>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, IT IS NICE TO SEE A FULL HOUSE HERE. THIS IS THE THURSDAY, MARCH 27th MEETING OF THE GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND WE WILL COME TO ORDER AT 2:02. WHILE THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? I AM SARA NELSON, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE. ONE NOTE, COUNCILMEMBER HOLLINGSWORTH AND KETTLE ARE BOTH EXCUSED. >> [ ROLL BEING CALLED ] THREE PRESENT, TWO EXCUSED. >> ALL RIGHT, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED BUT HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA IS ADOPTED. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR HYBRID PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US HOW MANY PEOPLE SIGNED UP? >> THAT'S SCARY. >> WE HAVE 13 IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTERS AND TWO REMOTE, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> OKAY. GO AHEAD AND GIVE FOLKS 90 SECONDS , IF THAT DOESN'T BLOW EVERYBODY'S PLAN FOR EITHER A MINUTE OR TWO? LET'S DO 90 SECONDS, PLEASE. ACTUALLY, I'M JUST NOW REALIZING -- ONE MINUTE EACH, AND LET'S START WITH THE IN PERSON COMMENTERS, WE WILL DO 10, THEN SWITCH TO REMOTE, THEN BACK AGAIN. >> ALL RIGHTY. I WILL CALL SPEAKERS UP TO ORDER WAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, STARTING WITH IN PERSON COMMENTERS BUT WHEN YOU HEAR THE CHIME, YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS LEFT. IF YOU WOULD SEE THE TIME, YOUR MICROPHONE MAY BE CUT OFF, SO WE CAN MOVE ONTO THE NEXT SPEAKER. IF YOU ARE OFFERING REMOTE COMMENT, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TWO UNMUTE YOURSELF. THE FIRST SPEAKER FOR IN PERSON PUBLIC, WILL BE HANNAH LINDEL SMITH, FOLLOWED BY ANDREA B . AND FOLLOWING THAT, CINDY BLACK. COME ON UP. >> HELLO, CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS HANNAH LINDEL SMITH. I AM THE COALITION COORDINATOR FOR PEOPLE [ INAUDIBLE ] ELECTIONS, AND I AM HERE SPEAKING IN STRONG SUPPORT OF ADDING A NEW AGILE -- RENEWAL MEASURE. I HAVE BEEN DOING COMMITTEE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZING WORK FOR OVER FOUR YEARS. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO VOTE SINCE LAST MAY. AS I LOOKED FORWARD TO MY 18th BIRTHDAY, I ALSO LOOKED FORWARD TO MAKING MY VOICE HEARD IN A DIFFERENT WAY, ONE COMPLETELY UNIQUE TO SEATTLE, USING MY DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS. TO ME, ACCURACY VOUCHERS AREN'T JUST ABOUT AN ELECTION OR CANDIDATE. THEY ARE A TOOL FOR BUILDING A MORE JUST AND BEAUTIFUL FUTURE THAT I ORGANIZE FOUR POINT FROM CLIMATE JUSTICE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING , FROM WORKERS RIGHTS TO COMMUNITY SAFETY. IT IS SO EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF DEMOCRACY, ESPECIALLY NOW. ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM OFTEN SEEMS TO FAIL US, BUT THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ENSURING THAT OUR VOICES ARE HEARD, OUR NEEDS ARE PRIORITIZED, AND OUR CIVIC PARTICIPATION IS VALUED BUT THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING ADDING THIS RENEWAL TO THE AUGUST BALLOT. >> THANK YOU, NEXT WE WILL HAVE ANDREA, THEN CINDY, THEN CYNTHIA. COME ON DOWN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM ANDREA , ASSISTANT CLINICAL DIRECTOR WITH [ INAUDIBLE ] 242 AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE 7000 MEMBERS OF [ INAUDIBLE ] WHO HAVE ENDORSED AND SIGNED A LETTER IN STRONG SUPPORT OF HAVING THE SEATTLE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM ON THE BALLOT. THE PROGRAM HAS DEMONSTRATED ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN INCREASING VOTER PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL ELECTIONS, BROADENING REPRESENTATION, AND ENCOURAGING A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF CANDIDATES TO RUN FOR OFFICE. BY EMPOWERING RESIDENTS TO HAVE A DIRECT STAKE IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS. DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS HELP CREATE A POLITICAL LANDSCAPE THAT BETTER REFLECTS THE VOICE AND INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROGRAM HAS UNINTENTIONALLY REDUCED THE INFLUENCE OF LARGE CORPORATIONS IN SEATTLE ELECTIONS, ENSURING THAT RESIDENTS, RATHER THAN THE BIG [ INAUDIBLE ] HAVE A FAIR AND MEANINGFUL SAY IN OUR DEMOCRACY. I URGE THE COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM TO UPHOLD THE MORE INCLUSIVE, ELECTORAL PROCESS FOR SEATTLE RESIDENTS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. >> THANK YOU, NEXT WE HAVE CINDY. THEN CYNTHIA, THEN TIM. