Speaker 3: Very good. Any questions or comments? Okay. Those in favor of adopting the resolution. Please vote I II Those opposed vote no. The motion carries and the resolutions adopted in chair. Simon, please read the report of the full City Council.
Speaker 8: Report The City Council Agenda Item 12 Resolution 318 68 relating to the City Council confirmation and reconfirmation of City Department heads, describing the steps that the City Council intends to follow, outlining materials that should be submitted to the City Council prior to and as part of the nomination. Describing general criteria that the Council intends to consider when evaluating the search process for an appointment and department head candidates and superseding Resolution 30962.
Speaker 3: Customer. I am a skater.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Mr. President. I I'd like to move to adopt resolution 31868.
Speaker 4: Second.
Speaker 3: Moved in second. Would you like to speak to it?
Speaker 9: Yes. Before I do, Mr. President, I'd like to actually amend Resolution 31868 by substituting version nine for version four B, which has been handed out.
Speaker 3: And the move to amend it as described by council members. Get any questions just on the amendment? All those in favor of the amendment, please vote. I oppose vote no. Okay. The resolution has been amended.
Speaker 9: Mr. President, I just want to double check with the clerk. Do I need to say for a. Because I said Formby.
Speaker 8: So you were substituting for virgin.
Speaker 3: Virgin here.
Speaker 9: Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. I think we did that correctly. Let me get back on my script here. I'd also like to request the council rules be suspended to allow consideration of an additional amendment to this resolution. The amendment has been distributed, but was sent after noon deadline. So this is a formality.
Speaker 3: So just one moment here. So. You know, punch drunk this time of the day. So. So should we suspend the rules? Okay, let's suspend the rules. Have no objection to have some explanation of what we're trying to do here with this resolution. And. That. I'm sorry. So just for the viewing public, the the some of the language would did not meet our 12:00 deadline. And we are suspending that rule if there's no objection to allow for the consideration of that language. That did not meet our 12:00 deadline. And so councilmember skater, perhaps you could talk about what we're trying to do with this amendment.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Mr. President. As you will see in Amendment one that's been handed out, there are literally nine additional words that we're adding. We're just including the words the city of Seattle in front of employees. And we're including language that says with other relevant information, such as. And this is just clarifying language, a small technical change that was helpful for the readers perspective. And we thought that it was a helpful amendment from the team providing feedback.
Speaker 3: Very good.
Speaker 9: Do you want me to speak to the underlying bill?
Speaker 3: Yes. Why don't you speak to. It's. It's actually. Okay. So let's adopt the amendment first.
Speaker 0: Let's do that.
Speaker 3: Okay, let's adopt the amendments so that the amendment has been described. All those in favor of adopting the amendment. Please vote.
Speaker 2: I, i.
Speaker 3: Those opposed vote no. Okay. The amendment is adopted. Go ahead, Councilwoman Mosquito.
Speaker 9: Thank you, Mr. President. As we discussed over the last two weeks, there's been a number of individuals that we've heard from that have come forward and really have brought up some legitimate concerns, questions, and asked us to consider the process that we're using at the city council level for considering potential nominations, thanks to council members who want for hosting a number of meetings where individuals have the chance to come forward and raise questions about process. It really underscored for a number of us on council the desire to make sure that moving forward there was a clear and robust understanding of what the council's expectations are when it comes to new nominees for leading our incredible departments. I want to reiterate what I've said over the last few weeks, that this is not a substitute or does not specifically pertain to the conversation regarding each of HST or Human Services Department. In fact, it is about a larger conversation, a desire to make sure that we have a clear and transparent process, that we clearly set out our understanding of what Council will consider and would desires to consider in evaluating nominees from the Executive for future department heads. The resolution in front of you formalizes a process and formalizes conversations that many council members in the executive expects when putting forward nominations. And it also concretize some of the desires that we've heard from Silence Breakers, from members of the labor unions who've been involved in conversations about how they want to have a seat at the table for new director discussions and includes ideas and feedback that we heard from members of the change team and other employees. As we evolve and our country evolves, we begin to understand best practices a little bit better. Traditionally, as we all know, having worked on the front line, managers are hired and they're put into place and employees are expected to serve those managers. But today, I think we're leading by example. We're showing that our best practice should include all parties at the table. It should include making sure that the manager and the selection process is inclusive of individuals who have a direct impact on the lives of individuals they serve and who they work with. The selection, confirmation and reconfirmation process that's outlined in this resolution affords the City Council and the public an opportunity to hear directly from the executive and the mayors in the future. Goals and visions for department heads as well as the desired qualifications, experiences, accomplishment, leadership concerns or other qualities that the department head needs to sort of outline for us, or that process should outline for us as the Council considers these nominations. The resolution before us helps Council better understand the process that the mayor will use and the engagement sessions that will be held. And really specifically asked whether the racial equity toolkit and racial equity analysis was used and who had a seat at the table. I'm really excited that this has been drafted together. Again, I, you know, understand that our conversations are separate, but I think that the conversation that we have had in the past few months has really underscored the desire for a more transparent, inclusive and actually just a greater understanding of the background and the inclusion of folks at the table. So I'm excited that you see in front of you a few changes that came directly from council members and our community. If I may, Mr. President, I just want to read through for small changes.
