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-I've really been a bringing-
home-the-bacon councilmember.

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-You know, it's about
getting the nuts and bolts

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of government done.

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-Andrew Lewis is seeking
a second term

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on the Seattle
City Council.

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-Hello, hi.

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-He's facing challenger
Bob Kettle,

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a retired Naval officer
who's impatient for results.

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-It's just gotten worse?
-Yeah.

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-Seattle's District 7
includes downtown,

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Interbay,
East Magnolia,

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and Queen Anne,

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neighborhoods with some
unique problems.

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Will voters grant Andrew Lewis
four more years,

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or favor political-newcomer
Bob Kettle?

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-There's no bigger
public health crisis

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that's facing the city
of Seattle than fentanyl.

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-The candidates face off.

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-We cannot succeed
in public safety

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if we don't also succeed
in public health.

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-The battle
to represent downtown

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and the rest of District 7
on the Seattle City Council,

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next on "City Inside/Out."

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♪♪

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♪♪

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Welcome to this edition
of "City Inside/Out."

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I'm your host,
Brian Callanan.

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The race for Seattle City
Council District 7

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pits incumbent Andrew Lewis

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against retired Naval officer
Bob Kettle.

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Lewis won the primary
in August,

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but was the only incumbent
of the three running

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who earned less
than 50% of the vote.

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Kettle says D7
needs a new leader

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with stronger policies
on public safety,

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but Lewis says he's delivered
in his first term

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on several
top priorities,

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including a new 911
alternative response program.

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And that's just part
of the debate

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in the battle
for District 7.

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-Good morning, everybody.

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-Incumbent Andrew Lewis...

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-Thank you
for your support.

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-...and former Naval officer
Bob Kettle

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are facing off in the race

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for Seattle City Council
District 7,

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from downtown to Interbay

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and Queen Anne
to Southeast Magnolia.

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-We have a lot of work that
we've started in the first term

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that I want to see
to completion.

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-I really think that
we need new leadership.

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-Lewis earned 43%
of the vote

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to win the six-candidate
August primary,

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and is endorsed
by "The Stranger."

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He says responding to every
emergency is his top priority.

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-Whether that be
a Seattle police officer,

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whether that be
a mental health clinician

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through our new 911
alternative response pilot

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that's launching
in October,

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we need to make sure that
that is first and foremost

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the work in front
of the city.

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-Kettle won 32%
of the primary vote

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and is endorsed
by "The Seattle Times."

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His top issue -- hiring more
police to take on crime.

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-Because that really
makes the difference

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in terms of changing
the environment,

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undoing that
permissive environment

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that's been created
by the current city council.

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-Kettle has also criticized
Lewis for his vote

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that led to a three-month delay
in the passage of a new city law

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on drug possession
and public drug use.

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-We lost 105 days,
105 days

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where more people were dying
on the streets from fentanyl

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because we didn't take action
on June 6th.

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-Lewis says his vote
led to a better ordinance

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with broader
political support

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that will have a bigger impact
on Seattle's drug crisis.

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-The time that we have spent
over the summer

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putting those resources in place
was time well-spent.

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-Lewis touts his work
on new funding

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for the Queen Anne
Community Center,

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the reopening
of the Cinerama,

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and the launch of a 911
alternative response program.

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-I have a proven
track record

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of being able to get investments
into District 7.

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-Kettle points to his experience
as an officer in the Navy

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and a community council leader
with a better understanding

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of the many different
people of D7.

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-And bringing that
neighborhood perspective

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to City Hall,
to the City Council,

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will really change
that direction for us.

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-For D7 voters,
it's either an incumbent

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who says he's been an
effective progressive leader

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or a political newcomer who says
the council has failed the test

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of the last four years.

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-I'm well-positioned to be

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in a significant
position of leadership

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00:03:51,133 --> 00:03:53,434
for the people of District 7
in the next term.

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-And unfortunately,

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the character
of the current city council

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and -- dare I say it --
the incumbent has been lacking.

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-And here they are,

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the two candidates
running for District 7

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on Seattle City Council.

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00:04:04,634 --> 00:04:05,968
City councilmember
Andrew Lewis,

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good to have you here.

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And Bob Kettle,
his challenger.

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We had a coin flip
before the show.

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And Bob, you're going
to be speaking first.

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Tell us why you're running
and please keep it to a minute.

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-Well, by way of introduction,
yes, Bob Kettle.

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I'm a retired Naval officer with
a career in Naval intelligence.

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And over the past decade,

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I've been a grad student
at UW Evans School,

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a civic volunteer,
community leader,

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and most importantly,
became a dad.

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I like to point out
to folks, too,

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that I'm not born
and raised here,

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but I did choose Seattle twice
while in the Navy

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and choosing it
for a third time now

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because I believe
in Seattle.

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And the question,
why am I running?

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I'm running because
of my concerns

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over the failures
of the current city council

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00:04:42,534 --> 00:04:44,734
to address the issues
that we're facing as a city.

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You know, public safety,
public health, and homelessness.

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By contrast, I'm looking
to bring leadership

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with a North Star,

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00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,801
leadership with accountability
and transparency,

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and really, a big focus
on good governance.

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We need to have that
listening to all stakeholders.

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You know,
positive engagement

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00:05:01,501 --> 00:05:03,133
and really focusing
on the nuts and bolts

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of local government.

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00:05:04,801 --> 00:05:07,968
And so looking to bring
new leadership,

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not followership,

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and focusing on compassion
and also wisdom.

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-Okay.
-Thank you.

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-Thank you very much
for that.

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Councilmember Lewis, an
opening statement, if you could,

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00:05:16,734 --> 00:05:17,968
and please keep it
to a minute.

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00:05:17,968 --> 00:05:20,501
-Brian, thank you.
It's really good to be here.

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I'm Andrew Lewis,
Seattle City councilmember

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for District 7,

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running for reelection.

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Really excited by a lot
of the things

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we've been able to move forward
over the past four years,

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and really looking
forward now

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00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,467
with the new experience
of being a recent father

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00:05:33,467 --> 00:05:37,167
and having a ten-month-old
daughter with my wife, Laura,

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really building a city

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00:05:39,667 --> 00:05:42,534
that is for the future
of the people coming up,

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like making sure that
people like my daughter

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will be able to aspire
to home ownership,

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making sure that she lives
in a community

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that is clean,
safe and open,

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and that we have
public amenities

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that speak to what we all value
as a Seattleites.

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I'm really proud
in my first term

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of being able
to build coalitions

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to get big things done.

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Biggest renovation
since 1950

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00:06:00,467 --> 00:06:02,133
of the Queen Anne
Community Center.

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Saving the Cinerama

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00:06:03,367 --> 00:06:05,434
and getting it into
nonprofit ownership

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to reopen, hopefully,
this fall.

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Working with my colleagues

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to pass a legacy-building
new investment plan

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in the metropolitan
park district,

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and working
with Mayor Harrell

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to finally create a 911
alternative response

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through the care department.

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And I want to build on that work
in the next four years,

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and that's why I'm running
for reelection.

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-Thank you very much
for that.

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Bob, I'm going
to go to you next

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and break apart some of these
public safety issues.

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You raised some concerns with me
when we talked a few weeks ago

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about your opponent's
recent vote

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00:06:32,934 --> 00:06:35,968
on Seattle's new drug possession
and public drug use ordinance.

