one bathroom for hundreds and hundreds of people and that they are very concerned by those conditions. So what is the World Health Organization doing to go in and look at what medical care and the condition of the hospital with one bathroom for hundreds of people? You know, I can't speak to the conditions on the ground in China, but I do know that the World Health Organization just announced that they will have a team going to China. I don't believe they're there yet. Or maybe they'll arrive today. There are other organizations. For instance, the Gates Foundation has committed millions of dollars also to helping this response on the global arena. But that's not my focus. I can't contact comment specifically on what's happening there. I think it is of concern to me if there's only one. Concern to all of us. I agree. Yeah. The one bathroom also. Thank you. And King County Public Health can handle affects in King County. Yes. Especially Councilmember Belushi. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dr. Duchin, thank you again for spending time with us. I know you're very busy. When you were here last, you talked about the approach to local cases being this investigation approach. When we hear contacts, we. You you look at the kind. And try to trace them. But that at some point you said if there's local transmission is starting to increase, that that would not make sense at a certain point. Do you see that point coming or are we still solidly in the tracing context? We're very sadly still in the isolation of cases and tracing contacts in order to limit any potential transmission in the U.S. to the greatest extent possible and to delay the arrival of what could be a larger outbreak in the U.S.. China's the only country currently that's seeing sustained transmission in the community, but many predict that this will happen in other countries. We don't know what to expect with certainty. So I think we want to prepare for the possibility that there will be more widespread transmission in the community. But at this point, we're focusing lots of energy on make trying to make sure that we don't have transmission in the community as long as we're able to do the identification and tracing. So I hear that as the first line of defense is sort of holding for now. Correct. But we've got to prepare for that. And then last time you were here, also, you mentioned the name of the public health newsletter or blog that people can go to for updated information. I've forgotten what it is when you say it one more time. Yeah, a couple of things. Well, if they go to Public Health Scotland King County's homepage, they'll find a lot of information. But also we have a Public Health Insider. Insider. Which is a good blog that has lots of information about the outbreak. I just think a lot of people have a lot of questions and that's a good source of information. So I think. Several Q&A on that site. Thank you. Councilmember Dombrowski. Mr. Chair. Dr. Duchin, thanks for the update. Last time you were here, this is just my take. I would characterize your level of concern and maybe see on an A through the scale was fairly mild. You were equating this to the flu and comparing the number of deaths from coronavirus to what we have on the flu. I'm hearing a little more urgency and concern in your voice now. Are we up to be or are we up to a level of concern? Where are you as a health professional, as the chief medical officer for the county on here on this? The outbreak has increased quite a bit. There's been a lot more cases, more deaths, and the infection has appeared in more countries since I was last here. And so that makes me concerned that we here in the U.S. potentially will also see introductions and increasing numbers of cases and the potential for community transmission. There's still a lot that's not known about the severity of this disease with respect to how many people get serious illness out of all those who become infected. But clearly, if it's a very highly transmissible infection, even if only a small proportion of those people have serious illness, it will add up to be a lot a lot of people. So we do want to start thinking forward and be overprepared if if we're lucky and not have a large outbreak. But if within the next couple of months, we do start to see more transmission here. I think this period now will be seen as a very good opportunity for us to have been able to prepare ourselves for something that may or may not occur. But it's looking increasingly likely that nobody can predict at this point what the actual risk of that happening is. Is this coronavirus similar to the flu in terms of its seasonality prevalence? In other words, we seem to have a flu season during the winter months. Is this likely to decline in terms of its presence as we get through the winter, into spring and summer? Or do we know. It's possible coronaviruses that currently circulate the ones that cause common cold? They are seasonal, like the flu. So ultimately, a coronavirus that became established in the human population could definitely be a seasonal type of illness. When a new pandemic strain of a virus emerges, it doesn't really behave like a already established sort of seasonal infection quite as as much as some, you know, the ones that are already established. So it would be expected to cause a lot more illness during what would be called the first wave, then it might receive a bit. The timing of its recurrence is unpredictable, but ultimately a coronavirus that became established in the human population could be a seasonal event and not just a one time. And finally, if I might, Mr. Chair, you were talking there on your answer a little bit about preparation and just observing the response. It's been my understanding that that the general preference and direction is to kind of self-quarantine if you're diagnosed as having it, but if you're unable in a safe way to self-quarantine, I see that the government has start this has started to set up here in King County, at least a couple of sites, one at North Bend at the fire training facility, and the other up in my district at FIR Crest, which consisted of looked like about three Arby's in a parking lot next to. The state health lab testing facility there. What role does King County public health have in preparing these quarantine sites, and what is the plan for public engagement and kind of notice to council members and other leaders in the community? What we do, we are we on that in terms of preparation? Yeah. So those sites were established by the Washington State Department of Health to provide a place for travelers who are identified at Sea-Tac to safely spend their 14 day observation period. If they had nowhere else to go in the county and the vast majority of people who arrive at Sea-Tac do have somewhere to go in the county , but there are some that don't. And at this point, those facilities would be available to those people. And we're also looking very hard. Public health is looking very hard in collaboration with King County government to try and find sites where we could establish similar facilities because we don't know what number to expect. So the state's facilities are filled up. We would like to have additional capacity where people could be quarantined or isolated. These these strategies really don't present risk to the surrounding community. Quarantines are for healthy people. These are people who are just being observed and monitored. They don't have the illness. They're not symptomatic. Isolation would be a separate issue for someone who's symptomatic. And those facilities also need to have other characteristics that, you know, relate to safe air exhaust and so on that are a little more stringent than a quarantine facility. But I don't really know what process the state used for engagement around, you know, local government. Thank you. I just this just calls to mind. I think for a number of years now, we have been raising the red flag with respect to our health department and its funding levels, saying, you know, we can we can do some of the core functions. But if we were to have an event like this, which isn't here yet, but could be here, that it would stretch not just stretch the capacity, break the capacity to respond adequately. And I my fear is that there's a real risk of us coming to that point. And I'm concerned that years of underfunding and frankly, neglect of this function of the health department has left you not by choice, but unprepared and underprepared, to be able to be ready to respond to this. Yeah, I would say that we are stretched already, you know, with the large number of people that we've had to isolate, the large number of people that we've had to to monitor who've been in quarantine, the very complicated nature of trying to figure out who has this disease and test them, manage them during that 14 day period . We have many, many volunteers now working with us, and we're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars that were unanticipated every week in response. And as you know, it's very hard to bring people on on the spur of the moment who have the skill set that can fit right in and start doing the job. So we're doing training of volunteers, and we've been very fortunate to have had some volunteers for, you know, University of Washington School of Public Health, and we have our volunteer reserve corps. But it is tremendously taxing. You know, the staff are very stressed at this point, and we're trying to communicate to them this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, and to take care of themselves as we bring on, you know, additional volunteers. Councilmember Carl Wells. Thank you. Chair of the board of health. And just wanted to let people that tradition will be attending the board of health meeting a week from Thursday on February 20th to give us a briefing as well. And Dr. Duchenne, I really appreciate that. Public health has been focused on preparedness beyond taking care of urgent situations now. I and I also appreciate Councilor Dombrovskis reminder about how we have not fully funded everything that is needed. I wonder what the status since of our epidemiology staff. Now I know we were able to get, as I recall, 2016 a about a funding for another epidemiologist, but I think more had been requested. Now when you're commenting about your stretch than does that include with epidemiologists? So yeah, this response is, is it caused us to activate our health and medical area command based, our incident emergency response structure to to respond it's all hands on deck. We're using epidemiologists from all across the department pulled away from their normal activities to help with this response. We have volunteers coming in, physicians and epidemiologists. We don't know how long, you know, these people can commit, but we're taking all the help we can get. So, yes, this already this is exceeding our epidemiological capacity. We also have public health nurses and disease investigators that we've augmented from pulling from other programs throughout the department to help with this response, as well as our preparedness team, our communications team are drawing additional resources because the baseline staffing was not sufficient. So perhaps that's something we should examine for our biennial budget this year. That would be nice. And might. Appreciate appreciated. One last question and not that this is urgent at all at this point here, but I think there's a real nightmare going on with the cruise ship in the area, not able to dock anywhere and apparently increasing number of people being diagnosed with having this virus. And people now, I heard an NPR this morning that all people they are on this ship have are confined to their quarters. We have a growing and currently actually very impactful cruise ship industry here. Now, that won't be relevant for another couple of months. I believe it's mid-April when the season starts. But does public health I mean, do you get involved in what goes on with the cruise ship industry? If there were any issues, not just strictly with this virus, but any others that could come up? Yeah. So the maritime vessels are under the jurisdiction of the Centers for Disease Control, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, but we do work very closely with them in the sense that if they identify a problem like this one in our port, they would want to collaborate with us on management of that problem. And I'm very happy that, you know, we don't have cruises coming in right now that would complicate this whole business. And we'll be working with the CDC to understand whether they're going to make any special recommendations to the industry about this outbreak, should it be persisting? You know, in the spring when we start to see our cruises, but we do get very much involved in the in the port, the seaport, as well as we do with passengers from the airport. Our responsibilities are very similar. Once it's in the port. These people do fly in from all over the world to go on cruises to Alaska particularly. Thank you, Dr. Duchin. And I'm I'm really gratified that we have you as our chief medical officer. Thank you. Thank you. And to wrap up, I have a question as well, and that is there have been recent events where people of Asian and Pacific Islander Asian descent have been attacked, insulted or verbally abused because of really unfounded fears about the contagious illness. What is the public health department doing to combat such incidences, indiscriminate attacks? And how is we and how can we as local government help as well? Yeah, thanks for that question. And as I mentioned before, someone's risk for this disease has nothing to do with their appearance, their ethnicity or their racial background. It has to do with who they've been in contact with and their travel history and. We had a meeting, a community meeting last Friday with representatives from the Asian-American community and the Asian Counseling Referral Services Press Conference to to explain some of these issues about stigmatization, how that is harmful. It's actually counterproductive from the public health perspective to make people fearful, to come out and seek medical care or evaluation if they need it, if they have an actual a real risk factor. It's also very damaging to people on the personal and health level to undergo that level of discrimination and stigmatization. We also have some new resources for the community on addressing stigma, which are available on our web page, on our webpage, and there is a process for people to report discrimination and also information on that site. Thank you. Thank you for your work. I was aware of the community conversation you had on Friday and enjoyed joining the Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown International District on Saturday. Myself. Thank you. Thank you very much for joining us today and providing this update and look forward to continued conversations. Thank you. Thank you. We will move back to item seven on today's agenda. This is a motion confirming the appointment of Alan Nance as the director of the Juvenile Division of the Department of Adults in Juvenile Detention. I'm invited as Mr. Nance. The director designee, John Diaz, the director of the Department of Adult Juvenile Detention. And joining them is Rachel Smith, deputy county executive. We have a motion that would confirm Mr. Nance as the new juvenile division director responsible for juvenile detention and alternative to secure detention for our youth. Generally, the council only confirms department directors, as we did for Mr. Diaz just late last year. We welcome the three of you here today. And Cliff Cory from central staff is here to present a brief staff report and introduce the appointee. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members, I am clipped a group of council staff. The materials for the staff report begin on page seven of your packet today. As the Chair noted, this is moderately unique and that generally only appointments as department directors come before the council for confirmation. However, as the staff report notes, the County Council, in its deliberations almost 20 years ago now for the Juvenile Justice Operational Masterplan, recognized the importance that juvenile detention plays in the overall scheme of developing an appropriate system of response for the needs of juveniles. And along with the Superior Court working with the Executive, that time decided it was very important for the both the County Council and the Superior Court, which of course runs the Juvenile Court, to participate in the selection of a juvenile detention manager. Recognizing how important this position is in not only the operational aspects of detention and alternatives to secure detention, but also as a participant in the overall continuum of programs in order to keep youth out of the overall criminal legal system. And as a consequence, you adopted this. And I should also note this is only the second confirmation you've had to do over the last 20 years. Mr. Nance joins us from the city and county of San Francisco as the former chief probation officer. After having significant experience there, both running their overall probation department, which included their juvenile detention program, which had significant alternative programs and so on. In addition, in his time in San Francisco, he was a criminal justice advisor to the mayor, Gavin Newsom, who's now the governor of California. And prior to that, going to San Francisco, Mr. Nance had extensive probation experience both in Cook County and DuPage County in Illinois. And with that, Mr. Sheriff, there are no questions for me. I'd like to turn it over to executive staff to both introduce Mr. Nance and then Mr. Nance to give his remarks. Miss Smith. Thank you so much. For the record, Rachel Smith, Deputy County Executive and thank you for the opportunity to say just a few words. I will just echo what Cliff said in terms of Mr. Nancy's experience. He has a 30 plus year career that did include Cook County Juvenile Court, included the deputy director of the adult services division for DuPage. As you stated, San Francisco's Juvenile Probation Department working for Mayor Gavin Newsom, then being promoted to the assistant to chief juvenile probation officer there in San Francisco. And now we are pleased has made it here to King County. On behalf of the executive, I just want to say how thrilled we are and how thrilled I am to be sitting here supporting Allen today. I think Allen really is that rare mix of policy chops, operations, knowhow, embracing of innovation and really rooted in community. I'll reveal a little bit about his interview process during that. Allen spoke very articulately with the judges, for example, about the differences in the authority in law between San Francisco and King County in Washington state, because he had done his research, he had done his homework and I think impressed a group of people, our judges, who are not always easy to impress with his extensive knowledge and research that he had done. He also spoke in great detail about managing various operational issues, including mandatory overtime, which I think everybody knows is a challenge that we face here in King County. And then I think his knowledge of public health and taking a therapeutic approach was was so dramatic that we practically had to give Patty his smelling salts after after he spoke. So I just want to say that I think we are really lucky to have an individual of Allen's caliber here joining King County, and I urge you to support his confirmation. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. Thank you very much. And good afternoon. For the record, my name is John Hughes. I am the. Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. There's not much more I could say. I was at those interviews. I have never seen anything like it where everybody was speechless. After Allen spoke, at the end of the day, what we really needed, we needed a leader that had the experience to lead a large group. And as Allen has to be able to work with some dedicated juvenile detention officers, but also working with the community. Working with the kids. But more. Most importantly, and this is what sold me. Completely on Alan. It was. His compassion, his intelligence. And his empathy for those children and to not be willing. To settle for the status quo. He is looking to continue to help and try new approaches to help these kids. We could all talk about about him. At length, but I think the most important thing now is. If you had a chance to ask some questions and I to as Rachel said, I'm very pleased to have him here at the Q Oval Detention. So I hope you would support his confirmation. Thank you. Mr. Nance. Welcome. This is your opportunity to say a few words in your own defense and by way of welcome. I want to tell you how much I've appreciated meeting you in my office, getting to know you a bit, and your work, your work in the past, and what you strive to bring to King County and seen you in action last week on a site visit and the work and passion you truly bring. Thank you very much, Chair McDermott and members of the Council. First, let me just say how much I appreciate the kind words from my my colleagues here in the county who spoke on my behalf with respect to my my history and my experience as I described to the executive and many of the individuals that I've met since arriving here in King County. Part of the reason why I was so eager to join this team is as a result of the many conferences and juvenile justice forums that I've attended over the years, where King County is identified as one of the counties that has demonstrated such progressive commitment to change and juvenile justice. It's clear in what I have seen since I've arrived. And it is also clear and the commitment from the very many people that I have spoken with since my arrival. To make it pretty transparent. Part of the reason why I feel so strongly about the importance of our juvenile detention operations and juvenile justice in general has a lot to do with my own personal upbringing. Growing up in the city of Chicago, on the west side of the city, predominantly African-American community, where many of the individuals that I grew grew up with are either dead or in prison today. It is also remarkable for me as I think about the work that we do in our juvenile justice system, in the way I think about my own 15 year old son. And to be very clear in what drives my passion for the work that I do in our juvenile justice system here in King County and throughout my career, I ask a very basic question. What I want for my own son if he were in the juvenile justice system. And I believe that the answer to that question is that we have to treat these young people as if they were our own children. In fact, they are. Because they are King County's children. And so it's important to me as a person of color and seeing the number of individuals in our juvenile justice system. That are disproportionately minorities. And it isn't just the King County problem. There's a problem in every jurisdiction in which I've worked. It is a national problem. But what is different here, and what I am so pleased and amazed by is the opportunity to embrace the equity and social justice work that King County is committed to. As is reflected in the ordinance that you passed for social and equity justice. Is this reflected in the priorities that are set forth both by this body as well as the executive's office in our courts? To do everything we possibly can to change that dynamic. And so as I sit here today. Reaffirming my commitment to social equity and justice and working with young people in our juvenile detention system. My vision for our system is that we become the best juvenile detention facility in the state. Not because we lock up the most kids, but because we have a brand new facility, but because we are invested in the well-being and the growth and the development of the young people that come into our custody and care. And that means that we must be trauma informed, that therapeutic programing must be a part of our strategy to work with our young people, and that we have to partner with the rest of our juvenile justice agencies to make sure that we are doing everything we possibly can to reduce the number of young people that enter our juvenile justice system and yet that enter our juvenile detention facility. And that is about prevention. It is about partnership. It is about collaboration. And it is also about about breaking down the silos between our systems. I also recognize that we have to create a broader array of alternatives to detention. And yes, we have electronic monitoring as a primary alternative to detention. But there is far more that we can do to create evening reporting centers in the neighborhoods and the parts of the county where young people live in developing stronger partnerships with our community agencies, because at the end of the day, these young people are returning to those communities. And they need those strong partnerships within their neighborhoods. And so I'm committed to change. And I know that change is not always easy for folks, but it is necessary. And that means we have to look at innovative strategies. We have to be prepared to be uncomfortable in the process and that it is necessary that we work in partnership with our staff. With the community and with the families that we serve. That's why I thank you today for this opportunity to come before you. I am humbled and honored at the prospect of continuing to work side by side with this body and the executive's office and all of our juvenile justice partners as we continue the very difficult work to serve our young people here in King County. Today was the first day that the new Patricia Clarke Children and Family Justice Center opened its doors to the public. I realize there's been a lot of acrimonious discussion about that facility. But in the short two months that I have been here, as I have walked the halls of the Youth Service Center. There are a lot of remarkable differences that this new facility provides in terms of opportunity to our young people. It is a healthy, bright. Well, construct that facility where young people can be safe, where programs can be delivered, and where better outcomes for the future can be cultivated. And so I thank you today again for this opportunity to be here at this confirmation hearing. And I'm happy to take any questions that you may have. Thank you, Mr. Nance. When you and I had the opportunity to meet my office, we spoke about the New Children and Family Justice Center and spoke specifically about how it may have been state of the art when we designed it and started to build it. And that was a number of years ago. I'm giving your experience in other jurisdictions, your arrival here, seeing our old facilities, seeing our new facility, and being in current in how to address rehabilitating juveniles, not just detaining them. Are there innovative ideas? Are there new practices that you can already identify that we might want to bring to King County? Absolutely. First and foremost, we have to go beyond the brick and mortar. We have to think about the quality of the programs and services that exist within these facilities. We have to think about the philosophical framework from which we operate. When a young person comes into our custody, are we doing good assessment? Are we making certain that the right services and and programs are available? Do we have people who have the right that values and attitude about the work that they do with young people in custody? Because those are the things that make the difference. At the end of the day. Programmatically, we have already launched a merit center in the new facility. This is essentially a teen rec center, a place and a space where young people will be able to relax, to be with their peers, to earn the opportunity to engage in a variety of recreational resources that we have in that space. And that's something that is as innovative and new and different as something that we were able to do in San Francisco when I was there. And I think that the young people here in King County will also appreciate that opportunity as well. And one of the things about that merit center is that it incentivizes the positive behavior that we expect from young people and shifts the focus away from simply reacting when they engage in misconduct. We saw a 30% reduction in the number of fights and conditions that were called in San Francisco within five months of implementing a merit center. I believe that we can achieve the same thing here. I also think that we have to do a better job of bringing the nonprofit agencies into the facility. And opening the doors to parents and guardians to work in partnership with us while a young person is detained. That's a necessary ingredient to making the facility function more effectively. A fundamental question must be asked. At the end of the day, when a young person is released from our detention facility, are they better off when they leave than when they got there? And that won't happen unless we are committed to changing our philosophy, our vision and our strategy for engagement with young people while they're in custody. I think there are a lot of very basic things that we can do that really move the needle in terms of improving the quality of care in detention. And while we would never want any young person to have to be detained, we recognize for those few who require such detention that it should be for the least amount of time. It should be the strategy that is best designed to keep that young person safe and keep our community safe. And so I think that if we bring all of our state stakeholders to the table and partner in a way to achieve those outcomes, that we can improve the quality of detention services here in King County. Thank you. You're welcome. Ann Summers, hello. Thank you so much for being here, all of you. And thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Nance, you mentioned earlier that we should think beyond the brick and mortar. But one thing that I wanted to spend time on is the brick and mortar. So when we took a tour of the facility, you're absolutely right. The top floors are bright and airy and colorful, and those are generally the spaces where resources are provided. But then you get into an elevator and you go down to the floor where the detention is actually taking place. And it feels like a prison. It feels like a jail. And so one question I wanted to ask, do you think spending time in a small, concrete cell is fundamentally damaging for young people? I think that if we have young people in a detention facility where our focus is keeping them in their room, then we're making a big mistake because that can be damaging to a young person. So what is important and what is necessary when a young person is in detention is that we are keeping them out of that room and engage with the positive adults that are around them, giving them opportunities to engage with their families even while they're in custody. Implementing video visitation for families that can't travel to that facility so that young people actually have face time with their parents. Making certain that the academic experience for a young person that is in custody is on par, if not better, than what they were receiving when they were in the community. As you know, council members are really many of our young people have been chronic truants. And so spending 250 minutes a day, every school day in class is far better for them than the chronic truancy that they've experienced. And so I agree that sitting in a small cell is is not healthy for a young person. And that's why detention should not be about setting young people in small cells, but making sure that they're out of those rooms and that they're engaged in the programing of the services that we offer. Thank you. And are you able to provide us a schedule of what a young person does throughout the day at the facility? Absolutely. So we can see how much time they spend in the cell. I will send that over. Thank you. And it's often been the case that when we ask who is going into the facility, people say only the most serious crimes, murder, rape, things on that scale. But when you see a list of the people who go in every now and then, you do see misdemeanor level. People who spend time, albeit a short amount of time, serves some number of days. Do you feel that? Young people who have committed a misdemeanor or a crime that's not on the level of murder and rape should spend any amount of time at all at the facility. And I'm asking this question because I believe they shouldn't at all. Do you think the our capacity to divert young people who have committed non crimes that aren't the most serious offenses. Why are they going in there? Is my question. Is it because we lack alternatives? Is it because we're still buying into a scared straight approach? What's what's the reason for that? Certainly. So even if a young person commits or is charged with committing a misdemeanor offense, if that's the first offense and there is no prior history, I think King County's diversion strategies are robust and respond to that very well. Unfortunately, we have young people who have committed prior felonies, may even be actively on probation and then commit a misdemeanor offense that would result in that young person being detained, particularly if the history is such that the prior strategies or approaches to stabilize that youth have been unsuccessful. Part of the obligation of our juvenile justice system is to not only respond to the criminal conduct that a young person is accused of committing, but to also look at the overall well-being of that young person. In some instances, we may even have a youth whose parent refuses to take custody of the youth after getting the call that they've been arrested. Quite honestly, they're resigning from the parent role because they're just tired of call after call. And in those instances, because these are minors, we do have an obligation to take custody of them under those circumstances. With respect to your question about capacity, if there are other options that are non-secure and safe, similar to the family intervention services that exists for domestic violence offenders who can be held in a non-secure setting, I think that perhaps having that array of services could result in fewer of those young people being in secure custody. Instead of our choices today. So I would definitely agree that while, yes, there are some young people who have committed a misdemeanor who end up in juvenile detention. But at the same time, absent other non-secure alternatives, we're very limited in the options we have available to us. Mr. Nance, would you be an advocate for, in the process of creating a roadmap to zero youth detention, as the county has stated, as its goal, the process of over time divesting away from the jail prison model toward these alternatives. Do you see budgeting a budgetary roadmap toward zero youth detention that involves divestment? I think that ultimately, with any strategy that is designed to reduce utilization of detention, there is a logical expectation and question as to what do we do with those resources when that need no longer exists. And so just from a very practical standpoint, I think that that's a conversation point that at some point needs to be on the table. At the same time, I'm cognizant of the fact that many of the young people that come to us are teenagers by the time they enter our juvenile justice system. And the reality is they have had 14 or 15 years of trauma and struggles that have led them to where they are today. And so as I think about zero youth detention and our overall strategy, a large part of that strategy, I would encourage to be about prevention. What are we doing with young people between zero birth and three years old? Are we making sure that our kindergartners are not chronic truant? Are we making sure that young people can read by the time they're there in the third grade? Those are. Some of the strategies that by the time that population of young people reach their pre-teen and teenage years, we will be in a much better position to believe that they are not on a path to detention yet, on a path toward graduating from high school and ultimately post-secondary education opportunities. And so there are things that we can do today for young people that are in our juvenile justice system that we should continue to focus on. More importantly, we have to do a better job on the prevention side if ultimately we want to divest from our juvenile justice system in a meaningful way and reinvest those funds in helping young people to thrive. I fully agree with you, Mr. Nance, that prevention is our is the greatest strategy that we have. At the same time, you mentioned to yourself, we're dealing with kids with lots of trauma year after year after year of trauma. And then we put them in a small cell. And when I visited the jail, I walked in myself and I closed the door. I think after 2 hours in that setting, I would go crazy myself. And so to have kids who have gone through trauma and then put them in a small cell, concrete cell, especially the ones who have committed misdemeanors, I think is a damaging experience for them. So I hope that we will continue to work together to innovate that practice in addition to focusing on the upstream factors that we need to focus on. Absolutely. And to be clear, unlike in some other jurisdictions, the detention facility and THAAD does not control the front door to our detention facility. Right. And so to the extent that we want to reduce that number of young people that enter the facility, we have to work in partnership with the rest of the juvenile justice system to make sure that we have a comprehensive strategy to not only reduce overreliance on detention, but to also make certain that we have community based alternatives that keep young people out of the juvenile justice system to begin with. I think there is a commitment for that level of partnership. I also believe that to the extent that we are effectively partnering with these other juvenile justice agencies, that we're also looking at how we're using those resources. There has to be a commitment to a decision point analysis for every young person that comes through our juvenile justice system so that we know where those pinch points are. We know what's driving young people into the system. We know why they're staying for the length of time that they are. And we have more clarity as to what they need in order to keep them out of the system to begin with. So, yes, I am committed to doing that work. I know that Director Diaz is committed to that as well. And to the extent that we get the rest of our juvenile justice partners on board, I think that there is great opportunity and great hope that King County can achieve the goals that it has set out. And that's one place that I would love to work with you on is that data sharing piece. Because you're right, much of the gatekeeping role is happening before you, law enforcement, courts, state legislation. If you're able to gather that information about where that flow is coming from, that's something we would like to review. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good to see you. And look. Hi. So could you tell me how many youth are in detention today? So today we are at I believe we're at 34 young people in custody. So when I first got here, we were at 198. So now we're at 34. So I think we need to celebrate how far we've come. There's places to go, but how far we've come. And I think you mentioned some things that we really need to be very cognizant of. Number one, there are parents who refuse to take their children back. There are children that have threats from gangs that cannot go home. And there's also a broken DSH system of foster care where they won't take these children. So I think as we talk about who's in there keeping the categories very clear, these are children that might be misdemeanors, but the parents won't take them just they just won't take them. And the gang would take them, but they have a threat on them so that we aren't saying that we're mistreating misdemeanor children and when in fact, the truth is we're keeping them alive by keeping them in a place that unfortunately is the safest place for them to be because other parts of the system are broken. So I think keeping that number so people can be aware of how other things are broken. Also keeping the number of the auto decline numbers separate from the under 18, because I think we've done an awesome job at bringing other decline kids back to a place where they have a library, a gym, a clothing shelter, counseling, medical and the things that they may not have had in the same amount, including schooling at an adult jail where they were before. So I would like to see that number lower, which is what we've been doing for the last years to get from 198 down to 34. But I think as we have talked about, we need to know who those 34 are and be able to analyze that in such a way that we aren't holding and saying that our system isn't a good system. If you look nationally, are we number one in the country for the lowest incarcerate incarceration rate per capita? I would say, yes, we are among the best in terms of lowest incarceration. I think that's important for people to know that we are the lowest in the entire country because we put all these programs together and have made a difference. And we did open up the best starts for kids to do exactly what you said to stop the pipeline. We've worked with the schools, but I'm looking forward to working with you after all this good work to get this far where the next things are. And I would be very interested in knowing because along the way the question was along the way, did we change the design of the building? And in fact, as we were going along during the last four and a half years, prior changed their ratios. There were a lot of other federal laws that changed, and we had to be very nimble about making those readjustments. So and I know and I think that was one of you did a final check the other day of some upgrades at the very end in the building. Which one of you did that? I can't remember. Well, that's a daily activity for me these days. So when you brought us the list at the meeting two years ago, I think we voted to take care of all those. Thank you for that support. Yes, you did. So we have tried very hard to keep this state of the art so that it is a respectful place for people with a variety of needs. And I'm thankful that you're going to be working with us. Councilmember Lambert, thank you for your comments. Greatly appreciate it. Councilmember Nevsky. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you very much for appearing before us today. Mr. Nance, I'm sorry that you and I have not had a chance to meet and talk in person. I know that was promised by Mr. Six Keller, but for whatever reason, it hasn't happened. So forgive me if I have a couple of questions here. No problem. More efficient than a one on one. You know, we all, as legislators, are proud of certain pieces of legislation that we work on. And one of the things that I was able to right here in pass was a ban on solitary confinement of young people in the facility or opening. And not that that's anything that should have been difficult. But it's a it's a point of pride for me in this council to have advance that legislation now. We've had some hiccups in implementing a little bit, but I wonder if you've had a chance to read that legislation and whether you have any concerns about being able to implement and honor its intent on a go forward consistent basis. Thank you for the question, Councilmember Demovsky. First of all, let me say that, yes, I have had an opportunity to read the legislation several times, bisecting it, understanding all the elements, especially as we have looked to achieve compliance with the elements of the ordinance. I will also state that I appeared in Olympia to testify in legislation before the representatives with respect to the statewide legislation that would call for the ban on solitary confinement. I testified on behalf of King County in support of that legislation and Representative. Frame's bill pardon Representative Noelle Frame's Frames. That is correct. And I also spoke and referenced the local ordinance that was passed here in 2017 that you wrote. And so I believe that that we should not ever detain a youth in a room for punitive purposes. I think that operationally, there are times when a young person may be in the room at the youth request because of a medical need or a variety of of reasons that are unrelated to their conduct that we need to work through. And our legislation allows that flexible. Yes. And I did see some of that. In the legislation. I think we believe that that the legislation makes sense. We have been working very hard to comply. I think that documenting that evidence of compliance is challenging without an electronic system to capture each and every one of those safety checks. So we're really relying on a heavily manual system to do that, both to capture that data in the moment, but more challenging to roll that data up in such a way as to be able to report out on that. We've made great progress. And and I think that our staff recognizes the importance of eliminating solitary confinement, room confinement. And and we hope that we can continue to work with this body as we discover opportunities to continue to improve and perhaps some opportunities to revise in ways that make sense both for the council bodies, but also for the community and for the operations of our facilities as well. You mentioned in your opening remarks the overall framework of a public health response, and that's something the executive has proposed. How we handle young people held in detention. And I'm interested in your thinking. You also described kind of a merit or points based system, which I know we use and is typical in facilities to get into the . What's the primary merit center? The merit. Center? Yes. It strikes me when you're seeing a medical professional, is that the doctor or the practitioner doesn't kind of make you do good behavior to get the things that are good for you. They just make that available. And I wonder if instead are instead of requiring a young person to earn those points to get into the rec center or the merit center, if the default shouldn't be, you're in the educational setting, you're in the rec center, you're being treated as a young person and wrapping those positive reinforcements around you. And only if you earn your way out of that, you know, do you go back to some of the stuff that might be a little less enjoyable. You see, I'm saying they're kind of a different frame of perspective, a different reference instead of your bad. But you can earn your way to something good. You're good. We're going to treat you with positive reinforcement experiences and opportunities, and only behavior that makes it unsafe for others or unproductive would get you out of that. Is that is that. Well, I mean, I think that that is certainly an approach that could be implemented. Part of the responsibility that we have for managing young people in a detention environment is it is also about managing their conduct. And some of these young people may not have developed the self-control or the consistency in positive and appropriate interactions with their peers and or with other adults, for that matter. And so part of what what we have an obligation to do is to create an environment that not only teaches those new skills, but then provide some incentive for the young people when they comply with those expectations, when they reach those standards far. And so often that approach, consistent with the contemporary literature that's out there on best practices for, say, helping young people out. What feels. A little dated to me. With respect to that. You're the you're the expert. I'm asking. No, thank you for the question. With respect to a a merit center center, I think there has to be a variety of strategies. There is no one size fits all in the way that we interact with young people in our custody. And there are some young people who will be able to meet those minimum expectations quite easily, others who will struggle. But I but I do want to separate our commitment to a therapeutic trauma informed public health approach from the day to day activities involved in managing behavior. I think that while there may be some overlap in those there, there are also very distinct concepts that need to be considered with respect to a trauma. Informed approach, for example. That's a recognition that young people have experience, adverse childhood experiences. Don't you have to carry out that concept of a trauma informed approach to supporting young people who are in detention into the practices of the facility? Yes. I mean, why would you draw? Why would you separate those two? But what I'm and what I'm separating is the fact that there are clinical needs that a young person may have that are learned based on an assessment, and that there are specific clinical strategies that are designed to respond to those clinical needs in a therapeutic manner. And and we should always do that with our young people. But but we should also prepare them for the community that they will return to, where society will have expectations for them that they will have to meet, and that when they meet those expectations, that there are incentives to continue to work hard to get to the next level. And so that's not about being punitive. It's not about denying a young person an opportunity. It's about creating an environment that reinforces and motivates young people to do better, to be better, to continue to improve. And so while I'm not objecting that that we could make the merit center available to every young person and then perhaps pull that away when they don't comply. The best practice literature is that instead of having a system that's based on a punitive response when young people misbehave, that it is far better to create opportunities to incentivize the behavior that we seek in the young people that are in our care. Final question or topic. Sure. Your last employment was at the city and county of San Francisco last June. The board of Supervisors there voted 10 to 1 to close their juvenile justice facility by the end of 2021. Yes. Do you support. Did you when you're down there, did you support that policy change? Were you involved in the development of it? Did you oppose it there doing by providing alternative facilities and programs that support what many in the community here are interested in seeing us do? So I'm wondering, since you were there, what's your take on it? What was your role in that? I, I would say that. It was rolled out in a fairly quick fashion. The legislation was introduced in April. I had not had an opportunity to review it prior to its introduction, so I didn't really know what the details were. In California, detention facilities are approved and the standards for those facilities are set by a state agency, the Board of State and Community Corrections in any county, the Superior Court, the judges to determine what is a suitable juvenile detention facility. And as the discussion regarding the elimination of San Francisco's juvenile hall, a facility that was built approximately 12 years ago, is that came on the radar. I expressed concern that eliminating the facility without any consideration for the state regulations with respect to alternatives or creating an opportunity where there was a voice of the judicial branch with respect to what those alternatives would be and the lack of clarity as to the future plan and the absence of the existing facility, that all of those were reasons where we should take pause before a date certain was established to close the existing facility. And so while I certainly believe and support the reduction in the overutilization or the utilization of secure detention, I was extremely concerned that that would happen before a more reasonable alternative could be developed. They did put together a work group to implement a plan and program on its on the way to closure. So do I understand your answer to me that you were not supportive of that legislation for the reasons you articulated? That is correct. Would there have been any basis on which you would support the closure of the juvenile detention facility? Yes. And as I stated, if there is a clear plan for the alternative, that wouldn't adversely impact the youth and families that were in our system requiring them to be moved outside of the county. I believe that we in San Francisco could have proceeded in a thoughtful way in the in the absence of a clearly articulated alternative site. Environmental review. A budget. A strategic plan. All of the things that a capital project would require. It was more aspirational than than concrete. And so I don't have any concern about moving in that direction. But clearly, there has to be a clear plan to get there. And the group that you identified hadn't developed that. Yet, 10 to 1, the supervisors yet to proceed. So you're up here now and you've stated that there is a way where you could be supportive of closing the facility. Would you take it upon your self in this role to develop the specifics of a plan with budget facilities, environmental review, the different elements that you've outlined there to see us achieve the aspirational goal as has been described as zero detention, but to bring it to reality. Because I'm impressed with the boldness get there not we'll see at the San Francisco Board of supervisors to say let's let's let's take action and move in that direction rather than articulate a going. I hear your concerns there. They seem reasonable and valid, but would you take it upon yourself in this role to bring us closer to that vision in reality instead of just aspirations? Well, first of all, I don't know that I can say that that is within my role in my current capacity here, to take that upon myself, to move that vision. I can say with confidence that if that is the will of the county, that I will do everything within my power to support it. I believe that there are a number of great ideas that exist across the nation and elsewhere around the world to respond to the secure custody needs of young people in the community. And I think we should explore any of them that will create better outcomes for young people in King County. And if that means sitting at the table and helping to develop those strategies, I'm happy to be a part of that. Again, I, I was in a different role in in King County or in San Francisco as the chief probation officer there. Not the role that I'm in in this capacity. But rest assured that if that is the vision of the county through the executive's office and this council, I will support it. I hope we can get you to be more than a supporter but a leader on it with your expertize. I'm happy to contribute in whatever way can help that be achieved. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Balducci. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to just make a quick statement, and I'm going to try to keep it to less than what we offer to the public in terms of time to speak. I am so impressed by your experience, your the different ways you come at the challenge of youth detention did have the opportunity to also go on a tour of the detention facility. And we had a lot of time to talk through your tour. So I don't have a lot of questions, but I want to add a little bit to this discussion. I think what you're being asked is if you had been here three years ago or four years ago, would you have supported building the new facility or not? I'm here to say it's built and we're hiring you to run it. The question is, what are we going to do with it? Right. And I think all of us here agree that we should have as few youth in detention as possible. Kids locked in a small cell are being traumatized. Kids who are not locked in a small cell, but whose freedom is being curtailed because they were thin in a detention facility, are being traumatized. This is not the place I think we all agree. This is not where you send kids for therapeutic reasons. You send them there for other reasons. And we should limit that as much as we absolutely can. And I'm hearing no disagreement and I'm seeing you not. And everybody up there. Not yet. So. So the goal of zero youth detention is absolutely the right goal, whether we get there or whether we just asymptotically get closer and closer all the time. That is the direction we should be going. I think that the proposal from the executive branch to take a public health approach to juvenile detention is very interesting . It's unique. I don't know of anybody else who's doing it, and I think that maybe a way to break through to that next level of can we reduce that population even more while maintaining public safety? I think what we want to do is we want to continue the county's focus on early intervention and family supports through things like the best starts for kids levy. We want to have community investment so that the communities are strong and can support themselves and support their youth. We need human services for kids and families who do have challenges in their lives. We have a strong policy role. You talked about not controlling the front door. It was absolutely controlling the front door that caused that first big jump down from 200 to where we are today. And Cliff's 90 because he was part of it. Right. I wasn't here at the time. And that was saying you can't bring any old kid here because they shoplifted a candy bar. You have to meet some kind of a police officer. You have to meet some kind of a level or you can't bring that kid here because we're not going to lock a kid up for a minor, minor crime. Council members are always pointing to, are we really living up to that? Are there other youth in detention right now who we could say they don't really need to be here and find more alternatives? We need obviously more diversion, more alternatives. The building allows for that. And I think we should be very proud of that fact. And of course, it's all about partnerships and system integration at schools dependency and and like homelessness response. All those organizations that work around you need to work with us. So I am delighted to have you come and bring all your experience and your heart and your and your, you know, integrity to this role. And I want to just encourage you to think about that holistic sort of approach that we have to take. We have to deal with what's happening now. We have to plan for the future, and we have to do it in a really holistic way. I think you're the right guy to do it. I'm going to be very happy to vote for your confirmation. Okay. Forward to working with you. I appreciate your support. Thank you. Councilmember Cole. WELLS Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I'd like to say ditto to what Councilmember Bell did. She just said very pointed and right on remarks. I see this is very complicated, though complex. And throughout my legislative career, I've been disinclined to lock kids up. I when I was first in the state Senate, I was the lead force against the Baca bill. I'm not sure if you know what that is, but so I have a real disinclination there. But I understand that there are some compelling reasons, and I think you've stated them well, that we have to work for the betterment of the kids who for various reasons have been traumatized in their life and we do not want to contribute to further traumatization. I was very fortunate with some of my staff to visit the New Children Families Center last Thursday with Councilmember McDermott and his staff. And I don't know if it's the timing of when other council members have visited there, but I was really pleased with the bricks and mortar. I was pleased with the detention floor to overall as much as I could be, but the cheerful, bright colors, the big, very large library, the classrooms, I mean. It was night and day to what I had perceived going through the former center, the detention center, and I may have understood things or misunderstood things, but when I talked with you on our tour, I was pleased that the kids were not locked up in separate cells. It was during the night time. Did I hear that correctly? That is correct. Primarily during the the overnight hours, although the restroom facilities are in each of the rooms. So the young people take breaks throughout the day so that they have access to those facilities. I'm concerned if people watching this are thinking that the kids are locked up in individual cells the whole time. They're just not. I think there's 16 person units that were very open and lot of things going on there. That is correct. Liberties and the food and so forth. And the library, the classrooms. But I see I'm old in this. And I can remember when the state had a lot of liability because kids said they were called schools then such as Serco, Glen were in two person living units and the kids were very vulnerable. Some of them and were raped, were sexually assaulted by the person who was in the unit with them overnight. There's a little window that was all in the door and the guard would go around and make rounds once every half hour and look in the units. But of course, the kids knew when that was happening. And there were, I think, two or three wings. And when the security guy was in the other wing, that's when kids were very vulnerable. And as a result of that, not only was the state liable for a huge trauma to kids who are assaulted, but also for lawsuits and other things. But what we did is develop a sexually aggressive youth measure through an instrument to determine which kids were sexually aggressive and which weren't to try to get away from kids being placed in very vulnerable situations. And from my tour last week, I had asked about, you know, why kids were in individual units overnight. And it seemed to me that's part of it, is some type of protection and then away from all the the goings on so they could have some time now I that could be just a no. That's absolutely correct. I'm not trying to just buy into everything that's said that I think, again, this is complicated. People get upset with having an average daily attendance. Now, I think it's 43 somewhere in. There on average. Around 40. Yes. As you said, it's 34 today. Correct. But on. And so the concern I've heard has been that we have capacity for 100. How many? 112? 100, the capacity for the state to. Also look at factors such as gender. You don't mix up the girls and the boys. You have to look at gang activity. So the kids who are part of one gang that's in conflict with another gang are not going to be in the same unit. And so my point is there are many extenuating reasons. I'm not trying to stick up here for locking kids up, but I'm very pleased with what I have seen there on the tour. One question here, though, is it accurate to say that under federal and or state statutes that we have to have a detention center, or is that in? That is correct. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Student Council member. Mr. Chair, I would be my privilege to move proposed motion number 2019 0480 confirming the appointment of Alan Nance as director of Juvenile Division. Thank you. Councilmember Dunn has moved adoption of our motion 2018 480 council Councilmember Dunn and. To speak to it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Nance. In my view, we are incredibly lucky to have you coming up to our community. Your willingness to serve in this very important role. I think the timing is is really good. We've had a, you know, a real sort of dramatic public debate about the facility itself. And that debate has triggered a variety of policies here at the county council. You weren't really in the fray, which is kind of good, but you were in your own fray, I'm sure, down in San Francisco dealing with things down there. But, you know, your experiences without. Question and your attitude is excellent. And you just, I think, in my judgment, successfully ran the county council gantlet, which can be challenging. You know, we went to stuff, we were in the middle. It was up there. There was a couple pretty good. You did very well. And here's here's here's here's my challenge. And then I just want to is, is because you come from outside of the community of Seattle that you continue to bring new ideas and energy and enthusiasm and policy direction that I hope you will continue to infuse. One thing up here, we don't want to have you know, we've done it this way. Let's just continue to do it that way. We want to have, you know, ways in which we can find efficiencies and improve the overall outcomes, which, as my colleagues have aptly noted, is is not just, of course, about incarceration rates. It's about the outcomes on the on the street. And and that's a good thing. So I'm eager to support your nomination, vote for it, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. Thank you. Councilmember Dunn. And I accept that opportunity to continue to bring new ideas. Thank you, sir. 16. No further discussion, madam. Kirk, if you please, call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilman Balaji. Councilor Dombrowski. Councilmember Dunn. All right. Councilmember Well, I'm councilmember member. I have a member of the group. Councilmember One right there. Councilmember John Gay. Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the vote is nine I's and zero notes. Thank you for your vote. We've given a do pass recommendation to motion 2019 for 80. I think I misspoke earlier and called it 2018 and we will advance that to full council. But we come from putting that on consent. We put that on the consent agenda. Thank you very much. Thank you. And that takes us to item eight on today's agenda. This is proposed motion 2019 476, which would approve the initial framework for the King County Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Task Force as required by earlier motion, which established the task force. Jeff Mumm will offer a brief staff report and when you're ready, invite panelists up and we'll proceed. And as we begin, I want to acknowledge and apologize and acknowledge that you've been here for a full 2 hours of committee hearing. Appreciate your being here through this. And even more so appreciate the work that you're bringing to us today. Is it Councilmember. Lambert? Thank you. Thank you. I just wanted to say that I won't be able to hear your presentation in total because I have 75 homes that are in trouble right now. So I will be leaving. But I want you to and I'll be watching it on tape. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I heard the request for a brief briefings, but I will be brief. So, for the record, Jeff, ma'am, counsel, central staff, before you is motion 2019 0479, which would improve an initial framework for the County Gender Identification and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Task Force. The Staff Report, which was authored by Sam Porter, who can't be here today, is found on page 15 of your packet in. And to be brief, the framework is in compliance with the with the initial council motion 15162 which the Council adopted to establish the task force. And it lays out a timeframe, a goals and a budget for the task force to do its work over the next year. And I think the major or not the major the the one issue I will highlight is in the budget implications. The task force, the second 2018 omnibus budget included expenditure restriction within the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget for 100 and $100,000 to support the task force work and the budget outlined within this document and ranges between 175,000 and $240,000 to support the work. And that would be for a consultant to hire one term limited position. And then the support honorarium of $100 a month for task force members. The executive has stated that they don't intend to seek additional funding to support the task force. So it's so I'm assuming in the executive staffing speak to this more that they would absorb those costs within the department. And that concludes the the very brief report. I think you wanted to save time to hear from the task force members themselves. Very much so. See no questions of Mr. Ma'am. I invite the members of the Task Force Forward. And while they don't have a complete list, I also know that at least one of your members seems to have had to leave, I assume, due to the due to the hour. So. I apologize again. And we have the Mr. Members stood up with the chair at the end as well. Good afternoon and welcome. Thank you. Terry McDermott and members of the Council. And my name is Kelly McDermott. I work on external relations in the executive's office, which means I have the pleasure often to work with our community partners and different taskforces and community engagement opportunities. I prefer she and her pronouns and I am the Deputy Director of External Relations in the exact office that Jack Kennedy can go quiet askance. A la de Channel E Jen. My name is Samantha Bhaskar from the Haida Conquer and Inupiaq nation. And I'm here. I prefer she here, her pronouns as well. And then I'm here with Na Elihu friend as their community engagement specialist Inc. Hello, Honorable Council members. And I tell you what. Waiting is not a problem when real democracy is happening. So thank you, Marsha Boxer. She and her Ingersoll gender senator Martin Luther King County Labor Council, the new Washington State LGBTQ Commission, Equal Rights Washington. But so honored to be a part of this project that we're going to present today. Tal Afar. Armenia is a society for Hanon and thank you for having us today. We're really honored and humbled to be here. Pronouns are she her and so one feminine pronoun. And I'm here on behalf of Pride, Foundation, Utopia, Seattle, Trans Women of Color, Solidarity Network and the Washington State LGBTQ Commission. Thank you. Good afternoon. Steven Sawyer, executive director of Spokane, formerly known as People of Color. Against AIDS Network. Also with the State Western State LGBTQ Commission. Thank you. Great. And we'll be brief, but we wanted to take a minute to talk a little bit about the process that led us here today. And I will just say we had three long, wonderful task force meetings that went into the creation of the document in front of you, the initial framework. And we took time to educate and become educated about the work programs and lines of business for each county department, agency and branch of government and separately elected office, which was incredibly helpful to help the task force and winnowing down and determining particular areas of focus for the work ahead. We had a meeting after we transmitted the framework with council members Baldacci and Cole Wells to talk about the budget request. And Jeff was correct that we did make a compromise around executive staff sort of subsuming the role of in place of hiring a TLT to liaise with county departments. And we've worked to identify a roster of points of contact in all executive departments so that when the work kicks off, once we've onboarded our consultants and sort of rebooted in the second phase of our work, that will we'll be able to really easily and quickly respond to the task force's needs as it relates to departments in separate and separately elected offices. And we just want to thank the Council for their unanimous support of the budget request. We are looking forward to the work ahead. And now I'm going to pass it on to Samantha and Steven to talk a little bit about the different elements of the initial framework, including our inclusion of a land acknowledgment at the top of the report, as well as the guiding principles focusing on equity, intersectionality and the centering of impacted communities in the work ahead. Thank you, Kelly. As I said before, in my language, my name is Samantha Basco here at Na Elegy Fund. I was really intent on including a land acknowledgment in our body of work, not as sort of hollow words that make documents and meetings longer, but rather as an opportunity for us all to ground our work in this place and with each other. So I really and truly believe that land acknowledgments are an opportunity and a responsibility to one another and to this land and the people who are here first to work with each other for the care of. The land and each other. I really believe also that a land acknowledgment is sort of the beginning step. It's definitely not the end step. And that with land acknowledgments, it's sort of the opening. To a dialog in which we make sure that Native American people are included at the table on which our land, our culture, our traditional knowledge and our labor helped build. I believe that in our. Culture, in many Native American cultures, there is a. People we call to spirit, people who are diverse in gender expression as well as sexuality, and they hold a very honored and special place in our culture. They are celebrated. They are who we traditionally have gone to in both times of peace and war for advice and counsel and who have unique gifts that they give to community when they feel safe and welcome. And so it is within this work that we really wanted to ground that opportunity for education and learning among each other and look to all marginalized groups within this county to really make them feel secure, welcome and included in our body of work so that they can feel safe and welcome enough to share their gifts with us. Thank you. And just to. Talk about the social justice and equity piece, you know, so often as the executive director of okay and I'm talking about social justice and equity as we do work. Broadly in the community, but we've always. Still had a focus around LGBTQ issues as well. And it's incredibly important that we think there are folks. That are marginalized, especially our trans women of color. You know, African-American men who have sex with men is very. Important to kind of center this work around that. Oftentimes they don't get a voice at the table. And so they're creating this. By creating this, you allow them to have a voice at the table and have some buy in in the process of government, which is very key and important to this work. Okay. So beginning my activism in the late sixties and moving to LGBTQ issues in the mid seventies and focusing on trans sense, I have to say this is a real moment in history and you are making this moment happen and we're doing the part. I wanted to let you know about what we're doing with this task force, what this project is. We're making sure that we're contacting those folks who can really help us do the right thing and the right job. So specific groups that we have identified there in the list, of course, but let me just mention a few. We're definitely now aware, thanks to the work of this task force in our meetings, that the Department of Community Resource, Human Resources, Department of Public Health, Adult and Juvenile Detention and many others are departments and areas we need to talk to to make sure that our project around gender identity, around sexual orientation is understood not only in those departments, but what they can tell us how to do it. We've we haven't just conjured up we've worked to make real engagement strategies that we have, for example, focusing on the key stakeholders. We ourselves, we know many of those folks, but we don't know them all. Although the work of this this taskforce has indeed shown us some other partners that we are definitely going to include. We're also going to create an online tool. No, no surprise there, but we will definitely have that for a public commentary. We'll have our materials up for us to see. It'll be there for us in the way that it is done these days. Very different than it was in the sixties. Let me tell you, we are going to invite county staff, clients, experts, anyone that has been identified to us to join us, to help us. And then finally, we are fully aware of organizations, other organizations that we need to connect. For example, Immigrant and Refugee Commission is one that we will want to talk to, have been talking about and to and so many others, our Community Policing Commission, disability rights and so on. We have the large list. We are aware we will contact. We will do the work. And many thanks to you. And we're really grateful that you've all approved the budget around Ontarians, and it's something that's been tricky to talk about even with the other commissions at the table. And and it's really important that we honor the work of community organizers, right? As Council member Buttigieg said before, this is a community investment. Right. When we leave our jobs, we the work doesn't stay there. We take it home. And we work to keep our community safe and to build stronger relationships and keeping those communities safer. So and also I just want to mention that when we're not doing when we're here as part of the task force, every for every $100 that's awarded by a foundation to LGBTQ communities, we get about $0.28 of that. And it's even less for trans communities, it's about $0.03. So it's really important that we seize this opportunity to do something different, to honor the work of organizers like Marshall, who's been doing this since the sixties for free and for a lot of marginalized communities and for a lot of black indigenous people of color, we've always done things for free and it's time to do something different. So I think. And to close. I'm happy to talk a little bit about what's next. Next steps for the task force. So we had our I worked with our procurement department and our RFP for consulting services for somebody to come and help facilitate to help us facilitate and work with the exact staff on community engagement and to write our final report. That is the recommended strategy as well as a set of recommendations for how we might be a more inclusive government when it comes to different gender identities and sexual orientations outside of dominant narratives. So that bid is closing next week and hopefully we will have somebody on board at our next task force meeting is in the building on February 26. That's open. So if you want to attend or send your staff or let your constituents know and please feel free to do so, I'm happy to send information to any offices. And additionally. So with the proviso on the honorarium funds in our initial framework, we said we wanted to disperse the funds on a monthly basis, but the proviso asks us to take a look at how we might bring honorarium to scale for efforts such as this moving forward, where we're really asking folks who represent or work with marginalized communities to step away from their regular duties and come and help us out as an institution. And so a small committee of task force members is going to be working with executive staff and folks from PSB, the Office of Equity and Social Justice, as well as our Boards and Commissions liaison to develop some processes and protocols about how we will disperse honorarium and what it might take monetarily to bring it to scale for these types of processes moving forward. And with that, I think we're happy to answer any questions that you might have. Thank you. I think that a land acknowledgment is indeed a first step and an important step to recognize a community that stewarded and cared for these lands for so long and has the wisdom to recognize unique people as being as perhaps having unique contributions rather than to be other than shunned as so many other communities have. Thank you. And talking about a ability to evolve in time. Marcia is a woman ahead of her time. Marcia has started with bullhorns and organizing and today is not afraid of organizing with websites and social media. The report and speeches don't follow Marcia at a podium as Councilmember Dombrowski I know very well. But the work that you've all collectively come together to do on behalf of the county and people of the county is really essential. Thank you for bringing this up to us and for the work that you're prepared to do for the rest of the year. In your report, you lay out an ambitious set of work for which I'm very appreciative. Questions come. Councilmember Up the Grove. Thank you, Mr. Chair. More of a. Comment, if that's okay. I11 is I will not rule you out of order. Why, thank you. I missed the day of the media. I would suggest maybe just shoot it off to all the council members offices. That would be great. Also, what you said. About Marsha, that, you know, it's a sign of how far the movement have come that you're now with. Was it generations aging for pride as once as the young leader. But I think we all stand on your shoulders and the work you've done. May I come in? I think everyone for these exceedingly kind comments, and for me, it's just such an honor to be with my compatriots who are taking us not only through this stage with you, but to the future. They are the ones carrying us to the future. Definitely. And the. I also wanted to thank you for, as you said, centering equity. You know, I as a I'm a gay man, I marginalized to some degree, but I'm a man and I'm white and I'm financially stable. And that's a very different experience than a low income trans woman of color. But I think building those coalitions and speaking as one is important, and that only works if we put. Equity at. The center of that. And so I. Appreciate that approach as you. Move forward. And then finally, one little as you're doing your work and your relationship building with other organizations, I wanted to share with you a a little victory that. You might be able to plug. Into if you hadn't heard about. Our last county budget included a little bit of funding for our housing agency to do outreach specific to the LGBT community. And I'm I'm not sure how it's going to be administered they might be contracted was ally ship that had requested the funding and I assume they'll be involved in implementing it and there's an opportunity there, as you know well, that the transgender community faces unique challenges, even separate from gay and lesbian population in terms of housing discrimination. And we do have a few resources there and maybe be able to weigh in and help make sure that those are being targeted effectively and that the county's. Making good use of. That could. Be something that that task force could weigh in on or. Participate in. So I want to let you know that body of work was happening. Thank you, Councilmember Zala. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to thank you all so much for your work and for being powerful voices and advocates. The point you made about honoraria is so important because, like you said, so often black, indigenous, especially women of color, are expected to do work unpaid as expected to march and protest and organize on behalf of others unpaid. I would love it if you treated this task force as a model for how we can best engage community. So if you see other ways in addition to honoraria, in addition to be paid being paid things that we should do better as local government in engaging community and partnering with you. We would love to hear from you and using that as a model. Thank you. Councilmember Dombroski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. In a moment, I'll move adoption of the motion to approve the initial framework. But before I do. Earlier on in this hearing, I talked about a piece of legislation of which I was particularly proud. And the legislation that I wrote that commenced this work ranks right up there with that. I have not had the burdens and difficulties in my life that the folks in which were aiming to lift up with this work have. But you talked, Marcia, about an honor and a privilege do the work. It's an honor and privilege to get to just be a small part of the work that you're doing and all of you are doing. And to me, what makes it so special and important to me is it's about at its core, the dignity of the human being. It's a very emotional thing. The dignity of the human being coming to people and meeting folks where they are and who they are, and setting aside false constructs imposed by society. The history lesson that you reminded us of that this is just a rough go. I had a little sidebar that really it's a westernized contemporary imposition of these gender identities and that our first peoples aren't burdened by that. They had a more complex understanding and it is pretty powerful when you remind us of that, that just because things are what they are today, it doesn't mean that's what they should be or have always been. And so this work at its core to recognize, honor and respect the dignity of each person is what this is about. And I am so impressed with the seriousness with which you have undertaken the work, the thoughtfulness, the way you're in, the depths in which you're going. We have almost 15,000 people here at King County working every day. We come in contact with hundreds of thousands, maybe over a million people a year. We have two and a quarter million here in the county. But delivering these vital services and how we treat not only our own folks, but the public that we're dealing with is really a foundational principle. And when we look at this, we realized we weren't doing all that we could or should be, and your work is going to help us get there. I think it'll take some time, but I am excited that the policy leaders here in the government are open and willing to learn from you, the experts , to take your advice and follow your leadership. And I want you to hold us accountable. And when you say we need more resources, don't be afraid to speak up and you need more resources, I think you'll find open ears. And when you say we need to make, which I hope you will. These kind of changes in policy and practices, I think you have open minds and eager allies here to do that, and that's the work that I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm here. I'm learning myself. The idea was sparked by reading an article when I couldn't sleep about X gender, right? Put an X on your license and start talking to my staff. And they said, Well, look, Ron, it's a lot more complicated and that's a lot more in-depth than that. And that's what has generated this. So I'm just very, very, very moved at a very real and deep personal way about the work that you're about that you are doing and the recommendations that are coming. I'm so excited to see it. And with that, Mr. Chair, I'm pleased to move adoption and a proposed motion 2019 0479.1. And I understand there's at least one amendment. Council member domestic has moved adoption of motion 2019 479 and Councilmember Dombroski. There's a striking amendment S1 and page 33. Move adoption. Council member Debusk has moved adoption of a striking amendment S1 and from members information is technical changes Marines in a striking amendment at more than 2 hours into a meeting. Right. Sneaking anything by. Come on. That's not. Discussing questions. Oh, there's. Oh, there's a favor. Please say. I. Those opposing a the striking amendment S1 has been adopted moved to one title amendment on page 35 of our package is before us see no discussion others and favorite please say I oppose May the ayes have it? The title amendment is adopted. We have motion 2019 for 79 as amended before us. See no further further discussion, Madam Clerk, if you please call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Counselor. Founded by John Bolton, Muskie. Counsel you're done. Councilman Folau's chapter on climate can cover up the role of companies that on record hire council members on the right. Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the vote is seven eyes, zero no's and council members. Done in. Lambert are excused. Thank you. Having received the required majority motion, 2019 479, as amended, is sent to full council with the do pass recommendation. And we will take shall we put that on consent? Without objection, we'll put that on the consent agenda. Again, I want to thank you so much for the work you've invested already and the work that you're invested in doing throughout the year as well. Not only the communities you represent, but the entire county and beyond will be Richard for it. Thank you. And with that having no other business to come before us, believe it or not, we are adjourned. ", "output": "A MOTION confirming the appointment of Allen Nance as the director of the juvenile division of the department of adult and juvenile detention."}
{"id": "king_b91de0c7-f52d-458d-8fb7-908a9458696c", "input": "The meeting of the King County Council's committee, the hall for June 14th, 2021. If we start today, I'd like to acknowledge that we're on the traditional and the Puget Salish peoples past and present. We think these caretakers of the land who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial. I'd also like to acknowledge the many urban Indians in King County who have brought their cultural ways of life here and greatly enrich our community and happy Bloomsday to one and all. In light of the public health emergency, the governor has issued an exemption to the public record, the Open Public Meetings Act, that requires we have a physical space to hold our meetings. We have this down to a pretty good art at this point in time. More than a year into the pandemic and now we know two weeks out from the lifting of the mask mandate here in King County and a reopening, the couple of housekeeping items on today's agenda do ask us to help us manage this meeting would ask that everyone except from members keep your video off until just before you plan to speak. And additionally, if you're connecting to the meeting via cell phone and you wish to provide public comment, I would invite you to, if at all possible switch over to connecting via the Zoom application. We have had issues in getting people to unmute and even a time delay if they're not in the Zoom app and trying to offer a public comment. So I would invite them to do that without Adam Croke. Would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Banducci. Councilmember Dombrowski. Here. Councilmember Dunn. Here. Councilmember Caldwell's here. Councilmember Lambert. Councilmember up the growth. Councilmember Vaughn right over here. Council members online here. Mr. Chair. Here. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum. Thank you. Council member denied entertained a motion to approve the minutes of our June 2nd meeting. Move to prove the minutes of June 2nd, 2021. The June 2nd meeting, minutes before seeing new discussion. All those in favor of approving the minutes please signify by saying I oppose nay. The ayes have it. In an overwhelming majority, I believe we have people here for public comment. So let me go through the ground rules, both for how we manage it virtually and for public comment generally here at the council. Public comment items should be related to items on today's meeting agenda, not be used for the purposes of assisting the campaign for election of any person in the office or for the promotion or opposition of any ballot proposition. I will note we have an item on today's agenda that could end up on the ballot. It is on today's agenda and very open for comment today. I mean, your your presentation, your comments should not include obscene speech. And if a speaker fails to abide by these restrictions, they may be ruled out of order and they may be required to exit the virtual meeting. Now, the process member members, who as you as you've joined the public meeting, we can see either your name or the last three digits of your telephone number. The clerk will go through and call everyone on the line and invite you to offer public comment if you wish. If you're here to just listen, you can just say that. But when you are called on, be ready to undo your line and then simply state your name and pause so that the court can confirm that we can hear you. We know the audio is working. And then if you can begin your testimony by saying and spelling your name so we can have it accurate. For the record, please do not use the raised hand feature. As I mentioned, the clerk will go through everyone in the meeting. Reason feature moves people out of order and further confuses that process. And again, if you can use the Zoom application, it certainly helps. I wasn't reading and doing all this from memory and making sure I didn't miss anything. If you are listening to the audio in another format streaming or TV, please turn that off to our for your public testimony so we don't get feedback. And I think that pretty much sums it up. I may have neglected to mention that you have 2 minutes for your public comment. And with that, I know we have a number of people here to present. But Madam Clerk, if you would invite people to who are here for public comment to begin. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first person is love, Alicia Elson Schwab. Please go ahead. Morning. My name is Lev Elson Schwab. Thank you. Go ahead. Thank you. And to spell my name, it's l e v is the first name. Last name is e l aso n hyphen s c h w Abby. Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Terry McDermott and the council members for having me here. My name is live, Allison Schwab and I'm representing the Seattle King County League of Women Voters. I'm here today to express our support for proposed Ordinance 2020 10232 to establish ranked choice voting for King County offices. Our support is based on a league study and of course the many demonstrated benefits of ranked choice voting to the electorate . Ranked choice voting gives a stronger voice to voters in elections, and it increases civic engagement. It incentivizes candidates to run more positive, issue focused campaigns, leading to reduced polarization. It encourages more women and people of color to run and leads to more equitable representation. And by combining primary and general elections into a single election, voting will be more efficient. Increasing turnout and saving money. Ranked choice voting is one of the rare issues that has strong support across the political spectrum throughout the country. We in Washington State have a very proud tradition of being leaders in democracy, reform and ballot access. And this is a tradition. I urge you to continue. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next person is Lisa. I'll. Lisa Aro, thank you. Go ahead. My name is Lisa. Arrow a y r a u l t. And I am the Executive Director of FairVote, Washington. Thank you, Chair McDermott and members of the committee. And I'm here to speak this morning in favor of Ordinance 2020 10232 proposing to ask the voters of King County if they would like to amend the charter to use ranked choice voting for King County elections. I want to especially thank the sponsor and co-sponsor of this measure, council members ally and Council member Carl Wells for your support. This is a national moment when people all over our country are wondering, can our democracy survive? Are we are we doing all we can to make it possible for this government, of the people, for the people, by the people to thrive and ranked choice? Voting enters this moment as a simple improvement to strengthen the votes, the voices of voters to to excuse me to realize the vision of this country for of a democracy that can be truly representative. Washington State has been a leader in democracy, voting for a long time. And this is a moment when Washington can lead. And yet right now we have a barrier. The current voting method, our top two method, is mandated statewide, and jurisdictions who wish to try ranked choice voting are unable to do so. King County is an exception. King County can help lead the way here in Washington by providing an opportunity for voters in Washington state to try ranked choice voting, you know, to a limited, reasonable extent in county offices only so that we can see for ourselves how ranked choice voting can improve elections in the ways that a representative from the League of Women Voters has just explained. I would like to underscore that don't be fooled by the experience of Pierce County about more than 15 years ago. Use ranked choice voting briefly. In that election there was a canned unfortunate candidate who one vote. Some will say that this was an example of ranked choice voting. Not working. Not true. Do not be fooled like that. Yes, I'm. Sorry to interrupt. That tone was what was your two minute time? Okay. And I ask you to conclude, I. Am so sorry. Thank you so much. I ask for your support council members respectfully for this measure. And thank you so much. Bye bye. Thank you. And I apologize from doing it from memory. I probably didn't mention the two minute timer and tone to indicate when you should wrap up and conclude. Got it. Thank you. You're very welcome, Madam Clerk. Thank you. The next person is camera shaking. Please go ahead. Thank you, chair, and members of the council. My name is Marsha. I live in Capitol Hill. I believe that's in the eighth District where I'm at. And I'm also here to support the ordinance to ask voters they would like to amend our charter to move to arrange choice voting system here in King County. I think if all of us are being honest with ourselves, everyone can see that our democracy is hurting for really urgent answers. And the problems we face have roots in in our founding institutions, like single choice elections that weren't designed for a multiracial democracy. And now King County has the opportunity to lead with solutions that would make that democracy stronger and better for everyone brought by the very communities who've historically been disenfranchized. I think since our county chartered in 1969, there have been less than five council members of color, and that isn't an accident. A feature of voters being forced to make one or two choices, sometimes not always having their votes affect the outcome with rain treated voting. Voters can know that if they don't get the candidate that they preferred, their vote can count towards the next door, which means they don't have to worry about wasting their vote. And instead of pitting communities against each other in these zero ten elections, like minded communities can vote together in coalition, and it incentivizes candidates to campaign to all voters in a positive way. Those candidates ranked high, and the people who try to demagog or, you know, demagog communities of color, Muslim communities, communities who are marginalized, they pay a political price for sowing that division. And that's why Rate Choice Voting has a broad support from organizations who joined the Washington for Equitable Representation Coalition, a pays agent, counseling restaurant, referral services care. Washington The Coalition of Immigrants and Refugees of Color Sir India Association of Western Washington Latino Community Fund, the Career Community Services Center. Christine Fund, the Washington Bus Transit Riders, Union Map, Samen and so many others. And I urge you are to give voters the ability to vote on and pass ranked choice voting in King County. Thanks so much. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe everybody on the line has had their opportunity to speak. Thank you so much. To make sure that we didn't miss anyone. I'll ask in a moment that we unmute everyone. And then if you're on the line, wishing to give other testimony and did not have the opportunity to say your name, give a little shout out and I will make sure I get your name and then we'll call you. Sir. Madam, can't you get on New Day, everyone? Mr. Chair, I'd ask everyone to unmute themselves. And you hear my other line ringing in the background. Is there anyone else on the line today who would like to offer public testimony and hasn't had the chance to do so? The one anyone else for public testimony. Great. Then I will close public public testimony and thank everyone. And that takes us to item five. On today's agenda, a briefing from Dwight Daley, the director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget, who will update us on the county's COVID 19 pandemic response. Mr. Lively. These briefings, as you know, have become a habit here in the committee of the whole. We appreciate them very much and want to welcome you back from vacation. We missed you at our last meeting during the pandemic. A number of us have been taking on extra loads. We appreciate the work you have done and we're glad you had some time off. And it's also a time to reflect while the work that you present is maybe, perhaps for administrative and financial and budgetary in the briefings of the full council from the Director of the Public Health Department, more regarding the pandemic itself and containment of the pandemic as we hit the opening and end of mask mandates announced yesterday. Well, we'll see how much longer we find it pertinent to make sure that I'm engaging in this. But I'm glad you're here today and expect we will have you back for some time to come. Great. Thank you, Councilmember. It's a pleasure to be here. For the record, Dwight Dave Lee, the director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget. And I have seven things to share with the committee this morning, most of which are COVID related. But a couple I thought I would sneak in that I know are also of interest to you. And most of this is really good news. So it's wonderful to be in the phase where I'm bringing you good news and bad news. As a year ago, it was pretty much all bad news. So let me start with just some signs about how our regional and state economy continues to improve. We don't yet have a new county revenue forecast. We'll get that in July. But I looked at the latest state revenue data and state economic data this morning, and I said there are just a few points that were worth sharing with you. I think you probably all know that the state's last formal forecast was in March and that's what they use to develop and approve the state budget. Since the March forecast, state conditions have improved dramatically. And just to give you a couple of examples of that, the state revenue in the last 30 days was 9.2% higher than their forecast just in March. So three months after they did their forecast, the revenue, our overall state revenue was already 9% higher than they had predicted three months ago, which is great news for them. The personal income forecast for Washington residents has gone up substantially since March, and I think a very positive indicator is their forecast for statewide unemployment in the fourth quarter of this year. So this is prospective is only 4.6%. And back in March they had been forecasting 5.2%. So on revenue, on income, on unemployment, there's lots of good news statewide and I'm sure we'll see that same information when we get a county revenue and economic update in a month. So rolling pause there as we usually do and to see if any there are any questions about that. Colleagues. It's all thumbs up. That's great. Go ahead and continue. Do I? Okay. So the second item and almost every month I've been reporting to you on hotel occupancy, because that's going to be the sector of our King County economy, that is going to be the last one to recover. And I'm pleased to say that we're starting to see some very good signs there. So in the last week of May, across the entire county, our hotel occupancy was up to 54%. And, you know, compared to where it normally would be in the seventies or low eighties, that's not great. But considering a few months ago it was 18%, that is a very, very rapid improvement. And the good news is it's across the whole county. It's not just concentrated in a few geographic areas. And over the Memorial Day, weekend occupancy almost everywhere in the county was over 80%. So we are starting to see people travel again and go out again. My family has a tradition of over 30 years where every Saturday we go to Pike Place Market and get our groceries for the week. And I got to tell you, last Saturday, I could not tell the difference between a cold pre-COVID Saturday at Pike Place Market and a post-COVID Saturday. It was just as crowded and just as many tourists as there were two years ago. So we're starting to see lots of good signs even in that last sector to recover. There's lots of optimism about cruise ship starting in July or August that'll help a little bit more so that that last sector that's kind of been dragging us down a bit, it looks like it's finally turned the corner. So let me pause there and see if there's any questions about that. Colleagues. Point as a kid, my family used to go one Saturday a month to the market, and among many other stops, we would stop in what is now known as the original Starbucks. And while mom and dad did buy their coffee beans, my sister and I would get to buy hunks of solid chocolate that they sold by. Wait and eat that walking down the street. Now, I remember when they did that, that was probably about the same time. The structure. Dwight, you generous? If that. If you're going to give me a security hearing. Thank you. Councilmember Caldwell's. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick comment. Every time I go by the market, which is quite frequently now and for quite a while, that Starbucks has a lengthy line waiting outside of it. And even in overcast days or rain bags, it's just really a long line. So that's good news. All right. Well, let me move on to the third item. So thank you for all of your work on the COVID seven ordinance. Just to give you an update on where implementation of that stands for all of the things that are funded with the American Rescue Plan Act, the ARPA money, we are now working with the consultants and the lawyers on eligibility review. So some of the things that you approved are obviously eligible, won't take very long to approve those. Others are going to be a little more work to figure out exactly what the program is and where it fits, if it fits with the federal guidelines. And since there are over 40 new programs in DHS alone, it will take a while for us to work through that. So I just want to beg your indulgence that this is a, you know, fairly extensive review process that involves a lot of people with law degrees and accounting degrees. And so we're trying to prioritize the ones that obviously need to get going first. So a great example of that is the money you appropriated to help festivals get restarted, because that's obviously happening this summer and some of the others are going to have to be a little longer in the queue. So if we continue these briefings, I'd be happy to kind of give you an update every couple of weeks on where we stand with those reviews and if any of you have a particular question. I believe there is a meeting with your chief of staff today, with Aaron Robart, our budget deputy. And feel free to work through Aaron with questions about a particular program and kind of where it stands in the eligibility review. So let me pause there and see if there's any questions about that. Council members. Right. Okay. Fourth one is there is no new news from FEMA. We still have a lot of loose ends with FEMA. I checked in with our Office of Emergency Management yesterday, and they haven't gotten any meaningful change in either payments or reduced data assistance. So I'll keep that on our agenda because there's still a lot of loose ends out there, not only about COVID, but about the big winter storm from two years ago. And I'll just keep you updated, but at this point, there's nothing new there. And I assume there would be no questions about no news. Please continue. Okay. So item five tomorrow the executive will transmit his COVID eight supplemental appropriation ordinance proposal to you. This is on the schedule that Councilmember Cole Wells has been discussing with her colleagues. I am not going to steal the executive's thunder, but I will tell you that about two thirds of it is money that is either federal or in a couple of cases, state money that is dedicated for a particular purpose. So I think you'll find that most of those are pretty straightforward and aren't going to raise a lot of questions. And so the other the focus, I think, frankly, for you is going to be on the other third, which is the money that is more flexible and can be used for multiple purposes. And as I think I mentioned to you a month ago, we received over three times as many requests from both county agencies and external partners for the amount of money that was available. So the executive had to make some very difficult choices in deciding what to fund and what not to fund. And I know you all understand that's going to be the same situation you're going to be in here starting tomorrow afternoon. So I just to give you a heads up, it turned out, frankly, pretty much as I expected in the sense of that was where all the discussion and focus was. And I think that will be the same as the PFM committee takes it up at council. And obviously more details will be available on that tomorrow. Thank you. All right. So let me move on to item six. And this is not really COVID related, but it's something that we've talked about before. So you're all aware that the state Supreme Court in the Blake decision threw out the drug possession statutes retroactively for 50 years. So there is a huge amount of work that will be required to resentence individuals to refund fines that they may have received, vacate convictions and so on. So on next Thursday, the 24th, the executive will be transmitting to you an ordinance that will appropriate funds to various departments to implement a plan that has been developed across the system to do that work. And so this has been a good cooperation between the courts, DPD, the prosecutor's office, and also setting up a mechanism where we'll have an account to refund these legal financial obligations once they are processed through the court. It's going to be a pretty large number of finalizing it right now. But I do think it reflects a coherent proposal that was developed by all the participants in the system. And I really want to thank them for coming together to come up with a way to do this as effectively as we can. As you know, the legislature set aside money in a couple of different places in the budget to help pay for these costs. We are working through the Association of Counties to have a voice in how that gets done. There's obviously lots of organizations and and groups that are trying to influence that. The judges defend their organizations, the public interest organizations. So it's going to be a complicated process at the state. And most of the money and certainly the most flexible money is being handled through the Administrative Office of the Courts. And so I want to just acknowledge that Barb Minor, who is the director of the Department of Judicial Administration, has been involved in all of those negotiations . I'm in touch with Barb all the time about this, as are our lawyers and the potential litigation around this. So we are actively working on it. There's still a lot and I'm not surprised. There's not a decision from the Administrative Office of the Courts about how they're going to allocate that money among counties. So it is likely, just as you all know, going to be some contention about that. So I will keep you posted on that. But I just want to make sure that everyone is aware that lots of folks at the county are actively involved in those negotiations and making sure our interests are reflected in Olympia as they have those conversations. So let me pause there and see if there's any Blake related questions. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In the legal quicksand, in the ordinance you're going to get, there's a small amount of money, general fund money that we do not expect to get reimbursed, because it is for other sentencings that were authorized by the legislature in this last session, and they did not appropriate money for that. So as part of the plan where we've worked with the courts, prosecutor and public defense to make sure there's some resources for that as well. So I'm sorry to forget that in my presentation. Thank you. Thank you for all you're doing. And Parminder has worked very closely on a number of issues over the years with. So I'm glad that she's your partner on this. The black decision is huge and I have been on all the WhatsApp calls about this. My concern is that this is the camel's nose under the tent. If we can go back 50 years and have to repay all of this, what other legislation 50 years from now are they going to come back and say, now you need to redo all of this? So the uncertainty of there being no statute of limitations or whatever and the upheaval, especially in some of the smaller counties that are around the calls, is mind boggling. So I think as we go through this, we need to be looking at how this can be dealt with in the future as some kind of statute of limitations , because times do change. And what we believe, what we think, what we that don't respect whatever and going back and doing this is really a lot of work. I did see something where they talked about how many parties were going to need and each of the agencies are those 80 is going to be funded as part of this or how is that going to work? Yes. Council member. So the vast majority of what you're going to see next week when we transmit this ordinance is funding for additional staff, and we'll probably not do them as funds because this is a, you know, relatively short term thing. So they'll be term limited, temporary employees. But yes, we are going to need additional staff, the prosecutor's office and the courts and public defense. And so those are the bulk of what we are funding. A smaller amount is the actual amount of money that is estimated that we will have to refund to individuals. But yeah, the, the, the bulk of it, probably something like three quarters or more is going to be staffing costs. And is there interest on the back of reimbursements for former inmates? You should probably raise that with the prosecutor's office. At this point, the calculations assume no, there may well be a litigation around that that you might want to take up with prosecutor's office if you're interested in, you know, the issues and arguments around that particular issue. Great. Thank you. Because I've seen it both ways. Thank you, sir. Further questions. Back to the director. All right. And so my last point, I saved some of the news for the end. And some of you were where you probably got an email recently about the latest King County bond sale, which was some limited tax general obligation bonds. These are the bonds we sell with your approval that are not approved by the voters. And we sold $52 million of bonds that had an average duration or an average term of about 14 years. We got ten bids, which is great. I mean, there's a lot of interest in our in our bonds because they are triple-A rated. And just to share two really good pieces of information, the what's called the true interest cost. So you can think about it the as the average interest rate on the bonds was 1.895%. So we're borrowing money for 14 years and paying less than 2% interest. So despite all the news about inflation and that interest rates are still remarkably low. And the other good news is there is a market index that is used. You can see how your bonds compare to others. And because we don't have an income tax in Washington state, our interest rates are always a little higher than this index because people can't deduct the interest on it from their state income tax. And in this case, it was the narrowest, what's called spread, the narrowest difference between the index and our actual interest rate that we have ever had. And so that's another indicator of the market's interest in debt issued by King County, that they are even narrowing that that's spread that difference more than we've ever seen in the past . So I just want to congratulate everybody who was involved in working on that. We've got a really good team of folks in our finance and business operations division and in my office and in the departments that work on this. And again, that's saving a lot of money for our taxpayers and in this case for our solid waste ratepayers, because some of the debt was also associated with the Solid Waste Division. So I just wanted to share that good news with you and I'm happy to answer any other questions. But that was the end of the items I had for this morning. I was going to have good news. Colleagues, any questions? Dwight, I want to thank you very much and enjoy your trip to the market on Saturday. Okay, will do. Thank you very much. In a few weeks. Colleagues. That brings us to item six on the agenda, our annual briefing from representatives of Harborview Medical Center. The county's hospital will first be hearing from labor representatives from SEIU 1199 North Health Care Northwest, and from the Washington Federation of State Employees. Ask me Council 28. We have Jane Hopkins, R.N., executive vice president of SEIU Health Care, 1199 Northwest, and Katie Briney, R.N., also with 1199. And Mike Strunsky, President Washington Federation of State Employees, asked me, counselor, 28, here to provide the briefing. I'd ask you, I don't know who wanted to begin, but I'd ask you to take it from here. Mike, do you want to go first? Now I was going to defer to SEIU, so if you'd like to go ahead, Jeanne, and then I'll I'll finish up. Thank you. Look. Thank you very much for inviting me to speak today. I'm Jane Hopkins, executive vice president of SEIU 1199 Healthcare. And I'm a registered nurse and I was actually a nurse at Harborview for a long time. The more for this, over 200 2400 healthcare workers of SEIU at Harborview and the work they've done this year has been remarkable. Remarkable. You know, we a lot of times have been calling, you know, health care workers heroes of I would like to say that I think they've always been heroes. They've just it's just shown up a lot more this year. As caregivers at our county hospital, we serve this mission of mission population that we really care about. And this work cannot be replaced. Our members are Hubble, who were on the front line of the COVID pandemic. They've always been on the front lines, whether it's the duck of the duck accident, whether it's Ebola. And they also showed up this year during the COVID crisis. And what was really difficult this year, though, for all our members, is every single day when they came to work, they had to worry whether they going to go home and take the virus home. And, you know, that's going to kill their family members. What was really frustrating this year, too, is that they had to work with inadequate PPE, even though. Our members knew that. What the CDC and the state was saying about the virus was not true and that they needed the maximum amount of PPE. They still showed up when they didn't have adequate PPE. They brought their own PPE from home just so that they could look after patients. They stayed overnight in hotels. They stayed in garages to keep from exposing their families to COVID. They worked long, grueling hours, caring for the sickest patients. Our members were the last ones that COVID patients were dying were seen. They were there for those patients. Some of his bedside caregivers spent most of the last year at the bargaining table. They were not bargaining for a contract, but instead they were bargaining for basic protections they needed during COVID. Frontline workers who are asking who are asking for their lives to take care of the community during the pandemic. Only one universal access to 95 masks this spring, 14 months after the pandemic began. The COVID pandemic hit in the middle of a health worker shortage. For well over a decade, we have been talking about the nursing shortage. Now bedside workers are already walking short every single day. We know that there's burnout. We know that there is not enough staff to, you know, and our members so worked hard to make sure that they have, you know, that there was enough staffing in the hospital. We could not ignore this shortage anymore. The University of Washington, having a policy of philosophy of paying only 80% of the median has come. It is going to be detrimental. We have nurses and health care workers that are up to 20% behind area market because the state because of universal Washington has not treated the health care facilities, the hospitals as hospitals. They've been treating them as working in the upper campus. That cannot be. Wages are different in hospitals and we have to catch up. Um, we are asking we are in Berkeley right now and we, it's really important that we have these, the things that we asking for. We need to continue to recruit and retain our workers. We are so behind on wages that we cannot they cannot recruit and retain. There needs to be COVID relief. I know that the hospital and the University of Washington had up to $24 million donated by different. Philanthropy's saying that they need that this money needed to go to heroes. Our members have not singing about money. They need heroes. Bonus. They need heroes. Pay. They also need time off. They have not been able to take time off. They are tired. They are frustrated. We need to create a way so that nurses and health care workers can take time off. We need to continue to create a culture of belonging. Yes. The proposals on the table are a lot. We are asking for a lot, but that's because the University of Washington has continued to underpay workers over the last few years. This is an opportunity for them to make it right so that if workers and nurses are considering whether to go to Swedish or whether to go to Harborview, that will choose Harborview because that is the number one trauma center. We need to continue to need staff. Over the last contract at Harborview Costs the university 22 million over two years. Over that period, Harborview has spent over 30 million. On travelers to fill staffing gaps. 30 million. In recent years, Harborview has received over 55 million in ongoing state assistance, in part because of the work joint work that we've done together as a union and in King County. Harborview has received over 85 million in federal COVID financial assistance through the CARES Act and Medicare advancement payments. And an additional 24 million was donated to the UW Medicine, Djokovic emerged as heroes. I think you'll agree that the frontline health workers are the heroes of COVID. Meanwhile, despite initial financial challenges in the COVID crisis, Hobbled is currently outperforming its projected revenue margin and has the highest number of days of days cash on hand in recent history. We are also asking, we know that Hubble view and the universe and the universe, he can afford to have safe staffing. They can afford to have safe staffing up a meal, a rest break as required, and pay wages and benefits that will recruit and retain workers in a county hospital. There is a law that's been passed expanding protections for mandatory overtime to other other healthcare workers. All we ask is that management apply the same rules to those workers as they do to the nurses. Caregivers are burnt out and have a Harborview, but I believe there's room for hope. Our members have made a time to volunteer for the campaign for Harborview Levy. Winning over billions of dollars for necessary capital improvement. There has been a great relationship between our union and management through. But that is not reflected during the daily experience of our members at Harborview. The members are deeply committed to the mission of Harborview and they want more than anything to be able to afford it. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak today, and I'm going to pass it over to Katie. Thank you, Katie. I thank you so much, Jane. Good morning. My name is Katie Bray. Katie, why the r e h e? I've been a nurse at Harborview the last 14 years. Thank you so much for letting me speak on behalf of myself and my coworkers while we bargain our contract that will affect our working conditions and livelihood. But most importantly, this will have impacts on how patient care is delivered and patient outcomes. I've spent my entire career at Harborview because I truly believe in the mission. I believe in serving my community, and I believe in providing the best care to the most vulnerable. It's difficult for me to reflect on the last two years from when we bargained our last contract. What has become evident is that years of paying below market wages, the increasing cost of living and the COVID pandemic have magnified health care worker shortages and exposed vulnerabilities in the health care system, where staff worried about basic safety needs , such as whether we would have enough teaching. E At the start of the pandemic, there was so much unknown. The fear is always present, even to this day as we work. Early on, Harborview Nurse was exposed to COVID by a patient and died. Another nurse younger than myself was hooked to ventilator on her own unit that had been turned into the COVID ICU and had to have her own coworkers take care of her. As a nurse, I've had patients die. It's part of the job and I've had more patients die this last two years than my entire nursing career. There were shifts where we ran out of body bags. I had a coworker that got evicted from her rental when the owner found out that she was taking care of COVID patients. She briefly slept in her truck. Thankfully, she was able to stay in the free hotel rooms actually made possible by this council. And we truly thank you for that. And we did all of this during the pandemic while being short staffed in the staffing shortages have continued. I'm also on the Nursing's Nurse Staffing Committee, where a four month audit last summer revealed that every single day the ICU or short staffed basic needs, such as getting a sip of water going to the bathroom, are difficult. One staff member urinated in a cup in a COVID realm because there was no one to give her a break and safely a sister to accept. Another coworker afraid of having to do this just didn't drink water and didn't go to the bathroom and ended up getting a UTI. Staff ended up wearing counterfeit and 95 masks and COVID positive rooms for hours, and this happened over a period of over a month. We've been hailed heroes and then had to apply for unemployment when Harborview instituted furloughs. And I could go on and on with these stories. Staff are burnt out. Many have sought out counseling and other mental health services. We have proposals to ensure we can afford mental health services and have the time off we need to recover. I've still yet to see my family since the pandemic, and it's been over a year and a half. Staff from Quest, the inpatient rehab unit who a large proportion identify themselves as people of color and immigrants, are still fighting for a break. Nurse. They are the only acute care unit at Harborview that does not have a break. Nurse. Nurses on that unit have described how it feels that as a person of color, you have to work so much harder to have your work respected and that it feels like Harborview doesn't value their contributions to patient care. We want this contract to honor the work that Far West does by giving them a break nurse giving them breaks. We also need break nurses in the emergency room in ICUs. We want this contract to fix the equitable pay structures where, for example, nurses are given a bigger pay differential for working night shifts and, say, our radiology technician or respiratory therapist, even though we're making the same sacrifice to our body. We really are striving to address inequities, racial discrimination, and uplift inclusion in our workplace. Despite some normalcy returning like we even heard just a bit ago. Health care workers at Harborview can. Need to be stretched thin. We're still fighting a pandemic or still. And on top of trying to meet the needs of patients where even before COVID. Harborview runs at 100% capacity most of the time. You don't needs to show they respect their workers by investing in safe staffing. And that means for all of us at Harborview, not just nurses. There's many staffing shortages in all job classes. We brought forward proposals months ago to fix staffing from incentive shifts pre-scheduled overtime. Hosting more permanent FTE is rather than relying on travelers that you just painted 2 to 3 hour times than their own staff. As you just heard from Jane Harborview will continue to lose their most precious, precious resource, which is the staff as these unsafe staffing practices persist and low wages that cannot keep up with Seattle's rising cost of living staff are actually the heart of her review, and yet we have felt undervalued and disposable. This is truly a patient safety issue. Tonight, I'm working overtime because there are not enough trained staff to take care of the COVID patients. Ekman is a machine that basically provides lung bypass for our sickest COVID patients. I worked last night. I held an iPad over my patient who's battling COVID so his wife could speak with him over Zoom, even though he can't speak back. They're not originally from the U.S., but have over time built a life here. He's not even 40 years old. His wife cried and told him that he had to make it because they were living the American dream. How? They have two kids, a dog, a cat, and that he has to come home to her new home to her in the new house they just bought. I'm exhausted. And as much as I want a night off, I couldn't say no. Because this is who Harborview is, is truly meant to serve. But this is not sustainable. We need to do better for the workers at Harborview and our community. I believe we all have the same shared goals, and that's why I stay at Harborview. But we need your help. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Mr.. Mr.. Yesterday Romney. Thank you, Mike. Yes, Stransky. I'll spend my last name as y tr am a sky, and I'm the president of Ask Me Council 28 Washington Federation of State Employees. And first off, Katie, that. That was powerful that, you know, I'm just I'm kind of at a loss for words as far as what to say after that. But yeah, but again, so we represent the the Washington Federation of State Employees, quite a few employees at the hospital, job classes, a wide range of classes up to and including, you know, our food service, our EBS custodial service, all of these folks that as Jane and Kelly both said. Throughout the course of this pandemic, we've been hearing how, you know, their heroes and their are essential. And I think that no one would argue that they were heroes and that they were essential. They were essential to us, you know, getting through this pandemic that we're we're still in the middle of. You know, they were really what kept the hospital in and, you know, sort of Seattle and King County as a whole running through all of this, you know, continuing to show up to work. Every day, as both Katie and Jane had said, you know, working double shifts, not seeing their family. And, you know, despite the danger, despite all of the physical and mental toll that it has taken on them, understanding that, you know, it was about society, it was about our community and the greater good and doing what needed to be done again for their patients and for our community. And. They need to be applauded for that. But not just applauded and not just with platitudes, not just with words, but we continue to have folks who, again, are incredibly overworked, are incredibly underpaid, you know, still struggling to get the adequate PPE that they need, even though it's been over a year at this point. You know, and again, we have a large amount of. Folks out here who publicly want to talk about, you know, we we respect the workers and we appreciate them by when push comes to shove, the actions aren't there. There's a. Latin phrase that, you know, a lot of people have used that I like to look back on it's opera nonverbal, you know, which means deeds, not words. So. You know, again, I I think we all appreciate again, the nice words. We all appreciate the, you know, signs on the busses saying how great they are and how much we respect them as workers. But again, the reality is that needs to be action behind it. Folks need to be able to. You know, live and pay their basic necessities. As others have mentioned, is no one on this call from the meeting is unaware. King County is incredibly expensive. It's an incredibly expensive place to live. And as others have said, I have members within our union who we're going to work working hours again as custodians and other maintenance folks who during the pandemic, you know, again, lost their home. You know, some of them, again, their marriages fell apart. All of their kids got sick, yet they continued to go to work to serve the community and. I just cannot emphasize enough the need for us to other than this this body, to truly put our money where our mouth is and really show the people the respect that we we say they deserve. They need to see it. They need to feel it. And that is up to all of you to make that happen. Thank you. I want to thank all three of you and through thanking you, all of your members for the work that you have done and your members have provided the care your members have provided at Harborview, particularly over the last year, historically as well. And my Hopkins, thank you also for serving on the president's advisory committee on COVID 19 and that you were appointed to in December. I very much appreciate the dedication of all of the staff at Harborview to caring for people within our health care hospital. And I particularly want to underscore and recognize Miss Hopkins for COVID as far as the toll the work over the last year has taken. In fact, I was having a conversation with Dennis Wilson, the interim director of public health, recently about the need to, as we think we come out of the pandemic, to make sure that we also take care of the people who have been staffing so heavily over the last year and make sure that they're able to take care of themselves and reconnect with family. As we've heard as well, colleagues questions for our Liberal Labor panelists Council member Cole Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I'd like to thank everybody for coming and speaking with us today, but also imparting to us all the stresses and strains and everything that you've been going through and your colleagues as well. I do have a question of Katy Perry. Not sure if I'm pronouncing Green's last name correctly. Yes, that's correct. And she came. And you mentioned when you were speaking about one of the nurses, you know, having been infected from her rental because the landlord found out that she was working with COVID patients. Correct. Indeed. Any more information on that about was she given notice in advance or how that actually happened? I find that very distressful. She was renting a room in a house and the homeowner that she was renting the room from was very fearful of catching COVID herself. And this coworker owns a truck and she briefly slept in her truck in the garage at Harborview. And then, luckily again, thank you so much. When the hotel rooms became free for health care workers, she was able to take advantage of that. And and also, you know, as health care workers at the start of the pandemic, we didn't know a lot about COVID either. And this coworker also was also afraid she didn't want to expose her landlord to COVID because you just didn't know much about it. So. She was willing to to sleep in her truck to protect this member of the community as well, and that included her landlord. Thank you for relating that. And I can understand in a way that landlords living in the same hall where it's a little different than having the tenant in a separate apartment, certainly. But it really points to the the huge amounts of challenges and difficulties that so many of our essential workers, including frontline health care workers, had to experience over the year. Thank you. Thank you. Lambert. Lambert. Thank you. I, too, want to thank you for your sacrifices that humanity that came also. So my question, as we continue to hear these problems year after year, I'm wondering, is there not a salary grid like the county? We have a ten step program, not program that lays out your abilities and your years of service. And so you know what your salary is going to be. Is there nothing like that so that there is some continuity and some predictability? Could you tell me how they do this? Yes. So we do have a salary. We have a a grid. It's years of experience which as unions, we've worked very hard for that. The problem is they are below market rates. So, yes, there's transparency. You can go online and you can have a look and say, hey, as I have of your nurse, I'm a five year nurse. I'm at the step. The only problem is like when you look at Swedish or you look at the other hospitals and you look at their steps, you are maybe anything between 7 to 16% behind. And so as a worker, I wouldn't want to go. I mean, I want to go wagons. I'm going to get paid more. Right? You know, even though, you know, Harborview is, you know, unique workers can work here. Right. So, yes, there is the grid. But the thing is, the university has always used they've got this value that the only they can pay up to 80% below the median. So very. So they're way below. Right. So people are places where people make less. In the past six years where hospitals were paying 3 to 4% every year, Harborview goes with what the state pays and they were getting 2%, 2%. So over the years, they have their behind. So because of that philosophy, they're so behind now that it's very hard for them to recruit a retain. Mean for asking the next question, but is there a part in your contract that talks about how often you need to do a market comparison? We can do it at any time in which we have, you know, it's like we've had these conversations. It's like we don't come to bargaining and all of a sudden it's a surprise. Right. We talk about it all of the time. But the reluctance of the University of Washington to really. Do something different for the upper campus than it is for the health care industry makes it really difficult. We compare ourselves to other hospitals. We don't compare ourselves to, you know, other universities. Right. And so when you look in the area and you look at what the other hospitals are paying, you have a beast way behind because of that all across the board. Thank you very much for. Colleagues further questions. I want to thank again each of you and by doing so, convey thanks and appreciation to your members for the work you do for the people of King County and beyond in providing care at the county's hospital. Harborview. And value ongoing relationships and conversation with you in this work. And now we turn to a presentation from the board chair and interim CEO. And we have Stephanie Fain, the president of the Review Board of Trustees. In summary, Covenant Wiley, the interim CEO of Harborview to provide a presentation. And this is her review's annual report to the King County Council. Good morning and welcome. Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to go ahead and share my screen if you are okay with that. Please. Is that showing or. No, it is not. Okay. You seem to have permission to do it. We can certainly make you ask the court to make sure you have permission to do it to me. Help me! Help me. Okay, hold on 1/2 here. We've had some glitches this morning with this. No worries whatsoever. Okay. Yeah. Mr. Chair, something is wrong with the share screen mode here. Yeah. I'm sorry. I understand that meeting in a dry run. Yeah. Was you planning on showing the slides? Because we've got them. Yeah. Maybe I'll just. Maybe I'll just let you. If this doesn't work here, that's a really good option here. Yeah, I think depending upon where you want to start, it looks like certainly around slide ten. Oh, it's what you see now. Yes. Yes. Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. Let me back up here. Oh, right. Does that work? Does that work, Mr. Chair? Yes, it does. Okay. All right. Thank you. So I'd like to start out this morning by introducing myself. My name is Summer Clavin and Wally. I am the interim chief executive officer here at Harborview Medical Center. I've had the very unique privilege, though, of being not only a leader here at Harborview, but also a clinician at Harborview. Over the last 24 years or so, as as Katie said, Harborview is is near and dear to my heart. And the mission is something I lived by. I'd also like to start off by pausing for a minute and acknowledging the that the remarks and the and the comments by our labor partners this morning. I absolutely agree with you that the pandemic has been unprecedented. And Harborview has done an incredible has played an incredible role in the community because of our staff, because of the sacrifices they have made and because of their incredible dedication to this community and to the mission that Harborview serves as part of this community. I also have very much appreciated the partnership that I that you have Medicine Harborview and in particular myself have experienced with our labor partners throughout this pandemic. I know myself as being the incident commander for use of medicine during the during the height of the pandemic. Was able to sit across the table from our labor partners and really talk about things that were happening in real time and how we could best partner together to ensure we were not only providing that critical care to our patient population, but also ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff. The pandemic was, as I said, unprecedented, and it was something that really brought everyone together. And that is something I'm very proud of. In addition to myself presenting today, Stephanie Fain, our Board of Trustees president, will also be speaking at the end of my overview of the current Harborview Stage, and she will give a board report and update. So you'll be hearing from her a little bit later. So today I want to talk a little bit about a few really key things, and I want to make sure I cover them all. But if you have questions as I go along, don't hesitate to stop me. Or we can we can wait to the end. I'm flexible either way. So again, as I've said before, we are really living through the greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes. And never has it been more important or has it been more clear of Harborview, whose mission of providing health care to the most vulnerable than it has been during this pandemic and the success of that mission and the success of how we have come through this pandemic together is really because of our partnerships with many organizations and entities that support Harborview. So first of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you, not only for your support during the pandemic, but also for your support of our bond and the process. I'd also like to thank our King County executive, the King County voters, our faculty and staff, our Board of trustees, and then also once again, our labor partners who who work with me very closely to ensure that our staff have voices and to ensure that we take care of the staff that help deliver on the mission. So a huge thank you to everyone. And in particular, I would like to remark on something that Jane said. Jane, I can't thank all of the unions enough for that partnership during the bond process. What we were able to accomplish together was incredible. And we're going to talk a little bit more about the bond and where we are with that. But what that provides for the future of Harborview and the future of our community and the residents of this county is beyond all of our dreams. So I just really wanted to pause and thank everybody for that. So if we talk a little bit about the bond, I know you'll be getting a full update soon on this from the director of the project, Leslie Harper Miles. But I just wanted to give a kind of a brief update on where we are from a B perspective and how we're really partnering well with the county to ensure that this is going to be an incredibly successful process. So right now, we are working very closely with the county who is doing an incredible job on ensuring that we get together an 18 to 24 month project plan that focuses on setting up the foundational elements of what we need to have in place in order to successfully execute on these bond funded activities. We have worked really closely on not only the planning and sequencing of how this will roll out to ensure operational needs will not be impacted at all. So Harborview will continue to fulfill its mission and its important role throughout not only the county, the state and the region as level one trauma center. We also have established, with the help of Leslie Hopper, Miles and Kelly Carroll, the Bond Program Oversight Committee, which is something that will be part of how Harborview and the county will collaborate with both. The president of UW Medicine, Lisa Brandenburg, and myself will sit on that and help facilitate and collaborate to ensure that we have a successful project throughout this. As we move forward with the bond, we will continue to see how we will work into a place where we are developing more community engagement and small business plans, developing and sequencing options for how we're going to do the pre-designed elements and how we're going to design the buildings. That design will be really important from a perspective of the clinical care that Harborview will need to provide in the future in order to remain financially viable, but also to really be able to deliver on the mission we are so dedicated to providing. So we all talk a little bit more about that today as I move through these slides as a key function of this, as the county is driving the bond process from a facility standpoint, Harborview and Madison are in parallel working really closely with our Board of Trustees on a clinical strategic planning process. So really looking at our key strategic service lines, how they're performing and what we need to do to position Harborview in the future in order to ensure that as we bring these these new capital buildings online, we have the necessary funds to support them, and that we also continue to have the necessary funds and infrastructure to be able to provide the mission to our population. We are doing all of this, though, with a very strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. And part of that is really looking at how we look into the future to ensure everything we do here at Harborview has an equity overlay to it all the decision making processes we are doing, the clinical programing, how we build, but also how we serve and provide clinical care. And one of the important things we're doing is looking at what our community needs is and and listening to our stakeholders. What do they need from Harborview? What do they need from a care perspective, and how best can that be delivered? That's something we learned a lot about throughout the pandemic and something I'll talk a little bit. More about. When we talk about how we approach testing and vaccination efforts, really thinking about how Harborview can can continue to provide that mission in maybe a different way, where communities need us to go to them more than having them come to us. One of the other really important things that we are working on right now at Harborview is an interim plan to provide more capacity for single patient rooms. Now, this is something I know you've heard about in the past and and continue to hear about. And our labor partners are very active in communicating about this also, which is a need for additional single patient bed, single patient rooms that can provide better clinical care for our patients that have infectious diseases and and then also be able to provide better clinical care for other patients that are in the hospital as as we've talked about in the past. Harborview provides exemplary care in a very challenging environment. So many of our rooms still are double patient rooms. And oftentimes when we have patients that have infectious diseases, we no longer can use the bed next to that patient. So it limits the amount of beds we actually have. Never was this more prevalent for us than during and during this. We are working currently on taking two floors that currently are occupied by clinics in our mailing building and moving them over to the MJB building where there currently is it infrastructure in that IT infrastructure is moving out? We will be moving the clinics into the MJB building with a very strong focus on really trying to deliver an ambulatory plan from that perspective that looks at equity and patient experience, along with strategic planning for the for the feasibility and sustainability of Harborview into the future. As part of that, though, what we have done or what we will be doing is opening up two entire floors within the mailing building that are scheduled for inpatient care. We will then build those into 40 new single patient rooms that will be state of the art rooms. So a little bit of a bridge to a future of a new build, an inpatient building where we have all single patient rooms. But this 40 patient rooms will will be a really huge benefit from both a clinical and a quality of care perspective, but also from a staff and provider satisfaction perspective. This is being funded with 75 million from Harborview, and our project plan is well underway and the county is partnering with us on this and we look forward to seeing that within the next two years. That transition a little bit to our COVID 19 response. And I would like to reiterate something that that Katie mentioned, that the pandemic may be slowing down and perhaps doesn't seem as real out on the streets and in the community as it did at the height of it and during the surge. But to staff and leaders and providers at Harborview, it is still very real and very present. We continue to provide care to the sickest of the critically, critically ill patients, and that continues to take a toll on our staff. And that is something that I'd like to to frame today and have everybody recognize that although the numbers are slowing down, the people that are sick currently are still very sick and require a lot of specialized care from our providers and staff. During this pandemic, Harborview has played a huge leading role. Our commitment to caring for the vulnerable has never been more prominent, and providing equitable care was something we we really never lost sight of. And we are very, very proud of that. And that is seen through how we how we responded initially, how we worked with Seattle King County Public Health on and other community agencies on testing and growth and also vaccination delivery. The initial response, if we think back to March and April, Harvey played a huge role. We were the first in North America actually to have strike teams that went into patients homes. And I have a picture here of Dr. John Lynch, who was at the forefront of this pandemic for you to have medicine, but also for the state at the state level, really trying to help drive not only real time changes to how we were responding as a community and as a health care community, but also writing policies and procedures that we were putting out nationally. So other health care facilities across the country were able to gain and benefit from the experience we were having here. Things were changing rapidly as we were learning about this disease. But Harborview was really a was really a source of information for the rest of the country. We mobilized very quickly to set up testing resources that were really focused on vulnerable populations. We implemented surge plans, as you can see, by one of these pictures. You see the respiratory tent we mobilized very quickly outside of the city. And the other thing that we did that was is is still very, very much in play was we developed in coordination with several other agencies, including the Northwest Health Care Response Network, the Washington Medical Coordination Center. That's something that we run here through Harborview and at Harborview, and that is set up and staffs the transfer of any patient with COVID throughout the state. So when when the state becomes at risk, so different area hospitals, whether they're rural or large facilities or if they're nursing homes or prisons, etc., were the first call to help ensure that we find a safe place that has the capability to place patients in. That doesn't mean they all come to you. That medicine. What it means is the state has placed trust in Harborview to be that that decision making point from our providers to decide where best to place patients. So we have equal distribution and no one area takes a bigger burden and we avoid any type of situation like happened in New York. Very important function that remains very busy even to date, even with lower COVID numbers. As we moved from the surges and the testing and started to see light in the winter, kind of around the first of the year, it became very obvious that vaccines were on the horizon and there was some hope and there was hope to providers, there was help to staff, and there was hope to leadership in the community . Our vaccine delivery has been very, very successful. In fact, from a UDV medicine perspective, I believe in the city of Seattle, we've provided 16% of all vaccinations that have occurred in the city. So and a lot of those have occurred at Harborview. In fact, you see in this picture here, the 100,000 vaccine that was done for use of medicine was given at Harborview. And this was a picture from that day that we celebrated. We took the vaccine program and really looked at our delivery from a partnership perspective and an equity perspective, really looking at how we support our most vulnerable populations. Those are that are homeless, limited English Bipoc How do we ensure that we don't just fall into the same trap that the rest of the country was falling in where vaccinations were going, to those that had the most resources, who had technology to call and schedule appointments, who have the ability to get to facilities and to maneuver to figure out how best to get a vaccine. The way we did this was to look at a three pronged approach mobile vaccine teams, community vaccination clinics and hospital based specialized clinics at Harborview that really focused on specialized communities. We did that through community partnerships such as the different health boards that Harborview is very active with. We also had a very strong partnership with Public Health, Seattle and King County and the city of Seattle, along with a lot of different community based organizations and foundations. And that's one of the biggest lessons we've taken away, is that working more with our community based organizations that really help us provide the care to the communities that need us, but also those community organizations that give us feedback about how we're doing, providing care to their their populations of individuals and how best we can partner with them to entrust in the health care system. And in and in providing or in, in, in providers has been really key. Those populations often do trust in Harborview, but this was even more substantial in that we were able to really partner to think about how best to deliver and to provide education so people felt comfortable getting something like this brand new vaccination that was so foreign and scary to a lot of us. I'm going to show a quick video as long as it works of a Frontline video that was taken of one of our mobile vaccination programs. This was specific to a Paul Allen Family Foundation donation that we were given. We've also had a lot of other donations that medicine helped us procure, particularly from the Mariners also. But I want to pause and show this because I think it really gives light to how we've been out in the community and working. Right out of the gate with this pandemic, we saw youth of medicine respond quickly to this pandemic. We have been a partner of theirs for some time now. And so it was an easy decision to make to work with you, Deb, have medicine to on testing, on vaccine delivery and to start thinking about how we can respond to the needs of our community. All right, my dear. Here we go. One, two and three, four. The Paul Allen Foundation has been extremely supportive during the different phases of the pandemic. Early on, they provided support for us to set up our mobile COVID 19 testing program, and more recently, they're really supporting our efforts in terms of jumpstarting and developing the infrastructure for our mobile vaccination program, which is your first dose. And yes, our community and here in Washington is staying. At six times. The rate is the worst rate out of any community. There's so many linguistic, cultural and technology, technological barriers. And without partnerships like this, it's literally a life and death situation. All right. You're back. Hi. Yesterday. I get to hug my family again and I'm waiting to do that. I've been waiting to do that for a long time. And I wanted to be safe. I wanted to be smart. And I'm ready. We're starting to see a glimmer of hope through the increase in vaccine distribution. I think by closing this vaccine equity gap will begin to close the darkest chapter on this pandemic. Okay. So I think that video kind of tells it all looks okay. I'm going to transition from our COVID response, which was pretty much most of what we've done over the last year into the future of Harborview and really thinking about how we come out of this pandemic with the bright future of having this this capital infusion that comes to us through all the partnerships you provided us with the bond, but really thinking about how we positioned Harbor Harborview to ensure that we can continue to do what we did during the pandemic, do what we do every day and do what we do. What you've seen through that video. We are working very closely and in collaboration with our Board of trustees and whether you have medicine on analyzing our clinical programs, in particular on level one trauma status, to really think about how we position ourselves. However, I want to emphasize we are doing all of this without losing focus on our mission and on the on the real reason we're here in ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion is part of all the decision making we do at Harborview. From a clinical program perspective, one of the things I wanted to share with you guys today is a little bit about how we at Harborview maintain financially viable. We have. 324 primary services that help ensure we can deliver on the mission throughout the region. Orthopedics. We really capitalize on our incredible surgical talent. Neurosciences. We're really working on utilizing our expertize to do new things like developing and marketing a brain aneurysm center that will be coming online this fall. From a cardiology perspective, we're really looking at how we grow our cardiac procedural capacity, really with this service line to support our mission population from a cardiac perspective. We are primarily a footprint for mission populations, those of which that are the most vulnerable in our community. And we want to be able to, here at Harborview, ensure we can provide all of the procedural support that they need so they can continue to deploy to receive health care in the place that they feel the most comfortable. And then from a spine perspective, we're really looking at how we can expand our surgical spine footprint to help ensure that Harborview is able to maintain a margin moving into the future. I'm going to talk a little bit more about this in a minute, but I wanted to pause and think about and provide an update on one of our key service lines that provides an incredible support system to our community and to the King County residents. And that's our Behavioral Health Institute, something that we are extremely proud of here at Harborview. You've probably heard in the news over the last several weeks or months that we were very popular during the legislative session, and that's something that we are very proud of, how we were able to procure $5.5 million in partnership with the Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium in the Washington Council for Behavioral Health, our SEIU 1199 Multi-employer Training Fund and the Workforce Training Education Coordinating Board, along with the King County and and the executive's office. This money will be utilized to really help build infrastructure, to train a behavioral health workforce that is so desperately needed in our area and in our community. We have also been given 2.8 million to improve the crisis diversion system, so to really work at the state level. Harborview was named in HB 1477 as the facilitator of this statewide work group, which is quite an honor and something that we are working very quickly and very in-depth in order to get ourselves positioned to start this work in July. You'll also see other moneys came to us to really look at developing curriculum through our chief for law enforcement and correctional officers, in particular, in how they interact with mental health patients who experience mental health crises in the community. And also, really, we have a portion of money where we're going to really look at how to evaluate behavioral health inequities. So really looking from an equity lens on the behavioral health infrastructure we have for care and how that's not serving well all populations. I hesitate a little bit putting this into a single slide as this really is something that we do and and believe in throughout all activities we do at Harborview. But I wanted to pay, you know, give a little bit of special attention to the fact that at Harborview we are advancing equity in patient care across across the system, actually, not just at Harvey Bell's that you have medicine. We have built a blueprint that provides tactics for each year, not only that are focused on how we ensure we are moving Harborview into a world in which the institutional racism that has always existed in in large, large systems and large companies, we start to break down those. Board those. Borders and we start to break down those. Walls. To correct that, such as looking at policies and procedures, strengthening relationships with our partners and our bipoc populations, but also fostering a workplace where we really support our staff and ensure that they feel safe, respected and supported. Lastly, we're really looking at different equity measures to ensure that the care we deliver is equitable and fair, no matter who the patient is walking in through the doors. Thank. Lastly today, I want to give us an overview of trauma and really talk about how crucial trauma is to everything we've talked about today. And I know I know, Harborview, we are known for being a level one trauma center, but I don't think we always do a good job of explaining it. How important being the level one trauma center is to Harborview and is to our ability to continue to provide all the other services we provide, including our primary care and behavioral health to our vulnerable populations. So we are in extremely high volume, high acuity, level one adult and pediatric trauma and burn center. Because of this, we have incredible critical care expertize. We have incredible expertize in surgical neuro medical burns and pediatric and cardiac. The reason why we are so good is because we get a high volume of patients, because we are the only level one in a four day radius. So our physicians are surgeons, our staff, our nurses, our respiratory therapists. They get a lot of practice at doing trauma. And that is why our outcomes nationally are known at being over, that we are part of the top 10% of outcomes for trauma, which is unheard of. We have incredible outcomes here and we should all be very proud of that and how we serve our region. However, the trauma system in itself is being looked at right now at the state level. So currently the trauma system was designed to be inclusive with a single level one, but regional level two, three, four and five programs to cover suburban and rural areas across the state. The Secretary of Health determines a minimum and maximum number for how many trauma systems exist in our state, and that has been historically based on population and geographic need. The distribution of these trauma centers and the dealing of these trauma centers is all under the purview of the Secretary of Health. If you look at this, you'll see where Harborview sits and the corridor of which we've built infrastructure to ensure that you do have level twos distributed across. If you note, the middle of the state doesn't have as many, it doesn't have as much robust infrastructure. But you have medicine. With our airlift, Northwest presence has really ensured that we continue to provide the same support and outcomes for patients of trauma that live in this part of the state by our Airlift Northwest program. So by our helicopter program that that brings patients within record time into Harborview to be treated. So currently Department of Health is looking at methodologies to relook at how designations are done and if there should be more level one or level two trauma centers within the state. The current goals for that new methodology for Min Max is looking at, and it's something we're supporting, is looking at providing access to a level one or two trauma care program for 95% of the population in Washington within 60 minutes of injury. And this is how this is best practice standard and also supported by the outcomes you see at a national level. We want to ensure, though, by balancing the fact that you still need that great level of volume coming into a certain into into limited numbers of facilities to ensure that your staff and your physicians have enough practice to remain at top of their game. So we want to ensure and the state wants to ensure optimal patient outcomes by maintaining the volume of injured patients in currently well-performing level one and two centers. One of the things I want to stress today is although this is being discussed at the state level and being relooked at, Harborview and Utah Medicine have been extremely active in this work. We have people sitting at the table as part of our trauma leadership at the state level. We are also actively engaged in discussions with the Secretary of Health around this. But I did want to make sure that everybody here on on on this call, as I'm giving you an update at Harborview, understands that trauma support, about a third of Harborview population and inpatient population at any given time is is brought to us through trauma. And that feeds those service lines that are most key to our financial sustainability for Harborview and those service lines that provide the benefits to the rest of our ability to provide on the mission. We're about a $1 billion organization and we shoot for a 1% margin, so about 10 to 11 million every year for a bottom line of that. We know that any time there's a percentage in shift of volume or market share in trauma, that's about 2.7 million to $3 million for Harborview. So not only is is is the fact that trauma is the level one good for the the fact that Harborview is a level one trauma center, good for the region because of the quality outcomes we provide. Being in the top 10% of the country, it's also vitally important for our ability to continue to provide the mission and the other resources we give to the residents of King County. I'm going to pause there before I turn it over to Stephanie to see if you have any questions regarding that. I really wanted to make sure that I, I provided that update. Thank you for the presentation from the interim CEO. We'll look forward to hearing from Ms.. Fain. Are there questions at this point in the presentation? We we do want to hear from this thing. And we have one more item on today's agenda. Hello. Council members. Hello. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. What do I call you as the executive summary right now? Thank you so much for for being here. And that presentation was awesome. Really great to see all the amazing work that Harborview is doing. I wanted to ask a little bit more about the comments that we heard from the labor partners. I completely understand how COVID has exacerbated the situation, but we know that the issues that they brought up are new to this year. They've been saying this for many years now. Can you speak to us a little bit about what the plan is to ensure that next year, even as the pandemic wanes and we return back to whatever normal looks like that, they won't be back making the same comments before us at this committee this time next year. What is that plan to address those issues in a way that is different from how we've addressed it in the past? Thank you, Councilmember, and it's nice to see you again. So I appreciate that question. I think I know we are all committed, but I am very committed to ensuring that our staff feel heard and feel appreciated. I would say one of the first things we're doing is ensuring that we have a very collaborative and fair collective bargaining process. Right now we are doing that with our labor partners. 1199 and they'll be further bargaining with our other labor partners as we move forward. But I am very committed, as we all are, to ensuring that there are fair wages and fair proposals that are done and that in that process. What I would say, though, is Harborview is very focused on recruitment and retaining staff, as we know, and as you're going to continue to hear, staffing shortages are going to be a real problem in not only health care, but you're also hearing it in all other types of industries. But it is going to be a huge problem post-pandemic. Health care workers are tired. Health care workers are needing breaks. And that has led to many deciding to leave the field and or meaning deciding to go into other fields. And that's something that all health care industries are facing right now. We spend a great deal of time working on strategies like recruitment, bonuses, retention bonuses that are going that are given to staff. However, I think some of that some of that is going to work. COUNCILMEMBER But some of it is going to have to be because Harborview is the place to work. We are the employer of choice. And we do that because we provide a safe. Equitable workplace that people want to work for. Right. And that's something I'm committed to. And I'm committed to continuing to listen to the staff, listen to our labor partners and find ways to to to improve that, to continue to dismantle things that make them feel like there are barriers to that. So I think it's a combination of both fair wages and recruitment and retention strategies, but also building a structure in which we have psychological safety at Harborview and we have a place where people want to work. One of the ways I feel very proud that we did that during the pandemic was ensuring that even though we did have a furlough process, we did not furlough employees that made under a certain amount of money. We were very careful to protect protect our lower paid employees because we knew a furlough in those areas would cause a lot of a lot of the things we were talking about, where people were going to lose homes, people were going to lose an ability to have a car, etc.. So I think those are the types of things companies committed to, and that's what I'm committed to continuing to ensure we take into account. Thank you so much, Summer. Really, really appreciate that. And whenever we have time understanding the ways that the Council can be helpful in those efforts in really specific ways would be awesome. Yeah. For I know for myself and many of my colleagues, but the protection and happiness of Harborview staff is our top priority. So whatever we can do to support that, please do let us know. Thank you. Thank you. And I've already appreciate your partnership. It was wonderful seeing you at the vaccination event and being able to talk with staff there with you at my side. So I really appreciate that, Councilmember. Thank you so much. I don't see any other questions at this time. Mr. in northern costumes. And this time, Stephanie, please. Sure. Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Chair. And committee members. First, I'd like to start by reiterating Summers statements about the importance of our labor partners. The Board greatly appreciates our employees dedication to Harborview Mission and the citizens of King County, particularly during this last incredibly challenging year. We recognize that it is their expertize and their compassion that make Harborview a trusted provider of care in our community and a model of high quality care nationally, and that we are grateful. As trustees, we have no formal role in labor negotiations, but we do believe that it is our role to listen to our employees, and that is a role that we take seriously. We also bear our employees concerns in mind as we discuss employee related issues as a board. So I wanted to extend a special thank you to Jean, Katie and Mike for sharing today. My role as board president started in January, and I have already had an opportunity to meet with many council members over the last few months to provide board updates or discuss opportunities for Harborview. But I again wanted to share the board's appreciation for your unanimous support of the Harbor View bond measure last year. This project will mean so much to our patients, caregivers, community, and particularly to our mission population. As you heard from Sommer, our board is already doing quite a bit of heavy lifting this year by evaluating Harbor View's programs to ensure that we are able to embrace all of the opportunities raised by the passage of the bond while maintaining financial viability and effectively serving our mission population. This year, the Board is also working to ensure that diversity and inclusion is incorporated into all facets of Harborview, including at the board level. In addition to continuing our own personal work, which includes all day or multi-day training sessions, the board is also underway in revising our governing documents to incorporate diversity and inclusion language that fully encompasses our purpose and function. Of course, our work is ongoing, but we are committed to assisting Harborview with transforming the way care is provided to eliminate race based inequities and improve health care outcomes for historically underserved populations. Finally, as you know, we are in the midst of hiring a new CEO to replace Paul Hays, who retired in December. We have been very fortunate to have Sommer as our interim CEO. The CEO search committee, which is an external committee created under the Hospital Services Agreement, is made up of three Harborview board members and three new medicine members. The search committee is working with the consulting firm to identify and interview a diverse slate of candidates. And I understand that the consulting firm has reached out to all of the council members as stakeholders a few months ago to present an opportunity to speak directly with the consultants and that many did participate in those discussions . Please do let me know if you would like to speak with them again or if you were able to participate before and would like to do so now. The board will actually be receiving a detailed update from both the search firm and the search committee at our next board meeting next week. And we will continue to keep the council apprized of the search process. It has been a busy but exciting few months, so I'm happy to answer your questions. And you're also, of course, welcome to reach out to me directly any time, if you have any questions. Thank you very much, Mr. Fein, for your services on the board in this board chair. I feel like I've had some separation anxiety from Harborview after serving on the workgroup that forms the bond and then working with my colleagues as the bond legislation made it through made its way through the Council last year. I've devoted a significant amount of time to Harborview issues and then supporting your work and being aware of Harborview response throughout the entire pandemic. Before and after the November vote on the bond. But don't think that I haven't been. I'm still engaged on a very personal level with Harborview when I needed some medical treatment in the middle of the night several months ago. It was Harborview that I went to. Thankfully, it was minor and fine, but I received, as expected, exceptional care and was glad to know Harborview was not only the best hospital, but the closest hospital to me. Colleagues questions. I would have warmly warmly thank both of you for the presentation today and the we look forward to having the PowerPoint and being able to refer back to it and very much appreciate your work on behalf of the people of King County to serve people seeking health care at the county's hospital and particularly for your care to our mission population. Thank you so much for joining us today and most importantly for your work throughout the year in the coming year. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. This takes the item seven. Our final agenda item is an initial discussion of an ordinance that would place a charter amendment on the November ballot. This amendment would change the charter to utilize ranked choice voting for the election of county officers. Randy Luskin of Council Central Staff is here to give us an overview of the legislation. Ms.. Luskin, please go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning. Members of the Committee for the Record, Randall scanning with council staff. I'll begin by noting that a copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance was emailed to members yesterday morning at 11:59 a.m. on Next Notes b as the chair of the committee noted, and the scope for today's briefing will be to Orient Committee members to the language of the proposed ordinance, and also to provide a few notes regarding process. I will note that staff analysis is ongoing and a full written staff report will be included in the packet materials for your next committee meeting, I believe, on July the seventh, as well as any follow up from any questions from today's meeting. So with that, I will begin by noting that the proposed ordinance before you would propose to amend the King County Charter, specifically Section 610, and to utilized ranked choice voting for the election of county officers. This would be effective against subject to voter approval and would be effective January 1st following the council's adoption of an ordinance that would approve protocols for ranked choice voting. If the Council were to propose to adopt the proposed ordinance, this proposed charter amendment would go to the voters on the November ballot. So with that, I'll go ahead and walk through the proposed changes in the ordinance. So as I mentioned, the proposed ordinance would utilize ranked choice voting for the election of county officers, including the county executive, the county assessor, the director of elections, King County Council members, as well as the King County prosecuting attorney. And again, subject to voter approval of the proposed amendment. This would take effect January 1st following council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked choice voting. And the general premise would be that ranked choice voting would give voters the option of ranking candidates in order of preference and that the voting would be conducted in rounds. So in each round, each voter's ballot would count as a single vote for whichever continuing candidate. The voter has ranked third the highest. And then in each round, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated. And then the eliminated candidates and votes would be redistributed to the next ranked continuing candidate until one candidate would receive a majority of votes, and then the candidate would be deemed elected at the time of certification. I'll note that in the proposed ordinance there is a provision that if at the end of the candidate filing period, there were only two candidates that filed for an office that the election for that office would be would there be a choice , essentially? So it could be conducted by either ranked choice voting or in accordance with general laws governing nonpartisan county offices. I will note that the proposed ordinance is silent in terms of who would make that decision. That's a policy choice for this council as to whether that would be addressed in the protocols ordinance that council would be required to adopt, or if council would prefer to address that in this proposed ordinance. Lastly, note that when ranked choice voting would be conducted per the proposed ordinance, there wouldn't be a primary for the impacted offices and all of those qualified candidates would appear directly on the general election ballot. So those that's an overall high level overview of the proposed ordinance language. Just I'll wrap up by noting a few notes on process. So this item was introduced and referred to this committee at yesterday's council meeting. As I mentioned, if the Council were to approve this proposed ordinance, the proposed charter amendment would be placed. On the November ballot. As such, the last regular council meeting for action on this item as a non emergency would be the July 20th meeting of the full council. Mr. Chair, that concludes my remarks for today. Thank you much. As the prime sponsor. I'll ask council members hello if he has any comments to begin. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. We all share the goal of creating a more fair, just and multiracial democracy. And this requires that we address not only who can vote, but how we vote. Right now, we have an either or electoral system, a winner take all system, where voters are limited to choosing just one candidate. And too often, candidates win, even though a majority of voters chose someone else. The winner take all system that we have right now is at the heart of so many political problems. It creates negative partizanship and polarization where the different sides and the different candidates and their supporters attack each other in hopes of becoming the one candidate who's elected. Instead of pitting communities against each other, though in zero sum elections, ranked choice voting allows like minded communities to vote together as coalitions. And furthermore, winner take all elections also incentivizes people to vote for who they think will win rather than the candidate who reflects their values. So ranked choice voting provides greater electoral access that creates more equitable results, and it can even save money by combining the primary and general elections into one. This all would bring us one step closer to that multiracial, fair and just democracy that we described at the beginning. And lastly, I just want to say, for those who are still not certain about this legislation, I just want to emphasize two things that Miranda already shared that may give you a little bit more is, number one, we're putting something on the November ballot. So ultimately it will be the public that decides what kind of voting they want. If they want ranked choice voting, we can move in that direction. If they say no, then we won't. The other thing that I wanted to add to maybe put you at ease is this ordinance is permitted. It does not obligate us to immediately adopt ranked choice voting, for example. The plan would be if the voters approve this change to our charter in November, then we could all come together and work on an ordinance that lays out the details, that hammers out the timeline, the technology, the getting state level permission for the technology, getting all of our buy in and ducks in in order from our wonderful elections director Julie Wise and her team. So this is number one adopted by the public. Number two, a permissive ordinance that would allow us to get our ducks in a row later down the line. But the clock is ticking since November is coming up fast. And our our timeline for putting something on the ballot is coming up soon. So I urge everyone's support. I know we're not voting today, but we will have time to work through this, think through this and ask all our questions. Finally, I wanted to say thank all of the advocates who have been working on this matter. My co-sponsor, Councilmember Cole Wells and also Miranda and all of our central staff and my my team, Graciela, for help on this legislation. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. I would encourage members to surface their questions, though. It's not a branch. Today, I would encourage members to surface the questions in this conversation today so the staff has a chance to prepare and have responses to them either at our next conversation regarding this legislation or even before then individually. Councilmember Bellevue. She. That actually wasn't me speaking up. But I do have questions after whoever was speaking up. Councilman Raquel Welch. Thank you. Mr. Chair, I don't have a question, but I want to let you all know that The New York Times has a very timely and informative article in its publication today. It's titled The Dove into Ranked Choice Voting. I will forwarded it to everybody, but it profiles the race right now for the New York City mayor's race, which involves ranked choice voting. And also that name has been used in federal elections since 2000. Team in Alaska will begin doing so next year that more than 30 cities, including Oakland, San Francisco and Minneapolis have decided to use it, as have state parties and Kansas for children. So it's certainly interesting and I will again look forward to this article. Council member, Balducci. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Apologies. I have to step away from my computer as we reach the end of our scheduled time here. But I'm going to do the best I can on my phone. So I am very intrigued personally by the concept that our our electoral methods have not evolved in a very long time. And by there's there's a lot of promise, in my view, and in ranked choice voting. A lot of it was described by council members. Charlie I do as I as I do want to make sure that we fully think through the pros, the cons, the implementation challenges, the implementation costs, all of the things that we should as fiduciaries of this government really care for when we make major changes. I really appreciate what council members Angela has offered to do in making this change to the charter to be permissive. I think that makes a lot of sense and it enables me to feel more comfortable moving forward on the timeline that we're on, because if the voters say, yes, we want this, then we we can work through details in a in a legislative process that we will have to do. But this did come out of the Charter Review Commission with the recommendation that we not proceed with it. They suggested a study and involvement of a community based process to do public engagement with diverse communities and make sure that we had thought this all the way through and involved people who would be impacted. I am a little bit skeptical and we haven't done that. Just to be clear. I'm a little skeptical that there's any cost savings to be had unless we move all levels of of of of government on any particular ballot off of the primary, because we'll still have to run a primary. It just doesn't include county members. And truthfully, I'm very interested to see what happens this August. We have a very diverse slate of candidates, more than we've seen in the past for multiple levels of local and county offices. And and so the the the case that this will that this will be needed in order to diversify our council is I think I think being tested right now as we speak. So I'm I'm appreciative that we had this time to talk to to hear the briefing. I would like to ask staff to bring forward some analysis of places where ranked choice voting has been used and what has been the results in those places compared to prior to their adoption of ranked choice voting. In terms of the the candidates that have been attracted, the results and and demographics and all of the things that we like. Let's look at what we think we want to achieve with ranked choice voting and put that to the test by looking at those places that have used it and see in what outcomes they have had. Truthfully, I'm not sure that means federal elections are what I want here. So, you know, I am concerned that ranked choice voting might lead to us sort of wiping off the rough edges, if you will, and electing the most inoffensive candidates in the middle, as opposed to people who really stand for something strong in a policy way. You know, and I offer for your for your consideration, Senator Susan Collins. So thank you for this moment to say that. I do I do look forward to moving forward this proposal. I've stated my concerns for the record and asked for whatever analysis we can get on how this actually works in other places by our staff. I would appreciate that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the questions. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, ma'am. Mr. Taylor. I look forward to the article that Council Member for Wales is talking about. I too would like some more information. I've been briefed by some very good enthusiasts about this recently and they admitted it's complicated to explain. They said if you can do it in a group of people, move around, it's easy. But doing it on paper is a little more difficult. So it is complicated for people that figure out to begin with. So I think how we are going to all figure it out is going to be important. And I know Julie's been working with our members, and that is good. I, too, would like to know more places where it's been used. I think there was a town in the south of us who did use it for a short time and abandoned them. So I would like to know what happened there. Worse is that law bars certain local governments from doing this kind of thing. We are not under that because we are a home world charter. But I'd like to know why the legislature decided that. And apparently this last legislative session they decided to not forward this in the legislature. So it would be interesting to know what the debate was in the legislature and why they chose not to do it so that we have an open cross. Opinions on what this is before we jump on in. Thank you. Councilmember DEMBOSKY, thanks. And I know we're late here. Mr. Chair, I'll be brief. I'm in the analysis that comes back from Miranda. I would like us to pay particular attention to whether our top two system that we have in this state makes any difference when comparing to other states. And I heard comes from Brazil, I talk about a candidates winning with less than a majority and I know that can occur. It's occurred in a number of presidential elections. Right. We have a plurality, but I think that often occurs in partizan elections here with our two step process, a primary and a general with top two advancing . I think someone always gets a majority to get elected in November. And so I'm kind of curious about the implications of that and whether that mitigates. And I want to say early on that I'm a little agnostic, I'm interested in this. I have some serious questions. I'm concerned about the timeframe. I'm concerned about getting a general green light from voters and then having politicians pick the rules about how we're going to be elected. That I just I'm interested in thinking through that. And and and and I guess I'm losing track of my last question there. But that kind of the timing here is of concern because this is very important in terms of our democratic processes and in how we do it. Oh. This is maybe my biggest concern, eliminating the primary. I really think there is tremendous value in a winnowing process and then a debate that with clear competing values and ideas and proposals for voters to look at and weigh in on, and I get that that's not totally lost when you go straight to a general. But it's a it can be a lot more crowded and tougher to decipher out and distill out those messages. And I have some real concerns, just at least out of the gate. I want to share with you all about eliminating a primary and going straight to the general and and then resolving it. I know in New York, they limited their ranked choice voting proposal in the mayor's race to the primary. And they're because they're partizan, I guess the primary kind of solves their race. But in our top two system, I see tremendous value in having that debate through the fall, where voters have time to assess things, where candidates are , where there's time for the press and the community to vet candidates and for that real robust debate in our democracy. So those are some of my initial thoughts. I'm really interested in this debate, and I appreciate the advocates bringing them forward in the kind the goals that are attempting to be achieved. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Other colleagues. Seeing none. I want to thank Miranda for the briefing and my colleagues for surfacing questions and issues that can be looked into between now and our next meeting, our next regular meeting of the committee. The whole and Mr. Chair, can serve double duty. I'm sorry. I just had one last question very briefly to the list. I want just to confirm that we all mean the same thing when we say permissive. I just pulled up and I'm looking at the language and I see a lot of shells. So I just would like to make sure we understand what what we're actually asking the voters and what happens if they say yes to this language. Exactly. Thank you. Thank you. I might suggest that for those of us visual learners, also some sort of graphs, some visual representation of what would happen, say, if there were four candidates for a particular office. How ranked choice voting, if implemented, might play out, would help me track and follow through. With that. The only vote we've had was on it on the agenda approving the minutes of our previous meetings. So I won't ask if anybody missed that vote and having no other business before us today, we are adjourned or remain members. We have a special meeting of the committee of the whole. A week from today in the afternoon. And I'll see you then. And now that our next regularly scheduled meeting as well. Thank you and good afternoon. Thank you. ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE proposing to amend the King County Charter to utilize ranked-choice voting for the election of county officers, including the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney, effective January 1 following the council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked-choice voting; amending Section 610 of the King County Charter; and submitting the same to the voters of the county for their ratification or rejection at a special election to be held in conjunction with the November 2, 2021, general election."}
{"id": "king_9405afaf-60f9-4741-bba0-73f406a2a9e3", "input": "The Committee of the whole. The meeting will come to order. All right. Clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Madam Chair. Council member Baldacci. Here. Council member Dombrowski. Council member Done it. The member got it here. Council Member Caldwell. Council member McDermott here. Council member of the Grove. Council member one Right there. Madam Chair. Here. OC. Do you have a report? Good report. They're all. Right. All right. Would you put the minutes of October 3rd before us, please? Remove adoption of the third minutes? Okay. Those in favor of the minutes as written, please say I write those opposed say nay. The minutes are approved as written. All right. I'm going to take something out of order because it's quick. And that is a bond issue. So you can see our bond issue is number five and six. Okay, let's go five and six real quick. And Mr. Haymaker. Thank you, Madam Chair. Excuse me. Across a very open department. Thank you very. Much. To say. Thank you. Would I? We would be at recess for a moment, please. So that. On the record. You are out of order again. As always, thank you for your your display of sweetness. And so we can document that, so that we can get to our three when we can get back to sanity. All right, Mr. Hammacher, you follow sanity. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. For the record, Patrick Hamacher, counsel, staff items five and six in your packets. Our proposed ordinance 2016 0500 and proposed motion 2016 0501. That the package of legislation taken as a whole continues a program that's been in place for several years, and that is for the wastewater treatment utility to issue instead of long term debt, but to have some portion of their debt portfolio be short term debt. In this case, it allows the department to take advantage of the very low short term debt markets. This program has been in place for many years. Last year at this time, the executive requested an extension of the program, which the council granted but was unclear at that time whether they wanted to continue the program beyond an additional year. So the Council gave the executive a year to study the program. The executive has recommended continuing the variable rate debt program covered by this ordinance. I'm now speaking from the bottom of page or the top of page ten in your staff report. The ordinance allows the issuance of $100 million in variable rate debt. In other words, debt tied to short term interest rates as opposed to long term interest rates. This provides the department a hedge against interest rate risk. The executive staff is estimating that the interest rate on these bonds will be about 1%, as opposed to between four and 5% on long term debt. The financial plans for the wastewater utility allow up to 20% of the outstanding debt to be covered by variable rate bonds with inclusion of this $100 million. 14% of the wastewater debt will be variable rate, so it's well within the policy limit. There's currently about $3.6 billion in outstanding wastewater treatment division debt. The executive has requested an expedition of these two items because the current bond program is expected to expire at the end of November. The proposed motion that is included with the ordinances would approve. Usually you don't know who's going to win the debt when you approve it because it's long term debt and it's essentially a competition on the day of the sale because this is a ongoing program that will roll. They actually know who the selected vendor has been. They've selected State Street Bank as the result of a competitive process where the county received nine bids and their bids were independently evaluated by both the county financial staff and also the county's financial advisor. So taken as a whole, they would continue the existing program. There are no other policy implications of the package before you, and that concludes my staff report. So three quick questions. So how long will this program go and is this program we can have indefinitely? No. This is a. Program that can roll indefinitely. Okay. Consistent with the policy, because it consistent with the wastewater treatment division policy. And approximately how much money do you think this will save us? Well, that's something in this case, what you can do is compare short term to long term. Long term debt is between four and 5%. They're expecting in the short run this to be about 1%. So there's a significant savings there. But because it rolls regularly, it wouldn't it's not really that you would make that comparison over time. If short term rates were to spike, you might just not continue this program. So it's it's a huge savings. In the short term. If it ever stops being a savings, you can roll out of the short term debt into more long term debt. Okay. Any questions from anybody on the council? I'm glad to see that we're doing this. And because of the interest rates being so low, do you think there's going to be any more looking to get us closer to the 20% so we can save more money? I haven't heard of any plans from that. I can I can check with the executive staff. It's it's been kind of the program's been in the kind of $500 million range for a number of years. So that program has stayed the same. What has changed is as we've built bright water, the overall debt of the division has gotten bigger and so the percentage has gone down. So I think there the executive branch is comfortable with the size of the program, but I can ask them that offline and get your answer to that. All right. Councilmember, would you be willing to put both of them together? Are you alright with me taking on both together? Ordinance 2016 500 and Motion 2016 5a1. Which I move. We give a do pass recommendation to ordinances 2016. 505 oh one. Thank you. Are there any questions or comments but that the critical piece calls for the. Thank you, Madam Chair. Council Member Baldacci High Council Member DEMBOSKY Thank you. Council Member Dunn Council Member. Dorset. Council Member. Coles I. Council Member McDermott. High Council Member of the group. I don't have to provide right there. Madam Chair, today, Madam Chair, the vote is six I's and three Council members excused. Council Member Dombrowski, Council member in council member of the Grove. Excellent. Thank you very much. Okay. Sorry. Council member Van Wright, not council member of the government. Okay, great. Thank you. So we're going to go back now. What would you what would you like to do with those items. Since you needed it right away? Expedite. And I think it's okay to put on consent. So let's expedite consent. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you for reminding me on that. Okay. Let's go back up to our special item today. And this is a proclamation for October as Filipino-American History Month. We are very excited. We have many friends in the audience and we're glad to see you with us. And Councilmember Gossett, you are in charge of the proclamation. That was my on board who started that class. If I had known, I went to join them. We went to the University of Washington together. Madam Chair and colleagues, it gives me a great deal of privilege and pleasure to present this very special proclamation to you all and to our larger listening audience. We televise all of our meetings on television, so there is a larger audience that will be seeing this program. And King and and martin luther king jr counted. And I don't know how many of our guests know this the only geographic area in the United in the world communities gathering this named in honor of Dr. King and his picture is our logo and we're very proud of that because it has a certain richness and political importance to moving toward democratic experience for people regardless of gender, background, race, etc. It really has served us well, but this morning and we are very happy to celebrate with most of our guests who are here presently. Filipino American History Month. Here in Washington State, a Washington has about the third largest Filipino population in the country. I think the other one or two are also on the West Coast, mostly in California. Some of the neighborhoods and most of our most of your brethren and our brothers and sisters reside in Seattle, are called Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Rainier Beach , Skyway, Al Gonzales, shoreline, west Seattle. Those are the names of the neighborhoods in which many of your brethren reside, and they're doing pretty well. The average income in Seattle is now a little over $80,000 a year. Filipinos, on average make a little more than 60,000. That's really quite good average family income or household income. And we're very proud of that richness, the intelligence and the contributions that Filipino people have made to our community. But few realize that the first Filipino that came to what is now the United States of America got here over 400 years ago, and they came with the Spanish conquistadors who were exploring and conquering what is now California. So y'all didn't just get here 50 years ago. You've been here way before, most of the rest of us. But today we are honored to have among our Filipino community that we haven't had before a very special delegation of 12 people from been on loan in Philippines. Oh, well. And I do not think oh thank you that that delegation is headed by the mayor of that fine city, Mayor Ramone Gecko and his vice mayor, Malaysia Party. And I'd like right now for both of those gentlemen to join me at the podium. The mayor invites him. Okay. And we'd be remiss if we didn't recognize the representatives of the Filipino community that reside here in Seattle and Martin Luther King County. So as long as they represent me and I'm offer that. I'd like to just say a couple more things and then don't turn over to the mayor and the local representative. I'll just say a few words and then we'll take some entertain any questions or comments that you all might have and then take some pictures. This delegation's here to do research and to visit sites connected to the famous or infamous, depending upon how you look at him. Portland and writer Carlos Wallison, who immigrated to the United States way back in 1930. And Carlos is the author of the most popular book ever published by the University of Washington. Five of my colleagues graduated from the University of Washington. So we know about the. Book. And I read from there. And the title of that book was America is in the Heart. So without further ado, I would like to ask the mayor and the vice mayor to say a few words to you all about why that why they're here and what they hope to get out of this particular experience in this part of the U.S.. Mayor. Thank you. Councilman Larry Gossett, members of the council and the chairperson, members of the Filipino community. Let me introduce to you first our members of the delegate from being alone and of course, Vice Mayor Ali Pataki. We have Councilor Georgie Galvani and her husband, engineer Frederick Carbone. We have the wife of the vice mayor, Dora Joyce Galvani. Uh, of course. My wife. Mine. My ever supportive mother. Arlene. Mother? Yeah. My brother. RG Koch. Leo. Dr. Cornell Aquino, who is with the Education Department in our town and our planning officer and engineer Beth Aquino, of course, Professor Emanuel Anthony. He was very instrumental in connecting us with Cindy and of course, Councilman Larry. So the Filipino community. Good morning. We are so grateful that you gave us a very warm welcome here in Seattle in spite of the rain. Yesterday, it was so cold. So, you know, we are not used to this kind of weather. But still, the welcome was very warm. Our mission here is actually to reconnect with our fellow Filipinos and trace back at least to get an idea of the life of our famous writer who was born in our town. And we celebrate actually his death anniversary every September 11. We do a Carlos Blue Sunday, and our mission is actually to going to go at his grave site and reconnect with the Filipinos who are in the education, in the universities. And we are going to put up a museum of our own and a library so that our people, people from our town, would know about. The life of this great man is famous everywhere in America, in Europe, but ironically is not so famous in our own town. So we would like to put up the museum and probably get the whole of copies of his original manuscripts, interviews and all the things that we could exhibit in the university. And so far, our Filipino community and, of course, the officers of the county who have been very helpful and we are so grateful to be part of this historic proclamation of this program. And on behalf of the town of been alone and of the delegates, we are so thankful the Filipino community here in King County and the officials of King County Council. Thank you. Mr. Vice Premier. Would you like to say anything to an audience? Yeah. For you. Thank you, sir. With the kind permission of everyone, I will have my general greetings. Good morning to all of us. On behalf of the lawmaking body of our town, being alone and would like to say thank you for your warm welcome and giving us the opportunity to do some works here in relation to the putting up of a museum for our local hero, Karlis Baluta. Thank you. And again, good morning. Now we'd like to hear from the representative of the local Filipino community. Thank you and good morning. And on behalf of the Filipino community of. Seattle. And the whole Filipino community to the state of Washington, we would like to say our sincerest appreciation to this special recognition every year never. Fails. To recognize the contribution of our community in the great King County. Thank you so much. I'm Sheila Burris from the executive director of the Filipino community of Seattle. Thank you. Thank you. Well, we do welcome you. And we are thankful for the opportunity to have greater friendship with you. And we are glad that you have seen that our rain we call liquid sunshine. So I am happy that you've got a taste of our liquid sunshine and we are very thankful that we can learn from you and you from us in this great partnership. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Now it is my duty to read the formation. Whereas Filipinos have lived in the United States for over 425 years, beginning with the earliest documented proof of Filipino presence in the continental United States on October 18, 1587, in Morro Bay, California. And. Whereas, Washington State is home to the third largest Filipino population in the United States, and Filipino Americans are the largest Asian Pacific American population in the state of Washington, with the vast majority making King County their home. And. Whereas, Filipino Americans have contributed greatly to the cultural, economic, social and political life of King County. And. Whereas, King County is home to cultural and historical institutions important to the Filipino community locally, nationally and internationally, including, in that regard, the Alaskan Cannery Workers Union that was organized here on the island, did a lot of work, mostly in Alaska. And certainly Domingo of my staff lost her beloved brother Selma to his tremendous work of organizing Filipino and other workers in the canneries to improve their condition. The Inland Boatman's Union is also very important here locally. The Filipino American National Historical Society's National Office, the Filipino Community Center, which Sheila represents, is very important, and the Carlos Boulevard Historical Museum. And. WHEREAS, Filipino American History Month provides an opportunity to promote the study of Filipino American history and culture and recognizes the contributions made by Filipino Americans. Now, therefore, we, the King County Council, proclaim October as Filipino American Month in King County and encourage all county residents to join us in celebrating the many, many contributions of Filipino Americans who reside here among us and elsewhere in the United States. And this proclamation is dated today, the 17th day of October, 2006. We would be honored and the rest of you would join us for a picture along with the other elected officials from the town. I really don't. Know. I think it's. You got to work on. Honey. Well, you're supposed to be hands on, buddy this weekend, and. I don't know. I wish I could. And in this circumstance. Yeah. Thank you. Where did you find yourself? Are you doing okay? President Obama does not think that is on the table. Right now. Yeah, you're right. Like military intelligence. Young Republican. Good night. Alice. Okay, thank you. And let us go on to our next item and. Your a beauty and marketing. Sure. But I've got. You're about to get all of your money with me. Okay. Thank you. We're going to go on to our next day, which is 2016, briefing 157. It's item number seven on our agenda. And this is a briefing on the King County Library system. And most people get confused. They think the King County library system is actually part of King County government, and it's not. So that makes for some interesting opportunities. We are so lucky in this county to have a countywide library system that serves both the unincorporated areas and most of our cities and towns. King County Library System is one of the busiest library system in the entire country, with nearly 21 million items checked out last year. That's a lot of book rich shelving. So congratulations. King County Council helped to found this library system and we play a role in its governance by confirming the executive appointments of members and the board of trustees. And each year, the county has the opportunity to meet with our library director and board members. So we're glad to have you with us today. And I'm happy to continue that tradition this morning by welcoming our library director, Gary Wasden, and board president Bob Spitzer. And so, Mary, would you begin our introduction? Sure. Thanks, Madam Chair. For the record, I'm Mary Bergen on in the materials for this briefing begin on page 175 of your packets. As you noted, the King County Library system was approved by the voters back in nine in the 1940s and has been growing ever since then because the county council plays a role in the confirmation of board members each year. For the last several years, the Council has had the opportunity to hear from the librarian and members of the board. And so I'm delighted that this morning we have, as you mentioned, Madam Chair, Gary Wasden, who is the county librarian and board members, Rob Spitzer and chancellor. And I will turn it over to Mr. Wasden to present. Inviting. Madam Chair. Good morning, council members. I'm Garry Watson, library director for the King County Library System. It's a pleasure to be here with you this morning. Just to share a few quick updates, I have our board president, Rob Spitzer here with us and John Scheller, who is our government relations manager for the library system, which is a new position here. So we'll just share a few quick points with you and then take a few moments to answer any questions you may have or talk about anything of interest to you. I appreciate your hospitality and the kind comments we do have, really one of the busiest. We alternate between being the busiest and the second busiest library system in the country. It's pretty remarkable when you also realize that Seattle Public Library has a separate library system for us. If you added us together, we easily would be the busiest library system in the country, if not in all of North America. Our our patrons continue to be big library users and big library supporters. We've had a wonderful year. We're a little late in the year coming to you. We had to postpone a few times. So we're going to share a few things that are maybe slightly looking back at 2015, but also at 2016. One of the first things I wanted to thank you for was your support for the ballot box initiative to get ballot boxes in many of our libraries. That has been tremendous. One of our local goals here is to do everything we can as a library system to help encourage civic engagement, to help see greater voter turnout, and to make it easier for people to submit their ballots. We've seen wonderful responses for that. Many of you have taken the opportunity to come out to do a small little photo op. As we've cut the ribbon at these ballot boxes, we have several more that are opening now. So thank you for support and making that happen. And just a big thanks. We have a wonderful director of elections that's been a wonderful partner to work with in the library system. We also just completed our annual summer reading program, which we do every year. That program continues to grow. This year we had over 60,000 youth participating. Those are kids and teens reading during the summer months. It's a lot of fun and they think it's a lot of fun. But we also know it's really important keeping their minds active when they go back to school in the fall. They actually are performing higher than when they left in the spring, which is critically important. We've also continued in conjunction with that program to expand our summer meals program. As most of you know, during the summer, kids are out of school. They no longer have access, easy access to the free meals program. This year, we expanded the number of libraries participating. We had 15 libraries that were serving meals throughout the summer. That includes lunches, dinners and afternoon snacks. This year, we served just under 10,000 meals to kids in our 15 libraries participating in that program that is all done free to us. We provide the space and some staff support, but it's primarily supported through funding, through the Department of Education and through volunteer programs, the United Way and the Vista Volunteers. So it's a great service to provide keeping those meals local in the communities where kids and teens have easy access to them, they are available to anyone. We don't have to check any kind of idea or anything. We just provide the meals and any youth can come in and take part in the meal. We also last year, very importantly, formalized an agreement with the Seattle Public Library and have kind of had an on again, off again relationship with the library system. So last year we did formalize that and put into writing an agreement that gives all King County residents equal access to both library systems. That's particularly important on kind of the periphery libraries, those along kind of the northern corridor, in the southern corridor of Seattle, where for many Seattle residents, it's easier to get to our libraries and in some cases it's easier for our residents to get to a Seattle library. So now all of our residents throughout the King County can use both systems equally. I also want to mention that next year is our 75th birthday of the King County Library System. 75 years ago, the residents voted to establish the Rural Library District. So we'll have a great celebration going on all next year, which will be a lot of fun and well-timed with a lot of exciting things happening in the library. We'll have some information to share with you, and we'd like to encourage and share opportunities where you can come out to the libraries in your community for some of the special local celebrations. Just a quick final update on our capital projects, which of course, have dominated much of the work we've done over the last 14 years. As a reminder, we passed a bond in 24, which was a pretty major overhaul of our physical structures throughout the county. Touching each part of King County. Over the last year and a half, we opened the Renton Library downtown, the Renton Highlands Library. And the Skyway Library there in unincorporated King County. The Kingsgate Library opened in Kirkland, the beautiful new White Center library, also in unincorporated King County, reopened, and the renovated Mercer Island Library reopened earlier this summer. Those projects all came out incredibly successful, as you all know as well as anyone. There was a lot of contention around many of these projects. I'm very pleased to say, though, that we were able to get to a very positive place on all of these projects with the community members, and they are all happily using their libraries. We have a few remaining projects. We're very close to the end on this bond. We have the Tukwila Library, which is a brand new library, and Tuckwell are opening in January of next year. The Valley View Library in SeaTac is under renovation right now and that'll be reopening in early December. We have the Boulevard Park Library being renovated in Burian and that will be taking place next spring. We have a new library going into the Panther Lake region of Kent that is a and an existing space that we're currently in negotiations for leasing that will do kind of a retrofit to make it into a nice new library , a second space in Kent. And then last, we are expanding the library presence that we have in the South Center Mall, doubling the size of that library. So all of those projects will be taking place next year. And fittingly, finishing up all of these capital projects in our 75th year will be an extra special challenge for that . And with that, I'm going to turn over to Rob, who's just going to tell you a little bit about our strategic planning process. Thank you. So I'm Rob Spitzer, and I'm the president of the board of trustees this year for the King County Library System. There are five trustees, especially when all of our positions are filled. And if I could put it in a little plug when there are vacancies, it's really great to have them filled promptly just because it's a big system and we're all volunteers and it to have fewer than five sort of involved in trying to oversee. At some level, it's a real challenge. So what are you down a member at this moment. Right now we have five but we were until two months ago through 2016, we were at four. So it you know, it becomes a little tough. Anyway, we so we have, as you know, a new executive director, Gary Westin, who if I could put a plug in, he's doing a really a fabulous job. And we're really very, very happy that he's on board now, that he's been there just a little over a year and a half. We are doing something that's very important for organizations on a regular basis to do, and that's were embarking again in a strategic planning process. So, you know, Gary's now had enough time to sort of get to know the lay of the land and looking around really nationally and actually internationally at library usage, it's changing around the world. We all know e-books are playing a role now that they never did before. The King County Library system actually has the highest number of e-books checked out in the United States. So we we are a leader in that area. But sort of the changing role of the library is something that we're looking at very carefully. And so I mentioned we've embarked on a formal strategic planning process. I know that that Fred Gerard has already been sort of interviewed and people are going out in the community now. Our our planning consultants are helping us sort of analyze where should we go in the future just because plays or library system plays such an important role. We want to be ahead. We don't want to sort of fall behind. So that's something that's really important that we're doing. Something else that it's important to share with you is that we take our role as stewards of public monies, tax dollars, very seriously. We had a levy lid lift in 2010, sort of in the midst of the recession, and that community resoundingly supported a levy lily for the libraries, which is a major vote of confidence. We're doing so. We have generally budgeted sort of eight years between levy lid lifts. We're trying to go farther and longer without having to raise the to ask for another levy led lift. And so hopefully we can do it and and defer it until 2020 instead of 2018. I know this year in terms of our budgeting for the next year, Kerry's asked all of our departments to look at 3% reductions in each of their budgets, just so that we're really careful about not you know, there's a there's a certain level of prosperity in the county, as we know, but we're not taking that for granted. And we're really doing our best to. To be careful stewards of our dollars. Thank you. And, John, were you going to say something? Thank you, Madam Chair. And council members, just a quick word. My position government relations manager was created in April and my role is to improve and strengthen relationships with our other jurisdictions county council members, community service area community associations like West Hill. In fact, as I've been saying to Mingo here, I get to interact with him frequently area. So as part of the strategic planning process this afternoon, we're meeting with the Sound Cities Association members, mayors and city councils of all the cities and King County and just doing a lot of listening to hear input for our strategic plan. Thank you. So, Rob, I want to say that I so appreciate that you said that our new director is doing an amazing job. It's fabulous that every time I've called within a matter of a few minutes, I've got a phone call back or you answered and I get an answer. That is exactly what we were hoping for. So thank you for taking on some difficult problems and things that I'm sure that you didn't realize we were going to have to deal with not only inside libraries, but outside the libraries. And at this moment, everything is perfect. So that's a good thing. You have knock on wood, so that's great. And I'm sure they can say that all of us are excited about your 75th anniversary, and we'd like to celebrate that with you. That's wonderful. We are also glad about taking the tax out to 2020 so that there'll be less opportunities for suppression of other taxing districts. It's kind of a mess right now with how being close to the ceiling we are. So two things. When I didn't know we were serving meals. That is fantastic. So if you could get me the list of places in my district where those are being served, I would love to know that and go out and visit. It is really important and I'm glad that the schools are partnering so well with you. I was there when the Duval New Library opened and they did the book, the book line where we pass in the book, pass the books. That was so fun. And what was it called? There was a name for that. But anyway, it was really fun to do. And I think that we passed so many books that it probably made it easier to make the move. But it was truly an old fashioned town event and one that I really think is fantastic, and I don't think anybody that was there will. Ever forget it. So that was really fun. Bookmobile. How many where number of volume? How are we doing in Bookmobile? We have 19 vehicles and they don't have in front of me the breakdown specifically of of their visits. But I can send that to you. I will say, though, that it continues to expand and grow. We actually, this year for the first time hired dedicated drivers that had been a job that library staff did. They kind of rotated out among the libraries. So we started hiring dedicated drivers just because it's increasingly a bigger and bigger part of our service. What we found, as you can imagine, not just in the rural areas where the library may not be close by, but even in the more urban areas where people lack good transportation. There's been such a demand to get those bookmobile out to housing developments, to our senior centers, to daycares and places where we have a nice captive audience that are so excited to see their vehicle come out. Along with that, we've expanded that. We've always had a tech mobile, which is a bookmobile with computers on it. And this year we launched through funding, through our foundation, a program we called Idea X, which is a mobile makerspace. So it is taking a bookmobile and turning it into a mobile maker lab with 3D printing coding classes, design classes and programs targeting youth . Although we do have programs for all ages but heavily targeted towards youth that we can take out into the community and teach kids about newer kinds of technology. So is it the 3D competition? And those kids were rocking and rolling with all kinds of great ideas. So when you went the older kids class, I'm interested in some of the older 3D class. Thank you for your partnership with the voting. It's wonderful for people to know that they're either at city halls or libraries for our ballot box. So people are have that opportunity. And thank you also for the drop off at Redmond Ridge. That is really, really popular, too. Any questions for me, for anybody? Councilmember Gossett Thank you, Madam Chair. You mentioned about the e-books. I was kind of fascinated by our system here in King County, been. One is most frequently access for e-books. I'm never going to figure out what is an e-book. It's it's sort of exactly like a print book, except it's digital and it's a little you you use it just like a library book. So we subscribe, we buy e-books from vendors, just like a person could buy an e-book from their iPad or their Kindle. So we buy them and they're available through our website and you borrow them, meaning you go to our website, you find the one you want, you log in with your library card, you download it to your device and it stays on your device for two weeks and then it disappears after two weeks. So you're borrowing it. You have two weeks to read it, and then it's gone. The nice thing is there's no overdue fines. You don't have to remember to return it. It just automatically goes away. And you don't have to come to the library. Exactly. Exactly. And we're at about 3 million e-books circulated from class last year. That that makes us the busiest in the United States. Unfortunately, Toronto has a really busy library. So in North America, Toronto holds the title, but we're first in the U.S. and that question let me just add, since many people are still finding out we have e-books, we're really excited again through funding, through our foundation. We actually this fall later this fall in November, we'll be putting into e-book kiosks at SeaTac Airport so that people traveling through the airport will see our kiosk right there advertising our eBooks. They'll be able to browse the collection, download an e-book there. If they don't have a library card, they'll still be able to use it. It'll limit them to just up to three books and just for one week, but at least they can still try it, and then they can get a library card and have full use of the system. So that will expose even more people to our collections. And how do you know what boats are on there? Is there a list of those so. You can go? If you're just at home or on your device, you can go through our website and browse the collection. These kiosks we have, we have some in some of our libraries. This will be the first that we have outside of the library at Sea-Tac. And it's actually just a touch screen. You can browse through, you can search for a particular title. You can browse for, you know, look for a mystery or romance, or just scroll through and see something that grabs your eye. Yeah, I'm looking for the gang of four. Yeah. Mr. Guy said I have an autographed copy of that book. Yeah. Thank you for autographing it and I might let you share it. And so also on Read Aloud books. How are we doing on Read Allow books? Are there lots of those being downloaded? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It's fantastic. Claudia, did she. Thank you. Yeah, it's this is very. I'm sorry. We're going to just use your time here now, but I have attempted several times to download books, and I have to say I'm really technically challenged with it. I suppose people like me need some help. How do you do this? I mean, I can get it on my computer, but I can't read it. Yeah, we we help site. You have it. You're in good company. There are lots of people like that. We do two ways, really, whatever's easiest for you. So at our libraries, I mean, you could walk into a library at any time and just ask for help. We also do these sort of e-book clinics where we actually sort of set up a little separate service station in our libraries. And that's just for that purpose where they can sit down with you, because everybody has a different device and a different skill. Level one on one help is usually best for some people. If you if you're the kind who can do this over the phone, you can also call our class service and they can talk you through it over the phone. A lot of people want to be there in person with the device, though, so whatever's easiest for you can either do it over the phone or just stop by the library. And it's really helpful for those of us who want to join this growing group of folks. And then just a quick thanks and an apology. The thank you is for your partnership on the the ballot drop drop boxes. It's so important. I think we're all living it this year. How important it is to make sure that as many people as possible are able to vote. We make it. We try. It's one of the most important functions we have here at the county. And the library has been such just a tremendous, tremendous partner to to locate those. So thank you very much. And I apologize for the $8.30 and overdue book fines that I currently have. Okay. Well, I'll make good on that. Part of the problem. Is you. Don't bother me about it. I have to go. We appreciate the. Catch. We'll give you exercise to take care of that right now so your conscience will be fine. Councilmember Denver. Thank you, Madam Chair. A third of my district in the city of Seattle and served by the Seattle Public Library. The balance of my district, Shoreline Lake Forest Park come to welcome Woodinville. And part of Kirkland is served by King County Library System. I hear from constituents from time to time that would like to see increased interoperability, if you will, between the two systems. What is the status? Then your relationship with the public library in terms of, you know, loan and seamlessness from the user's perspective, we seemed. Maybe we fixed this, but we seem to have always a little bit of an issue there. And what would it take to make it seamless if it isn't? I think right before you came in the room, I mentioned this that we did formalize a written agreement with Seattle Public Library. It's been kind of an on again, off again relationship. And for long periods of time it was very informal, which is never good because then it just can disappear when somebody leaves. So we actually put it in writing. So right now, all residents of King County have access to both library systems. So you can use either one regardless of which side of the border you live on as far as additional stuff. We are eager to continue to do more together and to work more closely together. We actually have a meeting with our senior management teams of both library systems coming up in two weeks to sort of lay the groundwork. One of the key things that I'd like to do is to see us do a sort of unified summer reading program, as we both do. One, and we you know, summer reading programs have themes and we use different themes, which confuses everyone, especially if you think about, you know, our major media outlet. Seattle Times, of course, often has coverage about the Seattle Public Library reading program, and our patrons are reading that and get confused about what that means and that doesn't match with what they have. So looking at how we can sort of unify that so that at least we're using common language, we're operating at the same time that people can can more seamlessly use our services. So we're continuing to grow that and will continue to do so. And one other thank you for that. I'm sorry, Mr. President. No problem. A couple of years ago, there was a concern raised from a labor relations perspective about the custodians contract with the King County Library System. What is the status of that and what kind of work has the library system done to make sure we treat all workers with a high degree of respect and also help lift them up by paying a living wage? Exactly. So we have ended that contract early and are in the process of putting out an RFP. We've tightened up the language in the RFP that will remove that loophole that allowed the current contract award to be made so that it is a contract that is available to everyone that meets both the letter of the law as well as the spirit of the law. And that RFP, I think, actually went out today, probably about a month process before we have a contract award to announce. Thank you very much. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Is it looking through your book that you gave us? Thank you for that, for doing that and looking at one of the libraries and how exciting it is in this picture to be able to sit in really comfortable furniture and look at the beautiful windows and be able to read and sort of like a room and thinking this might be the. Rent. In the Renton library. Okay. It looks very similar to what a library's in my district. But on the flip side of where the things are really, really, really beautiful. So thank you for that. So that library has received national awards. Cedar. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it is beautiful. And I got to tell you that the full city one looks at some beautiful and so does the carnation. When look out on some really beautiful areas to see, it looks a lot the same where you can just going to go out. Nice spaces to sit and enjoy it and I think you know the Renton Library if I can just add you know, I alluded earlier to some of our community challenges and Renton was certainly one where the plan was to rebuild the library in a different location instead of this space over the river and the community for it , and rightfully so. And that library is as stunning and kind of full service and great recognition to the community for that. As Rob said, the library has won numerous awards, including the American Institute of Architects, Library of the Year Award for Library Renovation Project. So it's wonderful to have our buildings recognized, but it's even more wonderful when that work came directly from the community fighting to keep their library. And I remember the the ballot measures, I remember the discussions, I remember the emails and more emails. So thank you for all your hard work and that it is really, really beautiful. If we were to put together a group of people from the 12th and 10th floor that would like to be taught about all the different things on our computers and such. Could we arrange something like that? Absolutely. Okay. I think we may organize something like that over the holidays. Yeah. We'd be glad to have a staff member can come meet here if we can just find a space. If we have a space here that we could do, that. We will get you. That will also sign people up, still nominate people and get a general idea of what questions they. And if I could also tell you just because it might be of interest to you, we did just a couple of weeks ago when and renew the contract for service that we provide to the Youth Service Center here in Seattle. So, you know, you may not know that there's a library and the youth service center, quite a nice library that has historically been operated by King County Library System, even though it's here in Seattle. And they put that out to bid to see make sure we were doing a good job, but also just to see if there were other ways of providing service and we won the bid and are in the process of renewing the contract now. So we'll continue that service. And we're also working with, as they look to build the new detention center that will have a new library that we work with them to build on that space as well. Excellent. I didn't realize that came out now. Well, please. In the adult divisions of the jail system there. A year ago, there was a contract with the library. And for a number of unavoidable reasons, we don't have that any longer. And I just want to encourage you, as I encourage the jail director to continue having discussions about when and if that might be something we could renew, because having reading materials for folks who are in the facilities I just think is really good all the way around for a number of reasons. And the jail does a pretty good job of trying to maintain a volunteer free book drive, but they just don't have the expertize and the the resources that you all have. So I understand that there was a financial challenge there, that there's nothing we can really do about it, that as if we're rolling in money now. But I just want to encourage us to continue to look for opportunities to expand that service. And I thank you very much for what you're doing at the juvenile division. Thanks. Thank you. I will be calling. You said six or seven things that I want to pick your brain on on that very same topic. So thank you so much for all you do and from the great asset you were in our community. Thank you all. Thank you. And we will see you before next year because we have a lot of questions. And I. I love my TEDTalks, but there are some books I'd like to hear, too. All right. So now we're going to move on to three items that are our roads department. So we will be looking at proposed ordinance 2016, 404 11 and 401. So this cable you come up and then also our roads, people, if you want to come on up too, that would be great. All three of you can come on up this case. Please take it away. Thank you, Madam Chair. I will try not to contact you. I'm afraid I have a call today. I'm Lisa K Council staff. Today I'm talking about item 8/1, which is proposed ordinance 2016 zero 400, which is an update of Title 14 of the King County Code. I'm joined today with by the services director, Brenda Bauer, Deputy Director Jay Osborne and the county road engineer Rick Braider. My staff report begins on page 249 of your packet. There's also additional information that the executive provided, additional background information beginning on page 425 of your packet. Today's update is going to include or that I'm sorry, the update that will be brought to the course of at least two meetings is going to cover most policy and technical changes. Today, I'll be going over the policy changes as described on tables one and two on pages 252. 252 of your packet staff analysis is ongoing with respect to some of the changes to the road vacation provisions in Table two. And I'll be bringing you some of that information back to you at your November 7th meeting. Also at November 7th, I'll describe changes to the road design and construction standards that will be adopted by this ordinance and a striking amendment that has been developed by legal counsel. Your legal counsel in consultation with the panel. There are a couple of other things that are relevant to those Title 14 update that you'll be other types of legislation that you'll be seeing over the next weeks and months. Specifically early next year, you'll be seeing updates on chapters of Title 14 that deal with rights of way, the permit system for county property utilities on county right away, wireless communication facilities and utilities on county properties. Also you have legislation before you now. And as an update to King County Chapter 14 or Code Chapter 1470, which is the Transportation Concurrency Management Program that's been referred to this committee of the hall. You also have an update to County Code Chapter 1456, which is the NON-MOTORIZED program, and that will be before council in the context of the comprehensive plan. UPDATE Finally today, as item ten, you have proposed Ordinance 2016 0401, which moves a section of Title 14 to Title 28 having to do with. The commute trip reduction. So with all that, I'll come back now to table one on page 250 of your packet. These markets, these modifications would make policy changes. I said, as I said, to Title 14, and they're grouped in your staff in the staff report in four categories. Just for ease of review. There are two administrative changes. Three changes having to do with repealing provisions. Two provisions that establish new authority and four that modify regulations. Are we good to go on this? No, not really. So I'm the first one. So it's going to delete the requirement for the directors annual report. But the WEC says we have to have annual bridge reports. So if we have to do a bridge report, it seems to me that we should have a comprehensive report. So why are we deleting the annual report? If I can say that we will be what? I will be walking through each one of these with you, each one of the proposed changes. So when next time, as we speak. Now. Okay. All right. I will turn to Director Bauer to speak to the deletion of the annual report, as you said, which is the first administrative change. We've always submitted an annual bridge report to the council. And what were one of the things we were trying to do was to get rid of conflicts or repetition with state law. So where there is a state law that requires us to do something, then we you often get out of sync over time if you have a separate and close provision in county code. So is there something we can put in the county code that says that when you submit the state report that you submitted to us on the council so that that's what the state report does. Yes. Okay. All right. So if that's what we're doing, why are we changing this? Then what? Over time, a lot of what happened was that the provisions of state law were written also in county code. And to clean up the code because they get out of sync just even by a few words over time. You know, a good practice is not to repeat what's already in state law. In county code. And so I'm in the process of being in Title 14 right now. So I will have some other questions besides what's in here. But I'm not all the way done yet, so I'll say that. Go ahead. Okay, then the next administrative change is shifting responsibility for assessing the cost of sidewalk repair and reconstruction from the council to the King County DOT. Director, the the theory here the concept here was that you have all of the subject matter expertize contained at the at the departmental level and it provides an efficient way of centralizing that authorization. And I would ask Director Bower if she has anything to add to that. No. I think that the best practice for that sort of technical assessment is at the department level, rather than asking the council to assess costs on a repair project. Yes. Since that's not in our bailiwick, that would be good. Go ahead. Okay. Moving on to the repealed provisions. The first one is a provision that directs. It's an entire section speaking to install installation of public benches in the county right away. Actually, there are no public benches or any benches in the public rights of way, and this provision runs contrary to the desire to keep a clear zone area. So this would be stricken in the proposed update. So why do we ever think we were going to have benches in the right away? What was the thinking behind that? What was the year that that was from J. So I'm Jay Osborne, deputy director at ROADS. That legislation was from 1945, and there were issues with benches asking people to stop here, warning that there were concerns in the road going ahead. We no longer have benches and have not had benches in the right away for quite a while. So this is the first code clean up since 1994 at the Metro merger. So we're also going through and getting rid of some unused provisions like that one. Okay. So the horse and buggy time is a little different. Okay. Go ahead. Okay. Moving to the next one is actually deleting Section 14.38 of the King County Code, which allows for road closures and openings by petition. And this action would then repeal that section. As I said, the according to the road service staff, the provisions have never been used and that closing a road doesn't absolve the county of any of the maintenance responsibilities or toward liability. Moving to the next item. This would delete the mitigation payment system. The system right now is not generating significant revenue due to low development activity of the small. This the direct impacts would still be addressed through the super process and it repealing the system wouldn't affect the concurrency program or intersection standards. Okay. Questions. Keep going. Okay. The next to deal with or to establish new authority on page 251 emergency permits. This would be providing authority for the county road engineer to issue special use permit during disasters. When you close some of the roads, you're still going to need to be able to get emergency provisions and some emergency vehicles , possibly school busses across the roads. And this would allow the county road engineer specifically to do that. So being that we have some bridges that are at their weight bearing capacity, I'm really wanting to make sure that you have enough authority for any emergency. So as we go forward, maybe you and I are flying can talk about are there any other emergency powers that you need? And I had a conversation with somebody the other day about an emergency issue and a bridge, so we can talk about that offline. And I'd also like to know, Brenda, what your emergency powers are, too. Are they all the road engineer? My emergency powers are to tell the county road engineer what to do. All right, that's good. Okay. So should he be on a vacation? Which probably won't happen. But if you were on a vacation out of the country, do you have the ability to do everything that he has to do? And if you're on a vacation, does he have the ability to share back and forth that? So whenever the county road engineer is unavailable, we have an acting county road engineer, so he takes vacation, he's ill, whatever. We have another someone who has an engineering degree, a P license that I do not have who can help us make those technical decisions. But as is true with all of our organizations, we have the ability to act in the absence of one person. Okay, great. Thank you. Okay. Okay. We'll move now on to the regulations that have been. I'm sorry, one more of the new authority again. This is enforcement entitled 14. It's on page 251. And it authorizes the county road engineer to enforce specific sections and subsections of this. Previously, the existing language gave this authority to the King County D.A., director and to the sheriff. And so this would give the authority to the county road engineer, the sheriff subsections relating to road closures, road restrictions, load limiting bridges, standards, road vacations and road variances. Okay. So the sheriff still has the same authority had before to. Yes. Okay. So offline on those two subsections, load limiting bridges. I'm very concerned about that and also road vacations. So those two are ones I'd like to know more about later. Okay. Okay. Moving on to the modified regulations. This is on page 251 of your staff report. Standards for utility for poles have been broadened to apply to every utility pole and other utility structure, not to just every new placement and every planned replacement. Okay. So that's a big deal. And so I think the companies and I think this is the one that there was a recent court ruling on, this is something that allows us to address the issues with clear zone that we did our presentation to you recently. Okay. So everybody that a law degree up here needs to know about that. So if you don't, we can be briefed anyway. Okay. So that's a big deal. All right. Go ahead. Okay, then the next modified regulation is for sidewalk repair and responsibility. This define this is section 14.50 2.020 of the county code and the new. The proposed changes would define the procedures to the floor. Notice to property owners. It again provides provisions for appeal and for the director to assess the cost of the repair or the reconstruction on a sidewalk that's been damaged or not maintained against. And so the costs would be assessed against the abutting property owner there is. And as with the existing language, the lean would be capped at 25% of the assessed value of the abutting property. So one of the things I'd like to know about is how do you repair site? I mean, how do you maintain a sidewalk? I sweep it. I have no idea how else to do. And over time, the cement begins to become what it powdery. So do you want me to get out with my. No. This really has to do with where the essentially property owners have damaged the sidewalk as a result of their tree roots. Or. Other instrumentality on their property that resulted in damage to public infrastructure. Okay. And that's another thing I want to talk about is trees in the sidewalks, because they plant these trees and I know we have a list of trees, but they plant these trees with these huge roots and then they all come up and they try to walk around. And it's very dangerous, especially for seniors or people trying to use canes or crutches. So. Okay, we'll talk about that later, too. All right. Okay. Okay. The next one is planning street maintenance. And this language just specifies that plants are prohibited in the temperate clear zone unless there is a curb present. Okay. The next item on page 251 also is intersection standards. And this language makes clear that there will be no administrative fee charged to review intersection standards and that any traffic study that is required would be paid for by the owner of the proposed development and the county staff would be reviewing those studies as they came in . Okay. So that completes the policy issues with respect. With the exception of the Road Vacation Authority section, we're still working with legal staff and roads in our analysis on that. The one issue I would bring to your attention is that the proposed changes would enable the County Council to proactively initiate a proposed road vacation. Currently, those need to be done via petition. That petition authority would remain, but the Council would also be able to initiate it and would be able to initiate on behalf of the executive. Yes. As you're working on that, I believe state law has been updated recently, but at least under our old system, a fluke could occur in terms of the valuation of our big kid and right away where you'd have your classes, I think three class era, but then you'd look to the assessed value of the parcels on either side . So say you had a 60 foot ride away and you were going to vacate it by 30 feet, going to each of the abutting property owners. If you had low valued land, say on one side, it could be rural or could be underdeveloped or for whatever reason could be low by land. And so you had a subdivision on the other side which is higher valued land. You would bless you, Councilmember Lambert, if you could result in paying a multiple for the very same property on one side of the market and right away of what you would require the money to pay on the other side. And it was it just made no sense. I word you can be paid $100 a square foot for land that was next to $5 a square foot. And I hope that we can in these reforms, if the state law doesn't do it, get to a spot. I see it's adding more flexibility to get to a spot where we have some consistency of coherency in that little fluke of our population that. That part of the code is completely gone in the revised version. And we do have a lot more flexibility in state law and we are taking advantage of that in our proposal to allow the county to essentially right size its right of way to the right of way that. Is actually used by the public and. Valuable to the public and kind of. Remove some of the. Liability that the county carries. Most of this right away we're vacating by virtue of the vacation requirements is not a value to us and is of limited value to the adjacent property owners. Typically we carry tremendous liability for it, but we don't get property tax, we don't get and we're often doing work to keep it from being dangerous to the public. So trees grow in impacted trees, what have you. But we've got a system where it might cost about one issue of diverge of. Article. One. And the second issue is just I think it's in here to the extent we can incentivize an adjoining property to pick it up, even though they may not want truly they wouldn't want to pay a lot of value for it, but they might pay something. It gets on the tax rolls, it takes it off of our books. But if there's a burden, not a burden, but a barrier because of the high price that doesn't match the added value, they just won't do it. And it stays on our books in something more useful. I'm interested in the work there to get values correct. Thank you. Okay. That completes my report on the Title 14 update. As I said next, I believe at your November 7th meeting, I would be coming back with additional analysis of the road vacation section of the road standards updates, and a striking amendment that your legal counsel has prepared with appeal. Okay, great. Thank you. All right. Thank you for all this. And I want to move on to the next one, number nine, which is 2016 411. Thank you, Madam Chair. Item nine on your list, Coastal Counsel Staff. Item nine on your agenda is approval of the quarterly report from the Road Services Division on emergent needs and unanticipated project costs. My staff report begins on page 435 of your packet. This is the sixth of seven quarterly reports required by a budget proviso that the proviso had two objectives. First, to provide closure, policy oversight of road services expenditures in light of a budgeting shift from specific project investments, i.e. individual capital projects to a program based capital project or capital budget that pooled funds for common purposes. And second, to help monitor whether expenditures from this pool of funds track with Council's policy objectives set forth in the strategic plan update. This the pardon me? There are two minor amend or two transfers. The quick response transferred $580,000 for two projects. And the. Pardon me. Let me just get to my page here. The first was $500,000 transferred to the Doctrine Road Southwest Erosion Project, and the second was $80,000 to the Bredell Over Crossing Repair Project on the Kent Black Diamond Road. Emergent need transfer was just a $21 transfer to close out the Southwest Roxbury Project. For a budget record reconciliation. And that completes my staff report manager. So on the quick response, how are we doing on making sure that we are able to go out when there's an emergency and do a quick response? Jay Osborne, Deputy Director. So with the quick response program we've been funding, as you've seen in these quarterly reports that have come before you, things that have arisen or damage to the road system that needs to be fixed. The Doctor and seawall is one that's underway currently, as is the very day over crossing, which is almost complete. You'll see in the next quarterly report there was a lot of landslides on Vachon. So you'll see a number of transfers for additional projects on based on the amount of money that we have in the budget. We at this point aren't expecting to carry over a huge sum into the next biennium. We have about 3 million left unexpended going into this stormy weekend, which turned out to not need huge amounts of money. Thank goodness. In that in that. So. Okay. I'm also looking at our preservation money and it's greatly concerning that there's 9 million in 2013, but only 7 million in 2015. So we've had a $2 million, 17% reduction. And so that's that's an issue. Where do we where does that put us. In the budget? That's before you. You'll see, we just finished how high? Our high accident location safety report. So there are a number of safety projects that are funded in there. There is a slight uptick in the amount of preservation we're able to do because our revenues have increased slightly going into the coming biennium. But there are no bridge projects or any standalone preservation projects. We're concentrating primarily on pavement preservation and drainage work came the budget proposal. So the idea you don't have a stand on preservation and also there's no money going into bridges is of great concern to me. And we asked the Federal Government to go back to separating their roads money from their bridge money. Do you know in the latest, did they do that or is bridge money now still in with the roads money? There is a separate amount of bridge money that comes down through the state. But part of what you're referencing in the Federal Highway Trust, this House of Representatives has not acted on that legislation at this point. Okay. So when we go back early next year, hopefully they'll have acted on it, but not having it. For me, it's a lack of transparency. We know how many bridges we have. We have 181, is that correct? Under 81 bridges, we know what state of repair disrepair they're in. And the federal government should be giving us a proportional share of that each year. And the fact that they're not is really disconcerting. So then on table two, Miller Bridge replacement, 2.5 million. That was taken up in the 2013 a.S.A.P. Where's that now? Is it just non-existent or is it still being tracked that that was taken out so that if we ever had money, we can go back to that. That project that was in there initially was scheduled to be funded by FEMA. Right. But as you know, FEMA had declined to fund the repair work of that bridge in there. We do have some road end proposals and some of the FEMA adjustments in that area that have been offered up. But we still do not have funding to reconnect that bridge. So just for everybody to know what he said is absolutely correct. But the problem that has been exacerbated is that that is a train stop. And there used to be three ways in and out of Skye Comet, and the train usually covers two of them. And that was fine because you always had the third, but because this is out, there is no third. And so we have had four times now where skirmish has been cut off and one time it was cut off for four and a half hours. Nobody could get in, nobody could get up. And that is not acceptable and is very dangerous. So I am working with our federal legislators on dealing with FEMA on this. So I just want you to flag it that it is still very much in my mind and something that I'm not happy about the federal government not stepping up. I think they should have. So. Okay, so that's an issue we need to still keep working with. Okay. Anything else? Madam Chair, would you like to take action on that today? I would, so let's see. Council member would you be willing to put number nine? This is four for eight, is that correct? I mean, this is 4041121201110. That is number nine. Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. Look at the wrong number for one one. Just looking at the page number. Sorry. That doesn't mean you can remove it. I mean, if we give it. You passed recommendation to motion 2016 for 11. Great question. Okay. Clerk, will you please call for the vote? Thank you, Madam Chair. Council Member. Banducci Council Member Dumbass I Council Member Done. By. Council Member Gossett II. Councilmember Colwell IV Council Member McDermott. But. Council Member of the Grove Council member run right there. Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the vote is ADA is no nos and council member van right there. Excuse. Okay. I think that we really don't need to talk about this probably at the full council unless you want to. I was thinking consent. Okay. Okay. With consent for this. Okay. Does it need to be expedited or not? No. Okay. So regular and concert calendar. And we will continue to work on all the many issues that all of that contains. It's heartbreaking. Okay. So that takes us on to the next ordinance. Thousand 16 0401. This one will be very quick. Madam Chair, this is item ten list Lisa K Council Staff. Item ten on your agenda is proposed ordinance 2a160401. My staff report begins on page 449 of your packet. This ordinance would simply move to consolidate sections of the county code that address the Commute Troop Reduction Act into Title 28, which is metropolitan functions. So the existing county code, Chapter 14.60 on computer production would go into a new chapter in Title 28. Okay. And there are no structural changes or policy changes. I just feel really moving it so that it will be more consistent. Yes, ma'am. And because we haven't done since 1994 and it's about time. All right. So that sounds like an interesting thing. Any questions? It is. Would you like to do that? Do pass recommendation on proposed ordinance 1016 0401. Thank you. Any questions? Okay, quick, could you please call for the vote? Thank you, Madam Chair. Council member. Belushi I council member themselves. Council member done by Council Member Gossett II Councilmember Caldwell I. Councilmember McDermott. Grove. House Member of the Grove Councilmember run right down. Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the vote is either none of the members on right are excused. Thank you. I think we can also put that on consent on regular calendar. So that will be good and we will continue to work on the other off line as we prepare for more things. And hopefully we will not end up with needing a pogo stick to get over our roads. Thank you so much for being with us today. Okay. Our last item is a great item also, and this is a ordinance 2016 0431 is an ordinance establishing a task force on labor trafficking and economic exploitation and requiring a report with recommendations on the steps the county can take in addressing systematic issues related to the things. This was brought to us by our sponsor today that represented representative sorry Council Caldwell and the whole history there. And Mr. Curry, would you begin the briefing? Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm Clifton Curry of Council Staff. Our materials today begin on page 473 of your packet with the staff report. In addition, what's been passed out prior to the meeting is a PowerPoint presentation related to labor trafficking and also a very good summary of all of the landmark Washington State accomplishments to prevent human trafficking . So it gives a good legislative history. And rather than spending a lot of time on the history, the the count, the state of Washington and the King County Council have shown a significant interest in issues related to human trafficking and recognizing that here are King County in the Pacific Northwest is a gateway to most of the rest of the world. We have very high population of immigrants moving through this area. Trade is regular. We have very much access between freeways, ports, one of the largest airports in the Pacific Northwest that we are can be seen as a hub for trafficking. The council, in following, along with the state legislature and the federal government, have recognized the seriousness of human trafficking and. Have taken a significant number of actions. Again. I point you to both the summaries and my staff report where there's a discussion of the history of the actions taken here in the Council. However, most of those actions have been directly related to human trafficking as it relates to the commercial sex, sexual exploitation, and especially in the area of sexual exploitation of minors. And the council has done a great deal working in that area, as have the communities in the Pacific Northwest. But one area that hasn't gotten the same level of review, at least at the county level, is human trafficking related to labor. And that's when individuals are. Well, I'm going to read the definition here. Victims of human trafficking include children who are involved in commercial sex trade. Adults age 18 or over who are coerced or deceived into commercial sex and anyone forced into different forms of labor or services such as domestic workers held at home or farm workers forced to labor against their will. And human trafficking is a federal agent. It is against the law at the federal level and at the state level with the concentration, primarily looking at the sexual exploitation, especially sexual exploitation of minors. Been very successful and several programs members have had briefings from the prosecutor's office and other programs. However, as the state has looked at labor trafficking and there's a recognition that there's several different options that have never been systematically reviewed in such a way as to look at, not just looking at the traditional providing services to victims and survivors of trafficking, providing education and so on, very similar to what happens in the arena of sexual exploitation. But there are also several policies and other efforts that both governments can take and business can take that have the impact of reducing the the number of people who are involved in labor trafficking, by changing procurement policies, looking at how education is done, the workplace, and looking at different forms of enforcement which has never been done systematically here at the county. This proposed ordinance which begins on has a striking amendment, and the striking amendment basically has been modified to update with a lot more input and so on. And I'll be talking, Madam Chair, to the striking amendment, which begins on 489 of your packet. This amendment would require that the executive convene a task force to assess and address the systematic issue of labor trafficking and economic exploitation in King County. The task force would have a fairly comprehensive membership. The full list is on page 490 of your packet today. The striking amendment would require that the executive for all members except the identified county officials, make the appointments to the task force by January 15, 2017, and that the executive notify the Council at least 30 days prior to appointment of who's being appointed so that you have an opportunity to look at those individuals and groups before the final appointment, which is the way things often happen. The task force would be charged with consulting with county departments, businesses, community groups to determine the effectiveness of the delivery of services to victims and survivors of labor trafficking and and economic exploitation. And have that group make recommendations to improve both the services and the policies within the county to both address in for government sector and for the private sector best practices. The amendment sets April one, 2017, as a deadline for the Task Force Task Force's first meeting, and it actually has an expiration date of June 1st, 2018, for the task force unless the Council takes action to extend that group. The amendment requires that the executive support the efforts of the task force with staffing and neither resources. And the Executive is also required to prepare a report based on the work of the task force. That includes, among a variety of things, a list of governmental agencies that currently interact with potential victims of labor trafficking, an analysis of laws, a review of county ordinances, rules and practices that could be changed. Analysts analysis of how current labor experiment practices leave workers. Verbal identification of existing best practices. An analysis of support services provided to the victims and survivors. And recommendations for strategies to prevent the incidents within the county of labor trafficking and economic exploitation. To improve the delivery of services to victims and survivors. To provide better education for businesses on current domestic and international labor laws. Education for workers of their rights. And to increase community awareness of labor trafficking and economic exploitation. The expectation is the report would also include an implementation plan for any recommendations that could be implemented by the county and a description of how the report's recommendations will align with other regional and local human trafficking efforts. With a recognition that for those task forces and groups, for example, the county's. Commercially Sexually Exploited Minors workgroup, there wouldn't be duplication of effort and there would be a coordination of recommendations. The executives report would be due to the Council in December of 2017. The proposed ordinance, as modified by the striking amendment, would continue the county's work on human and human trafficking and expand that the traditional view of sexual exploitation and move it into the realms of labor trafficking. Following very similar models that the county has used elsewhere to look at not just county wide issues that affect government and labor and local businesses, but also groups in the county such as the Immigrants and Refugees Task Force that have worked with similar groups and individuals. And Madam Chair, if the no questions for me on the striking amendment, there's a panel this morning to talk about the issues related with labor trafficking and the importance of this issue. And if you would like to hear from the panel now and then, I would be available afterwards for discussion related to the striking amendment. So the panel can be come up. That'll be great. I'm sure there'll be some questions first before the panel. I have some questions, too, but we'll start with Councilmember Balducci. I want to start with a bit of a process question, because I have a very large number of questions about this proposal, starting with where's the data and ending with where's the fiscal node, where is the law enforcement community? Where's the executive? This is a very big ask, and I'm really concerned that I don't see any detail behind it at all. So I think having a discussion today about the issue of labor trafficking and the problem I think is a really good start. But I feel like there's steps to go before we're ready to adopt a particular approach. I just want to just lay that out on the table because I didn't hear or see any of my questions answered today. Councilmember Kobus. Madam Chair, if that's all right with you, I could give a little bit about how they find sure they'll be fine working on for a long time to get to this point. I in fact, we began working on this proposal last February here when I started at the County Council the month before, and with the tremendous work on the part of my staff or a Toshihiko Hasegawa, we are here today with, I think, a very solid proposal. And among all that we did to prepare for the day was to meet with community organizations last February and March. I get a considerable amount of feedback in terms of what the needs are, what would be the best ways to address these needs, what the county could do, given the the significant amount of work that had has been done on sex trafficking. We've worked with the prosecutor's office, with the sheriff's office, with many departments and agencies in the executive branch here, including, I'd say, over the last couple of months, every week or every other week, we've been in meetings, we've met with our budget chair and we've really come up with something that we think makes a lot of sense . Now, I'd also like you to keep in mind that the work on human trafficking more generally, but labor trafficking specifically has been going on at the state level for a long time. And in fact, starting in 1995, when three Filipina American women were murdered here at the courthouse. So those were Suzanna Ramrod Blackwell, Phoebe designed and Veronica Loretta and Susanna was eight months pregnant when her husband murdered her self and the other two women who were there to help her here at the courthouse. And it was Emma Kotecki who was here today, who I believe brought the information to Velma, the lawyer, Representative Velma Valeria at the time, and the Filipino community rallied together to make sure that we in the legislature knew and understood what was happening, something called human trafficking, which we didn't know much about at that time. Representative Valeria led the efforts in the legislature, and we also have with us current State Senator Bob Hasegawa, who this year had legislation of his past that dealt with labor trafficking terms being added and. A lot. There have been about 40 laws enacted in our state where the number one state in the country. But we have a lot more to do, and mainly that has to do with labor trafficking. The public is more aware of sex trafficking also very, very important. I would appreciate that we hear the panel. And if you can accept that a whole lot of background work has been done on this and we are, of course, continuing to look at what the fiscal issues are, the challenges. But we're thinking about on the order of $25,000 to get this taskforce implemented. And we'll let the panel talk. Thank you. Well, Councilmember. And I'm sorry to basically want to say something. Thank you. And I apologize for jumping in, but I have to go due to our conflict. And I'm very sad because I want to hear this panel. Then I will watch it later. I'm pleased to join as a co-sponsor with Councilmember Cowell's of the legislation, and I have at times participated in the existing Csac task force here , which is oriented and aimed at kind of children in this issue area. Before I came to the council, I was somewhat active with the American Bar Association, and they have done really tremendous amount of work in this area and have a number of recommendations, which I hope as we invest in this work here at the county, we will look at one of which is maybe a shift away from the focus on criminalization, which we should do, but more to support of victims. And I think that that will be a place that the county can play an important role in giving the kinds of services that we do here in addition to the criminal prosecutorial work . But I wanted to just let you know that I'm sorry. I have to go. I really appreciate you being here. I think this is very good work. I think it could integrate well with our new Office of Immigrants and Refugees. And there is a proposal in the budget to have a staffer there which might be able to assist with some of this work. And I'm excited that hopefully this will pass out and I'll certainly be supporting it. But I'm excited to see the work that this task force of its convening does in terms of its recommendations and then how the county can carry out on a local role. Our support services for the city of Seattle and King County, as you all know, is, I think one of the top five cities in the country because of our early report status, at least it used to be, and some of the work we were doing at the ABA. And so this is very important work and I'm happy to support Councilmember Caldwell's leadership on it and I appreciate your being here. So a couple of things before we get started. On line 23, the three people were murdered. And so at the King County Courthouse, I didn't think that was human trafficking. I thought that was a domestic violence case. Cliff. Now you want to answer that? Somebody says you know the answer to that. Actually, initially started we also viewed it initially as a domestic violence case. But when we look at the issue of migrant brides, it had the definition of human trafficking where they're forced out of their country because there are no economic opportunities for them. They are brought here thinking that there are going to be economic opportunities. And then there was a study that was done at the University of Washington, which. Called the issue of these migrant brides or mail order bride as a bride trafficking. Okay. So last time we were told certain terms are pejorative and certain terms aren't. Yes. So is bride trafficking, except it is not accepted. What is the correct terminology? Correct terminology that we are currently using as migrant brides. Migrant brides. Okay. Migrant marriages. Okay. Is that as explicit as saying the other terms of the term seem like it's a little bit more so says the flavor of this is not a good idea. Or migrant brides doesn't sound quite as intense. Anyway. All right. Whatever the right word is. I was just surprised to see that in here. That that was that. And then I like to say that I was in the legislature when I'm a first brought this to us in the late nineties and we're like, What? What is this? So I'd like to thank you for your leadership on this all these years. It's great. Thank you. So that. Would you like to begin? Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Velma Gloria and members of that council. Thank you for hearing this particular legislation. I wanted to particularly say thank you to council member Kimiko Wells for her leadership and for her staff to pursue this issue. When we first introduced the Bill of Human Trafficking or to make human trafficking a crime on the state level, it was with the intention of having it be more inclusive. It wasn't just to study or to address the issue of sex trafficking, but to also include labor. And now, as I travel the world, it would hopefully include organ trafficking under the international trade agreements. What we have done, actually, it's commodify human beings so that human trafficking has not become part of the globalization process. This ordinance will allow us to take a look and play an important role in studying and looking at the issue of labor trafficking and economic exploitation and hopefully look forward to possible solutions. The issue of funding this task force. I hope that the Council will find some money, $25,000. I don't think it's that great of a request to get the task force started. And we really encourage that. You support this ordinance. Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Chair and council member. I would like to thank everybody that Velma did bring this excellent PowerPoint. It's not time to have it shown, unfortunately, but I think I would encourage you to take a look at it. Thank you. Thank you for reminding me. And there's also another sheet of the member state accomplishments, too, that goes back o 2000 to that's here for the record, too. Also, I want to point out, because they know, as we've discussed this many times, we are one of the number one states. Partly because we are on the circuit or on the West Coast, but also because we are very aware of this. And so when we have had concerted efforts of doing targeted arrests, we've had a lot of them because our police are doing such a good job of targeting. So I know the last time we talked about this that several different people were concerned that it made them sound bad as opposed to the fact that they're really on top of this and doing a good job. So we're glad they're making a lot of arrests. We just wish that there weren't arrests to be made, which is a little different. Would you like to see for us? Yes, thank you. And my name is John White. And I want to echo from a representative on The Voice gratitude for hearing this issue today. And I'm here to speak on behalf of Doctors Sutapa Basu at the Women's Center at University of Washington. Human trafficking, specifically, labor trafficking, is a prominent human rights abuse that touches all corners of our world, including the people in this room. The International Labor Organization estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labor around the globe. Over 75% of them are victims of labor trafficking and are exploited in industries such as agriculture, construction, domestic service, fishing, manufacturing and more. Living in a global economy means that decisions we make here at a local level impact workers in King County, but also around the world. The 2013 Rana Plaza disaster, where nearly 1200 people died from a building collapse, included workers making garments for big brands that do business in King County. Locally procured goods are also at risk, for example, in the Bangladesh tasering fashion factory fire that killed 112 workers. The New York Times traced their supply chains back to Apparel Commission to the U.S. military, given the widespread worker exploitation worldwide and the potential connection to our local economy. We in King County can move towards preventing instances of labor trafficking and economic exploitation by examining our labor and procurement practices and identify areas that are vulnerable. For example, manufacturing of goods and services such as apparel and electronics, along with our construction workforce, are areas known to be prone to labor trafficking. And in 2015, 60% of the King County spending went to goods and services and 12% to construction. Government and public agencies have tremendous power in prevention, particularly through procurement. Our preliminary research through our preliminary research, we have learned that there are many cities, counties and states that have passed and implemented various ethical sourcing and sweat free ordinances that we can unpack and learn from. This task force will allow our county to take leadership on this issue and look at our own procurement practices and vendor supply chains and engage our community to collaboratively identify and support meaningful action items to take a stance against labor trafficking. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for. My name is Dr. Mar Bretman with businesses ending slavery and trafficking. And thank you so much, Councilmember Caldwell's, for proposing this legislation. And thank you for hearing us today. I am here to support the founding of a task force. We know that labor trafficking not only is being driven by products and services that we're buying overseas, we also know that it's happening here in Washington State. We don't yet know the prevalence or scope of what's happening in Washington state. And I think that's one of the things that this task force needs to work on and help us to understand better. But according to recent research, the prevalence could be quite high. A study out of San Diego focused on one small population of undocumented Spanish speaking immigrants. We know that documented Spanish speaking, documented immigrants in Washington state are also subject to labor trafficking. But in that specific population studied in San Diego, they found that one half experienced some form of employment violation. 27% of those classified as trafficking violations. 15% of workers experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse and or threats. 20% experienced deprivation, including things like food deprivation, sleep deprivation. And there were also several were forbidden to leave their leave their place of work. 24% were denied pay. The top industries in which this happened were construction, cleaning, landscaping, food processing in restaurants and manufacturing. So in King County, which seeks justice and equity for all people, we need to understand what is happening in our county to our most vulnerable populations and how we can uphold the rights of those populations. So I am very supportive of founding this task force because we do need to begin working on this issue as a county. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I want to apologize. I do have to leave to go to another meeting. And I really am sorry. I wish this meeting had gone faster and I could have listened to everything. And as I said at the beginning, I'm learning about this issue. Our report just didn't have any real data behind it. It had a lot of generic general statements in it. It's a very large task force. There are seven county departments that are asked to participate in a short period of time. I'm concerned about the cost. I'm not at all unsupportive. I'm very supportive. I understand that there's an issue. I understand our status as a port city makes us particularly susceptible to this kind of this kind of problem. And there's been a lot of effort, and I and I don't want to in any way send a message that it's not an important issue to address. I want to understand what exactly it is we're proposing to do and whether this is the best approach to do it. I also, by the way, am very, very appreciative of Councilmember Caldwell's efforts and her comments. I really look forward to learning more about what she has learned because, again, it is not here today. This is called a new to me. So I'm hoping that we can have this back one more time for a little bit more information. That's all I'm asking. And I, too, will go back and watch the the playback of everybody else's comments that I won't be able to stay to here today. Thank you for your report, Madam Chair. Just. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Member. I appreciate your remarks a lot, but I think what you're doing is really pointing out to the need for creation of this task force. We do not have all the data that are needed where King County. King County is the economic engine of the state of Washington versus Puget Sound. But talking with the prosecutors and sheriff's office, I worked on this for a long time. There is ample information that trafficking takes place here. Labor trafficking is not as visible to people as the sex trafficking, but it is present, there's no doubt about that . But what one of the main reasons we want to have this taskforce is to be able to determine what the incidence and the prevalence are. So thanks. Thank you very much. Would you like to begin? Sure. Hi, I'm Nicole Valastro King, and I'm the executive director of the Fair Work Center based in Seattle, but also King County. And I just want to echo all of the incredible words said before me and the leadership of the people talking before us. I actually didn't come to this work thinking about trafficking. I came to this work thinking about wages and workers. And, you know, I sat on the Seattle Task Force for the $15 minimum wage campaign. And during that time, it became abundantly clear that we needed more resources for workers when their rights are violated. I had a number of people come to me and say, You know, Fifteen's great, but I'm not getting minimum wage right now. And so we're like, Oh, well, there's a real need for community supported enforcement. And so we founded the Fair Work Center to train workers about their rights at work and then also provide legal services. And now we're one of the only part of the King County Bar Association, the only neighborhood clinic that is devoted to employment services, even though at the state level, similarly, a civil legal aid study done by the Supreme Court showed that employment issues is one of the top five issues that people in our state have. That's a problem that people in our state are facing, and it's not one of the top five services available to them. So there's a really big need for services for workers. Anyway, we're doing this, we're training workers about their rights and then all of a sudden we get more and more people who've been trafficked coming in. And, you know, we were just like, we just wanted to make sure you were getting paid the right wage. And what we're finding is that there's such a strong relationship between labor trafficking and workplaces that violate other rights. So if they violate health, health and safety code and then also are violating minimum wage, often there's an element of coercion that happens for the people we serve. They're told, you know, well, if you report us, we're going to report you to ICE. Or if you report us, you know, like I actually we had a worker come in whose employer threatened to murder her child if they're reporting them. So it's it sounds like over the top. But if you recently moved to this country, you don't have a network or a safety net to support you. It's something that's really real and happens. And I so support this task force because, you know, we came at it from another angle and we're finding that it's such a bigger problem than we could have ever imagined. Thank you. So thank you. Is there a phone number that people could call? I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. Did you disappear or you're not? I'm. I'm so sorry. Your angle. I didn't see you at all, so please proceed. And I'm happy to answer that question as well. So my name is Robert Pizer, and I'm the executive director of Seattle Against Slavery. I just want to echo the background and like work that's been done on this issue for nearly 20 years now, looking broadly at the issue of human trafficking, just to put some specific examples to what this looks like in King County in the past few years, we had a 14 year old who was brought into this country with the promise of education, but instead in Kent and Federal Way was forced to work in a factory. She was making pastries and chocolates that went out in restaurants and grocery stores, and she wasn't given any wages. She was put under threat of violence and forced debt on her and her family and spent years in that environment, as well as cleaning the house of the people who she was being trafficked by. We had a woman who was a mother who was threatened with the murder of her children if she did not take care of the house and the children of King County residents. And she was in that situation for years. We had a South Asian man who was working in a restaurant and he was told he would be deported. And what we know from the Tacoma detention center is that we have trafficking victims and survivors who are being. Report it. Who have been residents of King County. Before there was commercial, commercially, sexually exploited children task force. People said, well, how do we know how much of this is really going on? We don't have the numbers and we don't have the data. But two years into that process, we have the data on hundreds of victims and survivors. We have convictions of hundreds of men who have been trying to buy children for sex. And I think what we see is that the survivors of human trafficking, the foreign nationals in Washington state, there's more labor trafficking survivors attempting to access services than sex trafficking survivors among foreign nationals. So even though we don't have the numbers at this point, task forces like the one that's proposed in this legislation are key. They are the point where all of these community stakeholders come together, where we make decisions about what public awareness do we need to be doing and what's effective. What services need to be available to survivors of trafficking. And what training for King County employees needs to happen? Because right now the city of Seattle is getting training for their employees on how to identify labor trafficking. And the 13,000 employees of King County aren't getting that same training. So I think this task force has a tremendous opportunity to really reshape what it looks like for people who might be at risk of labor trafficking in King County and what the rest of the state and the country needs to do about the issue of labor trafficking and the number. If someone were identified as being a labor trafficking victim or survivor who needed services is 8883737888. And that will connect them directly with both law enforcement and service providers here in King County and around the state. Okay. So you said it in a really good way for us to remember. It's eight, eight, eight on both ends. And then in the middle is 3737. Okay. So 883737888. So you don't have to be identified. You can identify yourself. And even if you have concerns about what's happening to me, they could call me or a friend. Or if you're a service provider, who has someone come in who tells you a story and you say, I don't know what the services who are are that are available for this person. You can call that number and get technical assistance. Okay, great. And then one of the other things that would be good to have, as we talked about this years ago, and I don't know if we ever got it finished, but we asked to get information not only on what businesses can do, but what can we as a citizen do. And one of the things they told me was when I go get my nails done, look at the picture on the wall with the license and see if that picture matches that person or the description matches the person that's actually doing this so that we can see whether or not. So suggestions like that that all of us can do, I think are really important. So because the time I think what we're going to do is ask for some more things. Cliff, where you find out from Seattle what their training is to see if we can borrow. And we also put up a study that we did two, three, four years ago and find out where we are on that study. And then I think that the executive has put literally millions of dollars new into ESG. So out of that millions of dollars, I'm sure we can find 20,000. So that's not the part that's bothering me at all. So I would also like to know what the average age of the person being trafficked is so that maybe we can look at some basic manifestos for kids money to see if any of those would qualify. And then we'll carry this to another meeting and make sure all that members have the information they need. But I think the sheriff and the prosecutor should be here also and the other groups that are impacted with doing this to see what their timeframes are. So we will get you a date. It will be either end of November, beginning of December, but we'll get you a date before the end of the year and we'll have all that information. Councilmember Thank you, Madam Chair. I might also suggest that we. Mr. CURRY We do some work to compare this proposal to work that has been done in the past, and I'm not sure whether it's continuing INS sexual exploitation in sport through the sheriff's. Department as well. That would be very helpful to know and know that and then. Make sure that. We're not duplicating. And everything is complementary. Not duplicating or that we don't come up with the same outcomes that we had in the last report. You know, let's find out where we got in the last report and make sure that all those things are happening, too. So, yes, Councilman Gomez, for clarification, very much appreciate your holding this briefing. Are you saying for late November, early December, to come back to the Senate to revisit this proposal? Jordan in Spain should be prepared to vote for it. Terrific. And I would again like to acknowledge that we have Senator Hasegawa here, who has been particularly involved with these related issues of wage theft and the underground economy that does exist, that takes away revenue from our tax base when we do not have full reporting and compliance with the law. So thank you all on my behalf for visiting here. And I hope that Dr. Brennan and will be able to share more as well about what she actually does in working with businesses and corporations here in Cancun. She's done amazing work over many years and in a variety of different formats. So we thank you for all your work on this. I did have an opportunity once to see somebody who had been deprived of food for a very long amount of time, and it was the first time I'd ever seen that depth of food deprivation, and it was really frightening to me. So anyway, thank you. It's hard to believe anybody in this county, although that event happened in my very own city. So I know what happens in this county and it should never happen this county. So thank you very much. We will see you again. So thank you so much. And with anything else, this meeting is adjourned. ", "output": "A MOTION authorizing the execution and delivery of a continuing covenant agreement in connection with the remarketing of the county's Junior Lien Sewer Revenue Bonds, 2015 Series A and B, in the aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000, establishing certain terms of those bonds, all in accordance with Ordinance 18141, as amended by Ordinance _____; and rescinding Motion 14459."}
