A flurry of new bills, cranking through some paperwork, and committee meetings resume.
Monday morning’s Council Briefing has no special presentations or executive sessions.
Monday afternoon’s full City Council meeting is scheduled to include final votes on:
- A bill granting the Seattle Rep some COVID financial relief;
- approval of an amendment to the concession agreement for the tennis center at Magnuson Park;
- several commission appointments;
- two bills following up on the passage of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District renewal: one imposing a 0.15% sales tax, and another extending the city’s agreement for extra Metro service by six months;
- a resolution approving the city’s state legislative agenda for 2021.
This week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar includes the following new bills:
- an ordinance approving the city’s payment of Mayor Durkan’s legal bills for her defense of the recall petition filed against her, expected to be about $240,000;
- an ordinance allowing Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities to provide a bit of COVID relief to customers by removing interest charges on delinquent accounts;
- the Q4/2020 supplemental budget ordinance;
- an ordinance lifting thirteen provisos place on SPD’s 2020 budget, including several intended to recapture savings if officer layoffs had commenced by the end of the year (they didn’t);
- an ordinance loaning $1 million to Community Roots Housing (a PDA formed and managed by the city) to cover COVID-related revenue shortfalls;
- an ordinance allocating $5 million in the 2020 budget for COVID relief: $2.5 million to restaurants and bars, and $2.5 million to organizations that provide relief to food industry workers;
- an ordinance providing DEEL more flexibility in how to reshape programs and spend revenues from the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise Levy during the COVID pandemic;
- an ordinance making several updates to the city’s lobbying ordinance, including requiring grassroots lobbyists to register with the Ethics and Elections Commission;
- an ordinance modifying the subpoena powers of the OPA and Inspector General;
- an ordinance modifying and reducing regulations on the construction of permanent supportive housing.
Tuesday morning, the Public Safety and Human Services Committee meets. On its agenda:
- the previously-mentioned ordinance updating subpoena powers for the OPA and OIG;
- a first discussion of Council member Herbold’s proposal to expand the “poverty” defense for misdemeanor crimes.
Tuesday afternoon, the Governance and Education Committee meets: It will take up:
- the previously-mentioned ordinance giving DEEL more flexibility on how to spend FEPP levy revenues;
- the ordinance revising lobbying regulations.
Wednesday morning, the Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee meets. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been published, but it is expected to include:
- a public hearing and possible vote on a contract rezone application;
- discussion of a proposed update to the city’s construction code;
- an extension to the interim floodplain ordinance;
- a discussion of a potential tree protection ordinance.
Wednesday afternoon, the Finance and Housing Committee meets. The agenda hasn’t yet been published, but it may include:
- the Q4 supplemental budget ordinance;
- a grant acceptance ordinance;
- the ordinance lifting provisos on SPD;
- the $1 million loan to Community Roots Housing;
- the $5 million of additional COVID-related relief.
Thursday afternoon, the Sustainability and Renters Rights Committee meets, a rescheduling of a meeting from late November. The agenda has not yet been published, but it’s expected to include several commission appointments.
I hope you found this article valuable. If you did, please take a moment to make a contribution to support my ongoing work. Thanks!