OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

May 13, 2026 Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee: Arts Districts Approved, Social Housing Charter Briefed

City Council — Wednesday, May 13, 2026
BodySeattle, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, May 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 57:43
Transcript — Verbatim
0:17

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

0:20

Um the May 13th, 2026 meeting of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee will come to order.

0:26

It is 202 p.m.

0:27

I'm Dion Foster, Chair of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee.

0:31

Will the committee clerk please call the roll?

0:33

Council President Hollingsworth.

0:35

Council President Hollingsworth.

0:37

I'm here.

0:38

Councilmember Juarez.

0:39

Here.

0:40

Councilmember Rink.

0:42

Present.

0:42

Vice Chair Lynn.

0:44

Present.

0:45

And Chair Foster.

0:47

Thank you, Clerk.

0:48

Clerk, will you please call Vice Chair Lynn one more time?

0:52

Vice Chair Lynn.

0:53

President.

0:53

Right.

0:54

There are four five members present.

0:56

Thank you so much.

0:57

All right.

0:58

If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

1:02

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

1:04

We will now open the hybrid public comment period.

1:07

Public comments should relate to items on today's agenda or within the purview of this committee.

1:11

Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today?

1:14

Currently we have eight in-person speakers, and there are two remote speakers.

1:19

Okay, fantastic.

1:22

So with that number of speakers, each speaker will have two minutes.

1:26

We will start with in-person speakers first.

1:29

Clerk, can you please read the public public comment instructions?

1:33

The public comment period is up to 60 minutes.

1:35

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

1:38

We'll begin with in-person speakers and then move to remote speakers.

1:41

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

1:44

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

1:50

The public comment period is now open.

1:52

We'll begin with the first speaker on the list.

1:54

And the first speaker is Sharon Nyrie Williams, and she'll be followed by Melissa Palehorpe.

2:03

Good afternoon.

2:05

Thanks for having me.

2:06

So many friendly faces.

2:07

Hey Auntie Warez.

2:09

Hey girl.

2:10

Hi, I would like to speak on behalf of the arts and cultural districts, Georgetown and Columbia Hillman.

2:19

As well.

2:20

I have been a I am the leader, a co-chair of the historic central area arts and cultural district.

2:26

And I don't have to tell you, you know that arts is everywhere and we do everything, but we also the holders as arts and cultural districts of the past and the present.

2:37

The central district was started, the arts and cultural district for the central area was started in the midst of gentrification.

2:45

Everything, everybody was moving out, and we were asked to hold that space to hold on to our past while moving into our future.

2:52

Georgetown, Columbia Georgetown, you could say they're not already an arts and cultural district.

2:58

When you hit the block, come on now.

3:00

And when you hit Coleman and uh in Hillman City, Columbia City and Hillman, you like, wait a minute, this is nothing but arts and culture.

3:08

So I would like to say on behalf of the historic central area arts and cultural district, please vote yes for these districts because it's not just about making art or creating art, it's about bringing community together in different kind of ways, bringing arts, bringing business, uh, being the liaison between the Office of Arts and Culture to our districts and saving what we know makes Seattle the best place in the world to live, and that's arts and culture and its people and community.

3:34

So thank you very much.

3:38

I'll give back the rest of my time.

3:39

How about that?

3:40

See ya later.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Arts And Culture█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Housing█████████████████████████████32%
Affordable Housing██████7%
Procedural█████5%
Public Safety███3%
Economic Development██2%
Public Comment█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee Meeting – May 13, 2026

The Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee of the Seattle City Council met on May 13, 2026, from 2:02 PM to 3:00 PM, chaired by Councilmember Dionne Foster. All five members were present. The committee voted unanimously to recommend adoption of two resolutions creating official Arts and Cultural Districts in Georgetown and Columbia Hillman City. Members also received a briefing on proposed charter changes for the Seattle Social Housing Developer, with a future vote scheduled after a final technical revision by the developer's board.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Sharon Nyrie Williams (co-chair, historic central area arts and cultural district) spoke in favor of both arts district designations, emphasizing their role in preserving community and culture.
  • Melissa Palehorpe (Watershed Community Development) supported the Georgetown arts district, noting it would help integrate affordable housing for artists and workers in a neighborhood with 2,900 housing units for 29,000 workers.
  • Kira Jane Hobson (president and co-founder, Georgetown Association of Arts and Culture) supported the designation, highlighting Georgetown's thriving creative economy and the upcoming Watershed affordable housing project.
  • Virginia Wright (gallery owner) expressed support for Georgetown's designation and looked forward to its impact.
  • Heather Carney (chair, Georgetown Community Council) encouraged the committee to approve the Georgetown arts district, noting the arts are already deeply woven into the neighborhood.
  • Nathan Wall (resident) supported arts district investment in the South End and also raised a civil rights concern about consistency in enforcing free speech protections at council meetings.
  • Tiffany McCoy (interim CEO, Social Housing Developer) spoke in favor of the proposed charter changes, highlighting four key modifications: allowing buildings as collateral for debt, enabling commercial condo space for community organizations with safeguards (right of first refusal and index pricing), ensuring current renters' commission appointees serve their terms, and delaying resident governance until bylaws are established.
  • Jeff Paul (interim co-executive director, House Our Neighbors) fully supported the charter changes, noting the organization that wrote the original charter worked closely with the developer and Councilmember Foster's office to ensure the changes align with the voter-approved vision.
  • Deborah Braz (director, Georgetown Business Association and sculptor) voiced support for Georgetown's arts district designation, citing its economic and social impact and inviting council members to the Georgetown Carnival on June 13.
  • Sarah Everett (treasurer, Uptown Arts District and artist) supported both Georgetown and Columbia Hillman City designations, noting Georgetown's active participation in citywide arts district meetings.
  • David Haynes (remote speaker) opposed the social housing charter changes, alleging they would benefit politically connected developers and undermine the original intent of I-135.