{"id": "king_7e177aae-1119-4c34-974e-d4cd3f0c0b69", "input": "The August 25th, 2020 meeting of the committee of the whole of the King County Council. I'm Jo McDermott, serving as chair of the committee to hold this year. In light of the public health emergency. Responding to COVID 19, the governor has issued an emergency order suspending the section of the Open Public Meetings Act that requires we have a physical space for the public to watch our meetings. This order has been extended by the leadership of the State Senate and House of Representatives as we begin today. I'd like to acknowledge that we're on the in traditional lands of the Puget Salish peoples, past and present. We wish to thank these caretakers of the land who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial, but also like to acknowledge the many urban Indians in King County who have brought their cultural ways of life here and have greatly enriched our community. Today we have in our agenda a COVID response supplemental budget ordinance and the Puget Sound Taxpayers Accountability Act or Posture Implementation Plan, both up for discussion and action today on housekeeping note before we get started. To help us manage the meeting, I'd ask the public as well as executive and council staff, please keep your video off until just before you plan to speak without. I'd ask the clerk to please call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council member Ritchie here. Council member Dombrowski. Councilmember Dunn. Here. Councilmember calls here. Councilmember Number. Yeah. Councilmember up the ground here. Councilmember Yvonne. Mike McNamara. Councilmember Yvonne Nathan. Here. Councilmember Eric. Mr. Chair. Here. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum. Council member Dombrowski is excused. I believe he was admitted to the meeting during the roll call. Council member Dombrowski. If. Here. Can you hear. Me? We can. Talk. There's been some challenges on. Getting in. Thank you, Mr. Chair. You bet. Councilmember Dunn, I would entertain a motion to approve the minutes of our July 13th and 28th meeting. Minutes. Move approval of the 13th and 28th of July. Meeting minutes. We have the meeting minutes of our two previous meetings before us. See? No discussion. All those in favor please signify by saying i. I. I opposed nay. The ayes have it. The minutes are approved. We'll now turn to public comment. My script suggests that I should ask the court if we have people to offer public testimony today, I'm sure we do. So I will proceed. Having a entirely remote meeting is still somewhat unusual for the King County Council. I want to make sure that everyone who is called in understands the procedures for how we will manage public comment during this virtual meeting and everyone to understand our standing rules for public comment. First, some ground rules. Public comment must be related to items on today's meeting agenda and must not be used for the purposes of assisting a campaign for election of any person in the office or for the promotion or opposition of any ballot proposition. It should not include obscene speech, and if a speaker fails to abide by these restrictions, they may be ruled out of order and may be required to leave the virtual meeting with with those harsh sounding rules stated. Well, they describe the process for how we will manage calling on people during the virtual meeting. All members of the public who join the meeting were automatically muted and we can see your either your names or the last three digits of your telephone number. A committee will call the names and numbers when your name or the last three digits of your phone number is called, staff will unmute your line. Please make sure to also unmute on your end if you have as a courtesy during the meeting. Before you begin your testimony, please wait to be acknowledged to be sure that we can hear you, and then start by saying and spelling your name so we can capture it accurately for the record. If you wish your video to be turned on for public comment, please request at the beginning of your testimony. Perhaps when you're confirming that you can be heard. You will have 2 minutes to speak and we'll hear a timer go off when you've reached your 2 minutes. You can certainly finish your thought, but please do wrap up your comments to allow the next person to speak. If you go much past 2 minutes, you may be muted. If you're listening on the TV or streaming, please turn that function off. Otherwise, we'll hear feedback. And in the unlikely event that someone is disruptive, we may need to ask them to leave the meeting or terminate their connection. Please. I would ask you to hang up after you provided your comment in order to make it easier for us to manage the call. You can follow the remainder of the meeting on King County TV, which is Channel 22 or Stream online. The link to stream online is at W WW dot King County dot gov tax council and then click on the infamous Watch US Live button. I will now begin with public comment. A reminder to wait to be acknowledged when your name or phone number is called Venom. Please go ahead and begin. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first person. Is mercy. Daramola, I tried to meet you on my. And can you and your cell phone please go ahead. Or C daramola. I'll move on to the next one. I'm trying to unmute is Morocco Kiyoshi culture. Leave them mute yourself and go ahead. Okay. I'll move on to the next one. And the next one. Is Naomi Taglio or. Please unmute yourself. And go ahead. I will try now will toast Byrne. Please go ahead and unmute yourself. Okay. We'll move on to Hazel Cameron. If you'd like to mute yourself. I'm sorry. Please go ahead and meet yourself. There you go. Hello. Good morning. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. I'm Hazel Cameron. I am the executive director of the Fawcett Coalition and I'm also a member of the Racial Equity Rec, just part of the members of communities of color, black, indigenous people of color organizations. And I'm really excited to be a representative and stand on their behalf. So these are organized organizations that make up the rest. I also want to recommend Foster and its implementation plan, which has worked on really hard and I really know it's going to be a small but investable but a big win. The investment into us. I've seen the transformation transformational, the methodology of power and the funding of Indigenous people of color led organizations and nonprofits. The value, the impact these agencies have had on our community with their individual and distinct, diverse cultural identities and the impact they've had on youth programing as well as system change. It's an exceptional, exceptional and unique partnership. So again, I support and support this opportunity for REC and our implement stay foster implementation plan to be move forward. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next person is well. All day I run into you. Please go ahead. Hi. Thanks so much. My name is Ruel Allende, Jr. I'm with you now with King County. I am the community impact manager for youth and I worked as the capacity builder to support the Racial Equity Coalition. I'm here today to speak. In support and on behalf of the Racial Equity Coalition for the implementation. Plan. We recently received. The amendments made to Basta and we support those amendments. We are happy with the implementation plan, and. We are we are so appreciative of the Council's participation, the responsiveness and the support to build. The Custom Plantation. Plan, specifically in partnership with black indigenous people of color to use fight like work to build out the T12 Bucket. We hope that you pass the implementation plan. Today the Coalition has met with either you directly council members or your respective staff and that we hope that you pass it today. And move it. Quickly to pass at full council so that these dollars can quickly go out to these organizations so that we can begin to address really core and critical issues about our education system so that we can start and achieve those success that we're trying to shoot for. Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to speak. Thank you again for all the hard work that you've been able to contribute to our county. Thanks again. And I give up my time. Thanks. Thank you. The next person is Russell. Where r e s. I have unmuted you. Please go ahead, if you'd like to speak. Okay. I will move on to. The last three agents or the phone number are 264 area code 425264. Either neutered you on our end if you'd like to speak with a mute yourself. Mr. Chair, I have attempted to call all the names that are in this meeting for public comment. Just the chair. As a member. Caldwell's Thank you. Public testimony. Now I will defend that, but I do know that there are some people on the line and they're not able to unmute themselves for whatever reason. We're going to do our best to address that and take anybody up right now, as we usually do, in order to catch anybody who's on the call and was unable to testify. I'm going to ask the court to unmute everybody on the call. It may be chaotic for a moment, but it will be well worth it. And then I will ask you to unmute yourself if you have muted in your hand and speak up. If you wish to offer public testimony. I do suspect there are some people we didn't get today. So, Madam Clerk, you would unmute everyone on the call. Mr. Chair, I've unmuted everybody great. And I will take names. If somebody, if anybody on the call who would like to offer public testimony would simply state their name. I'm not hearing anyone else. If anyone else is trying to speak up, recognizing that you're probably on mute on your end because we believe we have unmuted everybody on our end. Black. I am getting the message that I will tost friend in particular would like to testify. Well, we'd be happy to have you testify if I see you in the room. I am trying to unmute you myself and seem to be unable to do that. The mute audio. Give me just a second. We will be on air. Mr. Chair, we did some testing this weekend and it's this week. And it seems if people don't call in using the Zoom app. They're more than likely not going to be able to be unmuted. Okay. And so the resolution to that would be to have people call in using this. The Zoom application. Not in and dialing in via the numbers to connect, to Zoom or not is not good enough. Not from our testing. We found that that was not a functional option. The Zoom app was the only way we could get people unmuted. Okay. Yeah, I'm getting a couple of messages and various means that people are on the phone and not able to testify on anybody who is trying to connect to trying to testify and unable to be unmuted. Particularly, we believe the issue would be that you are dialed in from your phone, not using the Zoom app. If I can suggest you disconnect and reconnect using the Zoom app on a computer or a smartphone, that would be one way to make sure we were facilitating today your ability to testify. And we will be patient and wait several minutes to see if people disconnect. To connect so you can share. I think we've got a couple to know the system. Naomi okay. You can hear me. Hi, Mary. Yes. I'm okay. And I was following every thing that you said with the instructions is that's exactly what happened. I was on my phone and I jumped right over to the Zoom app and that. Yeah, so I did verify your research is right. So thank you for being with me. Okay. Hi. Good afternoon. Council members, thank you so much. Again, this is not only my tall pillar of the Education with Purpose Foundation, Pacific Islanders Executive Director. You may recall last month I invited two of our scholars with purpose student ambassadors Anil Kumar and Sunita Fine to speak on behalf of all Bipoc youths in order to express their need for pass the funds. And they also supported the implementation fund and their desire for the Racial Equity Coalition, also known as REC, to be utilized, which I'm happily a member of. And so today I'm just here to support the recent amendments in pasta and to thank the Council for your just your participation and just being so open to support building the K-12 budget. I also want to thank all the council members that we've met with over the past several weeks as REC, including most a recent council member that we met. We spent time yesterday. Councilman Gore, my I lay district two. Thank you so much. We just really appreciate you taking the time because the conversations that we had were so full of just great insight and conversation questions. And we just thank you. And I really just appreciate your, you know, just consideration of us and these funds. And we pray that you just, you know, support these dollars to become a blessing to our communities that are in need. We work with them across our county to educate and protect them and to help their children in the schools that. Are about to open up remotely and. Whatnot. And I just want to encourage your votes, your actions, because I know that it will help many people bounce back and thrive once again together. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Me. And thank you for being. I'm persistent in connecting with the apologies is all ours, not yours. In in the challenges we are having this morning. This afternoon. Most other people who are now connected who would like to offer public testimony. Can I try, Mr. Chair. And I'll turn it over to Mr. Daley, the clerk, to try to manage further public comment. Let's try. Mercy Daramola. Hello? Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Please go ahead. Awesome. Thanks for managing the tech. My name is Mercy Daramola. You've heard from me this year and last year I represent the coalition of over 100 plus students, community members and folks who are working inside and alongside the education system, supporting young people to get into and through their post-secondary plans. So headline number one, our coalition of folks representing the king going primaries are super excited about the implementation plan and represents a lot of community input and partnership on the behalf of councilmembers and county staff. So we support the passing of the plan and we support the funds going to communities and changing our systems right away. I'm speaking on behalf of the Promise Team because many of our young people and partners are either in school or getting ready to go to school in the midst of managing a whole new life of education access in the midst of a pandemic. So we know these funds are even more important now so that students don't get the wrong message or and are even more highly supported as they figure out how to achieve their post-secondary plans. So we are supportive of the investments across the past pipeline and for the implementation plan to be passed so we can get to work supporting our young people and our communities right away. Thanks so much. Thank you. We'll try. Well, tell sperm. I've unmuted you. Please go ahead. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you. Thank you. That was an adventure. My name is Willard Towson, and I work at Solid Ground. We one of the providers of Metro Access Services. And my comment has to do with the COVID supplemental budget and just COVID relief in general. First off, I wanted to say thank you to Metro and the Council for their ongoing leadership in meeting the emergency food delivery needs of King County communities during this pandemic. When Shelter in place first started. Metro access is traditional. Ridership fell sharply, but we knew that there was significant need in our community. So we quickly pivoted to working with food banks, meal providers and other community based organizations to deliver emergency food services for those that were isolated by the pandemic. This work, notably Metro Support and leadership, was and is a shining example of the collaboration, partnership and compassion this community has demonstrated throughout the response to this pandemic. However, we are continuing, and last time I communicated with you all, there was supposed to be a sharp end to this support. We have had two month long extensions and have made great progress in working towards a sustainable solution to meet this need. However, we have also come up with and this group includes representatives from City of Seattle, Metro and other community partners realize that the need for Metro support is critical to to meet this need and to continue to provide emergency food for those that need it. And we urge you all to please find an ability to support this work through 2020 as we continue to find solutions that use as low cost of options as possible while still meeting the need that we know we are only meeting a part of. In speaking with some of the community, food providers, including across the need is so critical. They are serving almost 450 meals a day and then also groceries and additional services, primarily to isolated seniors throughout King County. This is just one of many partnerships that this work has supported and in speaking with them in preparation for today. I just wanted to say how critical this is to their community to to them as a provider and the long going trust that they're in. And thank you for please finding a way to support through 2020. Thank you. Now, I'll try Russell with our guests. Please go ahead. Thank you very much. Yes, this is Russell Brooks, executive director for the Red Negro sorry, Native Youth Theater in Seattle. Also want to say I'm honored to be a part of the Racial Equity Coalition, also known as REC, through the United Way of King County. It's good to see you all again as we move forward towards the implementation. During this time of COVID, we've been able to successfully transition to make the most of this time and do online programing with our youth, to keep them connected to each other, to keep them connected in the community, and also to their unique cultural identity , and also trying to help them navigate the challenges that they and their families are facing right now. Being able to help provide food and rental assistance to families that have lost income due to COVID 19, it's really critical, you know, as we move forward, and especially with the increased challenges that youth are having home schooling now that the K through 12 bucket is supported, so that we can provide the necessary support to our communities and our youth, so that we can continue to help move them on a trajectory towards high school graduation and post-secondary opportunities. I can't state that enough. And so I just want to thank you for your support. Thank you for your consideration of our organization and also all of the organizations that our bipoc communities are are served by. And, you know, I hope that we can go ahead and, you know, solidify some of the implement, you know, the implementation plan so that we can begin to move forward and mobilize and be able to help our communities, especially those that are in K through 12 their youth. Thank you. Thank you, Russell. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think we've actually now successfully called everybody who wanted to speak. Great. Let's let's give it one more try. If we can unmute everyone on our end. Okay. Here we go. Everyone is now unmuted. I'm asking if anyone on the call now who can respond wants to offer public testimony. If you would, please just speak up. I'm hearing no one, though. I have just received an email from someone who was attempting to connect earlier. I'm going to forward this to all members and the clerk. Right now. Miss Daley, I'm going to forward it to you. And if it should go to other people within the court staff for public record purposes, I'll leave that to you. And I have just forwarded it to our members. One additional person, which I imagine is very complicated by. The difficulty in admitting and testifying if you're on a phone and not simply dialed in and not in the zoom out. So without a hearing, no one else. At this time, I will close public testimony. So, Mr. Chair, I'm going to mute all. So you'll be muted for a second. I'll be ready. Thank you. I've muted everybody. And I've unmuted myself. All right. That takes this item. Thank. Thank you, everyone, for bearing with us. For anyone who was on the phone and not able to reconnect computer and therefore wasn't able to ask for testimony, I do offer my my apologies. We will continue to troubleshoot and see if there's ways we can use the Zoom technology to make sure that everybody can testify regardless of how they connect to the meeting. Because hearing from public informs our process and enhances our work. We recognize that in use and even in unusual times working virtually. We do want to make sure we're hearing from everyone as much as possible. With that, we will move to item five on today's agenda, which is the fourth supplemental budget ordinance related to the COVID 19 response effort. We have Mr. Tillery Williams and Andrew Kim from central staff to provide a staff report and White Daily, the director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget, available for questions. Mr.. Kim. Mr. Williams. The line is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the record, Hilary Williams, counsel, policy staff. I will begin with the staff report, which begins on page 11 of your agenda packet proposed ordinance 2020 279, which would be the fourth COVID 19 emergency omnibus, would make a total supplemental appropriation of $87.3 million, of which $1.4 million would be made to general fund agencies $68.5 million to non general fund agencies and $17.4 million to the capital improvement program. To date, the council has appropriated $180.9 million to support activities and necessary expenditures to prepare, prepare for, and respond to the COVID 19 public health emergency. Similar to the prior COVID 19 emergency omnibus legislations, most of the appropriations included in this proposal would be funded by state monies and federal monies that are currently or will be available to the county from the Corona Virus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act, which is commonly referenced to as the CARES Act. I'd also like to add that the bulk of this round of funding is made up of appropriation requests or the continuing of existing COVID 19 related programs and operations as stated by executive staff. These requests, which I will cover later in the briefing, will allow the county to continue to support the staffing and operating of COVID 19 response programs through the end of the year. Moving along the page to Table one provides a summary of all the emergency omnibus legislations that have been adopted thus far by this Council, as well as what is currently being proposed looming. That Council adopts the proposed ordinance, as is the total amount appropriated for all of the climate related emergency. Supplementals would be $268.2 million. The executive does expect to transmit one last COVID 19 emergency omnibus legislation on or around October 15th. Beginning at the top of page 13 is table two, which provides a summary of each of the appropriations included in this proposed performance. I will now quickly cover each of those requests. First on the list is a $1.2 million request from District Court to purchase supplies and make workplace modifications to support social distancing requirements in response to COVID. This were covered. Things such as the installation of plexiglass barriers for customer facing services in courtrooms and the purchasing, cleaning and personal protection supplies for staff and the public. This request would also cover the installation of a complete remote video court system. Next. The Department of Judicial Administration is requesting $182,000 to add temporary staff for six months to provide customer service, triage and juvenile administration locations in order to adhere to public health standards, update current software applications and purchase additional miscellaneous items for safe operations during the COVID 19 pandemic. Under the Community and Human Services Administration appropriation unit. The approach to the proposed ordinance would appropriate $1 million to the Department of Community and Human Services for support for a COVID 19 Health Ambassadors program to educate the public about strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID 19, especially in communities disproportionately impacted by the virus. Executive staff state the health ambassador that the health ambassador recruitment is currently underway to identify and as possible provide a choice for continue county employee county employment for employees whose jobs will be or have been eliminated due to COVID related economic conditions. DCH has plans to hire up to 45 ambassadors. Moving on to the Cultural Development Authority Appropriation Unit. The executive is requesting $2 million to enhance four cultures support to cultural workers and organizations affected by COVID 19 to either four Cultures Cultural Relief Fund or the recently announced reopened fund. The Reopen Fund provides grants between 2520 $4,000 for training, protective equipment, infrastructure improvements, system upgrades, and additional personal personnel needed for cultural organizations and stewards of designated landmarks in response to COVID 19. Executive staff stated that the Cultural Relief Fund has granted a total of $1.9 million, and the reopen bond currently has 1.3 million in allocations. But those funds have not yet been granted. Under the Local Services Administration Appropriation Unit, the proposed ordinance would modify grant criteria for the Small Business Relief Grant Program, which was approved in the April emergency call with. According to executive staff, approximately 83% of all round one grant applications did not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria . These modifications would allow additional small businesses and unincorporated King County to qualify in a second round of funding from the remaining balance of grant funds. Moving along. The proposed ordinance would continue to support the county's COVID 19 response by appropriately appropriating roughly $8.9 million in the Corona Virus Relief Fund to the Department of Community and Human Services to cover new expenditures. Which includes $4 million to support congregate, shelter, fortification, $3 million to provide emergency child care for essential workers. 2.5 million to support the intensification from hotel vouchers. And roughly $2.3 million to support county operated isolation and quarantine facilities. Moving on to page 14. The next five requests on the list are from public health. In the first item, public health is requesting $1.7 million to provide assistance to support those identified by contact tracers to self-isolate through home quarantine for 14 days. According to the fiscal note, about 20% of these individuals identified require additional resources to successfully remain in isolation and quarantine. To offer this support. Public Health will employ a team of 35 community health workers that are representative of the communities that they serve sharing life, experience, cultures and language. The community health workers will help facilitate access to some immediate resources, including groceries, infection control supplies, entertainment, prescription drugs, support, referrals to housing assistance, and new COVID 19 pandemic specific programs that are under development to support our community, such as rental assistance being developed by DC Tech's. Public health is also requesting approximately 1.4 million to expand the global assessment team to ensure the ability of the team to fully execute the active, proactive and unsheltered COVID 19 testing strategies needed to meet surge demands targeted at high risk populations and respond to community requests through the end of the year. Public health is also requesting 2020 8.9 million, which is the largest request being proposed to continue a number of COVID 19 response activities, including coordination of the entire public health response, community mitigation and recovery, surveillance, contact tracing and existing testing and lab programs. This also includes funding to continue a public education campaign and funding for mobile assessment teams in isolation and quarantine. Set aside staffing. Next, there is a $4.3 million request from public health to provide resources for schools to safely reopen and mitigate COVID 19 transmission by dedicated supports to the school sector for communication, health, education. Communicable disease and epidemiology. Investigation, contact tracing and data accessibility. The last request from public health would appropriate approximately $11.2 million to expand high volume drive thru walk over 19 testing sites that provide 500 to 1000 tests a day in multiple locations in South and End in East Kane County. This would also cover implementing a partnership with community health centers to add medium volume testing, which includes 200 to 500 tests a day to expand testing opportunities for currently underserved communities, according to executive staff. There are there are no high volume drive thru walk up testing sites currently operated in Southeast King County. However, public health is planning to open a high volume testing site in Auburn and a medium volume site in Renton no later than the end of August. The city of Seattle currently operates two high volume sites and Sodo and Aurora, respectively, and one medium volume walk up site in Rainier Beach. Moving along to environmental health. Environmental Health is requesting roughly $2.7 million to implement an outreach and compliance initiative with restaurants, bars and taverns to increase compliance with the Governor's Safe Start requirements. This appropriation also includes reopening technical assistance for other non restaurant food establishment businesses and municipalities. Now moving on to the top of page 15. Finance and business operations is requesting $1.3 million to add outside consultant support to proper to properly set up a system of eligibility review and monitoring for expenditures related to the county's Corona Virus Relief Fund to ensure maximum reimbursement of costs. This request also supports a reporting expert. To assist, effort and PSP and ongoing reporting needs. There is a $5.9 million request from FDA to support ongoing operating costs that COVID 19 sites throughout the county. This proposed appropriation assumes the state and federal grants revenue to match the general fund transferred to FMD according to a fiscal balance to the fiscal. The money would be expended as follows. $1.2 million for catering services. $2 million for a security services contract. And $2.7 million for the building operations services and Security Management Services. According to executive staff, this appropriation would allow the executive to continue operations through the end of the calendar year. The proposed ordinance would also modify expenditure restriction IR three related to the mitigation fund for local governments to recover documented costs related to the county's isolation and quarantine sites to also include businesses. Next, Andy is requesting $6.1 million to support leasing costs for eight isolation, quarantine and shelter at the anticipation sites across King County. The proclamation would also support leasing costs associated with the occupying of the Made in Bower Center in Bellevue. According to the executive staff. The Made in Borrower Center would provide a bigger space, which would allow for King County Superior Court to resume jury trials while adhering to social distancing guidelines. There is also a request for eight years. Capital City is requesting $6.2 million to plan, design, acquire and roll out a new unified communications platform. Microsoft Teams to replace the existing Skype system currently in U.S.. It should be noted that executive staff stated that city will likely renew the county's limited Zoom licenses in 2021, whereas Microsoft teams will become the county's platform for unified communications. Zoom will be used for specific use cases like breakout rooms currently not offered by Microsoft team. And last on the list is an additional appropriation of $5.5 million for the isolation, quarantine, modular and superior court arraignment court capital projects. According to executive staff, the Superior Court Arraignment Court Project includes physical and technological elements to address COVID 19 physical distancing as it liftings are required parties for hearings. It also allows for increased safety and process efficiency measures for hearing participants. Executive staff state that this increase is project and project cost is due to updated cost information and an adjustment to previous project cost estimate estimates informed by actual costs. The primary cause for additional costs beyond budget primarily and involve age back and climbing costs at the Soho warehouse and the Elliott Modular Facility. Additional details for each of these items that I just presented in the summary are provided beginning on the bottom of page 15 and ending at the top of page 27 of your staff reports. But getting halfway down on page 27 is a quick summary of the county's Federal Cares Act funding. Again, as I stated earlier in the briefing, most of the appropriations that have been included would be funded by this part of money. This includes FEMA disaster relief funds and the Treasury Department's coronavirus relief fund. As you know, the county received $262 million from the Treasury Department's coronavirus relief fund back in April. This fund provides the most flexibility for the county to use relief money to support the necessary expenditures related to COVID. Executive staff have stated that they have made it a priority to try and exhaust all other available state and federal funding before utilizing any of the $262 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Executive staff has also stated that most of the expenditures related to the quarantine and shelter intensification sites may be reimbursed in favor. However, FEMA reimbursements require local governments to cover 12.5% of the total expenditures. In prior months, it was unknown whether the state would cover this portion on behalf of the county. But as of today, its state executive staff believes it is unlikely that the state would cover this local match. Therefore, a portion of the $262 million in coronavirus in the coronavirus relief fund would need to be used to fund the county's portion of the FEMA expenditures. According to executive staff, the total appropriations adopted by council to date that would be funded by coronavirus relief fund dollars is approximately 180,000,000 million, which includes the proposed appropriations in this fourth COVID 19 governance. In addition, the executive is setting aside $70 million to cover the cost of the counties. FEMA's match costs related to staff that were either redeployed to support the COVID 19 response or that have taken leave due to COVID 19. And lastly, for unknown risks that may come up in the future. That breakdown of the total allocation of the $262 million to date is provided in table six on page 28 of your staff reports. And in conclusion, table seven on page 29 provides a timeline of activities that would need to be conducted in anticipation of possible action of the proposed ordinance or the September 1st council meeting, which would be next Tuesday. Mr. Chair, that concludes my remarks, and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have at this time. Thank you, Mr. Williams. Colleagues. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. I wanted to ask a couple of questions. Going back to page 14. You said that you were going to open some some sites in the East County and South County. And then you mentioned Renton and Auburn. Those are both South County. I didn't hear the name of the place in East County. Could you fill me in on what the places in East County were that were open? Because you're correct, we have nothing at these county. So that Councilmember Lambert, that information was provided by exact staff. I do believe we have director debris on the phone, on the council. If you could, please step. Thank you. For the record, Dwight Hively, Director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget. Councilmember Lambert We are still struggling to find a location on the East Side. I just during this meeting opened the latest communication we got and we have not found a location yet. There are several that are being looked at. I think Councilmember Balducci mentioned that we could, if we needed to use the Eastgate site that we already have set up as a facility. It's not perfect, but it is something that we control and could use. So if you have suggestions, we would welcome them. Just ask. I have several suggestions, so that would be wonderful. So let's get in touch. Why don't you just email me council member and I will pass them on to the appropriate people. Okay. Sounds great. And then I was on some phone calls with the state on the. I realize this is federal and such, but the auditing that is going to be done is of concern to me when we have so much overlap, especially in the allocation of the 2920 $8.9 million. There are so many things in there that are overlapped into other budgets, and I am concerned about how we will do the accounting because at last I heard at the end of the pandemic, when they come back and audit, we will be charged for anything that doesn't pass the audit. And so there are some things in there that I am concerned about. One of them is the isolation of quarantine sites. And when you look at the list of them, first of all, that is the cost. It's not even on the list. And secondly, last I heard, the biggest number we had had was 27 people, plus the 36 from the boat, which we offered billing have to take their people for them. So I'm concerned about oh, okay, I see on this page, but still I see it now on table four and another chart that the Issaquah is in there now on this chart. But on the other side it wasn't. So we are spending or they look at this chart or the other chart together, 14 million here and 25 over there. A lot of money for 27 people that were ours. So can you explain to me why we are providing so many more beds at this point? I realize the flu's coming. We could have a second wave, but if if 27 was the highest we've had. I don't know why we're preparing that many beds. So if you could help me understand that, that'd be great. Councilman. You want me to take that one? Thank you. Okay. So I am looking at information from I believe this was Monday night of this week. We had 77 people in isolation and quarantine facilities, 12 at Aurora and 65 at Issaquah. We are now cumulatively approaching a thousand people total who we have served at those facilities. You are correct that we have opened some facilities or constructed some facilities that we have not yet used. That, frankly, was because back in March and April we had no idea how serious this was going to be here. If it had turned out to be something like New York City. Even everything that we had would have been overwhelmed. And so we have started to take down our facilities. I think you're all aware we took down the shoreline what we called a CRC facility that we had used a little bit, but not a lot. And so we will be looking at alternative uses for these facilities if we get through the fall without needing a whole lot more than we have now, we are reasonably confident that even if we have not used the facilities, that we will be eligible for FEMA reimbursement because it was based on the reasonable expectations at the time we did. She said, If I could vote one more, I looking at table one in an April which I understand the capital amount at 30.9 million. And then because of what you just said, it dropped down in June to the capital of 4.5, but then it goes back up again in August to 17.4. So. We do know that we use all of these and yes, cumulatively 8000 people, but that wasn't on any one night. So why are we back up at 17.4? So there's a difference between the capital costs, the operating costs. The capital costs are all basically sunk costs. We are coming back to you with appropriations as we finalize projects and get the bills. So we always knew at the beginning that the cost of these was going to be way more than 50 million. We just didn't know how much. And so what we've done with capital is to bring to you each time the next increment of bills that have come in to seek appropriation, whereas on the operating costs of those facilities, we're kind of doing a pay as you go. And so we actually expected to spend more on operations than we have because we haven't had to have every facility in operation. So I think I mentioned to you either two weeks ago or four weeks ago, it would have been two weeks because you were on recess. So four weeks ago that the temp facility we had put into what we call worm status, so it's available but not staffed as a way to save operating costs. And we can bring that back if we need it in 72 hours. But we're trying to not operate things that we don't need. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Bagley. You're most welcome, colleagues. I would be interested in either from Mr. Williams or Mr. Lively, a little bit more explanation about where the about the investments that would be seen made from for culture. Why don't we have your staff start and then I will add if necessary. Okay. Let me get your my and my darkroom. So before for culture. This is according to executive staff. You have two farms here. So the cultural relief fund was designed to lessen the financial impact of COVID 19 related closures and cancelations, while the reopened fund is designed to help organizations move forward and adapt programing or space to meet public health restrictions. I don't know how much you want me to go into this, Mr. Chair, so just stop me if I'm going too far and maybe a little more. Mr. WILLIAMS, Let me be a little bit more specific. What types of organizations are eligible for each of the two sources of funds? So based on the information that we receive from executive staff, most of these organizations will be cultural in nature with racial equity and priority given to organizations, landmarks located in or that provide most of their service to a census tract designated as 40%. Excuse me. And this is this is coming out of the 2018 communities of Opportunity Combined Composite Index. Thank you. Colleagues further questions. DG Duty. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to do my best, my daily impersonation. I have four questions and one comment, if I may. The first one is very specific as I look at the list of shelter, the intensification sites to be funded with this supplemental, I don't see the Red Lion in Bellevue, which has been used as a shelter d intensification site for the women and family shelter at Sophia Way on the east side. And now last week, we just had a celebration of opening their new building. And so I just would like to know whether we what's the plan there? Is the plan to shut down the red line and have that function move into the new building or what. We've received some advocacy from folks working with this population that they still could use the hotel space. I'm just wondering why that doesn't appear in this proposal. Because talking about duty, I would defer to the executive staff if you. And Councilmember, I need to ask my folks about that. There has been considerable confusion about facilities in Bellevue and whether they're included or not. But I may have asked about the wrong one, so let me track that down and we'll get that back to your staff right away. Thank you very much. Second question is, some of us have heard, including the executive, have heard from our immigrant and refugee commissioners with concerns about whether important health information and guidance is reaching hard to reach populations, linguistically isolated folks, and particularly the Latin Hispanic community, which is in our county, seeing such a disproportionate number of cases and impacts from COVID 19. When we spoke previously and you gave us a briefing on the budget to come, I recall somebody asked the question, I believe it might have been the budget chair of Councilmember Cowles, whether there was enough resources for outreach to these organizations. I city in this proposal we have some more health ambassadors, but I feel like there's a bit of a disconnect here somehow. And I wonder if we could get to the bottom of why we're hearing from community based organizations and representatives of our commission that information still isn't getting where it needs to go. But we feel that we've got more than enough resources to make that to close that loop. So that may just be a problem statement, not a question, but I'm trying to get to the bottom of that and we'd love to talk to you more about it. Dwight Yeah. Let me let me follow up with OSHA and public health about that. I think the perception is that we have resources to do that, but we may not be connecting with the right people. Okay, great. Did you say, Councilmember, that the executive office has been approached by by these these groups as well? There are. He and I received a grant, a joint letter, which we jointly responded to. And we had a follow up meeting last week that included the staff member for the commission, who's an executive staff. I don't know if that meeting would have worked its way all the way up, but yeah, there's been some communication. Okay. Okay. And then on inside the testing sites, I would love to follow up along with Councilmember Lambert and FDA, because they may have tried out some of the ideas that we have, but it would be nice to just share information and see if we can help in any way. Also, a comment, not a question. Fourth item is you heard testimony. We heard testimony and I'm sure you did as well from a member of the public advocating to continue the access food delivery service. Any any information there about what's going on with that? Yeah, that one I actually can answer. So we are going to continue that. What we're struggling with is making sure we understand what revenue sources can be used for that purpose. And so we are working with Metro and the prosecutor's office and outside counsel about whether the money that Metro got through the CARES Act, which was separate from the 262 million, whether that can be used, whether we can use our own metro resources like fare revenue, they definitely can use the 262 million if we need to. Okay. We are going to continue that. And if we need to come back with a subsequent appropriation, we will. Do you have a sense of how much that costs through the end of the year? It's probably a bit before the end of the year. It's probably something on the order of $2 million. But let me give you a number for that. Thank you. The comment is I was going to ask about rental assistance and whether we have sufficient resources in rental assistance. But then the executive announced just a few days ago the additional rental assistance using the COVID three, I believe funding that the council passed, plus a significant amount that came from the state. And so thank you for that. I think that's going to be very important. And my final comment, I realize I got the numbers on virtually six things so I failed in my Dwight president is about that. Number just the numbers wrong. Never gets them wrong. But councilmember what I do when I make a mistake partway through, I say I have part A and B. Oh, excellent. I am still not good one skills about child care. So we have additional funding in this supplemental for childcare for essential workers. This continues, I believe, a program that we started towards the beginning. Actually, one of the first things we did after COVID hit was this. And my question is, do we feel that the program as it's being implemented, is meeting both of the stated goals of the program? The first goal was to make sure that child care is as available and affordable for essential workers. But there was a secondary goal that was to put money into the child care system so that we preserve and keep alive some of these child care providers because the system was not robust enough to meet needs prior to COVID and to see childcare providers go out of business was just sort of making that problem far worse for when we eventually do come out of these times. And I just I wonder if the method of funding which was to fund slots basically were giving were or paying for people's space in the childcare. Whether that was meeting the second variable, I had heard early on some concern from childcare providers that this wasn't enough of a support to any individual provider to help them. But I did not I haven't heard anything recently where about to reinvest in the same program. So I'm asking the question now. So I think Mr. Williams and his staff report has little information on how the first money was spent, and then I can follow up after that. And yeah, so. To date, there are 55 providers that received a $4,000 one times to use for insurance, cleaning supplies and other resources. In a monthly reimbursement of $2,083 per slot. So there were 184 slots funded in April, 271 in May and 278 in June, or a total of 733 slots for that three month period with an expenditure of roughly 100 million. In conversations with executive staff, we have been able to gather that the demand is there and people are using the program. But to get more more specific than that, that's definitely something that we can follow up on to see if there might be more of a demand and what that might look like. Let me thank you and I totally that's that's super helpful. And I was flipping through the staff report and I didn't find your information in time. So thank you for sharing that with me. The the question, though, is if out of those 733 slots we purchased, if you were a modest sized provider with 2530 slots in your child care and you got one of those that may or may not help you to stay alive. If you're a large child care provider like the YMCA and you only got a handful of those, it's the I, I see that we're doing a ton of good and that's our primary purpose, is to make sure that child care is available and affordable to essential workers. But we also have the secondary purpose of trying to prop up, if you will, child care providers, because there's a social good there that if they go out of business, we lose the ability for many of our workers to go back to work. It becomes an economic hit. So I would just love to follow up later on maybe and see if the folks who are administering the program have any sense of how the providers are benefiting from it. So Councilmember then also note, we did have a proposal that we considered that was more investing in the infrastructure of the child care system, which it sounds a little bit is what you're talking about a little bit. So why don't we share that with your staff and with council members for you to consider whether you would want to do some or all of that in this ordinance? I will be frank that we asked for a prioritization between that proposal and the one that's included here. And the one that's included here was what our department thought was a higher priority to continue the child care for essential workers. But you also there is some money that has not been allocated, and if the council wanted to consider that, that would certainly be reasonable. Thank you. I appreciate taking a look at that. And it may be that this is the best possible use of what was now limited CARES Act funding that we have left. But I appreciate the opportunity to take a look at it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you, Mr. Williams and Mr. David. Further questions. Mr. Chair. Council Member Coles. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a few questions of Dwight, possibly of artillery. I'll first of all, we have on page 28, table six, that indicates there would be $70 million in, in effect, available for, I believe, our October 15th transmitted COVID five budget. Is that accurate? Actor Wood Correct. Yeah. And so we have some unknown that we're not sure what FEMA will come through on. And but we have to reserve the match requirements and staff costs and unknown risks. Do you have any estimate at all, even a range of how much that would be available for additional appropriations, applications for services and so forth? So council member, that 70 million is three approximations, let's call them that, and it's $30 million, which is our best guess of what we will need for FEMA match. And, you know, could that be 25? Could it be 35? Sure, it could, because we don't know for sure what FEMA's going to cover. And as I think Mr. Williams noted, we don't know what the state is really going to do because traditionally federal funding is 75%, with the expectation that state and local is 25%. The state's practice has been to fund 12 and a half for. Leaving 12 and a half percent for us here, locally there. Early on, there was some discussion from the state saying, oops, I may get rid of this phone call here from the state, saying that they would cover their 12 and a half percent. And then pretty soon thereafter they said, oh, well, we're not sure we can afford that. And so they started to say they wouldn't cover anything. And then they said they'd covered for a while and not after that. And then they never really finished their thought about that. So we have some uncertainty in the FEMA amount and in the amount that we will get from the state as a portion of the local maps. So that's why that one so squishy. We are currently working through the second reserve, which is how much of our preexisting staff time can we charge to the CARES Act and how much of the covered leave that was granted? Can we charge to CARES Act? And as we finish up the 2122 budget, we will make determinations about that for at a minimum, the general fund and quite possibly other funds like the Public Health Fund and some of the DC funds, where in essence we will use the federal money and create fund balance in those funds that we can use in the 2122 budget. So when we come to you in October, we will know what we have built in for that so that there's uncertainty there now that will go away because we're going to have to come to a decision about that. And then the last 10 million is just we don't know what could happen in the fall that we haven't thought about yet. It's entirely possible that's zero. But we set aside 10 million for that purpose. And so our best estimate is there's 9 million that we haven't reserved and that is completely spoken for by you all. As the folks who ultimately decide how to spend the county's money can ignore all of the reserves I am creating and do whatever you want. So ultimately it's up to you to make those decisions. I'm also I would just note that Councilmember Dombrowski has pointed out a couple of times that is likely that we have underspending in some programs that you have already appropriated, and I have no sense of whether that was top secret. Dwight. Sorry. That's all your saying is always. That's. No, that's okay. I'm just kidding. Yeah. So, I mean, there's probably a couple, 3 to $5 million of money that you've appropriated that ultimately won't get spent. So if, you know, if the council is looking for do we have capacity to add a few things? You definitely do. Certainly the 9 million is entirely unspoken spoken for at this point. And if you felt the need to do a little more than that, you probably can and not endanger anything else that we've set aside. Okay. That's very helpful. And along those same lines, I'm wondering about when we do have COVID five transmitted to us. Well, what options might there be that would be closed off in effect because of the time frame? I mean, October 15th leaves six weeks or so till the end of the year. We will have we will be taking up coverage five in December following our action on the biannual budget. So I'm just wondering if there's anything that really comes to your mind that you think is not included in the cupboard for a budget that by October 15th and then a vote in December would really be too late, given the December 31st, December 31st restriction. So I don't I can't think of anything that would be too late now. For example, let's say you decided you wanted to do more for child care, but you wait. Or we did. And we waited. And you waited until December to fund that. That's obviously too late. They'd get that money out the door. What we are planning to include in the COVID five in October as a contingency is an appropriation authority probably for the Office of Emergency Management to purchase a bunch of staff at the end of the year if we know we have money that we haven't spent. So, for example, they have contracts in place for. PPE. For masks, for things like that that we will probably ask you for appropriation authority up to some limit. And if we get to December 20th and we're looking around and say, hey, we know we've got $5 million that we're not going to spend, we would have them go forward and make those purchases and that would make sure we spend most of the money that we have received. And again, if it turns out we don't have any unspent money, we just won't use that appropriation for it. Thank you. And another question which she probably will not be able to answer, but I'd like to hear your your response. I ask you this every week when we meet, but we have we have been hopeful that we will receive additional funds from Congress, and it's looking more unlikely now. We were hopeful for a while. But are you hearing anything more at this point that gives you any encouragement or more discouragement? I would have to say I am more discouraged than encouraged. So as I think you all know, the House called itself into session last Saturday to pass a bill reelected Postal Service. There had been some discussion of additional legislation for other COVID related purposes, including state and local government relief, just to kind of call attention to those issues again. They didn't do that. It is my understanding that the Senate has no plans to come back into session to take up the Postal Service legislation, and the president has said he would veto it if passed. That all suggests to me that the possibility of federal action prior to the election is very low. It clearly we are developing the executive's proposed budget with the assumption there is no more federal money before he submits his budget to you. That seems inevitable. There's always a theoretical possibility they would come back before the council needs to act on the budget. That seems very unlikely in a presidential election year, with many representatives and senators up in difficult races. So my if I had to bet, I would bet there is a chance in late November, early December, they would come back and do something that's too late for the council's process. So we would have to come up with an emergency supplemental in January. We're actually getting very good at doing that right now. So and as are you. So maybe we can pull that off. If I had a really bad, I would bet we won't see anything until after the election results are in effect. And the new Congress and new or not president are in place. And so I would bet nothing till January. Okay. Thank you. And one more question. I represent I mean, Councilmember DEMBOSKY had mentioned when you related about there being some underspending in a way because of less demand with some of the grant programs we opened up, I think one of them was with Chambers of Commerce, correct? Yes. But I think there's also some understanding where the demand is being higher than had been anticipated. So do you have any thought about what we could do to perhaps open up that funding and direct it to other. So the examples that I gave you of understanding are in, as you said, at the business organizations, or maybe a shorthand is chambers. As you remember, there were two different buckets of that. And in both of them they were administered through my office. Both of those there was less demand than we expected. So we have some unspent funds, A and I and I think even with the amendments to the unincorporated area, small business grants that are before you. I've been talking with John Taylor in Dallas. They think even with that broader eligibility, they still won't spend the whole 4 million. So those are examples where there's probably savings in a just giving example where there was more demand than we could meet in the money that you all set aside for some of the cultural organizations, live music venues, etc. We received more applications for more money than we had. So you could, in your example, Councilmember, ask for more in one place and disappear operating in a different place. We didn't do that. I'll just say very frankly, it's because we in my office right now, we do not have capacity to manage that. We are totally consumed with the budget. But if there was interest in the council doing that and maybe we can find a different way to get the money out, like in my example for culture to maybe do that, there might be some opportunities to do that. We are getting very late in the year to run new grant processes. Okay. And so even if you were to be able to go back through the applicant list for like the live music and the science, the arts, culture, education where we had or yes, that amount more demand and supply, it would not necessarily mean opening the whole thing up again. It could just go down the list and be able to award more to that. We could do that relatively easily. You would have to amend each of those agreements, but that is a lot easier than going through another RFP process. Okay. We would if you wanted to do that, we would probably want you to actually direct us to do that, because that way we have legislative intent and we are not being asked to run a new process. Okay. And actually, one last question, a little different, but with regard to timing on all of this. What can you provide us any sense of the urgency of passing the COVID fall budget? If it were delayed, what would be the effects? So let me just answer the question by saying how much we have appreciated the speed with which the Council has passed these ordinances. I realize that is not traditional and it's a lot of work for you and your staff, but it has been really valuable to us and frankly to everybody who benefits from these programs. Some of the things that are in here, like paying the capital costs for stuff we've already spent, would not be affected at all by delay. But some of the other things in here would be greatly affected by delay. So just to give you a few examples, the $2 million that for culture as requested, they obviously can't do any processes until that money has been appropriated. Similarly, the request that the Department of Local Services has made to change the eligibility for the unincorporated small business grants. They can't do that until the Council has acted to change those expenditure restrictions. And then to give you another example, the expansion that public health has proposed of the medical assistance team. They wouldn't be able to do that until you have acted, because that's a that's a whole new body of work. And there's there are many other examples in here of where the sooner you act, the sooner we can get money out to organizations or provide additional services. So again, it's obviously the council gets to decide what its schedule is, but we have appreciated your prompt action in the past and if at all possible, would encourage you to continue to do so. Thanks very much, Mr. Chair. What are your plans for taking action on this today? Madam Committee chair, budget chair and sponsor. My inclination would be to take some lead from you. I know that this is our first briefing today and you had sent out an email earlier outlining a timeline of action that would have council action next week, whether we wanted to move it out of committee today or follow your timeline and expect to relieve the committee of it next week with a striking amendment ready. I would be willing to take some direction from you in some conversations, my colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And just as a reminder, we have done we've gone through the same process twice already with COVID two and COVID three. So I think the the way we've operated has been very effective. It has meant that we've had to all act very quickly. I really appreciated my colleagues getting in their conceptual request for a conceptual striker on Fast and the other two occasions. Our plan this time around had been that we would have a deadline of this Thursday at noon on the 27th for council members to submit items for the striking vote striking amendment. And then on Friday afternoon or evening, we would release the striking proposal to finalize a conceptual striker, and then the staff would be able to come out with the finalized striker amendment striking on Sunday afternoon or evening and then. Members could get in their standalone amendments on Monday, we concluded that that cut off would be at 11 a.m. on Monday. It puts a lot of onus on the staff, but they've done a great job thus far, and I'm sure they will again. And then we would have action on this on Tuesday next week. My my understanding is that because we are only having council meetings every other Tuesday, it's made our agendas very lengthy in the council. Of course, council chair Balducci can speak to that. I'm concerned, though, if we delayed this for a couple of weeks, then which would mean we would not be able to vote on this Colbeck for our budget until the 15th of September would be running into the time period where with all the preparations for the biennial budget. Staff going through all of that, the committee stand downs and so forth. So my preference is to go ahead and make make sure as possible as we can to have a vote in the council next Tuesday. Whether it means we vote, we take action today, go through the process of outlined as we've done in the last two covered budgets or the council votes next Tuesday to leave the committee of the legislation. I think that's probably up to our council chair. My preference is the first option, and I think we can do that very well. But I'd be very happy to hear from our chair. Madam Chair. Mr. Chair, thank you. And, Madam Chair, all the chairs. So I don't have any real concern that we can vote this on September one. I believe we can. Councilmember Caldwell's has laid out very accurately how it has worked in the past. And I think we've done a pretty remarkable job of moving through a large number of supplementals. I mean, that chart is sort of amazing in Mr. Williams staff report about the four Cogan supplementals, and that leaves out the Non-Woven supplemental and everything else we're going to do for the rest of this year. So I've developed a great deal of confidence in our ability to move this stuff, and I think that our budget chair has done an incredible job because she keeps us moving. My my comment is only because I have been, especially since the break ended, really asking all of our colleagues to try to get as much committee work that committee as possible so that we avoid those marathon council meetings, which I think sometimes we don't always do our best work when we have them. It's just hard as a human being to do a four or five, six, seven hour meeting. So I'm not objecting to moving it out today. I think we can get it done. I do think that as we get into the budget and stand down and if we continue operating this way in late into this year and early next year, we should maybe think about a way to structure our committees so that the work is able to be done in committees. And then we can still move quickly. Because you're right, with the only council meeting every two weeks, any delay is a minimum two week delay, including a courtesy delay. I think the current process here would be to leave it in committee and call it next week. But I don't care. I don't have a strong feeling about that. We can do it either way. If it relieves people's stress to vote it out today, I think that's valuable. And I would vote yes. But and I also just want to thank all of the other committee chairs, because a number of folks this week agreed to take some stuff into their committees so that we can make sure we get the work done there. And that's that's why I think it'll be fine either way. And I have a strong feeling. I'm just trying to really emphasize as much committee work as we can do on any item. I think the better off we're going to be. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for that. Decisive leadership. Council members do what you want with that decisive leadership provided for us. I would call on Budget and Fiscal Management Committee Chair Caldwell's to either remind us of the deadlines or to make a motion as you did so desires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was just going to say, how about both? I appreciate the council chairman's concern about how we get so chamber packed in council meetings, and we've been there sometimes for 8 hours or so. It's very stressful. But on the other hand, I like the idea of transparency and making sure that we do things normally, that we go ahead with the process rather than pulling up legislation from a committee in an extraordinary and an ordinary time. And as straight as mentioned, it's really critical that we are able to get needed funds out in a very timely fashion. The sooner the better. With regard to the schedule, I'd actually like to move the change in and I've conferred with budget staff about this. That should be very helpful for them and I don't think this should be an issue. We had scheduled and this is on page 29, if you want to look at that at the top of the page. After the CAO briefing we have Thursday, this Thursday, August 27th at noon is the deadline for Stryker amendments to the budget . Fiscal Management Chair Myself. I'd like to actually change that until tomorrow at close of business. That would be very helpful to staff to have that extra time to work on drafting a conceptual striker that we can get out to on Friday. We are having our colored leadership team meeting tomorrow afternoon at 330 and it would be helpful for them to have more of an opportunity to see what's coming in and to discuss that. So I will be joining us with that as well. And I think the sooner we can get going on this, the more time the staff can put in and addressing the requests that I would authorize and perhaps even be able to get the actual spinal striker to all of us before Sunday night, which has been the case with the last two budgets. I think the more likely that we will have to have an expedited time on Tuesday, next Tuesday at our council meeting. So that's my recommendation. And I would like to move Ordinance 2020 0279. Council member Coles has moved to give it to pass recommendation. Estimates do pass. Yes, it is a do pass. I mean, I knew it was not do not pass. But I decided I did not add that in. The most ordinance 2020 279. We have a from the Budget Committee chair. We have a timeline for amendments. I'm in concept and written to be submitted and compiled both for Stryker and standalone. And we've had a brief our first briefing today with intended action for council next week. Is there further discussion debate? Regarding the motion, the recommendation before us. Saying none. I'd ask the court to please call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council Member Producing Council Member. Body Chief Arts Council Member Dombrowski I. Council Member Dombrowski votes I. Council member done. I. Council member done votes I. Council member Caldwell's I council member Caldwell spoke to I Council member Lambert. Council member, Lambert. Council member off the ground. I was a member of the lower council member. Lambert votes. I council member by my former. I council member upon my thorough votes. I council members. All High Council members. All my votes. I am Mr. Chair. Hi, Mr. Chair. Votes I. Mr. Chair, you have 99 zero in us. By your vote. We have given a do pass recommendation to ordinance 2020 279 and will expedite it to full council. So it will be in full council next Tuesday. Thank you very much. And with that, we move on to item six, a motion that would approve the implementation plan for the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Act or Posture Process proceeds. We were first brief on this item before recess. And today, Erin Area and Patrick Hamacher from central staff are here to provide a refresher briefly on the on the legislation and also to brief the amendment that I have compiled based on input from you, my colleagues, this area. Mr. Hamacher, the call is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Erin Area Council staff materials for this agenda item begin on page 81 of your packet. As a reminder, motion 15492 passed by the Council last August, directed the executive branch to allocate pasta proceeds with a specific funding structure for the implementation plan designed to support early learning facilities, King County Promise and the work of community based organizations. Proceeds are estimated to be 318 million over a 15 year period. Per the implementation plan, 7% of proceeds over the life of the account are set aside for evaluation and administration costs. Of that, up to 10% of those dollars each year may be used to provide for technical assistance and capacity building. The remaining proceeds would then be distributed among three funding categories. 52% is allocated for funding category one early learning facilities. Of these trends, seven and a half percent is dedicated to family and child care home provider facilities. The plan notes three investment types one maintain and improve existing family child care homes to renovate existing non home based facilities. And three invest in partnerships that results in the construction of new facilities. 38% is allocated for funding category to college career and technical education, also known as King County Promise and distributed as follows 45% to K-through-12 education, 45% to post-secondary education, and 10% to community based organizations. This funding structure will be used to fund two programs Promise Partnerships and a system supporting organization with the intent to foster collaboration between school districts, colleges and community organizations to create a pipeline of support for youth or pardon me, for young adults through post-secondary completion. And then 10% is allocated for funding Category three K through 12 community based organizations in the plan, a three year pilot administered by United Way, King County, known as Love and Liberation, will utilize participatory grant making to fund member organizations of the Racial Equity Coalition to provide direct services to the prioritized populations ages ten through 19. And if there are no questions on the background information, we are ready to move to a discussion of the amendments that you directed staff to prepare. Questions on the background are where would be starting from with the plan before getting to the amendment? And please continue. Okay. Now I will go over Amendment two. To be clear, the amendment that we are discussing is the one sent out this morning by Patrick Hamacher at 9:54 a.m. Includes one change from your packet that I will highlight in the Promise section and is also described in the email. For ease of discussion, I will walk through the changes in the red line version, which is attachment seven in your packet, but the final version being considered is consistent with what Patrick said. Note that a small but small technical corrections like spacing and standardizing terms will appear throughout the document, but it will only describe substantive changes. The first on page 319 of your packet in the Early Learning Facilities section. The word extreme is stricken before child care, access, deserts and ads or other types of areas after zip codes to broaden the definition of child care access deserts. This also appears on page 336 and for consistency on page 357 of your packet on three, page 359. The changes are consistent with the ones I just mentioned and add identification of other areas where there are statistically significant gaps in access to high quality learning facilities into consideration and development of analysis areas to be funded. So this change would give the executive authority to fund early learning facilities in areas that were not child care access deserts if there was a statistically significant gap in availability. There's no questions on that. The next section is promise. These amendments clarify the role. Are these changes, I should say, clarify the role of the system supporting organization? The first change in this section is on page 365 of your packet. But I also note that includes the modified language that Patrick sent this morning. The change sent this morning was a request from the executive branch to remove the word oversight to avoid confusion with the oversight role of the subcommittee. The change clarifies that the system supporting organization will work with King County to co-develop and oversee the implementation of promised related investments and to raise private funding. Next on page 366 of your packet. The amendment clarifies that the systems supporting organization will work with c y y a d staff on the development of our PS and contracts. Also on page 366, revised language designates a system supporting organization to review, edit and incorporate system and program commitments based on the initial commitments created by the Promise Work Group prior to funding promise partnerships in the original language CIA ADD staff would have brought the funded entities together after they were selected to co-develop a set of commitments. And then on page 367 of your packet, the sentence indicating intent to issue the first RFP in the in the first half of 2021 is struck in the next changes in the 11 Liberacion section on page 375, it directs Y ADI to develop an interim plan to address any gaps between the end of the three year 11 liberation pilot and the time at which it is replaced by another program. Lastly on page 388 of your packet, table 15 is added so that the evaluation timelines already noted in the plan are listed together in one section. And that concludes our summary. We'd be happy to take any questions you might have. We also have Sheela Kappa Sani, director of CROI Adi. Jackie Moynihan, Deputy Division Director of Housing, Homelessness and Community 12 Community Development Division, and Hannah Furber, Makani Post Implementation Manager with us. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Question, colleagues. Mr. Chair, since nobody's saying anything, I have a comment. Well, yes, Councilmember. Do see. Thank you. I just want to say how delighted I am that we have a person whose title is pastor implementation manager. At the distance we have traveled from that first public meeting in Kent to today is remarkable and I just really look forward to doing the implementation plan and starting to be able to push funding out to these great organizations that are going to do the work. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. All right. Seeing no further questions and knowing that councilman, rebel councilman brought the growth. I feel bad. This is a big deal that we. Thank you, Mr. Chair. You're welcome. Councilman. Brotha, go. Oh. I feel that it's such a big deal that someone needs to make a comment. I think that I think this is really building upon the work of best starts for kids and the Veterans and Human Services levy by implementing a really community focused model of driving money out different than we did 20 years ago. Not we wasn't here, but in each of these categories we really are relying upon processes where those that are most impacted by inequities are going to be leading the work to address those issues, both with the racial equity team and K-12 and both with the partnering organization and the promise part. And just a reminder that we I think we did really good work as a council to focus our dollars, I think, where the legislative sponsor hoped we would at those students who fall behind the most kids of color, immigrant refugee students, LGBT kids, foster kids, homeless youth, and focusing where the data shows us the gaps are the greatest on K-3 readiness and post-college post-high school success. And so I just wanted to take a moment and celebrate how far we've come. Thank the executive branch, Sheila Kafka standing and her team for their good work. And you, Mr. Chair, for shepherding through these the complex details and committed to peer support. In you. Thank you. So I agree this has been a long time coming with a lot of good work and leaving it in the very beginning and everybody having such amazing input over the process. So I think I think Dave's right. We should be celebrating that. We've done a good job here. One of the things I wanted to point out is one of our categories is disproportionality and kindergarten readiness. And with what's happening with COVID and a lot of kindergartners not being able to go to kindergarten, and I know that I had in my garage, much to my husband's chagrin, my old classroom is sitting in there and all of a sudden people were interested in my old teaching supplies, which are now out in other homes, which is lovely, but a lot of people don't don't have the supplies, don't really know exactly what to do, and would love to have more feedback. More opportunities are easily presented. So as we look at some of the things that we're doing, if we could put them online for other parents who have now been thrust into becoming teachers to even be on the people that we're directly serving but have the resources available, I think that might be a really good thing at this point. And COVID to be able to help even more families than we ever dreamed we would be reaching. And I see Sheila nodding her head and taking notes. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Mr. Chair. Council Member Coles. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I am very, very appreciative of all the effort that's gone into this legislation in terms of their presentation of pasta. I do not know how many meetings have taken place over the last three or four years on this. Does anybody have a record of that? Any staff person, perhaps a Sheila? There have been so many Sheila just in terms of council meetings, committee meetings. I think Claudia Balducci was chair of the committee of the whole and we started off. Does that come? You're muted, Claudia. I believe I was, yes. So long ago it was. And we had, I think, our first meeting out in the community in Auburn. And we've come so far from there. And there's been an incredible amount of work on our part, but also, of course, with staff and community organizations. I think also of the committee of the hall meetings we've had this year when we've taken up pastor and a very huge amount of individuals who are providing public comment, some of them not happy with what the language was at that time. And we have worked with everybody and council and council committee of the whole chair. McDermott, I think has done a fabulous job in terms of pulling all this together, and that's reflected in the striking amendments before us. But I notice today when we had public comment, we did not have that dismay, opposition concern, you name it. People have really come on board and I know that there have been a great number of meetings with the organizations involved who have been visiting us, emailing us, giving us recommendations, speaking at the committee, the whole public comment periods. I agree this is a real success. I think we can all be very pleased with what we're going forward with. So I just wanted to express that and how pleased to be able to vote on this today. Even better next Tuesday. All right, then. If we want to vote on it today, I'm not going to let anybody else think we're going to take a motion. Councilmember Colwell, would you be kind enough to put the item before us? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move a motion number 2020 0249 to give an object as recommendations to the council. Councilmember calls has moved adoption of Motion 2020 249. Councilmember Caldwell's Will you be kind enough to move Amendment two? That was emailed to us at 954 this morning by Patrick Hamacher. I'd be glad to. Mr. Chair, I move the amendment number two. Thank you. And this is the email that Ms.. Area briefed just moments ago. Senior Discussing an amendment to all those in favor. Please signify by saying I. I opposed nay. The ayes have it. Amendment two is adopted. The motion 2020 249 as amended. Further discussion. Saying none. I'm happy to call. Asked the court to please call the Royal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bell Duchin, I. Councilmember Bell due to votes on Councilmember DEMBOSKY I. Councilmember DEMBOSKY and then I. Councilmember Diane Dodds, i. And Councilmember and Councilmember Colwell spoke to Councilmember Lambert. I. Councilmember Lambert. Both i. Councilmember after the high. Councilmember of the grove outside. Councilmember one right there i. Councilmember bond my fellow votes i. Council members online. All right. Council members on line votes. I. Mr. Chair. By. Mr. Chair, votes I. Mr. Chair, you have nine eyes on us. By your vote, we've given a unanimous to pass recommendation to motion 2020 to 49 as amended, and we will expedite that to full council a week from today. And we have Madam Clerk of mistaken. We have nobody. Have you missed any votes due to technical reasons? Throughout our meeting today, we have a a full roll call on all items. Is that correct? That's correct, Mr. Chairman. And knowing of no other items to come before us today, the committee of the whole is adjourned. We will see you all. Committee the whole two weeks from today and at full council one week from today and on is in. ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE related to COVID-19; making a supplemental appropriation of $2,460,000 to several general fund agencies; making a supplemental appropriation of $78,312,500 to several non-general fund agencies; making a supplemental appropriation of $17,437,000 to several capital improvement funds; amending the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 18835, Sections 19, 19, 24, 33, 35, 62, 73, 84, 84, 85, 85, 95, 112, 116, 116 and 126, as amended, and Attachment A, as amended; and declaring an emergency."}
{"id": "king_dd38536a-c900-4266-a627-6c0ee586de2e", "input": "Then we get to the February 16th meeting that's being held remote of the committee of the whole, I'm sure on Sunday, June 4 hours. Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the team at the King County Courthouse, where we usually would be meeting pre-pandemic, is on the unceded ancestral lands of the Jewish people . Past and present. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Jew on this tribe. We will begin today's meeting with possible action on extending the appointment of Denis Worsham as the Acting Director of the King County Department of Public Health and the appointment of a few created to the board culture board. I hope I'm not touching your name. And after that, we will have a briefing on the Arts Fund, COVID report from Michael Greer, President and CEO of Arts Fund, and Sarah Silverman, vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Communications for Art Fund. We will conclude our meeting today with the second briefing and discussion on a motion requesting the Executive to establish an equitable development initiative and implementation plan. We will be briefed by Jenny No on council staff on the motion as well as on additional amendments that have been received. With that, Madam Kerns, would you please. Thank you, Madam Chair. Councilmember Baluchi. Councilmember Member. Thank you, Madam Councilmember. The masking. Error. And some of them are done here and some of them like Thurmond here. Council member. Perry here. Council member. Here. Council member Andre Bauer here. Councilmember. So, hello. Madam Chair. Here. If you have a quarter. Thank you. Thank you all. I'd like to ask Councilmember Dunn and Vice Chair to approve the minutes from the February 2nd 2022 meeting. Move approval of the minutes of February 2nd, 2022. All in favor. Indicate the same time any person who carried the minutes have been approved. We will now turn to the public comment period of our agenda. Madam, do we have any one on the line wishing to provide public comment? And so can you provide an estimated number of individuals wanting to give comment? And then it looks like we have about nine people so far. How many? Nine. Nine? Yes. No. Okay. Thank you, Madam Clerk. And as I'm sure most of you know by now, that public comment must be related to items on today's meeting agenda and not be used for the purpose of assisting any campaign and must not include obscene speech for this portion of public comment. Please do not use the hand raised function. Everybody will be called on. Our committee clerk will call the names and numbers and when your name or last three digits of your phone number is called, you will be asked to unmute your line and please do so. Or presto six if you are dialed in by cell phone. And please start by saying and spelling your name so that we can capture that for the public record. You will have 2 minutes to speak and will hear a timer go off when you reach 2 minutes. Actually, I'm going to change that to one and a half minutes, Madam Clerk, because we do have quite a lot to discuss on our agenda today. So one and a half minutes for public comment, Madam Curt. With that, please go ahead and begin calling names and numbers for public comment. Thank you, Madam Chair. The first person is Brady Nordstrom. Please go ahead and meet yourself. Hi there. My name is Brady Nordstrom. That's pretty high note NORAD from. And I'm calling in today on behalf of future Ys comprises a nonprofit organization focusing on land use policies and practices across the state that encourage healthy, equitable and opportunity rich communities. We strongly support the King County Equitable Development Initiative motion. Equitable land use is about so much more than zoning, infrastructure, conservation, etc. It's also about providing the foundation for resilient communities. And the success of the EDC model in Seattle shows the communities impacted by displacement and disparities can be trusted to identify and steward solutions to the issues that they're facing. And this includes the authentic ownership of solutions and the control of resources to use in culturally appropriate ways. So we add as an additional comment here, we also support a selection process that results in a truly community led advisory board with diverse representation from King County geographies. So thank you again for the time to speak. It's time to expand a successful, community driven, Equitable Development Initiative model across King County. Thanks. Thank you. The next person is Eleanor Perez. Good morning, councilmembers. I am Melanie Perez. She her pronouns with Puget Sound sage asking for your support for establishing a King County EBI sage has been fighting displacement and bipoc communities in King County for ten years with our South Core Coalition, which stands for South Communities Organizing for Racial and Regional Equity. We've called on cities big and small to intervene in the chronic cycle of displacement that pushes low income bipoc people from one place to another when land becomes valuable to people outside our communities. Displacement is a crisis crisis to bipoc communities both in Seattle and in the suburban cities that households moved to after Seattle became unwelcome. We need EDA investments across the county in both incorporated and unincorporated areas, and we stand in support, especially of communities in South King County. Sage was there to support the fight by dozens of East African businesses in SeaTac and to Cu\u00e9llar when those cities took the land that they had been on for many years, trying all of these places and communities together is a vision for communities to lead in the design and implementation of solutions to displacement, including and idea. We ask that you support the original language in the motion that ensures a wide diversity of members in the interim planning workgroup appointed by the executive and oppose any changes to the motion that would that would change that appointment process. We hope that you can arrive at a solution that gives you confidence there will be good traffic diversity without tying the hands of the executive to ensure representation by communities. Must. Think much. Thank you. The next person is Eliana Thorn. Hello. I'm running. I. I am here to try to come in in support of this motion. 2020 10467 to establish a King County Rural Development Initiative and resident of District two as displacement pressures increase. Excuse me, Alana. Would you just say your name for the record, please? Yes, it's Alana Horn. As displacement pressures increase in South King County in the recovery period of the COVID 19 pandemic, it's more important than ever to have a range of tactics to increase bipoc ownership and control of land, housing, cultural and commercial spaces. In King County. The King County, I will create a long lasting program to increase the capacity of Bipoc organizations to do this work until late. This work and the EDA will help communities develop projects that are permanently affordable and meet a range of needs. This motion is a first step to create a long lasting and sustainable program that is led by Bipoc communities in King County. And I know that this coalition will work with the Council to find new sources of revenue to fund this program. But we can take that first step now. And I just want to urge the adoption of the original language without any of the amendments previously discussed. Thank you. The next person essays are Garcia. Go ahead. Thank you. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Sam Garcia, co-founder of Lake City Collective, one of the organizations who received capacity building funds through the Seattle EPA. I'm also currently a member of the I Base Report. I'm here to support the creation of the King County Advocate for two reasons respect and representation. Yes, e R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I know. I want to spell representation. You see, before getting the funds, our efforts were not valued by the city. And even larger mainstream mainstream organizations would try to take advantage of our hard work when one of them, for example, pretended to have organized a successful cultural event that we organized only to try to get funds from our culture. Fortunately, fortunately, we caught him and before culture did not fund them. It still to this day, the same organization is very successful in getting public funds and has easy access to government officials. Meanwhile, we sometimes don't even get a reply to emails we send to them. Fortunately, getting access to the EPA has made city departments real. They have been empowering their own people all along and they add that they can get things done with us. They can. And not only because we actually live in the underserved communities they went to war with, but also because they know that that we want to be good stewards of our own community. Here, I mean, I'm going to go to a Google and look for Lake City Collective Street mural. You will see one of those examples. And finally, as for representation in the working group of the only member of North Seattle in the EPA board, I can tell you that he has been and I will complete. I will finish. I can tell you that it has been a priority for the board to have equity minded people from all areas of the city, and they can see the same intentionality extended to the King County effort, King County idea and opportunity for equity for getting things done in every corner of our county . Thank you. And so the next person is Emmanuel Bello. Hi, my name is Emmanuel GP Tulloch. I am here to represent the African Chamber of Commerce. We support the project and we are very, very happy to be here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The next person is Gregory Davis. All right. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. My name is Gregory Davis, and I'm a District two resident. I serve an organization, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, that serves on behalf of the Rainbow Beach neighborhood. And we are interested in the King County Equitable Development Initiative 2020 10467 being supported. We are recipients of a Equitable Development Initiative grant from the City of Seattle, and we used it to acquire land in Rainier Beach right across from the light rail station. And we're looking to use it for a food innovation center that's complementing the idea of a food innovation district. We determined that Food Innovation Center was important when we learned that less than 2% of the nearly $6 billion spent annually on food and drink is actually grown in King County. And we want to support farmers growth in King County in this regard. Naturally, this effort is going to secure health, jobs, community connectedness for the Rainier Beach District two residents. In fact, we are leveraging the communities of opportunity, original place based group resource to ensure our success. So as proud members of MLK County, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr County, we want this for our other reverend, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr resident. But again, give my regards to your legislative aide. I know they've done something between now. The last time I saw you and now that we supported you, I know what has happened in terms of my district. Councilmember Goodman, because I have, in fact, had a chance to talk to one of them. So have a great day and great with your meeting. The next person is Housing Development Consortium. If you could provide us with your full name before you speak, that be great. Thank you. Thank you. Chair calls by the chair and council members. For the record, I am Patience Malama with the Housing Development. Consortium. Of Seattle King County. I'm testifying in strong support of the King County EDA motion and urge your support in this. While the EDA I framework embraces two important goals that I want to emphasize and that I know many of you embrace. The first one is preventing displacement, and the second one is increasing equitable access to opportunity. We need a King County wide E.D. Eye that can really invest in our communities as currently low income and black, indigenous and people of color. Communities across. The region. Face an ongoing public health threat from displacement in the face of rising rents and home prices. We believe as an organization that the City of Seattle is a model with the proven success that it has, can really serve as a model here for creating a new community driven EDC that serves the whole region. We urge your support in establishing a King County wide Eddie I with as much flexibility as you can provide to enable communities to drive this work and have the full reflection of representation of the different parts of the region. Thank you. Thank you. The next person is hoda abdullahi. Please go ahead, unmute yourself and then you can begin. Hello? Yes. Go. Oh, please. Yes, hi. My name is Abdullahi. I'm from living well, Kent. I also want to also show support with the King County E.D. I've seen the effects with the Seattle Eddy, and it's been tremendous . And growing up in Kent, Washington, where I see the effects of gentrification firsthand and working with this coalition through this time, I see the benefits of this, and I know that there's some councilmembers that have been supporting this, and I appreciate everybody that's working with here, but I'd urge the council to approve on this. Thank you. The next person is Howard Greenwich. I'm not getting public. Comment this morning. Thank you. The next person is Abby Brockman. Hi. Good morning. I'm here to give public comment on the Equitable Development Initiative. Is this the correct timing? Yes, it is. Go ahead, please. Hi. Well, my name is Abby Brockman. Thank you so much for this opportunity. My understanding of this initiative is that it will focus on combating displacement and keeping communities intact. And while others can certainly speak to the policy details better than me, I wanted to spend my time addressing the spiritual angle and the spiritual imperative to support this as a chaplain. So to me, in my work at Seattle Children's Hospital, I've learned that spirituality isn't about religion or faith. It's about connection, what connects us to ourselves, each other, the world around us, and something greater than ourselves. It's also the antidote to trauma, which is about disconnection. Disconnection with ourselves, each other, the world around us, and something greater than ourselves. In my work, I therefore assess and map where and why people have experienced disconnection and apply targeted clinical interventions to nurture connection in these tender places of brokenness. I think applying the same analysis on a systemic level reveals how things like housing restrictions, redlining, intentional construction of highways, zoning laws and gentrification have long caused trauma and disconnection to low income communities, bipoc communities and especially the black community by causing mass displacement, tearing apart neighborhoods, and preventing or destroying families from being able to grow deep , safe and nurturing roots to places in home. I therefore think the spiritual work of atonement and reconciliation that our city needs to do and healing is to therefore apply targeted, systemic economic interventions, to nurture connections in these same places where and how we've caused brokenness. We've used public funds and policies to tear down neighborhoods and destroyed communities. Now we must use public the to build up support these neighborhoods and communities. I think the EDA is a fantastic opportunity to do just this and I hope you all vote to support it. Thank you so much. Thank you. The next person is Clifford Coffin. Yes. Hello, council members. My name is Clifford Carson. I am the coalition strategy manager for the Sightline Institute. I'm just calling. Or rather, I'm just speaking today on behalf of Sightline in support of the Equitable Development Initiative, in solidarity with the EDA Coalition. We believe that this initiative is critical when it comes to preventing displacement and slowing down the current trend of displacement that we see in communities of color and in working class communities in our region, that these investments will bolster investments in housing and economic infrastructure and allow for communities that have historically been discriminated against disenfranchized and are increasingly vulnerable to economic shocks and and trauma to be able to be resilient, but also add to the overall investment in the well-being and health of our region. So I would urge the Council to support the Equitable Development Initiative, as well as to support a measures to that would allow for the Equitable Development Initiative to be represented by people from the community and for the community to be able to direct the composition of the any advisory or supervisory body that oversees the commission. Thank you. Okay. Next, we have Kayla Jackson. Hi. My name is Kayla Jackson. A program at. Oh, forgive me, Kayla. Forgive me. I muted you. Oh, no worries. I can turn over and thank you. Council members. My name is Kayla Jackson, a program manager at Puget Sound Stage. And I'm asking you today to approve the King County API motion and partner with Community Bipoc communities to design a sustainable countywide program over the next year. Last summer, Sage helped bring together a coalition with a vision for a community driven development and ownership of land, or what we call community stewardship of land. Many of us have been part of communities of opportunity learning community facilitated by Sage, Multicultural Community Coalition and not know Heathland, where we learn together how bipoc communities can prosper in place for generations by owning their land on buildings and land. And so our vision is to create broad and deep infrastructure for Bipoc led organizations to acquire, run, develop and preserve land on behalf of community. We know that a King County EDA won't do this alone, but we think it's a critical place to start building this capacity. We also appreciate the support of both the Executive and Council for our Ask that an E.D. program would be eligible for capital funds in the Boston through implementation plan. However, we only expected those capital funds to go to Edina if there was alignment between the two programs. And it's not our intention to constrain capital grants if there is not alignment. So we do fully support changes to the motion that decouple the basic funds from the prioritization language that you that you agree on on. We want to let you know that in a coalition meeting last night. As. Many of our members also agreed on this, but. For. The entire coalition as well. Thank you. And I just want to note that our at the heart of our vision are is to let impacted communities define equity and bring their wisdom to governance. And we think you will be inspired by the results of this leadership. Thank you. Thank you. The next person is Laura Lowe. Hello, everybody. Good morning. My name is Laura Lowe and you are a live in County Council District four. I'm speaking on behalf we share the city's action fund, which advocates advocates for and agitates for tenant rights, housing, justice, digital equity and public broadband in Seattle and throughout King County. We're here again today to show strong support for the King County EDA motion proposed in motion 20210467. Proposed by councilmembers Dombrowski, Zavala and Wells. As I'm sure you've experienced, we've watched our neighbors in our communities get pushed out of neighborhoods they've lived in for decades due to the increasing price of land, especially now with COVID, there is even more overlapping struggles. We know that the east side is about to have a tremendous amount of gentrification pressure with the very big jobs, housing and balance, as we've had for some time in Seattle. We are very worried about how the lack of affordability forces, lower income workers to have long car commutes, which has big impacts on our climate and steals time from our neighbors from being with their families. It is long past time for King County to center those closest to housing, injustice and generational wealth gaps. They're the ones that know the solutions to help address past historical harms to build thriving, healthy communities. We cannot emphasize enough that this EDA program must be co-designed with and led by Black Indigenous API, Latinxs and other marginalized communities who have been affected by displacement and have the highest risk of being displaced. Thank you for your support today. Thank you. The next person is Maria Guadalupe Ramirez. Good morning, council members. My name is Maria Guadalupe Ramirez and I live in District eight and I'm calling on behalf of Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition, which serves the communities of Georgetown and South Park and neighboring communities and Boulevard Park. And that sliver by the river. To the Amish River. I strongly support. The King. County E.D. motion, and I think our council members, Zack Hillside and Cole Wells. We believe that those closest to the problems are the. Ones who know the solutions. That's why a key aspect of our advocacy is for the 88 program to be co-designed with and led by black indigenous people of color and marginalized communities who have been affected by displacement or have the highest risk of being displaced. As an added grantee from the city of Seattle. Our organization, The Damage Valley Affordable Housing Coalition, has been pushing forward strategies for an area that is at high risk of displacement and low rate of. Opportunities. As we work on the Seattle side of our area. We can see the discrepancies in how we can serve Boulevard Park. As you know, Boulevard Park has a lot of old apartment buildings and the area is very ripe for gentrification. And many when we conducted a survey in the summer, many residents were concerned and fearful about. What will happen to them. Their housing that they've lived here. Thank you very much for supporting. The community as it grows and capacity to be a partner with government. Thank you. The next person is Peter Gichuru. Peter, if you'd like to speak, please, and yourself. Good morning and good morning. Good morning. My name is Peter Gichuru. I'm the President, CEO of African Chamber of Commerce. I am talking on behalf of my community, the public and community, which is one of the fastest growing community in King County. We support MDI. We think this is the right thing. We want to make sure that the. Opportunity. Is provided to those who have not been provided opportunities in the past. By the way, I've been in Seattle since 1963. I've seen changes. I believe this is the right time for you to support and approve FDI and increase the opportunities for those who have been left out. I thank you. Thank you. The next person is you're gonna use two. Very. Thank you. Good morning, councilmembers. My name is Jordana Ferry and I live in District five. I'm with the Multicultural Community Coalition and I serve on Seattle's ADA Advisory Board. We've been helping to lead the effort in the establishment of a King County EDC, having directly benefited in our efforts to anchor immigrant, refugee and people of color communities. As one of the five demonstration projects of the Seattle HDI, displacement risk exists for marginalized populations in various districts of the county and will worsen without government action to create community stability and economic mobility. With the proposed motion, the county has an opportunity and an obligation to reverse some of the inequities and make community driven investment decisions, specifically to close racial and economic disparities. This must be done in a manner that supports the communities most at risk of displacement so that they can fully participate in the economy and thrive. This intentionally designed approach stands to support marginalized communities and will improve opportunity, as well as decrease the displacement risk and considering the the framework design process, that will be impactful. It is very important to help communities most impacted by displacement at the table to co-design the program. We believe that those closest to the problem are the ones that know the solutions. That is why a key aspect of our advocacy is for the ADA program to be co-designed with and led by bipoc and marginalized communities who have been affected by displacement or have the highest risk of being displaced. This is similar to the way in which the Seattle Area Advisory Board was established. Once a framework was developed, developed, an ordinance was passed for the establishment of an advisory board that allows council and the executive to elect representatives. We hope that you will look to this model as just an end for the co-design process. We thank you. Thank you. Manager I believe I've called everyone on the line. Thank you very much to Madam Kirk. And John Daly is the one who's been working on this. And I have introduced another good call the earlier I is if there's anyone on the line who wishes to provide public comment and has not had the opportunity to do so, please raise your raise hand function or press star nine if you are joined by phone. I don't see anybody mention the team. Well, thank you. And I appreciate everybody who has spoken to us today. I found your testimony very helpful, and I'm certain that my colleagues on the council have as well. But see, no further request. We will close public comment. The first item, substantive item on our agenda is the extension of the executive's appointment of Dennis Worsham as the acting director of Public Health. And it's a date issue on which we will have some important briefings on. She is from my central staff and she will provide this item a briefing along with Susan. Any bonus available from Jim, who is a human resources manager with the Department of Human Services. So go right ahead, Sam. Thank you, Madam Chair. Can you hear me okay? Yes, I'm Sam Porter, counsel, central staff. And the documents for this item begin on page eight of your packet. Opposed motion 2020 20047 when approved an extension of the executive's appointment of FINIS portion as Acting Director of Public Health Seattle in King County through April 24th, 2022. This would be the third extension since Mr. Abortion's appointment to the position after the retirement of the previous director, Patty Hays, in May 2021. If Mr. Walsham's current appointment is set to expire February 23rd to avoid a lapse in appointment, proposed motion 2020 200 for seven would be would need final adoption at the full council meeting on the 22nd King County Code 216 110 defines the process for appointment and confirmation of exempt public officials and requires that a motion be approved by the Council for the Acting Director to serve more than 150 days and for successive 60 day periods with an approval by motion thereafter. Executive Staff Statement. The position was not posted in January as previously planned due to a delay in contracting with the recruitment consultant. The anticipated posting date for the position is now February 21st. Executive staff expects the recruitment to remain open until April 4th, with the final round of interviews anticipated for the week of May 1st. They anticipate that a new director will be in place by the end of June, and that means that executive staff will likely submit at least one more extension of this appointment. That concludes my remarks. And we have Susan Eddy here from Human Resources to answer any questions. Okay. Thank you very much, Sam. Are there any questions of either Sam or Susan Eddy? And I don't believe that Dennis is with us today. Okay. All right. Well, it seems very straightforward. And we've been briefed by Dennis Worsham, the acting interim director, for a number of times already. And it seems to me that it would be very helpful to have this extension take place. Are there any comments? Okay. Mr. Vice Chair, would you like to move the motion? So move, Madam Chair. Okay. So we are going to vote on proposed motion 2020 200472 extension of the appointment of Dennis Ford from as acting director of Public Health. Any other comment? K all in, or would you please call the room? Thank you, Madam Chair. Councilmember Duchin. Councilmember DEMBOSKY. Councilmember Dunn. I. McDermott. Hi. Councilmember Berry. I am up there. I am Councilmember Bond Vandiver. The. He said. I. As a member, sir. Hello. Hi. Madam Chair. The vote is. Nine eyes, no nose and no skews. Thank you very much. And with the vote, we have approved this proposed motion 2020 20047. And unless I hear any objection, we will send this motion with the due panel's recommendation for the consent agenda and expedited to the February 22nd Council meeting next week. Our next agenda item is the appointment of. I'm going to say this correctly and the q yoti to the Ford Culture Board for a 3 to 3 year term representing Council District two and for culture as our King County's Cultural Public Development Authority and administers our arts and heritage programs, we have MIA critical support from a central staff to provide this briefing, and we do have the counter gate with us today so we can ask questions over here from in just a moment. We also have Claire Michelle from Fort Culture to answer your question. So go right ahead. We're. Good morning councilmembers. I'm Lee, a critical Bobby Council staff. The materials for this item begin on page 15 of your packet. This item before you is a motion to confirm the appointment of a black coyote to the board culture board of Directors for a three year term expiring on December 31st, 2024. And I'll provide some brief background and an introduction as necessary. Okay. And then turn it over to the chair for any questions that councilmembers wish to ask the appointee. And our culture is governed by 15 Board of Directors, a 15 member board of directors who have to have a demonstrated commitment to and knowledge of cultural resources, be active and experienced in community and civic issues and concerns, and have the ability to evaluate the cultural construct, the needs of cultural constituencies in the region as a whole. Board position to which you are considering today is to be appointed by the County Council member representing County County Council District two, which is, of course, council members. A HOLLEY Ms. Keelty's experience includes 40 years of cultural arts leadership in King County, the Pacific Northwest and beyond. She currently serves as Executive Director for the ADF, UK Cultural Education Workshop and has served as a cultural arts instructor teaching West African music, song and dance. She has also served as a therapeutic foster parent and is a registered therapeutic counselor. The appointment of Mr. Yachty to the Fort Culture Board appears to be consistent with the process and policies governing board culture board appointments. And that concludes my staff report. Q Harry Met Sally. Are there any questions of the. Key role. I'd like to welcome this committee to our meeting today. And I'd like to congratulate you on your appointment by our county executive. And I ask you to just give us a little bit of your thoughts about the appointment and what you bring to the board. We'd like to hear from you. Great. