Is my microphone on?

Yes.

Awesome.

Good afternoon, everyone.

The June 2nd meeting of the Seattle City Council will come to order.

It is 204 p.m.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, your council president.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Saka.

Here.

Councilmember Strauss.

Councilmember Foster.

Here.

Councilmember Warez.

Councilmember Kettle.

Here.

Councilmember Lynn.

Here.

Council Member Rink.

Present.

Councilmember Rivera.

Council President Hollinsworth.

I'm present.

Awesome.

So colleagues, first of all, thank you.

Thank you, everyone, for being with us today.

I know we have a very hefty agenda, and usually how we start our meetings is by proclamations.

So we have two proclamations that we will be presenting today.

That is the proclamation we're presenting today.

Yes.

And we are so lucky and grateful to have his family here today.

I'm honored to uh join my colleagues.

We all, this is a this is a full council presenting this proclamation today.

I will say a few words and then I'll open it up to my colleagues who will say something as well.

And Amar Ashawn Murphy Payne was born December 30th, 2006 in Renton, Washington.

As a toddler, Amar loved his Hot Wheel car collection.

He loved collecting and wearing different baseball hats and cool socks.

He found a love of music as a teenager and expressed his artistic passion through music.

His favorite foods were pancakes and mac and cheese.

And this week is the third year anniversary of his transition to be with our ancestors.

And when I say I put emphasis on his transition to be with our ancestors, I don't say that lightly because I do believe that Amar's soul rests today under the care protection guidance and perfect peace with our ancestors.

But as we gather here today to proclaim it to be Amar Murphy Pain Day, celebrating this young man's life, celebrating his legacy and his impact to the community.

And this is the one thing that I'll always hold on to.

Is the question how are the children?

That is the question that I will always continue to center when we were focusing our goals, our processes, our procedures, our outcomes based on that simple question.

How are the children?

He was a great classmate to people.

And this is our third year anniversary of celebrating his life this month.

So I will open it up to my colleagues before we ask his family.

I know his dad, Aaron, is here, his wife Lakeisha's here, his mom, and would love uh to open it up to my colleagues to see if there are any words.

Um I also want to thank Councilmember Rivera because it is gun violence awareness month and uh has proclaimed it to be Gun Violence Awareness Month, all the work that Councilmember Rivera is doing.

So there's two proclamations that we have today for Amar Murphy Payne, and then the gun violence awareness month.

That's why you see some people wearing uh wearing orange today.

We have some council members wearing orange, Councilmember Strauss has the orange tie, orange tie.

People all are wearing orange today in their hearts too, but it is something that we are bringing awareness to.

So we have two proclamations, one for Amar Murphy Payne, and then one uh for gun violence awareness Month.

So thank you, Councilmember Rivera, for that as well.

Um I will pause here to see if anyone has any comments uh before I'm gonna ask to suspend the rules to ask for the family to come up and speak.

And please know a lot of people we said comments yesterday when we were doing the signing of the proclamation as well.

Um okay, so with that, um, I'm going to colleagues.

If there's no objection, I will ask, can we suspend the rules so we can present the proclamation to the family, which I have here, and I'll read just a little bit of it.

I won't read all of it into the record.

Um, but uh we have on here where this is the last paragraph.

Um, whereas in the years following his passing, students, teachers, families, and community members have gathered to honor Amar's memory and to call for healing, peace, accountability, and meaningful action to end gun violence, targeting young people in Seattle, turning grief into service.

So anytime I'm talking to his family, they're talking about we need to turn this pain into service.

Whereas the city of Seattle honors and celebrating Amar's memory through a service, compassion, community unity, and and a renewed commitment to ending gun violence now, and therefore, the mayor and the city council proclaim June 6th to be Amar Ashawn Murphy Pain Day.

I will come and present the proclamation, and then whoever is here, Aaron, they can come and speak and say a few words, and then we'll uh escort y'all downstairs where we'll have the celebration.

All right, awesome.

All right.

So I'm gonna give this to you, and then you'll come up to the front.

The floor is yours, Mr.

Aaron.

First of all, I want to say first of all, I want to say thank you, you know, for this opportunity to give us something to stand on for the rest of our lives to be able to uh build build what would we need to do for Amara's legacy and for saving lives, one one heartbeat at a time.

Um you couldn't tell me two years ago that I'll be standing standing here at this moment of time right now, but I also want to give you know some uh some credit to the everybody who stands behind me, my family who's here with me.

They all have had their own moment of time where they they reminded me the mission at hand, even if they know they didn't.

And this is just a piece of the mission and and a start to it.

And I'm just so honored and welcome to be here.

And um, I'm I'm not here to talk about nothing negative.

Um, I'm not here to to down the energy of the room.

Um, but it's solely it kind of fits that you guys are doing a proclamation on both gun violence or you know, awareness and Amar on the same day because he died on gun violence awareness day 2024.

So I see the bigger picture.

This is a glorious moment for our family for Amar's name, for me, Lakeisha, Sharika, um, as as parents of his of this young young gray soul, his brothers, Jazir, Jakai, Jalil, um, his uncles, you know, that are here.

Everybody that's here, and everybody that's lifted him, the Garfa community that decided to turn some that could have been so tragic and negative, decided to work with us and make things positive.

So we just want to thank everybody as we go forward.

But I will say this, there's still a murderer walking free.

Um, if you guys know, I don't miss the opportunity to tell anybody that justice doesn't equivalent for me, but I gotta speak for my mom.

I gotta speak for everybody else, but for me personally, justice doesn't mean handcuffs and and bars.

What we're doing right now today, that's justice for me.

But as far as the job that you guys have to do, the city has to do, they owe everybody else that's walking out here, supposed to feel safe.

There's a murderer still walking.

So and there's a lot of murderers still walking around here and they're committing multiple murderers, and there's a lot of families that are sitting without the closure of just that part of that that part of their life without that door shut.

I don't think about the life, I don't think about that young man in Amara's life he took.

I think about him possibly taking more.

And um, I'll always make sure that when I'm in these rooms, I just try to take and make sure that everybody knows that as long as we don't imagine it happening to us, we'll never meet at the we'll never meet with the people that is happening too.

So if I will, I just like people to I challenge people to close their eyes and think about anything that you love, not not only your kids, but if it's your kid, think about dropping them off at school and never seeing them alive again, dropping no, I didn't drop them off on East Union Street.

I didn't drop them off on Henderson, I didn't drop him off with his gang member friends.

I dropped them off at school, and he was dead at school before school ended.

Imagine that, and I don't make I don't I don't try to challenge people to imagine it to bring your bring you down.

I want people to imagine it to lift you up to say, hold on, wait, that could have happened to one of mine.

I'm gonna speak for that that could happen to his his uncles are over there.

If your uncles, that could happen to your nephew.

If you're aunties, that could have happened to your auntie, to your to your to your nephew.

If you're a grandmother, that could have happened to your grandchild.

If your grandfather, that could happen to your grandchild.

If you're a father, that could have happened to your child, and if you're a mother, that could happen to your child.

But most of all, if you're a brother or sister, that could have happened to your brother or sister.

Let's start thinking about the kids.

Stop thinking about ourselves because it's not happening to you.

Stop thinking about ourselves in that selfish manner, and because it's not happening to you.

Let's start thinking about who is happening to, and really let's make the changes and get those murderers off the street.

They didn't have no remorse when they pulled the trigger.

Let's have no remorse when we put them in handcuffs.

How about that?

And some of them ain't gonna have no remorse when they're in the handcuffs.

Some of them ain't gonna have no remorse when they're behind those bars.

That's why those handcuffs and bars don't mean nothing to me personally.

This does, thank you guys, and you guys have a wonderful day.

I definitely, I'm I'm gonna segue the next one for my mom.

My mom been waiting to say something to you guys, and and her name is Veronica Murphy, and I want her to I want her to be able to speak her heart and let it pour out in this in this chamber today.

Thank you guys.

Thank you.

Pull the mic close.

There we go.

Just pull as close as you can.

Thank you, ma'am.

How grandma lost a job?

I am Amar's grandma.

And I'm here to speak on behalf of my grandson.

Who was killed at Garfield High School?

I am mad, really mad, because there was no justice for our black children, and I'm mad about.

Well, my grandson was being shot.

People had.

Or I called them kids, um, had them killed showing him getting killed on Facebook.

Who does that mess?

Who does that?

They need to be investigated.

They do.

Because they had my grandson on Facebook showing them how he got shot four times.

I feel that a grandma had to see that on Facebook.

I'm mad because the police does not care.

I'm mad because I call Detective Simmons.

He tells me he's on a vacation.

He was gonna call me back.

Never called me back.

I call the captain, Barnes, the new one for the Seattle police.

Left what four messages.

Guess what?

I got a call yesterday because I was gonna come here.

What is that?

And then my grandson, my baby, was killed.

He was out school.

At the school.

The school had did um it didn't.

They had no protection for him.

For none of the kids.

What kind of justice it is for black children?

Tell me.

Tell me.

Tell me.

What kind of justice is it for black children?

My big grandson is dead just at a school.

What can you do?

What are you gonna do?

That's all I need to know.

Thank you.

So I want to thank the Murphy Payne family for coming today.

Thank you for your resilience.

Thank you for your love.

Thank you.

And thank you for those words.

Because I'm gonna tell you this.

We need to hear those.

Seattle needs to hear those.

We need to hear those.

And we need to do something.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

What we'll do now is uh we will be celebrating the uh life of Amar downstairs, and so it's an open community event.

Um, and so I know that my team will take you all because we're gonna jump right into the meeting and we'll be downstairs during that time and and I will come down there after our meeting, but we're looking forward to uh connecting with you all.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um, and so now colleagues, we're gonna jump into our meeting today, and I want to also thank you all for for coming.

