OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Seattle City Council Meeting - May 5, 2026: Public Comment, Consent Calendar, and OSE Director Confirmation

City Council — Tuesday, May 5, 2026
BodySeattle, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:30:55

Transcript — Verbatim
0:16

Awesome.

0:17

Good afternoon.

0:18

Thank you all for coming to the May 5th, 2026 meeting of the Seattle City Council.

0:22

It will come to order.

0:23

It is 202 p.m.

0:24

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President.

0:26

Will the clerk please call the roll?

0:28

Councilmember Len.

0:30

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Rink.

0:33

Present.

0:35

Councilmember Rivara.

0:36

Present.

0:38

Councilmember Saka.

0:39

Here.

0:41

Councilmember Strauss.

0:42

Here.

0:44

Councilmember Foster.

0:47

Give her one secur one second.

0:49

Go ahead and say her name again, please.

0:51

Councilmember Foster.

0:53

Here.

0:54

Councilmember Juarez.

0:57

Councilmember Kettle.

0:59

Here.

1:00

Council President Hollings for here.

1:02

Eight present.

1:04

Uh thank you.

1:05

Please.

1:05

Uh for the record, Councilmember Warz is excused from today's meeting.

1:08

Colleagues, at this time, we're going to open up the hybrid public comment period.

1:12

Public comment is limited to items on today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar in the council's work program.

1:19

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

1:24

Speaker, how many sorry, Clerk, how many speakers did we have signed up today.

1:34

I know that we have one, two, three.

1:36

We have four online virtually as we're taking account.

1:42

16.

1:43

16 in person plus four online is 20.

1:46

So every speaker is going to get two minutes.

1:49

Clerk, I will now hand it over to you to read the directions.

1:54

Speakers will be called in the order in which they are registered.

1:57

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

2:01

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

2:10

Awesome.

2:11

Well, we will start.

2:14

So first five people can start coming up.

2:16

We have Ruth, followed by Joe Cox, Miss Carolyn Malone.

2:21

We have Taylor, and then we have Mickey.

2:23

So we have Ruth is up first, followed by Joe, then Carolyn, Taylor, and then Mickey.

2:31

Oh, hello.

2:32

Welcome.

2:33

Ruth, followed by Joe, Carolyn, Taylor, and Mickey.

2:37

So I don't know if you're gonna let me speak because I was not aware of this policy about I don't I'm I'm want to talk about zoning, of course.

2:44

So I'm not allowed.

2:46

Which zone?

2:47

Yeah, yeah.

2:47

Yes, you can.

2:48

Yeah, absolutely.

2:49

All right.

2:50

Okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment██████████████████████████████30%
Civil Rights█████████████████████21%
Public Safety████████████████████20%
Procedural████████8%
Technology and Innovation████████8%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
LGBTQ Rights███3%
Public Transit██2%
Land Use and Zoning█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Seattle City Council Meeting - May 5, 2026

The Seattle City Council convened on May 5, 2026, at 2:02 PM in Council Chambers, with Council President Joy Hollingsworth presiding. Councilmember Debora Juarez was excused. The meeting included a lengthy public comment period, approval of the consent calendar, confirmation of Lylianna Allala as Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment, and discussion of a letter to King County regarding sewer rates. The meeting adjourned at 3:33 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of April 28, 2026 (Min 566) – Adopted unanimously (8-0).
  • Council Bill 121203 – An ordinance appropriating money to pay certain claims for the week of April 20–24, 2026, and ratifying prior acts. Passed unanimously (8-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

Twenty speakers addressed the council (16 in person, 4 online). Key positions included:

