Okay, the June 9th meeting of the Seattle City Council come to order.

It's 2 03 p.m.

I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Council Member Strauss.

Council Member Foster.

Here.

Councilmember Juarez.

Here.

Councilmember Kettle.

Here.

Councilmember Lynn.

Here.

Council Member Rink.

Here.

Councilmember Rivera.

Councilmember Saka?

Here.

Council President Hollings.

Eight present.

Councilmember uh Rivera is excused until she gets here.

Colleagues, there's no presentation at this time.

Um, and we're gonna transition right into public comment.

Uh so the hybrid public comment period is now open.

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

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

As a reminder, please note that there will be an opportunity for parties of record only on clerk file 314549 under agenda item number four regarding um the communication um ex party communication, but you must be already a party of the record as well.

So, clerk, how many speakers do we have signed up?

We have approximately eight in person, I mean, eight remote that aren't all present yet, and I believe 54 in person.

Okay, awesome.

54 in person, eight that are online remote.

Um, so that means that we have uh 30 to 60, so one minute per speaker, and will you please read the uh instructions for public comment period?

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

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

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

We'll begin with our in-person speakers.

Awesome.

I'm gonna call everyone up by five.

So first we have Peter, followed by Darius, then we have uh Daniel, and then uh Shrija.

I'm sorry if I mispronounced your name, and then we have Patrick.

So we have those five folks coming up.

Peter, Darius, Daniel, uh Srija, and Patrick.

And you can use either or um microphones as well.

Welcome, Peter.

Good to see you.

Good to see you.

Good afternoon, members of the city council.

Um, my name is Peter Hasagawa.

I'm a resident of District 7, and I'm here on behalf of my 6,000 union electricians, um, and particularly the thousand of them who are currently unemployed, and we're here to ask you to put a bond to renovate and decarbonize Seattle Center on the ballot for voters.

Um Seattle Center is currently emitting about 16% of the city of Seattle's own building portfolio's carbon pollution.

Um, and uh we want to have a family-friendly city in the era of climate change.

This is a large facility.

My children love to go to Seattle Center to play at the children's museum after my son was born.

This was the first place where we went out with him to the armory.

Uh it's important that we have large public-facing facilities available with cooling for the residents of our city.

So thank you very much for your consideration.

Appreciate you.

Thank you, Peter.

Next we have Dears, followed by Daniel.

Welcome.

Hi, my name is Doriz Rani.

I'm a software engineer and a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

Last week I decided to be public in my support for regulating data centers.

I hear a lot of accusations that the growing anger over data centers is just fear of new tech, or that it's NIMBYism.

But that's wrong.

Everyone I know who is serious about the transition to a healthier, more resilient energy system knows that comes along with building a lot of new tech in our backyards.

It means electrification, revitalize public transit, and energy independence through solar, hydro, and wind.

Five years ago, companies like Amazon and Microsoft seemed committed to being leaders in that transition, but they've stopped leading since the AI race started.

So we need to lead now.

Big tech needs data centers more than we do.

Here are some ways we can push them to get the future that we need.

The city could regulate that data centers can only be built with 100% additional renewable energy.

We could tell them that they've got to make existing grid capacity more efficient through city by authorization.

There are so many things we can do, but we will need to, we need the will and imagination of this city council and a workers' industry to make the comments.

Thank you so much.

Hi, my name is Daniel Richards.

I'm a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

I'm grateful to live in the city where employees who speak out politically are legally protected against retaliation by their employers.

I've worked for my entire career in regulatory compliance and customer protection.

I'm here today to remind City Council that every powerful, positive, and legitimate use for AI creates an equally negative potential for bad actors to misuse.

The race to monetize large language models has opened a Pandora's box for stolen, fraudulent and illicit material and made us all more vulnerable.

While this is being widely reported, instead of moving with urgency to address these existential threats, big tech companies are racing to build out as much compute capacity as they can as fast as they can before regulations can catch up.

If they're gonna avoid responsibility, this council should act.

We should demand any data centers in Seattle be built without the use of shell companies and NDAs and with a proper consideration of all harms and risks.

Thank you.

Thank you, Daniel.

Good afternoon.

I'm Sri Janagre, a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

I'm grateful to be in a city where employees who speak out politically or legally protected against retaliation by their employers.

A couple weeks ago, I walked by Mark Zuckerberg's mega yacht.

It docked in Lake Union amid about 1,400 King County based layoffs at Meta, with remaining employees being tracked down to the Keystroke to train AI.

Meanwhile, in quarter one, Meta reported a net income of over 26 billion dollars.

Amazon also recently laid off 30,000 people around the world amid record-breaking earnings.

It's great to see this council choose to empower ordinary people and workers over those who see them as expendable.

I ask the council to remove any subsidies for data centers and impose requirements for renewable energy use, labor protections, and even allocation of compute towards public projects.

It might sound like a lot to ask, but it's not a 300 million dollar boat.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Patrick Schleser, and I'm a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Change.

Last week I took steps to be public for the first time because I'm tired of being afraid to stand up for my values.

I believe the tech workers have a role to play in this moment.

We want city council members to include us in the process of developing equitable AI and data center policy.

In that spirit, I'd like to invite anyone who works in tech in this room to please raise their hand.

Next, I'd like to invite anyone who has previously worked in tech to keep your hand raised.

Now, for all of us, if you agree that this council should regulate data centers and AI for the common good, keep your hands up.

Thank you.

We are not alone.

Next five, Nicole Grant, Rob Johnson, Ken Pitts, and Kevin Smith.

This Nicole Grant here.

Oh, there she is.

Awesome.

Rob Johnson, Ken Pitts, and Kevin Smith.

Uh hello, City Council.

My name is Nicole Grant, and I use she and her pronouns.

I wanted to start by saying happy Pride Month to everybody.

I'm here to testify.

I mean, happy Pride Month, everybody.

I'm here to testify on behalf of my union in favor of a bond to decarbonize the Seattle Center.

This is a place that we all grew up, and it's a place that we want to spend time with our kids, with our parents.

It's the jewel of the city, and it deserves to be shined to be cleaned up.

We have an opportunity right now to put kids from our communities to work.

My union has a pre-apprentip at Rainier Beach High School.

And we meet students every day learning our craft.

But they need a place to practice this craft, and nothing would be more desirable than redoing the Seattle Center.

So thank you.

And Rob, before you go, one second, I'm gonna call the other speakers so they're on deck.

We have Billy, uh Billy, Justin, Calvin, and Luke.

Good afternoon, Council.

Rob Johnson, executive director of Seattle Center Foundation.

We're here to support the resolution in front of you asking for a public sector support for Seattle Center.

Having my mom talk about how Seattle Center hadn't changed much.

And here I am in the year 2026, reflecting on the fact that the last time we had a public vote for support for Seattle Center was 1991.

1991, I was in the seventh grade, and today I have a kid who's gonna be graduating seventh grade, right?

Since that time, we've had literally billions of dollars in private, philanthropic, and business sector investments in Seattle Center.

It's time for our friends in the public sector to make this a priority again.

Not only for the labor community who's talked today, the business community who couldn't make it here today, who believe this is a priority for economic development and the jobs that will come for the arts and cultural community that's a critical part of our ecosystem.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rob.

Next we have Ken and then Kevin.

Welcome, Ken.

Good afternoon, Council members.

My name is Ken Pitts.

I'm a vice president of local 206 Carpenter Seattle.

I'm here today on behalf of the Carpenters Union and support of resolution 32205.

One of the most important reasons we act now is simple.

The longer we wait, the more expensive this becomes.

We have all seen the impacts of inflation, rising material costs, and increasing construction expenses.

Projects that could have been completed years ago often cost significantly more today.

Delaying action rarely saves money.

At the same time, every year we wait is another year that workers are not being hired.

Local businesses are not seeing the economic activity these investments generate, and our community is not receiving the full benefits of projects.

I encourage the council to move forward with resolution 32205 and demonstrate the leadership necessary to invest in our workforce, strengthen our economy, and over the future.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Kevin, followed by Billy, Justin, Calvin, Luke.

Hello, council members and council president.

My name is Kevin Smith.

I'm here today on behalf of the Carpenter of Carpenters Union representing 57,000 members in support of resolution 32205.

This resolution represents an opportunity to invest in Seattle's future while creating hundreds and potentially thousands of family wage jobs for working people throughout our region.

Every major infrastructure and economic development project creates a ripple effect.

The jobs created are not limited to construction workers, they support suppliers, manufacturers, transportation providers, and small businesses, restaurants, and countless local employers that benefit when workers have good paychecks and spend in our communities.

Thank you, Kevin.

Afternoon, Council President and rest of the council.

My name is Billy Heatherington, a proud member of Lionel Local 242, and I'm here today as well in support of Council Member Saka's uh resolution 32205 to support putting a bond measure to support Seattle Center in 2027.

Um as several of us here probably were in your ears, we'd we would have loved to have got this on the ballot in 2026, but we know that having a thoughtful resolute or a thoughtful bond measure um that maximizes state, federal, and climate commitment dollars in 2027 is the best option forward right now.

Uh, produces middle middle uh income jobs, uh apprenticeship opportunities, priority hire, local local hire, and you know, a lot of the programs that we work with each and every day.

So I just encouraged to move forward and hopefully in this upcoming budget, we can improve construction drawings to 30% and keep Seattle Center moving forward until it gets its facelift.

Thank you.

Thank you, Billy.

Next we have Justin, followed by Calvin and Luke.

Um I'm Justin, a member of Workers Strike Back and a former tech worker living in Queen Anne.

I urge the council to pass the one year data center moratorium, but this is the bare minimum.

We need a permanent moratorium on data centers in Seattle, and we need to tax the rich to fund a massive expansion of affordable housing instead built by union workers.

We are not going to get any of this by relying on the Democratic Party, which is why I'm with Shama Swant's independent socialist campaign for Congress that's fighting for these demands.

The Democratic Council members here won't even stop the dystopian surveillance in the city.

Mass layoffs, wars, genocide, and deportations are now all connected with big tech's push for AI.

Sham is the only candidate in this midterm election with a track record of defeating the billionaires, winning the nation's highest minimum wage, the Amazon tax and unprecedented runners' rights.

That's the kind of political leadership working need working people need to make on big tech.

So let's do a chance.

Stop the data centers.

Stop the data centers.

I'm Calvin.

We hold on, we'll restart your time just to make sure.

But before you go, Calvin, I want to make sure we have other people lined up.

Give me one second, I'm sorry.

We have Luke, former councilmember Shama Sawant, Baring, Ron, uh, Clem Clement, Noah, and then Michelle.

And when you start, we'll start the time.

I'm Calvin.

I'm with the Shema Sawant for Congress campaign.

There's an uprising taking place across the country against these data centers, and it's for good reason.

These hyperscale data centers cause massive air pollution, water pollution, and sound pollution.

They use enormous amounts of water and electricity.

They dramatically drive up utility costs.

The data centers and the whole AI project they're linked to are driving mass layoffs of already tens of thousands of workers.

And they're coming at a time when the climate crisis is already taking us over the cliff of environmental disaster.

They are a disaster for working people everywhere, not just in the places where they're built.

The only reason so many are going ahead is because they mean big profits for big tech.

So the richest billionaires can get richer at any cost for the rest of us.

They need to be stopped.

I support this one-year moratorium, but it is simply not enough.

We need them stopped entirely.

We need existing data centers to be taken into democratic public ownership because we can't control what we don't own.

Woo.

My name is Luke Employer, and I'm an engineer at Boeing and a member of Speed of Professional Engineers Employees at in aerospace.

As a rank and file union member in a year of contract negotiations, I'm demanding the Boeing bosses to respect expertise of engineers and technical workers who make Boeing planes safe for the public, paying us a salary that will make living in the area comfortably comfortable and in the face of inflation, and to keep Boeing jobs in Washington state instead of continued outsourcing to lower paying non-union states.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Shama Salant.

I support the data center moratorium bill that is up for a vote today on the Seattle City Council.

The one year ban is far from enough.

I'm running as an independent socialist for Congress.

Our campaign is the only one in this race fighting for an end to hyperscale data centers or democratic public ownership of all existing data centers and for a public sector living wage jobs guarantee funded by taxing the rich to counter the AI related mass layoffs.

AI driven hyperscale data centers are having devastating impact.

AI is now a central component of genocide and imperialist war, ice tetter, the surveillance state, mass layoffs, and climate crisis, because AI is the new frontier for super profits for the super rich.

They will absolutely not stop the AI juggernaut unless threatened by a powerful nationwide movement with leaders who have a backbone to go up against billionaires and approve a strategy to win for working people.

Both the Republican and the Democratic parties are owned by the billionaire class, and that's why we need independent campaigns like mine.

Solidarity.

And I want I want to give this uh placard calling for a stop on data centers to Councilmember Deborah Warris.

Thank you.

Do I not get one?

I can't.

Okay.

Oh, sorry.

Okay, bearing, is it bearing?

Yeah, okay, awesome.

Bearing followed by Ron, Clement, Noah, and Michelle.

Hi, my name's Baring Chinicsky.

Um, I'm not here about the data centers, even though I support all that.

It's common sense.

Come on.

I'm here about KCRH missing funding, and I want clarity about it.

I want to know what are we debating about it?

What's going to be done?

You guys can applaud all these little cubes going up today.

That's great and all.

But I've worked at Cheap Seattle Club.

I've managed communities at community roots housing.

I know what your policies look like when they hit the concrete.

