Good afternoon, everyone.

Today is April 27, 2026.

The council briefing meeting will come to order.

The time is 204.

Council members Rivera and Strauss are excused.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Kettle.

Here.

Councilmember Lynn?

Here.

Councilmember Rink.

Present.

Councilmember Saka.

Here.

Councilmember Foster.

Here.

Councilmember Warz.

Here.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Here.

Seven present.

Awesome.

If there's no objections, the minutes of April 13th, 2026 will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, those are adopted.

Jumping right into the president's support report.

We have no executive sessions or presentations scheduled for today.

We do have two proclamations for discussion.

Bills and minutes, 17 appointments.

We have 11 from housing arts and civil rights, and six from human services, labor, and economic development.

So now we're gonna be moving on to the proclamation.

So we have two proclamations for discussion, colleagues with signature.

Um we're gonna begin with the proclamation from Councilmember Foster recognizing May 1st, 2026 as International Women's Day in Seattle.

Councilmember, is that not it?

No, we have a different proclamation.

Okay, awesome.

So I take that back.

That is not that is in my script.

We already did that one.

Okay.

So we signed that one.

My apologies.

Councilmember Foster.

Surprise proclamation.

No, it shouldn't be a surprise.

Thank you so much, Council President Alexworth.

I am bringing forward a May Day proclamation today.

Uh so colleagues excited to bring this forward for your signatures, and we will have this in full council tomorrow.

Um, as we all know, May Day or International Workers' Day is a day of recognition for worker power rooted and organizing for dignity, safety, and fair wages.

So we are excited because this is an opportunity to have both a celebration and a call to action.

We know that we've made real progress in the fight for fair and equitable working conditions, and we also know that that fight is not over.

So tomorrow this pre proclamation will be presented to leaders across the labor movement in Washington, including representatives from MLK Labor, Working Washington, Washington State Labor Council, and Pro Tech 17, who will be joining us in chambers.

And colleagues, I ask for your support and your signatures as we have this as an opportunity to recognize worker power and honor not just labor wins, but the ongoing effort um to make everyday people's lives better.

So I will uh read just you guys actually I'm not gonna read this.

It's been circulated to your offices.

Um and I'm gonna read it tomorrow, so we won't do it twice.

But you've had this circulated, so I ask for your support.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Um, are there is there any other discussion on the floor before we ask the clerk to take the role for May Day proclamation?

Uh my apologies.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Okay, will the clerk please call the roll um for us to recognize Mayday proclamation?

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn?

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Councilmember Foster.

Yes.

Councilmember Juarez.

Aye.

And Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Seven signatures will be affixed to the proclamation.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Uh we're gonna move on to our second proclamation.

Councilmember Kettle.

Is it April 30th National Therapy Animal Day?

Is that correct?

It is.

Okay, awesome.

Councilmember Kettle, please lead the discussion.

Okay, I think this is very important because we're all yes.

Well, okay.

Um council member colleagues.

National Therapy Animal Day is not just about celebrating current therapy animal teams.

It's an opportunity to encourage more pet owners to consider becoming volunteers.

Creating a happier, healthier community through greater access to safe and meaningful therapy animal visits.

You know, there's been a lot of challenges, many years of challenges with the pandemic and uh economic instability, and I'd add political instability and uh need for therapy animals in our communities greater than ever.

And this proclamation is to kind of raise the awareness of this, and it was brought uh to our attention uh by Mr.

Lee, who with um his pet partners volunteer at like the Seattle VA Hospital, the Seattle Children's Hospital, Providence, Swedish, um, pieces within the you know, the provider on the community on the streets, you know, bring in uh this service to our community, and I think it's a great way to raise it, and as a you know proud owner of two little Karen Terriers that provide the similar function at home for the Kettle family.

I just wanted to ask that you know you you know you uh you know connect with your inner pet supporting dog, cat loving person and support this um this resolution.

So thank you, partners, and I ask for your support.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Are there any comments regarding the National Therapy Animal Day?

Councilmember uh uh Lynn.

Yeah, um thank you.

Uh you know, it's just uh last it was about a week ago, uh somebody was having a mental health crisis in my neighborhood.

And uh as neighbors, we were trying to support her.

And it just happened somebody was uh walking their dog, and uh for whatever reason that's what it took uh for for this person to um to feel grounded and and calmed down and and it's not just cats and dogs, uh you know it it it I didn't know about equine therapy, but there's a whole practice around uh equine therapy.

Uh we have a group, uh the Buffalo Soldiers who is showing up down in Rainier Beach like twice a month.

Um yeah, it it's uh with our mental health needs at an all-time high.

Um happy to support.

Thank you.

Awesome, thank you for that, Councilmember Lynn.

Are there other other comments?

National Therapy Animal Day.

Just to put in perspective, there are more pets in the city of Seattle than there are children.

People love their pets.