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR NELSON, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. I AM CINDY BLACK, DIRECTOR OF THE FIXED DEMOCRACY FIRST. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR STRONG SUPPORT FOR RENEWING THE LEVY THAT FUNDS THE SEATTLE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM. OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON PUBLIC FUNDING OF ELECTIONS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, I BELIEVE IT IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST OPTIONS WE HAVE TO HELP ADDRESS THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN ELECTIONS. BEFORE THE SEATTLE VOUCHER PROGRAM, MOST PEOPLE IN SEATTLE HAD NEVER DONATED TO A CANDIDATE BEFORE. THIS PROGRAM EMPOWERS RESIDENTS TO DIRECTLY PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY, GIVING THEM A BIGGER VOICE IN WHO GETS ELECTED. THE PROGRAM ALSO ENCOURAGES CANDIDATES TO ENGAGE MORE WITH CONSTITUENTS, WHO ARE ALL NOW POTENTIAL DONORS THAT CAN HELP FUND THEIR CAMPAIGNS, RATHER THAN JUST FOCUSING ON WEALTHY DONORS OR SPECIAL INTERESTS. PLEASE MOVE THIS BILL FORWARD, SO THE FULL COUNCIL CAN VOTE TO PUT IT ON AUGUST PRIMARY BALLOT, AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO TESTIFY TODAY. >> THANK YOU, CINDY. NEXT WE HAVE CYNTHIA, THEN TIM, THEN GABBY. COME ON UP. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR NELSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS CYNTHIA VASQUEZ AND I SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON [ INAUDIBLE ] AND AM ALSO A PROUD MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE POWERED ELECTIONS COALITION, WHO HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE SEATTLE DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS PROGRAM. ONE OF THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN ITS ABILITY TO EMPOWER MORE INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS, BY RENEWING THIS PROGRAM'S FUNDING, WE CAN CONTINUE TO INCREASE VOTER ENGAGEMENT, ENCOURAGE SMALL DONORS TO SUPPORT THEIR PREFERRED CANDIDATES, AND FOSTER MORE INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE DEMOCRACY. THIS YEAR, THE PROGRAM TAKES ON AN EVEN DEEPER MEANING FOR ME PERSONALLY BUT AS A RECENT PERMANENT RESIDENT, I'M FINALLY ABLE TO USE DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS MYSELF. AFTER YEARS OF TELLING OTHERS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, I CAN NOW EXPERIENCE FIRST-HAND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE MY VOICE COUNT IN LOCAL DEMOCRACY, EVEN THOUGH I STILL CANNOT VOTE. FOR ME AND OTHERS, THIS PROGRAM IS IT JUST POLICY, IT IS PERSONAL, IT OPENS UP THE DOOR TO CIVIC PARTICIPATION THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CLOSED TO US. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE VOTERS GET THE CHANCE TO RENEW THIS FUNDING IN THIS AUGUST PRIMARY. >> THANK YOU, CYNTHIA. NEXT WE HAVE TIM, THEN GABBY, THEN ABIGAIL. COME ON UP. >> GOOD AFTERNOON , CHAIR NELSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TIM O'NEIL, A DISTRICT 3 RESIDENT, AND RESEARCHING DATA MANAGEMENT WASHINGTON COMMUNITY LINES. I AM HERE TO SUPPORT THE RENEWAL OF [ INAUDIBLE ] PROGRAM. THE GDP LOWERS FINANCIAL BARRIERS FROM CANDIDATES FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUND'S TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND ENCOURAGES INVESTMENTS IN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING TO REACH A BROADER BASE OF CONSTITUENTS. RELATIVE TO OTHER