I know what they look like.

I just want to know how are you gonna inject the community, everyone here, into healing Seattle.

We're gonna be the number one homeless community very soon.

I promise you that.

I was homeless in 2017.

I just wanted to know what we're debating about this.

That's it.

Thank you, Danny.

Ron, followed by Clement Noah, Michelle.

Good afternoon.

I'm here to talk about the public developer.

They seem to have decided to change their charter, and they've added a lot of language in there that I don't like.

And because of that changes, I see a chance where uh they could acquire eminent domain rights to take my home.

And I wish to retain my right under the Fifth Amendment of the uh to keep that, retain my rights to sell my home, live in my home.

And uh this is probably the sixth or seventh time these same people have tried to involved in this, not the public developer, but have been involved in this, so I hope that you will ask them to change their charter.

I guess the council cannot do that right now.

What you can say is yes or no.

Thank you, Ron.

Next, we have Clement, followed by Noah and Michelle.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

Wait, hold on.

Is the mic on?

Okay, awesome.

Good afternoon, Council members.

I'm Clement.

I'm a member of Worker Strike Back, and I'm here to reiterate what we've heard many times already today.

My firm opposition to the construction of AI data centers in King County.

Um, the surge in construction that we've seen recently uh across the nation is nothing but a vain attempt to line the pockets of right-wing tech billionaires.

Everyone here knows that further construction will inevitably lead to disastrous environmental impacts and meteoric rises in energy costs.

A lot of my family lives in Virginia, they're connected to the same grid as the hyperscale data center near Washington, DC, and they've already seen their uh cost of living go up.

So the American people fiercely oppose the construction of data centers.

This is basic common sense, and the council cannot credibly claim to represent its constituents if it doesn't support the data center moratorium.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you, Council members.

My name's Noah Williams.

I'm a member of the Transit Writers Union and Tech for Housing, and I'm also a DevOps engineer, which is essentially a cyber mechanic with experience dealing with every layer of the tech stack.

I'd like to draw your attention to two issues today with respect to data centers: emissions and design fungibility.

A facility designed to hold switches and routers for ATT will very likely have different power and cooling needs than a facility designed for maximum slop output.

Do not permit the latter.

Second, I'd like to address the negative impacts of the community to the community of backup generators, which aren't subject to on-highway emission standards, like, for example, Metro buses.

They burn dirty and loud and run more often than you'd think with regular testing required for normal service.

Now, this photo is of a bus hooked up to emissions testing equipment in 2006.

Seattle has led the way in emissions and air quality standards for the last 20 years.

Please do not roll back these protections just to uh profit from AI data centers.

Thank you.

I think this is uh Jody, Will, and then Scott.

Welcome.

Hi, my name is Michelle Housman, and I'm here to ask you to vote yes on the moratorium for the data centers.

Um the data centers will only benefit the billionaire class and the Epstein class, and what's at risk here is the future of our lives, your children's lives, my potential grandchildren's lives.

We need to be able to protect this environment that we live in to have clean water, to be able to have electricity, and just to protect ourselves from the billionaires that do not have our best interests at heart.

Thank you.

Thank you, Michelle.

I'm Dominic Wolfgang Wallace, a member of Workers Strike Back and Shama Sawant's campaign team for Congress against the genocidal Democrat Adam Smith.

The construction of hyperscale data centers has had devastating effects in the areas they've been built, including water shortages and even sludge dripping from people's taps.

I support that one-year moratorium on data centers, but this is the bare minimum.

When Shama Sawant was on city council, she led working people to win big gains, like the highest minimum wage in the nation and the Amazon tax, which taxes the very corporations trying to build these data centers and funds affordable housing for Seattleites.

In other parts of the country, at least 48 data center projects have been halted this same way, including in Pekin, Illinois, where workers reached out to Shama's campaign and she coordinated with them to help the fight back.

Workers strike back was a part of this movement showing up against Democrat and Republican parties who are both intent on laying out the red carpet for big tech.

There isn't a single representative on this council who leads working people in the fight back, but Shama is still here fighting with us, and we need to elect her to Congress.

She's the only candidate fighting to take big tech into democratic public ownership because that's the only way to make sure innovations served to working people and not the billionaires.

Thank you, Dominic.

My name is Coco.

I am a worker strike back member and district three voter.

I'm here to urge the city of Seattle against AI data center expansion for not only a year at a time, but indefinitely.

The reckless actions of the tech industry regarding AI have completely disregarded the well-being of our planet and communities.

Millions of gallons of water are used daily, exacerbating issues in already drought-prone regions.

Electricity bills are raised, grids are destabilized, air pollution is worsened, and overall quality of life is jeopardized.

Does Seattle want to contribute to this destruction or be a national example that we don't have to bow down?

Protecting our environment, the beautiful land that we all get to benefit benefit from by living here, and protecting each other should take absolute import over siphoning money into the pockets of big tech corporations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm Rich Fogett, and I'm in favor of placing a one-year moratorium on data centers.

During that year, please make your final decision through the filter of climate change.

Seattle's population will grow even more due to climate refugees, while our water supply will diminish as lessening snowpack forms.

We are going to need lots more electricity because to address climate change, we need to stop burning fossil fuels and electrify our buildings and transportation.

Most data centers want lots of water and electricity, and you can kill them through regulation.

Tell them that they have to generate their own emission-free power.

Good luck on this side of this state.

They'll have to use a closed loop system for cooling and not tap into our water supply.

Our health and welfare depend on you being firm on these two requirements.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, and thank you.

My name is Rebecca Young.

I'm a parent of voter and a resident of District 3.

Um I've emailed you all longer comments, so I'll be brief.

I'm here to strongly support the year-long moratorium on data centers and urge you all to vote in favor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rebecca.

We have Lauren followed by Evan, Emily, Jody, Will, Scott.

Hi.

I'm here again to ask the city council to put a moratorium on data centers.

As I said the last time, water is a precious commodity.

We can live without AI.

In fact, I prefer to, but we can't live without water.

And so I really hope that you will take climate change and the economic impact into consideration while you make your decision.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, council members.

I'm a Seattle-born resident of District 6, a part of the AI Washington AI resistance and the Seattle DSA.

Thank you for listening to what the people want and for putting the interests of Seattle residents and our living ecosystems above the seductive but misleading AI gold rush.

We are already seeing the consequences of unchecked data center expansion in the Pacific Northwest across the Columbia River in our neighbor state, Oregon, where nitrate contamination from data center and wastewater, proposals to divert water from Mount Hood area communities, and corruption scandals tied to Amazon-backed shell utility companies exist.

Look up the wind wave scandal if you haven't already.

We cannot allow these mistakes to be repeated here.

The moratorium is an important first step towards protecting our community here in Seattle, our land, our water, and our democratic institutions.

We look forward to working with you throughout this moratorium process and advocating for similar protections across King County and Washington State.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Council.

I am here to urge you to vote yes on the moratorium, but more importantly, I would like to thank all of you for your quick and decisive action on this issue.

We are just two months from when this was first broken by the Seattle Times.

I would like to especially thank uh Congressman uh Councilmember Lynn and my council member Juarez for your leadership on this issue and especially for engaging with the community, engaging with advocates and taking our input seriously.

I would also, with a last moment say, hell yeah, to the Seattle Center levy.

Let's get some good work for our building trades members here in Seattle and fix up Seattle Center where my oldest child goes to school.

Pearl Jam guy out.

Awesome.

Emily.

Yes.

Awesome.

Emily, followed by Jody Will, Scott.

Uh I'm Emily Johnson, also with Washington AI Resistance.

Um, and I have crazy amount to say about data centers, but today all I want to say is thank you very much for getting moving on this moratorium, and thank you in advance for this vote.

Uh, we have a lot of work cut out for us in this next year to figure out how to make this work for Seattle if it's gonna happen at all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is Jody here?

Yeah, I went out of orders.

Oh, okay, got it.

Okay, no worries at all.

So, Will then Scott, welcome.

Good afternoon, members of the council.

Uh, as someone who currently sues AI companies and who is running a statewide legislative race with AI regulation as my top policy priority, I am here to applaud you for your action on this, which I anticipate, and to urge the passage of the data center moratorium.

I've called for a statewide data center moratorium until we get this industry under control.

Uh, and I look forward next year to working with colleagues in Olympia to get that done.

The aspect of this that I, the policy aspect of this that I just want to make sure is abundantly clear is that there is no way to build new data centers that are 100% powered by new renewable energy in a way that does not still undercut our climate progress.

And the reason for that is that there are finite constraints on our ability to produce renewable energy in this country right now, both in terms of the materials required and in terms of the appropriate sighting for.

And as a result, every data center that is built is necessarily drawing away renewable energy that could have been used to offset carbon emissions elsewhere.

Thank you.

Thank you well.

Before you go, Scott, I'm gonna say the next 10 speakers.

If you're listening online after we do these next 10, we're gonna come to online and then come back in person.

Okay, so if you're online, please start coming in if you're remote.

Uh the next speakers after Scott is gonna be Ann, Peter, Patrick, Adrian, Sarah, Clive, Ben, Audrey, Paul, and uh Nivy.

Welcome, Scott.

Hi, my name is Scott McClay.

I'm in District One, uh, longtime resident, and I'm here to absolutely support the moratorium.

I think we have it, everybody knows all the issues with AI and how horrible environmentally it is, and how horrible it is in many other ways.

And I look forward to working with you in this next year.

It's gonna be very hard to get good moratorium, good criteria constraints, and it'll be a struggle, and I'll be with you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Scott.

Welcome, Ann, followed by Peter, Patrick, Adrian, Sarah, Clive, Ben, Audrey, Paul, and Nibby.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Anne O'Neill.

I am also here to encourage a permanent moratorium on data centers in Seattle.

Today, data center consumption is estimated at 415 terawatt hours, which is 1.5% of global electricity consumption.

Um, furthermore, they are um, I mean, 3% of Earth's water is freshwater, and only 5% of that is safe for human consumption.

One data center can consume up to five million gallons of fresh water per day.

Uh, there are 5,388 data centers in the US right now.

Uh, we are also facing a climate crisis.

So it seems to me it's a little counterintuitive to be using that much fresh water, which is already only pipe like what 0.5% of that is accessible to humans already.

So, um, yeah, anyway, I just it's unregulated, it steals from artists, it's not sustainable.

I mean, the list could go on and on.

I mean, obviously, everybody here has more eloquent things to say, but Peter, welcome.

Hello.

Hello.

Hey, council members, thank you for your time today.

My name is Peter.

I'm here with the Seattle DSA, and I'm also a constituent of District 5.

I'm here today asking you to vote in support of the one-year data center moratorium.

Not because I'm a Luddite, not because I'm anti-technology, but because I'm pro-human.

Okay.

AI technology is evolving at a breakneck pace, and we need to buy time for the regulations to catch up with the technology, or else the working class of this city and of this country is just gonna be completely crushed.

We need you to fight with us.

Thank you for fighting with us.

I'm also here with Washington AI resistance.

They're working on an AI Bill of Rights that is uh beginning to this regulation that data centers need.

I'd like to quickly discuss the four pillars.

Fairness, you know, it shouldn't drive up the electricity cost of consumers.

Just because a data center was plopped down in their backyard, privacy, you should own your data, transparency.

We should be able to see into these algorithms.

There shouldn't be a black box and accountability.

We need to hold companies that break regulations accountable.

I also support the grant for the clean decarbonization of the Seattle Center.

That sounds awesome for union jobs and for the marketing for everything.

Thank you.

Thank you, Peter.

Thank you.

Thank you, Peter.

Thank you so much.

Um we have Patrick followed by Adrian and Sarah.

Yeah, my name's Pat McKee, and I live in West Seattle, and I actually think Blood Eyes have gotten sort of a bad rep.

I just want to uh express my support for the council adopting this data center moratorium.

I want to thank you for the work you've done on both committees, and the real work is out there because there's a lot of bad faith actors who are gonna want to shape what's coming up.

So thank you for all of this.

Thank you, Patrick.

Hello, folks.

My name is Adrian Rina Chaboya.

I am uh I live in district two.

Shout out to I'm in Beacon Hill.

I'm here to ask you all to institute a moratorium and data centers.

Simply put, more data centers means more surveillance at a time when we have a capricious, vindictive authoritarian government.

Until we have common sense policies in place to set up guardrails, I'm asking that our city doesn't enable this big tech power grab.

Big tech will say to you all in meetings that these are all alarmist concerns.

Uh they're not.

They don't get to regulate themselves, period.

Um stand with Seattle lights and not with billionaires.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome, Sarah.

Hi, um, thank you for your time.

Let's reset our time.

We're gonna pull the microphone as close as you can, and then we'll start the time.

Yep.

So you can talk right into the mic.

Okay.

Hi.

Um, thank you for your time.

My name is Sarah Schumacher.

I'm here with indivisible civil resistance, and I'm a district two voter.

Um, I'll be brief.

I'm just here in support of the data center moratorium and a former tech worker.

Thank you.

Welcome to Clive.

Is it Clive?

Yes.

Awesome.

Clive, Ben, Audrey, Paul, Nivy, and if you're listening remote, we're gonna go to you next, and then we'll come back in person.

Council members, my name is Clive Hayward.

Resolution 32205 recognizes civic spaces as places of culture, gathering, and public life, but public space must be remain meaningfully open for public expression.

Today, expressive activity across the more than 20 acres of central Seattle's waterfront is effectively restricted to only five designated protected speech locations under rules administrated and enforced by Seattle Center personnel.