Okay, so I just wanted to note that for Councilmember Warz, so we can get her a pet.

Uh let's take the role on signing the proclamation for National Therapy Animal Day.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Saka?

Aye.

Councilmember Foster.

Yes.

Councilmember Warez.

Just kidding.

Yes.

And Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Seven signatures will be affixed.

Are you is it six in favor?

What?

It's seven.

Okay.

I just wanted to make sure.

Awesome.

Very happy to sign that.

Um so now we're gonna move on from proclamation time to the blue sky.

I had to come up with a I had to come up with a song for it because we do a lot of proclamations, which are important.

So now we have a proclamation song.

So I just wanted to throw that out there.

All right, so next we're gonna do preview of city council actions, council and regional committees.

Um, we will start to my left this time, uh, and we'll just go around the table.

So, Councilmember Rink, you are recognized.

Thank you, Council President, and I'm glad we had that moment of levity before this next topic that I'm about to bring up.

Um, colleagues, I want to use my time today to share an update on King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

Friday evening, Council members foster Kettle and I attended the special meeting of the KCRHA governing board as the Seattle City Council representatives to that body.

It was there we received a more detailed briefing of the forensic evaluation and recommendations from the firm Clark Newber.

You've read the coverage.

We all know the findings are egregious and it demands immediate action and accountability.

And when I say immediate, I do not mean hasty or half-baked.

I do not mean a knee-jerk reaction.

What I mean is intentional and deliberate efforts to take a good governance approach to the work ahead of us.

And at the Friday meeting, the board took initial action recommended by the auditor.

But we need more.

Since Friday's meeting, I've worked every day to identify next steps with the mayor's office, our service providers, councilmember Foster, Councilmember Kettle, our King County counterparts on the KCRHA board, CEO Kinison, and our partners around the region.

And in our capacity as chair and vice chair of the Human Services Labor and Economic Development Committee and Seattle Council members to the KCRHA governing board, Councilmember Foster and I are drafting a resolution that codifies the findings of the audit, outlines the May 8th and May 23rd deliverables expected of KCRHA, and requests the executive to deliver a report outlining next steps for our contracts, staffing, continuum of care responsibilities, collaboration with providers, work with our regional partners, and how we will ensure a continuity of services with or without KCRHA.

We are working towards mayoral concurrence on this resolution.

As soon as a draft is ready in the next few days, my office will be circulating it to all members of this body for initial review in the spirit of transparency, collaboration, and accountability.

As responsible elected leaders, we have a fundamental duty to get people housed and to do right by taxpayers.

In that effort, it is critical that we are all fully informed that we move with diligence, that we have a plan, and that all of us are working on that plan together, deliberately, collaboratively, and transparently.

With that, Councilmember Foster or Councilmember Kettle, thank you both for your collaboration on this.

Please feel free to add anything I may have missed in this update.

And thank you, Council President.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Are there any comments regarding uh Councilmember Warris?

Yeah, I have a question because I went through the report and the information at the mayor's office sent down and the FAQ.

So are you is the timing here?

Because I know there's two deadlines, May 8th and May 23rd.

And May 23rd is when King County Regional Homeless has to respond with a written corrective response.

So are you waiting till after that to do that?

Are you doing it before the 23rd?

It's a good question.

As we map out bringing this through the Human Services Committee, um, the ultimate committee vote on this would happen after that 23rd deadline.

Okay, good.

Because I think we need to let the dust settle a little bit, and I just had a chance to read the um the forensic audit this weekend and then the mayor's and then the talking points and FAQs and what's going on.

Um and then also lining up the dates when um we've gone through three CEOs, and when Dr.

Kittison was actually hired.

And my understanding is the scope of the forensic audit was May 2021 to July 2020 25.

So it's a it's a finite period.

So I just want to make sure, and I like what you said.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink, um, that it isn't knee-jerk, it's not responsive.

You don't want to go out there half-cocked, like we don't know, you know, just can we just all just take a beat, get all the information in, let King County Regional Homeless respond to us what the deficiencies are, what their written corrective plan is, and then let's have a measured response as a collective body back.

So thank you for that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Wars.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yeah, this is more of a question.

Um I I think a bulk of the funding that we provide to them gets passed on to our service providers.

Um and so I guess my you know, primary concern is just you know, those are critically essential services, and just want to make sure that um, you know, that as we take corrective action, that we are also mindful of the impacts to our providers, to the folks that they serve.

I mean, I think that that would um you know potentially we don't want to make a problem even worse.

Um and so I guess I just uh I appreciate you bringing this forward.

I think it it speaks to that concern.

Um but I just think that you know um for me, yes, we have to to address these audit findings, and um we have to make sure that we um are are not making this into a bigger problem by um disrupting all the essential services that that are happening at at the moment.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

Uh Councilmember Kettle.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, thank you.

Um Councilmember Rink.