CITIES IN WASHINGTON, SEATTLE STANDS APART WITH CANDIDATES THAT ARE MORE REFLECTIVE OF OUR POPULATION BY AGE, RACE, AND GENDER. THIS STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY BY ENSURING A GOVERNMENT THAT IS MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF AND [ INAUDIBLE ]. IT HAS ALSO HAD A POSITIVE LASTING EFFECT ON VOTER TURNOUT IN SEATTLE, PARTICULARLY AMONG COMMUNITIES THAT HISTORICALLY DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS, INCLUDING YOUNG VOTERS, LOW INCOME VOTERS, AND VOTERS OF COLOR. THOSE WHO USE VOUCHERS ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO VOTE IN FUTURE ELECTIONS, WASHER AND LONG-TERM CIVIC PARTICIPATION AMONG OUR ELECTORATE. FOR THESE REASONS, I URGE YOU TO ADVANCE THIS MEASURE AND ALLOW VOTERS TO DECIDE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. >> THANK YOU. GABBY? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS GABBY AND I I AM A SEATTLE DISTRICT 2 RESIDENT I URGE YOU TO ADVANCE LEGISLATION TO RENEW THE FUNDING FOR DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS BUT AS A STUDENT WITH LITTLE INCOME, THIS PROGRAM IS ESSENTIAL. DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS LET ME MAKE MY FIRST EVER CONTRIBUTION TO A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. I GREW UP THINKING THAT POLITICAL DONATIONS WERE ONLY FOR THE WEALTHY AND THAT POLITICS WAS A GAME OF BIG MONEY, BUT DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS HAVE CHANGED THAT. THEY PUSHED ME TO ENGAGE WITH LOCAL POLITICS AND PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE DOWN BALLOT RACES, BECAUSE IT FINALLY FELT LIKE I HAD A BITE IN. DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE ME, THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEMOCRACY, WHEN OFTEN WE LIKE OUR VOICES ARE HEARD. PLEASE PASS THIS MEASURE AND LET VOTERS DECIDE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, NEXT WE HAVE ABIGAIL, THEN SHANNON, THEN [ INAUDIBLE ], THEN BENJAMIN DROWNED OUT THE FIRST 10. >> I, I AM ABIGAIL, I'M SPEAKING AS PART OF THE WASHINGTON VOTING JUSTICE COALITION. THERE IS A LOT OF FEAR RIGHT NOW THAT MONEY AND NOT PEOPLE DECIDE WHO HAS A SAY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS ARE GIVING PEOPLE A LITTLE HOPE. AND I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND THAT THEY SET US APART FROM THE REST OF THE STATE, AND WE ARE THE TALK OF THE TOWN. I CAN TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE LISTENING SESSIONS WHERE WE ASK PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT VOTING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW SOME EXCERPTS FROM THAT. PEOPLE FROM SEATTLE TO COME TO THOSE SESSIONS LIKE JOSH SAY THEY LOVE DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS AND THINK THEY SHOULD BE EXPANDED STATEWIDE. ANGIE FROM AUBURN SAID DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS WHO WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GIVE OTHERWISE AND WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT CANDIDATES WHO REPRESENT THEM. JIM FROM MARYSVILLE SAID IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU, RATHER THAN SOMEONE FROM CORPORATIONS. [ INAUDIBLE ] SAID FELT LAST INVOLVED IN POLITICS BECAUSE THINGS LIKE EXCESS MONEY TO DONATE TO CAMPAIGNS DIDN'T EXIST FOR HER. REGINA FROM SPOKANE SAID THEY COULD ENCOURAGE NEW CANDIDATES TO RUN BUT I AM HERE TO THANK YOU AND SUPPORT THE RENEWAL OF DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS, AND SEE WHAT WE DO NEXT. