Seattle City Council Special Meeting – October 26, 2026

The Seattle City Council held a special meeting at 2:02 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2026, in Council Chamber, City Hall, Seattle. Council President Joy Hollingsworth presided. The meeting was called to maintain the flow of legislation, not as an emergency, after bills were moved from the October 20 agenda. The council suspended rules to allow public comment, adopted the agenda, and considered two transportation safety bills from the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee. The transcript's initial roll call listed seven members present, with Councilmembers Foster and Rivera excused; both bills ultimately passed 9-0. The council also recognized community pillar Elma Horton, who died at age 90, before entering executive session on pending litigation.

Public Comments & Testimony

• With rules suspended, public comment was limited to agenda items and the council work program; initial sign-up included nine in-person and two remote speakers.
• Several speakers, including VHS System, Magnum, Laurel, Guinevere, Lydia, Evie, and Rose, addressed the transgender community and an allocated $300,000 emergency fund. They said no funds had reached community organizations, described early-morning sweeps at Cal Anderson Park, and urged the council to act urgently. Rose recounted meeting a disabled young woman from Utah in the park and named KOIA and Stone Soup as organizations needing resources.
• Gwendolyn, identifying with the United Front for Workers' Party, compared the $300,000 to $30 million in proposed cuts from Amazon tax funds earmarked for affordable housing and $30 million frozen for a housing department, called the funding a "bribe," and urged formation of a united front to fight budget cuts.
• Midge did not present data but pleaded for faster decisions, saying conditions are "worse than they are telling you."
• Aaron supported emergency funding to serve likely trans refugees arriving in Seattle.
• Ed said the issues are connected and suggested vacancy taxes could raise funds and lower rent pressures.
• Johnny Hahn, a Pike Place Market street performer for more than 40 years, supported giving the Market PDA discretion to close the street to vehicles during crowded conditions but opposed a seven-day, year-round closure advocated by the Seattle Streets Alliance, and urged council members to talk with market business owners.
• Gina Caraba, a 20-year market vendor and elected constituency representative, stressed the market's complexity and seasonal needs, cited the 50-year plan that took five years to create, and cautioned against modernizing the wrong parts.
• Hannah from Pioneer Square spoke in solidarity with the trans community and on transportation, urging a walkable city, caution about trucking in the industrial sector, and support for truck safety equipment.
• Beatrice, a recent transplant from West Virginia, identified accessible public transit, queer-led mental health services, and shelters and food banks as the top needs.

Discussion Items

• CB 121297 – City Traffic Engineer authority: Councilmember Saka, chair of the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee, presented the ordinance amending Seattle Municipal Code Sections 11.16.240 and 11.16.360. He said the bill strengthens the statutory foundation for safety-focused decision making, clarifies the City Traffic Engineer's role in reviewing roadway conditions and recommending safety improvements, and allows expedited safety treatments, pilot projects, and quick-build improvements on corridors with histories of serious injuries and fatalities. Saka emphasized the bill does not override engineering standards or remove the Transportation Director's supervisory role. The ordinance had passed out of committee 4-0.
• CB 121298 – Truck lateral protective devices: Councilmember Saka presented the ordinance requesting development of recommended requirements for truck side guards, also called lateral protective devices, for city contractors, along with complementary safety equipment and specific dimensions. He said Boston has adopted comparable requirements, and that Seattle's Department of Finance and Administrative Services, working with SDOT, would return with recommendations by May 1, 2027, including equipment specifications, inspections, compliance, and stakeholder engagement with freight and bicycle advisory boards. The bill does not impose new equipment requirements immediately. It passed out of committee 4-0.
• Councilmember Saka noted a third Safer Streets bill, addressing broader traffic safety policies, project reviews, and fatal crash response, is planned for a November 10, 2026 vote. He acknowledged community partners, labor support, and Rita Holzman, widow of Steve Holzman, who was killed by traffic violence in West Seattle in December 2023.
• Councilmember Rinck responded to public comment about the $300,000 trans community fund, affirming frustration and explaining that council can allocate money to a department, but the executive branch department must spend it. She said she had sent "an additional nudge" to the mayor's office for an update. Council President Hollingsworth said her staff would work with Rinck's office to determine where the funding is.

Executive Session

• The council convened into closed executive session to discuss pending, potential, or actual litigation, with expected duration ending by 4:00 p.m., based on estimated sessions of 30 minutes and 10 minutes. The meeting was scheduled to adjourn automatically at the conclusion of the executive session.

Key Outcomes

• The council adopted the agenda with no objection.
• CB 121297 passed 9-0, with Councilmembers Saka, Strauss, Foster, Juarez, Kettle, Lin, Rinck, Rivera, and Hollingsworth voting in favor.
• CB 121298 passed 9-0.
• The chair directed the clerk to affix her signature to both passed bills.
• The November 3, 2026 council meeting was canceled; the next scheduled meeting is November 10, 2026, tentatively, and may be canceled to focus on budget work.