I I did read the report on Wednesday morning after I received it, and um the briefing on Friday.

Having read the report was very useful, um, very helpful, um, and really brought in the details.

And um and it is damning, it is concerning.

Um but to kind of echo what Councilmember Lynn said, um, we need to be mindful in the sense of like, you know, our team was working the uh two tiny home villages that just stood up in District 5, the Olympic Hills in Lake City.

You know, we have to make sure that the other projects in the pipeline don't get go sideways.

Uh we have to ensure that all these deliverables are being delivered.

And um, and it's really important too to know, and I did this in my statement that we have a regional homelessness problem on the streets of Seattle, and we have to have a regional approach, and um, and we have to be mindful that we have a role and oversight on the regional piece.

And you know, and we have to do a good job to be to be blunt.

There's a lot of focus on KCRHA, but the county and the city have a lot of responsibility on this front, and uh we should be mindful of that um and uh you know and think through that as well.

So um, but the bottom line is we have to get the job done right so that we're building capacity for all the reasons that we need for the individuals themselves, but also as brought up recently for the neighborhoods in crisis as well.

And um, and I think it's really important to be um quick but thorough and mindful of the the impacts if this was to go sideways.

That's my concern.

So we have to do it right.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Are there other comments looking left and right?

Yeah.

Councilmember Foster.

I'm next, so I was just gonna do mine.

Oh, okay.

I I will I will say I do want to thank uh Councilmember Rink for being bringing this forward.

Important to be um quick but thorough and mindful of the the impacts if this was to go sideways that's my concern so we have to do it right uh thank you council president thank you council member kettle are there other comments looking left and right no council member foster I'm next so I was just gonna do mine okay I will I will say I do want to thank uh Councilmember Rink for being bringing this forward I know and and Councilmember Foster I know co-sponsoring it you all sit on the regional homeless authority so really thank you for the work that you all have been doing councilmember Kettle you sat on there last year right and alter oh in alternate okay this year and colleagues I know that we're all disappointed right and we just want to make sure that we do better and none of us want to interrupt some of the service providers that are currently doing this work and figuring out what is the best best pathway forward whatever that is so um I do agree that we need um I like how this is going to be moving through committee and then waiting for the response as you said Councilmember Warez from the King County Regional Homes Authority um to to the audit and some of the deadlines that uh the committee the board has set forth so councilmember Warez so I just want to add this because um just to give some context and particularly for our two council members here who are going to be working on this and this is in their committee now when the King County Regional Homeless Authority was created which I had a hand in as well as where's former mayor harrell in 2019 and was up and running by 2021 I believe you know going back to what you said Councilmember Kettle everyone that's the the whole sensibility of creating it was because everyone recognized that homelessness was regional and Seattle couldn't do it on their own.

So we entered the interlocal agreement with King County but we also got money from the feds and the state and Department of Commerce and I still have not seen the audit that that commerce did I know it's referred to in the plan I just haven't had a chance to pull it up.

I just want the public to recognize that um and I want to thank Councilmember Rink again is that you know having measure for measure moving forward and making sure we have all the facts without disrupting as you were saying the services and the contracts that are still pending um and there are it is pretty egregious but I'm really I want to I'm really gonna be interested in seeing what comes back to us but I think the major point is that we still want to see an institution where we're working countywide to combat homelessness and you know hopefully it isn't you know some of us have been through a um defund movement and I can tell you you don't want to tear something down while you don't have unless you have something else in its place.

So I'm hoping that's what we do.

So thank you.

Thank you Councilmember Juarez uh great segue into council member Foster thank you so much council president um and thank you for that fantastic overview councilmember rink and I will just say I think that's um incredibly well put uh councilmember Juarez uh in terms of ensuring that we're clear around what we need to do next um the other thing I want to highlight that was it was already said but it bears repeating is these audit findings look at a time period from 2021 to 2025 and um again an appreciation to Councilmember Kettle I know that you're an alternate but I do really want to appreciate you for joining and staying the whole time at the meeting and I think it just shows the importance of this this issue and um hopefully the collaborative way that we'll be able to approach it.

So thank you for that.

Going back to the the findings being from 2021 to 2025 one of the first questions that was asked following the presentation of the audit came from King County council member um barone who was asking around whether or not we can provide an exact timeline when in regards to the 8 million in receivables and so uh for folks that I know many of us are watching our read it afterwards were unable at this time from the forensic audit to pinpoint the timeline of that eight million and I do think that's important as we think about like you know I had asked this question when we got our briefing could this have accumulated in 2022 or 2023 or 2024 or 2025 and we don't have the answer to that and part of the reason we don't have the answer to that is one of the most challenging things in the audit is in regards to the existing underlying financial practices and the ability to actually track money coming in money going out and color of money issues more or less so I think it's important that we stay focused on uh how to resolve those and I think it's incredibly important that we in any potential changes do not recreate the same underlying challenges because we've initially made we starting a clock before we know where we're headed so I really appreciated those final comments from you council member Juarez and I will say those have been my principles with this no one is pleased with these audit findings and we also need to make sure that we're really clear about what our policy goals are and putting that up front so thank you and I really want to express my appreciation to Councilmember Rink.

