Here’s what was said and done in Council Chambers (virtually) today.
This afternoon, the Council voted 8-0 to approve a resolution in support of Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s “Road to Freedom” legislation, and calls on the federal government to reform the immigration system.
This morning, Councilmember Mosqueda announced that her Wednesday afternoon Finance and Housing Committee meeting — its third meeting of the week — will take up:
- approval of the city’s annual “action plan” for housing to HUD;
- the 2020 budget “carryforward” bill;
- the 2020 budget “exceptions” bill;
- a first discussion of a spending plan for the funds the city is expecting to receive from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Councilmember Sawant announced that she will be holding a special meeting of her Sustainability and Renters’ Rights Committee on May 12. The committee will continue its discussion of legislation to close the so-called “end of lease loophole,” and will review Councilmember Morales’ proposed bill that competes with Sawant’s own version.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Morales announced that she has been unable to reschedule her last Community Economic Development Committee meeting, originally scheduled for April 20 but hastily cancelled when the Derek Chauvin verdict was announced that afternoon. Instead, she will move the agenda items forward to her next regularly-scheduled committee meting on May 18. That includes a presentation by the Mayor’s Office on the options for a participatory budgeting program, and consideration of an ordinance to change the term of the Director of the Office for Civil Rights.
Councilmember Juarez noted this morning that the Mayor’s Equitable Communities Initiative task force has completed its report and will be meeting with Councilmembers to preview their proposal for how to spend the $30 million allocated to the ECI. The funds cannot be spent by the city until the Council lifts a proviso it placed on the $30 million so that it could have an opportunity to approve of the plan. Juarez said that the proposal focuses on four areas: business development, housing and land acquisition, addressing educational disparities, and addressing health disparities.
Council President Gonzalez gave a status update this morning on the redistricting process. She said that while the application process for positions on the Redistricting Commission had resulted in several submissions, she is deciding to re-open the application process in order to receive additional applications. The new deadline is May 13. Gonzalez said that she hopes to have nominees come before her committee on June 8, with the full Council voting on nominations as soon as June 14.
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