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I want you to speak
to that issue,

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and if you could,

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what differentiates you
from councilmember Lewis

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when it comes
to public safety?

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-Well, it's a focus
on the fundamentals, you know,

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and it starts before that.

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It starts with
the defund piece,

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you know, the defund vote
that was taking, you know --

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00:06:50,634 --> 00:06:52,868
taking the selfie
at the CHOP --

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that really created what I call
a permissive environment,

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and the permissive environment
is this piece

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that threads along

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and what allows the criminal set
to take its actions

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00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,934
and cause the public
safety challenges

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00:07:03,934 --> 00:07:05,567
that we're facing today.

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00:07:05,567 --> 00:07:08,000
And you asked about the public
drug use and possession law,

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00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:11,300
you know, the flip-flop
in June on that that bill --

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00:07:11,300 --> 00:07:12,734
which I would have been
a co-sponsor,

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00:07:12,734 --> 00:07:14,434
not just voted for --

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00:07:14,434 --> 00:07:16,334
really kind of
furthered that idea

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00:07:16,334 --> 00:07:17,934
that we don't have
municipal city code

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00:07:17,934 --> 00:07:20,200
lined up with state law,
and it gives that up,

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that furthering
of that environment

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for the criminal set,

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00:07:23,801 --> 00:07:27,367
but also for the random acts
of violence piece,

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you know, that kind of creates
this environment

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where that can be okay
because they feel

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that they're not going
to be held to account

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00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:33,934
because we've lost
so many officers,

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00:07:33,934 --> 00:07:35,901
so many police officers
over the last few years.

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-Mm-hmm. Thank you for that.

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00:07:37,167 --> 00:07:38,567
I want to make sure,
Councilmember Lewis,

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00:07:38,567 --> 00:07:40,968
you respond to something
that Bob has said here.

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00:07:40,968 --> 00:07:42,000
-Yeah, well, you know,

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00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,501
there's no bigger
public health crisis

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00:07:43,501 --> 00:07:46,033
that's facing the city
of Seattle than fentanyl.

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00:07:46,033 --> 00:07:48,868
And we need to have a serious
and mature response

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00:07:48,868 --> 00:07:50,067
to that crisis,

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00:07:50,067 --> 00:07:51,434
which is why we don't
just need a statute --

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00:07:51,434 --> 00:07:52,734
we need a plan.

221
00:07:52,734 --> 00:07:54,167
Working closely
with Mayor Harrell,

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00:07:54,167 --> 00:07:56,033
with public health experts,

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00:07:56,033 --> 00:07:58,634
with people in local
law enforcement,

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00:07:58,634 --> 00:08:02,501
we built a comprehensive plan
not just to pass a statute,

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00:08:02,501 --> 00:08:04,968
but to actually respond
with a sense of urgency

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00:08:04,968 --> 00:08:06,601
to people who are publicly
using drugs,

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00:08:06,601 --> 00:08:08,100
people who are in
the throes of addiction

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00:08:08,100 --> 00:08:09,901
and who need help
and services.

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00:08:09,901 --> 00:08:12,834
Relative to the plan that the
council considered in June,

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00:08:12,834 --> 00:08:15,467
which was very strongly opposed
by public health experts,

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00:08:15,467 --> 00:08:17,300
including a number
of physicians

232
00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:19,801
at the University of Washington
School of Medicine.

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00:08:19,801 --> 00:08:23,300
We worked together
to pair the adaption

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00:08:23,300 --> 00:08:26,701
of a public use misdemeanor
statute with interventions

235
00:08:26,701 --> 00:08:28,601
like a post-overdose
recovery center,

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00:08:28,601 --> 00:08:33,868
with interventions like
having a promulgated guidance

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00:08:33,868 --> 00:08:36,601
to officers around
how to triage people

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00:08:36,601 --> 00:08:39,367
who are in need of
getting diverted treatment,

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00:08:39,367 --> 00:08:41,167
versus people that we might
have to hold accountable

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00:08:41,167 --> 00:08:43,133
in the criminal
legal system,

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00:08:43,133 --> 00:08:47,200
making sure that we are working
on building a broader coalition

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00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,467
that recognizes the legitimacy
of that approach,

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00:08:49,467 --> 00:08:51,400
like the Public
Defender Association,

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00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,334
and bringing some of those
voices to the table

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00:08:53,334 --> 00:08:55,267
to craft the policy.

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00:08:55,267 --> 00:08:57,901
Led to a six-vote
supermajority of passage,

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00:08:57,901 --> 00:09:00,267
support of Mayor Harrell,
support of Chief Diaz.

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00:09:00,267 --> 00:09:02,234
We have a plan that we're
going to move forward on

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00:09:02,234 --> 00:09:03,400
with fentanyl in Seattle.

250
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:04,901
-Got it. Bob,
you raised a hand there.

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00:09:04,901 --> 00:09:05,901
What do you want
to bring up?

252
00:09:05,901 --> 00:09:07,234
-I just wanted to note

253
00:09:07,234 --> 00:09:10,200
that the June 6th bill
would have been in state law,

254
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:11,834
and when the mayor
came out with his bill,

255
00:09:11,834 --> 00:09:14,133
the first thing he said was
he acknowledged that state law

256
00:09:14,133 --> 00:09:16,300
already had provisions
for police officers

257
00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:18,567
to refer for assessment
and services.

258
00:09:18,567 --> 00:09:20,267
So the things that
we're talking about

259
00:09:20,267 --> 00:09:22,133
were already
in that first bill.

260
00:09:22,133 --> 00:09:23,467
And the bill,
the mayor's bill,

261
00:09:23,467 --> 00:09:26,000
also noted that
the public drug use --

262
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,300
fentanyl, for example --
is a clear public threat

263
00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:32,334
to public safety
and public health.

264
00:09:32,334 --> 00:09:33,801
And that's an
important piece.

265
00:09:33,801 --> 00:09:37,467
And so, yes, then the council
came in the amendments,

266
00:09:37,467 --> 00:09:39,934
and then when we start
talking about articulable facts,

267
00:09:39,934 --> 00:09:41,234
that creates
some confusion,

268
00:09:41,234 --> 00:09:43,033
and what's really needed
is clarity,

269
00:09:43,033 --> 00:09:44,834
and that's my concern.

270
00:09:44,834 --> 00:09:46,067
-A quick rejoinder there,
if you could.

271
00:09:46,067 --> 00:09:47,234
-Yeah, I mean,
there's plenty of clarity.

272
00:09:47,234 --> 00:09:48,968
The Chief of Police
supports this bill.

273
00:09:48,968 --> 00:09:52,000
The Seattle Police Officers
Guild even supported this bill.

274
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,000
It was also supported
across the aisle

275
00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,601
by folks like
Councilmember Herbold,

276
00:09:55,601 --> 00:09:57,067
the public safety chair,

277
00:09:57,067 --> 00:10:00,567
and folks like Lisa Daugaard of
the Public Defender Association.

278
00:10:00,567 --> 00:10:02,067
It's a workable standard.

279
00:10:02,067 --> 00:10:03,801
Our police officers
are professionals,

280
00:10:03,801 --> 00:10:06,133
and they can take the guidance
that's being promulgated

281
00:10:06,133 --> 00:10:07,701
by the mayor
and the police chief.