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SHANNON, [ INAUDIBLE ], THEN BENJAMIN. COME ON UP. >> [ INAUDIBLE ] MY NAME IS SHANNON GRIMES. [ INAUDIBLE ] WE SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION TO ENABLE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER [ INAUDIBLE ] >> SPEAK A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIKE. >> I'M TOO TALL FOR THIS. ONE OF THE PRIMARY GOALS OF DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS IS TO BRING MORE CITY RESIDENTS INTO THE CAMPAIGN-FINANCE CONVERSATION, AND THAT HAS BEEN HUGELY SUCCESSFUL. IN 2013 BEFORE THE PROGRAM, JUST 8800 INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTED [ INAUDIBLE ]. IN 2021, HE WAS 59,000. SEATTLE NOW HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST CONTRIBUTING RATES OF ANY U.S. CITY, AT AROUND 10% OF REGISTERED VOTERS. NEW YORK CITY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT COMES EVEN CLOSE. SEATTLE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED THE PARTICIPATION OF OTHER [ INAUDIBLE ] . THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO SUCCEEDED IN DIVERSIFYING [ INAUDIBLE ]. WHILE DISPARITIES REMAIN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUNGER PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE WITH LOWER INCOMES ARE MUCH BETTER REPRESENTED AMONG VOUCHER USERS [ INAUDIBLE ] . IN SOME ELECTIONS, PEOPLE USING VOUCHERS BETTER REPRESENT SEATTLE [ INAUDIBLE ] . FOR MANY PEOPLE USING VOUCHERS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE EVER DONATED TO A CAMPAIGN. [ INAUDIBLE ] PLEASE ALLOW VOTERS TO KEEP FUNDING THIS PROGRAM, THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [ INAUDIBLE ], THEN BENJAMIN TO FINISH THE FIRST HALF. >> I AM A LITTLE SHORTER. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR NELSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS [ INAUDIBLE ] AND I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF THEIR VOTE WASHINGTON. I'M ALSO A SEATTLE RESIDENT AND FORMER CANDIDATE FOR SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS USED A DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, I AM A STRONG SUPPORTER AND URGE YOU TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION. I KNOCKED ON THOUSANDS OF DOORS AND TALKED TO VOTERS DIRECTLY ABOUT THE VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE IN THIS WAY IS RECEIVED WITH ENTHUSIASM. THERE ARE TWO GROUPS THAT PARTICULARLY STUCK OUT TO ME, GREEN CARD HOLDERS AND YOUNG VOTERS. FOR GREEN CARD HOLDERS, THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS ARE A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A WAY THAT VOTING IS DENIED TO THEM. AND FOR YOUNG VOTERS WHO OFTEN HAVE LIMITED FINANCES , ALSO APPRECIATED BEING ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO PRIORITIES THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM. I URGE YOU TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION FOR RENEWAL. I AM PROUD THAT SEATTLE IS A LEADER IN DEMOCRATIC [ INAUDIBLE ] IN OUR COUNTRY AND I HOPE WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, AND THEN TO ROUND OUT THE FIRST 10, WE HAVE BENJAMIN, COME ON DOWN. >> GREETINGS, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I DON'T DO THIS OFTEN. MY NAME IS BEN, I LIVE IN DISTRICT 2, AND I AM A BIG PICTURE GUY, WHO IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNTRY IS NOW IGNORING REPEATEDLY CONGRESS AND THE JUDGES, WHICH EFFECTIVELY MEANS THE U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER A DEMOCRACY. IT IS THEREFORE OUR JOB NOT JUST USE NONVIOLENT METHODS TO RESTORE SAID DEMOCRACY, BUT TO ACTIVELY LOOK FOR WAYS TO MAKE IT WORK BY BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN BIG MONEY AND POLITICAL POWER, WHICH IS WHAT THE SEATTLE DEMOCRACY PROGRAM -- THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS PROGRAM IS ABOUT. WHICH I AM STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF RENEWING IT, BECAUSE RATHER THAN KNUCKLING UNDER TO BOTH THE CORPORATE OLIGARCHY AND POTENTIAL RISING FASCISM, WE CAN PAVE THE WAY FOR THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT AND SAME RULES APPLY. HALEY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES, WE CAN. >> YES, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. [ INAUDIBLE ] MY NAME IS HALEY FROM ASIAN COUNSELING AND [ INAUDIBLE ]. IN MY ROLE, I HOPE COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROGRAM IS, HOW TO USE THE VOUCHER, AND WHY [ INAUDIBLE ]. I WORK DIRECTLY WITH IMMIGRANTS, SENIORS, AND ALSO OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND MAKE [ INAUDIBLE ] ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. SO, THIS ONE IS PERSONAL TO ME BECAUSE [ INAUDIBLE ] HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE VOUCHER MYSELF, EVEN THOUGH I COULDN'T VOTE AT THE TIME, THIS PROGRAM ALLOWED ME TO [ INAUDIBLE ] IT WAS EMPOWERING TO KNOW THAT [ INAUDIBLE ]. I HAVE SEEN HOW THE PROGRAM COULD HELP [ INAUDIBLE ]. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE A STORY ABOUT [ INAUDIBLE ]. SHE IS AN ELDER WHO HAS LIVED IN SEATTLE FOR DECADES, BUT HAS NO WAY TO PARTICIPATE [ INAUDIBLE ]. SHE WAS SURPRISED [ INAUDIBLE ] . REALLY STRONGLY URGE YOU ALL TO RENEW THE PROGRAM, SO MORE RESIDENTS [ INAUDIBLE ] CAN CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, HALEY. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL GO BACK TO IN PERSON PUBLIC COMMENT, THE SAME RULES APPLY. JUST A REMINDER, IF YOU DO HEAR THAT TIME, YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS LEFT. TO CONCLUDE THE LAST THREE, WE HAVE -- DOUBLE HERE, WE HAVE BARB AND KIM. THEN WE HAVE KATIE STOLTZ, THEN FOLLOWING THEM, WE HAVE GUILLERMO. COME ON DOWN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. >> HELLO, I THANK YOU TO ALL GOVERNANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND OPENING YOURSELVES TO LISTEN AND CONSIDER OUR COMMENTS RELATIVE TO YOUR WORK ON DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS. I AM BARBARA AND THIS IS KIM ALBERT, WE ARE PRESIDENTS OF THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS OF SEATTLE KING COUNTY. THE LEAGUE IS A NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION. OUR MISSION IS TO EMPOWER VOTERS AND DEFEND DEMOCRACY. WE WORK FOR ALL THE KING COUNTY COMMUNITY TO LIFT UP OUR DEMOCRACY BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN CIVIC ACTION. >> THE SEATTLE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM IS AN ALREADY PROVEN PROGRAM THAT WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT. IT EMPOWERS VOTERS. IT HAS PROMOTED AND INCREASED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, ENABLED A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF CANDIDATES TO RUN FOR OFFICE, AND REDUCED THE INFLUENCE OF BIG MONEY IN POLITICS. THIS IS THE EXACT TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE CITY OF SEATTLE COMMUNITY NEEDS. LET'S ALL PROTECT AND EXPAND LOCAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY. PLEASE DO YOUR PART AND PUT THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER RENEWAL ON THE AUGUST BALLOT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. THE LAST TWO, WE HAVE KATIE, THEN GUILLERMO. COME ON DOWN. >> ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR NELSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KATIE STOLTZ AND I AM THE SEATTLE DISTRICT 6 PRESIDENT AND THE DATA DIRECTOR FOR THE WASHINGTON KEY ALLIANCE. WE ARE ALSO A MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE POWERED ELECTIONS COALITION. I AM HERE LIKE MANY TO URGE YOUR SUPPORT IN PASSING LEGISLATION THAT WILL ALLOW SEATTLE VOTERS TO RENEW THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM FUNDING. SINCE THE CREATION OF THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, WE HAVE SEEN A NUMBER OF SMALL DONORS INCREASED FIVEFOLD. SPECIFICALLY THAT OTHERS FROM SMALL CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER $100 INCREASED BY 156%, WHILE MONEY FROM LARGE CONTRIBUTIONS OVER $250 HAS DECREASED BY 93%. CURRENTLY, SEATTLE IS THE NUMBER ONE CITY IN THE COUNTRY FOR SMALL DOLLAR CONTRIBUTIONS. AS A YOUNG PERSON, MY ABILITY TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT CANDIDATES SINCE 2015 WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND I KNOW I AM NOT ALONE. AT A TIME WHEN VOTING RIGHTS ARE BEING ATTACKED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT SEATTLE WHERE I KNOW OUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO BUILDING A MORE EQUITABLE AND REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY WILL BE PROTECTED. PLEASE PASS THIS