Um it's hard to move from that uh into other items, but I'll just uh share a couple other things uh on that on this same topic.

As a reminder, we will be discussing um potential amendments to the shelter census legislation and this week's land use committee.

I want to appreciate Councilmember Lynn for um putting on a special uh meeting of the land use committee so that we can continue to move this legislation forward.

So thank you so much for doing that.

And um, I will just share colleagues just a couple other bits of information that you may be interested in.

Um I had the opportunity to attend the part of the before the badge training last week with SPD.

I see head nods, maybe maybe folks have already done that.

I'm new, so great.

You already done it.

If you haven't, it it was really fantastic.

Um it was a good opportunity to hear directly from some of the trainers and meet some of the folks who are um who are hoping to serve our city in the future.

So I want to thank the officers and the chief for setting that up and uh allowing me to sort of shadow them that day.

Um, and you know, colleagues, we've also talked here and we've had the mayor's office in uh Len on the uh four million dollars for O'Ira.

You heard about the uh potential partnership with Seattle Foundation.

So I was at a convening last week with Seattle Foundation and several other regional foundations, um, and uh feeling very promising about the opportunity for us to do more together.

So no um no final uh result from that, but just wanted to share.

I heard a lot of positive engagement from some of the regional foundations around how we can work collaboratively to make sure that our resources on um immigration response are well coordinated.

Um and lastly, I did a vehicle outreach ride-along recently, um, which was really helpful.

I know Councilmember Lynn and maybe other council members have done that previously.

Uh, we had the opportunity to go to the Glassyard Commons future location and see that.

Um, talk to some folks who are um living in their their vehicles, and um, and that's an interesting case because this is a contract that's come actually used to be at KCRHA and is actually now back at the City of Seattle.

So it actually gave us an opportunity to um understand a little bit more about what that contracting looks like when it's in-house.

So would recommend that for folks um as well.

That's what I got.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Uh Council are there any questions for Councilmember Foster before I go?

I mean, not I go before Councilmember Juarez goes.

Councilmember Roares.

Thank you.

Uh let's see, I'll be brief.

Uh yes, I will be brief.

But first of all, you guys know it's all storm season started.

I hope you watched a preseason game.

We only lost by two points, but Flo Jay, you saw that, didn't you?

Oh no, you got that girl.

Yes, yeah, okay.

We're all on that as you see.

I'm signing my name now.

DJ Flaget.

Okay.

So let me go through this.

Uh Parks and City Light Committee.

May 6th meeting is canceled, and the schedule licensing agreement is scheduled to be signed on May 12th.

So that's exciting.

Let's see.

Last Wednesday, our team went to the Kraken Community Ice Plex in D5.

Actually, I was there too to help and watch the preschoolers from the REWA ice skating.

We had Lake City Way, Pre-Kay, Beacon Hill, and Martin Luther King folks, kids there, all pre-K.

We have two pre-K schools in D5.

That's the Tony Lee and the Nook.

So a huge thank you to Dr.

Susan Lee, who is the woman that runs all of this programming with Kraken, One Roof Foundation and OVG.

And a big thank you to Anita Zen, senior at the family support and community development director.

Um, as you all know, REWA is a refugee women's alliance, and it provides refugees and immigrants in Puget Sound with wraparound social services.

We've been working with them since 2015.

So I'm really excited to watch their growth in the expansion of their pre-K citywide.

Uh let's see.

Right now, REWA is up to 140 staff members who speak 37 different languages and dialects.

We've been volunteering on this, going up to um the Kraken Community Ice Flix for at least the last four years with all the little kids.

These are all pre-K kids on ice.

It's so cute watching them skate.

Okay.

So on Thursday, the huge shout out to my staff.

I'm gonna say that they're gonna be embarrassed, but Kelly, Kimmy, and Paul.

Uh I had done this with Councilmember Bagshaw, but they volunteered all day from nine in the morning to six at night at the Seattle King County Clinic at the Seattle Center, hosted by the SEAL Center and the Sales Center Foundation.

If you have never done it, do it.

It's wonderful.

I did it a couple times with Councilmember Bagshaw.

And um, they were able to serve over 850 patients that day.

It was four days, April 23rd to the 26th.

Um, and the Seattle King County Clinic brings together health care organizations, civic agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers to produce the largest community-driven health clinic of its kind in the United States, which I'm very proud of.

With the help of thousands of volunteers, this four-day clinic provides free dental vision medical social services to more than 3,000 people who struggle to access andor afford a care each year.

If that is not a testament for Medicare for All, I don't know what is.

So moving on.

