>> Now recording, thank you.
>> Perfect.
Thank you, everyone.
The December 10th 2021 special
meeting of the community
economic development committee
will come to order.
It is 9:33 a.m.
I'm Tammy Mireles, chair of the
committee.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Wara's?
Councilmember Lewis?
>> Presents.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Present.
>> Councilmembers have one?
And chair at Morella's?
>> Here.
>> That is three present.
>> That is quorum.
Thank you very much.
If there is no objection,
today's agenda will be adopted.
No objection, today's agenda is
adopted.
At this time we'll open the
remote and general public
comment period.
I ask everyone to be patient as
we operate this online system
and it remains the strong
intent of the Council to have
public comments regularly
during meeting agendas.
I understand there is not
anyone signed up.
Is that correct?
>> That is correct.
>> Okay, in that case I'll
dispense with the very long
script about public comment and
we will close the public
comment period now.
So will you please read items
one through five into the
record?
>> Agenda items 1 through 5,
appointments 2064 through 20684
the Seattle human rights
commission.
The appointment of Alexander F
Tang as member for a term to
January 22nd, 2022.
The appointments of Polly
Arrigo, Amanda Richard, Jackie
Schultz as members for terms to
January 22nd, 2023, and the
appointment of Skyler Reed as
member for a term to July 22nd,
2023, for breathing,
discussion, and possible
growth.
>> Perfect.
Thank you so much.
I am excited that we've got
some new human rights
commissioners coming on.
As a former human rights
commission and myself,
councilmember Lewis is also a
human rights Commissioner, we
really appreciate your
willingness to serve and to
step into leadership on these
issues and I know the
commission right now is doing a
lot of really important work to
make sure that they are holding
us accountable as a counsel to
some of the issues that we are
facing in this city.
I'm going to go ahead and pass
it to Janet Stafford and Janet,
let you introduce us.
>> Thank you, councilmember
President Mireles.
My name is Janet Stafford and I
am the advisory commission
liaison for the Seattle office
for civil rights.
Before I introduce our first
appointees, I just wanted to
share a little bit more about
these commissions that are
housed under the Seattle office
for civil rights.
We have the human rights
commission that was established
in 1963 to advocate for justice
and equal opportunity, and
advise on human rights issues
and collaborate with public and
private sectors to eliminate
discrimination within the city
and citywide.
We have the women's commission,
who addressed -- who addresses
issues facing economic
opportunity for women and
women's health disparities, and
health outcomes for low income
women, and women of color.
Affordable and high quality
childcare, women's role as
caregivers, violence against
women and the unique challenges
that immigrant women face in
We also have the LGBTQ
commission, who will be
represented during this meeting
as well, and they have
recommended policies and
legislation.
Some of their recent work has
included a video series
surrounding crime and working
to increase the budget to fund
programming within the city.
And lastly, the Seattle
disability commission.
Some of their recent work has
included their annual Jubilee
event to collaborate and
distinguish folks in the
disability community, as well
as implementing policy changes
such as the closed captioning
and the Seattle straw ban that
we see today.
With that, I'd like to toss it
onto our appointees.
I believe Alex can can share a
little bit more about himself.
>> Hi, everyone.
Nice to see you all.
My name is Alexander Tang.
I usually go by Alex.
I am really privileged to be in
this space.
I am really passionate about
human rights.
If I could share something,
2019, the Hong Kong protests of
roared in my home city, Hong
Kong, and it just really made
me think of human rights
throughout the world, and I
want to give my resources and
what I can do for the city and
the city of Seattle, and just
add more to recognizing human
rights violations around the
world and even within our city,
and as a Commissioner I believe
that I can be charged with the
responsibility to just amplify
the voices that need to be
heard.
So thank you very much.
>> Great.
Thank you so much, Alex.
I guess we will give a few
minutes to repel leading.
>> Hello everyone, good
morning, I am really honored
and excited to be part of human
rights commission.