This is not meaningful access to public space.

For over a year, I've raised these issues through public comments, notice of claims, and letters to the mayor's office across administrations.

Yet the city has still not provided meaningful public explanation.

After repeated notice, unanswered requests for engagement, and Seattle's own judicial history.

Continued enforcement of these rules risks becoming knowingly and willingly disregarding.

It's not theoretical.

You support thank you, Clive.

Thank you, Clive.

You can put your com I know we didn't mean to cut you off.

You can put more in there as well.

Thank you, Clive.

Um, next we have Ben, followed by Audrey, Paul, and Nevi, and then we'll go online.

It's always difficult to um go after someone who wants to be heard.

So it's gonna take a sec.

Let's restart your time so you have your full one minute, one second.

All right, go ahead.

Um, good afternoon.

My name is Ben Jones.

I am the digital and communications director for 350 Seattle.

I'm testifying in support of a data center moratorium in our city.

This council has received now over 98,000 messages endorsed by over 50 community organizations in support of this moratorium.

Over a hundred people at least in this room, I don't even know I wasn't counting today, have testified in support of this in this chamber in support of this moratorium.

Um, it's my understanding that if this moratorium is passed, Seattle will be the city with the largest city in the United States to have passed a moratorium like this.

Um, that's so I just encourage this council um to sort of like take this moment.

Um, I urge you all to build on that story.

I urge you all to help set the national agenda for what it looks like to put people before big tech.

Also encourage you all to sort of set the agenda for our state about how we're gonna regulate these industries.

So thank you.

Thank you, Ben.

Audrey, Paul, and Nevi, and then we will go online.

Hello, council members.

My name is Audrey Wangoslan.

I'm an engineer specializing in power and renewable energy, and I live in District 2.

I am also a Board of Director member for 350 Seattle, and I co-lead out in climate, an organization for LGBTQ folks who work in climate.

As an expert in energy and sustainability, the development of AI data centers greatly concerns me.

They threaten to decimate any hope we have of mitigating the effects of climate change.

Furthermore, it is a distraction from building out the clean energy infrastructure we desperately need.

So vote yes on the moratorium.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome, Paul.

It's a nice hat.

Oh, you're taking it off.

It's nice.

It's very nice.

And then Nevy.

Is Neavy here as well?

Awesome.

Go ahead, Paul.

When you start, the time will start.

Thank you.

We need a moratorium and data centers because we know that their race to build data centers is a race against regulations.

It is a race against better regulation regarding power, air pollution, water pollution, etc.

It is also a race against regulation considering new uncovered nuisances.

Consider, consider infrastructure.

And this is typically not covered by zoning lows.

Consider local heat increase in an average of plus 3.6 Fahrenheit and up to 16 Fahrenheit in some cases, with effects with FX stretching as far as six miles.

Move fast and break things.

I also break the low when given the opportunity.

In Mississippi, Musk use unauthorized gas generators.

In Fayetteville, Georgia, they stole 30 million gallons of water.

We'll go online and we'll come back in person.

Welcome.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Nivy.

I am the founder of Soapbox Project, Seattle's most joyful community space for climate action.

So if you're free tonight, come have dinner with us in Belltown.

I am here in strong support of a data center moratorium.

I started an organization to convene community because I was feeling really anxious and afraid that our future was being stolen by tech billionaires and people that wanted to extract our resources.

And so I just want to say like coming here three public comments in a row, no one wants this.

There has not been one person in support of data centers, and that makes me extremely happy in a time when polarization is on the loose.

And so I just wanted to look around and savor this moment of unity and mutual hatred of billionaire capitalism.

Thank you so much, Council, for having us today.

Thank you, Nivy.

Awesome.

And for the record, Councilmember uh Councilmember uh Rivera, thank you.

Councilman Rivera is here uh in person.

All right, let's go ahead and go online.

Um and don't worry, we're coming back in person.

So we have Catherine Dawson, followed by Jacqueline.

Please press star six to unmute yourself.

Hi, I'm Catherine.

I'm a Seattle resident in district three, and I'm calling to voice my support for the moratorium on data centers in line with many community community organizations and unions.

Uh and we know AI is already an environmental nightmare that ultra wealthy tech elites are intent on forcing Tana.

We don't need to further invite that nightmare into our city.

Um Seattle's a city facing an affordability crisis and a world facing a climate crisis, an AI dentist, AI data centers would exacerbate both those issues.

So please uh vote best in this moratorium.

Thank you.

Our next speaker will be uh Jacqueline Kletzner.

Please press star six.

Hello, council members.

Um, my name is Jacqueline Kinsler.

I'm a proud resident of Seattle and Fremont and a software engineer who worked for five years for Microsoft and now works at a locally based AI native startup.

Day in and day out, I work with AI technology and am confident when I assert that the cost of the AI gold rush and the data centers being erected are not worth the trade-off.

While advancing technology has a lot of opportunities, I urge you to learn from the mistakes of unfettered commercial advancement in the past, such as the contamination by 3M factories that began in the 1950s, was discovered in 1975 and continued through 2025 that led to PFAS and other forever chemicals ultimately being spread globally and affecting the health of all living humans and animals in ways we can't anticipate.

Plenty of others before me have already detailed the cost we already know that these data centers have.

So I will end with simply pointing out that these data centers are being developed.

Our consumer enterprise and governmental AI use today, but with their computing power could just be adapted for widespread surveillance is depression tomorrow.

Vote yes to impose the one year moratorium today and begin work to create a permanent moratorium now.

Thank you.

We have Aiden followed by Annie.

Please press star six to unmute yourself.

Good morning.

Afternoon.

I want to suggest other ways that moratorium like this can and must go further.

We know that sometimes the best way to target something harmful is to set target the secondary and tertiary supporters of it.

It causes and its associates.

And that includes ice and the war machine.

It also includes the motive behind most of the AI, the desire to replace wages.

We are it is a solution in search of a problem.

That we need to address the inequality crisis, the the housing inequality crisis, the environmental disaster, and the crime.

We like the Aurora crisis is really.

Thank you, Aiden.

Next we have Annie followed by Adara.

Star 6, unmute yourself.

Hi, my name is Annie, and I encourage you to vote yes on a data center moratorium.

I'm a union steward at UAW 4121, which already endorsed the letter sent to the City Council encouraging this moratorium.

And I'm a PhD researcher at University of Washington, researching data centers.

I'm also a former software engineer, and I'm speaking as a member of Washington AI Resistance Coalition.

Seattle needs to follow other places, including tribal council that have councils that have endorsed moratoriums.

At least 57 counties, towns, and townships across U.S.

have active moratoriums across bipartisan lines like Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, California, North Dakota, Maine, Ohio, Alabama, North Carolina.

So Seattle needs to join that place.

Thank you.

Adara, followed by Rose.

You're not present.

We'll come back to you.

Uh Rose Allison Aubrey.

We see you're all.

Hello, uh, can you hear me?

Yes, we can hear you loud and clear.

Okay, great.

Uh my name is Adara Shilling.

I'm also a UW student, and I'm sure you're getting sick of hearing this, but hopefully it just makes it clear how important it is.

I'm also here to support the moratorium against AI data centers.

Uh here in Seattle, we are entering our fourth year of severe drought.

We just cannot afford this.

It makes no feasible sense.

Thank you.

Let's see Rose.

We see Alison followed by Aubrey.

We see you're unmuted, Alison.

Go ahead and start speaking.

You might be muted on your phone.

Oh, hi, can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay, thanks.

Um, hi, I'm Alison.

I am a lifelong resident of Seattle.

I'm asking that you vote yes on the data center moratorium and introduce a permanent ban on them going forward.

Seattle is experiencing an inexcusable level of homelessness.

Our food bank lines are out the door, our unemployment is sky high, our parks and schools are underfunded, and many of our native and Flora and Fauna are already suffering.

Allowing techno fascists with short-sighted, selfish monetary goals to rush through data center production that will only exasperate these issues, along with closing our city to more air, noise, and water pollution is unfathomable.

Last week, Councilman Lynn said that we are barely towards the climate crisis.

We can all agree on that, and we can all agree that what is best for our environment, our community, and our future generations is to put as many safety measures and guardrails in place to keep Seattle plans and inhabitants thriving and free from more harm.

Saturday corporations have been here about their bottom line.

Please vote yes to protective disability.

Thank you.

Unmute yourself, Aubrey, and then Alexa is next, followed by John Beto.

Star 6.

Hi, my name is Aubrey.

Oh, you can hear me?

Yes, now we can.

We'll restart your time.

One second.

All right.

Go ahead, Aubrey.

My name is Aubrey.

I'm a young adult from district.

Like everyone else here, I'm here to communicate my support for the moratorium on data centers.

I am extremely concerned about the environmental impact of data centers and about higher bills in an already expensive city.

I went to college near Hillsboro, Oregon, a town that isn't big, but it has over 20 data centers.

And I remember hearing the like electric buzz that comes off of them.

Really, though, noise pollution is only the beginning.

These data centers demand resources from our communities without investing back in them.

They require so much power and water without even providing a significant amount of jobs while unemployment is extremely high.

We need to set up legal protections now.

I am asking you and thanking you for prioritizing the people of the city over big tech development.

Please pass this moratorium on data center construction to begin this process.

Thank you.

We have Alexa followed by John, then David.

Hi, my name is Alexa.

I live in District 2.

I'm a parent of young kids, and for the sake of our kids and the future of humanity, I'm asking that you vote yes to the moratorium against AI data centers and hopefully a permanent ban for all AI data centers in the future.

Thank you.

John Beto followed by David Haynes and then Michelle Atkins.

Hi, this is John Vito.

I'm uh in District 4, member of the 36th District Democrats, and you know, listening to all the comments on uh the moratorium.

Uh it's just astounding to me that it is currently legal for uh these corporations to uh put these systems in that uh would extract uh so much of our needed resources with the purpose of eliminating jobs so that more uh wealth can be accumulated by uh the owners of these systems.

So, yeah, I I hope that uh we can rectify the situation and enact the moratorium uh and uh bring about a uh regulation that will protect us from uh the consequences.

Thank you, John.

Next we have David Haynes followed by Michelle Atkins.

Rose and Natalie, who are not present, but you have signed up.

All right, David Ainge.

We need a new police chief.

It's obvious the city council is not ready for World trust, the mayor's not ready, and yet we've still got this virtue figuring about how much you're concerned about why pod VP defenders should be prioritized for housing and services.

And it's not fair that the council president is just what seems to be another extended vacation yesterday with nothing on the council briefing that we're entertaining Shaw Mr.

Wong's freaking political campaign, violating the walkers rules regularly, filling up the diet's role's bullshit in the name of the black man who said to Sean Montreal, we're all back.

Fuck you.

Okay, so next we have Michelle Atkins, and then we will go back in person.

Hello, council members.

I'm in District 2.

I support the moratorium, and I support a thoughtful oversight and regulation of AI-related development.

However, I respectfully ask that any moratorium include a grandfather provision for the former Bed Bath and Beyond Site and similar projects already underway.

This project is not simply another commercial development.

It is an emerging art and music center that is still establishing itself and working to become a sustainable cultural asset for Seattle.

The center has potential to create jobs, support local artists, and create businesses, activate downtown, attract visitors, and provide much-needed community gathering space.

At a time when Seattle is working to revive life with urban core, we should be careful not to unintentionally hinder projects that are contributing contributing to the city's cultural.

Thank you, Michelle.

Now we're gonna go back in person.

So we have Bobby followed by Hunter, then we have Austin, we have Sophie, Keith, Katherine, Howard, Kendra, Alicia, and Brian.

You are all up next.

So we have Bobby, Hunter, Austin, Sophie, Keith, Katherine, Howard, Kendra, Alicia, Brian.

Welcome.

I was gonna say we're numbers, uh, we're on number 41.

I did let people know what their numbers were.

Okay, perfect.

I'm sorry, thank you.

So we're on number 41, thank you, and we have a total of 54 in-person speakers, and then whatever's on that list over on the side.

Welcome.

Number 41.

Hi.

I'm uh Bobby Ricky.

I live in Finney Ridge.

I've been here in Seattle about 46 years.

I love Seattle because the beauty and because that people take on the issues.

They don't just let steamrollers run over them.

And I think that the big AI corporations like Meta and Amazon on the name two that are here and they're probably more, are kind of surprised because they thought they could get away with doing whatever they want.

But we're not a company town, at least I hope we're in life.

We don't owe our soul to the company store.

So I want to encourage you to put out okay this moratorium so everybody gets a chance to think about and talk about what regulations we need.

I mean, we've heard a lot of them today, so that we won't owe our souls to the company's store.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bobby.

Hunter.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, council members.

My name is Hunter Adelson, and today I am speaking in favor of the one year moratorium and beyond that, hopefully, a permanent moratorium on data center construction and expansion.

I'm 26 years old, and as long as I can remember, I've been watching droughts and grid failures become increasingly common, and these data centers would only exacerbate that.

Furthermore, as far as I'm aware, AI, AI use reduces the capacity for creative thinking, which terrifies me when it comes to the future generations of kids who are in school right now.

I feel confident in saying I don't think anybody wants to live in a world where these data centers are hoovering up all our water and electricity in service of a tool that does nothing but kill jobs, reduce creative thinking, and everything.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Seattle City Council members and members of the community.

My name is Austin Zachar, and I'm a resident of District 6.

Firstly, I support a permanent moratorium in the construction of new data centers, and I implore you to do the same.

