This week in Council Chambers

Here’s what the Council will be getting up to this week (virtually, of course). Be prepared for some very long committee meetings.

Monday morning’s weekly Council Briefing will include another briefing from the Office of Intergovernmental Relations on the state legislative session as it starts to wrap up. It will also include an executive session with city attorneys to discuss pending litigation and other legal issues.

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

• approval of a collective bargaining agreement covering the legislative department staff;
• appointments to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission and the Community Police Commission;
• two ordinances expanding the Emergency Assistance Programs and Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light to provide more help for people who can’t pay their utility bills;
• a resolution expressing the Council’s support for renewal of the King County Best Starts for Kids Levy;
• approvals of the use of several pieces of technology by SPD that might have surveillance uses.

This week’s Introduction and Referral Calendar includes the following new legislation:

• the 2020 budget carryforward ordinance;
• the 2020 budget exceptions ordinance;
• a re-appropriation of the remaining $18 million of CARES Act funding that the city received but didn’t spend as originally planned;
• an ordinance prohibiting evicting families with school-age children during the school year;
• a spending plan for revenues from the additional $20 vehicle license fee that the Council approved last fall;
• a transfer of the cable franchise agreement with Wave to the company’s new owner;
• an update to the city’s stormwater code.

Tuesday morning, the Finance and Housing Committee meets. On the agenda:

• a “community panel” with representatives from local service providers to discuss how ARPA funds should be spent;
• The ordinance re-appropriating $18 million of CARES Act funding;
• an update from the City Budget Office on the city’s 2021 revenue projections;
• a briefing and discussion of a partnership with Seattle Housing Authority on the Northgate Commons acquisition and redevelopment plan;
• a discussion of draft legislation that would add transparency requirements for businesses in their agreements with independent contractors.

Tuesday afternoon, the Community Economic Development Committee works. Its agenda includes:

• appointments to the Seattle Arts Commission and the Equitable Community Initiative Advisory Board;
• a license agreement with Sound Transit for the display of AIDS Memorial Pathway art at the Capitol Hill light rail station;
• an ordinance changing the term length for the Director of the Office of Civil Rights;
• an update on planning for a participatory budgeting program.

Wednesday morning, the Transportation and Utilities Committee meets. On the agenda:

• an update on repair and maintenance needs for Seattle’s bridges, as well as their seismic safety needs;
• the spending plan for the new $20 vehicle license fee;
• the second of three meetings on SPU’s proposed strategic plan and rate schedule;
• a status report on the Internet for All initiative;
• the transfer of Wave’s cable franchise agreement to the company’s new owner.

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