I immigrated here as a young
teen kid to Seattle and I have
first-hand seeing how poverty
impacts and shapes one's life,
and I have dedicated the last
15 years of my professional
work in working with folks that
are impacted within the
criminal system and other
systems.
So I'm really looking forward
to collaborating, amplifying
voices, and continue to grow
the city as it has been an
amazing house for me thus far.
>> Thank you.
We can pass it on to Amanda
Richard.
>> At high, I'm Amanda Richard,
she/hers, and it's huge to me
that Seattle reaches a point
where all of our citizens have
access to basic human rights.
When I first came here I had to
go almost 2 years with no
housing, food insecure, no
freshwater, living under a
bridge while I got medical
care.
And through that experience, I
realized that we can do so much
better, and it's very important
to get involved and make sure I
came out and I'm alive, so I
need to make sure and go back,
and make sure that I can save
as many, or we can save as many
as possible, because without
human rights, it is deadly.
So that's why I joined.
>> Thank you, Amanda.
How about Jackie Schilt?
>> Hi, good morning everyone, I
apologize for having my camera
off.
My connection has been unstable
all morningso I don't want to
lose you in this meeting today.
Thanks for having me.
It's great to be in this space
with all of you.
I am very excited to work with
the Seattle human rights
commission.
Just a bit about my background.
I immigrated with my family
from South Korea in the '70s
and we moved to Eastern
Washington.
We grew up quite poor and in an
environment that did not have
any services for families like
ours at the time.
So I recognized an immediate
need for families like mine and
dedicated my life to help,
first with my education and now
with might work, to support
families like mine and
immigrants and youth,
particularly.
I have been working in
philanthropy for the past 20
years and recognizing that we
participate in silos,
philanthropy, government,
business, general society, and
having access to grass tips, I
realized I needed to get
involved in grassroots in order
to connect my networks, my
experience, and my lived
experience to help to
redistribute power and
resources, specifically to
focus on racial and social
justice.
So I hope that my contribution
is significant and I'm excited
to work with all of you in the
coming years.
Thank you.
>> Thank you so much, Jackie.
We will pass it on to Skyler
read.
>> Hi everyone, my name is
Skyler read and I you she/her
pronouns and live in West
Seattle.
I spent the last seven years
dedicated to advancing civil
and human rights, currently
with human rights watch.
I am thrilled and humbled also
to join the Seattle human
rights commission as a
Commissioner, and I'm
particularly keen to work on
bolstering the commission and
local activists, organizations,
and community builders.
I want to help to create a
powerful coalition of human
rights protectors and to engage
in exciting and challenging
work of decolonizing and
expanding human rights in
Seattle.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Those are all the new
appointments.
Is that right, Jenna?
I do want to say again, thank
you so much, I know we've all
had a chance to read through
your appointment packets and
you each bring such important
perspective and lived
experience and professional
experience to this work.
So I'm really excited to have
all of you joining.
I do want to open it up for
colleagues.
If there are any questions or
comments anyone wants to make?
I did not see any.
So in that case, we will move
-- colleagues, I would like to
move that the committee
recommends confirmation of the
appointments for human rights
commission, appointments 20 64
through 2078.
Is there a second?
>> Second.
>> Thank you councilmember
Peterson.
It's been moved and seconded to
recommend confirmation of these
appointments.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Lewis?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Yes.
>> And chair more Alice?
>> Yes.
>> That is three in favor, none
opposed.
>> Fabulous.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations.
The motion carries and the
committee recommendation that
the appointments be approved
will be sent to the December
13th city Council meeting.
You are certainly welcome to
listen in, but your presence
there isn't required.
We've appreciated having you
here today.
So I want to thank you all and
look forward to working with
you in the future.
Thanks very much.
See you later.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Okay.
Let's move to the next
appointments.
Please read items 6 through 8
into the record?
>> Agenda items 6 for 8,
appointments 02069 through
ú02671, for the Seattle women's
commission, the reappointments
of Jennifer Gordon, Zoe true,
Marcia Wright's Leica as
members for terms to July 1st
2023 for breathing, discussion,
and possible vote.