Um I do also want to mention and I'll we'll just we're gonna be at uh ease real quick while we're making this transition.

Thank you.

I also want to recognize, and and I apologize I didn't see her earlier.

We have our city attorney uh Erica Evans here in the back.

Thank you for being here as well for us uh talking about gun violence and um these conversations.

So thank you, uh City Attorney Erica Evans for being here as well.

Alright, awesome.

We'll continue.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that we were joined by Connor Dosa Holland's father, who was here.

Connor was murdered on in 2020 on Mother's Day in Raynor Beach.

His murder has still not been solved as well.

And so we are losing a lot of our kids to gun violence.

These are hard conversations to have, and but we need to have them and we need to talk about them.

And so his dad was here uh as well, and I know he's out in the hall.

He is um great man.

His family's great.

All right.

So now we're gonna transition into our public comment.

Um colleagues at this time we're gonna open up the public uh hybrid public comment period.

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

Council cannot accept comments on quasi judicial items or on our campaign-related matters.

Uh speaker, how many speaker?

Uh I apologize.

Clerk, how many speakers do we have signed up?

We have eight remote.

Thank you.

Okay, eight remote, and then I'm looking at twenty-seven here.

So that means everyone, it's between 30 to 60 per council rules.

Everyone's gonna get one minute uh to speak.

And uh will the clerk please read the uh instructions for the public comment.

Public comment period.

We moderated in the following manner.

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

Speakers will hear a chime on 10 seconds or left of their time.

Speakers might actually be muted if they do not in their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call in the next speaker.

The public comment period is now open, and we will begin with the first speaker on the list.

Awesome.

So we have uh Lynn Tai here, followed by Ron.

Then we have Steve, Clive, um, Rogelo, say it again.

Robsello, sorry, Robstello, uh Roberto, Gabriel, Kathy, Elizabeth, and Marta.

I got you.

I'll uh go speak greeting.

Uh, a little bit trying with one minute.

Uh good afternoon, council president and honorable council members.

My name is Lin Tai, and I'm here today to respectfully invite you to a meaningful cultural and community event.

The 66 commemorations of uh Grandmaster Wing, the founder of Vovinam Vietnamese martial arts.

Uh for over 85 years, Vovinam has been more than a martial arts system, is the philosophy, a way of life, one that centers mind and body revolutions that emphasizes discipline, social justice, respect, resilience, and service.

Uh this year, our city uh uh community will host the 66 uh commemoration ceremony on Saturday, June the 27th, at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in West Seattle.

Um on this special occasion, we respectfully ask the city uh in the council to proclaim June 27 uh to 2026, Vovinam Day.

Um, passing the uh proposed um proclamation language as well as a copy of each for an invitation, each council member, and I hope.

Thank you, Lynn.

Just throw it in the box there.

Good to see you.

Uh next we have Ron, followed by Steve, and then Clive.

Hi, thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Uh, I live in Northwest Green Lake in a certain area that seems to be very popular for land use between the council, the mayor's office, uh, uh I think there's four different things going on at the same time right now.

I don't know which is going where, but uh it looks like the latest is the mayor's agenda on Aurora, which looks to be uh another imminent domain gathering of the same people that tried the same thing back in 08 and 09.

So I'm here to proclaim my rights to own my property again.

I think this is the sixth time under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States to retain my rights to own my property.

Thank you for your time and your opportunity to speak to.

Thank you, Ron.

Next we have Steve, followed by Clive and Rogelo.

We need a better Seattle.

I think appropriate taking a look at how long has it been since we've had squads that actually investigate crimes after the fact.

We need to actually become a civil society again.

And world wars have been fought less time than the city has spent trying to rebuild our police department.

The other thing I have great concern about is land use.

We're building new housing, but for who?

Not for the people that are here.

We're seeing working class being shoved out of the city.

And we are seeing the trees that are going away.

Thank you, Steve.

Next we have Clive, followed by Rogillo, then Roberto, Gabriel.

I'm asking the city council exercise oversight over the waterfront free speech zone and policy and require Seattle Center to establish rules that comply with the Constitution.

Seattle lost major First Amendment litigation in 2009 over restrictions on street performers in public spaces.

The city should not repeat this mistake on the waterfront.

This is not theoretical.

I was assaulted by Seattle Center officer during enforcement connected to these rules.

That same officer later involved in an exclusion process incident that seriously injured an ESU officer who has now been off the job for more than nine months.

That should be a warning sign.

The whole set of rules and enforcement mechanism is broken.

When rules affect expressive activity, are unclear, unjustified, or enforcing them clear constitutional framework.

The result is not public safety.

The result is escalation, confusing, and physical harm and liability.

Thank you, Clive.

Next we have.

Pardon me.

Rogelio.

Rogelo.

Rogelio.

Hi, my name is Rogelio Forz.

Um, I am a street performer.

Um, I am completely against uh these blue boxes.

Uh, when the city paints uh squares on the ground and tells performers we can only speak or perform inside these blue boxes.

Uh, they restrict freedom of speech.

Um, the message the message is clear outside of the boxes.

My voice is not it's not heard.

Uh, this is not just my opinion.

William Dorset already won a 450,000 in federal uh settlement against San Diego over the uh this same uh first amendment issue.

I'm also a co-legerant uh with William in another lawsuit against San Diego, challenging the same kind of restrictions.

Uh Seattle should not make the same costly mistakes.

If they need to regulate actual bad behavior, regulate it, but don't put any uh blue boxes on um freedom of speech.

Thank you so much.

Next, we have Roberto followed by Gabriel, Kathy, Elizabeth, Marta.

Hello, um, I'm a traveling street performing magician.

I'm here with Clive and Rogelio.

Rogelio is a co-litigator in a current lawsuit going on in San Diego for expressive activity um issues, and we're experiencing those same issues here in Seattle, and we don't want to litigate, we want to work with the city.

Recently, the waterfront has been redesigned, and there's also been designated spaces for expressive activity, and we only have five in comparison to the pike Place market where you have 15.

It has been creating a lot of conflict with us at the waterfront, and it has been chilling speech and pushing artists out of Seattle.

So we're asking that the city attorney review seriously reviewed these rules and amend any unconstitutional policies.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Gabriel, followed by Kathy, Elizabeth, and then Marta, and then we'll go on to the second page.

Hey folks, happy pride.

As a reminder, Pride was a riot started by queer and trans folks because of overt police violence, harassment and queer and violence against queer people.

I'm glad that 57 years later, we can meet here to talk about police violence against trans and queer folks.

Now, I was happy to disrupt last meeting because of the sham we had up there.

Let's be incredibly here clear here.

OIG explicitly covered up how bad that day was.

OIG explicitly stated that they turned we are here to fuck people up to we encourage a stronger police response because they wanted to ensure officer privacy.

Sure, he encouraged violence, but what about the fact you might face accountability for the violence he encouraged?

Secondly, they say that OIG looks for stomach problems, they don't deal with the day of problems.

That's OPA's job.

Now let's talk about how the job OPA's been doing.

Start uh officers punched my friend in the head, uh head eight times while on the ground.

OPA ruled that these pro these punches crossed the line, and they were not correct, use of force.

So they spoke with the chain of command.

Speaking of the chain of command, I have a minute.

Jesus Christ, yeah, I'm just going.

Uh let's see here.

They ruled that after a they rolled that after eight punches, they spoke to the chain of command.

Said, you know what?

Nah, that's fine.

Yeah, eight punches.

No, that's actually good.

And they kept going outside.

Here is how my friend's head is less.

Show you that way.

This is the state of my friend's head.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you, Gabriel.

At no point, did my friends hand restraint behind.

Gabriel, thank you.

Thank you.

This did not happen at all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Gabriel.

My friends hand being restrained so far.

You can see you can touch his shoulder.

Gabriel, thank you.

No.

Screens we made.

Gabriel, thank you.

No.

No, thank you, Gabriel.

The mic is unfortunately cut.

So thank you.

The screams of pain he makes as he lays there.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Gabriel, you're done pleading.

Gabriel, thank you.

We will not be silenced anymore.

Instead of Mr.

Diaz, I know you're listening to me.

Thank you.

Instead of listening to the police files instead.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Nicely, and we will not be silenced anymore.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Thank you, Gabriel.

I and many like me.

Hey Gabriel, thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Gabriel, thank you.

I am done now.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Next we have uh Kathy Moore, former, excuse me, former council member Kathy Moore.

Welcome.

Hold on, let's cut your mic back on.

No, no, we gotta cut your good.

Okay.

There we go.

Okay, good afternoon, honorable council president and council members.

Um I did not expect to find myself here today, clearly by my tire.

Uh, happen to be downtown and thought, well, I'll make a presence here because of what's going on in Aurora.

Um, and you know, I read I read two articles in the Seattle Times this weekend.

Uh, have been following the issues.

Thank you, Councilmember Warz and Councilmember Lynn for bringing forth legislation to allow the closure of streets for public safety purposes.

I think I would note that the mayor already has that authority under an emergency provision, uh, but it would be good to remove any particular obstacles the city attorney's office chooses to throw in the in the way.

Um, and I know that there have been conversations going on, certainly because I know that happens.

Um, but I wanted to be here to just say that it's going to take political will, and you have the political will.

You have to look at Mandami and you have to look at Shoreline.

Shoreline has exactly the same laws, and they do not have an open-air street sex market on the world, because they have chosen to implement and enforce their laws.

Shoreline political will.

Thank you, Kathy.

Uh next we have Elizabeth, followed by Marta.

Is Elizabeth here?

Hello, welcome.

Good afternoon.

My name is Elizabeth Aylward.

I'm a resident of West Seattle.

And I'm here with others from the Force Seattle group to ask you to vote in favor of the housing opportunities package amendments.

