>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
TODAY IS MARCH 5TH, 2020, AND
THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
SEATTLE CITY KOUJ WILL COME TO
ORDER.
IT IS 1:04 P.M.
I'M TERESA MOSQUEDA.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE.
>> PEDERSEN.
>> AYE.
>> STRAUSS.
>> PRESENT.
>> HERBOLD.
>> HERE.
>> JUAREZ.
>> HERE.
>> MORALES.
>> COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEMP
MOSQUEDA.
>> SO, TODAY MARCH 5TH IS A
SPECIAL EMERGENCY MEETING OF
THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE SEATTLE CITY CHAPTER.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK
OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE
BEEN ON THE FRONT LINE
PROVIDING A RESPONSE TO COVID-
19 OR TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE APPLAUD THE WORK OF OUR
FRIENDS ON THE FRONT LINE WHO
ARE OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND WHO
ARE OUR POLICE OFFICERS THOSE
IN PUBLIC HEALTH AS DIRECT
SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THOSE WHO
ARE HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS
WORKING WITH OUR MOST
VULNERABLE.
WE APPRECIATE THE GREAT
INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN
SHARED FROM DIRECTOR PATTY HAZE
AND DR. DUCHIN.
EXECUTIVE DOUGH CON STAN TEEN
AND YESTERDAY FOR THEIR
BRIEFING.
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY,
OUR STATE, OUR REGION AND OUR
NATION TO COME TOGETHER TO SHOW
TRUE SOLIDARITY AND LEAD BY
EXAMPLE.
I THINK THE WORK WE HAVE IN
FRONT OF US TODAY TO MAKE SURE
THE PUBLIC HAS THE BEST
INFORMATION POSSIBLE ABOUT HOW
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILY, THEIR COMMUNITY FROM
THE VIRUS IS CRITICAL, AND THAT
WE ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO REMAIN
CALM, TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND
RECOGNIZE WE HAVE SOME OF THE
MOST EXPERT PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS IN THE COUNTY, IN OUR
COUNTY WHO ARE REPRESENTED
RIGHT HERE, THE BEST OF THE
COUNTRY IS RIGHT HERE.
SO WE APPLAUD ALL OF THEIR
WORK.
WE ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT
TO SEND OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES
TO THE FAMILIES WHOEF LOST
THEIR LIVES AS A RESULT OF
CONTRACTING COVID-19.
AND, I KNOW MANY OF US WATCHING
ON TV OR IN THE AUDIENCE, WE'RE
LOOKING FOR SOME CERTAINTY, FOR
A PLAN.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT
ARE UNKNOWN STILL, BUT THERE'S
A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE KNOWN
THAT PUBLIC HEALTH WILL SHARE
WITH US AND OUR GOOD DEPARTMENT
HEADS WILL EXPLAIN TO US.
MANY PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT
THEIR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES.
SOME OF THE BEST WAYS TO HELP
PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
IS BY PRACTICING GOOD PUBLIC
HEALTH HYGIENE.
WASHING YOUR HANDS FOR 20 TO 30
SECONDS.
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE.
MAKE SURE TO STAY HOME.
PERIOD.
AND ESPECIALLY STAY HOME IF YOU
FEEL SICK.
IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S
HAD AN UNDERLYING HEALTH
CONDITION OR CHRONIC HEALTH
DISEASE OR ELDERLY LIKE WE
HEARD YESTERDAY, PLEASE DO STAY
HOME AND WE STRONGLY APPRECIATE
OUR EXECUTIVE THE MAYOR AND
EXECUTIVE DOW CONSTANTINE TO
MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.
THAT IS TRUE LEADERSHIP.
>>> TODAY, WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS
ON OUR AGENDA TODAY.
ONE WILL BE TO HEAR ABOUT THIS
BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT OUR
DEPARTMENT IS DOING WITH
COLLABORATION AND WITH KING
COUNTY AS A REGION.
WE HAVE -- I'LL TURN IT OVER TO
COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD WHO WILL
WALK US THROUGH THE FIRST PART
OF THE PRESENTATION TO HEAR
WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PUT INTO
PLACE.
WE WILL THEN TAKE A MOMENT TO
HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
I KNOW THERE'S FOLKS HERE WHO
WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME PUBLIC
COMMENT.
WE WILL WELCOME THAT AS PART OF
OUR PRESENTATION.
WE WILL THEN TAKE A MOMENT TO
GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND,
WE WILL ALSO HAVE A FOLLOW UP
IN TERMS OF OUR CONVERSATION
AROUND THE POSSIBLE ORLANDO
NANS THAT IN ORDINANCE THAT'S
IN FRONT OF US.
THE MAYOR IS GOING TO ISSUE A
PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY WHEN
A NATURAL DISASTER OR THREATENS
TO CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR
PROPERTY DAMAGE.
BECAUSE OF THIS, THE MAYOR HAS
ISSUED A PROCLAMATION OF CIVIL
EMERGENCY ON MARCH 3RD, 2020,
AT 2:25 P.M.
THE MAYOR CAN ISSUE EMERGENCY
ORDERS ESTABLISHING CURFEWS
DESIGNATED TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY.
CITY CODE REQUIRES THAT THE
MAYOR'S EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION
AND ANY EMERGENCY ORDERS ISSUED
BE FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK
AND PRESENTED TO THE CITY
COUNCIL AT THE EARLIEST
PRACTICAL TIME FOR RAD IF I
INDICATION OR REJECTION.
THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE
RESOLUTION BEFORE COUNCIL WOULD
RATIFY THE EMERGENCY
PROCLAMATION.
ATTACHED IS A COPY OF THE
EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION.
THE COUNCIL WILL PROVIDED
UPDATES FROM PUBLIC SEATTLE
KING COUNTY AND COUNCIL
MEMBER'S HERBOLD'S PRESENTATION
AND THEY WILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THIS
PROCLAMATION BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE WRAPS UP.
SO, THAT'S OUR AGENDA FOR
TODAY.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE MEMBERS OF
THE SEATTLE PUBLIC HEALTH AND I
WILL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL
MEMBER HERBOLD TO LEAD US INTO
DISCUSSION WITH OPENING
REMARKS.
>>> THANK YOU.
I THINK I'LL BEGIN MY REMARKS
AS YOU JOIN THE COMMITTEE
TABLE.
I WANT TO JUST REALLY THANK YOU
AND LET YOU KNOW HOW GRATEFUL I
AM THAT DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS
BOTH FROM THE CITY AND THE
COUNTY AND LEADERS WHO ARE HERE
TO SHARE WITH US THE BEST
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ABOUT
RESPONDING TO THE CORONAVIRUS,
WHAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO AND HOW
THE CITY IS WORKING HARD TO
IMPACT -- TO CONTAIN THE IMPACT
OF COVID-19.
THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DO AS
INDIVIDUALS AND AS AN
INSTITUTION TO STOP THE SPREAD
AND SIMPLE STEPS CAN BE REALLY
POWERFUL.
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY
ANNOUNCED EARLIER TODAY 20
ADDITIONAL CONFIRMED CASES IN
KING COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THIS THING BRINGS THE TOTAL TO
51 INCLUDING 10 DEATHS.
AS WELL AS LABORATORY TESTING
COMES ONLINE, MORE TESTS AND
RESULTS WILL BE REPORTED.
HOWEVER, KING COUNTY HAS
INDICATED THEY WILL NOT BE
ROUTINELY PROVIDING DETAILS
ABOUT EACH CASE AT THIS TIME.
AND, WE CAN HEAR MORE ABOUT
THEIR THINKING FOR WHY THAT IS
A BEST PRACTICE AS WE MOVE INTO
THE PRESENTATIONS.
WE ALL HAVE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT
HOW BEST TO RESPOND AND WHAT
WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW IS WE'RE
TRYING TO LIMIT THAT
UNCERTAINTY TO ENSURE THAT
PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE ACTIONS THAT
MIGHT NOT ONLY MIGHT NOT HELP
US BUT COULD HARM US.
AS WE'VE ALL HEARD, THE BEST
PRECAUTIONS FROM PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS IS TO STAY AT HOME
WHEN YOU'RE SICK , CORPS YOUR
COUGHS COVER YOUR COUGHS AND
SNEEZES WITH AN ELBOW TISSUE.
WASH YOUR HANDS FOR 20 SECONDS.
IF YOU'RE IN KING COUNTY AND
YOU BELIEVE YOU WERE EXPOSED,
STAY AT HOME.
CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR OR THE
CORONAVIRUS HOT LINE.
THAT NUMBER IS 206-477-3977.
YOU CAN MAKE THAT CALL BETWEEN
8:00 A.M.
TO 7:00 P.M.
THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL
MOMENT IN THE OUTBREAK IN THIS
REGION.
IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW THE SPREAD
AND TRANSMISSION, KING COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH HAS MADE AND THIS
IS ALL BASED ON THE BEST
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE
CURRENTLY TO PROTECT THE
PUBLIC'S HEALTH.
RIGHT NOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS
INCLUDE NOT HOLDING GATHERINGS
OF MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE.
STAY AT HOME IF YOU'RE OVER 60
OR HAVE UNDERLYING MEDICAL
CONDITIONS, AND WORKING FROM
HOME IF YOU'RE ABLE.
THE STEPS WE TAKE NOW WILL HAVE
A TREMENDOUS AND FAR REACHING
IMPACT ON THE LIVES AND PEOPLE
OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS OF NOON TODAY, THE CITY OF
SEATTLE HAS ENCOURAGED ALL CITY
EMPLOYEES TO TELEWORK EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY AND USING THE
CITY'S ALTERNATIVE WORK
ARRANGEMENTS COVID-19
GUIDELINES.
CORONAVIRUS DOESN'T RECOGNIZE
RACE, NATIONALITY, OR
ETHNICITY.
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON
ANCESTRY WILL MAKE IT WORSE.
MANY OF US WORK WITH EASY
ACCESS TO HAND WASHING STATIONS
OR ACCESS VIA HEALTH CARE.
OR IF WE'RE SICK, WE CAN STAY
HOME.
CARE FOR A FAMILY MEMBER OR GET
IN TO SEE A DOCTOR THE SAME DAY
WE HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT CONCERN
US.
AND, THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR
EVERYONE.
AND, THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT I
KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE
INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM OUR
PANEL PRESENTERS ABOUT HOW TO
ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, FIRE,
POLICE, NURSES, DOCTORS, CARE
GIVERS, PUBLIC HEALTH CARE
WORKERS, THEY DON'T GET TO CALL
IN SICK.
THE TEACHERS AND STAFF AND
CUSTODIANS WHO ARE ASKED TO
STAY BEHIND AND SANITIZE THE
SCHOOLS DURING THE EXERCISE,
THEY DON'T GET TO STAY HOME.
AND THE FOLKS WHO PROVIDE US
SERVICE THAT IS WE RELY ON
PERHAPS EVEN MORE SO AT TIMES
LIKE THESE.
THOSE WHO HAND US THE HAND
SANITIZER, WHO DELIVER OUR
GROCERIES OR ONLINE ORDERS, OR
DRIVE BUSES, CARRY OUR MAIL,
WHO PREPARE OUR FOOD.
IT'S THEIR JOB AND THEY DO IT
BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE CAN AND
THEY RISK THEIR HEALTH AND
SAFETY TO KEEP US SAFE TOO.
AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND
THANK THEM FOR THAT AND I WANT
THIS CONVERSATION TO HAVE THE
NEEDS OF THOSE PEOPLE AS A
FOCUS AS WELL.
WE MUST TAKE THIS HEALTH CRISIS
SERIOUSLY.
WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM FOLKS
WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINE ABOUT
THE ACTIONS THAT THEY ARE
TAKING.
AND, THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS
THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE
HAS BEEN THE DECISION NOT ONLY
ON THE PART OF THE CITY OF
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY
GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE
TELECOMMUTING, BUT MANY OF OUR
LARGEST EMPLOYERS ARE ALSO
TELLING THEIR WORKERS TO WORK
FROM HOME.
THE MAYOR HAS ISSUED A
PROCLAMATION OF CIVIL EMERGENCY
AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEMP
MOSQUEDA REFERENCED EARLIER.
KING COUNTY ALSO ISSUED A STATE
OF EMERGENCY TO FIGHT THE
OUTBREAK INCLUDING WAIVING SOME
PROTOCOLS AND AUTHORIZING
OVERTIME FOR KING COUNTY
EMPLOYEES AMONG OTHER POWERS.
I WANT TO THANK THE OFFICE OF
IMMIGRANT AND REFUGE AFFAIRS
FOR TRANSLATING CORONAVIRUS
INFORMATION INTO MULTIPLE
LANGUAGES AND THE PUBLIC CAN
FIND THAT INFORMATION ON
WELCOMING.SEATTLE.GOV.
THE COUNTY HAS ALSO STARTED TO
SET UP QUARANTINE SITES.
THIS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
THE EXECUTIVE HAS INDICATED
THAT KING COUNTY IS ALSO IN THE
PROCESS OF PURCHASING A HOTEL
TO USE A QUARANTINE SITE.
THE MAYOR IS ALSO ANNOUNCING I
BELIEVE EITHER HAS ANNOUNCED OR
WILL BE ANNOUNCING LATER TODAY
THE LOCATION OF SOME ADDITIONAL
TINY VILLAGE SITES AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CITY'S
NAVIGATION TEAM IS DISTRIBUTING
HYGIENE KITS AND SHARING
INFORMATION ON COVID-19 WITH
PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING
UNSHELTERED AND WE LOOK FORWARD
TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT.
THE SEATTLE TIMES HAS ALSO
LOWERED, DEACTIVATED THEIR PAY
WALL TO ENSURE ALL OF OUR
NEIGHBORS HAVE ACCESS TO THE
LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES.
AND, WASHINGTON STATE'S
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER HAS
ISSUED AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE
TODAY DIRECTING ALL HEALTH
INSURANCE CARRIERS THROUGH MAY
MAY 4TH TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER VISITS AND CORONAVIRUS
TESTING WITHOUT COPAYMENTS AND
DEDUCTIBLE PAYMENTS TO
ENROLLEES WHO MEET FOR CRITERIA
TESTING.
SO FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HEALTH
INSURANCE CAUTION NOT KEEP
PEOPLE FROM TESTING.
THERE IS THE REALITY THAT WE'RE
FACED THAT TESTING, IT HAS TO
BE DIRECTED BY A DOCTOR AND
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY WHO DO NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO DOCTORS, WHO DON'T
HAVE ACCESS TO ANY INSURANCE.
THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
ANNOUNCED THEY NOW HAVE
PERMISSION AND ABILITY TO TEST
FOR CORONAVIRUS AND THE REGION
COULD POSSIBLY TEST UP TO A
THOUSAND SAMPLES A DAY.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION
IN OUR TESTING CAPACITY.
AND PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN
VERY CONSISTENT ON KEEPING THE
PUBLIC UP TO DATE AND SHARING
INFORMATION ON HOW WE CAN
REMAIN HEALTHY AND THEY'RE
GIVING DAILY MEDIA UPDATES TO
THE PUBLIC.
THEIR WEBSITE HAS A HELPFUL
FACT SHEET AND ANSWERS TO
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
I THANK THEM BECAUSE I THINK
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS WE CAN DO FOR THE PUBLIC
IS ABOUT PROVIDING THAT
CONSISTENT AND FREQUENT MESSAGE
THAT WE'RE ALL ROWING IN THE
SAME DIRECTION AND SPEAKING THE
SAME LANGUAGE.
I WOULD REALLY, AGAIN, I WANT
TO WELCOME OUR PRESENTERS AND I
WANT TO THANK YOU SINCERELY FOR
BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, FOR THE HARD WORK
YOU'RE DOING TO ENSURE THAT THE
CITY IS RESPONDING WITH ALL OF
0 OUR CAPABILITIES TO KEEP
SEATTLE SAFE.
AND I BELIEVE SENIOR DEPUTY
MAYOR FONG IS GOING TO KICK US
OFF.
>> WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO
INTRODUCTIONS?
>> I THINK A ROUND OF
INTRODUCTIONS AND IF YOU CAN
LET US KNOW WHO WE'RE GOING TO
HEAR FROM FIRST.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
MIKE FONG, DEPUTY MAYOR.
>> WILSON.
>> HELLO.
I'M DENNIS WISHAM.
I'M WITH THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC
HEALTH IN KING COUNTY AND WE
OVERSEE ALL THE INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
>> JASON JOHNSON HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
>> ANDRES MARTINEZ.
>> RECENT RETIREE FROM
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
>> CUVU OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF
IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS.
>> HAROLD SCOGGINS FIRE CHIEF.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL
MEMBERS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR INVITING US TODAY TO
PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR PUBLIC
HEALTH AND CONCURRENT
OPERATIONAL RESPONSE EFFORTS
RELATED TO COVID-19.
AND I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK
COUNCIL MEMBERS MOSQUEDA AND
COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD.
I APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY
YOU'VE GIVEN US IN THE CONTEXT
OF A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION
THAT OUR TEAM IS RESPONDING AND
REACTING TO IN REAL TIME.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT
FLEXIBILITY AND RESCHEDULE FOR
TODAY IS MUCH APPRECIATED.
AS YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HEALTH
RESPONSE AND THE STAND UP OF
THE HEALTH AND MEDICAL AREA
COMMAND HAS EXISTED SINCE THE
LAST WEEK OF JANUARY.
SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THE CITY OF
SEATTLE HAS BEEN IN PANDEMIC
RESPONSE PLANNING FOR MUCH OF
FEBRUARY.
AND THIS PAST MONDAY, WE
ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTER.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST REMIND
EVERYONE THAT OUR -- THIS IS
NOT OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH
PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND WE'RE
BUILDING OFF OUR PREVIOUS
EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED
FROM H1N1 IN 2008 AND 2009 AND
THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORK THAT
THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT CARRIES OUT ON ITS
REGULAR MISSION AND PURPOSE
ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND
NIMBLY AND FLEXIBLY WHILE
UPDATING OUR CONTINUITY OF
OPERATIONS PLANNING TO BE ABLE
TO WORK AND RESPOND QUICKLY AND
EFFECTIVELY TO THE CURRENT
SITUATION.
EXCUSE ME.
SO, THIS AFTERNOON, WE WILL
START WITH DENNIS WAR SHAM WHO
WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION AND
THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT WE HAVE
A SERIES OF PRESENTERS THAT CAN
PROVIDE YOU CONTEXT WITH REGARD
TO OUR CONCURRENT CITY
OPERATIONAL RESPONSE.
I ASSURE YOU THAT OUR ALIGNMENT
IS IN LOCK STEP WITH PUBLIC
HEALTH.
AND, BECAUSE OF THAT, I PER
HOUR THE CONTEXT WE SET AT THE
BEGINNING OF OUR DISCUSSION,
DENNIS WILL HAVE TO DEPART
AFTER HIS PORTION OF THE
PRESENTATION IF THAT'S FINE
WITH ALL OF YOU SO HE CAN
RETURN INTO THE FIELD AND DO
THE IMPORTANT WORK HE MUST DO
IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC
HEALTH.
>> DEFINITELY.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
>> GREAT.
>> SO WITH THAT, UNLESS
THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
TABLE SETTING HERE, WE'LL GO
AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO OUR
TEAM AND I WILL PLAY THE ROLE
OF FACILITATION HERE TO KIND OF
MOVE THE CONVERSATION ALONG IF
THAT HELPS.
>> OKAY.
>> DENNIS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE HERE.
I WILL JUST TELL YOU I'VE BEEN
SO HEAD DOWN WITH MY TEAM THAT
COMING UP FOR A MOMENT PULLING
MY HEAD TOGETHER WE'LL BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE SOME THINGS THAT ARE
HELPFUL AND GIVE YOU SOME
CURRENT UPDATES.
THANK YOU, SO MUCH FOR THE
SUMMARY.
TO CALL MY TALKING POINTS AND
WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GO WITH
THAT.
>> COULD YOU MOVE THE
MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
JUST FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
PERSPECTIVE I THINK ONE OF THE
THINGS WE DO IN THE PUBLIC
HEALTH AND WE DO WELL IS WHAT
WE CALL SURVEILLANCE.
AND SURVEILLANCE IS REALLY
ABOUT OUR DATA COLLECTION AND
ABLE TO TELL WHEN WE HAVE
SOMETHING GOING ON WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITY.
WE RELY ON THAT DATA FOR A
VARIETY OF SOURCES.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH LABS.
LARGER COMMERCIAL LABS THROUGH
DOCTORS IN MEDICAL COMMUNITY
REPORTING.
THEY'RE MANDATED TO DO REPORTS
AND IN SURVEILLANCE IN REAL
TIME ENABLES US TO DO THAT
WHERE WE'RE AT.
I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR
27 YEARS WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING
AND RESPONDING TO AT THIS
POINT.
I WILL ALSO JUST IN THE CONTEXT
OF REMINDING PEOPLE BECAUSE I
THINK UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO
REMIND PEOPLE THAT THIS IS A
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.
NOVEL IN THE SENSE THAT WE ARE
LEARNING EVERY DAY A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THIS VIRUS AND
TRANSMISSION.
SO WHAT I'M PRESENTING TODAY IS
REALLY TO GROUND YOU IN WHAT WE
KNOW TODAY AND WHAT IS OUR BEST
THINKING TODAY AND OUR BEST
STRATEGIES BASED ON A VARIETY
OF THINGS.
AND, SO, WE'LL SEE WHERE IT
GOES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO
UPDATE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE
YOU BEING EMBASSADORS IN THIS
PROCESS WITH US BECAUSE IN
ORDER TO BE WHERE WE NEED IN
THE COMMUNITY IT'S GOING TO
TAKE ALL OF US AS A CLEF.
SO I APPRECIATE THE COLLEAGUES
AROUND THE TABLE DOING THAT.
SORRY THAT PATTY COULDN'T BE
HERE TODAY.
WE ARE PULLED IN A THOUSAND
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS SO I'LL
TRY TO GIVE YOU MY BEST FROM ON
THE GROUND.
WE'VE BEEN IN ACTIVATION AS IT
WAS SAID SINCE JANUARY WHEN WE
FIRST HEARD OF THE VIRUS
BREAKING IN CHINA AND REALLY
THINKING AND WATCHING WHAT THAT
WAS GOING TO BE DOING AND HOW
IT WAS GOING TO PREPARING FOR
IF IT SHOULD OR WHEN IT WOULD
HIT THE SHORES HERE WITHIN OUR
OWN COUNTRY.