Anyway, if you have not um signed up next year, I won't be here.

Well, maybe I will.

I don't know.

Who knows?

A lot could go.

Who knows?

You like that, don't you?

So let's see.

And Friday was a big day, but I couldn't make it.

I really love literacy source.

They're citywide, but they are also in D5.

I had been working with them since 2016.

Uh Kelly, our chief of staff got to attend their annual luncheon.

Um they're located on Lake City Way.

Literacy Source provides accessible, high quality, foundational education for adults to create lasting opportunities for themselves and their families and communities.

Literacy sources run by co-executive directors, Shira, who's amazing, Rosen, and Kat Howell.

Um they have 148 volunteers that help provide over 46,000 hours of small group and in individualized instruction for 882 adult learners.

Um over 50 nations are represented speaking 75 different languages.

I, along with then, Councilmember Gonzalez, um, attended at least three of their graduations.

And these are people coming from different countries that were doctors, lawyers, opposite, I mean, you name it, whatever, but English isn't their first language, and they're coming here to learn English and getting them the computers, getting them in the budget.

And this is these kind of non nonprofit, you know, really heartfelt organizations are trying to do the right thing for the right reasons for the right people without going into marginalized vulnerable language.

These are very powerful people that want to contribute and work in this country and do right.

And so to have these kind of organizations that are there and to watch these graduations and have people move forward is um if you haven't had a chance to go watch go out to Literacy Source or go to one of their graduations.

I would I would really encourage it.

And um that's it.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Are there any questions for Councilmember Juarez?

No, nobody got nobody got any questions.

Awesome.

Councilmember Lynn.

Um so coming up this week in land use committee.

Um we do have the uh shelter legislation uh including some potential amendments uh for briefing.

Uh we also have the Office of Sustainability Environment Um Potential appointment as well as uh just a briefing um from that office about their work, including um this year.

Well, there will be an update to our climate action plan.

Uh so excited to learn more about that.

Um and then just in general, uh been having a lot of community meetings.

Um, public safety has just uh been uh a critical issue for for our district, um, as it has been for a while.

But um uh just a lot of we had a community meeting on North Beacon Hill, uh very well attended, a lot of uh passion uh around issues uh in that neighborhood.

Um unfortunately we also keep hearing um there's been a number of um ongoing gun violence issues down in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.

Um and so also lots of concerns uh from neighborhood from neighbors in that area.

We continue to meet weekly um with principals in that dis uh area with SPD, community passageways, other community partners, um, and hopefully we can share more in the near future.

Um yeah, that's what I have for now.

Thanks.

Awesome.

Thank you, Count.

Is there any questions for Councilmember Lynn?

Awesome.

All right, Councilmember Saka.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, good afternoon.

Our next steps meeting will be next Thursday, May 7th at 9:30 a.m.

Uh on the regional committee fronts.

I will share that last week had the pleasure of attending a joint RTC meeting last Tuesday.

It was a joint meeting more specifically.

It was a joint meeting of the Transportation Economy and Environment Committee with the Regional Transportation Council.

Uh and the discussion focused on preparing for FIFA World Cup.

We explored strategies to ensure our city and our region is prepared, ready for these this exciting times from improving transportation planning and coordination to maximizing public transit during peak demand times.

Uh equally important, we emphasize the need for a system that is accessible, safe, and welcoming for everyone involved.

Uh so it was a great opportunity for me to go to this meeting in person.

It was just across the street at King County Council Chambers.

Great meeting.

Also last week on the regional transportation or regional committee front.

I attended PSRC's executive meeting where last Thursday, where among other things, we approved a regional transportation plan.

It was a multi-year effort that started at the committee level and the transportation policy board and kind of worked its way through, and great to see that one end to end from start to finish.

Glad we're able to approve that exciting plan for our region.

Among other things, we also certified comprehensive plans for Bonnie Lake, Pacific, and Seattle.

So all the work that we do here in council, it matters, and it matters to our regional partners as well.

In the community, I'll share a few select events.

First off, really exciting for me.

Last Thursday, colleagues, was national take your kids to work day.

And that was that's the latest sort of iteration of what used to be national take your daughters to work day.

Um they have since made it gender neutral.

Uh and so I took all three of my kids in the afternoon here to City Hall.

And uh, among other things, it was really exciting to see them run away run around this very chamber with so much joy and excitement and energy running from seat to seat, running back to the council of Dais here.

Yeah, there I've I've never seen so many people so eager to be in Seattle City chain city hall chamber, but it was it was great.

Uh also that same day participated uh alongside our colleague, Councilmember Lynn with uh the the council edition and with Brian Callahan.

Great, great session.

My kids got a tour of the Seattle Channel downstairs as well.

Uh and and so appreciate the entire team at the Seattle Channel for making that such a fun and memorable experience for my kids.

Uh I sadly I asked them how it went from their perspective, or at least because they got to see and watch my my interview portion, and they said, Dad, you are boring.