282
00:10:07,701 --> 00:10:10,300
I know as a former prosecutor
that these rules are --

283
00:10:10,300 --> 00:10:12,634
these rules are clear
and provide guidance

284
00:10:12,634 --> 00:10:13,968
that officers will be
familiar with

285
00:10:13,968 --> 00:10:15,367
through their training
experience,

286
00:10:15,367 --> 00:10:17,834
and working together,
we can move forward on this,

287
00:10:17,834 --> 00:10:18,934
and we have a plan

288
00:10:18,934 --> 00:10:20,300
and we're going to get
the work done.

289
00:10:20,300 --> 00:10:21,767
-Thank you.
Bob, I see your hand.

290
00:10:21,767 --> 00:10:22,868
Quickly, if you could.

291
00:10:22,868 --> 00:10:24,234
-One quick thing
is that I'm thankful

292
00:10:24,234 --> 00:10:26,968
that Councilmember Alex Pederson
put his amendment in, too,

293
00:10:26,968 --> 00:10:28,934
in terms of having these
relook opportunities

294
00:10:28,934 --> 00:10:30,968
to make sure that it's doing
what it needs to do.

295
00:10:30,968 --> 00:10:32,734
-Fair. We'll see what happens
with this ordinance

296
00:10:32,734 --> 00:10:33,734
as it moves forward.

297
00:10:33,734 --> 00:10:35,200
But Councilmember Lewis,

298
00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,400
I want to make sure that I talk
with you about 911 alternatives.

299
00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,567
Civilian mental health workers
responding to person down calls,

300
00:10:40,567 --> 00:10:41,634
for example.

301
00:10:41,634 --> 00:10:42,901
Seattle is starting
a pilot program

302
00:10:42,901 --> 00:10:44,267
with this approach
this fall.

303
00:10:44,267 --> 00:10:46,067
You've highlighted this
in your campaign.

304
00:10:46,067 --> 00:10:47,567
Your opponent has not.

305
00:10:47,567 --> 00:10:50,501
Tell us about 911 alternatives
and why they're important.

306
00:10:50,501 --> 00:10:51,534
-Thank you, Brian.

307
00:10:51,534 --> 00:10:52,801
So nationally
coming out of Covid,

308
00:10:52,801 --> 00:10:55,400
we've seen significant
hiring difficulties

309
00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,067
at police departments
all across the country.

310
00:10:58,067 --> 00:10:59,300
You know,
our department is down,

311
00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:01,701
but departments are down
from Fort Worth, Texas,

312
00:11:01,701 --> 00:11:04,434
to Dallas to Saint Louis
to San Diego.

313
00:11:04,434 --> 00:11:07,601
Thurston County was in the news
a couple of weeks ago for this.

314
00:11:07,601 --> 00:11:09,267
What a lot of jurisdictions
are doing

315
00:11:09,267 --> 00:11:11,868
is not only working
to focus on hiring

316
00:11:11,868 --> 00:11:14,133
and retention of officers,
which we've been doing.

317
00:11:14,133 --> 00:11:15,968
You know, we're up to 200
applications a month,

318
00:11:15,968 --> 00:11:19,100
biggest number in two years
for police officers,

319
00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:21,467
but also diversifying
that first response,

320
00:11:21,467 --> 00:11:22,968
making sure that
for certain calls

321
00:11:22,968 --> 00:11:24,834
that don't require a gun
and a badge,

322
00:11:24,834 --> 00:11:26,734
we are sending
a mental health clinician

323
00:11:26,734 --> 00:11:28,334
or we are sending an EMT,

324
00:11:28,334 --> 00:11:31,634
or we are sending
some other professional

325
00:11:31,634 --> 00:11:34,367
who is trained in public health
and de-escalation.

326
00:11:34,367 --> 00:11:36,601
A similar program
in Denver, Colorado,

327
00:11:36,601 --> 00:11:40,300
resulted in a 34% decrease
of criminal activity

328
00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:43,400
and disorder in the focus area
for their pilot.

329
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:44,968
We're running
a similar program here,

330
00:11:44,968 --> 00:11:46,300
where we're going
to send behavioral

331
00:11:46,300 --> 00:11:49,634
mental health clinicians
to respond to calls for service

332
00:11:49,634 --> 00:11:53,534
for people who are in some kind
of behavioral distress,

333
00:11:53,534 --> 00:11:56,367
be it substance abuse
or behavioral mental health.

334
00:11:56,367 --> 00:11:58,367
This is going to free up
police officers

335
00:11:58,367 --> 00:12:00,734
to respond to things
only they can respond to.

336
00:12:00,734 --> 00:12:02,334
It's also going to provide

337
00:12:02,334 --> 00:12:04,300
a more appropriate
type of responder

338
00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:06,801
for those kinds of calls
for service.

339
00:12:06,801 --> 00:12:09,234
It hits the ground this month.
-Yeah, in October.

340
00:12:09,234 --> 00:12:10,434
-In October.

341
00:12:10,434 --> 00:12:12,133
Really looking forward
to getting that done,

342
00:12:12,133 --> 00:12:13,400
and in my next term,

343
00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,400
I want to scale the service
to the entire city.

344
00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:16,567
-Bob, I want
to have you talk

345
00:12:16,567 --> 00:12:17,901
about what the councilmember
is saying

346
00:12:17,901 --> 00:12:20,467
about 911 alternatives
and your thoughts about this.

347
00:12:20,467 --> 00:12:21,501
-I definitely support it.

348
00:12:21,501 --> 00:12:22,834
You know, two things
I will say --

349
00:12:22,834 --> 00:12:24,400
we cannot succeed
in public safety

350
00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,334
if we don't also succeed
in public health,

351
00:12:26,334 --> 00:12:27,767
and public health
goes to this --

352
00:12:27,767 --> 00:12:28,968
we need to build
the capacity.

353
00:12:28,968 --> 00:12:30,234
We need to do it
as a city.

354
00:12:30,234 --> 00:12:31,701
We need to partner
with the county and the state

355
00:12:31,701 --> 00:12:33,734
because the state is responsible
for mental health

356
00:12:33,734 --> 00:12:35,067
and the county's
public health,

357
00:12:35,067 --> 00:12:37,200
so we can't do it alone.

358
00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,067
But I'm also thinking
that I need to note that,

359
00:12:40,067 --> 00:12:42,067
you know,
in my eight years

360
00:12:42,067 --> 00:12:43,601
of the Queen Anne
Community Council,

361
00:12:43,601 --> 00:12:45,367
where I stood up and chaired
the public safety,

362
00:12:45,367 --> 00:12:47,200
you know, I've heard
over the last few years,

363
00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,267
four years, so many times,
like the CAHOOTS program,

364
00:12:50,267 --> 00:12:51,667
but where are we now?

365
00:12:51,667 --> 00:12:54,133
So we've had all this talk,
but again, where are we now?

366
00:12:54,133 --> 00:12:55,567
What does the care
department have

367
00:12:55,567 --> 00:12:57,701
in terms of
alternate responses?

368
00:12:57,701 --> 00:13:00,834
Very little, despite all the
talk over the last four years.