WE'VE BEEN THE FIRST ON A
COUPLE THINGS IN THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON TO HAVE THE FIRST
CONFIRMED CASE AND, NOW,
UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE THE FIRST
DEATHS THAT ARE OCCURRING FROM
THIS VIRUS.
THE -- OUR HEART GOES OUT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NUMBERS
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE AND
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES.
AND, SO, EVERYBODY'S IMPACTED
ABOUT THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY
AND WE OFTEN GET INTO OUR SPACE
AND WE THINK BROAD POPULATIONS
SO JUST NOT TO LOSE TRACK THAT
THESE ARE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE
THAT WE CARE ABOUT IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT I THINK FOR
WHAT I CAN SHARE FOR AN UPDATE,
I THINK IT WAS ALREADY -- JUST
TO REEMPHASIZE THAT.
CURRENTLY, IN THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON WE HAVE 70 CONFIRMED
CASES AND 11 DEATHS.
HERE IN KING COUNTY, WE HAVE 51
OF THOSE CASES AND 10 DEATHS.
THE EPICENTER HIT IN ONE OF OUR
MOST VULNERABLE PLACES IN OUR
COMMUNITY IS IN LONG TERM CARE
FACILITIES AND, UNFORTUNATELY,
HAS TAKEN THE LIFE OF MANY
FAMILY MEMBERS FROM THAT
COMMUNITY WITHIN THAT LIFE CARE
CENTER OVER IN KIRKLAND.
IT'S TRAGIC.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
WE SEE THESE NUMBERS OF THESE
10 DEATHS IN KING COUNTY, ALL
OF THEM ARE RELATED TO THIS
HEALTH CARE FACILITY OTHER THAN
ONE.
SO THE EPICENTER IS PRETTY
FOCUSED AND QUICKLY SPREADING.
AND, SO, WE JUST WANTED TO KEEP
THAT IN CONTEXT IN NUMBERS AS A
BIT OF A REALITY.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU KNOW BECAUSE
YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE MEDIA AND
FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR
WEBSITE, BUT IT'S ALSO EVERY
TIME WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY IS
THAT 80% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL
COME IN CONTACT WITH THIS VIRUS
ARE GOING TO RECEIVE IT IN A
MODERATE TO MILD THING.
JUST LIKE A TYPICAL REGULAR
FLU.
IT'S THE 20% THAT HAVE
UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS,
OVER 60 YEARS OLD THAT ARE THE
MOST IMPACTED FROM THIS VIRUS.
SO, IN PUBLIC HEALTH IN ANY
REPORTABLE CONDITION, OUR GOAL
IS TO DO WHAT WE CALL CONTACT
RACING.
IN OUR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM WE
GET REPORTS OF CASES.
WE, THEN, FOLLOW UP.
WE DO AN INTERVIEW WITH THOSE
PEOPLE.
WE THEN FIGURE OUT WHERE
THEY'VE BEEN.
IF THERE'S BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS,
OTHER THINGS WE NEED TO NOTIFY
WE DO THAT AND AS WELL WE TRY
TO FOLLOW UP WITH EVERY CONTACT
TO BE ABLE TO SHUT THE DISEASE
DOWN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AS THIS DISEASE GROWS, OUR
STRATEGY IS GOING TO HAVE TO
CHANGE.
AND UM, WE TALK ABOUT IT IN
PUBLIC HEALTH IN TWO FIELDS.
WE TALK ABOUT IT IN CONTAINMENT
AND MITIGATION.
SO THE CONTAINMENT OF THE VIRUS
IS ABOUT HOW DO WE STOP THE
SPREAD AND CONTAIN IT AS BEST
WE CAN SO THERE ISN'T A WIDE
COMMUNITY SPREAD.
IN THE AREA OF MITIGATION IS
ONCE IT'S OUT OF THE BOX IS
THEN HOW DO WE MITIGATE IT AS
BEST WE CAN.
FROM OUR MODELLING AND WHERE
WE'RE LOOKING AT WE DECIDED
VERY QUICKLY KNOWING WHAT
HAPPENED IN WUHAN AND OTHER
PARTS OF THE WORLD IS THAT OUR
MITIGATION STRATEGIES WERE
GOING TO HAVE TO COME FAST AND
HARD AND WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED
THOSE AND WE'RE IMPLEMENTING AS
WE GO.
THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE IS WE
USUALLY WANT TO TAKE TIME
THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
HAVE PEOPLE WEIGH IN ON WHAT
THESE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
ARE.
WE'RE DOING OUR BEST WITH THE
INFORMATION WE HAVE.
WE HAVE ETH SIS SITTING WITH
US.
REALLY HELPING TO MAKE THESE
DECISIONS AS BEST WE CAN
WITHOUT DOING A FULL AS A
PUBLIC HEALTH IN A GOVERNMENT
AGENCY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET IT WRONG
SOMETIMES.
WE'RE GOING TO STEP ON TOES AND
I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO
OVERSTEP SOMETIMES.
BUT WE JUST REALLY ASK THAT YOU
JOIN US AND BE A PARTNER WITH
US AND HELP US AND IF WE HAVE A
BLIND SPOT BRING IT TO OUR
ATTENTION.
WE'RE MOVING AS QUICKLY AS WE
CAN TO MITIGATE THE STRATEGIES
OF THIS WORK.
AND, LET ME JUST KIND OF BUCKET
THOSE TWO THINGS IN CONTAINMENT
AND MITIGATION . IN THE
MITIGATION -- IN THE
CONTAINMENT STRATEGY RIGHT NOW,
WE ARE GETTING OUR LAB RESULTS,
WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW UP WITH
EVERYBODY WHO'S REPORTED.
THE STATE LAB HAS ONLY BEEN
OPERATIONAL IN OUR STATE SINCE
LAST FRIDAY.
SO, WE'RE NOT EVEN A WEEK INTO
THIS.
AND, SO, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD
THESE SYSTEMS IN REAL TIME IN
ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT AND
THE NUMBERS ARE COMING IN
RATHER RAPIDLY IN INCOMPLETE
INFORMATION.
WE'VE DONE A REALLY STRONG AND
HARD REACH AND LOOK INTO THE
LONG TERM CARE FACILITY AND THE
BEST WE CAN DO WITHIN THAT
ENVIRONMENT AND THE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS.
THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINE
NOT ONLY ARE THE PUBLIC HEALTH
FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING AROUND
THE CLOCK TO DO WHAT THEY DO.
I WILL TELL YOU WHEN THIS BROKE
OVER THE WEEKEND, WE HAD A
STAFF OF PROBABLY 35, 40 THAT
WERE IN THE OFFICE AND I HAD
100 PEOPLE THAT WENT TO SIGN
AND ASKED WHAT THEY CAN DO.
PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP AND DOING
THEIR JOBS.
SO YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR
PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
AROUND THE CONTAINMENT STRATEGY
WITH THE LIFE CARE CENTER AND
ALL OF THE HEALTH CARE
FACILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN
TRANSPORTED OUT.
AS PEOPLE, AS RESIDENTS ARE NOT
ABLE TO BE CARED FOR ANY LONGER
IN THAT FACILITY BECAUSE OF
THEIR WORSENING CONDITIONS,
THEY ARE MOVED OUT INTO THE
HOSPITALS IN THE COMMUNITY AND
IN A VARIETY OF PLACES.
AND, OF COURSE, THAT PUT OUR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS ALSO AT
RISK IN THESE AREAS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK,
PRIORITIZE OUR HEALTH CARE
WORKERS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS,
AND THE PEOPLE WHO WE'RE
GETTING EARLY DIAGNOSIS ON.
THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY
CONTAINMENT.
THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES,
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO
IMPLEMENT.
IN THE HEALTH CARE WORLD
THEY'RE CALLED NON
PHARMACEUTICAL WITH THE
APPLICATIONS AND VACCINES.
WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE
IMPLEMENT THE BEST STRATEGIES.
THE MESSAGES YOU'VE HEARD HERE.
WASH YOUR HANDS AND SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
ELBOW BUMPS.
CAREFUL ABOUT SHAKING HANDS AND
THOSE THINGS.
WHEN YOU'RE SICK, STAY HOME.
THOSE ARE ALL THE STRATEGIES WE
PUT IN PLACE.
WITH THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS, WE
KNOW IT'S DROPLET FORM AND SO
COVERING YOUR COUGH AND STAY
HOME IF YOU'RE SICK ARE ALL THE
MESSAGES AROUND MITIGATION.
WE'VE TAKEN A BIT MORE
AGGRESSIVE STEPS IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS AROUND THE
COMMUNITY MITIGATIONS ASKING
THAT IF BUSINESSES AND
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CAN HAVE
PEOPLE TELECOMMUTE THEY SHOULD
BE AT HOME TELECOMMUTING TO
ISOLATE AND SEPARATE FOLKS OUT
SO WE DON'T SPREAD THE VIRUS IF
IT'S IN OUR AREA.
I WILL UM, PROBABLY SHOULDN'T
BE SHOWING IT BUT IT'S GOING TO
SHOW UP IN YOUR WORK
ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S GOING TO SHOW UP WITH
PEOPLE WE KNOW.
SO WE NEED TO DO OUR BEST TO
MITIGATE THIS IN EVERY WAY
POSSIBLE.
WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO
RECONSIDER.
THESE ARE AARE ALL
RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO REALLY
CONSIDER COMMUNITY GATHERINGS
AND WHAT THAT NUMBER NEEDS TO
BE.
THERE'S NO MAGIC NUMBER.
IT'S A NUMBER THAT CAME OUT AS
ONE SUGGESTION.
BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT
THAT CASE BY CASE AND REALLY
TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION
AND WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR AND
YOUR COMMUNITY AND WHERE THOSE
GATHERINGS ARE HAPPENING.
WE GOT PUSHED ON WHAT IS A
LARGE GROUP AND THAT'S A HARD
THING TO RESPOND BECAUSE
THERE'S CONTEXT WITH EACH OF
THOSE WE WANT TO CONSIDER
DIFFERENTLY.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AROUND
COMMUNITY MITIGATIONS.
WE HAVE DEPLOYED -- I'VE LOST.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED IN
THE LAST TWO DAYS.
WE HAD 17 PEOPLE SHOW UP ON
MONDAY FROM THE CDC.
THEY'RE BUILDING POLICY WITH
US.
WE ARE THE EPICENTER IN THIS
COUNTRY.
WE ARE BUILDING POLICIES AND
RECOMMENDATIONS IN REAL TIME
AND, AGAIN, THOSE ARE GOING TO
CHANGE.
SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEM AND
THEY'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL IN
THIS PROCESS.
WE HAVE THE BEST THINKERS AND
BEST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WORKING
IN THESE AREAS.
SO WE'RE THINKING IN SECTORS,
SCHOOLS, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS,
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A LARGE
GATHERINGS SUCH AS SPORTS
ARENAS.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO
TRAVEL THROUGH AIRPLANES AND
FERRY BOATS AND EVERYTHING THAT
APPROACH SO IT IS THE MOST SED
HELPFUL ADVICE WE CAN GIVE.
THOSE ARE RULING OUT AS BEST AS
WE CAN AS FAST AS WE CAN AND
THEY'LL BE MORE COMING OUT.
THE SCHOOL-BASED
RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE HOPING
WE'LL ROLL OUT TODAY AND WE ARE
WORKING TODAY WE'RE WORKING
WITH THE CDC FINALIZING UP
AROUND HOMELESSNESS AND
SHELTERS AND WHAT IS THE
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SHOULD BE
HELPING TO GUIDE WHAT HAPPENS
IN OUR SHELTERS AND
ENVIRONMENTS.
REALLY BEING BUILT IN REAL
TIME.
THESE ARE SOME OF OF OUR
MITIGATION STRATEGIES.
>> COLLEAGUES, I KNOW THERE'S A
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE
QUESTIONS.
I'M HOPING WE CAN GET THROUGH
THE PRESENTATION OF EACH
PRESENTER.
AND ASK A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A TIME
CONSTRAINT.
SO WE WANT YOU TO GET THROUGH
YOUR PROSECUTION AND THEN TO
OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES I'LL
MAKE SURE WE GO DOWN THE LINE.
>> I'LL HIT ONE AREA.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING
WHAT YOU NEED.
A BIG PUSH FROM EVERYONE IS
TESTING.
SO LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT IN
TESTING.
SO, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE
HOTTEST QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
THAT WE GET THROUGH OUR CALL
CENTER.
SO I JUST WANT TO SET A
CONTEXT.
AGAIN, BRAND NEW VIRUS.
QUICKLY DEVELOPED.
AN ABILITY TO TEST FOR THIS
VIRUS A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE
REALLY HAD TO PRIORITIZE WHO
WERE THE HIGHEST RISK AND WHO
WE THOUGHT WOULD BE AT RISK.
WE REALLY NEED TO HOLD THE
PEOPLE THAT WE THOUGHT NEEDED
TO BE TESTED FROM AN
EPIPERSPECTIVE WOULD MOST
LIKELY BE INFECTED AND CARRYING
THE VIRUS.
AS I SAID LAST FRIDAY, WE
PUSHED THOSE TESTING KITS OUT.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT WITH
THE STATE LAB.
THEY'RE OPERATIONALIZING TWO
TESTS A DAY AND AS REPORTED U-
DUB HAS NOW MADE THEIR
CONTRIBUTION IN SETTING UP
THEIR LABS AND WE'LL BE
BRINGING IT UP TO A THOUSAND
AND WE'RE PUSHING FOR
COMMERCIAL LABS TO FOLLOW.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE
A NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL LABS
THAT WILL BE COMING ONLINE.
SO TESTING AS A WHOLE WILL BE
MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS AND
THEY SHOULD BE WORKING WITH
THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN
DETERMINING IF THEY NEED TO DO
THAT.
I WILL SAY THAT IT'S AN
IMPORTANT THING TO SAY BECAUSE
I THINK IT HELPS QUIET THE FEAR
OF IT IS THE TREATMENT AFTER A
CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID IS NO
DIFFERENT BECAUSE THERE'S NO
MEDICATION THAT IS A DEDICATED
MEDICATION OR VACCINE FOR
COVID.
SO WE TREAT IT LIKE OTHER
RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES AND WE
WORK WITH MEDICAL PROVIDERS IN
ORDER TO DO THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY TO
TEST FOR PEOPLE BUT IF THEY
HAVE THOSE SYMPTOMS THEY SHOULD
BE WORKING WITH THEIR MEDICAL
PROVIDERS AND THOSE MEDICAL
PROVIDERS WILL BE ATTENDING TO
THEM BASED ON WHAT THEIR HEALTH
NEEDS ARE AT THAT TIME.
SO, I'LL STOP THERE.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS BEFORE I GO.
HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO GO.
>> WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE
DETAILS.
I KNOW THAT YOUR TEAM, YOUR
FRONT OF THE LINE TEAM HAVE
BEEN WORKING 24/7.
PLEASE SEND A HUGE AMOUNT OF
APPRECIATION.
FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER HERBOLD
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER
MORALES.
>> THANK YOU.
I'M JUST GOING TO ASK BOTH MY
QUESTIONS AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN
GET ALL THE QUESTIONS OUT AND
THEN YOU CAN ANSWER.
>> GO AHEAD AND THEN WE'LL.
>> YOU ASSUME MY BRAIN IS STILL
REALLY WORKING WELL.
>> OKAY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> ANY WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT.
>> SO, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING
ABOUT THE CONTAINMENT
STRATEGIES, YOU MENTIONED THAT
YOU WERE WORKING TO FOLLOW UP
WITH FOLKS WHO WITH WHOM YOU
HAD CONTACT.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE GETTING RERLS FOR
TESTING FROM THEIR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDERS BUT THEY'RE NOT
COMING TO YOU.
WHEN YOU SAID YOU'RE FOLLOWING
UP WHO DID YOU MEAN?
>> THANK YOU.
SO THE WAY THAT THE PUBLIC
HEALTH SYSTEM WORKS THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY IS THERE ARE WHAT
WE CALL MANDISEASES THAT PEOPLE
ARE MANDATED TO REPORT.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT THAT
IN TWO WAYS.
A CONFIRMED LAB TEST OR A
MEDICAL COMMUNITY WHETHER
THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER
OR THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE MANDATED TO REPORT THE
RESULTS OF A TEST.
AND, WE GET THAT INFORMATION
THROUGH ELECTRONIC PROCESS
CALLED THE WASHINGTON DISEASE
TRACKING SYSTEM.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO SEE A
POSITIVE IN THAT SYSTEM AND WE
GET THE PERSON'S INFORMATION
AND PHONE NUMBER AND CONTACT.
>> WHEN YOU SAID CONTACTS YOU
MEANT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS HAVING
THE VIRUS.
>> RIGHT.
AND THEN WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT
WHO THEY'VE BEEN IN CONTACT
WITH AND IN ORDER TO DO THE
QUARANTINE AND MITIGATION
STRATEGIES.
>> SO, UM, YOU'D MENTIONED THAT
YOU'RE -- IT SOUNDED AS IF YOU
HAVEN'T GOTTEN THROUGH TO ALL
T█HOSE PEOPLE YET, IS THAT
ACCURATE?
>> YEAH, THAT'S ACCURATE.
WE ARE GETTING -- ONE OF THE
PART OF THE SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE
TRYING TO IMPROVE IS SOME OF
THE RESULTS COMING IN IS WHEN
WE MOVE OUT OF THE PUBLIC
SYSTEM ONLY DO THE HEALTH
TESTING AND THEN INTO THE
BROADER COMMUNITY THE SEATTLE
FLU STUDY FOUND A CASE THAT WAS
OUR CASE.
IT WAS REPORTED UP IN SNOHOMISH
COUNTY THROUGH THEIR PROCESS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL OF
THESE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT
ARE OUT TESTING USING COMPLETE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE
INDIVIDUAL AND HOW WE CONTACT
THEM.
SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF THEM.
>> WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD YOU
SAY?
>> I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF
THEM WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW
UP WITH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
AND, THEN, MOVING OVER TO
SPECIFICALLY TESTING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT TO PLACE THIS IN THE
CONTEXT YOU MENTIONED THAT UM,
STATE TESTING HAS ONLY BEEN UP
SINCE LAST FRIDAY AND IN THE
UNITED STATES I SAW REPORTED
THERE'S ONLY BEEN 600 TESTS
DONE IN THE ENTIRE UNITED
STATES.
BUT, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO KNOW
WHAT YOUR ESTIMATE IS OF THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
TESTED IN KING COUNTY AND GIVEN
THAT THE CDC'S RECOMMENDATION
FOR TESTING UM, IS NOT JUST
THAT UM, EVERYONE CAN GET
TESTED . IT'S THAT EVERYONE
WHO HAS A REFERRAL FROM A
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CAN GET
TESTED.
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO
FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE HEALTH
CARE PROVIDERS AND IF THAT IS A
BARRIER, HOW CAN WE WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT
A BARRIER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
PRESENTING SYMPTOMS AND DON'T
HAVE A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO
MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION?
>> YEAH.
THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION AND A
GOOD QUESTION.
AS A SOCIETY WE HAVE STRUGGLED
WITH THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
WE'VE BEEN RUSTLING WITH THAT
AS A STATE FOR A LONG TIME.
MY BEST ADVICE IF YOU DO NOT
HAVE A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WE
HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINICS
THAT ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT.
WE HAVE A GREAT SYSTEM
THROUGHOUT HERE AND TLUT
SEATTLE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A BRIEFING
WITH THEM THIS WEEK AND GETTING
THEM TO STAND UP AND BE READY
FOR THAT.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO TURN PEOPLE
AWAY WHO HAVE HEALTH CARE
NEEDS.
JUST TO YOUR POINT ON THE
RECOMMENDATIONS, I WANT TO BE
REALLY CLEAR IS THAT THERE ARE
THINGS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY
SCREEN OUT AND IF PEOPLE HAVE
FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS THERE'S A FLU
PANEL THAT WE CAN TELL YOU
YOU'RE POSITIVE FOR FLU.
WHEN MOVING TO THE CORONAVIRUS
TESTING IS WHEN NOTHING ELSE IS
SHOWING UP AS POSITIVE WE GO TO
THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO THERE'S A WAY THAT THE
MEDICAL COMMUNITY IS RESPONDING
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SCREEN
THOSE OUT THROUGH A PROCESS.
TO MAKE SURE THOSE WHO ARE
SYMPTOMATIC THAT THEY'RE
GETTING THOSE TESTS THAT THEY
NEED.
>> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH.
>>> COUNCIL MEMBER, MORALES.
>> I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS
TESTING RELATED QUESTION.
AND THEN I HAVE A DIFFERENT
QUESTION.
SO YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO GO FROM TESTS
HOPEFULLY TO A THOUSAND A DAY.
IS THERE A SIMILAR INCREASE IN
CAPACITY FOR THE LAB RESULTS
AND LAB CAPACITY?
THAT'S ONE QUESTION.
AND, THEN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT WHAT SIZE GROUPS TO LIMIT
AND 10 WAS SORT OF SOUNDS LIKE
A RANDOM NUMBER.
AS A MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH 26
OTHER KIDS IN HER CLASS, I'M
SURE LOTS OF FAMILIES ARE EAGER
TO HEAR WHAT THE SCHOOL
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AND WE KNOW
THAT THAT WILL PUT BURDEN ON
FAMILIES IF THEIR KIDS AREN'T
IN SCHOOL.
ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE TO WORK
AND DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO
STAY HOME.
AND, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
PROTECTING PUBLIC HEPT WE KNOW
THAT KIDS ARE VECTORS FOR ALL
KINDS OF THINGS AND THE
TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF
ALSO NEED TO HAVE THEIR HEALTH
CONSIDERED.
SO WHATEVER ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE
ABOUT WHEN THE SCHOOL REPORT
WILL BE READY.
>> YEAH.
SO FOR THOSE WHO TUNED IN
YESTERDAY TO THE BRIEFING, DR.
DUCHIN ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION
FROM AND IT'S IN OUR PRESS
úRELEASE IF YOU'VE NOT GOT IT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY
GETS A CHANCE TO SEE THAT.