Second, I want to express my concern and maybe curiosity over the 301 Virginia Street Project not being subject to this moratorium, given that Mayor Wilson floated this moratorium on April 18th, and the 301 Virginia filings reportedly were expedited and arrived in May.

I find that timing a bit curious, especially since two people have already spoken to the contra of that.

The Seattle Times and others seemingly defended this as not an AI data center, but quote, a highly connected network-dense facility.

Personally, I don't really care if you call it a Waldorf School for Machine Learning Algorithms, regardless of what you call it.

We need to evaluate these projects on the impacts that they have on residents' electricity and water prices, environmental impacts, and the broader implications these facilities have on directing resources away from people and towards the narrow interests of capital.

Please say no to data centers and maintain high transparency on adjacent projects.

Thank you.

The moratorium is a great step, but we want more than just kicking the can down the road.

We want a permanent outright ban on AI data centers right now.

These facilities poison communities.

They drive up electricity costs and all for what?

All to power, unwanted, inaccurate, plagiaristic, slop.

Normal people, normal people do not want our city crucified on a cross of slop.

Passing a one-year moratorium does not absolve you of your responsibility to your constituents.

Thank you.

I am Keith Carpenter.

I'm the pastor of Epic Life Church.

I'm gonna be the one outlier here.

I'm in North Seattle, and I want to remind us that meanwhile, there's 12, 13, and 14-year-old girls being trafficked along Aurora Avenue in motels and back seats of SUVs, and nobody's doing anything about the pimps and Johns and taking these girls off the street except for us and a couple organizations who are finding them naked on our front porch in the morning.

I would ask you to not remember.

Houses are being shot at.

There's bullets coming through walls where infants are sleeping inches away from them.

And I just ask you not to forget what's going on and actually do something.

The previous administration things were happening and crime was going down.

Now it's hockey sticking right up and straight, and things are back to normal.

And I ask you not to forget that.

Catherine, followed by Howard Gail, Kendra, Alicia, Brian.

Hi, my name is Catherine Tear, and I'm a resident of Capitol Hill.

As the vast majority of, along with the mass majority of people, I'm here to support the one-year moratorium data centers, and I encourage the council to consider a permanent moratorium.

I have yet to see a positive use for AI, particularly generative AI.

While I've heard of positive things in the medical field, the negatives far, far, far outweigh the positives.

In addition, I would like the 301 Virginia Street uh attempt at a uh data center shut down immediately as it violates this moratorium.

In addition, as a employee of the Seattle Center, specifically at Queen Pedgerina, go local eight, local eight.

I agree on getting it uh decarbonized and updated.

It badly needs it.

Anyways, thank you for your time.

I'm Mr.

Gale.

Today's resolution 3205 endorses a significant modernization project for the armory at Seattle Center.

After major armory renovation in 2011 and 12, there was a concerted effort to make the armory inhospitable to the unhoused, sanctioning sanctioning certain behaviors, and denying people access to the then newly installed AC power outlets.

A critical need for the ins for the unhoused by installing lock covers on every publicly accessible outlet in the armory.

These policies were promoted by private companies that contracted with the city.

Because of the shameful history, ignored and forgotten by our electeds, resolution 3205 needs to include provisors to ensure the armory and all of Seattle Center will be welcoming and accessible to all users and to include the unhoused in any decision making.

There should be provisos for close monitoring of any private investments or contracts to prevent these entities from shaping policies affecting how people get access to services.

You guys have consistently demanded accountability for social services, but you fail to demand accountability for things like what happened in the control.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

This week we're celebrating.

We're not celebrating.

Thank you, Mr.

Gill.

Thank you.

Kendra, followed by Alicia and then Brian.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Ken.

I can't I'm a candidate member of the American Party of Labor.

I've been here the last few weeks pressuring you to pass the moratorium, but today I'm here to talk about how you are failing our unhoused neighbors.

During a press conference this weekend, the mayor boasted a 50-unit shelter development, which is only 10% of what she promised by the time the World Cup came around.

This morning, the associated press also reported on this development.

I'm gonna read what they said.

They said new Seattle mayor Katie Wilson is set in set, excuse me.

New Seattle mayor Katie Wilson set a goal of 500 new units of shelter before the World Cup starts, but her administration fell short by hundreds.

Now anyone who hears that can understand that the associated press is calling the mayor and by proxy this council massive failures.

Continued forcible displacement, increases the mortality of amongst unhoused people, people who are still your responsibility and your constituents.

You need to pressure the mayor to stop wasting money on sweeping our neighbors for optics and deliver on her campaign promises of shelter units and actual resources.

Thank you, Kendra.

Next we have Alicia, followed by Brian.

Welcome, Alicia.

Hello, council members.

My name is Alicia, and I live in district three, and I'm here to urge you to vote yes on this data center moratorium.

As I've learned more about data centers, it's actually ludicrous to me that anybody thinks that they have the ability to take this many resources from the earth and from the people.

They are villains and they are trying to take our future from us.

Our future is not theirs, our future is ours.

Let's use this year to think, to learn, to decide, and to shape the future that we want, not what they want to buy.

Thank you.

My name is Brian Dang.

I'm a displaced tech worker and a human artist.

Last Wednesday, I spoke at the committee meetings in support of the moratorium on hyperscale data centers and about the power outages I've already had this year.

Today I wanted to add that the one year moratorium is only the start of preventing and reducing harm.

If we allow existing data centers to expand 20 megawatts each, AI tech companies will find a way to exploit that loophole because they already are.

In the Mid Atlantic, Google is financing Voltus, which is a startup that will pay other uh that will pay other households and businesses to curb their consumption at certain times, in exchange for 100 megawatts for a virtual power plant.

AI does not need more megawatts, it needs more mega regulation.

Ashley, followed by Alice, Renaissance, Anoop, Miss Yvette Dynish, and then Valerie.

And those are our last speakers today.

Ashley, Alice, Renaissance, Anoop, Yvette, and Valerie.

Welcome.

Hello.

Wait, hold on, let's make sure that uh it's on.

Just test it out real quick.

Okay, so when you start talking, we'll start the time.

Go ahead.

All right.

Hello, my name is Ashley.

I am a resident of District 3.

And I'd like to urge you to support the moratorium against data centers.

I'd also like to urge you to continue to protect us, our city, and our region from the harmful environmental and economic impacts of data centers by implementing a permanent ban.

I'd like to reiterate what somebody else said earlier.

We can live without AI.

We cannot live without water.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, council.

My name is Alice Lockhart.

I live in District 5.

Um, I used to work for Microsoft back when that was something one could be kind of proud of.

I currently house a brilliant Sumacon cum laud um computer science graduation who graduate who is um either depending on the week, unemployed or severely underemployed because AI.

Um I organize with 350 Seattle.

Um Seattle Solidarity Budget and Washington AI resistance having changed my focus from climate all up to AI because I believe it's the very biggest threat.

And I just want to thank you for the work you are doing and hope that your consulting moving forward looks a lot like this room and the expertise we see in it.

Thank you.

Awesome, welcome.

And then Anoop, and then followed by Yvette and Valerie.

I'm Renaissance.

I am one of the directors of campaigns at 350 Seattle, and I am in support of both the moratorium and the resolution passing today.

Um I'm very grateful, I'm very happy that all of you in both of the committees, both land use and sustainability and parks and city light, have taken this upon yourselves in response to the community's concerns to move forward so that we can have the time to form the legislation and a regulation on an unregulated industry that has been proliferating across our nation and around the world.

Something that catches me by surprise is that in all five of these meetings, I haven't heard one pro person for data centers show up here.

I'm sure they're in your mailboxes, but this is the community who is taking the time to come out.

So please continue doing what you're doing, and we'd love to work with you through this process.

Thank you, Tom.

Anoop.

We have Anoop followed by Yvette, Valerie, and then Bennett.

Hello, Council members.

My name is Anoop.

I hear to one, just see how much people are all in favor of this moratorium.

I too am in favor of this moratorium as I think it is symbolic of the times we live in, and that if we look at the historical context of what technological progress has been, in my mind, it's a systematic issue stemming from the legacies of colonialism, of imperialism, of this idea that because we can make the best technology, quote unquote, best technology, that we are above nature and above the planet that we live on, and AI is the ultimate hubris of these big tech companies, that they can create this reality.

We need to take a pause on these data centers and make sure.

What do you call a mad carrot?

Esteemed vegetable.

Okay.

That was good.

Missy Vett followed by Valerie and Bennett.

Good afternoon.

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.

It's nice being at the end because I gotta hear a lot about the AI thing, and a thought occurred to me.

Why not use AI to create environmentally and ecologically friendly AI and to create well-paying AI jobs?

And lastly, um, I thought political science and campaign was not allowed in council chambers.

Just saying, thank you.

Thank you, Missy Bet.

Next we have Valerie followed by Bennett.

Welcome.

Hello, I'm Valerie Costa, I'm a resident of District 4.

Um, here in support of the moratorium.

And um just wanted to say, you know, this the reason I'm here is because I see the data centers as like a symptom or symbol of something much larger that's wrong.

And we know we are currently living in an on a rapid trajectory toward a much more repressive, oppressive surveillance, a violent state, um, here in the US and globally, and we're gonna be asked to do very difficult things and stand up against those with power, with money, and now the the money to actually buy our reality through through AI, through knowing what's truth and what's not.

So I thank you for being really responsive to the resonance of the city when the Seattle Times article came out, and thousands of us letters to y'all, and it's really beautiful to see you um responding to the resonance, and thank you for that, and hope you can do much more.

Before you go, Bennett, if you're online, Rose and Natalie.

If you come on, we'll go back to you, but Bennett will be our last speaker today.

Welcome.

Thank you.

So, regarding the issue of people making inflammatory references to people's race and sexual orientation and public comment, and I'm not talking about anything this week.

We all remember I'm talking about from last week.

This is something that I know something about because this is dealing with this in the protest community for a while, but people have said much worse stuff than that.

You know, long live October 7th, or we mean need more dead cops in the streets.

Some people admit I've tried to say something about it.

Here's the problem.

Some of you mentioned last week that this person was white.

What most of these people have in common is not being white.

What has what they have in common is that these are women in their twenties.

And when someone like me says, hey, can we not be saying that stuff?

They go around saying, Oh, this guy's sliding into my DMs.

It's obviously intended to deceive people into thinking that I was hitting on them instead of telling them to stop saying racist stuff at city council meetings.

And that not only doesn't solve the problem, but it leaves to actual violence at the um timer stopped.

There we go.

Hey, wait a minute.

That's that stuff.

You're okay.

You're good.

Well, hold on, we'll we'll reset it 30 seconds.

I don't know where it's about, it's about 30.

Okay.

Give us one second, Bennett.

We'll wait till uh it goes down.

Okay.

Well, hold on.

No.

I'll take a minute 25.

All right.

Is it it was 30 seconds?

Please.

Sure.

Wait, hold on.

We got you, Bennett.

Don't have a heart attack.

You're good.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

So not only does it not fix the problem, this is what leads to most of the violence that occurs at left-wing process in Seattle.

This is what one of her friends posted about me over the weekend.

Look, this.

Texas dad beats child molester to death on the spot.

Here's father catch the blah, blah, blah.

This is what needs to happen to Bennett fucking ass.

This is what somebody posted about me.

And reminder, this is because of me telling women in their 20s to stop saying racist shit at city council meetings.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bennett.

Okay, is there any other more comments?

Additional comments.

Nope.

And then uh let me just check online.

I do not see it.

Okay, so the public comment period is now closed.

Thank you all for coming down and speaking with us today and your comments in the email and online, or if you see us in person, we are very grateful for the comments, and I'm looking forward to getting started with the meeting.

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

Hearing no objection, the introduction and referral calendar calendar is adopted.

Now, before we adopt the agenda, I'm gonna, if there's no objection, the agenda's gonna be amended to have agenda item number seven be under committee business to be the first thing that we hear, which is the appointment of Dr.

V.

Is that okay?

If there's no objection, awesome.

All right.

So we're gonna jump right into that.

Um, or if there's no objection, they will be adopted.

So hearing none, the agenda is adopted.

Awesome.

All right, will the clerk please read item number seven into the record and then we'll jump.

Consent calendar.

Oh, okay.

Before we do that, sorry, I didn't do the consent calendar.

Uh we'll now, thank you.

We'll now consider the consent calendar.

Items on the consent calendar include the minutes of June 2nd, 2026, council bill one two-one, two two three payment of the bills.

Um, are there any items council members would like to remove from today's consent calendar?

Hearing none, I move to adopt the consent calendar.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and second to adopt the consent calendar.

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

Council Member Strauss.

Councilmember Foster.

Yes.

Councilmember Juarez.

Aye.

Council Member Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink.

Yes.

Councilmember Rivara.

Aye.

Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Consent calendar items are adopted.

Will the clerk please affix my signature to the minutes and legislation on the consent calendar on my behalf.

Clerk, we're gonna jump right into the agenda.

Will you please read item number seven into the record?

Agenda item seven, the committee of human services, labor, and economic development.

Appointment 03497, the appointment of Sandra J.

Valenciano as director of public health Seattle and King County.

The committee recommends city council confirm the appointment.

Awesome.

Councilmember Rink, as chair of the committee, you recognize in order to provide comment.

Committee report.

Thank you, Council President.

Colleagues, as chair of the Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development Committee, I am truly happy to recommend Dr.

Sandra Valenciano as director of public health Seattle King County.