369
00:13:00,834 --> 00:13:03,200
And that's a challenge,
and that's really cost our city,

370
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,234
this inability
to get things done.

371
00:13:05,234 --> 00:13:08,334
And that goes largely
to, you know,

372
00:13:08,334 --> 00:13:10,534
the overall council not being
able to work together.

373
00:13:10,534 --> 00:13:12,100
So we have an opportunity
with this election

374
00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:14,534
to create a new council
that will work together

375
00:13:14,534 --> 00:13:17,200
to actually get these
programs online quicker,

376
00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,067
so then the people on the
streets and others are helped.

377
00:13:20,067 --> 00:13:21,601
-Okay, I want to,
if I could,

378
00:13:21,601 --> 00:13:23,067
move on to another
topic here.

379
00:13:23,067 --> 00:13:24,234
-Actually, Brian,

380
00:13:24,234 --> 00:13:25,334
I want to respond
just really briefly to that.

381
00:13:25,334 --> 00:13:26,801
I mean, I think
that my opponent

382
00:13:26,801 --> 00:13:28,601
has a fundamental
misunderstanding

383
00:13:28,601 --> 00:13:31,100
of what the hindrance
has been

384
00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:33,567
in setting up
the alternative response.

385
00:13:33,567 --> 00:13:36,067
The council has actually
been pretty unanimous

386
00:13:36,067 --> 00:13:37,434
over the course
of the last four years

387
00:13:37,434 --> 00:13:39,834
in supporting a response
of this kind.

388
00:13:39,834 --> 00:13:42,334
The challenge was there
was not significant enthusiasm

389
00:13:42,334 --> 00:13:44,367
from the Durkan
administration for this.

390
00:13:44,367 --> 00:13:45,834
A partner came along
and Mayor Harrell,

391
00:13:45,834 --> 00:13:47,767
Mayor Harrell has been
very dedicated to this work,

392
00:13:47,767 --> 00:13:49,801
worked closely with
the council majority

393
00:13:49,801 --> 00:13:50,934
to get this stood up.

394
00:13:50,934 --> 00:13:52,100
It's a complicated endeavor.

395
00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:53,934
We're getting it done,
but it has nothing to do

396
00:13:53,934 --> 00:13:55,000
with dynamics
on the council.

397
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,067
It had to do with dynamics

398
00:13:56,067 --> 00:13:57,534
between the council
and the mayor.

399
00:13:57,534 --> 00:13:58,934
We have a new mayor
who's a good partner.

400
00:13:58,934 --> 00:14:00,200
We're getting
that work done.

401
00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:01,234
-Quick rejoinder.

402
00:14:01,234 --> 00:14:02,300
-I would say
it's about leadership

403
00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:03,501
that's been missing
on the council,

404
00:14:03,501 --> 00:14:05,901
and I would say with the
incumbent for District 7,

405
00:14:05,901 --> 00:14:08,434
it's the kind of same thing
you hear in "The Seattle Times,"

406
00:14:08,434 --> 00:14:10,534
like, "Oh, we're going
to have tiny homes."

407
00:14:10,534 --> 00:14:11,901
And then we don't.

408
00:14:11,901 --> 00:14:13,901
"We're going to have alternative
responses," then we don't.

409
00:14:13,901 --> 00:14:17,267
So I understand there's
complications and complexities,

410
00:14:17,267 --> 00:14:19,667
but still, it's about
leadership and getting it done.

411
00:14:19,667 --> 00:14:22,234
-Fair. I want to make sure
that I move on to another piece,

412
00:14:22,234 --> 00:14:24,033
and maybe tiny homes
will work its way into this.

413
00:14:24,033 --> 00:14:25,534
Let's talk about
homelessness.

414
00:14:25,534 --> 00:14:28,801
The city data shows District 7
has more unauthorized campsites

415
00:14:28,801 --> 00:14:31,267
and RVs than just about
any other district in the city.

416
00:14:31,267 --> 00:14:33,100
How would you approach
this problem differently

417
00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:34,667
than what the council
is doing now, Bob?

418
00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:37,734
-We need to incorporate
the lessons learned.

419
00:14:37,734 --> 00:14:39,767
I remember again back on
the Queen Anne Community Council

420
00:14:39,767 --> 00:14:41,133
when Mayor Murray
came to --

421
00:14:41,133 --> 00:14:43,901
his team came to the
Queen Anne Council

422
00:14:43,901 --> 00:14:45,534
and gave a briefing on it.

423
00:14:45,534 --> 00:14:48,400
And I was astounded
because the planning was poor.

424
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:49,834
I was like, "This is not
going to work."

425
00:14:49,834 --> 00:14:52,634
The span of control, there was
issues with it from there.

426
00:14:52,634 --> 00:14:53,968
And we've kind of seen
the same thing

427
00:14:53,968 --> 00:14:56,567
with the King County side
with the KCRA.

428
00:14:56,567 --> 00:14:59,801
And so we have to have
this ability to learn

429
00:14:59,801 --> 00:15:02,334
from what's happened
in the past number of years

430
00:15:02,334 --> 00:15:03,467
and then build it forward.

431
00:15:03,467 --> 00:15:04,801
And one of the things
I like --

432
00:15:04,801 --> 00:15:06,801
and I use this as an example --
is the LIHI project

433
00:15:06,801 --> 00:15:10,300
in regarding bringing in RVs
and tiny homes together.

434
00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:11,734
-Low Income Housing Institute.
Keep going.

435
00:15:11,734 --> 00:15:13,167
-Yes, and it's about that --

436
00:15:13,167 --> 00:15:15,734
it's about coming in
and having structure.

437
00:15:15,734 --> 00:15:19,434
It has a perimeter fencing,
it has a gate guard.

438
00:15:19,434 --> 00:15:21,634
It has on-site counseling,

439
00:15:21,634 --> 00:15:23,601
rules regarding
the common areas.

440
00:15:23,601 --> 00:15:26,067
And what it does
is it allows this chance

441
00:15:26,067 --> 00:15:29,000
for those folks in RVs
to then move forward

442
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,434
and then go
into a tiny home,

443
00:15:30,434 --> 00:15:32,701
and this progression is going
to make them more successful

444
00:15:32,701 --> 00:15:34,467
as they look to integrate
with society

445
00:15:34,467 --> 00:15:35,801
and to that next
housing option,

446
00:15:35,801 --> 00:15:37,767
so these are the kind of things
that we need to do,

447
00:15:37,767 --> 00:15:39,734
is build on the lessons learned
of the failures

448
00:15:39,734 --> 00:15:41,234
of the last number
of years,

449
00:15:41,234 --> 00:15:42,934
essentially since '15.

450
00:15:42,934 --> 00:15:44,133
-Councilmember Lewis,
your response

451
00:15:44,133 --> 00:15:45,567
to what Bob's saying
about homelessness

452
00:15:45,567 --> 00:15:46,567
and your approach here?

453
00:15:46,567 --> 00:15:47,834
-I mean,
I'm just really glad

454
00:15:47,834 --> 00:15:50,868
that Bob supports the RV-safe
tiny house village

455
00:15:50,868 --> 00:15:52,334
that I helped fund

456
00:15:52,334 --> 00:15:55,567
and get site security for,

457
00:15:55,567 --> 00:15:57,567
for Low Income
Housing Institute.