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Yes, I am off for a quiet day and my pronouns are she and her. I'm a native of Seattle and I do live in district to a rainier Valley resident of South Seattle. And I'm just really honored to be able to have this this transformation happen within myself, because my. Whole love life is around. People. Africa and. Transitions. I'm really. Excited about the work that my organization has done. In South Seattle for over 40 years. Our newest program is the Rainier Valley Creative District, which was city endorsed February 22nd of 2021. And we received our state certification. August 16th of 2021. We're having this I'm. Sorry to interject, and we're having technical difficulties. I apologize. We're going to just need to pause the meeting. I'm going to ask the chair to do that. I apologize if we could just have a second. I'll talk with the chair and then she'll restage your. I'm so sorry, if you don't mind. No worries. Thank you so much. I am so sorry. Thank you. You are in the meeting now. Madam Chair, we are ready to start the meeting. Should I continue? I would give it 1/2 of full tilt. The chair comes back on there. I was just talking with them. Are able to begin to resume the meeting. And we're sorry about that, but we believe that everything has been taken care of. So this tell if you'd like to resume your remarks. Thank you. Well, I'll just continue by saying. That. My work has been about empowering youth and. Families. Into becoming their authentic selves through the. Study of African music, song and dance. And I really love. Being the voice. Of the people. So I really look forward to sharing, you know, my my lifelong journey, how it can derive. In many ways. As serving in this capacity. And we're doing a lot of a lot of work that is supported through the state of Washington. And I'm just really excited about being a council appointee, and I'm ready to move forward. Thank you. Thank you. And again, congratulations. Have you. Have you been able to attend a meeting of the culture board yet? I have. Yes. And do you have any thoughts about what you would be bringing to this board other than what you just said, anything really poignant that you perceive about the board? Well, I've always been a consumer of our culture and before that the King. County Arts Commission. Being an artist. And so just I'm really excited about being on the other side while actually being teeter. Totter, right? Because I'm still, you. Know, consuming and just really, honestly, authentically being the voice of the people. You know, I live in this district and we see a lot of challenges and we. See a lot of strengths. That need to be balanced out. So I'm excited about the process. Terrific. You obviously have a very strong background and I'm very excited about your being on the board. I'm wondering if any of councilmembers Hawaii has anything you'd like to comment on? I was so honored to be able to recommend Afua to this position. She has really deep roots in King County district, two decades of experience and history in celebrating our culture and infusing that culture into our youth, and you really using it as a vehicle for improving our neighborhoods. I've seen her around performing and teaching, and it's always a privilege to be able to run into you. And now you get to bring your gifts and your talents to all of King County for a culture board. So I highly encourage all of my colleagues to support. Thank you so. Much. Thank you. And Claire, Michelle, do you have any comments for culture? We're very lucky to have a four star. That's a very, very important comment to make and I am happy as well to I am serving on the board as well and an ex-officio capacity. So it's a wonderful board and of course, the wonderful organization that we have for the county. Are there any questions from any of my colleagues on the council? Any remarks. Councilmember Karen. I just want to welcome you aboard. And I'm excited to have your participation and and excited with your background, both in your outreach to both in your art and in your outreach to to our youth through your foster care program. Thank you. Are there any other comments or questions? Vicki. Well, Miss Katie, we are going to take a vote on this. And assuming that we recommend a do pass with the do pass recommendation to the full council, you will not be required to attend that council meeting, and we will be voting, I believe, on consent. And again, congratulations on this and look forward to seeing you at the next meeting with that. Mr. Vice Chair, would you please move? Proposed motion 2020 20010 for recommending a confirmation of this group of 32 Board. Culture Board. Councilmember Satelite. Would you like to do that? So move, Madam Chair. Okay. Thank you. And, Lester, any other comments or questions matter? The clerk. Would you please call the roll? Thank you, Madam Chair. Council member. Dolce. I got some member DEMBOSKY. I got as a member done, I can submit an adjournment. I. Council member. Berry, I. Council member up the growth. Council Member Van de Boer. I got some members say hello. Hi. Madam Chair. What is my eyes? No nose in nice case. Thank you very much for the vote. We have approved motion 2020 20010. And unless they hear anything contrary, we will send this motion with the pass recommendation on the consent calendar and expedited to the February 22nd Council meeting. Congratulations must be obtained and I don't believe there be any problem with your being confirmed with one election at the Council meeting next Tuesday. With that. Yes. We will now move on to item number five. Number six, center agenda. And so my number is changed to the next item. On the agenda is a briefing number 2022 BS 0029, which will be on the Arts Fund Covered Report. And we have with us Michael Greer, president and CEO of Arts Fund, and Sarah Steadman, vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Communications with us. And they're going to provide a very interesting and illuminating, illuminating report on the impact of the code on the arts and culture sector in our community. So with that, please go right ahead. And are we going to have my day? Okay. Hello, Michael. Fantastic. Good morning, everyone. For the record. My name is Michael Greer, and I'm the president and CEO of ARDS Fund. Madam Chair, council members, thank you very much for your service and for giving us the time to speak today at Art Fund. Our mission is to support the arts through leadership, advocacy and grantmaking in order to build a healthy, equitable and creative Washington. We are speaking today about our latest research and advocacy work. Our Colored Cultural Impact Study. This is a research research study that analyzes over 1500 responses from arts organizations and individuals from across the state. We created this piece in order to better understand the effects of COVID 19 on the sector and give the community some baseline data from which to plan and advocate with. Along with the data itself, we have also drafted five key recommendations that we would like to see acted on by different stakeholder groups in our community. Sarah Silverman been our VP of Strategic Initiatives and Communications, is going to walk us through the study, after which I will take us through the recommendations and we should have time for some Q&A at the end, feedback at the end. So with that, I will turn it over to Sara. Thank you, Michael, and good morning, council members. My name is Sarah Stegman. I am Arts Fund's vice president of Strategic Initiatives and Communications. Thank you for the opportunity to share our findings, which come from three data sources and included very strong participation from within King County. As we say in the report, we are not nearing the tail end of a pandemic. We are at the beginning of a structural transformation. As you will likely all recall for early 2020. The pandemic had immediate, significant and devastating impact upon the cultural sector, its workforce and the communities it serves. And as we near the start of year three, since the shutdowns, these impacts continue. But we have had enough time and we have enough data to identify key trends to inform decisions moving forward. So let's start with what the data tell us. It will come as no surprise the financial losses were significant among just 121 cultural nonprofits who shared their financial data. There was a total revenue loss of almost $100 million in the first year alone. This is a 21% decline, and in fact, the earned income losses are much higher. But through support from individuals and other supporters, along with public and private relief funds, the increases and contributed revenue offset total losses in year one. Keeping them at that 21% level. However, those increases and contributed income are not expected to continue. Also, we're seeing that even when in-person programing picks back up, 47% of statewide poll respondents want to maintain online participation. And it's important to note they anticipate spending half of what they spent prior to the pandemic on cultural participation. I repeat, people plan to spend half as much. So earned income remains very much in flux, while contributed is expected to wane. Organizations who identify as black, indigenous and other people of color. This distinction is even more pronounced. While these organizations saw 29% increase in contributed income in year one, they projected a 50% decrease in year two. And as we head into year three, contributed income to Bipoc organizations may be starting at levels below pre-pandemic numbers. Diving deeper into the revenue trends, it is clear that pandemic relief was a lifeline and also clear that public sector support was critical. Nearly all of the surveyed organizations received some type of relief funding, and the top three relief programs accessed were funded by public sources. However, access to funds varied by organization size, with smaller organizations typically being the least likely to access relief funds. This was most pronounced with federal relief programs such as the PPE, the shuttered venues operators grant and the employee retention credit, which also offered the highest dollar amounts of relief. Smaller organizations that did access relief funds on average accessed fewer sources. Access to relief funding has also vary by location. The highest rates of access to public, local and regional emergency relief funds were in counties with more robust public funding infrastructure such as King County. Thank you to the King County Council and to Fort Culture for your invaluable support of the sector these COVID years. King County organizations on average accessed more pandemic relief funds than organizations across the state, and it is in no small part due to that support that our diverse cultural scene is still here. However, the impacts to the cultural workforce have also been detrimental of the. Responding organizations, 41% furloughed full time staff or reduced pay across the organization. And it's important to note that these losses do not include contract hires for whom payments decreased by 35% or volunteers. There was a loss of over 8000 volunteers, and smaller organizations rely on volunteers to keep their organizations running. But many were unable to take advantage of federal relief, such as the. This prolonged and ongoing period of economic uncertainty placed many cultural workers in difficult situations to the degree that some have exited their occupation and the sector prompting concerns of a cultural brain drain. At the time of our data collection, hiring and rehiring staff was already emerging as a significant concern, particularly among organizations who had resumed in-person programing and those with budgets over $5 million. And as more organizations returned to in-person programing, we're hearing the risk of a cultural brain drain is ever more a concern. Now let's shift to what we're learning from cultural participants about their changes in behavior, in perception and expectation and more. Pre-pandemic, cultural participants were highly engaged with the events, programs and activities of cultural nonprofits. With 76% reporting a frequency of attending monthly or even more often from March 2020 to the time our survey was conducted, a year and a half later, only 28% note that they were involved at the same rate. That is a huge drop in the frequency of participation. And at the same time, the pandemic has ushered in an era of new and different ways to engage with cultural programing. 70% of organizations are offering significantly more digital programing. And in King County, this number is even higher, with 85% of cultural nonprofits offering more digital programing. This programing has really mattered to people's lives. As one King County resident said, being able to attend cultural programing virtually was crucial for my sense of well-being and mental health. It enabled me to feel connected to the world, even to broaden my world. Correlating. We're seeing that even when in-person programing picks back up 18% of cultural participation, cultural participants want to maintain their position participation only online. This shift to virtual programing has both expanded geographic reach and the inclusivity of cultural programing, increasing accessibility for participants, including those with physical disabilities or impairments. Across the surveyed organizations, nearly one third had made accessibility improvements, and another 22% said they plan to, and the vast majority of those making the shifts planned for them to be permanent. So why have people been turning to arts and culture in isolation? And what role do they see arts and culture playing as we emerge from the pandemic? The reasons people cite that they participated in cultural programing during the pandemic are a blend of both very personal benefits as well as social ones, including to experience art, to bring joy and happiness, to support a community organization, to escape and relax . Strikingly, over half said they participated in cultural programs during the pandemic to feel connected to the community. Our data also shows a marked increase in the value people are placing on arts and culture in their lives. Notably, nearly half of cultural participants and one third of the statewide general public are placing more value on arts now than they did pre-pandemic. As one King County resident said about why culture has increased in value to them, I've had to live largely without it for two years, and I've missed it profoundly. My mind, my heart and my community all feel smaller. Not only that, almost 93% of cultural participants believe in the important role arts and culture will play in their communities. Post-Pandemic Recovery. The key roles that are cited are economic recovery, encouraging community unity and vitality, entertainment and escape, and notably creating employment. Stemming from this data arts fund was making recommendations focused on five key areas. And I'll now turn back to Michael to share those and launch a discussion. Thank you, sir. So our five key recommendations start with the idea that we must reimagine the role of arts and culture in our community. As Sara mentioned, 50% of Washingtonians saw that culture, said that cultural institutions are going to play a key part in their community recovery 50%. The arts are essential to community health, and they play an economic and social role in the quality of lives of our citizens. Second, we need to protect the cultural workforce. And of course, this includes artists and administrators, but it also includes stagehands, builders and the multitude of adjacent industries that provide cleaning and janitorial, building, maintenance and other services. We must invest in wages and training programs to retain and grow this critical labor source and prevent prevent the brain drain that Sarah had mentioned previously. Third, we need to know we know that these initiatives will not work without centering equity in everything that we do. And arts and culture should be accessible to all people in all places. That is a given. But there is no way for our industry to grow without incorporating these new audiences in these new geographies and these new participants by reducing barriers to entry through things like funding, digital access, youth disability services and more. Fourth, we need to support the long term adaptation of this industry, as Sara mentioned, without with COVID 19. Our future was delivered to us overnight, but it did not mean that we could adapt and change overnight. The process of adapting to and investing in and normalizing these changes is going to take time. And with that, we must have the final recommendation. And it is that this is really the most important one, is that we must sustain and expand the public support for the arts that we saw throughout this pandemic, that all relief efforts provided the dollars to the sector, that really the private and corporate philanthropy could not begin to match, and they prevented a wholesale collapse of the industry. And if we are going to see the long term growth and recovery of this sector, we are going to need to continue that support into the future. And so with that, I'd like to open it up for any questions or comments. Okay. Thank you so very much. As I mentioned when I introduced you, this is going to be a very illuminating briefing to us. And indeed it is. It's depressing. But on the other hand, really inspiring to see that there's been so much that our cultural sectors have done to survive. And I'm very glad and I think all of our council very glad, as well as our executives, that we've been able to be of assistance over the last two years and providing very needed funds. But there obviously is a lot more that needs to be done. And I appreciate your providing the five recommendations to us. Are there any questions for my colleagues? You can't remember about it? I. I don't I don't want to spend a lot of time on this because I found that copy of this report on your website. So that's super helpful that we can go see the whole thing and and the executive summary. But I wonder if you could just say a few words about what what was the survey? Who did you talk to? Like just a little bit about the methodology. So we understand where these numbers I mean, you gave us a lot of information very quickly, but if we could sort of understand what's underlying it all, that I think would be that would be very helpful. Thank you. Absolutely. And my apologies for not including that. In our presentation, there were three key methods of data collection. One was a nonprofit organizational survey that collected data from 212 cultural nonprofits statewide. One was what we called a cultural participation survey, and that was well over 700 individuals who had participated in at least one cultural program offered by a Washington state nonprofit during the pandemic. And one was a general omnibus poll conducted statewide of, again, 700 to 800 Washington residents. So we were able to scan the state in terms of both the service providers, those most frequently defined as cultural participants and the broad public as a whole. Thank you so much. That's super helpful. And as I said, there's a lot there's a lot to chew on. If people are interested, I want to recommend the website because it's got everything right there and it's and you can dip into different levels of detail depending on how much time you have. I do want to just say one thing, Madam Chair, if I may, and that is, well, two things that will be together. So we've known since early on in the pandemic that the cultural and performing arts sector have just taken a really tremendous hit through this time and yet rallied in many ways to provide opportunities for people to connect when we needed it the most and to uplift ourselves and to engage with many of the all of the challenges that have come out during these two years, not just the pandemic, but, you know, outpouring of concerns for racial justice, the you know, everything that we've been through. So, I mean, it's just never it's never been more apparent how important arts and culture are to our our mental health, our cultural health, our social health. And also they're really, really struggling. So I want to acknowledge that reality. And I just want to say I recently have had a chance to go to a show at one of the local theaters that was just and I didn't realize when we walked in that it was the first show they had had in two years. And just the feeling of being in a space with a lot of other people enjoying a presentation. The show was about Fannie Lou Hamer, so it was really relevant and it was really inspiring. And but just that moment of this is what arts and culture bring to our community that we really, truly lack when we don't have . It was so meaningful and moving and I just wanted to share that little anecdote to thank you for what you do, because I know everybody's experiencing this in their own way. That was how I experienced it recently. So thank you so much for for advocating for this important sector. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. And I look back to us and say, I really appreciate Councilman rebounding his remarks. They really resonated with me. But I think it's also important to acknowledge that our arts culture sector has been critical for our recovery, our efforts at recovery, and are bringing turns to our region to bring conventions back to the region. And for people who reside in King County and all around Puget Sound and frankly, much of the state to come to Seattle to see a show, to go to a museum, to a live venue event and spend money in a hotel and a restaurant and a cafe, get their haircut, you know, whatever it may be. This is a really critical sector for so many things. And that was a very important reason when Councilmember Dombroski and I and our whole council really led the efforts to get funding to our cultural and arts sector. So it really you transcends many important issues and factors in terms of what we are about as a society here in King County and elsewhere and how we can recover. In addition, of course, to the jobs, the volunteers and so much as you brought out, I would like to be able to get this PowerPoint if you can get it to our staff and we can distribute to all of our members as well as the website information. Thank you. Any other comments or questions? Councilmember Perry. Hello. I just want to thank you very much for this terrific presentation. And we are an arts family. Our kids are graduates of CORNISH. We love Village Theater on the East Side. All these years, I have been so grateful for Councilmember Balducci and Dombrowski support of the arts in my district. And I am here to support the arts. I love the information that you have provided. And, you know, we have a critical element in our brains, well documented that we need to be nurturing and feeding. That creates that brings out the creative and gets us out of the boxes that we and challenges that we put ourselves in through that creative thinking. We need this for our youth, and especially in these times. It saves the lives of many who who who would not otherwise find inspiration without it. And so I just want to thank you for your work in our communities, in the world, and for our youth and for adults and appreciate this very much. Q Councilmember Kerry, is there anybody else who would like to give any comment or ask a question? Council Member DEMBOSKY I'm going to ask you to do so. I don't know if you planned that, but you've been such a stellar leader. Well, here I was sitting in the back of the class, hoping not to get called out. Well, thank you, Chair, and thank you both, Sarah Michael, for your presentation. It's really helpful to see that the data from the field is an impact that the arts and culture community has. I think Councilmember Coles, our chair, articulated it well. I'm not sure about the haircut, Councilmember Coles, but I'm going to help him get I don't think get one today. Maybe we could get a report on the status of the 10th of, of the authority to to council manically impose a dollar the additional sales tax revenue to support for culture. I know we continue to work strongly in Olympia to secure that authority over several sessions, and I'm sensing that maybe this isn't our session either the last I heard. But if you could if you could help us articulate or help us understand how that could be helpful not only here in King County, but around the state. Thank you, Councilmember. And I believe you're referring to House Bill 1058, which is currently in committee. And we do not know if it will leave committee during this session, but at a higher level, I will say that the idea of cultural access in King County is imperative to the long term support of this sector. The the the dollars and the scale. But that 1/10 of a percent will bring to this sector dwarf anything that we've seen over the past two years. And it will provide a foundation for this sector to grow. So we know that we have a champion in this council. We know we have a champion in the executive. And any additional influence that you can help us with to make sure that that is, you know, an eventuality within the county is is much appreciated. I do understand that there's a possibility and some work being done to include in the budget, whether it be both the House and the Senate or one of their budgets to have this proposal go forward. But just for King County. So I don't know if there's any change in the last couple of days, but I understand that that's a possibility. Oh, that's great. I just concluded my three year term of service on our For Culture Board, and I have to say it was incredibly enlightening and really a great reminder about the terrific landscape of arts and culture and history that we have here in King County. And I think we do a fine job. I think that that organization is really our organization, our cultural authority. And King County is primed and ready for an additional significant injection of funding. Their strategic plan is is on point. It's centering equity. It's lifting up communities that have been left out all over the county. And now I just think they they need the resources to be able to bring it more fully to life. So hopefully we can help them do that. Thank you for being here. And Madam Chair, thanks for scheduling this item. Thank you. Are there any other comments or questions for Councilmember McDermott? I believe he's just finishing just finished his term on the board for Fort Culture as well. And I know that councilmember about do served on the board and it's kind of a prime assignment that many of us really like to engage with him. Clay Well, thank you very much, Michael and Sara. And we look forward to seeing what else we can do to be of help and perhaps cross our fingers that something will come out of the legislative session one way or another. Keith. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Reyes, thank you very much. Okay. Our last agenda item is the motion that was introduced by Councilmember Dombroski, co-sponsored by Councilmember Bizarrely, and my father and my son, all of them we heard. I think all of the people engaged in giving public comment today speak about and that is to establish Japan wide equitable development initiative r e d i i. And is the language included right now is with the priority on unincorporated area communities? This has been a bit of an issue. We had our first discussion on our committee, the whole agenda last at our last meeting on February 2nd, and I found the discussion to be very productive. And I believe it also revealed that we still have some work ahead of us to ensure that we get this proposal right. It's an important one and I would like to see it happen. But I have had a request that we hold the I've taken the taking action on this proposal today. We are going to be having more work going on. And I think we can be optimistic that by the time by next meeting we can reach consensus on a really strong in the eye program for the county. So we'll not be taking action on this today. But we do have some new amendments that have been offered. They are included in the green folder that was sent to you by Jennie Know last night. I hope you've had an opportunity to go over that, those amendments. And what I'd like to do is have Jenni just give us a very brief overview of the motion to remind us all and for those listening in and then go over the amendments, some of which we've already seen last at our last meeting. But there are some new ones. We also have executive staff Karen Gil and Kelly Rider with this, I believe they were supposed to be. And we will have a discussion today and just. Keep working on this and take it up hopefully two weeks from now. Go right ahead, Jen. Thank you for your calls, Dana. Council central staff. The materials for this item again on page 22 of the pack in their view the staff report. In the motion proposed motion 2020 1-0467 would request the executive to establish a countywide Equitable Development Initiative, or ECI with a priority on unincorporated area communities. And the motion also requests that the Executive prepare an implementation plan in two phases that is developed in conjunction with the planning workgroup. The motion identifies that phase one of the implementation plan should include a developed EDI framework information about how the initiative would guide the Best Streets Capital Grants Program, recommendations for County and Community Structure, Capacity and resources for implementing the program in this first phase would be due June 30th, 2022. These two of the plan would include objectives and strategies to reduce disparities, utilize data of displacement risk and other metrics to determine programs and policies. Include metrics for monitoring and evaluating outcomes. Describing partnerships with outside agencies such as community based organization or regional partners. Identify funding sources that could be leveraged. Propose strategies to coordinate across county agencies and programs. Identify community outreach and collaboration process. Utilize the community direct action level of engagement, and propose next steps in a timeline. The second phase would be due June 30th, 2023. As the Chair mentioned, there are a number of amendments that were sent to you last night. I am happy to go through those amendments. I now call Walter. Do you want me to pause? It's. Let's see if there are any questions on your briefing thus far. Can you go right ahead. So the additional packet I was sent out to you, I will just go through the amendments and likely pause if there's any questions . So the First Amendment would be the striking amendment, S-1, and this would revise the two phase implementation plan into a single feasibility analysis. With the following changes. It would revise the scope to reduce disparities in communities that are at the highest risk of displacement based on risk indicators and where other EDR programs are not in place and removes a plan requirement related to the best arts capital grant. The Capital Grant Program Procurement Process. Aaron moves a plan requirement related to recommendations and next steps for the county and community structure and revises a plan requirement for providing objectives and strategies to reduce disparities to recommendations on policy implementation is to reduce disparities. It revises the plan requirement related to data and analysis of the displacement risk indicators. It removes a plan requirement related to outdoor outside partnerships and inter-governmental coordination error. Most plan requirements related to using a specific ESG level of engagement. It revises the composition of the Advisory Committee Group to be comprised of three representatives selected by the executive and more represented selected by each Councilmember office and requires a report deadline of December 31st, 2022. There is in your packet on starting. On Page eight that shows the original motion and then the changes that the striker would make, you know, a concert there. Hmm. Thank you very much. What I'd like to do is have, after each briefing, at the briefing on individual amendments, have the sponsor just be able to speak briefly on it. Again, we're not taking action on any of these to the concerned about the group. Do you have anything to say about your striking the members? Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I spoke to this at a previous meeting and the coalition that brought the original proposal hates this, but I recognize that. But I when I sat down and met and listened to the some of the representatives, the coalition early on, what I heard was a desire to create a funding source. At the end of the day, really what we're doing is this is about funding. And I thought there was a much more direct and clear way to get that outcome, to simply create a fund, because that's what we're talking about. We're going to come up with some new money. We're going to decide where it goes and who decides where it goes. And I thought that the underlying motion complicated a lot of that. And but no one seems to like this one. But I wanted to keep it there as an option for consideration and show something that I could feel comfortable supporting. Thank you. And let's go on now and have Jenny breathe this amendment line amendment point five a also buy up the grove. And I think Councilmember Grove, you have some line amendments that are would pertain to the striking amendment. But there are individual elements that were in the striking amendment in recognition that the strike amendment may not have support. I tried to zoom in on what were a couple of my areas of most interest and most concern have been to bring those ideas forward and light amendments instead. Okay. So this is a pretty straightforward. Jenny, go ahead. Oh, sure. Amendment 0.5 A is on page 12 of your packet. In this letter, the scope of the idea is to focus on displacement risk. How about going ahead and describing all four that pertain, I believe, pertain to the striking and that the next causes are not affecting the striker? This is for the underlying motion. Okay. Yes, you're right. They pretend to know what this is all about. And I'd like you to go through these next four. Oh, sure. Okay. So Amendment 0.68, which is on page 13 of your packet, this is related to the BSE case. Go in this specifies that if the initiative does not impose will not impose additional prioritization to the best or it's implementation plan. Amendment 0.7 and Page 14 revises the group composition. So the Planning Workgroup and permit advisory board composition would be comprised of 13 representatives. Four would be selected by the executive and one selected by each council member in the executive. And Council members will strive to appoint individuals with experience and knowledge on equitable development and issues relating to displacement. Go ahead. The next Amendment 0.7 B is from Council Member Perry, and this letter revised the current composition of the Planning Workgroup and Permanent Advisory Board to have equal geographic representation and adds considerations for individuals with live experience or expertize relative relevant to the initiative. Okay, thank you very much. Cut some about the globe. Would you like to comment on your three amendments? Thank you. Those weren't all mine, but my interest is twofold. Historically, our charter gives the legislative branch of government the policymaking and and budgetary authority. And if we're going to delegate that authority, I think it's most appropriate for us that to be done by council members, not have the county executive choose who will represent us. We have many other models where we do this. And in fact, this body has fought the executive tooth and nail for months on some of our other levies to ensure that our voice is heard. I trust us just as much as I trust DOE to select a good, diverse group of people that represent the values we want . My concern is when we give that appointment authority to one individual in the executive branch, to the executive, that some voices are shut out. I think this should reflect the diversity of the county, not just geographically, but in the true sense of the word. You know, we're all have different interests in focus. We all were selected by our communities to be their voice. And I think it makes sense. If we're going to delegate our authority to have the council members play a more direct role like we do with our other. Fiscal oversight committees in nominating and selecting someone from our community to represent represent those interests. So that's my thinking and bring it forward. I think it also. We're at risk of groupthink when you have one person selecting everyone and when there's a small group that's very, very interested in something behind it, I think there's a risk of sort of a group of insiders and people who are all all have the exact same vision. And I think that's dangerous. And I think we want a diversity of ideas and thoughts of people who are excited about the overall vision but but willing to bring diverse views. So that's my my interest and bring it forward. Thank you. And that's Amendment 0.7. Do you alignment anything? So those. Were. I think it went over. Others were not mine. Was that correct? Jenny We went over a 0.7 B and that's sponsored by Councilmember Perry. And I will get to her. Thank you. Okay. And you had two others there. 0.58 and 0.6 say. I mean, we have we've been briefed on those. Yes. But. Remind me very quickly which those were. Let me pull up my sheet here. 0.5. I don't think he spoke on the edas scope to focus. Yes. Gotcha. Thank you. I am. I'm just thinking the most fair methodology is to target where the need is greatest. You know, there are other grant programs. We have that kind of universal approach and target it based on need. And if we did that, unincorporated areas rise exceptionally well. They're one of the areas our urban unincorporated areas are one where all the is about every indicator and everyone recognizes. And and but there also are some extremely high need areas outside unincorporated areas, some of the areas with the largest black population, with the highest levels of displacement and risk of displacement. And to make those lower priority than the unincorporated areas just strikes me as arbitrary and not particularly fair. Okay. Thank you. End .0.6, say on best case scope? Yes, that's one we've talked quite a bit about. As you may remember, the best starts for kids tax measure. For the first time ever in King County, we have capital funds for youth programing and community centers and something there's a great deal of enthusiasm and interest all over the county. There happens also to be language in the best start for kids implementation plan that says that the grant program will be informed by and made in collaboration with any future. Ed I And my concern was that if we're going to put new parameters on this idea like prioritizing unincorporated areas that I don't think that's what was originally intended when the best start for kids implementation plan was passed, when the, you know, Sound Cities all sat at the table there and it went through the Regional Policy Committee, no one ever suggested that those funds would now be prioritized in unincorporated areas. So this would say. Yes, collaborate, share input on it, but don't apply any new criteria to those best starts. For kids capital grants, they're already targeted very much the same way. I don't have the language in front of me, but they're bipoc communities, community led projects, you know, dealing with many of these same values and those dollars are fairly limited. So prioritizing one community over another could mean certain projects get funded and others don't. So that was my attempt to try to get at that issue. And over that, I've heard some support on the council and even today from some people testifying. I think you and I may not be going through this the most logical way. No, it's great for me. I'm sorry I didn't have my amendments in front of me. And Councilmember DEMBOSKY has an amendment proposed to on that same topic. But we'll complete the first four. We've got Council Member Perry's 60.7 B, which also has to do with group composition. I probably should have had you take that up already. Councilmember Perry, would you like to make comment on that? Thank you, Chair Carl Wells. You know, I very I'm reading a lot and talking a lot with members involved in this. And and I appreciate what this is trying to do. You know, as someone who has 30% of my district in unincorporated King County, I am very appreciative of an emphasis on the voice of folks from unincorporated King County, because simply there is nobody else. If we don't speak to that, there is nobody else speaking for these voices and making sure that the focus is there. And I'm so so I'm interested in in in looking at that. And I'm glad that spring being brought forward. I do. I'm confused about some of the language, so I need to get some more clarity around the best starts for kids and whether the language specifically prioritized cities, which is also a problem. So, you know, I'd like to make sure that what we ask for and best chance for kids is actually what we use the funding for. So there's a an ethic in deciding to uphold the trust of the people. When we ask for funds to be used in a certain way, that that is in fact how we use those funds. That's very, very important. And if we need to create a different mechanism that we do. But that part is very important to me, and it's also important that we are emphasizing the voices of the community with lived experience, bipoc community and those with lived experience. That is the entire intention of EDA and I support that. I, I'm a little confused about I don't know if it's semantics, but I'm a little confused about the distinction that's being made between when Executive Constantine chooses and when the council members choose the makeup of that community group . That's confusing to me. It's a little unclear to me. I thought that the community group is formed with E.D., but it sounds like is sort of a hand-picking by the executive of those advisory members 1 to 1. I'm confused about that. So I need some more information around that, that I'll do that work on my own. But I would like to see representation from all of the districts, with those with lived experience and some bipoc community and expertize, making an equal portion, making up the the folks that decide what their recommendation is to the to the executive. So to me, having everybody in that I think is really important. And we have people who have been displaced or at great risk of being displaced in the community in each of our districts. That would be appropriate. I feel, if we're using the voice, the dollars of the city with that emphasis, that we're actually bringing in voices from each of the districts to help that that discussion happen, but that they're formed together just with the objective, that within their forming of their community group, they're working with people from each area. Thank you very much, Councilmember Perry. I would like to do now is go over the remaining four amendments and have the sponsors have actually, I don't think we actually need to have Jim go brief us on them. They're pretty specific. I'll just ask each sponsor to let us know what they're about and then just open this up for questions, comments, discussion. I perhaps could have done it topic by topic, but I started this way, so we'll continue. Councilmember Dombroski for amendment number one on the best stokes grant steps. Okay. Thank round chair. This was another variation. I think we brought it forward last time to address this little bit of a conundrum around the BSC funding. But I want to say that in general, I think Councilmember Grove has identified an issue that was triggered because of the language elsewhere in the motion that prioritized investment in unincorporated communities. And when you when that lines up with the best capital grants, it created a new a new focus, if you will, that I that I concur was not in the original proposal. And so I think we need to address that one way or another, because I wrote the wrong house language, which I think I'm pretty comfortable with. But I think we went through a very robust process there and the voters approved, you know, the plan. And I know there's a lot of excited around that. So my main message I want to convey on the BSC is I don't think we should was we would saying they don't retread that that we got to a consensus and that was there. So I think, Madam Chair, that with a little more time, we'll be able to address that issue because I sense there's consensus around it on the 1.3 existing funding sources, that's a similar issue, but just broader and I think we need some more dialog around that. The the goal in my mind here is it was to and is to go find. Sustainable funding on an ongoing basis for this initiative. But a little bit or chiseling away from other funds or a one time deal but something that makes it a real robust strong program that can meet the need that is here. And I think that there are some opportunities to do that. Perhaps most near and coming down the pike in the DSH, a cell renewal that could really, if we had this plan in place, served as a as an opportunity to inject real, real money into this. So I think that can have some additional work. And then I'll just jump to my last one. I know I'm jumping out, but it's just the deadline change. Okay. Thank you. And the last one, 1.5 Councilmember of the Grove on the advisory board will. Thank you, Madam Chair. We spoke to I spoke to this at the previous meeting. I don't know. Underlying it says it gives this group of executive appointees the authority to make policy and budget decisions. I don't know how we legally do that, how someone can make a policy decision. The main policy issues are land use and we have very specific state laws around plan updates and and timelines and the rules of the legislative bodies of county governments can do that. I. You know, we we appropriate the dollars. And so I'm worried we're setting up a little bit of a false expectation here. And I was just going to say, you know, I'm not aware of other areas in the county where we do this. We have them. We have often advisory boards, make decisions and then bring those to the elected officials. I think of Conservation Futures Board, great example. We empower them. It's led by those members. They develop a list and then at the end of the day, the county council approves that. And so we might want to either change the name from advisory board or. I think be more honest about what the practical impact is, which is that they're there to inform the executive and legislative branch on these items. I'm not wedded to this because I think it just will be. I mean, our procedures, our procedures and an emotion saying what a committee will do doesn't change those. But I think it's I just thought it was odd to create an advisory committee, but advisory committee, we delegate our policymaking and budgetary authority to them. You add to it that it's a group of executive appointees, and it makes it even more awkward for me. So that was my thinking on that one. I agree and empowering and having the, you know, people who are not elected and who bring some different experience, being at the heart of the discussion and even driving that discussion . And that's not what my concern is. The concern is that we're stating this board can do something for which under state law in our charter and things. I don't know how we really do that. So that was my thinking. Thank you very much. So these are the amendments that we can discuss right now. There may be other ones that are brought up. Hopefully we will have resolution by the time of our next meeting. But it seems to me that some of the major issues here have to do with, as we discussed last time, what? But his priority can be. I mean, we have here an amendment to 0.5 they referring to the scope of the DEA to focus. Is that the same thing as a priority or criteria? Is a term mentioned as well? And is that the same as a priority or would that be a more preferable term? This that's an issue that I think we need to come to grips with. Also, the composition of the working group and then later the advisory board and what their roles would be very important. And there are other ones too, but those are just a couple that we've dealt with. I guess another important one, though, is what's in the motion as it stands now to give a priority to the unincorporated King County areas, urban areas. And some of us have concerns about that. We'd rather have this be open to communities and organizations throughout the county, including the unincorporated King County urban areas. So with that, first of all, are there any questions of any of the sponsors of the amendments or just comments that you might want to make? The whole councilmembers are here. I thought you might want to. I have a I'll start off with a few. A couple quick ones. Can maybe central staff or maybe the sponsors share with us the difference between amendment point seven A and amendment point seven B? Are those, you know, can both of those stand or are they is it one or the other? They're both. That one is from councilmember of the Grove, one from Councilmember Perry. They both relate to group composition. Just talking through what the difference between those two is and are they either or both? They would be either or. Amendment 0.7 A would change the planning workgroup composition to four representative selected by the executive and then one selected by each County Council member. And that amendment would state that the executive and council members would strive to appoint individuals with experience and knowledge about equitable development and issues relating to displaced. That Amendment 0.7 d would maintain the language that's in the underlying motion related to emphasizing black, indigenous and people of color in the leadership. And it changes. There needs to be. There is a reference in the underlying motion about geographic representation, including unincorporated King County. This would be changed and geographic representation for each council district. And then there's also consideration for individuals with experience or expertize relative to the initiative. So there's some overlap. And I would say, Madam Chair, that I actually like Rick Perry's description of what we're looking for on their mind. I think that's an improvement from my amendment. The where we I think we disagree is whether it's the we let down the people from our districts or whether we nominate those people, select them from our districts. But I like her criteria. Thank you. That is the Madam Access Chair Coles. Is it? Okay. Thank you, ma'am. That is the distinction. And I. I want to do what's in that amendment. I'm hoping to encourage the community development as much as possible, and that together the the community would would move forward, bring forward representatives from each of the different districts for consideration by the council and that it not rest with each of the councilmembers. That's correct. Thank you. Council members than anyone else. Yes. Just I'll have a few other thoughts. But just on this point, I want to understand how having a one for one representation on an advisory board fits in with the idea of we are going to prioritize areas of highest displacement. These reports come back and they show that some areas, some districts are have way more higher risk of displacement. How does that fit in with each of us having representation on a board? Those two things for me feel like they are at odds with one another. It's putting geographic quote unquote, geographic equity ahead of displacement equity. So that's that's why I would not support these, but I would welcome thoughts on how. But if anyone has thoughts on that. I'm some member of the Globe and parents. I think it's a fair question. I think and I can wax philosophical on this. I've discussed similar issues with Fort Culture and the Homelessness Authority about the role of appointed versus elected. We have a one person, one vote. Democracy in this county and in our country where the community. The cool thing is the community gets to decide who they want to represent them and everyone has the same say regardless of income background. Everyone gets one vote and they and then the community selects someone and they've selected nine of us. All of those individuals, all of those voters have a stake in the outcome, not in the same direct degree, but they all are funding this. This is all taxpayer dollars from all over the county. How we grow obviously affects how we grow in certain areas, affects people in those areas. But I think when we're setting county wide policies using county wide dollars, everyone deserves a voice, I think using appointees and generally not speaking to this. But I've seen it be used as a way to get around the democratic process, to get around ensuring everyone in the community has a voice and narrowing it to just some in the community have a voice. And I like to define community in an inclusive way. And I sometimes hear people use the term community to define community in an exclusive way that says somebody testified today, spoke about we want people from the community. I'm trying to think of who's not from the community, who isn't from the community. I know nine of us aren't, you know, because we're now elected. But other than that, are there people that aren't from the community? And so I, I think that. All nine council members should have their views and voices and priorities reflected in the decisions made that affect the whole county. I think we should appoint people, and I certainly would from my district, people who bring unique experience, particularly maybe people have been impacted by this. I like prioritizing black indigenous people of color. But I also think that everyone, the diverse, the ideological diversity and geographic diversity, all of that needs to be reflected or else the voters, certain voters are getting cut out of the of the mix. And it's sort of my this weird populist in me isn't just on this issue I just think that we can use appointed bodies in ways that exclude members of the community in order to narrow the perspectives that are brought to bear on a problem. And I think we are better served when we have a larger diversity of views and when everybody in the county gets an equal voice. So I don't know. That was kind of a rambling answer, but it's it's why I'm often very careful about how and when and who we delegate decision making to to ensure that we don't lose that broader definition of community and the pursuit of of goals. So that's at least my thinking. And to Councilmember to Councilmember Perry. Thank you, chair corrals. I think that we are in this situation because we haven't centered people in the community who are most impacted. That's the entire reason for this conversation. And so I think it's important to call out who those community members are and to emphasize the strength and the voice of the community members most affected by the disparity. I don't think we should be emphasizing all community members because that's what got us into this. And we have some work to do to get out of it. And we do that by centering folks who are most impacted and making the decisions that will impact them. So I'm a big supporter of that. I immediately Councilmember Zoabi, maybe I am still not understanding exactly what the intention is in this space, but from for me. If it is much and like it, I would see the city of Seattle, E.D., with King County. You know, you would want to have that. I will speak to that for within King County. I do think we need to be focusing on and not prioritizing the city because the city does have opportunities that unincorporated simply, categorically does not have. So we have an obligation as King County to support those most disaffected in unincorporated King County if we're going to speak to the heart or the intention of that. So in my in my thinking about making sure that we have representation from people who are most impacted from each of the districts. It is because it is community wide in focus. And right now, we're emphasizing and ideally all along in the future, we are emphasizing those who have the greatest need. And everybody would speak to that. So I don't have an expectation that those within each of the different districts would lobby for their own space if it didn't rise to the occasion of the greatest need, but that they would be a voice for all of those most affected, and they would be a voice from throughout the districts. I think it it it doesn't help the strength of it to focus in a very narrow area for funding that affects an entire group of people that's affected throughout the entire area of King County in displacement. I think it's important to have that broad based, some lived experience with the directive that that the intention is to impact those who have the highest level of displacement and negative impact in their communities throughout King County, that everybody would be speaking to that collectively. I don't see it as bifurcating it or separating it then into nine different funding spaces. I don't know if that's coming through clearly, but that's that's my intention in that is that there is a voice for the full community in King County and that the and that the guidance is to vote to impact those that are most affected by potential displacement. Thank you, Councilmember Perry. We're running short on time. This has been a really fruitful discussion. I would first like to find out if Councilmember Sarlo was there because he is a sponsor. I'd like to hear from Councilmember Jim DEMBOSKY, the lead sponsor. And I also would invite Kelly Rider and Karen Gill to give comment. And we want to wrap this up in the next several minutes. So, first of all, Councilman Starlight, anything quick? Yes, quickly. Thank you, Councilmember Coles. I'll have a lot of thoughts later, but I want to quickly point out a place of agreement among all of us. I'm supportive of the amendments that try to decouple the BSA, how BSA is funneled through from the unincorporated priority that I've been advocating for. So with with respect to that, I think we're all on the same page, and I will support that those amendments. Thank you very much. Okay. And Councilmember Dombroski. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. And I know that there was originally some hope that we would be able to move this forward today out of this committee. But it seems to me it's the right call to have some additional work off line, because in particular, some of the amendments that are here are trying to tackle the same issue. And it looks to me like some of them overlap or get darn close to agreement. This is, well, virtual works pretty good. I think this legislation is one where we would be better off if we were all sitting here on the 12th floor so we could have those in-person conversations and work through them. But I think we're going to be able to do that quickly in the coming days. You know, just one thought on on kind of power sharing here, if you will. And this is a bit of a sea change for me. And that is there are times when having an equal voice from every part of the county is good and works. And I want to make sure that we have a wide variety of views. But one of the aims of this legislation is to not only lift up, but to actually empower, to give power to those who are on the ground and suffering the effects of this bill that we're trying to address this this overrunning of communities with big money and to help them stand up and let them make decisions and let them make investments that. The those in the communities most impacted that are experiencing this challenge are seeing and living. And that, to me, where I got to address it means giving up some of the power that I have in this office and and letting folks decide their own destiny. And it's a bit of a sea change. We just had a good discussion here today. And so I hope that I will there are as concerned rep the girl points out legal constraints from the law and the charter and whose responsibilities are. I hope that we will support a philosophy in this legislation that truly does empower to the greatest extent possible. Maybe policy choice is the wrong word, but you know that that empowers this group with real ability and real authority to tackle this challenge. There's a balance on that in that is you want to bring those who have power, like we do, to secure funding and make investments and and and have trust and kind of the voters to make this thing go. You want to bring bring us along and respect that. But I'm I'm I think that's a very important element to this philosophically. And the discussion we're having here today is good to kind of clear out the concerns and hash that out. I represent, by and large, a very wealthy district. These challenges are in my district in Pinehurst and Lake City and that part of it. But they don't predominate like other parts of our county with respect. And I do think, Councilmember Perry, we do have an extra duty as a local government in our unincorporated areas to pay special attention there and maybe even give an edge on occasion. But I think we should remember, depending on how this is funded, that it comes from. Taxpayers countywide, including in the city of Seattle, including in all of our 39 incorporated cities. And sometimes I would like to remind us that the needs in those incorporated communities can be great, and maybe even a local initiative that might be funded by a city is inadequate to address the need. And I think it's okay if King County comes in as a regional government government working across jurisdictional boundaries to buttress those efforts . I would like us to think about that as we think about where these these funds could go and the priority language. So there's a few thoughts. I'm very, very optimistic and hopeful. I hear that there is great interest across the diocese here in the virtual diocese in doing this, which is pretty cool because the debate could have been, what is this? This isn't a county government role. We don't need to be doing this. I'm not hearing that. I'm hearing people of goodwill and different perspectives and with different ideas saying, Yeah, let's do it, let's get it right and let's make it robust. And so I'm optimistic and I'll leave it out. And on that note. Thank you, Michael. A well served councilmember Dombroski really well serve. I think my scheduler is trying to make arrangements for a meeting of those partners who are involved on the council with staff. And I'm optimistic, too, that we're going to come up with a good outcome at our next meeting. I would like to see if Current Girl or Kelly Rider would like to give any comment before we sign off. Karen. Thank you. Thanks, Madam Chair. Karen Gill with the Executive Office, as we said, in support of the vision in the work. Additional clarity is always appreciated in interpreting Council's intent. So appreciate the discussion. Nothing else to add at this point. Okay. Thank you, Kelly. Thank you, Madam Chair. Nothing further that. Do I have a question, though? And we had a discussion at our last meeting about the term priority and what that means. We've also talked today about the term criteria or focus. Is there more of a prevalent term that you tend to use some decent chess? Thank you, Madam Chair. Kelly Writer, government relations manager for Community Human Services. I can't say that there is. I think prioritization is pretty clear, and there are always multiple types of prioritization that we are trying to intersect and understand in our work. So we will do our best to interpret the intent of the council and will absolutely seek more guidance if we get to that point. Okay. Thank you very much. Is anybody else on the council wishing to ask a question or give any any comment? Okay with that, we will close discussion on this proposal and we are now at the end of our agenda. And Madam Clerk, I do not believe that any member missed a vote to my correct. No is correct, Madam Chair. Okay. So with that, our next regularly scheduled, regularly scheduled town meeting is on March 2nd. Appreciate everybody who participated today. I think last discussion was really helpful. And we are now adjourned. ", "output": "A MOTION approving the extension of the executive's appointment of Dennis Worsham as acting director of the King County department of public health."}
{"id": "king_a317856e-9505-41d4-8792-9d9e652d80ce", "input": "And good morning and welcome to a special meeting of the King County Council's committee of the Hall. We've scheduled this meeting to have a presentation on legislation transmitted by the county executive and sponsored here at the Council by council members McDermott, Cole Wells and Von Reich. Bauer relating to future distributions of the tourism promotion bucket. That's a 25% bucket of the hotel motel tax. We are going we have a number of folks, a lot of folks signed up for public comment today. And the order of business that we'll take is first to have staff report presented by our two central staff analysts who are doing the initial work on this. They will go over the legislation and then be available to answer questions by council members. I expect that will take depending on questioning. About 30 minutes could run, 40 minutes could be around a little less. Then we'll turn to our public comment item. And if I've got the sign up sheet and if you want to offer public comment, make sure you get over to the table here and get your name on the list and we'll call folks as they've signed up. And we will have to end the meeting at noon today. At some point here, I will also let you know about the other opportunity as well. Do it now for public comment. The next time this item will be heard in this committee will be on Wednesday, August 29th, Wednesday, August 29th at 9:30 a.m.. Here, that will be on the agenda for what we call discussion and possible action. Meaning if there is a five votes for or some alternative to advance, it could advance to the full council. If there's not, it will be heard on Wednesday, September 5th, at 9:30 a.m.. In this committee here, there will be opportunity for public comment at both of those meetings. In addition, we have an opportunity at the Fall County Council on the third Monday of every month for general public comment. And so there's an opportunity there and there will be an opportunity when this is before the Fall County Council, assuming that happens for public comment. So there's a number of additional opportunities for public comment here live. And of course, you can also write email and call your council members. So thank you for being here. With that, I'll ask the court to call the roll and will convene. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Belushi, Councilmember Dunn, Councilmember Gossett. Here. Councilmember Colwell there. Councilmember Lambert, Councilmember McDermott. Here. Councilmember of The Grove, Cathy Sanders. Councilmember one right here. Mr. Chair, here. Mr. Chair, you'll have a quorum. All right. Thank you very much. We'll turn now to a motion to approve our minutes. Councilmember Caldwell's, would you put those before us? The July 25th committee meeting. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know the approval of the minutes of July 25th. All in favor, say i ii i any post those are approved. Okay. We'll turn now to item five proposed motion 2018 0266 and asked Jeff Mumm and Andrew Kim, our central staff analysts who have been analyzing the legislation and related issues to come before us and make their presentations. Good morning. Good morning, Mr. Chair. Thank you. For the record, Andrew Kim, the counsel central staff, the staff report for this item begins on page 19 of your agenda packet. However, I would begin my briefing with some background information actually starting on the top of page 20. In 2011, the Washington state legislature passed. I'm sorry, the Washington State Legislature amended RTW 67.2 8.18 to allow the county to allocate the county imposed 2% lodging or hotel and motel tax revenues that will become available in 2021 for the following at least 37 and a half percent for arts museums, for art museums, culture museums, heritage museums at least 37 and a half percent for nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for affordable workforce housing within one half of a mile of a transportation transit station, or for services for homeless youth and the remainder for capital or operating programs to promote tourism and attract tourists to the county. In 2015, the Washington State Legislature again amended RTW 6728 180 to give the county the ability to issue either general obligation bonds or revenue bonds to help finance the affordable workforce housing allocation of the lodging tax revenues. The bill requires that debt service or revenue bonds pledged against these revenues can make up no more than half of the 37 and a half percent of lodging tax revenues. It's one of just two episodes from the rising taxes think center jeff man counsels. Just to emphasize on this revenue stream, this is a credit against the state sales tax. So if the county the county technically opposes it, but if the county were not to impose it, the funds, a taxpayer would not see a reduction in tax. The funds would wind up just going to the state and the county would not receive any funds. Thank you. And I may have missed it, but did you specify the actual source and rate and on which transactions this is imposed. That it's a 2% credit against the state sales tax on hotel stays in King County? Is that all hotel stays, Jeff, or are there certain sizes in terms of property? Yeah, I think there's a 60 room limit, but I have to get back to you place of it. Thanks, Jeff. Now, if I can direct the members to table one on page 25, that provides a good summary of the proposed motion in alignment with the with the state law. So on page 25, there's a table. Table one provides a comparison between the state law and proposed motion 2018 00266, which is before you today. The table also references past council actions taken by Council in lieu of the state legislation action and in anticipation of future lodging tax revenues. So I'll go through. So the first column of the table one provides the allocation guidelines as per the state law, which I just brief the members. And the second Collinwood specified the allocation as proposed by the current motion before you. So the proposed motion would state the county's intent to allocate the lodging tax revenues that will be available beginning January 1st, 2020 for the following. 137 and a half percent shall be transferred to Fort Culture to support art museums, culture museums, heritage museums, the arts and the performing arts. This okay, I'm hearing some folks having trouble hearing pull the microphones and I sometimes talk softly myself. So Andrew and Jeff, both of you, pull up those mikes real close and Mark, crank it up to 11. Make sure the second allocation would be 37 and a half percent shall be allocated to Department of Community and Human Services to support transit oriented development development, including projects that preserve or develop workforce housing and ongoing services or projects that support homeless youth. And the last allocation, 25%, shall be allocated for the following one building for culture, bond, debt service and of the remaining 60% remaining to the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium, Public Facilities, District for capital projects, and 3% of the remaining amount to the Kent Special Events Center Public Facilities District to support capital maintenance of the Acesso Show Wear Center. The proposed motion would also require the executive, in consultation with the Council, to develop a countywide strategic arts, heritage, historic preservation and Culture Plan. And the Strategic Plan is required to be sent to council by December 31st, 2019. Section C of the proposed motion would require the Council, the executive and the county visitor and tourism organizations to work in collaboration to set up a tourism promotion fund. And lastly, S.D., of the proposed motion request executive to develop and transmit legislation to support identified plan allocation as specified in the proposed motion related to the employment. Back to table one on the third column shows past Council actions related to this particular proposed motion related to the Affordable Workforce Housing allocation. In 2016, Council adopted a motion acknowledging the receipt of a transit oriented development bond allocation plan, which plans to issue $87 million of bonds revenue backed by lodging taxes for transit oriented development projects . The plan also specifies that remaining lodging tax proceeds not allocated for debt service payments would be available for annual funding awards for other TOD projects or transit oriented development projects. The 2017. Transit Oriented Development Annual report states that approximately 16.2 million have already been awarded or set aside as specified as specified by the allocation plan. And Andrew, if I can jump in on that, on the 16.2 million of the $84 million, does that include the $10 million allocated to the Northgate Project? The the the 16.2 million that's already been set aside is actually part of the all county allocation, the 30.2 So the 10 million for the Northgate Project has not been allocated. That would be on top of that. That's correct. All right. And members could jump in with questions as they're going along. Councilmember Gosset. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Were you reading from the ordinance or the state law and rise to this measure? So initially, Councilmember Garcia, I recited the provisions of the state law and then I so if you look at table one on page 25, the column one provides the provisions of the state law. And then I recited the allocations, specify the proposed motion on column two. And then now what I'm doing is I'm reciting some references to past council actions that you've taken in lieu of the the lodging tax revenues. And okay, then can you could you reiterate what just very briefly what the state said about how much money should or shall, I don't know what language they use, go to culture and how much would go to housing like for homeless? Oh, sure. So the state law states that at least 37.5% of the lodging tax revenues beginning they'll be collected starting January 1st, 2021 would go for arts and then at least 37 and a half percent would go to work for the federal housing. Okay. So my interpretation is that the other 25% could go to these two items if the legislative authority and the county king wanted it to. Yeah, that's correct. Correct. Okay. Thank you. Continuing on, Mr. Chair. And then lastly, related to the towards the MAP allocation, in 2015, the Council adopted a motion which established the Building for Culture Program to fund capital projects that supported arts, culture and heritage using the future lodging tax revenues. Various ordinances effectuated the motion to implement the program and issued $29 million of bonds for 102 capital projects. As council members are aware, the full council will take up proposed Ordinance 2018 0257 to reallocate $1.7 million and modify the adopted list of projects this afternoon. I would also like to note that the the allocation is specified in the proposed motion complies with the guidelines of the state law. And with that, I'll turn it over to Mr. Mom. Thank you, Andrea. Now, I'd like to take the committee to page 22 of the staff report. And this is where I've done a draw down on the provisions of the PFG. This is the this is the end of the proposed motion. 60% of the of the tourism allocation would go to the public facility district starting in 2021. So in 1995, the state legislature authorized the county to impose three new council magic taxes to finance construction of what's now known as Safeco Field. It was a half a percent restaurant tax, 2% car rental tax, and a 0.017% sales and use tax, which was a credit against the state sales tax. So again, this is a situation where the taxpayer wouldn't see an increase, but normally state dollars are coming back to help build the facility. In October of 1995, the county enacted Ordinance 12,000 to oppose these taxes and then also to create the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facility District, which we had been calling the BFD . And and that it was the BFD was was formed to build and maintain and operate. They've got the party is governed by a seven member board, four of whom are appointed by the county and three of whom are appointed by the state. The county can then land associated with the ballpark's construction to the BFD issued 336 million in bonds to be repaid with the revenue stream stated above and the bonds repaid back in October of 2011. And those taxes expired with the bonds. The. Legislature also authorized the FDA to impose a 10% parking tax and a 5% admissions tax on ticketed events at Safeco. These taxes are still in effect and go to maintaining and operating the facility in as a part of the financing package, the Seattle Mariners pledged to contribute up to $45 million for the ballpark's design and construction , as well as they pledged to cover cost overruns associated with the ballpark's construction. The final costs for the ballpark amounted to 517 million, with the county and state contributing 372 million, and the Mariners contributed $145 million. The the Mariners entered into a 20 year lease, which expires at the end of this year. In 2015, the Mariners and the PFG began discussing new lease terms and hired BND venues and populous architects. This is a consulting firm to investigate future capital costs over a 20 year period. The consultant team issued its preliminary report in 2015 and updated it in May of this year and identified 385 and a half million dollars worth of necessary improvements to keep the ballpark in first class condition through 2021. The report also identified proposed upgrade improvements and these would enhance the ballpark's economic vitality through that same time period. The report did not include cost estimates with these upgrade improvements. In May of this year, the PFA adopted Resolution 18 004, which identified the $385 million in necessary improvements identified in the consultant's report, and also cited the Mariners estimate for upgrade improvements to cost an additional $160 million. No specific upgrade improvements were identified in this resolution. However, the Mariners have provided a list of potential upgrade improvements to council staff totaling $180 million, and have stated that this list represents a minimum of what they believe would be necessary. Upgrade improvements. The merits of also stated a council staff that expansion of the current parking facility may also be necessary in addition to the upgraded improvements . However, executive staff has confirmed to council staff that the proposed funds to the city would only be used to support major maintenance needs at the ballpark and would not be used for upgrade improvements. An attachment A of the staff report shows the list of proposed upgrade improvements. On May 23rd, 2018, the Mariners agreed to new lease terms in a term sheet for use of the ballpark from January 1st, 2019 through December 31st, 2043. However, no final lease has been executed. Attachment seven of the report includes a copy of these terms of this term sheet. So just to make thing boiled down, boil some things down for the council members. We included a chart on page 26 and the report to show a roll up of the funds proposed under the fund allocations proposed under the motion. And as you'll see that under this proposal a over the time period under lease and the motion, 476 million would be allocated to arts, culture and heritage at 476 million would be allocated for affordable workforce housing near transit. And we show and this is the council has already allocated some of these funds and then the remainder that's 25% would total 318 million, with 22 million going for a past debt service on the Building for Culture program between 177 180 million going to the PFA, 1.3 million going to show Showa center in Kent and then the remaining being is unallocated. And then just to sum up, I wanted to briefly just feature four for future actions by the Council on Friday, the executive transmitted to the Council staff into the Council and a proposed agreement between the city and the county to transmit the funds as proposed in the motion we received on Friday. So me all review is still ongoing on that. But the Mariners have indicated to council staff that that they won't be able to start lease negotiations with the BFD until that INTERLOCAL agreement is adopted by the county and the Council also will need to take if they approve. The motion also need to take take legislative action to to approve the funds for the show work center and then the executive which would need to transmit the two reports, the strategic reports regarding arts and heritage funding and tourism promotion to the Council. I believe the next I think the council chair at the of the committee chair at the beginning of the meeting stated that the committee will take this issue up again in on August 29th. And with that, that is our our staff report and we are happy to answer any questions. Okay. Councilmember Up the Grove. Thank you, Mr. Chair, of a couple of questions. And thank you, Jeff, for the presentation. You noted that the parking and ticket tax revenue will go to support stadium upkeep. Do you have a sense of how much money that those public tax dollars will generate for the stadium over the duration? If there were 25 year lease. Approximately $175 million. That's it. And you mentioned the different categories of funding proposed in the consultant's report that were identified. There were some maintenance upgrades. And you characterized I don't know if these were your words, but there is 160 million in optional I'm calling them optional upgrades or the nice to haves separate from the necessary required maintenance and upkeep. And would there be anything preventing the 160 million that are being proposed in a financial plan for the optional upgrades from instead being spent on the necessary upkeep and maintenance? No. And last one more, if I might, Mr. Chair. That's. I don't. Know. Only have three. We have three. I'm sure that we have another hearing coming. That's the. You talked about the well, Andrew talked about what the state law says about spending or what have you talked about what the state law says about how we have to spend this hotel, motel money that at least 37.5% on arts and culture, at least 37.5% on housing and the remainder on tourism. I guess what is the bare minimum required by state law that we have to spend on housing? And how does that compare to this proposal? So as per state law, there isn't a bare minimum I'm sorry, as per state law, at least 37 and a half percent would be spent on affordable housing. So I guess that would be the bare minimum for affordable housing, at least 37 and a half percent for arts and culture. And based on the past council actions of for the building for a culture program, I would say that based on that motion and legal analysis still ongoing on this, but the funds dedicate it for the debt service payments are the Building for Culture program should be dedicated for the tourism portion of the lighting tax revenues. So to clarify, this proposal does spend the bare minimum required by state law on affordable housing. That's correct. Okay. Thank you. Councilmember up and remove other questions or comments. Councilmember Caldwell's. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Andrew and Jeff. I just want to clarify that what we're talking about is if this proposal were to go through or some version of it, that some amount of funds would go to the public facilities district for use at a publicly owned stadium, not to the Mariners organization, which is the key tenant of the building. Yes, that's correct. Okay. So the public facilities district makes the determination in entering into contract with the Seattle Mariners and how it would be the funds would be expended. Is that accurate? Actually, I believe that. And I've only I've only been able to read the Interlocal agreement between the county and the PFA. And so in that agreement it specifies that the funds have to go to and upkeep. Big. Yeah, big maintenance. Yes. Yeah. Not for brewpubs or anything. Great. It says it can't it cannot go to those types of things. That's right. Thank you. And secondly, do you have any information about the revenue that comes in to the county that can be used for affordable housing and other projects because of the Safeco Field? I know there are other tenants besides the Mariners. Are there other other programs going on there? Concerts and all sorts of events at Safeco Field? You're looking at me quizzically, Jeff. So we have revenue coming to the county because. We know. The hotel motel. Oh, okay. Are you asking about hotel stays? That would happen because of events at Safeco Field that are not the Mariners. Yeah. Any money that is spent for people attending events. I can try to find that type of information for you. I'd appreciate it. Thank you. Clarifying. Sure. Guzman broke the rules. Thank you, Mr. Chair. That last question confused me a little, I guess. Are the Mariners the sole tenant, and if somewhat other activities are taking place there? Don't the Mariners keep the revenue and the ticket and stadium taxes generated also go back in there? I mean, I guess it is the are the Mariners the sole tenant or are there multiple tenants? Yeah, the Mariners are the total tenant and then they and yeah. And then they I guess, I don't know, but the proper term means. But they sublease that tether to concerts and events and things. The ticket tax revenue for any of those events goes to the the D imposes that tax and so it goes to the top of the ticket tax revenue. Thank you. A few other questions or comments of staff. I have a couple of follow ups in your staff report. You indicate that the updated report you're talking about the body and populous architecture report, that the update report indicated 385 and a half million dollars worth of necessary improvements would be necessary to keep the ballpark in first class condition through 2041, where the county is not being asked to fund all of those, quote, necessary improvements with the hotel motel tax. Are we. No. The county is being asked for approximately 870, $790 million. So a significant portion, but not not the entire. And do you have any understanding of where that number came from? Why is it that. Number, that 385. 177, 290 million? It's my understanding that it's the me, the delta between what under the new lease, there are there's specified contributions from a team to a maintenance fund and then, you know, had to get back to you. But the short answer is it's sort of what the what the what the team believes it needs to make the upgrade improvements . It's the. It's what's left over in the budget. What the team's going to contribute to the the facility with the can contribute through its taxes and then to make all of the necessary improvements and then $160 million worth of upgrade improvements to keep the ballpark relevant through the terms of the lease. Well, the upgrade improvements here, the rationale is and there's $160 million of those to enhance the ballpark's economic vitality. Does that mean make more money? I can read from you that. I mean, I'm trying to understand we're talking about. I think it's to make. You know, to get 500 and some million dollars over the 25 years here. What is the purpose? We've got some purpose for basic maintenance and some purpose is for upgrade enhancements to enhance the ballpark's economic vitality. If I understand the base of the proposal, the Mariners will pay for the upgrade improvements. Based on your answers here earlier, those dollars could also be used otherwise to pay for the basic maintenance and necessary improvements if they weren't going for the upgrade improvements. So the consultant report on page 94 of the consultants report when they talk about the upgrade improvements and this is the consultant's words and for reasons maintaining or approving upon the patron experience, expanding or maintaining revenue streams, attracting new demographic groups to the facility, and maintaining Safeco as competitive position within the market. Okay. And is there any quantification of the additional revenues that those investments might generate. And have been provided. With respect to the timing of these dollars currently? What is the use of these proceeds? Where are they going to today? Right now, they're paying up bonds for CenturyLink. And are those bonds paid off? When are they expected to be paid off? 2021. When under the proposal, would these dollars be transmitted to the BFD if the Council were to approve this legislation? The revenue stream would become available for the tourism in 2021. So that's that's the soonest that the county could transmit to the update. I'm not remembering that the terms in the alagoas is precisely, I think, annual transfer, but I don't know the precise date. But it can't happen until 2021. All right. And so is there can you help me understand, is that just the expiration of the current lease that brings this issue before us today? It sounds like we're being asked to spend money today that we don't quite have yet coming in yet. Yeah. It's probably best answer by executive staff, by the proposals before us today. Okay. I think we do get I want to if she's here, I think Rachel Schmidt, the executive's chief of staff, was going to be present and members should have a chance to ask her questions. If she is. I don't. She's. Oh, she's here. Okay. There she is. Thank you for being here, Rachel. We might have a couple of questions for you. Are there a couple other questions, Jeff, if you might, or Andrew? Does every jurisdiction in King County collect this hotel motel tax and transmit it for disposition by the county council or other jurisdictions that keep it and spend it on other purposes? So the tax is imposed by the county and county wide. However, in the city of Bellevue, the city of Bellevue retains the tax that is collected in Bellevue and hotel motel stays. All right, Mr. Chair. Councilman Bell. The 2%. Not all of it. That's correct. The 2%. The county imposed tax. Thank you. And we're just talking about the 2% here. Or are we talking about something else? We are only talking about the county imposed 2%. I see. So I'm just trying to understand the mechanics of this. So hotel stays in the city of Bellevue would not contribute to this fund. That's correct. And what do they is that for maiden power? Is that what they use? As my understanding? Okay. All right, counsel. Sorry, Counselor McDermott. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Gentlemen, I'm interested in delineating the affordable workforce housing portion of the funds, the 37.5% or greater that would be dedicated to housing. Can you walk me through what has already been announced or invested from those funds and what remains and whether and I believe there's been an announcement from the executive about part of those. I can take that one. So on page, on top of page 22 provides a list of the allocations as the Council adopted in terms of the transit oriented development program. So that's the work we did a couple of years ago. That's correct. Okay. And and so that would allocate that would total approximately $87.87 million, which would be funded to fund those projects. And the revenues would pay the debt service for those bonds. The allocation plan also states that any portion, any remaining portion of the Affordable Workforce housing allocation would be used for annual funding awards for other types of transit oriented development, housing projects. So we've already bonded. We've already announced and bonded 87 million, the details of which are at the top of page 22. And then there's another 360 million available for annual awards or potentially to bond for a larger investment upfront. That's great. We haven't bonded yet, but but we're anticipating to start with the bonding process in 2021. And the remaining, as you said, would go to the annual funding awards. But you mentioned 60 million that you mentioned. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Could I. Do you mind if I follow up on that? The 360 million has over what time period? So that's if you go to table two, that that would be the time period from 2021 to 2023. So there isn't a there hasn't been a time specified in the total allocation plan. But if we're using the time frame, as we've provided through this analysis, it would it would total approximately 316. Okay. And I think I understood. Would you confirm for me with respect to the executive's announcement of another $100 million in bonding from the 37% for housing fund? Does that consume that entire revenue stream for this period of time, or would there be additional housing designated resources available. If it doesn't consume all of it? It consumes a bunch of it. I've done some initial work on it, but I don't know. I haven't compared notes with the executive on things like assumptions of interest rates and things like that, but it's a good chunk of it. We've spent we don't like we've announced all the allocations, in essence, it sounds like, on that. And there could be some right here. I think finding an additional $100 million would take up a significant chunk of that stream. Okay. Thank you. Councilmember Coe Wells. Used to chair for either of you on page 25. Table number one and the first column number two. So the the allocation that could go in terms of a guideline of at least 37.5% for affordable housing, has some constraints to it. That's correct. Which are delineated in A, B and C. Hmm. Is there any provision under the statute that would allow some other type of funding or some other type of allocation? Or does it absolutely have to be one of those three categories? There's no other delineation, Councilmember. Those are the provisions as per state law as you read it. And could you just re go over number C here again? Because it's kind of convoluted. I'm trying to figure out what all could be possible within that category. Sure. So provision C was a provision that was amended by the Washington state legislature in the second round of amendments to that particular provision. So initially, the at least 37% was to be used for affordable housing. But Provision C allows that portion to be bonded using either general obligation bonds, which we wish the council members have already dedicated to do so through the bond allocation plan. And it also allows it to it also allows some of the revenues to repay any bonds related to projects authorized by the Community Preserve Preservation and Development Authority, which is another entity. If they were to propose a project that that those funds could be used to repay any bonds that they would have authorized. And there is a provision about housing, affordable housing or sustainable workplace opportunities near a community impacted by the construction or operation of tourism related facilities. So for that particular provision where it says community impacted by the construction or operation of tourism related facilities, that that particular provision is related to any project that would be authorized by the Community Preservation and Development Authority. So it's a bit independent of the Affordable Workforce housing provision that we generally know for that particular application. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Performance Councilmember Up the Grove. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This one is probably for Jeff. It's a two part question. Under the terms of the current lease, the one the Mariners are currently operating under, who's responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the field? The Mariners are responsible for day to day maintenance and upkeep and and also a lot of major maintenance. If there's some unanticipated expense that is associated with the design of the ballpark or something to that, then that the parties are responsible. The Mariners, I think in practice and I can get back to you. More details on this minor stand ins then in practice the Mariners have gone in there and fix would have ever had to get fixed right away and then are reimbursed by the by the PFA for those and the PFA uses its its funds, its ticket tax revenue and rent to reimburse for those types of expansions. And what do you what have you been able to discern from public sources about the any profit or revenue made by the team during the time the terms of the first lease? And also, what do we know about the growth and the value of that business? And I guess what I'm getting at is, is it possible for a business to be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep and still generate wealth? So I guess it's a two. It's a two. Do we do we know what what do we know about it? From the research we've done about the so the finances. And I think the region grantees are getting excited back there. Hold tight, let us do our work and we get to Austin. And I know we don't have access to the private financial records, but I know there's been some reporting about the growth in the value of the team and in the revenue generated by the business. Under the terms of the current lease, there's a profit sharing provision in it that if the Mariners have a profit in the year, they are to contribute 10% of the profit to the to the BFD. However, the lease also recognizes that the Mariners incurred a $200 million operating loss between 1995 and 1999, and so that every year when they do their profit sharing or when they report to the FDA their profits, they if they have a profit, they credit against the loss that they incurred. So over the over the last 20 years, according to the last profit sharing report in 2017, the Mariners have winnowed that $200 million loss down to a bit over $5 million. And the second part of your question on valuation, the team, I have no way to provide that information. There are a bunch of different news outlets from time to time provide that information. In 2016, a portion of the team, the team bought out one of the majority owners and I believe they bought about 40% stake at $600 million. So you can maybe come up with some sort of valuation. Somebody thought that that was worth $600 million. Thank you. Councilmember Von Bauer, then Councilmember Lambert, who's on the phone? Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. Just picking up on some of the concerns or questions from the previous speaker customer, Goss and I have had the privilege of being through this process before. And we understand that there's a lot to be said, not only for the major issues that many of the people in the audience are here to discuss. But also we recognize we have we're partners in this, and it's important to know about our partners in terms of who are getting into an agreement with. I think it's also important, Mr. Chair, to recognize that Major League. Attendance is the lowest in 15 years. Across the board. Attendance is down in Major League Baseball, and we're very fortunate that we have a winning team here that's been very successful. But we have to recognize that they're also facing some of the changes in today's economy. So looking at these figures, I don't want to be confused about the reality. And we're not operating in a vacuum here because the agreement we have here with the Mariners is not something separate from what's going on in Major League Baseball in. Particular, in sports in general. There's a lot of changes taking place. Flat screen TV is very attractive to a lot of people who are no longer attending. Games at all levels. And so it's very important to recognize that some of the dollars that we are talking about may not project forward. As much as they have been something out of the past. I also recognize that this is an opportunity for us to get some issues. Reviewed, and especially during this. Month that you've asked us to come up with. And I think it's important to see what's happening and other teams around the league. And Jeff and I hope that you have a chance to see what's happening with other negotiated contracts, how this contract stands in. More recent contracts around the league. Again, we've been through this process before. We almost watched this team. I don't want us to get into a nose to nose battle where we find ourselves faced with a potential loss of a major factor in this community, one of the best sporting events where families can still attend. And I'm hoping that we recognize that this is still a financial challenge for everybody across the board and that this is not a golden goose that's going to lay all the. Golden eggs for all our. Problems. We have to deal with a lot of problems as members of the King County. Council not too long ago without. And I guess about. Five years ago we had the anniversary of the time we said we'd end homelessness in ten years. And money does not answer all our problems. But hopefully today that will begin a serious discussion and our due diligence on the campgrounds process of this contract and recognize that we're working as partners in this with the mariners and not adversaries. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Lambert. And then we'll move on to public comment pretty quickly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Interesting that parking fees are back again. That was the last item in the negotiations that did originally and in Olympia. So I think said he was here on the council. I was in Olympia when they were working on this before. So I would like to know more. And I remember earlier they were talking about the package. I'd like to hear more about that plan to vacate that amount. I'd also like to know what you believe is the condition of the building. We think that it's been well maintained as there have been some deferred maintenance. And my last question is, if we were to pay the bonds up early, how much could we save? And over again what the bond interest rate is that we are still paying. Thank you. Thank you. So some follow up information on the parking revenue and condition of the stadium. Maybe you could touch briefly on that, quote, applicable standard, end quote, in this column for here. And then the interest rate and potential for early pay off is what I heard. So that under the terms of the current lease, there's something called the applicable standard and we'll have more on the leases in the next briefing. But basically the team needs to keep Safeco up to a first class as a first class stadium compared to stadiums that were built between 1990 and 1999. And it's my understanding and I think the PFA and want to speak for them, but in conversations I had with them, they were very satisfied with the condition that the that the stadium has been it is in right now as far as paying off the bonds early, even if if the bonds were to be paid off early , the state law, I believe those funds wind up going to it like a youth sports facility, like a statewide youth sports facility program. So they're already spoken for. So paying them off and it's just we can't control the stream. We'd have to we'll have to get more get back to you on that one. But the funds are spoken for under statute from now through the foreseeable future. Thank you, Councilmember Kowalski. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Another question. With regard to the upgrades and maintenance needs that's identified by the Mariners or by the PFG, are those included in the lease requirements? Are they something that the Mariners, for example, are required to do to maintain the lease? I don't know if I'm asking. Yeah. They are required. They would be required to. The facility needs to be maintained and I'll have to get that direct the exact. I can't remember how specific the consultant's report is identified in the in the there's no new lease yet. But in the resolution adopting the term sheet for the new lease, it calls out the $385 million and presumes that those will be done. That has to be done. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? We do have a representative, vice president, general counsel for the mayors. Fred Rivera is here and is available, has made himself available. If members have questions, he's going to speak during the sign up time. But does any member have a question for the Mariners organization at this time? Exactly. Sure. And we have Rachel Smith here as well. I don't want to put them on the spot if there's no questions. So does any member have a question or would Rachel, do you have anything you'd like to offer on behalf of the executive ? No. Councilmember one right there. But I make sure I understood what you said. I want to make sure that we have an opportunity here from the public here. Yes. I also want to make sure that if anything were raised in the preliminary discussion by our staff, the Mariner Organization, to respond or clarify or add. To the fair, they have that opportunity. Okay. And I'm see a nod from Mr. Rivera. Now, come on up here, Fred. And the BFD, our public facilities district was invited. I don't believe they're here, but if there is a representative from the public facilities district, would you make yourself known? No. Okay. Thank you, Fred. Welcome. Go and introduce yourself. Thank you. Fred Rivera, executive vice president and general counsel. All right. You heard the dialog there. Is there anything you want to add to or clarify? Yeah, I want to I want to summarize the overall expenses over the next 25 years that we've determined and also addressed the upgrade capital improvements that will be required. First, the overall anticipated expenses over 25 years is $800 million. That includes $250 million for operation and maintenance, which the Mariners will pay 100% of. There's the capital upgrades that were referenced before, and this is necessary. These are not discretionary. This is not discretionary work that needs to be done under the applicable standard and the term sheet. For the next 25 years, the ballpark will be judged against the top one third of ballparks and Major League Baseball in order to keep it relevant. Those upgrades or those concepts at a minimum will need to be required. And so that estimated $180 million is the minimum for the upgrades to meet the applicable standard under the new lease. The last component is the necessary capital improvements. That's the $385 million for which the allocation would, would would go towards. And that's the only bucket of maintenance that this allocation would address. Thank you. Councilman up there. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks for being here this morning. That's the question. That's part rhetorical, but it's an honest one. If you're to believe Forbes magazine and I don't that hasn't been independently analyzed that the their valuation of the team shows the value has increased by $1,000,000,000 over the last seven years. Given that, why couldn't the owners finance these upgrades rather than drain public resources that could be used for housing? Or I'll repeat what I just said, and that is the Mariners are paying for the upgrades. We're paying 100% of the upgrades we've negotiated for over a year with the public facility district that owns the stadium. We are the tenants. These are the terms that we negotiated. I think both parties think it's fair for members of that body are confirmed by by by the county. And these are the terms that overall we think represent a fair allocation of responsibility for a publicly owned asset. Other questions for Mr. Rivera. I'll say if they happen to listen or watch this. You mentioned that four members of the party are appointed and confirmed by this county. I'd like to hear from them. There they are. They are looking out and running the public entity for the public. And to be honest, Mr. Rivera, I don't I'd like to see a little bit more of them to make the case. And I haven't. Just to for two more questions, then we'll open up to public comment. Mr.. Jeff. Mr. Mom, you indicated it was a range hundred 65, $190 million with respect to hotel motel tax. Under this agreement, is there any cap or any limit or is it a percentage of the receipts? Yeah, under the end of the ordinance or I'm sorry, end of the motion. It's a percentage. It's 60% of the that the tourism of the funds that would be available for tourism for 60% of the 25% of the 99 estimate. So it could be higher if we keep growing and have more rooms and stays. There's no cap. There's no cap. And can you help me understand why? No. All right. Mr.. That's an open question that maybe something can help in like next month. Mr.. Garrett You've indicated that the Mariners do generate tourism visitors here to the region and hotel motel nights stays. Can you tell us a little bit about the studies that have been done in terms of the dollars of this hotel motel tax that the Mariners believe that they generate? A third party report. That was commissioned by both the PFO and the Mariners identified $3.8 billion in economic activity during the 25 year lease term. I believe it's 2.8 billion of that is right here in the county, including 3300 full time equivalent. Jobs per year. Inside and outside of the ballpark in the area, which you may be familiar with, Silver Cloud in Hoover, Bill Bar, those type of areas. And over the term of the lease, that'll generate $2.2 billion in wages, according to the third party report. And with respect to the hotel motel tax receipts, what is the study show that those are generated from Mariners days? I don't know. I'll have to get back to you. I don't know that it's specifically identified that portion. There's not a number of $50 million. I don't know, off the top of my head. Okay. Mr. Mom, have you seen anything on that? The consultant report. It says that the folks who come to Mariners games, 5% of them would need hotel stays. And I think that's 100,000 stays a year something that in that nature but I can get more information can. Be helpful because we're on our guard. Well, just a question relative to what I raised earlier, Mr. Rivera. You know, I've been reading the. Same Fortune magazine that my colleague has been reading, and it's pointed out that Major League attendance is down. Can you speak to that and some of the concerns? Because obviously that's a. Financial concern for the organization. It's a major concern across the league. The commissioner addressed that at the All-Star break just a couple of weeks ago. Attendance is significantly down and that's because people are watching games in a different way. They're not going to the game. They're watching it on devices when they come to the game. It's not necessarily a sit and watch experience. It's a social experience, a social gathering experience. There's one ballpark design in the works that will only have 24,000 seats in it, and the rest will be social space. And that will have a significant impact on revenue and the ability to operate a team and to operate the stadium. So it's a paramount concern in in Major League Baseball that we're keeping our eye on and will sure to impact us in the coming years. Again, as I pointed out earlier, Mr. Rivera, Guzman, Gossett and I were involved. With. Baseball brinkmanship when we were going to lose the. Team and we were had threats. And I personally was raising questions about the ability of the organization to meet the construction and the financial plan. And I was criticized very strongly by the then chairman of the Seattle Mariners. So I hope I have some credibility in raising the questions today to make sure, because I was ostracized and criticized and front page of the Seattle Times or raising questions along with my colleague, Councilmember Larry Phillips, Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan, and then Councilmember Ron Sims. And the four of us were. Lambasted because we dared raise questions. But we have to raise these questions because this process is so critical. The people behind you have a particular issue. We have to look at the broader issues. I think, again, that you have a venue that is family friendly. It is the last place where people can take their families and don't get hit by. Too many of our sports today are suits. Only people can afford to do it. They can write off the expenses. So I want to thank the Seattle. Mariners publicly. For providing that resource for so many families around the sound. We're going to go through a question period. I hope you can work with us, because I know there. Will be some hard questions for my colleagues, but in the end, I think the solution will be a a conversation that I think will bring about a resolution of some of the issues that we raised here today and we raised by some of the audience who I hope we can start hearing from. And I want to thank you and I thank the chair. I got to leave this anecdote because my my colleague, Larry, and I will understand, there's a previous county executive negotiated with the then president of the Seattle Mariners. His name is Tim. And Tim raised, you know, finished his his negotiations. And then he said, oh, by the way, then the council is going to to be involved. And the then president of the Mariners said, council, what's the council you're finding out about the council today? The council is is a process. And in our process of county government, we hope to be a deliberative process, one that's. Going to look at the long term. Not the short term. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you. And for one clarifying follow up, Councilmember Up the Grove, then we'll get the public come out, Councilman, for a. Well, no, thank you. I the I've heard this this fear that as people attend games less and watch TV more, it can have an impact. But didn't you don't you own the TV station that airs? The airs, the Mariners. We have an interest in those articles. I'm sure. You. Read mention how that's that's a dying business again folks folks are not watching and those in those ways and so the deliverable people are watching through what's called over-the-top methods of television. Exactly. And so that that is a that is a dying that is a dying business. And I would be happy to share with you a number of articles that mention that. Thank you. And Councilmember Cole to bring us home. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Speaking of homes, so let's see the signs around here, homes over home runs. I don't think anybody would deny that that is critical, that people have homes. And it's you know, we're in an enormous situation here in Seattle, King County, the state all over the country with regard to this. And rather than arguing over why that's the cause, we have to have more homes built and have homes affordable, which is what Claudia Bowdich, his task force that's working on. But for me, it doesn't have to be an either or a mutually exclusive situation. If we can have a sports team here, a safe field that is well maintained so we don't have roof tiles falling off as we did with the kingdom, but also have the revenue that's needed for building homes that are affordable. And I think we can find the right balance. And so at some point, I would really like to see some more numbers about what the revenue limit and what the revenue level is that we gain by having the Mariners play at this publicly owned facility that go. Into. Housing, human services and so forth, because I know that that is taking place. It's just where is the right balance? Maybe we have a lesser amount than is in this proposed ordinance, but we have to find that balance. So I don't know if you have any comment on that. I agree with you 100% on on the on those topics. I think we did try with the four years we negotiated the term sheet to come to the correct balance of of cost sharing of of those items. And I'm happy to try to provide, along with with staff, additional information beyond those I referenced in terms of economic generation so we can get that information to you. Thank you. And I should have said proposed motion not or in the thinking that. No, thank you very much. Thank you for being here, Fred. And thank you to our central staff for your work on this. You've now heard some of the questions, concerns from members and got some time before this next comes before the committee to work on that. I think I said in my opening remarks about opportunities for public comment that the general public comment is heard the third Monday of every county council meeting. And I made a mistake. It's the fourth Monday, so August 27th at 1:30 p.m.. The full King County Council takes public comment on any topic, and you're welcome there. This again will be in committee on Wednesday, the 29th at 9:30 a.m. Here is an opportunity to provide public comment, and then it'll either be in committee for one more hearing for comment or up to the full council. And whenever it's heard it full council, there's public comment opportunities. So I want to clarify those prior remarks. We will now open the public comment item on this agenda. I do have a number of folks lined up. We are going to set the clock on either podium at a minute, 30, you'll have a 32nd warning with the yellow light and we ask that you try and wrap up when you hit the red light. If you can do your comments in a minute, you're welcome to it'll give others a chance to comment. But we appreciate you all being here and I apologize for any mistakes in your names, as I call them. Sometimes the handwriting is a little tough to read, but I'll do my best. We'll start with and you can go to either podium and I'll call a few names ahead so you can get ready. Sarah Wamsley, then Michelle Thomas and Lisa Schwartz, and then Carla murray. And after Carla murray will be Eric Pettigrew. Go ahead. Thank you. Good morning, Counsel. Thank you for having us all here today and for the great discussion earlier. My name is Earl Wamsley and the policy manager excuse me for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle King County. You know as well, we are a nonprofit membership organization for the affordable housing community here in King County with 165 members dedicated to the vision of safe, healthy and affordable homes for all. We've long considered counsel as a partner in achieving this vision. And in that spirit, I'm here to ask you to go and be bold and go beyond the lodging tax allocation before you, which allocates only the state mandated bare minimum for affordable housing. As you well know, King County is in the midst of an affordable housing shortage. Regional Affordable Housing Task Force, which many of you participate in. Thank you. Found that we need 157,000 more affordable homes right now and 244,000 by 2040. Everyone in this room knows that we won't get there by doing the bare minimum. Not to put too fine a point on it, but in response to our email outreach about this issue, we received an email from a King County employee who is currently living in a hotel asking how she can access the housing that would be generated from these funds. We haven't done enough until everyone in our in all of your districts has a safe, healthy, affordable home for all. So I ask that you please spend this money responsibly on needs and not needs to have. Thank you. Thank you. And I'm going to ask folks, I know that there's support for a number of positions that will slow us down. I want to give everyone a chance to be heard. Mr. Zimmerman, your first warning, you need to be seated or you can excuse yourself. No, it's my second warning. You won't get a third. Go ahead, ma'am. Hi, I'm Michelle Thomas with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. Here to ask you to oppose the executive's proposal and to instead allocate the maximum allowed by the state law to affordable housing from the lodging tax. There's a housing affordability crisis in King County. It is the issue of our time. You have the opportunity to allocate much needed capital dollars to affordable housing for people earning between 30 and 80% of the area median income. This includes people at risk of homelessness, as well as the many people in our region who work for retailers and office workers. We need to build more workforce housing. The private market isn't building it and isn't going to build it. In order to afford King County's rent for a one bedroom, a worker must earn at least $29.40 an hour for a two bedroom. It's $36.12 an hour. That's our minimum wage is only 1150, except for in Seattle, where some workers are now getting the $15 minimum wage. Given how far rents are out of reach in this region. Why would the county only do the minimum required for affordable housing? Your constituents are in desperately need of options. Roughly 43% of King County households are renters. Many are paying much more than 30% of their incomes to keep a roof over their heads. This makes them extremely vulnerable to homelessness if they lose one paycheck or if their hours are reduced by one by any amount in a one week period. Please stand up for King County's workforce and allocate the maximum allowed for affordable homes. This is your opportunity. Thank you, Michel. Think I've got Carla next. And then Eric Pettigrew and Lisa Schwartz. Meghan McGuire. Good morning. I I'm. Very lucky. Like I have to be a natural born Mr. Zimmerman. I know we'll be in recess. Been. Anyway. Thank you very much. Go ahead. Do I get a reset on the clock? You get a. Reset on the clock. I mean, we want to hear from you, Ms.. Murray. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Carla murray, and I'm the head of operations for Marriott International. I'm here to talk about visit Seattle. They drive both transient leisure travel business and group business to the city in the county. It runs national destination advertising, marketing and publicity campaigns that attract visitors to the county. And it books, meetings and conventions into the convention center and regional hotels throughout the year and for all future years. As a nonprofit economic development agency visit, Seattle must constantly work to ensure funding for its sales and marketing programs. National competition is fierce, and most of our key competitors outspend us. I want to make sure that you, the council, understands how fragile our industry is. We've enjoyed an upward economic cycle, but every hotelier in the county watches the economic forecast, and we worry about how quickly things can change, especially with all the new supply that's been built in the city, in the county. I also want to mention that when this tax was extended to other counties, it was specifically designated for tourism revenue. King is the only county with a special stadium district designation. When the 2008 state legislation was enacted, we were pleased that our county would finally be receiving some revenue over the year, in part because these funds have not been accessible to the industry. King County has been charging higher and higher taxes. So, Councilmember, it's vital we preserve this lodging tax revenue for our destination marketing organization. And let's make sure we have a win win for the industry and the Mariners. Thank you. Thank you. Eric Pettigrew and then Megan McGuire, Bob Simon, Eve Kopp. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And members of the Committee for the Record, my name is Eric Pettigrew and one of the state representatives for the 37th Legislative District. This microphones up below. Everything's relative, Mr. President. I am here actually in support of the proposal that is before you. And I know that I've also sent you all a letter before, so I'm not going to rehash that and the details in that. I just came to give you a couple of points of why I'm supporting this. One, Safeco Fields in my district. I'm very proud of that. Safeco and the Mariners have been an excellent, excellent partner in our district. They've been a contributor to not only the business, but to the community. Been actively involved in the cleanups and transportation and and a lot of community giving, which I'm very, very pleased about. But then, you know, just the other day, I had a chance to talk to a couple of folks who actually lived their dream, which was to visit every ballpark in the country. And when they came back, they came back and told me, once you put Wrigley aside, once you put Fenway aside and Dodger Stadium aside, that's my bias. Safeco was always in the top three, and that tells me that that's an attraction. It's a way to generate business and revenue to our state. This balance, this proposal is balanced and it's in the way, in the typical way that we prioritize in the state and at the city and at the county level, which is the majority of the money going towards the things that people need on the ground, as well as the organizations that support us and that generate revenue surge or support. Thank you very much, Representative Pettigrew. Okay, Megan McGuire, Bob Simon, Eve Cobb and Hilary Coleman. Good afternoon. Want to go first? My name is Megan McGuire. I'm vice president of sales and services at the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. The point I would like to make today during my testimony is that is essential to have a strategic and sound marketing plan to brand a destination and increase the number of tourism dollars spent in the local economy. I'd like to speak today about the five cities that we represent SeaTac, Tukwila, Des Moines, Berrien and Normandy Park. When you think of this destination known as Seattle Southside, you may not be aware of the tourism draws of the region. The region is home to the largest indoor shopping center in the Pacific Northwest, the largest grouping of car rentals in the state. The second largest grouping of hotels in the state. More than 100 full-service restaurants, the ninth busiest airport in the nation. Exciting entertainment options for families, miles of accessible coastline and world class sporting venues which host championship teams like the Seattle Seawolves Major League Rugby. These are just some of the many wonders of Seattle Southside that draws tourism to the area and precisely why it is important to fund local, regional destination marketing organizations like Seattle, Southside, RTA to represent, promote and spread the word toward the goal of economic development. We propose the Seattle Southside generates 5.3 million of state shared lodging tax. We propose 15% carve out a future tourism promotion allocation. Thank you. Thank you. And we have received your correspondence, Bob Simone, Hilary Coleman, Helen or Helene Benedict. As a King County resident for 38 years and marriage season ticket holder for 35 years, both at the Kingdom and Safeco Field. I'd just like to say that I also serve as Commissioner of Seattle Mariners RBI Club, and we are a Goodwill Ambassador, a group for the Mariners for Pacific for Baseball and the Pacific Northwest. We work with mariners players and broadcasters in their charitable endeavors. King County Executive Constitutes Proposal. Maintaining a public private partnership has allowed Safeco Field to field new after 19 years of use. The proposed partnership shows a very responsible stewardship and homeowners as homeowners. Many of us are aware that deferred maintenance can be a very costly approach. The kingdom roof collapse generated more in expenses than the construction of the building originally, and it also resulted in an unfortunate loss of life. So I think that the Constantine's approach is one to give great consideration to. I've been to Oakland, Alameda County Stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium and Fenway Park. When they were allowed to deteriorate, it was a very unpleasant experience. Our organization has worked with many Mariners staffers, players and other employees, and their charitable efforts have helped many children with physical challenges, provided warm clothing for people that need them, and raised millions of dollars for homeless youth people. Professional baseball is a valuable resource benefiting the entire Pacific Northwest. And it's not always it's not always obvious, but it it it really is. And it would help if we could make Martin Luther King County able to sustain this ball park into the future. Thank you. Thank you, Bob. Epcot Pillar. Gary Coleman. Helene Benedict. Angela Ricci on inner urban. Maybe getting that. Wrong. You help my neighbor. Come right forward. I'm sorry. Yeah. Tell us who you are. Okay. My name's Lisa Schwartz, and I've been a business owner working with the statewide tourism industry in Washington for over 30 years. I was a vendor at the Washington State Office of Tourism for them in 2011 when the state legislature closed the tourism office, making it the only state in the country that did not have tourism funding and the and the ability to promote itself to travelers. It's my firm belief that that decision to close the tourism office was detrimental to the industry and to the economy of Washington state. Even now, with the new statewide tourism effort underway, the dollars allocated are so small at an embarrassingly low $1.5 million that even then they can only be allocated with a 2 to 1 match from the private sector. While our competitive states of Oregon has over $3 million to spend and California spends $121 million on tourism marketing. So I think you can see that it's pretty clear that the job of marketing and promoting our region to out-of-state visitors will continue to fall increasingly to our regional destination marketing organizations like the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. And visit Seattle, that is. Why it's imperative that more of these lodging tax dollars be directed towards destination marketing, because travel and tourism don't just happen. And without the work of these demos, millions of annual visitors wouldn't even think to consider this area as a travel destination. Thank you. Thank you. Listen, I'm sorry I jumped ahead there. Good for you. All right. Go ahead. Hi there. Eve Copp, Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and Research Foundation. And I am on the foundation team and I'm here to speak about how wonderful, fantastic the Seattle Mariners have been as a corporate partner to us. The Mariners have supported Children's since its inception. It started by visiting hospitalized patients and lifting their spirits. And since then, the Mariners have helped to publicly amplify their support of Seattle Children's in the form of pieces, player voluntary involvement at fundraising events and visibility at the ballpark. We have a wishing well and a playfield there. They've also funded Seattle Mariners have also funded major clinical research and proper hermetic areas of the hospital, such as cystic fibrosis, cancer research, muscular dystrophy and uncompensated care. And for those who don't know, Seattle Children's gives about $170 million in uncompensated care to families who cannot afford the full cost of their medical bills. The Mariners serve on Corporate Leadership Council, which is comprised of top fundraising companies and organizations to Seattle Children's, and they also encourage their corporate partners to support Seattle Children's in their marketing plans and and philanthropic dollars. The Mariners provide countless experiences for families who need a break or who are underwater because of their loss, their kids hospitalization, whenever we ask. And they also provide packages for auction for bolstering our fundraising experiences. So thank you. Go Mariners. Thank you, Eve. Hilary Coleman. Helene Benedict. Andrea Ricci on inner urban Bob Twingo. I members of the council. My name is Hilary Coleman, and I have the honor of working with the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness. Many of you received my email last Friday with a letter from our executive director, which I'll pass out as well. But we are here today to really ask you to be part of team housing and support using public funding for housing as the maximum ability. I know the question was raised today of what whether our minimum versus maximum could be to go to public housing. And we really think that while we're in the situation of needing lots of housing in our area, we should be maximizing the potential use of these public funding dollars from the lodging tax. As has been shared, we need at least 150,000 homes that are affordable in this county, and that number is increasing steadily. We cannot delay, divert or drop the ball and any resources that will help make our region housing secure now and into the future. On our executive director, Alison Eisinger, who is serving on the one table and served as part of the Regional Housing Affordability Task Force and is reminding us that all the meetings that people are attending . There has been broad agreement that we must identify and secure new and dramatically increased resources to create more housing that is affordable because no single resource will be sufficient. No opportunity can be lost, including this one. And finally, we want to make sure that also, if possible, were planning either this or other funding sources to help homeless families and individual access homes that will be used for this funding. So thank you for your support. Thank you. Hilary Hello. My name is Andrea Rae and I am the President and CEO of the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce. Our chamber is a nonprofit business organization that has served the communities of Berrien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Iguala since 1988. Our mission is to create an economically vibrant region by advocating and building for awareness for local business. Our chamber is committed to expanding the collaborative culture in our area because we know the benefits of working alongside one another. It is in that same spirit of service and collaboration that I speak to you today and ask that you please modify the motion to include funding for regional destination marketing organizations, tourism matters and our community as neighbors to the ninth busiest airport in the nation and the second largest grouping of hotels in the state. We work together to attract overnight travelers. Over 4 million guests stayed in our hotels last year. Tourism is economic development, and we need these jobs in Southwest King County, where housing affordability threatens to push. Many of our residents out of King County and our poverty levels are double that of the county average in places. Please also remember how dependent we are in Southwest King County for the jobs the hospitality and tourism industry bring and work with us to leverage the support to continue those jobs and bring economic equity to our community. Thank you. Thank you, Andrea. Bob. Yeah, my name is Bob Twinkle. I'm a district administrator for Little League Baseball for District nine. I am also on the board of directors of Little League Baseball. My district is the east side, each side of King County. Each year the Mariners have all four Little League days. At Safeco Field, we bring in about 25,000 kids that get prayed around a field and the players are out there everything. And we have an outstanding time. The Mariners, they they provide grants for our much needed teams. They have they have donated $30,000 for us to build fields. They're always available to us any time we need anything. The Mariners are there to step up and help us out. They have camps. They have clinics. They're always there to give us advice if we need anything. They even come out and help us with our fields. If we're having trouble in our field, Bob Kristofferson will come out and help us show us how we can make our fields better. They're always there. We're very proud to be part of the minor organization. I'm pleased to see that the Mariners have agreed to terms of a new 25 year lease and will keep the team here in the ballpark until 2043. I hope I'm here and require the team to shoulder 2070 5% of the maintenance and capital improvements and upgrades needed to maintain the ballpark. I hope the County Council will vote to approve the Executive Council team's proposal. It strikes the right balance and will ensure we maintain a public a top condition for the next 25 years. Thank you very much. Thank you, Bob. And after are you Helena? Great. And after Helena, we've got Wendy Morgan, Sharon Lee, Sara. Sharon, Jonathan. T go ahead. Pull that microphone right down. It's movable. There you go. Thank you. Good morning. My name's Helena Benedict. I live in West Seattle. I'm a tenant counselor with the Tenants Union of Washington. Every day I answer phone calls from people whose rent has gone up, what they can afford, and they're terrified. They have nowhere to live in this county. I'm also honored and privileged to organize alongside the First Homeowners Association, a group of low income immigrant families who have been fighting so hard for two years to preserve their own community from displacement due to due to a hotel development. They're trying to save their 70 deeply affordable units, and no public agency has stepped up much to help them out. Our county has no plan for keeping folks in place when a building flips or when a mobile home park closes. What we have is simply not working. We also know that the low income housing tax credit, which is a de facto affordable housing program, helping lots of working families. Their rent ceilings have gone up in King and Snohomish counties beyond what a lot of folks can play can pay. We have heard that HUD likely plans to cut vouchers and other safety nets. We need new funding now. I think anyone who's ever balanced the budget, who's tried to pay your rent and feed your kids, knows that sometimes it is either or. Budgets are moral documents that indicate where your values and priorities buy. We're asking folks to please give the maximum for affordable housing and keep King County families in their homes. No amount of trickle down from stadium events or concerts will do well at the scale we need right now. Thank you. Thank you. Hello. Hi. Many of you are old friends of mine, so it's nice to see you all again. I am pleased to be here today in support of the Seattle Southside RTA. Are you Wendy Morgan? I'm sorry, I am Wendy Morgan. All right. Thanks, Wendy. As many of you know, I am a former elected city councilwoman in the city of tequila. And I've spent over the last 20 plus years in SeaTac as a resident, and I've become very active in the community. Prior to my retirement as a Housing and Human Services professional, I specialized in Human Services funding and advocating for those who needed a hand up to build better lives for themselves and their families. Many of these people make up the bulk of those who work in the travel and tourism industry in and around the airport. They depend on the health of the hotels and restaurants in the Southside region of King County, critical to supporting the continuing growth of hotel stays dollars to local restaurants and other businesses. Is a planned professional approach to attracting tourists. So the my message and hope to you is that you can reconsider apportionment of the tourism dollars from a Seattle centered approach to be more equitable distribution, sustaining the healthy economy of cities directly south of Seattle. We need adequate funding to promote tourism. Thank you. Thank you, Wendy, Sharon Lee, then Sarah, then Jonathan, then Hilary Keys. Good morning. I'm Sharon Lee, director of Low Income Housing Institute. And because we're in King County, MLK, I have two quotes from Martin Luther King. The first, there is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it. Dr. King said this when he claimed a Nobel Peace Prize. The second quote is God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous, inordinate wealth while others live in abject, deadening poverty. So I think it's really important for the council, as you said, to weigh some balance. But I think it's very important to understand that the Mariners got a very, very favorable lease term. Public funds were built for the stadium and that the team is probably worth over $1,000,000,000. And as owners, they need to make an investment. And the investment could include financing their own amenities such as the Brew Pub Pub or the Diamond Club or other amenities. So I think that giving the house, given the housing crisis, you should seriously consider. Councilmember up the gross proposal to allocate at least 150 million more for affordable housing. Now homeless people do live in TOD housing. The moment you make $15 minimum wage, you are below the threshold for 30% homeless housing. And there are many homeless people who will also benefit as well as the working poor. Thank you. Thank you. Sharon. Sarah. Hi. Good morning. Today, Belsky and members of the Committee for the Record. My name is Sarah Charron. I represent a local 21, the largest private sector union in the state, with over 10,000 members who live and work in King County. First, here to voice serious concerns about giving any company a huge windfall when that company is quite profitable. To me, there are civic wants and there are civic needs. Addressing the affordable housing crisis is an immediate emergent need, while updating save, quote, feel is more of a want. In my book, the funds being competed for aren't eligible for use to directly address homelessness, but they could be used for affordable housing for low and middle income and workforce housing. The adage that people are just one paycheck away from homelessness is more accurate now than ever. My members are on the brink. Secondly, I would also like to share that several years ago, a group of workers attempted to unionize the Mariners team store. Their effort was unsuccessful, not in the least, because management held captive audience meetings. This isn't something we would expect from a local home team. As a council, you've been clear in your support for workers rights to organize. While many of the construction jobs and concession jobs are union and we support our brothers and sisters in those unions, this behavior is not acceptable. We urge you to reconsider. Jonathan Teed and Hilary Keyes, then Shannon Sharon and Sandra Lee. Hello. My name is Jonathan T Jonathan Thompson. And I just want you to spend as much as possible on the housing affordability crisis. I think it would be kind of sad if we were to upgrade the stadium and tourists had to step over homeless people to get into the stadium so they can enjoy their new amenities. So I feel even the tourism industry should feel like, well, if we're going to invite all these tourists into the state and we just see homeless people everywhere, isn't that going to affect tourism as well? So, you know, if nothing else, it may affect the tourism dollars and just our image as a county. So please find as much money as possible for affordable housing. Thank you. Hilary. Then Shannon. Sandra. Rebecca Brun. Hi, my name is Hilary Keys. I grew up in Seattle. I've been a teacher. I worked in food service, really active in the local arts community. I love the city. I have traveled the world in education and I gush about the city about how progressive and creative and caring the city is. Everyone that I have encountered, I have gushed about this city all around the world, and I recently moved back. And this crisis that we are facing is really not the way that the city has responded, has not aligned with how I have promoted the city throughout the world. I really urge you to be that progressive, creative, caring city that I have said by allocating money towards affordable housing, caring about the people of the city, rather than and rather than the business that can provide its own money towards these what they're requesting. So thank you. Good morning. My name is Shannon Sharon on behalf of the Seattle Hotel Association and the Washington Hospitality Association. My purpose today is to reinforce the very important long term vision that's going to be required to ensure that we can actively promote tourism and to be competitive against other destination. The hospitality industry is the largest private employer in Washington, employing thousands alone in this county. Tourism creates jobs. These jobs include entry level, second chance, professional and career and livable wages. We must engage in a very concerted strategic tourism promotion to ensure that we can inspire individuals to come here. There are many, many destinations that guests can consider in this very, very global world. Making sure that Seattle rings true to them and that we are being very considerate to all of our citizens here is very, very important. We must also not forget that an unoccupied room equals zero tax dollars to support and encourage these very, very important human services, as well as an industry that brings those valuable dollars. Investment in tourism promotion, supports employment, creates new jobs, and generates tax revenues to support needed King County services. We ask for your support today. Thank you, Sandra and Rebecca. Then Mona Lisa. Hi. My name is Sandra Lee and executive director of Woodinville Wine Country Association. And I'm here to comment on the motion proposing the allocation of future lodging tax dollars. Woodinville is a burgeoning visitor destination and a gateway for Washington wine. We have over 2 million visitors a year, which includes more than 500,000 travelers nationally. Internationally, we are home to 118 wineries in King County, 12 microbreweries, ciders, and 30 restaurants and eateries, where sales growth for many of our boutique wineries has increased 20% or more per quarter. As we've grown, we've added districts year round events, packages, tours and other visitor programing and features. We depend on King County's tourism and its incremental growth to support the businesses now and in the future. Our relationship with our county's destination marketing organizations. Visit Seattle, visit Bellevue, Port of Seattle, etc. allows us to market the county as a whole and to create partnerships and marketing opportunities that wouldn't go wine country and our member businesses use to leverage business growth. We grow our operations and we get a great return on investment for our community visit. Seattle, for example, connects us with tour operators, travel, media. We rely on the inclusion of WOODEN, the itineraries that benefit our businesses. I think that it's quite audacious, this proposal to say that 60% of these funds are going to when they only when they only generate 5% of room revenue. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Sarah. Rebecca, then Mona Lee. Hello. My name is Rebecca. I am a resident of District one and a graduate student at the Harvard School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. I also work 15 hours a week as a bartender, part time, and I'm one of over 100,000 households in King County that are severely cost burdened, spending over half of my income on rent every month. This is my first time testifying. I didn't prepare anything, but I am not one to mince words. So you know, this is ridiculous, right? Like the Mariners are a privately owned organization. They are profitable. They are owned by millionaires. There are 12,000 people sleeping outside, dying outside on the street. We look to you, our representatives. To send a message. We watch you. We watch what you do. And time and time again, I have gotten the message and my peers in my class and my peers on the street, that the interests of private organizations and millionaire business owners are prioritized over basic human needs, like having a place to live. I do not want our council to lose sight of that fundamental truth. There are people who are sleeping and dying outside. We have the resources. Use them wisely. Hello. I'm only. I'm a member of the Association Community Action Team. We work to improve the quality of our neighborhood and to hopefully increase the stock of attractive, affordable housing so that our neighbors will not be displaced from their homes. A couple of years ago, homelessness in King County was declared an emergency. Since then, very little has been done to resolve this crisis, and sites of people wrapped in thin blankets and lying in the streets or constructing makeshift tents on vacant lots has continued to increasingly ugly ify this city, which isn't a very nice. As the other gentleman said earlier, to attract tourists. It seems, therefore, that the county and the city ought to be searching their budgets for every spare dollar to increase our stock of affordable housing. If we collect an extra 185 million and hotel motel taxes or anything else, we should spend it on affordable housing, not unnecessary bells and whistles to enhance a baseball stadium. In housekeeping budget terms, we have to put a roof over our heads before we buy lace curtains. Oh. All right. We're making good progress. We got through the first sheet. We've got two and a half sheets to go. Jim Lobsters and then Edith Evergreen, then Tom Norwalk and. And then Velma. I can't quite make out the last name. Maybe Doyle Velma left helm of. Was it? Don't worry. Velma left. Okay. Hi, Jim. Good afternoon. Morning. I'm Paul. That microphone up so we can hear you. Good. Good morning. I'm Jim Lopes, and I'm a lifelong baseball fan. I'm a Mariner fan for about 40 years. And I'm here to ask you not to give the Mariners any money at all. Thank you, Mr.. Up there. If you were the first person to ask the question about how much profit does this corporation make, I listened carefully to the answer. The answer was, We don't have a clue. We don't know. They won't tell us. That's right. I heard the answer. They don't have to tell you. You can't compel them to tell you. They can't compel you to give them the money. The last time we voted for somebody who refused to give us our tax returns, do you see what we got? We got somebody who was running the country for the benefit of corporations. My understanding is that the largest shareholder in this corporation is Mr. Stanton. Bloomberg says he's worth $1.1 billion. He does not need public money. I went to a ballgame in April with a friend of mine. I walked down to the kingdom in the rain. I was not prepared for the rain. I got soaking wet. So did my friend. I had a good time. I paid for my ticket. I put my money in Mr. Stanton's pocket. Then I walked home. I walked up Fourth Avenue. I walked under the. Yes, the overpass. I walked past people living in tents who were in that rain. And they have nowhere to get out of it. Please don't give them any way. By Edith and Tom Norwalk. And we've got these. I'm Edith Evergreen, and I want you not to give any more money to the Mariners. I agree with the previous person. I think it should be put toward low income housing. People talk about affordable housing often, but I've seen it manipulated in my neighborhood because I live right near 23rd and Jackson and the affordable housing is a tied to the market rate. Everybody knows the market is going way up. We need to talk about low income housing. So I live two miles from Safeco. We love the Mariners. My husband's been a baseball nut for about 40 years, but he supports put it into housing also. And my daughter lives with us in our basement. We are retired and she's 32. And she has to live with us because there is no place. She's very poor and there's no place else for her to live. And I just want to mention El Centro de la Rosa. They have this wonderful low income housing project on on Beacon Hill. And it's amazing place. And I think it would attract tourists if they wanted to see how we do low income housing. Why can't the county or the city come up with the funds like El Centro de la Rosa did? Thank you. Thank you. Okay, I've got Nick aunt and then patients malama. Nicole Kenan. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Tom Norwalk, president and CEO. Visit Seattle, the official destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County. And I think we're also here to talk a lot about jobs, destination marketing, tribe's economic development through jobs, but through advertising, marketing, promotion meetings, conventions, sports events. Nearly 40 million annual visitors spend over $7 billion a year in King County. Not only generating jobs, 76,000 jobs are supported or created through tourism in the county, but they contribute $718 Million in Tax every year. The great thing about visitors is they spend their money and usually they go home. However, maintaining a growing tourism economic cycle takes investment, and it takes long term thinking. I want the Council to know that visit Seattle and the industry love the Seattle Mariners or partners. We promote with them. We travel with them sometimes around the world. But I think we're concerned that when 60% of the tourism money is allocated for Safeco, it leaves very little for the other needed services. It's challenging and difficult for the industry that's actually driving that tourism revenue to be at the very bottom of the list and especially as it comes to future jobs. Thank you. Thank you, Tom. Okay, Nick and Patience and Nicole calls direct in there. Okay. As usual. Follow your lead here. All right. Good morning, Chairman Dombrowski and fellow council members. My name is Nicholas Erne and a member of the Resident Action Project in partnership with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. And I live in King County District Number four. The funds from the lodging tax are an opportunity to create desperately needed affordable homes. Tax dollars should be allocated in a way that benefits the 12,112 people who are experiencing homelessness in King County. We cannot afford to let another opportunity to for affordable housing in King County slide past us. A quintessential example of the desperate need for more than the state mandated minimum funding that King County is proposing is my friend Lori Mendoza, who died at the age of 41, now from a drug overdose, but from trying to survive the scarce resources and lack of affordable housing. Ryan had been on the coordinated entry parole waitlist for more than two years when she died at Harborview Medical Center on July 17th. I ask that you, our King County Council members, choose humanity and affordable housing over home runs. Please reconsider providing more funding for affordable housing. Similar stories like Lorraine's can be prevented. Thank you, Chairman Dombrowski. And Full Council. Thank you. Are you patients? Yes. All right. Good morning. Councilmembers. My name is Patients Malala. I am the advocacy mobilization manager for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle King County. Our members are dedicated to the vision of ensuring that we all have access. Two safe, healthy and affordable homes within communities of opportunity. And I want to first recognize a lot of the great work that the King County has put forth towards achieving this vision through a thoughtful voice. So the use of phones and your work on the regional Affordable Housing Task Force, as mentioned already, the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force found that we need 156,000 additional affordable homes today and 244,000 by 2040. That said, there's still a lot of work to be done. The lodging tax revenue is an opportunity to begin to do more. Yet the proposed motion 2018 0266 allocates only the state mandated bare minimum for affordable housing. We urge you to allocate. Funds in a way that benefits hundreds of thousands of King County residents who are in need of affordable housing maximum that maximizes public dollars to create as many affordable homes for working people as possible. We also urge you to be champions for affordable housing as we stand ready to board, support and work with you to ensure a successful increase in affordable homes for all people in King County. Thank you. Thank you. Patients. Hi. I have the opposite problem of Eric Pettigrew. So I can relate. My name's Nicole Valastro King, and I am the executive director of Puget Sound Stage. And I'm here in solidarity with many of the people who are seeking to put this money towards affordable housing. I want to make a couple of quick economic arguments. In particular, the economic impact of building affordable housing. When you have an affordable place to live, you can put more of your money towards food, childcare, rent. I was raised by a single mom who was a hairdresser, and because of having an affordable place to live, was able to put me through preschool and I was able to read by the time I was four because of that investment. So I just want to make that very clear. The second is the economic impact of sports ball teams. Is this the real thing that we're actually talking about again? So here, if you don't believe me, I've actually conducted economic impact and input-output analyzes in the past and the economic input and output of a baseball team is essentially the same as a mid-sized department store. So according to Michael Leeds, a sports economist at Temple University, there is no impact of investing in large sports teams in terms of how it ripples out into the economy. But I do know for a fact that when people have more money in their pockets as a result of affordable housing or higher jobs, that there is a ripple effect that happens when people have more money to spend on housing and childcare. And then you can look up several other studies. Richard Noll at Stanford University has also put a number of things out as well. Thank you. Thanks, Nicole. Rachel Leitner, Jason Austin, Katie Wilson, Michael C with Lauren Transue on sunny side. Hello, council members. My name is Katie Wilson and I'm here on behalf of the Transit Riders Union. The first thing I'd like to say is that this meeting is taking place with about one week's notice, 10 a.m. on a monday in the middle of summer. And as you see, you had a packed house. You also have a overflow room which earlier in the meeting had at least 50 people in it and probably some people outside as well. I think that means that people care about this issue. And I would like to request that you all make a point to hold an evening public hearing sometime before this decision is made so that the many, many people who cannot get out of work during the day can come and have their voices heard. I'd like to echo some of what Nicole just said. Economists overwhelmingly agree that public subsidies for building sports stadiums are not a good deal for the public. Please look into the economics of this decision. So that raises the question why do we keep doing it not just here, but around the country? Well, maybe it's because that's what the politically powerful billionaires and corporations that own major sports teams want. Well, I want to believe that King County is better than that. I want to believe that all of you are better than that. So, please, we have a crisis, an affordable housing crisis. I don't know what that word means anymore. If we're faced with a decision like this, we do the bare minimum. Please do the right thing. Are you, Jason? All right. Go ahead. Good morning, counsel. Thank you for having us. And thank you to everyone here. Who sacrificed whatever you needed to do to be here today. My name is Jason Austin. I'm here with Catholic Community Services, one of the oldest and most respected faith organizations in Washington state. King County is currently behind to the tune of about $400 million a year in what it should be spending for affordable housing. That's per the Chamber of Commerce funded McKinsey report that you should familiarize yourself with as a housing case manager. I see this reality every day. My program, Housing and Essential Needs, offers a fairly generous housing voucher of up to $1,000 for qualified people. Yet I still struggle to place these people into housing due to the incredibly overheated market that we're in. And that's not just our program. There's a crisis in Seattle of people losing their Section eight vouchers after waiting sometimes ten years or more to get them because there is simply not an affordable unit to go use them. And we are wasting money and leaving money on the table by not investing more in affordable housing. And every single budget is a moral document. And when you put the bare minimum that you're legally required to do so for affordable housing, you're communicating your morals loud and clear to your constituents. Please search your heart and ask yourself if that's who you really are. Thank you for your time today. Thank you, Jason. Do we have Michael or. Okay, Michael. And then you'll be next. What's your name? Okay, Lauren. Great morning. Members of the King County Council. My name is Michael Sira. I'm on staff with Capitol Hill Housing. We develop and manage affordable apartments throughout Seattle and in unincorporated King County. We have apartments for working families, individuals, seniors and those that are disabled. Many of our residents are one paycheck away from homelessness, and the need has never been greater. What we're doing is providing an affordable home so that a single parent doesn't have to choose between paying rent and buying an inhaler for their kid and Capitol Hill housing. The good news is we have a half dozen new sites secured that are transitory in development and can be ready to be developed at affordable housing. And we're only one organization with all of our other colleague organizations. We can help solve this problem. But I'm here urging you for the swift allocation of more lodging tax funds and going above the bare minimum so we can actually address this affordable housing crisis. Thank you very much. Thank you, Lauren. And then I've got Michelle Bufano, Karen Olsen, the Seattle Raging Grannies. All right. I hope to be one when I'm yourself. Hello. Martin Luther King County Council members. My name is Lauren Kazee. I'm a longtime resident of Seattle. I moved here in 1980. I love the city and I'm also a long time early childhood educator. People in my profession struggle every day, and many of us are a few paychecks away from being homeless ourselves, as are seniors, teachers, SROs, social workers, nurses, service workers, etc.. Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing is in a state of crisis. The many people living on the streets are elderly, elderly, veterans, African-Americans, Native Americans, Latino and Latina, the disabled, the youth and immigrants. People have died and are dying in the streets. There's a moral imperative here. There are $185 billion proposal for Safeco must be used for housing. The ball is in your court. Please do the right thing and please go to bat for affordable housing. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. I'm sorry, ma'am. Give me your name one more time. Lauren. Thanks, Lauren. Okay, I've got Michelle. The final Karen Olson, the Raging Grannies. Good morning, shadow panel to who we garden in glass. My comments are about the allocation of tax collections intended for tourism. We live in a culturally rich, unique Northwest. We offer experiences for visitors from all over the world that nobody else can offer. The role that visit Seattle plays as their official destination marketing organization is so important to our cultural attractions throughout the county. It's imperative that we are competitive in our approach to bring visitors to our region. And many smaller nonprofits and museums do not have the resources that they need to do the marketing that is required. We rely on Visit Seattle to connect us with the tourism industry, from domestic travelers to international travelers, visiting convention groups and tourism. When visitors come to experience the Northwest, they invest in our communities not only through their spending, lodging, dining, retail, but also their attendance at cultural organizations. Supports jobs and museums. It supports the preservation of arts and culture of our region, and even more directly supports individual artists who are struggling themselves. We are fortunate to have an organization like Visit Seattle that works with all cultural attractions in this county. They recently developed a program that helps to serve 30 museums throughout King County, including small museums like the Bonsai Museum in Federal Way and the Shoreline Historical Society, museums that would not be able to support themselves with the marketing. I respectfully request that we find a way to support all of the necessary initiatives here and that we work together for a win win for all the people of King County. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Colonels and the grandniece Kathryn Kurtzman, our Queen Bee King Rose and Yvonne Speakman. And then we're done with page two. Good morning. My name is Karen Olson and the chief marketing officer for the Space Needle, Julie Gardening Glass. I'm here to comment on the motion to propose an allocation of future lodging taxes intended to promote tourism while I oversee major marketing attractions here in Seattle, had the honor of acting more like an ambassador to the city. Actually, all of our team members do. We have visitors from across the country and from around the world. We feel fortunate that forward thinking, destination marketing organizations in our region such as Visit Seattle. Compared to the tourism budget of other states, is it Seattle's able to use its limited funds smartly? They partner with the port and with other attractions such as ours to host band tours of tour operators and host international media and these from around this country. They create content like visits to our TV to showcase the uniqueness of our region. They help bring visitors to Seattle and beyond, and the whole region benefits from their work and consideration of the economic impact that visit Seattle and the other nonprofit destination marketing organizations help yield for us. We support the continued funding to help ensure that they have what they need to continue doing their great work. Thank you. Thank you. How are we getting a song or. All right. This is an old one, but it has a couple of new verses. Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd. King County is paying these billionaires with my tax dollars. It just isn't. Fair. So it's route win win for. The whole team. Why not? We're paying their way. It's three strikes. The taxpayer is down at the old ball game one. Miller. Take me out to. The ball game. What I'm going to pay twice. Mariners sucking up all. The dough when. There's no housing for regular. You. User taxes for people, not for corporate welfare. And it's one, two, three strikes. You're out if you just don't care. Thank you. Never disappoint. All right. That was enjoyable. Catherine Kurtzman, Green Bay and Yvonne. Good morning. I am Katherine Kurtzman, president and CEO of the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. And I come to you today wearing two hats. I'm testifying today on behalf of the 38 Seattle Southside Tourism Promotion Area Hotel Ratepayers and the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority Board of Directors. The destination, Seattle Southside, is composed of the suburban city surrounding SeaTac International Airport. Travel and tourism plays a significant role in our local economy. Seattle Southside is home to nearly 9000 hotel rooms. We host 4 million overnight visitors annually who spend 72 $6 million in visitor spending that generates 5000 jobs and contributes $75.4 million in local and state tax receipts. Many travel and hospitality professionals agree that the heart of a travel destination success lies in its marketing efforts. We can't afford to be a destination that people simply pass through. Travelers need to be aware of the amenities, products and services we have to offer. Destination brand awareness is critical to generating additional tax receipts for our local economy that can support human services. We ask that you consider a carve out of at least 15% of the future tourism promotion allocation for Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. Thank you. And then we've got Queen Bee right here and then Yvonne Speakman. Good morning, King County Council. I am Queen Bee King Rios and formerly homeless and disabled. I'm also a member of Will and a leader of Women in Black. I'm here as a women and black leader right now to let you guys know that there's been 61 outdoor violent homeless deaths already this year in King County, and we have no way to pay for desperately needed affordable housing. So many people are living and dying on the streets of Seattle and King County. This isn't just Seattle's problem. The county's problem is the whole world's problems. Right now, it's our problem. I was fortunate and blessed to be able to move downtown, and I heard some people that were tourists here talking the other day saying to one another, Ah, the money the city has, they can't get these people off the streets. Do you know how that made me feel as a resident living here? Right here in the heart of the homelessness crisis. It hurt me and it broke my heart. We are grief stricken. I don't know how many times we have stood vigil for someone. And it shouldn't be. We should be able to build affordable housing, low income housing, lower. We need to have more resources and people lives should matter, not just a ballpark. Save lives, not just the stadium. Thank you. Thanking Queen Yvonne Speakman and then I have Kelson, Caldwell, Alex Finnane. I want to let folks know that normally our meeting would end after charters at noon we're going to go tell 1230 work to get everybody in. So if you are listening in and expecting a noon meeting here at the County Council, that will start 1230 or later. Hi there. My name's Calvin Caldwell, and I'm here on behalf of the Known Youth Jail Coalition, which is very concerned about Constantine's continued mass misuse of public money is for projects that don't fundamentally address the needs of people who are living right here in King County right now. The council you are have the chance to address the needs of people in this county by maximizing funding for affordable housing through the lodging tax and to repurpose the new youth jail and courthouse buildings for meeting actual basic human needs instead of traumatizing our youth. Saying no to the jail, saying no to unnecessary spending on Safeco and yes to housing will show that you all actually prioritize addressing racism and heartlessness in this county. We don't need cages for kids. We don't need fancier stadiums. We need housing. Dow Constantine wants to pander to rich billionaires so that he can pave the way to become a governor. And that's part of the reason why this is happening. So y'all have a chance to say that public officials can be actually be accountable to the people rather than to billionaires by prioritizing housing and not cages and not state. COFIELD Right now, thank you. CARLSON Thank you. I've got Alex Finn and then Kyle more than Pam Fernald from SeaTac. I. I apologize about that handwriting. It's Finch. I'm sorry, Mr. Finch. I got bad eyes. So sorry. My name is Alex Finch. I'm a member of the Share Board of Directors and also a resident of Tent City three. And I have a letter here from Share Dear Councilmembers Members Executive Constantine, who appears to be absent today. Cher. Participants living in Seattle searching for low income and affordable housing. Has been very difficult to find. The recent city upgrade, such as stadium upgrades, have been placed above the increasing need of building low income. And affordable housing throughout. That could help the. Homeless and struggling families throughout the entire King County area. The methods of building expensive housing forces. People that are in poverty to give up and move away from Seattle. Rather than giving them a chance to feel motivated and continue living and investing in the city itself. More affordable housing gives people the hope of. Knowing they can continue living in the great city of Seattle without the constant fear of continuing the downward spiral of being homeless. After being housed every person in Seattle and throughout the country and county, even. No matter if they are rich or poor, deserves to feel they have a home to come home to no matter what their financial status may be. From the men and women of Sharon, thank you for your time to listen to our concerns. And Tent City three is currently in Tukwila if you care to visit. Thanks, Alex. Okay, Kyle. And then we have councilmember for an old. M, Kyle Moore. I'm the government relations manager for City of SeaTac. And I'm just here to drop off a letter from. Our city manager, dated from May. 29th to King County executive Dale Constantine. All right, you can hand that to our clerk. And copies will be distributed to all members. Now, Pam, for an old. Happy Monday council. Happy Monday. Bottom line, don't give any more public funds to a private, for profit baseball stadium. Excuse me. We have worked for many years with our city and county officials to ensure that a return of a fair distribution of funds would occur once the pass obligations like the King Dome were met. We respectfully ask, if strongly urge you to withdraw the proposed misuse of tourism funds and explore other avenues for financing the ongoing maintenance of the capital assets of the Public Facilities District. The county's proposed reallocation of the additional 1% lodge tax reneges on a 2011. Bill. Bill which promise was SB SB 5834 which promised a mutually agreed upon allocation of funds between arts, housing and tourism promotion. This morning I am asking you to honor these longstanding promises and to commit at least 15% of available funds for tourism promotion to the Seattle Southside RTA lodging guest staying at the City of SeaTac generate over 1.7 million annually of this additional 1%, and our hoteliers and residents have been patiently waiting for this mutually agreed upon allocation in order to at least see a direct return on this contribution. We will continue to support the original. Thanks and gotcha. Okay. Thank you, Councilmember. Let's see, I've got Ladd Moore and then I've got Godsil and Nunez and I've got Shelley Cohen of Shelley still here. Ladd. Shelly Crutchfield. Go ahead, Shelly. Mr. Chair. Shelly Cohen, vendor with real change, advocacy with real change, and also member of the board of directors of Real Change. It's all been said. Every one of them has been said. And it's obvious. Yes, we need sports. I agree with that. However, if you're going to end up giving money to the sporting event with billionaires. Not putting in their fair share to homelessness. Maybe, just maybe, the answer to get a letter. Of agreement. From the billionaires to put money. Into homelessness. That might be the best answer. They could solve homelessness. And I'm talking about the lowest possible level. I'm in Seattle Housing Authority. I'm comfortable not able to do other things that should be down mount. However, if you put money or get the money from the. Billionaires and put into homelessness, they've got it. Thank you. Thank you, Shelly. Hey, guys. Sheila. Hi. Good morning. Honorable council members. For the record, my name is going to say Spartacus, and I am the political and community organizer with SEIU 775 The Caregivers Union. And our mission is to uplift our 45,000 members out of poverty. I urge you, while for this reason, SEIU 775 opposes any transfer of public assets and wealth to for profit sports teams, billion dollar sports teams, or their public sector standards standards like stadium development authorities. We strongly urge the council to put these funds towards addressing the housing crisis and the homelessness crisis. Thank you. Thank you. Darren Griffin. A neat try when he was still here and then Barbara's iPad. Lisa sawyer. There. Christie Copeland on there. You know what? You're on here, Christie? I'm sure I missed you, but go forward. Thanks. My name is Christie. I'm a resident of North Seattle. Today I'm asking that you allocate the maximum allowable to affordable housing and to repurposing the youth jail building under construction, away from incarcerating young people, and towards meeting the real human needs of families and youth in King County. Subsidizing the Mariners like the like the racist investment of $230 million in the new youth jail is yet another example of bad budget priorities in King County. King County is in a housing crisis. People, especially black and brown people, are being pushed out of their housing, out of shelter entirely at a ridiculous pace. One out of 13 kids in Seattle Public Schools is experiencing homelessness. 700 people have died on King County streets in the last six years. And we're on track to set a new record this year, around 200 people. Let's not balance the needs of a first class stadium on the backs of our most vulnerable residents. What's the point of saving our culture at the expense of our humanity? We don't want a sports team with such unsportsmanlike conduct paying themselves $156 million in salary annually and then demanding public funds that could house homeless children. The Mariners are emphasizing that the stadium is a county building with over 6000 unsheltered people in King County. Imagine what else we could do with a county building that big with plenty of bathrooms, showers, food services and a frickin retractable roof. King County Council. Align your budget with our values and support affordable housing. Thank you. Okay. I need to go ahead. Good afternoon. My name is Anita Freeman. I am when I am a member of Chair and Wheel Homeless organizing efforts. And in 2000, I helped start women in black vigils. Whenever somebody's homeless dies outside or by violence in King County. That first year, we stood for five people. Last year we stood for. 108 people this year. And the last speaker said, We've already stood for 61 people. Now that speaker pointed out, that means we're on track to go over 200. That's not a batting average you want. Council member Von Marek Bauer said, You know, it's great to take your family up to the ball game. When my grandfather took me to the ball game, he could afford it. When I took my son to the ball game, I could afford it. Today, if a family of four has a choice between paying rent and paying over $100 to take everybody ball game, they're going to pay the rent. Make that same choice yourself. Thank you. Barbara and Lisa. And then I have Councilmember Peter Quan from SeaTac. Councilmember Quan is still here. I'm Barbara Zepeda. And I came to this room in 1955 when young Democrats was run by Wing. Luke And I liked the architecture much better then than I do now. And we worked with Gaylord Nelson in the National Young Democrats for Clean Air, Clean Water and using public funds for public purposes. The neocons have taken over all of our federal dollars for war, and then our local people took to Seattle or took low income housing, state money and subsidized these two stadiums. After the people in Seattle voted against them twice. Now, none of our elected officials at the national level had the gray cells of FDR, because when he gave the banks a bailout in the thirties, he said they had to renegotiate those predatory loans because he believed in real capitalism, which means that small farmers, homeowners and small businesses. And I've been working I've been doing bookkeeping and small businesses for 40 years. And right now, September 11th, there's going to be a foreclosure on hundreds of homes. And it was the public notice. And 611, our county prosecutor is going to put hundreds of people out of their homes. And you guys can't figure out a way to do what the hedge funds that got all the $4 trillion from the federal government and they're using that money to buy up all these foreclosed homes in every city in this country at $0.10 on the dollar. We don't have a democratic government in this country because you're not using the money for the public and the 43rd District. Unanimously, except for one abstention, passed a resolution saying. And, Barbara, I'm going to have to. I'm going to say this. Other folks three, I'm going to ask you to hand the resolution on the floor. You know. I'm going to say to the clerk of the 43rd District, Democrats oppose current spending proposal and urge King County Council to vote against the current proposal and courage. King County Executive Dow Constantine to submit a new proposal increasing the percentage of funds dedicated to affordable housing. All right. Thank you. And I would love to hear more from you, but we have 20 other folks on that report. Peter, United States Cities. I'm sorry. They can't even build a public toilet in all our major cities. Lisa, are you Lisa? And then. And then Peter. Good afternoon, King County Council members. My name is Lisa Sawyer. I am also a real change vendor and also a member of the Resident Action Project with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. I was homeless over six years and I had my housing voucher just not that long ago. Right now I'm back into homelessness. You guys want to put more money into Safeco Field and rather pay money into affordable housing, which is ridiculous because the banners go for their own. I went to Manors games when it was cheaper. Right now you can probably pay close to 50 bucks for one ticket if you're lucky, if you're not season ticket holder. But you could use that into affordable housing. I've been in hotels, I was in outside. I was sleeping outside, in hotels, in tent cities. Right now, it's as of yesterday. A friend of mine that used to volunteer with real change, she invited me over to her home over Amityville and let me camp out in her RV for a couple of months until I found a about affordable housing. I know I have no no way to get into housing. I have no voucher. Nothing is me and my boyfriend. We both work. We can afford a plus. A 13,000 a month. Right now, we just can't. You need guys to get into into gear and get put this towards affordable housing because people are dying. People are watching their backs. 24 seven. I didn't get comfortable, but I have my housing and I had my housing for ten months. You guys need to have these portable housing and these programs to have a longer period of time. Thank you. Thank you, Lisa. Councilmember Quan. Thank you. You know, I wrote down good morning but now with. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, councilmember. I am SeaTac City Councilmember Peter Quan and I'm here today to comment on the motion proposing the distribution of state shared king. County lodging tax collections intended for tourism, promotion and development. So we ask the King County Council to carve out 15% of the funds allocated by the state legislature for tourism promotion to the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. That translates to about 25% of the funds that are generated in our communities being reinvested back into destination marketing to sustain the long term viability of this fund. Our region is home to 9000 hotel room, the second largest grouping of hotels in the entire state. To the marketing really matters to us. Our national award winning destination marketing organization, the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, is dedicated to enhancing the image and economic strength of the region. The RTA also generates an impressive return on investment of $42.86 for every $1 spent. Please consider the economic boost destination marketing provides our region and modify the recent motion to guarantee funding is directed toward the Seattle Delta Regional Tourism Authority. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Okay, I've got Zack de George t0p, a Z, maybe on 60th Avenue Northwest, then Marla, Vendor Water and Ethan Goodman. Any of those folks still here come forward. And then I've got Michael Nash, Gene Darcy on tape. Hello. Topaz. Topaz. Real change vendor. Props for the Spinal Tap reference earlier. Turn it up to 11, huh? Yeah. Thank you. Even a blind squirrel finds a note once in a while. I think that's why I. I found it interesting that most of the people wishing for the money to go to the Mariners were using mathematics and economics. And most of the people wishing for the money to be spent for the people are. We're using hearts and cultural references. So to throw its weight behind the cultural references, the daodejing chapter 34 mentions the door of heaven is the building of the bow low become high and the high become low. This means obviously that that when you have an abundance to share to those who are not in abundance is the wise thing to do. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about giving to those that ask it Do not turn away the borrowers. Once again, a reference to sharing when you have an abundance and to mention some science. Stephen Hawking in his book The Brief History of Time, the chapter referencing Black Holes Ain't So Black. He mentions how if you add two boxes of different molecules, they all eventually blend themselves together where they will become indistinguishable. This science cultural philosophical reference is something that the Council needs to announce to the community, to the city and to the nation. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Mala and then Ethan Goodman. Michael Nash. Gene Darcy. Josh Cassell. Go ahead and just come forward and you can take your turn. Just let me know who you are. Hi, I'm Ethan Goodman. Thank you, counsel, for extending this hearing to hear from us today. I'm the lead organizer for Tech for Housing. We're a grassroots group of technology workers who believe the tech boom can and should benefit every resident of our region. We just had a divisive fight in Seattle over the head tax, which very visibly resulted in no new. Investment for affordable housing. And then here we have a. Proposal to spend 180 million on a stadium. So I want to ask, did we declare a state of emergency around stadium maintenance three years ago and. Congress stuck in 2015? And we've been struggling despite that declaration of emergency to find any funds. To put towards stadium maintenance. Have we hired multiple rounds of outside consultants to study how other cities best put money towards stadium maintenance? Have we attacked the efficiency of the current providers. Of stadium maintenance? Have we instituted the asked for reforms around performance monitoring and still not seen any increase in funding for stadium maintenance or. And we called for more regional. Solutions to stadium maintenance as businesses threatened to run a campaign to repeal stadium maintenance if it's passed. Why is it so hard to find some things and so easy to fund others? Why can we. Find $100,000,180 million. For stadiums without breaking a sweat? And yet we still can't find the money for affordable housing. Thank you. Hello. My name is Marla Vandy Warner. I'm a member of the Friends of Writers Union, and thank you for letting me speak. I first learned about the way those with wealth used the system. Nothing seems. To move. You're hired, ma'am. Money to private profit businesses. In a book by David Cay Johnston. Sports stadiums are a prime example of this. The Mariners are a private, for profit corporation owned by very wealthy people. The wealthier the person or corporation, the more adept at moving public money into private business and hands. I oppose using much needed public money that should be used for the construction of much needed low income housing in our ongoing housing emergency. To benefit a rich corporation. Even though I enjoy baseball. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. We're heading toward the finish line here. I think we're going to get done. Come forward, sir. What did I call your name? No, I've got Michael Nash. Gene Darcy. That's Michael already laid on Michael. Thank you. So I would like to thank the council and everyone in attendance. I am here to represent housing now, Seattle, and I ask that the 177 $180 million that are proposed to be used for the PFG be used for affordable housing instead. I've heard a lot about how the Seattle Mariners and the hotel and hospitality industry contribute to the local economy. And I'd like to point out that our economy cannot continue to grow if workers can't afford to live here. Yeah, and I also want to say that I in my neighborhood of Lake City, I walk by the tent city at 101, Northeast 125th Street every day. I believe those people are more in need of these funds than the Seattle Mariners. And I'm sorry to hear that Major League Baseball attendance is down, but I feel like that's not really my problem as a taxpayer. I think the the problems of our citizens are far more pressing and are more deserving of these funds. So thank. You. Thank you, sir. Than Jean, are you Jean? Come on up, Jean. And then I've got Amanda Parsons, Erik Burke, Tammy Morales. In the afternoon. Council members. According to an ABC News report, the rising numbers of homeless people have pushed abject poverty into the open like never before and have overwhelmed cities and nonprofits. In addition, we have a growing number of people living in conditions of housing insecurity due to the lack of affordable housing. The Oxford reference defines bread and circuses, a term that was first coined during the time of the Roman Empire as referring to the potential of spectator sports and mass spectacle to divert populations or factions of a population away from the weightier business of politics and society. It's tempting to say that this is what the council is doing by diverting public funds to subsidizing profitable sports organizations instead of directing those funds to the greater needs of the public, such as affordable housing. I strongly urge you all to consider allocating the maximum of the hotel motel tax to affordable housing in a way from subsidizing . Profitable sports organizations. Thank you, Jean. Amanda, Eric, Tammy. Si. Tammy, I've got Eric or you, Eric. Come on forward. And then Tammy may have lost Amanda. Thank you. My name's Eric Burke. I'm the former president, longtime board member and and parent and coach with Ranger District Little League. We serve families in the Rainier Valley, which is extremely diverse, both in terms of race and economics. And when I became a board member ten years ago, I ended up with something very different than what I thought I signed up for. We the topics that we deal with on our board of of Little League parents volunteering their time, are dealing with homelessness, living in our dugouts we deal with how do we deal with gang and gun violence on the Rainier Avenue in close proximity to our home fields? These are the types of big, real big issues that we deal with. So our approach to this is to ensure that when we're defining community, we don't define community with a small C like a lot of organizations do. In my estimation, people define communities by segmenting out their part of the community. The beautiful thing about Little League, Bob was up here earlier. We represent families and we're tied to a specific geographic boundary. And so the homeless living in our dugouts are part of our Little League community. The gang members that are shooting guns are part of our Little League community. We need to find a way to solve problems there. What we've done is tried to create an opportunity for kids to connect with one another across all those boundaries. We're not going to wait our kids down with these types of issues. We're going to solve problems for them. And so the way we do that is to ensure that they all have opportunities. The Mariners have played a big part in that they're a partners for us supporting our Little League organization. I'll leave you just with how that works out in a real, real way. So real quickly, real quickly. So this past spring, an opportunity to get together with kids from all from our League of All different abilities and disabilities. We walked in to catch the train, a light rail, and with the help of the Mariners, we enjoyed a game together as a team, as part of the community. That type of experiences helped to make for a memory that we work with the Mariners to do with our kids and our community. And so the Mariners have an excellent, excellent tenants. I would encourage you to ensure that we're balancing solving real world problems with ensuring that baseball has a long term place in our in our community . Thank you, Eric. Okay, Tami. And then I've got I think Elena Scott has made a name on certain Park Avenue South and Heidi Park and Robbie Stern and Carey Moon. Hi. Good afternoon, council members. Thank you for having me. My name is Tami morales. I'm a resident of District two. Councilmember Gossage District. I'm also a resident of the 37th District where almost 70% of our schoolchildren are on free or reduced lunch. I think there are two principles at play here. Are we going to spend the revenue that we already have to meet, the needs that we've already declared are in crisis? And is our local government going to allow itself to be extorted by private entities? And I think you've. Heard from. Many people today that we really hope you don't do the latter and that you do do the former. Your job as our elected representatives isn't to make the balance sheet of a private entity more rosy. Your responsibility to our community is to ensure that we have the infrastructure we need to meet the basic needs for the most vulnerable in our community, like the children whose parents can't afford to buy groceries because they have to pay rent. And so they're on free or reduced lunch. Like the seniors in our community who are splitting pills. Because they can either pay rent or get their prescription refilled. These are real problems that people have every day because of the affordability crisis in our city. And we need hundreds of thousands of new. Just not enough busses. It's pretty bad. Traffic is horrible. The number of people living and working in Seattle is booming at a time when funding for public transit is at an all time high. So why are transit advocates feeling angry and frustrated? Well, right now it's just kind of like we're all in a pickle. After helping to pass the Move Seattle levee in 2015, activists say the city's Department of Transportation is backpedaling on its promises. We're going to now figure out how we got here and what we can do to make it better. How can the city rebuild public trust while dealing with budget overruns and work stoppages? It's getting more expensive. Our panel weighs in. We've waited long enough. Trying to stay on track as Seattle enters three years of major traffic and transit challenges. Next on City Inside-Out. Welcome to City Inside Out. I'm your host, Brian Callanan, from some multimillion dollar projects put on hold to some traffic choking major construction projects at the Seattle Department of Transportation is under fire. The city says it's going through a reset following some newly revealed projected cost overruns for Seattle's streetcar project and a new network of bike lanes. But transit advocates who helped pass the city's move Seattle transportation levy to pay for projects like these are feeling frustrated and angry, with the city bracing for major traffic with a new convention center downtown and the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Scott is looking for ways to build public trust as it tries to build a transportation network. It doesn't matter if you drive a car. What do you think of tracks. That are community experiences when nurses can't afford to live in the city they work in? When my children and my grandchildren live 3000 miles away because although both of them work long hours. All three of my grandchildren live on the East Coast because they can't afford to live here. And I think we lose a lot more than a family friendly place to take our children when our community can't stay together. Thank you. Thank you, Eliana, Heidi Park and then Robbie Stern and then Carey Moon and then Doris. Good afternoon, King County Council. My name is Heidi Park and I'm here as a member of the King County Alliance for Human Services. See our King County Coalition and Homelessness and a housing development consortium for Sale. King County, both King County Alliance and Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness sent letters to council asking that you consider the most cost effective use of our public funds, which should go towards affordable housing rather than subsidized stadium maintenance. Homelessness is not just an affordability issue, but also a racial equity issue. Homelessness. People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately people of color, the systemic issues of racial inequity in the policies that drive that inequity. For example, there are 21,500 applicants to the 2017 FHA housing choice voucher program. More than 35% came from people of color. Our tax dollars should be allocated in a way that benefits those most impacted by the homeless crisis. And I certainly hope that you will consider allocating more than just the state mandated minimum for affordable housing. Thank you. Thanks, Heidi. Robbie Stern, Kerry Moon, Doris. Steve. And then Jonathan is the last one I have signed up. Yep. So we're going to run a couple of minutes over, but I think we're going to get done. Yeah. Come on forward, ma'am. Jonathan Black. Okay. Kerry, go ahead. Hi. Thank you so much for sticking around to listen. I could not be more proud of our Seattle community coming forward with such eloquent, heartfelt, compassionate, but also incredibly intelligent, effective arguments for affordable housing. We all see our collective failure to deal with the crisis of affordable housing in our region. We hear stories of working people commuting 90 minutes each way to work. We hear stories of young people paying three quarters of their paycheck to rent. We all know there are 12,000 people trying to survive on the streets of King County. We all see the housing crisis and the state of emergency every single day in our lives. But today, we have a rare opportunity to do something significant about solving it. Our first priority is housing. I'm not going to repeat all the great arguments that my fellow citizens and residents and neighbors and friends of King County have already said. But I will just try to reiterate. Housing is the priority. The Mariners make incredible profits. They can afford to pay for their own upgrades as any other for profit private enterprise would have to do. Please be bold. Be heroic. Spend this money on affordable housing. The next generation will remember you for your good work. Thank you. Thank you very much. Doors are your doors. Come on forward. And then Steve Colter and Jonathan Rosenbaum. Thank you. In 1995, the state legislators enacted various revenue sources to to support the construction of Safeco Field. Now, CenturyLink Field. At that time, the legislators promised that any levies used to pay for Safeco would go away when the new bonds were paid on a promise. This promise was broken in 2011, when the Washington state legislators passed SB 5834, extending some of the sources of revenue, including the lodging tax. This statute continued the expenditures and allocated the funds to support the arts, to support transit oriented oriented housing, and a certain percentage amount to promote tourism. Regional destination marketing organizations like Seattle, Southside, RTA and Visit Seattle were promised they would receive a certain percentage of the tourism portion and some background information on Seattle Southside RTA. In 2011. The state. Made a decision not to fund tourism. The city of SeaTac and its businesses, particularly the hotel motel operations, thought this was a bad idea. So the city and hotel motel industry formed a public development authority. Give us your highlights and then we'll have copies. Of the remarks for kids and bands. And now they want to use some additional moneys to put heads and beds, help butts in seats, the theater seats, if any seats stayed in seats, and I might add, putting dollars in the coffers of the state, county and city. So I want to use the money as was promised. Thank you so much. Thank you. And if you'd like to provide your written remarks to our clerk's staff, we'll copy them for all members. It's discretionary. Okay. Steve Colter, Jonathan Rosenblum. Steve Colter. Counsel, I would like you to consider a few things as we talk about another subsidy for for a private corporation. This is a private corporation that Forbes has valued at $1.4 billion. They have the wherewithal to take care of this stadium. It we built for them over the last ten years. We're told that Major League Baseball attendance is dropping. This is not the case for the Mariners. There's just been increasing. They settled at two and a half million seats last year. If we stretch that out over the 25 year lease, it's less than $3 a ticket to get this $180 million. How come they can't do that? The Paramount Theater has a little thing on their tickets that you pay to maintain that building. There's an extra fund just to do that. The Mariners should do the same. I live in Pioneer Square. Right now, I'm being asked to fund a public amenity by being asked to fund the lid to rebuild the waterfront. How is it that my $220 million weighs against $180 million to fund a private corporation? I just want to know why we can't find some other way to get that money. It doesn't involve going back to the public trough. Thank you. Thank you, John. Jonathan is the last person I have signed up, so if I've missed you, let me know. But this may be our last speaker otherwise. Thank you. Jonathan Rosenblum, speaking on behalf of the office of Seattle City Councilmember Selma Sawant We stand in solidarity with everybody in team housing here today. I use all my time to list all the organizations that have spoken here, but we salute you. And we all need to move forward and build a movement to keep fighting for housing. The question before you council members is not whether we root for the Mariners when they hit a home run or pitch a shutout. The question is whether the existing housing emergency that was declared by the county executive more than two and a half years ago still exists. And whether the Mariners need for money outweighs that housing emergency today. It's not just the thousands of people on our streets who are living without housing. It's the 46% of people, renters in our region who are rent burdened, hundreds of thousands of people who are one or two paychecks away from being on the streets themselves. We have to weigh that against a mariners team value of 1.4 or 5 billion, a mariners owner who's worth 1.1 billion and so on. The fact that we're even having this debate, that we have a King County executive who's putting corporate handouts before people's needs, show why we need to build our own fighting movement of activists pressuring the political establishment. And I would close by urging the county council scheduled that evening hearing, as Katie Wilson suggested, so that all Seattle King County residents can come out and have their voices heard. Thank you. All right. That's the last person I have to sign up. I want to thank my colleagues and everybody who attended today to share your views. It's an important part of the council's deliberative process. This committee will take this item up again on Wednesday, the 29th of August, at 930 here in these chambers with that. ", "output": "A MOTION proposing the allocation of future lodging tax collections to support arts, culture and heritage programs, workforce housing and youth services, and capital or operating programs that promote tourism."}
{"id": "king_7644bc60-1ccd-4369-b99b-4c7963d5b8e1", "input": "Meeting to order. This is the meeting of January 18, 2017 of the Committee of the Whole. And we will start with our first briefing presentation, 2017 Briefing 11 and this is our Naco, which is the National Association of Counties Prescription Discount Program called Live Healthy Cortez. Welcome. Thank you, Madam Chair. Catherine Cortez with the central staff. I'll just briefly introduce the public health staff who's going to join us today and give you an overview of this program. Jennifer Covert from Public Health, Seattle and King County is that's the agency that is coordinating King County's participation in the National Association of Counties Live Healthy Discount Program, which includes both a free prescription discount card and also the opportunity to purchase dental and health discount cards. And Jennifer will present a brief overview of the program and be willing to talk about how it's being publicized King County residents and take questions. Kate, before you start, we are going to be focusing, I think, on prescription part of this. Right. I understand that there is some glitch with our state insurance commission on the dental part. And so there's a group that's going to be working on that part. We haven't signed that part of the contract yet because we're going to get this done first. So I want the listening audience to know that we're talking about prescriptions and not dental. But I hope that in the next year or so we will be able to add dental, but we will have to get that little Washington state glitch because this is the national contract in that provision in the states. Different. So go ahead. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you. As I am Jennifer Cobra. I'm with the Access and Outreach Program here at the WASH at the Health Department. And we lead the work in health care enrollment and the Oracle program. And we are using the one King County approach to integrate this live healthy prescription discount program into our everyday work. We are out in the community doing health care enrollment, enrolling families in the Orca Lift program, helping them access their breast and cervical health program and the basic food program. And this is just one more component of our work that we can offer our client that we're already working with. So we are really, really excited to be a part of this. We've actually have already started getting calls on our Community Health Access Program hotline. In fact, the first call came in yesterday and the woman was really excited to be able to be on the phone for less than a minute, get her card printed and mailed out to her. It's a really, really exciting program to be a part of. We have updated our website to include information on this so people can go to the access and outreach website and be able to get directly connected to the Live Healthy website where they can go in, enter in their first name, last name, email address and zip code and they can print off their own card. And everyone, I passed out information that you can see that with the card. Looks like they also have a copy. It has the King County logo and it has their prescription information and this card works. So for families that don't have insurance coverage or perhaps they have a prescription that's not covered by their drug formulary, their prescription may be discounted through this through this program. So it's really, really great. And we are going to be incorporating our existing provider networks and get them engaged to do outreach. We've already had material sent to community health centers, libraries, and all of our public health sites have been trained and have this information available to help people enroll and to answer questions. Just give me a minute here. I just want to say that we have a strong network of outreach providers. We have our first Friday forum, which has 500 individuals or more than 500 individuals on the listserv. And we have monthly meetings and we'll be rolling this out to them at the next February meeting. We have our Navigator network, which has over 38 different agencies that participate and 235 active navigators will also be getting this information. I think what's really exciting about this program is that really all you need is a King County zip code. So it's really a great resource for those individuals that may not be able to qualify for health insurance because of their immigration status. Or maybe they do qualify for a qualified health plan, but they don't have the funds available to actually afford to purchase insurance. This is one option that can at least help them with their prescription drugs. Are there any questions for my staff? Okay, great. And any questions. So I really. To thank public health. They have been phenomenal in helping to move this forward. I just want to say that anybody that would like to enroll, there's a phone number and that phone number is 877321, 2652 or they can go online at WW dot and ac0 naco r x, which means prescription dot org. So an ac0rx at work. And as you said, it takes less than a minute to sign up. It's very easy. And I did put it up on my website the other day and I got comments back from people saying that it took almost no time and one person said they couldn't figure it out and they said try again. So it is pretty user friendly and public health has been amazing and implementing it and so that people that need it the most are able to do this as quickly as possible. And whether you're insured or uninsured, you're still able to do that. So thank you very much. Yes. Madam Chair, I do. The question and this may seem like an inane one, but so this handout, I think it would be really helpful for people. And I'd like to get a whole lot of we but with a question I have is indicates here's your free prescription discount card. Is this an example of a free card? This is actually the card itself. So there's two ways to get the card. People can use these cards. They can punch it out and have that card available for them to use. Or if they go online to the website, they can print out their own card. The only difference between this card and the card they get online is the card. Online will have their name listed, but these cards are what we were provided and these are available for people to to access now. And they're available at our public health sites. And we have a staff that I brought that are over there on the side table. And I'm just wondering if there might be a little bit clarified here that I mean, I looked at this and I thought, well, how could this be an actual card? Because there's no ID card of people. How would we know that it's a King County resident if they don't have to register? Well, you know, that's a that's a great question, and I'm not quite sure I have that information that this is we just got this information probably last week. So we will be fielding questions that people have. They can always call there's a toll free number. People can call if they have questions directly, they can call living healthy or they can call the community health access program. But these cards are available in English and Spanish right now. And again, we just started getting phone calls about this program. So I'm sure like with any new program, we'll get the questions we have, the more clarification we can get to put that out to the public. I would just recommend if you make changes to clarify. That this is. Actually the card. Yeah. And that is that's great feedback and we can share that. We've come directly from Live Healthy, so these weren't produced from public health and we can provide that feedback to them directly. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember at the Grove. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I apologize. I arrived late. So you may have addressed this earlier in your presentation. Where does the cost to who covers that cost savings? Is this basically a coupon for one insurance provider? And if so, how is that provider selected? Is this sort of a promotional material for in this case? CBS. I think. You remember. This was a RFP that was done by NACO, the National Association of Counties nationally, to see who could give the best bulk buying nationally. And so we as a county were because we're NACO members were able to piggyback onto their contract. But our contract people spent a long time going through every provision of the contract nationally to make sure it met with all of our requirements. And because it was unusual and we were part of a group and we were able to piggyback, so it's kind of a bulk buying card. It's cool. So the federal government can't buy, the. Local governments can't? Well, I guess we're part of Naco and I guess Naco is kind of independent. It's not government, it's an association. So and they were able to do that and I learned it at a NACO conference. And you know how Mesh has been using this for about three years. John Costas brought it originally, and it took us a little longer than than Snohomish County, because our our contracting requirements are so precise. But we were able to get it through. And as you were saying earlier, that this saves between 15 and and 35% on prescriptions and it's averaging about 24% nationally. But Eric Johnson from Mosaic said that for the two counties that are using it here in the state already before us is averaging a 29% reduction. And do you remember what the number is? It's like six. I remember there's the number that's been saved nationally since this was implemented. I can't recall the number, but I do remember the average savings for King County and like what you said was 29%. Yeah. So it gives opportunities for people who are uninsured or insured to if that formula is not on your drug list. And we we as councilmembers and county employees about two weeks ago got a letter saying that certain drugs are being dropped off of the formulary. And so I'm going to be checking this out for that particular drug for one of my family members. So it gives us an opportunity to have another way to buy at a discount if it isn't on your formulary. And it also does not require you to be a citizen either, just a resident of King County. And I would just add one thing I forgot to mention is this prescription discount card also can apply to pet medications as well, which is pretty unique. Yeah, really. And so we've already talked with our animal control and they are very excited about this happening and that we will be using this at our animal control to help us with reductions in our costs for the animals and King County. So all. I apologize. If I. Have costly pets on of. Them. So I take this to the vet and my veterinarian. And. Well, you would get the prescription from your vet and then you would get that prescription filled out at the pharmacy that would accept this discount card. So I'd have to then go. Over to yeah. So one on one card covers household members. And so when one of my colleagues was saying, well, there's my dog need to like, how do I get a card? Well, your dog is covered under your prescription discount card. So you would just take that prescription from the vet, take this card to the pharmacy that accepts the discount, and then you could pay a discounted rate on that prescription. I didn't know regular pharmacies can get my my dog's pills and her medicine. Yeah. Just don't get your articles mixed up. Thank you. So, Councilmember McDermott. Thank you, Madam Chair. Councilmember up the grove. I join with all of your. Facebook followers hoping that. You can stomach is doing better as well. Sounds great. All right. Well, I wanted you to know this. We on page, whatever this page is, page nine of our packet. Have a a really good layout here. And then also I can get you a copy of the press release that went out that gives even more information for putting out to all of our constituents so that they will know that they have an opportunity to do this. And so this is another benefit of King County belonging to other organizations, whether it's Wireshark or Naco. And I just want to say thank you on behalf of public health, of the Access Outreach Program to the County Council. This is a really, really exciting program for us to be a part of, especially as we're out there doing enrollment into health care to be able to offer some benefit for those families that don't qualify for insurance due to their immigration status. So thank you for all your hard work and letting us be a part of this. You're welcome. Thank you. All right. So. Let's go on to number five. You know, now we have a quorum. Let's back up. Council member of the Masonic Kathleen McDermott. Would you put the minute minutes of December 7th before us? The other tall, good looking one I move. Adoption of the minutes. Madam Chair. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Can I do a roll call before we do that? If you like, you could. Okay. Okay. Thanks. Council member about DC Council member Dombrowski or council member done here. Council Member Gossett. Council Member Cole Wells here. Council Member McDermott. You're council member of the group here. Council member Van Bauer. Here. Madam Chair. Here. You have a quorum. Thank you. Okay, we have a motion before us, and I'm expecting in the minutes of December seven. Those in favor, please say hi. Those opposed. Nay, they are passed. All right, now we are on to our last item. Item five, proposed ordinance 2016 0392. This is an ordinance relating to the transportation concurrency. And our our Transportation Department has done an amazing job of rewriting this, and they deserve a medal and a halo. So, Mr. Carlson, would you begin the briefing on 2006 0392? Thank you, Madam Chair. As you say, this proposed ordinance relates to the county's transportation concurrency program for the unincorporated area. It modifies the King County Code language on transportation concurrency, and it also approves a new concurrency travel shared boundary map and a new concurrency test results map. And for those who have not thought about concurrency in the past couple of years, that's a little bit complicated. So let me just give a brief outline. The and and I will say that Jay Osborne from Rhodes is here as well. And we have two members of the Transportation Concurrency Expert Review Panel. And Jay and I were planning to do the initial outline. First, there is concurrency language in the King County Comprehensive Plan, chiefly in the transportation chapter, and that sets requirements for the concurrency program. It also establishes the level of service standards for various land use areas. So for example, the rural area has a level of service for its roads, which traffic has to be more free flowing than in the urban areas. And the comp plan also requires that we do concurrency through the use of travel sheds and testing of traffic flow on arterials. I'm going to ask the committee assistant to call up our maps. That was the last handout so we can start. Under current law, we have 25 travel codes and you see the boundaries there are on the map. And in compliance with the comprehensive plan requirements, each of these travel sheds is an area where the traffic in that area uses the arterials and we test the travel speeds on the arterials. The code says every two years and then. The data is analyzed to generate a map showing travel sheds that are close to development because they fail concurrency. The way you fail concurrency is that. 15% or more of your miles on those arterials do not meet the relevant lower standard. So switch to the next. I guess I can switch to the next without. Or not. How do we get. How do we get to the next slide? Next one. Sorry. So we now have the Christchurch travel sheds are closed, there are five of the 25 and in each of those the roads and a little bit too much congestion during the afternoon peak. So the exceeded the standards and. The current proposed change in 392 makes a number of changes. It notably changes the travel shed boundaries. And if we go back to the last map, we see the new boundaries. It. Features of this map are new boundaries that reflect changes in the unincorporated area. It separates out the urban portions of the travel shields and makes them separate. And the urban unincorporated travel shelters are littered throughout. The new rural travel sheds are numbered, they are larger, and they reflect annexations. And they continue to have a logical configuration of roads that people under travel should use those arterials, and the arterial test is performed. It's not in the ordinance, but a new set of data from a local firm is used to identify the travel speeds on the arterials. And it's a much more thorough process of evaluating travel time than the old practice in which road staff actually got out and drove the roads and they had gizmos attached to their vehicles to monitor the travel times. So we have a much better picture of the actual travel times. Another change that is contained in this ordinance is under the current system, certain state routes are used in concurrency and the comp plan policy says that that may be done. It is at the discretion of the policymakers to use those routes. The the new proposal chooses not to use those state routes in the concurrency test and to stick with the county owned arterial routes. At this point, recognizing that this is a very complicated project, I'd like to suggest that Jay may come up. And if you have questions about what I've said, I've I've studied this a little too deeply, so explaining it is difficult for me. So with that, we do have a councilmember. Councilmember Dombroski has a question. Female Chair And Paul, thank you very much for your work on what seems like a little bit more of a new or a different approach to concurrency. On the last issue that you raised with the current plan, at least if I understand you correctly, permits us to include in the travel time analysis the use of state roads , which are an integral part of the world transportation system, for sure. What is the rationale for not using them? It seems like the average driver wouldn't necessarily distinguish between a state highway or state road and a county road when taking a trip. Okay, first it is certain state roads. It is not the statewide significant ones like the freeways. Right. The certain state roads that have characteristics similar to county arterials have a level of service standard that's set by. Is it the state or the Puget Sound Regional Council that, you know, the PUC sets them and so they're they are out of our control. And so the decision here was to focus on the roads that are within the county's jurisdiction and control. And in fact, the the data was gathered for the state routes that would have been used. And there is one shared that would have switched should two, but there wouldn't have actually been a difference in any other travel. Should switched from. What from open to to closed within this analysis. So in that case using the state roads because of their level of service standard will close, the travel said, meaning that development would be restricted. Now just saying no. So Jay Osborne, deputy director at roads. So the state highways in question two or two, two or three of our 900. This level of service for those is D in the rural area, but the counties level of service for roads in the rural area is B So when we test the state routes against the counties level of B, they do not pass, but they meet the state level of D and our passing the concurrency test for the state's purposes. So one of the complications in what we've been doing is to test state routes at our standard and not the states, whereas they don't meet our standard of B, they are meeting the state standard and therefore passing concurrency, which has been one of the mixes and testing state routes in the rural area. So what is the implication of this policy choice to somebody who has property and wants to do a plot to build homes. In the rural area? At the moment, using the test that we proposed, it would pass and they would have the ability to do that. And for example I've been travel said to. Councilmember Lambert's district mostly there. If you. He used the state standards and roads. He'd have like two or two up there. Kathy is that right? Mm hmm. And it might close the travel show, right? If we use the county stamp. Staff applied the county to the state. Yes, exactly. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for your patience as I kind of worked through that. Yes. Councilmember, you're going to speak in detail. So but let me just put my question on the table so you can think about it. So this councilmember is used to judging concurrency at intersections. So this is sort of new to me. So it would be really helpful if you could kind of lay out how it's calculated and how you did it. But if we could just sort of reinforce that also what causes failures is some kind of average of all the roads are because if any one road is failing, that doesn't mean the whole travel shed is failing . And then just the bottom line here is if that particular change you were just discussing is made, I think the net real world impact is we're going to allow more congestion and continue to allow development. Okay. So which is I mean, which is it's about a reasonable reaction to a real world situation. But essentially, we're going to allow we're going to lower our standards for how free flowing the traffic has to be in order for development of energy to be allowed. Yeah. So there are many ways to test concurrency. So the counties methodology, we used to do actual travel time, which meant that we had staff in cars with stopwatches in the nineties driving a length of all of novelty road with a stopwatch to see how long it would take. Going back and forth between three and 6 p.m. three times in the spring when school was not was in session and not at spring break. And we would have people standing on overpasses with the stopwatch. So that's the difference. And we do the whole length of the roads. And so it's the arterial roads in that sched are all tested. And the rule is 85% of them have to meet your standard for the shed to pass concurrency. When you add state routes in because they exist in those areas and you test them at the counties level because state routes are designed to take a greater level of traffic than some of the arterial roads that we have, they don't meet the level of service. B We had a group of grad students from the U. Dub who did their MBA thesis on concurrency and found that the counties level of service B is one of the highest in the country. That set as a very aspirational level of service. So the state choosing to put D on those routes and then passing is a different standard and testing those creates complications. So to answer your question, if we added the state route testing in which we did do, and to back up for a moment about what we're doing with data, there is a firm that we were able to buy data for 24, seven for a month on those roads and then pull out the testing for every day Monday through Friday. Actually, I think we use Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday data for those afternoons. So rather than someone driving three or six times, we had all of those data points to test out how the traffic was running with this index data. Yes. So based on cell phones. Yes. And pulling that together, which was actually more cost effective than paying staff to be out in cars on the road, testing all those areas that and we don't have that many staff to left to drive on those roads in our planning group. So one of the things that in the rural area I think is key is that letting the zoning code deal with development and how much development is actually left in the rural area is very small for the impacts on the county road system and how much development is going to put cars on the road in those open sheds. And the impact there in. Terms of climate should be thought. And this is a bigger than just the county in dealing with unincorporated areas. I would dearly love it if we could come up with some kind of a regionally consistent way of doing concurrency. And I could see it being done differently in rural areas and urban areas. But the way the city of Seattle does it, to the extent they do it at all, the way that cities like Bellevue do it and the way you all do it are all completely different. And so it's very hard for us to have a common vocabulary for the public around how well or badly the roads are doing . And then we end up essentially being driven in transportation policy by individual anecdotes of my experience behind the wheel. And I think that that's important how people are feeling about their commutes. But it would be much, much better if we had a systematic and clear way of talking about what's going on with the whole system. That's my soapbox on these things. I also dearly wish that we had a way of including throughput as part of our calculations, because it's not just how fast the individual vehicles are moving that's important. It's how many people were able to move through, you know, these points from point A to point B, if you have a really a an arterial that's really well served by transit, even if it's going slower, it could be moving lots more people than one that is really not well-served by transit. So anyway, thank you for listening. Maybe next time we can work with our colleagues on trying to bring some of this stuff together, but I appreciate the work you've done here. I think it makes good sense given the realities of what we're dealing with, especially splitting out the urban from the rural makes good sense. Thank you. So, Councilmember, if you had been here years ago when we had our old currency plan that had, what, 300 and how many, 360 boxes? It was a nightmare. And we hired a national firm to come in to to give us some feedback. And there was the worst plan they'd ever seen in the country. This man said he had like 30 years experience and he'd never seen anything like it. So he pretty much ditched that afterwards. And so this is the new improved, the new improved, the new improved. And we don't have any jurisdiction, as you said, over Bellevue now that you're not mayor anymore. So we really can't unless it goes through, you know, your transportation committee. He has RC to, you know, to make those changes. But I think the thing that's really important is that people are driving from the rural area into the unincorporated incorporated areas and there's one level of service out here and then there's another level of service in here. The drivers driving, they know they're going to be in commute traffic. And so to have one level of service that is asked for, okay, that is aspirational so that, you know, it's an artificial barrier. And I don't know if it's. Thank you for handling that out there. I don't know. Is it still true that on the urban growth boundary line that the the part of the road from the Senate line to the rural area has one level of service and from the center line to the urban line is another level service, or do we fix that? A couple of years ago, I can't remember if we did or not. We did fixed fixed it. Okay. So that used to be a problem that the same road could have two levels of service on it. So we did fix that. So that's good. So I think that this makes it easier. It's more consistent with other roads in the county. And the other point I think is really important is that there isn't much development left in this county other than what's already been delineated under the Growth Management Act. So we know what that's going to be. So I think this, as Jay said, is an ability to deal with the roads that we have control over. And if I may make one final thing, thank you. And then I promise that will be be. And when I look at this map and I see the circles inside the travel sheds, those are the urban islands in the unincorporated areas. I think there's been a lot of talk and consternation about the growth targets in those areas. And I have to say that this map demonstrates part of the reason why there's a debate and why it isn't just a one sided. We need to grow. We're growing. Let us grow. The other side of that coin is the more we allow or encourage or support large amounts of growth out in those urban areas, the more you're going to see these travel shed suffer because they have to serve and and support growth between there and end. We are still requiring a more free flowing state of traffic for there to be ongoing development than we are in the inner suburbs of the urban areas. So it's a this sort of demonstrates one of the complexities of that whole debate. And, you know, it gets into a lot of the debates with we're talking about affordable housing when we're talking about, you know, certain kinds of lifestyles in the rural area where the cities, which is where people are supposed to be, you know, growing out there. And it's a housing choice that for some parts of the county, there are very different housing choices in different parts of the county. So it is a complicated issue indeed. Okay. Did you want to continue? Well, I was going to say on page 46 of your packet is the actual list of the root segments that failed in this analysis. And those are miniatures which travel should they're in, as you said, the total mileage within the travel shed. If 85% or more passes, that's the test. If less than 85% of the mileage fails, then the travel should is failing and only one travel should fails in this new process. The the other point that Jay alluded to in terms of development in the rural areas, even if the travel should fail, there are there is provision for minor and certain public and certain educational developments to proceed. And our concurrency system has always allowed that the form in which that has been authorized has changed. And so a section of the code that is amended in this proposed ordinance for. Ten 7285. Lists those minor developments and schools and other uses that can still go forward if a travel should fails. And that's particularly important, for example, because one of the old issues that we heard a lot about was a family that had owned a parcel that wanted to subdivide so the children could build a house. And that's something that the county has modified the program to accommodate that kind of use as long as it complies with the zoning. And, you know, again, concurrency is the first step in developing something. You have to be consistent with your zoning as well. So I think we should show the last map which shows the results. That's the point. Yeah. This is so this is the test results map. And the red arrow there shows the one close development the close showed, which is mostly agricultural production district and is it does not have a lot of areas that could be developed anyway . Oh, that's interesting. It is APD and the parcels, there are probably minimum ten acres, so you're not going to be getting a whole lot of traffic out there. So how did that end up getting closed? It's okay. On page 46, that's seven and there are two. It's a small shed with a small mileage and there are two road segments, each a half mile long that fail. And that puts it over the top. It's. It's an odd area because of the agricultural uses. So to 72nd to 77, that's the main drag across the valley goes through the APD, which is four lanes going through there at an urban level and it is being tested at a level of service fee because the ag area is rural. So it's the urban road going through there, being tested at the rural level, which is why it fails. So if it's an urban road, why are we testing it, the rural area, just because it's in the APD? All right. Okay. So what? Oh, council member and about. Sorry. Thanks. I think when we looked at the concurrency issues a year or so ago, we kind of parked them because there were some open issues and the testing had gone and done this work. And one of the issues at the time and this kind of falls on concern about duties, regional consistency, if you will, but on a more narrow basis. And that was I was interested in travel sheds that cross the urban rural line. And at the time we had something like up the East Renton Plateau and and there was then a question about whose standard should you apply? Right. And it seemed to me it made sense to at least take a look at the adjacent city standard and the urban side of the line along the line of thinking that we should account for, you know, the city's planning policies and zoning traffic standards, that kind of thing. So my one takeaway that I'm getting from this, I'd like to make sure everything is it's a move to not cross the urban rural line in travel sheds. We've now got travel sheds on the rail centerline line where we can have one set of standards and then on the urban center line where a different step might have apply some nods there. That's that looks good to me. And the related question then is within the urban side of the line, will we do we in this proposal or will we in the future start taking a look at the city, you know, the city that has the paid for their standards and incorporating that into our into our level of service standards. So in the history of concurrency, we've had agreements with various cities to do that and to do that development. When the economy suffered in 2008, there were four cities that withdrew from those agreements looking to be able to develop their areas and what they needed to deal with, because there's also an impact to the mitigation payment system and how much money that you were getting for development. It proved to be somewhat complicated as they went forward. And we have had conversations with some cities about those standards and those areas continue to annex Kahani and some Amish being an example and is acquire Fall City Road, some issues that they were interested in developing. But currently we don't have any agreements to model concurrency in those areas, in part because the remaining urban areas are quite small now and have been chipped away at. So I think it's important to know that we as a county in the state have the smallest amount of unincorporated area of any of the county. We have 12 and a half percent of the county that's unincorporated. Snohomish County has 28% and everybody else is in the forties and above. So we have done what the Growth Management Act said and again Incorporated. So I'm talking about 12%. Yeah, I'm talking in rural. Urban or rural. Unincorporated. And I'm just looking at the map here. I don't think I don't think 12% of the county is. An anchor, but. I think at least landmass, it's it's quite a bit bigger, maybe population, it's probably about 300,000 out of two. It's about 250 something. So anyway, that and I don't remember exactly how they calculated that 12 and a half percent, but we are far lower than everybody else. And so the land has already been allocated to whatever it is, one acre, five acres, ten acres, 20 acre parcels. So I think that as we go forward and we look at that, we have an aspirational level of B and then the people get off the B road and they get into a city and it may have a D or an F rating. The dichotomy of being and on this part and going this half mile at a B and then this half mile at at F or this half mile, the D, I think that as as we look at this, we need to be more realistic about how high that level is and making sure that, you know, people who own land or would like to have their properties, the device, the children could live on the property and take care of them. That. We make allocations for that. So. Okay. So what is the the will of the body? We need to have a 30 day period for putting this out for when they call it public testimony. 30 day advertising period. So would you like to vote this out of committee with or without recommendation? What would you like to do? Well, there's an amendment that has that been described as looking like mostly technical cleanup. Or is there some policy changes there? Well, yes and no. Yes. Yes. Okay. Yeah. You have before you Amendment one a which is very slightly different from the amendment in your packet. It I would say that, yes, it makes mostly technical changes. There were a couple of spelling errors. There is a new sentence added to section eight. The first. And this is. How does that. No, no, we're not at all yet. How did it get up to be, anyway? It went in front of me. Yeah. The section four of the ordinance there is the online nine amendment when it says except except as provided in KCC 1470 285. That's I would call that a technical clarification that a minor use is covered by 285, which is which has always been the case. So it's not changing any practice when ten is a typographical change. Then starting on the line 13 Section 1470 285 L This is the last item on the list of those minor developments that are allowed in feeling travel sheds. And this is there's some rewording for clarity. And then down on line 18, it says the property has not been subdivided in the last ten years. This relates to a short subdivision in a rural travel shed where the owner wants to subdivide. And this is the classic family method of requests. And under current law, if the applicant has owned the property for five or more years and the property has not been subdivided in the last ten years, then that's allowed if it meets the zoning requirements and there is no need to purchase transferrable development rights as part of that deal. This is this is how it has been. The executive transmitted proposal was going to change the no subdivision in ten years requirement to no subdivision in five years. And in reviewing this, we found that there is a rural policy are 3 to 3 in the just approved plan that says ten years is the requirement. So we're we are maintaining the existing language for ten years and not moving forward with the change that the executive has proposed. And it is simply because comprehensive policy language is mandatory on that point. Can I ask the question? Is the executive okay with the revised amendment? Yes. Okay. So I would have preferred the old, but the new was what we just passed out. So I will tell you that when the plan comes up again in four years, that I would like to reconsider this. But but anyway, that's the way it is at this point. Councilmember Balducci. No, my questions were answered. Thank you. Okay. Councilmember Dunn. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a concurrences, an issue I've worked on for a long, long time. What? What? You know, it's fairly not well understood by most elected officials. I fear you're changing the slightly modifying and expanding the travel sheds, but you're not changing the methodology methodology for the actual concurrency standards in this. Right. Is that correct? The the methodology the in the in the service. Level, E for example, those. Sorts of things. You know, the the comprehensive plan establishes the level of service standards for urban as E, rural as B and then there are the rural town centers are D and rural no are E and rural neighborhood centers are D. You did not change those level of service standards in this latest update of the comp plan. So they still remain in place. Okay. And and we used to use a red, yellow and green map for concurrence. You remember that? And that's gone. Is that no longer what we're using? We're going to modify to this this mapping. That that was when when we had those hundreds of individual zones. And at one point it was written red and green only that it was red, yellow and green. When we moved to the Travel Shed concept a few years ago, 2008, I think it was the colors were abandoned. Okay. You know, I generally, maybe more than most up here, I tend to believe we need to. Be building homes. Condos, low income housing, what have you, because we need to put places for young families to live and for everyone to live. And so I'm with what you might call pro-development, but we've got a situation that's developing in earmuffs. Right? I know pro-development. I know it's bad. I didn't win. So. Yeah. And and so the question I have, I'm looking at south of Issaquah, you know, the is for Hobart Road, a road that is so bad that I pretend it doesn't exist because you will get lost in the vortex of traffic forever and they are deeply unhappy citizens there. People can't get in and out. Emergency services can't get in and out. Ambulances, fire trucks. It's it's awful, largely because this county refuses to increase capacity on the road. That's another issue. But I'm not seeing something here that's precluded development in that travel shed. What's the status of the Esquire open road travel should I think I saw was number 12. Well, no, you're on spot here. So if you want to pass it on to some of your colleagues. Well, the the crude travel schedules for the new travel shed would also be open and. There is a segment of Issaquah Hobart Road that feels it's between the Issaquah City Limits and Southeast 127th Street. So. So there wouldn't be development wouldn't be permitted to make a long story short in that section. No, it's it's the total results for the travel should in within within travel should for you do not hit the 15% or more mileage feeling standards. Okay, that's it. So I'm almost done. Madam Chair, I appreciate that. Okay. So I've never believed that currency ought to be the way to control our land use planning and development. I think that's the wrong way to do it. I think we ought to be doing it through zoning, through other permitting related issues. But we've got a. Real problem with this for Hobart Road. Part of it is a willingness to increase capacity. A bigger part of it probably is the fact we have the money to increase capacity. Maybe it's a little bit of both, but I just want to point out that. If you put large developments, even if they're an RFI of zoning out there, you are just going to add to a problem that is already disastrous. It's more of a statement than a question. And so. Makes me wonder whether these broader travel sheds are really the right way to go. As a matter of policy, I'm not going to object against it, but I'd like to drill down on it further in the future. So since I've been here, we've had several different renditions of what the concurrency looks like, and it's gone from absolutely obnoxious to be figured out. You need like a Ph.D., which is what the expert came in and said to something more simplified. The amount of growth going on out there is is very small compared to what it used to be. So I want to clarify. I've gotten some clarification. 12% of the population in this county is in the unincorporated area. So it is by population 12% of the population. Half of that is in areas that can be annexed. And so 6% is in the rural unincorporated. So there's not a lot out there. So we have some people with us that need to comment too and had some really important things to do that have studied this. So do you want to make some comments also? So just as a quick introduction, okay. In this, the council a number of years ago appointed a Transportation Concurrency Expert Review panel to review the work and provide a comment letter on every thing that was submitted to the council as we went. And it's represented from folks from the development community, the environmental community. We have a citizen of the unincorporated area and we have a representative of the Non-Motorized users and bus and transit as well on that. In this legislation, the Transportation Concurrency Expert Review Panel has decided that their time has come to an end and that the methodology and the amount of development and what we're doing with concurrency is something that they support. And the 1:00 scholar who's to my right, who is the chair of the Transportation Concurrency Expert Review Panel, it's going to give you a few remarks. Good morning, council members and thank you very much for your time. I would also like to let you know that one of our very long standing members and Martin is here in the back and I think her attendance, in addition to mine, I hope, conveys a reflection that this panel had quite a committed and long standing involvement with staff as both historically in terms of the older approaches to concurrency as well as the approach that we're putting forth to you now in these materials. Probably the most significant aspect of the panel that I, I was influenced by was both the collaboration among extremely diverse interests, as well as what we're giving to you today, which is essentially a unanimous recommendation, despite the broad diversity of interests on the panel. This panel has worked together for many years. I am the most recent addition to the panel, although I, through my former former colleague Bob Jones, knew a lot about what was going on in the background and am extremely honored to have taken over chairmanship of the panel a couple of years ago. And we're pretty proud of well, I should say we're extremely proud of the work that our are very well-educated staff has done on this, as well as the master's program materials that were presented to us in the past year. One of the things that I think is pretty interesting is that staff has been pretty selfless in this process. They were very interested in the good of the county and the good of the system above all. And in looking at that data, I think that is really reflective of some very thoughtful work that's been given to you . So and I would say that all of us on the panel again felt that we were extremely well served, not just by our consensus, but by a very well-educated group of individuals who could really so succinctly convey information to us to allow us to have a pretty candid and often very spirited dialog, as you might imagine, considering the members on the panel. But ultimately, we feel good about very good about what we've presented. We're sad about dissolving because it's one of those few fora where we actually get to get together and talk candidly without having to put other people's interests on the line, but really have good quality conversations. But it makes a lot of sense at this point to dissolve. And so we're very honored to have served the county. We thank you very much for the opportunity, and I hope that we can continue to be of service in our individual capacities. First of all, I'd like to thank you, as it's been said a number of times, if here this is a very complicated formula, it's very impactful. And so having somebody willing to sit down and look at all this and and bring a unanimous decision back is very much appreciated. And we thank you for your service. So essentially what I'm hearing you say is that you believe some tell me this is right, that you believe that with the lack of growth happening right now, that there's no need for you to continue on as a committee to evaluate this. The panel believes that both because of the way that the travel sheds have been reformatted and the annexation processes that are going on, as well as the ability to use a lot of that more mechanized methodology through INRIX, that there just isn't a need for this panel to both take their time to review these aspects that, yes , are becoming a little bit more rote in their processing. And we don't need to take staff time to be putting together materials when we don't necessarily have a deliverable we may need to bring to you. I don't know what the future holds, but for the moment, we're comfortable with the decision. Excellent. Okay. And I'd also like to thank you for being so cognizant of other assets like INRIX. And I know we use it at other committees and the data has been very, very helpful. So thank you for seeking that out to you. Okay. So now I'd like somebody to put this before US Council member. But did you manage to move approval of proposed ordinance number 2016? Dash 0392 of the do pass recommendation. Thank you, ma'am. Any questions or comments before we take the vote? Okay. Councilmember and Ambassador. I'd like to offer Amendment one. Oh, yes. Thank you very much. Yeah, I did have a question before we and we can vote on that, but just got a final. Okay. Thank you. I think this has been well explained by our staff. It isn't exact, as my name's on it. When I'm speaking to it, I would prefer that some of this wasn't changed this way. The correctional errors and the typos and stuff. That's great in the clarifications in the King County code, that's fine. It is the five and ten year issue that that does bother me. But because we just passed the comp plan that was voluminous and somehow that was the change in there, I think we need to flag that for three years and ten months from now and maybe change it back. But at this point, having all of our code be consistent is probably a good thing. So all those in favor of when a as presented by our staff please say I as opposed name is passed and now before us we have the amended version of 2016 0392. And Council Member Dombroski has the comment. Just to make this a follow up to Councilmember Dunn's inquiry about capacity and related funding. And when somebody does a project and they may pay some mitigation money, right? Does that money under our current provision, does it need to be spent within the travel shed where the projects occurring? So in the current provisions, it's SIPA money that they're actually spending on the roadway. And so it's for specific projects and identified for those within the travel. Within the travel said, okay, thank you, thank you, thank you. Okay, thank you. That was a good clarification question. I'm glad you asked that. Okay. Are those in favor of call for the vote from the clerk's office? Councilmember Baldacci. Councilmember Then back. Councilmember. Then I remember. Gossage. Councilmember Colwell. Councilmember McDermott. Councilmember of the group. All right. That's number one right there. Madam Chair, I mean, I'm sure the vote is six days, zero no's and councilmembers, Gossett, McDermott and moderate. They were excused. Okay. So. Do we want this on consent or do we want to talk about it again? What would you like? Didn't I hear you say that it needs to be put out for Thursday? Public comment. Oh, that's right. That's right. Says that's not enough for sure. Okay, that's good. Thanks for pointing that out. Okay. And it does take a 30 day advertising period which can start. So this will not be on the regular schedule because we have to wait for the after the 30 days, which will be the end of February. So if there is no other business to come before this committee, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you, everybody. ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE relating to transportation concurrency; adopting a new concurrency test results map; adopting a new map indicating the boundaries of the concurrency travel sheds; and amending Ordinance 14050, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.220, Ordinance 14050, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.230, Ordinance 14050, Section 11, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.240, Ordinance 14050, Section 13, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.260, Ordinance 14050, Section 14, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.270, and Ordinance 15030, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.285, and repealing Ordinance 14050, Section 8, as amended, and K.C.C. 14.70.210."}
{"id": "king_2cfac572-506b-44db-96d8-f10ba0c2bde2", "input": "2020 meeting of the committee of a whole. Before we start today, I'd like to acknowledge that we're on the verge of a way out of the Puget Sound as peoples past and present. We thank these caretakers, the large ones here, and continue to live here since time immemorial. I'd also like to acknowledge the many moderate imams in King County, but their cultural ways of life here greatly impacted our community. Tonight we have a fun gender study with our team from executive staff on the Academy's pandemic response. Then we'll think of a supplemental budget ordinance for women and our response. All in that we'll have to brief this one on how Metro operations are the same during the pandemic, and that goes into budget outlook and a briefing from council staff on a proposed property condemnation ordinance relating to a wastewater project that we set to take up for action in council next week. In light of the public health emergency, the governor has issued an emergency order suspending the section of the Open Public Buildings Act that requires that we have a physical space for the public to watch our meetings. This order has been extended yesterday by the Senate, House, the State Senate and House of Representatives. When meeting remotely in this fashion, we are limited in the matters that we can take up to those that are necessary and routine or necessary to respond to the COVID 19 outbreak and current public health emergency. The matter is on the agenda interactions. They have all been determined to meet that criteria. One final housekeeping note before getting started. Today, we're using the Zoom platform for the first time in the KAL Committee. They help us manage the meeting. I'd like to ask that executive and council staff to keep their video on until just before they plan to speak or present. With that, I'd ask the court to please call the Royal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council member Baluchi. Council member quality. Your council member come up here. Council member Done. That's the number one. Council member calls. Their council member member. Council member of the crowd. Their council member. But my fellow council members. All right. Here. Mr. Chair. Here. Mr. Chair, all members are present, with the exception of council members, that is presently excused. From receiving a text message from Council member Dunn, and he believes he is moved beyond his control. He does not appear to be near death. Camp member Duncan Manzanares. We heard you there briefly right now. Councilmember Dunn is on the call and we will hear from him throughout the meeting. So I'm certain that we will all be coming to this for this meeting. I will now ask for motion to approve the merits. Some of that was a member of my father's, and when they approved the minutes of our April 21st meeting seem no discussion. I was in favor of approving the minutes to be defined by Saddam. I made the. I met my friend, Mr. Chairman. Councilmember NOGUCHI. I'm sorry to interrupt, is a critical issue. For some reason, the packets won't load. It might be an issue with this computer or maybe a larger issue. Is there any other way that we can access the packets for us as a family to email something to us to help us build the packets of what. Are you referring specifically to the amendment or to the reading packet agenda in packet itself. The meaning packet itself. I would be happy to do more than just. Thank you again. With that will now turn to mystery. Do we have anyone in the way we can provide public comment? If you this to care. Thank you. Having an entirely remote meeting is unusual for the King Karen Council. I want to be sure that I want to make sure that everyone who is called in understands the rules and procedures for how it will be managed today. First, some ground rules and I apologize. Getting our ground rules for the first time. But unfortunately, over a long period of time, we find it necessary to have them in place. Our public comment must be related to items on today's meeting agenda and may not be used for the purposes of assisting a campaign for election of any person in the office or for the promotion of opposition to any ballot. Opposition. It must also not include same speakers if these. I think these restrictions are going to speak out of order and may require the speaker to accept the part for maybe allowing this kind of process. As all members of the public joined in the meeting, they were automatically neutered. We can see your menu for the last three days of. How many partners daintily call the names and numbers when your name or the last three digits of your phone number is called, staff will unmute your line. Please make sure to ask them on your phone if you interview yourself as a courtesy. Before you begin your testimony, please write to be acknowledged, to be so that we can hear you. And then start by saying and spelling your name so we can record it accurately in the record. You have 2 minutes to spend your time and your time and go off me. You have reached two Mars. You can finish your thought, but please wrap up the comments to allow the next person to speak development and has 2 minutes. You may be married. Listening to the TV here screaming in the background, please do that function or otherwise monitor feedback on the line. When you're out, who is liable for your testimony? If you're disruptive at the meeting, I will ask staff to hang up on the call. So we leave the meeting. Please hang up after you've provided a comment to make it easier for us to manage the call. You can follow the remainder of the meeting on continuing television Channel 22 or stream it online. Going to the stream online. It's on the council's website. W w w w m county dot gov backslash console and click on the. But. Well, now begin the public commentary reminder to please wait to be acknowledged here. You must go ahead and begin calling names and numbers. For public comment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first caller is Renton Mayor Armando Petrone. Please go ahead. Mr. Perrone, you are unwilling to. Blow. Armando Cavani air and the window p and can you hear me? Thank you. We can hear you. Please proceed. Okay. Good afternoon. I am Richard, Mayor Armando Perrone, and I. Appreciate being. Able to. Speak to you today. I want to start by thanking Kent County for the massive task it has taken on during this pandemic. The most devastating and life threatening public. Health crisis any of us have ever seen. We mourn. We also mourn the 800 plus lost. Washingtonians. Who have died as a result because of the. Gravity of the task before us. We in Renton have vowed to be good partners during this. Outbreak. And we have been. First through our collaboration when the Old Vans Club would have housed an assessment and recovery. Center, and next when. We were in the Red Lion and would host the densification. We also welcome the possibility of two different placements of testing sites. But today is. Also a plea for you to realize the enormity of the emergency task printing and. Taking on, and to respectfully urge that you honor the. Verbal commitment to make our. Significant sheltering job a temporary one and to work with us on an exit. Strategy to give you a sense of scale. When 200 plus shelter residents at the Red Lion and. Is a more than tripling of the homeless population. Renton struggles and strains to. Accommodate in normal times. And the 200 plus. Residents in one community. One location. Compares to a total of 258. Throughout the rest. Of the county as of May 1st. This includes. The Bellevue shelters. Seek out shelter and all. Quarantine and assessment recovery centers. We are grateful the county stepped forward. With nearly 30,000 in funding to assist, reach. Out. Responsibilities during this fight. And we strongly support. And appreciate the mitigation bond included into the striking amendment offered by Councilmember Colwell. But we also urge. The county to be. Supportive of. Our community as Bloom. Players during this time and realize. At the end of 90 days. Getting work done more than stepped up. As a supportive partner. I'm going to now ask Council President. Perez and others from. Our city. To share more details with you. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. The next caller is council president Ruth Torres. Go ahead, Ms.. Perez, you are unmuted. To home. I'm trying to start my video, but the co-host Al cancel. Let go. You can help me with that. I will appreciate it. Hey, you. Oh, my name is Ruth. Are you t h e r e c afternoon and wrote to City Council President Ruth Press. Thank you for your time today. I don't give me your face. You kick out before it's worth something to me. I'm emphasizing that Grantham wants to be and has been a good regional partner is something we can always speak of to the shop operating in right now. You see the very heart of our city center and these parks are really significant. They've had some rent. The word many of these shelter residents are suffering with serious mental health and drug addiction issues are much greater than what the communities are absorbing the facilities. There is another factor I would like to discuss, which is a great it's one of the most racially and ethnically diverse city and county with a population rate of 54% communities of color. The Dallas King County has COVID 19. The study notes that non-Caucasian residents are much more likely to contract COVID 19. A study released last Friday indicated five people in King County have died of COVID 19, three times higher than white people have Hispanic, black possible. Pacific Islander groups have also been hospitalized at a much higher rate than white people, according to that same study. This is really important because Renton already has one of the highest rates of COVID 19 infection after Seattle. It is also really important because while the brains of this shooter have passed the point to come to a close presence, to wear a mask, they very often are not wearing them as they go out to the downtown business district and in nearby neighborhoods. Mr. Chair, this is an issue of equity. In many ways we are talking to you and acknowledge the guarantor is doing its part and in fact, much more than spar. I'm pleased to send a request for a certain time. I'm sorry for our request. For a time, sir. For these children, Brenda. Thank you very much. Thank you. This press. Our next speaker is Robert or Bob. Here is. Go ahead, Mr. Harrison. You are on. Mute. Thank you. Good afternoon. I'm Bob Harris, and I'm the chief administrative officer for the city of Renton. And I wanted to thank you for your time today to add to what Mayor Baloney and Council President Perez shared. I want to emphasize that we in Renton pride ourselves on being a compassionate community that cares deeply about the plight of the homeless, as evidenced by our partnership with REACH. We also have a recognition of the difficult job that the SSA has had in running this shelter out of the red line. And we do applaud Executive Director Daniel Malone for the candor and commitment he's brought to this task. But the fact of the matter is, shared by the mayor and the president press is that nearly 200 plus homeless residents with mental health and other behavioral challenges have been brought into the central zone of Renton. While the entirety of the rest of the county is housing a population of 258. During this emergency order, we can understand that the county may wish to keep its options open to have the social distancing and COVID 19 disease prevention aspects of a shelter beyond 90 days. But given the enormity of the impact on Renton and we've been and what we've been willing to take on, it's simply not fair to extend that obligation to our community for more than 90 days. We're also asking in a memorandum of understanding we sent to the county for additional security measures to be provided. Given the magnitude of dozens and dozens of police and fire response calls and resources that the city has absorbed just in the first month of operation at this shelter. We're asking for a written commitment and transportation plan to return residents to their shelter of origin communities. As the mayor and council president indicated, we do appreciate the funding that county has provided for reach, and we greatly appreciate the mitigation fund that is in your emergency spending ordinance to help address local governments disproportionately impacted by the presence of emergency facilities. And we appreciate your listening to us today. That concludes my remarks. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Harrison. The next speaker is and can be. Go ahead. Mr. Van Bailey, you are a YouTube. Yes. Good afternoon. Thank you. My name is Ben Bailey in the E n l e line, and I am the police chief for the city of Renton in the community where police learned of the intensification feel going into downtown rec. We knew there would be challenges. We knew shelter would be housing individuals diagnosed with mental health addiction and other behavioral challenges. Within new families, businesses or guests coming to the city of Renton. We take seriously our commitment to protect their public safety first and foremost, as well as the public safety of the greater community. This is my priority with all the residents of the Red Line shelter equipped with phones to call 911 with the freedom to come and go as they please for fresh air and essentials like every other citizen. We've been presented with a lot of demands on our time and resources. In one month, we responded to over 60 calls for service in the red line and as many as 9 to 12 calls in a single day. We've been asked to trespass for residents who acted violently, dealt with drug use, responding to littering, graffiti defecation and other acts of inappropriate behavior almost at the Red Lion and surrounding vicinity have increased by 79% compared to last year during the same time frame drought. This last month we operate three the red line shelter residents and that is that's the personnel again with respect, as the mayor and Mr. Harrison have stated, while we agreed to be partners and to help this country through an emergency pandemic here, this job shouldn't last forever, and there needs to be others stepping forward to do their part. We are very appreciative of their mitigations by you build into your standing orders, but we join others in asking that you help us finalize a demo. You define timelines and security measures that will work and a commitment to transport folks back to shelter or get here. Thank. Hello, Mr. Van Bailey. The next speaker is Rick Marshall. Go ahead, Mr. Marshall. You are on. Mary, thank you. Rick Marshall. All right. I think they are. SAGAL Barry, chief of Regional Fire Authority. Yes. Go ahead. All right. Thank you all. I appreciate your time today. Life safety is our job. And when people come in rent Renton, we treat them as our residents. We. We, too, have seen significant demands on our time and resources during this first month of the intensification shelter to the point where it's draining our ability to serve the remainder of our area. In just under a month that the red line shelter has been up and operating, we fielded more than 30 calls for service. That compares with only one call over the same period last year. In addition to calls we've seen. Fencing that prevented. Fire trucks from accessing the red line and counter exit doors have changed. Shot four times now to be exact. Ensure the locks exit quarters while the winds that impede fire sprinkler operations and holes in the walls that would increase fire spread. With such disregard for life safety in fire codes. I required our farm, my fire marshals, to conduct twice weekly inspections of. I salute the county and DC for the important work that they are doing and I too want to express my appreciation and strong support for the mitigation fund and the advocacy work. It's an excellent idea to help address those extraordinary impacts faced by local governments hosting facilities during an emergency border. It is also important that the County Council understand that many fire departments, including the Renton RFA, are not funded through the city state protect and need for emergency funding support as well. All this said, I join my colleagues today in asking you to help us with an MRU that gives the situation defined beginning and end for Renton bolstered security so that Renton Police and Fire don't become the de facto service provider for non-emergency calls and with a plan to return residents to the shelter of origin communities where they were housed before the COVID 19 emergency. Thank you very much for your time. Mr. Marshall. The next speaker is Diane Dodds. Go ahead, Miss Dobson, you are on YouTube. Thank you very much. Diane Dobson, as CEO of the RAM Chamber D and e. N. D. O. B. S. O. N. Thank you. We can hear you. Please proceed. And Diane Dobson, fifth generation rent to me, and one who genuinely appreciates the intensive, the intensification ability at a time we should be coming together to embrace and protect our business community. We have placed additional burdens upon many. Many of the businesses surrounding means of the intensification facility are deemed essential, and as they strive to place the health and safety of their staff and customers as their highest priority, we have brought into one concentrated area triple our numbers of individuals experiencing homelessness with little warning and lack of adequate support and security. Renton has as a good regional neighbor, embraced the responsibility of support for these guests, many of whom are not wearing masks. Water treatment, parking lots, approaching customers, defecating on sidewalks, doing drugs in restrooms, vandalizing and stealing from businesses. These are the things we've witnessed firsthand that we try to understand. These are residents with significant challenges, but that's part of the point. Businesses have had to adjust and pivot to not just the pandemic, but now to these added challenges and expenses and security that prepare and react to the problems they were not prepared for and never anticipated. Just prior to the stay home chamber co-host of the Pacific Northwest Equity Summit with thousands of viewers from around the region supported by King County with Councilmember. After growing care and a wonderful perspective on equity in policy, we came together to initiate some of the toughest conversations about equity for our region, and Renton deserves some equity here and should not be asked to take on this impact forever. We are now together again to fight a war against an invisible enemy that does not discriminate. Neighbors helping neighbors. People making masks in the street, pivoting to meet manufacturing needs, and people compromising basic civil liberties at the suggestion and advice of strangers to fight the pandemic that is sweeping our world. And I now ask you as a council to recognize this enormous responsibility. Rent of us are in for a quarter of a year and help us with mitigation for our business community and as defined and how long we're asking the very high intensity group of residents in this. Thank you, Ms.. Dodson. The next speaker is pretty popular, capable. Go ahead, Mr. Kepler, you are a nuclear. Craig Kepler. Craig Cody. P. L. E. R. Thank you, Mr. Kepler. Thank you for allowing public input from those most affected by the densification facility. I represent resident village companies. Renton Village includes three commercial properties immediately next door to the Red Line Hotel. Within the first week of operation, the initial impacts were frequent trespassing, loitering, open drug use and unauthorized building entrance. Our first responses to these impacts from the shelter were and continue to be 911 phone calls. This type of response was encouraged by the City Register. Our next response was to lock in the Evergreen Office Building. We took this action because a shelter resident had entered a private office threatening the security of one of our tenants. We next activated an electronic door security system in the Evergreen Building in response. Following that measure, attempted forged building entries occurred. Our next action to protect the safety of our tenants was hiring onsite security. We now have a full time security guard stationed in the office building. The cost of this service or significant amounts of rent in village shopping center next door to the Evergreen Building. Reported significant increased levels of shoplifting and panhandling. Shopping center tenants Wells Fargo and Rite Aid all hired full time security staff in their establishments. Also throughout the rent and village properties, shelter residents are littering tenant trash. Dumpsters are being emptied onto surrounding parking lot areas. The resident village cleanup costs have increased dramatically. Most importantly, in village will lose office and retail tenants impacted by the intensification facility. The lack of tenant safety caused by this facility is an extraordinary impact to our businesses that will affect us for many years to come. We urge Kane County to terminate this agreement with the Red Lion immediately, certainly within the next 90 days. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kepler. The next speaker. Go ahead, Mr. Green. You are. Lo. This is our weekly 8amwakel by Angie. Well, thank you for allowing me to speak today regarding the proposed allocation of funds for cultural institutions, specifically live music venues. My name is Adam Wakeling. I'm the general partner of the Crocodile, a loud music venue in Seattle and a 30 year veteran of the music business and service industry . Throughout my 30 years, I have worked many jobs representing all aspects of the industry and are familiar with living my mother and why. So many of our employees and artists are struggling right now to get by without these venues being open. Everyone needs help now by supporting these venues and allowing them to eventually reopen their doors. They're supporting a huge part of the local arts and service industry that is elected directly affects each county as a whole and including a major aspect of our tourism industry. I'm sure that you're well aware of the value that music and culture brand in Cape Town need, not only in the monetary terms but in quality of life, knowledge, our community and reputation as a music and arts region that brings so many people to Washington state. At the crocodile alone, we sell an average of 8000 concert tickets a month, close to 100,000 tickets a year. People come from they come to these events from all over Seattle, King County, more west and around the world. They don't just come for the events. They are tourist dollars to the economy. According to national data data, small and medium wide music venues in King County sell 1.4 million tickets annually, representing $31 billion in revenue for every $1. Venues generate ticket sales. Neighborhood restaurants, hotels and retail establishments realize the approximately 10 to $12 of revenue. Along with the obvious cultural and financial benefits for these businesses. We also support young people the development of career opportunities in all aspects of the music and arts industry. We have an intern program at the Crocodile that regularly graduates these young people directly into paying jobs and careers around the region and around the world. Our financial reserves are running low, just trying to pay the best expenses. The majority of our employees are laid off until further notice. But for our type of business, frozen further notice is nowhere in sight. This in itself will not allow any of us to qualify for the goodness forgiveness aspect of the SBA loans we have applied for by putting our employees back to work. We're going to start seeing these businesses closed because we're not being given the tools we need to survive much longer. We need real solutions. This financial relief will help us. But of course, to survive, it will not keep us alive for long. Venues are going to close jobs and revenue sources will be lost across the board. And if we don't have the support we need, this will be a huge loss for King County and Washington State for many years to come. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you, Mr. Wakeling. Our next caller is Andrea Wade. Great. Go ahead, Miss Ray, you are a YouTube. Thank you. Good afternoon. Andrea Andy RBA rate RBA wide and I had the honor to serve my community as the president, CEO of Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce speaking in support of ordinance number 2020 0177. I want to speak on behalf of our work as a local chamber and our Southside Mitigation and Recovery Task Force. Smart and supportive funding for chambers and other service arts and tourism organizations. Chambers have no borders. Our chamber has members all over King County and throughout the state. Businesses join our organization because of the resources and benefits we provide many and no cost to our small and micro-businesses through a universal membership program. We also never turn away any community member or business seeking our support and assisting. The most valuable economic resource any community has are the people that live and work there. And our work in the community and economic development are not mutually exclusive. Chambers help support small business. Small businesses are the backbone of our state and regional economy and the key to economic recovery and creating more equity in our economic ecosystem. Small businesses are active in local chambers. This is a trust that can't be built overnight or bonds. We are the boots on the ground in our community. Our community has some of the most economically challenged and ethnically diverse areas in our county and needs support to save our businesses. Now we have the relationships and proven strategies for success to connect and provide support for many. Their business is our family's path out of poverty. We have provided hundreds of technical service appointments over the last eight weeks for local businesses, and we know we will need to continue to provide those services to our community out of recovery and into resilience. We can't do that alone. We need help and support as well to continue our work. Please help us. Help our community. Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Gray. The next speaker is Ernie Griffin. Go ahead, please. You are on. I am the bunny. My name is Bernie Griffin BGR and I be Griffin Gray and I end in. I am the managing director of the Fifth Avenue Theater. I am here to comment on the proposed legislation to appropriate future lodging tax collections for a much needed tourism recovery program. The sector of arts, culture, science and Heritage. The impact on COVID 19 to our sector is a loss of $135 million in revenue by the end of September. Tourism and cultural tourism play a huge part in the health and the welfare of the nonprofit sector as well. We depend upon destination marketing organizations and marketing programs that will jumpstart tourism business recovery, especially because it's Seattle and Seattle. Southside Council Members Tourism recovery will be incredibly competitive with every destination trying to recover. So please approve this proposal quickly so King County can start the recovery marketing process for tourism and get all of our industries back to work so we can welcome folks back home. Thank you, King County Council members, for all the work that you're doing on behalf of all of us. We are so grateful to you all. Thank you. Making this Griffin. The next speaker. Is. Cameron Lee Jones. Please go ahead. You are. Hi there. Would you be able to turn on the video as well? I think we're working on that. Right. Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you, King County. Council, for. Allowing me to speak. My name is Cameron, Bobby Jones. And I'm the founding member, lead. Singer and guitarist. For the alt rock band King Youngblood. We're based in Detroit. I started this band when I was 12 and I'm now 21. I'm also finishing my degree in communications at the University of Washington, and I designed my academics to serve my future King County's. Creative economy. And thousands of developing artists in our county. The center of our world, the people who gave us our start. And the people who helped. Put us on the map are the music venues in. King County. Artists need a. Place to play. It's a three way deal. Venues, artists and fans. This three way deal creates millions of dollars supporting our tax base, creating jobs. And making King County attractive for tourists. Youngblood employs PR firms, social media, marketing firms, photographers, videographers, managers, merchandise manufacturers, publishers, web developers, graphic designers. I could go on and on. And yet, if the venues are gone, I and thousands of other creatives will have to go to other parts of the country that did step up to save their venues. All this talent will, in fact export out of our region. My band now has a national. Agency out of L.A.. EPA. And a famous rock producer, Adam Casper, who lives in. King County. All because venues like The Heart of. The Crocodile Mouse, the center of the carved out in the beer project, took a chance on. Us and continue to give us space. We're not sitting. On our hands here. Hey, I'm going to spearheading. A project called Music Live. Here to. Create virtual touring partnerships with technology. Companies, venues, artists and. Brands to keep the connections going. Music lives here. Will definitely be a system created. During the pandemic, but continue as a marketing tool for artists and venues after the crisis subsides. Music Lives Here shows. That our community is working to innovate and mitigate the impact that this pandemic has on a song that. Is not enough. That's how our creative community. Hub venues buy time to sort their financial issues by approving funding for that. Help us make sure our music continues to live. Thank you, Mr. Jones. The next speaker is Deborah. Mr. Leavy, did you wish to speak? You are on YouTube. No, I do not. Sorry about that. Thank you, sir. We'll move on now. The next speaker is Helen Shaw Long? Go ahead, Ms.. Shaw, while you are meeting. My name is calling for long essays on our place in w, o, g and I'm speaking to the ordinance 2020 zero 177. I work for the White Center S.A. My focus is to sustain and grow the refugee, immigrant and black owned businesses in my center. The CIA. Together with Clooney, dad, Martinez, Aviation and Skyway businesses together represent a collective, unincorporated, controlling area that was serving prior to COVID 19. Prior to COVID 19, our commercial areas were challenged with the very basics of garbage pickup and mail pickup services. As small businesses we're living in. But storefronts like we use malls, broken windows and those. Our business owners are fighting to stay open. Using their pass through grants to pay their negligent landlords trying to find an entity to process that we people. Mustering enough courage and faith in the system and figuring out how to keep our employees doing all of this while sustaining the well-being of their own families. All of them are still waiting for assistance from you and are in line with the masses for better funding. We're asking you to make our unincorporated County Council businesses a priority. They are the heart and soul of our communities. Their businesses are places where we gather. We ask that we not only consider the priority of who will receive resources, the resources, but also how the resources will be processed. The details are important. The relationships are important, allow our organizations to expand the work that we're doing with new partnerships with groups like Community Rise and Fall. We are doing the work now. Our organizations are connecting the dots or filling the gaps, and we call for bridges. We ask that you consider the current data. We ask that you consider the learning that has occurred. And the past. Thank you, Mr. Wong. The next speaker is Peter. We. Please. Here you are a. L l e r t slm. I'm the executive director for the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce, and I'm here to comment on the proposed legislation to appropriate future lodging tax collections for a much needed tourism recovery program. The tourism industry has been disproportionately impacted by this global pandemic. I've heard from tourism related business owners and wouldn't know about the impact COVID 19 has had on their business. Scott Christ is the founder and owner of Aventura, which has been in business for 18 years. And although his company has two divisions recreational entertainment and corporate teambuilding. In April of 2020, we had nearly 250,000 bankruptcies that year. By May 1st, he saw a cancelation rate of 99%. I have heard from wineries who completely shifted their sales channels in a matter of weeks, and their biggest ask is marketing to help tell their stories . I've heard from our local BMB who shared this quote What we need most is a concentrated tourism plan to revitalize our entire area after the virus is over. These are just a few of many testimonials I've received from the hundreds of tourism related businesses and with it all. Now more than ever, our organization and industry will depend on nonprofit destination marketing organizations like Visit Seattle and Seattle Southside to implement marketing and communications programs that will jumpstart tourism business recovery. This funding is essential for them to be able to stimulate visitation expenditures, local and state taxes and employment council members. Tourism recovery will be incredibly competitive with every destination trying to recover. But please approve this proposal quickly so Kent County can start the recovery marketing process for tourism and get our industry back to work. Thank you. So I'd say the next caller is. There. You're a. Please excuse my translation. You are in need of. Hey. No. Hey, can you see me? Yes, we can. Okay. Thank you. So my name is Michelle Obama. Am I S.H.I.E.L.D. e you r e and I am geeking out kids of color. A nonprofit that supports kids and adults to use tech tools to broaden their economic opportunities using an anti sexist and anti-racist lens. Since November of 2019, I've supported becoming a Latina on vacation by working with adult leaders, teaching them how to use tech tools to grow their businesses. COVID has turned all of this work upside down and has made an already inequitable, untenable. Getting out kids of color also works in the White Center, and we know that unincorporated Latino communities are especially struggling with COVID. Latino run businesses already face significant barriers, but this crisis has only made these impressions deeper. Most will close their doors and leave their families at risk of homelessness. I implore you to offer as much support to these businesses as possible, as well as a technical assistance to make a plan possible. Mira Latina, the Latino run and staff nonprofit on vacation, has been moving mountains to help families and businesses survive. But they need your support. We are proud to help them in these efforts, but cannot do it without you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our new speaker. Is Nicole Wilson. There mosquito nets and you're me? Yes, we can go now. He came and spoke on our question and I see all the last name. JH The AC h gosh w I l ask Luann. So. So I I'm Nicole. I work as a mental health clinician in Seattle. We're a mental health organization that is mostly led by Latinos for Latinos grounded in culture and mental health and resilience work. And we are very grateful to have partnered for the last couple of years this morning that Latina and fashion to support the youth and adult Latin community there even for the most prevalent among us. As time has stressed and stretched us in ways we never thought possible before, the quarantine and this impact is on the amplify for the Latino community, who are already vulnerable to any slight shift in their ability to house and feed their families. Nearly every Latino family I currently work with faces the reality of infection following the release of the moratorium strictly because of inaccurate and equitable access to resources, nonprofits working with the Latino community are millions of dollars short of meeting the needs that these families have presented at this time. And we need extra support. I urge you to invest more resources in helping the Latino businesses and families and unincorporated King County. The families who work in the Latino restaurants are worried beyond any fear that most of us can imagine. This, of course, is making our own businesses and Inc. King County by not only creating a fund for them, but making sure that funding is prioritized for the communities most impacted with an application process that is accessible and does not add to the long, overwhelming list of what these families feel is impossible to navigate. Please offer them hope. I very much so testified that they need it. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Gilbert Wilson. The next speaker is Tom Morello. Go ahead, Mr. Novak. You are. Thank you very much. My name is Tom Norman and 0rwa alk. I'm the president and CEO of Visit Seattle, a nonprofit destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County. Thank you, Councilman Booth Colwell and the Lasky and this committee for ongoing concern and leadership and your support of the travel industry over these many years. Thank you for taking up this legislation. No industry has to here as fast or as hard as travel and tourism and hospitality. We are in week number 11 and every week the metrics recorded are historic in nature and in tragedy. Unemployment numbers, business closures, hotel revenues, lack of tax collections and certainly unemployment filings. And certainly bankruptcy is now. Over the past ten weeks, the hotel revenue alone in King County is down 78%. From a comparable period in 20. It's estimated that COVID 19 will have nine times the impact on this industry. Then 911 dead many years ago. That's why this legislation is. So timely and so desperately needed, because it is ultimately jobs. It's a tax generally. And it creates economic impact throughout the. At its core, tourism is small business. Visit Seattle and Seattle. Southside are uniquely qualified to help lead this recovery with your help. Starting locally and then regionally, we will require emergency funding to really compete quickly and get the country back up. I applaud you and I applaud executive constantly and timely for this creative. And critical need to speed recovery and bring money so it. Will be competitive. And as our message opens up, we want to be the leader in bringing people back to our region and celebrating locally, regionally. So on behalf of over 80,000. Employees that make their living in this industry, we have. Thank you, Mr. Naroff. Oh, heavens. You're sure you are? Ms.. Zenobia Harris. Are you there to speak to something on the agenda today? You are a mutant. I will come back to this person and move on to the next speaker is Cynthia Ramos. Go ahead. Hey, you. Hi, this is Sophia. There are a lot. And I am the organizing coordinator for going. I love the idea that Hong Kong has been organizing for over a decade and my family has established a center where youth and families wiring to be resilient and create or spread economic opportunity. Back then, I learned a lot from the population of Hezbollah and there is a lot of Latinos on the island representing nearly almost 20% of the school population. Most of our community based big and has not had access to many of the basics of them. We, like our partners, are an organization that is run by a small Latinos, so to speak, one local that we have been relying on community ideas to help us survive this crisis. And despite the significant efforts, most are barely surviving and are coping with homelessness, as we have has been especially about the public process for this issue , followed by an earlier one looking out on the never came to us with question. But we cannot help each business in the way that we that we want or that they need. I urge you to support these businesses and unincorporated King County and to especially prioritize immigrant refugee owned businesses. I also ask that you consider testing their application process with love with those most vulnerable as they are. Even when funds are available. They are so complex that they are so out of reach for our family. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Ramos. The next speaker. Last three digits of their phone number as 311. You are on here and you sleep on her. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Can you spell your last name, please? Yes. This is wrong. R When? Last name? P c k. Thank you. Executive Director Constantino County Council Members Good afternoon. My name is Walter. I am the Director of Tourism Development for the Port of Seattle on a native Washingtonian and involved in travel and tourism for over 3043 years. I am testifying today in favor of the proposal to appropriate future lodging tax collections for a much needed tourism recovery program. Tourism has been disproportionately impacted by this global pandemic. The impacts of COVID 19 are decimating to us, and we see those impacts directly. At the Port of Seattle, Aviation activity at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is down approximately 95% compared to this time last year. Of the 99 retail and restaurant locations at the airport, just 3032 are currently operating. Our cruise season is indefinitely suspended until the health crisis subsides. As one of the leading travel and trade providers in the region, the port is committed to working closely with you and with other tourism stakeholders to facilitate the recovery of our region's vital tourism industry. Now more than ever, our organization and industry will depend on nonprofit destination marketing organizations to implement marketing programs that will jumpstart tourism business recovery visit Seattle and Seattle. Southside are uniquely positioned for this role, and this funding is essential for them to be able to stimulate visitation expenditures, local and state taxes and just as importantly, employment council members, the Port of Seattle. And I request you consider approving this proposal so that King County can initiate a recovery marketing process for tourism and get our industry back to work. Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony on this very important issue. Thank you, Mr. Pepper. The next speaker has the last three digits of their phone number as 633. You are on mute. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. My name is Brian Clarity that the r i a an f as in private l a h e r t y. And I am the Chief Operating Officer of Columbia Hospitality, Seattle based Hospitality Management Company. Thank you, Council members for the opportunity to comment on the proposed legislation to appropriate future lodging tax collections for a desperately needed tourism recovery program. We appreciate your consideration. As we've heard previously in the testimony that C 19 quite disproportionately impacted the travel and tourism industry, for example, of Columbia hospitality, where we managed 19 properties throughout the county, including hotels, tourist attractions like the Historic Power Centers Center, the Bal Harbor, International Conference Center, golf courses and more. Every single team member in our organization has been affected either by a significant reduction in salary or hours or of mobility. We started 2020 with just over 2600 team members. That number has fallen by over 50% due to the realities of seeing empty. Some of our hotels and tourist attractions, etc. have temporarily suspended operations. Limited portions of our group related business have pushed the Q4 or 2021, but the overwhelming majority have canceled, citing force majeure, Columbia's revenue loss and cancelations in March. Kane County alone is currently at almost $4 million, and our total losses for Washington State property are estimated at just over 6 million can. Apparently we're plus percent in April and May 2020 compared to the same time last year. And we are just an example of what's happening throughout our industry. Our individual small businesses will need much more investment than they or we could ever muster on our own from any hope of a real recovery for our industry and the families and the communities who rely on our sector for income, for activity, and for tourism related taxes. Now more than ever, our organization and our industry will depend on nonprofit destination marketing organizations to implement marketing and communications programs that will jumpstart tourism business recovery. Is it Seattle and Seattle Southside that are uniquely positioned for this role? And this funding is essential for them to be able to stimulate visitation expenditures, local and state taxes and employment council members. As you've heard, tourism recovery is going to be extraordinarily competitive with every destination throughout North America trying to recover. I therefore encourage you to please approve this proposal so King County can also start the recovery marketing process for tourism and get our industry back to work. Thank you again for your members, for your time and consideration and for your support. Thank you, Mr. Flaherty. Our next guest. The last three digits. Of their phone number as 746. My name is Monica Anderson, Emergency Way NPR. So I'm calling in support of a tourism recovery program. I had a prepared statement, but I believe everybody before me is pretty much given the same information. With the Seattle community, building trades are smart enough to realize when industry partners are hurting and we want to reach out and help them what they provide for this city, this region. I think we all know it's indescribable. Everybody wants to come to Seattle for a lot of reasons, not just one. We need to invest now that we all realize that, that we're going to be in competition with everybody all over the country. We need to invest and show people why we're number one for tourism dollars around here. So I am a supporter of the tourism recovery program. I want to also make sure that everybody realizes, you know, that all these workers, a lot of them be preapproved, are not represented and do not have a health care plan. It deeply affects some sectors a lot more than others. So we really feel that it is more than just for everybody out there, the businesses and the workers we need to invest to get this thing back on track. So we want to be to be number one here in Seattle. So thank you for your time. I appreciate. But it's hard work and everybody is under a lot of stress here. Trying to do these things on the phone and on the computer towards a recovery program is one of them. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. The next guest has the last three digits of their phone number as 93. Go ahead, please. Yeah, I mean. I guess that's what's going on. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Okay. I l I do the EU and it is done. And I am testifying today in support of our small library, that venue in the county, and the vital role that they play in our regional economy and our cultural life. I'm the owner of ten small commercial buildings in Seattle, six of them on Capitol Hill. I've got 25 customer facing. Tenants have been devastated by this shutdown, ranging from restaurants and retailers to barbershops and gym. I think there's someone who doesn't have their own muted in the background there. That's better. I am actually not a landlord of a live event venue and yet I felt compelled to speak today, not about my specific situation or that of my tenant, but rather to emphasize why we all need these small music venues to stay in business. Our favorite urban neighborhoods are ecosystems where everyone depends on everyone else's success. In the pipeline corridor of Capitol Hill, where new malls and other small venues are located, and where many of my tenants are situated nearby . We rely on each other to generate foot traffic and to create an overall critical mass in terms of giving the elderly a meaningful going out experience. People who go to shows also meet for cocktails and dinner before the ecosystem actually supports itself in every direction. The musicians who rent their practice rooms for me and get their first break for local stages like new mothers and fathers that are also working restaurant jobs in the neighborhood and getting their hair cut at our barber shop and shopping at our retailer. The young tech employees who Amazon has recruited to come here by popping up. Seattle, legendary local music scene, have chosen to live in our neighborhoods because they feel like it's authentic and it's culturally relevant. And the White Music Club having fun to do with all of that. Before we wrap up, I also want to say a small word on behalf of the small landlords like me who are working as hard as we can to provide flexibility and relief for our tenants. Most of us have loans on our building, and so we can only offer relief if we get it from our bank. And in some cases that not happening or the relief that is being offered is one that it is very limited in comparison to the scale of the problem. My only point here is that everyone is pulling their weight right now. Everyone in the ecosystem is trying to find relief, but the scale of the problem is really quite overwhelming. And for the future of our city. I hope you can help. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Dunn. The next speaker is. I have the. Last three digits and 770. On your phone. You are muted. Please go ahead. Hello. Hi, my name is Elvia Herron is my name Z and the Z brand and only I. A black day here in HHR. I am. Thinking this here is going ahead. Okay. I am the CEO for the Chamber of Commerce and today I am testifying in support of the proposal to commit to 000177. The chamber represents King County businesses specifically, but we support both small, medium and large businesses. Our members are widespread throughout the state of Washington and King County specifically. King specifically is one of the top rank, the top ten most diverse communities in America. And with that in mind, we want to make sure that funding for the Education PAC support the promotion and opportunity to continue to build businesses and still have them here after COVID 19. Chambers are the voice of the business community and the community as a whole. Chambers have the strategic plan, the infrastructure and relationship with both for profit and nonprofit businesses and relationships with local government that will help revitalize, rebuild and sustain our businesses. Chamber, by nature, are collaborative. And with that in mind, the fund will allow Chamber to wrap our services around the business and the work group that needed the most to ensure continued growth and success of our community. We are grateful for the work that you are doing in King County to encourage the funding directly to chamber. And again, we appreciate the time to speak with you today. Thank you, Miss Harris. The next person to speak is on the train. Chemistry. You are needed. Thank you. Hi. My name is Alessandra and that is about a e j a and d r a and my last name is P RB at the number three. In fact, I want to thank you all for your leadership during this crisis, and I hope that you're all individually well as well. I also wanted to commend written testimony. In addition to being very well organized, it highlights how unincorporated King County really operates the deficit of representation. I also want to celebrate and unfortunately know that we had businesses waiting and ready to give testimony about their experiences in unincorporated King County, but they were unable to wait the full hour and 15 to participate. Now I regret we won't be hearing from all of them. So I, along with several other leaders and a co-founder of committee, that nothing other than now we better this organization for Latinos that it's not that we have a relationship through, you know, but this organization really is more and vital in that live on fashion, which I've noted is about roughly 20% of the island. Now, we did this because we know that for every immense challenge and need that I know is really well documented in general, and especially during time that we also have amazing ideas and talent of how to address this very complicated form. We do not understand. We still knew how to start businesses. That there. Are enviable homes created photo worthy garden in arguably and I love the casinos some of the best tacos in the region and much, much more mathematician, all the small jobs that there's all the small business advocates that had the pleasure of working with many of you. And I know that you're investing in good government, and I know that good governance starts with programs that are not just about the quick ideas of equity, but include processes that are implemented in an effective and efficient way because they are based on the real experience of what they're trying to address. Did not only create and measurable impact on the ground, but is a 50 years research. We have been in conversations with others in Skyway and White Center and our findings that many of our immigrant refugees, people of color businesses are facing more barriers and less resources to their card counterparts in city in white center in partnership with White Center and businesses of Skyway. And we had to turn that to protect an important portion of unincorporated economy of King County. We need more direct support and legal allocation. Processes right now are a critical component of recovery. Success and will be most effective, is actually co-created with those who are working directly with businesses and understand that their technical assistance, these businesses will be the key to ensuring these programs are effective on the King County and all of your leadership continues to be a model for. Thank you. Breaking this trend. The next speaker is question. On the culture of. Okay. Yes. Hello. Hi, everyone. Thank you for letting me be here to express myself. Yes, my name and ancestral. I am co-owner of the site of Odeon Bakery. He and wife dances. And I want to express and say that Bitcoin mining has hit everyone around the world and here in our area. But the everybody leaves their own situation. And I am leaving mine all here in my basically in my business. We have a strong alas. Until now, we still do. And I want to say that many families is bad for the people that we employ and put on this business are community based on their affordable prices in the way of variety of products that we offer. And well, we have we had a hard time trying to apply for the BPP life program that we had, like all the different organizations and we have filed and so many. And I feel that they all may have failed to small businesses. They have money too. They have provided money to big corporations first. And some of their big corporations like these not even needed the money. Their money, they some of them, they even recently a lot of businesses are in more needs and we need therefore we as a business weekly aid. Yeah and we feel you help to their infrastructure, to the government, the taxes for the development of their community. We as a business are being left out or we need representation. People that we look at them to look out for our communities like lightweights in their community, we will only associate easily what they did and they have been working hard to help and most businesses here in the area. But I feel that the I wasn't going to sell they council members will be not to forget about our people in these communities. Now more than ever, we need you and help. Please approve this proposal. And now more than ever, we don't want to be left out. And a lot of them, most businesses are not going to be able to open again because they don't have their source and they don't have their money in the hand that they need to keep up with their businesses. And a lot of people are going to be unemployed and they already are about a million maybe. But if they are open, get this way. It is a lot of people is going to be struggling and so they felt that most community and please help the small businesses like mine. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Ms.. Costello. The next caller on the line is Michael. Michael asks. Are you there? Thinking sweet, please. Michael? Yes. If you're there, can you unmute yourself. On your end? I will attempt. To move on now to Kevin Barry. You are on mute and go ahead. Hello. My name is Kevin. Thank you for having me. Hey, Amy. And that seems to be you. I am a new business owner in Washington. I am the owner of what sounds like a wall. Who said anything to it? If I use it based on what? Office owner. I bought a couple of retailers. I took over the business not too long ago in October of 2019. I am a family owned business. We have lost our customer because of COVID 19, our income revenue up to 80% during the pandemic. More my families depend on the success of the business, but so far we. Haven't received any assistance from the county. I have a business loan to pay back. Went to pay. An employee wages. We are doing everything. We can to get fun. Like a PPE, but it has been a challenging. We couldn't get it together with the Washington CTA and the NBC has been a good thing, but I still have a lot of what I hope the county could help to save our small business. So we still. Keep our open during this struggling town and to serve the community in the future. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Beazley. The next caller on the line is. Yes. Hi. Go ahead, please. You are unmuted. Well, you. I think there. Is Nyanza kind of higher on the line? If so, please talk. Hello? Hello? Yeah, hi. Yeah, I'm sorry. I just picked up the phone. Can you give me your. Here it is. Never Nasdaq Empire and the 80. Thank you. Please go ahead. Yes, I. I have a small business and skyway, unincorporated UK. I have been here for 25 years. And, uh. And this, uh, this latest COVID has definitely affected everyone, especially the small businesses in this area. We're surrounded with, uh, with very, very tough times. So everyone is definitely trying to come up with a solution how they can stay afloat. And, uh, and on a corporate income, a specialty that I know is behind and in many ways from the other area, uh, and I appreciate all the county for trying to do something, uh, but I think that the businesses, especially in the small areas like ours, was definitely a, uh, that's quite a bit from any kind of help from, from the county when it comes to the funding and, and grants and and other area. Appreciate the. Any kind of. Input on that. Thank you. Thank you for your comments, Mr. Chair. I believe I have called everyone on the line. Thank you. Do we have the ability to unmute everyone on the line for a moment? Yes, they do. Can we do that, please? And I'll make sure that there's nobody on the line intending to give testimony who hasn't had a chance to wrap their heads. Here we go. I don't get everyone on the set with us. Not one on the call at a 20 to 35 name. Some background noise, which is understandable given we got news and everybody notice. But I've not heard anyone try to get our attention to tell us that everybody is buying one another. Yet concluded. There is nobody on the line with the people who has not already done so. I'm very happy to have the ability to make such a stance again. I would ask that you sell and I'll be defending myself. Yes, Mr. Chair, I've just muted all participants. Thank you very much. So, everyone, you are muted. I have envisioned myself and. Or that will close public comment. And that takes us to item five on the agenda. This is a briefing that we have and reportedly director of the Office of Performance Strategy and Budget. To join us will be giving us an update on the times of the dinner in response. Mr. Dudley, welcome to the video and the screen is yours. Can you hear me and see me? I can see you. But if you turn your screen up a little bit, we'll see your whole face. All right, then. Okay, so now, Mr. Chair, how long would you like me today? I know we have a very full agenda for your committee. We do? I don't know how much you have to present your own expense reports in the past. If it's conceivable to ask you to keep an eye on seven in 10 minutes. I will do that. All right. All right. So let me I'm going to cut short a little bit what I was going to talk about and only covered three things. So the first one is I want to call your attention to a revenue forecast that we received from our Office of Economic and Financial Analysis on last Thursday. So as I think, you know, they are doing an informal forecast at the end of every month and it doesn't have the rigor and all the analysis that we typically use. But nonetheless, it is giving us helpful information about what is happening to the county's revenues. And the news is not good. In fact, the news is very bad. And so let. Me simply. Focus on three sales tax revenue attendance. And this is for the three year period from 2023, 2022. So basically the rest of this year and the next biennial budget. The sales tax forecast for the general fund is down by $79 million to 79 million. The sales tax revenue estimate for Metro Transit and I know you're hearing from Mr. Gannon later, is down by $397 million. And the sales tax estimate for the mental illness and drug dependency or middle fund is down by $42 million. And I would say, frankly, if anything, those estimates are probably still higher than we will actually expect to see. In other words, they the actual consequences are probably worse than that, although maybe not a lot more than there's a lot of uncertainty, obviously. So the point of telling you this is that unless we get federal support, that will help us offset our revenue losses. We are going to be in for a very, very different over 2122 BI budget for those funds that are affected by sales tax and other revenues that are heavily dependent on economic performance. At this point with the reserves that we have, I think we can not take immediate cuts in the general fund. I think we have time to work through that. I will caution you, I do not believe the same is true for the midfield. So we were already having conversations with the DHS and with the executive about proposals to reduce middle spending starting in 2020 and perhaps starting as soon as July of 2020. These, as you know, the only source of revenue for men is sales tax. And so these kind of huge declines are projected to be 27% this year alone. Are going to overwhelm the roughly. We have a reserve in the middle fund. So I don't have a specific proposal for you today, but I just want to call your attention to particularly for mid we're going to have to take action I think relatively soon. And then Mr. Garner will be talking about the consequences for Metro Transit with this kind of revenue loss and obviously also the loss of at this point, all of their fare revenue may have their own sources of federal money. That will be helpful. But we're going to be looking at a very serious financial problem for Metro as well. So I don't foresee at this point very obviously likely going on in lots more detail. But I mean, for some time, I think I'll pause and see if there's any question. Others. Never done. Thank you, Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yesterday for me for being so clear with us on what's ahead for us. I am curious on what other things you might have thought you had more time. And because I think it's really important for us to know this and on the issues with the men. Well, first of all, Metro Metro is the only store to accurately tell me are not. And they can have revenue lost reimbursed through the CARES and COVID reimbursements. Right. That was what we were originally told last week. They started to receive different direction. Would be here. Oh, wow. And so that's an issue I think you should explore with Mr. Danaher. We are. And the third point I want to make this morning is also an example where the government can not seemingly provide consistent guidance on what these funds can be used for. My third point will actually be more optimistic than the message that we received about federal money for transit. So at this point, it is not clear whether we can use the federal money to offset lost revenue in transit, but it does appear we can use it to pay for service, so we may end up in about the same place. Mr. Gannon, we know more about that tonight. And fund the men. And, you know, we are hearing a lot from our police chief of an increase in domestic violence and also a lot of people well, increase in sales of both alcohol and drugs. So potentially we're going to need more public health and mental health. So how how can we go about bringing up your partners and whether a partner like is our community because we already have an alcohol program, but they are not accepting any government failure. And so how can we make a path easier to bring those resources to bear when we have with you? And I think that would be a question best directed the real flaw in his team in these debates. I don't know what restrictions there are any that preclude that at this point with various funding sources. But Leo and his team would know. Thank. Thank you very. Done, but it's never done. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dwight, thanks again for your continued vigilance on these issues. The $79 million shortfall in the general fund is a very significant reduction. It will be very, very hard hitting, amplified by the fact that the shock absorber is gone because of what we were required to spend on the on and make itself. The question I have for you, as you mention, for the remainder of 2020 and in the biennium, you are seeing that shortfall. Let me ask this. Do we have to you will lose your gesture in the general direction of it, saying we wouldn't have made the cuts right now. But are you basically telling us that that $79 billion is going to have to be addressed directly in the budget cycle we will have coming up this fall? Or will you think we have to take some action in advance of that? So that's what I meant. That's a very good question. And and there is a policy choice here, obviously. We do have reserves in the general fund that we can use to cover most of our costs this year. It also looks to me like the federal money is going to be a little more flexible than we had expected . So if we haven't made a decision yet on whether we need to do, you know, cuts for the last three months or six months in the general fund for 2021, we certainly have to end up recovering that amount in the next biannual budget. So I think looking at it as we have about 30 months from July of 2020 through the end of 2022, that we will use to balance against whatever these losses turn out to be. Okay. Thank you for that answer. It's funny. KUOW is has asked me to come on and address the issue of addiction and recovery. Now we're seeing a spike in drinking and drug use during this pandemic. And it's true. I did some background research and talked to one of the leading authorities here in the Seattle area who indicated, yes, in fact, that there's a huge spike in it, relapses to alcohol and drug use. And it's really created this just the perfect storm. When you tell me about the big decimation in funding, essentially combined with the job loss, the eighth time and this pandemic, I guess I just want to play for my my colleagues and others that we got a very, very serious problem on our hands that we we need to take a look at in terms of addiction, recovery, and hopefully we can do it. Myself, the leaders of the Council on the Executive could work together to maybe try to figure out a way to help solve that problem. That's where my good is, that at the time we're going to have much more demand for service because of the way these services are funded, we're going to have a lot less revenue. That is a chronic problem we have in the state with our emphasis on sales tax. Where. Thanks, Andy. And perhaps suggesting other alternatives in terms of Internet sales tax and a few others. I'm open to hearing here suggestions moving forward. Thank you. Thank you, your customers and ask you. Question for Mr. Bagley. Grow up to grow. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And while you may be addressing this, but could you share what we do know about how we can use the Federal Cares Act funds that have been appropriated. To the state and county. Already? And I ask it because that we're making appropriation decisions today in emergency supplemental and knowing what may or may not be reimbursable and. But the opportunity costs the dollars today might be. Meaning how. Could that. Money be spent. In the future? So any any update on. Your understanding of. Whether or not we can backfill with federal cares funding? Yeah. So that was going to be my third point. So let's go to that right now. So the original guidance we got about the flexible funds from the CARES Act, the $262 million was basically in three parts. First of all, it was it had to be for an incremental COVID response forces. Second, it had to be for things that were not bioengineered as of the end of March. And third. It could not be used to backfill for lost revenue. So those are really those the original three guidelines and all pretty clear. And we have subsequently heard as of yesterday that certain base costs that are now fully devoted or almost fully devoted over in response are also eligible. So if you think about our staff, many of our staff in public health or DHS who have shifted from their regular duties to solely focusing or almost entirely focusing on call and response, it now appears that we can use this revenue to pay for those offices, which is different than the original guidance and would give us significantly more flexibility in how we use that money. So I had, I think suggested before and I think member Paul Wells is pursuing this, it would be very helpful before we do the next supplemental that will have in front of you in June, if we can come up with some high level policies about how we want to use the money. So to your specific question about what's in the appropriation ordinance since before now, as I've said before, our intent will be to reimburse as much of that as we can from state and federal funds. And I think we are probably going to be able to get close to 100% reimbursement for those costs that you see in that ordinance. We will start with FEMA, and we know that the facility costs at a minimum and then a variety of other costs are going to be reimbursable and 75% from FEMA. And then typically the state would match that with 12 and a half percent and then the locals would be responsible for 12 and a half percent. In this case going by, we can use the Cares Act money as arm and we know that it's already fostered. So we will start with that avenue. Things that are not in my eligible. So some of the outreach, this proposed business assistance that's proposed, those things we would be able to cover with the CARES Act money . So I think I've seen most of the proposed amendments. I believe that all of those would also fallen category or being reimbursable from the CARES Act money. So I think we're so far not spending a lot of our own money. Ultimately, I do want to caution. Unless we get further federal appropriations that $262 million means that lasts us till the end of the year because that's as long as they will allow you to charge against it. So I don't want the county to be in a situation where we get to the fall, October or November. We may have to reopen some of these facilities and suddenly we're out of the federal money. So that is the one advice I have as we talked about spending money in this ordinance and in. The next one. That's why we're down here. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's really good to see you, Dwight. I said. It's good to see you. Yes. So I'm going to ask you to repeat some stuff you told us before. Just to make sure I get it, because the grounds do ship a bit. And sometimes I think there's something going on with the members of the federal packages that they're close together, but they're for different things. And I may have confused them in my head. So my first question is about the CARES Act. I mean, how much the 262 million, I understand. But we get after the determination about how they allocated populations and I wanted to see what is the remainder of the money that we didn't get because of that allocation and where did it go? So we should have gotten about $390 million if we really used our population. But because the Treasury, excluding the city of Seattle, is population, we got 262. All of that money that we didn't get went to the state of Washington. Okay. As the state got the state and its qualifying, governments got a fixed amount of money. That was led by Formula Queen, King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Spokane County and the city of Seattle. So any money that was left went to the state. So the roughly 130 million that we should have gotten but didn't is now at the state of Washington. End of the funding that the governor has now allocated to cities with smaller populations. Did it come from that hundred and $30 million? Is that your understanding of where that cares ACT funding is coming? No, not specifically though. It's just coming out of the total that the state received down that as I understand what the state plan is, they're going to allocate to the counties that did not get money directly and to the cities that did not give money directly. And so that it's coming out of their grand total funding, which is something on the order of $2 billion. And. And second last question. I've heard repeatedly that what the CARES Act that comes to us can be used for is reimbursement for costs related to COVID. And you detail that out a little bit earlier today. But I've also heard people start to talk as if we could use that money for external programing to support the community like small business programs or. And so help me understand what it can and cannot be used for. So again, always subject to the fact the federal government can change its mind. Our understanding is we can use it for our own cost, the county's own cost. We can also use it to. Offset the impact of coal made in our community so we can use our money to support cities when they have costs related to building and used our money to directly support small business or to use this money to support food banks. So it's in that sense, it's very flexible as long as there is a nexus to both. Reagan in one final question is that you or somebody are going to be here through the discussion of the next items, because I think this falls over into where is all the money coming from and what's our expectation about reimbursement as we go through the various programs. We're about to talk about funding. Yes, I'll be on the call. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Oh. Well, both, please. That's my goal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Our clients are a couple of questions for you. But it's correct that you would be able to use the console centered on priorities for the third covered omnibus. We can get that input into by May. 19. Yes. We were. Planning to. Transmit the next COVID omnibus on 21st of May, but we could wait a little longer. If you want to give us that input before we transmit I as chair of the committee, you also know we're sending over the third regular omnibus supplemental appropriations ordinance. So we're trying to not have them both sent to you at the same time. But with your indulgence, I would much prefer to have the Council's policy input before we transmit the next COVID supplemental, even if that means we have to delay, and then we're basically sending them to you at the same time. Thank you. And answers to my colleagues information. I will be sending you a memo tomorrow to assist with the process that I've developed to obtain your input on your. Priorities. For this kind of omnibus. And have a phone for those who can get that because we want to work with the executive on developing this currently omnibus rather than waiting to react to that. When we first got out, we thought. The question. We've heard a lot of the comments about support for this legislation. Take it up next. And I know there's been some concern among some members of perhaps a chance for the launch in terms of the ban. So it would not be the best thing to do at this time. Can you just tell us in your your own thoughts about that in terms of why this could be important? Now that I can speak, I think, for an executive on this. Obviously, the source of all of this money is people staying in hotel rooms and motel rooms in King County. And so there isn't any revenue if there is any occupancy of those hotels and motels. So the executive's priority, and I think you heard a lot of support from this is to as soon as it is safe to do so, is to urge people to start coming back to the county as tourists, as conventioneers and staying in hotels to help generate the revenue that also then supports affordable housing and sports, arts and so on. So it struck us as a very prudent investment. Bring forward some of the money allocated to tourism in the future. Spend it now in order to get people to start coming back here as soon as we can realistically here. And rather than waiting until everything is fine and then submitting an ordinance and having a process and having, you know, dozens of other places around the world way ahead of us in the campaign. It struck us as we wanted to be right in the line of being ready to do that. So that's why it was transmitted. Now get back to there. And that's. All is quiet. I would suggest you go on your second point now. Okay. So this is the second point. But now really the third point in the final point that Mary covered the original third point. And so just briefly, the other ways we are seeing immediate short term financial consequences is the permitting division of the Department of Local Service. As you all know, that agency provides service only in the unincorporated area. The vast majority of the remaining revenue comes from single family homes in either being built, remodeled, new furnaces put in, etc. With the shutdown of residential construction, they were hit immediately by a dramatic decline in their employment revenue and that in the month of March was very, very poor. I haven't seen the final numbers for April. It looks like it maybe started to come back a little bit in April and we're waiting to see what happens in May. If that stays down significantly, there will have to be budget reductions in permitting almost immediately. So sometime this summer because they have almost no reserves. Right now, their cash balance is -2 million or so. And if things recovered and later in the year that we can work through that, if they stay reasonably low, we're going to have to reduce staffing and spending and permitting. So I will keep you posted on that one. But that may be the first place where we actually have to take action because it's such a small revenue base and it's so quickly affected by changes in construction industry. And I give credit to the folks who lead that department and that division. They have done some outreach to their major customers and at least so far have actually received somewhat reassuring statements from their customers, saying, oh, this was kind of a temporary thing we got here. We still expect to get back to normal. That would be great if that's true. But I didn't want to give you an early heads up if it turns out not to be the case. And that's really all I can cover with you here today. Does the member remember. You, Mr. Chair? And somebody once again. Again and. It's almost speechless. And I guess at the one of the main function of the government to allow people and not allow people, but the people to do what they need to do with their property. And we are, I believe, several months behind, and I can't think of any other city where they are as far behind in their familiy. We have been on top of trying to get caught up, but it is not by that. And we have moved a lot of our permitting online, which was long overdue in coming. But it is there pretty much. And again, the yeoman's work but as a local government to take out one of the main functions and my made effort to function of local government when we already know that they are make it made it in their permitting. It is really not. I'm just involved. So it is something we really have to examine carefully. As a member of the market. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Joy, for the report and follow leadership to demonstrate. Just a thought on the permitting issue, which is an issue that seems to continue to vex us for decades. But my sense is generally it's it's fee for service rights or the fees for the permits cover the cost. Minister, I view that in this case in terms of the recovery, looking ahead as a key linchpin for a very important part of our economy. No, we're not a big part in the county as a whole because so so much of the development occurs in the urban area. But to the extent we could accelerate the review of permits to get people working by getting projects going faster, I wonder if there might be a place in some of these recovery dollars to invest what we've never really been able to do general fund, you know, money into that function to supercharge, to speed it up under the under the theory that we want to get folks back to work. Just a thought. And I should just share with you that the leadership of the division have exactly the same idea when I talked to them last week. So they are very interested if we can figure out a way to, you know, get the federal money for that purpose, that if we can use general fund and somehow find a way to offset that, they would like to do exactly what you and Councilmember Lambert talked about, which is to get this stuff out the door faster, catch up on the backlog and position for growth, at least in the limited area that we have. No one else. All right, then. Mr. Darby, I thank you very much for joining us and joining us by video today. And I understand you'll be staying with us for the next item as well. I will. Thank you. That takes us to six times in his agenda, that proposed ordinance 2020 177, which is a supplemental appropriations ordinance that releases the COVID 19 response on Auckland Council members and staff to distribute an ongoing amendment package today by email. 1216 It came from both the Senate and the media, and I would like to have that email and attachment of it for you. And we have council staff in the meeting present to brief us and answer your questions. Andrew Campbell Give us the staff report and brief the Senator and Mr. Williams. Well, the amendment amendments measure spending, gentlemen, but I need yours. I think he's a jerk. Can you hear me? Okay? Yes. So. And you're cute with general staff. I will begin with the staff report, which is on page 11 of that. I'll be kind of skipping around a little bit, so I'll make sure to write. Appropriate page. I'm on page 11. The proposed ordinance would make a total supplemental appropriation of about $1 million, of which one point and will be made to the general fund agencies 22 million to 9 general fund and 31 million to the capital improvement. If. Now on the next page, page 12. If you look at page. Table one. Page two. Summary of all that emerges the omnibus. Taking action on guarding the. COVID 19. Virus. As you recall, in the March omnibus, we appropriated a total of 27 million for this omnibus proposal, 54. And we have a kind of a running total of 81.8 million for the two omnibus legislation. And as she has repeatedly mentioned, there is going to be another one in May. Table to provide a summary of of. Along the appropriation included in the proposed ordinance. I'm going to spend most of my time on on that table. I'll just do a brief review of each item in that. And that's so in the proposed ordinance, the first item that would be included is a $1 million to the Office of Equity in Social Justice to expand funding for their COVID 19 Community Response Fund. This was the fund that was created from the last omnibus where the council appropriated. The second item is $95,000 to the Department of Assessments for laptops and related equipment to allow employees to work remotely. The third item is 410,000 for the adult juvenile detention for two full body security screening systems to minimize physical contact with the poor social distancing requirements. $2 million for a small business relief program administered by the Department of Local Services, including partnering with local chambers and providing translation services for small businesses. On page 13 on the top of the page. We have a population of 48,000 for public health to support and in a way that would provide a premium pay in addition and an additional $4 per hour for nights and weekends for public health nurses employed in the different isolation, quarantine and shelter densification sites. We also have 4.3 million to the Housing Community Development Fund, which increases the additional revenue that we release for the Community Development BLOCK Grant and the emergency services grant. I'm sorry. Here's the solution, Grant. We have a $2.2 million increase in the IDF in the operating to support the isolation, quarantine and shelter in Asian sites, particularly inbound new residents which. We have $5.7 million for leasing costs for the 7 to 7 sites. Around the county. $25.2 million here for additional cost for the placement and installation of modular units across the county. And $150,000 to install fencing around the mailing regional justice center. And as Councilmember Coleman discussed before, $12 million for an event on lodging, tax, future lodging tax revenues to support $8 million for a visit. Seattle on the South Side for tourism campaign, $2 million for culture to provide relief funds to arts, culture, heritage and preservation organizations. $1,000,000 to sound science organizations, 250,000 for arts education and 750,000 for live music venues. And lastly, $1,000,000 operation. This is also for future lighting, moving future lighting tax revenues to support homeless youth programs. The subsequent pages are just additional details of the summary that I provided. So I'm going to skip over those for the purpose of time, and I will direct you now. Page 21. On page 21. This speaks to the future lightning tax allocations that will be used to support the $2 million and $1 million for homeless expenses. So, as you know, that $4 million will be funded by an advance of utilizing tax revenues earmarked to support tourism. So the Council adopted Ordinance 1878, which was an ordinance that signed an agreement with the Washington with the Seattle Mariners. And it also provided some intent of the allocation of utilizing tax revenue. And in that ordinance, a total of 9 million was supposed to be allocated for tourism from 2021 to 2029. With this proposed ordinance, the executive is proposing that that allocation increase from 9 million to 21 million from 2021 to 2029. It should be noted that in order for that to happen, we would the Council will need to memorialize that. That changed by amending board in 2017. The executive hasn't transmitted that ordinance yet because due to our new restriction on what can be taken up during the virtual meeting, legal counsel opined that given that this is related to neutralizing tax revenues, that that would not qualify as something that can be taken up during this time. So exactly how we try to transmitting that at a later time. If I can direct you to page 23, the page 23 on it has a table six. And what table six includes is all the different allocations that would be used for each variety tax revenues as indicated by ordinance one eight, seven, eight, eight. And then there's three columns. So there's one that they were allocated by that ordinance. The March 31st important preliminary forecast includes some or some preliminary sales tax work tax revenue that was provided by a Oliva and this that assumes that forecast with the additional $12 million for tourism annually. And then the last column is actually what Dwight talked about was the latest April 30 preliminary forecast. So that assumes that forecast in addition to the $12 million, in addition to tourism. I just like to note that in the original ordinance, 18788. Reallocations were slated to the belief we forecast based on the August 2018 forecast and any any revenues in excess of that forecast. And that's why you have those two different sections for the line tax revenues. The subsequent pages also speak to the revenue sources and the revenue outlook of of how these appropriations would be paid. A lot of it is just a summary of what are doing that we mentioned in the proprietary things. So I will I will I won't go into that. But I would note that there are a couple of tables that might be helpful. Table seven on page 26 includes the sales tax interim forecast for April 30th, and it shows the different the decrease in revenues that White mentioned in his briefing. And then the next page, table eight includes the year to date actual county revenues that would have been collected as of April 2022. So you'll see that a lot of the property tax levies are okayed by. But but the sales tax revenues are significantly lower. That concludes my staff report before going to the striking of Mr. Chair, if there is any questions I can answer. Never so many questions on the underlying ordinance through what we briefly spoken about the. The question that member. And Council member Lambert. Posted to her team something about a 1 million public school site is deeply regrettable and that in one of the times you talked about acquiring 680 beds. And I think the number right now, because it varies every day, 50 and 70. So how are we going to face this on a day to have 608 bed allocated or purchased if we're going to need less than 100? So I'll I'll I'll try to answer the last question. And so that's what the executive has been proposing, that maybe that we need the county, maybe so because of like how how many beds are currently being used. And I recognize that the number of beds. Definitely lower than what happened in Ferguson. You know, very quickly, I'm speaking to why we need that many number of beds. And then I think your first question would be related to $1,000,000 for a science center. It was. Yes, it was. Thank you. So my understanding is, is that the $1 million would be part of that lodging tax future in tax revenues, and it would essentially just go to support science organizations. The proposed ordinance is as broad in general as that. That's a pretty big allocation. And we're talking about not having enough money to keep businesses going. And I'd be interested in knowing what we're targeting. Back to you. What what are some of the things you had in mind that would need. Call that set up one. Okay. It's a terrible regime. I think I have a problem with having. Nicholas Stern would like to provide some explanation to council member members. We have in this proposal come in second and we have $2 million fund for culture to provide for grants or be covered under in the charter for for culture . There's no provision to provide grants. Two sides organizations. So therefore the executive included language for. PRC to be able to determine grants. The phone lines. Education programs are examples of science programs that would be included. Could it be? Science teacher, Mercer Smith. Who created the aquarium. A crewed flight could could serve. There are a lot of. Things that could be. Any ideas to help with promoting Turks? Statement. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I don't know if this is the appropriate time, but I just want to put down outstanding or bust as we go through this presentation for each of the different programs that we're talking about. I mean, I really want to understand where the money comes from and what our confidence level is, that it will be there and when we're assuming that there will be reimbursement from federal or other companies. I know that's not typically what we start with during appropriations, but it feels important given the reason we just had. Councilmember Bill Dombrowski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. On point. It doesn't amount to cheese inquiry and circling back it may have slipped by, but I thought maybe I could emphasize it or just seek validation or confirmation from Dwight. But I believe I heard Mr. Daly say that he has reviewed the package of amendments, including the Second Amendment, and that he believed that all of the appropriations that are contemplated herein were likely to be or would qualify for federal reimbursement out of the cares money that we have in on hand today. So if that might help us with governmental duties, I think very good question. Yes, sir. We refer you back to the staff report. Ages 12 and 13. That itemize is the individual things in the original proposed ordinance. So everything on page. Well, we are confident is eligible either for FEMA money and or for the CARES Act. But on page 13, the public health item at the top is explicitly allowed in the CARES Act money. The next item Housing Development and the Emergency Solution Grants. Those are separate appropriations in the CARES Act. And so this is just appropriating federal money that was sent to us for these purposes. And then the rest of the items on this page, other than the last two, are clearly eligible for FEMA money. And then we would presumably also get state money in CARES Act money to cover all those facility costs. It's possible that the wanting parents items would also be eligible for CARES Act. That's not the mechanism we're proposing at this point. We're proposing this advance on future revenues. But if we got to the end of the year and we still have earmarked, money was unspent, we can certainly check with our lawyers and see if any of that could also be reimbursed. I've also, as you said, Councilwoman Dombrowski, most of I think all or at least many of the amendments that are proposed, and they also seem to me to fit within the ability fund, either with FEMA money, state money or cares act money. Followed by favorite costumes. Oh, yeah. But did you? No. Councilmember malignancy, please. Thank you. I want to thank you for that answer. That was helpful. The. Items that you said would be reimbursable with FEMA or terrorism funding. So excluding the lodging tax items for a moment. If for some reason they don't get reimbursed. Where does that money come from and put the people in the general fund? Right. Yes. Now, remember that the federal money is working in two different ways. So the. FEMA money. You have to apply for and then they review your application. And if that qualifies, they awarded. Historically, that has been a slow process. They assure us that, no, no, no, this is different. They know they have to get across. So that's one process. The $262 million in CARES Act money we already have, it is in our treasury. So there is no reimbursement process involved. We will have to have documentation because obviously at some point we're going to get a lot of it, but we don't have to wait on that money. So the some of the items that we are less confident about, FEMA reimbursement, if we wanted to just immediately charge those the CARES Act money we got. And what's the. I'm just looking for that. I'm just looking for risk here. Okay. So what's the downside if we a set of we find cares act funding to a certain. Expenditure and quantifiable. Because the rules have jumped around a bit. Find a balance model. What's the worst case scenario? Well, I would say there are two worst case scenario. So the first worst case scenario is we have expenses like the facility expenses that we have been assured by the federal government and FEMA that, yes, those are going to qualify and yes, we will get reimbursed. And at some point a year from now or two years from now, they'll say, oh, we changed our mind. And so, no, we're not going to reimburse you for those expenses. And at that point, Cares Act money will have expired. So that will be suddenly stuck with a hole in our general fund that we could not have anticipated. That, I think in my mind, is the worst case. This. The other risk is that we spend some of our cares act money on something that at some point in the future the federal government determines oh you to read some part a vast one that 46. Never sat here. And, you know, that kind of small business assistance didn't qualify, but other kinds of small business assistance there. And then again, that would be back to the general fund. The reason I'm less concerned about the second one is the guidance, at least so far, is so bright. It's hard to see how an auditor could really make much of an argument and demand that we return money we had already spent. So frankly, I think the CMA risk is the higher risk just because it's not money we already got in our treasury. And just a close eye on this topic. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will say we, as some of us have come by this distrust of federal reimbursement. Honestly, you know, the Howard Hanson Dam situation and I think you remember that quite as well. As I do remember that. Gentlemen. Terminator will continue to be working on the spectrum of. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the summary of the striking amendment is on target on page 27 of your in the packet to the first page in the strike, the amendment would add an additional expenditure restriction to specify to make it explicit that the million dollars would be used to support the Community Response Fund. On page 28, there were two. We would currently the expenditure restriction related to the small business program, which deals in very broad. What we've done is we've added an expenditure restriction to break out the different allocations as the executive had intended. The $1.7 billion for grants to small businesses, $200,000 to partner with local chambers and community based organizations. 50,000 for translation services to small businesses. The striking amendment also includes some additional criteria, for example, considering historically disadvantaged communities for their or the allocation to be geographically balanced, etc.. The third change would be adding an additional $3 million to also implement a small business relief program countywide. Again, the deal at auction is for unincorporated King County only, and what we've done is been added to the PSC so that they can try to figure out which means they will be able to implement this program. It adds a $3 million and it provides the same, but would probably provide the breakdown of 2.5 million for grants to small businesses, 125,000 to partner with both local chambers, which associations and community based organizations, and 75,000 for translation services. Again, it also establishes some additional criteria for the grant, and it also requires that he has the community work group to think through an approach to implementing the program. Number four is the expenditure restriction related to the advance of lodging. Tax funds are fairly broad and what we've done is we've narrowed or we've written your language to be more specific. So for example, the $8 million for tourism organizations we've provided that 6 million would go to visit Seattle and 2 million will go to Seattle Southside. And we added some additional language to provide more requirements. For number five, we've done the same thing where we've allocated $1,000,000 to science organizations, $250,000 to arts and culture science organizations that provide education program $750,000 to live music venues. So that was what the executive intended and the expenditure restriction was recommended. Explicitly breaks that down. Now on page 29. Number six, with a lifetime of living in services again, it adds an expenditure restriction to call out that the million dollars would be used for homeless youth, for organization, providing programs and shelter to homeless youth throughout county . But it creates an additional requirement that it should be outside of the ME of Seattle. And I think that if you consider that the grants provided are geographically bound throughout the county and also these proven successful outcomes as a graduate number seven in the operating budget, we're adding an additional half million dollars to burn mitigation funds for cities to recover costs related to the these various coping sites around the county. Number eight, the striking amendment makes councilmen grant applications that's related to commit. And number nine, it has some additional language for the various grants that legal counsel has. The request that we add to abide by the EU opinion on providing grants and loans to various working organizations during this time in the last three years. There are some additional technical corrections and we also have a title limited to one and that could prove my we might consider. Thank your colleagues. Well, I will now take questions on the Second Amendment. And then once we concluded the questions on the Second Amendment, I will ask what the party's preference is as to whether or not they asked us to brief each amendment or whether we asked members if they wish to make an amendment to remove an amendment and then a separate debate. So we'll start with questions on the Second Amendment itself. Colleagues. I've been. Mr. Chairman, city. Council member, D.C., please. Thank you. So big question on the lodging tax. Talk a little bit about where this money comes from. And somebody explain to me. Whether or. How it affects the allocation that we worked so painfully on laboriously through earlier in the year to things like. Housing. Councilmember. So these this $12 million and the $1 million for all of these services would come in advance on beach related items. So, you know, since those revenues are available today, if if if the council approves these appropriations, then they will request the Executive Finance Committee to do a loan of the same amount to advance those funds. If I can direct you to back to my staff report to table. Number six on page 23. And what this shows is that the rationale on how the so the rationale is that because the assumption that he has be or the council used to do the allocation of all the future lies tax revenues having a debt service interest rate of about 5.5%. But given that with the new economic climate and the lowering of interest rate by the Fed's the PSP, it's assumed that the interest rate for those will be lower. So in essence, the debt service or the TLT bonds for the $87 billion, $100 billion would actually cost less than what we've out , what we've assumed in the original allocation. So if you look at the people say, if you look at the 21 and 22 line, the Warren is one 8780 column, you see that it needs 181 million and 212 million. That decreases to 134 million and 184 million. With this proposal. So in essence, what we're saying that we won't need to take away from what has been already committed to the different buckets, affordable housing policy, the arts and culture, etc., because of the lowered interest rate. But what it would not what this does is it does increase the tourism allocations. If you look at tourism where it has a parentheses of 25,000 you to save it on. It was originally allocated 9 billion, but now it's increasing to 21 million. The April 30th preliminary forecast is a lower sales tax forecast. So the backdrop, 20.5 million. So what the numbers that you that the council members should be looking at is the rightmost column. That's the latest forecast, which assumes that you are increasing the tourism budget by 12 million. How's that? Yeah. Actually, that makes it worse for me. I. It looks to me like if what you just said is correct, it looks to me like we took $30 million away from affordable housing to do this. BA So if you look at the $187 million in total bonds, you know, what council committed to was to spend $187 million fourth quarter because of the debt servicing and the interest rate. What we did back in when we adopted Order 2780, that would have cost us 154 million plus for 2012. But now with a lower interest rate, that $187 million of mine will now cost us less, would actually cost us $134 million of 181. So these calls are class. And so by going down. Is good. Does that mean that in terms of money going up is bad? It just means that the allocation for tourism is increasing. So if you look at affordable housing, a home with you, there's an allocated home. So what we've done is, you know, I know we've been an allocated column or in our prior in the ordinance, 2078 allocation was 280 million. But because revenue for sales tax is forecast to grow up, says you've adopted that one and it's not going to 8 to 9. So in summary, we're really not taking away any commitments or any money from an allocation. All we're really doing is adding an additional $12 million to the tourism bucket. But in that sense, because revenue forecast has increased since August 2018, everything for the most part, everything, all the allocation are increasing. So we tried this again. Let me check if looking at the whole before line forums that consist of the section on affordable housing and homeless youth. Did any of the numbers in there change because of what we're doing here? Well, our what was what we're doing here entirely contained in assumptions around the tourism. I would say that even if we didn't know and we know the time and. That was a yes or no question, can you repeat the question? Did anything change on the four lines of the affordable housing and homeless U.S. before rose here? The 1830 132 homeless youth unallocated because of the proposal to use lot of in fact the way we're proposing to use it said. Yes. I'm looking for. No. No. Yeah. No. Yeah. No. Yeah. No. I think the question is so if it comes in and obviously if we assume, let's say, for example, we didn't add an additional $4 million for tourism. We would still see a lowering of the total hospital bonds. In these exact numbers. You know, one more time. When we see these exact numbers. Yes. Yes, exactly. Well, everything that we've done in order to increase the amount of money for tourism is to make assumptions about future interest rates. And is what we're doing now going to guarantee this money such that if those interest rates like if our assumptions fail, we're not going to go take money out of housing. I just want to talk about the. We find you all calm, everybody watching, as most of the people who testified will recall how hard that battle was. And I just don't want to reopen it. And I don't want to be somewhere further down the road here hearing what we committed to jurors. And so therefore, because our assumptions failed, we're now going to have to have less money for housing. That's important to me. And I just want to be reassured about that. And I'm not understanding the answer to plaintiff gets what was kind of your word for it? What is a bit of a scary place. For you to be? But that's where we're. I would. Just close by saying that the assumptions that he's using I've currently with the forecast from the leaders in charge working for people and the new assumptions for the interest rate is reflected on the. Table and that. Well, right. Course it is. This is their proposal. And they're making those assumptions. I don't know. Maybe I. Agree. I agree with you on that. But I have a real concern here that we are going to I don't see anything in this proposal for rental assistance. I don't see anything in this proposal to help people keep keep people keep a roof over their heads. And that's a huge concern of folks out. I don't see anything in this proposal that you like, and I'm hoping to see anything that won't harm our long term commitment to housing affordability, because that problem is going to be, like everything else, just exacerbated by COVID. And in terms of recovery, I think homebuilding is an excellent way to spend our money and grow jobs while at the same time addressing an ongoing and badly exacerbated housing bill. I just I'm having these concerns about phone supervision. And if I could understand what would happen if there was someone to show me, I would not worry here. Mr. Chair, can I try, please, Mr. Dudley? All right, so, Councilor WG, in addition to looking at Mr. Tim's Page 23, you might want to also look at page 22. So what Mr. Kim has summarized on page 22. Or your your dad controls policy decisions about how to allocate the money when you at the last minute. And there are state law requirements and then the council made further decisions about how to split up the money between arts, housing and tourism. Since you made those decisions, two significant things have happened. One is coalbed, which is lowering revenue in the near term. The other is a significant decrease in the interest rates so that the amount you committed to debt service on $187 million housing bonds is low. The combination of those things leaves you with a little less total money, but more in essence, on allocating money compared with what you cited in ordinance 18788. The executive and some of your colleagues are proposing to take some of that unallocated money, the 12 million, and add it to the tourism bucket and advance it so that it can be spent. Now to help organizations that are adversely affected and provide funding for a tourism campaign, help us rebuild our lodging tax revenue. That's a policy for then you could have decided and you may personally. Prefer. To say, I don't want to do that, and I would rather have more money in the arts bucket or more money in the housing market. That's also a policy choice. So. I think it's not correct to say that the 12 million has been taken away from housing because it's not, as Mr. Kim said, there's actually. More. An allocated money available in housing now than at the time past 18788. But it is a policy choice about how to spend some of that unallocated money. Which means we and this is like it's a totally rational thing to do. And there's been some some good, you know, presentation and discussion already about the rationale. You know, the source comes from hotels and I get that. I just want to understand exactly what it is we're proposing to do. And I do fear that we are. Kind of moving the lines on the buckets a little bit here. A little bit. My $12 million. So. The size of the buckets themselves as well is fluctuating in different ways. But we are saying. That is some amount of what we know or some portion of what we have identified as affordable housing and homeless youth. Bucket money will now be tourism marketing. That's that's what I'm hearing. And I'm not your frankly. I don't think that is correct. So you have a different amount of money available to you now than the last time. The decision about how much to in tourism the last time was based on needs. And the other two buckets that you wanted to satisfy you and your colleagues wanted to satisfy. There is now more money allocated, money available. Any proposal has been made. It's some of that, in essence, new money imported to tourism. And I was. Saying that is right. There's no such thing as back on allocated money in the way we're putting it in any form that summarizes what we were doing. No such thing as an allocated money. It was at least 37.5%. At least 37.5%. At most. 25%. So I guess maybe the way to ask it is if we were to do all this and everything happened the way we plan to do, and we asked ourselves forward into the future and look back, will these percentages hold? Yes. So that the tourism allocation that is proposed now is 174 out of. Well, 95 is 13%. That's way below the 25. That's a very good answer. And Dombroski. Councilmember Dombroski, please. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate Councilmember Belushi's question and Dwight's answer. I just want to make a couple of points. In developing the proposal around this. I think a foundational principle was no reduction in the number of units of Tier D housing that could be built because we knew that was not going to be a successful proposal. I think comes from to one another. Way to look at it is an additional way to look at it is within the housing bucket. There are really two submarkets and the submarkets are one. The direct subsidy we give to build the units. And the second measure some bucket is the big check. We write to the guys on Wall Street that hold the bonds. And what's occurred with the markets is we have to we get to pay those guys less because the rates are down. So I look at this as taking money that would have gone to Wall Street and bondholders and bringing it back to the county to invest in growing this business, to keep this fund healthy. And that's the secondary and maybe the primary goal. Singer And then a bit of a primary goal is keep the front housing so we can actually build all of the units of housing. We want to build support arts and culture and youth homelessness because if we don't have the dollars coming in to the fund at all, we don't get to do all that that we want to do. So I think that an additional layer of of the two by two submarkets within housing, but it's important to keep in mind and the one sub bucket of support to build the units remains there. The number of units remains unaltered, but the money going to Wall Street and the bond holders is lower. And that benefit by. The macro environmental conditions in the country, low interest rates, we are just taking advantage of that to do. But I think if the dollars were there before. I suspect you have broad consensus on keep the fund healthy, keep people coming, put assets. Yeah, I'm still struggling with it. And it's been pointed out to me that by the age 22 is actually the. But looks like what the RTW says. And what we did was something probably from I don't know. I am going to need to dig into this more before I'm going to be able to book this whole thing . And so we've got to leave. Thank you. About. Okay. What? I'm. Or asking for myself for a moment. That's what founded this club last summer. There is what I wanted to ask about, and part of you seems to get a structure for what the state and legislation allow at least 37.5 hours in college for these 37.5 for affordable housing, homeless services, and most 25% for tourism. But at the time the council's work was then done with public policy was that 50% of the funding allocated to affordable housing and homeless services and. So even in the finance costs of $187 million of affordable housing went down. We will send send those funds to Wall Street brokers to line their pockets with. We would have spent it another way on affordable housing and, you know, almost human services. That's that's the policy framework. I'm looking at this problem and asking myself questions very similar to what Councilmember Excuse just outlined. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, please. So I think that is what you guys are referring to, and I think this might help figure it out. So with regard to the piece point to your right and I don't want to disagree with Dwight, but that does outline what the RTW requires, not what was adopted by more than 27. So that's so I can clarify that. And then the. With this proposal. As I mentioned, the south of the border, the council would need to amend Ordinance 2788 to change the allocation. So because we're now increasing tourism and the ordinance needs back, what, about $9 billion? But that would have to increase to 21 million. And in essence, the the proportion of that percentage are for affordable housing and homeless youth. Well, I'm sorry, affordable housing would have to go down to accommodate that. So when I know that that kind of culture is counter to what we're saying, but I believe we need to amend the ordinance 4788 to make sure we increase the tourism budget. In order to do that. We have to change the percentage of allocation to housing that. And if we need to figure it out afterwards, then I would have to get Bert. To follow up. Oh, the growth. Were you able to to say Mr. Kim is right. And that's why the reference to needing to change the ordinance was has been clear from the beginning of this proposal. And we have the unfortunate complication that. Legally you can't. Do that right now because of the restrictions, the outline. So our original intent had been to transmit this appropriation and the ordinance changed at the same time. So that would have been clearer. And unfortunately, that is impossible. But yeah, Mr. Kim is right about that's why we have to come back and change that ordinance is to create a slight deviation from what he said before the two reasons that the debt service is different and that the revenue is now different. And I'm sorry. You can keep on request. I think I have Cornwell's and then Lambert and. Up the good. Oh yes. When you say apologies, Captain America, the. Captain America. Was. Broken. The structure, our right to just go back in time a little bit and think about when we first some of us first started working. On this proposal that was for us and when it came up. I have some. Concerns. Similar to what I'm hearing from council from the. And because my priority has been affordable housing. And I was very concerned about what would happen to the funds that we would be. And I became comfortable with this proposal. In large part because, number one, the desperate need, the overwhelming need to get more money into our launching tax from our ration taps, into our revenue. Stream so that we can use it for affordable housing down the road. The second thing that came up for me was that and which I looked into was that the affordable housing projects that we have addressed are not ready to go. They're not ready to be built. And what I came to the. Conclusion on was that it's really a false dichotomy to think that. This proposal is placing a priority on tourism. Over affordable housing. And I think that is something important that we have to keep. We need the revenue now. We have been desperate to get people back to work, to get our restaurants open, our hotels and motels, to bring in the lodging tax revenue, the barbershops, certain cinemas that were mentioned, all the things that are associated with tourism. Getting people to be able to go to the theater. One of the attractions that really helped bring about insurance. To our area. Thank you, Councilmember Lambert. I'm also very interested in diving in a little bit more carefully to the buckets and and looking at the impact on affordable housing. A couple of quick things that I'd like to say. I would like more information, Mr. Ken, on some of the things that were listed as science or other things that were substantially funded in the parks levy. So I'd like to know what that overlap is so I can see what the need is. And secondly, I did have phone calls from a consortium of many chambers that were very surprised at how many going into the chamber. And yes, I see that they do need to work with the rest of the chambers. And I think we need to be very careful in the language and and maybe we need to look at some of the language to just say that they need to go out and talk to the chambers before they make up their plans . Because I will tell you that there was a large group of chambers yesterday that were complained that they had not been spoken to. And the testimony today from the written priority on the fencing, not in the fire code. It needs some language about that. And then lastly, in looking at the lodging pact for in Section four, you see no. Well, actually, I thought and the section where we are talking about going out and looking at all the different areas and allocating, I think we're going to need to be very careful in making sure that they just pull it up here and pull it up and where it is. That's actually for that. And I really appreciate the members working on the words in subsection any to consider different segments of the population. That's great. They seem to be able to consider it says consult and identify tourism designations located in historically disadvantaged communities. And the agency also do that. The idea of it being solely into that is very problematic because in talking to the chambers yesterday, they all know like they are disadvantaged right now and that everybody is in need of a pass. And so I concern that the language in the they just want those things out. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. More questions on this fighting in Baghdad. Any more questions on this front? For sure. I'm sorry to have someone recall us. Thank you. This is not a question to Councilmember Blackburn. Please stand and correct me if I'm wrong here. But the parks levy included funding for some of the science programs. And others for capital. For operational. Enjoyment. Clinton, senator. That's true. Councilmember calls the parks levy would fund capital projects for the Seattle Aquarium and it would. DEMBOSKY Councilmember DEMBOSKY, thank you. And this is again, this is also an additional clarification to Councilmember Lambert's inquiry. And I understand the confusion. I haven't thought about it. But there is in this proposal and some amendments, some some proposals to support chambers of commerce with. That's not the lodging tax piece. The lodging tax piece. The 8 million is six to the. The name of the organization is the Seattle King County Convention Visitors Bureau. It's county wide and then. The South South Side, which is the organization focused on staffing, both of which aim to bring convention, business and tourism here and have those dollars spent around the county and fill hotel rooms around the county. And so with respect to the chambers, that's another set of work in this appropriation. I think it's pretty exciting that there's some some proposals scored every chamber, but that's a different piece of it. So I didn't I didn't want them to get conflated. Saying no further questions or on the Second Amendment. I will now ask colleagues, but in fact, would you go so far as to suggest that we take up the ordinance as frank amendment and amendments and brief amendments as we get to them, unless somebody has a strong objection in knots. So you have the benefit of having your video on, as I can see you not in the affirmative. So I encourage council members to leave the video on with that. So we have I would call on Council member Caldwell's to move adoption of the ordinance. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Here's my question, since one of which I hear that the proposed ordinance 20 10177 Supplemental Appropriations Subcommittee. Launching tons of ordinance. Declaring an emergency. Councilmember KO. Well, can I ask how you've made. Out of it. May I ask how you've made that motion with recommendation. With recommendation that you pass recommendation before helping to pass recommendations for council. You don't keep them in one word. I think we've got about a month to go. Councilmember Caldwell's in crisis management adopted an ordinance. One. Order ordering from on people once 2020 177 and certain among the one or one that will take up amendments and perspective. This is where the involvement was sent in. 1216 this afternoon will be part of video and I understand it may still be offered as Amendment three councilmember. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And moving document the three. Members of the government deduction Amendment three. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to preface this by saying whether this amendment hangs or doesn't defame. I think that. There's an opportunity or I would recommend that we keep working on the language around this section of the chair and vice chair and put some time in. It's an issue I've had some interest in and no other interest. I know that my amendment is perfect and I think there's elements of both. I just want to preface it by that. But I think there's in the next week there's an opportunity to settle in. Here's what my interest is with this amendment. We don't have enough money to help every small business. That's clear. And so one of the strategies I've been interested in is this idea of help, the helpers. And there are chambers and merchant associations and community development associations and other small organizations focused on helping small businesses that are doing a lot of great work right now to help not only connect small businesses with state and federal benefits, but also to support localized marketing efforts to encourage people to get takeout from local restaurants. Those organizations have been. Hammered. Too, because all of their members are not working like a lot of other organizations. And I think it's a shame to see them struggling so much when they're providing such a needed benefit also. And. I have been interested in the idea of sort of. Significant or meaningful size grants that could allow, for example, a small to medium sized chamber do not have to lay off an employee. I also heard him talking with the vice chair in. Interest in. Making sure that everyone gets a little something for some of these really small organizations, a small grant, and give them a little breathing room in their fundraising. And let. Them focus on service delivery. So I just kind of. Took that. Concept and and put it into an amendment compared to the underlying section in the strike amendment, there's a fixed dollar amount, I think it's 425,000. This is the outside the local government part. And the approach I took is they're putting a fixed dollar amount was to put a fixed dollar amount for competitive grants. You know what I recommended 250,000 of that 3 million go out to ten competitive grants, the $25,000 that would be competitive. And then any eligible. Organization in the county would get just automatically 20 $500 grant to provide some definition of who's eligible with the short timeline. I don't know how many there are. There are 40, 56. So your guess is somewhere in that range. So we're talking about the same dollar amount that would be, oh, 300, $400,000. So I think there's broad agreement on kind of a rough dollar amount or some conceptual agreement. I may have lost the translation portion in my amendment. I'm not sure. So. I don't have strong feelings of the if the chairman whether I withdraw it and we work on it or if we want to bring this up down for a vote, a vote. Now, I think either way, it needs more work. So I think I encourage support, but I'm also open to withdrawing it if that's the cleaner process for the chair. Councilmember Dombroski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all the work, the group, for digging into that section. I think like Councilmember Lambert indicated earlier, everyone's hurting. It's a catastrophe. I think that the notion here of making sure everyone gets along well and helping the helper is a really strong one, but also realizing that there are disproportionate impact on some communities. And I think that's the magic of the $50,000 section here. The bigger grants where folks are chamber or business support organization wants to come forward with a specific plan. We can send more help to those that need more help and that are ready to go. So I will say I'm becoming increasingly a little more uncomfortable with the direct grants to businesses having work. And some of this has been a rolling lesson money. But we've seen the challenges of PPE, City of Seattle, 10,000 applicants, and we're able to get 250 businesses to strike the $10 grants. And when I just when government starts picking winners like that or it's by, you know, by chance or whatever, there's some firms in that base by by sending these dollars to organizations that are doing more broad help in the business sector, which I think is the focus of these. I think I'm a lot more comfortable with that, and I like the basic structure of this, and I think it's a good step forward and I appreciate government about the growth working on it. And maybe then maybe the buckets need to be even a little bigger. But I appreciate his willingness to keep working on it as we refine it. But that's kind of where I am. On the notion of the business support and where we might send our economic help at this stage. And this is just one piece in the realm of work to do, but I want to get my support for the direction here. And remember, I think that last two speakers, I think this was a great idea and in the language needs to be cleaned up. The this will be in there and we welcome it. And so I think it's good for us, too, if it passes to have that language in there. And I think people have really come together in good groups and communities saying, hey, we're helping each other. And I'm really impressed with the people who are being overly and helping each other and trying to get through everybody's hurting. So I think if this is really it and make it by working on it. Discussing. This is often associated with biology memorability of. That's why it is getting more off the ground with Republican. Oh well you the know up the software council member. Looking at the the language that talks about community based organizations. Whose primary mission is to provide marketing and technical assistance to small businesses. Are there? Were you thinking about some chambers? How about primary mission other chambers? Well, I'm just. I'm trying to figure out. I'm just not to put too fine a point on it. Is there, like, a small chamber in my district that might qualify would but wouldn't be on city council. But the with no chamber of commerce. I live in Marshall Island in the Commons. Not that I, you know. Anyway, that's my question. Right. Pleased to become a member of the group. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Oh, quite the opposite comes in here. Due about my intent with the language was to include all chambers and any other organizations whose primary mission is to support it. It was the original language I thought was a little open, it said, or other organizations serving business, and I was concerned if we had an automatic grant going out that there should be some definition. Otherwise any nonprofit could say, You know what, I can serve small business in need. And so instead of having people chasing the money, it would be money for organizations who that's their mission. So I think the comma, the way it was drafted is. Every chamber plus every organization who was. In. Whether it got that definition right, I don't know. I wanted to be flexible enough to include legitimate business serving organizations. It had parameters around it. So that was the intent. Thank you. That's well, that's an excellent. Mr. Chair, I support this amendment and I didn't speak a word about it. It's a couple of days ago. And the concept of it now, what would be really I mean, it seems that there'd be more it would be more streamlined, easier to administer. What you would need would be to have a list of exhaustive list of all chamber to serve those organizations or some solutions that do the same work on something called this chamber, maybe out in the years, the unincorporated rural areas and farmer associations. But whatever it is that serves that purpose, just want to make sure we get the entire list to. Coming from rough to go in really in the language. And listening to your question, I hear your discussion being recognizing that not every community is served by a chamber. And some organizations that are doing real work or to support business communities are members of commerce, and you want to be supportive of that. I might read the language too particularly, but I'd be concerned if, for instance, the White Center Chamber of Commerce is not currently a functioning organization and may still exist on paper, but it is not functioning and is not meeting and serving a purpose and the White Center community in the 1787. And as is providing that role, I would advocate and suggest that $0.01 or CBA might not. Meet. The definition, in your words. But doesn't the conversation we're having if this happens, I would hope that we can make sure that in the intervening week we address that issue. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Absolutely. I don't know that I got there. Right. The concept is for organizations like CPAs, merchant associations that are a little more informal. It was just some. Constraint other than saying. And other organizations. So yeah, I'd love to have our staff settle, make sure we capture it captured broadly, but certainly an intense saw. Hello. That's numbers all. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember up the grove. I think this question might have been asked before, but just a little bit more clarity when we say to every Kent County local chamber, can you clarify one more time? Is that is there an accounting of every local chamber that exists? And do we have enough money to fund every single one? Is that what it's the same. Mr. Chair. Okay. If the in the short amount of time we couldn't get the exhaustive list with the kind of estimates or others 40. 50, 60. And with this dollar amount, we're talking about a difference of 100,000 versus 200,000. Kind of it's going to be in that range. And I by. Next week, we can do the best. Some of it depends on the definition. That's in the final language. Right now is limited to small and medium chambers. So we're not finding Amazon in the Seattle chamber in this one. This also says in addition to Chambers, other organizations whose primary mission is helping business is with marketing technical assistance around the world. And the chair suggested we kind of fiddle with that language so we don't have. I was unable to generate an exhaustive list prior to today's meeting, but had a rough estimate. And with the small dollar amount we're talking about, even that goes up and down by ten, 20, 30. We're still talking about. That would be. We'd still, I think, be well within the dollar amount that's appropriated in the strikers. So I'm sorry. That's a little vague, but that's my best answer. I've got. Prior questions. Yeah. Close, Mr. Chair. That's my book to go to close. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to make a comment. I know that Oldsmobile ad that says this is not your your parent's Oldsmobile. Are you feeling that way about the chambers? In my district? This is not your. Your grandparents chamber. We've seen some of the chambers physically in South King County, really adaptable to the changing demographics and the changing economic situation. It was noted earlier, I mean, I attended a conference put together by some. Downtown. County chambers looking at issues of economic mobility and. Economic inequality. And it was a diverse room and engaged with small cultural organizations. And I think these organizations all have work together to build those relationships. As it was noted, the Southwest King County Chamber allows free membership for micro-businesses, and they're trying to be a constructive part of the solution to help displaced immigrant refugee businesses. But they're all really hurting. As I mentioned, the Chamber of Commerce, for example, we heard from Zenobia Harris, is a very progressive African American leader. The chamber represents a diverse community. I believe she has laid off all of her staff. It's not just her working right now at a time when these businesses need a lot of help. So sometimes we hear the word chamber of commerce and we get a stereotype of our. Grandparents Chamber of. Commerce. And at least in the South End, I can say these are organizations that are working and some with more success than others. But to try to be inclusive, trying to reflect the community and try to make a difference. And this is a pretty small amount of money. This amendment actually, I don't think increases the money. It just kind of clarifies a methodology for sending it out. I appreciate the chair and the executive for including the concept to look forward to working with everyone between now and full council to clean it up to finalize it. All those in favor of the saying I oppose their. Yeah. They seem to have it. Yeah. Amendment three isn't up to amendment for council members. Would you put the document under four for me? So, Mr. Chair, thank you. Amendment four has been imminent and to speak to it. I ask for this amendment to be all he has to grant funds that are in the ordinance before us that restricts recipients to organizations that have not already that have not already received funds from the previous slab. That's one round already in our previous ordinance. And that's simply that's the word directly on. There is a in at least one case, there's a coalition that received funds. And I would like the individual organizations to still be eligible to apply in this round. And sorry, I've heard already that these are only be restricted to organizing and organizations who are not directly received funds already might still be eligible to apply. Questions. Colleagues. That's number one. Thank you. I just. This is the person putting on the money. I have to say, there's a couple of ads in this Stryker because I hate that ad million dollars than $3 million. And that's a four or 5 million that we just added today. And I do worry and I know we've had great reassurance that we're going to be reimbursed for a lot of this money, but we've just kind of a catastrophic hole in our general, almost undoubtedly growing as we speak. So I appreciate it. The need is so huge, right? And so the need is absolutely there. And I just I just wanted to say for the record that I have concerns about the amount of money that we're putting into some of this stuff. I would. Have to rely on the budget. Process to ensure that we these are eligible. For reimbursement. But that's going to be important. Get some real detail, have a harder time, you just or make a similar comment on the next amendment. And this amendment changes to eligibility. It doesn't increase the amount available. DEMBOSKY Now speaking to number five, I take it back. All right, I'll be prepared. COUNCILMEMBER Then I'll say that you should just have a little more understanding on the on the kind of motivation for this. One of the problem we're trying to solve, does this relate to some of the concerns we heard from community about the first million and a prominent foundation that maybe received a fair bit of. We're hoping for a little more diversity in terms of the allocations. Tangentially? Yes, not directly. The foundation made its own awards. Previously, though, we've had one transfer of funds into our own office and actually a social justice fund. And those awards have been made this second round. On the second one, as it comes before us right now, they're restricted to people who did not receive funding in the first round and as a as a reference to be a little too vaguely busy, particularly those those of people of color and minority organizations that as a coalition we see there's over 20 members of that AusAID. And I would want individual or coalition members to not be ineligible because the overall Coalition received funds in the last round. I think it sounds a little bit on a technical clean up, but the general thrust is to make additional organizations eligible, if not prioritize them, if they in fact in fact purchase them. If they didn't receive funds from round one, I would say it doesn't prioritize but does certainly make them and removes it ineligible. Got it. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Further questions. This debate comes from Brazil. Hello. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just wanted to speak in favor of Councilman MC Councilmember McDermott's amendment. Again, there is a coalition that has been closest to some of the impacts of COVID 19. They represent several vulnerable communities and as a coalition, they received an amount of money in order to, you know, increase the likelihood of getting funding . But since they applied as a coalition, they only got, you know, each organization only got a couple thousand dollars. And so you wouldn't want to ban them from applying again in their individual capacity. Seeing no further discussion. All this amendment for senator signify by saying i. I. Last night, the historic amendment was adopted. The amendment Fire Council members are like, Would you do the honors again? So moved, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Amendment five is before us to speak to it and anticipated councilmember buildings that the. Ordinance is transmitted to the council. 1 to $2 million in business support. The seven member three councilmember grants First Amendment offer today touched on and the Second Amendment puts before us today has continued that fine and it has a new section of $3 million allocated to PSB in order to provide county wide support. Our first $2 million income is directed to unincorporated county is the second at noon today before on $3 million is available countywide in the we are the local government and the only governments or other already King County. I believe it's important we do the investments in dollars and cents and workers in small businesses are disproportionately hit on hard. And some of our unincorporated areas are more than a five that covers the entire county. So I'm asking for some work done to increase of D+ appropriation by 2. To 4 million. Simon Cowell's record. Must ensure journey around favorites and multidimensional roles from ten to bring the worlds of more and more urban depression. Dwight's. Here for us. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. I would like to get your comments on this or the end of John Taylor. It seems to me that. Here's a look at the whole count. One of the reasons that I am Councilmember Dombroski of the party of additional Mount County was. It would also include the corporate world. Do you? What are your thoughts about RB the likely to be able to be the first. By the federal government on this. We've talked about this already, but I understand my concern. About. This point was it was. Well. So, Councilmember, this is not one where we would seek reimbursement. One that we would think through the money we have already received, the CARES Act, money we spend for an annual for getting FEMA reimbursement. But I think more likely, this is one that we would expect to come out of the CARES Act money and we are very confident, at least until the court cartons, that it is eligible for that. I culpably misspoke and how I said that it would be coming out of kinsman for a request with regard to all the demands of all the needs that we are. Just everywhere. Can you give us props representing. Circular just for the board about increasing this amount? I think concerns. Weren't. But looking at what? All the other side. I'd like to get your feedback. So let me give you two answers and maybe an idea. So one answer is. We are the only government. We're the unincorporated area. And as I think Councilmember Lambert has pointed out, when the state allocated some of its Cares Act money to cities, they didn't allocate anything that that incorporated area of the counties that got recognized. So we are the only source of that. So, yes, if you acknowledge that there's nobody else, including the state, who is going to give us cares act money for the corporation area. There's a pretty strong policy rationale for doing that. Secondly, I think we all know that even $4 million is not going to go very far and are certainly going to be plenty of need for it in the area. I think your earlier point about talking to John Taylor would be a good idea. I just want to make sure they have as they handle more money. And then the idea that I could give you, if you want to consider and this is a very good one, McDermott's proposal, you always can come back in one of these subsequent monthly ones and add money to a program. So one option you might want to consider would be to do that. You know, here at the last one, it's a process. Assess that, you know, hey, we got 8 million of of good qualifying businesses that applied and then make a decision to add money to subsequent time. I'm not saying that's the way the idea, but it is another option that we have to set and test the waters, test the market. And then once you have that information, make a decision about adding money in a subsequent supplement. I was just this is this is John Taylor for the record, director of the Department of Local Services. I just want to think Dwight's idea is a very good one. We're very excited about this program. We think it can be impactful. But I would just say we are literally building this airplane as we are flying. And might be good to do a bit of a dry run with $2 million to figure out what worked, what didn't work, how much demand there was, and think about how to augment that. Here comes a member of. Our Mr. Chair. And so and I think that what was decided is very interesting and important, and the need is so great that, as Mr. Bailey said, there will be needs going forward. And we had no idea how many months to the end of this year or even beyond. So getting as much money as quickly as possible. And in my district, I know that the chambers have really worked hard together to be able to say this is where we need are. So I think we have partners out there who are maybe doing this work. So I don't think it would be hard to be able to disburse this amount of money. And as I've said before, it's not going to solve the problem. So we will need to come back. But I think this amendment that we. I'm different about our diversity. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. Is this proposed increase? I want to make sure I understand, because I know Chambers have been referencing. But would this be for the direct grants pursuant to the same rules of. I think it's 15 boys or fewer and 1.5 million in revenue. That. We need to augment the increase. Um, to double is one of the line items within the deal along the 1.70 5,200,000 and the 50,000. All right. So it doesn't go to the other translation services and what? Yeah. I suspect that there's more a need than. I know there's one need that we'll be able to supply, but I guess I'm interested in getting it started and seeing how it goes. And I again, I'm having concerns about how do we treat folks fairly, given the lessons learned with the City of Seattle program and the federal program . And making sure that folks don't feel like they were too late or not connected enough. And I would like to. Then you learn a little bit and we come from a whole wealth as our budget year I think is setting up a more methodical process to work in partnership with the executive branch and the council to make sure we spend 20, 62 million wisely. So I guess at this time I would be inclined to make the old one on that. Not not trying not not saying no in the future. Discussing this chair comes together. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Talk about $262 million. And of course, the governor's appropriation didn't include the other corporate attorneys in the county. It is expected. I think both both at the state and federal level that pass through dollars are going to go from the county to the other unincorporated areas. And you're talking about a quarter of a million people. And I just heard 2 million. That's it. No, this is just if we really, truly care about equity and social justice and it's not just a pretext. Well, remember that the rural and unincorporated residents and the farmers are also people who are historically underrepresented and don't have an imaginary voice, certainly on the King County Council. So I would I would I think that the the chair of this committee's motion is appropriate and certainly would support it for me as a staff. Member comes from the library. Thank you. I appreciate. And today, give me the allocation formula or how the governor passed through the dollars to give to the city. And in the chart that we were sent on Friday, it showed the population of each city and the amount of money given and you get the items to that eight $30 per person so that everybody has a few million people, not 2 million, because Seattle had their own allocation. So the 1.5 million people participate and got $30 per citizen in their area. And so to me, in fairness, that we should complete the those 250,000 people in the county with the same funding formula that everybody else got . If you do that. Then that comes out to 7.4 million, and that would just bring it to equity early with everybody else. And so I want to point out that this is not the end for sure, because this is no way bringing us to parity with everybody else, is that. Mostly. Sorry. All right. Number two, dusty baking the math. The arithmetic is compelling to me. I think that we've got to treat our unincorporated areas equally. I think my concern is this is the funding that individual businesses and maybe there's some more work that can be done between now and final on that. If the amendment hangs because a lot of people are going to fly and most aren't going to get it. And I just wonder if that's the best use of those dollars like this one, a flag that in effect, this one proceeds. But I, I appreciate the math and I do it along with you, Councilmember Lambert. And this would even still come up short of 30 bucks a person times a quarter. I've got to go. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Oh. This is one I go back and forth on struggling. I have no significant unincorporated areas in my community. And we heard, I think in a staff meeting that local services doesn't necessarily have the capacity right now. So it's. Why it is attractive to me to ramp up this need in capacity is there? On the other. Hand. I'm more familiar with the urban unincorporated areas and Skyway and White Center and see the economic devastation and it's these are families already on the margin. I worry a little about the balance. I'm wondering. Yeah, I guess maybe it's more of a comment. I'd be interested. You know, if we're going to do 4 million focused in unincorporated and then 3 million for. Everything and then unincorporated some portion of that. I'm worried about a pretty small. Amount available. Goodwill out of the chambers. I'm also interested in concerned about the sort of help the helpers model that the amount available to drive out to organizations outside of the unincorporated areas becomes fairly limited relative to what's in the unincorporated areas. So between now and for council, should this pass, you know, one idea might be to focus. Some of those chamber. Grants coming out of PSB, but have the local service money fund the chamber, work chamber and small business work within unincorporated areas and have the PSB allocation fund the chamber grants outside the incorporated areas to ensure that there is some some balance there. So just an idea to kick around between now for council to make sure we don't. So I think on balance. Further today's. Singing None too close as we as we have said in debate in this debate the. Balance to support unincorporated King County is, I think, really a settlement here, referring in testimony beginning at today's meeting hours ago now about the real name. And I'm going to do this particular one because of the increase in the Second Amendment, the $3.3 million program, the money to have an appropriate balance and ask members to support with that. All those in favor of Amendment five please signify by saying I. I was opposed. No, I died. Let's try that again. All those in favor. First of all, if members want to unmute themselves now and in favor, signify by saying hi. I. Others of us may. I believe the ayes have it. And the eyes and the eyes have. The Founders adopted. I believe the next amendment to be offered with the amendment is council member duty. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move Amendment eight becomes member. No duty is lifted up from Amendment eight plus member belt and seat. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Eight would just call out farms and associated farm related businesses as as all businesses that are eligible, along with all other small businesses, to seek relief from the Department of Local Services small business relief program that we just increased. And the thinking behind this is that while we do have quite a number of farms out in unincorporated King County and many of them are small farms. Following is the definition of small business owner under the program. And we're hearing that although they on K through the early part of the growing season, there's a lot of concern about whether some small farms will be able to continue planting growing into the summer because they're concerned about whether they'll be able to sell their products with restaurants closed and their Sears closed down, which are of primary source of revenue for many of those businesses. And so it seems important that we support the farms and the associated farming businesses because, you know, they are a potential percentage portion of our our food supply. We see many people going to food banks as a great program that will be involved in the executive branch to connect all of our farms, including some of the smaller ones with food banks, to be able to provide those in need. And it seems like it all fits together with the idea behind this program. And I would urge your support. Pottery Barn. Oh, well, Councilmember Bernard Bauer, with Councilman Belushi's permission, I'd like to be a co-sponsor. She and I discussed this yesterday at length that I think is outstanding idea that benefits the entire region. You are welcome to join as a co-sponsor. I'd like to stop you. Come to my. Beloved. I don't think you do. I think you've got to do the. And colleagues. Mr. Chair. I'm sorry. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had been very interested in this as well. Councilmember Lambert and I have an idea for a meeting that's over in folks from. How to manage the funds programs. And I think what Councilmember Dow didn't you just mentioned is an ideal example. Of something that we could improve and set priorities for our next come. In common through omnibus and comes to my mind more than I won't talk about that I have acquired and have been informed that funds actually are considered small business. Those who meet the criteria. I don't think this is enough said. I don't think it hurts. I can reinforce that our values are based on our family and community. But I don't think that's. Some funds are. Predatory small businesses there are strong. Want to discuss it. Remember Benghazi the clothes and burned all the Russians. I think Councilmember Coble raises a very good point and she may very well be correct. The ladybugs and suspenders, I think if nothing else, it's just a signal to the farming community that they are knowledgeable. They may not may or may not think of themselves as all of our regular small business loans. And I do believe it wouldn't hurt and it could help. So and if it's not too disruptive, I would ask for all your support. All those in favor of amendment number eight. Please stick at the same time. I. I was made. The ayes have it. Amendment eight is adopted. Amendment number nine, Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair and I to move amendment number nine. Councilmember Landers moved to document amendment number nine. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. And underneath it includes a work group for small businesses and their grant program that will be administered by KIT with an amendment. This amendment would do would be just added to the similar work with or the grant program idea and the work group with media and DC as and SBA, which are the same people that we're putting our in our elderly. But it would also add the director of our county director of yesterday and the chair of local services so that we have a bit broader section and that would be the group that we parallel, group that we have and the underlying or the other grant for small. Councilmember Carlos. Community Council member Coles. So far. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I suppose this amendment in discussing this with some people in circumvention appears that this would really slow down the process. And the whole effort that we're going through here to fast get out to the small business. And we're really happy. It appears to me another level of bureaucracy to both the crunch response to our to provide the. I don't know. Maybe John Terry. John Taylor Yeah, I, I will say that a little more diplomatically. We are absolutely open to having input from members of the council and community members. We will be seeking that. But Councilor Caldwell is right. Our goal is to have checks in the hands of business owners by June. We have businesses out there right now based on the work the university has been doing, both in urban and rural unincorporated King County, who are really right on their margins. So $5,000 can make the difference between keeping the lights on until they get. The stay at home order lifted and some business flowing back in. And our goal is to move as fast as we can. We will absolutely do that in consultation with the Council and with our partners across the Executive Branch. But we we are moving really, really fast on this. So I would. I would like to maintain maximum flexibility. DOMBROWSKI Excuse me, Mr. Governor, way to work. Thank you for bringing this forward to look at the process. John, maybe on this process topic, could you tell us a little bit about what you are envisioning as the grant administrator to ensure. That there isn't. Something that you disagree? But let's assume that there is a lot more demand for this came down to money to private businesses than there is money available. And if we look at Seattle, 10,000 applications, 250 awards, how do we ensure how do you anticipate or expect to ensure fairness and distribution of the dollars to. Urban and rural parts of the county, northeast and southeast. LaShawn. And what is the answer to in one building where you have said to applicants. A barbershop and a coffee shop, both facing devastation. One gets the award and the other doesn't. How do we how do we have no doubt that the dollars are needed? But how is how what's the answer in terms of equity and fairness? And these dollars are why this is a loss or a misfortune that you get it or don't get it. What processes are you looking at that help me understand this process, this customer Lambert's notion of moving quickly but having some oversight and ensuring fairness by having dialog is appealing to me a little bit for those reasons. And I completely agree with that. I think we need to be transparent about how we build this. Our current thinking right now is we are going to be using income and businesses that are in census tracts that are historically low income as one of the major factors in this. And then we will probably be looking at where businesses are located county wide to way, where some of the dollars cuts are both getting a geographic distribution, but the dollars are going to some of the most historically underserved communities. And I think it's really important to remember the translation services and the outreach dollars that are part of this. It is one of the things that we've seen in doing the outreach that we did to sort of frame this program out. And some of the partners we brought in is that it's those historically underserved communities, kids of color, businesses that are owned by people who speak English as a second language, who missed out on a lot of the traditional funding sources. They may not have relationships with banks. So a lot of the outreach effort and this is going to be targeting those businesses and organizations that partner with those pieces of know those businesses. That's why the outreach dollars and the support to chambers and other community development associations and key financial institutions is so important. And just to be clear, when you look at census tracts, there are census tracts with less than 200% of poverty across the county. They are not concentrated just in Western King County. They are everywhere. They're national. They're in far Eastern in King County. So that is at this point, Councilmember, a broad thinking on how we would approach this. One of the things that I want to make clear is we're going to be bringing in some kind of an outside partner to help us deal with the magnitude of applications broadly. A community development financial institution has done this before and had some preliminary conversations about that. We are looking for ways to move quickly on this once the dollars become available, but we will absolutely do that in close consultation with all of you who have a strong interest in this. Yes, that's helpful. Jon, it sounds like maybe there are some preliminary outlines of a program. You mentioned the 200% of federal poverty level census tracts you mentioned historically this last year. Is there a draft written kind of guidelines document either formally or informally that can be shared between now and final adoption? Yeah, there is. We've worked internally, our staff. I just want to give kudos to Hugo Garcia and we're going to have some and a lot of the people within the DHS director's office between our CFO have spent a lot of time framing this program out, so we're not starting from scratch. We'd be happy to share those work products with you and with your staff so that they can react to. Now, we've had input from the Office of Equity and Social Justice, and we've had a lot of input from the Small Business Task Force and Executive Staff to put together part of that COVID 19 response. That would help me know, know what we're buying here with a little more granular granularity, because right now it's just an appropriation, but very broad guidelines. And so it feels like it could use a little more definition of a language amendment would help get there. I agree with Governor Raquel Welch that that's that maybe the exact approach could slow it down. But if we could see what the concept is, that may be the most expeditious way to get comfortable. How do you do that? And I just and I think Councilman Roman has worked with the Department of Local Services enough to know we don't shy away from engaging the community or having the community involved or council involved in developing programs. It's just this program. We're trying to move with alacrity and we want to move with the pressure. And the only other comment that I'll stop talking on this is the economic development issue. Sort of my memory serves me correctly in the jurisdiction of the committee and the whole stuff. With respect to the particular proposal here, that seemed to be something that it were this to be perceived that that seemed to be the chair by chair committee. The whole or at least the chair should probably. Participate in the. Lambert. LAMBERT Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This has been very interesting. ABEL Yeah, well, it is that because the need is great and getting out as quickly as possible. When I was reading the underlying bill and I came to line 165 where the exact situation is what's being done in aid. That's where I got the idea from. I'm replicating why in 167. Sorry, what? 65. So it's the easy way this speed it up, it appears be it slow it down and deal. So I modeled it after what I said. Speed it up. And now I listen to all of that. And well, he had beaten up. On the other hand, you close it down. So that is confusing to me. So I, I liked the idea and I am very familiar with what would be allowed and their ability to reach out to people and to the council members . But I was not briefed that they were already doing that. And I have still no idea exactly who will be overseeing. So. And they were based in the setting surrounding 165 as to who would be the people, you know, giving the final line. And so I thought, wow, that is a really good idea. So I had borrowed it. And so when it's a good idea to and it's not just an easy I borrowed the idea to say, okay, this is going to be for the local government, the chair and vice chair of the local government to also be included as is parallel to July one, 65. So my goal was to speed it up. My goal is to model exactly what's happening on line 165 and I think the team in line 165 will do an excellent job. And so I was hoping that we could model the good work that they intended to see out of 165 to also be here. So the idea came from the underlying bill and replicating it. And so I'm a little surprised by what I'm hearing. And right now, I do believe that work by 155 should work here also. So I would still ask that we ask this and allow there to be partners who also believe that there is a need for expeditious behaviors here to be included. And in parallel politics, if I ask for deep, deep pass recommendation. Paul Well. I. Oh, thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate very much what Council. Member members brought out, which is absolutely right about the language floor. I started on 1165. The differences were as we were looking at the language and working with the executive staff as well. I would expect here that to provide financial assistance for small business. How to live a price that. With responsibility of the PSP to administer that. They do not have the capacity and the expertize that the department. Of local. This does. Unincorporated areas. Mr. Taylor brought out that he had good relationship with small business, sir. Yes. And that's not the same for people, see, that's not what their function has been talked about. PSB select a third party to administer these grants and finally came up with the way to try to get a console from. Or be able to come up with a logical, rational format and process. To balance out the rest of this paragraph. A lot. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you all. So to Councilmember Lambert. I appreciate the name of this amendment. I wanted to ask, does it document somewhere what the process would be for setting up a workgroup? So just to build off of the questions that I'm hearing regarding the speed of the process. It feels like there would be a process for the process, right, for establishing the workgroup in the first place. Now. That was my main concern with it. Otherwise, I appreciate the aim. I just try to understand how we would establish the work group and what that process would look like. Mr. Chair, as the member was making its two chair response to that question, do you have in the language that the office performance strategy imagine being a work group and what the conference will be? And this again was suggested to me to include parts of the law and I don't take any. The lack of expertize. Capacity. PSP is not traditionally. Been engaged in this process. Portland, Ore. And all the rest of. How to administer grants to small. So the process is specified. In the language under my. That's like a good segue. Remember. And so clarification so from the testimony we just heard in the course, very difficult that we're doing all that. You know, the information is going as quickly as it has on world together. And so from what John Taylor just said, and maybe you can tell me so all I was trying to get at what I thought the good work had been done. I wanted to keep it as a great idea. We're a group that got expertize and I wanted to make sure at other people because anyone 65 I remember correctly and chair and I share a budget with beyond that so that right diet with that right. And I don't have it in front of me. Now, one of your colleagues who has an open can tell you that. Okay. So. So what I was trying to model was that the chair and vice chair role for government would be on this one, but it would be the same type of thing as what you were doing so that we would have an a bit of a deal as well as a chair and vice chair at the local services and potential. So are you saying then that not only with the PCG, the IRC here in Houston with VLS, but Navy and Incorporated. No, you're shaking your head. So please know. So the executive's. Proposal. Was to do the unincorporated area business grants through the allows, as Director Taylor has been discussing the council. STRANDBERG This is not for me exactly. And the proposal to do $3 million elsewhere in the county, including potentially the Inc. area, and assigned it to my office, which has no staff or expertize in awarding grants. And I would say, frankly, I might have a conversation with the council. If you received the 3 million, then we would actually work through the cities and hammer out those grants. Many of the suburban cities approached me with requests along that line. They know their businesses. My office does not. And so in the little workgroup that is described in the strength of the proposal I was going to make was rather than try to create our own county bureaucracy to do this, let's just work with the cities to get the money out. I think that would be the most effective, obviously, since that group hasn't met. We haven't had that conversation yet. To share. I remember, though, in a meeting that I had earlier this morning, SBA did say that they were interested in doing that. And I agree that they would do a better job of getting it to the cities. But that then again, without the unincorporated areas. And they said they would assist with that. But I think for the unincorporated area to be going to the cities for those type of things and they should have their own government feel as doing that. So how if you did turn that over, how would you then allocate deals to be able to have enough money to do the allocations being incorporated? So my personal proposal would be that if the council appropriated money for other than the unincorporated area. So for businesses in cities, very often we go to businesses in cities and we work through the cities to administer those grants and at the council separately decides how much we want to allocate the deals for the unincorporated area. Because I agree with you, Councilmember, I'm going to ask our cities to also administer programs outside of their jurisdiction. Seems impractical. Not appreciated either by the UN. Appropriate? Probably not if you. Think it's. Part of discussion on Amendment nine. Yeah. I think that we've had some discussion and I would like to continue the discussion and bring this up and play it only to find out the number 1009. Number ten times the number that. Paul thank you for is having the same conversation with a participant in our little home school. And it's gonna turn out. Okay amendment number ten. I am not gonna offer this amendment, but I want to speak to it, and I would like to try to work on this in between now and final passage. By means you can. That has to be a promise for goodness, not promise. At the moment, the amendment would have removed the 500,000 obligation that was added if. The striker was not in the underlying proposal. To support a mitigation bond for citizens for documents and calls related to the county's isolation and quarantine and recovery, the size and scope of the investigation. The point is that the reason is that. Just after this strike was put together, the state's allocations to the Cities for Cares Act funding was announced, and each city had a fairly significant allocation a minimum of 25,000 from small jurisdictions and up to several million through some of the larger jurisdictions based on population. It is unclear as yet. I understand that the executive branch has been serving the for their actual. Costs. Related to COVID 19 response activities. I don't want them to see the volatility or you know, as you know right now, I hadn't seen it yet. So it seemed to me that this is premature to be thinking about taking on a portion of our year out of funding just because I the source for this and presumably I should probably ask that as a question because the general fund would be a different problem. And I think through how we want to allocate that fund in a more general way rather than setting early presidents. This way. I'm mindful of Councilmember Wells isn't. Communicating very openly and frequently, frequently with us about her approach as budget chair. And one of the things that she's been talking about is forming principles for how we want to work with the executive to help buy the distribution of about 200 of the needs of that $235 million. And this seemed like it was kind of jumping ahead and maybe setting a precedent that wouldn't even really be necessary or make a difference, because all cities will have some amount of money to address and offset their COVID related costs now. And we could still come back later and supplement that. But it seemed that discussion would be better upfront. And I'm offering it today because we've all heard very clearly from City of London and others. They don't want to send the message that we're not supportive, but really do ask that we work to find a way to not presuppose a small distribution of this money and instead work towards a bigger, more comprehensive policy approach to how we will support our jurisdictions more globally. And then adhere hear what the city is saying. I would actually love to hear from the executive at some point. Today was a great moment. What work they are doing with the budget because I know they are and in other cities and how they might hopefully, you know, bring more detailed information about that situation. We heard some of the public comment to on performance as we were having this week's meeting. Well, I'm not an optimist today, but those are my folks and I and I think that we should be. For the passage of the growth. You're out of work. That's former deputy council member, after all. Thank you. Before she withdraws it. Thank you. I appreciate that. Comes from due to your humble ideas I want to bring forward this week, one would be to refer to local governments instead of cities because we have some fire districts, for example, that maybe didn't get a fair. And secondly, to clarify that this would be for costs specific to the county deploying signs during the emergency that were not covered by their state share. So that this would be sort of like the emergency reserve value of. I think if I were looking at just philosophically, I would be in agreement about mapping the whole thing out in advance. Makes sense. We're Spending Cares Act money in other sections today we're starting to kind of spend it without a map. So I think it's a precedent there. I also think it's a very modest amount, and I think that the positive message it sends to those jurisdictions helps us manage those relationships as we work through this over the next few months. And those are some of the reasons I'm interested in fixing it rather than in end over the next week. Thanks. And Kevin, member of the gang, wanted to turn your back on and an doctrine of Amendment 11, if you're so inclined. Thank you, Mr. Chairman of Adoption. Amendment 11, Council Member of the adoption of Amendment 11. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The as we heard from public testimony on the impact of the densification signs, particularly the one in Renton with over 200 folks, is significant on a city. And as a result, the city of Renton has sought to enter into a about year with the county to memorialize in writing the expectations and common understanding that relates to security, operational protocols and most importantly. How and when a decision will be. Made to end the use. Those discussions are continue. I am supportive of the same Renton's position in those discussions and hope that something gets worked out and because those discussions are continuing. I wanted to raise the issue and would withdraw the amendment. It was time to go to the movie in Independent 12. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Adoption Amendment 12 cut my reference number down. And Amendment 12 was the first one six council member. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to ask for a vote on this amendment and ask your support of this amendment would require that the executive transmit a report. And although it's not noted that we approve that report, we vote to accept it before 1.2 million. Basically, it is a proviso restricting 1.2 million. Upon approval of the report. But on the rationale for continuing the use of the report in Red Lion cite as a de intensification side following the conclusion of the current 90 day list of which were three or four weeks into. My interest is in involving the Council in this decision. To be clear, I am a strong supporter of our county's de intensification efforts. I think it is the necessary and thoughtful thing to do to provide health and safety protection to protect the lives of people who are particularly vulnerable. I also believe that we should not philosophically object to, just as a matter of philosophy, to citing people who don't have homes in shelters in our different communities. It's not an ideological concern I have. I'm one of those who sometimes chance in my back yard meeting, I believe we need to deploy services for people who are vulnerable throughout King County. But I also believe that the impacts are very real. You heard a flavor of it today, and that was just the flavor. Very specific cost impacts to local businesses that are hiring security, that are spending money on graffiti removal and cleaning. To give you a sense of the impact, these are 200 plus folks from the Downtown Emergency Services Center, a well-respected and well-regarded organization doing a good job. But if you look out the window of our courthouse down on Third Avenue, that's the population we're talking about. And to take 200 of those individuals and move them from Pioneer Square into downtown Renton there in their retail core has very. Significant real. Impacts. And the city, to their credit, this is not easy. We're not getting. Flooded with emails. The city council members and the mayor have been flooded with e-mails, concern from neighborhood associations and businesses and the city by large part. Has been sticking. Up for us in the sense of saying we're all in this together. Sure we don't like it, but we have a shared responsibility in an emergency. And I think the key word is a shared responsibility. And this, I would say, would give us as a council, the opportunity to end that lease after 90 days and share that responsibility with a different community in particular. I believe there. Is tremendous open hotel space in Seattle and perhaps some even within. Walking distance of the current shelter. And so we have policies in other parts of government. A lot of cities do. The State Department of even we had King County allow, for example, tent encampments to be temporary. And they're temporary for a reason because it doesn't burden that community for a period of time. And I think we ought to at least allow. Ourselves the ability. To have that discussion in a couple of months as to whether or not it makes sense to look at other options and ask the executive branch to make the case to us, as the Council is not inconsistent with providing that necessary social distancing, that distributed transportation. We can protect public health, we can support our most vulnerable citizens. We can build regional partners, and we can still allow ourselves one more opportunity to look at whether or not there's other options. That's all this amendment would do, would give us the opportunity to approve a plan to continue and give us the opportunity to be in discuss that in a couple of months. And I strongly encourage you support. Colors are going to be. Obviously Church Council members are low income city council member. Don, thanks. Mr. Chair, I want to echo and agree with what Councilor Brooks drove the point he just made in his amendment broadly. You know, the city of Renton and the surrounding businesses are paying a significant price in costs associated with the county's location of this facility. And they really did it more or less without warning, not nearly as smoothly as it could have been done. Does it mean it was the wrong decision? I think long term, ultimately citing folks who did intensification sites is going to be a good, broad policy choice that will slow the pandemic. But we shouldn't punish Renton for them doing the right thing. I mean, they made the right choice to take this on. They've been a willing player. They were negotiating with the executive at another location in advance of this. And so I do think there is a limit to the patience and flexibility of the cities. We have to recognize the very real political toll. This is taking locally on the mayor and the city council. And so I think we should, as we start setting policy, moving forward on this site and others, have a chance to take a quick look at it. You know, every 90 days or so, just like our homeless encampment or tent city encampments and make the policy choice and have a little more control of it at the council. As a member of the public. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am following the issue. I know the site well from the childhood on. I think I saw my first ever movie at the old Britain. They had a theater there and I believe it comes from Berkeley. Longmire runs a grocery store in the shopping complex. Is that correct? Correct. One of my concerns about this situation is that we may have an attempt to intensify the Morrisson over intensified not part of one city in the county, just the magnitude of 200 folks coming in suddenly without a community infrastructure prepared to handle that is is a real concern. And we're moving quickly and expeditiously and it's an emergency and we've got to step up beyond our comfort level. And perfection is not the test here, but the time proposed by this to come back and take a look at what it should be if it goes forward and what terms this is seems reasonable to me and I wonder if Tesla were up the ground, if things like total, if it were to continue beyond 90 days with respect to county funding for the state, things like total allowable occupancy and support services, things like that. Could that also be considered in a report that would be presented and approved by the Council? I think anything could be included in the report. Absolutely. I'm inclined to be supportive of. Emotion here. And I think this is that respect a little different than a lot of the other sites that the cities around the county have stood up in partnership with us. And the intensity here is is far above beyond any of the other side. So I think your proposal is reasonable that. Only when things settle down a little bit and more function a little more normal. We can take a look at this for next steps. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I. Nobody heard from the executive what their perspective is on the discussions that have happened with the city of Renton and where there are negotiations. Because it seems to me by adopting this for essentially saying give them what they want or else we're going to shut you down. That's what this says. Unless Renton agrees, because it says we won't give you money to support the operation unless there is an agreement from the city to do so in front of me. And I'm sorry. It got withdrawn. What? I think you're speaking to the amendment I went through. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm trying to follow you all. So you're talking about provides the 1.2 million you would require, of course, on the rationale number 12, is that correct? Perhaps horrible that. Never mind. But I would like at some point to hear from the executive on this. And I don't know today is the point, but I don't. Because you hear sort of. You know, honestly, if I had it to do over again in a meeting I had with Brendan, I would have invited the executive to participate so we could have all. Talk to each other. But I'd only and I have a great deal of sympathy for them hearing from the city. They are trying to be your partners. They say that over and over again. They're really committed to that position. And I appreciate that. It's not been shown every place, by the way, every jurisdiction that is controlled with concerns about the site has had some type of concern that was totally and utterly unique to their access to their city. And so I think if we get into the business of micromanaging these things, we're going to have we're going to evolve. We're always going to be the executive building has been experiencing. And I know that that's not what this does. I appreciate that. But I do I do want to at some point hear from the executive about what the discussions have been and where the hang ups are and hope we can do that. You know, if they're not objecting to our report, then that's fine. But I don't know. It was all problems. Exactly. So I'm happy to vote yes to a report. And I was concerned that we were very sorry. Thank you. Hello. Let's start with you. Carter responded. You want to defer until sometime during the week or consultation? I think you. Need to speak with Mr. Ford. Mr. Right. And my knowledge of the negotiations with Brendan is that they are underway and I know nothing else. So unfortunately I can't give you much value today. But I know. That the numbers are a lot. Will eventually. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I support the intensification side. I think we need to be providing a way, way more permanent housing options, co-located with wraparound services for the people and the demographic that we're talking about. And I largely agree with the people we heard from in Renton. My only pushback is something that I heard from somebody who commented, saying that we need to send people back to where they came from. I'm against that mentality if we're going to have a regional approach to homelessness. We need to keep treating county like a region and all be together in terms of addressing this issue and building housing for people. That being said at all, we should use in making all of our decisions, including where we place the intensification sites, has to be that equity impact review tool. And so I support Councilmember Up to grow amendment because I would like to see the rationale for keeping it in that specific location. We heard the demographics in Renton, low income populations, people of color. All those things do exist largely in Renton. And so I would like the executive to take a broader view and let us know why this places specifically. Is there going to be a concentration of locations in South King County? All those questions I would like to see answered in a report. So I'm speaking in favor of councilmember up the growth amendment while acknowledging that we need the intensification sites up in Foley fully support those. Teacher Observer. Como Thank you, Mr. Chair. I found this very interesting issue on discussion, and we're having an impact in my district district for having already two other incumbent sons. You just now being. Informed that we both have two sons. Both. So we're going ahead with that. My concern now. This amendment is the potential impact on our public health workers going on. And I think Kelly Rider was going to be with us if she. Here. Maybe she could provide some comment. Be okay, Mr. Chair. Writer. Hi, Councilmember. Chairman Bernanke, do you hear me? Yes. I tried to start my video, but I can't actually see myself, so I will just go on. Thank Councilmember. Now that I have done all of that work, I don't know that I am the best person to speak to our public health response at this point in time. I know that we will absolutely want to be able to follow up with you all. There's a specific question. I can certainly try to answer it. But in terms. Of our broader response, I. Have not heard that said advice. I am speaking from an issue that has come up. Okay. I was just an appointment with Mr. Taylor representing the executive along with Jonathan, and maybe Dwight comes forward. But this is a concern that I have, is whether this would provide an impediment. To implementing public health strategies so that. So again, I would second what writer said that I think we really need to hear from Mr. Ford. I would just know that. These these efforts are extremely difficult. And. It's always going to be a very difficult challenge to site a facility of this type for any period of time. And so. And if you pass this amendment, I would just encourage you to think about how the council will actually write this report and so that it gets, you know, expeditious attention. And we don't end up in a situation where the report is ending, the lease expires, and we have no place for these individuals to go, which creates the public health problem that as well as you're referring to. So I would just encourage you to have a conversation in the next week with Mr. Floor and others to talk about how we can best meet the needs you're all expressing and understandably expressing without creating a situation that could have some very serious unintended consequences. Thank you. I also but many, many phone calls from people in Suffolk County. And the one thing that came very clear to me is that they're perfectly happy to have and and they have been and tend to be very good hosts. And this is an important with the mayor was speaking. And but each of them said to me we do not like certain behaviors that we believe are uncivil. And if those things were not happened, it would be easier. And I think at the end of the day, conversation that we need to have. But if we're going to do when there are behaviors that now especially are not safe from a public health standpoint, that in the past have been ignored. And both the prosecutor, Seattle, has said he refuses to. Civility, love. And apparently there was a meeting recently with South Daily News, as well as they hoped, on talking about the idea that we as a society have got to have civility, love, and if people would admit them so that people are not uncomfortable or walking through things on the street that shouldn't be on the street, it would be much easier. So if we do did this report, I think one of the issues that we should be discussing is why are the civility laws not being enforced and how is that impacting socially but also in public health at this point? I think it's. Further discussion. Is here. Just briefly to Councilmember Lambert's point. Are we talking about a behavior in the city of Renton and wouldn't they be subject to his laws? And is one of the issues here that Renton is having to respond frequently and clean up graffiti and you've also got to behave yourself. I don't think that that's I just don't think that's something that we should ask for a report about because we don't control movement. And in fact, I think we understand what's happening is that that's causing some impact. I just want a bit more to the point, I'm probably going to vote no on this because I think it's too much money to the point about having the the timeline laid out on us without a plan B. I'm worried about that. I'm worried about running off the clock and having suddenly an emergency where we have to remove a bunch of people. I want to try to find a solution that works for everyone for the prime site Renton for whatever happens at the end. They have respectfully and correctly asked for a plan for how this ends. What's the end game? I don't think we have that yet. I think we should push for that. And they have made a case for needing some reimbursement. And I think that that is fair as well. And there is the CARES Act money that can be a part of that. But I'm really concerned about setting up a situation where we're going to be in an emergency and have to quickly make a big move. And I just don't want to set that up. I think there's other ways to get it where we're trying to go. It's not that I don't support the idea of working with the city because I think this. Approach might put us in a bind. A few weeks down the road. And I'm thinking. They? Of course, the roll call vote for clarification since it sounds like it's divided up. Voters requested cast number. Do you care to close? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the diverse views on this, and my hope to pass. Would be to. Participate constructively to ensure that our processes don't get in the way of it. I appreciate there is a quote. You know, Councilman Lambert had comments about sort of a broader regional response. And I don't want those to complicate this particular amendment. This simply has us approving a report and it gives us an opportunity to participate in that discussion and debate as to the future of the site. And if a majority of this council is comfortable with the current approach, then the current approach will continue. So but it does give us. The time between now and. That means expires to make a case and explore options and look at what those best option might be in to better inform that decision with additional information and analysis. And so I appreciate your consideration. Carter, could you please call the roll. On a name? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council member about reaching. So Councilmember, how do you both know. I. Councilmember Dombrowski both I'm Councilmember Dunn. By. Councilmember Dunn are Councilmember Colwell? No Councilmember Caldwell Sports no councilmember member. Council member Mathieu High Council member Lambert Fox. I was a member of the girl. I grew up the Girl Scouts. I was a member of my bar. I council member of all my colleagues. I month members are all. Council members, all allies. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, now. Mr. Chair, the vote is 653 nos. A number 12 is adopted. That takes us to amended 13.1. Council members are hereby. Mr. Chair, I'd like to move Amendment 13.1. Thank you. Council members. Most adults never mentioned 13.1 to speak to this amendment and throughout the attempt to be to have an effect on the entire supplemental. However, the only place in the new language were adopted today where the phrase geographically balanced is found is in the tourism sector. And that's why you see it. Well, there's only about four reasons. And I think our intent in seeking a geographically balanced is to make sure that we don't concentrate all of the funds in one place , that it is not isolated to one community or one place in the county. And there is some in more than one place, multiple places, where I want to make sure that what we're not doing is on peanut butter and putting it across the country evenly. And therefore this amendment would add where we were saying geographically balanced on. And so what needs to be balanced based on me? Because truly, as we address economically the most content content during the pandemic, we're doing this all with an eye toward me. Front of discussion. Transformative policy. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I like the I think the notion behind it, if I'm understanding it and I was talking with Governor Caldwell's and I wonder here's my philosophy. I think that we are in these circumstances in a time where there's devastation throughout the county and there is need everywhere. And so I think we should be responsive countywide in our response. At the same time, I, I agree with the philosophy that those who need more help and who have traditionally not had as much help from structural racism, reasons of power, lack thereof. We should account for that, and they should have more help and they should be prioritized. Even the language that you're suggesting geographic balance based. On need. Would seem to be exclusive to based on need. I wonder if geographically balanced account, while accounting for me, would more finally reflect that. We want to have some geographical balance here, but we also want to account for need. The based on need seems to maybe exclude the geographic balance, if you will. And I wonder if you are open to further discussions or some sort of change in that direction. I am. You have have geographically be balanced while accounting for name. Then Kilgore called my editor. I wonder if she might if that captures the discussion we're having better. Let's do chair assignments, because frankly, we really struggle with the language here. And as you all know, they're very hard to get to the initial conceptual striking then that we sent you last Thursday. And then the final one there went out in front of the number. Confirmed to most of them up until midnight of that. And so I think there really are still some areas and a certain moments that need some words. I think this is one of the. I like the suggestion made by Councilmember DEMBOSKY. I'm not sure that it's exactly right. We need to vote for this amendment with the understanding that we will do some more work. Other quotes. As well. Opposed to the idea of more wordsmithing, but I would actually accept a friendly and very friendly and uncertain stance. Grand, mutually acceptable friendly manner. The language of 13.1. So it means you have to be balanced or accounting for me. I appreciate that, Mr. Chair. I think given our circumstances, it is anything we can do to narrow the narrow the path toward them, toward the finish line is good. You and I agree that doesn't cause it probably needs another country coming over time to work on language, but I think that advances it closer to the finish line . I appreciate your dialog and working with. You're welcome. And I'd like a nod from someone in talking to the committee that they've gotten and recorded the amendments as we've discussed it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have it recorded as geographically balanced while accommodating for me. While accounting for me. I'd say while accounting for me. That is what I had written, but not what I read. After about four and a half hours. Neither did Paul. Thank you very much, Mr. Potter. I remember as amended, stating that all those in favor please signify by saying I thought I was never going to have a third one as a doctor. I will go slow for a moment before I get to 15 to see if anything happens. Pausing briefly before the end of the season. Anything happens. I see nothing happening here. Amendment 15 Councilmember Bill Gibson. You are a murderer. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not going to offer. Oh, I learned my lesson. I'm going to offer Amendment 15 and then speak to. 13 Cardinals member DC has moved to remember the 15 cast member double duty to revive. The air, so to speak, to a mental drive. The lead and concept of including a funding source for youth homelessness organizations was mine. So I appreciate the charity, including IT and the executive including it. All the support I have been advocating for and the dollar amount they believe was well targeted to fund the small number of organizations that are actually licensed youth shelter providers. And not just anybody can call themselves the youth shelter provider. It's a highly regulated activity and there is a large organization on the east side of funds. And yes, I believe it's the why in the South End. And then there's the backing of NGOs. That is the name was given. And so these these are really the big players in this in this area. And they are all struggling and struggling to meet the needs of young people among those who don't have homes, who are at risk of infection, who are at risk of bringing infections into the shelters and aid programs, and therefore, they need to be ready to move spread out. They need to be ready to be intensify their shelters and then all takes resources and resources for more space and resources for more staffing. And it's just very challenging time for these service providers. And so Seattle has done quite a bit to take care of the services within the city of Seattle. But outside the city of Seattle, the four organizations are not around about seeing the same level of support and they really need our help. So I appreciate the million dollars being included. I wanted just for for reassurance, to know that my intent, as I just described it, was the actual way it was going to get implemented. We've spoken a number of ways today and on other days about putting in money into an appropriation, not being 100% clear about how we intended to be spent and then finding ourselves surprised and sometimes disappointed without actually gets so kind of different in a couple of different ways to get out. What I would like to see half of this money go to friends and use and the other half to go to the library or whatever that is. I think that I just don't know enough for this number to be the right number and expenditure restriction is a very blunt instrument and says you shall spend this amount on this thing and I'm not sure that that works in this situation. So that's why I'm from 2008. I do want to continue to work with the chair and the executive branch just to make sure that the intent is clear of this. This particular part of the lodging tax money which is eligible is now being used for modern task homelessness. The is to support the major providers of homeless services outside of Seattle thinking that it was right and I to get. Thank you. We have an ordinance, Mr. Chair. Asking. I'm sorry. Sure. I just. I want to take the opportunity on this to just make sure the records are clear. I was very proud to offer the Youth Homelessness Amendment in the lodging tax allocation measure. That was a couple of years ago. It was unanimously adopted by the council, and this money would bring it forward. And that's a good thing. I, I, I do think I'm a little troubled with the exclusion of Seattle and certain young people in Seattle with the but the legislation that's of course, in between now and full council . I want to understand why we are excluding a whole population of young homelessness and surge fighters that are like youth care from eligibility. Because I do think there are needs countywide friends of youth amazing organizations and their fundraiser a number of times their leadership and I think they absolutely should be supported with these dollars. So I too am interested in making sure that we're funding the organizations who can best serve this population regardless of where the kids are throughout the county. Thank you. We have before us for 2020 177 amendments as amended. So when we have the starting amendment as amended before us and all those in favor of the Second Amendment as amended by saying I, I, I oppose nine and the ayes have it. The amendment is, is that we have ordinance 2021, 77 as adopted as amended before is. Mr. Chair. Would you like. Somebody to move that type of amendment? I was under the impression we were all entitled to a full council because we to have the rights and amendments protected or which amendments got accepted, that's currently here. Okay. So so as I suspected, four members information never there among any other work we do between now and next week, there will be a title amendment. We are moving it out of committee without a proper format by title at this time and are aware of the fact that discussing our final passage. Still to come below. Well, to say a few words. And we really spent a great number of hours to so I don't want to go into any detail here, but I, I just want to reiterate that we all know that we're in the midst of an enormous crisis with catastrophic realities for our constituents, for our residents in the commons, health, well , and well-being, as well as our economic well-being. It's not different from what's happening all around the country. I just checked the latest figures for today. We now have an additional seven positive test cases. That brings us to 6653. In our county. Now we have an additional four fatalities, bringing us to a very tragic 467 deaths. We know those numbers are growing strongly. Those numbers are not reflective of the reality. We have a lot more positive cases and a lot more deaths than actuality. So we're seeing some slowing down, but we need to get our economy started. But we also need to ensure the health and well-being of all of our residents. I really appreciate the executive's transmittal of this very well thought out plan to help out in our recovery response and recovery efforts, including releasing the isolation sites and providing alternatives to shelters that not be used to promote social distancing requirements for those ceremonies. And as we discussed, that at the heart of our small businesses, really. And how would you assistance to get gone? We're very worried that. Many of our businesses are threatened. Clubs, learn stories about those all the time that are incorporated areas as well as in similar cities. So I saw one of them, Councilor DEMBOSKY, come up with the idea of looking at our lodging tax. We know that it is being depleted because our hotels are mostly closed to restaurants are operating in many of them just with takeout and delivery services are. And our arts, culture, science, heritage organizations that typically draw tourists and visitors to us during the month it's such a robust was economically but also to attract businesses to attract visitors . It's a wonderful, wonderful relationship. And we want to get back to where we can have all the crucial. I commend this to you. I don't want to go on more second one more consultant. That's a great deal. That's very positive. But it will. And the bottom line is, it will jobs that will help the economy and also help in terms of public sector. Councilmember Lambert. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I want to say that I appreciate a lot of good work and and people without eating really hard in the last week with that. And as we go forward and I really appreciate the wording and it's just an honor and the last 2 minutes, I thank you for accepting that and friendly amendment . It's always interesting to me that geographic equity is the only one that had some kind of 400 foot around it. And I'm just saying. And it continually happens. So I just want to point that out that I don't see that happening with any other premier. And also, you know, making sure that we are defining need because as Councilmember Caldwell just said, everybody has needs right now. And in the study that's going to be done and disability issue has been brought up by many, many mayors and several chambers. And while Renton does have the ability to to police it, to arrested, and they don't have the ability to prosecute it, and that is concern. And I will have to add the amendments that I just want to put on the record that as the blueprint is that we will as councilmember said, we will we have an update for how this is going on and for our budget. And and then it will be that as we get the update, they tell us whether it's in the previous month and then to make it down by district. So we'll have an idea of how well we are doing and making sure that our needs across the county are be addressed. And then lastly, and that as we work on the amendment that I would do today on making sure that when we're talking about the local government and the local government committee is very much involved. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the discussion. Councilmember Belmonte Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to ask if it's possible to move this out today without recommendation. I understand it has to be ruled in a new item passage by next Tuesday's council meeting. But there are some very big financial questions in my mind that resurfaced early on in this very long discussion. If you remember back a couple hours, it came out in this in this discussion that although we have been acting on, the assumption was the word I'll use that I think it's been 700 times. But we were not going to redistribute the types of funding the lodging tax ordinance that we passed. In fact, we are going to come back with what am I supposed to change that ordinance to conform to this appropriation? Despite all the discussion, I'm still not really clear how millions of dollars in tourism money is going to be funded. I like to make sure it's being funded in a way that makes sense. I mean, I don't think anybody's talking about a big tourism campaign this summer because nobody's traveling this summer. We're still in Corona virus lockdown. So I just want to make sure that it's being spent sensibly and that there's going to be accountability for how it gets done. And yeah, and so the big concern I started with, I continue to have and so on. There's a lot of important things in this ordinance that. I do support. There's significant chunk about that. I saw big questions about in order to vote yes on it today, I would like to pass it out without a recommendation that is acceptable to the nature of the motion. Councilmember Karl Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe I should have talked a little bit longer, but I would prefer to pass that on this recommendation that the bottom line of \u00a37,000 with the recommendation, of course, we go along with that. But I would like to say that two things. One, we are really facing. Situation here. Just getting money out to our small businesses, getting money to our children's, getting money out to our tourism abroad so that we can be competitive. We've both been ahead of the curve comparisons to many other local jurisdictions and other states. But we know that there's going to be a huge amount of competition to attract tourists to places all over this country. Now, I think it's important to really go ahead with this. I'd like to have this really be out there indicating that we support this is always supported strongly. But the second thing I would say is that we will have a process in place here regardless where we will come up with the new striking. For counsel consideration for months to. And what I am looking at is working with staff to develop that striking amendment that would like to get your concepts to be included in it. Robinson heard a lot right now. But I'd like to ask. What would be a reasonable. The timeline for when those. Concepts for language, for the strength in the moment and then when we can read some of them again, but striking them around to some point in preparing to submit to not directly answer some. Questions that I'd like people themselves the classes. If I may, Mr. Chair, please. Just so you know, the timeline is going to be pretty tight, Mark. Our committee is that we need time to bring both the amendments adopted today to the underlying ordinance. I know that there's a lot of conversations going on, so I feel like there's going to be needing more time to finalize the Second Amendment. They can almost, almost envision the striking amendment being finalized towards the end of the weekend. And so given that, that doesn't leave much time for my amendment to the striker. So so I guess what I'm saying is, is that if we can take more time working on the striking amendment, that would be less time for line amendments. But if the members would like to shorten the time frame to finalize this amendment, then we can take the weekend to draft line amendments. I think that those are kind of the options. Pros and cons. I think the staff's preference is to work as diligently as possible to or as comprehensively to finalize the striking amendment throughout the weekend. And then perhaps on Sunday night, we can send out a draft of the striker. And then on Monday morning, council members can request line amendments and staff can use the rest of the Monday to draft and have legal review with action on Tuesday. That's just kind of the initial thoughts that I'm having. I'm not sure. I mean, come on, what would be really helpful to me as budget chair and working with the staff on the system work? But you also heard a lot now that if you have other concepts or maybe refinement of language that you suggest and get them to staff, then please indicated for the SARA to share those with me because that would expedite the whole process. It's better to get a striking amendment that would really be built on trying to ensure census among all of us. To take into consideration those suggestions. That you all. Have. You know, your description of the. We talk about one of mine county, but we're also talking about knowing that the vast differences. Among all the work. Just some. Satisfy everybody to the extent possible. So, Mr. Chair, I'm not sure where to go with the answer to some of the boundaries question. I don't know that it matters that much when you go for this to approve this with recommendation. It is. I hear you're not accepting the request council member boundaries here. Is it in a sense? I agree. It doesn't make that much difference. I suspect there are the votes to members now. If it's with recommendation, I will vote no because I don't have enough understanding of the use of housing funds of what had been allocated by ordinance vote. This body is part of monitoring systemic fix of affordable housing to tourism promotion in an emergency. And I just have to say, we're using the words emergency and crisis and we need to really rebound. And all of those words are absolutely justified in this in this period of time. Absolutely. However, there is a timing and a sequencing issue here. Emergency is May one just past and I can't pay my rent or I can't put food on my table, or I might have COVID 19, which is a lethal disease. That's the emergency. That's the right now crisis. Small businesses losing their their they're they're not being able to pay their rent and therefore not being paid. Are people shutting down, putting more people at risk? That's also a crisis for that institution and for the people who rely on them for money. A tourism promotion package is not an emergency in May of 2020. It's just not. We want to plan for the future and we want to plan for the near-term future. And so it is a an important and possibly very time sensitive thing, but to call it an emergency is to denigrate the real emergencies that people are going . Through every day. You and I am just not super clear what this money is going to be used for and when and whether we are doing the right things that we need to be doing with the resources that we have. So I would want to support the package as a whole, but I have some very big questions that just remain unanswered. And I've been asking them, I mean, it's not like this is a surprise to anybody. And I just want to make sure that we get to the bottom of hope. We learned some things in this meeting today that were different from what we had the morning before. And so I just can't vote for this with that level of uncertainty still hanging out there. But there's a lot of great things in here that I do absolutely support. I do absolutely support the small business support, absolutely support putting money into arts and culture and ultimately into tourism in a way that makes sense. But I really want to I just this councilmember needs a little bit more understanding and certainty about what's happening. And so that's just where I'm at today. And that's, you know, that's what all of us like when we all have our different our in different places, all different things, we represent different interests. So thank you, Mr. Chair. On this motion, I'll be a no vote, but with a commitment to work towards getting to yes. Mr. Chair, further discussion. Councilmember Colwell. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Want to belabor, but I do want to bring out a couple of options of mine mind. We heard from Tim Anderson from Construction Trades Council. We heard from people in businesses and chambers that some. Residents feel that there are thousands of people now out of work not being able to pay their rent, not being able to have the means to do other things because their businesses have closed. And we're talking a lot about the tourism bureaus, the arts and culture and science and heritage, the museums, the theaters just across the board . People are not working in many of these. And nonprofits are closing completely. So this is a crisis. This is very urgent. And what we're doing with this legislation, and I thought it was very articulate about this, is we wanted to be to have our tourism promotion and marketing going on. So we will get people to stay in our hotels and even the restaurants and visit our retail stores and so forth. And without their promotion, it's going to be much more difficult to do. So I think this is very well timed so that we can get funding back into our our hotels and motels to support getting the revenue needed for affordable housing. So with that, I'm not sure, Mr. Chair, of what the best thing to do is. Here is the motion, because if that were to fail, what could we revisit the councilmember down, the promotion ban or what? Plus the number of calls. If the motion reforms were to fail, the legislation would remain in the committee of the hall. And could be removed at council. It's a big problem in Sudan, and one yes, it could. We have a motion before us. We're going to do pass recommendation to ordinance 2020 177 as amended. Councilmember Dombroski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to start by saying that I'm very proud of this Council for taking on the executive or taking initiative to be responsive to our earning community. We are all out in our district working on the ground with partner organizations and individuals who are responding to this crisis and seeing firsthand the severe devastation across our economy that's following the necessary public health orders. And that devastation falls. A lot of people have become sick and many who have died, including from our own family. In the county courthouse, we lost just this last weekend and we are talking a lot today about dollars and budgets. But what we're really talking about is compassion and responding to lift up and support a community that's hurting. And I'm very proud of our government for taking this initiative and looking at these items and trying to the very best we can under circumstances to spend these dollars as smartly as we can. I think of my dad would permit me. He came here in about 1965. His first job was in a warehouse in their national district when we started The Little Idiots. That store was like the dollar stores of today selling all kinds of dry goods and down on Meeker Street in Kent and councilmember up the Grubbs district. And he ran that business, had employees. It was a retail business in the heart of Kent at the time. You know, I worked there as a kid, and we counted on community celebrations and visitors called Cornucopia Days, Maker, Days in parade, people coming together, come downtown, spend money. And he ran that business until about 82 through the bowing bus to the big interest rates of the late seventies through the oil crisis. And I saw the struggles firsthand. There were times, frankly, when our mortgage was paid and when we have small business leaders and employees all over this country suffering today. And what we're trying to do here with this package is be as responsive as we can with the resources we have on the timeframe we have. To turn this around when we can on the tourism piece, which is a piece I've kind of been focused on Kels rebounding. She indicated that it was not an emergency, and I really ask all the refugees to meet with the destination marketing organizations. They are funded in large part by the lodging tax and they are looking at laying off employees. And when we got that infrastructure, they are not being able to go out on a timeframe which frankly is 2 to 3 years to bring the conventions here. You go to the doctors and the anesthesiologists and the gaming conventions and those kinds of things. There's a long time frame to get those conventions that bring thousands of people to the area filling hotel rooms. And so you are absolutely right. We are not going to see those in the next couple of months, probably because of the distancing things. But they do need the resources to be to plan with the conventions of the next two years, look like in this health crisis, to go get that business, to develop the plan, to keep their infrastructure in place and not let people go because membership organizations and things like that are often the first to get cut in terms of their revenue when the number of business. Revenue dries up. So I think that's an investment in patching a broken roof right now to protect the house that's under it. And that house that under thunder is a very, very precious revenue stream that pays for me, for my house and the arts and cultural programs that we're talking about and that we all support. It's an investment in making sure that that stream is healthy, and it's a relatively modest one. I'm still hopeful I might get more clarity from Dwight that that will be reimbursable as a response to this measure and won't have to actually be used for the lodging tax to do it. But at the end of the day, though, the lodging tax at its course is the purpose is to bring people here and put it out of rooms. And that's what that piece of this proposal is. And it supports hotel workers, room cleaners, custodians, h-back, maintenance people, you know, building and construction trades folks, restaurant workers, tour guides. Talk to anybody in the Pike Place Market about what they what they count on with the cruise ships that come. And we want to make sure to bring those back here. It's. Children of the Grove once told me the number of jobs that come from Sea-Tac Airport. So that means it's a medium sized city out there. And I just think that's a very modest investment in restoring that piece of the economy. Not next month, but in the next year and a two year and beyond. And so I really encourage members to. To learn as much as you can about it. There is a proposal released from the Cherokee County Convention Visitors Bureau on how those dollars would be spent. And if you don't have that, I can help get that to you, because I think you're right to want to have the additional detail . But it is fair and I really respect your hard questions on it. We should be that and they're not unreasonable one. So I hope we can advance this today and work out the final details. But by next Tuesday I think we'll be able to do it. But I'm really proud of us, Mr. Chair, and I'm proud of this government. I think we're doing a pretty, pretty good job helping our communities out. And there won't be enough help. But I think we're meeting with our values and the good values and we're doing the best we can. Thank you. Thank you for our discussion about the growth of the government. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just as concerned about you talked about the council being responsive. I also want to acknowledge the budget chair being responsive. These are weird times when we're getting frequent budgets or frequently we're not physically together to have the ability of face to face conversations and communication is tough. I mean, to be candid, we're also. A little bit busier than normal. And so even with communication taking place via staff late at night and kind of muddling through things, I think this I'm very supportive of the final product. I think it strikes a balance. I think we do a good job of balancing our equity and social justice interests throughout how we drive money out. I think we also do a good job of addressing geographic balance. And. Of being genuinely responsive to the ideas and issues and concerns that colleagues brought forward. And it's not easy and it's not going to get easier as the as we get this budget. The budget challenges in the year ahead. But I think this does a lot of good for a lot of people. There's things that I wouldn't do. You know, I think all nine of us would have a different looking budget. But I feel that it is a fair representation of the balance of the interests of the executive and the council members. And for that reason and for the good it's going to do in our community, I want to commend the Chair and express my support. Thank you for the discussion earlier today. Madam Court, would you please call the roll? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Belushi. Councilmember these two votes now. Councilmember DEMBOSKY. I. Council member dumbass people fine council member done. By. Council member Dan Brown's local member Coles or Council Member Coles. But I was a member member council member. Lambert votes on Article II, Council member of the Grampians. I remember going that far. Councilmember Formica. Awesome. Council members. All are council members all able to. Mr. Chair. No. The chair votes no. Mr. Chair, the vote has six eyes, two nose and Councilmember one right there. Yes. But you know, we were given a do pass recommendation to ordinance 2021, 77 that will be extended to fall. Council appeared on the full council agenda one week from today. With that, you'll be happy to know that the Metro Transit briefing has been postponed or it's a town meeting. However, that is not true of the what I believe will be brief briefing of under enormous planning in connection incident. I'm sorry the north much like an interceptor and condemnation. And given that we do expect this condemnation to come before a full council next week. We wanted to give members this briefing. Required to be council access without a return over to a library. Well briefed on this item mystery. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Agreed to of the Council. Mr. Read, can I interrupt for a moment? Yes. And are you available? Yes, Mr. Chair. I am getting text messages. Councilmember Bauer, how do you vote on the previous motion? I'm getting text messages that he wishes to harm your family but has been disconnected. I will work to get him reconnected in Missouri. I might even interrupt you again, but in this area, apologize in advance. But in the meantime, please proceed. Okay. So again, thank you, Mr. Chair. This is the requested condemnation orders for the North Mercer, the time interceptor pipeline as this is on page 147 of your packets and is labeled as 2020 b043. I'll try to be pretty reasonable to be relatively high in light this the project the project itself would replace an existing interceptor that drains are provides wastewater service on or Mercer Island for southeast Bellevue and for boards village that the line that is in place currently is about 50 years old and the service life for the line is 50 years old. So it's at the end of the service. While this project has been identified through the command system improvement program that the agency runs, that evaluates the system onto, assured that it has capacity for coming growth and for for floods. And this one that, again, has been identified as one that requires replacement. So part of the process in putting in a new line is to is to go through extensive real estate effort to identify those properties for which access is needed, that easement or some other access in in the in the work done to to identify those those parcels. There were 40 properties that we didn't find with forward easement or some other access is needed of those 47 and I've been the subject of discussions and have been completed. So there are agreements in place. The 47, there's one remaining property that does that for which there is not agreement. And I would would direct your attention to the staff report and that there is a bigger one on page two, I believe that shows the location first of the proposed new line, which is the heavy black line itself, where the subject property is of the call out box just across the East panel, which shows what the location of the property is, so that that property is owned by the couple. And there has been very limited, I would say, a recent communication with with the with the property owners. There are two particular two reasons why that property is really important. First is that the the project for use for this portion of the property was a portion of the project once referred to as horizontal directional drilling, underground drilling. And there is a potential for slight of variance from the pathway of the above, the above of the line and the drilling is done and so best practices are encouraged that there be some margin for error provided for one. One of the two easements would be along the southern border of the property to accommodate that need for or some variance. And that's a five foot wide easement that goes the entire length of the southern border of that property. The second easement is about eight foot wide and it's a temporary easement for to accommodate construction. So a placement of construction equipment, other construction related activities. And those are the two easements that are being sought by the executive. I have listed in the staff report, the outreach effort that the agency part of this has undergone. I will not go through them at this point, but it has been extensive. I will also note that there is a level of urgency for this project. The expectation is that we scheduled cost for so much from a contractor in September of this year or actually start construction in February 2021. Part of this is going to be in water construction. And so if because of the permit permits under which this project is proceeding, if we miss that, that the timeframe that has been been laid out is basically a result of the year delay in the project. And without the access as provided for by these easements, the horizontal drilling piece, the project cannot proceed. The executive have determined that as a result of the limited or lack of further response to our to the communication that they've sent out, that the negotiations are at an impasse and they are seeking. Underneath an A from from the Council of State Law does authorize or condemnation in certain cases for conveyance lines, and that is described in the stamp board. It's also true that. Negotiations can continue. After the condemnation action is authorized in the end, but we'll be able to put an end to. Is that possible? So you've indicated this is on the May 12 council agenda. No, no action is being posted today. And this would be on would be on for final action on the 12th of May on the council's regular meeting . I'm happy answering questions. I also note that some of the intergovernmental liaison for the wastewater treatment division is. I'll put the light on, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ms.. Herron. I'll ask you to hold for a moment. I believe we have a number by Mike Bauer. Mr. Chair, can you hear me? We can. Council member. Welcome back. Well, I got disconnected from my my internet, so I went back to now calling in rather than being on the Internet. The answer, I literally don't know what happened, but I was going to vote in the affirmative on the motion by councilmember growth and customer to call out the supplemental ordinance with a recommendation to pass. Mr. Chairman, do we have Councilmember bond returns? REPORTER Yes, Mr. Chair, we do. The vote is now seven. I do your notes. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Sherry. You're very welcome. Prototype votes. I only get one vote. Cast member off the back of. Questions are on Mr. Read or Ms.. Herron on the condemnation motion. If you will be briefed on. Sharon No. I want to thank Mr. Reid, Ms.. Herron, for their patience today. And he says after 6 minutes and for the briefing, we'll look forward to seeing you again next week before council meeting. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And then on our agenda, I would take your reconsideration. However, Mr. Annan, I believe you can confirm for me that all those all council members are recorded by the Argus. That's correct. So there is no reconsideration to be done at this meeting and knowing no other business to come before us and mean a special meeting and able to take things up on our agenda. I believe absolute truth or dare. I believe that Mr. Williams and Mr. Kim have already left call. I don't blame them. I do not see them working in just events. I would encourage council members know they have spent a significant amount of time over the last week, plus since the supplemental budget arrived in council and reviewing and analyzing it, working with PSP and others to further understand it, and then responding to members requests for a strike, an amendment and amendments to the entire document or through all of last weekend. And as we heard in discussing the timing for council next and next Tuesday, we'll probably expect to be doing the same again this weekend. I'd like to commend them for their work in that sense and ask members to take it upon themselves to reach out and offer some personal appreciation receiving them as you think about it. With that, we are adjourned. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Q you. ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE related to COVID-19; making a supplemental appropriation of $8,505,000 to several general fund agencies; making a supplemental appropriation of $23,498,000 to several non-general fund agencies; making a supplemental appropriation of $5,719,000 to capital improvement fund 3311; making a supplemental appropriation of $25,199,000 to capital improvement fund 3951; amending the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 18835, Sections 7, 19, 20, 41, 44, 52, 72, 72, 73, 84, 85, 85, 95, 101, 116 and 126, as amended, and Attachment A, as amended, adding new sections to Ordinance 18835, as amended; and declaring an emergency."}
{"id": "king_d04685ef-4b86-42e2-a7b6-a16294717d61", "input": "They're just kidding. All right. Good morning and welcome to the September 5th meeting of the committee. The whole for the can get together. This is a regular meeting, not a special meeting. I mean, it's a special meeting. Was a regular meeting. Thank you all for being here. I've got a number of folks signed up. We have a a fairly focused and limited agenda around the stadium funding issue. And I think that's what most of you are here to testify on. I have 26 folks signed up. Our staff is working on papers, I think, as we speak. So we're going to take public comment after we start with the roll call markup. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bertucci, Councilmember Dunn, Councilmember Garcia. Here. Councilmember Colwell, Councilmember Lambert here. Councilmember McDermott, Councilmember of the Grove, Councilmember Yvonne Reich. Bauer. Mr. Chair, here. Mr. Chair, you have a quorum. Okay. Councilmember McDermott, would you be willing to put our meeting minutes before us? I move. We approve the meeting minutes of August 29th. On favor say I I any oppose those are approved. Councilmember Gossett, would you be willing to put consent agenda item five before the committee for approval? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would be willing to do that. I'd like to move a proposed motion. 2018 0298. All right, that's before us. Marker. Would you call rolling that consent item? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Balducci, Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Gossett, I. Councilmember Colwell. I. Councilmember Lambert. Hi. Councilmember McDermott. All right. Councilmember of the Grove. Councilmember one right there. Mr. Chair. Hi, Mr. Chair. The vote is six size no nos. Three Excused. Councilmember. Well, duty on the consent item. Event. How does that sound? Seven We've given a do pass recommendation to item five. We'll put that on the consent item for the regular council meeting. Turning now to public comment, we'll start and we're going to do one minute public comment and we can go to either microphone. Anita, I think, you know, you're number one. Come forward and then I've got Kelly Larson, Peggy Hotes, Patience Malaba and Rebecca Laszlo. That's one through five. It looks like we've got cards. So one through five. Come forward and go ahead. Just take your turns. Good morning, 93. And I'm a founding member of Women in Black. I'm here to think of 77 homeless people dying. Outside four by violence this year. All right. $160 million is not going to build enough housing to get everybody in King County. Out of home or stop the avalanche of people getting into homes. But the primary driver of homelessness is lack of affordable housing, and every little bit. Will save a life. Council member Paul Wilson has suggested. A solution is we don't take this down the road to November is literally a life and death policy and. Hi. My name is Kelly Larson. I work for Plymouth Housing Group in Seattle. We provide permanent supportive housing for over a thousand people every night in this county. Our staff and workers live in every district in King County, and they are struggling to to afford the places where they can live. We provide a thousand homes, but we are facing an affordable housing crisis. I believe it is the root cause of homelessness. Plymouth is ready to build hundreds of units. Hundreds of apartments are ready to go. Right now. Other partners of ours are ready to go. We simply do not have the resources to start projects. We are waiting for the resources to start building more homes to bring people inside. Thank you for doing everything you can to devote more resources to this. Oh, go ahead. Yes, my name is Peggy Hotes. You know, the situation you're in today reminds me a lot of a situation I had when my son was growing up and I was trying to teach him how to manage his allowance. It might go something like this. Son, you need a new pair of tennis shoes. And he might say, But I want the new Mario Kart six. But, son, you already have Mario Kart one through five. But I want the new one. I want to impress my friends. It's got greater graphics. Luigi plays a bigger part in Mario Kart six, but you need a new pair of tennis shoes before school starts. And, you know, he eventually made the right decision. I know every single council member here knows what the right thing to do is in this situation. We have a record number of homeless people in this county, 12,000. We have a record number of people who are dying on the streets. The preponderance of this money, the great preponderance of this money, at least 180,000 needs to go towards building affordable housing, where we have a bottleneck, where places like Nichols, Vail every night are full, where people are so anxious to get inside, they are literally climbing over the fence. Please do what you know is right. Good morning. My name is Patience Malaba. I am the advocacy manager for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle King County. Our members work across King County to ensure that we address the affordable housing and homelessness needs in our region. And I'm here to urge you to allocate the highest possible additional funding allocation for affordable housing. As you all know, the most pressing need right now facing our region is affordable housing. People are not able to afford to live in King County. Even the most affordable areas in South King County are facing the highest increase, with a 12% annual rate. Currently, working people have to work two jobs and still can barely afford to pay their rent. The high cost of housing is hurting us all. And council members, we all know that for the past three years we have declared a state of emergency on homelessness and the affordable housing crisis has been increasing. This is a time for you to seize the moment and address our region's most pressing need. Please vote to allocate the highest possible additional funding allocation for affordable housing. Thank you. I've got Rebecca number five. And then if you're six through ten, go ahead and come forward six through ten. Good morning, counsel. My name is Rebecca Laslo. I am a private citizen. I'm a former housing manager for Valley Cities with 270 units of housing in Auburn, Federal Way in Kent, and also the former property manager at Compass Ronald Commons. Six units of housing in Shoreline. I come to you asking you to do an at large investment in housing, and I do believe a large portion of the lodging tax would be an excellent investment. Thank you very much. Thank you, Rebecca. Okay. Go ahead. Hi, I'm Celeste Hill. I'm a five year rapid rehousing case manager for homeless veterans. I arrived in Seattle 2013 from a five year Germany PC. I am not here in that capacity, though. I stand here as a voice of 30 plus years in social services, civilian and military. Previous and current veterans household served 165. Initially, I had 3 to 5 persons of Safeco Concessions employees. Their experience is seasonal employee. No benefits, no living wage. Their ISP life plan is to work at Safeco and live at William Booth Center because they cannot afford 525 square foot in Seattle. Last year, enrollments of first time homeless veteran case loads came from households, came to my caseload. I have six. They are 20 plus year renters, fixed income service, connected and employed. They've lost their housing and are unable to find affordable rehousing. Thank you. Right now. Go ahead, John. My name is John Martin. On an annual average basis, in the next 25 years, the value of the Mariners will increase to $8.3 billion. This is an increase of over $5 billion. I asked the Mariners if they would help put Griffey in the stadium name and have money from naming rights. Go to pediatric cancer research at Seattle Children's Hospital. The Mariners said no. The Mariners said they didn't have enough money. The public owns the naming rights. And here are some names from the public. A stadium with gumption. Tent city. Eight dead on the streets. Griffey Field or Copperhead Stadium. Ken Griffey Junior Field. Oh, isn't that a great name? Starbucks Grounds A The Field. Camden Yards West. Griffey. Safeco Field. Safeco. Griffey Field. Let the public decide. Renegotiate the lease. Okay. I've got eight or ten. Nicholas aunt and Violette Nolan and Catherine Jacoby. Any of those folks go ahead and come forward. And then if you're 11 through 15, come on up. Good morning. My name is Violette Nolan. I reside in Bellevue and work in Kirkland as the CEO of Imagine Housing, the leading affordable housing developer that's focused on building in East King County. My family has lived in East King County for over 40 years. First, I want to thank the members of the Council for everything you have done and continue to do to support affordable housing in this region. Due to your continued funding, we are able to provide permanent, affordable homes in East King County with supportive services for over 1200 people. And that includes families, seniors and almost 500 children under the age of 18. Within the next few years, we expect to provide homes to over 2400 people whose households earn less than $60,000 per year. East King County is home to 750,000 people. An average rent for a two bedroom apartment is over 20 $500 a month, and the average home price has topped a million on the east side. Teachers, first responders, retail workers, manufacturers and others can't afford to live. That's okay. Finish your thought. Well, hey, this crisis isn't going away anytime soon. I urge the council to take swift and decisive actions that help solve the problem. The solution is simple. We need more housing. What's complicated is how we got there. Please make a good decision. Thank you for the work. If you're up through number 15, just come forward and. We're ready for you. Good morning. My name is Catherine Jacoby. I live in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, and I work in Kirkland for an organization providing affordable housing. Every day I see the impacts of the housing crisis around me. My neighbors live in RV's and don't have safe places to sleep or can't afford food or gas in addition to rent . My friends and colleagues commute from Snohomish or South King County because they can't afford to live closer to their jobs. And when my organization opens a new, affordable building, we receive hundreds more applications than we have apartments. King County declared a housing crisis three years ago. Now you're faced with a direct choice between investing in affordable housing and baseball stadium maintenance. I urge you to consider the basic needs of King County residents and do more than the minimum for ensuring their basic health, security and stability. This critical source of funding can help areas of King County outside the city of Seattle be a part of the solution to our ongoing housing crisis. King County itself estimates that we need 156,000 more affordable homes to meet our current need and 244,000 more by 2040 as our need grows. Our investments and commitment must grow as well. Baseball may be America's pastime, but housing is our community's foundation, and we must do more than the minimum to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have a home. Thank you. Thank you, Katherine. Cold air. My name is New and my parents are the owners of SeaTac Pizza. We have been at this location for several, several years now and it is our main source of income. My family has invested so much into this business and I've created such a strong connection with our customers and community members. We have become like a family. We have served many people over the years and that come from all backgrounds, including our South Asian community. Aside from just our businesses, the Sea-Tac Center serves as the safe haven and home away from home for so many of our immigrant and refugee community members. We are part we are just as part of the city just as much as everyone else. That contributes to it is. This community has been here for over 30 years and has benefited all those who come to it. We need this center to survive. We are asking you. We are asking you to please the Port Sea-Tac Center businesses with funds for an international market. Our livelihoods depend on these businesses. Our families have families have spent their entire life savings. We are talking about 60 businesses that will be displaced if they do not get funds. Also, 56% of seats are going to quello resident shops. Shop the center weekly if not daily. Based on Forbes, the value of the Mariners team increased by $1 billion since the mid 2000. Why couldn't the owners finances upgrades? Should we really provide a public subsidy to Safeco Field? We are looking at $1,000,000,000 industry. Why can't the owners finance these upgrades? We should ask that no more than 25 million go to the stadium. Thank you. Come forward. Go ahead. Good morning. My name is Jimmy Frawley. Before I start, I just want to ask who did their homework from last time? Who went to. Okay. Oh, having a portable housing and a place to work is not a privilege, but a right for every American citizen. Using money on Mariner Stadium and not on housing and small businesses, facing displacement is a luxury versus necessity, in my opinion. I'm here representing 60 plus small immigrant owned businesses at SeaTac Center who are facing displacement. We would love to use some of the funds from the hotel motel tax to build an international market the likes of Pike Place Market, which will contribute to the economy of our country and help revitalize South King County as just as the current immigrant owned businesses have. We we hope you will do the right thing by allocating these funds to those who are truly in need of housing and keeping their income. Thank you. Hi. My name's Anabel. I'm going to be translating for one of the business owners at the SciTech Center. Yeah, but my name is about the father and family, and this is kind of like I first want to start with saying good morning to our council members here this morning. I had a lot of trouble over this up the middle school. The Old City Center is composed of 60 plus businesses that are owned by immigrants, predominant being women and over the city that your council calls whatever male. And I thought of that and we are asking the King County Council to really get involved in what's going on and see a city. We understand that the city of SeaTac is is part of King County, but we do want to let the city of King we also want to let King County know that, you know, this isn't just a city problem, but a King County problem. Welcome to the Business Global Bar here. One evening a little bit with me, two little girls in L.A. shop here. And then I'm requesting from the King County government to really invest in time. Because in time, unless because City of SeaTac is really trying to displace most of these businesses. And so since we feel like we've been neglected by the City of SeaTac, we want to go ahead and have some conversations with King County to really get involved and put more pressure on them to really support these small businesses that are supporting a community that feels like they've been marginalized by the city. On the whole, please support our right. Without your support, there's nothing that we can do. We really do need a representative from King County to take part in this without you guys. I don't. We don't see that the city is going to see us. So as citizens, as taxpayers, as small businesses, we are asking the King County Council to get involved in this matter. This is an important matter. They can displaced families that can impact families, income and their future. So please get involved. Thank you, Mr. Farron. And thank you for the transaction. Thank you. Ali. I'm serious. Is Ali going to speak? I will actually speak on behalf of Ali. So my name is Adobe Abdi. I'm representing my parents who are in Bukhara at City of SeaTac. We understand that the King County has some funds that they're really trying to figure out what they're going to do with that fund. And before it before I go ahead and really say what I need to say, I just want to go ahead and say thank you to our council member that represents our territory in King Zetec. They've upped the growth for really helping us support our initiative in responding to the RFP. So what we are really saying is that, you know, we understand that the we need housing, but we also need commercial small businesses and allocating some of that fund to small businesses as well as developing low income housing is essential. And so the City of SeaTac Center has a space to do both of that. So we are asking the King County Council to allocate some of that fund to us and not the city of SeaTac, but to the small business owners, as well as the developers in that area who are really interested in providing low income housing as well as helping these small businesses stay in place. Thank you. Thank you very much. Monte, I think you're number 15 and next and then 15 through 20 to come on forward. That's Katie Garrow, Dale Bright, Stephanie Moritz, Jonathan Pottle and Joey Gray. Hello. My name is Monte Anderson. I represent Seattle King. County Building Trades. I want to be clear, that. Said, a building trades. I don't think this is. An either or issue. Obviously, we support affordable housing and small businesses. That's what we do. Our apprentices are under the poverty line. We we understand the. Housing crisis, but at the same time, we bargain for a living. We realize that we have responsibilities to. People we do business with here. And the idea that that the Mariners are successful in some reason we should not take care of a building that we own here in Seattle, I think is I don't think is good policy. I do believe there's. A middle ground here. But, you know, those joint maintenance jobs are living class jobs for union members. And when I hear. People come in here and talk about building affordable housing, you know, one thing that's always. Missing is the labor. You never see anybody. Here talk about people. With jobs and their ability to work. What you hear in here is people's ability to take money or ask for money to build things without labor standards. And I'll tell you what. That that's kind of get me a little sideways on my comments. I just want to let everybody know. Here we're here to support the county and we're here to support people who put working class people to work. They money. Katie, Dale, Stephan, Jonathan, Joey. I was number eight. Well, you're right on time. Good morning. All right. Go ahead. Good morning, council members. My name is Nicholas Arent. I live in District seven. I have the privilege to work with the Resident Action Project and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. I just wanted to communicate that this county has failed to provide affordable housing to the most vulnerable of its constituents, the ones who. You will not likely hear their voice at these meetings because society still looks down on being homeless as a character flaw or a willful choice. It's really simple to stop the frivolous delays council members and step up to the plate and make this hundred and $84 million. Committed to affordable housing. Thank you. Thank you, Nicholas. All right, Katie. Good morning. Council members, thank you for the opportunity to address you today. My name is Katie Graham, the deputy director at MLK Labor. We represent 100,000 unionized workers here in King County and 154 affiliate organizations. I just want to say that we're here today to support the deal that funds affordable housing and stadium improvements brought forth by Councilmember McDermott. Thousands of workers, unionized and non-unionized, are directly and indirectly employed by Safeco, as Montejo said or by the Mariners. Last week I stood before you and talked about workers rights and working conditions standards at Safeco Field. And I want to say that we are very encouraged and grateful for the strong relationship that we are building with the Mariners, and we are appreciative of the budding relationship that we have in the growing relationship that we have with them to ensure that those workers rights and working conditions are ensured at Safeco Field. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you, Katie Dale. Good morning, council members. I'm Dale Braden, president of the King County Labor Council, political Director, Local 242. I really want to talk about the relationship we have with the Mariners. The assurances we have, they pay prevailing wage. They use a partnership language. They have all the right standards in their construction contracts. And I would challenge the housing consortium to sit down with us. And negotiate. Priority hire. Negotiate living wage with the workers that work on the Housing Development Consortium projects. We've reached out to three years ago. Hasn't gone anywhere. But I'd love to sit down the Housing. Development Corporation or whoever and talk about labor standards. Let's talk about priority hire. Let's talk about putting the community back to work on these projects. We have those assurances from the Mariners. I haven't seen those assurances from any housing developer except for the Labors Housing Development Corp. We will give those assurances. But I challenge anybody in housing to come meet with. Marty Anderson myself, and we'll talk about priority hire, putting the. Community back to work, giving them a trade, giving them careers. Thank you. Thank you, Dale, Stephan and Jonathan. Good morning. My name is Stephan Moritz and I'm with Unite. Here Local eight. We represent over 600 workers at Safeco Field working in food service. Our members have fought hard and made progress over the last few years to win health care and other job protections at the stadium. For some workers at Safeco Field, their job working at ballgames is what stands between them and being homeless or not . And some of them, in fact, are homeless, and their job provides desperately needed income. We need to continue to invest in those jobs to provide pathways for workers out of those precarious conditions and allow them to make ends meet for them and their loved ones. We're extremely encouraged. By the progress we've made in our conversations with the Mariners on an agreement for long term job security for stadium workers. We support funding for Safeco Field and believe such an agreement for workers is a crucial piece in the long term improvement of stadium work in King County in general. But we also believe. That increased. Investment in housing is extremely important, and we commend your hard work on finding a solution that provides a win win for all. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Jonathan Pottle. I'm a member of the American Federation of Teachers and the Democratic Socialists of America. But I'm here as a King County resident. In short, every dollar of this tax sent to the stadium is a slap in the face of my neighbors in King County without housing. It's a statement of contempt for those who need our help the stadium and the Mariners. These are rich people. They do not need our money. Our neighbors do. The people we see every day when we walk down the street, people are dying because they lack housing. This is ridiculous. If Councilmember Caldwell's compromise is the best we're going to get from you, then so be it. But this is an obvious decision. This is a moral decision. Choose your side of history and your constituents are watching. Thanks. I got Joey Gray and then we'll go 21 through 26. Catherine Kurtzman. Hilary Keyes. Gerald Hankerson, Malcolm Lang. Andrea Rea. Kirsten Wise. Hi everyone. I'm Joey Gray and thanks for having us today. Last week I talked about being a world class athlete and a sports executive for gender balanced, equitable recreation. I reminded you of the absurd underfunding of culturally competent housing services for youth aging out of foster care with nowhere to go. And of all the speeches, the one that struck me as saddest was the dad who dearly wanted to be seen and remembered as a provider to to his family. He packed them up and all their special belongings in the car and drove with all their gear to the great, monstrously sized stadium to get themselves some status. Now everyone knows the most precious, priceless thing for kids, even if they can't say so at the time, is to be safe with family. And that can be anywhere. It can be on a hike, a bike ride together, throwing a ball or a desk at the local beautiful park. It doesn't have to be at an expensive stadium and spending all that money to do it. So why? I also have a quick statement from NFL player Rachel Johnson, former NFL player from here. And he said, you can quote me all you want. It's a handout for the rich and the owners don't need it. We all know they can afford it and they do, too. I'm not willing to let my taxes go to the richest benefit for them to have a fancier playground when this money could help thousands of people. People actually have a home. Thank you. Thank you, Joey. Good morning. I'm Katherine Kurtzman, representing the tourism and hospitality industry. Travel and tourism doesn't just happen. It requires an investment in marketing and sales relationship building with convention planners, meeting organizers, tour operators. Tourism is the fourth largest industry in our state, and I would venture to say that the suburban cities around the airport, it's even more vital to their economic health and strength. With the recent increase in hotel supply, for example, based on the expansion of the convention center, which now is delayed two years, we're seeing a decrease in our revenue per available room. We have increased competition. So it's important that we do invest in tourism promotion. We're only asking for 25% of what we generate so that we can support affordable housing. The Mariners and for Culture. Please don't forget about Seattle, South Side. Okay, thank you, Kathryn. Hillary Good morning again. And we had a nice talk on the bus. So you know what I'm going to say to bus a little? My name's Hillary. She says she gets on the bus. I won't take your time. She says I'm coming to talk to you. And I'm here to ask you to give these funds to put them towards affordable housing. This side has no bargaining chips, no money to swing campaigns or to hire lobbyists. But we do have people in actual need, and we do have people who have cared enough about this issue to show up both the last two meetings and today. Many taking time off of work. Since it's a morning meeting and I ask you to please do the right thing, the Mariners do not need this money. Even if the owners paid for this out of their own pockets, them and their families would not have any financial concerns for the rest of their lives. The fact that they're even requesting this money of the same budget that could go towards members of our community in need, people who have lost their homes, people who are dying is morally sickening, frankly. But I woke up this morning feeling really optimistic. You all know that this is a terrible deal that cuts the public out of millions and profits. You know, the homelessness crisis that we are facing, you know, where the money is actually needed. And I believe and urge you to do the right thing and put this money towards affordable housing. Thank. Thank you. Hillary I've got Gerald, Matthew, Andrea, and Carsten all the way up through 26. Good morning, girls. My name is Gerald Hankerson. I'm the president of the Seattle Kane County and ACP, as well as the president of the ACP for Alaska, Oregon and Washington. And I actually find it offensive to sit here in Martin Luther King County having a conversation and discussion about a bunch of millionaires running a basis. Who's asking for a million more? Well, we got all of these people delivered on the streets. And every time you drive down the street, you can see nothing. But you're building a bunch of outhouses to put people in while you having a discussion about giving people money down on the Safeco Field. I mean, it's just a joke. We live in in a crisis right now. And every time we call for something, we need from the community the most common thing. You often say we don't have the money. We don't have the money. We don't have the money. But now all of a sudden, this rich folks want some more money. You want to give all of $100 million to make sure they can be faithful or have fun on a field. Half of those people right now came in for the ticket to go to the game. But now we talk about it's really an issue about priority and principle. We live in Martin Luther King County today. This is the same conversation that Martin Luther King had himself over 65 years ago. So I'm sorry that we have in this conversation that it's really offensive to be talking about a homeless crisis where we can have a mayor, anybody else to step up to find the money to build these high rises. But we continually to give it to the rich folks with 30 $700 rent per month where they live in over in Bellevue and Medina somewhere. While we sit here talking about a big ass feel, that's a retractable rules. And you've got to talk about giving them a $180 million. I find that offensive. And I find it offensive to say that this conversation. Martin Luther King, Jr County. Yes. Hi there. My name is Matthew Lang. I live in Ballard. I'm here today as an organizer with the Transit Writers Union. And I also do volunteer work with The Sophia Way and Bellevue. I am an educator that I work in many, many of the King County districts, from Kirkland to some Amish down to down to Kent and Issaquah. But when I work with these children, I wonder what their future will look like when it comes to housing. I speak with their parents, who are struggling mightily to raise a family in this cost burdened society. Some of my students are unhoused, and we have very difficult conversations with their parents as they seek housing and try to get their feet back on the ground. I've been a mariners fan for my entire life and I hope they pull it together to make the playoffs. But investing in our youth future and the people of King County must come first as the council prioritizes the spending of lodging tax funds. Please take a vote on adopting Council Member Caldwell's resolution today. Thank you. Hello. Members of the council. My name is Andrea Rea and I'm the president, CEO of Seattle, Southside Chamber of Commerce. And I did prepare a small statement today where I reiterated the facts for our community about how our community has the second largest grouping of hotels in the state. About how many jobs are dependent on that. And about how tourism doesn't just happen. But I'm kind of going to just put that aside here, and I'm going to say that our organization was founded on the belief that we are better and stronger when we work together. I see people in the chambers right now with signs that say team housing. Maybe some people are on the side that say team labor, I'm here not as team business but as Team King County. Right. We know that if we find a way to collaborate and to work together, that just like Monty said, from the building and trades, this is not an either or situation or a conversation. This is a yes. And thank you. Thank you, Andrea Carson Wise. And then I've got 30. I don't have anyone 27 or 31. So 32 through 40. Tucker, Aiden, Heidi Duke, Rick Huseman. Kyle Moore from Sea-Tac, Karen Taylor and Geraldine McNamara. Anyone through 48. 28, 30, 20. 1830. Okay, you didn't go. It's just. Come on up, sir. Anybody through 40, just come into line and we'll hear from you. How about that? Hi. My name is Carson Wise from U.S. UAW Local 21. We represent about 47,000 members statewide and over 10,000 in King County, many of whom are bearing the brunt of the affordability crisis. I'd like to voice our concerns about giving any company a huge windfall when that company's very profitable. To me, there are civic wants and civic needs. Addressing the affordable affordability crisis is an immediate and urgent need. While updating Safeco Field is more of a want. Public funds should be used to uphold the values and standards we hold as a community. Among those values we share is the right to freely form a union and collectively bargain a fair contract. Several years ago, a group of workers attempted to unionize the Mariners team store. The effort was unsuccessful. Not in the least bit because management held captive audience meetings with the workers who are talking about unionizing. While we are encouraged by the talk of a neutrality agreement, we would like to see that commitment in writing. While the inclusion of this language is process, we feel as though there is a more appropriate balance that needs to be struck among these priorities. We ask you to consider using the overwhelming majority of the available funds towards the ongoing crisis our community faces to afford housing. Thank you, Carsten. Go ahead, Heidi. Good morning. Good morning, Councilor. My name is Heidi Park. I have had the pleasure speaking with you. This will be my third time. I am going to take off one of the multiple hats that I wear here. You might know me from YWCA or from Seattle Human Services Coalition or from one of our other partners here that represents, you know, the good values that King County has instilled in our community. I would like to talk to you as a resident of Chinatown, our national district. I live in a community that has been significantly impacted, if not disproportionately impacted by the stadiums down at Soto. I would also like to say that throughout this time we've seen a lot of growth and gentrification in our neighborhood, and a lot of us are very concerned about that. However, we are also seeing a rise in homelessness even within our own neighborhoods. And so there has been many community conversations around this. And one thing that I think would be really great if council could figure out how to really invest in our communities, not just in Chinatown International District, but the entire the entire county that is in desperate need of housing. We're seeing so many people, families, single women, children, young children who are experiencing this through, you know, you know, part of their own. And so please do the right thing and invest in affordable housing for this county. Thanks. Thank you, Heidi. Hello. Good morning. My name is Tucker Richards. I live in Rainier Valley and I work as a carpenter in downtown Seattle. And I'm here today standing in solidarity with the Sea-Tac Center, businesses who are facing displacement at all. And the first trailer park. We're also facing displacement in SeaTac. And and so as Jamila said earlier, I highly encourage you all to come down to these businesses and visit this in this single bloc of international businesses, people from all over the world, you can truly find some booth, tea, injera, whatever you you can come down to these businesses and you will see the entire world. It's truly a special place and especially for this community and really the heart of their community and where they go to gather and take care of each other and relax. And so I believe that the Mariners should be responsible for providing their workers with safe working conditions, and the King County Council should be responsible for providing those workers with affordable places to live. So please do the right thing. Don't kick this down the road to November and vote today to give the money towards affordable housing and affordable retail space for King County residents. Thank you. My name is Duke Vivian. I live in Ballard. I believe the 1995 public private partnership we formed has satisfied all of its goals. We've kept the Mariners, we've given them a new stadium, and another long term sweetheart lease is not justified. In the meantime, the bonds have been repaid and we own an asset with $500 million of equity. And. My idea is to find a way, a fair way to sell the stadium to the Mariners, reap the $500 million, either in one slug or over time, and create a revolving, affordable housing fund. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to find $500 million without raising taxes, which we shouldn't lose. Mariners told us in 1995. Refuse to lose. I asked that I ask that that become your slogan. Hi. My name is Rick Forshaw. I'm a member of the SeaTac City Council. Some of you may know me from other reasons, though. I have been involved with water and sewer for about 20 years and about ten years with the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights. I'm talking to you today, though. Just as a citizen of King County, I think there's better things that we can do then. And so what I'm asking you to do is to not do anything that ties your hands for years to come. Some of us had expectations that once those bonds were retired, we could do other things with them. The lodging tax funds were really intended for promoting tourism. We had a large percentage of those funds come from Sea-Tac, you know that we've had folks that are suggesting that we use 15% of that to promote tourism. That's important. I support that goal as well. But we need destinations. If we want tourism to happen, they have to have places to go. So I support an international market in SeaTac also. I think there's a way there has to be a way that we can come up with a win win. So the folks that are there today can continue to operate and be a destination attraction for tourism. I would like you to let SeaTac have the time to come up with a win win solution before you do something that ties our hands for years to come. Thank you. Thank you, Rick. Okay. Go ahead, sir. What's your. Name? I'm Eden UDM, senior Democratic precinct captain. I work at the Urban Native Education Alliance and the kitchen. Imagine your parents bought you a fancy house charging. A minimal rent drop in the bucket. You didn't take care of it. Now you demand millions for home improvement. You didn't take care of the roof. And you want expensive toasters. You tell them that asset will increase and you can better take care of them in their old age. But they're smart parents with a good B.S. detector. They can invest that money now, not wait for half of it to come back in decades. You're able bodied adult who can work to support yourself. So your parents say, we're going to raise the rent to a market rate or we're going to sell you the house. Danny Weston makes a good case for that this morning. But they tell us under capitalism, that costs should come out of the profits, not free money from the state. I also want to support the folks from from the city economic community. You can find money for this and more housing and homelessness services by redirecting what Darwish demanded for his over budget. Family Separation Center. I mean, youth detention center. Sorry. I'm going to try, but I'm an attorney that's going. Hello. I'm Karen Taylor. I'm just really dispirited by how many times I've seen folks come down here to beg you for housing. What's going to happen after all this begging? You don't want to know. If folks don't get housing, it's going to be bad. Begging and begging and begging. And with respect to the labor folks who came out to say that they wanted, you know, their jobs to continue in better jobs, labor was set up with the specific purpose of pushing busses to give them a better life, better wages. They're wasting their time coming to the public. Officials were not the ones they need to be pressuring. And the homeless folks are gathering more and more power. The Transit Writers Union is getting stronger and stronger and so are revolutionary groups. Thank you. Thank you, Karen. And come forward, sir. Go ahead. Hello. My name is Usman and I work for the Latino Community Fund, which is a nonprofit organization devoted to investing in and empowering our Latino community. The Latino Community Fund is part of the Latino Equity Network, which together represents and serves over 100,000 Latinos in King County. Given our limited resources, I'm here representing the other organizations and the Latino Equity Network as well. Who can I invest the time to give testimony through a series of listening sessions? We have found that housing is a major challenge for our communities, especially in the areas of South Seattle and unincorporated areas of King County like Veterans Island and South King County. Some of our partners in the Latino Equity Network have estimated that they will need almost $10 million each to address the housing challenges that are the community faces. We urge you to prioritize people over business and devote these funds to the pressing needs. Thank you. Hi. My name. My name is Geraldine McNamara. I live in downtown Bellevue. I raised my sons there. I lived there for 30 years. And it is no longer affordable. You can. You. Can you hear me? I'm sorry. I just think. Writing about. My. Own Geraldine. I urge you to maximize lodging tax dollars for affordable housing. I'm a senior citizen now. I have a I have three sons. Three adult sons. Two are fine, but a middle son has a serious mental illness. What's going on in King County? And please, I'd rather you not be laughing and having conversation because I have a very short time and I'd like to address you, my son. We know what's going on at Western State right now, turning out civil patients to the streets with nowhere to go. My son, my middle son was just sent to. Can I continue for. Of course. Send to King County Jail to await an evaluation hearing to be released from a Western. And he had to there was no place to take him except to King County Jail, where they placed him to await a hearing in four days. And this is what happened to him. And as they placed him in a two man cell in general population, he's seriously many mentally ill with a \u00a3240 six foot two man who is straight out of six state prison for six years and out of solitary when he was judge just dropped his mouth. When he saw my son he was wheelchair. Danny could not walk. He could not speak with no one was told for days. The issue now comes housing. He's got traumatic brain injury. He's got multiple facial fractures. He's got nasal fractures and a mental illness on top of it. The mental illness alone, the wait, wait for housing. He lost his apartment due to what happened. He lost his apartment after waiting for it for five years. He built one one facility for traumatic brain injuries combined with mental illness called the Estell in February of 2018. That's the only place we had been referred to. They were filled to capacity within 30 days in the waitlist is 7 to 10 years, there is no housing. Why are we talking about the murders? I mean, I love the Mariners. I love the Red Sox, I love baseball. The money is is is is over the top. They never have their children. Their grandchildren will never have to worry about thing anything. You want to keep bringing money and people will pay to go to the games. You don't need the shiniest, brightest newest and they don't need the largest salaries. We need housing. I'm scared right now. I'm licensed with the Department of Financial Institutions, the state of Washington. I'm going to ask you just to wrap up, if you don't mind. I'm all right. And I am begging and begging that you look at your moral compass and see where these funds need to go. Take a walk with your family and your children along. Second, third, fourth. Come to Bellevue. It doesn't matter in our alleys. And I'm smack in downtown Bellevue, so a mile from Bill Gates. And it's there's there's homeless, sleeping, wherever they can, wherever they feel safe. And we're talking about giving money to millionaires and billionaires. Thank you, George. I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Kyle Moore. I'm the government relations manager for City of SeaTac. And I just want to talk about how King County we're an often sometimes ignored. We don't have the big tech companies. We don't have a big, robust job market. And so the tourism jobs are so important to the people that live in South King County. You've met some of our hardworking business owners, and I'm going to tell you, these ladies here, no one works harder in King County than these ladies here. And I've gone down to their businesses. It's important to support South King County, and we're simply asking for 1.5 million to Seattle, South Side, as the very least to help support our South King County people, our business owners. Our workers are 5000 workers that are related to tourism. And this is not counting the airport. This is just South King County. And we think 1.5 million over the life of this project, which is my math, is 1.3 billion. I think it's a small ask. And we just ask that you carve that. Out and help our small businesses, help our workers, help them keep their jobs and feed their families. Thank you. Thank you, Kyle. Okay, that's the last of the folks I've signed up. Is there anybody else? Come forward, ma'am. Yeah. That would like to offer testimony that didn't get a chance to sign up. Gordon, come forward. Yep. Anybody else? Go ahead. You're on. Yep. Just let us know your name. Good morning. My name is Linda Benson and I am a resident of King County, a thriving metropolis of Duval, and thrilled to be here. I see my two council members are not here at the moment. I work for the Sophia Way and have worked in homelessness issues and low income issues and families struggling for over 35 years . I'm here today to just perhaps contest the notion that the at least in this day and age, the lodging, tax and tourism is not related to homelessness, because I do understand that tourism needs hotels, but it also needs safe streets. And if people coming into this area do not feel safe because of the situation on the streets, the lodging tax should be associated with the serious problems that we're facing in King County. So please make that connection. Without affordable housing, there is no real tourism. And you can look at the logs of the conventions that are dropping in King County because of that. Thank you. Thank you. So anybody else? Sure. Come forward. Hi there. De Blanford with Visit Seattle. I'm reminded of seven years ago when the state lost his tourism office and how difficult it was for the state to understand why tourism is important, why it's an economic generator that buoys so many other industries and causes and things that we all need. It feels that way again. This feels a little bit like d\u00e9ja vu. Tourism is a hard industry to understand, and I think it's important for us to remember that all of these important causes can be a part of this. But we need to make sure that tourism is supported, just like stadiums need maintenance and housing needs to be constructed. Tourism needs to be invested in as well. Let's not forget that. Thank you. Thank you. Bet. Come on up. Thank you. Hi. My name's Cassidy and I'm homeless. I have disabilities. And I always say this. Whether you can see disabilities or not, people have disabilities. I had two jobs in my life and I get overwhelmed. But I did it. And now a lot of people can survive even with disabilities. And yes, I am emotional about this. I don't mind my shaky voice. I always kind of just come up here to tell you guys that I really like it and appreciate it. If you did help because I've been homeless since I was pregnant trying to find a place, I'm just blessed and happy that, you know, these people from Nicholas will help me get into this place. They gave a room. Now it's small to give me a bigger room for my family, as you saw maybe on the video. But I have a baby girl. Her name's Lily. She's a redhead with green eyes. Of course, if you guys want to meet her after you guys can. But everyone here is right. And I like the manners myself. But with them doing what they're doing with the money and helping a little bit with the homeless, it kind of hurts. You know, I thought, hey, these these manners, you know, they're cool. But until I heard that they didn't want help, it really hurt me. Why should I be offended? Someone that doesn't care? Because I got to say, because I'm. I need to go for a smoke. Councilmember Dunn might want to join in with the smoke even though he doesn't smoke. All right. Anybody else would like to offer testimony. All right. I don't see anybody else will close the public hearing. And our staff has been busy preparing the paperwork necessary for us to legislate. And I understand that we may be close. Patrick, how close are we? All right. The committee is going to be in recess for up to 10 minutes until our staff is ready with amendments, and then we will proceed to markup this legislation. So we'll be in recess for 10 minutes. Okay. I just. All right. We are not reconvening. Staff tells me we. Need another 15 minutes for additional. Work. On an additional amendment which has been distributed during the course of the meeting. So that's sometimes happens when you're legislating like this. They're working as expeditiously as they can. So I think we will reconvene at 11:00, 11:00. And then I said. All right, it's 11:00. And staff has been diligently working and I believe that we are ready to legislate. I'd like to convene the meeting of the committee of the whole, and what has been distributed to council members are a series of amendments and a cover page or a guide to the amendments. The amendments are numbered as follows. First is S1 what we call a striking amendment, one that contains a number of technical and legal changes, and staff will brief on that. Then we will turn to kind of the major policy amendments, and there are two of those before us, at least I would call them that. On the kind of allocation issue there is the Caldwell's amendment and then there is the and then there is a McDermott amendment, and we will take those in that order. And then there are some what I would call a deal point amendments three through eight. And we will go through those item by item and take votes and see if there isn't five or more votes to add that something out today. And there's a ninth one as well. Okay. There is a ninth one that's not on here, but it's got that's the labor neutrality language. Yeah. And then there's a title amendment. All right. So we're joined by our central staff folks who have been taking the lead on this, Andrew, Kim and Jeff, Mom and I, before they get going, we want to thank both of them along with our counsel, Kendall Moore and counsel Mike Hoover, who all of whom have been working through the night, Andrew, and the morning to respond to members requests and all the members together. So we, all of us on the Council appreciate your competent and thorough work. And we understand, colleagues, that given kind of the lateness that some of the requests for amendments have come in, frankly, there could be some an occasional typo or hiccup or technical issue that we may need to resolve between here and final adoption at the full council. And so I hope everyone will just keep that in mind and all of us understand that that may occur. Let's do the briefing on the striking amendment and then the amendment one and two, and then we'll put that before us. Councilmember one Right. Bower And then we'll take the briefings on three through nine after that. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Andrew Kim Council Central Staff I will be briefing the members on the striking amendment. Jeff will do the briefing on Councilmember McDermott's amendment and I will do the briefing on Councilmember Caldwell's amendment. So as for the striking amendment, you can either refer to the description on the amendment tracker, which we just distributed to all the members, or it's also included on page 44 of your agenda packet. It it has the same language. The striking amendment would first incorporate provisions of the proposed motion 2018 0266, which was before this committee input prior to meetings, and the provisions of that motion would be included in the statement of facts and the findings sections of the proposed ordinance. The second item it would eliminate reference to Interlocal agreement. The council's legal counsel has determined that this should be not an interlocal agreement but but another type of agreement, so be modified to comply with applicable law. It also leaves out that Jay Ritch thumbs up. All right, counsel for the parties. Okay with that. Thirdly, it also leaves blank the percentage allocations. And as you mentioned, Mr. Chair, those percentage allocations would be filled in by the two amendments that will proceed. The striking amendment briefing. It would also modify attachment eight, which is the funding agreement to do a couple of things. It would allow the transfer of lodging tax to end by 2043. It would allow a 30 day review period for counsel, if any amendment to the funding agreement to either extend the number of years of the transfer or the amount of the transfer. And then the counsel would have a a 30 day review period to to review those changes and also includes some indemnification provisions to protect the county. And lastly, it would also modify amendment number six to the financing agreement, which is attachment B to the proposed ordinance. That would require if the fee were to request for any advances, the budget director would determine that such an advance would be reasonable, complies with the county's financial debt obligations, debt policies and would not adversely affect the county's bond rating. And if the counsel did not object. Back to the budget director's recommendation within 45 days, then the funds can be can be advanced. That concludes my briefing for the striking amendment, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Does any member have a question about the striking amendment one, those technical and legal changes? All right. I don't see any question. And we'll brief from amendments one and two. The First Amendment is is actually listed as number two in the in the amendment tracker. Customer calls. This amendment is reached on the second page of the amendment tracker document. So the Councilmember Caldwell's amendment would allocate 37 and a half percent to for culture. It would allocate 50% to the the affordable housing bucket, and of which 46.5% of that would go to projects for transit oriented development. Transit oriented development, workforce housing and three and a half percent would go to support homeless youth services. The remaining 12 and a half percent would go to tourism promotion, of which would be contributed to the debt service. Payments for the Building for Culture Program Bonds and other of the remaining after the debt service have been paid after the allocation to the debt service payments. 18 and a half percent to the the PFG. 24.4% to the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, 55.5% to visit Seattle and the remaining 1.6% to the Special Events Center Public Facilities District for the Shaw Center. The amendment also request the executive to transmit future legislation related to the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority and to the Seattle allocations . And it would also modify Attachment A, which is the funding agreement with the DFT to reflect the allocation changes. OC. Questions on Councilmember Caldwell's Amendment. Councilmember Gossett. Andrew. Thank you. Andrew When you use when we use terms like transit oriented development, does that mean all the money that we use this 46.5% of the money could only go to housing projects centered around sound transit sites. The specific language is actually I'll it here is to support transit oriented development that the funds are actually going to the Department of Community and Human Services to support transit oriented development, including projects that preserve or develop workforce housing and ongoing services. But do all the work force housing that is developed have to be built close and proximity of transit facilities? Councilman Got it. For the record, jeff, mayor and council staff, the state law definition of a transit center is quite broad. It's basically anything, any facility that's owned by a transit agency, a bus stop right away. So it can be interpreted much more broadly then I think you were concerned about only being able to build near sound transit facilities. Right? So it's much broader than that. It's much broader, but it would have to be built on land that was purchased to facilitate transit. No, it just needs to be in proximity to a transit facility. So I think within a half mile of a bus stop or something. And bus stops are included. Yeah. In the under the state and under the state definition, I wouldn't. All right. Before we have our final vote, would you share that language with me off line? Absolutely. Thank you. Mr. Chair. If I may, it might be helpful for the members to see the dollar allocation for this particular. I just got. To ask you that. Where do we find those? So in the amendment packet, I apologize. We didn't number these with. Us as just the same. Page numbers. That's continuous. But if you flip through the agenda packet maybe after the seventh eighth amendment to begins. And then in Amendment two, in the last page of the Amendment two, there is a table that shows the allocation in the dollar amounts as proposed by. Said page four of Amendment two on the front. All right. So it's amendment to this one. It has four signatures on it. Councilmember Caldwell's councilmember up the Grove, myself and Councilmember Gossett. And on page four of that amendment is a chart and to the effect statement. Okay. Thank you. And so. Mr. Kim, for the record, this is the amendment that would give here. It's because of, I think, the changing forecast, 26.4 million to the public facilities district, and that's currently here. Okay. And then for those of us for those of you following along that don't have the paperwork as a maybe, I'll maybe I'll summarize the box here. Well, you tell you what. Why don't we ask you to do that? Okay. You're in the big box. Mr. Kim. Would you like me to recite the dollar amount? Yeah, I think for. For the record and for everybody. So we're all on the same page. So we understand we're doing. Go ahead and give us the dollar amounts. Sure. So for Councilmember Caldwell's this amendment, we would allocate 449 494 million to for culture about. That's the minimum under the set. That's the minimum, correct. Approximately $46 million for homeless youth prevention and approximately 600,000,610 million to a transit oriented development. Affordable workforce housing, $22 million for the to pay the debt service for the building for culture program. And we've already spent that. That's on a choice we're making today. We've made that choice. That's correct. $26.4 million to, as you mentioned, 2.3 million to the special event center, the Shaw facility, $34.8 million to the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority, and 79 million to visit Seattle. And these these totals will be allocated from 2021 to 2043. All right. And those are not net present value dollars. That's an estimate of the actual dollars over that period, 2021 to 2043. That's correct. All right. Any questions on the substance of this amendment? All right. I think we understand it. Thank you, Councilmember Caldwell's. Let's turn to Amendment One, which we're calling the McDermott Baldacci amendment. That's the two names I have on it. Jeff, are you going to lead us through this one? Thank you, Mr. Chair. So if you want to based on your amendment packet, this is the the first page of the amendment packet. And if you skip to page five is where the effect statement starts. And so that's where I'll start the description of the amendment. And then you can also follow along on the first page of the the amendment tracker. So this amendment would first it establishes the 2018 and with the forecast that was just adopted in August as the baseline forecast. So it and that's important now to be read through. So it establishes that set and it establishes it in Attachment C, which I believe is on a second packet in front of you of three pages. And it's attachment C is the second page where this shows the current estimates for the lodging tax revenues from 2021, 2023. So 37 and a half percent of that would go to for culture. And I need to ask if I'm sorry but this oh if forecast is the August one is a councilmember Caldwell's amendment was based on a different forecast. No, it's on the same number. We're talking apples to apples in terms of the numbers. Okay. Thank you. So continuing on to page six, then 37 and a half percent of that forecast would would go to DC to support transit oriented development in housing preservation projects and services for homeless youth. And then 25% would go to tourism promotion and services. So the building for culture bond programs and it would also I'm looking here. Looks like we need to clarify that that part of that 25% also would go to housing projects. Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. It's if you're looking on page six and you see that on your line, numbers 113, 2 to 120, there's a bulletin list of how the allocations go. And it's so it should go 43 of the 25% of funds eligible for tourism. 4840 3.8% would go to the party as a static 1 million annually would be reserved a year for eight years for tourism promotion. And then any remaining funds would be allocated to DC agents for the same housing and homeless purposes. Then the amendment removes the allocation to the special event center, the shower center, and then it it contemplates events. If, if the forecast if lightning tax revenues come in above the array for forecast, how that excess revenue would be allocated . And that's in that scenario anything above the year with the forecast 10% would would go to housing 42 and a half percent would go for tourism promotion. 37 and a half would go to Fort Culture and then the remaining 10% would be transferred to the BFD to for maintenance purposes. The amendment also modifies the funding agreement to reflect the the transfers to the fee. And then the amendment also states the Council's intent to request the executive to issue $100 million in additional bonds to be invested in workforce housing as soon as possible. And lastly, the amendment states the intent of the Council to request the executive transmit by February 28th, 2019, an expenditure plan for allocation of affordable housing funds not already programed in the 2016 transit or any bond allocation plan. And if you look down at the table at the bottom of page seven, this this shows that the dollar amounts there was that. I guess I would also with its caveat that if you were to essentially so that we're comparing apples to apples if you pull back if you're looking at column the rate column as tourism promotion at the very bottom, it says the affordable workforce housing, your transit needs prevention is 165 million. If you pull that into the other affordable workforce housing bucket, that represents 50% of the 19 tax allocation. So I think it was represented in that way in that customer clause amendment and just want to make sure that that's clear that those allocations are nearly the same. So again, it would be the 37 and a half percent then for arts and culture, the funds for the for the Tierney bond allocation plan and then that the building for culture debt service here would get the 22.3 million, which we've already talked about being programed. The public facility district would get a total of $135 million, $8 million for tourism promotion and then the the housing funds that I just described. Okay. Questions or dialog, Councilor McDermott. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And Mr. Mayor, I just want to drill in on that apples to apples, to be clear with you and with my colleagues on the dais, that the two effect statements we've gone over, the one for the Caldwell's amendment and as printed for my amendment are not laid out apples to apples. But in fact, if you move the $165 million from the tourism column, which is identified as being spent on housing, the total amount being spent on housing would be 661 million, as opposed to the Caldwell's amendment. Also 50%. 659 There must be a rounding error in the right in the. Yes, but. But I want to be clear that the housing column is 50% and 60. 61. Absolutely. That's correct. Thank you, Councilmember McDermott. And other questions on Amendment one. No, Councilmember Caldwell's. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And just again, we it would be best if we had side by side with the two amendments. We don't we didn't have time for that. But I want to make sure. That it's understood that I agree with Councilmember McDermott's note here, but the real difference since I read it appears to be in the amount that would go to terrorism. $8 million in this proposal of Councilmember McDermott at all. And that would be over $1 million each year for eight years. And then if the revenue forecast increases, there could be additional funds. Mine, on the other hand, would put in $138 million roughly into tourism and include funding for the Showalter Center and include funding for Visit Seattle, which is also visit Seattle, King County. It's under the Seattle King County Visitors and Tourism Bureau, Convention Bureau, and also for South Side Seattle. Am I correct? That's correct, except for the total figure for the Tories. And it's about 114 million. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Caldwell's other questions, Councilor Yvonne Wright, would you please put the ordinance before the committee. And move it off? Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Adoption of proposed ordinance 2018 0374. And I'd like to speak to why I introduced it. Please go ahead. My support for this measure is both emotional and cerebral. Many people in this room, including my friend Louis Gossett, probably remember Stadium. Well, for those of us in Pierce County. It was a long drive to watch the Seattle Rainiers and also the West Coast Negro Association team, because two teams played in the old stadium in those days , and two teams were teams that my family drove all the way from Tacoma, Washington, up to watch because it was a family event. And I look at today's Mariners and the operation that resides over at Safeco Field, and it's still a family event. It's a place where the families and majority of families can go to for a reasonable price. It's also a place where the community can enter and center their activities. Not recent, not just recently. In the last 30 days, one of our hometown bands raised millions of dollars to protect the homeless and help the homeless. The West, the outer band of my dad. So my feelings towards baseball is both emotional and cerebral. I would like to point out a few things here about the economy, because we should be talking about numbers. The most important number we're talking about is 25 years, 25 years. We're facing our substance on a lot of hope for statistics. Since World War Two. There have been 11 periods of economic expansion in the United States. The longest was 120 months between March of 91 and March 2001. The average is 63 months. We are currently in the 100 lap month of this economic expansion. There's a lot of telltale signs out there that this economy may be in trouble right now. If you talk to most of the credit unions and associations around this country and the state, car loans are falling behind one and two months. These are canaries in the land mines of problems in our economy because clearly there are some problems in that overall economy. We're seeing it here with the problems and homelessness. I also recognize that there are changes taking place in the industry that were facing so much of our foundation on. Mr. Chair, we're basing a lot of our income on a changing industry. The hospitality industry has changed more in the last ten years than in the last 100 years. Airbnb and other changes have affected the bottom line of most hotels. And just like the taxi industry has changed dramatically because of Lyft, Uber technology is changing the equation by which we evaluate and predict income. And so much of our projections here are based upon what was and not so much as what is happening today. And that disturbs me. Moreover, in this particular region, Mr. Chair, Amazon has been a major factor in our growth. Sometime relatively soon, Amazon is going to talk about H2 headquarters, too. That's going to change the dynamic in this region because we have been a magnet for so many people looking for jobs around the country, around the world . That's going to change dramatically. I also see some other changes that are taking place that are not so good. Major League Baseball attendance is down. It's down. The worst in 15 years is changing dramatically. This particular franchise, the Mariners, had a good year in the stands, but that's not going to last. And I point out, unfortunately for many of us who love baseball, that a number of changes are taking place within that lineup that does not augur well for the future. Felix has had his worst year. We see a lot of major problems on the horizon and a lot of need for that franchise to make some changes in its own lineup. That said, it has been a good neighbor. A lot of people have rejected for some reason, to me wrongly, about the current ownership. So I want to make sure we remember the changes that have taken place in this region. Many of us, my friend Lori Garcia in particular, remember, you know, we had a guy named Jeff Simonian who always threatened to move the franchise. We had Sam Shulman out of California owning our sonics. We had George Arduous from San Diego at one time loaning to the Mariners. And, of course, we all remember Ken Bering threatening to move with the Seahawks and trying to move them down to California. Our current ownership is an interesting group. I looked at the website and then I tried to trace on Wikipedia some of these folks. John Stanton. Newport High School. Father worked at Boeing. Chris Larson. Lakeside High School. Local person. Buck Ferguson. President of the Student Body as Sammamish High School. Buck Ferguson. We have people here who have also married well and very lucky. Jeff Raikes marry Tricia. Trisha is a local Seattle person. And Jeff and Trisha have done a lot for this community. These are not out-of-state, out of touch people. Let me point out something here. The Stanton family has an incredible foundation that supports young people in education across the board in this region. Trisha and Jeff Raikes have been involved in their own foundation, creating jobs and helping young people. Moreover, Jeff, as you know, ran the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. But Ferguson and his family, Howard Lincoln. These are people. Rob Glazier. These are people who don't always agree politically, but they agree on one thing. This is their hometown. This is their team. And they're going to put money back in this community. And lastly, I would point out in this area, Mr. Chair, as United Way has been one of the bedrocks of this community in dealing with homelessness. United Way. In the last decade. Four of their. Chairs of their money drives have been current for folks involved with the Mariners an and Dan Wilson. Jeff Raikes and Tricia Howard, Lincoln and John Stanton have all led the economic drives to make United Way work, and there is no more stronger organization in all our regions than United Way and trying to help people. So I think some people have kind of characterized these people as being individuals who are out for themselves. They took a high risk, those of us who were involved in to buy this franchise because this economy was not that good. And in that in that time frame, they took a risk to buy this franchise. They put money back in as they move forward. They made it not only a baseball franchise that's open to the families. And it's one of the last good bargains for families in this region. But more importantly, they've also me at the center of activity where they can bring together music groups and other groups to raise money, whether it's medical teams International, which has their annual charity event there. It's a major center of our community in our region. So when we try to deal with the issues, Mr. Chair, I think we should recognize the important number. We're making a commitment of 25 years, 25 years. The economy is changing. Technology is changing. This region is changing. And so it's important to make sure that we recognize that this should be a bargain of agreement, not taking advantage of of somebody else. There should be an opportunity to work together on an agreement that permits the Mariners to continue being good neighbors and permit us to do what we said about when we created the PFG, the Public Facilities District, which owns the operation between the taxpayers. They own that building and we have an obligation to maintain that building and maintain this great relationship as good neighbors. And I hope during the same time frame that Councilmember Goslin are old enough to be here when World Series comes to Seattle. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Councilman Ron Wright Bauer. Why don't we proceed to the striking amendment and get that before us, and then we'll take Councilmember Caldwell's amendment and Councilmember McDermott, Belushi's amendment as our Vice-Chair. Councilman Carlos, would you put the striking amendment forth? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I mean, the striking amendment one. All right. We've been briefed on this. Other questions or comments on it all in favor of s one say i i any opposed. And i'm. Sorry we got to I'm sorry we're too early on the voting, aren't we? Yes. Thank you, Mr. McDermott. All right. That's before us. Now we'll turn to the amendments. Councilmember Cole Wells, we'll start with you. I've conferred with Councilman McDermott, the lead sponsor on the other one, and we have agreed on an order here and his graciously agreed to allow Councilman Raquel Welch to present hers. And she got it in the last week. And then we'll turn to the other one. So Councilmember Caldwell's. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move amendment number two. All right. That's before us. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And to everybody here on the dais, my colleagues and all the staff, particularly, who have done so much work, I thank you all. And to all the people here, the fans and others, I think we all recognize that the Mariners are very important now to our community. And my proposal really is not an either or proposal. I do not offer this proposal to debate whether the Mariners are important to our community. I believe they are. I also do not believe this is the debate over the ownership. I think they're are outstanding. And I want the Mariners to succeed and to have that World Series hopefully before. Not too far away. Not too far away. I meant I also agree with my colleague, council member Van Ryk Bauer that baseball is been emotional and cerebral. I feel the same way and I was very pleased and really thrilled when I took part in the legislature for the solution to have the stadium built. I was an integral part of that discussion and proudly voted for it in special session called by Governor Lourey. And I also though believe that this is not a mutually exclusive proposition that's before us. I believe and I count myself here that we can be supportive of the Mariners. We can be supportive of their their success. We can be supportive, I believe, of taxpayers contributing to the stadiums maintenance needs. But I also believe that there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and that's what my proposal reflects. And you can look at the numbers here and we'll go over those. But I think equally important is that we are talking about public facility. It's been stated that as the public owns the stadium through the public facilities district, that we should contribute to the maintenance needs. And that was just said by my dear and beloved colleague, council member Vaughan Wright Barwick. And that's totally in sync with what I believe, that we should contribute to the maintenance needs. But unfortunately the proposal that is in the underlying motion that was transmitted by the county executive to us goes beyond the maintenance needs. And I have given distributed to my colleagues a table here that shows at the bottom exactly what I am talking about. The identified needs by the Mariners is for $184 million, roughly 180,000,179 through 189, whatever it would be. And that reflects upgrade improvements. And my thoughts are reflected in the bottom part of this chart, that there is 184,000 in upgrade improvements. If we take the upgrade improvements away, I'm sorry, $160 million of upgrade improvements, if we subtract that from the requested amount that send the proposal, the underlying proposal of 160 million, we come up with $24 million in maintenance, basic maintenance needs. I think that's fair for the public to absorb. If, on the other hand, there are upgrades, I do not believe the public should be contributing the funds for those upgrades. And my proposal would put money into affordable housing and youth homelessness prevention instead of 50% of this entire proposal. Now, the key here is we're talking about a publicly owned facility, but it's very different than the publicly owned facility that we're all sitting in right now. There is no question that the public owns the King County courthouse yet. Are we discussing upgrades to that maintenance? There is that going on. But the real difference is we're talking about another publicly owned facility that is operated and supposedly maintained by a for profit business that I love that for profit business. But what don't we get? We do not get property taxes paid by the Mariners or by the PFG. None that is calculated to be about 5.8 to $6 million a year that we do not get as property tax payers. And I think of my constituents and many here on the council itself who do pay property taxes and they've been going up and it's hard for many people to pay for them, and many are forced to sell their homes and move farther out away because they cannot afford the property tax that's here. So that's part of it. According to what the Mariners have proposed and have not yet signed, the lease agreement containing is that they will not pay. The public will not get profit sharing. The public will not get anything as it stands now, from selling the naming rights for the stadium, which will come up the first day of 2019 if a lease agreement is signed and the public does not get from the Mariners fair market rent. Right now it's about $1.5 million a year, going up to 2 million under the new lease agreement and will well increase beyond that. But it's very, very low. We don't get that money, the public, for a publicly owned facility. I believe and I trust the Mariners ownership puts the money back into the stadium. I have no question about that. But my point is here. Why should we be taking on more needs of the Mariners, particularly beyond the maintenance needs, the basic maintenance needs? Now, we could look at it and say for those in the public who believe that the Mariners, the stadium, we should pay for all of these requested funds, $180 million approximately over the 25 years. Then you'll be supportive of the underlying proposal or of Councilwoman McDermott's, and I'll do cheese amendment. If you believe that the Mariners ownership, the P.A. should get nothing, then you will be very unhappy with the $2,526 million that I have in my amendment. If you think the public should contribute some, then you will like my amendment. Clearly, for me, what we need is to find the right balance. And I don't think contributing $180 million when we have a fabulous stadium that just needs maintenance. Yes. Needs repair. Yes. Needs upgrades to make it competitive for being in the top ten or top one third of all stadiums in the country. But yet, if you look at some of the other teams around the country, I know the Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, and there's another team they own. They don't ask for any more money. Yet the Dodgers were awarded the All-Star Game coming up, I think in 2020. They can be done. I maintain we do not need to put public money into the stadium but will go along with the basic maintenance needs. This is fair and I think that we should go ahead with my proposal. And the one last thing I want to say is I'm very supportive of keeping funding in tourism. In fact, I think it's an insult to say that, as reflected in the other striking amendment, that we will put an $8 million for tourism promotion and the rest will go to the stadium stadiums. Important tourism is what the whole hotel motel tax is about, mainly paid for by tourists to our region. And I was absolutely opposed to the legislature's eliminating the state tourism office years ago. Were they, as far as I know, were the only state in the country that does not have a tourism office? Tourism promotion is essential. We want people to come and stay at our hotels and motels. We want that tax revenue to be generated, which we can use here. The Mariners are definitely a big draw, but should we be sending so much money to a stadium and so little for tourism? That makes no sense to me. I find it insulting and I think we should include funding, which my measure does for the show. Whereas center for at Seattle King County and for Seattle South Side, they need the funds. We want to promote tourism. I've gone on way too long, but I think my proposal makes sense and I ask for your support. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank you. Councilmember Cole Wells, council member of the Grove. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it's remarkable in a way that Councilmember Cole Wells and I can get literally on the same page, because when we were in Olympia, we were on very different approaches to stadiums. I'm one of those that just at my core believes that the public financing of professional sports teams is a racket and not in the public interest. It's just fundamentally I've looked at there was actually a study of studies, a national economic journal did looked at all of the economic studies about the economic benefits to two local governments of investing in investing public dollars in professional sports stadiums. And almost unanimously, the conclusion was it did not pencil out economically for the region. One thing that stood out in my mind was a comparison of the economic benefits of a professional sports stadium like Safeco or comparable to a mid-sized shopping mall. Sure, it creates jobs and some benefits, but why aren't we then investing 100 and some million dollars in Westfield South Center Mall and their infrastructure and parking to improve the shopper experience? And I know sports bring something to our quality of life, but for a lot of people, shopping malls due to the Coca-Cola Company through their Diet Coke brings a lot of joy to my life. My colleague knows, you know, a lot of businesses create jobs and. Product placement there. Councilmember Dunn, get the Mountain Dew up. So we have a lot of businesses, large and small, throughout the region that are creating jobs and economic benefits that don't have their infrastructure subsidized. So why then am I willing to support this amendment that does include $25 million towards Safeco Field. It's because the rest of the investments are targeted in a way that I think makes sense. The money is from reducing the amount to Safeco would go to affordable housing, but importantly it also maintains the the remaining tourism dollars. We heard from some small businesses in SeaTac that could benefit from investments in tourism to create an international market. I don't think investing in stadiums is good economic development, but I do believe that direct tourism marketing can boost our economy in a much more broad based way that helps more businesses in more parts of the county. And our regional tourism authorities know how to do that. They're proven. And in this amendment, the tourism promotion authority in South King County called the Seattle South Side Regional Tourism Authority would get about $1.5 million a year to support small businesses throughout King County. And as someone who represents the most tourism dependent district, Sea-Tac airports in the heart of the district I represents, all those service workers benefit from the economic activity down there. This amendment would provide the funding to support that kind of economic development that's more broad based benefits, more people, and would include the opportunity for those communities to invest in strategies like an international market. So that's what led me to be willing to compromise for some some funding for Safeco is because this also recognizes the importance of investing in affordable housing. That's a public benefit that benefits everyone. It invests a reasonable amount in direct tourism marketing, which I believe is a public benefit that benefits more people. And for that reason, I'm willing to support a little bit of funding for Safeco Field and come in to Councilmember Caldwell's for her, her efforts to pull together a compromise. Then Councilmember up the Grove, Councilmember Gossett. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to indicate my support for Councilwoman Caldwell Caldwell's amendment on Councilman after girl's last point. I do believe that compromise is important, mostly because in American politics it's very difficult to get anything done if you're not as a politician, willing to compromise on some key strategic issues. And this is one that I think it's appropriate to compromise on. And that's why I supported the. I'm willing to vote for and support the 25 million going to the Mariners. However, I'm among those in the audience and in the broader community that believes after studying this matter and listening to a lot of people walking down the inner city streets of my district, reading some of the letters that came in to us from everybody from Joe the Plumber to Joe the banker, the two people who voted no on the property board on the general proposal. And I concluded that the Seattle Mariners have and will continue to have no problem whatsoever ever paying for the repair and upgrades on the Safeco or whatever we decide to call the stadium by name in the future, because they're going to make some money on that. Councilmember Caldwell's indicated that they can make anywhere from 2 to 4 million for 2 to 4 million per watt. Oh, you put a name, right? I'm sorry. I'm talking about the name. Yeah. A year. Anywhere from a small amount of money. All the way up to maybe 50 to $100 million over a period of 25 years. At any rate, when Mr. Rivera, representing the Mariners, spoke to us, I did not remember him talking about the ancillary revenues that I learned about later that the Mariners receive and will continue to receive and buy ancillary revenues. I mean, things like national TV revenues, which is a substantial amount of money, a major League Baseball revenue sharing, where all the teams share a certain amount of money that was not counted when they're mariners, talking about the money they have available to continue to pay their rent at our stadium and our local TV revenues. I believe that the Mariners, either owners of Root TV or one of their major investors don't routes TV and they do quite well from the revenues garnered on local TV. And this year, one of the councilmembers mentioned a little earlier that even though participation of fans is down at many stadiums at the Mariners Stadium, we've had more fans going to games this year than we have had in several years, maybe ever. It's about estimated to be 2.5 million. That's a lot of money. And also came out at our first public meeting that we had that if the Mariners just charged up only 2.5 million people, 2 to $3 more on ticket prices, that would come out to more than $180 million over 25 years. So I have not been able to find any reason why the Mariners would have to turn objectively or reasonably or even profit wise to the general public to help them pay for upgrades and repairs of our the People's Stadium, particularly. And that's the last one I want to make. When they went to the BFD last year to begin to talk about another 25 year lease, they walked into the rooms that we we have decided only one side of the equation, the Mariners, that we're not going to share profit with you all anymore. And for the 18, 20 years that we have had the agreement they've been sharing with with the public development facility district a certain amount of their profits, they said no more. We will not share our profits. So when I add that they're going to keep all the profits from the baseball and they're going to do that over the last seven years from the ancillary revenues that they get, they had a 40% increase amount of funds that they've gotten from 2018 back to 2011. And one of the testifiers today, I don't know where he did his research, but I'm going to quote him anyway. He said, It's estimated that the value of the Mariners is now $1.5 billion, the franchise 1.5 billion. They could, you know, bond on a little bit of that money and pay a 180 million that they think they're going to need over the last 25. That's 25 years for repairs and upgrades and easily get the money. But he said that over the next seven years that the value of the Mariners will go from 1.5 billion to 7 billion. I don't know what he's based on, but I do think it's reasonable for us to take into consideration that man, that the wealth of the Mariners ownership of this excellently run franchise that does and I said this at the Regional Policy Committee, we Piedmont. Right. Barbara allowed him the opportunity to talk about what they do in the community, the Mariners and the Seahawks. And they made a strong case that they do a lot. But any corporate entity that operates and a big urban. Diverse country like ours should be. It's good business to get along well and contribute to various projects for the people or for our hospitals or for Little League as they do. We applaud that. All my colleagues have said that their blogger, but it simply is not necessary for them to tell the PFA and then tell the rest of us that we may not sign the next 25 year contract and that the public, the rank and file taxpayer hook us up with another $180 million to pay for some of our repairs and upgrades is absolutely not necessary, not one iota of evidence that's presented that it's any reason why this particular franchise would need to turn to the public in order to be able to reasonably survive in this community. Therefore, I will be joining Councilmember Caldwell's and others that plan to vote for him because I think that's the best strategy, the best goal in relationship to this issue that we should pursue at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the time. Thank you for your remarks. Councilmember Dorset Council Chair McDermott. Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is a lot I like about Councilmember Caldwell's amendment. That's before us over 660 million reasons they like it. Every dollar, almost half of the overall hotel motel tax invested in affordable housing and homeless youth and homeless youth services. It is the other half of those funds that I desire another balance for and believe that this proposal before us doesn't strike the right balance for maintaining a publicly owned facility and ensuring that there's a long term lease in place for that facility. So I do ask my colleagues to vote no on this so we can take up an alternative in a few minutes on that on the balance of the other house. Thank you. Chair McDermott other comments a councilor up the grove. We get roll call votes today. All will be roll call votes. Yes. I'm speaking for myself on the amendment. I've joined as a co-sponsor council member Von Reich Bauer. My friend talked about baseball being emotional and cerebral for him, and I can relate to that. I'm a casual fan. I remember the free or at least significantly reduced price tickets they would give to kids like me. Middle school in Renton if you got decent grades and sitting in the kingdom when there were just a few thousand fans, I think six or 7000 might have been a strong attendance. Then in 1985, I remember the emotion that I felt sitting in the 300 section after waiting in line for hours to see the October 8th, 1995 game where Edgar Martinez left field hit, brought home Ken Griffey Jr, and the team piled on on base and what that did for the city. And so those emotions are strong and they're joyful and they're fun and they help make a community. But I also in this job have to apply as my brain, my cerebral analysis, and I come out in a different place when I do that on this proposed set of deal terms and funding. And on that, I laid out for myself a three part test when considering this proposal. Number one, do they need the money? Number two, if they need it, how much? And number three, what are competing priorities? I just after listening and meeting and analyzing, cannot pass the first test on this proposal that they need the money. I think this is a different time in professional sports. This is not 1968 when King County voters passed the forward thrust bond to build the domed stadium for King County. We are talking about a franchise of private industry here that is worth an estimated value. A billion and a half dollars B billion are the economics of professional sports have changed dramatically. And I think you're seeing more and more around the country, less public participation in these partnerships. And most recently here in Seattle, with the key arena deal to bring back a basketball team and to bring to Seattle a National Hockey League team. I just think that the economics have changed and I don't believe that the case has been made for a significant public investment into this facility. Given those economics, maybe it could have been made. But I haven't seen it. And in fact, with respect to the transparency on this deal, it's less. The books aren't open. I will tell you, this county government requires a greater showing of need with more transparency and more audit obligations and more performance metrics on a $10,000 grant to a human services organization. Julie Ostrowski Than we are requiring on this deal. And it bothers me, obviously. Oh, sorry. That's the emotion taking over the cerebral. But I don't believe they've said that. They've shown the need. Given that they haven't. Shown the need, the amount. Council Member Cole Wells And working with our central staff has identified an amount, assuming that they show the need. That is reasonable to me in the 2526 million and I can support her amendment because that is the unmet need from club and other resources, not counting for those upgrade costs. Right, the maintenance costs. That is the logic behind her number. I still struggle with that because the third part of my test, the competing needs. I will tell you as I've sat on this dyas and worked for five years with my community, I've been told we don't have enough money to house every veteran in this county. Not enough resources. The county executive office has set it. My colleagues have said it. We don't have enough money to fund the job training programs for homeless youth that we need. We don't have enough money to fix up Harborview Hall to house a couple of hundred folks on a on a regular basis. We don't have enough money. And these are all resources that this lodging tax can be used for. We don't have enough money, Mr. Dombrowski, to fund the completion of the Shoreline Historical Museum. Sorry. You're going to have to go up and ask folks living on Social Security for $25 contributions to finish it. It's just the competing needs here. To me, if you get to that third part, prevail. And so for those reasons, I've become very skeptical of this particular proposal. I think Councilmember Caldwell's proposal is a significant improvement, and I want to thank her personally for using that cerebral power. Despite strong emotion, she's a longstanding supporter of baseball in this town. She took a tough vote in Olympia in the legislature after King County voters said no to come up with a different deal and get it built. But she was an early sponsor of the legislation, and she listened. She she analyzed and she changed her mind. And in this business, that takes a lot of courage. I'm really honored to serve with her on this council, and I'm pleased to support her amendment today. See no further comments on this. I will ask Marco to call the roll on Councilmember Caldwell's amendment, which is joined by a councilor up the Grove. Councilman, gossip myself. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bertucci. Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Dodson. All right. Councilmember Coleman. Councilmember member. Councilmember McDermott. No. Councilman on the ground. Councilman of Andre Bauer. No, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the vote is for EIS. Five nos does not carry. Councilmember McDermott. Thank you, Mr. Charlie. Move adoption of Amendment One. That is before us. Go ahead. Thank you. As I've said from the very beginning of this process. Councilmember, I apologize if I may interrupt. The Amendment one actually includes the exhibits, which is another handout that that's been distributed. So you should move it with both the Amendment one and the exhibit. That's what that's the motion I heard. Thank you. What the. As I've said from the very beginning of this process, this is a significant opportunity for our region. And I'm pleased that we're advancing a compromise proposal that invests an unprecedented amount of money towards housing and homeless youth services. It's a compromise, compromises art loved by. In this case, I don't think anybody within the equation but people who elected us to make the hard decisions. And this is one of those. But I believe this amendment strikes a good a strong balance. The proposal is outlined the base the baseline allocation as established by the forecast in August. 37.5% for arts and heritage, as is required by the state statute. 50%, fully 50% for affordable housing and homeless youth services. Debt service and the building for culture bonds will be paid from 2021 through 2030, amounting to $22.3 million. A tourism phone will be established with $1,000,000 allocated for eight years, and the remaining funds will be allocated to the PFG to the amount of $135 million for that publicly owned facility. And beyond the August forecast. Beyond that baseline funds would be invested 37.5% for arts and heritage, as is required by the state statute. 10% of that of that growth for housing. Recognizing that housing is receiving the first dollars and the stability in the the baseline, 42.5% of growth would be dedicated to tourism, realizing that the amount they're receiving in the base and their stake in growth needs to be larger in 10% of the growth would be allocated to the public facilities district. Additionally, we're authorizing the executive to go ahead and bond $100 million for affordable housing right now because we have the need, as we know in our community right now. And additionally, I support language that will come and a subsequent amendment requiring the Mariners to enter into a labor neutrality agreement that must be part of a final deal so that jobs with the team that leases the stadium remain good, healthy jobs for the workers at this public facility. I appreciate the support expressed from the Martin Luther King Junior County Labor Council for this approach, and I'm glad that the Mariners are looking working toward long term stability for their workers who are already organized and are hardworking people who deserve to maintain those those jobs. I ask for my colleagues to join me in support of this compromise. Customer Baldacci, the co-sponsor. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to add a few words, the themes of the day seem to be balance and priorities. Where's the correct balance of how we spend this particular available money in the hotel motel tax? It's it's an interesting it's an interesting part of money in that it has been specified by state statute. It flows through King County, but it's been specified what it can be spent on. And I just want to be sure that everybody following along knows that this isn't just open for affordable housing. It's not even opened in here for homeless sheltering. And that's that's unfortunate to me because I've been working very hard in my district on the east side of Lake Washington, try to build the first ever men's permanent homeless shelter for a number of years. And we also are trying to develop a family and women's shelter on the east side, and we could use the funding for that. This funding is not available for that. It is available to address our biggest priority here recently, and that is our housing crisis in District six that I represent, that the cost of housing are going up so fast that we're in danger of not just becoming unaffordable to people making working wages, but. People making middle incomes and even lower upper incomes because it's becoming very exclusive and it's very challenging to afford a home where I was able to buy a home 20 years ago with my family. That's why I think that the priority in this proposal, as in the last proposal to spend fully one half of this available resource on affordable housing is the right priority. And we stretched very hard to be able to do that. It is this will not do the minimum I heard in public testimony, do more than the minimum. This is more than the minimum. We are talking about over $650 million being made available here for affordable housing. I'll also share that as co-chair of the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force. That is actually a drop in the bucket of the total need. We have a number that we we studied earlier this year at the task force of 145,000 units affordable to 80% of area median income or below necessary to meet the current gap in affordable housing. That's today. If people stopped moving here today and they're not going to stop moving here. In fact, over 20 years, the projection is 245 or 250,000 units. Multiply that by 2 to 400000 a unit that you would expect the county to contribute among all of the other taxing entities that would contribute. And you get up into the many, many billions of dollars needed for affordable housing pretty quickly. So this no matter what happens here today or in a week or two, we're not going to solve the problem, but we're making a pretty major downpayment towards addressing that problem. And I support that. I want to remind folks that this council took a vote last year to add housing as a new eligible service and capital. And I think it's capital as well for our formerly vets and and human services. LEVY Now vets, seniors and human services. And Councilmember McDermott and I, along with council members Gossett and Co Wells, voted for that to be a higher levy that would have put $21 million more into affordable housing every six years, you know, pending vote of the people. So we're working here to put money towards housing and affordability, and we're going to keep doing that no matter what happens with this this vote here today on the PFG and the stadium. I will say I was not here at the King County Council, nor was I in Olympia when there were votes taken to get into the business of having a publicly owned stadium. I did serve on the Bellevue City Council and I served on as mayor there for a period of time when we had a number of quiet discussions about whether to get into the business of helping to finance an NBA arena. A number of ownership groups or potential groups came to us and said, would would the city make a contribution to that sort of thing? And the reason you never heard about those discussions was because we never cared enough about them for it to become public, because I and others on that council felt that, you know, respectfully, that was not a business that we wanted to be in because we end up having discussions like this over time. We didn't feel that it was necessary for our economic development for us to do that. City was doing just fine. And so that's where I start. But I come here to the King County Council and King County Public. The public in King County owns a stadium. It exists. We own it. It's public whether we want it to be that way or not, it is. And so I support the idea of putting a reasonable amount of funding towards maintenance and even upgrade of the facility. And I will say that there's been a lot of talk about what the money goes to. I have a list of 20 year necessary maintenance estimates that adds up to 299 million for things like architectural upgrades to the interior and the exterior that are about paint and replacing expansion joints in the building envelope and structural repairs and the roof maintenance, the garage maintenance. This is not adding luxury suites. This is not adding brewpubs that. And it adds up to well over what we're proposing to put in to this today. So I think this is a reasonable investment of this money. As an aside or maybe not an aside. In our world today, there are so many things that tear us apart. So many things. We have divisiveness politically, culturally, socially, economically. And it is valuable to me that sports are something that can bring us together regardless. There are people that I can't talk to about politics. I have family members that I can't talk to about politics. But. I can talk to them all about baseball. We can all bemoan what happened yesterday. It's bad, it wasn't good. And we can we can bond over that. I was I thought the storm did great. Great. I did bond with friends over that storm. I had nothing bad to say about the storm. So and this is not just in the stadium. This isn't just about I can afford to go in and other people can't. There is a guy. He lives in Bellevue. He doesn't have a home. I run into him frequently. Maybe you do too. He likes to sit on the pedestrian boulevard between 110th Street and 108th hundreds. Anyway, over by the California Pizza Kitchen, I may get the streets wrong. And he has his radio. He plays the game. He puts out the scores. And I have had a number of conversations with that guy over the years. He has lobbied me as his mayor. He's a person who doesn't have a home. He wants to make sure that I know that the Safeway doesn't allow for people to microwave stuff in their in their food area. And it's hard for him to get a hot lunch for that reason. And this is a relationship that I've developed over the years as an elected representative of that guy that I wouldn't have without the fact that we started talking about the Mariners. It's a valuable thing to have a team in your community, and I think that that is an important contribution as well. The last thing I want to say about this proposal is to the folks here from the tourism industry. We need to do some work there. I feel that we kind of ran out of time to completely finish what we need to do with tourism. We did not get to address the cultural, commercial displacement issues that have risen up in this chamber because of the discussion we're having about the hotel motel tax. Those also need work. And I just want to commit to working on those between now and final passage to see if we can come up with something that makes sense in those regards. But I think on balance, this is where we need to be to start today and move forward to a final vote at council in a week or ten days. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman email dg other comments. Councilmember Von Rick. Bauer. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Was wondering if somebody might be here from the County Executive Office, could answer some questions I have about current county housing allocations. Sure, I'm seeing the very capable April Putney coming forward with enthusiasm for a gentle grilling from Councilmember Von Reich Bar. Thank you very much. And April, thank you for being willing to be here today. You and I have discussed the biennium, the current biennium, and how much money is allocated for housing capital funds. Can you share that with the audience? Sure. For the record, April Putney here on behalf of the executive's office and for this current biennium, the county has allocated $82,550,422 towards housing capital. And that is to complete December at December 31st, 2018. Through the end of the year. So other $82,000 million that we've allocated, how much have we actually spent for housing? Around $42 million has been actually spent this year. Some of the money has been allocated, but not yet ready to be spent. Do you have any projections as we look towards next year? I know you and I once had an opportunity to discuss the next biennium and what is projected. The next biennium projection. With a vote day authorizing the $100 million, we would be projected to spend $184 million, 300,000. For capital, for housing. For capital for the biennium. And I won't repeat the number for the current buy in, which ends in a few months. How much money do we have left on the table there? $82 million has been allocated. Around $40 million has as yet to be spent, but it has already been allocated to specific projects. Thank you, it seems. CHAIR We don't have a willing we don't lack a revenue to spend. We just have to figure out a process to get this money into the into the. Floor in April. And it's very important, Richard, since I still have the microphone. To do. That, I want to recognize that fact that we have good intentions and we've also done good, but we haven't had the opportunity to expend all the money we've already allocated. And now, I don't know, we're going to spend $40 million between now and December 31st, 2018. But it appears to me that we need to have a program in place, not just good intentions. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I might, April, I assume it is not executive Constantine's position that there's adequate funding for affordable housing needs in the county. We believe that more more funding is needed. Okay. And Karl's remark about your point is about the timing of the spending as I understood it. I've got a project list for you that can use it. And Councilmember Caldwell's has a question for Ms.. Putney and then Councilmember Goss. April. What would you like to have a seat? April, you are welcome to. Sign saying. Thank you, April. As I understand it, the executive's proposal is transmitted to the council, included quite a large amount for tourism promotion and the striking amendment before us does not. Could you comment on that? We've heard from Councilmember Balducci that more work is needed. I would say obviously, which is a figure that I think reflects the amount that contained in the executive's original motion is what's included in my amendment. Would you just comment on the need, as you, as the executive sees it, for adequate funding for tourism promotion, apart from. Well, we'd go to Safeco Field and absolutely. Thank you for that question. So the proposal puts our our first public dollars into housing, maintains an appropriate role in our publicly owned ballpark, and shifts the rewards of a booming economy onto the tours and tourism industry and executive applauds the approach. However, as you've just stated, there is an inadequate investment in tourism and we look forward to working with the Council on on getting that number higher. Thank you. Sure. Thank you. Mr.. Can you say that it shifts the rewards? The part about. Shifts the rewards of a booming economy on to tourism and that and that's the piece that was described about the revenue that comes in receipts that come in above the forecast. Okay. So you weren't saying that by shifting all of the tourism money. No, no, no. To something else is giving them a reward? No, not at all. What I'm saying. Councilmember Garcia, thank you for your patience. Yeah, I know. We all jumped in ahead of you. I'm always very patient. That's true. A few minutes ago, Councilman Maribel Duterte called the amount of money that we want to spend on affordable housing for those who have incomes at 80% of average family household income in King County and under call the amount Athens. When people like spoke. He thought that the fact that we do in this current biennium and allocated 80 million for housing as something substantial and he got the executive point out that they've allocated all 80 million but they've only been we've only been able to spend so far this year a little over half of that amount in paying people, not knowing the, you know, the true reality. That is a very small amount of money. Yes, you. Would think that maybe we have a lot of money for housing and we're not even spending that. And I wanted to indicate to the last day not answer that $80 million for housing in King County when we need 144,000 units. That would cost. That will cost us billions of dollars to build. And we're nowhere close to that amount. The amount that the authorities in our budget are, the amount that is in this small amount from the tourist tax that we're discussing today. But the amounts are small amount. And I don't know how we're served by saying that Connie haven't yet been able to actually start building $40 million worth of housing that is already allocated money for everybody knows that government or private sector, you get the money and it takes some time actually build the housing. And so I just didn't want people to get the wrong impression from that line of thinking. And then lastly, I wanted to ask John McDermott the amount of money that you said that this amendment that's under discussion right now is I didn't hear much difference between that amount and the amount, and I come from the amount. Oh, well. But what is the difference? Maybe the staff can't make the amount that's in the amendment we're considering. Not in the amendment we just voted on. What if you isolate out just the amount of money that was proposed going to housing? What's the difference. If it was a couple of million to $2 million difference? So I wanted to ask Councilmember McDermott, how do you still get almost the same amount? Is it that 100 million that you're speaking now that's going to be bonded out later on? Is that how is that how you got that amount of money? Councilmember Gossett We allocate the 37.5% that is obligated to go to affordable to the affordable housing. And then we increase that by 12%, 12 and a half percent by decreasing the overall amount that was left. The tourism money and. Tourism money you put in housing, rather. Okay. And the difference between the Caldwell's amendment and the McDermott amendment or how the other half is spent. But both amendments. The Caldwell's amendment invests almost 50% in affordable housing. And the amendment I'm offering that we have before us at the moment is just over or equal to 50%. So it's essentially the same. Okay. Thank you. Councilmember up the group. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And speaking against the amendment, you know, it's kind of a cliche, but I'll talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. From my perspective, I think the good is a big investment in housing. You know, when this started, I felt like a lonely voice standing up by myself saying, you know, we have opportunities to invest here in housing and to see it come to fruition today in some way, shape or form is a good thing. And the supporters of this amendment get lots of the credit. I see the the Nickels Ville shirts and the share wheel shirts here. And you can thank the supporters, this amendment, you know, Councilman Lambert and others for being willing to stand up to the chambers and the small businesses to shift that tourism money out of that into the services. But that leads me to the bad, and that is there was some money in here in the executive's proposal. For direct tourism marketing. You know, about 60% of the tourism funds went to Safeco and the remainder would be available for other tourism purposes. And as I mentioned before, I probably the most tourism dependent business district and the ability to fund the housing. In case you're wondering what's going on, I think there's a lot of numbers thrown out, but this provides the funding for the housing. Instead of reducing the Mariners funding more, it goes in and it eliminates virtually eliminates the other tourism funding that I believe has more broad based economic benefit. And so to my folks from the Sea-Tac Center who are losing their businesses through the economic changes and redevelopment, I apologize. The dollars that could be available there will be lost. And to, you know, the the the service industry in South King County that probably one of the most diverse areas and Burian and SeaTac and the small businesses you support with this amendment the zeroes out the funding and I'm sorry I. So that's the bad for me the ugly is this continues to invest $130 million $135 million into Safeco Field. And it the fact that that remains a central priority, I think, is a troubling comment on the state of sort of politics in America, where those who already have enormous wealth are able to to access the levers of government in a way that uses government to generate even more wealth for themselves. I honestly believe the only thing that will change through the investment of $135 million for this purpose is that a small group of business owners will make 135 million more in profit. And that money's not available for other public purposes. Housing. Broad based tourism. Promotion. And and I don't think that's right. And I don't. And I wonder if I'm weird in thinking that in some way. But this is a private, for profit business that can and should pay their own expenses. And they've proven that they can do that and still generate enormous wealth and profits for themselves without needing an additional handout from the. So the idea originally always was that, you know, there was this taxpayer subsidy to build this stadium. It was built at the request of the Mariners Corporation for the Mariners. And the Mariners are the sole tenant. There's no doubt that this stadium exists for the purpose of benefiting this one business, a business we all love, but a for profit for profit business. And at the time, they needed a subsidy to build that stadium, supposedly because they weren't sure if they're going to be successful. Well, baseball has been wildly successful. They've made about $200 million in profit over the terms of the first lease. And the value of the business has grown by $1 billion and growing there. And now what's happening? The new lease eliminates profit sharing. It closes their books to public scrutiny and asks for another 100 and some million dollars in public handout. I don't think that's right. I think those public dollars should go to a public purpose. And and for that reason, I'm not going to be able to support this amendment. Other comments on Amendment one. Councilmember Gossett I wanted to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank Councilmember up ago for his clear thinking on this matter, and he has successfully broken it down in a manner that I can better appreciate and understand. So I'm compelled to still say, before we take this vote, that I don't see any socio economic, cultural, utilitarian value in giving an extremely wealthy empathy, $135 million, so that we, the public, can pay for some of their repairs and improvement instead of them who are very able to do so. I don't understand how the public in King County is served well by us doing that. That's all I wanted to say. You have Councilman Raquel Welch. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, am going to speak against this amendment. I will be voting no, unfortunately. I had hoped we would all come together, but it's clearly come down to the portion of the hotel motel tax revenue that would go to tourism promotion or not, including $135 million to the property for Safeco Field Maintenance and upkeep and I believe upgrades. I think it's important that we do prioritize and I'm really, really gratified that this amendment includes the same amount as mine did for affordable housing and for youth homelessness prevention services. That is a huge plus, but it's what's left from that that gives me enormous heartburn. And it's not enough for me to say, well, yes, we need to have more money and tourism promotion, so we'll deal with that before we take a vote by the full council. No, that should not be the case. We don't know if that will happen. We all have to prioritize in our professional and our work lives, but also in our individual lives. And with the two of those together, for me, I cannot fathom why we would give allocate $8 million for tourism promotion, which I believe is a need. It's a need for small businesses and South King County. It's a need for all over the county. And the more promotion there is for tourism, the more revenue we are going to have for essential services in our county. I see the $135 million going for a want, not a need. And it's really important to look at this from an historical perspective. When the legislature approved and the governor signed into law the funding mechanism to build a new stadium for the Mariners team and keep them here, the Mariners fortunes were not great. I mean, we'll all remember the the the thrill of the Mariners coming from behind. And it was just one of the most thrilling times, I'm sure most people in Seattle and King County and all over experience. But the Mariners were not doing well in terms of stadium attendance, the old king dome, all the troubles with that. And so when the legislature did go forward with the plan for funding a new stadium, the PFG, the Public Facilities District, was formed as a public private partnership with the Seattle Mariners, and there were two conditions that were part of that formation of this partnership. One was that when the Mariners eventually got into the black instead of in the red, they would share the profits with the public. So there would be a public good from that. The second condition was that the Mariners agreed to be responsible for maintaining the ballpark, the new ballpark, to what was called an applicable standard, and that would be measured against all peer ballparks in the country. And that the Mariners would. Be responsible with the CFD for making sure that the new stadium would be in line with the top third of all our ballparks. Now they've done that and the Mariners successful. We've heard a lot about the fortunes of ballparks around the country falling, the attendance decreasing. But that's not the case here. The Mariners team benefits from better attendance than it's happening across the country in other ballparks. And it's because it's such a fabulous stadium. I'm convinced that's part of it, and we need to make sure that continues. However, when the negotiations started with the BFD and the Mariners for the new 25 year lease, the Mariners declared in reality declared that profit sharing with the public was off the table. It would not exist any more. That's what they said. Yes. And in the end, the PFG agreed to that. But the other part of it was that the Mariners would assume the responsibility still to repair, maintain and upgrade the ballpark to make sure it would be in the top third of the pier stadiums. So that's the real catch for me. Now, I believe that it's an excellent ownership and management. We all want the Mariners to do well. We want the stadium to function and even be improved and there's room for improvement. In actuality, what they have requested, which did not come out during the speeches up here, was more than just maintenance. It's new clubs. Suites. It's new or expanded concessions. I love all that, and that will really go a long way for improving the fan enjoyment. But those aren't necessary parts of maintenance. So if you all want to have the public pay for those improvements, then vote for this striking amendment. But if you are concerned about what happens next, the Mariners will put the money back into the stadium. I'm convinced of that. But that can free up money for them to have a contract with the new infielder or do whatever they want, which again, will help the team. But should the public be paying for that? You know, and that's where I draw the line. And that the tourism promotion, Sun's stadium funding is reduced so dramatically that it's a joke. It's a pure joke. And I hope I know this will pass, unfortunately. I hope that we can come up with something that will bring back the revenue for tourism promotion. I don't know how we do it though, unless we lowered the amount for Safeco Field, which will be a new name and it will have new revenue coming in, but the public won't benefit from that or it it will come out of the housing. Where else does it come from? So I am sorry that I am having to oppose this amendment. I see friends of mine here who are probably very unhappy with me and probably colleagues here who are very unhappy with me. But this is the wrong thing to do. It doesn't add up. And I ask my colleagues to oppose it. Thank you. Before closing on it, I'd like to give my views on it as is there anyone else that wants to share their thoughts? No. Okay. This amendment would put $135 million into the stadium. Let's be really clear. The county executive's representative, and I think we all know this, has testified that there is no shortage of demand for additional resources needed for affordable housing. And let me assure you that this government and others, including cities, are going to come ask you voters, you taxpayers, to tax yourselves to build more affordable housing. I'll be in Shoreline tonight with my colleague, Councilman Baldacci, participating in the Regional Affordable Housing Task and Councilmember Caldwell's. And we're talking about tax hikes in that work to fund affordable housing. So every dollar, every one of those $135 million that this amendment puts into the stadium. Can go in to workforce housing under this law and every dollar we don't put in, we're going to ask workers either through a sales tax that Councilmember Goss and I sponsored last year, a regressive sales tax on working people or a property tax to fill that gap. And my rough estimates, I think that's about 60. If you took two years, 65 or so, million a year, that's $0.14 per thousand, $84 a year on an average home. The cost of this for a homeowner in King County for two years is 165 plus dollars. This is not a tax free set of funds we're dealing with because we're going to replace every dollar that we put in the stadium that we're not spending on affordable housing with an ask to the voters for a tax hike. Okay. Number two. So it just fails on on that in terms of the priorities. Number two, the balance here. I really echo my colleagues strong objections to the gutting the evisceration. Of what they're calling tourism promotion. But what that is, is feeding the goose that lays this golden egg. It means bringing people here to fill. The hotel. Rooms that generate this tax. And those of you in the tourism industry and the community that are nodding will remember the recession in 2008. When hotel vacancies could be. 50% or more. They were very high. When you have empty rooms, you have no revenue in the source. Okay. It goes straight down because you're not filling the rooms. These dollars, the 25% of the revenue stream that was reserved for tours and tourism promotion, paid dividends. When you invest them in marketing this region to generate this tax, to pay for cultural services, to pay for affordable housing. And this proposal guts it. And there will be a day, if this is passed, when this economy turns as Councilmember Von Bauer, who has set our guidepost, I think, for this discussion, rightly raising a lot of key issues where this revenue stream will drop and we will not have the resources to put, as the industry says, heads in beds. That's a grave error. That's a very poor judgment. I hear that, folks. I think even advancing this know there's work to do, but it's not right. In fact, this proposal puts 94% of the unspent tourism money into Safeco Field at 135 million out of 143, left 94% into one of our tourist generating facilities. Now, the Mariners own study shows that they perhaps generate $50 million over the course of this revenue stream. The 25 years in hotel motel tax, $50 million. I could understand an analysis that says much like the ticket tax or the parking tax. We'll return to you in the form of the stadium, what you generate. But this does two and a half times that. It's out of balance. It's risky. It is not long term thinking, and it is an effort, quite frankly. To provide some, in my view, cover by putting affordable housing money into a package and be able to have that talking point. Well, getting something that maybe doesn't have the coalition support for affordable housing. But make no mistake, the divide and conquer is very dangerous and actually hurts affordable housing when the economy turns. This amendment should be rejected and a better compromise should be reached. Too close, Councilman McDermott. Well, thank you. I trust none of the. And I don't take any of the comments made to question the motives, but the percentages and the finances that drive the amendment that's before us. This has been about affordable housing since the legislation was first transmitted to the council and the first press release. The amount for portable housing in this amendment and the previous one we considered are the same. And I pledge to work with my colleagues, council members Baldacci, Col, Wells, Dombrowski and others on addressing the tourism that does need work between here and full council if this is adopted. An Executive Constantine and as I said at the beginning of my opening remarks, this is a compromise, a balance. I don't expect there are champions for it to compromise with that. I would ask for your support. Thank you. Councilman McDermott. I have a technical question or a fact based question. And, Fred, you don't have to answer it, but you're here. Mr. Rivera, the general counsel mirrors. I first of all, appreciate you being here. And for the entire of the hearing at the prior meetings, I get my question is because there's some uncertainty on this in my mind. We have heard that that execution of the lease with the BFD by the Mariners is conditioned upon the t the investment of some amount of lodging tax. Can can you tell us today if this were to carry and it advance is $135 million, will that get it done? Does that get us to out to a lease? I mean, just fair question. If you can't answer it, I understand. I can answer it, but somewhat can't answer it because it's a term sheet that will require negotiation with a Ph.D., which will be the next step, and that will be a long form lease agreement. Funding is one element of it that long form form lease agreement will look like. But there are another number of other elements that we'll have to negotiate. All right. And this will be one one factor. So with this and just and I'll get you a second, though. So would would I'm trying to stand with the amount here be raised by the team as inadequate in terms of a lodging tax allocation. Ignore all the other issues. I understand you have to work through those. Or would this be adequate? Yeah, I don't I don't mean to be evasive, but because there are so many elements in the long form lease and this is one of them, I can't really answer that. It certainly is. It's a significant amount. And we recognize the hard work of the council and coming up with with this with this proposed compromise. But there are just too many elements to be able to answer that yes or no. Okay. I appreciate that. I think Councilmember McDermott. No, I'll. Okay. Councilmember Caldwell's, if you're willing. I'm here. I'm here. You are. We got you. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I actually like Fred a lot, so I think everybody should remember this is not personality based for any of us with differences in views. Fred, you have indicated and others on the Mariners and the Mariners management and the PFA that the Mariners are not looking at leaving town if the negotiation, if the lease does not get signed. As you wish. That's correct. That's correct. But that you may rather I look to a five year lease agreement. Is that correct? That would be a conversation with 50. We have two parties involved and so we would have a desire for some sort of short term extension. But just as this term sheet to two parties to arrive at it would take two parties to agree on an extension. Thank you. And I appreciate that as well. And I would like to just say one more thing on that. The letter that we all received from the Public Facilities District Board dated July 15, but I think we received it early August, indicated that the BFD did not request any funds from the hotel motel tax, that that was sparked by the Mariners that was not originally in the terms sheet, but you put them on notice that you were going to request some amount, but 180 million was later. So the PFA has stated to us that it did not, it has not requested these funds be used, that they have no position whether we go ahead with this or not. Is that accurate? And I sent a subsequent letter on that that outlined the history of that. The term sheet does have a provision for use of the hotel motel tax and it says the PFA will accept whatever this council decides to do. And I think as I said in my letter, the PFA took the position that it was not going to get involved in the political decision. It had its responsibility. This Council has its responsibility and would accept whatever this council decided. Thank you. Fred. If you wouldn't mind, we have two more for you, at least Councilmember one right there, and then Councilmember Garcia. And thank you again for. For being here and helping us. Out to raise money for me in the process. Thank you very much. The comments by a customer called Wells raised an issue with me as the process we've been through. Here we are, four months to go and we're faced with this debate. The PFG finished their process on May 23rd. Yes. When did that process begin? It really dates back to 2014 when the necessary capital improvement study was initiated. And there's been reference to that study as a Mariner study actually started as a Ph.D. study and then became a joint study that identified the necessary capital improvement cost in 2014 . The actual negotiation of the terms that that led to the term sheet started sometime I believe in June or July of 2017 to was almost a one year process. Yeah. Mr. Chair. And members of the Council, I think, again, we are in a pivotal milestone of this negotiation. But I want to point out what has happened is we need to review the process by which these agreements are reached, not with ourselves, but also with our partner, the D the Public Facilities District. In my mind, drop the ball and they protracted this discussion. And we're faced now with less than four months to go to reach an agreement because you still have a lot of negotiation. You have to be based on what we do today. And I'm I'm very concerned about that. And I hope that we as a council review the process that we have been working through. Because I don't Council Councilmember Caldwell's predecessor talked about being jammed. He Lorie Phelps famous line was, you know, I hate being jammed. Well, we're being jammed and this process is being jammed because, in my opinion, close again. The party could have done a better job of working with you and then working with us. So I'm just setting out as a marker on the table that in the future that we work together to try to get the PFG to work a little better with us and with the Mariners, because I think the problem today is in large part due to that. Thank you. Okay. So, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Dunn has offered. A point of order. And respectfully, I, I just we're departing from council rules. And Robert's Rules of Order is because Mr. McDermott was the maker of the amendment and had closed. And we are getting back into debate. I would encourage my colleagues to take this up and final passage after this amendment is voted on. Councilmember Dunn, your point of order is well-taken. The mistake was mine. In asking for factual clarification, I certainly will give Councilmember McDermott an opportunity for additional closing remarks to remedy any mistake. If my colleagues wouldn't in mind indulging. We have one more question while we have from Mr. Gossett. Mr. Rivera here. Councilmember Gossett Let's keep it at a factual nature, not in the form of debate or. Argument, because the Plaza Councilman Don just said, I'll just make it, and not in the manner of a statement that we can I can follow up Mr. Rivera and others later, but it was generated from some remarks that Peter, I think that BFD has played a very responsible role and working as a diligent partner with the Mariners over all these many years. And in fact, Mr. Chair, for four of the seven members of the BFD, either through writing or meetings that I had with them or meetings that I attended with them clearly and consistently said, and they weren't all together. They said, we thought our negotiations on all the important points were over with until the Mariners indicated to us two points. We don't want to do profit sharing with y'all anymore. We want to keep all our profits. And secondly, we plan to go to the county council. They help us pay for our repairs and stadium improvements. And all four of them said that caught us by surprise. We didn't see where we could do anything when they just categorically said we're going to stop sharing our profit. And then we just were able to reinforce what you're going to continue to pay for our repairs and improvements. And then they said, well, we're going to ask the public, the county, to pay for our large share. I don't know what the percentage of hundred 80 million would have represented, but I didn't get the impression that they had been irresponsible. Are unclear about their desires on behalf of the public in general. And I look forward after the meeting today to contain to discuss that position. Thank you. Mr.. Thank you. And Mr.. Rivera once an opportunity to comment and then Councilmember Lambert, who has not had a chance today as a factual question. So just so we're clear. Clearly debate was not done on this. I called for the concluding remarks prematurely, and we're going to definitely make that available if desired. And and, Mr. Dunn, your your objection is well taken. Well, I'll be more mindful going forward. I will be quick. I'm happy to address, as you suggested, Councilmember Gossett, off the record or in a private meeting, the facts of that, that recitation of the negotiation processes is wrong. This was not a surprise, and I think I addressed that at the last hearing, and I won't repeat myself. I did want to clarify your first question. The reason I got up here on the monetary component of this agreement and I mentioned that there are a number of provisions in the lease that have to be negotiated. I do believe that the proposal that's now being considered from a financial perspective would allow us to get the deal done. I just wanted to I didn't want to overstate that because we do need to negotiate the long form lease. Thank you for it. And Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. I just really have a question, because I've been making lists of things I want to say and final passage. So. As I reviewed the tapes, the profit sharing over the last 18 years has been zero. Is that correct? That's correct. Okay. So as I heard it, so help me if this is right or not, as I heard it, instead of that which is added up to zero, that there was a substitution in the negotiation to a revenue sharing. Could you explain what how how that will be calculated? Is that annually and about how much do you think that that will generate in the next couple of years? Yeah, you're correct, Councilwoman. The profit sharing provision through the negotiations was replaced by a revenue share, which is a guaranteed share. And what the Mariners revenue is on ticket sales, and that formula is one and a half percent of revenue, up to $100 million and 2% of revenue over $100 million with that number, $100 million escalating at CPI. And so rather than have the uncertainty of a profit sharing formula of the PFG and the Mariners agreed on the certainty of a revenue share, we estimate that over the 25 year period it's going to be somewhere between 60 and $80 million. There are a lot of variables, including the attendance and the the ticket price, as well as other events. This is not just the Mariners games, this is all ticketed events. We will share revenue under that formula. So we traded $0 over 19 years for a potentially 60 to 80 million is correct. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Lambert. All right, Councilor McDermott, my my error and permitting more debate after I recognize you to close on your amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further, nothing further. All right. Thank you for your accommodation there. Let's have the vote. This is on the bill due to the Mcdermitt Belushi Amendment 135 million to the PFG. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council Member Bill Duchin and. 50% outstanding. Council Councilmember Dunn, I. Councilmember Garcia. Oh. Councilmember Coleman. Council member Lander Council member McTernan Council member of the group, no doubt number one ranked member higher. Mr. Chair. No. Mr. Chair, the vote is for five eyes for nose. That amendment carries. We will now turn to our remaining amendments here three through nine and. My announcements for Amendment three as chair. I can't make that, but I'd ask our vice chair as a courtesy to put it before us, and I'll speak to it. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I movement. I move. Amendment number three. Amendment three is before us. I'd ask our central staff to give a brief overview of it from a factual perspective. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amendment three would add a cap to the amount of revenues that would be transferred to the public facilities district. And it's a change to the funding agreement. There is the that the cap is is blank. Currently in the current amendment. So if you like to add a dollar amount to that, that would be helpful. Thank you. And I would entertain the attempt behind this is to cap it at the estimate of 135 million consistent with the amendment. Councilmember Caldwell's, would you make that verbal amendment to insert 135 million line four and line 11? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I moved the verbal amendment to amendment number three as specified. All right. Speaking to it as I understand it, and I would like staff and our colleagues to correct me if I'm wrong, but the structure of Amendment One that was adopted allocates a percentage of a revenue stream. There is no cap. So if the and we've already seen with the UFA forecasts that these numbers can change, including go up. We've heard from the Mariners Council that the $135 million, I don't want to misquote them but that numbers in the ballpark or what get it done. No pun intended, Fred. This amendment would cap it at $135 million. So in the event the revenue forecasts over time were in excess of that, we would not have an unlimited revenue stream here. I just this is somewhat of an ameliorating amendment from my perspective, but capital 135 million. Mr. Chair. Councilmember McDermott. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would remind my colleagues about the structure of the amendment that we've adopted, and it does have a cap of of from the forecast to the base amount of $135 million, and then does make a very different allocation for the funds that may come in above that forecast. And that is allocating 10% of anything above the August 20, 1844 forecast to the public facilities district. Not it not continuing the same investment. And I did not hear a definitive answer from Mr. Rivera that the base number was in fact, the Met met the the four corners of the term sheet since that number was actually 180 . I would ask members to vote no on this amendment and. Question Councilmember Dunn. And maybe best for staff. So I appreciate the description of the cut off at 135. And then above that, what happens if we get into a recession with which or at least a stagnant economy, which I think is likely to happen sometime in the relatively near future? Is there anything is there a floor to this that guarantees $135 million is and also how conservative are our forecast? I think the first part to the question first, there's no floor. So it's if we're in a it's just the straight percentage that was allocated in the underlying amendment. So if everything if over the next 25 years, revenues come in 10% lower and all the different allocations are lowered by 10%. And then the second part, how conservative? I guess that's what you want to compare it to. But the. I guess Pam wants to take it. Councilmember Dunn, for the record, Patrick Hamacher, counsel staff, the county's Office of Economic and Financial Analysis, according to our forecast council, uses what they call a 65% confidence level and doing their estimates, which is relatively conservative. And and by definition, what that means is it's 65% likely that more money will come in and is forecasted, whereas if you're trying to be aggressive in your forecasting, you would set that confidence level at 50%, meaning it's equally likely that it will come in higher or lower than what you've forecasted. So that doesn't help in a recession, but we do set the bar somewhat conservatively on purpose. That's what I wanted to hear was the 65% number, which we've used regularly throughout county planning processes, and occasionally that isn't conservative enough. For example, 2007, early 2008, before the bottom fell out of the market. And I just really worry about how we're setting this up with no no floor, but a ceiling on either option. My point. Thanks. Thank you, Councilmember and Councilman. We're up the Grove, then BELUSHI. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just another quick question is the I should know this, but does the legislation carve out that percentage revenue stream for Safeco just for the duration, a certain time duration, if they were to sign a shorter or longer term lease? Or does it continue on if they continue lease or is it for a defined period. In the underlying strike striking amendment? It amends the Gramm-Rudman in a minute, the term sheet, so that it defines it for the 23 year term. So this is only for the 23 years. It's not even if they extend the lease, pass the terms that they would have to come back to the council. Excellent, excellent. Questions on this one because. Oh, sorry, Councilman. I'll do Jackie. Mr. Chair. And I think Councilmember McDermott may have said this, but I just want I didn't hear it all. The issue of what happens if funds come in at a faster rate or higher rate than the oh four forecast that we're relying on is addressed in the amendment we just adopted. And it's in the summary as well. 10% to housing, 42.5% to tourism to start to make up that deficit, 37.5% to arts and culture, because that's required under the statute and 10% to the BFD. So there's sort of a sharing of a pro-rated sharing of excess funds and we just heard about what happens if it comes in lower than the forecast. I just wanted to make sure that was all. That's correct. Other. Thank you. Other comments or questions? Okay. To conclude, I think 135 million is more than enough, but it should be enough. This amendment would say it's enough. It would basically change the 10% allocation in the amendment that we have adopted here and convert that to zero. I encourage my colleagues to take yes for an answer on the Mariners at 135 million. Should get it done and vote yes. Marco Calderon. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilor Duty. Councilmember Dunn. No. Councilmember Garcia. Hi. Councilmember Cole Mulholland Councilmember member. Councilmember McDermott. No. Council member of the group, Comrade Power. No, each. Correction. Yes, sorry about that. God. God, I thought I got you. I just went on. I went, oh, my gosh. Having voted incorrectly before the vote is over, I changed my vote. And I don't change my vote to. No, I say it correctly. Sorry about that. Enough. It's 1:00 where we've been working long time. Mr. Chair. I. Mr. Chair, the vote is four eyes, five nos. All right. That does not carry turn for council member about Dutchy. Mr. Chair, if I may, the amendment four has already been included as part of Amendment One, so we can of the present one. All right. Turning to Amendment five, council member, our Vice-Chair Would you put it before us? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move amendment number five. All right, that's before us, all our staff, to give a brief summary. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amendment five would require the party to secure a non relocation agreement from the Mariners that will maintain the ballpark as the venue for a major league baseball team for the duration of the lease between the PFA and the Mariners. It makes those changes both to the funding agreement and to the proposed ordinance. Thank you very much. Again, Councilman Ron Bauer kind of set the guideposts at the beginning of the debate. And one of the big arguments in favor of this investment, or at least that was a very positive result of it, was that we have a 25 year commitment from the team to stay here, and we don't have these fights about losing teams. The fact of the matter is that that agreement, to the extent there is one, is between the Mariners and the public facilities district. As we understand it today, there is no lease agreement there. The changes continue to be negotiated and will be after this. What this amendment does is conditioned payment of the $135 million on the BFD and the team reaching a non relocation agreement in the form to be determined by them to ensure that the team stays here. So the commitments I think have been made, but this gives a little incentive if they want the money that we get, what we've been promised, a team that stays here for 25 years as a result of receiving these funds. Councilmember Oh, a lot of interest in this councilman right there. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The general counsel from the Mariners is here and he will be directly involved with the public facilities district and the negotiations. I would like to get his review of this amendment and how it would affect or not affect his ongoing discussions with the party. Very fair. I can be very quick. Thank you for the opportunity. We've already agreed to a standalone non relocation agreement and the term sheet and the expectation is that will be in the final lease. It's a separate agreement aside from the lease that commits the team to be here for the next 25 years. Councilmember Lambert Than Caldwell's, if I. Can say so again, as I heard it before and listening to all the debate that if you broke the 25 year lease that you would end up paying, I don't remember the number I think was 2% of the profits. And the revenue and. The revenue from that sale. So there is a expectation that you will be here the 25 years or there is already a penalty put into the agreement? Yes. In the last ten years, if if it's a sale to a. Lot of stakeholders. That do not agree to keep the team here for an additional ten years beyond the existing lease, there's a significant financial penalty. I believe it's actually 10%. Of 10%. Of the sale. Okay. So what if they do what do you decide to do that in year 12 is we would still get the 10% from the sale? No, the and in the earlier years of the lease, there's a requirement, A, to find a local buyer. And B, I don't have the term sheet in front of me, but I believe there's a commitment and Mr. Money may be able to help me if he has the term sheet in front of him. There's a commitment that we try to find a local buyer and that if there's a sale to a local buyer that commits to ten years, there is no payment. So an additional ten years, which would make it a 35 year lease. And if that commitment is not made again, only in the first, it's ten or 15 years of the lease, there's a $20 million payment that would go to the PFG to be used at the ballpark. And Mr. one can correct me if I have some of that incorrect. That is what I remember reading. So and and the idea was to really make sure the team is is incentivized to keep it here in Seattle, not only for 25 years, but for beyond. So since you've already agreed to that, do you have a problem with this being put into the language? I do not. Thank you. Does that answer your question, Councilman Carlos? Okay. Councilmember Baldacci. I don't know if it's just a staffer to the maker of the motion, but the term sheet between the PFG and the team states that they have to enter into. They've agreed to enter into a relocation agreement or a non relocation agreement, whatever you want to call it. What does this amendment add to that? What's the difference between those two things? I guess what I would say is this amendment brings the county to the table. We're not to the table in agreement and conditions. The receipt of the lodging tax upon them entering into that agreement that they've committed to but haven't done yet. Got it. Thank you. Okay, Clark, I'll call the roll on Amendment five. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Matthew Chance. Councilmember Dan NORTHAM. Member Dawson. Councilmember Coleman nine. Councilmember Lambert five. German Air Force member after her fight over her long drive. Hi, Mr. Chair. Did you notice? Nine eyes, no nose. Okay. Amendment five carries. That's the Garrett Holbrook baseball fan amendment and Amendment six in both. Mr. Chair, I move amendment number six having to do with special election. Thank you. This is my amendment. I'll be brief. I would not have offered this amendment at the coal wells. $25 million number. But given that the proposal is to invest $135 million in public tax dollars into the stadium, I think we should be consistent with our history of stadium funding in this county for 50 years, starting in 1968, February that year, voters were asked whether they wanted to pay for a stadium. They said yes. Councilman Ron Wright Bauer At 64%, the current Safeco Field was put to a vote. Put to a vote. The voters said no, got it anyway. And our say ah, Seahawk Stadium was voted on statewide at the insistence of Paul Allen. So we have got a long history of asking the voters whether this is a priority for them. I think when you have five, four votes of this Council on a divided issue with a history of voting on stadium financing issues, that we should ask the voters whether they agree. Our county charter provides for this. It provides for an advisory ballot to be asked for by the council, and that's what this amendment would do. It would condition the release of these funds upon the receipt of an advisory ballot result in the next election that we could schedule it for. And that would be a February. We are not able to referendum this, but under our charter we can't ask for an advisory vote. And that's why that's that way. You know, we ask voters and we have to ask them whether we should fund services for poor kids or whether we should invest in education, whether we should fund our EMS system, our medical system, every basic government, public need, it seems the voters weigh in on. I don't think that professional sports should get a carve out exception when they're getting $135 million. I think it's fair to treat them the same as basic public services and ask the voters for their view. And the voters may render their view whether we ask them to or not. They can because they can file for a referendum by petition, and that may happen. So I'd ask my colleagues to ask the voters what they think and vote yes on this. Councilmember McDermott. And then up the. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We're now in our fourth hour of our third meeting in the committee to hold on this topic. I pledged a lot of open process. And and that open process is an important part of our democratic work and our work in a legislative body. That and that's exactly what we've been doing all morning into the afternoon in an hour or two at our two previous meetings. I think that's our job as elected officials, as legislators, is to do that work. Become familiar with the facility study that was begun over two years ago, the financing plan, the forecasts. That's the work we have done. And I think it's our job to make a decision and go forward and to have a conversation about the will of the voters. I temper that with with the fact that I know that the voters of this state and the voters of my legislative district voted against adding employment nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation to our state statutes. And that's why a a. Easy point to the will of the voters is not one I'm willing to make. I believe it's our job as legislators to study the issues and make these decisions. Governor, rough to grow. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am usually hesitant to just pass things along when we can take care of them here. But I'm going to support this primarily because I believe voters would reject $135 million for Safeco Field this summer. I went out, I did a big outreach effort in my district where I went to all the farmers markets and summer festivals at a booth to listen to people and talk to people. Because I was vocal on this issue, a lot of people talking to me, friends and family, and over the course of the last four months , I've had two constituents who expressed some interest in seeing some funding going to Safeco, and I was flooded with strangers and friends. And family pulling me aside, saying thank you for standing up for a more responsible use for public dollars. So I have great confidence that we're embarking on something that is not supported by our constituents in terms of 135 million going to Safeco to benefit the Mariners. I also worry about public trust. As was mentioned previously, the public voted on funding for Safeco Field and voted it down and the legislature came up with a different financing proposal and put it forward. And that caused some political backlash that we still see ripples of today. A lot of political scientists have pointed to that period in time as when the Tim Inman rose. It was literally the year after that where this anti-government populism surged and has remained to some degree in this state because of a eroded trust in the democratic institutions. And I worry about that here and about how our institution and how we as elected officials look. Embarking upon something that I think is so out of step with the voters in terms of a use of public dollars. So I think we ought to give them the opportunity to weigh in on this question. And I will support your amendment. Thank you. Councilmember Roderick. Better than Caldwell's. Thank you. Sure. I appreciate your willingness to send this ballot measure out to the public, but I think you recognize the problems that would create. For anybody considering naming Safeco Field pending a decision in February. They're trying to get a contract signed to get a naming rights for the stadium. And who would want to do that, given the potential of this being stretched out, either in a political career or a political campaign or legal action that would follow that. Number two, we are hired to do a job. Our job is to make decisions, to take the due diligence process that we've had here today. And I want to thank you very much for the fair and equitable way you've dealt with it. I think everybody should recognize that this has been a long process. I will share with the members of the audience that at about 4 hours ago I asked them if I can get out of here by 1130. I should have said, Am I right? Because maybe by PM we'll get out of here. But I want to thank Councilmember Dombrowski, who. Headed toward the finish line here. Who have I've been on the opposite side on this 5 to 4 vote, but I appreciate and respect his balanced approach to letting everybody be heard. We are elected to vote. We've done our due diligence. We cannot hold up this process anymore. I think in large part, a third entity has created some of the problems that we're dealing with as a body today with the Mariners. I hope, again, as I said earlier, that we review the entire process by which contracts are renewed using third parties as in the case of the public facilities district. But we need to proceed. We need to do our due diligence. And we need, quite frankly, Mr. Chair, to do our job. Our job is to vote. Thank you, Councilman Rick Bower, for those remarks and kind words. Councilmember Kowalski. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm normally not somebody who thinks we should send things out to the voters, that we should do our job for which we were elected. However, as Councilmember DEMBOSKY so ably brought out, we do place measures on the ballot for other funding issues. I'm not talking about some policy issues, but funding issues where the public's money is involved. And there's been a lot that's been brought out in recent weeks about the actual funding mechanisms with maintenance and upkeep, and that's possible upgrades to the stadium that many of us believe and certainly most all of my constituents have contacted me believe that it's not appropriate to use public funds for. In fact, the Mariners did agree to funding maintenance and upgrades and upkeep, and now they want the public to throw in $135 million. I think that's going to be very difficult to explain to the public, and I am going to go ahead and support this proposed amendment, because I think that's a very, very complicated, very different than the usual measure that we vote on here. Thank you, Councilmember Coe Wells. Anything else from other members to conclude? I agree with my colleagues that we're sent here to do a job and a vote. I believe firmly in our representative form of government and that we face the voters on a regular cycle and are accountable for our decisions. But the framers of our charter and this is its 50th anniversary, provided for the opportunity for us to ask the voters opinion what the advisory ballot measures. I think that that should be the exception and not the rule. But this is an exceptional piece of legislation that divided this government and divided the community. It is consistent with the stadium financing deals in for 50 years in this community to ask the voters what they think. And I think it's reasonable to get their views on this. And I, for one, would listen to them. Last market to call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Balducci, Councilmember Dunn? No. Councilmember Nelson, I. Councilmember Polanco Councilmember Member No. Councilmember McDermott No. Council Member of the Draft. I don't remember if I'm right there. No. Mr. Right. Mr. Chair, the vote is for EIS five nos. All right, that fails. Four out of five. We have three more amendments. We're making good progress here. Amendment seven. Councilmember Cole. Wells, would you take me out? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know the Amendment seven. Thank you. I'd ask Andrew or Jeff to give a brief summary. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amendment seven would allow the county to seize the transfer of lightning tax proceeds if there is a change in controlling interest or ownership of the Seattle Mariners within any three year period or the Seattle Mariners is sold. And if there is a change in ownership that the it would require the party to reimburse the county of the transferred funds in the event that the Seattle Mariners sold for profit that realizes gains in value above 3% per year. Thank you. Much of the motivation behind this amendment, which would require a repayment of the taxpayer's investment upon above a certain profit level upon sell. The team is that we've heard so much about a partnership, a partnership between the Mariners and the public. I believe that partner should, if they're sharing in the obligations, share in the gains. What this says is if there's a sale and the ownership makes a profit greater than 3% cumulatively per year, that they would repay the money that the public as the partners in this deal have invested. That's the motivation behind it. Encourage Members Support Councilmember Ron Recto. Thank you, Chair. I like the opportunity for the general counsel to increase his billable hours. And I'd like to ask Mr. Rivera if he would review this proposal and make comment on it. Thank you. This is inconsistent with the terms used in the negotiation with the PFO. There were a number of tradeoffs, and one of the more significant trade offs was the restriction on the sale of the team and other restrictions that would require any new owner to extend the term of the lease or extend the commitment to the Seattle area. This is not consistent with that. We would have to go back and negotiate a number of different terms that I think in the long run would not be beneficial to the public because in exchange for this, we would ask the lifting of any restrictions on the sale to local owners or any other commitment to the city, saying it was a fair trade that was made in the negotiations that went on for four, ten months. Additionally, the Mariners under this new proposal, would be committing around 83% of all expenses towards this public ballpark for maintenance, for upkeep, for operation and maintenance. And so as to the partnership between the public owner and the Mariners that is identified in the term sheet with that cost sharing mechanism. Thank you. Governor Rick Perry. Thank you, Mr. Rivera. Councilmember up the Grove. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a question it's only partially tongue in cheek, given we're allowing the Mariners to come and comment on each of our amendments, may I invite stakeholders up to tell us what they think about this? Someone from one of the housing organizations about the idea of us getting a return on investment. I concerned about the process of letting one interest now weigh in each time because what they get invited up. I appreciate the sentiment behind the suggestion in closing of The Grove. I do think that given the unique nature, when we are a third party almost observer to a contracting arrangement between the PFG and the Mariners, that with respect to these deal changing amendments or they could alter the deal, it's reasonable to hear from the mayors. I would also hear from the part of their councils here if they wanted to comment. But I understand. I understand you're saying, but I'm treating it a little bit differently. But your point is understood. Let's go to the vote on Amendment seven. This is the share on gain of sale. I see. Mr. up there of that, you did have some eager and willing participants. In the audience. All right. Go ahead, market. Councilmember Dutchie. Councilmember Dunn. No. Councilmember Garza. Councilmember Coleman. Councilmember Lander. Councilmember McDermott, councilmember off the ground. Councilmember one right there. No. Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the vote is 369326. Okay. Turning to we have two left and then a title amendment, amendment eight. Mr. Chair, Amendment eight would allow the county to seize transfer of the proceeds. Oh, I'm sorry. I think. Yeah, well, has Congressman have to have the amendment moved and then hear an explanation? Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move amendment number eight. All right. Council member Cole Wells, our vice chair, has moved Amendment eight. I apologize, Mr. Chair. Amendment eight would allow the county to seize transfer of the lodging tax proceeds if the naming rights sold by the Mariners equal or exceeds the total amount of those receipts. If this is the naming rights sold, this less than the total amount and the difference of the proceeds and the amount of the naming rights should be should be returned to the county. Thank you, Andrew. Just speaking in favor of this amendment. One of the most troubling aspects of the tentative deal that has been negotiated between the public facilities district for the publicly owned stadium and the Mariners, is the assignment of all revenue to be derived from the sale of the naming rights? We understand that the field will no longer be called Safeco Field and that it will be renamed and that there will be a payment in this case. Under the terms of this deal to the Mariners, for the benefit of naming the public stadium. You know, I think there was a time when this wasn't a significant amount of money. But we heard in the numbers we're talking about, we heard from the negotiator for the BFD that this could be upwards of $100 million. And in fact, when you look around the country, I look at State Farm Stadium would be the new name for the Phenix Ball team. They're on an 18 year agreement and I think the number there has them paying between eight and 9 million a year. That could be a quarter billion dollars applied here. This is on a renamed stadium down in Atlanta. There's a new 20 year deal for the Atlanta Hawks and that is expected to generate about $200 million. The Seattle P-I reported here with respect to the Mariners in 2017 that the naming deal here and this was before these other two deals were done could be between 5 million or perhaps up to $10 million per season again on 25 year deal. That could be a quarter billion dollars. None of these revenues are accounted for in the Mariners financial showing about what they're contributing. This is all profit that goes straight to the team. It seems to me that for these kind of dollars that we ought to have a dollar for dollar credit back to the public against this lodging tax investment. That's what this amendment does. It says if you're going to sell the naming rights and receive tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, that we ought to credit back the lodging tax contribution by an equivalent amount. QUESTION Councilmember Lambert with a question. Thank you. So just a clarification. When you were saying Mariner, did you mean BFD? No. The naming rights go to the ball club. Mariner So this which I'm sorry, the value of the naming rights, the receipts, the revenue from them. So the amendment then instead of going to the Mariners, the money would go to the parties. Is that what this. Is up. To the 135 million? If they if they sold it for 200 million, they would keep 65 million. If I got that right, Andrew, at 135 million loss. Correct. All right. So this is interesting, too, because, you know, there were conversations in Olympia about the revenue sharing. And as I remember and again, it's been over two decades, but I, I thought that the profit sharing was going to be done on an interim basis based on gross, not on net. And so when this came up again here in a different venue and I was reading that, I was like, Oh, that's interesting. So, you know, if you're going to sell something and there's this information out there, you know, if the rule is that if you pay more than $5, then you have to do something different, then it's a pretty good chance that the price will be for 99. So I'm a little bit concerned about how this would all work. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Lambert, Councilmember Cole Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to support this amendment. And I think it's there's a bit of irony here. The Mariners have asked us for now 135 million. Their request was for 180 million or so. And I never heard mention of the naming rights from the Mariners. Whatever the amount would be could very well equal or cover what amount they're wanting the taxpayers to pay for, really upgrades to the stadium where they could be doing that themselves with what they will be receiving from naming rights. We don't know the absolute amount that will come in, but it will be very sizable. So I still believe that the either the public should have the means to be compensated or share with that. On a dollar by dollar basis. But certainly this points out. To another reason why the the striking amendment that will be adopted is not a good deal for the taxpayers. And I urge your support for this amendment. It does provide some protection to our taxpayers, to our constituents, to. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Councilmember McDermott. Then up the road. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Indeed, you're right, Mr. Chair. At our last meeting, we had a presentation from the PFG officials and they spoke about the naming rates, and they told us that this was part of the overall term sheet and something that was part of their calculations in coming in considering the term sheet for the lease that they that is now the executed document between the ball club and the PFO and my reference before us. And so it's not as if the PFO did not consider this. It is considered and was part of that balance. So I think that this amendment upsets that balance. I would ask members to vote no. Councilmember of the room. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Speaking in favor of the amendment, in part because for me, it highlights the unusual nature of this whole relationship between a public facilities district and the Mariners Corporation. The in my mind, I know technically the FDA is a public entity, but in reality it functions largely as one and the same in the sense that the creation of that public facilities district was the only way legally to drive state tax dollars into the creation of a stadium for the team. You can't just give it's against our state constitution to just gift public funds to a private business. So what do we do? We create this government, a public facilities district. Then we give them the money, all of the tax revenues generated there, concessions, parking, all go back into it to benefit that business. They don't pay property taxes. Local governments are foregoing five or 6 million bucks a year in property taxes. So that benefit goes in to that business again, which I say is the sole tenant. When you go to a concert or a car show or something at Safeco, they're not contracting with the PFA either contracting with the Mariners Corporation. They get the benefits. In this case, if the stadium sells the name of it, the Mariners Corporation will get the benefits. Given all of that. If they're going to be successful in going out the way we heard testimony from the chair that other stadiums around the country have been successful in securing large amounts of funding for the naming rights. I think it makes sense that if we're going to argue that this is a publicly owned stadium, then the public ought to get some money back for the public naming rights and that the you know, the term sheets can be revisited. In my thought, I understand they wanted that, but so I think it's a great idea. I'm with you. All right. Thank you, Councilmember Guzman. Well, Dewji. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for letting us bleed a little bit in the committee time. I was going to say two things in first, as we're about 6 minutes into the Mobility Committee meeting at this point and. We're all going to get. Mobile. No, we've we I met with staff on the side and we've made it we've made some ideas about how we might still cover as much of that agenda as possible. But on this point as we're getting there, I think we have a sincere a difference of opinion on this dais. I think it's fair to say, about what is an appropriate amount of investment of this hotel, motel tax tourism bucket in the publicly owned stadium. And there's lots of reasons and they've all been detailed, I think, very clearly and fairly and honestly. And I think that this amendment is just another way of stating the disagreement we've already had, which is how much money ought to go into the stadium. I feel as a co-sponsor of the amount of the amendment that was adopted, that the balance is reasonable and this would change that balance substantially. And so I'm going to vote no on the amendment. But I just wanted to acknowledge before we get to title amendments and final passage, that this is real debate, this is real sausage making. We're doing it here in front of people. I think that's what people want to see us doing is our job. And I appreciate all my colleagues for what they've brought to the table today, even though we clearly have some different views on a number of things. But I'll be voting no. Thank you, Councilmember. I'll do other comments on this one. All right. I'll just wrap up. There's 795 almost $800 million of identified improvements, operations and maintenance. Quarter million. A quarter billion of that turn. 50 million as operations and maintenance. And the club pays for that. So if you take out the operations and maintenance and that's any tenant takes care of their own operations and their basic maintenance, we're talking about a CapEx contribution, a revenue share of $165 million. The fact of the matter is selling the naming rights to the stadium could cover 100% of the Mariners CapEx contribution and revenue share. Given the numbers we're hearing about. I don't think that this is a balanced deal. When you do not cap and do not participate at all and give 100% of the upside of the naming rights to the tenant. And I guess to add insult to injury, the public may like may never know because there isn't any how much they get for these. There is no requirement and no transparency in the books that we would ever know what was paid for the naming rights unless perhaps the the private entity had to report it to the FCC as a major cost or something like that. So that that's troubling to me. This amendment would cure that. Courage. Support Barca. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bell. DG Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Garcia. Councilmember Colwell. Councilmember Lambert. Councilmember McDermott. No, Councilmember also. Councilmember one right there? No. Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the vote is for eyes blackness. Okay. That amendment doesn't carry now our penultimate amendment. Amendment? No. And, Mr. McDermott, would you take co-sponsors on this one? I'd be happy to. All right. I would like to add my name in. And I hate to get you get everyone too excited, but I think we have one amendment after this all the time. That hotly debated title of. This is why. This is the penultimate. This is the penultimate amendment. I need to look at penultimate. Mr. Sherry, move adoption of amendment. Nora and and members are asking me if we have a copy of Amendment nine. Oh, it's at the very bottom of it. It is two pages. It is. That are stapled together. It was loose behind your your matrix packet. You can look at my customer, MCDERMOTT And I'll share and I'll share mine with you. Okay, that's me for us. Would you like staff to give a basic overview, please? All right. Jeff for Andrew. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amendment nine would add labor neutrality language to the underlying funding agreement. It would make the county's obligation to transfer fund mining tax revenues contingent on the club or the district in the club. Entering an agreement where the club would agree to remain neutral in response to any employee organizing campaign. And then if there are a number of employees indicate they wish to be represented, the club would agree to recognize the union for purposes of collective bargaining, and the club would provide reasonable and unlimited access to the ballpark and club president premises. Councilmember McDermott to speak in favor. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you for joining me as a sponsor of the amendment. This amendment adds labor neutrality to the ALA. The agreement is very popular here, up and down. And I appreciate that. So I ask for my colleagues support. All right. Thank you. Other comments? Oh, Councilmember Lemon has a question that comes from. I have a question. I thought that the lady that was from the labor councilor earlier said that the relationship between the Mariners and the employees is very well organized. Isn't that what she said in testimony? I hear her correctly. I wasn't either. You want. Our staff to repeat testimony. From. They said that. The audience after 84. Naps. Is that what she said? Councilmember Lambert, you're going have to go in your own memory unless another. Member of my member said she said things were good. So I have some concerns about mine. Six Where the county's obligation, after we went through all of this to make the transfers is contingent on anything. I think that every single person in this audience, including all of us, could say it's only contingent if you give me my and yours is yours. So I feel uncomfortable with that line being in here. Thank you. Councilmember Gossett. Yeah, but I'm trying to figure out. Cathy said line just on line and I. The obligation to make such transfers of lodging tax receipts is contingent upon the district and the club executing an agreement before or at the same time that the lease is executed that substantially complied with the following provisions. So I don't know if CAP is taken in these provisions. Can the maker of the motion, Mr. Mike, Darren, or our staff, explain each of these items underneath? Councilmember Gossett If you continue on I'm line nine where yeah. That you referenced, it requires that there be an agreement that the club agrees to remain remain neutral in response to any employee organizing campaign. The club agrees to not take any action or make any statement showing preference for or opposition to employee organizing. Those are those are values that I hold strongly. And I ask colleagues to support labor neutrality in the ability of workers to organize for the common collective. Good to join me in supporting this amendment. My concern with this amendment is that three or four people who testified today said that they were only down here because the Mariners had already okay and given their market rate salaries. And then they were kind of hostile toward the folks representing the homeless and transit union organizers and yeah. And low income housing developers because many housing developers use nonunion labor or they're not able to pay fair market value because they're trying to build housing for the poor. And that kind of concerned me. I'm trying to figure out why would they say that at the main, Mariners had not already told them, we're going to be on your side. And this calls for neutrality. Councilmember Gossett I'm not sure I understand the question. I as I heard the question, that was about some of the concern that was expressed around the housing construction industry. And this doesn't address that. This addresses labor neutrality between the Mariners and employees of their organization. And not with the employees for some reason came here and said they support what the Mariners are requesting because the Mariners are paying us good wages. And to me they were saying we want to separate fees from those working for their poor trying to create housing for the poor. That's my interpretation of what these advocates of labor were saying on this morning, which kind of surprised me. Governor Garcia, thank you for the inquiry speaking for myself, but perhaps in response to your open inquiry, my sense of this amendment is that it would strongly encourage the apparent blossoming of more friendly labor management relationships between the workers and the Mariners and conditioned the receipt of these tax dollars upon specific agreements, including with respect to labor organizing, including neutrality clause and things like that that you often see in those works. So it puts a little more teeth into perhaps an existing increasingly positive relationship. All right, Mr. Cosmonaut. Okay, that's just my. That's one member's down. Yeah. Thank you. Anything else on this one? Clerical collar role. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Bell, DC Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Gossett No. Councilmember Colwell Councilmember Lumber not. Councilmember McDermott High Council Member of the Grove Councilmember Phone right there. Mr. Chair. Hi, Mr. Chair. The vote is six A's, two notes. Okay. There's a different vote count six two. That one carries. Councilmember Cole Wells, would you be willing to put the technical title amendment before us that conforms to title of the ordinance to the revisions that have been adopted today? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Some of all in favor of the title amendment. T one say i i any opposed the council? No, you may not. All right. Turning to the underlying ordinance as amended, and I'm showing that the striking amendment. Well, we're not on this one. Right. S one as amended. And that would be amended by amendment numbers one and amended and five and nine that comport with everyone's understand, including the clerk's. All right. And the title amendment. I'm going to ask for a roll call vote on the strike amendment as amended. And then we will turn to a roll call vote on final passage after members have had any concluding remarks that they want to make. So let's do the striking amendment, S-1 as amended. Roll Call. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Balducci, Councilmember Dunn, Councilmember Gossett. I don't know. No. I may not have been very clear there. Go ahead, Mark. He's a no. As I understand it. Councilmember Well, Councilmember Lambert. Councilmember McDermott, councilmember at the Grove, Councilmember Yvonne right there. All right, Mr. Chair. No, Mr. Chair, the vote has five eyes or nose. All right. The striking amendment as amended is five eyes, four nose. Let's give members an opportunity, if they would like it, for a brief concluding remarks prior to final passage. And remember, you have an opportunity at full council in two Mondays and the comparable duty as a committee meeting. Okay. So you have to deal with Governor Belden glare. The longer you go on. Let's start with the calls from Oregon. Would you like to lead off as the prime sponsor? Technical. All right. My extraditing this measure for next Monday. No. And the reason. For pursuing the ordinary course, given the fact that there is additional work that I think staff has acknowledged needs to happen with fine tuning, both from a technical perspective and the county executive's suggestion and colleagues suggestion that additional work with respect to tourism promotion needs to be done. I don't think it's reasonable between now and Monday, three business days to complete that work. If the chairman can be overridden. But my ruling will be that we will proceed in the ordinary course and it'll be on the council's agenda at the Monday after next. I appreciate it. I can't remember our duty appearance. You want to say something? I want to join the chair in saying I don't think we should expedite this. I think that a lot of these amendments came together a lot. When you say mine came together very late and I think that there might be work that needs to be done to perfect them and there may be things that need to happen in between now and then. I think ten days is normal course, if I'm counting correctly, and I don't I don't know of any reasons why ten days would be a fatal thing to do and it would make it less crazy, she said in articulately thinking. No reason to throw a fastball here, Pete. Just to take a little edge off. And it's nice to to wrap up, Mr. Chair. Sure. I've often said if we didn't have sports, what would be chair? You know, if we look at today's front page news, most of us reject it and go right, right to the sports pages . The reason is sports helps bring people together. It gives us protagonist, antagonist. It gives us an opportunity to cheer for things. And in today's crazy world that we have, our sports teams have been factors in bringing a diversified community together. I'm really proud of the fact that the Seattle region is as diversified as it is. But you go to any game and you see every layer of population, people who've been here one generation or five generations. They're all united because sports brings people together. This package, I think, will bring this council together in the long run. I think it's a good partnership and I hope we move forward. I know we're going to final passage a week from Monday. And I want to thank again publicly the chair of this committee, because this has been a very tough task. He originally wanted this to be delayed out until later in September, but he was kind enough to hold a special meeting in August for the public to be heard from. And I think we've benefited from the public process and I look forward to working with the chair on any questions that come up between now and next Monday . Councilman wrote the group. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure what made me think of this, but someone once described politics as a sports for people who are on athletic, sort. Or. Or not patronage. I mean, movie stars for ugly people. One or the other. But I am. I don't doubt the benefit of sports to our region, both for a quality of life. It's like other businesses. It's an economic driver. Mariners have been an important part of my life. Growing up, my family had season tickets 22 years. My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at a suite at Safeco Field. That's not in doubt. The Mariners have made it clear they're here to stay. It's a wildly successful private business. It's not going anywhere. And whether or not we choose to invest public funds to subsidize the upkeep of that facility or not, that will continue. At the end of the day, though, I have some fundamental concerns. Number one, King County does not own Safeco Fields. King County does not own Safeco Field. It's owned by a public facilities district. And as I said before, it was funded by the taxpayers at the request of this business, for this business. And this business is the sole tenant. It's a large, private, for profit business that can and should pay for their own expenses, and they can do so while still generating continuing to generate tremendous wealth for those owners. I don't think it's an appropriate use of public funds to subsidize those operations, and that's what I believe we're doing here today to the tune of $135 million. I also am not comfortable with the approach used to reach the level of funding in housing. We essentially eliminate all of the remaining tourism promotion dollars. So not only do the small businesses or businesses of small and large all over the county not get a handout like the Mariners are, but we're pulling the rug out from under them in terms of the marketing and promotion that could help stimulate those economies and those businesses around the county. And I think that's the wrong approach in the end. So I think, you know, at some point somewhere around the country, some communities are going to need to stand up to professional sports and say, enough is enough . Your businesses, you can operate on your own and you don't need these kinds of handouts. I think we can continue to have the benefits of this business and the wonderful product they produce the entertainment, without having to provide taxpayer subsidies. And I think that is a way that would be a more responsible use of public funds than what we are being. But what we're putting forward today for support. So I hope there's room to make substantial changes between now and full council. I'll certainly engage in good faith with my colleagues, but today I am strongly against this proposal. Councilmember Gossett. I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to make a comment to Councilman up to go first when he made the analogy between the general public and politicians. I just wanted him to know, because I'm not the dragon type, that Larry Gossett is a member of the South Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. I'm a two sport Letterman athlete myself. Okay, good. Oh, but. Coming across that, I have shot a little ball. With you and quickly realized that I was a little better at politics. As bad as I am at this than basketball. You are a very good politician. But, Catherine, I have to go. Is it that I'm thinking about what happened with and for our culture? We it was independent of us for 19 years. And then we put it back under the county operation. That would have been legal for us to eliminate the PFA, the Public Development Authority that runs the stadium and put it back under oath. Or is that not legal? Just. Yes, that's really a question for me, Mr. Chair. I would say. I saw a local columnist recently in The Seattle Times suggested we sell it. I think that's a fabulous idea anyway. But I believe it would probably require some state action, not just county action. Okay. Are there comments or questions? Councilmember Lambert. Thank you. I do think that there appear to be members appointed by the state, aren't they? No, we do that. And the county. All right. So I wanted to talk about the idea that I wish that this had been a blank sheet, that rather than the state telling us, you know, what percentages needed to be, where on some of the parts that if you'd had a blank sheet, things might have been very different. And we see this in a lot of things coming from Olympia. You have to do this much in this and this, much in this. And it isn't exactly the way we would like it. So that is a growing concern. I know that the Mariners play 81 games approximately in the stadium, but I also know that they have other major events and and also about 100 smaller events. So it is a place not only for people who like baseball, but people who are doing other kinds of events. And there's more and more people come to Seattle and helping plan an event that's going to be at Safeco Field. And there are a lot of places you can invite thousands and thousands of people to show up. So it is an asset, whether we want to own it or not, want to own it. And the discussion later about eventually do we want to sell it, you know, is another discussion. So that's one bucket. The tourism bucket, I feel definitely needs some work. Somebody called it earlier, the golden goose. And I think it's really important that people need to know what is here. And but I think that the way that we deal with our housing is not adequate. Not adequate at all. You know, Councilmember Belushi and three others on the council are doing an affordable housing task force. I'm not on the committee, although I've asked to be numerous times and I have attended almost all the meetings but one. And I see what's going on and I think I'm probably the only person on this council that has ever been homeless. So I get this, but we aren't going to be able to build our way out of it by just throwing money at it. What we've done wrong, in my opinion, is that we are not building the housing starts. They've said that they need 144,000 houses and in order to build that many houses, that means you have to build 480 houses the month that my math is correct. And we had labor in here earlier who are saying we have people who want to work and we need to have housing starts. The gym, which we as the Growth Management Act, which we were briefed on yesterday, talked about the 14 characteristics of a state law. You're supposed to have adequate transportation. You're supposed to have housing starts and all qualifications and categories. And we haven't. And we have allowed that to continue until we step up as a community and say we're going to make really hard decisions. We are going to find where we can build 480 housing places a month. We're going to have problems. We've already been told 100 people a day are coming to this county. And if you figure that two per. That is really an important number that we need to be looking at. I want my children to live in my community. That's important to me. I want my 18 grandchildren to live near me. I'm expecting one of them to take care of me someday when I'm 104 and I want them to be near me. I plan to be partying until then, but I want them to take care of me that I don't know how any of my children or grandchildren are going to afford a median house that currently is around $700,000. You get out of college and I have or right now grandchildren are just out of college and they may not be moving in with me soon because it's very difficult for somebody straight out of college to be spending $2,000 a month in rent. So I think until we start looking at the supply and demand and making the decisions of where these houses are going to be and making sure that it doesn't take three years to get a housing permit to be building, we are going to be in the same mess. So this is one part of the coin, but we need to know the other part of the equation and make sure we address that and soon. Thank you. Thank you. Other members Council Member Cole Wells. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wish I would have said just exactly what Councilmember Groves said. I'm in total alignment with him. But just a couple of other points. I think this measures your day, which I am going to vote against the effects of Pyrrhic victory. It yes, the makers of it are successful. But there's all this talk about, well, but we need to fix it. We recognize tourism promotion is important, which was covered, and the other striking amendment that was denied. I'm also concerned that we'd be setting a precedent here. CenturyLink Field will be coming back to government, asking for more money. We possibly will have an NBA team and an NHL team, possibly a key arena. The storm had a magnificent victory last night. Total agreement with what Councilmember Yvonne Wright Burris said and gives us an opportunity to cheer. And the closer the game, the better and the more we get emotionally involved with that. And it really does uplift a lot of people's lives. But this money is not needed by the Mariners, period. It's a business, a profit making business that is, as I understand, on the verge of going into the black. But the PFA is willing to give up the profit sharing, even though there would be some coming in in exchange for the Mariners taking care of the maintenance and upkeep and upgrades, whatever needs to be done to meet the applicable standards for the ballpark to be in the top third of ballparks in the whole country and I guess in Canada. And we don't need to be having the taxpayers pay this. And I think everybody up here knows that. The Mariners can do what they want with their business and they're wildly succeeding. So why should we be putting taxpayer's money into that? It doesn't add up. I will, of course, work with my colleagues to come up with something. I just don't know where. We have the money to restore funding that was included in the executive's proposal. And my amendment. Are four of us having that amendment? Where do we take it from? To build up tourism funding? It doesn't add up yet. People here are going to vote for this striking, amended, striking amendment with this promise that we will find the magical solution in ten days. We'll try. I think we all should try. But I. I will be surprised if it comes out at the commitment that is being made to a private, for profit business that does not have to pay for property taxes like our citizens do, that will not share the naming rights revenue that they bring in with the public. There are just too many things that this does not make a good deal for our public. Therefore, I'm voting no. Elsewhere. McDermott. Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've had many divided votes this morning and early afternoon and only one unanimous vote on the title amendment. But I think that we have but I want to point out what we all have voted on the. Non relocation. And in on the relocation. I did if you wouldn't mind, Grant, I calculated my batting average on my amendments for 28. Not good in politics, but not bad in baseball. So we have differed. We have differed and had divided votes in a lot. But what have we all voted for? We have all voted to allocate half of the hotel motel tax revenue to affordable housing, and we've all voted to make some investment in the publicly owned stadium. I look forward to working with my colleagues over the coming ten days to address more work in this Stryker and this ordinance as we move it out of committee. And I ask for members support. Thank you, Counsel Chair McDermott. Councilmember Dunn. Thanks, Mr. Chair. Appreciate that long and robust debate. I think we did a pretty good job on all sides addressing and debating the substantive merits of this. And I feel good about the way the council is functioning and the role that the state has forced upon us, quite frankly, here. This is about $5 million a year. This number, 135 million, is a 25 year time horizon. So every biennium we're talking about $10 million and our biennial budget for the county is $10 billion. So this is one roughly give or take in the budget. And it may if I'm wrong, but it's about 1/1000 of the money flowing through the county on a regular basis. Okay. Costs ballpark and. Then. Thank you three. And you, sir, you throw a wild pitch here, but I'm sorry there, bat. I won't use any more of those analogies, but let's, let's, let's back up. So everybody's arguing here. We're not arguing over the pie. We're arguing over how three sections of the pie are configured. I mean, that's really what's going on here. So it's priorities, whether you're going to value infrastructure improvements at the stadium or affordable housing or the arts or money going into tourism promotion. So that's sort of what we've been fighting over. The bigger picture is the issue of housing costs, of housing, affordable housing. This is a little different right now than homelessness, but it's interrelated because the higher the price of housing, the more people are priced out of the market and end up on the streets. And I just want to remind this county council that we're ones that are hugely responsible for the cost of housing, the Growth Management Act, which requires that we put an urban growth boundary down the middle of our county to decide what is buildable land inside cities and what is rural, unincorporated, very land in this county. Chose many years ago to draw that line very close in to Puget Sound. And so even though this county, believe it or not, borders Yakima County some 65 miles away from here, we've chosen to make most of the vast majority of the land in this county essentially unbelievable zoning and are a 20 forest and range one house per 80 acres, etc.. And so I'm foreshadowing something that's broader and also university watch a study by two years ago said that the average cost of a house is $200,000 higher for the average house just because of environmental regulation. And so it's a lot higher today than it was then. So we just need to be really sensitive here about the way we are planning for growth moving forward. And I love to drive right to Esquire's Edge and be in the forest for the next 80 miles. I love that. But that policy choice affects directly the people on the street today. And so we need to be thinking much more carefully about how we plant. Not only do we need to go up, and I do think we need to go up, we might need to go out a little bit and the yoga might need to be tweaked a little. I think in ten years there will be a fight in sincerity on that issue because the House causing cost of housing will be so high. But anyway, back to this. I'm going to support this on final passage. You're not going to move me over the next ten days appreciably. So I am where I am on this issue, out of support of $280 million. I think the infrastructure improvements on the stadium are important not just for the Mariners but for the potential for all the other events that we put on there for the possibility of the Olympics in the future, we're going to need that stadium. There's a lot of different reasons why. And if you knew how much money we spend on fish culverts. All right, or our roads or bridges, $5.4 million a year to keep up that stadium is just tiny. It really is tiny when you be thinking bigger. Thanks for your time. Thank you. Councilmember done for myself. $135 million is $135 million tax increase on working families and property owners in this county. Because we're going to ask the voters for that money to to fund affordable housing. Tonight will be in shoreline at the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force. The last check I saw, there were 300 homeless students in Shoreline School District, just part of my district, $135 million that were apparently going to invest into Safeco Field would build with our leverage ratio, 1500 units of housing. It would house those kids five times over. That's the choice that is being made on this dais today. House kids or maintain a stadium. I can't I don't understand it. The priorities are not appropriate just on that measure alone and I have to be against it. Marco Calderon. I'm sorry. That's a fair point. I don't get too close to it like that, do I, Mr. Chair? Who would like to. Close on final bid? Sponsor. Mr. Wonderful. I want to acknowledge you again, but I also want to acknowledge my colleagues who are part of the five. I'd like to speak. With all due respect to all five members who voted with us, Councilmember Balducci in particular, she was very willing to meet with me on regular occasion, regular meetings. She knew that I was coming from a much different figure than she was. But we worked together. And I want to thank she and John McDermott as well in particular, and also, of course, councilmembers Dunn and Lambert for their effort as well, because all five of us are not in the same place we began. We came together on a mutually agreeable plan that did not include what we all wanted. And I want to thank all five of my call for my other colleagues for doing this. The last thing, Mr. Chair, to close debate is on July 15th of this year, the Shell Mariners Safeco Field had its 19th anniversary. To that date, 45 million people attended Safeco Field. That is the vote that I count on. There are people who have come from all over the county, all over this region of the state, all over the United States and outside the United States to come to save Scott Field. It is a magnet that benefits so many people across the board. And lastly, I cannot tell you how important I think it is to bring this very diverse community together. When I walk out of that stadium and walk back through the alleyway and pass CenturyLink to come back up here after games, I'm just so impressed by the diversity of people walking out of there all ages, all cultures, all backgrounds, all politics. But they care about baseball because baseball brings people together. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for your thoughtful and vigorous debate today. I've really appreciated watching each of you work. It's been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the debate and discussion. We will call the vote as our representative democracy calls for. Go ahead, Mark. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Banducci. Hi. Councilmember Dunn. All right. Councilmember Ferguson. Oh. Councilmember Caldwell. So. Councilmember Lambert. Councilmember McDermott. I felt a member of the group. Councilmember Bond Right there. All right. Mr. Chair. No, Mr. Chair, the vote has five eyes, four nos. Okay. We've given a do pass recommendation to this ordinance. We will advance it to the full council. I suspect we don't want it on consent. All right. We'll have it on the regular calendar. The other two ordinances listed on today's agenda are really muted by the failure of the amendment to send this to the advisory ballot question . So those will remain in committee and presumably evaporate into the ether. Councilmember Mark Bauer With that, is there anything further to come before the committee of the whole today? Thank you to the public for attending and for participating. We appreciate it and we appreciated your attendance. I know it's not easy always to get down and into the courthouse and this legislation will be on the county council agenda to Mondays from today. There is always a chance for a courtesy delay of one week. That is often our practice around here. I don't know if that will be expected or needed, but just be aware of that and stay tuned to this channel for further information. Councilmember Well. I do apologize for that. Okay. I just before the gavel flies, we will start the Mobility Committee meeting in 5 minutes at 222. Thank you very much. All right. We're adjourned. ", "output": "AN ORDINANCE authorizing a new funding agreement and amendment to the existing financing agreement with the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District."}