Discussion Items

1. Georgetown Arts and Cultural District (Res 32201) The committee received a presentation from Kelly Davidson (deputy director) and Pinky Estell (cultural space project manager) of the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. They outlined the district's features: community-led coalition (Georgetown Association of Arts and Culture, formed 2023, now a nonprofit), key landmarks, and economic impact (creative sector earned over $6 million in revenue in 2025). The district would receive about $25,000 in annual city funding, with the total arts district program budget at $110,000. A comparison with San Francisco's model (10 districts, $3 million annually) was provided. Chair Foster acknowledged the community's six years of effort and the neighborhood's unique character. No additional questions were asked by committee members. The committee voted 5–0 to recommend adoption.

2. Columbia Hillman City Arts and Cultural District (Res 32200) This resolution reconfirms a district that had been operating without formal legislative approval since 2018. The same presenters noted the district's work acquiring buildings and activating alleyways along Rainier Avenue. The committee voted 5–0 to recommend adoption.

3. Social Housing Developer Charter Changes (Information Item) Jennifer LaBrecque (Council Central Staff) briefed the committee on proposed amendments to the charter created by Initiative 135 (passed February 2023). The Social Housing Developer Board recommended most changes in May 2026 and will vote on one final technical tweak (revisions to the definitions section) on May 21, 2026. The charter changes include:

  • Allowing formation of single-purpose entities (LLCs) while retaining control.
  • Enabling cross-subsidization of building revenues across developments.
  • Permitting use of property as collateral for debt (addressing bank concerns about foreclosing on perpetually owned properties).
  • Allowing condominiumization and sale of commercial portions of buildings, with a right of first refusal and resale price limits.
  • Clarifying transition from renters commission-appointed board members to resident constituency-appointed members, and removing the requirement for constituency to select an independent auditor (the state auditor already performs this role).

Councilmember Juarez noted the summary and fiscal note erroneously listed a May 21 board meeting that had not yet occurred. LaBrecque confirmed the mistaken date but said the technical change is expected without issues. Councilmember Hollingsworth clarified that, under a resolution, the council can only adopt or reject the board's recommended changes; any further amendments would require a new ordinance. Councilmember Rink expressed support, noting the developer's progress and nationwide interest in Seattle's social housing model. No vote was taken; the item will return for discussion and possible vote on June 2, 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Res 32201 (Georgetown Arts District): Committee recommended adoption by a vote of 5–0. The resolution will be sent to the full City Council for consideration on May 19, 2026.
  • Res 32200 (Columbia Hillman City Arts District): Committee recommended adoption by a vote of 5–0. Also scheduled for full council on May 19, 2026.
  • Social Housing Developer Charter Changes: Briefing received; the item will be introduced at the June 2, 2026 Introduction and Referral Committee, followed by a discussion and potential committee vote on June 10, 2026, and a full council vote on June 16, 2026. The final charter version will only be effective if the board approves the technical definitional change on May 21, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good afternoon, everyone. Um the May 13th, 2026 meeting of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee will come to order. It is 202 p.m. I'm Dion Foster, Chair of the Housing Arts and Civil Rights Committee. Will the committee clerk please call the roll? Council President Hollingsworth. Council President Hollingsworth. I'm here. Councilmember Juarez. Here. Councilmember Rink. Present. Vice Chair Lynn. Present. And Chair Foster. Thank you, Clerk. Clerk, will you please call Vice Chair Lynn one more time? Vice Chair Lynn. President. Right. There are four five members present. Thank you so much. All right. If there is no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted. We will now open the hybrid public comment period. Public comments should relate to items on today's agenda or within the purview of this committee. Clerk, how many speakers are signed up today? Currently we have eight in-person speakers, and there are two remote speakers. Okay, fantastic. So with that number of speakers, each speaker will have two minutes. We will start with in-person speakers first. Clerk, can you please read the public public comment instructions? The public comment period is up to 60 minutes. Speakers will be called in the order in which they are registered. We'll begin with in-person speakers and then move to remote speakers. Speakers will hear a chime 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 in the next speaker. The public comment period is now open. We'll begin with the first speaker on the list. And the first speaker is Sharon Nyrie Williams, and she'll be followed by Melissa Palehorpe. Good afternoon. Thanks for having me. So many friendly faces. Hey Auntie Warez. Hey girl. Hi, I would like to speak on behalf of the arts and cultural districts, Georgetown and Columbia Hillman. As well. I have been a I am the leader, a co-chair of the historic central area arts and cultural district. And I don't have to tell you, you know that arts is everywhere and we do everything, but we also the holders as arts and cultural districts of the past and the present.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com