  • Ruth Dight – Argued that proposed zoning is inconsistent with comprehensive plan policies; urged upzoning to support affordable housing.
  • Joe Cox – Raised public safety concerns about amplified sound systems outside T-Mobile Park, citing decibel levels exceeding OSHA limits; requested city action.
  • Carolyn Malone – Criticized council for not meeting with her on housing and police issues; alleged differential treatment by building security.
  • Taylor Legore (Seattle DSA) – Detailed community efforts to protect against ICE (e.g., rapid response formations, immigration court accompaniment); demanded a permanent ban on ICE detention centers and removal of surveillance cameras.
  • Mickey – Expressed frustration that council has not acted on Flock cameras used by ICE or provided resources for police violence victims; criticized expansion of AI.
  • Sadiq Daniels – Demanded removal of ICE cameras and a permanent ban on detention centers.
  • Jim Baines (American Party of Labor) – Opposed mayor's expansion of AI across city departments, citing risks of misidentification, data leaks, and negative impact on police judgment.
  • Ken Lapp (American Party of Labor) – A former FEMA employee argued AI has no place in government due to unreliability and security risks, referencing Microsoft Azure's data breach.
  • Bennett Haselton – Satirically addressed council language and criticized helicopter noise restrictions at Seattle Children's Hospital.
  • Alice Green – Supported Lylianna Allala's appointment but warned against AI and nuclear reactors; urged permanent ICE detention ban.
  • Ed Sun – Called for restorative justice and police accountability, including opening archives; opposed increased police budgets.
  • Zainab Obaud – Demanded an end to ICE surveillance and a permanent ban on detention centers; cited cases of ICE targeting individuals for speech.
  • Long Nguyen (Labor Militant) – Demanded permanent ICE detention ban, removal of surveillance cameras, municipal IDs, eviction moratorium, community control of police, and $123 million cut from police budget for free healthcare.
  • Keondray Lucas – Warned of protests during World Cup due to police brutality; asked Councilmember Rinck to hold a town hall on police killings.
  • Guinevere Dinsmore – Urged radical legal pushback against federal ICE actions; argued data from cameras is accessible to federal agencies.
  • Jonathan Toledo (Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression) – Demanded identification of officers involved in killings of Christian Nelson and Jack Pelay; announced a march on May 25.
  • Sonya Herrera Perez (same alliance) – Called for police accountability, release of officer names, and community control of police.
  • Em Smith (Labor Militant / Seattle DSA) – Criticized council for only passing a one-year ICE detention ban; demanded permanent ban, municipal IDs, eviction moratorium, and public ownership of housing.
  • Silas James – Asked council to cancel contracts with Axon for surveillance cameras and real-time crime center, citing lack of evidence for crime reduction and risk of aiding deportations.
  • Summer Miller (Labor Militant / DSA) – Criticized Democrats for increasing police budget by $123 million since George Floyd; demanded permanent ICE detention ban, free transit funded by taxing Amazon; asked council to commit publicly.
  • Jason Thiel (Labor Militant / DSA) – Condemned council for failing to support permanent ICE detention ban; called for independent socialist candidates to replace Democrats.
  • Howard Gale – Criticized OIG report on Capitol Hill police riot as whitewashing; cited body camera footage showing officer stating "we are here to f*** people up."
  • Gwendolyn Hart (Labor Militant / DSA) – Urged permanent ICE ban; asked council members directly to state support – no one answered.
  • Steve Leigh (Seattle Revolutionary Socialists) – Called for revolution and redirecting funds from AI and surveillance to healthcare, housing, education.
  • Alan Wheaton (Seattle Revolutionary Socialists) – Encouraged permanent ICE ban while expressing skepticism about council's sincerity.
  • Justice Wornum – Warned of class war and economic collapse; urged general strike on May 1, 2028.
  • Nathan Wall – Opposed AI and urged ban on AI data centers; played video of NYPD officer disparaging elected officials.
  • Yvette Dinish – Expressed support for police and law and order; challenged activists to become sentinels.
  • Aaron Tulloch (FMS Global Strategies) – Urged decorum and respect toward council.
  • Rose Legionaires (online) – Raised concerns about transgender healthcare access; warned of influx of refugees from Idaho bathroom ban; requested city resources.
  • Joe Kunzler (online) – Condemned anti-Semitism at recent protests; urged council to address violence and support sound transit values.
  • David Haines (online) – Questioned $19 million payment to SoftBank, Workday, and Deloitte; cited multiple recent violent incidents as more pressing than federal issues.
  • Melissa Howard (R Seattle) – Disputed media narrative supporting increased surveillance; argued real public safety requires community investment, not cameras; urged canceling Axon contracts.
  • Castill Hightower – Sister of Herbert Hightower Jr. killed by police; accused Councilmembers Rinck, Foster, Lin, and Hollingsworth of breaking promises to create resources for victims of police violence.

Discussion Items

  • Appointment of Lylianna Allala as Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment – Councilmember Lin presented the committee report, noting overwhelming community support. Councilmember Rivera also expressed support. The appointment was confirmed by a vote of 8-0.
  • King County Sewer Rate Letter – Council President Hollingsworth discussed a letter to King County urging a measured rate increase (proposed 12.75% increase, council requested 10.75%). Councilmember Kettle noted planning process issues and SPU best practices. Seven councilmembers (all except Kettle) agreed to sign the letter.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar – Adopted unanimously (8-0).
  • Introduction and Referral Calendar (IRC 522) – Adopted unanimously (8-0).
  • Appointment of Lylianna Allala – Confirmed as Director of OSE (8-0).
  • King County Sewer Rate Letter – Signed by 7 councilmembers (Foster, Hollingsworth, Lin, Rinck, Rivera, Saka, Strauss); Councilmember Kettle did not sign but expressed support.
  • No items removed from consent calendar; no other resolutions adopted.

Meeting Transcript

Awesome. Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming to the May 5th, 2026 meeting of the Seattle City Council. It will come to order. It is 202 p.m. I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Len. Here. Councilmember Rink. Present. Councilmember Rivara. Present. Councilmember Saka. Here. Councilmember Strauss. Here. Councilmember Foster. Give her one secur one second. Go ahead and say her name again, please. Councilmember Foster. Here. Councilmember Juarez. Councilmember Kettle. Here. Council President Hollings for here. Eight present. Uh thank you. Please. Uh for the record, Councilmember Warz is excused from today's meeting. Colleagues, at this time, we're going to open up the hybrid public comment period. Public comment is limited to items on today's agenda, the introduction and referral calendar in the council's work program. The council cannot accept comments on quadzi judicial items or campaign related matters. Speaker, how many sorry, Clerk, how many speakers did we have signed up today. I know that we have one, two, three. We have four online virtually as we're taking account. 16. 16 in person plus four online is 20. So every speaker is going to get two minutes. Clerk, I will now hand it over to you to read the directions. Speakers will be called in the order in which they are registered. Speakers will hear a time when 10 seconds are left of their time. Speakers' mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker. Awesome. Well, we will start. So first five people can start coming up. We have Ruth, followed by Joe Cox, Miss Carolyn Malone. We have Taylor, and then we have Mickey. So we have Ruth is up first, followed by Joe, then Carolyn, Taylor, and then Mickey. Oh, hello.

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