>> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH. >> PRESENT. >> COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. CHAIR NELSON. >> PRESENT. >> FIVE PRESENT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, FOLKS, THIS IS OUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE YEAR, AND BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH APPROVING OF THE AGENDA, I WANT TO THANK MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ALL OF YOU, FOR YOUR DEEP ENGAGEMENT AND HARD WORK ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS YEAR AND THE MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER. SO, AS I LOOK BACK ON WHATWHAT DONE TOGETHER, I WANT TO ELEVATE THREE THINGS THAT I THINK HAVE HAD AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFICIAL IMPACTS. SO, FIRST WOULD BE THE ADOPTION OF COUNCIL BILL 120766 ON APRIL 16th TO IMPROVE SPD OFFICER RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESSES. AND I WON'T GO INTO ALL THE THINGS THAT THAT BILL EFFECTUATED, BUT ONE THING WAS ADDING A STAFFER SO THAT ANYONE WHO APPLIED TO SPD WOULD GET A PERSONALIZED RESPONSE FROM A HUMAN BEING WITHIN 48 HOURS, SAYING, THANK YOU FOR APPLYING TO THE -- TO SPD AND, YOU KNOW, AND SORT OF ESTABLISHING A, LATER ON, A POINT OF CONTACT AND THAT IS WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE THAT FIRST CONTACT, BECAUSE WE'RE COMPETING WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT THOSE APPLICANTS MAY HAVE APPLIED TO. SO, I WOULD SAY THAT THE EVIDENCE THAT THE CHANGES MANDATED IN THAT BILL COMBINED WITH THE UPDATED CONTRACT, WHICH BROUGHT SPD OFFICER SALARIES BACK INTO COMPETITIVE RANGES WITH NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS, EVIDENCE THAT THAT'S WORKING IS CLEAR IN THE FACT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2020, THERE WAS A NET POSITIVE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HIRES IN THE LAST REPORT. AND SO, THAT IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. I DON'T THINK IT WAS VERY MANY. I BELIEVE IT WAS LESS THAN FIVE, BUT WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO BUT THAT IS STILL A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND I'VE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT BRINGING STAFFING LEVELS UP IN SPD IS A -- IS THE SINGLE MOST OR ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES THAT WE'VE STILL GOT GOING ON IN OUR CITY. SO -- AND MY VICE CHAIR WAS THE CO- SPONSOR OF THAT, SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN. ALL RIGHT, THE SECOND THING IS NOT A PIECE OF LEGISLATION BUT RATHER THE AUDIT THAT WAS PRESENTED IN COMMITTEE ON JULY 11th ON THE OVERLAP OF CONCENTRATIONS OF OVERDOSES AND CRIME AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH BOTH. AND THIS PRESENTATION GOT A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION. THERE WERE -- THERE WAS A FULL TABLE OF STAKEHOLDERS, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, AT THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT ASPECTS OF THAT AUDIT, AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE SAW THE NOTION, ONE OF THE CENTRAL RECOMMENDATIONS OR THESES OF THAT AUDIT IS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A PLACE- BASED APPROACH TO CRIME AND TO PROBLEM-SOLVING IN GENERAL, AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, WE HEARD MENTION OF THAT PHRASE IN THE MEDIA, WE ALSO SAW THAT APPROACH REPLICATED IN THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED LATER THAT YEAR. AND ALSO, I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY THE MOMENT WHEN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, HEAD OF PUBLIC SAFETY, NATALIE WALTON ANDERSON, RAISED HER HAND AND IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE CHAMPION THAT WOULD RIGHT HERD ON ALL THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND SINCE THEN, WE HAVE SEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION PLAN, WHICH IS IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, PRIMARILY THAT AGENCIES HAVE TO BE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS HAVE TO BE COORDINATED IN HOW THEY ADDRESS ISSUES DOWNTOWN, AND SO THAT IS -- I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE FORMATION OF THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION PLAN AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED PROGRESS DOWNTOWN. SO, THAT WAS IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT WE SORT OF SET THE STAGE FOR SOME OF THE GOOD, POSITIVE CHANGE THAT CAN PROCEED IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. AND THEN, FINALLY, THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS THE MUSIC VENUE PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM. THE COMMITTEE PASSED COUNCIL BILL 120827 ON SEPTEMBER 12th , AND THEN COUNCIL PASSED IT UNANIMOUSLY ON SEPTEMBER 24th. AND AGAIN, IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THIS NEW PROGRAM PROVIDES FOR -- IT PROVIDES FOR THE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH A COUPLE PARKING SPACES IN FRONT OF QUALIFYING MUSIC VENUES SO THAT MUSICIANS AND EITHER TOURING OR LOCAL MUSICIANS HAVE A PLACE TO PARK THAT IS SECURE AND CONVENIENT, AND THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE WOULD -- THAT SEATTLE IS BEING BYPASSED FOR LACK OF THIS -- IT'S NOT AN AMENITY, IT'S A NECESSITY FOR BEING ABLE TO ENSURE THAT MUSICIANS ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR EQUIPMENT IN AND OUT OF THE VENUE AND BE ABLE TO PARK THERE FOR THE LENGTH OF THE SHOW. SO, THAT HAS HAD AN IMMEDIATE -- THAT WILL HAVE AN IMMEDIATE, TANGIBLE BENEFIT FOR ARTISTS AND THE NIGHT LIFE SECTOR, AND CREATIVE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE. BUT I THINK THAT, I DON'T KNOW, MORE -- NOT NECESSARILY MORE IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF FIRST OF ALL, WHY WE NEED COMMISSIONS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO TELL THE CITY WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT WOULD HELD REPRESENTATIVE, BUT IT'S ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF THE CITY LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF A SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY AND REALLY TRYING TO MAKE WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR A REALITY, AND THAT HAD BEEN -- THE MUSIC COMMISSION HAD BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THAT FOR ABOUT -- OVER TEN YEARS, AND WE FINALLY MADE IT HAPPEN. I SORT OF PUSHED WORK WITH SDOT AND VOILA, WE NOW WILLWILL THESE PARKING PLACES AVAILABLE FOR OUR ARTISTS, AND THAT WILL -- BUT I WANT TO ALSO NOTE THAT THE -- THE LEGISLATION REQUIRES THAT SDOT CONDUCT DEEP AND SUSTAINED OUTREACH WITH OTHER USERS OF LIMITED CURB SPACE AND PARKING SPACES ALONG THE BLOCK SO THEY WON'T GO JUST IN AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER BUSINESSES ORGANIZATIONS AND USES ALONG THAT BLOCK. BUT ANYWAY, THREE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE DID REALLY, REALLY WELL, AND I AM SURE THAT I'M OMITTING SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ALSO APPRECIATED BY OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS -- THIS COMMITTEE HAS A LOT ON ITS PLATE. IT'S GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I THINK WE HAVE BALANCED OUR TIME. TODAY, WE WILL HAVE A BRIEFING DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE ON THREE APPOINTMENTS AND ONE REAPPOINTMENT TO THE DOMESTIC WORKER STANDARDS BOARD AND THEN A BRIEFING DISCUSSION AND A POSSIBLE VOTE ON COUNCIL BILL, LET'S SEE, I'M NOT HAVING -- I DON'T HAVE THE FULL NUMBER HERE -- ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT BEFORE US, AND IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED. HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. LET ME READ THE FULL NUMBER OF THAT COUNCIL BILL. IT'S 120925. WITH THAT, WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THOSE AGENDA ITEMS. CLERK, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY? >> WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP IN PERSON, ONE PERSON ONLINE. >> ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY TWO MINUTES, AND WE'LL START WITH THE TWO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. >> THE FIRST IN- PERSON SPEAKER IS ALEX TSIMERMAN. >> OKAY. >> NAZI FASCIST. >> STOP. YOUR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE CONSTITUTES DISRUPTIVE FAILURE AS IS YOUR FAILURE TO SPEAK YOU KNOW, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE HAVE -- I HAVE CALLED ATTENTION TO THAT ABUSIVE LANGUAGE, AND I -- THIS IS A WARNING, AND THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS, I WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER SOME EXCLUSION FROM COUNCIL PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU'RE WELCOME TO PROCEED WITH NONABUSIVE LANGUAGE ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. GO AHEAD, PLEASE. >> LET ME KNOW. WRITE TO ME WHAT IS A -- I WILL TALK IN EVERYTHING. WHAT IS YOUR RIGHT? >> PLEASE RUN THE -- GO AHEAD. RUN THE TIMER. GO AHEAD AND USE YOUR TIME. >> SO, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY. FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, I, ALEX TSIMERMAN, TOGETHER WITH MY FRIEND, DONALD TRUMP, TALKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT. THIS TOO MANY PLACES IN GOVERNMENT WHAT HAS BECOME. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE GIVE YOU CLASSIC EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW WHAT IS MEANT FOR 20 YEARS, YOU TERRORIZE ME IN PRACTICALLY EVERY MEETING. EVERY MEETING. >> WHAT IS THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO, PLEASE? >> EXACTLY, I SPEAK ABOUT GOVERNMENT. IT'S -- THIS IS NUMBER ONE. RIGHT NOW, YOU TERRORIZE MORALES. SO, WHAT HAS HAPPENED NOW? YOU ARE REAL BANDITA, REAL NAZI. TERRORIZE ME, IT'S OKAY. BUT WHY YOU TERRORIZE MORALES? MY PROPOSITION TO YOU, VERY SIMPLE RIGHT NOW, SHE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINION, I HAVE DIFFERENT OPINION. PROBABLY THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE -- >> YOU ARE NOW WARNED AGAIN THAT YOU ARE IN -- THAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE IN VIOLATION OF OUR COUNCIL RULES. >> WHAT IS RULES YOU TALKING? BRING THIS RULE TO POWER. FIVE YEAR AGO, I REMEMBER, THIS -- IN PIECE OF GARBAGE, ANOTHER WOMAN. I REMEMBER THIS RULES. YOU BRING THIS NEW RULES FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO. IS THIS EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS? ALEX TSIMERMAN RULES. WHY YOU TALKING ABOUT? SO, I DEMAND -- PEOPLE LIKE MORALES AND ALEX TSIMERMAN CAN COME WITH DIFFERENT OPINION AND SPEAK ONE TIME PER WEEK FOR THREE MINUTES. THOUSAND PEOPLE -- >> IF YOU DO NOT -- >> YOU NOT SHAME BE A NAZI. YOU DON'T SHAME BE A FASCIST. YOU CAN DO IT PUBLICLY DOING THIS AND TALKING ABOUT -- >> HAVE YOUR SEAT. >> YOU ARE STUPID NAZI PIG. >> THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ALBERTO ALVAREZ. >> HELLO. 200,000 SEATTLE VOTERS DEMAND THE INVESTOR CLASS PAY INTO THE CITY BUDGET WITH A PROGRESSIVE TAX. 300,000 SERDENED WITH HIGHER AN HIGHER RENTS. LEAVING LITTLE TO SPEND LOCALLY. 400,000 SEATTLE WORKERS SPEND FOUR, FIVE, OR SIX HOURS OF COMMUTE TIME EVERY WEEK, EFFECTIVELY PAYING A WORKERS' TAX THAT SUBSIDIZES THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IN THE CITY. AXIOS HEADLINE REPORTS -- >> MR. ALVAREZ, ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK TO AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA? >> THE OVERALL ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE CITY AND -- >> WHAT ITEM ON THE AGENDA ARE YOU SPEAKING TO? >> THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE HERE TO FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ECONOMY, RIGHT? >> THIS ECONOMY'S RULE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS THAT YOU SPEAK TO THE -- AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, SO PLEASE IDENTIFYIDENTIFY ITEM. IT'S NOT UNDER THE -- NO, COUNCIL COMMITTEES HAVE THE OPTION OF DESIGNATING JUST TO THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. >> JUST FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, THOUGH, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, IF THE REPORT ON GDP, WHICH IS TIED INTO OUR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY, ISN'T THAT ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT? >> THIS IS NOT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, SO YOU ARE WELCOME -- >> IT'S DISAPPOINTING, THEN. THANK YOU THEN. >> OKAY, WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE ONLINE REMOTE COMMENTERS. THERE'S ONE SIGNED UP. MR. DAVID HAYNES. MR. HAYNES, PLEASE BE SURE TO PRESS STAR 6 TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. >> HI. THANK YOU, DAVID HAYNES. