Seattle Governance and Utilities Committee Meeting – June 11, 2026
Seattle Governance and Utilities Committee Meeting – June 11, 2026
The Governance and Utilities Committee, chaired by Council President Joy Hollingsworth, met on June 11, 2026 from 9:33 AM to 11:31 AM in the Council Chamber at Seattle City Hall. All five committee members were present: Hollingsworth, Vice Chair Debora Juarez, Robert Kettle, Maritza Rivera, and Dan Strauss. The agenda included appointments to city boards, a briefing on the Utility Discount Program (UDP) expansion, discussion of a related ordinance, and a vote on a recycling processing contract.
Consent Calendar
- Appointment of Sarah Champ to the Seattle Public Utilities Customer Review Panel (term to July 31, 2028) – recommended for confirmation unanimously (5-0).
- Nine appointments/reappointments to the Community Technology Advisory Board (CTAB): Rajat Aggarwal, Aishah Bomani, Friday O. Enabulele, Phillip Meng, Kathleen Rohde, Colin Sanders, Dei’Marlon Scisney, Omari Stringer, and Venita Subramanian – all recommended for confirmation unanimously (5-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bailey Burgess (Political Director, Teamsters Joint Council 28) expressed concerns about the Waste Management contract (CB 121221), stating it “has no prevailing wage protections” and lacks anti-displacement language to protect workers if service providers change. She represents 55,000 workers across 12 unions.
- David Haynes (remote) criticized the social housing developer and related oversight issues; his comments were not directly tied to committee agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Response to Statement of Legislative Intent (SLI) SPU-012S-A-2: Utility Discount Program – Presenters from Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, and the Human Services Department reported on efforts to increase UDP enrollment (from 32% to 39% of eligible households) and outlined a proposal to expand eligibility from 70% of state median income to 60% of area median income (AMI). The expansion would make an estimated 31,000 additional low-income households eligible, including 8,800 seniors. The proposed 60% AMI threshold is supported by a 0.5% rate impact for City Light (~$0.50/month per residential customer) and 0.1% for SPU (~$0.27/month), and will not increase overall utility rates beyond those amounts. The committee also discussed plans to further expand to 80% AMI by 2029 and to simplify enrollment through data-sharing partnerships (e.g., with Seattle Housing Authority). Councilmember Strauss noted the change addresses the “cliff” where a household making one dollar over the threshold loses all benefits.
- Council Bill 121222 (ordinance amending UDP income thresholds) – This bill, sponsored by Councilmember Strauss and co-sponsored by Council President Hollingsworth, would formally shift the eligibility threshold to 60% AMI effective April 1, 2027, and set future expansions to 70% AMI (2028) and 80% AMI (2029). The bill was discussed but no vote was taken; a second discussion is scheduled for July 9, 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Council Bill 121221 (recycling processing contract with Waste Management of Washington, Inc.) – The committee voted 5-0 to recommend passage. The contract, valued at approximately $6.4 million in 2027 (up from $1.4 million currently), will have no rate impact. It was noted that the increased cost is due to changes in recycling composition and market demands. Councilmember Strauss indicated he may bring an amendment on prevailing wage and anti-displacement provisions to full council.
- All appointments were forwarded to the June 16, 2026 City Council meeting for final confirmation.
- The next committee meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM.
Recognition
- The meeting concluded with recognition of Martha Newman, retiring after 14 years at Seattle Public Utilities and over 25 years in government service. Councilmembers praised her expertise and dedication, especially on wastewater issues.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. The June 11, 2026 meeting of the governance and utilities committee will come to order. It is 9 33 p.m. I'm Joy Hollingsworth, Council President. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Kettle. Councilmember Rivera. Councilmember Strauss. Here. Vice Chair Boris. I am the vice chair, so I probably should have been called second. Just kidding. Here. Council Member Rivera. Present. Right in a quarter. Here. Chair there by present. Awesome. Thank you, colleagues. We have a packed agenda, so we're going to be moving fairly quickly. Not quickly, but you know, on point. We will now consider the agenda. If there's no objection, the agenda will be adopted. Hearing no objection, the agenda is adopted. We'll now open the hybrid public comment period. Speaker, how many speakers do we have signed up? Chair, we have one in-person speaker in zero remote. Awesome. My favorite speaker. Will you please read the instructions for the comments? The public comment period will be moderated in the following manner. Speakers will be called in the order in which they registered on the council's website and the sign-up sheet available here in council chambers, starting with in-person speakers first. If you have not registered to speak and would like to, you could sign up before the end of the public comment period or on the council's website. The link is listed on today's agenda. When speaking, please begin by stating your name and the item you are addressing. Speakers will hear a chime when there are 10 seconds left of the allotted time. The speakers do not end their comments at the end of the allotted time provided. The speaker's microphone will be muted and allow us to call on to the next person. Awesome. So first I see we have someone online, but we'll start with in person. Welcome, Bailey Burgess. Good to see you. And before you start, if we could get these lights uh shut down from facing us, thank you so much. All right, we'll put your time up and go ahead and start when you're ready. Good morning. Council President and committee members. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak today. It is wonderful to be back at Seattle City Hall. Um so my name is Bailey Burgess.
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