My husband and I recently built a new home in West Seattle and encountered an abundance of red tape and regulations, which, along with the two year permitting process, added significantly to the cost and duration of our project.

Many of these regulations added nothing to uh safety or environmental protection or design aesthetic.

These same regulations are slowing down and adding unnecessary cost and um to homes built all over Seattle, reducing affordability of housing for all residents.

The HOP amendments will make common sense modifications to some of these regulations and provide construction incentives that will lead to more affordable housing for all, which in turn may reduce homelessness.

I hope you will vote in favor of the Hop amendments.

Thank you so much.

Next we have Marta, followed by Bob, then Logan, Evan, Yvette, Kenneth, Scott, Alicia, Cinta, David, and LeAndre.

Okay.

Hello, everyone.

My name's Marta.

I'm here with Force Seattle.

I'll keep this short and sweet.

Just want to say first of all, thanks so much for all your work going into the housing opportunities amendments.

I'm super excited about this.

It brings more housing to lots of neighborhoods and a quicker timeline.

I also think it really sets a foundation for work going forward and how to address our critical housing supply needs.

That is all.

I encourage you to vote yes, and thanks again.

Thank you, Marta.

Next we have Bob, followed by Logan, then Evan.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you.

My name is Bob Aylward.

I'm a new resident of West Seattle, which we are enjoying very much.

And I'm here today with my friends from Fort Seattle to talk about urging you to vote for the HOP amendments.

As I stand here today, I kind of look at the opportunity we have here through the eyes of my grandchild who lives on Beacon Hill.

Just like he is out taking his first steps.

These amendments to me can be the first steps toward addressing the issues that we have in housing affordability here in Seattle that's going to confront us.

There'll be many opportunities to do better.

These are the first, and I would urge you to take this first step just like my grandchild.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bob.

That was clever first step.

Logan, followed by Evan and Missy Vett.

Good afternoon, Council, President Hollinsworth, and Council.

I'm here to speak in support of Council Bill 12190 of the stormwater code as well as the HOP legislation.

MBAX encourages the uh passage of both of these bills.

I want to start by thanking SPU and SDCI staff for their diligent work in shepherding and refining the stormwater code over the past year.

And we look forward to further engagement with the city to creating a stormwater management process for the city of Seattle that is right sized for Seattle's urban infill environment.

On the hop legislation, very much encouraged by the fact that this is very targeted upzoning and rezoning that not only helps in the process of the comprehensive plan that we are going through right now, but also uh is going to mitigate displacement pressure in various neighborhoods, and we see this as a very great opportunity for the city.

Thank you so much.

Once again, encourage passage on both these bills.

Thank you, Logan.

Next we have Evan followed by Yvette and then Kenneth.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, Council members.

Uh, my name is Evan Sexton.

I live in District 4.

Um, I'm also here with for Seattle to speak in favor of the HOP package.

Um, we know that development prospects aren't what they used to be in this city, and I think this is a targeted response to that challenging climate.

So again, I ask you to please vote in favor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Evan.

Next, we have Missy Vett, followed by Kenneth and then Scott.

Who is coming high?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation.

Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

When I read uh that um, bullet bar is being closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and posted on next door within 24 hours.

I got over 3,000 responses, and everybody's pissed off.

The council president was not consulting.

Three days is egregious to close off Lake Washington Boulevard.

May I suggest that this dedicate every Sunday to bicycle Sunday and let the best of the hardworking community have access to Lake Barton Boulevard on the weekend?

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Cette.

Next we have Kenneth, followed by Scott, and then Alicia.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Ken.

I'm a candidate member of the American Party of Labor.

And happy pride to everyone except for y'all.

Uh especially you, Joy Hollingsworth, a queer woman who has sold out her own community for her own political gain.

Shame on you.

The Lincoln Institute of Genocide Prevention has issued a second red flag alert for the genocide of trans people here in the United States.

And the most I've seen out of y'all is just raising flags and making statements and doing little photo ops.

Where are the resources?

Where are the actual statements?

Specifically on Jennifer Blessing, who should still be here and going to UW.

Where are the statements on the other trans women who are missing?

Where are the resources for the people in Seattle who are fleeing here from violence around the country only to be met with indifference?

Joy, you should give a shit, but instead you just advocate for police, the same police who brutalize people, Madam Chair.

May I ask your people?

I would ask that this person is being disruptive.

Madam Chair, you are recognized.

Yes, thank you.

It's being disruptive and I like that to be noted.

Without attacking the personal integrity, Council have some fucking.

So this is a gentle reminder that attacking council members' race, sexual orientation or their gender is not acceptable.

So I'm just letting I'm just letting I'm just letting I'm just saying that for the record, so everyone knows.

So let's go ahead and start for the public comment.

We have Scott next.

Thank you.

Welcome.

I'm Scott with the American Party of Labor.

I'm in full agreement of what Kenneth just said to you, City Council.

As we know, you put a moratorium on the cameras as you contracted NYUPP to conduct the investigation of whether these cameras were safe or not.

This same NWP has partnered with Axon on their AI ethics board.

As a reminder, Israel uses Axon AI technology to determine how to best kill Palestinian families in their homes with the daddy's home tactic.

The same axon that is complicit in genocide, funds and uses the service of NYUPP.

Our tax dollars are not only going to your racist killer police force, but a company entrenched in the mass murder of innocent people that has taken place in Gaza since the Zionist occupation in 1948.

Even in banning the cameras temporarily, you still chose to cooperate with the reactionary forces of oppression that profit off the death of innocents, much in the same way your police force profits off beaten children and protesters off of the murder of our poor and minority communities.

Your true character is that of the oppressor.

You side with the camera company, complicit in genocide.

You choose an audit service that still retains XPD, X SPD chief, Kathleen O'Toole, which surely isn't a coincidence.

You at every turn have denied the people a voice in this matter.

Thank you, Scott.

Help it on using the Scott.

I can say what you're saying.

Thank you, Scott.

We do not want genocidal tech companies running the city's data.

And we do not want our city council to Scott.

Here we are today.

Thank you, Scott.

Next we have we have Alicia.

Welcome.

Thank you for coming.

Good to see you.

Good afternoon, President Hollings.

We're at the members of the Council.

My name is Alicia Veruis, and I'm humbled here today to represent the families and community at Habitat of Humanity for Seattle, King, and Kittitas Counties.

Um Habitat's mission is to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter, and to create a world where everyone has a safe, decent, and affordable place to live.

We urge for your support for Council Bill 121196 and advances equitable housing opportunities and creates pathways to affordable homeownership for working families.

Habitat supports this legislation because these up zones will help create more housing choices across Seattle and make projects like our Liberty Liberty Commons development possible.

Liberty Commons is the largest habitat build in the world, and that is because of your support.

We appreciate that this proposal promotes equitable growth across more neighborhoods, helping current residents remain rooted in their communities.

We urge your support, and behind every new home is a family working towards stability, opportunity, and a brighter future.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alicia.

Next we have, I think it's Cinta.

Is it Cinta?

Yes.

Did I say that right?

Okay, awesome.

Thank you, Cinta, followed by David, and then uh I think it's Leandre.

Welcome.

Rest in love to 17 year old Amar Murphy Payne, 16 year old Jahaz Phillips, 15-year-old Mabarak Adam, 17-year-old Ebenezer Haley, 15-year-olds on this anywhere, 18-year-old Sarshawn Malik Stewart, 17-year-old Treveoff Moose, and countless more.

This is for all of them.

Good afternoon.

My name is Cinder Cordova.

I'm a member of the Washington NAACP Youth Council, a district three resident and a freshman student advocate.

I address you with the heaviest heart and genuine concern.

I'm here to demand immediate action on the escalating gun violence devastating our communities.

Gun violence is a deep complex issue rooted in socioeconomic and systemic problems, not just guns.

Our current reactive approach, waiting for tragedies or waiting for tragedy before acting is failing our youth and community, causing trauma and perpetuating disadvantage by limiting access to vital resources like jobs, internships, and mental health support, unaddressed issues like homelessness, trauma, and lack of support, etc.

Create anger and hopelessness.

Tragically leading to violence combined with easy access to fire.

I need your support, advocacy.

I am young, and I do not know where to start.

I've got it wrong.

You're at that alone.

A title wave of deaths amongst my peers and youth, and I have no idea what to do.

Lives lost, candlelight vigils.

This is not all, and I'd love to talk to you all more on this, and I'd love to have a meeting with my colleagues working anyway.

Action is needed now and not after another life loss.

Thank you, Cinta.

I want to take a moment just to moment of silence, colleagues, I hope you join us in the Birth and I Atlandis room after this meeting to continue the conversation.

Up next, we have David Glogan, Lysandro V.

I see some.

Keandre, Ashley, and then Jessica.

David, welcome.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I'm Dave Gloger from District 5.

I'm here to address Council Bill 121-190, the stormwater code.

I'll spare you the details and talk about the practicalities of it.

King County announced double-digit sewer rate increases for years to come to handle the stormwater runoff.

Why are you relaxing relaxing the codes when the county says that we need more infrastructure?

And then just a few days ago, Seattle Parks Department closed two more beaches.

And this is on top of the toxic algae bloom at Green Lake.

Our beaches are unsafe due to stormwater runoff, and the council was proposing to relax restrictions.

Last year council passed the first phase of the comp plan, allowing nearly 100% lot coverage.

This will certainly lead to more stormwater runoff and beach closures.

Please amend this bill to protect our water.

Trees are a good tool to manage stormwater.

They hold water in their trunks and canopy.

I ask that you amend the bill to allow trees, the stormwater managers on all property types.

Thank you.

Thank you, David.

Up next is Lisandro, followed by Keondre.

Good afternoon, welcome.

Good afternoon.