With all of us having experienced the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think we all have come to realize how fragile our public health system can be, especially now, and why it is critical to have thoughtful, knowledgeable leaders in charge of our institutions.

So, colleagues, and for the viewing public, the public health director is a unique position because it must be confirmed by both Seattle City Council and the King County Council as they report both to the Marin County Executive.

King County Council voted just today, maybe an hour ago.

I'm looking in the audience.

Amazing.

And now we are taking up this vote today.

Dr.

Valenciano is a board certified physician in internal medicine with a master's in public health and currently serves as the department's acting director and primary medical expert, guiding policy and practice with scientific rigor and a deep commitment to equity.

And before joining Public Health Seattle King County, she led the DeCalb County Public Health in Georgia as medical director and district health director overseeing services for more than 780,000 residents.

During the COVID 19 pandemic, she served as incident commander ensuring equitable vaccine access, improving efficiency and distributing all of that while also guiding department-wide strategic vision focused on equity, efficiency, and engagement.

Dr.

Valenciano also brings national health.

Nope.

There we go.

Awesome.

It's mine now.

There we go.

Okay.

Wonderful.

I'll jump right back in.

Thank you.

Um, Dr.

Valenciano also brings national public health expertise from her service as an epidemic intelligence officer at the CDC, where she led outbreak responses and strengthen our national uh security system.

And she has also been an educator at Emory University uh School of Medicine.

So, with that level of expertise, colleagues, I believe we will be very well served by Dr.

Valenciano as director of Public Health Seattle King County.

The committee voted unanimously to support her appointment, and I hope you all will vote yes today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Colleagues, are there any other comments about Dr.

Valenciano?

Let me make sure I go to my thing.

Uh Councilmember Rivera.

Yes, thank you, Council President.

I just want to say I've had the pleasure of meeting Dr.

Valenciano.

Um, and uh I am so thrilled um that she's here um and so happy to be able to appoint her.

I found her to be um really thoughtful and thorough and um very experienced and we're happy to have that experience here in Seattle.

Thank you.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

Colleagues, is there any more regarding?

I'm happy to support this.

I voted yes in committee.

Dr.

V is phenomenal.

And oh, I see Councilmember Kettle.

Uh thank you, Council President.

I just want to say two words.

I'm obviously in support, two words, but uh go terriers, awesome.

Are there any other comments on the floor?

All right, will the clerk please call the roll?

Oh, do you have any final comments, Councilmember Rink?

My apologies.

No, please vote yes.

Awesome, all right.

Will the clerk please call the roll on the confirmation of the appointment?

Councilmember Strauss, Councilmember Foster, yes, Councilmember Juarez.

Aye, Councilmember Kettle, aye, Councilmember Lynn, yes, Councilmember Rink, yes, Councilmember Rivera, aye, Councilmember Saka.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth, yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Uh motion carries the appointments confirmed.

Congratulations, Dr.

Valenciano.

You were recognized to provide brief comments and to the members of the public.

So congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President and Chair Rink.

Uh, it's truly a privilege and an honor to be considered for this role.

I am grateful for the trust that you have placed in me, and I look forward to working with each of you as we continue to improve the health and well-being of Seattle residents.

I welcome the opportunity to come back to council uh to present on important public health outcomes uh for the city of Seattle later this year and to learn uh more about all of the services that we provide at Public Health Seattle and King County.

One of my priorities is strengthening how we public health communicate with all of you and to make sure that uh we are aware of the important needs of our residents and the communities that we serve.

My goal is that you have clear visibility into our work and that the work that we do meets the needs of Seattle residents together.

I also want to express my deep appreciation to my public health team uh for their support throughout this process.

Um I've had four confirmation hearings.

Uh so I appreciate all of you council members for taking the time to meet with me, and I look forward to meeting with those who I haven't had the chance to meet with yet.

Um thank you for sharing your priorities with me for reflecting about the needs of the residents that you serve, and I'm truly grateful for this opportunity and excited to get to work.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Dr.

Valenciano.

Very happy for your confirmation.

Awesome.

Thank you.

All right, next.

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

Agenda item one resolution 32208.

A resolution retiring introduced in referred council bills, resolutions, clerk files, and appointments that have received no further action.

Awesome colleagues.

Uh thank thank you, clerk, colleagues.

Um, no explanation really needed.

This is something that uh was brought by clerk's office and central staff, and it's basically a technical, um, technical resolution, so we can retire some stuff that is in legislature, still be in there.

But if it needs to be reintroduced by someone, it will be.

So if there's no other comments, I'm going to move to adopt resolution 3208.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and second.

Uh, are there any additional comments?

No.

Will the clerk please call the role on adoption of the resolution?

Councilmember Strauss.

Hi.

Councilmember Foster?

Yes.

Councilmember Juarez.

Hi.

Councilmember Kettle?

Hi.

Councilmember Lynn?

Yes.

Councilmember Rink?

Yes.

Council Member Rivara.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, nine opposed.

Awesome.

Most motion carries in the resolution is adopted.

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

The report of the parks and city light committee.

Agenda item two, resolution 3204.

A resolution relating to data centers committing to studying the potential for data centers to impact electrical grid capacity and reliability, water usage, utility rates, land use and development, jobs in the economy, and public health, and requesting engagement and cooperation from the executive in the development of data center policies and potential legislation and anticipates related legislative action.

The committee recommends council adopt as amended the resolution.

Council Member Warz, as chair of the committee, you're recognized in order to provide the committee report.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Before I begin, um, do I go ahead?

Do you want to be speak to everything now?

Because I know Councilmember Kettle has an amendment.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

You want to do an introduction and then we start doing the amendments.

Sure, because I have a lot to say to that.

I think an introduction and then we'll do amendments and then whatever, however way you want to do it.

Oh, thank you.

It's your vibe.

All right.

Um I'm just gonna do a brief introduction, save my comments for the end because there are some groups that I wanted to thank.

Um, and one thing I wanted to say is that this city council and particularly um council member Lynn and our committee and our D5 group have been working on the data center in the issues uh in the fall and well before the media or the Seattle Times or whomever wrote about it.

Um I think that's important to note.

Anyway, this um I'm gonna save my more intense comments for when we actually move to move the bill, and Councilmember Kettle makes his amendments.

But I just wanted to share that um we have had two committee hearings in in our committee that dovetailed with councilmember Lynn's land use committee to make sure that we covered all the bases.

So with that, I'm gonna withhold the rest of my comments.

I'll let Mr.

Councilmember Kettle do his amendments, and then if I can come back on the record and then close us out.

All right.

Thank you.

Councilmember Kettle, you were recognized to move your amendment.

Uh thank you, Council President.

I move to amend resolution three two two zero four by passing amendment A as shown on the agenda as amendment A.

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

Councilmember Kettle, you're recognizing order to address it.

Uh, thank you, Council President.

Um, I just wanted to start by saying I support uh this resolution uh from Councilmember Warez and also Councilmember Lynn's ordinance uh with respect to data centers.

Um I also want to thank uh the council members and their teams uh worked with my team on um both this amendment and a bunch of different pieces as it relates to the resolution and the ordinance.

Um I do believe it's important to have a deliberate and complete review approach.

Um I think it's also important to discern between hyperscale uh data centers, with those what I call traditional data centers.

I've been engaging with a lot of conversations, a lot of different people, and uh it's interesting.

There's not really a term, so I'm sticking uh with my uh term traditional data centers.

You know, I think it's important to look at our local data center data centers, of which I visited one that's actually here in downtown.

Uh it was uh very important, um, interesting.

Uh interesting to note that the data center actually heats uh six uh a half dozen buildings in our downtown.

Um it was interesting to see that, and it also has the capacity to do a few more.

Uh this is the kind of environmental piece that we should be you know looking at and considering, you know, in terms of how can we best do these these um these data centers.

I also looked at uh, you know, our local, obviously, there's been a lot of comment regarding Amazon and and uh Microsoft.

I've been meeting with them over the years regarding AI, before the most recent, you know, ramp ups, but for both, and I think it's also important uh, particularly as we look at hyperscale data centers and being smart about moving forward to see what they've done.

It's interesting, both my Amazon and Microsoft did not have data centers in uh Seattle or Greater Seattle.

Uh Amazon, you know, in my discussions with them here, you know, eastern Oregon.

So it's interesting.

Uh not necessarily one place, it's like a cluster in eastern Oregon.

And uh from for Microsoft, it's in Quincy in Grant County, which is just north of George as you drive on 990 from east to west.

If you're at George, just turn north and you'll run into that data center.

And I think it's important as we do this review to look at these pieces and be uh complete and deliberate on those, um, as we look to be spark smart about moving forward because you know, as noted in the local data center, the one uh digital realty.

You know, it it runs our first responders, it supports our first responders, and I think that's important to remember.

It also supports a UW digital access project, you know, to give access to those that have difficulty in terms of uh digital access, and so I think it's important to have these pieces in there, and uh, and I also wanted to note as the vice chair of the city light uh committee that we definitely need the partnership.

This is uh, you know, we have the you know from land use, it's piece, this resolution is coming out of um the city light committee.

We have to fully understand everything that relates to city light, where it is and the capacity and the issues that relate to city light.

Um, people note climate change, for example, all these different pieces need to be factored in with what we're doing, and climate and and the city light committee is the place to do that.

Uh, to hear from the experts, hear what the factors are that are impacting uh city light to include uh things like chargers, what's going on with vehicles.

There's so many different pieces that go into our um electricity usage, and that we need to have these all uh considered as we you know what is the impact on City Light.

You know, this has to be a comprehensive piece, and I think it's really this the data center piece really highlights what is going on at City Light, and to include as many have mentioned.

I'm looking at this gentleman here because I remember him speaking about climate change in the future.

You know, what are the impacts on City Light?

And uh, and I would add just briefly, we need strong leadership at Seattle Light too.

I won't go any further on that.

Um that's been discussed before, and then I'll be discussed again, but this is not the place.

But I just wanted to close uh, colleagues.

I'm just basically doing my remarks now, is that on the question of AI?

I hear the concerns of all the public commenters here, and I too have conflicted it's like hey, I think of AI and I see the possibilities in the medical field, you know, where we can you know gain from that and other areas as well.

But I'm concerned there was uh an individual who was uh young man who was speaking, and I can't see him right now, but the the idea of critical thinking.

You know, I have a daughter who's in school finishing up her last week of fifth grade, and and for me it's always about critical thinking and the ability to communicate, and what are we doing here?

And I think that's also important to consider, and the person was speaking to that point.

I might have been you, sir.

And you know, the bottom line here is that we also need to be thinking of our humanity, and I think that should be a guide as we do these reviews, both in terms of the bigger picture pieces and also you know, in more detail, like I was speaking with Seattle City Light, because at the end of the day, we need to be moving forward where we can, but also mindful of the impacts that we may uh experience and and that area of you know critical thinking, you know, and and ability to communicate and basically our humanity is really important.

So thank you uh council president and colleagues.

I just ask uh for your um uh consideration and support for this.

Um basically it's just an additional area of study uh for us to ensure that we do have the complete review moving forward, particularly in the area of hyperscale data centers.

So thank you so much.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Colleagues, is there any other uh questions?

Uh comments, Councilmember Rink.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you for bringing this forward, Councilmember Kettle.

Just so I'm clear, and I know we don't have staff at the table to brief this amendment, um, and I know it's not up on the screen right now for for broader review, but with the language I'm looking before us, this is just if you could confirm to me, this is just adding to the recital section some additional points about um our current uh the current state uh and having some smaller data centers that exist within Seattle and the current uses related to health care uh facilities, and it does not change the work program or anything else that this resolution is trying to do.

Is that correct?

Correct.

This is just again, just an additional area of duty in the recitals and section one H.

Thank you.

That though that was just a point I wanted to clarify.

Sorry, was that council member kettle?

Yes, it's basically is as I said, it's you know, the as written the businesses, government entities, public safety, health care facilities.

Basically, what I was saying in terms of like the the data center that is supporting our city here downtown, and to ensure that those pieces you know are covered within this review that we're doing uh moving forward.

Understood.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Thank you.

Thank you council member rink colleagues.

Is there any more questions regarding the amendment?

I will I say something, Councilmember Warez.

Councilmember Kettle.

Um, I know that we talked about this.

I'm just gonna clarify because and thank you, Councilmember Rink, for bringing that up.

Yes, sir.

Um, the two changes are in the microphone.

Oh, I'm sorry, the two changes are in the recital.

And the third change, the amendment would add to the list of subjects for study regarding the potential impacts of data centers, which is in the starting on page three in the be it resolved and then begins on page four, which would add a section H.

So we have two changes, two additions in the recital, and then one change on page three, starting on page three, be it resolved.

That's the clarification.

Councilmers.

Yes, that's it.

Page it's page two of the resolution itself, but page three.

The floor is still yours, Councilmember Rink.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you all for just uh clarifying that point for me that the amendment before us is adding to recitals and purely expanding the scope of what will be studied.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Is there uh I see Council Member Foster?

Uh thank you so much, Council President.

Actually, if I had my hand raised previously because I wanted to clarify, it's my understanding that we're doing there is an expansion of what's in the study, and that was um counter to the first comment, but I think we've just clarified that.

So I'm gonna put my hand down.

Awesome, great question.

So just to clarify, this is an expansion of the study that's currently in there that council member kettle has brought uh before us.

Are there any more additional comments regarding uh council member um council member kettle's amendment?