>> Thank you very much.
Okay, Janet, I am going to pass
it back to you.
You've got some comments that
you wanted to make.
>> Yes, thank you so much.
I'm just going to share a few
words regarding these
individuals.
Jennifer Gordon has been with
the commission from September
2020.
She is a military veteran and a
registered nurse and public
health graduate student.
She has brought voice to the
commission to highlight the
needs of her community and look
forward to continued advocacy
on the commission, to ensure
that women always have a seat
at the table in creating the
best and the brightest future
possible.
We also have Zoe true.
During her time on the
commission she has led the
community health and wellness
committee, has organized
community awareness events and
published op-ed's and advised
community leaders.
As a chair of the community
health and wellness committee,
she's coordinated a team of
three to five fellow
commissioners as they focus on
the health impact of
experiencing homelessness, and
on disparities in mental health
access and quality.
She's contributed to the local
and statewide policies on
eviction by providing, writing
and publishing op-ed's in the
Seattle Times, which has
instigated the Senate bill
5600.
She's honored to continue her
work and advancements in
community conversations through
the commission.
And we also have Marcia Wright
slake.
Marcia has been with the
commission since September
2020.
She was previously chair of
equitable development
committee, focusing on
supporting the policies and
processes that alleviate the
impact on space and
implementing solutions for
housing.
Marcia is looking forward to
her continued work on the
commission and the overall
commission goals to support
post pandemic equitable
recovery for women in Seattle.
>> Thank you very much, Janet,
and these are all folks, as we
know, who have been serving in
their positions already.
Those are reappointments to
them, so we are eager to have
them continue serving the city
in that capacity.
Are there any questions for
Janet about the reappointments?
See none, I move the committee
recommends confirmation of the
appointments 2069 to 2071.
Is there a second?
>> Second.
>> It's been moved and seconded
to recommend confirmation.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Lewis?
Councilmember Lewis?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Yes.
>> And a chair Morales.
>> Yes.
>> That's three in favor, none
opposed.
>> Thank you very much.
The motion carries.
The committee recommendation
that the appointments be
confirmed will be sent to the
December 13th city council
meeting.
Okay.
I think we have two more.
Is that right?
Will the clerk please read the
next item into the record?
>> Agenda item 9, appointment
02079, the reappointment of
April snow as member of the
Seattle disability commission
for a term to October 31st,
2023, for breathing,
discussion, and possible vote.
Councilmember, you are muted.
>> I'll hand it back to you.
>> Thank you.
Just a few words about April
snow.
April has been with the
commission since earlier this
year.
During this time she has had an
interest in advocating for
universal design, to improve
accessibility for everyone
citywide as well as
specifically within commission
meetings and city public facing
events.
She has recently supported the
planning and you will Jubilee
event and nomination event and
is beginning to also support
the annual recruitment of new
commissioners.
She is currently serving and
has been leading with a great
face forward, and really
supporting the rest of the
commission.
She is looking forward to
continuing this work and has
already stepped into leading us
as cochair of the commission.
>> Thank you very much.
Colleagues, any questions or
comments?
Hearing done.
I move that the committee
recommended confirmation of
appointment 2079.
Is there a second?
>> Second.
>> It's been moved and seconded
to recommend confirmation.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Lewis?
Councilmember Lewis?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Yes.
>> And chair Morales?
>> Yes.
>> That's three in favor, none
opposed.
>> The motion carries and the
committee recommendation that
the upper limits be confirmed
will be sent to the December
13th city council meeting.
With the clerk please read item
10 into the record?
>> Agenda item 10, appointment
02077.
Reappointment of Victor Lou as
member of the Seattle LGBTQ
commission for a term to
October 31st, 2023, for
breathing, discussion, and
possible vote.
>> Thanks very much, please go
ahead, Jenna.
>> Thank you.
Victor Lou has been part of the
city of Seattle LGBT commission
since November 2019 and is
currently cochair of the
commission.