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE AGENDA'S BIPOC PRIORITY FOR PAYING GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES DURING AN ELECTION YEAR. I THINK -- WELL, I THOUGHT THE CITY COUNCIL WAS GOING TO GET RID OF ALL THE RACIST, WOKE, BOTTOM OF THE BARREL BAD SPENDING PRIORITIES AND BAD POLICIES THAT WERE RACISTLY TAINTED FROM WHEN THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTERS FLASH MOBBED THE CITY HALL AND INTIMIDATED THE PROGRESSIVES WHO DEFUNDED THE POLICE AND CREATED ALL THIS LIKE, RACISTLY TAINTED BAD POLICY. AND THEN THEY CREATED AN EMPHASIS OF, LIKE, SKIN COLOR DATA TO PRIORITIZE REGARDLESS OF THE CHARACTER -- >> OKAY, MR. HAYNES, COULD YOU PLEASE IDENTIFY THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT -- YEAH, THE SALES TAX DOWNTURN THAT YOU GUYS ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT. IT SEEMS TO HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE FACT THAT CITY HALL IS STILL EXTENDING THE DRUG PUSHERS AND THAT'S A BAD POLICE CHIEF WHO'S NOT TRAINED PROPERLY WITH COPS THAT ARE COMING UP WITH EXCUSES. >> WE'VE GOT APPOINTMENTS TO THE LABOR -- TO THE DOMESTIC WORKERS STANDARDS BOARD AND THE FOURTH QUARTER SUPPLEMENT -- EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE FROM THE SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT, AND I WILL NOW CLOSE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS. >> THERE ARE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM 1 INTO THE RECORD. >> I'M GOING TO READ AGENDA ITEMS 1 THROUGH 4, WHICH ARE ALL APPOINTMENTS. >> OKAY. >> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 1, APPOINTMENT 02954, APPOINTMENT OF BECCA MILLER ROSE AS MEMBER OF THE DOMESTIC WORKERS STANDARDS BOARD. NUMBER 2, APPOINTMENT 02946, APPOINTMENT OF GEA BASSET. NUMBER 3, APPOINTMENT OF ELVIA- CORTES CORTES AS A MEMBER OF THE DOMESTIC WORKERS STANDARD BOARD. NUMBER 4, APPOINTMENT 02948, REAPPOINTMENT OF EDILKA DOMINGUEZ. ALL FOR BRIEFING DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE DO HAVE -- WE HAVE THE OFFICE OF LABOR STANDARDS WITH US TODAY, AND SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND THEN WE WILL HEAR ABOUT EACH OF THE APPOINTMENTS AND PROVIDE FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH THE VOTES ON EACH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS DEANNA SALAZAR. I'M A POLICY ANALYST FOR THE OFFICE OF LABOR STANDARDS AND ALSO THE BOARD LIAISON BETWEEN OUR OFFICE AND THE DOMESTIC WORKERS STANDARDS BOARD. I WILL ALSO BE DOING SOME BRIEF INTERPRETATION WITH OUR MEMBERS AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO CONSIDER THE FOUR APPOINTMENTS TODAY, AND I WILL FIRST START BY DOING A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE BOARD, AND I WILL PASS THE MIC TO THE MEMBERS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. OKAY. SO, THE BOARD WAS CREATED THROUGH THE DOMESTIC WORKERS ORDINANCE THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2019. AS OF 2020, THE BOARD IS NOW 13 SEAT, AND IT'S A MIX OF DOMESTIC WORKERS EMPLOYERS INDIVIDUALS THAT HIRE -- EXCUSE ME -- THAT CONTRACT DOMESTIC WORKERS AND WORKER ORGANIZATIONS. AS WELL AS ONE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE. THE FUNCTION OF THE BOARD IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ALL THE CITY COUNCIL, ON DOMESTIC WORKERS STANDARDS SUCH AS LEGAL PROTECTIONS, BENEFITS, WORKING CONDITIONS. AND ALSO TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO OUR OFFICE ON OUR OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAW. THIS YEAR, THE BOARD CELEBRATED FIVE YEARS OF THE LAW. THEY HAD A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION. THEY ALSO HELD A RETREAT WHERE THEY FINALIZED THEIR NEXT TWO-YEAR WORK PLAN, AND THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN DOOR-TO- DOOR OUTREACH, TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE LAW. THEY CONTINUE TO RECEIVE REQUESTS FROM STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS JOURNALISTS AND ACADEMICS INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE BOARD AND HOW THE BOARD HAS BEEN ABLE TO FUNCTION WITH SUPPORTING SIMILAR -- AND ABLE TO SUPPORT SIMILAR WORK THAT OTHER CITIES OR STATES WISH TO IMPLEMENT AS WELL. I, MYSELF, WAS ONCE A BOARD MEMBER, AND NOW I'M THE STAFF LIAISON, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE BOARD, AND I'M SURE WE'RE ALL EXCITED TO WELCOME POTENTIALLY NEW MEMBERS AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE BOARD. NOW, I WILL PASS THE MIC TO ELVIA, WHO CAN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. WE HAVE EDDIE AS WELL AND I BELIEVE ONLINE, WE SHOULD HAVE GE AND BECCA. I CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN. COOL. ALL RIGHT. I WILL PASS THE MIC TO ELVIA. AND I WILL DO CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETATION. [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] >> HELLO, MY NAME IS ELVIA CORTES. I HAVE BEEN A DOMESTIC WORKER FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND I ALSO ORGANIZE DOMESTIC WORKERS WITH CASA LATINA. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY TO NOT ONLY SHARE MY VOICE BUT TO ALSO SHARE THE VOICE OF OTHER DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SEATTLE AND FOR THE GENERAL AWARENESS OF OUR RIGHTS AND WELL- BEING OF THE COMMUNITY. EACH WORKER DESERVES DIGNITY RESPECT, AND A JUST WORKING CONDITION. [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] >> MY PARTICIPATION WITH THE BOARD IS ONE WHERE I CAN BRING MY AUTHENTIC PERSPECTIVE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE DECISIONS WE TAKE IS RESPONSIVE TO THE REALITIES OF THIS WORKFORCE. >> I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ACTIVELY COLLABORATE FOR CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL LEAD TO POSITIVE CHANGE. >> I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE USING MY EXPERIENCE COMMITMENT, AND PASSION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF DOMESTIC WORKERS AND WORKING AS A TEAM MEMBER TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS TOWARDS OUR MISSION. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. >> HELLO. MY NAME IS EDI AND I HAVE BEEN A DOMESTIC WORKER FOR OVER TEN YEARS. I HAVE BEEN A NANNY, VOLUNTEER, AND AN ORGANIZER WITH THE ORGANIZATION FAIR WORK CENTER TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ORDINANCE AND OUR COMMUNITY OF NANNIES IN SEATTLE. I AM SO PROUD AND HONORED TO REPRESENT THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OF NANNIES THAT ARE AFRAID TO RAISE THEIR VOICES FOR THEIR RIGHTS. MY COLLABORATION WITH THE BOARD IS TO BRING MY VOICE AS A NANNY AND AN ORGANIZER AND THE VOICE OF A LOT OF NANNIES, THEIR STRUGGLES, THEIR NEEDS, THEIR EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CITY AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> IS BECCA OR GEA ABLE TO -- >> YES, LET'S GO WITH BECCA FIRST. I BELIEVE THAT IS -- >> SURE, GO AHEAD. >> HELLO. I APOLOGIZE FOR MY VIDEO TODAY, I'M IN TRANSIT. MY NAME IS BECCA MILLER ROSE, I'M A LIFELONG SEATTLE RESIDENT A MOM OF TWO. I'M ALSO AN EMPLOYER OF NANNIES AND DOMESTIC HOUSE CLEANERS AND VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ROLE THAT THE BOARD HAS IN HELPING EMPLOYERS BE THE BEST POSSIBLE EMPLOYERS THEY CAN BE AND HELPING MAKE THEIR HOME A SAFE AND EQUITABLE PLACE FOR WORKERS TO BE. SO, EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY, AND EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE BOARD MORE FORMALLY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. GO AHEAD, OUR LAST APPOINTEE, GEA BASSETT. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME TO HEAR THE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE DOMESTIC WORKERS ORDINANCE BOARD. MY NAME IS GEA BASSETT AND I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY CONNECTION TO DOMESTIC WORK AND WHY I WISH TO JOIN THE BOARD. I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT BRIEF BUT CONCISE. MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO MY MOTHER AND I LIVED WITH, WAS A SERBIAN IMMIGRANT AND SHE FIT IN HOUSE- CLEANING SIDE JOBS. IN 2008, I BEGAN CLEANING FOR PRIVATE HOUSEHOLDS MYSELF AND AT THAT TIME, I WAS FINISHING MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND RAISING MY TODDLER SON AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF GREEN CLEANING SEATTLE MAID SERVICES, WHICH IS HOUSE CLEANING COMPANY THAT I NOW OWN IN SEATTLE. GREEN CLEANING SEATTLE HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 15 YEARS AS A SEATTLE SMALL BUSINESS, AND WE PROVIDE ECO- SAFE HOME AND OFFICE CLEANING SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WE EMPLOY OVER 25 DOMESTIC WORKERS AS EMPLOYEES, SO OUR COMPANY PRIDES ITSELF ON MAINTAINING A RESPECTFUL, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT, BUT AS MANY OF US KNOW, MANY DOMESTIC WORKERS DO NOT HAVE SAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENTS. AND DATA SHOWS THAT EMPLOYERS AND HIRING ENTITIES STEAL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS YEARLY FROM WORKERS' PAYCHECKS, AND DOMESTIC WORK IS NOT THE ONLY INDUSTRY WHERE THIS HAPPENS. BUT WORKERS IN THIS INDUSTRY ARE AT A VERY HIGH RISK FOR WAGE THEFT AND ABUSE, AND WAGE THEFT HITS LOW- INCOME FAMILIES THE HARDEST AND FORCES THEM TO RELY MORE HEAVILY ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. AND SO, LIVING IN A HIGH- PRESSURE CITY LIKE SEATTLE, I THINK THAT MOST OF US CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THE COST OF LIVING IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORRISOME. FOOD COSTS ALONE CAN DEVOUR AN ENTIRE PAYCHECK, AND I THINK IF WE CAN ALL AGREE ON JUST ONE THING, IT IS AT A BARE MINIMUM, EVERY WORKER IN THIS CITY SHOULD BE AFFORDED THE ASSURANCE TO BE PAID NO LESS THAN THE CURRENT MINIMUM WAGE, AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE RETALIATED AGAINST BY THEIR EMPLOYERS FOR REQUESTING SIMPLE REST AND MEAL BREAKS AND SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, SO, I WILL SOON OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE. I WANTED TO FIRST, HOWEVER, ASK YOU, DIANA, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED IT, CAN YOU GIVE US A PREVIEW OF ANY OF THE POLICY ISSUES OR SOME OF THE PRIORITY POLICY ISSUES THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IN YOUR 2025-2026 WORK PLAN? >> YES. SO, THE BOARD HAS SUBCOMMITTEES WHERE POLICY IS ONE OF THEM. THEY DECIDED TO START MEETINGS SOON, SO THE FIRST MEETING WILL BE IN JANUARY TO PUT TOGETHER THE PRIORITIES, SO I CAN DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW WHEN THEY'VE DECIDED WHAT THE POLICY PRIORITIES ARE, AND CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE TEAM. >> SO, IT IS NOT YET COMPLETED, BUT YOU'RE WORKING ON IT? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. OH. I AM MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME. I GOT A PHONETIC POST-IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION. I WILL ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOARD ITSELF OR FOR ANY OF OUR APPOINTEES. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK THE NEW APPOINTEES FOR THEIR SERVICE. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WORKER PROTECTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED ARE PARTICIPATINGPARTICIPATING IN PROCESS, SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR AN -- AND WE RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT A RECOGNITION EVENT FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSION VOLUNTEERS THIS PAST FRIDAY WHERE I SAW SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE, AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE ARE UNPAID POSITIONS. PEOPLE TAKE TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND LIVES TO DO THIS WORK BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND AS I SAID ON FRIDAY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A FRIDAY EVENING, ON A HOLIDAY FRIDAY EVENING, THE ROOM WAS PACKED WITH A BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS WHOWHO ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HOW IMPORTANT THE WORK IS THAT FOLKS WHO VOLUNTEER THE TIME SHOWED UP. AND SO, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THEIR SERVICE, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO VOTE ON YOUR APPOINTMENTS TODAY. [ SPEAKING SPANISH ] >> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I SHOULD KNOW NOT TO PUT MY HAND UP AFTER COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> NO, NO, NO. >> LESSON LEARNED. WON'T DO THAT AGAIN. I JUST WANTED TO FIRST, AS COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA SAID, TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. AS SHE NOTED, VOLUNTEERING AND TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF OTHERS IS ALSO IMPORTANT. AND IT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED, AND ALSO UNDERSTOOD, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON'T APPRECIATE HOW MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE WORKING ON BEHALF OF OTHERS, FOR NO PAY, NOTHING ALONG THOSE LINES. SO, SOME RECOGNITION IS IN GOOD ORDER. MY QUESTION IS, GIVEN THIS IS A SEATTLE COMMISSION, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT -- AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE AN ANSWER. MAYBE YOU DO. WHAT DO OTHER CITIES DO IN KING COUNTY? WHAT DOES THE COUNTY DO? IS THERE ANY ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THERE'S, LIKE, COLLABORATION OR, YOU KNOW, CROSS- REFERENCING AND WORKING TO -- IN TERMS OF ENSURING? OBVIOUSLY, THIS BUSINESS FLOWS AND THE PEOPLE FLOW FROM INSIDE, OUTSIDE SEATTLE, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY WORK IN NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT KIND OF HAVE A NORMING ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY, NOT JUST HAVE SEATTLE BE THE ONE THAT'S DOING IT. THANK YOU. >> YEAH. GREAT QUESTION. I WILL ALSO LEAN ON THE EXPERTS HERE, TOO, TO HELP, BUT THE -- I'M NOT AWARE OF THE COUNTY HAVING SOMETHING. HOWEVER, THE STATE IS LOOKING INTO POTENTIALLY PASSING A STATEWIDE, SIMILAR TO THE DOMESTIC WORKERS ORDINANCE HERE POTENTIALLY THE STATE, PASSING SIMILAR LEGISLATION. MAKING A PITCH. THE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH WILL BE ON MONDAY. >> YOU ARE ALL INVITED. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU TO YOUR SPECIAL ADVISOR. >> YEAH. THAT'S SYLVIA. >> I SEE COUNCILMEMBER SAKA AND HOLLINGSWORTH'S HANDS UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO PUT THEIRS UP FIRST. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. >> THANK YOU, MADAM COUNCIL. I JUST WANT TO PILE ON HERE AND CROSS- REFERENCE EVERYTHING THAT MY DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, JUST SAID. I JUST -- LOOK, THIS -- EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU, I'VE REVIEWED ALL YOUR RESUMES, LISTENED TO YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY RIGHT NOW AND LISTENED TO YOU ALL SPEAK SO ELOQUENTLY, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU. I THINK YOU ARE ALL EXCEPTIONALLY WELL QUALIFIED AND OUR CITY WOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AND BENEFIT FROM YOUR EXPERTISE ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES, AND THESE ARE VOLUNTEER, UNPAID POSITIONS, AND -- BUT THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT, AND HIGHLY IMPACTFUL, AND I HAVE SERVED ON, PERSONALLY, A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER BOARD SERVICE THINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND -- AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I PERSONALLY REVIEW THE WORK FROM VARIOUS OF THESE COMMUNITY COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE GROUPS THAT REPORT UP TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEES THAT I SIT ON SO IT IS YOUR WORK AND YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR SACRIFICE FOR YOUR CITY AND FOR YOUR COMMUNITY IS NOT -- DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED, AND DOES NOT GO UNRECOGNIZED AT ALL LEVELS OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE NOT TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I -- LIKE MY COLLEAGUES HAD SAID, IT'S VOLUNTEER POSITIONS, AND JUST SUPER GRATEFUL. NOT LIKE COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, BUT JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL REALLY FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. IT REALLY MEANS A LOT, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE BACKBONE THAT SPEAKS THE CITY GOING AND PROVIDING SERVICE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS IN OUR CITY WHO RELY ON IT. YOU OFTEN TRAVEL MILES AWAY, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING TO THE CITY OF SEATTLE, AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES, SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT BETTER FOR PEOPLE, AND IT REALLY, REALLY MATTERS. SO, THANK YOU. >> SO, NOW, FOR THE REALLY HARD QUESTIONS. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE IS FOR EDI, AND I -- SO, YOU'RE THE -- YOU'RE THE ONLY REAPPOINTMENT HERE, AND I AM WONDERING WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND TO BE THE MOST MEANINGFUL AND REWARDING PART OF YOUR WORK ON THE BOARD OR WHAT -- WHAT CHANGE OR WHAT -- WHAT HAVE YOU CONVINCED NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENHANCE THE -- THE SPIRIT OF THE LEGISLATION THAT FORMED THE BOARD? AND I'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND TO THINK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO ALSO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO GEA, BECAUSE HER BUSINESS WON THE KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE SMALL BUSINESS AWARD IN THE YEAR 2018 AND SHE WAS OFFERING CLEANING SERVICES TO THINGS LIKE SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD BREWERIES BACK IN THE DAY. SO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE -- AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, ARE THERE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT YOU FEEL ARE REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, KEEP IN MIND, YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT FOLLOWING THE LAW, BUT THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS BOARD IS THAT WE'VE GOT EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS ON THE SAME BOARD, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT IS A -- THAT IS WHAT HAS TO -- THOSE ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR REALLY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS. SO, ANY WORDS OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE, GEA, TO OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES, I'D WELCOME TO HEAR. BUT BACK TO YOU, EDI. GO AHEAD. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. I WILL SAY THAT HAVING WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS IN THETHE WORLD IT MAKES A WHOLE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE CAN CONNECT, WE CAN COMMUNICATE, WE HAVE ANSWERS, WE STRUGGLE TOGETHER, AND WE FIND THE SOLUTIONS. WE HAVE THE SOLUTIONS, AND THEN BETWEEN ALL THESE NEEDS AND STRUGGLES, WE WORK WITH THE CITY, AND IT MAKES A WHOLE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE BEFORE THIS, WE WERE NOT -- OUR VOICES DIDN'T MATTER. WHETHER WE GO, WE JUST ASK FOR HELP, AND WAIT FOR -- TO BE HEARD, BUT THIS IS A SAFE SPACE WHERE WE CAN REALLY BRING WHAT IS HAPPENING TO WORKERS REALLY AND WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE REALLY HEARD BY THE CITY. ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL THINGS THAT I BRING FOR ME, DOING THIS JOB IS CHANGING LIVES. I HAVE MANY, MANY DOMESTIC WORKERS THAT I HAVE READ THE ORDINANCE, AND THEY WERE LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, OR MY EMPLOYER DOESN'T KNOW THIS. HOW CAN I DO TO CHANGE MY POSITIONS? IF THEY GO TO THEIR EMPLOYERS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS, SO IT'S MY JOB TO TRY TO GUIDE THEM, TO TRY TO MAKE WORKSHOPS, TO TRY TO BRING THEM TOGETHER AND REALLY RAISE THE STANDARDS TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE ONE -- ONLY ONE OF US CANNOT MAKE THE CHANGE. >> THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INSIGHT, BECAUSE I'VE -- I'M NOT GOING TO ASSUME THE MOTIVES OF ALL SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT THE FACT IS THEY DO NEED EDUCATION, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE LAWS IS A -- GOES A LONG WAY TOWARD COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REGULATIONS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT WORK. >> THANK YOU. >> GO AHEAD. >> I REALLY APPRECIATE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, IN YOUR RESPONSE, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID WE HAVE THE ANSWERS AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH THE EMPLOYERS TO GET THERE. THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE BY THE TIME A SMALL BUSINESS OR OTHER EMPLOYER GETS TO THE LEVEL OF A LEGAL ACTION, IT DOESN'T -- WHAT WE WANT IS THE COLLABORATION SO THAT THE EMPLOYER AND THE -- PARTICULARLY THE -- SO MANY OF THESE ARE SMALL BUSINESSES -- WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND YOU CAN HELP THEM DO THAT. AND THAT IS SO CRITICAL, BECAUSE IT'S COMING FROM THE -- FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK. AND I THINK THAT THAT CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED OR OVERSTATED, I SHOULD SAY. BECAUSE SPANISH IS MY FIRST LANGUAGE, I'LL ADMIT SOMETIMES I MESS UP THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO, I MEANT TO SAY, OVERSTATED. BUT THAT IS SO CRITICAL, AND THIS IS WHY I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS BOARD AND MANY OF THE OTHER BOARDS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE WORK THAT BOARD MEMBERS PROVIDE IS THAT EXPERIENCE. THEY'RE THE ONES DOING THE WORK, AND THEY'RE IN THE BEST POSITION TO SAY WHAT'S NEEDED, AND IT ALWAYS WORKS BEST IN THIS COLLABORATIVE WAY TO GET EMPLOYERS ON BOARD AND GET THEM TO DOING THE RIGHT THING. I MEAN, HOPEFULLY. NOT WITHSTANDING, I UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES THERE ARE SOME BAD ACTORS IN EVERY INDUSTRY OUT THERE, BUT I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, WE SEE THAT FOLKS REALLY WANT TO COLLABORATE AND DO THE RIGHT THING, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT. THE WORKING TOGETHER MAKES IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK. >> THANK YOU. >> AND IT'S HARD WORK. AND THEN, ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY, IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATION PIECE, TO YOUR PEERS THAT ARE ALSO DOING THE WORK, THE OTHER WORKERS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK BECAUSE FOLKS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AND IT'S REALLY HARD, ACTUALLY, AND SO THIS IS CRITICAL THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE THE INFORMATION, SO REALLY CANNOT OVERSTATE THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS FOR BECCA. YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH WORKERS WHO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE, AND SO CAN YOU -- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT THOSE WORKERS FACE FROM -- THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER DOMESTIC WORKERS? >> I ALSO EMPLOY DOMESTIC WORKERS. I RUN -- I HELP RUN A HEALTHCARE COMPANY THAT DOES IN-HOME HEALTHCARE, SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE HOME CARE ASSISTANCE IN THE HOME, BUT I ALSO EMPLOY A GARDENER AND A NANNY FOR MY KIDS, AND SO I COME AT IT FROM BOTH ANGLES, WHEREAS