Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee Meeting - May 5, 2026
Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee Meeting - May 5, 2026
The Seattle City Council's Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee met on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 9:31 a.m. in Council Chamber, City Hall, under the chairmanship of Councilmember Dan Strauss. The meeting covered three main agenda items: a review of the Centennial Accord, a briefing and vote on legislation related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and a briefing on the appointment of Dwight D. Dively as Director of Finance. The meeting adjourned at 11:28 a.m.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joe Kunzler (registered drone pilot) spoke in strong support of the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS) grant program, emphasizing the need for strict enforcement of airspace restrictions around stadiums during the World Cup. He highlighted his qualifications and urged the city to ensure safety for all air and ground participants.
- A second registrant, David Haynes, was not present.
Discussion Items
- Review of the Centennial Accord (Inf 2887): Gordon James (Washington State Governor's Office of Indian Affairs) and Francesca Murnan (City Tribal Relations Director) provided a historical overview and current update on the state's government-to-government framework with federally recognized tribes. Topics included the 1989 Centennial Accord, the 1999 Millennium Agreement, implementation guidelines, agency tribal liaisons, training programs, and the recent Governor's Executive Order 2510 (October 2025). Councilmember Strauss asked about lessons from early implementation and the structure of tribal liaison roles. The discussion emphasized continuous improvement, public education, and annual reporting.
- Council Bill 121201 – 2026 FIFA World Cup Funding: Presenters from multiple city departments outlined the acceptance of $18.1 million from three sources: (1) $1 million contribution agreement with SeattleFWC26 for enhanced city services, (2) $15 million in federal/state grants for safety and security (covering overtime, equipment, training for SPD, SFD, SDOT, Seattle IT, Seattle Center, CARE, OEM), and (3) $2.1 million federal CUAS grant for drone threat detection and mitigation (equipment prohibited). An amendment (Amendment 1) to increase Seattle Center's appropriation by $2,000 (from $432,000 to $434,522) was presented and adopted. Councilmembers discussed policing mutual aid costs, cybersecurity preparedness, and the integration of CCTV and camera technologies. Councilmember Kettle and Vice Chair Hollingsworth noted the importance of surveillance tools for public safety. The bill was fully discussed and approved.
- Appointment of Dwight D. Dively as Director of Finance (Appt 03468): Mark Ellerbrook (Mayor's Office) presented the nominee, noting Dively's extensive experience (16 years as city finance director, 16 years at King County, and teaching at UW). Dively gave a brief background and noted he would respond to written questions by week's end. The committee discussed his qualifications; no vote was taken. A special meeting was scheduled for May 15, 2026, to vote on the appointment.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: None.
- Council Bill 121201 (World Cup Funding): The committee recommended passage to the full City Council as amended, with a vote of 5–0 (Strauss, Hollingsworth, Kettle, Saka, Rivera) after adopting Amendment 1 (5–0).
- Appointment: No vote taken; will be considered at a special meeting on May 15, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
- Next Steps: The committee will also address the 2025 exceptions ordinance and 2026 carry forward ordinances at the May 15 special meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. The May 5th Finance Native Communities and Tribal Governments Committee will come to order. It is 9 31 a.m. I'm Dan Strauss, Chair of the Committee. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Kettle here. Council President Hollingsworth. One moment. Joining us a panelist right now. Okay. You can keep keep rolling and come back to her. Uh Councilmember Saka. Morning. Here. Vice Chair Rivera. Chair Strauss. Here. And just one more time, Council President Hollingsworth. Present. We uh Council Member Rivera is excused until she arrives. That's for present. Uh one excused. Thank you. Uh good morning. Uh we have three items on today's agenda. We have a presentation on the centennial accord. At our last meeting, we had a little bit of preparation from Francesca. And we also have a briefing and likely vote on legislation related to the FIFA World Cup, as well as the first of two meetings for the appointment of Dwight Dively as director of the Office of City Finance. If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted. We'll now open the in-person and remote public comment. And I see Count Vice Chair Rivera is present. I am not seeing anyone signed up in person. Can you confirm, Anthony? No one in person. And we do have two folks signed up, but we have Joe Kunzler talking about the Joan grant, the drone grant, and David Haynes about the agenda. So with that, we will move into the hybrid public comment period. Public comments should relate to items on the day's agenda. We have two speakers remotely signed up. So folks will have two minutes each. Start with the online public commenters. Up to this period is up to 60 minutes. Speakers will be called in the order in which they registered, and speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left of their allotted time. So with that, the public comment period is now open. We will start with Joe Kunzler, who is president, and then David Haynes, you are not yet present. So when you've got about two and a half minutes to join us with that. Joe, welcome. And we are promoting you right now, Joe. Okay, good. We got me unmuted.
openpublica.com