Speaker 3: Please do council members get.
Speaker 9: In section one? A You will see. The amendment clarifies that this resolution outlines the council's expectations and sets forth a more collaborative process from the onset. Thank you, Council Member Herbold, for your work on that Section two a highlights that we are desiring an assessment of the nominee's commitment to racial equity, as we all continue to underscore that the racial equity toolkit and our commitment to that is more than just words on a piece of paper. We want this to be a living document that we continue to see reiterated in every decision that the Council makes in Section three, and we add in a review of employee complaints resolved in the employee's favor. This is something that we really wanted to see highlighted from the Silence Breakers themselves, who said that we'd love to see if there was any concerns in the past, but also we wanted to include if any corrective action has been taken and the nominee has participated in various trainings. That would also be important. As we know, correction and corrective behavior is critical as well. In section five, we include sorry, excuse me. In Section five, we exclude the appointments and confirmations from a handful of departments. For example, Seattle Police Department, noting that we already have some processes and procedures in place that are outlined in statute, and we have a certain procedure around those appointments that this resolution. Should not supersede. Thank you, Councilmember Gonzales, for raising that. So as you can tell, this resolution has been incredibly collaboratively drafted and right up to the last minute by including additional amendments. Thanks to all of you for your diligent work to get us amendments early. I know that we tried to include as many as possible. I want to thank Amelia for your work in helping to make sure that we had this on time. And Jeff Sims and my staff say for their work to get all the amendments in place are looking forward to concurrence on this.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Senator Mosquito. Any other.
Speaker 2: Quick.
Speaker 3: To your point, Councilmember Bagshaw.
Speaker 4: Thank you. And Councilman Mosquito, thank you for listening to everybody on this. I know you've picked up many of our recommendations and also work closely with the mayor's office. And I also acknowledged to the mayor that she wants to be able to do her work under the charter. We do our work. We got a lot to do here. But you set the tone saying what it is we're looking for. And I want to acknowledge that you have not at any point been in a position where you're telling the mayor what to do, but you're indicating that this is what we're looking at. We want to make sure that as somebody is selected, that we have an opportunity to get this information in advance. And your focus on racial equity is terrific. So thank you for all your work.
Speaker 3: Very good. Any other comments before we take take the boat customers to watch.
Speaker 6: Thank you, President Harrell. I support this resolution which states expectations for an inclusive candidate surge for City of Seattle department directors in the future. It is obviously a response, as Councilmember Skinner said, to the shameful disregard the mayor showed Human Services employees and impacted communities, including vulnerable homeless community members themselves. When she nominated Jason Johnson to be the permanent director of the Human Services Department and then continued to systematically ignore the overwhelming voices that we were hearing. As a as has been acknowledged as resolution. This resolution is not about the current issue of the Human Services Director appointment and will do nothing to address that issue. And that's why it is important to point out that while this resolution is correct in many respects, it's about next time. And it does not provide an excuse for elected officials failing to represent their constituents this time. In the case of the current Human Services Director appointment, which has been quite controversial, this resolution makes many requests that I fully agree with about how the mayor should make appointments in the future. But I the question that comes to mind is, does the mayor really need the council to recommend she talk to impacted communities before choosing an important department head? And that just seems obtuse on her part. If that is indeed the case, and what will council members do in the future if the mayor does not take into account the opinions of the impact communities? Because at this moment the opinion, the views of the impacted communities are not being taken into account. So by passing this resolution, will council members do it in the future? And if they were going to do it in the future, then why don't they do it now? I mean, I have this entire logical conundrum in my brain that if council members are going to vote for this resolution for the future, then why wouldn't they do it at this moment? You know, I really think that this the community members should watch for this hypocrisy from council members who would all vote yes on this resolution about the future. And at the same time, prove that they have no interest in actually following it because they are disregarding all of its principles when it becomes a concrete question, such as the Human Services Director appointment, and I should congratulate Council O'Brian and Mosquito for voting with me on the resolution that I brought forward, which said that the mayor should take this nomination back, which has been opposed by a significant proportion of the community and should really go through a search that will include race and social justice questions and include the impacted communities. So vote yes on this resolution. But ordinary people and city of Seattle employees who are watching this and who will be watching this later this week will have to speak up as courageously as the Human Services workers have spoken up in order to make sure that these resolutions are not simply in the abstract world, but are followed through by elected officials.