FROM, PERSONALLY, MY LIFE IS NOT POSSIBLE, I COULD NOT DO THE JOB I DO. I COULD NOT PAY THE TAXES I PAY, AND I CANNOT TAKE CARE OF MY CHILDREN BY MYSELF. IT TAKES A LOT OF HELP. AND SO I'M JUST CONSTANTLY AWARE OF HOW MUCH MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE WHO HELP SUPPORT ME AND MY FAMILY AND REALLY COMMITTED TO TRYING TO, LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THOSE PEOPLE. AND I ALSO HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF FOLKS NOT IN THE CITY OF SEATTLE, ACTUALLY, MY COMPANY IS MOSTLY BASED IN CALIFORNIA, BUT WE HAVE AROUND 200 FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE HOME DOING HOME CARE WITH PATIENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND WE THINK A LOT ABOUT WORKPLACE SAFETY IN THAT CONTEXT. BUT IT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A COMPANY BEHIND THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE STANDARDS AND HR AND COMPLIANCE AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE SET OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP KEEP THEM SAFE IN THE HOME. TO ESCALATE CONCERNS, AND THAT IS SO OFTEN NOT TRUE FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS WHO ARE SELF-EMPLOYED OR EMPLOYED BY MUCH SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS. AND SO, I'M HIGHLY AWARE OF THE DISCREPANCY THERE WHEN YOU'RE EMPLOYED BY A MUCH LARGER COMPANY WITH ALL OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT ANSWER. THAT IS FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR ME. ALL RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'LL ADD MY HEARTFELT, ALTHOUGH OFTEN SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, I TOUTED THE FACT THAT THE MUSIC COMMISSION BROUGHT US AN IDEA, AND THEN WE MADE IT HAPPEN. AND THAT IS THE VALUE OF COMMISSIONS, AND YOU'RE GIVING OF YOUR TIME, VOLUNTARILY, AND YOUR EXPERTISE, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON, IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENTS 02945 02946 02947 AND 02948. IS THERE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO RECOMMEND CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENTS. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT APPOINTMENTS 02945, 9946, 947, AND 948 BE CONFIRMED. >> COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH. >> YES. >> COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE. >> AYE. >> COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> SI. >> COUNCILMEMBER SAKA. >> SI. >> CHAIR NELSON. >> AYE. >> THAT'S FIVE IN FAVOR, ZERO OPPOSED. >> ALL RIGHT. CONGRATULATIONS. THE MOTION CARRIES, AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT -- IT'S GREAT TO HAVE AN ENTHUSIASTIC FAN IN THE AUDIENCE. YAY. THEY'LL BE FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON, LET'S SEE. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE GO AHEAD. OH, OKAY. HOWEVER DON'T GO YET. I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT IS 2:45, WE HAVE A RULE IN COUNCIL THAT ANYTHING PASSING COMMITTEE AFTER 1:00 P.M. HAS TO WAIT UNTIL THE -- A WEEK FROM THE FOLLOWING -- FROM THE NEXT TUESDAY FOR -- TO BE VOTED ON, AND THESE APPOINTMENTS CANNOT BE SENT TO THE DECEMBER 17th CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR FINAL ACTION UNLESS WE SUSPEND THE RULES. SO, I WOULD ASK THAT WE SUSPEND THE RULES. OTHERWISE, WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 7th, AND WHY DO THAT? SO, IS THERE OBJECTION TO SUSPENDING THOSE RULES? ALL RIGHT, THERE IS NO OBJECTION. THE RULES WILL BE SUSPENDED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE APPOINTMENTS BE SENT TO THE TUESDAY DECEMBER 17th, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. THEY'RE SUSPENDED, AND THAT WILL HAPPEN. OKAY. MOVING ON. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM 5 INTO THE RECORD. >> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 5, COUNCIL BIG 120925, AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO CITY EMPLOYMENT, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FOURTH QUARTER 2024 EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, EXEMPTING POSITIONS FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM, RETURNING POSITIONS TO THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM, RETITLING EXISTING TITLES, ESTABLISHING NEW TITLES, AND ADJUSTING SALARIES FOR EXISTING TITLES, ALL BY A TWO- THIRDS VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL FOR BRIEFING, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE VOTE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO, THIS IS THE HUMAN RESOURCES' FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE AND IT PROPOSES CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATIONS, JOB TITLES AND RATES OF PAY. AND THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED A CERTAIN CITY PERSONNEL ACTIONS THROUGH QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND THIS FOURTH QUARTER, 2024 EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE WOULD AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY'S HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO EXEMPT FOUR POSITIONS FROM CIVIL SERVICE, RETURN 11 POSITIONS TO CIVIL SERVICE, REVISE TWO JOB TITLES, ESTABLISH 13 JOB TITLES IN CORRESPONDING RATES AND PAY AND ADJUST RATES OF PAY FOR TWO JOB TITLES. AND WE'VE GOT OUR EXPERTS HERE AT THE TABLE, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET OUR CENTRAL STAFF ANALYSTS AND DIRECTOR INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND THEN TAKE US THROUGH THE INFORMATION. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I AM KARI FL A BULL FROM COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF. >> AND I'M BEN NOBLE, CENTRAL STAFF DIRECTOR. >> WELL, WE HAVE PREPARED A PRESENTATION FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS THIS AFTERNOON THAT PROVIDES A HIGH- LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THIS FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND WE REALIZE THAT THERE MIGHT BE INTEREST IN MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS, AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO CONNECT WITH THE EXECUTIVE TO GET SUMMARIES OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY IN THIS FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE. THIS YEAR, YOU'VE ONLY CONSIDERED ONE QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND THIS LAST ONE BUNDLES EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE YEAR INTO ONE PIECE OF LEGISLATION. SO, WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOSE TO 30 RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS. AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON SAID, THE CHAIR SAID, THIS COUNCIL BILL WOULD ALLOW COUNCIL TO APPROVE TWO TYPES OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS THAT REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL. THEY FALL INTO TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. THE FIRST INCLUDE CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE AND THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS ARE EXEMPTING FOR POSITIONS AND RETURNING 11 POSITIONS, AND THEN THE NEXT CATEGORY INCLUDES CHANGES TO JOB TITLES AND RATES OF PAY. AND SO, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD INCLUDE RETITLING TWO JOB TITLES, ESTABLISHING 13 NEW JOB TITLES, AND ADJUSTING THE RATE OF PAY FOR NEW JOB TITLES. THERE IS NO DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE FISCAL IMPACT FROM APPROVING THESE ACTIONS. THE DEPARTMENT HEAD WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS IF COUNCIL APPROVES THEM. HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD WOULD NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IF NOT FOR COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, SO THERE IS A CONNECTION HERE. THE DEPARTMENT HEAD CAN CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING OR NOT DO SOMETHING WITH THE APPROVED PERSONNEL ACTION, SO WITH THIS IN MIND, CENTRAL STAFF HAS -- IS WORKING WITH THE CITY BUDGET OFFICE TO DEVELOP WHAT WE'RE CALLING POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED COSTS WITH THIS LEGISLATION. AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT NEAR THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. FOR BACKGROUND, STHR, SEATTLE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, HAS BROAD ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY TO ADMINISTER AND DEVELOP THE CITY'S CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PROGRAM. THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT DETERMINES HOW TO CLASSIFY THE JOBS THAT THE CITY EMPLOYEES PERFORM AND HOW TO PAY FOR THOSE JOBS, AND ANY INDIVIDUAL DECISION THAT SDHR IS MAKING REGARDING THE PAY AND CLASSIFICATION OF A JOB IS CONSIDERED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ALL OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS AND ALL OF THE PAY SCHEDULES ACROSS THE CITY WITH AN AIM FOR EQUITY AND COMPETITIVE PAYMENT FOR CITY WORKERS. SO, WITHIN THAT BROAD ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, WHICH IS GIVEN OR WHICH IS -- WHICH SDHR RECEIVES FROM THE CITY CHARTER AND THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE RECLASSIFICATIONS ON THEIR OWN WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, WHICH THEY DO UPWARDS OF CLOSE TO 600 PER YEAR, AT LEAST FOR 2023. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY. AND THAT INCLUDES CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE STATUS AND THEN ESTABLISHING NEW JOB TITLES OR CHANGING JOB TITLES AND ESTABLISHING OR CHANGING RATES OF PAY. THOSE TWO CATEGORIES OF ACTION, UNDER THE CHARTER AND THEN UNDER THE CODE FOR RATES OF PAY AND JOB TITLES, DO REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL. CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE STATUS ACTUALLY REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS COUNCIL VOTE. AND WE'LL GO INTO WHY CIVIL SERVICE STATUS REQUIRES THAT LEVEL OF COUNCIL VOTE IN A MOMENT. SO, CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE STATUS, JUST AS A PRIMER I'M TELLING YOU THINGS THAT YOU MAY -- I'M DESCRIBING THINGS THAT YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW BUT JUST STARTING FROM THE GROUND FLOOR FOR THIS PRESENTATION, IS THAT THE CITY CHARTER PRESUMES THAT ALL POSITIONS IN THE CITY ARE CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTED. THAT IS A PRESUMPTION. IT EXISTS TO MAKE SURE THAT CITY WORKERS CAN DO THEIR WORK SEPARATE FROM ANY SORT OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE. IT GIVES EMPLOYEES CERTAIN JOB PROTECTIONS, INCLUDING MERIT- BASED HIRING, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S A COMPETITIVE PROCESS RATHER THAN AN APPOINTMENT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT PERFORMANCE ISSUES AND A FOR CAUSE TERMINATIONS, WHICH MEANS A DISCHARGE OR TERMINATION CAN ONLY BE BASED ON UNSATISFACTORY JOB PERFORMANCE. ABOUT 90% OF CITY EMPLOYEES ARE CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTED. FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT, THOSE POSITIONS ARE LISTED EITHER IN THE CHARTER OR IN THE CODE, SMC 4.13. THE POSITIONS THAT ARE EXEMPT CAN BE APPOINTED WITHOUT COMPETITIVE HIRING PROCESS AND ARE SUBJECT TO AT- WILL EMPLOYMENT, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN BE DISCHARGED FOR ANY REASON. SDHR CAN MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER TO -- MAKE A RECOMMENDATION -- A DECISION TO RECOMMEND A CHANGE TO A POSITION'S CIVIL SERVICE STATUS BASED ON A CLASSIFICATION REVIEW. IF THE DEPARTMENT -- IF SDHR IS RECOMMENDING TO EXEMPT A POSITION, THEY CAN ONLY DO IT IN CERTAIN TYPES OF SITUATIONS. THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THAT THE POSITION IS AUTOMATICALLY EXEMPTED BY THE CHARTERCHARTER OR CODE, OR A -- WHAT COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS MORE SUBJECTIVE SITUATIONS WHEN THE POSITIONS REQUIRE A PARTICULARLY HIGH DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIVENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY, THEY REQUIRE CONFIDENTIAL OR FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY OR JUDICIAL POSITIONS THAT REQUIRE INSULATION AS A THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, IN CASE YOU WEREN'T ALREADY AWARE, SDHR IS EMBARKING THIS YEAR ON A FIVE- YEAR MULTI- PHASE PROJECT TO COMPLETELY OVERHAUL AND REVAMP THEIR CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION SYSTEM. IT IS OVER 30 YEARS OLD, AND NEEDS TO BE UPDATED BOTH FOR INCREASED EFFICIENCY IN RUNNING THE CITY AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FAIR AND EQUITABLE. THEY DO HAVE APPROPRIATIONS IN THIS YEAR'S AND NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO START THAT WORK. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR WHAT THE CRITERIA IS FOR EXEMPTIONS. YES? >> CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK, BUT YOU JUST TOUCHED ON IT, I WAS WONDERING, BECAUSE THE MEMO SAYS THE SDHR DIRECTOR RECOMMENDS FOR EACH OF THE FIVE CATEGORIES OF CHANGES IN YOUR MEMO, AND SO, MY QUESTION WAS, WELL, WHAT MOTIVATED THAT RECOMMENDATION? WAS IT THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR OR SOME OTHER APPOINTING AUTHORITY? AND SO, WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT A SYSTEMATIC OVERVIEW, IS THIS -- ARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS PART OF WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED TO BE A KIND OF A SYSTEMATIC LOOK AT OUR CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM AND THE DESIGNATION EXEMPT OR CIVIL SERVICE? >> SO, THE -- THE FIVE- YEAR PROJECT TO EVALUATE THE ENTIRE CLASSIFICATION COMPENSATION SYSTEM, FROM WHAT I KNOW, WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW SDHR AND THE CITY DETERMINES WHETHER POSITIONS SHOULD RECEIVE THAT EXEMPT STATUS IF THEY HAVE THAT INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY. IF THEY HAVE THE FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF HOW SDHR MAKES THOSE DECISIONS NOW, THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN SYSTEM FOR HOW THEY DO IT, AND THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN CRITERIA AND WAYS OF MEASURING HOW TO MAKE THAT DECISION. WHAT INITIATES THE WHOLE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS CAN DEPEND ON THE UNIQUE SITUATION. IT CAN BE INITIATED BY A DEPARTMENT. A DEPARTMENT HEAD THAT HAS AN INTEREST IN CHANGING THE BODY OF WORK FOR AN EXISTING PHYSICIAN OR PERHAPS THEY HAVE A VISION FOR AN ENTIRELY NEW POSITION THAT IS NOT YET FUNDED, AND THEY DON'T HAVE POSITION AUTHORITY FOR IT, OR IT CAN BE AT THE BEHEST OF THE DEPARTMENT OR AN INCUMBENT EMPLOYEE ABOUT A POSITION WHOSE BODY OF WORK HAS CHANGED OVER TIME, AT LEAST OVER SIX MONTHS, AND SO, IN THAT INSTANCE, IT COULD BE EITHER THE DEPARTMENT AND EMPLOYEE OR EVEN THE UNION INITIATING THAT REQUEST FOR A CLASSIFICATION REVIEW. >> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. AND IF YOU KNOW WHICH WAS THE -- WHO WAS THE REQUESTER? WHAT INITIATED THE CHANGES YOU'RE ABOUT TO ADDRESS? THROW THAT IN IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW. IF YOU DON'T, THAT'S FINE TOO. >> JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE COLOR, IF YOU WILL, AT A HIGH LEVEL, HR IS ACTING AS A PARTNER AND TO A DEGREE IN SERVICE TO THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO AS A MEANINGFUL CHECK AS WELL. SO, A DEPARTMENT MAY -- I HAVE BEEN IN THESE SITUATIONS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS -- MAY COME IN AND SAY, I HAVE A POSITION THAT I THINK SHOULD BE EXEMPT, AND THEN EXPLAINS TO HR WHY, AND HR TAKES THAT REQUEST SERIOUSLY, AND AGAIN, THE GOAL MAY BE -- INITIAL GOAL IS TO BE HELPFUL TO THE DEPARTMENT, IF YOU WILL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE A SET OF CRITERIA, AND IF IT IS NOT MET, IF THIS POSITION IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTION, THEY WILL NOT RECOMMEND AS SUCH. SIMILARLY, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S SOME CLASSIFICATIONS HERE. THE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING TO CHANGE A POSITION FROM A BODY OF WORK X TO A BODY OF WORK Y THAT HR IS NOT THE ONE WHO'S ASKING WHETHER -- WHICH BODIES OF WORK THEY NEED DONE, BUT RATHER, IF YOU WANT THIS NEW BODY OF WORK, TELL US WHAT THIS PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. WE'RE GOING TO GO LOOK AT THE CITY'S CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND SEE WHICH POSITION TITLE APPLIES, OR IN SOME CASES, WE DON'T HAVE A POSITION CLASSIFICATION THAT COVERS THAT BODY OF WORK. WE NEED TO MAKE UP A NEW ONE. OH, AND ONCE WE'VE MADE UP A NEW ONE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT SHOULD BE PAID, AND YOU'LL SEE ALL OF THAT TODAY, AND HR IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP, AGAIN, AND IN SERVICE BUT ALSO AS A CHECK ON THE DEPARTMENTS IN THAT ROLE, AND THEN FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS, YOU ARE FURTHER THAT CHECK BECAUSE IT REQUIRES LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL APPROVAL TO MAKE SOME OF THESE CHANGES. >> THANK YOU. GO AHEAD, PLEASE. >> SO, IN REGARDS TO YOUR QUESTION, CHAIR, ABOUT WHAT ENTITY INITIATED THESE REQUESTS, FOR THIS PARTICULAR FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, THERE'S A VERY SIMPLE ANSWER, IN THAT ALL OF THE REQUESTS WERE MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT EXCEPT FOR ONE, WHICH WAS MADE BY THE INCUMBENT EMPLOYEE, AND I'LL GET TO THAT LATER. AS FAR AS THESE CHARTS THAT ARE NEXT IN THE PRESENTATION, I DON'T WANT THEM TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS THE INTENTION TO PROVIDE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE REASONS BEHIND EACH OF THESE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS. INSTEAD, THEY'RE INTENDED TO PROVIDE A SNAPSHOT. FOR EXAMPLE, TO -- FOR THESE FOUR POSITIONS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE EXEMPTED FROM CIVIL SERVICE, THE SNAPSHOT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE TYPES OF CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING. FOR EXAMPLE, IN SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES, THE FIRST ONE IN THE CHART, ITS MOVEMENT FROM A STRATEGIC ADVISOR ONE INTO AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL A EXEMPT. SO, THAT IS FOR ALMOST ALL OF THESE THAT ARE BEING EXEMPT FROM CIVIL SERVICE, IT'S AN UPWARD MOBILITY SITUATION, AND SO ONE MIGHT CONSIDER IT TO BE THE REWARD OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER PAY IS HELPING TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE SITUATION WHERE THE POSITION WOULD NO LONGER HAVE CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTIONS, BUT AGAIN, THAT DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO PAY THE PERSON IN THAT POSITION IS UP TO THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT. YOU'LL ALSO SEE HERE THAT THREE OF THE FOUR POSITIONS ARE VACANT. ONE OF THEM IS FILLED, AND SO THE PERSON -- THE EMPLOYEE IN THAT FILLED POSITION, GOING FROM AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL B TO AN A WHERE A IS THE HIGHER- PAYING CATEGORY. IT WOULD BE UP TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO GIVE THE PERSON IN THAT ROLE A PAY INCREASE. AND SOMETIMES, BECAUSE OF THE OVERLAP OF THE SALARY SCHEDULES, IT MIGHT NOT BE IMPERATIVE TO GIVE A PAY INCREASE, BECAUSE THE INCUMBENT'S PAY MIGHT FALL IN BETWEEN BOTH OF THEM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING FOR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO DECIDE. >> AND JUST FURTHER, IN THAT SITUATION, SDHR WILL REVIEW THE BODY OF WORK THAT THE POSITION IS DOING AND CONFIRM THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TITLE OF I.T. PROFESSIONAL A, SO THE BODY -- AND THIS IS -- THIS SORT OF SITUATION HAPPENS WHERE SOMEONE IS HIRED INTO A ROLE AND THEIR BODY OFOF EVOLVES INTO A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY. NOT THAT UNUSUAL. AND THEN, THAT PERSON CAN MAKE THAT ASSERTION, BUT IT IS ON HR TO CONFIRM, AND THEY DON'T RELY JUST UPON THE DEPARTMENT'S ASSERTION OR CONCURRENCE OR IN THIS CASE THE EMPLOYEE'S BUT RATHER LOOK AT THE BODY OF WORK, EVALUATE IT AGAINST THE DESCRIPTION FOR THAT POSITION AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S THE MATCH THAT'S APPROPRIATE OR NOT. AND AGAIN, I'VE DEALT WITH THESE SITUATIONS. HR IS DOING THAT FROM A -- THEY'RE NOT -- IT'S NOT THEIR ISSUE ABOUT RETENTION OR NOT. THEY NEED TO KNOW, IS THIS BODY OF WORK CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPOSED TITLE OR NOT? AND IF IT DOES, THEN MAYBE THAT CAN WORK FOR RETENTION. IF IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T, AND WE MIGHT LOSE THE PERSON OR THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME OTHER APPROACH OR SOLUTION. SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO -- >> THAT'S HELPFUL CONTEXT. SDHR HAS SHARED THAT THEY ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ABOUT CLASSIFICATION PURELY ON THE MERITS OF THE SITUATION, AND SO THEY REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENTS TO PROVIDE ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION TO INFORM THEIR DECISION AND WITH THE EXAMPLE OF THIS FIRST RECLASSIFICATION ON THE LIST, IT WAS THE RESULT OF THE DEPARTMENT COMING TO SDHR, REQUESTING AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL A, AND NOT GETTING IT THE FIRST TIME. AND SO, THEN, THEY ASKED FOR RECONSIDERATION OF HR'S DECISION, AND THEN THE SECOND TIME, PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION, PROVIDING MORE ROBUST PRESENTATION, SDHR DECIDED, OKAY, THIS RECLASSIFICATION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. ALSO, SDHR SHARES THAT THEY ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS IN ISOLATION FROM ANY SORT OF FISCAL IMPACT, BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR DECISION TO BE PURELY BASED ON THE MERITS OF EVALUATING THE JOB, NOT IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT IT WOULD COST THE CITY. THAT'S A SEPARATE DECISION THAT CAN BE MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT AND BY COUNCIL THROUGH POSITION AUTHORITY AND APPROPRIATIONS. >> YEAH, AND JUST TO WEIGH IN, GIVEN PREVIOUS ROLES, THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS A ROLE IN THAT AS WELL, SORT OF EVALUATING WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES, WHETHER THEY WOULD -- IT WOULD REQUIRE A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCE, AS WELL. WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SITUATIONS HERE. AND THEN JUST AT A REALLY HIGH LEVEL, BECAUSE I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A SECOND, MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT SEEM CURIOUS TO YOU THAT I.T. PROFESSIONALS WOULD QUALIFY FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPTION BUT WHEN ONE TAKES A STEP BACK AND CONSIDERS THE SORTS OF INFORMATION THEY COULD WELL HAVE ACCESS TO ON OUR COMPUTER NETWORKS AND THE KIND OF JUDGMENTS THEY ARE MAKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE SECURITY, IT'S MAYBE NOT A SURPRISE. SO, IF YOU HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WAY, IT TOOK ME A SECOND, SO I THOUGHT I'D SHARE THAT OBSERVATION. >> THE NEXT CATEGORY OF RECOMMENDATIONS IS RETURNING POSITIONS TO CIVIL SERVICE. AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THERE'S A RANGE OF DIFFERENCES. SOME OF THEM ARE LARGER OR SMALLER THAN OTHERS. ABOUT HALF OF THE POSITIONS ARE FILLED VERSUS VACANT, SO YOU'RE SEEING MORE VARIATION HERE. AND JUST TO ADD, FOR THE POSITIONS THAT ARE FILLED THAT ARE MOVING FROM EXEMPT TO CIVIL SERVICE, I THINK FOR ONE OF THEM, THE STRATEGIC ADVISOR, ONE EXEMPT TO A SENIOR ANALYST IN SDHR, THERE IS A PAY DECREASE, SO THE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE A COST SAVINGS. THAT IS ALSO A FILLED POSITION, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PERSON IN IT MIGHT RECEIVE A PAY DECREASE, SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT DEPARTMENTS HANDLE THAT SITUATION. IT COULD BE THAT THE CURRENT PAY IS WITHIN THE BAND OF THE PERSONNEL ANALYST AND MAYBE THEY'D BE HIRED AT THE -- OR MOVED AT THE TOP STEP OF THE PERSONNEL ANALYST SENIOR POSITION. IT COULD BE THAT MAYBE THE EMPLOYEE BEGINS TO LOOK FOR DIFFERENT ROLES IN THE