In lieu of Lisa Andrevela, my name is Joshua Douglas with the Carpenters.

We are in favor of the hop uh amendment and uh wish urge your support on that vote.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you.

Uh follow the speakers that we have left remaining in person, Chiandre, Ashley, Jessica, Michael, Alex, Jennifer, Susan, and then we'll move to online public commenters.

If folks want to line up, the tall mic is the best.

Uh, but we have limited time.

So if we could move quickly through the next section.

Keandre, would you like to come up?

Chiandre.

Keondre.

Are you coming up?

Yep.

Okay.

Two weeks ago, Joy Hollingsworth requested at least two cops be president city council.

Since there's been no public comment on why, I am left to assume that this is the key people from keeping her accountable.

Joy, you told me at a Hey Black Seattle event that I need to get off a progression plantation.

However, you're using your power to enforce the biggest oppressors of black people and trans people to be here.

Disrespecting the security guards who do work day in and day out to keep the uh city council safe.

The 500 million dollar budget of the SBD gets yet again being used for cops to get around and do exactly what they do best, nothing.

There are still there's there are there still have been no accountability for the uh for the cops who have killed four people last year.

There was there are still family police violence begging the city council to hear their pain and care and they uh that they carry every day due to police negligence.

Where about to see, we're about a week out.

Thank you, Keandre.

And it's beating and naming protesters.

Thank you, Keandre.

Our current accountability system is not doing what it is.

Thank you, Keandre.

You guys probably next we have Ashley, followed by Jessica.

Welcome, Ashley.

Hi.

Hi, my name is Ashley Nurpig, and I live in the East Lake neighborhood.

I'm here to ask you all to pass the housing opportunities package.

Um I'll keep this short because I know, but uh after I left Seattle, it took me like 10 years to get back here.

Um, just because it was so hard to afford housing.

Um, so I just really love that there is something that will increase the availability of affordable homes all across the city.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Ashley.

Next we have Jessica, followed by Michael and then Alex.

Welcome, Jessica.

Good afternoon, Council.

I'm Jess Yang, a ballot homeowner who wants to make room for more neighbors in this wonderful city we call home.

I'm here with for Seattle to ask you to vote yes on the housing opportunities zoning amendment.

As we're all aware, we have a shortage of housing here in Seattle.

Hop is the kind of response we should prioritize legislation that's already been drafted and reviewed and can kickstart projects that are ready to go.

Uh I've been advocating for a better comp plan for over a year now.

And while that important legislation will guide our ability to produce housing for the next decade, I know it's only one tool in our toolbox.

Um, and that's why I encourage you to move hop forward.

We need to both plan for the future and respond to the moment with urgency.

Um I see this as a win-win-win, a win for affordability for more choices, and a win for those who want to live in Seattle and support our communities.

So thank you so much for your continued work on these issues.

Thank you, Jessica.

Next we have Michael, followed by Alex, followed by Jennifer, and then Susan.

Welcome, Michael.

Hello.

Uh first time giving public comment.

My name's Michael.

I live in the Finney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle.

Uh, I'm here to show you my support for the zoning amendments today.

Uh, it's very simple.

Uh, I don't believe you should have need to have two high incomes just to be able to afford to exist in Seattle or even to raise a family here, as I hope to do.

Um I have to say that generally I'm very proud to live in Seattle.

Uh, we've done made tremendous progress on transportation infrastructure throughout transportation levies.

Uh I hope to one day be able to say the same thing about what we help progress on housing.

So thank you very much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Michael.

Next we have Alex Lofton, followed by Jennifer, then Susan, and then we have Howard Gale, and then we'll jump online.

Hi, Council.

Thank you very much for having me today.

Alice Lofton, CD resident, um, encouraging you to pass hop today.

Um, I also just want to thank you all again for public your public service.

It's not an easy job, and we all see it.

Um, and I just want to let you know, I'm I'm just excited for this particular legislation because I think about my friends who are baristas, um, who are performing artists, who are uh working all sorts of service jobs, just struggling to make it.

And you know, housing is a foundation of affordability.

So anything we can chip away at it, let's do it.

Um, this is what it looks like when we have something in front of us we can do.

Let's make it happen.

We'll be tracking it to see if it actually produces houses and take lessons learned from there and keep going.

So pass hop.

Thanks so much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Alex.

Next we have Jennifer followed by Susan and Howard Gill, and then we will jump online.

Welcome, Jennifer.

Hello.

Uh, so I first of all support your work on gun violence.

I have an 83-year-old uncle who was fatally shot with no investigation.

So I'm very much grateful for your work.

Um, about the stormwater code, the NOAA orca recovery plan recommends highest population areas on the sound, reduce polluted runoff.

We can build and protect the green spaces that naturally reduce stormwater volume at no cost and minimal maintenance, unlike human-made mitigations.

It's not a hard choice, and we can have both turbidity temperature and toxins harm fish habitat and increase with hard surfaces with four to six six separate single family homes on lots.

There will be uh where will above-ground flow control go when we can manage that can manage the new hard surface runoff when below ground options are no longer required.

Where are the calculations showing the difference in increase in hard surfaces and the reduced flow control?

What will happen with the stormwater with reduced flow control requirements?

Uh, sewage overflows and code mistakes need correcting.

Uh, Councilmember Rivera's recital is an important accountability step, and I support it.

I request the feedback loop be closed to use the performance metrics data to adopt the code to protect prevent them.

Um I emailed and printed out a suggested closing line for that.

Good.

Thank you, Jennifer.

You throw it in the box.

Thank you so much.

Susan, followed by Howard Gill, and then we'll jump online.

And Ruth Dwight or Diet, you were the first person online.

Good afternoon.

Um, here to speak about Council Bill uh 121190 with stormwater codes.

I'd like to urge counsel to approve council member Bivera's amendment, setting standards based on performance metrics that are adaptive and clearly defined accountability.

When approving updated stormwater code, please keep a few things in mind.

Store the sewer infrastructure is maxing out and ratepayers are shouldering the cost.

The continued and significant loss of our maturity canopy is a major factor.

All those lost trees once mitigated stormwater flow for free, and that loss is exacerbated by a heavy increase in previous surface.

Last winter we sustained catastrophic flooding, causing several sewer mains to burst across the city, which was expensive.

Uh combined sewer overflows have now become common, causing nitrogen levels to increase, which reduces levels of oxygen in Puget Sound.

And several public beaches have now been shut down due to unhealthy levels of bacteria in the water.

As the largest city situated on Puget Sound, we have a duty and obligation to ensure long-term health for our waterways and the marine life that inhabit them.

Thank you.

Thank you, Susan.

Next we have Howard Gill, and then online, we'll start with you, Ruth, when we go online.

Afternoon.

Gun violence is horrible and needs to be stopped.

But there is a difference between gun violence perpetrated at random and gun violence that is planned by Seattle police.

We've killed 19 people in the last 14 years who had only knives or no weapon in their hand.

Right now, over at the county Courthouse, there's an inquest into the death of Derek Hayden.

Again, murdered because he was suicidal in crisis, had a knife.

Cops came upon him, and within 15 seconds of getting out of their car, unleashed four high velocity rifle rounds at him.

This is not changing.

In 2017, this is going to be the ninth anniversary of Charlene Lyle's murder.

And everyone in council at that time, including some people that are sitting here today said we will demand accountability, transparent, we will make sure this doesn't happen again.

And yet it has happened 14 times.

When are you going to stop it?

When are you going to take action?

And again, at the end of this week, six King County jurors are going to decide that what the SBD did with Derek Hayden in 2021.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

Thank you, Mr.

Gale.

Next, so now we'll go online.

So we'll go online and we have Ruth followed by John and then Suzanne and then Rose.

You will hear Star 6 to unmute yourself and then you'll go.

And colleagues, we have uh 11 people signed up online.

Hi.

Um yeah, I I just learned about this hop targeted zoning proposal.

It sounds good, but I will guarantee you.0001% of the population knows about it.

Um I briefly want to say it doesn't make sense to reduce our runoff standards at all, especially when we're upzoning so much.

Um I've I've emailed you, emailed you, or I will email you links to a two-minute video by Patrick Condon, author of Broken City, condensing what he learned about upzoning and affordability in Vancouver.

He'll speak in Seattle on June 15th.

Also a video by urban economist Michael Storper, who wrote Inequality, not regulation drives America's housing affordability crisis.

Please hear what they have to say.

It's important that you hear a narrative different than the one you've been hearing.

Um, also heads up.

We sent our proposal for phasing growth in centers and quarters, and another will be coming soon on zoning code changes um to the LR.

And we think there's a big problem with the NR zone that is part of the.

Thank you, Ruth.

Next we have John followed by Suzanne and then Rose.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

My name is John Botton, and I serve as the executive director of the University YMCA, located on the north side of 50th in the U district.

I'm speaking today in strong support of CB 12196, also known as Ha.

We believe this bill will create opportunities for mission-driven organizations like the Y to be a part of the solution by carrying affordable housing with much needed community-based services.

We thank the committee for their unanimous recommendation, and we encourage the full council to support the passage of HOP.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, John.

Next we have Suzanne, followed by Rose.

Press star six unmute yourself.

Hello, Council members.

I want to express my concern and empathy for the families here today who lost children to gun violence.

Unprecedented increases in impervious surfaces in the comp plan require parallel increases in storm water regulations.

I hope you've paid attention to the plight of our resident endangered orca.

They cannot care for themselves, so we must do so.

So, nearly 100% lock coverage by homes.

There will be no room for on-site mitigation planners and trees, leaving many areas vulnerable to flooding and increased combined tour overflows, which are already happening.

Impervious hard services generate water pollution, but trees, green space, reduce and filter it.

What can you do?

Allow trees as stormwater managers on all property types.

Stop allowing mature trees to be cut down.