THE THING THAT WE'RE LEARNING
ABOUT THIS VIRUS WORLDWIDE IS
IT'S NOT AFFECTING CHILDREN.
WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT
THAT.
IT'S REALLY AFFECTING PEOPLE
WHO ARE 60 YEARS AND OLDER AND
PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNDERLYING
HEALTH CONDITIONS.
THAT PUTS THEM INTO A DIFFERENT
CATEGORY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED
ABOUT H1N1 WAS THAT IT WAS
DISRUPTIVE TO THE SYSTEM WHEN
WE CLOSED SCHOOLS DOWN.
WE DO NOT CLOSE SCHOOLS IS THE
REGISTER.
IF WE HAVE A CONFIRMED COVID
WITHIN A SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE WILL
WORK WITH THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND IF PROPER, WE WILL CLOSE
THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT DOWN FOR
CLEANING IN THOSE AREAS.
SO, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT
ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO CLOSE
SCHOOLS DOWN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE
THAT HAPPENS IN THAT
ENVIRONMENT IS YOU CAN
APPRECIATE IS WHEN YOU HAVE
WORKING PARENTS ESPECIALLY IN A
VARIETY OF OUR HEALTH CARE
ARENAS, IF THEY HAVE TO STAY
HOME IT PULLS THEM OUT OF OUR
FIRST RESPONDERS, IT PULLS THEM
OUT OF OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
AND WE NEED THEM THERE AND
KNOWING THAT CHILDREN HAVE NOT
BEEN WHERE WE HAVE SEEN
CRITICAL OUTCOMES AROUND DEATH
OR EVEN STRONG HOSPITALIZATION
IS WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING AT
THIS TIME THAT SCHOOLS ARE
CLOSED.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON
MITIGATION STRATEGIES ABOUT
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOU
ENVIRONMENT CLEANER.
MAKE SURE THAT PROPER HAND
WASHING, GEL, ALL THOSE THINGS
AROUND HELPING TO MITIGATE
WITHIN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS.
BUT, AT THIS TIME, NOT
RECOMMENDING CLOSING SCHOOLS
UNLESS SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY
CHANGES BASED ON THE DISEASE
CURRENTLY.
>> THE STATE REPORT YESTERDAY
THEY'VE HAD NO BACKLOGS IN
THEIR TESTING.
I THINK THEIR CAPACITY IS
CURRENTLY THERE.
AND I THINK NOW WITH U-DUB
COMING ON TODAY I CAN'T SPEAK
TO THEIR CAPACITY BUT I THINK
IF THEY'RE OPERATING THEY'VE
BUILT THEIR TEAMS TO BE ABLE TO
RESPOND TO THAT LEVEL.
WE'LL SEE WHAT'S UNFOLDING IN
REAL TIME.
WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT.
I'M FEELING BETTER THAT MORE
CAPACITY IS COMING ONLINE.
IT HELPS US GET IT OUT TO THE
COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO
NEED THOSE TESTINGS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AS WELL.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
MITIGATION STRATEGY, HAS PUBLIC
HEALTH PUT OUT RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR HOW MANY HAND WASHING
FACILITIES PER POPULATION UNITS
THAT EACH CITY SHOULD HAVE IN
OUR COUNTY?
>> I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK.
I'VE NOT BEEN IN ANY OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME
CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY HERE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE I WAS TOLD
BEFORE COMING OVER.
BUT WE HAVE NOT PUT OUT THAT
RECOMMENDATION OUT AT THIS
POINT.
>> GREAT.
YES, I THINK THAT CAME FROM ME.
WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN
PORTABLE HAND WASHING
FACILITIES ACROSS OUR CITY.
CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE
INCUBATION PERIOD.
IF AN INDIVIDUAL FEELS THEY HAD
COME IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY
WHO MAY HAVE BEEN SICK, HOW
LONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD
MAYBE TAKE FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
TO START SHOWING.
>> GOOD QUESTION.
>> SO, AGAIN, SCIENCE IN REAL
TIME.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE'RE
TELLING PEOPLE TO QUARANTINE
FOR 14 DAYS.
WE'VE HAD ON SETS AS EARLY THAT
WE'VE SEEN HERE AROUND FOUR OR
FIVE DAYS AND SOME THAT ARE
EVEN LATER THAN THAT.
SO WE'RE TELLING PEOPLE TWO
WEEKS IF THEY'VE COME IN CLOSE
CONTACT.
IT'S MOST LIKELY WITH PEOPLE
WHO ARE GOING TO BE IN CLOSE
CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS A
KNOWN CASE.
OFTEN TIME FAMILY MEMBERS IN
FACILITIES WHERE THERE'S
CONSTANT A NUMBER OF HOURS THEY
SPEND WITH FOLKS ARE PROBABLY
MOST LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO
BECOME INFECTED.
SO WE ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE
BEEN IN CONTACT OR CLOSE
CONTACT IF THEY HOME QUARANTINE
THEMSELVES FOR 14 DAYS.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU, VERY MUCH.
ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT
COMMUNICATION WITH SOME OF OUR
PROVIDERS.
IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC PROTOCOL
TO ANY OF OUR PRESCHOOLS EARLY
LEARNING FACILITIES AND PERHAPS
SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES LATER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUMP IN RIGHT
NOW BUT PUT A NOTE WE'RE
INTERESTED IN HOW WE'RE
COMMUNICATING WITH OUR
PROVIDERS.
ANY SPECIFIC DIRECTIVES TO
THOSE WHO ARE ON THE YOUNGER
AGE?
>> YEAH.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AS WELL.
SO, I WILL SAY THAT THE SCHOOL
GUIDANCE IS COMING OUT FROM
PRESCHOOL TO COLLEGE.
IT'S NOT JUST K-12.
>> OKAY.
AND WHAT ABOUT 0 TO 30.
.
>> 0 TO 3?
>> I THOUGHT THAT'S A BIG
GROUP.
>> THERE ARE STILL MANY IN
SCHOOL.
SO, YES, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING
ON THE ZEROS YET.
I FOCUS ON PRESCHOOL, SCHOOL
AGE KIDS AND ADULT LEARNING.
>> OKAY.
ONE QUICK COMMENT AS WE TALK
ABOUT MAKING SURE PEOPLE STAY
HOME OR IF THEY FEEL SICK, WE
WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THEY HAVE
PAID SICK AND SAFE DAYS IN THE
CITY AND IN THE STATE.
ONE AREA THAT WE KNOW THEY CAN
ACCESS THEIR SICK DAYS IS WHEN
THEIR SCHOOL IS CLOSED BY A
PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
ONE THING WE'LL POTENTIALLY BE
BRINGING FORWARD IS MAKING SURE
THAT WE AMENDED OUR CITY
STATUTE AS WELL SO IT DOESN'T
HAVE TO BE CLOSED BY A PUBLIC
OFFICIAL FOR THE PARENTS WITHIN
A SCHOOL OR A CHILD CARE
FACILITY TO GET ACCESS TO THOSE
PAID DAYS.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW A LOT OF THESE
SCHOOLS WE SAW A DOZEN OR SO
EARLY LEARNING FACILITIES AND
SCHOOLS CLOSE OUT OF AN
ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.
WHICH WE APPRECIATE PEOPLE ARE
TAKING THE STEPS TO KEEP THEIR
FACILITIES VERY CLEAN IN LIGHT
OF THE VIRUS, BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THOSE PARENTS WORKING
PARENTS ANYWHERE IN THE CITY
KNOW THEY CAN ACCESS THAT PAID
SICK LEAVE CAREFULLY.
>> WE ADVISE.
WE'RE GIVING THESE
RECOMMENDATIONS OUT.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, IT'S THE
SCHOOL'S AUTHORITY TO BE ABLE
TO MAKE THAT DECISION IN WHAT
THEY WANT TO DO IN AN ABUNDANCE
OF CAUTION TO PROTECT THEIR
KIDS.
THAT'S THEIR CALL.
WE ARE HAPPY TO ADVISE AND TALK
ABOUT THAT WITH THEM.
>> EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU.
AND, I THINK THE LAST QUESTION
FOR ME, GIVEN THE NEWS THAT I
THINK IS SPREADING VERY FAST
WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS
IDENTIFIED WITH CORONAVIRUS ,
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE FINDING OUT
FROM TWITTER WHEN SOMEONE HAS A
VIRUS AND AMAZON SENDS OUT AN
ALERT, WHAT IS THE PRIVATE
SECTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR
NOTIFYING PUBLIC HEALTH IN
ADDITION TO WHAT YOU MENTIONED
ABOUT INDIVIDUALS?
HOW DOES THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS
BUSINESSES INFORM PUBLIC HEALTH
OF WHEN THERE'S AN OUTBREAK OR
NOT AN OUTBREAK, A CASE?
>> WELL IF THE PUBLIC SYSTEM IS
WORKING THE WAY IT SHOULD WE
SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY DO.
IF THERE IS A CONFIRMED CASE
THOSE LAB REPORTS SHOULD BE
COMING TO US.
AND, THE THING THAT SOMETIMES
THEY'RE A LITTLE AHEAD OF US IF
WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU
HAVE A LARGER EMPLOYER THAT WE
NOTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY
ARE POSITIVE FOR COVID, THEN
THEY MAY BE REACHING OUT TO
THEIR EMPLOYER BEFORE WE'RE
ABLE TO GET TO THEIR EMPLOYER
TO LET THEM KNOW.
AGAIN, THIS IS GOING TO BE
FLUID AND CHANGING.
IF WE TALK ABOUT WE'RE UP IN
THE THOUSANDS, THE
COMMUNICATION BECOMES MORE
DIFFICULT IN SEQUENCING.
>> COLLEAGUES, ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS?
I WILL NOTE, I APPRECIATE THE
PROACTIVE RESPONSE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH HAS HAD ALONG WITH THE
PARTNERS IN KING COUNTY TO
IDENTIFY ISOLATION.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION
CHAIRWOMAN.
>> YES, I HEAR YOU.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION.
>> PLEASE, GO AHEAD IF YOU'RE
WATCHING.
>> HELLO.
>> SHE'S ON MUTE.
>> WE CAN HEAR YOU COUNCIL
MEMBER, JUAREZ.
GO AHEAD.
ONE SECOND.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING ON TV I CAN
STILL HEAR YOU.
>> OKAY.
I GOT IT.
I KNOW I APPRECIATE THE
QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE ASKED TO
FOCUS ON THE CHILDREN AND THE
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS BUT I
WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING
FOR OUTREACH FOR OUR ELDERLY
COMMUNITY.
>> THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER
JUAREZ.
>> YEAH.
SO WE HAVE A COMMITTEE
MITIGATION TEAM THAT IS
TOGETHER AND WORKING ON
RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL AS
OUTREACH.
I HAVEN'T SAID IN THAT CALL
CENTER TO KNOW WHAT THEY'VE
DONE SPECIFICALLY.
WORKING WITH LONG TERM CARE
FACILITIES ACROSS OUR COUNTY
AND WITHIN THE CITY IS TO
MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARING THE
BEST PRECAUTIONS THEY KNOW IN
ORDER AROUND CONTROL WITH THEIR
ENVIRONMENTS.
SO OUR MOST VULNERABLE THAT
WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE
OF THE CONGREGATE SETTING ANDED
ABILITY TO SPREAD EASILY IS IN
THE LONG TERM FACILITIES.
WE HAVE TEAMS TOGETHER AND
DEVELOPING STRATEGIES AND AGAIN
REALLY LOOKING.
IF THE 20% WHO ARE MOST
VULNERABLE ARE 60 AND OLDER AND
PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH
CONDITIONS, HOW DO WE REACH
INTO THAT COMMUNITY AND GET THE
INFORMATION THEY NEED.
.
>> COUNCIL MEMBER, JUAREZ DO
YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS?
>> NO.
THANK YOU.
>> IF I CAN ADD WE CAN PROVIDE
A LITTLE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT IN
TERMS OF WHAT THE CITY OF
SEATTLE IS DOING IN REGARDS TO
OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
EFFORTS AND OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS
POPULATIONS THAT YOU'VE
REFERENCED ARE ONES THAT WE
HAVE KEEN INTEREST IN MAKING
THUR THEY GET THE INFORMATION
THEY NEED AND JASON JOHNSON AND
OTHERS AT THE TABLE CAN SPEAK
TO THAT A LITTLE LATER IN OUR
PRESENTATION.
>> COLLEAGUES, ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, JUAREZ THANK
YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.
MR. WARSHAM.
WE APPRECIATE THE CONTAINMENT
STRATEGY.
I KNOW THAT PUBLIC HEALTH IS
ALWAYS INTERESTED IN DOING AS
MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS
YOU POSSIBLY CAN AND DURING
THESE TIMES WHEN YOU'RE TRYING
TO ACT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE,
PLEASE KNOW YOU HAVE MY
SUPPORT.
I THINK THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO
BE AS SUPPORTIVE AS WE POSSIBLY
CAN.
OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE BEEN WORKING
IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE
EXECUTIVE TEAM AT THE TABLE
HERE.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN DO
TO SUPPORT YOU AS YOU ROLL OUT
ADDITIONAL SITES OR STRATEGIES
ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY AND
THOSE WORKING IN LONG TERM CARE
FACILITIES AND OTHERS WORKING
WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS,
PLEASE LET US KNOW, WE REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> AND WITH THAT, WE'LL LET YOU
RUN IF YOU NEED TO.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> OKAY.
I WILL ADD OUR APPRECIATION,
THE MAYOR'S APPRECIATION FOR
DIRECTOR HAYES AND DR.
DUTCHIN'S INCREDIBLE WORK.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK AND CERTAINLY PUBLIC
HEALTH HAS BEEN DOING AN
INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THIS
SITUATION.
SO, WITH THAT, THE NEXT ELEMENT
OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, WE
WANTED TO SHIFT NOW TO THE
CITY'S OPERATIONAL RESPONSE AND
WE'LL START WITH ACTING
DIRECTOR LAUREL NELSON FOR THE
OFFICE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SHARED
A LITTLE BIT OF THE STRUCTURAL
CONTOURS OF HOW FROM THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION ON DOWN TO
CDC TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AT THE STATE LEVEL TO OUR LOCAL
PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES TO
STRUCTURALLY WORKS AT A HIGH
LEVEL.
AND HAVING STOOD UP OUR
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS FUNCTIONS.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE LEVEL
SET IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE
ORGANIZED AND I'LL TAKE A
MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
WE'VE ALSO INVITED BACK TO THE
TABLE FORMER DIRECTOR BARB
GRAFF WHO HAS NOT LEFT THE
REGION YET AND WE SHOULD LEAN
IN ON HER 40 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE IN EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
ONE OF THE LEADING EXPERTS IN
OUR BACK YARD.
WE SHOULD CERTAINLY TAP HER
EXPERTISE WHILE WE STILL HAVE
IT.
SO BARB IS ABLE TO HELP US
ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS TODAY AS
WELL.
AND, WITH THAT, AND ALSO WITH
THE LEADERSHIP OF BARB AND
LAUREL WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW
ACCREDITED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THE
WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND
THE WORK OF THE ENTIRE CABINET
TODAY.
SO, WITH THAT, LAUREL, IF YOU
CAN PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT.
>> GREAT.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR
ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AND
SHARE OUR STORIES.
FIRST OFF, I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUES NOT
ONLY HERE AT THE TABLE BUT BACK
IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATION
CENTER BEHIND THE SCENES ARE
ALL THE STAFF.
THEY'RE WORKING VERY HARD ON A
NUMBER OF THESE MISSIONS AND
ENSURING THAT WE'RE RESPONDING
EFFECTIVELY TO THE COMMUNITY
NEEDS UNDER THIS SITUATION.
SO, AS MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN
BRIEFED, THE OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY MINUTE REALLY IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING
OUR CITY WIDE CAPABILITY AND
THAT INVOLVES THE PLANNING THAT
WE DO ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
SINCE 2007, THE CITY HAS HAD
PANDEMIC AFFLUENZA INCIDENT
ANNEX AND WITH THAT WHEN WE
FACED THE 2009 H1N1 WE TOOK
THAT TO HELP GUIDE OUR RESPONSE
THEN AND IT'S HELPING TO GUIDE
OUR RESPONSE NOW.
SINCE 2009, WE HAVE CONSTANTLY
USED INNER DEPARTMENTAL STAKE
HOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR
ONGOING PLANNING AND THAT
CONTINUES TO BE WHAT WE'RE
DOING TODAY.
THE CITY HAS GOOD MUSCLE MEMORY
WHEN IT COMES TO GOOD
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PLANNING.
IT'S SOMETHING WE DO YEAR IN
AND YEAR OUT AND WE'VE ALREADY
GOT THAT GREAT NETWORK WITH OUR
COLLEAGUES TO BE ABLE TO DO
THAT PLANNING.
UM, AS MIKE MENTIONED OR DEPUTY
MAYOR FONG MENTIONED, THIS IS
AN INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE AND
FROM THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION DOWN TO THE CDC
WHO THEN GUIDES WHAT HAPPENS AT
THE STATE DEPARTMENT LEVEL,
STATE DEPARTMENT HEALTH AND
THEN DOWN TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH
SEATTLE KING COUNTY, WE HAVE TO
BE LOCK STEP WITH OUR LOCAL
PUBLIC HEALTH AND WE HAVE BEEN.
WE HAVE GREAT WORKING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND
WITH THAT, WE HAVE ALSO GOT AN
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MINUTE
STAFF MEMBER EMBEDDED IN THEIR
HEALTH AND MEDICAL AREA AND
HAVE BEEN DOING SO SINCE THE
MIDDLE PART OF FEBRUARY.
SO WE ARE IN CONCERT WHEN IT
COMES TO THEIR RESPONSE.
>> IN ADDITION TO JUST DRAWING
ON THOSE PLANNING EFFORTS, MANY
OF YOU KNOW AND WE'VE BEEN HERE
BEFORE, BARB HAS BEEN HERE
BEFORE ON BRIEFING YOU OUT ON
PREVIOUS ACTIVATIONS THAT WE
HAVE.
WE LEVERAGE THOSE EXPERIENCES
EACH TIME TO BUILD UP ON WHAT
WE CAN DO TO BE ADAPTIVE.
ALL OF OUR COVID PLANNING AND
PREPARATION AS I MENTIONED IS
RELIANT NOT ONLY ON THE PUBLIC
HEALTH SEATTLE KING COUNTY BUT
ALSO ON THE NORTHWEST HALTH
CARE RESPONSE NETWORK IN OUR
HOSPITALS.
SO ON AN ONGOING BASIS WE HAVE
DIALOGS WITH ALL OF OUR STAKE
HOLDERS.
THOSE STAKE HOLDERS ARE IN
CONSTANT MEETINGS ANNUALLY AND
ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN OUR
COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE HOLD.
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALREADY
THERE.
SO AS DEPUTY MAYOR FONG
MENTIONED SINCE MID FEBRUARY,
THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN LEADING THE
CITY WIDE PLANNING EFFORT TO
GET US PREPARED FOR COVID
RESPONSE AND THAT'S INVOLVED A
NUMBER OF FACTORS.
I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN
DOING SINCE MID FEBRUARY AND
THEN TRANSITION INTO WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY
DEALING WITH.
SO, SINCE MID FEBRUARY, WE'VE
BEEN DOING EVERY TUESDAY
PLANNING MEETINGS.
WE BRING PEOPLE DOWN INTO THE
EMERGENCY OPERATING CENTER.
WE HAD I BELIEVE NINE MISSION
AREAS WE WERE FOCUSING ON.
ALL ELEMENTS OUT OF THAT
EXISTING PANDEMIC FLU PLAN THAT
I MENTIONED DATED BACK TO 2007.
WITH THAT, A HUGE FOCUS ON CITY
CONTINUITY OPERATIONS AND
FUNCTIONS.
SO WE HAVE CONVENED FOLKS IN
WORKING ON THOSE PARTICULAR
PLANS.
OTHER STRINGS OF MISSIONS THAT
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS OUR
WORK FORCE RESILIENCY.
SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT OUR
WORK FORCE CAN COME TO WORK.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN
THEY GET SICK?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE
NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE
HYGIENE PRACTICES.
THE FACILITY FACED WITH A COVID
POSITIVE INDIVIDUAL IN THAT
ENVIRONMENT.
IN ADDITION TO THE PLANS IS
REALLY THE BACKBONE TO THAT IS
WHAT DO WE DO FROM THE I.T.
SIDE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
SUPPORT TELEWORKING.
SO THAT LOOKS FORWARD TO ALL
ASPECTS OF CONFERENCE CALLS AND
WE DO A LOT OF CONFERENCE CALLS
AND WE'LL SEE THE SEATTLE
SQUEEZE WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO PRACTICE THAT AND WE
REALLY GREAT A GREAT MUSCLE
MEMORY WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR A
SCENARIO OF POSSIBLY 40% OF OUR
WORK FORCE BEING GONE AND THAT
GOES BACK TO THE CONTINUITY OF
OPERATIONS PLANS.
SO IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS THE
DEPARTMENTS NOT ONLY DO THEY
HAVE A BASIC COOP PLAN BUT
THEY'RE ABLE TO GO BACK AND
LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO
OPERATIONALIZE THEM.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE OTHER
EMPLOYEES WHO AREN'T
NECESSARILY IN THOSE CRITICAL
ROLES BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT
THEM FOR TELEWORKING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT
NOT ONLY ALL THE POPULATION
THAT WE NEED TO SERVE IN THE
CITY OF SEATTLE BUT WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE ALL THOSE SERVICES,
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES,
FIRE RESPONSE, PUBLIC SAFETY,
THE POWER, THE WATER, THE SOLID
WASTE, THE WASTE WATER SYSTEM
ALL OF THESE THINGS WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THEY'RE FUNCTIONAL.
SO ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS
ESPECIALLY OUR CORE DEPARTMENT
OPERATIONS HAVE THOSE PLANS IN
ADDITION TO THE LEGISLATIVE
DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS YOUR OWN
CONTINUITY OPERATIONS PLAN.
OTHER KEY STRATEGIES YOU'VE
SEEN TODAY WHERE THE
TELEWORKING, WORKING AT SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T BEEN
OFFICIALLY REQUIRED TO DO
SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE'VE BEEN
PRACTICING THAT IN THE EOC.
SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF WE
NEED TO BE IN THE EOC AND WE
NEED TO SPREAD PEOPLE APART AND
BE ABLE TO DO THAT SOCIAL
DISTANCING AND WORK STILL NEEDS
TO CONTINUE.
HR OUR HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT IS DOING A HUGE BODY
OF WORK TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE
OUR WORK FORCE READY TO GO AND
WE CAN SUPPORT THEM IN A WHOLE
PLETHORA OF WAYS.
I'M GOING TO LET MY COLLEAGUES
IN WITH DEPUTY MAYOR AND
DIRECTOR JASON JOHNSON TALK
ABOUT THE INITIATIVES AND THE
FOCUS WE'VE BEEN DOING ON
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
WE ARE LOCK STEP.
AND THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO
ECHO ALL THOSE POSITIVE
STRATEGIES THAT WE AS
INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY.
>> IN FEBRUARY, I ALSO WANT TO
SHARE WITH YOU, WE WERE LEANING
FORWARD, WE HAD A LOOK LIKE IF
IT WILL OPEN UP THE EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS CENTER.
PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS AND HAVING
A CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS OF WHAT
THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE IN THAT MODE
NOW AND AS DEPUTY MAYOR FONG
MENTIONED, WE ARE CURRENTLY
ACTIVATED RIGHT NOW MONDAY TO
FRIDAY, 9:00 - 1 AM.
AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO
PRACTICE NOT HAVING A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN A SPACE, AND LOOKING
AT WHAT THAT IS GOING TO LOOK
LIKE.
WITHOUT, WE WILL SHARE, WHAT IT
MAY LOOK LIKE FOR A VIRTUAL ELC.
MAYBE A POINT WHEN WE NEED TO
GET, HOW DO WE DO COORDINATION
CALLS, AND HOW TO REDUCE
TYPING?
AND, DOING THOSE TYPES OF
MEETINGS BEYOND HAVING PEOPLE
PHYSICALLY IN ONE SPACE.
SO, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA
OF WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON
CURRENTLY IN THE EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTER, CLEARLY, AND
THIS IS A THREAD, NO MATTER
WHAT ACTIVATION WE DO, WE HAVE
TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.
SO, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE
DATA POINTS THAT ALLOW US TO
PAINT THE PICTURE OF WHAT IS
GOING ON OUT THERE, AND TRY TO
BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE AS BEST
AS POSSIBLE.
HOW ARE WE TRACKING ABSENTEEISM
OF THE WORKFORCE.
WHAT CRITICAL FACILITIES ARE
CLOSED OR OPEN?
WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS TO THE
COMMUNITY OUT THERE?
WHAT IS THE CALL VOLUME AT THE
CUSTOMER SERVICE BUREAU?
WHAT ARE CALL VOLUMES THAT ARE
911 CENTERS?
IN ADDITION TO THAT IS THIS
CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH PUBLIC
HEALTH.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THEM AND
COOPERATE WITH THEM AS CLOSELY
AS POSSIBLE?
THE THIRD OBJECTIVE WE ARE
FOCUSED ON IS AGAIN, JUST
AMPLIFYING IN EVERY POSSIBLE
VENUE, AVENUE THAT WE CAN, ON
WHAT THOSE MESSAGES ARE FOR OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE FOURTH OBJECTIVE WE ARE
FOCUSING ON IS JUST MAINTAINING
CITY SERVICES.
AGAIN, THAT WAS PRACTICALLY
DOWN TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND
WHAT THEY ARE DOING WITH THEIR
COOP PLANS.
A FIFTH OBJECTIVE IS FOCUSED ON
SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR AT-
RISK POPULATIONS. AND AGAIN,
YOU WILL HEAR FROM MY
COLLEAGUE, DIRECTOR JOHNSON ON
THAT.
AND THEN OUR LAST ONE IS, WE
HAVE TO BE NIMBLE.
SO, OUR SIX OBJECTIVE IS HOW DO
WE ADDRESS AND IDENTIFY ANY
POLICY ISSUES?
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
ALWAYS TEACHER THE EMERGENCY
OPERATION CENTER IS, WE HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE BRAIN
TRUST OF THE PEOPLE THAT, NOT
ONLY ARE IN THE EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS CENTER, BUT ALSO,
OUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS IS A NOVEL SITUATION, AND
WE HAVE TO BE NIMBLE AND WE
HAVE TO BE ADAPTED.
SO, ANYONE CAN BRING A GREAT
IDEA TO THE TABLE THAT COULD
HELP TO THAT PROBLEM SOLVING
FOR THOSE PARTICULAR SOLUTIONS.
>> I JUST WANT TO TOUCH, THERE
WAS A QUESTION ABOUT SCHOOLS
AND DAYCARE'S.
SO, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AND EARLY LEARNING HAS BEEN IN
THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, DL HAS CONTRACTS WITH WELL
OVER 197 DAY CARE CENTERS, AND
84 PRESCHOOLS.
AND, THEY ARE IN THE CONTACT
WITH THOSE PRESCHOOLS, AND WITH
THE SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON
WITH THEM AND WHAT THOSE
IMPACTS ARE.
I WILL ALSO SHARE WITH YOU, WE
HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO ALL
THE COLLEGE SYSTEMS AND
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON
WITH THE COLLEGE SYSTEMS AND
MAINTAINING THAT IS ANOTHER
DATA POINT, WHAT THEY ARE
SEEING FOR THE STUDENT
POPULATION, AND HOW THEY ARE
HAVING TO ADAPT THEIR
OPERATIONS, DEPENDING ON WHAT
THEY ARE DEALING WITH FOR COVID
. THAT IS MY PEACE.
THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
>> THANK YOU.
JUST TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST BEING THAT THE
MAYOR'S COMMUNICATION
DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ON MARCH 1
TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANS
AND IDENTIFIED A GOAL OF MARCH
13 TO HAVE THOSE PLANS
OPERATIONALIZED.
HAS THAT DATE BEEN REEVALUATED?
IT SEEMS A LITTLE FAR OUT.
BUT, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING
THAT OPERATIONALIZING THE PLAN,
WHAT ALL THAT CONSISTS OF.
>> THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION.
WE ARE STAYING WITH THAT DATE.
A LOT OF WORK HAS ALREADY DONE,
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
THEY JUST NEED TO LOOK AT FOR
INSTANCE, YOU MAY HEAR FROM THE
CHIEF TALK ABOUT MORE
TACTICALLY, AS THEY LOOK AT
THEIR WORKFORCE, WHAT DOES THAT
LOOK LIKE ON THEM NEEDING TO
PIVOT THEIR OPERATIONS IF THEY
LOSE, JUST LIKE KIRKLAND HAS
LOST 25% OF THE WORKFORCE. WHAT
IS IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT?
WHAT IS IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT?
WHAT EMPLOYEES DO NOT NEED TO
BE FIELD RESPONDERS, AND WHAT
DO WE DO WITH THEM FOR
TELECOMMUTING, ETC.
SO, I THINK A LOT OF WORK IS
ALREADY IN THE HOPPER, AND
GOING SUCCESSFULLY.
WE JUST WILL KEEP WITH OUR
MARCH 13 DATE AT THIS POINT.
>> I WILL DISTAD,
COUNCILMEMBER.
TO JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT TO
LAUREL'S COMMENTS.
AS WE HAVE STATED MULTIPLE
TIMES TO THE DYNAMIC IS, THE
SITUATION IS DYNAMIC AND WE ARE
REACTING IN REAL TIME.
FOR INSTANCE, THE NEW PUBLIC
HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS OFFERED
YESTERDAY INITIATED AROUND-THE-
CLOCK DISCUSSIONS BY THE
EXECUTIVE WITH REGARD TO NEW
GUIDANCE THAT WE WERE PROVIDING
TO OUR CITY WORKFORCE AND
SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS WITH
REGARD TO SOME OF THE PROVISIONS
THAT YOU SAW FROM OUR GUIDANCE
EARLIER TODAY.
SO, I THINK MY SHORT ANSWER IS,
WE WILL BE PUSHING AGGRESSIVELY
FOR FOLKS TO CONCLUDE THEIR
COGNITIVE OPERATIONS PLANNING.
BUT AS WITH EVERYTHING IN THIS
CURRENT SITUATION, DEADLINES
ARE SHIFTING IN REAL TIME.
>> THANK YOU.
THIS QUESTION REALLY IS TO THE
SNAPSHOT REPORT.
OUT OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AND THE OEC
OPERATIONS FROM, AND THIS IS A
SNAPSHOT REPORT FROM THE THIRD
AT 4:00.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ISSUES
RELATED THAT HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS COMMON CONCERNS
ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.
ONE OF THOSE BEING, AND I THINK
THEY FALL INTO OEM'S BAILEY,
THAT'S WHY I'M DIRECTING THE
QUESTION YOU.
CONCERNED ABOUT MANAGEMENT AND
RESOURCES.
AND SPECIFICALLY, CLEANING
SUPPLIES, AS WELL AS HAVING A
COMMON SET OF STANDARDS ON
POLICIES FOR CLEANING FOR EACH
OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT?
>> YEAH.
OKAY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE NOW IN
THE COMMUNITY WE ARE ALREADY
SEEING PUERILE AND ALL KINDS OF
PRODUCTS GO OFF THE SHELVES.
IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER, WE HAVE THE FINANCE
ADMINISTRATION SERVICES
REPRESENTING OUR LOGISTICS
SECTION.
WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE
CENTRALIZED ORDERING OF SUPPLIES
. AND THOSE INCLUDE THOSE TYPE
OF HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND
CLEANING SUPPLIES.
FAS IS ALSO BEEN WORKING IN
CONCERT WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO
ADDRESS, HOW DO WE EFFECTIVELY
RETAIN THE CLEANLINESS OF OUR
FACILITIES IF FOR ANY REASON WE
HAVE A SICK EMPLOYEE OR WE HAVE
A POSITIVE COVID TESTED EMPLOYEE
WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE
CONTRACTS AND ENSURING THAT WE
HAVE GOT THOSE TYPES OF SERVICE
CONTRACTS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE
TO DO AND SUPPORT THOSE
MISSIONS.
>> SO JUST, THIS WAS IDENTIFIED
BY ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS IS A
CONCERN.
A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO DAYS
AGO.
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH CLEANING
PRODUCTS NOW?
AND, DO WE HAVE A COMMON SET OF
STANDARDS FOR CLEANING?
>> WE HAVE A COMMON STANDARD
SET OF CLEANING PARAMETERS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ENOUGH
SUPPLIES.
THEY HAVE BEEN DOING INVENTORY,
AS WELL AS TRYING TO CENTRALIZED
ALL THE ORDERS THAT WE HAVE
FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU OFF THE TOP OF
MY HEAD WHAT WE HAVE FOR ACTUAL
QUANTITIES AT THIS POINT.
>> AND COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD ,
I WILL DISTAD, IN SOME WAYS
THIS MAY BE A PERFECT SEGUE
INTO CHIEF SCOGGINS AND SOME OF
THE FIRST RESPONDER ASPECTS OF
THIS.
BUT, I THINK WHAT WE WILL HEAR
THROUGHOUT THIS CONVERSATION IS
THAT, IN TERMS OF SUPPLIES,
WHETHER IT BE CLEANING PRODUCTS
OR FOR OUR OWN CITY FACILITIES,
ALSO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT AND OTHER THINGS FOR
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE PART OF
THE GLOBAL DISCUSSION THAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT AND FRANKLY,
THESE ARE DYNAMICS THAT EVERY
JURISDICTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ARE DEALING WITH.
THERE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE
SOME SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL
AND STATE LEVEL WITH REGARDS TO
SOME OF THESE ASPECTS THAT
CHIEF SCOGGINS CAN SPEAK TO AS
WELL.
SO, WE CAN GET INTO SOME OF
THAT HERE.
>> AND I JUST WANTED BECAUSE
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS
LISTED UNDER ALL DEPARTMENTAL
CONCERNS.
I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THE UNIQUE
CONCERNS OF OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
>> AND DIRECTOR GOINGS I KNOW
IS WORKING ON THIS VERY
SPECIFIC QUESTION RIGHT NOW AS
WE ACTUALLY ARE EXPLORING THE
CONVERSATION VERY ACTIVELY AND
THE EEOC ABOUT CENTRALIZING
PERSON PURCHASING FUNCTIONS,
GET A LITTLE MORE COORDINATION
AND A REAL-TIME UNDERSTANDING
OF THE PRECISE QUESTION YOU'RE
ASKING ABOUT.
>> BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO G
SCOGGINS, JUST A QUICK QUESTION
IF I MAY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF
SUPPLIES THAT WE EITHER NEED OR
ARE CURRENTLY LACKING, I
UNDERSTAND YOU MAY WANT TO GET
BACK TO US WITH THAT TYPE OF
DATA, CAN WE ALSO ASK THOSE WHO
ARE USING THE CLEANING SUPPLIES
IN OUR BUILDINGS THAT THEY HAVE
THE SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED?
WHEN I WAS WALKING AND I SAW
FOLKS WHO ARE CLEANING OUR
FLOOR YESTERDAY I ASKED, DO YOU
FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING
YOU NEED AND IT WAS SORT OF
THIS DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS LOOK
. I THINK PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEY NECESSARILY NEED.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE WHO
ARE CLEANING OUR BUILDINGS.
WE KNOW IT IS NOT AIRBORNE, BUT
GIVEN THE TYPE OF WORK THEY DO
WITH POTENTIALLY WATER
SPLASHING AND OTHER THINGS, I
THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR
THEM TO HAVE MASKS.
I AM NOT A HEALTHCARE EXPERT,
BUT JUST ASKING OUR PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICERS IF THEY THINK
THAT THOSE THAT ARE DOING THE
CLEANING ALSO NEED THAT TYPE OF
SUPPLIES WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THEN, COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD MAY
HAVE ASKED ABOUT THIS, BUT CAN
I ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE
DIRECTLY?
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY
CAN DO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO ADDRESS THE
PRICE GOUGING OF CLEANING
SUPPLIES FOR THE PUBLIC?
ANYTHING THAT WE KNOW OF THAT
WE HAVE BEEN CALLED ON TO HELP
WITH?
>> COUNCILMEMBER, THAT IS A
GREAT QUESTION WE WOLFLIKE THAT
IS SOMETHING FOR OUR TEAM TO
DISCUSS.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC,
WE WILL ENGAGE YOU ON IT.
IF IT'S OKAY, WE CAN MOVE ON, I
DO THINK CHIEF SCOGGINS HAS
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO
SHARE WITH REGARDS TO OUR, THE
WORK OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS
AND PERHAPS WE CAN FLAG A FEW
QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP THAT YOU
MIGHT ADDRESS AS WELL.
>> SURE.
SO, GOOD AFTERNOON MEMBERS OF
THE COUNCIL.
WILL GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW FROM
THE FIRST RESPONDER PERSPECTIVE.
AS ALWAYS, I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO START OFF WITH
THANK YOUSE.
THERE IS A LOT OF THANK YOUSE
TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS.
BEEN ENGAGED IN MANY PHONE
CALLS AND CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE
RIGHT THING AS WE SERVE
COMMUNITY, OUR KING COUNTY EMS
DIRECTOR, MICHELLE - ARCING
COUNTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR DR. TOM
RAY, AS WELL AS OUR OWN MEDICAL
DIRECTOR, DR. MICHAEL SAYER.
THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THE
OVERSIGHT AND GUIDANCE THAT WE
NEED TO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR
OUR RESPONDERS OUT IN THE
FIELD.
AND MOST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
NOT JUST SEATTLE BUT ALL OVER
KING COUNTY.
MANY OF YOU HEARD THAT THREE
AGENCIES IN KING COUNTY,
KIRKLAND, WOODVILLE AND REDMAN
HAVE FIREFIGHTERS UNDER
QUARANTINE BECAUSE OF AN
EXPOSURE.
THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT
RESPONDING. DERS DO NOT STOP
THEY CONTINUE TO GO AND
SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT IS
GOING TO GET YOU FROM TIME TO
TIME, BUT YOU STILL GO AND TRY
TO SERVE COMMUNITY.
ON THE PANDEMIC PLAN, WE ARE IN
STAGE III OF OUR SFD ACTIVE
DISEASE PLAN AND I WILL BE
TALKING THROUGH WHAT THAT
EXACTLY MEANS FOR THE SEATTLE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE IT ASSISTS US IN OUR
PLANNING AND COORDINATION.
ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW,
AS OF THIS PAST SUNDAY, WE HAVE
STOOD OUT DAILY CONFERENCE
CALLS WITH ALL OF ARCING COUNTY
FIRE PARTNERS AND CHIEFS AROUND
THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
MOVING IN ONE DIRECTION
TOGETHER UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
HER MEDICAL DIRECTION AND OUR
EMS DIRECTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE ARE SERVING ALL OF THE
MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY, AND I'VE
GOT TO THANK ALL OF -
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
ALL OF THE FIRE CHIEFS WHO ARE
TRULY ENGAGED IN TRYING TO MAKE
SURE THAT IF KIRKLAND HAS 25%
OF THEIR WORKFORCE UNDER
QUARANTINE, CAN THAT CITY STILL
GET THE SERVICES THEY NEED
DELIVERED?
AND WE ARE CIRCLING UP TO TRY
TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST
STEPS IN OUR PANDEMIC PLAN IS
TO MAKE SURE WE REVIEW ALL OF
OUR TRAINING PROCEDURES
THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE A REAL-TIME TEAM
THAT HAS BEEN DOING THAT,
MODIFYING THAT, CHANGING THAT
AND THIS WEEK, WE HAVE STARTED
ROLLING OUT A TRAIN THE TRAINER
AND MOVING TO THE ENTIRE
ORGANIZATION.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD THIS
TRAINING MANY TIMES, WE ARE
DOING AN ACTIVE TOUCH ON EVERY
FIREFIGHTER IN THE ORGANIZATION
TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE RETRAINED
ON OUR POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND
DONNING AND DOFFING ALL OF THE
PPE'S THEY NEED OUT IN THE
FIELD.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE SEATTLE
RELEASE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATED
IN THE TRAINING WITH US.
THE TRAIN THE TRAINER, SO THEY
CAN ALSO ENGAGE IN TRAINING
THEIR PEOPLE.
THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US.
THE IMPACT FOR US COULD BE VERY
REAL.
JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME STATS ON
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR US,
ABOUT 12-1300 CALLS PER WEEK
WOODFALL KIND OF UNDER THIS
UMBRELLA THAT COULD BE THIS
TYPE OF RESPONSE.
ABOUT 100-130 CALLS PER WEEK
ARE RESPIRATORY RELATED.
AND THAT IS PER WEEK.
50-200 CALLS PER WEEK THAT
COULD FALL UNDER THIS UMBRELLA.
SO, THAT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT
FOR US WE PAYING ATTENTION TO
IT.
SINCE WE HAVE BEEN MONITORING
THIS SINCE THE MIDDLE OF
JANUARY, WE HAVE SENT OUT 4
COMMUNICATIONS TO THE SEATTLE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ON PROGRESS AND CHANGES THAT WE
HAVE BEEN MAKING.
WE HAVE MODIFIED OUR DISPATCH
PROCEDURES THREE TIMES NOW.
THERE ARE MEDICAL DIRECTION TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE ASKING
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND THAT
BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT FOR US.
WHEN THAT CALL COMES INTO THE
911 CENTER, WE WANT TO TRY TO
EQUIP THE FIREFIGHTERS WITH AS
MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE,
SO, THEY DON'T WALK IN BLIND TO
WHAT THEY COULD BE FACING.
SO, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO EXPAND
THAT AND WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT
ALONE.
WE HAVE DONE THAT A PARTNERSHIP
WITH NOR CALM, WHICH DISPATCHES
FOR THE NORTH AND THE EASTERN
AGENCIES AND VALLEY CALM WHICH
DISPATCHES FOR THE SOUTHERN AND
EASTERN AGENCIES IN KING
COUNTY, ALONG WITH SEATTLE FIRE
DISPATCH.
JUST YESTERDAY, THE TEAM GOT
TOGETHER, HAD ANOTHER MEETING
WITH HER MEDICAL DIRECTORS, AND
WE PUSHED OUT ANOTHER CHANGE AS
EARLY AS THIS MORNING.
THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US
TO TRY TO EQUIP OUR PEOPLE WITH
THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
WE HAVE GIVEN OUR CREWS A
DIRECTION ON WHAT TO DO WHEN
THEY ARRIVE ON SCENE AND
DIFFERENT THINGS ARE TAKING
PLACE.
BECAUSE, WE COULD MISS ONE
ALONG THE WAY.
WE COULD NOT GET CORRECT
INFORMATION, WHICH HAPPENS
QUITE OFTEN.
SO, WE NEEDED TO HAVE A GAME
PLAN FOR THAT FOR OUR CREWS TO
MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE FLY,
OUT IN THE FIELD.
WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN THAT IF
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS IN PD
, IF THEY ARE WALKING INTO
SOMETHING, WE NEED TO BE ABLE
TO PAUSE THEM FROM WALKING INTO
IT.
HOPEFULLY, EQUIP THEM WITH WHAT
THEY NEED SO THEY ARE SAFE AND
THEY ARE PROTECTED.
THAT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE GIVEN GUIDANCE ON
TRANSPORTING PATIENTS.
AND THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC.
I SHOULD SAY THAT.
WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE
PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE, AND WE
HAVE BEEN BROADCASTING A LOT.
IF YOU HAVE A FEVER OR COLD,
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE 911
SYSTEM FOR THAT.
THAT IS NOT WHAT A 911 SYSTEM
IS BUILT FOR.
THE 911 SYSTEM IS BUILT FOR
THOSE DRAMATIC EMERGENCIES THAT
úWE FACE.
CARDIAC EVENTS, STROKES, ALL
THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE
DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT
NOT FOR THE COLD AND THE FLU
TYPE SCENARIO.
AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS, WE
HAVE BEEN TRACKING OUR CALLS
OVER THE LAST EIGHT WEEKS AND
THEY HAVE NOT SPIKED.
SO, THANK YOU TO COMMUNITY FOR
PAYING ATTENTION.
BUT FOR THOSE PATIENTS THAT WE
DO RESPOND TO, AND THEY - [ NO
AUDIO]
>> SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, WHAT WE
DO IS WE PUT A CALL IN A HEAD
TO THE HOSPITAL THAT WE ARE
GOING TO SO THEY ARE PREPARED
TO RECEIVE THE PATIENT, SO THEY
HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS
POSSIBLE.