Um, so I appreciate feedback from uh all of our constituents, uh, especially uh my constituents number one.

Um but it was it was fun times nonetheless.

Also last week, a few other select kind of community events had the honor of participating in a Southwest Youth Alliance panel.

It was a discussion uh that was organized by the Southwest Youth and Family Services to on the important topic of public safety, health, and addiction with our youth.

And it was at Denny International Middle School in West Seattle.

Questions pertain to resources available for families in need of education around things like addiction, vaping and alcohol, uh, how to protect youth from access to drugs, public safety, uh, all of these things in proximity to our schools, um, and then concerns around uh federal immigration and ice.

So honored to join that conversation.

I learned a ton as well.

There are a lot of experts um as well, and special shout out to Denny Middle School principal Mary Ingram, uh, who was also at the event, and she's always a pleasure to be around.

So uh last Friday I also spent the day in South Park and really excited to any time I get a chance to go and check in with that part of my district.

Uh but I met with community leaders at the Duamish River Community Coalition, uh, along with member or community leaders from via communitaria, only in South Park as well.

I also held office hours in the South Park branch of the Seattle Public Library, and it was great to connect with just everyday constituents sharing their concerns and feedback, very enlightening and empowering for me personally.

Umong other things, really looking forward to some cool South Park events coming this summer, including the return of the Duwamish River Festival, uh, and then Sopa Supa as well.

Exciting times.

And finally, I'll share that on Saturday had the pleasure of joining SDOT organized a I think it was the second or third ever.

Don't quote me, but it was a youth transportation summit.

And interact and meet with some of our youth.

And I'll just share, at least from my perspective, the future of transportation policy in our city is bright.

Having had the opportunity to connect with so many of our youth so deeply interested and and even concerned about these really important transportation issues facing us all.

That is it from my perspective.

I welcome any comments, questions, feedback for the good of the order.

If none, I will pass the baton to Councilmember Kittle.

Okay, uh good afternoon, colleagues.

Uh starting off uh public safety committee, our next committee meeting is tomorrow.

And uh on the agenda is public drug use and possession.

I've been having some discussions with um committee members on this.

The focus here is basically aligning for SPD, but also looking on alternative response.

You know, we didn't have that when the legislation was uh written up in 23.

And so I think there's ways to get alignment, and this is should also be seen in partnership with our efforts in alternative response more generally, specifically what looking at the care enabling ordinance, because we need to address the issues as councilmember Lynn was talking about in D2.

In fact, I was I was in Little Saigon this morning enjoying a nice coffee at Hello M, by the way.

Um so I just wanted to uh you know highlight that you know the focus of what we're doing uh in uh public safety committee.

And so again, tomorrow's will be uh public drug use and possession in terms of updating it.

Um separately, along public uh public safety committee.

I think it's important to put out there too.

The uh the next meeting is going to be on May 12th, and there's gonna be two agenda items on that.

First is the Cal Anderson protests here, the Sentinel Review, um, which will be with OIG and SPD, and then um then that will break, and then OIG for the second agenda item will be joined by OPA and CPC for the kind of the annual accountability partners to talk about where we are uh with the accountability partners and um you know and the issues that are facing them and and how they're working together.

They may also, the other two may also speak to the Kale Anderson protests here, but um, but that's the setup, and I think it's important to get that out based on um the the importance of doing the oversight, you know, having these things come up and then having the chance to speak to it.

So uh so that's the next two meetings.

I don't usually do the two, but uh given um the May 12th, well, okay, I'll give you the the next one in May will be uh OEM and others regarding are we ready for the uh World Cup from a emergency preparedness public safety perspective.

All right, uh this week, I already mentioned I was in a little Saigon this morning.

Uh tomorrow, uh OPA, uh Wednesday, Lake Union Dry Dock, very important.

Uh and then uh meeting with OPCD uh related to the downtown regional plan.

Things are working on those fronts too.

Um may not be as visible, but doing that.

Um and uh MSC cruises uh uh based on my district.

I meet with a lot of cruise lines and uh between 66 and 91, the piers and all that, and what we have going on, and uh it's a great opportunity to understand what's happening.

By the way, if you've not been down there when they're offloading and onloading a cruise ship, you should it's a logistical marvel.

And I've seen a lot of onloads and offloads, usually aircraft carriers, but the case with the cruise ships, it's incredible.

And the partnership between the seaport and the airport is also incredible.

This comes up, you know, between that and electrification of the of the of the piers, but the idea that you check your bags at the pier, and then they end up where you need to be, you know, when you land, uh, is incredible.

But these pieces are so important to our our city, and so getting these updates and getting this insight is really important.

Uh Thursday, uh Evergreen Goodwill, uh, followed by the fire department's uh awards ceremony, luncheon.