Or will you repeat the grievous errors being made by President Trump who clear-cuts forests and denies science and climate change, which you know is happening?

Polluted runoff is the top source of our sales sea water pollution.

Don't deregulate the stormwater code.

Each of you has to do something to prove you don't support the Trump policy.

Today you can take that step.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next we have Rose, followed by an uh Anitra and then David Haynes.

Star 6, unmute yourself.

Hello, my name is Rose.

Pride month is usually a time for where we celebrate what it's like to be queer in America.

Unfortunately, this year we are learning what that really means.

Trans people are going missing all over Seattle.

We are having people kill themselves.

We're having people go missing, especially young trans people, and we are having people being constantly assaulted in our parks.

Over this last week, I've heard of multiple people being assaulted in Cal Anderson being harassed through either just not just insults, but people being physically attacked and also attacked by right-wing provocateers.

It is imperative that the city starts looking into our community and helping our community because we are in desperate need, and right now there is nothing being done about it.

We need the emergency declaration to be able to help the individuals that are helping our people in our city already that the city has left behind.

And if we are unwilling and incapable of doing that, then this is just going to continue and get worse and worse and worse.

Look out for us.

We're trying to look out for each other, but we can only do so much.

Thank you, Rose.

I don't see a Nitra Fuller present, so we'll go to David Haynes, followed by Hallie Willis, and then Nate Howard.

The city cares more about the alcohol sales tax than the over serving bartenders.

And it seems like the police chief is not here to put people in jail, like he promised, he was not gonna put people in jail.

And it's a telltale sign that we need to have an investigation of the human services department for paying gun toting criminal gangbangers to relocate if they don't retaliate and using homeless crisis money to prioritize BIPOC repeat offenders that are connected to the underworld to get a pass on scrutiny.

And you know, maybe we need new leadership at the council president, council president.

Maybe you should step back and focus only on Capitol Hill and let Council Member Kettle step up and have some real public safety, proactive crime fighting efforts that help the cops get it accurate as opposed to people complaining about them getting it wrong.

Because you took an extended vacation last week.

You've got nothing on the agenda, and you're having a party for a victim acting like you care.

It's two-faced.

Thank you, David.

Uh, next we have Hallie Willis, followed by Nate Howard.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Hallie Willis.

I'm the policy manager for the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness, speaking today in support of the resolution from Councilmember Rink and Foster to respond to the forensic evaluation of the KCRHA.

This community has made it clear that we need a countywide regional approach to homelessness that operates with transparency and is a good steward of public funds.

The resolution before you today takes steps towards that goal, and we urge your support.

As you go through this process over the coming months, we urge you to deeply engage direct service providers, coalitions, and people with lived experience of homelessness in your process to determine what happens next.

And ensure there is no disruption, the essential housing, shelter, and services that people rely on every day.

It's more important for us to get this right together than to do it fast alone.

Thank you very much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Hallie.

Next we have Nate Howard, and then we'll go to our online or our in-person speaker, Bennett.

Star 6 unmute yourself, Nate.

Hi, my name is Nate.

I am calling from District 3.

Uh, I am here just to speak uh in support of Councilmember Rivera's uh recital.

Um a couple of targeted asks here.

Uh first would be that um we add uh performance metrics, which include taking samples that outfall citywide at intervals throughout the year.

That's outfalls of uh CSO's uh decision regards to the storm water uh code update.

Um I would also ask the SPU practice adaptive management that will lead to adjustments in the code when performance metrics show degradation in water quality at outfalls, and then also note that uh degradation of water quality should be expected when uh the um comp plan is allowing for uh near 100% lot coverage uh by development, and we're expecting uh something like the hot plan to allow for uh a vast increase in development in the city.

Not opposed to development, of course, but we do need to be smart about our stormwater coverage and our in permeable.

Thank you.

Next we have Bennett.

Good afternoon, council.

Um, that's the last minute thought, because I stopped by Aurora yesterday, where they had the uh new concrete uh chicanes, new word that I use with the sort of staggering concrete traffic slowers, you can drive around them.

And on 9-8th, they still have the big metal planter thing, the one that the neighbors actually dragged out to block the street off.

I'm not sure why they left that one there and got rid of the other two.

But so everybody knows these homemade street blockers are probably not gonna remain there forever, and they were a hazard while they were there.

You know, ambulances couldn't get down the street.

But here's the thing: when the neighbors dragged those things out there and put them there, the city listened, and what they did very quickly was replaced them with the concrete uh blockers instead.

But you have to wonder if the neighbors had just come to city council public comment week after week.

Do you think the city would have responded as quickly?

You know, we have our our rallies and marches and sometimes riots all the time.

You know, the people out of our rioted the way the people living on Aurora did, which is they dragged trash out of the street to block the road.

So we should try to make sure you're listening to people before they get to the stage.

Um dragging stuff out of the road to make you do it themselves.

Thank you, Bennett.

We get your attention without having a new stuff like that.

Thank you, thank you, Bennett.

Is there any more public commenters at this time?

And then if you are online, it doesn't, you're not present.

Um, so that's Anitra Fuller, Jill uh McGrath, and then Nathan Wall.

We'll give it like two seconds.

All right, they are not present.

So the public comment period is now closed.

I want to thank you all for coming, giving us your public comment, whether it's online, emails in the box as well, or if you're seeing us pass through the hall or on social media, any type any type of public comment.

So thank you all so much.

We're now gonna jump into our meeting.

So if there's no objection, the introduction and referral calendar will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the introduction referral calendar will be adopted.

If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted.

Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted.

We're now going to consider the proposed consent calendar.

Items on the consent calendar include the minutes of May 19th, 2026, Council Bill 121216 and 121217, payment of the bills, five bills from parks and rec light committee, four appointments from housing arts and civil rights committee, and seven appointments from the library education and neighborhoods committee.

Council members, are there anything that you would like to remove from the consent calendar?

All right, awesome.

Hearing none, I'm gonna move to adopt the consent calendar.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Thank you.

It's been moved.

Thank you.

It's been moved, seconded, and third.

Um, to uh move the consent calendar.

Uh will the clerk please call the role on the adoption of the consent calendar.

Thank you.

Councilmember Saka.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye, thank you, Councilmember Strauss.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Warz.

Councilman.

Aye.

Thank you.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera?

Hi.

Council President Holland's horse.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendars adopted.

Uh, will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes and legislation on the consent calendar on my behalf?

Awesome.

We'll jump into committee reports.

Uh will the clerk please read item number one into the record.

Agenda item one appointment 3468, appointment of Dwight D.

Dively as director of finance of the Office of City Finance for term to December 31st, 2029.

The committee recommends that the appointment be confirmed.

Councilmember Strauss, as uh the committee chair, you're recognized to give us the report.

Thank you.

Thank you.

In the interest of time, because I know we have folks waiting for us downstairs.

I'm gonna be brief just to say I wasn't lucky enough to be one of Professor Dwyeley's students.

We'll go into that another time.

Um UW missions looks like you messed up.

Um just all that to say, Professor Director, whatever your title may be, you cut through politics with your focus on the numbers with your focus on best practices with your focus on being able to improve the people around you.

It is a humble honor and a privilege for me today to get to recommend passage of your confirmation here at the Seattle City Council for your role as our city finance director.

Uh for lay people, it's our comp troller.

Uh it's just a unique role.

I'm enjoying working with you so much already, and I look forward to the many years that we get to work together.

Colleagues, I urge an aye vote.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Strauss, and for your leadership in ushering through this year committee and getting us here with Director Dively.

Is there any comments on the floor uh regarding uh this appointment?

Awesome.

Seeing none and hearing none.

Uh Councilmember Strauss, do you have any closing words?

I've been looking forward to this day for quite some time.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Will the clerk please call the role and the confirmation?

Councilmember Socket?

Aye.

Councilmember Strauss?

Aye.

Councilmember Foster.

Yes.

Councilmember Warez.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera?

Aye.

Council President Hollinsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries appointment is confirmed.

Congratulations, Director Dively.

Uh, you are recognized to provide some brief remarks if you would like thank you for the record, Dwight Dive Lee.

Um, it is a privilege and an honor to uh return to this role.

Um I thank you for your confirmation and the confidence you've shown in me, and I look forward to working with all of you in the days to come.

Awesome.

Thank you, Director.

Congratulations.

Will you be up?

Awesome.

Uh will the clerk please read item number two into the record.

Agenda item two, appointment 3469 appointment of Berto Yarse as director of the Office of Economic Development.

The committee recommends that the appointment be confirmed.

Councilmember Rink as chair of the committee, you're recognized to provide the committee report.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, it's a real pleasure to bring forward this appointment for your consideration today.

So also his time leading at ventures, to his time leading at the small business administration's regional office.

Mr.

Yarise has always put his experience and expertise in service of community.

His generosity and civic mindedness have already delivered so much value to our community, and I'm excited to see where we go as a city with Mr.

Yarise at the helm of the Office of Economic Development.

Since his appointment has come forward, I'll note for the record we've received a number of community letters and messages of support for Director Yarse's appointment.

Our human services labor and economic development committee uh voted unanimously to recommend the confirmation.

I encourage a yes vote today.

Thank you, Council President.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Colleagues, are there any comments about Director Yarse and this appointment?

I'm excited to be voting yes on this.

Uh have known Director Yarsey Acting Director, but we'll acting director uh for the last 10 12 long time, over a decade, and just really grateful for your service and looking forward to working with you as well.

So will the clerk please call the role.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Council Member Strauss.

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Warez.

Aye.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Awesome.

The motion carries the appointment is confirmed.

Congratulations, Director Yarsey on recognizing you to be our new director for Office of Economic Development.

So congratulations.

Would you like to provide a few words?