SO THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT CARE.
WE PROVIDED DIRECTION ON
DECONTAMINATION OF CREWS AND
EQUIPMENT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO US SINCE WE ARE
DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC ON MANY
TIMES A DAY AND THERE'S A
PROCESS.
CDC DUCTS GIVE GUIDANCE ON
DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE THAT
WE ARE FOLLOWING.
CDC'S GUIDANCE.
WEATHER WE ARE DEKONINCK
EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, UNIFORMS,
OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS, WE ARE
FOLLOWING THE BEST PRACTICES
THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND THEN EXPOSURE CONCERNS.
WE ARE HAVING OPEN AND HONEST
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR
PERSONNEL.
TODAY WILL BE DAY 4 OF OUR
DEPARTMENTWIDE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE SKYPE AND WE ARE
ALLOWING OUR PERSONNEL TO ASK
QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO OUR
MEDICAL DIRECTOR, TO MYSELF,
AND OTHER MEMBERS OF MY
LEADERSHIP TEAM.
SO THEY ARE WELL INFORMED ON
ALL THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN TRACKING OUR
INVENTORIES.
THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US I
SPOKE TO SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
IF WE RESPONDED TO 200 OF THESE
TYPE OF INCIDENTS PER WEEK, WE
HAVE SUPPLIES FOR FOUR WEEKS OF
FULL OUTFITTED PPE FIREFIGHTERS
RESPONDING OUT IN THE FIELD.
BUT WE PROBABLY WON'T BE
RESPONDING TO 200 PER WEEK.
WE HAVE STRETCHED THAT OUT TO
SIX WEEKS OR EIGHT WEEKS, BASED
ON WHAT THE PROBABILITIES ARE.
SO, SUPPLIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT
FOR US.
I KNOW WE AS WELL AS THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE A LOT OF
ORDERS OUT OUT THERE BECAUSE
OUR GOAL NOW IS TO BACKFILL ALL
THOSE SUPPLIES, SO, WE DON'T
KNOW HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO
GO ON.
AND WE JUST WANT TO BE PREPARED
AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THAT IS ALL I HAVE UNLESS YOU
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
>> THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
I KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR
COLLEAGUES AT THE TABLE DO HAVE
A HARD STOP AT 2:30, SO WE WANT
TO GET SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
AROUND HOW WE ARE SERVING A LOT
OF THE VULNERABLE FOLKS THAT
YOU SEE EVERYDAY, CHIEF.
SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT SUMMARY.
IS THERE ANY QUESTION FOR THE
CHIEF?
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
>> ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I
WANTED TO ADVANCE WAS TESTING
ON FIRST RESPONDERS IS BEING
PRIORITIZED.
THE RESPONSE WE RECEIVED IS
THAT YES, PRIORITY OF TEST IS
DETERMINED BY THE WASHINGTON
STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE CENTERS
WITH THESE CAN DISEASE CONTROL.
AND IT REFERS TO AN EARLIER
ANSWER.
BUT I DON'T, THAT ANSWER DIDN'T
QUITE GET FOR ME, GIVE TO ME
THE ANSWER THAT I WAS SEEKING
ABOUT, GIVEN THE TESTING
PROTOCOLS, HOW, WE MAKE SURE
THAT FIRST RESPONDERS ARE GOING
TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.
GIVEN THE TESTING PROTOCOLS
THAT ALREADY EXIST, AND THEN,
JUST A QUESTION I HAVE IS,
WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES SENSE
TO ADVOCATE TO THE CDC FOR A
CHANGE IN TESTING PROTOCOLS AS
IT RELATES TO 1st RESPONDERS. I
AM A LITTLE WORRIED THAT PEOPLE
HAVE TO BE SYMPTOMATIC IN ORDER
TO, AND GET THE REFERRAL FROM
PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDER IN ORDER
TO GET TESTED PARTICULARLY WHEN
IT COMES TO OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS AND CONSIDERING THAT
PEOPLE ARE ASYMPTOMATIC
TYPICALLY FOR I THINK, I HAVE
HEARD A WEEK.
SO, THAT IS ANOTHER, I KNOW WE
DON'T CONTROL THAT BECAUSE
THESE ARE PROTOCOLS THAT ARE
SET BY THE CDC, BUT WHETHER OR
NOT WE SHOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR
DIFFERENT ONES FOR OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
>> THANKS FOR THE QUESTION
CHAPTER MEMBER HERBOLD.
THAT'S A TWO-PART QUESTION.
WILL BE ADVOCATE HEAVILY IF ANY
OF OUR PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED?
ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO
THAT, AND I THINK WE KNOW THE
RIGHT PLACES TO GO.
OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR
PEOPLE.
ON THE ASYMPTOMATIC BEES, YOU
KNOW, THERE IS A CAUTION THERE.
WE DON'T WANT TO PROVIDE A
FALSE POSITIVE.
WE DON'T WANT A PERSON TO GET A
TEST TOO SOON AND IT GIVES A
FALSE POSITIVE RESULT, AND THEY
THINK THEY ARE OKAY AND A WEEK
LATER THEY START SHOWING SIGNS
AND SYMPTOMS AND THEN THEY HAVE
TO GO TAKE ANOTHER TEST AND
THEN THAT ONE SHOWS POSITIVE.
SO, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THE
ORDER OF THE TEST AND WHEN WE
GET THE TEST.
ENOUGH OF THE VIRUS HAS TO BE
IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR THE TEST TO
ACTUALLY BE ACCURATE.
AND IF WE TEST TOO SOON, IT
COULD GIVE A PERSON A SENSE OF
ALSO, AND THEN THEY GET SICK A
WEEK LATER AND THEN THEY HAVE
BEEN RELEASED AROUND THEIR
FAMILY, AROUND THEIR FRIENDS,
BACK WORKING, BACK SERVING
COMMUNITY.
AND THEN, WE CAN HAVE A DOMINO
EFFECT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT
ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD.
CALLINGS, ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF?
GREAT.
MARE -
>> NEXT UP, I WILL JUST COMMENT
THAT WHEN WE INITIATED THE
CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL
MULTIPLE COUNCILMEMBERS RAISED
ONE OF THE FIRST ISSUES THAT
YOU HAVE MADE A PRIORITY, WAS
OUR WORK WITH REGARD TO
COMMUNICATING AND ENGAGING WITH
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
REFUGEE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES,
NOT ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUTERS,
AND THE MAYOR SHARES HER
PRIORITIZATION PRIORITIZATION
WITHOUT REGARD.
WE HAVE A TEAM WORKING IN THAT
SPACE FOR SOME TIME.
WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE
WORK IN THAT SPACE AND WE WILL
CLOSE WITH WORK THAT DEPUTY
MAYOR SIX KILLER AND DEPUTY
JOHNSON HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE
HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO, WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO FOLKS TO TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE OUTREACH EFFORTS.
>> RIGHT.
THANK YOU MAYOR FONG.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT
NEIGHBORHOODS, WE HAVE SERVED
AS A LEAD IS A OUTREACH WITH
OED WHO IS ENGAGING WITH THE
SMALL BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS
AS WELL AS THROUGH IRA, WHO IS
THE CENTER FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS
PLAN. WE ARE ENGAGING WITH 14
SPECIFIC NON-ENGLISH COMMUNITY
LIAISONS TO SUPPLEMENT THE WORK
AT THE GUIDANCE OF KING COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH, TO EXTEND THEIR
OUTREACH AND FOCUS WITH NON-
ENGLISH POPULATIONS
SPECIFICALLY WITH SENIOR
POPULATIONS.
IN THE, THE GOAL HERE IS TO
EXTEND ALREADY TRANSLATED
MATERIALS AND PROVIDE
INTERPRETATION OF THOSE
MATERIALS IN CONNECTION WITH
SING SENIOR GROUPS. CAN COUNTY
PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON REGULAR
CALL SCHEDULE WITH THE MULTIPLE
ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFIT
PARTNERS AND BUSINESS
ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE TIMELY
INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE.
AGAIN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KING
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, AS WELL
AS TRACKING COMMUNITY EVENTS OF
ALL SHAPES AND SIZES SO THAT WE
ARE ACCURATELY COMMUNICATING
THAT TO COMMUNITY.
I WILL TURN IT OVER QUICKLY TO
BOBBY LEE.
>> COULD DEAL.
I WILL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS I CAN
DIVE IN.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS
PRETTY DIVERSE.
THERE IS A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE
WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
THAT WE ARE INTERACTING WITH.
THIS MORNING WITH A HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY CERTAINLY HAS BEEN A
DISASTER SITUATION FOR THEM.
BUT IN GENERAL, THEY DO FEEL
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS
IS BEING PLAYED OUT, AND THEY
ARE, I THINK MOVING MUCH FASTER
IN SOME WAYS THAN PERHAPS THE
PUBLIC SECTOR IN TRYING TO
ADDRESS IS.
AND WE WILL SEE THIS PLAYED OUT
MORE OFTEN.
THE FEEDBACK THAT WE ARE
GETTING FROM SMALL BUSINESSES
AND MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESSES IS
REALLY AROUND ACCESS TO CAPITAL
, TO HAVE ENOUGH RESERVE TO
GET THROUGH THIS.
THE AVERAGE SMALL BUSINESS,
WHICH WOULD BE SMALL BUSINESS
TO FIND US 50 EMPLOYEES OR LESS.
THEIR MONTHLY RENT IS ABOUT
$9000 A MONTH.
SO, THAT GIVES YOU A REFERENCE
POINT IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE
COSTS THEY INCUR WHEN THEY
CLOSE.
SO, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS
TO PROVIDE MORE RELIEF IN TERMS
OF LICENSING AND TAX
POTENTIALLY.
BUT ALSO, AT THE SAME TIME,
LOOK AT FEDERAL FUNDING THAT
CONGRESS HAS PASSED, THE $8.3
BILLION PACKAGE ON THIS ISSUE
THAT WE ARE TRACKING THAT AS
WELL.
ONE OF THE AREAS WE GET
IMMEDIATELY, POTENTIALLY MOVE
FORWARD IS A DISLOCATED WORKERS
- PEOPLE WHO ARE LAID OFF FROM
THE SITUATIONS OF THE EMPLOYEES
CAN ACCESS TRAINING. THE
AVERAGE COST FOR TRAINING IS
AROUND $10,000 PER EMPLOYEE ON
AVERAGE.
WE HAVE DIRECTED MY STAFF AND
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO START
MOVING MONEY TOWARD THE
DISLOCATED WORKERS PROGRAM.
THAT IS SOME OF THE THINGS WE
WILL BE WORKING RIGHT AWAY TO
ADDRESS A POTENTIAL UNEMPLOYMENT
RISE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE ARE ALSO CONDUCTING
EXTENSIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT
úANALYSIS, AND WE HAVE DONE SOM
PRELIMINARY ONES TO DISCUSS
TODAY.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT
TODAY.
I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT LEVEL
FOR NOW.
>> ANY QUESTIONS OR?
>> BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I WANT
TO JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD
WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE
FEDERAL RELIEF DOLLARS MIGHT BE
AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS SHORTFALLS
THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE
EXPERIENCING?
>> AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE
UNDER THE $8.3 BILLION 1
BILLION IS SET ASIDE FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES.
DEPENDING ON HOW THIS GETS
PLAYED OUT, IT COULD BE ALONE,
OR MAYBE POTENTIALLY EVEN
GRANTS.
BUT WE ARE NOT REALLY CLEAR ON
THAT YET.
BUT THE CHALLENGING PART, AND
THE MAYOR EXPLAINED THIS
MORNING, IS THE ABILITY TO GET
THE MONEY TO THE LOCAL FOLKS
QUICKLY IS THE ISSUE.
THE TIME, THE ABILITY TO MOVE
FAST IN A. WHAT WE ARE GOING TO
DO IS REALLOCATE OUR EXISTING
FEDERAL DOLLARS FROM HER
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
MEANWHILE, IS MUCH RELIEF ON
THE TAXES AND FEES AND
LICENSING.
WHILE WE ALSO TRY TO CONVINCE
THE FEDERAL SIDE TO MOVE QUICKLY
ON THAT $1 BILLION FOR THE
SMALL BUSINESSES.
>> OKAY.
YEAH, I JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE
FROM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN
WEST SEATTLE.
AND, WHO WAS SPOKEN WITH OTHER
WEST SEATTLE BUSINESSES AND
THEY ARE SAYING, 20-30%
NEGATIVE YEAR-OVER-YEA
COMPARATIVE SALES, WHEREAS MOST
-POSITIVE 5-10% BEFORE THE
CORONAVIRUS HIT. AND, FROM
THEIR PERSPECTIVE LIVE, A 25-35%
SALES SWING WILL PUT MANY
BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS
WITHIN 2-3 MONTHS.
I THINK THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH
SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT YOU
NAMED.
SO, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE
LOOKING TO SEE WHAT RESOURCES
WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THE SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS.
BUT AS WELL, FOR MEMBERS OF THE
WORKFORCE, WHO ARE BEING TOLD
TO GO HOME.
THANK YOU.
>> I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE
POINT THAT BOBBY HAS ALLUDED
TO, NOT SPOKEN DIRECTLY, WHICH
IS WHERE LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL
RESOURCES BECAUSE FEDERAL
RESOURCES CAN FLOW DIRECTLY TO
INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESSES.
BECAUSE THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS
RECENT RESTRICTION ON THE GIFT
OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND LENDING,
THE CITY IS NOT IN A POSITION
TO DIRECT WHETHER THIS WOULD BE
A GOOD POLICY IDEA OR NOT.
YOU ARE LEGALLY IN A POSITION
TO DIRECT RELIEF TO INDIVIDUAL
BUSINESSES.
>> THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMEMBERS AS WE
TRANSITION OVERTURE DIRECTOR, -
FROM O
IMPACT WE ARE SEEING ON
BUSINESSES IN THE DISTRICT AND
LITTLE SAIGON AREA.
AND AS WE LOOK AT AND - R
LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN REALLY
EXTENDING THE MESSAGE AROUND
THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH
COVID.
PLEASE GO AHEAD.
>> JUST BEFORE YOU BEGIN, I DO
KNOW THAT SOME FOLKS MAY HAVE
TO LEAVE AT 2:30.
IF THERE IS MEMBERS OF THE
CABINET WHO ASKED TO LEAVE, WE
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND
THESE FOLKS HAVE TO STEP OUT
AND I KNOW THAT THERE IS A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
I APPRECIATE THE LARGE GROUP
YOU BROUGHT TODAY, DEPUTY
MAYOR.
>> COUNCILMEMBERS SEATTLE WAS
FORTUNATE TO HAVE A IMMIGRANT
AND REFUGEE OFFICE.
WE ARE JUST AMONG A FEW DOZEN
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO
HAVE A FREESTANDING OFFICE. AND
WITH THAT, COUPLED BEST
PRACTICE NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE DEPLOYED
IN THIS EFFORT.
ONE IS OUR - PROGRAM. AND OVER
THE WEEKEND, WE HAVE SENT OUT
IN LANGUAGE CONTENT TO HUNDREDS
OF CONTACTS.
AND MY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
ELLS ME THAT THOSE CONT
HAVE REACHED AN ESTIMATED
87,621 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND
THAT IS BASED ON THE AUDIENCE
SIZE OF THOSE OUTLETS.
WE HAVE TRANSLATED PUBLIC
HEALTH GUIDANCE INTO 10
LANGUAGES.
AND, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN
POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT
HAS BEEN REPOSTED OR ENGAGED
WITH 3655 TIMES.
EMAILED OUT TO OUR LIST OF MORE
THAN 5000 CONTACTS THAT
INCLUDES COMMUNITY LEADERS, OUR
IMMIGRANT REFUGEE COMMISSION,
NONPROFIT STAFF, GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZERS.
SO, A REALLY CONCERTED EFFORT
TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE.
AND HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE SITUATION IS AND WHAT THEY
NEED TO DO.
ANOTHER PART OF THIS IS,
LANGUAGE ACCESS.
THIS IS ANOTHER BEST PRACTICE
PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN ABOUT 2
ALMOST THREE YEARS IN THE
MAKING.
AND HERE, WE ARE VERY LUCKY
THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW
CITIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS
A FULL-TIME LANGUAGE ACCESS
SPECIALIST.
AND WE HAVE DEPLOYED PEGGY OVER
TO PUBLIC HEALTH, HAVE EMBEDDED
HER IN THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM
THERE SO THAT WE CAN STREAMLINE
THE PROCESSES, AND LEVERAGE THE
EFFICIENCIES TO THAT IT COMES
OUT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH CAN BE
UTILIZED IN SEATTLE AND OTHER
PARTS OF KING COUNTY.
AND SO, WE HAVE COMMITTED FOR
PEGGY TO BE PART OF THAT TEAM
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
IT WOULD REALLY LEAH STRONG
FOUNDATION THERE.
WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING LANGUAGE
ACCESS COORDINATION FOR OTHER
CITY DEPARTMENTS. SO, YOU BEGIN
TO SEE ACROSS THE CITY, SIGNS
FOR THE FIRE STATIONS, FOR OUR
FRONT LOBBY AT CITY HALL FOR
SEATTLE MUST MUNICIPAL TOWER.
AND, THE PARKS AND RECREATION
COMMUNITY CENTERS IN SIX
LANGUAGES. TELLING PEOPLE, IF
YOU HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE
TAPE THE TAKE THESE STEPS.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO, TO
KEEP THINGS.
WE HAVE BEEN - PROVIDING
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SEATTLE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON HOW THEY
COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES THAT
THERE IS A CONFIRMED CASE OF
THE SCHOOLS.
AND THEN THERE IS SOME ADVOCACY
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH THE
U.S. CIS TO STOP THE PUBLIC
CHARGE RULE IN OUR REGION
BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES HAVE
ADMITTED PUBLICLY, THAT THAT
RULE COULD LEAD TO THE KIND OF
SITUATION THAT, OUR PUBLIC
HEALTH SYSTEM WORSE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY QUESTIONS?
SEEING NONE.
PLEASE CONTINUE.
>> JUST, COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA.
CHIEF SCOGGINS AND I DO NEED TO
STEP AWAY.
TURN IT OVER TO DEPUTY MAYOR
SIX KILLER AND DEPUTY JOHNSON.
BEFORE I LEAVE, I JUST WANT TO
EMPHASIZE, I APPRECIATE THE
COUNCILS ENGAGEMENT AROUND THIS
TOPIC TODAY AT THE SAME TIME
ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR QUICK
CONSIDERATION OF THE MAYOR'S
DECLARATION PROCLAMATION OF
EMERGENCY.
SOME OF THE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED
TODAY ARE VERY MUCH CENTRAL TO
THE ABILITY FOR THESE - FLEXIBLE
IN OUR RESPONSE ISSUES AROUND
PURCHASING SUPPLIES IN
REFERENCE TO THE ORDER
EMERGENCY ORDER.
YOUR REFERENCE TO POTENTIAL
PRICE GOUGING ALSO FITS
DIRECTLY INTO POTENTIAL FUTURE
ORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR
RESPONSE.
SO, APPRECIATE YOUR
CONSIDERATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN
IT OVER TO DEPUTY -.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL
MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY.
I WANT TO SORT OF UNDERSCORE
JUST BEFORE I TURN IT TO
DIRECTOR JOHNSON, A FEW THINGS.
ONE IS THAT, WE BEGAN PLANNING
BACK IN EARLY FEBRUARY AT THE
DIRECTION OF THE MAYOR. BUT
REPARATION AND BEGINNING TO
THINK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD RESPOND
TO THIS TYPE OF OUTBREAK AMONG
OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION.
AS WE HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT
COVID-19, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE
BEGUN TO FOCUS MORE ALSO ON
THOSE OVER 60. AND OTHERS WHO
ARE VULNERABLE TO THIS OUTBREAK
. BUT WITH A PARTICULAR
EMPHASIS ON THOSE WHO ARE
LIVING ON SHELTERED WITHIN THE
CITY.
BUT AS PART OF THAT RESPONSE
THOUGH HAS BEEN WORKING VERY
CLOSELY WITH KING COUNTY PUBLIC
HEALTH AND KING COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND
HUMAN SERVICES.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW,
HAVING OVERSEEN SOME OTHER WORK
WITH DIRECTOR JOHNSON, I REALLY
, I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE
LEVEL OF COORDINATION WE ARE
DOING WITH THE COUNTY.
PARTICULARLY WITH THE HOMELESS
POPULATION.
AND THAT IS WORK THAT HAS ONE
BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR SEVERAL
WEEKS.
NOT JUST OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF DAYS.
SO, WE HAVE REALLY TRIED TO
TAKE A REGIONAL APPROACH HERE
TO OUR RESPONSE AND PREP.
DIRECTOR JOHNSON WILL TALK
THROUGH, WALK YOU THROUGH SOME
OF THAT. AS I THINK YOU ARE
BEGINNING TO HERE, WE HAVE, THE
COUNTY ANNOUNCED ITS EXPANSION
OF SHELTER UNITS HERE WITHIN
THE CITY. WE, EARLIER TODAY,
ANNOUNCED OUR EXPANSION EFFORTS
AS WELL.
WE ALSO HAVE MADE SOME OTHER
DECISIONS REGARDING VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS, INCLUDING
BEGINNING TO COURT CURTAIL
THOSE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY
WITHIN SEATTLE PARKS AND REC,
THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED
TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE
60 OR OLDER, OR FALL IN THE
CATEGORY OF VULNERABLE.
SO, WE ARE TAKING THE STEPS
NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE HEEDING THE ADVICE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH, AND OBVIOUSLY
IT'S AN EVOLVING SITUATION, SO
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS
WELL.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION WE ARE
WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BOTH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND I
HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE
DISTRICT AS RECENTLY AS THIS
MORNING ON SOME OF THE
DECISIONS THAT THEY ARE MAKING.
WE UNDERSTAND THEY ALSO ARE
UPDATING THEIR GUIDANCE JUST
FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS AS WELL.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN INTO
DIRECTOR JOHNSON.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
DIRECTOR JOHNSON THANK YOU SOME
VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
COLLEAGUES, YOU MAY HAVE A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO ASK FOLKS TO HOLD
UNTIL THE END.