Um, and then I'll be going into Magnolia, technically in D6, but uh Catherine Blaine, but some of those students are in the D7 part of Magnolia.

Uh speaking to uh the uh you know the you know the civics and the issues uh for that's a K through eight school uh there in Magnolia and then Union Arts Center uh later on Thursday.

Um Friday kind of hinted at, and uh I've been spending a lot of quality time in D2, but this time we'll be a Rainier Beach uh public safety walk.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

And I'll follow that up with the Jewish family services and their community of caring uh luncheon.

Uh JFS does a lot of great work uh for the community.

Uh next week uh FIFA World Cup 26.

I have a meeting on that.

It's really important.

Um meeting with the interim superintendent of parks, uh SPR, uh meeting with the uh 74, you know, different pieces, the Hope Factory on Thursday.

Um, you know, the District 7 neighborhood council will be on Friday of next week, uh, in addition to some additional meetings with Queen Anne Community Council.

Anyways, lots going on in community.

And uh the one thing I just wanted to note too, in terms of last week.

Um I attended the Magnolia Community Council last Tuesday where they had the West Precinct captain there along with the crime prevention officer, and it was a great conversation in terms of the issues that Magnolia is facing and also what they can do as a community, both in terms of like a residential block watch, but as a community, what the village can do and the connections and the pieces that they can do.

I I think it's important for the neighborhoods to realize that they don't have to be passive.

They can be engaging, and there's great ways to do so.

And uh, and I'm looking to promote that within District 7 uh and obviously in many ways.

Um to close, I'm gonna go into the sports uh piece, piggybacking off council member Warz.

Uh yes, go storm and uh Joao Boudia, Toulamon, Regardless Sport Feminine.

We're uh for those who go to the to the storm games, you often see the shirts.

You know, everyone watches women's sports.

Uh I do like the French version.

Um but also Go Mariners, four straight wins, uh only a game and a half out.

Um obviously on the hockey side, the crack in the torrent, a little different.

Um but we have the Sounders.

By the way, I just have to note too my Manchester United won today as a quick on the soccer football front.

But um I'm just doing this on my own.

I've not talked to anybody on the seventh floor like the mayor, but I have Roger Dup and said I will participate in the elected soccer football match.

So I'm wondering if I'm gonna be alone uh from the city council.

So anyways, um I'm not sure if the seventh floor has been told yet.

Um I said yes, uh schedules dependent.

Um but uh here you go for those watching upstairs.

And and a challenge to my colleagues, you look like I'm in.

Okay.

Councilmember Lynn's in.

Soccer too.

Soccer is oh yeah, uh I plan to participate, subject to the schedule, of course, but uh as well.

But I just had a quick comment on something else, if I may.

Uh so thank you, Councilmember Kettle for calling out the importance of our of the cruise industry to our city um and our local economy.

I know that the the hub of those operations definitely sit within your district.

Uh, but you know, my my district borders our our maritime, our critical maritime and industrial lands as well.

And um uh a lot of our longshoremen actually live in my district, and those the cruise ship industry helps support uh local union jobs.

The longshoremen do a lot of that work um the uh in terms of supplying the cruise ships uh as well.

So thank you for for calling out the importance of our our cruise industry.

Council President.

Just to uh to highlight that one point, uh the two points.

Yes, the you know the union that it's incredible again.

You have to go down there and watch it, it's incredible.

But you know, the fact that we're a home port, because oftentimes cruise ships will go to different ports around the world, up and down the coast and so forth, and are stopping in.

But because we're a home port, the logistical bringing on the provisions, that's locally done, and that is a huge economic benefit to our uh city.

So the so we're in a different tier when it comes to this, and that's something that we should be mindful of and protect and promote.

And uh one reason why I bring it up.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka, for for uh jumping in because the maritime piece is obviously throughout uh districts one, six, and seven.

Thank you.

Final thing I'll say is when you started speaking French, for some reason I got to thinking of that that famous key and peel sketch sketch where if it's a French, check it out.

It's hilarious.

I won't try to speak French ever.

Um thank you, Councilmember Kettle and Councilmember Saka, Councilmember Rink.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you for the updates.

Councilmember Kettle.

I just wanted to take a brief moment to say I'm very pleased to hear that the Sentinel Review will be heard in committee.

Um I know there's a lot of community curiosity about that report, so I want to just voice my appreciation to you, as chair, for making time in committee to give that the airtime it needs.

So thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Awesome.

All right, colleagues.

I'll wrap it up.

I'll be super quick.

The governance utilities committee will meet on May the 14th at 9 30 a.m.

This is just a reminder.

We meet once a month every second Thursday of every month, and we get a lot of work done in committee.

We're gonna have the stormwater code.

It will have a possible vote.

So please get your briefing on that, colleagues, because we're gonna be moving through that.

Um and then we are working we are working on more agenda items as well.

So it's gonna fill up fairly quickly.