And Councilmember Rink, I didn't ask if you had closing comments, but we confirmed it already.

I'm sorry.

My apologies.

Director.

Thank you, Madame President and Honorable Council.

I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity.

Looking forward to collaborate with all of you and support your goals.

And also want to thank my team who has been tremendous support on my journey here and just very, very kind and humble team.

So there are some of them here representing.

So thank you so much and looking forward to it.

Thank you, Director Yarse.

Um will you read item number three into the record?

Thank you.

Agenda item three, resolution 32202, a resolution regarding next steps after the forensic evaluation of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority requesting that the Seattle Mayor take steps to immediately safeguard public funds.

Provide an initial assessment of whether it is feasible for KCRHA to adequately address all of the findings in the forensic evaluation.

Recommend if KCRHA should be dissolved, restructured, or continue as is, submit a set of next steps on how the city will approach the dissolution or restructure of KCRHA if determined to be necessary and submit to monthly reports.

The committee recommends the resolution be adopted.

Awesome.

Councilmember Rink as chair of the committee, you're recognized in order to provide the committee report.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, I've noted some of these points a few times now publicly, but I will reiterate them today.

As a new member of KCRHA's governing board and chair of the committee that oversees human services, the findings of the forensic evaluation are serious and require immediate accountability.

And this proposed resolution is a swift but thoughtful measure that starts charting that pathway forward for the agency and addressing these findings.

Since learning the full details of the forensic evaluation, I have worked in collaboration with Councilmember Foster, service provider partners, KCRHA leadership and governing board members, and our counterparts at King County Council to figure out where we go from here.

The proposed legislation sponsored by myself and Councilmember Foster summarizes the findings of the forensic valuation as well as the timeline for deliverables expected from KCRHA over the coming months, including the corrective action plan to address all findings.

As a point of information, KCRHA will come to the human services, labor, and economic development committee meeting this upcoming Friday, June 6th, to discuss the corrective action plan that was submitted on May 22nd.

The legislation before you also request that the mayor's office make an initial assessment of that correction action plan and requires the mayor's office make an official recommendation on whether the city should dissolve, restructure, or continue as is with KCRHA.

And if the mayor recommends the restructure or dissolution, it requests the mayor then submit a plan for how that will occur and outlines a number of items for us to start deliberating on.

I will note that the King County Council's Committee of the Whole passed a similar measure last month, a resolution, and the resolution before us today puts the city in alignment with the work that's being done over at the county.

I want to thank Councilmembers Baron and Fain for their work in moving that forward.

But to close, as responsible elected leaders, we have a fundamental duty to get people housed and do right by taxpayers, and we do that by working on a plan together, deliberately, collaboratively and transparently transparently.

As I have repeatedly stated, now is not a time for knee-jerk reactions.

Our homelessness response system is already in a delicate place and needs to be handled with caution.

Um now is a time for balanced and thoughtful discussions and to not add additional harm to an already volatile situation.

So finally, I want to thank uh my team, uh Councilmember Foster's team, our tireless central staff for all of their work on KCRHA issues over the past few months.

I will note this bill uh passed out of committee with a unanimous vote.

So thank you to committee members, and I ask for your support today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Uh Councilmember Foster, did you have anything?

I know as co-sponsor as the legislation?

Okay, awesome.

Uh thank you, thank you both, Councilmember Rink and Council Member Foster for for your for your work on this as well.

And your continued work as well, not just on this, but your continued work.

Oh, I'm sorry, Councilmember, Councilmember Wires.

Well, I'm gonna say something.

So um and looking at Councilmember Foster and Councilmember Rink.

I think I said this in in our council briefing, but I think that we should really raise our hands to Councilmember Foster and Councilmember Rink for taking on and looking at the King County Regions' homeless and the audit and all the things that have happened in between in the two watershed moments.

I can't remember the two dates now, May 23rd and whatever when the corrective action report came out.

And like I said, I had a chance to look at it, and it's 150 pages, and there's a lot of work to do.

But I think more importantly, what we're seeing, and I'm glad to see is as is Councilmember Rink said, and I've also heard from Councilmember Foster, is let's just take a moment measure for measure and look at this and um address this in a timely but deliberate manner about how we fix or not fix the King County regional homeless um what is it homeless authority authority.

Um because when we instituted this in 2019, there was a different vision, that vision changed.

There were I think four directors.

We're on the fourth director or third, fourth, third, fifth, or on our fifth.

Okay, I guess my point is this it's as far as local government goes in the city of Seattle.

I think we contribute to 60 percent of their budget, it's a lot of money.

So, but needless to say this without piling on because we need to address this, but more importantly, we need to look at what outstanding services are out there, the contracts that we sign, but more importantly, the people that were serving, which was the original intent in 2019, and if our heart and our North Star is still true, then that's what we'll do.

I we're beyond pointing fingers.

It's just time it's time to, as these two, and I'm just gonna say it, I'll probably get in trouble for saying it, but these two young legislators are doing is rolling up their sleeves, reading the material, doing the work, and saying, how do we fix this?

How do we move forward as an elected body?

And I know we don't always get um praises, but I get to work with all of these wonderful individuals and watch all the behind the scenes, every single one of you.

Um, and I know how hard you work, and I know what you put up with a lot of the time.

And I will be gone in six months, so you won't have anti-rambling anymore.

But I just want the public to know how hard it is and how these things affect us and how we all try to work together to instill confidence in the residents and in the region in this elected body.

So thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, Councilmember Warez.

Uh, Councilmember Foster.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I wasn't gonna say anything, but now um Councilmember Antijuarez has um uh compelled me with that comment.

So thank you for that.

Um, and thank you so much, Councilmember Rink, for your leadership, and um it's been a real pleasure to get to work collaboratively with you on this.

And I will say, you know, coming into this role, uh, coming in as a new council member and as and both of us coming in as new board members.

We knew that the agency needed support, but I think we we were not expecting these audit findings, and I think that the work that we were able to do with the agency quickly and with the other electeds really reflects the commitment and the seriousness that we are are bringing to this moment.

Um, and it's absolutely right, and we've said this a lot in committee and a lot at the the KCRHA board.

Um, this agency is incredibly important, not just because it holds our public dollars here locally, but because of the role that it plays with our point in time count, with managing our HMIS, which is our homelessness information system, with managing federal dollars, and so it really can't be understated how important it is to ensure that we have the right approach, not just the saying the right thing or what sounds like the right thing first.

And so I'm really proud of the measured approach that we are taking, and there's still a lot of work to do.

Um, this is definitely not a mission-accomplished moment.

This is a moment where we are laying out the next steps and trying to create and creating an orderly process for managing those next steps.

So thank you so much for your partnership on this, and colleagues, I ask for your support.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Councilmember Rink, any closing remarks?

Just deep appreciation for my colleagues for their remarks.

It really means a lot.

Thank you.

Oh, oh, I'm sorry, I see Councilmember Rivera.

I did not see your hand.

My apologies, Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I want to say that um uh it's um very transparently.

Everybody knows that I feel very strongly about what's happening at KCRHA.

I've always said the city and the county partnered together and went into it with the best intentions.

It did not work out the way we had anticipated.

We do need to work collaboratively with the mayor and with the uh county to take a regional approach, but it is time to dissolve the agency and then pivot to next steps on how we're gonna continue to do the work.

And I will say that the providers have always been doing the work, but the um agency itself, starting with problems from providers not getting paid all the way through what um uh what the report um unveiled, um, it is just not working out, and I think that for us to continue down the path of doing more of the same is not gonna work.

So I think we're all in agreement agreement in terms of collaboration and transparency, but I do think it's time for us to pivot now.

I wanna be really clear that um my call for dissolution was never an overnight thing.

It can't be an overnight thing, it's gonna take time to undo what was done, but I do think we need to take those steps, and I think it is very important because there is um the work urgently needs to get done.

And so we need to get to the next step, but what are we gonna do when the age uh to do the work with the agency not in place?

And and I have to say the work is being done.

The city took back the outreach and the prevention dollars.

Some of the work has already transferred back to the city.

So I think that um uh I will be voting for the resolution today because it is not contrary to um the path forward in terms of what are the next steps for KCRHA, but I do think it will ultimately end up with a desolution of the agency and then what uh and then an approach um because uh for next steps because we still need to do the work.

We are doing the work and we will continue to do the work, and the public needs to be confident um that the work is gonna happen.

That is what we all want for the work to happen.

We may disagree on how we approach KCRHA, but we do not disagree on the work getting done.

Um, and that is really important, and we do need to be united um in that.

Um, so uh I do have, as you all know, a um uh ordinance um that is in legislatar that would dissolve the agency asking for the mayor then and the uh to um start the process and then detail next steps um on what will happen.

I don't think it's dissimilar to the resolution, other than calling for the decision the solution sooner rather than later.

Um, but like I always say we can agree to disagree, but I really feel strongly that the time has come to pivot to a different strategy um and move away from the King County Regional Housing Authority because we can't keep throwing good money after bad.

Um thank you, Council President.

You're all good.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

Are there any final comments before we call the roll for the bill?

All right, awesome.

Well, the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of the resolution.

Councilmember Saka.

Councilmember Strauss.

Council Member Foster.

Yes, Councilmember Warz.

Aye, Councilmember Cattle.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Council President Hollandsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Resolution is adopted.

Chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf?

Will the clerk please read item number four into the record?

Agenda item four, council one-two-one ninety.

An ordinance relating to the 2026 stormwater code update, updating stormwater control requirements for development to roadways utilities and maintenance activities, strengthening stormwater treatment and infiltration standards, clarifying vesting and reviewing thresholds, ensuring city's compliance with the requirements of the city's 2024 through 2029, phase one municipal stormwater permit issued by the State Department of Ecology.

The committee recommends the bill passes amended.