SO, PLEASE KEEP A LIST OF
QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THEM WILL GO DOWN THE LIST IF
THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU DR. DR. JOHNSON.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT SERVES
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY'S MOST
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES,
PROVIDING SPECIFIC SERVICES
SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. FOR
THE AGING COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS
FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING
WITH DISABILITIES AND SEVERE
ILLNESS.
THESE ARE MANY OF THE SAME
COMMUNITIES, OR SAME
POPULATIONS THAT ARE NOW AT
HIGH RISK FROM THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19.
SO, THIS BODY OF WORK HAS HAD
MY FULL ATTENTION OVER THE LAST
FEW WEEKS, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE
FRIDAY LAST WEEK. BEEN LEADING
A TEAM FROM THE HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT WHO HAS BEEN WORKING
INSIDE OF THE EEOC.
WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING TO
UPDATE THE CITY'S PANDEMIC
RESPONSE PLAN.
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ASKED TO
DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN TO
MANAGE COVID-19 IMPACTS FOR
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS.
SO, THOSE ARE TWO BODIES OF
WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS
BEEN STEEPED IN OVER THE LAST
FEW WEEKS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF AGING
AND DISABILITY SERVICES
DIVISION WHICH WORKS WITH
HOMEBOUND INDIVIDUALS AND
PEOPLE WHO NEED IN-HOME CARE IS
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, AND SEATTLE KING COUNTY
TO ENSURE COORDINATION AND
COMMUNICATION IS ALIGNED WITH
BEST HOME CARE PRACTICES IN
PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE.
SPECIFICALLY, OVER THE LAST FEW
DAYS, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
LEADING AN EFFORT TO ENSURE
THAT THERE IS GOOD AND A WIND
CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION AND
SUPPORT OF OUR HUMAN SERVICE
PROVIDERS.
AND WE DO THAT IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH KING COUNTY DC HS AS WELL
AS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH.
SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE MAKING
SURE THAT WE ARE ALL PROMOTING
THE RIGHT INFORMATION, AND THAT
INFORMATION IS CONSISTENT.
AND THAT PROVIDERS ARE HEARING
FROM THE FUNDERS IN A
CONSISTENT MANNER.
WE ARE ALSO ENSURING THAT ALL
PROVIDERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE
THAT ARE OPERATING SHELTERS,
DAY CENTERS, HYGIENE CENTERS,
OR ANY CONGREGANT MEAL OR OTHER
CONGREGANT KIND OF ACTIVITIES
ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH AND IN
THE PRACTICE OF USING PUBLIC
HYGIENE AND SANITATION
GUIDELINES.
SO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF
TRAININGS, WEB TRAININGS THAT
WILL BE DOING WITH SERVICE
PROVIDERS.
AGAIN, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH
KING COUNTY DCH IN PUBLIC
HEALTH THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF
MARCH TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL
PROVIDERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH
THOSE GUIDELINES AND ARE USING
THOSE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
INSIDE OF THEIR PROGRAMMING.
HAVE ALSO BEEN BUSY OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS ASSESSING
WHAT NEEDS PROVIDERS HAVE, AS
WELL AS ASSESSING WHAT THEIR
ENVIRONMENTS ARE LIKE, AND IF
THERE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE AT
A HIGHER RISK OF CONTINUED
SPREAD OF COVID-19.
SO, WE HAVE, BETWEEN THE CITY
AND THE COUNTY, QUITE LITERALLY
BEEN SERVING EVERY ONE OF OUR
CONTRACTED PROVIDERS WHO OFFER
SHELTER AND THE CENTER HYGIENE,
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SERVICES,
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
SERVICES TO TRY AND ASSESS THE
RISK THAT INDIVIDUALS USING
THOSE PROGRAMS ARE AT.
AND THEN FINALLY, AT THE HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS ACTING
AS A CENTRAL HUB FOR
INFORMATION FROM PROVIDERS.
WE WANT TO KNOW AND HAVE ASKED
PROVIDERS TO BE IN CONTACT WITH
US IMMEDIATELY IF THEY ARE
GOING TO CHANGE ANY OF THE
SERVICES.
SO, IF THEY ARE GOING TO REDUCE
HOURS, IF THEY ARE GOING TO
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO
CAN MAYBE ACCESS THE FACILITIES.
IF THEY HAVE ANY REDUCTIONS IN
STAFFING, ETC.
THOSE KINDS OF ITEMS, WE ARE
ASKING FOR FOLKS TO BE IN
COMMUNICATION WITH US
IMMEDIATELY SO WE CAN HELP
SUPPORT THEM.
>> WE HAVE ALSO BEEN BUSY
SPECIFICALLY ON THE HOMELESS
RESPONSE.
SO, YOU RECEIVED INFORMATION
EARLIER TODAY ON OUR EFFORTS TO
EXPAND THE NUMBER OF SHELTERS
THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
BUT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN REALLY
PUSHING THE HYGIENE AND
SANITATION GUIDELINES FROM
PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENSURING THAT
PEOPLE HAVE EVERYTHING THEY
NEED TO FOLLOW THOSE
GUIDELINES.
WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING, AGAIN
WITH KING COUNTY DC HS IN
PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH OUR
EEOC'S.
BOTH THROUGH THE SEATTLE EEOC
AS WELL AS KING COUNTY EEOC TO
PURCHASE THE MATERIALS THAT WE
NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THE
SUPPLIES AVAILABLE TO PROVIDERS
SO THAT THEY CAN ADHERE TO THE
HYGIENE AND SANITATION
GUIDELINES.
WE ALSO WANT - OUTREACHES STILL
OCCURRING FOR A POPULATION
LIVING ON SHELTER.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE ARE NOT ONLY POINTING PEOPLE
IN THE DIRECTION OF SERVICES
THAT THEY NEED, BUT THAT WE ARE
DISTRIBUTING HYGIENE KITS FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING ON
SHELTER.
WE HAVE THOSE KIDS NOW, BUT WE
KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE,
THEY ARE IN HIGH DEMAND.
AND WILL SOON BE SHORT ON THOSE
HYGIENE KITS, SORT OF
EXPLANATION THE PURCHASE OF
THOSE KITS THROUGH OUR EEOC SO
WE CAN ENSURE THAT OUR OUTREACH
TEAMS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AS
THEY ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE.
>> THE THIRD PIECE THAT REALLY
HAS HAD OUR FULL FOCUS AND
ATTENTION HAS TO DO WITH AGING
AND DISABLED POPULATION.
SO, OUR AGING AND DISABILITY
SERVICES DIVISION SERVES OVER
12,000 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS KING
COUNTY, PROVIDING IN-HOME CARE
AND SERVICES TO THOSE
INDIVIDUALS.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
VULNERABLE, AND THAT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT ANY OF OUR CASE
MANAGERS, ANY OTHER IN-HOME
CARE PROVIDERS, ANYONE
ACCESSING THEIR HOME MAYBE TO
DELIVER MEALS OR MEDICATION IS
ADHERING TO STANDARDS THAT KEEP
THOSE INDIVIDUALS SAFE.
IT HAS BEEN A BIG BODY OF WORK
OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. WE WANT
TO ENSURE THAT CONTINUITY OF
SERVICES OCCURS.
MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT
WE ARE SERVING OUR HOMEBOUND
AND CANNOT ACCESS WHAT THEY
NEED WITHOUT RELYING ON
INDIVIDUALS TO VISIT THEIR
HOME.
SO, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
US, BOTH AS THE PROVIDER OF THE
SERVICE, BUT ALSO AS THE
CONTRACTED PARTNER FUNDING
THESE SERVICES. WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ADHERING
TO PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS AS
THEY ENGAGE WITH INDIVIDUALS IN
THEIR HOME.
>> FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO
FLAG THAT WE ARE VERY AWARE OF
THE RISKS FOR AN AGING
POPULATION AS THEY CONGREGATE
IN SENIOR CENTERS AND - SITES.
WE HAVE ALSO YESTERDAY
FINALIZED SOME ASSESSING OF ALL
OF THE SENIOR CENTERS AND SENIOR
CONGREGANT MEAL SITES THAT
EXIST ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY
, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN
COMMUNICATION WITH THEM,
PUSHING OUT THE SAME LEVEL OF
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN
FOR SHELTER PROVIDERS TO THEM,
SO THAT THEY ARE PRACTICING THE
SAFETY MEASURES THAT WE WANT IN
PLACE.
BUT ALSO, WE WANT TO
UNDERSTAND, WHAT KIND OF SHIFTS
TO PROGRAMMING THEY ARE MAKING,
GIVEN YESTERDAY'S NEW GUIDANCE
FROM PUBLIC HEALTH. SO, WE
REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF
THERE IS ANY CHANGES, IF THEY
ARE ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS TO
NOT USE SENIOR CENTERS AND
CONGREGANT MEALS?
AND, WE ARE DOING SOME
BACKGROUND PLANNING TO ENSURE
THAT IF CONGREGANT MEALS SITES
SHOULD CLOSE OR REDUCE HOURS,
OR REDUCE, HAVE ANY REDUCTION
IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT
THEY CAN SERVE, THAT WE ARE
READY TO LEAN IN AND OFFER MEAL
DELIVERY SERVICES INSTEAD.
>> SO, WITH THAT, MAYBE I WILL
PAUSE, GIVEN TIME, I KNOW THAT
COUNSEL HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL
ANSWERS TO MANY OF YOUR
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. BUT, MAYBE
I CAN PAUSE THERE AND SEE IF
THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> EXCELLENT.
FIRST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
PROVIDING ANSWERS TO SOME OF
THE QUESTIONS YOU PRESENTED.
ESPECIALLY TO THE FOLKS THAT WE
HAVE CONTRACTED WITH ON BEHALF
OF THE CITY TO CARRY OUT THE
CITY'S FUNCTION AS HUMAN
SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THOSE WHO
WORK WITH OUR AGING POPULATION.
THANKS TO THEM DIRECTLY FOR
THEIR ONGOING WORK.
I KNOW THERE IS A NUMBER OF
QUESTIONS, SOMEONE JUST THREW
IN A QUICK.
DIRECTOR JOHNSON, WE HEARD
ABOUT A 40% REDUCTION IN SOME
OF THE KIRKLAND WORKFORCE
POPULATION THAT WAS MENTIONED
EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION.
DO WE HAVE A SENSE FROM OUR
DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS
WORKING IN THE HUMAN SERVICES -
SORRY, THE CONTRACTED ENTITIES
WITHOUT HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT, IF THEY HAVE
EXPERIENCED ANY SIGNIFICANT
REDUCTIONS IN THE WORKFORCE
FROM FOLKS STAYING HOME YET?
>> YES.
THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION
WE ARE ASKING TO BE PROVIDED TO
THE DEPARTMENT.
AT THIS POINT, WE ARE NOT
GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR
WORKFORCE.
AS FAR AS REDUCTIONS OR HAVING
A SPIKE IN PEOPLE CALLING IN
SICK AND NOT WANTING TO BE IN
SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IN
THEIR NORMAL CAPACITY.
IN FACT, YESTERDAY, I SPOKE
WITH DANNY MALONE, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR DSC, AND HE AFFIRMED
THAT PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP TO
WORK.
PEOPLE ARE YOU KNOW, WANT TO BE
ENGAGED AND UNDERSTAND THE
VULNERABILITIES THAT THIS
SPECIFIC POPULATION HAVE.
BUT HE HAS NOT SEEN ANY KIND OF
WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS AT THIS
POINT.
>> OKAY.
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD.
>> OKAY.
THREE QUICK QUESTIONS.
FIRST I WOULD LOVE JUST TO KNOW
HOW MANY HYGIENE KITS THE
NAVIGATION TEAM HAS BEEN ABLE
TO DISTRIBUTE. THUS FAR I
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEED
FOR MORE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL
TO KNOW HOW MANY HAVE ALREADY
BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND OVER WHAT
PERIOD OF TIME?
ALSO, IN THE QUESTIONS, THE
ANSWERS YOU PROVIDED TO OUR
EARLIER QUESTIONS, YOU MAKE
NOTE AND YOU SAID SO IN YOUR
PRESENTATION TODAY.
THAT YOU ARE CONTACTING OUR
CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS TO
HELP THEM MAKE ASSESSMENTS
AROUND PUBLIC HEALTH FOR THEIR
OPERATIONS. ONE OF THE ITEMS
THAT IS MENTIONED IS THAT YOU
ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY
DEPLOY HYGIENE AND SANITATION
RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, BEYOND
URGING THEM TO EMPLOY THIS
RECOMMENDATION FOR HYGIENE AND
SANITATION, I WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW WHAT ROLE THE CITY IS
PLAYING, IF WE ARE PROVIDING
ANY ACTUAL, PHYSICAL, MONETARY
ASSISTANCE.
AND LASTLY, I HAVE TALKED
ALREADY ABOUT MY CONCERN THAT
THE ABILITY TO BE TESTED IS
BOUNDED BY A PROFESSIONAL
HEALTHCARE RECOMMENDATION. AND
I AM JUST, SO, TO ME, WHAT THAT
MEANS IS, LARGELY, IT IS GOING
TO BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
PROVIDERS, CONTACTING THE
PROVIDERS, AND BEING ABLE TO
GET TESTING.
I AM WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES WHO ARE
GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD WHERE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON SHELTERED ARE
. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HEALTHCARE
FOR THE HOMELESS, DO THOSE
INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE AUTHORITY,
IF THEY FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE
SYMPTOMATIC, ARE THEY
CONSIDERED A HEALTHCARE
PROFESSIONAL AS - CRITERIA FOR
TESTING?
AND THAT'S IT.
>> THANKS.
SO, I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON
THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF HYGIENE
KITS DISTRIBUTED.
AND, RELATED TO THE HYGIENE AND
SANITATION GUIDELINES, I
MENTIONED TWO WAYS THAT THE
CITY IS INVOLVED.
1, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KING
COUNTY TC HSN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE
ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING
TRAININGS TO PROVIDERS SO THAT
THEY ARE, THEY HAVE A DEEP
LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE
GUIDELINES AND WHY THEY ARE IN
PLACE.
NOW, THOSE TRAININGS ALSO
INCLUDE A TIME OF Q&A SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND
AND TRY TO START ASKING
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THOSE
GUIDELINES CAN BE
OPERATIONALIZED.
SO, THAT IS A LEVEL OF
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT THE
CITY WILL BE PROVIDING, AGAIN,
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KING COUNTY
AND PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE ARE ALSO, I BELIEVE I
MENTIONED, MAKING A LARGE ORDER
IN COORDINATION WITH KING
COUNTY THROUGH OUR EMCS.
AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY SO
THAT PROVIDERS HAVE THE
MATERIALS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO
- MANAGEMENT HYGIENE GUIDELINES.
- MAKING A CASH OR FUND
AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO DO THE
PURCHASE.
WE FIGURED THAT IT WOULD BE A
LOT -. AND POTENTIALLY DONE
EVEN MORE CHEAPLY FOR US TO DO
A BULK PURCHASE OF MATERIALS
THROUGH OUR EMCS AND BOTH THE
CITY AND THE COUNTY HAVE MADE
THE SAME REQUEST THROUGH OUR
EMCS FOR THOSE MATERIALS.
>> THANKS.
>> ON TESTING.
I WILL ADMIT THAT I DON'T HAVE
THE SPECIFICS OF EXACTLY WHO CAN
SORT OF MANDATE OR INITIATE
THAT SOMEONE BE TESTED.
BUT, I WILL OFFER THAT
HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS HAS
BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO US.
IS DEEPLY ENGAGED, AND YOU
KNOW, WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THE
ON SHELTERED POPULATION USE THE
MEDICAL SERVICES THAT EXIST
INSIDER SHELTERS, THAT EXIST AS
PART OF OUTREACH TEAMS, THAT
EXIST AS PART OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH CLINICS.
SO, ALL OF THOSE PROVIDERS ARE
REALLY LEANING IN.
AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE
AWARE, BOTH OF GUIDANCE, BUT
ALSO AWARE OF THE CONDITIONS
THAT PEOPLE ARE PRESENTING WHEN
THEY GO ON TO THOSE FACILITIES.
>> PERFECT.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT - I
UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T KNOW THE
ANSWER NOW, BUT WHETHER OR NOT
THOSE PROVIDERS ARE AUTHORIZED
TO GET TESTING FOR THE PEOPLE
IF THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH.
THANK YOU.
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR
DIRECTOR JOHNSON?
>> DIRECTOR JOHNSON, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THAT SUMMARY.
DEPUTY MAYOR, ANY ADDITIONAL
CONTEXT TO ADD?
OKAY.
I DO APPRECIATE THE MESSAGE
THAT CAME FROM THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE WE
STARTED THIS HEARING THIS
AFTERNOON, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE
WERE EXPANDING ACCESS TO
SHELTER FOR FOLKS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WILL WANT TO
CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU TO
CONTINUE TO DO SO.
THAT IS NO SURPRISE FROM THIS
COUNSEL.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT
THIS WAS PHRASED.
WE WANTED TO SPELL DISPEL ANY
MYTHS OUT THERE THE PEOPLE ARE
INAPPROPRIATELY ASSIGNING THIS
VIRUS WITH THOSE LIVING IN
SHELTER.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE
AS COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD
MENTIONED BEFORE.
THIS VIRUS KNOWS NO RACE AND
GENDER, RACE ETHNICITY OR
CLASS.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THOSE WHO ARE IN THE POSITION
OF NOT HAVING A HOME, BECAUSE
WE HAVE NOT PROVIDED ENOUGH
HOUSING IN THE CITY OR REGION
OF THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS
TO HEALTHCARE BECAUSE WE DON'T
HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE, THAT
WE DO IT WE NEED TO DO,
ESPECIALLY IN THIS CRISIS TO
PROVIDE THEM WITH ACCESS TO
CARE.
AND TO HOUSING.
SO, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP A
SEPARATE EFFORTS AND HELP TO
DISPEL THAT MYTH AS WELL.
úOR ANYBODY ELSE ON THE PANEL
THAT HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO
SPEAK THAT WOULD LIKE TO?
>> NO, COUNCILMEMBER.
I THINK WE HAVE CONCLUDED.
>> COUNSEL - ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF
YOU FOR BEING HERE.
PLEASE EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION
TO YOUR FRONTLINE STAFF AND
THAT INCLUDES FOLKS I DIDN'T
GET A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
SO, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
AND, WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO
GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO PUBLIC
COMMENT.
BEFORE I DO THAT, I NEED TO
ADOPT THE PROPOSED AGENDA FOR
TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THE TO
PROPOSE THE AGENDA FOR TODAY'S
MEETINGS.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE AMENDED TO
REVISE THE ORDER OF BUSINESS TO
HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW AND
THEN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA IS AMENDED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING
THE AGENDA AS AMENDED PLEASE
NOTE AYE AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSITION?
NOBODY VOTED NO.
THE MOTION CARRIES.
THE AGENDA IS AMENDED THEN WE
DO HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP
FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
DAVID, THANK YOU FOR WAITING.
DAVID HAYNES IS HERE.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID.
>> A HOTLINE -
>> ONE SECOND, DAVID.
TRY AGAIN PLEASE.
>> HOTLINE 8 AM - 7 PM DOES NOT
SEEM SO 24/7 URGENT.
BRAIN CHEMICALS CAUSING
CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY -
>> ONE SECOND DAVID.
JUST LET ME, FOLKS, SO SORRY.
COMMENT. NE PERSON DOING PUBLIC
IF WE CAN KEEP THE VOLUME DOWN.
DAVID, YOU CAN START YOUR
COMMENT OVER.
>> IT IS APPALLING INSTALLING A
PROJECT PROCESS WHEN A PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMISSIONS WHO EXAMS
DRUG PUSHER FROM SALE, DESTROY
LIVES AND PUT A SOCIETY ON
CHARGE OF PUBLIC RESPONSE TO
THE VIRUS.
SO FAR, THERE PUBLIC HEALTH
EXPERTISE AS COME - WHILE
PROMISING MORE MONEY TO
POLITICAL SUPPORTERS FOR
TESTING.
YET, YOU CANNOT GET IN A
LIBRARY BATHROOM ON THE
COMPUTERS OF THE BUS WITHOUT
TOUCHING SOMETHING NASTY.
WHILE HIRING PRACTICES FAIL TO
HIRE THOSE TO CLEAN PROPER.
WHAT ABOUT THE HOMELESS WHO
CAN'T EVEN GET PROPER SHOWER
SERVICE AT THE SHELTERS?
THIS JUSTIFIES AN INVESTIGATION
OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS.
ALL THIS WHILE COUNSEL POLICIES
OFFER TREASONOUS AND
UNCONSTITUTIONAL OPEN BORDER
SANCTUARY FOR CUSTOMS VIOLATORS
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, WHO -
MORE THAN MULTILINGUAL
EDUCATION AND COUGHING AND
SNEEZING ETIQUETTE.
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE SIT RIGHT
BEHIND YOU ON THE BUS WHILE
LEANING AS CLOSE TO BUS WRITER
AND FROM THEM AS POSSIBLE AND
COUGHS OR SNEEZES IS THAT THEY
ARE TRYING TO GET YOU SICK.
MAYBE WE NEED LAWS TO STOP THE
STALL IN PROGRESS WILL EVIL
DISEASE PREDATORS AT THE BUS
STOP AT 105th AND AURORA ARE
WALKING AROUND THE BUS STOP
SPITTING INTO THE WIND AND ON
PEOPLE WHILE THE COPS AND RAPID
RIDE SECURITY REFUSE TO SHOW UP
BECAUSE THE GUY DIDN'T HAVE ANY
WEAPONS.
PERHAPS WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN
TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO WASH HANDS
AND EMPHASIZE NEVER TOUCH THE
SINK HANDLE, THE DOOR HANDLE,
OR THE TOILET SEAT, BECAUSE
EVIL JUNKIES SPLATTERING BLOOD
SHOOTING UP HEROIN IS MORE OF A
PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT THEN
THINGS COUNSEL RESPONSE TO THAT
GET ON INTERNATIONAL NEWS.
SEATTLE SEEMS TO GET EXCITED
WHEN THEY HAVE FIRST DEATHS IN
THE U.S., BUT IT DOESN'T -
COUNSEL HAS ALREADY EMPLOYED IN
SOCIETY AND ENDANGERED THE
FIRST WORLD IN A SENSE.