I'll go to you for closing comments, and then I'm gonna go to Councilmember Warez for any other additional comments, and then we'll vote on the resolution.

Councilmember, or the amendment, excuse me.

Councilmember Kettle?

Nothing further, just ask for your support.

Okay, any other further comments regarding the amendment before we call for the vote?

All right.

Will the clerk please call the roll on amendment A?

Councilmember Strauss.

Aye.

Councilmember Foster, yes.

Council Member Juarez.

Aye.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Council Member Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink.

Yes.

Council Member Rivera.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries amendment A is adopted.

Are there any additional comments on the resolution?

Councilmember Warez.

Thank you.

I'll do my comments now.

Then if we need to come back, um, I can close this out.

So I wanted to start with that.

I want to thank Council Member Lynn and his work on the land use committee on the moratorium, which is Council Bill 121214, which is next, and add that the resolution and the moratorium dovetail and compliment each other quite well.

Um this is Seattle's position on AI and AI and data centers.

And second, we had two committee meetings to go through all of this information and public hearings to hear from the public and of course the written comments that we had from the public as well.

I want to thank my vice chair, Councilmember Kettle.

I also want to thank my committee members, Councilmember Rivera, Strauss, and Saka, who all gave me good information and insight on the data centers, the AI, and the information that was incoming.

I have some a prepared statement that I want to some of you've heard some of this in committee, but we want to pull it all together based on what we were hearing from the folks that showed up at public comment and the correspondence and the letters that we receive from constituents citywide as well as out of state.

We are a city of technology.

This resolution is focused on responsible exploration of this new field for this and future generations.

Due to the boom in artificial intelligence, these data centers are being built in a rush by organizations and companies that are only concerned with the race to extract resources.

Rapid data center development focuses on short-term gains while disregarding the well-being of communities that they are built in.

Water and these other natural resources are finite resources for all people.

In our research, we have found that these data centers have the potential to significantly burden our community and impact the electrical grid by number one, forcing substantial capital improvements at high costs.

Two, consuming large quantities of water resources, three, occupying large amounts of commercial and industrial space.

Four, impacting jobs in the economy through a boom in bust employment and automation.

Five, the effect of public health by producing noise, light, water, and air pollution.

And this doesn't even address the whole issue of outsourcing and using our water for public compet um public um public.

Well, I guess the point I want to say is we should not be outsourcing our critical thinking, and we should not be using water so people can use AI to make art because that's basically theft.

And at some point, if we go through with, I think I think it's Senator Sanders is talking about a sovereign bill, where you are taking all this data that you think is just out there, and it's theft and it's being sold back to us.

And we have no guardrails, and we again I'll get to the federal government in a minute, and we haven't had an opportunity to slow this down.

If I could today, I know if I could actually do this today, I would do a complete stop of AI and data centers.

And I'll get to that point in a minute.

This resolution addresses the need for city departments to take a look at the long-term effects of data centers on the electrical grid, residential utility rates, land and water usage, economic development and public health, and we haven't even addressed the global hype of what it's done to markets.

It is just inflated.

We know right now that Amazon and Microsoft have it, I think are hovering between five and six hundred billion to invest in data centers.

This is a technology, again, and I've said this in committee where you know it takes a while for society to catch up with technology, and for once maybe we can get ahead of that.

This council, which I'm very proud of, during the um Seattle during the um during the uh 2025 state legislative session, we tracked nine um nine nine data center bills.

And of the nine, only one bill passed, Senate Bill 5984, and that had to do with chat bots.

So I'm hoping that this crowd understands, and I know you do, that when this next legislative session comes around, that people show up in Olympia and send and talk to your elected representatives because this council was active on that.

This council was engaged on that.

Um, I want to thank Council Member Saka from his background in the tech industry that gave me information and helped us understand some of these issues.

Our policy director Paul Menifee has been attending the Washington Attorney General's AI task force meetings.

That was created by former now Governor Ferguson.

If you get a chance to get online and um dial into that, those are very interesting meetings, but that's another point of entry for public comment and what you believe and how you feel about data centers and what our government should be doing.

We also met with an incredible group more than once and got a copy of their pleadings in the court hearings called a group called Media Justice, and we learned about ongoing litigation like Project Blue that was being funded by Amazon, and also the No Desert Data Center in Pima County, Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, and they shared with us all of the information and re resources and a toolkit that I provided to Councilmember Lynn's office and other folks, including folks at Seattle City Light.

While we cannot look to the federal government for leadership, we can look to tribal governments.

The Seminole Nation was the first tribal council that passed a moratorium on hyperscale data centers in March.

The Sotsuel Maria St.

Maria Tribe of Chippewa Indians and many other tribal nations have followed suit.

As the Muscooki ban, representative Glenn Chabon Kernell said this is the threshold.

There is no turning back.

Once we used up and contaminated all of the water resources, this is it.

Indigenous folks and tribal leadership since post-colonial contact, we are no stranger to excavation and mining mentality.

And in the 21st century, it hasn't ended, and we're seeing it now again.

So today we follow the example that tribal nations again have set, that we start on the path to ensure that we protect our finite natural resources.

So before I go on, I want to give a huge shout out to my colleagues up here.

I know it sometimes looks like we're all maybe not agreeing, but what I want to do is that this Seattle City Council, under the leadership of our council president, has shown me that there is an example have given the example of shared leadership, which I have seen in how I was taught in Indian country, that we can come together on the issues that matter, and we can have our disagreements, but we certainly know when there's an existential threat, not only to our city, not only to our state, but not to our country, but to our world.

Again, I want to thank Councilmember Lynn and his team, Daddyus Gregory, for the work that they did.

I want to thank Council President Hollingsworth for her leadership.

Um we had long talks about how we would attack this, what our media strategy would be, how we would work with the mayor's office, and how we would work with Councilmember Lynn's committee.

And last time I forgot Kimmy, so I want to make sure I said it this time.

And now there's some other groups that I want to thank because I got to know them over the last, I don't know, two months.

Uh, all the current and former tech workers, thank you for coming out.

Um, the Amazon Climate Change Group, thank you for coming out.

The AI resistance group, a very, very um interesting fun group.

Um 350 Seattle, a huge shout out to Alice Lockhart and those folks.

They were on the webinar that we were we attended with tribal nations and uh university or Seattle University School of Law this past Friday just did a huge AI data center, indigenous communities at the law school on Friday, which um my office attended.

So um I'm not sure who else was other uh other folks on Seattle City Council staff attended, but we did.

Um, I also want to thank the tribes.

Um, I have been in contact with tribes in the Midwest and the Southwest and their legal council and how they're approaching this, and that's really important that we have the shared leadership that I believe is intuitive in all of us.

And also I want to thank the soap box folks.

Uh as I did get that right.

Yeah, they were very fun.

And thank you for coming to public comment.

And last but not least, I want to thank Pearl Jam guy.

I don't know if he's still here.

Yeah, there he is.

I don't know his real name, but he's he's been helpful.

Um I told him I did not know any Pearl Jam songs.

Um, and I don't.

No, I don't.

I know I don't know when different generation with real music.

Okay, so I'll leave that alone.

And so with that, Council President, I just want to get all of those um comments out and on the record and thank people who did the work, and thank my staff who attended the webinar webinars and you know everything else that I've asked them to do, and um also my colleagues, and with that, I would hope I would have your support on today's resolution.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Juarez.

Are there any other comments uh before we call the roll for the resolution as amended?

Yeah, there is uh council councilmember Rivera.

Thank you, Council President.

Apologies, Councilmember Juarez.

I didn't give my comments before you gave your final.

But I really just want to acknowledge and recognize you and thank you for all the hard work that you did.

Um, you know I love Rivera due diligence.

Yes, we came Juarez due diligence, and I really appreciate that.

And I'm you know, saying it a little fist cheeky, but I do mean it sincerely.

You put a lot, you and your team of work into this and meeting with all the groups, and um I very much appreciate all the work that you did.

And I was not present at um our committee meeting where you voted.

I would have voted in favor of the resolution.

So I really just I'm gonna vote today.

Yes, of course, and um, but I do want to recognize all the hard work and thank you for it for the record.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Rivera.

Are there any other comments about the resolution before us?

Okay, awesome.

Well, the clerk thank you, Councilmember Juarez, obviously for your leadership.

You said closing remarks, that is you did the mic drop.

That is enough.

All right.

Uh will the clerk please call the role on the resolution uh as res excuse me, the resolution as amended.

Councilmember Strauss.

Councilmember Foster, yes, Councilmember Juarez.

Uh before I say I I forgot to say something.

Councilmember Saka is a co-sponsor.

Aye.

Did I say it?

Okay.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye.

Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Councilmember Rink.

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera.

Aye.

Councilmember Saka?

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Awesome.

Resolution is adopted, and the chair will sign it.

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

Congratulations, Councilmember Juarez.

Here you go, general.

All right.

Okay, buddy.

Good job, Councilmember Juarez.

It must be the haircut.

All right.

Uh will the clerk please uh read item number three into the record.

Agenda item three.

The report of the land use and sustainability committee.

Council Bill 121214, an ordinance relating to land use and zoning introducing a new definition for data centers, adopting a moratorium on the filing, acceptance, processing, or approval of applications for the establishment or expansion of or change of use to data centers amending section 23.84A.008 of the Seattle Municipal Code, approving a work plan, declaring an emergency, and is establishing an immediate effective date, all by a three-quarters vote of the city council.

The committee recommends city council pass as amended the council bill.

Awesome.

Councilmember Lynn is chair of the committee.

You are recognized to provide the report.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you to all the members of the public today and the past few months who have been deeply engaged on this issue.

And you know, the land use moratorium is is really just the tip of the iceberg around this larger discussion around the impacts of of AI, uh the concerns around um the environmental impacts, the impacts to um our economic inequality, which continues to grow around our democracy, around who owns our information and data, um, and you know the list goes on and on.

And um again, this is just uh the tip of that iceberg.

I want I want to say thank you to my colleagues who many of whom were working on this issue well before I was um to council member Juarez, Council President, Councilmember Rank, um, and who graciously allowed me to and my staff to to um to work on this moratorium.

Um this is uh an issue that um is not just uh a democrat, republican, socialist.

Uh this goes across the political spectrum.

This is not a just a city issue or a rural issue.

We see these impacts um across our country, across the world.

And um, you know, this is a rapidly developing technology, and you know, I already had concerns about the role of of technology uh in our society, and this is just um, you know, expedited those concerns substantially.

And um, you know, as elected leaders, it is our job um to make sure that technology is is works for the benefit of all of us.

You know, it is um, you know, our our tech companies, you know, their job is to maximize profits for their shareholders.

It is our job to um address the impacts to develop regulations to um to prohibit certain activities if if they cannot be uh regulated appropriately, and again to make sure that the benefits are for all of us.

Uh you know, if if it doesn't benefit all of us, uh we don't need that technology.

Um again, this is just a start.

We will have a work plan where we will need to engage, continue to do this work.

Uh we will need to work with our regional partners, our state legislators, uh, both on data centers, um, but probably more urgently around the impacts of of AI.

And uh just want to say again, thank you for everyone here to being engaged in this, to uh working with us urgently.

Um it is hard for government to um move quickly, it is hard to stay on top of um this evolving technology, but um uh we we need we're gonna need your help.

So with that, um colleagues, um, again, thank you for for all the work behind the scenes um and thank you in advance for all the work to come.

I urge your support.

Awesome.

Good job, Councilmember Lynn.

Uh Councilmember.

Uh, one one more thing.

I I just gotta say thank you to all the staff and our council central staff who who have really done the work behind the scenes.

Uh so thank you to them.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Or excuse me, I'm sorry, Councilmember Lynn.

Councilmember Kettle, you're recognized, followed by Councilmember Rink.

Thank you, Council President.

I just wanted to uh quickly say, you know, I really enjoyed uh working with uh Councilmember Lynn and his team in terms of you know, again um working through this in a complete uh and deliberate way to ensure that we're covered in all bases.

And I just want to do a special thank you because uh my team has been working really closely with Mr.

Gregory, uh his uh policy director and a uh you know a key person in this.

Um and so I just wanted to say uh uh thank you to Mr.

Gregory specifically.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn, and thank you, Council President.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Gattle.

Council Member Rink.

Thank you, Council President.

I want to kick it off by thanking the organizers behind this effort.

It has been absolutely remarkable to see the engagement from the public on this issue, and I know that was a fair amount of work to organize that effort.

I know my office alone received 8,000 emails.

I heard a figure floated during public comment.

Was it 90,000 emails total sent, looking at some nods, higher more?

98,000 emails sent.

That is absolutely incredible.

And beyond just emails being sent, every committee meeting where this issue was taken up, there were folks present engaging, making their voices heard.

And I hear you, and I want to thank you for your engagement and all of the work that went into organizing our neighbors and sharing just the about this issue, sharing information about the issue of data centers and about this work.

So huge gratitude to you all.

And to um stay on that note of gratitude, I want to speak um both uh to the item that we just voted on and the item now before us, and express my gratitude to Councilmember Juarez as well as Councilmember Lynn for your steadfast leadership on both the City Light and Land Use Committees on this issue.

And let's be clear that the proliferation of these mega hyper-scale data centers pose serious risks to our communities for so many reasons.

Energy demands that could raise the cost of power for everyday people, water consumption in a time where healthy, clean drinking water and rising droughts are spreading across the globe, and pollution that we are already seeing impact the c across the country, poisoning communities.

If we do not legislate or regulate this right, the people will bear the brunt.