Awesome.

Thank you.

As chair of the committee, I'm going to provide the report.

We brought forth two changes, our revised.

So the definition closely related projects and flow control requirements for small sites or excuse me, two major changes.

I didn't put these changes, but two major changes are definition of closely related projects and flow control requirements for small sites from 2,000 to 5,000 square feet of new plus uh replaced hard surfaces.

So I've offered two amendments uh in coordination with what we heard back from people and community.

Um one amendment proposes technical changes to the legislation, including including um punctuation and formatting.

So that's a technical and amendment two adds three recitals to the bill regarding exploring the role of trees and considering the best available science and future stormwater code updates, both passed out of committee on May 14th to add to the stormwater code.

And I do believe there is an amendment today uh brought forth by council member Rivera.

So I'm gonna at this time uh ask you to see if you want to move your amendment and then we can discuss it.

Thank you, Council President.

I move to amend council bill one two one one ninety is presented on amendment A.

Second, it's been moved and second to amend the bill as presented on amendment A.

Council Member Rivera, you are recognized in order to address it.

Thank you, Council President colleagues.

This is a friendly amendment that central staff worked with SBU on, and it just adds one more recital that acknowledges the work that SPU does and tracking their performance related to its various activities, including stormwater efforts, and then it highlights SPU's commitment to explore further performance metrics related to its stormwater policies to support water quality and address the negative impacts of stormwater runoff.

In the course of the committee meeting, we had a conversation with Federal Manager Lee and his team about the work that they do and tracking how well they're doing on their stormwater policies, and as part of the conversation, we had um a conversation about what additional measures they might put into place, and I know they're committed to doing it, so we just put the recital in to really acknowledge and so the public can see that um SPU takes this very seriously, and they work really hard to establish performance metrics to really show how the city is doing in terms of addressing the negative effects of stormwater runoff.

So um, happy to answer any questions, but hope to have your support just to put this um as a recital.

So, like I said, folks know that the department is doing this work, acknowledging that, and that they're gonna continue to find additional ways to continue to continue to improve upon this.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you for your work on this colleagues.

I consider this a friendly amendment, so I will be supporting this today, and thank you for uh just your due the Rivera diligence, the not due diligence, but the reverera diligence.

So this is a friendly amendment for sure.

Colleagues, are there any other comments regarding the bill or the amendment the bill as um all the the amendment?

Amendment a?

Will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of amendment a?

Councilmember Sokka?

Aye, Councilmember Strauss.

Right.

Council Member Foster.

Yes.

Council Member Warez.

Aye.

Council Member Cattle.

Aye.

Council Member Lynn.

Yes.

Council Member Rick?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council President Hollings West.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Motion carrying amendment A is adopted.

Are there any further comments on the bill as amended, colleagues?

Will the clerk please call the roll to the bill as amendment?

As amended.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Councilmember Strauss.

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Aye.

Council Member Cattle.

Aye.

Council Member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Yes.

Nine in favor, nine opposed.

Bill passes, Chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf?

I'll clerk please read number item number five into the record.

Agenda item five, Council Bill 121 196, an ordinance relating to land use and zoning, rezoning certain land in the university district, the Fremont neighborhood, the Madison Miller neighborhood, and Rainier Beach neighborhood.

And the downtown neighborhood rezoning land and amending development standards to increase housing supply support multi-purpose redevelopment on certain sites with community base uses, remove code barriers to passive house, modular and mass timber construction and to conversion from commercial space to housing and more zones and incentives, community servings use along with the construction of more housing in certain areas.

Committee recommends that we'll pass with council members.

In favor, none opposed, with an abstention from Council President Hollingsworth.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Lynn.

You are recognized.

Thank you, uh Council President.

And I think the clerk's reading of the title says it all about the purpose of this bill.

Um just really want to say uh thank you to um OPCD for their hard work on this, to um the mayor's office for their support, to all the members of the public here who have been showing up time and time again uh to speak in favor of this.

Um, you know, I think what's exciting um for this is is these are very specific opportunities uh for um for hopefully uh to make it more feasible to develop housing throughout the city in these different areas, also to uh to reduce these barriers for things like uh mass timber for passive house and modular.

Um so uh I think this is um uh an exciting opportunity for us.

Um the committee um for we had four in favor and one abstention, um, and I'd urge your support.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

Are there any other comments regarding the bill in front of us?

Councilmember Strauss.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, uh, you may know that I have a history with rezoning industrial lands.

There are industrial land changes that are in this bill.

It is of my opinion that we cannot adjust, we cannot reduce the amount of industrial lands that we have in our city without a process that allows all voices to be heard and for consensus to be built.

In 2023, I brought forward the maritime and industrial lands package that was a nearly 10-year effort of stakeholders of so many different people.

I'm not gonna go into it because we're running short on time.

All that to say, we had a compromise throughout our city that would work for everyone, and the items that were not yet agreed upon by all parties were set to the side.

There were four locations.

Georgetown, Fremont, Ballard, and Soto.

Each of these four locations had a clear process to continue the conversation.

Each of them had a clear process.

What you see in this bill is the location in Fremont that has continued along this process, and what you see today is nobody speaking in favor and nobody well, nobody speaking against.

We had many people speaking in favor, and this is the product of important hard work of collaboration to reach consensus.

That doesn't mean that there's not disagreement still.

I'm always concerned when we're losing industrial lands out of the industrial land zoning category because one third of our sales and use tax comes from industrial and manufacturing sectors.

That it always stays steady.

When the tech booms, nobody notices when that tech drops, everyone is relying on the industrial and manufacturing sector.

So I don't know the latest on Georgetown.

I know the latest on Fremont here, and I support this.

Which is again a rare opportunity of me supporting removal of industrial lands for other uses because it took a process that increased collaboration and consensus.

I'm also aware of the location in Ballard that will I'll be checking in to see where it is at and if we need to move it forward if there is consensus.

I think you all know where we are at with Soto Housing.

I will take this opportunity to say that there was a clear path to create collaboration and consensus, despite immense disagreement, and that path was not chosen, which is why we have the outcome in which we have all of that to say, I support the bill before us.

I'm gonna see what's going on with Georgetown and with Ballard and if those changes need to be moved forward as well.

Thank you, colleagues.

I urge a yes vote.

Thank you, Councilmember Strauss.

Are there any further comments?

I'll explain my abstention.

I said it in committee.

I will be supporting this today.

Um, but I abstained in committee on the simple fact that there had needed to be done better outreach, uh, particularly some places that are in the central district, which are historically red line areas, and also having uh community feedback and just explaining what this is.

So it that's why I abstained so we could check and we were able to connect, but this is my friendly reminder for our departments how how important outreach is for people to understand it in a very palatable form so they know what to expect in their communities.

Um, and outreach is not putting something on social media, it is physically going to people and talking to them and having conversations.

So you gotta find folks in these communities because oftentimes they don't have access to City Hall.

Uh, sometimes this is their first time here at City Hall when they do come.

So that was my abstention for that just to check just to make sure everyone knew.

So thank you.

Um, Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President, and to your point, um, I did follow up in terms of that outreach.

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments, thank you.

And um for uh the Fremont and the university district locations, there was um outreach done and um for the university district, definitely mailers went out, and so um uh we heard support for both of these.

I did not hear um any concerns, and so really appreciate.

I want to also underscore along with you to the departments the importance of doing that um robust outreach, the mailers um uh to each of those uh residents nearby was really really critical, and we should continue to do things of that nature and as robust outreach as we can do is warranted, not just a simple posting, because we want folks to really know what is happening and give them the opportunity to weigh in uh on the front end.

Well, we do that is that when we do that, we get better outcomes.

So thank you, awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

But I do want to take this time to thank Councilmember Lynn because Council Member Lynn did his own outreach and really appreciated that um work that you did um to bring this so we could all be collaborative in this.

So thank you, Councilmember Lynn for that.

Really appreciate that.

Do you have any closing remarks before we call a vote?

Um just want to say thank you to the colleagues.

Yeah, this uh did touch uh properties in a number of district different districts, and uh I absolutely agree.

We can always um do better and um in this case, really appreciate uh you and council member Rivera um double checking that work um and and doing some of that engagement.

So thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

All right.

Will the chair um will the clerk please call the role on the passage of the bill?

Councilmember Socket.

Aye.

Councilmember Schauss.

Council Member Foster.

Yes, Councilmember Warez.

Aye.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Council Member Rink?

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Bill passes, chair will sign.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf?

We got claps for housing and hops.

It's amazing.

That was probably the loudest clap.

Um, will the clerk please call the role or not claw the role?

Excuse me.

We'll read it number six into the agenda.

This is our last item.

I jet item six.

Council Bill 121, 1204.

We lead into the city light department authorising the general manager and chief executive officer to grant an easement over a portion of fee owned property to Puget Sound Energy and accepting payment of the fair market value for the assessment.

You see me easement.

The committee recommends the bill pass.

I know.

Councilmember Warz is chair of the committee.

You are recognized to provide the report.

Thank you.

I will be very brief.

I was gonna disagree with Councilmember Strauss over here, so now that he knows what he's gonna do.

Um Parks Light and Committee report, and I'll be very brief.

Uh it's a transfer of jurisdiction, it's a piece of legislation.

This ordinance allows City Light to grant an easement over a portion of owned property in Bellevue to Puget Sound Energy at fair market value, which is $6,800 in order to support T-Mobile equipment.

It will have no impact on Seattle City Light operations.

Let me just say it in basic English, it's basically 900 square feet.

So PSE can provide an underground gas line to the T-Mobile generator.

They are paying for the rights and property associated with an easement area, 900 square feet underground, as the rights will be assigned to PSC to provide as a provider of the underground gas line.

So there you have it.

Awesome.

Oh wow, really?