APPROVING WE DON'T HAVE WELL-
ADJUSTED LEADERSHIP IN THE
HELMA PUBLIC SAFETY.
PERHAPS COUNCILS, ANYWAY, -
DERAILS PROJECTS.
THE LAST COUNCIL PRESIDENT
PROVED THAT.
>> THANK YOU, DAVID.
OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE
TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY?
>> OKAY, [ SINGING ], COUNSEL
COLLECTS, THE COUNCIL WILL BE
AT EASE UNTIL OUR PRESENTERS
FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION
ARRIVED.
THE COUNCIL IS AT EASE.
>> HELLO AGAIN EVERYBODY.
IT IS 3:02 ON MARCH 5. AS
PRESIDING OFFICER, I AM
ANNOUNCING THE SEATTLE CITY
COUNCIL WILL NOW CONVENE IN
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXECUTIVE
SESSION IS TO DISCUSS PENDING
OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION.
THE COUNCIL'S EXECUTIVE
SESSIONS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS
CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL MATTERS WITH
THE CITY ATTORNEY'S.
AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.
ILLEGAL MONITOR FROM THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ALWAYS
PRESENT TO ENSURE THE COUNCIL
RESERVES QUESTIONS OF POLICY
FOR OPEN SESSION.
I EXPECT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION
TO END BY 3:45.
IF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IS
EXTENDED BEYOND THE TIME, I
WILL ANNOUNCE THE EXTENSION AND
THE EXPECTED DURATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE.
WHO IS NOT ON THE LIST OF
APPROVED FOLKS TO BE IN THE
ROOM, PLEASE CLEAR THE ROOM.
THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
AGAIN, THIS IS MARCH 5, 2020
AND IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING OF
THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL.
IT IS 4:24 PM AND THE CNA CITY
COUNCIL HAS BEEN RECESSED.
WE ARE NOW BRINGING THE COUNCIL
MEETING BACK TO OPEN SESSION.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE?
>> PEDERSEN.
SAWANT . STRAUSS . HERBOLD.
JUAREZ.
LEWIS.
MORALES.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO SCAM
MOSQUEDA.
SEVEN PRESENT.
>>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER Y
AS FOR BEING WITH THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT
FOR BEING WITH US AS WELL.
THE CITY COUNCIL NOW PROCEED
WITH AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 1.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, MADAM CLERK,
BEFORE YOU READ IT INTO THE
RECORD, I DO WANT TO TAKE JUST
A FEW MOMENTS.
COUNSEL, COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD, I APPRECIATE YOUR
ORGANIZATION OF THE PANEL THIS
MORNING.
YOU DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF
PULLING TOGETHER THE FEW
LUTHIERS AND DIRECTORS SO WE
CAN HAVE A REAL TIME ELEMENT ON
THE UPDATES ON THE EFFORTS.
DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
REFLECTED IN RETROSPECT?
>> I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY'S
PARTICIPATION.
NOT JUST TODAY, IN THE MEETING
ITSELF, BUT ALSO, IN PROVIDING
YOUR QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.
I THINK IT ALLOWED US AS THE
COUNCIL TO DRILL DEEPER, AFTER
RECEIVING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE, AS WE KNOW, ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS USUALLY PROVOKE MORE
QUESTIONS.
SO, IT REALLY ALLOWED US TO DO
THAT, AND THAT COULD NOT HAVE
BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE
ASSISTANCE AND COLLABORATION OF
EVERYBODY UP HERE AND YOUR
STAFF.
>> THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE OTHER
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER TODAY?
OKAY.
THERE IS A FEW TAKEAWAY ITEMS
THAT I WANTED TO NOTE IN TERMS
OF DATA THAT HAVE BEEN
REQUESTED.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS
WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED IN THE
KING COUNTY FROM COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD.
THE NUMBER OR AMOUNT OF
CLEANING SUPPLIES THAT WE NEED
TO ORDER TO MEET OUR CITY'S ,
CITY EMPLOYEES NEEDS, INCLUDING
THOSE DOING JANITORIAL WORK.
YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT
HYGIENE KITS AND HOW MANY OF
THOSE HAD BEEN DISTRIBUTED
úACROSS OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY
WITH THE NAVIGATION TEAMS
EFFORT TO HOPEFULLY DO LESS
SWEEPING AND MORE ASSISTING, AS
THEY ARE GETTING WORDS OUT TO
INDIVIDUAL WHO ARE ON HOUSE.
THEN YOU HAD AN IMPORTANT
QUESTION ABOUT WHO COULD
INITIATE THE TESTING, SUCH AS
HST PROVIDERS AT THE
ORGANIZATIONAL TEAMS SEE
INDIVIDUALS WHO THEY BELIEVE
MEET THE CRITERIA, AND LET'S
ALSO NOTE THE ADAPTED CRITERIA
AS IT HAS BEEN OFFERED
ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY FROM THE
CDC.
SO, AS NEW CASES POTENTIALLY
COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, WE
WANT OUR ORGANIZATION TO HAVE
THAT TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP WITH
THEM.
WITH THE COMMUNITY THEY SEEM TO
BE ABLE TO RECOMMEND TESTING.
>> I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO
ALSO THANK OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM
WHO IS THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND
THE CENTRAL STAFF.
WE HAVE OVER THE LAST 24-48
HOURS, BEEN TRYING TO QUICKLY
RESPOND TO THE NEED TO BOTH
ADDRESS THE PROCLAMATION IN
FRONT OF US, THE ORDER THAT HAS
BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE MAYOR,
AND TO ALSO RESPOND WITH
VARIOUS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS
FROM THIS COUNSEL.
SO, WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT
YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN THE LAST
24-48 HOURS AS WE GOT PREPARED
FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A
CHANCE TO HEAR FROM CENTRAL
STAFF HERE IN A MOMENT HO IS
BRINGING MATERIALS FOR OUR
AFTERNOON'S CONVERSATION - OR,
THE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AFTERNOONS
AGENDA.
AND AS WE DO THAT, I ALSO WANT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE HERE WITH US.
SO, LIKE YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE ANTHONY.
PLEASE EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION
TO THE MAYOR FOR HAVING HER
EXECUTIVE TEAM HERE THIS
AFTERNOON TO PROVIDE US WITH A
BRIEFING.
AND TO PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
>> MADAM CLERK, I THINK WHAT WE
WILL DO IS WE ARE GOING TO READ
ITEM NUMBER 1 INTO THE RECORD.
AND AS WE DO, WE WOULD ASK OUR
CENTRAL STAFF TEAM TO JOIN US
AT THE TABLE.
HOPING THAT WE HAVE HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO HAVE
ALL THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY
THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, AND
TO REALLY BRING FORWARD THOSE
QUESTIONS THAT WE HEARD FROM
FRONTLINE STAFF AND COMMUNITY
MEMBERS.
I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS
SENT IN A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
AND COMMENTS THAT WE HAD A
DESIRE TO GET IN FRONT OF THE
EXECUTIVE TEAM AND THROUGHOUT
YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY, AND
QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED AT
THE TABLE AND BOTH SENT TO THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE. WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO GET SOME ANSWERS IN
REAL TIME AND WE WILL CONTINUE
TO BE QUESTIONS, BUT I KNOW OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO
BRING FORWARD. AS A REMINDER,
WE ARE ASKING FOLKS IF THEY
HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA,
TO PLEASE CALL THE INFORMATION
CENTER AT 206-233-5072. AND FOR
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, IF YOU
HAVE NOT YET SIGNED UP FOR
ALERT SEATTLE, FOR REAL-TIME
AND CUSTOMIZED NOTIFICATIONS,
YOU CAN GET THOSE VIA TEXT,
EMAIL AND VOICE MESSAGE AND
SOCIAL MEDIA AT
ALERT.SEATTLE.GOV.
>> WITH THAT, I WANT TO TURN IT
BACK OVER TO OUR CLERKS TO READ
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 1 INTO THE
RECORD.
>> AGENDA ITEM 1. RESOLUTION
31937.
RESOLUTION RATIFYING AND
CONFIRMING THE MARCH 3, 2020
MAYORAL PROCLAMATION OF CIVIL
EMERGENCY RELATED TO THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19, NOVEL CHORAL
ROTAVIRUS.
>> THANK YOU MADAM CLERK.
BEFORE WE CONSIDER POSSIBLE
REVISIONS TO THE RESOLUTION,
I'M GOING TO MOVE THE
RESOLUTION THAT IS BEFORE US,
AND SUSPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW
FOR CENTRAL STAFF, KITTLE
FREEMAN TO PROVIDE US WITH AN
OVERVIEW OF THE RESOLUTION AND
THE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE.
SO, I MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION
31937.
>> SECOND.
>> THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN
MOVED AND SECONDED.
IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE
COUNCIL RULES WILL BE SUSPENDED
TO ALLOW KITTLE FREEMAN TO
ALLOW TO ADDRESS THE COUNSEL.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE
COUNCIL RULES ARE SUSPENDED.
PEOPLE, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN OUR NOTES
OF APPRECIATION FOR YOU IF YOU
HAD BEEN WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK TO GET THE AMENDMENTS IN
FRONT OF US.
COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE
YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND
BEGIN WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE
RESOLUTION, AND THEN WE WILL
TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED
SUBSTITUTE.
>> KITTLE FREEMAN, COUNSEL
CENTRAL STAFF.
SO, AS THE COUNSEL KNOWS, ON
MARCH 3, THE DIRECTOR
PROCLAIMED A CIVIL EMERGENCY
RELATED TO THE SPREAD OF COVID-
19 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS NOVEL
CORONAVIRUS. THAT PROCLAMATION
INCLUDES ORDERS THAT ALLOW THE
MAYOR TO ASSUME AUTHORITY TO
BYPASS EXISTING LAWS,
REGULATIONS AND POLICIES IN THE
INTEREST OF PROTECTING THE
PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND
WELFARE.
THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT
THE MAYOR COULD BYPASS ARE
PRIMARILY RELATED TO BUDGET,
CONTRACTING, PURCHASING, AND
REGULATION OF LAND USE AND
CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING THE
CITY'S APPLICATION OF THE STATE
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 1002 IN THE
SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE, WHEN
THE MAYOR PROCLAIMS A CIVIL
EMERGENCY AND ISSUES ORDERS
PURSUANT TO THAT EMERGENCY,
WITHIN 48 HOURS THE COUNCIL MAY
BY RESOLUTION RATIFY AND CONFIRM
THE MAYOR'S ACTION, MODIFY THE
MAYOR'S ACTION, OR REJECT THE
MAYOR'S ACTION. COUNCILMEMBER
MOSQUEDA PROPOSES TO MODIFY THE
MAYOR'S PROPOSED ACTION.
I WILL WALK THROUGH HOW
RESOLUTION 31739 WOULD DO THAT.
SO, TURNING TO THAT RESOLUTION,
AND THE MODIFIED PROCLAMATION.
WHEN THERE IS A CIVIL
EMERGENCY, THE COUNSEL SEEDS
POWER.
SO, IT IS NECESSARILY A TRUST,
BUT VERIFY EXERCISE FOR THE
COUNSEL.
AND THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE
PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION
AND PROCLAMATION.
I WILL TALK THROUGH A LITTLE
BIT OF THE MECHANICS OF THE
LEGISLATION HERE.
THE PROCLAMATION AND ORDERS OF
THE PROCLAMATION ESTABLISH THE
CIVIL EMERGENCY AND ENUMERATE
THOSE POWERS THE MAYOR IS
ASSUMING. THE ASSUMPTION OF
POWER ALLOWS HER TO BYPASS, AS
I MENTIONED, OTHERWISE
APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS
. THE COUNSEL CAN LIMIT HER
ASSUMPTION OF POWER BY
MODIFYING THE PROCLAMATION IN
úORDER, BUT THE COUNSEL CANNOT
PRESCRIBE THAT SHE TAKE ACTIONS
THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE AT HER
DISCRETION.
FOR THAT, THE COUNSEL CAN
ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS SO THAT
THE MAYOR UNDERSTANDS WHAT SORT
OF INFORMATION THE COUNSEL NEEDS
TO ACT ON FUTURE ORDERS, AND
ALSO TO CONTINUE THE CIVIL
EMERGENCY.
SO, I WILL TURN HERE TO
PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE
PROCLAMATION.
>> SO, THE MODIFICATIONS TO THE
PROCLAMATION, IN MANY WAYS,
CLARIFICATIONS.
BUT ALSO, SOME RESTRICTIONS ON
SOME POWERS THE MAYOR PROPOSES
TO INVOKE.
TURNING HERE TO PAGE 2 OF THE
MAYOR'S PROCLAMATION OF THE
COUNSEL CLARIFIES THAT THE
AUTHORITY THAT SHE IS ASSUMING
IS LIMITED TO STATE BUDGET LAWS
. STRIKING REFERENCE TO RCW AND
THE ADOPTED CITY BUDGET.
SUBSTITUTE PROPOSED BY
COUNCILMEMBER A SKATER CONFIRMS
THAT THE MAYOR WILL COMPLY WITH
STATE OF EMERGENCY REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS - CONTRACTING.
IT AFFIRMS THAT FUTURE ORDERS
WILL COMPLY WITH FORMAL
REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE
PRESCRIBED BY THE SEATTLE
MUNICIPAL CODE THAT ARE LARGELY
INTENDED TO PROTECT CIVIL
RIGHTS AND HELP THE COUNCIL
UNDERSTAND HER FUTURE ORDERS
MIGHT INFRINGE CIVIL RIGHTS.
CLARIFIES THAT THE DELEGATION
úOF AUTHORITY TO THE POLICE AND
FIRE CHIEFS IS PURSUANT TO
CURRENT LAW.
UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY A FUTURE
ORDER.
IT ALSO STRIKES REFERENCE IN
THE DELEGATION SECTION OF THE
ORDER TO, OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND
PERSONNEL WILL ASSIST AS
REQUESTED.
THE ORDER DELEGATES TO THE FIRE
CHIEF AND POLICE CHIEF
AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT CERTAIN
LAWS WHICH THEY ALREADY HAVE
THE AUTHORITY TO DO.
BUT IT STRIKES A SURPLUS - THE
LANGUAGE ABOUT OTHER
DEPARTMENTS AND PERSONNEL.
>> THE, IT ELIMINATES WHAT IS
LARGELY A BOILERPLATE REFERENCE
TO A CHARTER PROVISION THAT
RECITES THAT THE MAYOR HAS SOLE
AUTHORITY OVER THE POLICE
DEPARTMENTS IN TIMES OF
EMERGENCY, WHICH IS TRUE IN ALL
CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> SO, QUESTIONS,
COUNCILMEMBER'S?
>> KITTLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR WALKING US THROUGH THE
EDITS TO THE PROCLAMATION.
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF WE TOOK
QUESTIONS ON THAT IF THERE ARE
ANY AT THIS POINT?
BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE
RESOLUTION?
>> COUNSEL COLLEAGUES, ANY
QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDED
PROCLAMATION THAT WE HAVE IN
FRONT OF US FOR CONSIDERATION?
>> COMMENTS?
>> QUESTIONS.
>> WE CAN DO COMMENTS IF YOU
LIKE.
OR IF YOU WANTED HIM TO GO TO
BOTH OF THEM AND THAT AS A
PACKAGE WE COULD CONSIDER
COMMENTS IF THAT WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
PEDERSEN.
QUESTIONS, YES.
>> I JUST WANTED TO, FOUR,
FOLKS WHO MAY BE FOLLOWING ALONG
, I WAS HOPING THAT KITTLE
FREEMAN COULD OFFER JUST A
LITTLE MORE CLARITY, THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LANGUAGE
THAT WAS PROPOSED AS IT RELATES
TO THE POWERS BEING GRANTED THE
MAYOR, RELATED TO THE BUDGET.
AND, WHAT THE COUNSEL IS
OFFERING AS NEW LANGUAGE.
I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT
THIS IS MORE A CLARIFICATION.
BUT I THINK IF PEOPLE WERE TO
JUST READ IT WITHOUT MORE, MORE
UNDERSTANDING, IT MIGHT SEEM
LIKE WE ARE PUTTING SOME LIMITS
THAT I DON'T THINK WE INTEND TO
PUT.
>> SURE.
SO, SECTION 3 OF THE
PROCLAMATION LISTS LIMITATIONS
THAT THE MAYOR IS ASSUMING
AUTHORITY TO BYPASS.
AND, THOSE LIMITATIONS INCLUDE
LIMITATIONS THAT ARE PRESENT IN
OUR CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS
AND OTHER STATE AND LOCAL
REQUIREMENTS.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE
IS AMBIGUITY IN STATE LAW ABOUT
WHAT AUTHORITY THE MAYOR OR
MAYORS MAY HAVE, DEPENDING ON
WHAT TYPE OF JURISDICTION IT IS
IN THE STATES OF EMERGENCY.
SO, THIS RESOLVES THAT
AMBIGUITY IN PART BY POINTING
TO GENERAL ALLEGEDLY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THE
MAYORAL PROCLAMATION OF THE
SUGGESTED EDITS?
SEEING NONE, QUITO, DO YOU MIND
WALKING US THROUGH THE
RESOLUTION THAT WOULD ACCOMPANY
THIS?
>> SURE.
AS I MENTIONED, I COUNSEL
DECISION ON A MAYORAL
PROCLAMATION OF A CIVIL
EMERGENCY IS A TRUST BUT VERIFY
EXERCISE.
SO, THE LIMITATIONS ON THE
MAYOR'S EXERCISE OF EMERGENCY
AUTHORITY IN THE PROCLAMATION,
THE EXPECTATIONS THAT THE
COUNSEL HAS FOR HOW SHE WILL
USE HER AUTHORITY AND HOW THE
CITY WILL ACT AS THIS EMERGENCY
EVOLVES ARE CONTAINED IN THE
BODY OF THE RESOLUTION.
SO, I WILL WALK THROUGH EACH
SECTION OF THE RESOLUTION. OF
THE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE
RESOLUTION.
THE FIRST SECTION MODIFIES THE
PROCLAMATION AS I JUST DESCRIBED
. THE SECOND SECTION REQUESTS
THAT THE MAYOR MAKE
EXPENDITURES PURSUANT TO HER
EMERGENCY AUTHORITY THAT ARE
CONSISTENT WITH COUNSEL
PRIORITIES.
AND THOSE PRIORITIES INCLUDE
INVESTMENTS IN HANDWASHING
STATIONS, INVESTMENT HYGIENE
SERVICES, AND AS YOU ALL
RECALL, THE COUNSEL MADE SOME
APPROPRIATIONS FOR MOBILE
PITSTOPS AS PART OF THE 2020
ADOPTED BUDGET.
INVESTMENTS THAT INCREASE THE
ACCESS FOR HOUSEHOLDS TO COVER
19 TESTINGS AND LINGUISTICALLY
APPROPRIATE MATERIALS FOR
LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
SPEAKERS.
>> CONTINUE PLEASE.
SO, MOVING ON TO SECTION 3 OF
THE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE
RESOLUTION, THIS SECTION
ESTABLISHES THE COUNSEL'S
EXPECTATION FOR ADDITIONAL
ACTIONS THAT THE MAYOR MAY TAKE
TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD OF COVID-
19.
- THE CITY PERSONNEL POLICIES
AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
AGREEMENTS TO CLARIFY WORKING
CONDITIONS FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
REVIEWING OPTIONS FOR CITY
STAFF AND CONTRACTORS TO TAKE
PAID DAYS OFF. AT THE LEAD, THE
LEAVE RUNS OUT, AN ANALYSIS OF
THE SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS
OF THE MAYOR'S EXERCISE,
EMERGENCY AUTHORITY
CONSIDERATION.
AND HER RECOMMENDATION TO
COUNSEL ON HOW THE STATE OF
EMERGENCY IS IMPACTING THE
HOMELESS COMMUNITIES.
FINALLY, POTENTIALLY ISSUANCE
OF AN ORDER, NOT FRIENDLY, BUT
THE TWO REMAINING THINGS.
WHAT IS THE ISSUANCE OF AN
ORDER RELATED ECONOMIC CONTROLS
AND PRICE STABILIZATION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THE DEPUTY
MAYOR RELATED TO IN HIS
PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL.
FINALLY, IDENTIFICATION THAT
THE CITY CAN TAKE TO ENCOURAGE
BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS AND
HIS COURAGE, FOR NON-CITY
EMPLOYEES,
>> ALL RIGHT, KITTLE.
IT JUST TRAILED OFF A LITTLE
THERE AT THE END.
CAN YOU SAY THAT LAST PART
AGAIN?
>> SUB SESSION F OF SECTION 3
ADDRESSES STEPS THAT THE CITY
CAN TAKE TO ENCOURAGE NON-CITY
EMPLOYEES TO PROVIDE SAFE
WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THEIR
EMPLOYEES DURING THE CIVIL
EMERGENCY.
AND ALSO IT DISCOURAGES ACTIONS
ONE CAN TAKE TO DISCOURAGE
PRIVATE-SECTOR EMPLOYEES FROM
TAKING PUNITIVE ACTIONS AGAINST
EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T COME TO
WORK FOR PUBLIC HEALTH REASONS.
SECTION 4, PART OF ME,
>> THANK YOU, I JUST WANT TO
SPEAK TO TWO ITEMS UNDER
SECTION 3. THE FIRST BEING, THE
LANGUAGE RELATED TO
TELECOMMUTING.
I RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE GIVING
DIRECTION TO EMPLOYEES HERE IN
THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IS ALSO
GIVING DIRECTION TO EMPLOYEES
IN THE COUNTY ABOUT
TELECOMMUTING, AND THAT HEATHER
HAS BEEN CONCERN FROM LABOR
REPRESENTING OUR EMPLOYEES THAT
WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE OUR
POLICIES AROUND TELECOMMUTING
BE ALIGNED. SO, THIS IS AN
EFFORT TO GET AT THAT NEED. I
THINK THE DIRECTIVE THAT CAME
OUT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
AROUND TELECOMMUTING MIGHT HAVE
INADVERTENTLY CREATED SOME
CONFUSION. WE COMPARED TO THE
DIRECTIVE COMING OUT OF KING
COUNTY, RELATED TO
TELECOMMUTING.
AND THIS IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS
THAT ISSUE.