And I believe we have a moral imperative to put the well-being of our residents, our climate, our future above the profit margins of tech billionaires.

So and from my perspective, and committee chair Lynn put it really well.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

This legislation before us is just the beginning to start charting that course, and I'm looking forward to working alongside the organizations present today to work on regulating this industry, and as we work towards permanent legislation on this topic alone.

Again, huge thank you to the committee sponsors of these bills, Councilmember Juarez, Council Member Lynn.

Thank you to you and your teams for your steadfast work.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Rink.

Council Member Sokka.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Uh, I too want to start off by thanking every individual who's carved out time out of your very busy lives to attend today's meeting, showing up at other meetings, taking the time to email our respective offices, call us, uh whispering, you know, having side conversations with us in the bread aisle at Safeway in West Seattle.

I've heard it all, uh, and and I and I really do appreciate it.

Um this is not an organized effort.

This is a 100% grassroots effort.

There are I don't I don't, sure, there's there's some some leaders, but but absolutely this is 100% grassroots, and people are rightfully concerned.

Uh we we've seen associations, you know, groups of uh of like-minded people across the political spectrum, across the divide, all walks of life, all organizing, rallying around a common uh initiative to stop the expansion and pause the expansion of data centers in our community uh to allow us to be more thoughtful about how we responsibly allocate the benefits and burdens of data centers and AI technology and better regulate these these uh these big companies because today, as we know, the the profits are quickly exported across Lake Washington, Bellevue or to Silicon Valley, and here we're left uh dealing with the fallout of price spike hikes, water shortages, severe climate impacts, and more.

So kudos to everyone who's carved out time, former tech workers, uh, parent groups.

I'm told that there was there was uh you know folks asking people to testify and show up in various West Seattle mom and parent groups on social media.

This is truly a uh a diverse group of stakeholders.

So thank you for you all being so generous with your time and your perspectives within two months from the time to introduction to passage.

Uh we we are aspiring here to be as responsive as we can.

And I I also want to thank the committee chairs on this, starting first with Councilmember Warez, the senior statesperson on this body.

Really appreciate and I mean that in the most uh respectful way possible.

Um, but I really do appreciate you and your leadership and your vision and honor to be a part of uh executing this vision from a policy perspective and you as well, land use committee chair Lynn, appreciate you and all you have done, uh and and you know, just really driving this to this all of us to this point right now, um, incredible leadership, and again, importantly allowing us to be as collectively responsible responsive as possible.

So, thank you, and um that is all.

Thank you, madam council president.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka.

Are there any further comments regarding uh the bill before us?

Uh council council member Lynn, do you have any closing comments?

Uh just want to uh say thank you for co-sponsoring council president and for all your support.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

You led um with incredible uh diligence, research, education, intellectual um ability, like just amazing, and so just really grateful for your leadership and also your staff as well it was fun to be in the passenger seat on this one and tell you about your blind spots left and right all right um next uh will the clerk please call the roll uh will the clerk please call the roll or excuse me will the clerk yeah will the clerk please call the roll on the bill before us amended council member strauss aye council member foster yes council member juarez aye council member kettle aye council member lynn yes council member rink yes council member revara aye council member sacca aye council president hallingsworth yes nine in favor none opposed bill passes chair will sign it clerk will I think they liked it okay awesome uh great and you didn't have any blind spot council member I didn't mean that in any it was just you know you're I'm a back seat driver okay anyways um will the clerk please read item number four into the record agenda item four clerk file three one four five four nine the application of Eagle Rock ventures and five two oh one Rainier LLC for an extension of the contract rezone of the property at 5201 Rainier Avenue South original contract rezone application approved through CF clerk file three one four three one one and ordinance one two five six three two project number three zero one eight three seven eight-lu type four the committee recommends city council grant the clerk file we'll give we'll be at we'll be at ease right now we still have our we still have our meeting the the the gentleman the gentleman in the back we're still sorry yeah you're good you're good thank no you're good you're good thank you so much Cody we support it I just want to say that okay perfect awesome thank you so much all right thank you awesome so we're gonna uh council member lynn as chair of the committee you're recognized to provide the committee report thank you council president um this bill and the next one relate to a contract rezone extending it uh for an additional two years um as you probably know there have uh this is for hopefully uh at some point um housing on this site um but as we know uh development has been um difficult for for many of our um uh developer housing developers due to things like interest rates and uh other costs um and so this would simply allow um two more years for this development to hopefully break ground um and you know that's something we are you know I know many of us are concerned about uh is um doing everything we can to um allow our um housing developers to to break ground um but this would just extend the the rezone for two more years and um I would urge your support awesome thank you council member Lynn um I'm gonna now I want to provide an opportunity for parties of the record or individuals who commented on SDCI recommendation to rebut the sub sense of the communication on the record and invite anyone here to do so this opportunity is to address the ex party communication only if anyone agrees then they can confirm that they are a party of the record Keatle will share the list and provide them allocated time hearing is there no there's none okay hearing none we will proceed with a vote uh will the clerk please call the role on granting the clerk file.

Council member Strauss.

Aye.

Council member Foster.

Yes.

Council member Juarez.

Aye.

Council member kettle.

Aye.

Council member lynn.

Yes.

Council member rink.

Yes.

Council member Rivera.

Aye.

Council member soccer aye.

Council president Allingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

The clerk a file is granted.

Um, please read item number five into the record.

Agenda item five, council bill one-two-one-two-two zero, an ordinance relating to land use and zoning, approving the extension of a contract rezone approved by ordinance one two five six three two and accepting an amended property use and development agreement for a property located at 5201 Rainier Avenue South.

Application by Eagle Rock Ventures and 5201 Rainier LLC.

Clerk file 314549, SDCA project number 301-8378-LU.

The committee recommends City Council pass the council bill.

Councilmember Lynn, Chair of the Committee, you're recognized.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Um, this is uh the corollary ordinance to allow for that um two-year extension.

Uh I will have one amendment, which is just to attach an executive version of the property use and development agreement for the unexecuted version that was previously included as an amendment um a to the ordinance.

Um, so uh at the appropriate time, I'd like to move that.

Awesome.

I believe this, yep, this is about right.

Okay.

So I moved to amend council bill one two one two two zero by passing amendment A and an executive version of the property use and development agreement for the unexecuted version of the property use and development agreement as shown on the agenda as amendment A.

Do I have a second?

Second, it's been moved and second to amend the bill with the executed property use and development agreement as shown on the agenda as amendment a council member Lynn.

You recognize an order to address the amendment.

Uh this is just a uh clerical issue to have the executive version.

There were no other changes.

Um, so I urge your support.

Awesome.

Um are there any other comments on the amendment?

Seeing none, will the clerk please call the roll on the adoption of amendment A?

Council Member Strauss, Councilmember Foster, yes, Council Member Warez, Councilmember Kettle, aye, Council Member Lynn?

Yes, Councilmember Rink, yes, Councilmember Rivara, aye.

Council Member Saka, Council President Hollings.

Yes, nine in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries amendment A is adopted.

Are there any further comments on the bill as amended?

Any closing remarks?

Councilmember Lynn?

No closing remarks.

Awesome.

Will the clerk please call the role on the passage of the bill as amended?

Councilmember Strauss.

Council Member Foster?

Yes.

Council Member Juarez.

Council Member Kettle?

Aye.

Council Member Lynn?

Yes.

Council Member Rink.

Yes.

Council Member Rivara.

Aye.

Council Member Saka.

Aye.

Council President Hollings, yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Uh will the clerk please read item number six into the agenda.

The report of the Transportation Waterfront and Seattle Center Committee.

Agenda item six resolution three two two zero five.

A resolution affirming the importance of Seattle Center as a central civic cultural and economic asset for the city of Seattle, acknowledging the urgent imperative to restore its aging infrastructure and grounds, renovate its buildings, and revitalize the Seattle Center campus.

Requesting that the mayor direct city departments in a capital planning effort for Seattle Center, anticipating a decision on a bond measure to fund its capital investment by the end of 2027, committing to exploring all viable funding options to support its modernization, declaring city declaring council priorities, and calling upon the executive to direct departmental resources and budget allocations in support of its capital improvements.

The committee recommends city council adopt the resolution.

Councilmember Saka is chair of the committee.

You are recognized to give the report.

So first and foremost, want to want to thank Mayor Wilson for her partnership uh on this and everyone in the in the mayor's office, including Deputy Mayor Surratt.

This is colleagues a reminder.

This is a joint mayoral council resolution.

Um with the mayor signing on in concurrence.

So really appreciate the partnership from our executive on this one.

Uh colleagues, members of the public.

This is about putting people to work.

This is about supporting good living wage union jobs.

This is about workforce development and promoting a skilled and sustainable workforce.

This is about addressing climate change.

This is about decarbonizing this important civic and cultural asset.

This is about supporting our arts, cultural, creative, and sports economy.

Yes, sports.

It's about restoring our iconic Seattle Center to its original vibrance.

It's about building back better.

It's about creating vibrant places for residents, workers, and visitors to gather and enjoy such a wonderful civic space.

The Seattle Center, as we know, hasn't been materially updated or touched in almost 60 years.

Urgently needs investment, as one of the members from the Carpenters Union pointed out earlier during public comment, the longer we wait, the more expensive this becomes.

Also, we learned from public comment, and I agree with uh Nicole Grant from IBEW.

The Seattle Center is truly a jewel of our city, and we need to protect it.

We need to restore it to its original vibrance vibrancy and build back better.

Heck, even a few of the commenters who spoke about the the data center moratorium were supportive of this.

So shout out to the Pearl Jam guy.

Unfortunately, he left.

But this is a at the end of the day, colleagues, this is a piece of paper.

Uh it's also a commitment to next year, put a ballot measure on the ballot for a bond measure on the ballot to renovate the Seattle Center once and for all.

But more than a sheet of paper or commitments for next year.

Uh this is this reflects a winning coalition.

You heard from many members of the coalition today, and it was only a sliver of many folks who've been involved in this effort over many months and many years now, predating my tenure, you know, in this role as chair of the council committee that oversees the Seattle Center.

Union, unions, labor, private, philanthropic organizations, business community, uh, many of the tenant organizations of the Seattle Center themselves and beyond.

People who support a vibrant arts and cultural and sports scene, a lot of people want to get this done next year, wanted to get it done this year, uh, and I and I hear you.

Uh, but I'm I'm excited for next year.

2027 is a year, uh, likely August 27, certainly no later than the November 27 general election.

Um, and also want to close by highlighting a what I think is a pretty cool aspect of this legislation here.

Colleagues, as you'll recall, a few months back, back in April of this year, uh, we passed yet another joint mayoral council resolution affirming our city's readiness to welcome back the Sonics uh reaffirming climate pledge arenas readiness today to welcome back an MBA franchise, which it is yes, today ready.

The Climate Pledge Arena is ready today, prospective ownership group uh with Samantha Holloway at L ready today.

Um this legislation actually builds upon that because we are committing next year to put a ballot measure on the ballot to actually renovate the Seattle Center, so it's an opportunity for us to back our prior policy values and statements that we just said on a different piece of paper a couple couple months ago.

It's it's an opportunity to back those prior policy statements and value statements with tangible dollars and investment and a concrete specific plan, timeline, and schedule next year to get this done because we need our sonics back, we need to put more people to work, we need to save our environment, we need to have vibrant arts cultural spaces, we need to do all those things and more, and this puts us on track to do exactly that.

Um, and as chair of the council committee that that oversees the Seattle Center, formerly the Transportation Waterfront and Seattle Center Committee, aka steps.

Uh, uh as committee chair next year.

I will hold quarterly or bi-monthly, if needed, briefings and discussions on the status of this effort to keep us on track to make sure we're making progress.

The actual writing of the package isn't that complex.

After all, turns out there's a few technical nuances I know firsthand.

Uh, but we will we will be keeping on tracking holding ourselves accountable to getting this done next year.

Again, I want to thank the mayor's office, uh, Mayor Wilson, everyone in the mayor's office, um, and excited about helping us take the next step in so many ways, including being the cherry on top to welcoming back our sonics.

Last but not least, council president, want to thank you for for your leadership and your partner, your thought partnership in all this.

Uh you've been uh a terrific sounding board for ideas on this and so many things pertaining to the Seattle Center.

Um, but I'm I'm grateful for your partnership, your leadership, and uh, and look forward to strengthening our collaboration going forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka, and for your leadership uh on this and in carrying the flag over um for this process.

It's been very fun to watch uh your love and passion for the Seattle Center and then all the groups that are involved that were here today, and so oh, I didn't see hands.

My apologies.

Sorry about that.

Okay, okay.

So we do oh, and we have amendments.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

So, okay, colleagues, give me one second.

So, how we'll do this.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka for the for the opening comments.

Can we do amendment first?

Uh let's talk about that, and then we'll do comments regarding that.

Is that okay, colleagues?

Awesome.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Saka.

Thumbs up.

Uh, Councilmember Kettle, can you go ahead and move your amendment to the resolution?

Thank you, Council President.

I move to amend resolution uh 32205 by passing amendment A as shown on the agenda as Amendment A.

It's been moving.

Oh, is there a second?

Thank you.

It's been moving second to amend the resolution as presented on amendment A.

Councilmember Kettle, you're recognized in order to address it.

Thank you, Council President.

And first, I want to say uh thank you to Councilmember Saka for his work on this.

Very important um, you know, the engagement.

It's surprising uh how much engagement and and the breadth of the engagement that's needed.