Thank you, Councilmember Wars.

Are there any council member strauss?

Uh colleagues, thank you, and my apologies for using our collective time in this way.

I still have additional questions about whether or not backup generation is required for the legally we are required to allow T Mobile to put their cell tower on our transmission line.

I still have questions about whether we are required to allow them to put explosive fuels near our transmission lines.

I I'm just gonna vote no today, but um transmission lines are just so crucial and important, as well as the cell network, but I don't want to put any unnecessary risk to our transmission lines, but I might be just being weird.

Wow, okay, I see how it is.

Thank you, colleagues.

Apologies for using your collective time this way.

No worries, thank you, Council Member Strauss.

Are there any comments uh regarding the bill before us before we call to a vote?

Councilmember Wars, do you have any closing comments?

Yes, will everyone please vote yes?

Awesome.

Um will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill.

Councilmember Socket?

Aye.

Councilmember Strauss?

No, Councilmember Foster.

Yes.

Council Member Juarez.

Yes.

Councilmember Kettle?

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Eight in favor, one opposed.

The bill passes.

The chair will sign it.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf?

Colleagues, there's no items removed from consent calendar.

There's not a resolution.

We do have further business.

Councilmember Foster, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Council President.

I really appreciate that.

Um I just want to make a couple of comments.

You know, today is the second day of Pride Month, and yesterday we had the opportunity to be downstairs in Bertha Nightlandis celebrating Pride Month.

And I got the opportunity to do the Pride Month proclamation, and um that black trans leaders, and people who often don't get recognized to me by Council President Hollingsworth.

And I remember I was sitting here thinking about it.

Um and don't get recognized in particular by this body.

And um, I want to thank you for bringing Amara's family um today.

And I want to thank you for the resolution and the dedication to his life and his memory.

Um, and I want to thank you for the work that you do to make this body accessible for people who are often not seen by this body.

Um I see that work and I appreciate it.

And I also want to say, um, every time I sit here as a black queer woman and I listen to public commenters attack a black queer council member for her identity, I'm so disappointed in us.

I'm so disappointed in us.

We can have differences of opinion.

We can have policy disagreements, we should.

We should not attack members for who they are.

Especially, especially when we don't appreciate them for what they do for black members of this city.

I do not want to see it in this chamber anymore.

I'm happy to be on record about that.

It is shameful.

I'm also gonna say this.

Every time I have thought about the work I need to do, particularly when it comes to who I should call in the central district, who I need to reach out to, um, you have been there, and I appreciate that, and I appreciate you.

Um we have differences of opinion, and I love it.

Um, because you are you have never shown me an ounce of disrespect.

You have always respected my voice when it is dissenting.

You have made um the most gracious efforts to reach out to other members of this body and your role as council president.

You have not acted unilaterally, despite the fact that people are claiming that you have done.

You have not.

Um, and I just want to put that on the record and say I appreciate you and say I'm tired of seeing that level of disrespect to our council president.

Thank you.

Amen.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Uh Councilmember Juarez.

Thank you.

I'm really glad that Councilmember Foster, thank you for sharing that.

Um, I know that that was a difficult emotional moment for what we have to put up with.

Um, I'm gonna quickly say this, and I meant to say in the beginning, I apologize, Council President.

I want it, and I think I shared it with in the clips, but today is the anniversary of a hundred and two years ago in 1924 that my people, Native Americans, got the right to vote.

1924.

So therefore, your land acknowledgements are stupid.

And um, that's why I wanna say when people come here, I'm saying what Council of Foster said.

I am tired of people attacking us on our race and our gender and whatever else, personal attacks, but the other issue is using my own history as a Native American as a Latina against me by non-people of color, and I know you don't know I you know I don't like that word BIPOC, but it's just it's so disrespectful, it's just so crude, and quite frankly, it's racist and sexist, and I'm tired of it.

And you know, we all get tired of it, but I love it when people come here, as Councilmember Foster said, and you have said it, every one of you have said it, and tell us what we're doing wrong, where you're not happy, where we voted.

But when you just personally attack us just for sitting here, I mean, we we we we endure a lot, but that that doesn't bother me.

It's the it's the personal attacks for us just being either a black queer woman or a Native American mom, grandma, boomer, whatever.

It's just it gets ridiculous to the point where we're not even I'm not even I'm almost shutting down because what do you want me to do?

I can't change it.

I mean, this is who we are.

So just without making it too more any more emotional, um, it has been an honor to serve this body, it's been an honor to serve this city, it's been an honor to represent District 5, and it's also been an honor to work with every one of you.

But of course, working with council president, and we don't always agree, and we have voted differently, but we always maintain um respect and dignity and an open conversation, even with now with Councilmember Strauss and I was giving him a hard time for voting.

No, but we're good.

There's no there's nothing there, right?

I mean, well, I mean you, but you know what I mean.

So, with that being said, um I want to thank you, Councilmember Foster, for sharing those words.

So thank you, and um happy 102nd anniversary to my people to getting to vote.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster, thank you, Councilmember Juarez.

It's great.

Much needed words.

Um Councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I want to join the voices of my colleagues in so appreciating you and calling for folks to come to chambers and yes, give public comment, but the personal attacks are unwarranted.

And you know, many are racist and demoralizing.

And there shouldn't be a place for that in our city in general.

And so I thank my colleagues for speaking up against that.

And I also want to say, council president, that I very much I'm so proud to have you be our council president.

And I am very proud to serve with everyone on this body.

And we don't always agree.

But we're showing the public that we respect each other when we are speaking in chambers about each other or the work that we're doing.

We're always respectful, even when we disagree.

And so I think, you know, what you what what we're doing is trying to lead by example, and I just it is very demoralizing when folks show up and do the personal attacks at anyone on on this body.

So and then I wanted to say, colleagues, um, because it is gun violence awareness um uh a month, um, as you all know, um, I've been working for a very long time on this um symposium.

It took many different um uh forms throughout the conversations.

I want to thank council president for your partnership and the mayor's office.

I've spoken with um many of you well, coun uh council member Kettle, you as chair, um, and the thing is you all know that I ran for office because of gun violence across our city, particularly as regards our children.

Um children like Ammar Murphy Payne and other kids that we've lost lost to gun violence in this city, and um, you know, as a mom of um uh two girls who were in lockdown at Ingram because their child got shot in their school.

We gotta do better.

We just do.

And so um this symposium is really just an attempt to to look at an additional approach.

Um, it's about focused deterrence.

Um it is not um it is additive.

We do a lot of things in the city in the prevention and intervention uh realm.

We do a lot of great work.

Um, and we still have a lot of gun violence happening in our city and particularly um involving our youth.

Um, but it's not exclusive to our youth.

Um, and I just think that we really need to look at we owe it to our kids and our constituents across the city and our city to look at all the ways that we can try to address gun violence.

And so this convening really, it's less of a symposium, more of a convening to hear from some other cities that have had some success with this focused deterrent up deterrence approach, is important.

And it's it's more for our law enforcement agencies who are doing this work than us, really, um, because they're the ones that are having to manage for the public safety pieces and then what to do when this happens.

Um, and that's what this is about.

So I want to thank you in advance for um I know we have um uh we all want to participate in the conversation.

I you know, this is one of I think many conversations we'll have in general, but I do want to say um today, especially that um this is something that I know we all very much care about, and we're all grappling with how to best address.

And so I hope that we can all continue to work together with um the mayor and the city attorney and the prosecutor and the executive and um uh all of the entities that have a hand in an SPD and everyone that has a hand and trying to keep our city safe so we can continue to look at ways that we can um address this really important issue because I don't want to lose another important life like Ammar or Phi Pain.

And when we lose a kid, um it is obviously my heart goes out to the Murphy Pain family who was in chambers today, and we all suffer the loss of every single child that we lose in our city, and as a mom, I take that um really personally and to heart.

Um, so anyway, I just wanted to acknowledge um uh what uh is gonna be happening on Monday.

Um, and I just hope that we're able to find some ways that we can bring um some resolve to some of these families because not getting justice, and I will say I know council member Saka, there's a child in your district that got killed, and again, no one has been arrested for that crime.

I can't even imagine what these families are going through when they don't know they they don't have outcomes on um who committed these crimes, and and there's no um, there is no uh closure.

So anyway, thank you for listening, colleagues.

Um and uh just wanted to acknowledge that and um given also the the proclamation was really to bring awareness this month um to this really important issue in our city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rivera and looking forward to joining you.

And I know uh colleagues are at the symposium that you've brought together with important governmental parts uh next week.

So looking forward to that.

Thank you, colleagues, for your words.

I support each and every one of you, and it's an honor to serve side by side with with you all um as well.

And I say that and I really really mean that I know we don't always disagree, but it's okay, we don't have to.

I don't expect to agree with y'all, because you know, especially you, Councilmember Kennel.

I'm just fine, okay.

Um, anyways, last but not least, okay, because we have one more minute, and I don't want us to go above two hours.

Want to give a special shout out, the final start tomorrow, and the Spurs are playing the Knicks.

We have a special connection.

The head coach of the Spurs is Mitch Johnson.

Mitch is from Seattle.

He went to O'Day High School.

He's he loves Seattle through and through, and he's a great dude, and so that's why we should all be supporting the Spurs, and they also knocked out Oklahoma City Thunder.

Okay.

That is the true reason why.

A descendant from uh his dad played on the 1979 basketball team for the world champion, and he is a descendant of a world championship team that knocked out the Oklahoma City Thunders.

If that's not pure joy, I don't know what it is.

Okay, so thank you all, Gun Violence Awareness Month.

We're gonna do the best we can for our babies.

Thank you all.

The next meeting as this comes to a close will be June the 9th at 2 p.m.

Hearing no further business, colleagues, we're adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you, Pastor President.