This week in Council Chambers

Due to the Independence Day holiday, it’s a short week with several things shuffled around on the calendar.

The regularly-scheduled Monday meetings have been moved to Tuesday, and the regular Tuesday meetings have been moved to Friday — though one has been cancelled.

Tuesday morning’s Council Briefing has no special presentations or executive sessions.

Tuesday afternoon’s full City Council meeting currently has no legislation up for final vote (other than the weekly bills).

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

  • a bill doing some financial paperwork so that the city can issue tax-exempt bonds for the West Seattle Bridge repair project instead of taxable bonds are originally planned (tax-exempt bonds will probably have lower interest rates);
  • an ordinance routing the revenues from the payroll tax into a new use-restricted fund (to limit the executive branch from proposing payroll tax revenues from being used for purposes other than the Council originally intended);
  • an ordinance ending “hazard pay” premiums for grocery workers;
  • an ordinance shifting certain Public Records Officer positions from “exempt” positions back into the civil service system.

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

  • a resolution adopting Seattle City Light’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan;
  • an ordinance authorizing a long-term lease and operating agreement for the Georgetown Steam Plant historic landmark site;
  • an ordinance establishing new (higher) on-street paid parking rates for large events.

Friday morning the Transportation and Utilities Committee meets. The agenda has not yet been released, but it is expected to include the previously-mentioned ordinance ending hazard pay premiums for grocery workers.

Other meetings worth noting this week:

  • Tuesday morning there will be a hearing in the ongoing legal challenge to the “Fair Chance Housing” ordinance. Both sides have asked the court for a summary judgment in their favor, and have filed briefs to that extent; Tuesday morning’s hearing will be an opportunity for oral arguments. There is no timetable for the judge to rule after the hearing; U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour, who is hearing the case, has been known to take anywhere from 15 minutes to six months or more to issue a ruling.
  • Wednesday morning the Community Police Commission meets. The agenda is posted here; the commission will hear a presentation from the OPA on an assessment of the complainant experience, and will discuss the City Council’s proposed revisions to crowd management and “less lethal” weapons policies.
  • Wednesday afternoon is the regularly-scheduled meeting of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. You can find the agenda here; the Commission is expected to onboard some new members and to hear a report on the Democracy Vouchers program.

 


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