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We're here

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to celebrate the oath of office
of the city's newest director of Seattle's

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Office of Planning and Community
Development, Rico Quirindongo

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As our city prepares to grow

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and change over the next several decades.

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Quite candidly, we need the best
talent in steering us through this work.

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People who not only are bold
and visionary, but people

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who are the masters at listening
and tracking people, understanding

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what their pain points might be,
what their anxieties could be.

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This is a special skill set
that not many people are blessed to have.

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Rico clearly has demonstrated
to our administration, me personally,

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that you are a master at those types
of incredible interpersonal skills

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and substance of abilities
as an architect or a planner

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to help people find or quite frankly,
their own brilliance

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and in the conversation without demeaning
them or denigrating them.

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Your qualifications are rooted
in your depth

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and breadth of experience in the private,
public and academic sectors.

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And I'm not even looking at them,

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but I see family over there
with Don and his wife, and then I see him

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over here saying, So you got
you got community out here.

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I scoped the crowd

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and I jokingly say that
because I knew in the private sector

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that the reputation you developed
as a city director of being empathetic,

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being caring, being smart,

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precedes you in the private sector.

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And and that's a lifetime
of professional work

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that you've done, interfacing with people.

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Here's what a few other
people have said about you,

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that you're a lousy cook. No, I didn't.

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I'm just
it doesn't say anything about that.

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But it says at his core,
Rico is a servant leader who uplifts.

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Can you cook, by the way? I've just said,

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okay.

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All right.

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Kate had just sort of
let that and I don't know why I said that.

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It just epiphany here is a servant leader

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who uplifts the voices of community
to inform Seattle's growth.

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He is respected, approachable,
a leader with a positive

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disposition and strong personal integrity.

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He is truly committed to serving Seattle's

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culturally diverse communities
through reinvesting in neighborhoods

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and addressing disproportionate impact
from Seattle's history.

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He consistently demonstrates
selfless selflessness

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through his mentorship of both students
and his peers, giving him

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giving his time, expertise and knowledge.

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He is relentless in these pursuits.

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The one thing that we're dealing with,
particularly

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you saw it in the industrial land strategy
and our long term

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planning that you and your
team have led with excellence

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is that there

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are no right or wrong answers
in this kind of work that you do.

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People just want that that clarity,
that this is the right thing to do.

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There's no right or wrong.

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This is policy driven.

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But you clearly and consistently
demonstrate the North Star

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and to look at those who are impacted

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and to do the research
about what's happening

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in other cities and other parts
of this country that make sense,

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That's leadership, quite honestly,

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point of personal privilege
that I think many of you know.

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You've had some personal

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health challenges that we've talked about.

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And I think

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your courage and your commitment
and that of your family

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being a person of faith myself, that

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we all believe in you
and we believe that you have so much work

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for us to do together
that you are consistent and demonstrate

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the kind of commitment and courage
to help us all get through this with you.

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And we're confident
that on when this is behind us,

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we'll remember this day on 7/11
where we reaffirmed our commitment to you

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and the energy
that we have to give to you.

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And your lovely
wife is here with open arms.

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We're with you

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and this with the council's confirmation.

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And I think the other city colleagues here
supporting you, all of them

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are here for you,
not at all here, but I just

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you know, I got to have focused

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that in all seriousness.

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You got warriors and prayers
and faith leaders behind you.

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And this is a great sort of icing
on the cake as you

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finish three legs back into what
we'll consider normalcy.

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We love you, respect you.

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And having said that,
we're going to go through the formal piece

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of this oath of office.

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But I want to take

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a little personal privilege to say
that I admire you and I respect you.

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I like him, but I admire

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I love you.

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Okay. Well, I'll trump that one there.

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Okay.

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Here we go.

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So once again,
we're going to go through the four.

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I love you.

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I'm living in a world
where you have to watch.

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Every word you say is
there's always a camera on.

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So I got it. Now,
what did I it was that joke bad?

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Is that okay? So here's how we it.

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So, Shirin,
we're going to ask you to come up again,

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and the ceremonial pin
will be fixed by his wife, Kate Dean.

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Come on up.

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Repeat after me.

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I Rico Quirindongo

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I Rico Quirindongo

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Swear or affirm.

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Swear.

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That I possess all of the qualifications.

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That I possess.

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All the qualifications.

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Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

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Prescribed in the Seattle City of Seattle.

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Charter and the Seattle Municipal Code.

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And the Seattle Municipal Code.

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For the position of the Director

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of the Office of Planning and Community
Development

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For the position of the Director
of the Office of Planning

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and Community Development.

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That I will support the Constitution
of the United States.

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That I will support the Constitution
of the United States.