TODAY. >> THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE GUILLERMO, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE DO HAVE ONE FINAL REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT , COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> HELLO, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS GUILLERMO AND I'M THE LEAD FIELD ORGANIZER WITH ONE AMERICA. ONE AMERICA IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO BUILDING POWER WITH IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES ACROSS WASHINGTON STATE. WE COME TO YOU IN AN ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT OF RENEWING THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND URGE YOU TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE FOR A FULL COUNCIL VOTE. ON 2015, ONE AMERICA PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ENSURING THAT LEGAL RESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE SEEN VOTERS PARTICIPATE MORE IN OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS. THIS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST COMMUNITY CENTERED CAMPAIGN-FINANCE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY. WHEN LOW INCOME AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES CAN CONTRIBUTE REAL DOLLARS TO A CANDIDATE , AND WHEN WE REDUCE THE INFLUENCE OF BIG BUSINESS AND OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS, WE GIVE REAL HOPE TO THESE COMMUNITIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE SEND A MESSAGE AS A CITY THAT THEY CAN RALLY AROUND A CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOOSING, SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM THEIR COMMUNITY AND REDUCE FINANCIAL BARRIERS THAT EXIST IN RUNNING FOR OFFICE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, GUILLERMO. THEN WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK AND CONCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENT WITH DAVID HAYNES. DAVID, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. >> HI, THANK YOU, DAVID, HOW MANY PEOPLE GET PAID TO COLLECT DATA ON CRIME AND STATISTICS? AND HOW MANY SO-CALLED EXPERTS ON CRIME ARE PROFESSORS THAT HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY GEORGE SOROS SPONSORED AGENDAS TO COME UP WITH THESE RIDICULOUS IDEAS FOR THE DEMOCRAT PARTY TO FOLLOW, WHO ALREADY IMPLODED OUR SOCIETY, WHO NOW ACT LIKE THEY ARE AN EXPERT ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION, ALWAYS TRYING TO BLAME THE LAW ABIDING, IGNORING THE FACT THAT [ INAUDIBLE ] FROM JAIL AND SABOTAGING THE INTEGRITY OF POLICE REFORM IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY THE VIOLENCE IS OUT OF CONTROL. COUPLE THAT WITH AN IMMORAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM OF [ INAUDIBLE ] AND TO HAVE A REAL DILEMMA THAT HAS DESTROYED THE ECONOMY , AND YET, YOU PEOPLE ARE STILL DOUBLING DOWN ON VIRTUE SIGNALING AND MESSAGING, WHILE [ INAUDIBLE ] FAILURES TO IMPLEMENT PROPER POLICY, WHO INSTEAD MANIPULATE CRIME HOTSPOT DATA , [ INAUDIBLE ]. FOLLOW EVIDENCE-BASED 911 CALLS THAT DELAY THE RESPONSES WHILE THEY ARGUE WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A CRIME. >> AND THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> ALL RIGHT, OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED AND WE WILL MOVE ON WITH THE REST OF OUR AGENDA. WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM 1 INTO THE RECORD? >> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 1, APPOINTMENT 03106, APPOINTMENT OF VIVIAN VASSALL AS MEMBER, SEATTLE ETHICS AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION, FOR A TERM TO DECEMBER 31st, 2027 FOR A BRIEF DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE. >> HELLO. >> HELLO THERE, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR BARNETT. I WILL RELY ON YOU TO PRESENT THE COMMISSION , AND ALSO SPEAK OF IT TO THE APPOINTEE . >> ALL RIGHT. THE WOMAN ON THE SCREEN IS MS. VIVIAN VASSALL, I'M GLAD YOU HAVE JOINED ME, VI CHOICE OF THE COMMISSION FOR A SEAT ON THE COMMISSION. WE GET ONE SELECTION ON THE COMMISSION. THE