This week in Council Chambers

Brace yourself for a very full week — and a ton of new legislation being introduced.

Monday morning’s Council Briefing includes an executive session with the city’s legal staff to discuss pending litigation.

Monday afternoon’s full City Council meeting is scheduled to include final votes on:

• a bill (which has been sitting on the shelf for a while) redefining hate crimes to better align with state laws;
• an ordinance authorizing the purchase of open space along Thornton Creek in Northgate;
• Council member Juarez’s resolution on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

This week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar is incredibly long, with tons of new bills including:

• an ordinance updating the required notices to tenants by landlords;
• an ordinance requiring landlords to accept non-electronic forms of payment;
• an ordinance requiring landlords to register under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance before they issue a notice to terminate a tenancy;
• the Mayor’s proposed ordinance restricting “RV ranching;”
• an ordinance lifting a proviso on certain Sweetened Beverage Tax revenue spending;
• an ordinance updating the rules for emergency purchases of goods and services by the city;
• a lease of public property to Plymouth Housing for an affordable housing project;
• a resolution and ordinance declaring a long-abandoned property in Pioneer Square to be a public blight, and authorizing the city’s acquisition by condemnation;
• a resolution updating the Sand Point Development Plan;
• a resolution declaring the city’s intent to protect trees and increase the city’s tree canopy;
• an ordinance raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and marijuana products from 18 to 21;
• an ordinance increasing the penalties for certain offenses involving animals;
• an ordinance authorizing Seattle City Light to run pilot programs on new demand-response and low-income assistance programs;
• an ordinance adjusting the rates the Seattle City Light charges in Burien;
• an ordinance adjusting guidelines for Seattle City Light’s low-income assistance program;
• an ordinance transferring two surplus Seattle City Light properties to the Office of Housing for affordable housing projects;
• a resolution giving the city’s blessing for building a second Montlake Bridge;
• an ordinance (and other documents) authorizing the creation of a regional governance authority for responding to the homelessness crisis;
• an ordinance updating the rules for sidewalk cafes;
• an ordinance prohibiting natural gas piping systems in new buildings;
• a resolution committing the city not to purchase goods or services from any corporations that purchase leases or develop oil fields in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

(whew)

Monday evening at 5:30, the Planning, Land Use and Zoning Committee will hold a public hearing on the pending SEPA reform bill.

Tuesday morning, the Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee meets. On its agenda:

• appointments to the Museum Development authority, the Human Rights Commission, and the Women’s Commission.
• an ordinance limiting the liability of domestic violence survivors for damages to a rental property when the damage was done by the perpetrator;
• an ordinance restricting a landlord’s ability to limit the number of co-tenants and roommates in a rental units;
• an ordinance updating the notices that landlords must supply to tenants;
• an ordinance requiring landlords to accept non-electronic forms of payment;
• an ordinance requiring landlords to register as required under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance before issuing notices to terminate a tenancy.

Tuesday at 11:45am the Sustainability and Transportation Committee meets. On its agenda:

• an ordinance taxing heating oil;
• an ordinance prohibiting natural gas piping in new buildings;
• the previously-mentioned resolution on the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

Tuesday afternoon, the Human Services, Equitable Development, and Renter Rights Committee meets. The agenda has not been published yet, but the meeting is expected to take up Council member Sawant’s ordinance authorizing the expansion of sanctioned encampments and “tiny house” villages (which is stuck in a SEPA appeal).

Wednesday morning, the Gender Equity, Safe Communities, New Americans and Education Committee meets. The agenda has not been published.

Wednesday at noon, the Planning, Land Use and Zoning Committee meets. No agenda yet, but it’s expected to finish up work on the SEPA reform bill, and an ordinance related to the Seattle Times Park in South Lake Union. It may also take up the resolution on a second Montlake Bridge.

Wednesday afternoon, the Finance and Neighborhoods Committee meets. The agenda hasn’t been published, but last week Council member Bagshaw promised a “long list of agenda items.” That may include the Mayor’s ordinance restricting “RV ranching.”

Thursday morning, the Housing, Health, Energy, and Workers’ Rights Committee meets, and it is expected to finish up work on the four ordinances related to hotel worker safety and protections.

Friday morning, the Select Committee on Homelessness and Housing Affordability meets. It is expected to have a first discussion on the proposed new regional authority for homelessness response.