Seattle City Council Meeting – June 16, 2026

The Seattle City Council met on June 16, 2026, at 2:03 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 600 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA. Council President Joy Hollingsworth presided. The meeting included a proclamation declaring June 16, 2026 as "Conner Dassa-Holland Day," public testimony on a variety of issues, adoption of the consent calendar, passage of a recycling processing services contract with Waste Management of Washington, Inc., and adoption of charter amendments for the Seattle Social Housing Developer. Councilmember Eddie Lin was excused from the start; Councilmember Maritza Rivera was excused after public comment. The meeting adjourned at 3:03 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of June 9, 2026 (Min 5711) – Adopted on a 7-0 vote (Foster, Hollingsworth, Juarez, Kettle, Rinck, Saka, Strauss in favor; none opposed).
• Council Bill 121227 – An ordinance appropriating money to pay claims for the week of June 1–5, 2026, and ordering payment. Passed on the consent calendar 7-0.
• Appointments (10 total) – All confirmed on the consent calendar 7-0:
  • Sarah Champ to the Seattle Public Utilities Customer Review Panel (term to July 31, 2028)
  • Rajat Aggarwal, Colin Sanders, Aishah Bomani (reappointment), Phillip Meng (reappointment), Omari Stringer (reappointment) to the Community Technology Advisory Board (terms to December 31, 2026)
  • Friday O. Enabulele, Kathleen Rohde, Venita Subramanian, and Dei’Marlon Scisney (reappointment) to the Community Technology Advisory Board (terms to December 31, 2027)

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Haines – Expressed frustration with police reform and public safety policies, alleging that the council has sabotaged reform and enabled drug-related violence. He was warned for exceeding time and later removed from chambers.
• Jeff Rogers – Represented a nonprofit of business leaders; offered partnership with the council on homelessness solutions and expressed support for the city.
• Clive Hayward – A street magician and property owner in District 7, testified about being excluded from a public space (waterfront) for performing in a non-designated expression zone. He urged the council to review his case before it escalates to criminal trespass.
• Roberto Tinajero – A full-time street magician (busker), spoke against overly restrictive regulations on street performers, asking the council to protect First Amendment rights in traditional public forums.
• Paul Tomlinson – Representative of churches and businesses, called for collaboration between faith, business, and government to address violence and neighborhood needs, citing work in the Rainier Valley.
• Jim Baines – Member of the American Party of Labor, spoke against the proposed charter amendments for the Seattle Social Housing Developer, arguing that amendments (Sections 4 and 6) could allow private interests and market-rate rents, undermining the original affordable housing intent. He urged tying rents to tenant income.
• Kendall Kettle – Also from the American Party of Labor, criticized the city’s installation of designated protest zones, stating they suppress First Amendment rights. He also criticized the cost of police presence at events while social programs face deficits.
• Shawni Davis – Founder of Home 1816, a faith-based organization, offered prayers for the Conner Dassa-Holland family and spoke about church-community partnerships to address isolation, homelessness, and violence.
• Keith Miller – Owner of a residential design firm, thanked the council for their work and announced a grassroots movement to beautify city streetscapes through volunteer efforts.
• Keondray – A resident of the Chinatown-International District, criticized lack of police accountability, inadequate response to crime, and the mayor’s sweeps of unhoused people. Noted that resolutions and proclamations do not save lives.
• Rose (online) – Spoke on trans safety, citing multiple murders of trans people in April–May 2026, including Juniper Blessing at UW, and laws in other states targeting trans individuals. Urged the council and mayor to act on an emergency declaration proposed by the LGBTQ Commission.
• Nathan Wall (online) – Reported that ICE/DHS/HSI arrested 15 protesters during “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis and called on the council to oppose federal actions.
• Bennett Haselton – Commented on data centers and AI, supporting a short-term moratorium but advocating for more nuanced policy, including generous compensation for affected residents. Also referenced the first World Cup game in Seattle.

Discussion Items

• Proclamation: Conner Dassa-Holland Day – Council President Hollingsworth presented a proclamation declaring June 16, 2026 as “Conner Dassa-Holland Day,” honoring a young community leader killed in 2020. The proclamation was signed by all eight councilmembers. Conner’s family (father James, sister Kira, mother Alicia Dassa-Holland) spoke about his legacy, the unsolved murder, ongoing gun violence in the Rainier Beach area, and the need for the city to do better. The council suspended rules to allow family remarks.
• Committee Report – Waste Management Recycling Contract (CB 121221) – Council President Hollingsworth reported that the Governance and Utilities Committee recommended passage. The contract authorizes Seattle Public Utilities to contract with Waste Management of Washington, Inc. for recycling processing services, replacing the current Republic Services contract (in place since 2009). The estimated cost is $6.4 million in 2027. The bill passed full council 7-0.
• Committee Report – Social Housing Developer Charter Amendments (Res 32209) – Councilmember Foster, chair of the Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee, presented the resolution adopting charter amendments recommended by the Seattle Social Housing Developer board. Changes allowed: rental rates based on more than operations costs (to enable cross-subsidization and bond payments), condominium structures for properties, and use of properties as debt collateral. Foster thanked central staff, interim CEO Tiffany McCoy, and House Our Neighbors. The resolution was adopted 7-0.
• Proclamation: Seattle Trans Pride – Councilmember Rinck presented a proclamation declaring June 26, 2026 as “Seattle Trans Pride” in recognition of the 14th annual Trans Pride festival produced by Gender Justice League. The proclamation was signed by all seven members present.
• Other Business – Councilmember Rinck noted that a resolution (Res 3207) updating Business Improvement Area (BIA) policies was removed from the agenda due to minor edits requested by BIA members after the committee meeting. Her office will bring technical amendments later in June. Councilmember Strauss was excused from the June 23, 2026 meeting to attend the Association of Washington Cities Conference.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar adopted – 7-0 vote.
• CB 121221 (Waste Management recycling contract) passed – 7-0 vote.
• Res 32209 (Social Housing Developer charter amendments) adopted – 7-0 vote.
• Proclamations signed – Conner Dassa-Holland Day (June 16, 2026) and Seattle Trans Pride (June 26, 2026) were both approved unanimously.
• Councilmember Rivera excused – for the remainder of the June 16 meeting (by unanimous consent).
• Councilmember Strauss excused – from the June 23, 2026 full council meeting (by unanimous consent).
• Next meeting – June 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM.
• Parks district meeting – Scheduled for 4:00 PM on June 16, 2026, as noted by the Council President.