458
00:15:57,567 --> 00:16:00,868
I mean, what I would say
to that is, you know,

459
00:16:00,868 --> 00:16:02,067
I actually
don't know, Brian,

460
00:16:02,067 --> 00:16:03,601
if those statistics
are up to date

461
00:16:03,601 --> 00:16:05,534
on encampments
in District 7,

462
00:16:05,534 --> 00:16:07,434
being the district
that has the most,

463
00:16:07,434 --> 00:16:09,501
because we've been doing
a lot of work over the past year

464
00:16:09,501 --> 00:16:11,267
with the Unified Care Team,

465
00:16:11,267 --> 00:16:14,334
a new team that the City Council
and Mayor Harrell have built

466
00:16:14,334 --> 00:16:16,367
to be a one-stop,
no-excuses shop

467
00:16:16,367 --> 00:16:19,567
to go and do outreach and
remediate encampment locations.

468
00:16:19,567 --> 00:16:22,667
43% reduction
in encampments citywide,

469
00:16:22,667 --> 00:16:25,567
35% reduction
in RV encampments.

470
00:16:25,567 --> 00:16:27,634
And it's visible.
I mean, you can see it,

471
00:16:27,634 --> 00:16:29,267
but you can also see
that we still have

472
00:16:29,267 --> 00:16:31,267
the majority of those
RV encampments.

473
00:16:31,267 --> 00:16:34,200
We still have the majority
of those homeless encampments.

474
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,334
But it starts by centering,

475
00:16:36,334 --> 00:16:39,033
gathering that data to map
where all the encampments are,

476
00:16:39,033 --> 00:16:41,100
and then having a team
that has all the resources

477
00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:42,300
integrated in one place,

478
00:16:42,300 --> 00:16:44,300
instead of having
lots of redundant teams.

479
00:16:44,300 --> 00:16:45,801
It's made it more efficient.

480
00:16:45,801 --> 00:16:48,434
It's made it easier for me
as a district councilmember

481
00:16:48,434 --> 00:16:51,567
to work with our assigned
Unified Care Team liaison

482
00:16:51,567 --> 00:16:53,701
to identify priority areas.

483
00:16:53,701 --> 00:16:55,467
And we've worked
with Mayor Harrell

484
00:16:55,467 --> 00:16:58,634
to expand things
like tiny house villages

485
00:16:58,634 --> 00:17:00,767
so that we can make
meaningful offers of shelter

486
00:17:00,767 --> 00:17:02,501
to folks in those
encampments,

487
00:17:02,501 --> 00:17:04,868
clear the encampment,
remediate the location.

488
00:17:04,868 --> 00:17:06,033
That is the proven way

489
00:17:06,033 --> 00:17:07,767
that we make progress
on the encampments,

490
00:17:07,767 --> 00:17:10,234
and that is what I'm going
to continue to advocate for

491
00:17:10,234 --> 00:17:11,734
and work on as a city
councilmember.

492
00:17:11,734 --> 00:17:12,901
-Briefly, Bob.

493
00:17:12,901 --> 00:17:14,267
-Briefly, I'd just
like to add, too,

494
00:17:14,267 --> 00:17:16,133
because it's important
to have a good relationship

495
00:17:16,133 --> 00:17:17,267
with the neighborhoods,

496
00:17:17,267 --> 00:17:19,200
and I would look to have
good neighbor agreements

497
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,334
because they can
come in and support

498
00:17:21,334 --> 00:17:22,934
and also highlight things
like, you know,

499
00:17:22,934 --> 00:17:24,901
with the one we were
just talking about --

500
00:17:24,901 --> 00:17:26,701
there's a preschool
right around the corner,

501
00:17:26,701 --> 00:17:30,167
so we need to work with them
so they have contingency plans.

502
00:17:30,167 --> 00:17:31,200
There's bus stops.

503
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:32,300
We need to be mindful
of those things.

504
00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:35,234
So I definitely support
the concept,

505
00:17:35,234 --> 00:17:36,968
and it's just
each location,

506
00:17:36,968 --> 00:17:39,501
you have to take into account
what's happening around it,

507
00:17:39,501 --> 00:17:41,267
and that's where having
a good neighbor agreement,

508
00:17:41,267 --> 00:17:42,868
where the local
community council,

509
00:17:42,868 --> 00:17:45,534
whatever the organization
may be, is a step forward.

510
00:17:45,534 --> 00:17:46,534
-Thank you for that.

511
00:17:46,534 --> 00:17:47,534
I want to move on,
if I could,

512
00:17:47,534 --> 00:17:48,634
and ask you,
Councilmember Lewis,

513
00:17:48,634 --> 00:17:50,033
a question about housing.

514
00:17:50,033 --> 00:17:53,133
So the council recently approved
an upzone on 3rd Avenue.

515
00:17:53,133 --> 00:17:55,868
The idea is to encourage more
development in this neighborhood

516
00:17:55,868 --> 00:17:57,934
and add a lot more
residential units.

517
00:17:57,934 --> 00:18:00,267
I want to talk about this
and maybe the overall plan

518
00:18:00,267 --> 00:18:01,834
to revitalize downtown.

519
00:18:01,834 --> 00:18:03,133
If you could sneak in
a little bit

520
00:18:03,133 --> 00:18:04,501
about the need
for more housing, too,

521
00:18:04,501 --> 00:18:05,801
that'd be great.

522
00:18:05,801 --> 00:18:07,000
-Yeah, Brian,
thank you so much.

523
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,367
So downtown is going
to have to evolve.

524
00:18:10,367 --> 00:18:13,801
We're not going to be restoring
the pre-COVID status quo

525
00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:14,968
for downtown.

526
00:18:14,968 --> 00:18:16,467
That is not something
that's in the cards.

527
00:18:16,467 --> 00:18:20,767
Downtowns internationally have
shown us that that is the case.

528
00:18:20,767 --> 00:18:23,367
What is before us is looking
at how downtowns --

529
00:18:23,367 --> 00:18:25,100
as a center of culture,
of innovation,

530
00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:27,334
and of commerce
in a metropolitan region --

531
00:18:27,334 --> 00:18:29,467
what they are going
to look like in a world

532
00:18:29,467 --> 00:18:32,934
where return to work is not
quite what it was pre-COVID,

533
00:18:32,934 --> 00:18:36,167
so return to office
was not quite what it was.

534
00:18:36,167 --> 00:18:38,100
That means you need
to figure out a way

535
00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:42,234
to replace a lot of folks
who are daily commuters

536
00:18:42,234 --> 00:18:43,267
to the downtown core.

537
00:18:43,267 --> 00:18:45,133
We had nearly 400,000
daily people

538
00:18:45,133 --> 00:18:46,834
from other parts
of the state

539
00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:48,934
that were coming
into downtown pre-COVID,

540
00:18:48,934 --> 00:18:50,601
and they were
patronizing businesses

541
00:18:50,601 --> 00:18:52,467
and retail and restaurants.

542
00:18:52,467 --> 00:18:54,434
We're not going to have
that again downtown.

543
00:18:54,434 --> 00:18:57,868
No downtown is going to have
that again from commuters,

544
00:18:57,868 --> 00:18:59,334
but we could from residents.