DEPARTMENT. IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT SOMETIMES THAT DOES HAPPEN WHERE AN EMPLOYEE IS IN A POSITION THAT IS THEN RECLASSIFIED TO ONE THAT PAYS MORE OR LESS. >> YOU CHARACTERIZE -- JUST BEFORE YOU GO ON. SO, RETURNING TO CIVIL SERVICE OFTEN RESULTS IN A PAY DECREASE. HOWEVER, YOU ALSO MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF YOUR PRESENTATION THAT MEMBERSHIP IN THE CIVIL SERVICE CORPS DOES PROVIDE MORE PROTECTION. SO, IT'S -- THERE ARE BENEFITS ON BOTH SIDES IS WHAT I'M GLEANING. >> YEAH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY IN THIS -- OH, THERE IS ONE RIGHT HERE. IF YOU LOOK AT NUMBER 8, AT OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT -- THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE, POTENTIALLY, NO DIFFERENCE IN PAY THERE. IT IS MOVING FROM A STRATEGIC ADVISOR ONE EXEMPT TO A STRATEGIC ADVISOR ONE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. SO, STRATEGIC ADVISORS AND MANAGERS ARE POSITIONS WHERE THEY CAN EITHER BE EXEMPT OR CIVIL SERVICE PROTECTED SO THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AMONG DEPARTMENTS, ASKING SDHR TO RECONSIDER WHETHER A STRATEGIC ADVISOR OR MANAGER POSITION REALLY IS CORRECTLY CLASSIFIED AS EXEMPT. AND IN MANY CASES, SDHR HAS DECIDED THAT, ACTUALLY, THIS POSITION MERITS CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATION AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE WITH NUMBER 8. I KEEP ON GOING BACK AND THEN FORWARD AGAIN. THE MOUSE IS ELUDING ME. THE NEXT CATEGORY OF RECOMMENDED CHANGES IS CHANGES TO JOB TITLES AND RATES OF PAY. AGAIN, THIS WOULD RESULT AFTER PERFORMING A CLASSIFICATION REVIEW. THIS CHANGE CAN BE INITIATED BY THE INCUMBENT APPOINTING AUTHORITY DEPENDING ON WHAT -- IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN A NEW BODY OF WORK FOR A NEW POSITION OR A NEW BODY OF WORK FOR AN EXISTING POSITION. SO, EXAMPLES OF THIS IN THIS LEGISLATION INCLUDE JUST TWO ITEMS. ONE OF THEM IS IN SEATTLE CENTER. ONE OF THEM IS IN SDHR. I DO HAPPEN TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS DUE TO THE INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM SDHR, AND JUST AS BACKGROUND, CENTRAL STAFF DOES RECEIVE WHAT ARE CALLED CLASSIFICATION REPORTS FOR EACH OF THESE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS. CENTRAL STAFF DOES READ THOSE, BUT THEY DON'T PROVIDE THE FULL STORY OF EACH RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTION, BUT IT DOES GIVE A FLAVOR OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GLEANING THIS INFORMATION FROM, AND THEN FOR CERTAIN ONES, I WILL GO AND REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO SDHR FOR SOME MORE INFORMATION. BUT SO FOR THIS FIRST ONE, A SEATTLE CENTER FACILITY TECHNOLOGY SUPERVISOR, HVAC TECHNOLOGY SUPERVISOR, THAT WAS A SITUATION WHERE THE -- IT'S A FILLED POSITION, AND THERE WAS AN INVERSION SITUATION HAPPENING WHERE DUE TO THE COALITION CONTRACT WAGE ADJUSTMENTS THE SUBORDINATE EMPLOYEES OF THE SUPERVISOR POSITION WERE EARNING MORE AFTER THEIR WAGE ADJUSTMENTS THAN THE SUPERVISOR AND SO THE DEPARTMENT REVIEWED THE SITUATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE SUPERVISOR ACTUALLY WAS PERFORMING A GREATER BODY OF WORK THAN CONTAINED IN THE CURRENT CLASSIFICATION, AND HAD SPECIAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, AND SO REQUESTED SDHR TO RE- EVALUATE THE JOB TITLE TO SEE IF IT COULD BE MOVED INTO A DIFFERENT JOB TITLE, EXISTING JOB TITLE IS THAT IS COMPENSATED MORE AND REQUIRES MORE OF THAT EXPERTISE AND THE LICENSING SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE HERE. IT DOES RESULT IN A BIG JUMP IN PAY OR POTENTIAL JUMP IN PAY FOR THAT EMPLOYEE AND FOR MIDPOINT SALARY STATUS AS WELL. THE SDHR REVISED JOB TITLE IS FOR SPECIAL EXAMS ANALYST, AND AS YOU ALL RECALL, THERE WAS APPROVAL TO TRANSFER SIX EMPLOYEES -- SIX POSITIONS FROM SDHR TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONS TO PERFORM PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION WORK, AND SO ALL OF THAT WORK IS NOW GETTING ITS OWN JOB TITLE. SOME OF IT'S A NEW JOB TITLE, AND SOME OF IT'S A RECLASSIFICATION. THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE. NEXT UP IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 13 NEW JOB TITLES. SO, THIS IS THE FRESH START. THESE ARE ALL -- THESE DON'T EXIST. THEY'RE NOT VACANT OR FILLED. HOWEVER, IN SOME SITUATIONS, THERE MIGHT BE EMPLOYEES PERFORMING THIS WORK UNDER ANOTHER JOB TITLE THAT HAS NO RELATION TO THIS, AND SO THEY COULD GO ON CONTINUING TO DO THAT WORK UNDER THEIR EXISTING JOB TITLE THAT'S LIKELY A POOR FIT FOR WHAT THEY DO, OR IF COUNCIL APPROVES THESE JOB TITLES, IT WILL BE SWITCHED AROUND FOR THEM. I THINK A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE LAST ONE, 12 AND 13 AND FAS REQUEST FOR VETERINARIAN AND VETERINARIAN PRINCIPAL JOB TITLES. RIGHT NOW, THAT WORK WOULD HAPPEN UNDER A MANAGER JOB CLASSIFICATION BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO, THIS JOB TITLE WOULD BE A MORE APPROPRIATE CLASSIFICATION FOR THAT WORK. >> I'M GOING TO SHARE A PERSONAL ANECDOTE THAT I ALREADY SHARED WITH KARINA THAT HELPS EXPLAIN SOME OF THIS AS WELL. WHEN I STARTED IN CENTRAL STAFF ALMOST 25 YEARS AGO, MY INITIAL ASSIGNMENT WAS SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES. ONE OF MY FIRST PROJECTS WAS THE REVIEW AND ULTIMATELY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A DESIGN, BUILD, OPERATE CONTRACT FOR A NEW WATER TREATMENT FACILITY FOR THE RIVER. SO, WE HAD A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR COME AND DESIGN AND BUILD THE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY, AND THEN OPERATE IT FOR ESSENTIALLY 25 YEARS. THE REASON IT WAS STRUCTURED THAT WAY IS THE THEORY AND I THINK IN PRACTICE WAS THAT HE WHO DESIGNED AND BUILT IT SHOULD BE FORCED TO OPERATE IT, BECAUSE THAT WAY, THEY'LL DESIGN AND BUILD IT IN A WAY THAT WILL MAKE IT OPERATE EFFICIENTLY. IT WAS A UNIQUE APPROACH TO PUBLIC CONTRACTING AND 25 YEARS LATER, THAT CONTRACT HAS REACHED ITS END AND IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT POSITION TITLES, SO THEY ARE PROPOSED TO BE CREATED HERE SO WE CAN TAKE OVER THAT. SO, FEELS LIKE, FOR ME, SORT OF A CERTAIN PERSONAL TURN. BUT ALSO, IT EXPLAINS WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND WHY DON'T WE HAVE THOSE TITLES? IT'S BECAUSE, FOR 25 YEARS, WE HAVE HAD A SEPARATE ENTITY OPERATING THAT FACILITY. >> AND THEN LAST, THERE'S A RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENT OF PAY FOR TWO EXISTING JOB TITLES. THE FIRST IS FOR A FIRE EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN IN THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SINGLE INSTANCE OF AN INCUMBENT EMPLOYEE REQUESTING A CLASSIFICATION REVIEW WITHIN THIS FOURTH QUARTER EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE, AND THEN THE LAST IS RATE OF PAY FOR TEMPORARY COUNSELOR IN HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS LEGISLATION WOULD NOT DIRECTLY RESULT IN INCREASED COSTS FOR DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT COULD SET COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE LEGISLATION COULD LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR DEPARTMENTS MAKING DECISIONS THAT COULD RESULT IN ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT. ANY CHANGE IN COMPENSATION FOR A NEW HIRE OR FOR AN INCUMBENT EMPLOYEE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD. IF A DEPARTMENT NEEDS POSITION AUTHORITY OR APPROPRIATIONS TO ENACT ANY OF THESE NEW TITLES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT, OF COURSE, WOULD REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL. IN MANY CASES, FOR THESE RECLASSIFICATIONS, NOT THE NEW JOB TITLES, NECESSARILY, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM, THE DEPARTMENTS WILL ABSORB THESE COSTS. THEY CAN USE THEIR SALARY SAVINGS TO ABSORBABSORB COSTS. SOME OF THESE CHANGES TO CIVIL SERVICE STATUS WILL RESULT IN INCREASED SALARY SAVINGS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH THEY CAN CHOOSE TO USE FOR OTHER SITUATIONS IN THEIR PERSONNEL LABOR BUDGET. IT CAN HAPPEN, THOUGH, OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE HIGH STAFF RETENTION, THAT AT SOME POINT, IF EMPLOYEES HAVE REACHED THE TOP STEP OR IF THEY'RE PAYING MORE TO EMPLOYEES TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND DISCRETIONARY PAY PROGRAMS, THEY MIGHT COME TO COUNCIL ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS TO COVER THE COST. MAYBE THIS RECLASSIFICATION DECISION THAT WAS MADE TEN YEARS AGO THAT WAS NEVER REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET UNTIL THIS PARTICULAR POINT. SO, IN ORDER TO CALCULATE THE POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED COST WITH THESE DECISIONS, CITY BUDGET OFFICE HAS CALCULATED THE DIFFERENCE BASED ON THE MIDPOINT SALARY OF THE INITIAL JOB TITLE AND THE RECOMMENDED JOB TITLE. SO, AS WE ALL KNOW, THE COUNCIL PERSONNEL BUDGET IS BASED ON THE MIDPOINT SALARY OF POSITIONS AND SO WHEN ONE THINKS ABOUT CHANGING TO A DIFFERENT POSITION, ONE CAN LOOK AT THE BEGINNING MIDPOINT SALARY AND THE END MIDPOINT SALARY AND LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE AND THINK, OKAY, THAT COULD BE AN ESTIMATION OF THE COST. BUT IT REALLY COULD FALL ABOVE THAT OR BELOW IT. ALL OF THIS SAID, THE NET IMPACT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RECLASSIFICATIONS, REVISED JOB TITLES AND ADJUSTED SALARY STEPS WOULD BE A NET IMPACT OF LESS THAN $10,000 FOR THE ONES IN THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE. THE SUMMARY FISCAL NOTE LAYS OUT A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE MIDPOINT SALARY FOR EACH OF THOSE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS. THE NEW JOB TITLES DOES NOT HAVE ACCOMPANYING INFORMATION FROM CITY BUDGET OFFICE IN THE SUMMARY FISCAL NOTE, SO CENTRAL STAFF WORKED WITH THEM TO LEARN WHAT WE COULD ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THOSE POSITIONS, AND THERE'S ATTACHMENT TO THE MEMO THAT SAYS WHETHER APPROPRIATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE 2025-2026 BUDGET OR ARE NOT, AND THE DEPARTMENT MIGHT COME FORWARD AT A LATER DATE ASKING FOR THOSE APPROPRIATIONS. YOU'LL SEE HERE, IT IS THE CHART, RETURNING POSITIONS TO CIVIL SERVICE, HAS A MIDPOINT SALARY DECREASE OF $210,000, EXEMPTING RESULTS IN A -- AN INCREASE IN COST, AND THEN REVISING TO JOB TITLES, INCREASE IN ADJUSTING PAY RATES JUST UNDER $3,500. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? SO, NEXT STEPS IS THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A POSSIBLE VOTE IN COMMITTEE TODAY. IT COULD BE REFERRED TO -- IF IT PASSES AND IS APPROVED, IT COULD BE REFERRED TO A COUNCIL VOTE NEXT WEEK THROUGH SUSPENSION OF RULES, OR IN EARLY JANUARY. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT SUMMARY. I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, KARINA, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND DIRECTOR NOBLE FOR BEING HERE. I ADMITTEDLY HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH KARINA AND BEN BOTH ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WILL BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS VOTE BECAUSE I DID NOT GET ENOUGH INFORMATION|| BY WHICH TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO VOTE FOR THESE THINGS OR NOT. HAVING WORKED AT A DEPARTMENT AND ACTUALLY REQUESTED CLASSIFICATION CHANGES FROM THE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT THAT GOES INTO REQUESTING A CLASSIFICATION CHANGE. THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT I NOTED IN THIS LIST THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AND WHY THEY'RE GETTING RECLASSIFIED. FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS IN OED, WHICH IS A DEPARTMENT THAT I VERY MUCH CARE ABOUT. WHAT ARE THESE NEW -- NOT NEW POSITIONS, BUT WHY ARE THESE POSITIONS RECLASSIFIED? WHAT NEW BODY OF WORK OR DIFFERENT BODY OF WORK WILL BE HAPPENING? AND WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION, I DON'T THINK I WOULD BE DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE. OBVIOUSLY, BOTH THE CHARTER AND THE SMC REQUIRES US TO BE THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THESE THINGS FOR A REASON, AND I FEEL THAT WITHOUT THE INFORMATION, I WOULD SIMPLY BE RUBBER STAMPING SOMEBODY ELSE'S DECISION, AND I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. SO, FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M GOING TO BE ABSTAINING FROM THIS VOTE TODAY. THANK YOU. >> JUST TO RESPOND TO THAT, I COMPLETELY RESPECT THAT STATEMENT. THESE USED TO GO STRAIGHT TO FULL COUNCIL AND NOT EVEN GO THROUGH COMMITTEE, AND I REMEMBER I RAISED A LOT OF STINK AND QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FIRST QUARTER SUPPLEMENTAL, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I'M GOING TO PAUSE ON THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE THE COMMITTEE VOTE TODAY OR HAVE YOU ABSTAIN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE, YOUR QUESTIONS FIRST. OR COMMENTS. >> OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU, CHAIR. COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I APPRECIATE THAT. MS. BULL, I APPRECIATE THE BRIEFING, AND OF COURSE THE HISTORY LESSONS THAT DIRECTOR NOBLE PROVIDED AS WELL. