A couple of notable bills were passed this afternoon, and some useful intelligence was shared this morning. Check it out.
This afternoon, the Council passed into law a bill requiring annual inflationary increases for human services provider contracts managed by the Human Services Department. There was a last-minute amendment brought forth by Council members Harrell and Mosqueda that added to the recitations of the ordinance to emphasize the Council’s intent that the money be used by providers for wage increases rather than covering other operational costs, and its intent that the increases should be every year regardless of economic conditions:
WHEREAS, the City Council strongly encourages contracted partner organizations to use annual contract adjustments to provide wage increases for employees; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the critical role of its partner organizations in the delivery of services to the residents of Seattle and expresses its intention to fund an annual adjustment in both periods of economic growth and in periods of economic hardship;
The amendment was accepted, and the amended ordinance passed unanimously.
The Council also approved the appointment of Robert Humes as Director of the city’s HR Department.
Council member Pacheco announced this morning that the agenda for his Wednesday morning committee meeting will include:
- a docketing resolution for the annual update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan;
- a bill from the Department of Construction and Inspections related to the backlog in permit applications;
- a discussion of the city’s plan for industrial lands.
Council member Juarez announced that her Wednesday afternoon committee meeting will include:
- the Seattle Public Libraries’ annual Race and Social Justice Initiative report;
- a reappointment to the Libraries’ Board of Trustees;
- an ordinance related to an easement for an overflow line through Discovery Park to the King County wastewater treatment plant;
- an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of some Thornton Creek wetlands in North Seattle.
Council member Mosqueda noted that she is extending the legislative schedule by a month for her four bills expanding protections to hotel workers to add time for deliberations. She still intends to get the bills passed “by September.”
Gonzalez noted that her Thursday morning committee meeting will tackle two of the four hotel worker bills (retention and workload). It will also have a discussion and possible vote on her “notice of intent to sell” landlords bill.
Council member Bagshaw said this morning that the planning process is moving forward for opening a childcare center in City Hall; the team is scoping out locations now, and she expects to have a work plan in hand by the time the Council start working on the 2020 city budget in October.