545
00:18:59,334 --> 00:19:00,934
And that's what comes
to this --

546
00:19:00,934 --> 00:19:03,868
where it comes to the subzone
is on the core of 3rd Avenue.

547
00:19:03,868 --> 00:19:05,567
We made a planning decision
a long time ago

548
00:19:05,567 --> 00:19:07,000
that that was only
going to be,

549
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,734
for the most part,
retail and restaurants.

550
00:19:09,734 --> 00:19:12,100
What we are doing as a city
is making a conscious choice,

551
00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:14,501
saying we're going to have
more housing density

552
00:19:14,501 --> 00:19:16,000
in the center
of our downtown

553
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,701
so that we have more residents
who are providing foot traffic.

554
00:19:18,701 --> 00:19:20,934
You know, people on the street
in criminology

555
00:19:20,934 --> 00:19:23,501
are the informal guardians
of our public spaces.

556
00:19:23,501 --> 00:19:25,901
The more people that we have
in the downtown core,

557
00:19:25,901 --> 00:19:27,200
the safer downtown
is going to be,

558
00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,434
the more activated
it's going to be,

559
00:19:28,434 --> 00:19:31,234
the more demand for reopening
our storefronts.

560
00:19:31,234 --> 00:19:33,200
This is how we're going
to bring downtown back.

561
00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,467
By conferring that new value
and that new potential

562
00:19:35,467 --> 00:19:37,467
on those parcels
on 3rd Avenue,

563
00:19:37,467 --> 00:19:39,033
we can enter into
development agreements

564
00:19:39,033 --> 00:19:41,334
to change the streetscape
on 3rd Avenue.

565
00:19:41,334 --> 00:19:43,267
3rd Avenue is going
to physically change.

566
00:19:43,267 --> 00:19:44,868
It's also going
to demographically change

567
00:19:44,868 --> 00:19:46,934
by having a lot more
residents who live there.

568
00:19:46,934 --> 00:19:48,033
-Thank you.

569
00:19:48,033 --> 00:19:49,534
Bob, I want to talk to you
about some ideas

570
00:19:49,534 --> 00:19:51,801
about downtown
revitalization.

571
00:19:51,801 --> 00:19:53,267
Councilmember Lewis mentioned

572
00:19:53,267 --> 00:19:55,801
the numbers of workers not
coming back to the job en masse

573
00:19:55,801 --> 00:19:57,734
as they did
before the pandemic.

574
00:19:57,734 --> 00:19:59,501
Talk to us about
revitalizing downtown.

575
00:19:59,501 --> 00:20:01,968
If you could touch on some
housing, too, that'd be great.

576
00:20:01,968 --> 00:20:04,767
-Yes, and obviously,
with the pandemic,

577
00:20:04,767 --> 00:20:06,400
the pendulum swung
so far over.

578
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:07,801
It's coming back,

579
00:20:07,801 --> 00:20:10,133
and I'd argue it's probably
come back a little bit more,

580
00:20:10,133 --> 00:20:11,734
and so it's still
settling out.

581
00:20:11,734 --> 00:20:14,501
But clearly we have to have
more residents downtown.

582
00:20:14,501 --> 00:20:16,734
We're going to have transitions
from office buildings

583
00:20:16,734 --> 00:20:18,701
to residential buildings.

584
00:20:18,701 --> 00:20:20,267
And I support that,

585
00:20:20,267 --> 00:20:22,701
and really, downtown
also needs to have a voice.

586
00:20:22,701 --> 00:20:25,067
As you know, I mentioned the
Queen Anne Community Council --

587
00:20:25,067 --> 00:20:27,300
these neighborhoods have voices,
but so does downtown.

588
00:20:27,300 --> 00:20:28,501
They need a voice,

589
00:20:28,501 --> 00:20:31,167
and along with the rest
of District 7.

590
00:20:31,167 --> 00:20:33,767
Interesting, too, on this
as I've been downtown

591
00:20:33,767 --> 00:20:36,067
is that we need
to be smart as a city.

592
00:20:36,067 --> 00:20:38,300
Again, good governance is about
taking care of the nuts

593
00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:39,901
and bolts of local government.

594
00:20:39,901 --> 00:20:41,300
So as we move forward,

595
00:20:41,300 --> 00:20:43,434
we have to think,
for example, logistics.

596
00:20:43,434 --> 00:20:44,834
One of the things I've been
hearing on the street

597
00:20:44,834 --> 00:20:48,300
is the inability for
the businesses, the restaurants,

598
00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:50,801
the retail, whatever it is,
in order to do logistics,

599
00:20:50,801 --> 00:20:53,734
have their trucks be able
to come in and out properly.

600
00:20:53,734 --> 00:20:56,667
And so we need to be mindful
as we build these new buildings

601
00:20:56,667 --> 00:20:59,667
to have -- like in the Newmark
building where Target is --

602
00:20:59,667 --> 00:21:01,667
you know, proper
loading docks.

603
00:21:01,667 --> 00:21:03,133
Two words -- loading docks,

604
00:21:03,133 --> 00:21:05,534
very important for logistics
because we need to think it now

605
00:21:05,534 --> 00:21:08,267
because what we can't have
is in a quick rush,

606
00:21:08,267 --> 00:21:10,400
build up buildings,
and the next thing you know,

607
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,667
you know, ten, 20 years
from now, we're, like, lamenting

608
00:21:12,667 --> 00:21:14,100
all the logistic challenges
that we have.

609
00:21:14,100 --> 00:21:15,934
We need to think about
these things ahead of time.

610
00:21:15,934 --> 00:21:16,934
-Thank you.

611
00:21:16,934 --> 00:21:18,234
I'd like to move on,
if I could,

612
00:21:18,234 --> 00:21:20,267
to how the city pays for all
of its different programs

613
00:21:20,267 --> 00:21:22,033
when it comes
to redevelopment, et cetera.

614
00:21:22,033 --> 00:21:23,434
There's a debate
right now underway

615
00:21:23,434 --> 00:21:24,767
within the City Council
about budgeting,

616
00:21:24,767 --> 00:21:26,400
and I want to make sure
I bring this up.

617
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:27,734
Due to declining revenues,

618
00:21:27,734 --> 00:21:31,534
the city faces about
a $250 million deficit in 2025,

619
00:21:31,534 --> 00:21:33,767
almost $500 million
in 2026.

620
00:21:33,767 --> 00:21:36,934
Is the answer increasing
Seattle's JumpStart payroll tax

621
00:21:36,934 --> 00:21:38,701
on bigger companies
like Amazon?

622
00:21:38,701 --> 00:21:39,767
Bob, I want
to throw it out there.

623
00:21:39,767 --> 00:21:41,434
What do you think?

624
00:21:41,434 --> 00:21:44,033
-First, I kind of reject
the premise.

625
00:21:44,033 --> 00:21:45,667
The city has the money.

626
00:21:45,667 --> 00:21:49,133
I spoke -- I got endorsed
by Councilmember Alex Pedersen,

627
00:21:49,133 --> 00:21:52,100
and part of the piece with that
was fiscal responsibility.

628
00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:53,968
And I spoke with him
and he highlighted

629
00:21:53,968 --> 00:21:57,067
that the issue
is not a deficit so much

630
00:21:57,067 --> 00:21:59,334
as the structure of the budget
and where the money is

631
00:21:59,334 --> 00:22:01,567
and the restrictions
on those monies

632
00:22:01,567 --> 00:22:04,501
and how that plays out in terms
of each year as it goes forward.