Uh so thank you for your work uh to include uh here in chambers, uh, Seattle Center Foundation uh head, uh former council member uh Rob Johnson, uh, there and uh uh colleagues.

I just wanted to note Seattle Center is a iconic civic centerpiece for our city.

Uh again, a an iconic center, civic centerpiece for our city.

And it's done so by the way, in partnership with Memorial Stadium with the Space Needle, with Pacific Science Center.

The partnership that's been built on that is even uh made it even that much more of a centerpiece, and so I thank those entities and and all the work that goes behind those that work, particularly like Memorial Stadium as an example, but also the leadership scene at Spice Needle and specifically the specific science center.

Um it's incredible the amount of work that has been done uh, you know, already with Memorial Stadium and Climate Pledge Arena, home of the crack and the torrent, and uh, of course, the storm uh the kettle family favorite.

But as council uh member Saka noted, uh, and soon the Sonics.

Uh but I I want to uh thank the one roof team uh starting with Sam Holloway and the work that she's done in the leadership of that entire group and the partnership that they've shown, and leading what has been up to this point across the Seattle, you know, the with the arena with Morrill Stadium and so forth, a private philanthropic and business effort.

They've been the lead over the past decade, particularly the last half decade, and it's time for us to move forward on the public side.

Over the last two years, I've had a number of meetings uh at Seattle Center or here in my office, talking about the different challenges that Seattle Center has faced, including the armory, including tenants within the armory, uh meetings at the rep talking about the challenges the rep was doing in terms of the work to take care of their systems and the like, and what that's taught me is that there's so much more work to be done.

There's so much more work to be done.

And on that front, I thank the building and trades uh for being out the electricians, the carpenters, uh, all their uh advocacy to include the point about electrification and decarbonization, uh, which ties into, by the way, my remarks on the last on terms of the data centers, uh, you know, the work that needs to be done there.

Um this amendment is just one added piece, because one of the things that we should be really engaging, those that come in that work um at uh Seattle centers, but also the adjacent neighborhoods.

Um I've done this prior to my service here uh on city council in terms of uh Queen Anne and Uptown specifically, but the you know, the uptown community has been such a strong supporter of Seattle Center and its entities, the Queen Anne community, South Lake Union and Bell Town.

And so it's important to engage with these entities and these neighborhoods uh to ensure everything is smooth and is as the projects are being put forward and as we improve again what is iconic civic centerpiece.

So, colleagues, I just asked for this outreach and this engagement and ask for your support.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember Kettle.

Are there any uh comments regarding the amendment before us and then we'll vote on the amendment and then we'll vote on the um the oh council member Council Member Sokka?

Thank you, Madam Council President.

I'll just say I think this I as the the chair, the sponsor of this, I I view this as a friendly amendment, um, just seeking additional collaboration and partnership, which is nothing inherently wrong with that.

It's common sense, thank you.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Saka.

Any other additional comments about amendment number A.

All right.

Will the clerk please call the roll and amendment of the adoption of amendment A?

Council Member Strauss.

All right, Councilmember Foster, yes, Councilmember Juarez.

Hi, Councilmember Kevin, Council Member Lynn.

Yes, Council Member Rink.

Yes, Council Member Rivera, aye.

Council Member Saka?

Aye, Council President Hollinsworth?

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Motion carries amendment A is adopted.

Um, colleagues, these are now the time for us to get for our final comments about the uh resolution before us, and then Council Member Saka, I'll come to you for closing remarks.

Council Member Foster.

Thank you so thank you so much, Council President.

Um, and thank you so much, Councilmember Saka, for bringing this resolution forward.

It was fantastic to hear from so many um incredible partners and supporters of this resolution today, and I'm excited to vote in favor of it.

I just want to take a second to express both my support of this resolution as well as something that I've mentioned a little bit in committee previously, which is the need to ensure that as we are making progress on investing in Seattle Center, which is just absolutely such a gem for our city, and I think we've heard it called in committee the face of our city, the heartbeat of our city, the center of our city, so many things uh that we are also engaging in a really important conversation about support for all of our arts and cultural institutions, many of which have in have been unfortunately at the receiving end of devastating federal cuts, um, changes in consumer behavior, um, and also have a real significant need for capital infrastructure investments.

So as we continue to make progress on this important place, I want to make sure that the process that we um begin uh in the next coming months also takes an appropriately broad look because we know that Seattle Center's success is also um tied to the success of the rest of our arts and cultural institutions, the folks who are activating it, the folks who are there for Festall, and that they're just so critical.

So I look forward to making sure that they are an important part of this conversation.

The second is, and we heard some public comment about this today.

I just want to express uh my support for ensuring that we get this absolutely right, and that we have the investment to make sure that we get to the appropriate level of design so we know um we know what's under the hood.

Uh and so I look forward to that process and seeing that information come to council in the coming months.

Awesome.

Thank you, Councilmember Foster.

Council Member Rink.

Thank you, Council President, and thank you, Committee Chair Saka and the mayor's office for bringing this forward.

You know, a couple weeks ago, the panel discussion we had in committee, including center leadership, the Seattle Center Foundation, and our labor partners really clarified to me how much this effort represents an opportunity for our city to spur a major civic project, support our arts and cultural institutions, decarbonize Seattle Center, and invest back in our community.

Everyone has a Seattle story.

Some of you may know I used to be a waitress, but I don't think many of you know that the place where I used to wait tables is quite literally next to KEXP, where nearly all of my customers were at Seattle Center.

They were Seattle Center visitors or workers.

And I could tell you the difference between the Seattle storm crowd versus the Pacific Northwest Ballet crowd versus the folk life crowd, or our international travelers uh coming from France and Egypt and Japan.

But what all those different uh crowds shared was the fact that they were having a great time at Seattle Center.

So often I heard from folks just coming in to get a meal how much they loved Seattle.

You actually could see the space needle from the hostess stand in the restaurant.

So, from my perspective, investing back into Seattle Center, the place where tourists and residents gather, sports, arts, and science meet, and memories are made is a great investment.

So I'm looking forward to working with the mayor, Seattle Center leadership, resident tenant organizations, the Seattle Center Foundation, all of our union partners and key cultural institutions to develop this proposal for voters to consider next year.

And I will be supporting this resolution today.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Council Member Rink.

Are there any further comments about the resolution before us before we go to Councilmember Saka for final comments?

Councilmember Saka, final comments.

Thank you, Madam Council President.

Uh apparently I'm the gating item here for preventing us from getting out, but uh so I'll I'll be brief.

Um, here's the good news about this that I didn't mention is that it's a it's a bond, it's a capital project, and um when we bring it to life next year, we're we're going to rely heavily on the creation of robust public-private partnerships uh to to have matching non-city dollars from a variety of sources, other governments, private philanthropic organizations, etc.

Um, and so we're we're looking at a there's there's uh the current gold standard, which is the waterfront project, uh I like as a model, and we're we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna use this as the new newly established gold standard in terms of creation of effective uh robust public-private partnerships, and so really really excited about the the opportunity here.

Super excited about the potential impact to do all those things that we all want, said so eloquently in the legislation itself, echoed a moment ago by uh well said a moment ago by colleagues, Council members foster and rank.

Appreciate your uh your your feedback today, but your leadership in helping to shape this and and you know, move it forward in committee and thoughtful conversations.

Um, so super exciting thing and 2027, here we come.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Council Member Saka and colleagues, and for your leadership on this and excitement and and thoughtful partnership as well.

So thank you.

Thank you so much.

Uh clerk, will you please call the role?

Uh, will you please call the role on the uh resolution as amended?

Councilmember Strauss.

All right, council member Foster, yes.

Councilmember Juarez.

Hi.

Councilmember Kettle.

Aye, Councilmember Lynn.

Yes.

Council Member Rink.

Yes.

Councilmember Rivera, aye.

Council Member Sokka.

Aye.

Council President Hollingsworth.

Yes.

Nine in favor, none opposed.

Resolution is adopted.

Thank you, colleagues.

Um, now uh there were no items removed from the consent calendar.

There is not a resolution for introduction or adoption today.

But I do believe, Councilmember Rink, you have something in other business that you'd like to um come, you were bringing forward today.

Uh you can explain what you're doing.

I have it in my script, but you're recognized.

Thank you, Council President.

Yes, um, I am the one keeping us from going about our day today.

Apologies.

Um, I will be brief.

Uh, colleagues, I'm bringing forward a letter today that was distributed via email and draft form on Wednesday with a final version including um Office of Intergovernmental Relations and Council feedback distributed yesterday to be sent to King County Council.

Um and this letter is really in service of fighting for our residents tax dollars.

Some of you may know King County Council is expected to vote this week on the establishment of a countywide transportation benefit district using a point one percent sales tax to fund road construction, mostly for unincorporated King County.

Now there is a proposal for 12.5% of that funding to pass through to cities, including Seattle, but that pass through is arbitrarily capped on larger cities, which spoiler alert, the larger city of Seattle, we're the only one that's affected by that cap.

So Seattle would lose out on nearly three million dollars while sending that money to other cities, including Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and others.

Um the letter before you outlines a good refresher on the RCW that many jurisdictions are able to establish their own transportation benefit districts to fund their services.

Um the letter uh before you um requests that this cap be revisited to ensure that our constituents uh that are paying into regressive uh taxes like sales taxes aren't being shortchanged to fund roads for other cities that have their own transportation revenue sources.

Um really we wanted to bring this forward as a matter of I know this is um gotten a bit of media attention, so this is merely an opportunity to sign on if you would like while we uh send a message to King County Council on this particular policy area.

Thank you.

Awesome, thank you, Councilmember Rank.

Um colleagues, are there any comments on the letter before uh fixing signatures on it before we ask?

Uh Councilmember Strauss.

Uh thank you, Council President.

Requesting to be excused July 7th, I have another meeting.

I'm sorry, we're asking for signatures.

About sorry, I was just moving right along.

I don't have anything to say here, but I'll require recognized in just a minute.

Okay, awesome.

I'm sorry, Councilmember Strauss.

Uh, this is so these are comments about the letter and the signatures before us.

Councilmember Lynn Foss, followed by Council Member Kettle, Councilmember Socket.

Um thank you, Council President.

Thank you, uh Councilmember Rink for bringing this letter forward.

Um, you know, uh there's obviously concerns um about sales tax um, and we, you know, the city of Seattle I believe contributes um approximately 39% of sales taxes uh in terms of generates that revenue, and so for our um residents and businesses to be singled out um for to receive less um is unacceptable.

Um this would be millions of dollars, and I believe that would be millions of dollars each year um that would be we would be losing out on um and there's just no policy reason, there's no reason for us to be treated this way, and um so I think it's important for us to send a strong message to um our county colleagues um and to other regional partners that um we deserve uh to be treated equitably.

Um, and that that this revenue is very much needed.

Um, and so thank you.

Thank you for for putting the effort into this and uh encourage everyone to support it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Lynn.

Uh Councilmember Kettle.

Thank you, Council President.

Thank you, Councilmember uh Rink, for bringing this forward.

Um this is a very important issue, and and and Council President, this is also very important for OIR to highlight these issues to us as a council to all the council.

Um it's very important to you know to get updates in terms of this case, King County, but across the various levels of government.

Um the reason why is that for the reasons that council member rink spoke to and then council member Lynn.

This is this is super important, and to be blunt, it's short-sighted on on the part of the King County Council.

Uh, if you want to go down the route of looking at what pays what and this kind of thing, uh they'll find that Seattle is basically subsidizing in a lot of areas, King County.

So again, this is short-sighted.

I think it's uh from a broader point of view, too, in terms of good governance.

Something that they should think about, um, just to be blunt.

So thank you.

It's the only way you know how, Councilmember Kettle.

Blunt Council Member Socket, thank you, Madam Council President.

Uh I just want to thank Councilmember Rink uh for bringing this forward, um drafting the taking the laboring or drafting the pen uh you know and ensuring all of all of our ideas are reflected in the final thing um I obviously share your concerns but I appreciate your leadership uh and and moving this forward um and you know I I think all of us look forward to actually engaging with uh King County Council on this as well um this letter is an important next step mission critical to be honest but you know more more to do and you know I think we all need to have some uh independent one on one conversations with our Seattle delegation from the King County council I helped write the boundaries a few years ago on the redistricting committee in 2020 and and if I I'm looking at the map and I think there's four council members that's that share Seattle uh as as a jurisdiction um but in any event thank you for putting this forward for anything awesome thank you council member soccer are there any other further comments okay awesome council member rink thank you for bringing this forward and your leadership I'm very happy to sign on do you have any final comments no awesome will the do I hear anything down here council member warren council member strauss okay will the clerk please call the role who would like to affix their signatures to the letter council member Strauss aye councilmember foster yes councilmember wise councilmember kettle because I don't do sign on letters no council member Lynn yes council member rink yes councilmember Rivera aye council member sucker aye council president hallings yes eight signatures will be a fixed awesome eight signatures affixed to the letter thank you council member rink uh council member Strauss you are recognized thank you I request to be excused from the July 7th city council meeting I have another meeting that is occurring at the same time awesome are there any objections to council member Strauss being excused none you are excused council member Strauss thank you council president awesome are there any other further comments to happen are you all shirt are you all trying to leave I'm just okay I'm just fine all right uh well there are no further comments and this meeting oh our next meeting excuse me is going to be June 16th at 2 p.m.

And hearing no further business then that means that we are adjourned.

Thanks for dragging that up