Speaker 3: Any of the comments on the resolution before we take a vote. Okay. So those in favor of adopting resolution 31868 as amended, please vote i. I those opposed vote no. The resolutions adopted in Charles Simon. Please read the next agenda item.
Speaker 8: For adoption of other resolutions. Agenda Item 13 Resolution 318 71 endorsing the final report and recommendations of the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force.
Speaker 3: Councilmember Johnson.
Speaker 5: Final one, colleagues. This resolution endorses about 18 months with the work that I was your designee for. The Regional Affordable Housing Task Force has some incredible statistics and incredible opportunities in there for us to contemplate room for improvement. But given that we're now on our three, I won't belabor you with those statistics and just ask you to take a read through. I will say it does set an ambitious goal of building 244,000 net new units of affordable housing by 2040, with the requisite share goal of 8800 units a year over the next five years. In order to meet our fair share of that goal, I believe that our action earlier today with mandatory housing affordability is one of the critical ways that we would continue to meet our fair share of that 8800 units per year goal. Similar resolutions are going to be adopted by the County and Sound Cities Association. What started as a sort of small but small idea to implement affordable housing targets in our comprehensive plans morphed into something bigger, bolder and better. So I encourage your support for Resolution 31871.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Catherine. Just and any comments or questions that I'll move this Catherine Mosquito.
Speaker 9: Thank you. I'm really proud to co-sponsor this with Councilmember Johnson. This resolution looks forward to future collaboration with our regional partners. We know that it's timely as well, given our conversations today on MHC. We applaud the incredible work it took to get to this point. But the boundaries of the city do not define the housing crisis in this region. And as we look for additional solutions and hopefully additional revenue as well as well, I'm looking forward to outlining what our local partners can do through the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force recommendations to make sure that other cities around this region pursue policy changes that achieve greater impacts by doing so in harmony with the city of Seattle. We are taking some important steps today, but in order for us to truly address this regional housing crisis, we needed a collab. We need a collaborative approach, collaborative approach to work on the solutions that can create the housing, the density and the affordability to truly create an inclusive region. Obviously, this is relying on not just funding from the state and federal partners, which at the federal level will most likely continue to not materialize. But we also need to look at smart land use, zoning and housing policies as were outlined in our legislative agenda to ensure local cities are working towards the same solution. So excited to co-sponsor this and look forward to future collaboration in our region.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Councilmember Macheda, any other comments before we take a vote? Really good. Okay. I'll have to move this. I move to adopt resolution 318716 of the resolution be adopted. Those in favor of adopting the resolution please vote. I oppose vote no. The motion carries and the resolution is adopted. The chair will sign it. Is there any further business to come before the Council? Councilmember Bagshaw.
Speaker 4: Thank you. I'd like to be excused on April 1st.
Speaker 3: Second is being moved and second that Councilmember Beck shall be excused on April 1st. Any comments? All those in favor say I opposed the ayes have it because our Sawant.
Speaker 6: I also move to be excused on April 1st.
Speaker 3: So it's been moved in segment Councilmember Swan be excused on April 1st. Any questions? All those in favor say I, I, all those opposed. No. Councilmember Swan is excused. She didn't answer. I would like to say before we adjourn, i want to thank councilmember suarez for your services. Pro-Tem president. We deeply appreciate it. And I heard you heard you were outstanding. So. Okay, it's been a long day. Everyone have a great rest of the afternoon and we stand adjourned.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
A RESOLUTION endorsing the final report and recommendations of the Regional Affordable Housing Task Force.