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL. AND YES, IT'S INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND OF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE BEEN DOING DIFFERENT ACTIONS THIS YEAR AS IT RELATES TO HR, AS NOTED IN THE OPENING REMARKS, RELATED TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THESE CHANGES SHOW UP HERE IN THE BRIEFING AS REVIEWED BY CENTRAL STAFF. SO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WAS ALSO GOING TO PIVOT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT I CAN ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE FROM HR PERSPECTIVE, ONE OF THE THINGS GOING BACK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, AND AS EVERYBODY HERE ON THE DAIS KNOWS, I LIKE TURNING EVERY COMMITTEE INTO A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE. THERE'S BEEN DIFFERENT THINGS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO INCLUDE WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY- RELATED DEPARTMENTS. ISSUES SURROUNDING WORKDAY AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND PEOPLE GETTING PAID ON TIME AND SO FORTH. I KNOW THIS IS COMING OUT OF LEFT FIELD, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND ON THAT, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAYBE LOOK TO GET AN UPDATE ON AT SOME POINT? >> YEAH, SO, ANY UPDATES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF WORKDAY, I THINK, WOULD BE BEST TO DIRECT TO SDHR IN COMBINATION WITH OFFICE OF CITY FINANCE BECAUSEBECAUSE THEY'RE ADMINISTERING IT TOGETHER. AND I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR INFORMATION TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN APPROPRIATE UPDATE THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE. >> OKAY. GO AHEAD. SORRY, I'M DONE. GO AHEAD. >> I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND THEN THINGS WENT QUIET. MEANWHILE, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM YOUR COMMITTEES AND I HAD HAD A QUESTION -- I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE OVERSEER OF THE DEPARTMENT, SO I AM ALSO CURIOUS WHAT'S GOING ON. HOWEVER, I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S BEEN MURMUR OF LAWSUITS ET CETERA, ON BEHALF OF EMPLOYEES, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS TOO SENSITIVE TO HAVE BEFORE COMMITTEE, BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT MAYBE HAVING A BRIEFING NEXT YEAR, AND I SPOKE WITH OUR LABOR RELATIONSRELATIONS -- OUR DEPARTMENTAL LABOR RELATIONS PERSON ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE ADVISABLE AND WHAT HE'S HEARING FROM PROJECT 17, ET CETERA, SO LET'S HOLD OFF ON THAT AND I WILL REACH OUT ON MY OWN AND FIND OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE BEFORE THE -- BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE IT'S IMPACTING A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO SIGNAL TO OUR CITY WORKERS THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION. SO, MORE ON THAT LATER. >> AND IF I MAY, OF COURSE, CENTRAL STAFF IS ABLE TO HELP FACILITATE ANY QUESTIONS BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OFFICE OF FINANCE AND SDHR AS WELL OFFLINE. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> SO, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, AND THEN WE'LL RETURN TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA MADE, BUT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE ESTABLISHED POSITIONS. I NOTICED THAT -- WELL, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, I NOTICED IN THE SUMMARY AND FISCAL NOTE TWO RECOMMENDED CHANGES THAT THAT RESPECTIVELY IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE AND DECREASE TO THE MIDPOINT SALARY OF POSITIONS IN PARTICULAR THE FAS -- THE EXECUTIVE 2 POSITION IS RECLASSIFIED AS A PAINTER CREW CHIEF, WHICH REDUCES THE MIDPOINT BY ABOUT $80,000, AND THEN IN THE SEATTLE CENTER, A FACILITY TECH SUPERVISOR IS RETITLED AS AN HVAC TECH SUPERVISOR, INCREASING THE MIDPOINT TO BY ABOUT $83,000, SO CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHY THAT HAPPENS? WHY WOULD HR MAKE THIS CHANGE THROUGH THE RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS INSTEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT ABROGATING THE ORIGINAL POSITION AND AND THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE A NEW ONE? >> IT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS THAT DEPARTMENTS CAN MAKE THESE SORTS OF REQUESTS AND HAVE THESE CHANGES HAPPEN THROUGH SDHR RATHER THAN, SAY, THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S THEIR PREROGATIVE. RIGHT NOW, SDHR HAS BROAD AUTHORITY TO DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM UNDER THE CHARTER, UNDER THE ORDINANCE, AND INCLUDING RULE MAKING, AND THERE ARE EXISTING PERSONNEL RULES, PERSONNEL RULE TWO AND THREE THAT LAY OUT THE CRITERIA FOR WHEN A DEPARTMENT CAN REQUEST CLASSIFICATION. WE'VE GONE OVER IT. IT'S THE INCUMBENT EMPLOYEE'S -- HAS NEW DUTIES OR OVER TIME THE DEPARTMENT HEAD ENVISIONS A NEW BODY OF WORK FOR AN EXISTING POSITION OR WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A NEW POSITION. THOSE SITUATIONS REQUIRE CLASSIFICATION, AND THEY ONLY INVOLVE COUNCIL IF THERE'S CHANGES TO, SAY, CIVIL SERVICE STATUS OR NEW JOB TITLE OR RATE OF PAY. WITHIN THE EXISTING FRAMEWORK, DEPARTMENTS CAN CHOOSE HOW THEY WANT TO GO AHEAD, AND THERE'S NO -- WHETHER THEY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE SDHR RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS OR WHETHER THEY'D WANT TO ABROGATE THE POSITION AND THEN REQUEST POSITION AUTHORITY AT A LATER DATE THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL. I THINK IT'S LARGELY LEFT TO THEIR DISCRETION. >> JUST TO SAY THAT ANOTHER WAY IF YOU WILL, AND TO REFLECT BACK ON MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE ROLE OF HR. THE EXISTING ROLES -- WHEN I WAS JUST NOT SO LONG AGO MANAGING THE FORECAST OFFICE, I HAD THE POSITION THAT I WANTED TO RECLASSIFY FROM A STRATEGIC ADVISOR 2 TO STRATEGIC ADVISOR 3, A SMALL CHANGE, AND I DON'T -- YOU MAY OR -- DOESN'T STRIKE ME AS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO ENGAGE ITSELF IN, BUT THAT'S AN -- IT WAS TAKING -- I HAD AN EXISTING POCKET, AND I WANTED TO CHANGE ITS TITLE. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE WITH FAS. THEY NEEDED A NEW -- THEY WANTED A NEW PAINTER SUPERVISOR POSITION BUT PRESUMABLY THERE WAS MORE PAINTING TO BE DONE, AND THEY LOOKED AROUND TO SEE, HEY, DO I NEED TO REQUEST A NEW POSITION? OR DO I HAVE AN EXISTING POSITION THAT I COULD CONVERT TO THE PAINTER? AND AGAIN, MY EXAMPLE, SA-2 TO SA-3, JUST A SMALL DISTANCE, IF YOU WILL. EXEC 2 TO PAINTER SUPERVISOR, A BIGGER DIFFERENCE, BUT THE RULES DON'T PRECLUDE THAT CHANGE. AND HR, THEIR ROLE WOULDN'T BE NECESSARILY TO ASK THE WHY, BUT RATHER OKAY YOU'RE ASKING FOR A PAINTER POSITION. SHOW US THE BODY OF WORK YOU NEED COVERED FOR PAINTING, AND WE ARE GOING TO TELL YOU, OH, THAT'S NOT JUST A PAINTER, THAT'S A PAINTER SUPERVISOR, IF YOU WILL. I WASN'T THERE FOR THE ACTUAL DISCUSSION. SO, THE RULES ALLOW IT. HR'S ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW CLASSIFICATION IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE POSITION AT HAND, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DONE, AND IN THIS CASE, IT MOVED FROM CIVIL SERVICE EXEMPT TO CIVIL SERVICE, SO THAT REQUIRES YOUR APPROVAL. IF IT HAD NOT -- IF THE SWAP HAD BEEN FROM A CIVIL SERVICE TO CIVIL SERVICE, YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT. AT SOME LEVEL, THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, AND AT ANOTHER LEVEL, THERE ARE 12,000 POSITIONS IN THE CITY, AND YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S -- WHAT THAT BALANCE IS, AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT IT IS. I'M JUST SHARING THAT OBSERVATION. >> WELL, IT DOESN'T -- THIS IS A THEME FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IF IT'S JUST CIVIL SERVICE TO CIVIL SERVICE CLASSIFICATION CHANGE, USUALLY THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE MONEY TO ABSORB THAT CHANGE FOR THE YEAR. SO -- BUT AN ON ONGOING BASIS, THAT'S A TEENSY BIT OF MONEY COMPARED TO THE BROAD SCHEME OF THINGS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH EMPLOYEE SALARIES COST US, BUT I THINK YOU OPENED UP SAYING KARINA, SOMETHING ABOUT 600 CHANGES AND THIS IS COMING BEFORE US. THAT'S A LOT OF CHANGES, AND IT ADDS UP, AND THEN SO, YOU KNOW, AS THE -- AS THE BUDGET- MAKING AUTHORITY, COUNCIL, I MEAN -- IT'S -- THE ACCRETION OF CHANGESCHANGES MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DOES ULTIMATELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, SO SMALL AS TO BE THOUGHT OF AS INSIGNIFICANT, BUT WE HAVE TO -- YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO MIND IT. GO AHEAD, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I WAS JUST GOING TO RESPOND THAT, YES, BEN, EVEN THOUGH WE WOULDN'T SEE IT, IF IT HADN'T BEEN THAT CHANGE OF CLASSIFICATION FROM EXEMPT TO CIVIL SERVICE, BUT SDHR SEES IT BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO -- IF YOU HAVE A POSITION THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO REPURPOSE, WE TYPICALLY END UP -- DEPARTMENTS CALL IT A REPURPOSING OF A POSITION. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE THE POSITION AUTHORITY FOR THAT PARTICULAR POSITION, BUT THEY HAVE A NEED ELSEWHERE, AND THEY'VE DECIDED THEY NO LONGER NEED THIS POSITION, BUT NEED THAT OTHER POSITION BETTER. I DO THINK, THOUGH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, AND I SHARE THIS, IF THIS IS WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE -- IDEALLY, DEPARTMENTS ARE MAKING THESE CHANGES DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY INTO WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL. AND SO, I, TOO, HAVE THIS LEVEL WHERE I HAVE THIS -- I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF. I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO BE HANDLING THESE CHANGES DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS WHEN WE CAN REALLY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, IF THERE'S A REPURPOSING OR A CHANGE INTO POSITIONS OR IF THEY NEED TO REQUEST A POSITION OR, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S -- TO ME IT'S A BETTER WAY OF DOING IT, AND IT DOES OFFER A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY THAT ISN'T ALWAYS THE CASE HERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THIS INFORMATION, AND ON WHY THESE CHANGES ARE HAPPENING WHICH IS WHY I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE -- WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION NECESSARY, AND THIS HAPPENED SORT OF QUICKLY. I DON'T KNOW IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR POINT, BUT -- >> YES, YOU DID UNDERSTAND MY POINT. >> OKAY. >> ONE LAST THING, AND THEN I'LL -- WE CAN MAKE OUR DECISION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHY WOULD HR MAKE -- WHEN IT COMES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 13 JOB TITLES, WHY WOULD OR WHAT GIVES SDHR THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH JOB TITLES AND WHAT MOTIVATED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THESE 13 JOB TITLES? BECAUSE I SEE IN ATTACHMENT 2 THAT THE 2025-2026 BUDGET INCLUDES NO POSITION AUTHORITY OR FUNDING FOR POSITIONS 1, 5, 6 12 AND 13. >> SO, SDHR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO PERFORM A CLASSIFICATION REVIEW UPON REQUEST OF A DEPARTMENT TO RECOMMEND A NEW JOB TITLE AND RATE OF PAY. THE AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT THAT JOB TITLE AND PAY IS ONLY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL. SO, WHAT SDHR IS DOING IS THE FIRST STEP OF EVALUATING THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING AND THEN FIGURING OUT, ALL RIGHT, DOES THIS FIT INTO AN EXISTING JOB TITLE? DOES THE CITY NEED TO CREATE A NEW ONE? WHAT'S THE RATE OF PAY? WHAT ARE OTHER POSITIONS PAID FOR THIS IN THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS, ET CETERA? BUT THEN, IT'S UP TO COUNCIL -- IT'S COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVE TO APPROVE THAT NEW JOB TITLE AND PAY. SO, THAT'S HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS. >> AND IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST FOR AN ACTUAL -- FOR A POSITION WITH THAT TITLE, IN SOME WAYS, IT'S A CHICKEN AND EGG QUESTION. THE DEPARTMENTS ARE COMING -- SDHR IS GOING TO -- IS COMING TO REQUEST A CREATION OF THE POSITION TITLE, AND THEN THERE'S FOR THE POTENTIAL -- I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S FOR ALL THESE OR NOT -- FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO THEN SAY, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TITLE AND WE KNOW WHAT THE SALARY BAND IS, NOW WE'RE GOING TO COME FORWARD WITH A PROPOSAL TO ACTUALLY ADD SUCH A POSITION TO OUR BUDGET AND BRING THE FISCAL NOTE THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS OF THAT. BUT IF THE TITLE DOESN'T EXIST, THEY CAN'T ASK FOR THE APPROPRIATE POSITION BECAUSE IT DOESN'T -- IT'S NOT THERE. SO, AGAIN, IT'S SORT OF LIKE CHICKEN AND EGG KIND OF PIECE ABOUT THAT. >> AND ALSO, SOMETIMES, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT NEED TO REQUEST POSITION AUTHORITY OR APPROPRIATIONS BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S -- THE BODY OF WORK BEING PERFORMED IN AN EXISTING TITLE THAT IS AN IMPERFECT TITLE, AND SO THEN, IT'S JUST SORT OF LIKE AN EVEN DEAL. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD BE THE MANAGER POSITIONS IN FAS FOR THE VETERINARIANS OR IN SDHR, THE PUBLIC SAFETY CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINER POSITIONS OR PERSONNEL ANALYST. SO SOMETIMES, IT'S JUST BREAKING EVEN. >> GOT IT. YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETIMES IT'S A TWEAK, AND THEN THE WAY I WAS READING SOME OF THIS, IT JUST SEEMED AS THOUGH IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, BUT THE TITLE IS ESTABLISHED, AND IT REQUIRES A HIGHER PAY THAN THAT HUMAN BEING IS ALREADY MAKING UNDER A DIFFERENT TITLE, THEN HOW -- HOW IS THAT PERSON GOING TO GET PAID WHAT THAT JOB TITLE THEN REQUIRES? >> THE SHORT ANSWER THERETHERE THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE -- THE CVO AND THE CITY, WE LARGELY BUDGET TO THE MIDPOINT, SO THEY MAY HAVE SO USE SOME FLEXIBILITY. THEY MAY HAVE SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE BELOW THE MIDPOINT THAT PROVIDE SOME RELATIVE SAVINGS THAT THEY CAN APPLY THEN NOW TO BRING THIS POSITION UP TO A SLIGHTLY HIGHER SALARY IN THE SCENARIO THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING. THE COUNCIL DOESN'T APPROVE THE INDIVIDUAL SALARIES BUT RATHER SORT OF THE MIDPOINT, THE AVERAGE, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENTS -- AND I DO THIS WORK MYSELF -- SOME PEOPLE ARE PAID HIGHER, SOME PEOPLE ARE PAID LOWER AND AS A MANAGER, YOU'RE CONSTRAINED TO MAINTAIN THAT BALANCE AND IN A LARGE DEPARTMENT, YOU CAN DO THAT ACROSS MANY POSITIONS, AND THAT'S RELATIVELY EASIER TO DO. IN SMALLER DEPARTMENTS, THAT BECOMES TRICKIER BECAUSE THERE AREN'T THAT MANY PEOPLE TO TRADE OFF, IF YOU WILL, OR AGAINST OR BETWEEN OR AMONG. >> BUT THE CBO KNOWS ABOUT ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? THEY'RE TRACKING? >> WHEN I WAS BUDGET DIRECTOR, UNDERSTANDING WHAT HR WAS DOING AND THE IMPACTS, THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS, WERE A REGULAR THING THAT WE WERE KEEPING TRACK OF OURSELVES, AND WORKING WITH HR TO BE SURE THAT THEY WEREN'T PUTTING US INTO AN AWKWARD -- WE, THE BUDGET OFFICE AT THE TIME, INTO AN AWKWARD POSITION ABOUT DEPARTMENTS' BUDGETS AND THE BIGGEST MESSAGE BEING, JUST BECAUSE YOU GET A RECLASS, DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET MORE MONEY. THAT WAS A CONSISTENT AND IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE ARE -- THAT'S A SEPARATE QUESTION. YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR FINANCES. YES, YOU HAVE MEANINGFUL MANAGEMENT FLEXIBILITY, BECAUSE WE DO NOT -- AGAIN, JUST A PERSPECTIVE THAT WAS UNDER THE MAYOR AT THE TIME, AND I THINK IN GENERAL, WE DON'T WANT TO BE MICROMANAGING -- AGAIN, THERE ARE 12,000 POSITIONS, DON'T WANT TO BE MANAGING DIFFERENT POSITIONS BUT WE ARE MANAGING YOUR BUDGET, SO YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THESE POSITIONS WITH THE EXISTING RESOURCE. >> GO AHEAD. >> YES, BEN, BUT SDHR DOESN'T GET INVOLVED IN DEPARTMENTS' BUDGETS, SO THEY'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS NOT KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY HAVE THE FUNDING FOR WHATEVER CONTEMPLATED CHANGE, SO THAT -- I'VE ALWAYS FOUND I CONTINUE TO BE TROUBLED BY THAT BECAUSE IF SDHR IS MAKING DECISIONS ON A REQUEST THAT A DEPARTMENT IS MAKING AND IT HAS A FISCAL CHANGE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, THAT'S MORE THAN THEY WERE PAYING BEFORE FOR ANY POSITION IN THAT DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE, AND SDHR DOESN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT. IN FACT, THEY DON'T, BECAUSE THEY DON'T ASK YOU. THEY DON'T SEE A EPARTMENT'S BUDGET WHEN THEY'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS. THEY'RE SIMPLY LOOKING AT THE POSITION ITSELF AND THE -- THE JOB DESCRIPTION. WHAT IS THE POSITION DOING? SO, DOES IT MATCH THE CLASSIFICATION TO WHAT THE POSITION IS DOING AND WHAT IT SHOULD GET PAID? BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE DEPARTMENT HAS THE MONEY TO PAY IT. SO, THEN, THEY'RE JUST MAKING THE DECISION BASED ON THAT. >> THAT'S WHY I WAS ANSWERING THE QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO HOW THE CBO IS INVOLVED AND ALSO WHY KARINA REACHED OUT TO CBO AND SAID, WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS HERE? THIS GETS BACK TO THE COMMENT I MADE ABOUT HR'S ROLE AS A CHECK ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE BUT ALSO ON A CUSTOMER SERVICE ROLE. THE FINANCIAL PART IS -- WITHIN THE WAY THE EXECUTIVE IS ORGANIZED, THAT'S NOT THEIR ROLE, AND THEY WILL TELL YOU AS MUCH. BUT WE'RE RELYING ON CBO AND ON THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS TO ENSURE THE FINANCIAL SIDE. BUT I'M NOT CONTRADICTING YOU. I'M ONLY REINFORCING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. >> AND ALSO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, GIVEN THAT, WHY -- AND WE JUST PASSED THE BUDGET -- WHY WE'RE TAKING THIS UP NOW AND WHY THIS WASN'T JUST PART OF THE BUDGET THAT WE JUST PASSED JUST WEEKS AGO. ANYWAY. THANK YOU. >> YEAH, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CHECKING IN WITH THE EXECUTIVE, BUT FROM OUR ORIGINAL CONVERSATION THIS YEAR, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY AT THAT TABLE IN THAT DISCUSSION KNEW THAT WE'D BE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS EVERY SINGLE QUARTER, AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT -- THAT WOULD BE -- THAT INFORMATION, THAT FILLER INFORMATION THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY FILLER BECAUSE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE PAST 15 MINUTES WOULD HAVE BEEN KIND OF JUST PROVIDED OR VOLUNTARILY BECAUSE -- WE'RE STICKLERS UP HERE, I GUESS. >> I WILL SAY THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DOESN'T ALWAYS KNOW NECESSARILY. I MEAN, THIS IS VERY IN THE WEEDS WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND SDHR. THEY DON'T ALWAYS KNOW. SO, I'M -- YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE MINDFUL NOT TO SAY THIS IS A MAYOR'S OFFICE ISSUE. >> NO, NO. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THAT TABLE, AND WE JUST GOT DONE WITH THE BUDGET AND IT'S VERY BUSY. SO, CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPLICATIONS IF WE HELD THE VOTE UNTIL -- BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE -- YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION. SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPLICATIONS IF WE HELD THE VOTE UNTIL NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL MEETING? >> IT WOULD DELAY THE DEPARTMENTS' AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS, AND I HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT URGENCY AND THIS BEING PASSED IN 2024 FROM SDHR, SO IT WOULD DELAY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPROVAL, IF ANY, OF THESE RECOMMENDED PERSONNEL ACTIONS. IT MIGHT DELAY A DEPARTMENT'S HIRING FOR SOME OF THE NEW JOB TITLES. BUT I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SPECIFIC DIRE CONSEQUENCES. I'M NOT APPRISED OF THAT. >> OKAY, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE POSITIONS ARE VACANT, SO THEY ALREADY EXIST, AND SOME OF THEM ARE CHANGED. I WOULD -- SO, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION FROM MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, LET'S JUST CONSIDER THIS THE -- A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION TODAY, AND THEN CONTINUE ON WITH THE POSSIBLE VOTE. DO YOU HAVE A DATE, STEPHEN, FOR -- WELL, IT WILL BE THE FIRST THURSDAY OF JANUARY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. OR THE SECOND THURSDAY OF JANUARY. >> THAT WOULD BE JANUARY 9th. >> OKAY. IF THAT IS OKAY WITH YOU, PLEASE REPORT BACK, AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE -- THERE'S ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD TALK AMONGST OURSELVES AND THEN BRING IT TO FULL COUNCIL FOR A VOTE LIKE IT'S ALWAYS DONE IN THE PAST, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GO UNPAID THAT NEED TO BE PAID. SO, WITH THAT, THOUGH, LET'S CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION AT OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, THAT IS THE -- THAT'S CONCLUDES OUR LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY -- ANY BUSINESS FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER BEFORE WE CLOSE THE MEETING? IT FEELS KIND OF FUNNY. I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT OUR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR KIND OF JUST, YOU KNOW -- WILL BE CONTINUED NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT'S THE WAY WE GO. WE'RE THOROUGH. OKAY. GO ON. >> I DIDN'T MEAN -- APOLOGIES. WE COULD HAVE DONE THE VOTE AND I COULD HAVE GOTTEN INFORMATION SUBSEQUENTLY, BUT MY APOLOGIES IF I CREATED -- >> NO, IT IS NOT YOU. I JUST THINK THAT WE ARE THE OVERSIGHT BODY, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THEY'RE GOING IN, AND IF IT'S SIMPLY THAT YOU CAN'T DECIDE YOUR POSITION ON SOMETHING, THEN THAT'S THE REASON FOR AN ABSTENTION, BUT JUST NOT KNOWING, THAT IS PARTLY -- THAT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOMEBODY FROM SDHR AT THE TABLE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THE FLY. SOUNDED LIKE YOUR QUESTIONS WERE MORE DETAILED ANYWAY, BUT I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE DECISIONS THEY'RE MAKING AT THE DAIS. SO, ALL RIGHT. THIS CONCLUDES THE DECEMBER 12, 2024, MEETING OF THE GOVERNANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025, AT 2:00 P.M., AND NOT SEEING ANY FURTHER BUSINESS, I WILL SAY THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY. IT IS 3:40, AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.