Besides his passion to ensure
Asian American and Pacific
islanders -- besides his
passion to serve Asian
Americans and Pacific
islanders, immigrants and
refugees, he also is a great
and active community advocate,
leader for the LGBT community
and homeless, on house, on
sheltered individuals who lack
access and higher disparity.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much, Janet.
Colleagues, any questions or
comments about the appointment
of Victor Liu?
Okay.
In that case I move that the
committee recommend
confirmation of appointment
2077.
Is there a second?
>> Second.
>> It's been moved and seconded
to recommend confirmation of
the appointment.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Lewis?
Councilmember Lewis?
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Yes.
>> And a chair Morales?
>> Yes.
>> That's three in favor and
none opposed.
>> Thank you very much.
The motion carries and the
committee recommendation that
the appointment be confirmed
will be sent to the December
13th city council meeting.
Thank you so much for being
here and for sharing the good
news about all the folks who
are willing to continue serving
the city in these capacities.
Really appreciate you being
here.
>> Thank you, councilmember
Morales.
>> Okay, let's move on.
We do have one agenda item
that is actual legislation, so
will the court please read the
short title for item 11 into
the record?
>> Agenda item 11, counsel Bill
120241, and ordinance relating
to human rights, including
protections against
discrimination based on
citizenship and immigration
status, having a definition of
race for certain purposes and
amending certain sections of
the Seattle municipal code for
breathing, discussion, and
possible vote.
>> Thank you very much.
Colleagues, you'll recall that
in September we did hear
counsel Bill 120180, which
would have incorporated the
addition of citizenship and
immigration status as a
protected class.
We set that aside for budget
and also had some conversation
about adding funding to the
addition.
But I'm going to ask Usha, who
is here with us from central
staff, to walk us through what
we talked about before, some
possible amendments we have
considered, and what we are
doing as the next step.
>> Good morning,
councilmembers.
As chair Morales described, we
did discuss counsel Bill 120180
back in September.
>> So you will see additional
amendments to the sections
around prohibiting
discrimination in public
corporations, the policy around
affirmative action plans,
business license regulations,
code regulations and parts
regulations.
Because of the change in the
sections that were to be
amended, there was a change in
title, which is why you are
seeing a new bill instead of
just amendments to the bill
considered in committee in
September.
So all of that is described by
the social staff member that
was attached to the agenda and
I'm happy to answer any
questions that you all may
have.
>> Thank you, Usha.
In general, this is really
about bringing us into
compliance with some of the
changes that were made.
Thank you for that, for the
memo.
Are there any questions for
Usha or comments on legislation?
Everybody really understands
immigration.
Excellent.
Very good.
In that case, thank you again,
I wash.
If there are no further
remarks, I will move that the
committee recommended passage.
Is there a second?
>> Second.
>> Councilmember Peterson, it's
been moved and seconded to
recommend passage of counsel
Bill 120421.
Will the clerk please call the
role?
>> Councilmember Lewis.
>> Yes.
>> Councilmember Peterson?
>> Yes.
>> And chair Morales?
>> Yes.
>> That's three in favor and
none opposed.
>> Thank you, everyone.
The motion carries and the
committee recommendation that
the bill pass will be sent to
the December 13th Council
meeting.
Colleagues, if there's no
objection, counsel rule 684
relating to referring
legislation to a council
meeting when the committee is
after Thursday at noon is
suspended, allow for referral
of agenda items 1 through 11 to
this Monday, December 13th
Council meeting.
Are there any objections to
that?
Perfect.
Hearing no objection, the rule
is suspended and agenda items 1
through 11 will be referred to
Monday's city council meeting
for final consideration.
I believe that is all.
Okay.
And any other comments or
questions?
I think this was the lightning
round of committee meetings for
the week.
No comments or questions.
Okay.
Thank you, everyone.
I know everybody is eager to
start moving toward the holiday
season, so we will conclude
this meeting of the December
10th 2021 special committee of
the community economic
development committee.
We are adjourned at 10:01.
Thanks, everybody.
>> Thank you.
>> Have a good day.
>> [ Event concluded ]
>> [ Music ]