AS IT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO
THE ITEMS LISTED UNDER SECTION F
. I WOULD LIKE TO SIGNAL MY
INTEREST IN WORKING WITH THE
CHAIR OF THE LABOR COMMITTEE IN
POTENTIALLY HAVING A FUTURE
ACTION. A RESOLUTION IN THE
HOPEFULLY VERY NEAR FUTURE
BECAUSE THIS IS ALL RELATED TO
THIS POTENTIAL PANDEMIC. AS IT
RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT WE
WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE.
PRIVATE EMPLOYERS DO, AS IT
RELATES TO THE SERVICE SECTOR.
WORKERS.
PARTICULARLY SERVICE SECTOR
WORKERS THAT ARE IN - THE
ECONOMY.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
TRAVERTINE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT FUTURE
CONVERSATION.
>> THANK YOU KITTLE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE?
>> SURE.
SECTION 4 OF THE PROPOSED
SUBSTITUTE TELEGRAPH.
THE COUNSEL'S INTENT WHEN IT
COMES TO FUTURE ORDERS THAT MAY
INFRINGE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND
, AS IS THE CASE IN ANY CIVIL
EMERGENCY THAT THERE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO
ENACT ORDERS THAT INFRINGE ON
CIVIL LIBERTIES. CLASSIC
EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING LIKE A
CURFEW. THIS SECTION TELEGRAPHS
TO THE MAYOR THAT ANY ORDER
INFRINGING CIVIL LIBERTIES WILL
BE VIEWED THROUGH A LENS THAT
INCORPORATES EVIDENCE-BASED
PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICES, AND AN
ANALYSIS - WHETHER THE
INFRINGEMENT IS THE LEAST
RESTRICTION NECESSARY TO
ACCOMPLISH THE PUBLIC HEALTH
SAFETY AND WELFARE OBJECTIVE.
>> ANY QUESTIONS?
ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO SECTION 5. THIS IS
A REPORTING SECTION.
SO, THE MAYOR HAS A DUTY TO
REPORT TO THE COUNCIL THROUGH
FAS ABOUT OUR CONTRACTS AND
OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE INCURRED
URSUANT TO HER EXERCISE OF
EMERGENCY AUTHORITY.
THAT REPORTING IS REQUIRED
AFTER THE STATE OF EMERGENCY.
SO, THESE ARE REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS THAT WOULD APPLY
DURING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY
WITH THE FIRST REPORT SUBMITTED
TO THE COUNCIL BY MARCH 20.
REPORTS WOULD INCLUDE
INFORMATION ON EMERGENCY
EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT.
NEW CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO OUR
AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING
CONTRACTS.
NEW PERMANENT OR TERM LIMITED
POSITIONS ADDED OR EMPTY
POSITIONS FILLED TO ADDRESS THE
CIVIL EMERGENCY.
INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP THE
COUNSEL UNDERSTAND TO WHAT
EXTENT ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING
CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS ARE
BEING ENFORCED DIFFERENTLY.
TO ADDRESS THE CIVIL EMERGENCY.
AND ALSO, EACH ACTION TAKEN,
IDENTIFICATION FOR EACH ACTION
TAKEN BY THE MAYOR OF THE
LIMITATION FROM CITY CODE,
ADOPTED CITY POLICY, STATE CODE
OR REGULATION THAT THE MAYOR
BYPASSED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT
ACTION.
AND THEN FINALLY, SECTION 6
ESTABLISHES THE COUNSEL'S
INTENT TO CONSIDER WHETHER TO
CONTINUE THE CIVIL EMERGENCY
AND MODIFY ANY CURRENT ORDERS BY
A DATE CERTAIN ON THAT DATE
CERTAIN IS APRIL 5.
>> THANK YOU KITTLE.
ANY COMMENTS - ANY QUESTIONS AT
THIS POINT?
SEEING NONE, KITTLE, IS THERE
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO
SAY ABOUT THE RESOLUTION IN
FRONT OF US?
>> NO.
>> OKAY.
SO, COUNSEL CALLINGS, I WOULD
LIKE TO FIRST MOVE THAT WE GET
THE AMENDED RESOLUTION IN FRONT
OF US AND THEN POTENTIALLY
CONSIDER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
AND THEN A VOTE AT THAT PLEASES
THE BODY.
KITTLE AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR OTHER
COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON THE RESOLUTION AND
THE MAYOR'S PROCLAMATION EDITS.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR QUICK
WORK ON THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO AMEND
RESOLUTION 31937 BY
SUBSTITUTING VERSION NUMBER 2B
FOR VERSION 1 B WHICH ALSO
INCLUDES THE NEW EXHIBIT B,
COLLEAGUES EXHIBIT B IS THE
MAYOR'S PROCLAMATION AS AMENDED
AS DESCRIBED BY KITTLE.
>> CLARIFICATIONS VERSION 2 C.
>> JUST A QUICK CLARIFICATION
HERE.
VERSION 2 C..
2 B.
>> I MOVED TO AMEND RESOLUTION
31937 BY SUBSTITUTING VERSION 2C
FOR VERSION 1 B WHICH INCLUDES
EXHIBIT B WHICH IS THE MAYOR'S
PROCLAMATION.
>> SECOND.
>> IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND
SECONDED.
SECONDED TO AMEND THE
RESOLUTION.
WE NOW HAVE A PROPOSED
SUBSTITUTE TO THE RESOLUTION IN
FRONT OF US.
AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES EXHIBIT
B AS DESCRIBED, WHICH MODIFIES
THE MAYOR'S CIVIL EMERGENCY
PROCLAMATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE IS
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BODY
BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE
HAVE ANY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO
CONSIDER.
SEEING NO AMENDMENTS, I WOULD
LOVE TO ENTERTAIN ANY COMMENTS
FROM THE BODY BEFORE WE MOVE TO
CONSIDER VOTES.
COUNSEL CALLINGS?
>> WITH THE PROCLAMATION -
>> DO YOU WANT TO DO THE BOAT
TOGETHER?
>> I AM ASKING, FOR WHICH ARE
YOU ASKING FOR COMMENTS ON?
>> SO, COUNSEL BUT TO HERBOLD I
THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SINCE RESOLUTION GOES WITH
EXHIBIT B WHICH IS THE
PROCLAMATION, I WOULD LOVE FOR
FOLKS IF THEY HAVE COMMENTS TO
ADDRESS THEM AT THIS TIME
TOGETHER.
YOU CAN SAY IF YOU ARE STICKING
TO THE RESOLUTION, WHICH HAS A
LOT OF THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTIVE
AND.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE
AMENDMENTS OR THE UNDERLYING
PROCLAMATION THAT THE MAYOR HAS
ISSUED AND THE AMENDMENTS WE
MADE TO THAT, WHICH FOR THE
RECORD AGAIN, IS THE EXHIBIT B.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD ,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO START STUFF?
>> SURE.
WHAT IS THE FIRST OF ALL,
GENERALLY, THOUGH I APPRECIATE
MY COLLEAGUES, THE TIME AND
EFFORT AND CARE THEY HAVE PUT
INTO THIS WORK HOTTER, I THINK
IT REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES THAT
WE HAVE, BUT THAT ALSO, IT
REFLECTS THE CONCERNS THAT THE
PUBLIC HAS. I REALLY APPRECIATE
THE EFFORTS OF THE EXECUTIVE AS
WELL TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF
THESE AMENDMENTS WITH US.
AND I WANT TO SPEAK
SPECIFICALLY TO THE ITEMS IN
THE RESOLUTION IN SECTIONS 2 -
D. WE ARE, WITH THE
PROCLAMATION, AGREEING WITH THE
USE OF THE MAYOR'S POWER TO
EXPEDITE THE PURCHASE OF ITEMS
THAT ARE CRITICAL TO ADDRESSING
THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AND
LIMITING THE SPREAD OF THE
VIRUS, WHICH IS REALLY AN
IMPORTANT MISSION-CRITICAL
OBJECTIVE. AND I JUST, AS IT
RELATES TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE
ELIMINATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR
THE MAYOR TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH
SOME OF THE CONTRACTING AND
PROCUREMENT PRACTICES,
ADVERTISING PRACTICES THAT
NORMALLY THEY WOULD HAVE TO, I
WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE, WHEN IT
COMES TO PURCHASES THAT, THEY
ARE MAKING SOME POLICY WORK
THAT HAS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO
IMPLEMENT THE USE OF THOSE
PURCHASES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE DOING THOSE THINGS
TOGETHER MOVING FORWARD.
I AM CONCERNED THAT AS IT
RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE
MOBILE PITSTOPS, THAT THERE,
THERE APPEARS TO BE A BELIEF ON
THE PART OF THE EXECUTIVE THAT
WE HAVE TO WORK OUT ALL THE
POLICY DECISION-MAKING AROUND
THE SIDING AND LOCATION AND
STAFFING OF THE MOBILE PITSTOPS
BEFORE WE BEGIN PROCUREMENT
TECH AND I THINK WE CAN DO
THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.
AND WE MUST DO THOSE THINGS
TOGETHER.
WE, THERE IS LOTS OF GOOD
POLICY THAT ARE PUBLIC HEALTH
BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE BEING
USED IN PLACES LIKE LOS
ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, AND SAN
FRANCISCO.
AS IT RELATES TO THE DEPLOYMENT
OF MOBILE PITSTOPS.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO REINVENT THE
WHEEL.
AND I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE
HOW IMPORTANT I THINK IT IS TO
MOVE FORWARD WITH PROCUREMENT
OF MOBILE PITSTOPS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE WHILE WE ARE
SIMULTANEOUSLY DEVELOPING THE
POLICY ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR
USE.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD.
THANK YOU FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO
HELP MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION
WAS CLARIFIED, BOTH IN THE
RESOLUTION AND THE LANGUAGE
THAT YOU HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED
FOR THE PROCLAMATION.
COUNCILMEMBER SAWANT.
>> THANK YOU PRESIDENT MOSQUEDA
. I INTEND TO SUPPORT THIS
DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY
BECAUSE OF COURSE, THE
CORONAVIRUS IS AN EMERGENCY.
ESPECIALLY WITH THE SEATTLE
REGION BEING, AS THEY HAVE
SAID, GROUND ZERO.
THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN
DISCUSSED, CONTAINS LANGUAGE
THAT, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, PROTECTS
ALL THE INTERESTS OF THE
CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY.
AND, IT SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC
HEALTH GOALS OF THE MAYOR'S
PROCLAMATION SHOULD BE CARRIED
OUT WITH THE LEAST RESTRICTIONS
ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AND
CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC-HEALTH
EVIDENCE.
- I JUST WANT TO MAKE A SPECIAL
MENTION OF THE FACT THAT THE
CITY COUNCIL EXPECTS THAT, AS A
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, OF THE
TREATMENT OF HOMELESS NEIGHBORS,
THAT THE PUBLIC HELD GOALS ARE
HOME HEALTH ASSISTANCE IS THE
GOAL, AND NOT POLICING OF, OR
IN ANY OTHER WAY, VIOLATING THE
RIGHTS OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
POINT OUT, BECAUSE OUR HOMELESS
NEIGHBORS ARE ALSO THE MOST
VULNERABLE, HEALTHWISE.
AND A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE AS THE
COUNCIL HAS DONE THROUGHOUT THE
DAY, THAT WE DO THAT WITH A
REASONABLE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND WAS ZERO
STIGMA.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, OF
COURSE, THE PROBLEMS WE FACE
ARE OBVIOUSLY THE MOST EMERGING
PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE
PANDEMIC.
BUT THE CONTROL OF THIS
PANDEMIC IS VERY MUCH RELATED
TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT
WE HAVE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND, A LARGE PROPORTION OF OUR
POPULATION IS NOT JUST IN
SEATTLE BUT NATIONWIDE IS
UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED.
AND AS MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN,
SENT A LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THAT THAT
IS THE MAIN RESTRICTION THAT
HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, WHICH IS
THE PROBLEM THAT MANY PEOPLE
CANNOT GET TESTED OR GET THE
RELATED MEDICAL CARE BECAUSE
THEY ARE EITHER UNINSURED OR
UNDERINSURED.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT - UNDER
THE EMERGENCY THROUGHOUT THE
STATE HAS DECLARED TODAY THAT
THE UNINSURED IN OUR STATE WILL
HAVE FREE TESTING.
AND WE ALSO HAD AN EMERGENCY
ORDER SENT TO WASHINGTON HEALTH
INSURANCE PROVIDERS TO MAKE
SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WERE
INSURED, BUT CLEARLY MANY OF
THEM ARE UNDERINSURED. THAT
THEY WILL BE COVERED FOR TESTING
WITHOUT CO-PAYS AND
DEDUCTIBLES.
THEY SHOULD BE COVERED BY CO-
PAYS OR DEDUCTIBLES.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT
INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO
HAVE A ONE-TIME REFILL ON THE
PRESCRIPTIONS AS PART OF THAT
EMERGENCY ORDER.
I THINK THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT
DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAPPEN.
BUT THEY ALSO POINT TOWARDS THE
FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE
BENEFIT OF A NATIONWIDE
MEDICARE FOR ALL SINGLE-PAYER
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
AND, WE CAN GET THE IDEA OF
WHAT IS POSSIBLE THROUGH HOW
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ARE DEALING
WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THIS
PANDEMIC. SOUTH KOREA, FOR
EXAMPLE, HAS A MEDICARE FOR ALL
LIKE SYSTEM AND HAS USED IT TO
PROVIDE FREE DRIVE-THROUGH
CORONAVIRUS TESTING FOR ANYONE
WHO WANTS IT.
EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE
SYMPTOMS.
AND IN FACT, THEY DO IT IN A
VERY EFFECTIVE MANNER, WHERE
THEY PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THE
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AS WELL
HE WAY THEY DO IT IN SH
WITH SAFETY SUITS.
AND MAKE SURE THAT THE HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS THEMSELVES ARE
NOT IMPACTED, BECAUSE THAT ALSO
IMPACTS PUBLIC HEALTH OVERALL.
WITH OVER 500 DRIVE-THROUGH
TESTING SITES, SOUTH KOREA HAS
TESTED OVER 100,000 PEOPLE.
SO FAR, IT IS REALLY GLARING,
THE CONTRAST WITH THE UNITED
STATES, WHERE AS OF YESTERDAY,
AND MAYBE AS OF YESTERDAY 500
TOTAL PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAS
BEEN TESTED.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HEAR
THAT THE - DEPARTMENT AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HAS
NOW DEVELOPED A NEW DIAGNOSTIC
TEST UNDER FDA CONTROLS, THAT
WILL ALLOW THEM TO TEST 1000
SAMPLES A DAY.
THIS IS IMPORTANT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A
SENSE OF THE NUMBERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU COMPARE
SOUTH KOREA'S NUMBERS TO THE
NUMBER 500 WHICH WE HAD
YESTERDAYIN THE UNITED STATES,
IT MEANS THAT YOU ARE OVER 1200
TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE
ACCESS TO A CORONAVIRUS TEST IN
SOUTH KOREA THAN IN THE UNITED
STATES.
AND KEEPING IN MIND, ESPECIALLY
THE SOUTH KOREA AND THE UNITED
STATES CUT THE CORONAVIRUS AT
LEAST AS FAR AS WE KNOW, ON THE
SAME DAY.
AS GAIL HEALTHCARE EXPERT
HOWARD FOREMAN HAS SAID, IT IS
WELL WITHIN THE REALM OF
POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE
100,000 PEOPLE INFECTED WITH
THIS RIGHT NOW IN THE UNITED
STATES.
UP ON THE ONE HAND, WE DON'T
WANT OUR CONSTITUENTS TO PANIC.
ON THE OTHER HAND WE ALSO WANT
TO DEAL WITH THE SERIOUSNESS
THAT IT DESERVES.
AND, WE KNOW THAT THE OUTCOMES
OF THE SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES
THE PROFITS OF A FEW IN THE
INSURANCE, PHARMACEUTICAL AND
HEALTH MANAGEMENT INDUSTRIES
ARE OFTEN TRAGIC.
IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC, THE ANARCHY OF THIS
POOR FOR-PROFIT SYSTEM COULD BE
LETHAL TO MANY IN OUR SOCIETY.
WANTED AND BY SAYING THAT THIS
IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CASE FOR
MEDICARE FOR ALL.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BRINGING THAT POINT UP.
THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
>> THANK YOU CHAIR.
I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR THAT THE
PUBLIC-HEALTH SITUATION IS AN
EMERGENCY, AND I WANT TO THANK
THE MAYOR FOR TAKING THE
INITIATIVE TO ISSUE THIS
PROCLAMATION OF THE CIVIL
EMERGENCY.
I AM ALSO PLEASED TO SUPPORT
THESE HELPFUL CLARIFICATIONS
THAT THE COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO
MAKE TO THE PROCLAMATION.
THE COMPANION RESOLUTION, IN MY
INTERPRETATION, IT MAKES VERY
PRODUCTIVE REQUESTS RATHER THAN
REDUCING THE MAYOR'S TAXABILITY
IN ADDRESSING THE EMERGENCY.
THE REQUESTS INCLUDE INCREASING
THE FREQUENCY OF OFFICIAL REAP
PORTS THAT WE ALL RECEIVE
DURING THIS EVOLVING EMERGENCY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
ANY OTHER COUNSEL COLLINGS
WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING?
COUNCILMEMBER WHEREAS. I DON'T
WANT TO SKIP OVER YOU.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WOULD
LIKE TO SAY, PLEASE CHIME IN AT
ANY POINT.
>> I WILL JUST SAY ANOTHER
QUICK NOTE OF APPRECIATION.
WE ARE WORKING AS FAST AS
POSSIBLE TO TRY TO GET THIS
INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US.
>> I WILL CHIME IN BUT I'M
GOOD.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ.
AND, AS I TURN IT OVER TO
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES HERE IN A
SECOND I JUST WANT TO SAY
THANKS FOR - AROUND-THE-CLOCK
ON THESE PROCLAMATIONS AND
REVISIONS AS WELL.
APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS.
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES.
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
FOLKS UNDERSTAND THIS
PROCLAMATION IS ISSUED BY THE
MAYOR.
BUT, THE COUNCIL WILL BE
REVIEWING, RECEIVING WEEKLY
REPORTS, AND THE PROCLAMATION
IS RESCINDED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO, IT HAS TO BE BY TWO THIRDS
VOTE, BUT WE WILL BE REVIEWING
ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THE STATUS
OF THE EPIDEMIC AND OUR ABILITY
TO RESPOND.
AND WHEN FOLKS IN THE CITY
AGREED THAT IT'S TIME, THAT IS
HOW THE PROCLAMATION WILL BE
RESCINDED IS BY THE CITY
COUNCIL MAKING A TWO THIRDS
VOTE.
>> EXCELLENT POINTS.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
MORALES.
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS, THE
LAST COMMENT I WANT TO SAY IS
AGAIN OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE
QUICK WORK OF THE FOLKS ON THE
GROUND.
WE TALKED TO SOME OF THE
DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TODAY, BUT
WE KNOW IT'S THE FRONT-LINE
WORKERS, THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE
HUMAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT
WORKERS, THE LONG-TERM CARE
PROVIDERS.
THOSE WHO ARE CONTRACT WORKERS
AND THOSE WHO ARE JANITORIAL
WORKERS WHO ARE REALLY PUTTING
THEMSELVES OUT THERE AND
PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK FOR
BOTH HELPING TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR MOST FOLDABLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED
AND THERE ARE ALSO PROTECTED IN
A TIME LIKE THIS.
SO, WE ALWAYS WANT TO HONOR
THEIR WORK, BUT ESPECIALLY IN
TIMES LIKE THIS.
MY HOPE IS THAT THE PROCESS FOR
EXPEDITING CONTRACTS AND
PURCHASING THAT IS CLEARLY
ARTICULATED IN THIS RESOLUTION
AND EXECUTIVE ORDER WILL HELP
TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED, THE
MASKS, THE GLOVES, ANYTHING
LIKE THAT FOR OUR WORKERS.
WE KNOW WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO
INADVERTENTLY GO OUT THERE AND
PURCHASE MASKS.
THOUGH SHOULD BE ACTUALLY SAVED
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL, AND OUR
MEDICAL FRONTLINE PROVIDERS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
WORKERS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AND
I THINK THIS CONTRACTING
PROCUREMENT PROCESS OUTLINED IN
HERE GIVES ME HOPE THAT WE CAN
GET HANDWASHING FACILITIES
ACROSS THE CITY IN A VERY QUICK
úWAY.
I ALSO THINK THAT WE HAVE DONE
A LOT IN THIS PROCLAMATION TO
PROTECT WORKERS ACROSS THE
CITY.
WE WANTED TO BE FLEXIBILITY AND
ALSO ENSURING THAT FLEXIBILITY
WE DON'T WANT TO WAIVE ANY OF
OUR PROTECTIONS FOR THE SAFETY
AND HEALTH OF OUR CITY
EMPLOYEES.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR
INCREDIBLE WORK ON THESE
AMENDMENTS AND LOOKING FORWARD
TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE
EXECUTIVE, THE DEPARTMENT OVER
HERE, PUBLIC-HEALTH AND KING
COUNTY.
WITH THAT, SEEING NO ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR
OF SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION 31937,
WHICH IS VERSION 2 C AND EXHIBIT
B, PLEASE VOTE AYE AND RAISE
HER HAND.
>> ANY OPPOSED?
SEEING NONE, THE MOTION
CARRIES.
THE RESOLUTION IS AMENDED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON
THE AMENDED RESOLUTION?
OKAY.
>> THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
JUAREZ.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING
THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED,
PLEASE VOTE AYE AND RAISE HER
HAND.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ?
I BELIEVE SHE IS ON MUTE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER
WHEREAS.
ANY OPPOSED?
NONE?
THE MOTION CARRIES.
THE RESOLUTION IS AMENDED.
THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER
WHEREAS.
THE CHAIR WILL SIGN IT.
THE RESOLUTION WILL BE FILED
WITH THE MAYOR FOR DISTRIBUTION
TO THE GOVERNOR OF KING COUNTY
EXECUTIVE AND OTHER REQUIRED
RECIPIENTS.
IF THERE IS NO OTHER COMMENTS,
AGAIN, THANKS TO CENTRAL STAFF
AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF OUR
FOLKS ON THE FLOOR IN ADDITION
TO THE FOLKS OVER AT THE TABLE
TODAY.
APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK.
THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
>>