Seattle City Council Briefing - April 13, 2026
Seattle City Council Briefing - April 13, 2026
The Seattle City Council held a briefing on April 13, 2026, from 2:04 p.m. to 2:54 p.m., presided over by Council President Joy Hollingsworth. Six council members were present (Hollingsworth, Foster, Juarez, Lin, Rinck, Saka), with three excused (Kettle, Rivera, Strauss). The meeting covered proclamations, committee previews, and substantive discussions on shelter legislation citing and King County wastewater rates.
Consent Calendar
- The minutes of the March 30, 2026, Council Briefing were unanimously approved.
Proclamations
- 51st Anniversary of Khmer Rouge Genocide (April 13, 2026): Councilmember Rinck sponsored a proclamation recognizing the anniversary, highlighting support for immigrant and refugee communities in partnership with several organizations. Signed unanimously (6-0).
- Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17, 2026): Councilmember Foster sponsored a proclamation marking the first year the city, county, and state jointly recognize the week. Foster shared personal challenges finding a Black doula while on Apple Health. Signed unanimously (6-0).
President's Report
- Council President Hollingsworth reported that the city's online remote public comment form was updated after a system failure the previous week, with minimal impact to the public.
Discussion Items & Committee Previews
- Shelter Legislation (Major Discussion): Council President Hollingsworth and Councilmember Juarez led a discussion on the upcoming shelter legislation for 500 high-acuity shelter beds. They emphasized the need for standardized Good Neighbor Agreements, clear 24-hour on-site contact lines, and consistent reporting of critical incident reports (CRIRs) to district councilmembers. Councilmember Foster, the committee chair, provided the timeline: amendments due April 22, discussion April 29, and a committee vote on May 6. Foster noted providers already report CRIRs to KCRHA, but councilmembers need direct access to respond to constituent concerns. Juarez stated she was "never at no" on the legislation, seeking clarity on how the mayor's office determined citing factors and expanded them from seven to 21 factors. The council expressed unified support for the legislation while stressing proper citing and provider accountability.
- King County Wastewater Rate Increases: Council President Hollingsworth strongly opposed proposed King County rate increases of 12.9% annually for four years, followed by 11% annually, calling them "completely unsustainable" for Seattle residents. She noted these charges constitute about 20% of a resident's water bill. She urged better long-term planning from county partners, an issue Councilmember Lin agreed was a regional concern impacting affordability.
- Updates from Councilmembers:
- Councilmember Juarez: Explored establishing an HBCU or PBI in Seattle with DEEL to support Black scholars and create "brick and mortar" educational spaces. Attended the reopening of the Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI). Shared concerns about the United States voting against a UN resolution declaring transatlantic slavery a crime against humanity (resolution passed with 123 yes, 52 abstain, 3 no), signaling plans for a local resolution.
- Councilmember Saka: Advanced a resolution to name the 2800 block of South Jackson Street after Pastor Dr. R. L. Manaway Sr. Announced a traffic safety briefing and an overview from the Seattle Office of the Waterfront.
- Councilmember Lin: Introduced the mayor's shelter legislation and the Housing Opportunities Legislation, which includes targeted rezones (Fremont, Belltown, Rainier Beach) and incentives for passive house, cross-laminated timber, and grocery/housing projects in Lake City.
- Councilmember Rinck: Announced an April 17 committee meeting on workforce development, music commission appointments, and a briefing on the Domestic Workers Ordinance. Celebrated the St. Luke's affordable family housing opening in Ballard.
- Councilmember Foster: Highlighted an SPD ride-along in the East Precinct, community meetings in Lake City on public safety and investment, and a tour of the Woodland Park Zoo. Foster also updated colleagues on partnering organizations for workshops on the Domestic Workers Ordinance.
- Councilmember Strauss (via Council President): His Finance and Native Communities Committee advanced three pieces of legislation to full council (two shelter bills and grants). The revenue forecast adopted by the council was mostly flat, with noted uncertainty from the US-Iran conflict and rising oil prices.
Key Outcomes
- Shelter Legislation Process: Formal timeline set for the shelter package: introduction this week, amendments due April 22, committee discussion April 29, and a vote on May 6.
- Appointments: Three appointments for the Seattle Elections Ethics Committee advanced to the full council.
- Street Renaming: Resolution to rename the 2800 block of South Jackson Street for Dr. R. L. Manaway Sr. advanced.
- Revenue Forecast: Council adopted a mostly flat baseline forecast, noting significant economic uncertainty.
- Legislation Approved in Committee: Two pieces of shelter legislation (Council Bills 121184, 121185) and the Q1 grants acceptance ordinance (Council Bill 121187) advanced to the full council for consideration.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good afternoon, y'all. Today is April 13th. The council briefing meeting will come to order. It is 2 04 p.m. Councilmembers Kettle, Councilmember Rivera, and Councilmember Strauss are excused. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Saka. Here. Councilmember Foster. Here Councilmember Warz. Here. Councilmember Lynn. Here. Councilmember Rink. Present. And Council President Hollingsworth. Here. Six present. No objection. Minutes of March 30th will be adopted. Hearing none. Hearing no objection, the minutes are adopted. We'll jump right into President's report. There are no presentations or executive sessions scheduled for today. There are two proclamations to sign today. There are 25 items on the introduction and referral calendar. And there are two items on the consent calendar, the bills and minutes. This today, thank you, Councilmember Saka participating. Colleagues, you can talk to the council members to see how they have received it. But it's a great opportunity to interact with the press, very conversational as well. And there are different time slots for people. So they're more than welcome to participate. I think it's a great way for us to be interactive. And so I know if anyone's hesitating, come on down. It's often we're gonna have it once a month. So it's just free-flowing, and just thank you, Councilmember Saka, for your participation today. Hopefully, it was well worth it. Absolutely. Awesome. Um next thing, uh, one note uh regarding so there is a change on online public comment. So last week uh we had some issues with our meeting on public uh comment, it just completely collapsed. So I want to thank our information technology department for jumping in and fixing this so quickly. So the city's council's online remote public comment registration form has been updated to comply with city standards. This update is has minimal effects to the public, and the council will be provided with a new link on how to access the list of registered speakers. So, how does this affect the public, which is the most important piece? The online link to sign up for remote public comment has not changed. It's the same. One noticeable change is that the public will not see the remote public comment form directly into the website. So there's a main public comment page which talks about different ways to give public comment. It was embedded first within that link.
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