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The Constitution
of the State of Washington.

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The Constitution
of the State of Washington.

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And the Charter
and ordinances of the City of Seattle.

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And the Charter
and the ordinances of the City of Seattle.

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And that I will faithfully conduct myself.

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And that I will
faithfully conduct myself as.

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The director of the Office
of Planning and Community Development.

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As the proud Director of the Office
of Planning Experience Development.

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Congratulations.

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I am not as smooth as AP,

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I actually had to write it down.

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Thank you,
Mayor Harrell, for your leadership

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and your vision
and your really kind comments to me.

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I got all weepy over there.

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I appreciate the work
I've been able to do with councilmembers

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these last couple of years,
building a great working relationship.

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I want to thank my fellow Cabinet members

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and congratulations to you, sir.

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Cabinet members who support me
and who I get to collaborate

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with on the every day.

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It's a really wonderful team.

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I want to thank my staff
where I have their I.

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I want to thank my staff
who has been amazing in bringing me

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into the fold of the Office of Planning
Community Development and who really are

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like the experts in the work, thought
leaders and really invested in community.

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And I want to thank
my friends and colleagues and thank you

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and others who were able to come today,

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who've always been here for me.

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I want to thank parents
who couldn't be here today.

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And I especially want to take my wife,
Commissioner Kate in Jefferson County

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for your strength, your love and steadfast

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support of me in hard times
and in good times.

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I'm we have a lot of work
to do at the city

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to make for a more equitable landscape

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through our comprehensive plan,
our one Seattle plan work.

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We need to ensure that everyone
has a voice, regardless of where they live

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in the city, regardless of what,
what level of income they make,

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regardless of the color of their skin
and the nature of their heritage.

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We need to ensure that everyone that works
in the city of Seattle

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can earn a living wage.

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We need to ensure that for anyone
that chooses to

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or wants to live in the city of Seattle,

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that they have access
to an affordable place to live,

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whether they are renting or buying
and regardless of their level of income,

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we need to right the wrongs of our past,
including our history,

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our terrible history of redlining,
racial covenants and other racial

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racist land use policies that were built
into the regulatory framework

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for who was allowed to acquire property
and own a home in the city.

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We must support our tribal partners
and our urban indigenous organizations

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to ensure
that the first people of the city

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are able to be seen and be celebrated
and are able to live in comfort and pride

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with the rich cultural traditions

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that are so grounded in the care of
family, community and place.

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We must create opportunities for our bipoc
families

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and business owners across the city
to build generational wealth

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through our programs in obesity.

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Our One Seattle Plan,
the Industrial Maritime Strategy,

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our Equitable Development Initiative

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to our our stationary

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planning,
our downtown Seattle area plan work

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and through our partnership with community

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are our collaborations
with our fellow citizens

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offices and departments

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and our leadership
with the Mayor's office.

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We're invested in all of these visions

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and intended outcomes
for all Seattle residents

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leading with equity.

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We are making certain
that whatever policy work

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and community investments that we make
as a department and as a city,

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that we do them in such a way
that we are raising all boats,

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improving the places that people live,
work and play, and that we are giving

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voice and power
to those that have been traditionally

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unseen and under supported.

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I am grateful for this job,

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for the opportunity
to serve this city and my community.

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Thank you, Mayor.

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Thank you, Rico.

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So so in closing and stick around,
we have this room

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rented for another 20-30 minutes
so you don't have to go anywhere.

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I want to thank members of my executive
team, the deputy mayors that are here.

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You didn't have to be here,
but you knew the importance,

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particularly of these two portfolios
which are so significant in our city.

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I want to thank other
Cabinet members again.

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I see you.

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I see you supporting your colleagues.

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And again,
I don't mandate that anyone comes.

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But when you do things
that you don't have to do because

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it's the right thing to do,
that's where the magic happens.

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I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the fact
that one thing I look for

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as a mayor are people that have true
lived experiences.

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You talk about equity,
but my guess would be

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that the two of you
have experienced exclusion,

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disrespect, microaggressions,

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all of the things that that occur when

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you are trying to find your sea legs
in this world as a child.

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And now as young men,

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because you're young men to me.

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And it's that kind of tenacity
and commitment and competitiveness

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that I think make you great leaders.

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And together

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we're going to do for and with this city
the things that need to be done.

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And to the spouses.

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Thank you that when they come home

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and they're whining about me,

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never.

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Okay in all situations.

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Thank you for being the
the great partners that you are.

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And I know that

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just because it was in my notes, by
the way, I knew that in all seriousness,

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thank you for being there, their rock.
And with that, it's been a great day.

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We'll remember this day 7/11 all star

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Tuesday we got our two All-Stars.

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Thank you very much.