633
00:22:04,501 --> 00:22:07,634
So the question really is,
do we have a deficit problem --

634
00:22:07,634 --> 00:22:10,067
which I would say no --
but more of a budget problem.

635
00:22:10,067 --> 00:22:11,767
Two -- for two reasons.

636
00:22:11,767 --> 00:22:14,734
One is A, are the programs
that we're paying now

637
00:22:14,734 --> 00:22:16,033
really accomplishing
their mission?

638
00:22:16,033 --> 00:22:18,834
And should we be spending money
on those programs?

639
00:22:18,834 --> 00:22:21,501
Two is, is the structure
of the budget, the silos that --

640
00:22:21,501 --> 00:22:24,567
there's these walls that exist
in the budget process.

641
00:22:24,567 --> 00:22:26,000
A, do they need to be there?

642
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,501
And if they don't,
then, hey,

643
00:22:27,501 --> 00:22:29,567
then we can transfer this money
to the general budget,

644
00:22:29,567 --> 00:22:31,467
and then all of a sudden,
there's no deficit.

645
00:22:31,467 --> 00:22:32,634
-Okay.

646
00:22:32,634 --> 00:22:34,334
Your thoughts about this,
Councilmember Lewis?

647
00:22:34,334 --> 00:22:38,200
-Yeah, there's definitely
a big challenge

648
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:39,834
we need to solve
for the next biennium

649
00:22:39,834 --> 00:22:41,968
in making sure that the city
can pay its bills,

650
00:22:41,968 --> 00:22:44,667
keep the lights on,
keep our workers paid.

651
00:22:44,667 --> 00:22:47,234
What we really need to be
looking at first and foremost

652
00:22:47,234 --> 00:22:49,734
before there's any conversation
of new taxes

653
00:22:49,734 --> 00:22:52,067
is what are we doing
to restructure

654
00:22:52,067 --> 00:22:57,067
and reform the way city
government fundamentally works?

655
00:22:57,067 --> 00:23:00,267
There are lots of departments
that have overlapping mission

656
00:23:00,267 --> 00:23:03,367
and respond to similar requests
for proposals or grantmaking.

657
00:23:03,367 --> 00:23:04,767
Like a lot of departments,
you know,

658
00:23:04,767 --> 00:23:06,167
they don't necessarily
do direct services,

659
00:23:06,167 --> 00:23:08,634
but they do grantmaking.

660
00:23:08,634 --> 00:23:10,734
But all those departments
have their own directors,

661
00:23:10,734 --> 00:23:15,100
their own human resources,
their own support sector.

662
00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:17,167
Looking at ways that
we can consolidate departments,

663
00:23:17,167 --> 00:23:18,834
I think is a really
important part

664
00:23:18,834 --> 00:23:21,033
of how we can do
a restructure.

665
00:23:21,033 --> 00:23:24,434
We also need to look at how we
can realize attritional savings

666
00:23:24,434 --> 00:23:27,300
through the closing
and consolidations

667
00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:29,067
of certain pockets

668
00:23:29,067 --> 00:23:32,534
within these departments of work
that these departments do.

669
00:23:32,534 --> 00:23:36,100
Strategies like this are how the
City Council saved $60 million

670
00:23:36,100 --> 00:23:38,100
in the last biennium.

671
00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:41,000
We can build on that work.
We can do more of that.

672
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,834
We also do need
to look at making

673
00:23:42,834 --> 00:23:44,767
some of the support
from the JumpStart tax,

674
00:23:44,767 --> 00:23:46,534
in particular,
for the general fund.

675
00:23:46,534 --> 00:23:48,000
Those have been
temporary transfers

676
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,300
in the last couple
of budgets.

677
00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,267
We do need to make
a portion of that permanent

678
00:23:51,267 --> 00:23:52,501
to support this work,

679
00:23:52,501 --> 00:23:55,133
but only after exhausting
all of these measures

680
00:23:55,133 --> 00:23:57,667
should we have a discussion
about any kind of new revenue.

681
00:23:57,667 --> 00:23:59,000
-Bob, briefly.

682
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,167
Just building on that,
you know, outdoor billing.

683
00:24:01,167 --> 00:24:03,868
I'm talking to a developer,
a non-profit developer,

684
00:24:03,868 --> 00:24:05,968
and she's talking about
a project that's been stalled.

685
00:24:05,968 --> 00:24:07,400
It's over 200 units.

686
00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,801
And she's like,
"The stalling has created" --

687
00:24:09,801 --> 00:24:12,133
changing this
from affordable housing

688
00:24:12,133 --> 00:24:14,267
to a market essentially.

689
00:24:14,267 --> 00:24:17,601
And what she's talking about
was the working of SDCI

690
00:24:17,601 --> 00:24:18,968
and City Light
and so forth together.

691
00:24:18,968 --> 00:24:21,267
So it's almost like
we need a JustCAREs project

692
00:24:21,267 --> 00:24:23,300
to help these projects
move along.

693
00:24:23,300 --> 00:24:25,968
If we brought JustCAREs
to this area of government,

694
00:24:25,968 --> 00:24:28,567
we can actually make affordable
housing affordable

695
00:24:28,567 --> 00:24:31,501
as opposed to having delays,
which then make it unaffordable.

696
00:24:31,501 --> 00:24:33,901
-Thank you. We need to start
getting towards the end here,

697
00:24:33,901 --> 00:24:35,300
but I did want to see --

698
00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:37,567
is there an issue that you could
cover in 30 seconds, I hope,

699
00:24:37,567 --> 00:24:39,200
that might be one
that's not in the headlines

700
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:40,234
we've talked about here?

701
00:24:40,234 --> 00:24:42,701
Bob, might I start
with you?

702
00:24:42,701 --> 00:24:43,968
-I'm always hearing, again,

703
00:24:43,968 --> 00:24:45,968
back on canvasing
and door-knocking

704
00:24:45,968 --> 00:24:49,567
is public safety
and homelessness first.

705
00:24:49,567 --> 00:24:51,601
But I do hear about
transportation, for example.

706
00:24:51,601 --> 00:24:53,067
There's a lot
of transportation issues.

707
00:24:53,067 --> 00:24:55,968
District 7, we have six bridges
just in Interbay

708
00:24:55,968 --> 00:24:57,033
that we have to be
mindful of,

709
00:24:57,033 --> 00:24:59,534
never mind Ballard
and Aurora Bridge.

710
00:24:59,534 --> 00:25:02,400
But I like to say as well
that it's important

711
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:03,734
that part of the campaign

712
00:25:03,734 --> 00:25:06,234
is this idea
of building community,

713
00:25:06,234 --> 00:25:08,634
and tenants of this include,
like, the libraries.

714
00:25:08,634 --> 00:25:09,767
We need to support
the libraries

715
00:25:09,767 --> 00:25:11,167
because they're
community centers, too.

716
00:25:11,167 --> 00:25:14,467
And the arts, as we talked about
at the Inspire Washington event.

717
00:25:14,467 --> 00:25:15,667
-Yeah. Very important.