Uh last but not least, regional wise, uh last week had the King County uh flood control district meeting.

Um so we all sit on different regional committee meetings from the regional transportation committee to the King County uh regional homeless to Board of Health to uh regional water quality committee to the floodplain.

I mean you just it goes on and on.

There's a lot of regional committees that we sit on in addition to the committees that we have here in council.

Um are there council member foster?

I think you so just there you go.

I know I'm working on the thank you so much, Council President.

I just two quick comments.

Um, Councilmember Wara's my office is emailing you a link to those audits so that you will have the ones from the state.

So heard you done.

And uh Council President, you mentioned in committee a few weeks ago, you gave us a quick update.

Um, I believe it was on the regional water quality committee about some concerns that you had regarding potential rate increases.

Have there been hate to put you on the spot, but any updates on that?

Yeah, great question.

Not yet.

So uh a letter was sent from um board members to King County, or to the executive, excuse me, to the executive of King County and Grma Um Councilmember Zahali uh asking them saying, Hey, you know, we need a different plan to move forward, you know.

What are some other options that you all are considering for them to look at you know all different perspectives, um, but also to really understand that you know increasing the 12.9 percent for the next five to six years was just very hard for us to a hard pill to swallow.

Um, and then just the impact that that would have on uh unfortunately on the ratepayers of Seattle and King County as well.

So everyone's concerned about it.

I know the executive's concerned, I meant everyone is concerned, right, with these rate increases and and wanting to find a better uh solution forward.

So we don't have any updates yet, but it's something that we're monitoring closely.

I know Councilmember Lynn and I both sit on that uh committee.

Last year we had Councilmember Kettle, but he had a conflict, so Councilmember Lynn uh raised his hand and said he would love to be on the committee.

So thank you.

Thank you for that, Councilmember Lynn.

Um so I don't have any updates, but trust me, I'm gonna be bringing the updates uh about it because it's important.

Thank you for sure.

Because it impacts 20% of your water bill.

If you're at home, 20% of your water bill is from King County.

People don't know that because sometimes it's not parsoned out, but it is part of your bill.

Seattle Public Utilities does wastewater.

We do uh sewer garbage, all that, and the wastewater we pay King County um to be able to do our wastewater and treat it before it goes out into the sound or wherever it goes.

And a part of this is the rate increase to that, which impacts your Seattle Public Utilities bill.

On a side note before I end, um, because I know we talked about everything that we do, but I will say this interesting fact, which is kind of cool.

I had a chance to go to the South Umfer Station for Seattle Public Utilities.

I think it's in Councilmember Saka's district.

Every day from our North Transfer station and our south transfer station, the city removes 55 40 foot shipping containers of garbage every day.

That's about a mile long of tra every day, seven days a week, and we send it to Oregon, and they take our trash every single day.

Oh, everybody knows that.

Anyways, but it goes on a train, it goes in these 40-foot container shipping containers, they take it down to the rail.

They're constantly, it's like a constant clockwork, and that is shipped off to Oregon.

So I thought it was something that's very the amount of waste that we have.

But check this out we have less waste 2026 than we did like in the 50s, just because of how more people recycle.

We have better, we don't, you know, just dump it.

We had landfills like Rayner Beach, Pritchard Beach was a landfill, Judkins Park was a land.

There's a lot of landfills that were all throughout Seattle, and now we just have a better process.

So think about that.

That seems like a lot of waste.

Can you imagine there was more in the 50s and 60s?

Interesting.

So, anyways, that I'll end with that.

Councilmember Kettle, then Councilmember Foster.

I would just wanted if I hear about the South Transfer Station, I have to think about Professor Gale at the Evans School at UW.

And uh because she was instrumental creating that, and it was basically a case study as we went through the school.

And so I just have to give a little shout out to her uh on that for her work.

Um and whoever did the north too.

But the south was uh mainly uh her work.

So the South and Councilmember Saka's district takes two-thirds of all of the city's garbage, by the way.

Good work.

Uh I random facts.

Councilmember Foster.

I can't okay.

This is not let it be known, Council President.

That's no notes there.

I'm just hearing just all the facts.

Um I just wanted to quickly say, just as a piggyback, we received the SPU Clean Cities report today.

Um so if we haven't, I know we're talking about what's going through our existing transfer stations, but um that report um I got a chance to skim it because it got sent over recently.

But just want to highlight that on this conversation because it talks to us about illegal dumping.

And I don't sit on that committee, however, it's something that um I have an interest in.

I think many of us do as we're working to make sure that we have a city that's clean and functional for all our residents.

So highlighted reading.

All right, thank you.

That's all I got.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Is there any more uh information or any other comments for good of the order?

Awesome.

Well, guess what, y'all?

It is 1255 under an hour.

Councilmember Warez, you want me to keep talking for five minutes?

No, I'm just fine.

All right, thank you.

She's all right, we are done.

This meeting's adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.