718
00:25:15,667 --> 00:25:17,300
Thank you for that.
Briefly, if you could.

719
00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:21,167
-Yeah, I think one thing that's
not really talked a lot about

720
00:25:21,167 --> 00:25:23,100
of the accomplishments
of the current council

721
00:25:23,100 --> 00:25:24,868
and working
with Mayor Harrell

722
00:25:24,868 --> 00:25:26,400
is the work that we did
generally

723
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,167
on the metropolitan
park district.

724
00:25:28,167 --> 00:25:30,467
The investments that
are in the six-year cycle

725
00:25:30,467 --> 00:25:31,767
are going to be significant

726
00:25:31,767 --> 00:25:34,000
and make a really big
difference in the community,

727
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,100
and I think it partly hasn't
gotten a lot of coverage

728
00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:38,200
because nothing went
by the wayside

729
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:39,467
in putting that together.

730
00:25:39,467 --> 00:25:43,033
You know, we navigated it
to an eight-one vote,

731
00:25:43,033 --> 00:25:44,801
broad support from business
and from the community,

732
00:25:44,801 --> 00:25:46,534
but it's going to open up
all of the bathrooms

733
00:25:46,534 --> 00:25:47,934
in our parks
to be year-round.

734
00:25:47,934 --> 00:25:49,534
We're going to weatherize
a lot of those bathrooms.

735
00:25:49,534 --> 00:25:52,033
We're going to increase
our park rangers from two to 28

736
00:25:52,033 --> 00:25:55,367
to make sure that rules
are enforced in our parks,

737
00:25:55,367 --> 00:25:56,968
and it's going to make
a big difference

738
00:25:56,968 --> 00:25:58,601
to make sure our parks
are clean, safe and open,

739
00:25:58,601 --> 00:26:01,067
and it's something that we can
all be proud of as Seattleites.

740
00:26:01,067 --> 00:26:02,334
-Thank you.
We need to wrap up.

741
00:26:02,334 --> 00:26:03,634
I want to talk about
a few things here with you,

742
00:26:03,634 --> 00:26:04,934
Bob, as we do.

743
00:26:04,934 --> 00:26:08,334
Your campaign has raised
$179,000 as of early October.

744
00:26:08,334 --> 00:26:09,868
I want you to talk about
who's supporting you --

745
00:26:09,868 --> 00:26:11,934
maybe the top three endorsers,
if you could --

746
00:26:11,934 --> 00:26:14,968
and just a last message
you want voters to know about.

747
00:26:14,968 --> 00:26:16,868
-We're capped out,
so we're at the cap, right?

748
00:26:16,868 --> 00:26:17,934
-Got it.

749
00:26:17,934 --> 00:26:18,934
-So that's the first --
number one,

750
00:26:18,934 --> 00:26:19,934
and in terms
of endorsements,

751
00:26:19,934 --> 00:26:22,367
obviously,
"Seattle Times" -- huge.

752
00:26:22,367 --> 00:26:25,067
Also on the labor side,
Local 27, the firefighters,

753
00:26:25,067 --> 00:26:29,400
and we just had IBEW 77
electrical workers endorse us.

754
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,133
And then going with that is
the triple play of endorsements

755
00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:35,734
coming from Councilmember
Sara Nelson first,

756
00:26:35,734 --> 00:26:38,167
then Council President
Deborah Juarez,

757
00:26:38,167 --> 00:26:39,567
and then Councilmember
Alex Pedersen.

758
00:26:39,567 --> 00:26:41,534
Those three really
make a statement.

759
00:26:41,534 --> 00:26:43,133
-Okay. Thank you
very much for that.

760
00:26:43,133 --> 00:26:44,801
And just to finish up here,
you get the last word.

761
00:26:44,801 --> 00:26:46,634
If you could talk about
your endorsements as well.

762
00:26:46,634 --> 00:26:50,067
Your campaign has raised
just over $164,000.

763
00:26:50,067 --> 00:26:51,734
Talk to us about that
and who's supporting you,

764
00:26:51,734 --> 00:26:52,734
your top three.

765
00:26:52,734 --> 00:26:53,801
-Brian, thank you.

766
00:26:53,801 --> 00:26:55,100
It's been really good
to be here today.

767
00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:56,734
I'm really, really honored
to have the endorsement

768
00:26:56,734 --> 00:26:58,968
of my friend,
Attorney General Bob Ferguson,

769
00:26:58,968 --> 00:27:01,267
who's been a great
public safety leader

770
00:27:01,267 --> 00:27:03,934
and a great leader
here in Washington.

771
00:27:03,934 --> 00:27:05,133
Really, really proud
to be endorsed

772
00:27:05,133 --> 00:27:06,834
by the Martin Luther King
Labor Council

773
00:27:06,834 --> 00:27:09,567
as someone with a long history
of being in labor unions

774
00:27:09,567 --> 00:27:11,868
and fighting
for working people.

775
00:27:11,868 --> 00:27:13,767
And it's really great
to be endorsed

776
00:27:13,767 --> 00:27:15,601
by my home
legislative district

777
00:27:15,601 --> 00:27:17,701
and in the 36th district
Democrats,

778
00:27:17,701 --> 00:27:19,133
and be the only candidate
endorsed

779
00:27:19,133 --> 00:27:21,801
by Democratic Party
organizations in this race.

780
00:27:21,801 --> 00:27:24,400
And I'm going to continue
to bring that coalition together

781
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,667
with unlikely allies,
like not an endorsement,

782
00:27:27,667 --> 00:27:31,901
but being rated
as strongly aligned

783
00:27:31,901 --> 00:27:33,834
by the Downtown
Seattle Association.

784
00:27:33,834 --> 00:27:35,334
That's the kind of coalition
you bring together

785
00:27:35,334 --> 00:27:36,667
to get big things done,

786
00:27:36,667 --> 00:27:37,934
and I'm going to continue
to get big things done

787
00:27:37,934 --> 00:27:39,300
for the people
of District 7.

788
00:27:39,300 --> 00:27:40,601
-Thank you both
for joining me here,

789
00:27:40,601 --> 00:27:42,067
and we will be right back.

790
00:27:43,234 --> 00:27:45,901
What are people saying online
about the two candidates

791
00:27:45,901 --> 00:27:48,300
for Seattle City Council
District 7?

792
00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:49,767
One person writes --

793
00:27:56,601 --> 00:27:58,300
Another person comments --

794
00:28:03,734 --> 00:28:05,567
We'd like to know
what you think.

795
00:28:05,567 --> 00:28:08,801
Send us an email at
contact@seattlechannel.org,

796
00:28:08,801 --> 00:28:10,834
or find us on social media.

797
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:13,734
Coming up next week,

798
00:28:13,734 --> 00:28:15,667
the race to replace
Alex Pederson

799
00:28:15,667 --> 00:28:18,200
in Seattle City Council
District 4.

800
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,601
Two attorneys --
tech consultant Ron Davis

801
00:28:20,601 --> 00:28:22,868
and city hall veteran
Maritza Rivera

802
00:28:22,868 --> 00:28:25,267
face off on the next
"City Inside/Out."

803
00:28:25,267 --> 00:28:26,601
I hope you join us.

804
00:28:26,601 --> 00:28:36,601
♪♪

805
00:28:36,601 --> 00:28:43,234
♪♪