COUNCIL GETS THREE AND THE MAYOR GETS THREE. SO, THIS IS THE COUNCIL POSITION WHICH HAS JUST COME UP. COMMISSION POSITION, I AM SORRY. VIVIAN IS A GRADUATE OF SEATTLE UNIVERSITY AS AN UNDERGRAD AND THEN WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOR LAW SCHOOL. SHE NOW WORKS IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE UNDER FORMER COMMISSIONER NICK BROWN. AND YES, I'M JUST HOPING YOU WILL GIVE HER YOUR VOTE TODAY. I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING, AND HELLO, VIVIAN, HANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND STEPPING UP TO SERVE. COULD YOU EXPLAIN JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS ACTUALLY WEIGH IN ON? >> OH, THE COMMISSIONERS WEIGH IN ON ANY COMPLAINTS WE GET UNDER ANY COMPLAINTS I DON'T DISMISS, THAT COME IN EITHER A UNDER THE ETHICS CODE, ELECTIONS CODE, THE LOBBYING CODE, AND THAT'S IT. AND WE ALSO DO THE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION CODE, BUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THAT ARE LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. SO, THOSE ARE THE CODES WE ADMINISTER. THE COMMISSION, REALLY, THERE IS A BACKSTOP. IF I DISMISS SOMETHING AND SOMEBODY THINKS I HAVE DONE SO INCORRECTLY, THEY CAN APPEAL TO THE COMMISSION, AND THAT'S WHEN THE COMMISSION WOULD STEP IN THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, THE COMMISSION OBVIOUSLY [ INAUDIBLE ] . >> THANK YOU. WELL, GREETINGS. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE COMMISSION. >> YES, THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY. SO, I AM BORN AND RAISED IN SEATTLE, SO PROUD TO BE A SEATTLEITE. LET'S SEE, SO YOU HEARD MY ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN MY OPINION, COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SERVICE . I REALLY LOVE LIVING IN THE CITY AND THE BRIEF STANCE I TOOK LIVING ELSEWHERE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL KIND OF SOLIDIFIED MY DESIRE TO RETURN HERE AND COME BACK. SO, I WANT TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. ONE, I JUST -- LIKE MANY OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS ARE THERE, REALLY BELIEVE IN THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, AND THAT IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS A ROLE IN PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF. SO, I REMEMBER WHEN THE PROGRAM WENT LIVE HERE, AND -- IT WENT LIVE AND I WAS INSPIRED BY IT JUST AS YOU WERE, A LOT OF THE SPEAKERS SPEAKING TODAY. AUNT I HAVE SOME FORMER FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES , OR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WHO ARE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, INCLUDING ZACH, WHO IS THE CHAIR, [ INAUDIBLE ] OUTGOING MEMBER, SHE IS A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, AND THESE ARE JUST PEOPLE WHO REALLY INSPIRED ME. [ INAUDIBLE ] NICK BROWN. AND I'M JUST HONORED TO HAVE EVEN BEEN INVITED TO INTERVIEW TO BE PART OF THE COMMITTEE, AND SO FAR, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ONE MEETING AND IT HAS BEEN SORT OF EVERYTHING I ANTICIPATED IT TO BE, AND I JUST WANT TO HELP KIND OF MAKE THE CITY -- KEEP THIS CITY THE GREAT PLACE IT IS. THE 17-YEAR-OLD THAT SPOKE EARLIER JUST SORT OF REMINDED ME OF MYSELF. I KNOW THAT I AT CERTAIN POINTS IN MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER SPOKE BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND I ALSO -- THIS DOESN'T SHOW UP ON MY RESUME, BUT BACK WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, GARFIELD, I ALSO WROTE FOR A PUBLICATION CALLED THE MIRROR. IT WAS OWNED BY SEATTLE TIMES, AND IT WAS JUST FOR TEENS. AND IT WAS PUBLISHED ALL OVER THE STATE, SO THAT WAS A REALLY WONDERFUL WAY TO GET TO KNOW POLITICAL ISSUES, AND ALSO GET TO KNOW WHAT OTHER HIGH SCHOOLERS IN THE STATE WHERE [ INAUDIBLE ]. I ALSO DID PARTICIPATE IN [ INAUDIBLE ] . BUT YEAH, JUST A PROUD SEATTLEITE, LOVE IT. I FEEL LIKE THE FURTHER I GET INTO MY CAREER, THE FEWER AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE ATTORNEYS I SEEM TO COME IN CONTACT WITH AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES GO. AND I AM PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE FEW , BUT I ALSO WANT TO CHANGE THAT, AND I THINK ONE OF THE BEST, MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS I CAN CHANGE THAT IS [ INAUDIBLE ] THAT LOOK LIKE MYSELF. SO, HOPEFULLY OTHER STUDENTS AND YOUNGER WOMEN WHO LOOK LIKE ME CAN LOOK TO MEET AS A ROLE MODEL. AND YET, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ME IN A NUTSHELL AND WHY I WANT TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE IN A NUTSHELL, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DID READ YOUR APPOINTMENT PACKET THAT YOU PROVIDED , A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. I WAS GOING TO ASK, BEING NOMINATED BY THE REST OF THE COMMISSION IS REALLY -- SPEAKS TO YOUR STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY OR THE INTEGRITY THAT PEOPLE SEE IN YOU, AND I WAS GOING TO ASK, HOW DID YOU GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMISSION, BUT YOU DID ANSWER A BIT . PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES, AND YOU'RE CLOSE TO SOME PEOPLE, SO THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO ASK, OR COMMENTS? >> JUST A COMMENT. UM, MS. VASSALL, YOU HAD ME AT SEATTLE VIEW, JUST SAYING, BECAUSE I'M ALSO A SEATTLE VIEW GRAD, SO I'M GOOD. >> G.O., RED HAWKS. >> G.O., RED HAWKS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS [ INAUDIBLE ] . THERE YOU GO. >> COUNCIL PRESIDENT, WE CONFIRMED SOMEONE THIS MORNING TO THE LEVY, AND THAT CONFIRMED WE ARE MOVING ALONG FOR FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION TO THE LEVY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR THE FAMILIES IN THE LEVY, AND I'M GOING TO SAY WHAT I SAID THIS MORNING NOW, WHAT I SAY EVERY TIME WE HAVE A CONFIRMATION, IS THAT I SO APPRECIATE FOLKS' WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN THESE VOLUNTEER ROLES, MAKING THE TIME. THOUGH VOLUNTEER AND UNPAID, THEY ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND IT REALLY INFUSES THAT COMMUNITY PIECE INTO THE WORK THAT WE DO. AND SO, I REALLY WANT TO THANK , YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WHO SIGNS UP FOR THEIR SERVICE. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE -- I WANT TO REINFORCE HOW IMPORTANT THE COMMISSION IS, BECAUSE THEY ARE WEIGHING IN ON REALLY SENSITIVE TOPICS. THAT HAVE REALLY HIGH STAKES. ONE'S JOB, THE VIABILITY OF ONE'S RACE FOR OFFICE, ET CETERA, SO, THEY REALLY HAVE TO GET INTO THE DETAIL AND HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, AND REALLY , YOU KNOW, BE WILLING TO SPEND THE TIME, THEIR OWN PERSONAL TIME, AND USE THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERTISE. SO, I ALSO ECHO THE THANKS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS FOR YOU, FOR STEPPING UP. AND IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER QUESTIONS -- THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE VOTE. OH, I HAVE TO MOVE IT FIRST. ALL RIGHT. ONE MOMENT, PLEASE. I MOVE THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS PASSAGE OF APPOINTMENT 03106. >> SECOND. >> THANK YOU. JUST SO EXCITED. IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO RECOMMEND CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT 03106, WHILE THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ? >> [ ROLL BEING CALLED ] THREE IN FAVOR. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE MOTION CARRIES, AND WITH THIS, WE WILL GO TO FULL COUNCIL . NOT NEXT TUESDAY, BUT THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. YES, THAT'S THE WAY OUR SCHEDULE WORKS IN THIS COMMITTEE. CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU WALL. >> ALL RIGHT. STAY SEATED. >> ALL RIGHT, I WILL. >> [ INAUDIBLE ] I APOLOGIZE. OKAY. [ INAUDIBLE ] THANK YOU ALL. >> OKAY, BYE. ALL RIGHT, WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ ITEM 2 INTO THE RECORD? >> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 2, COUNCIL BUILT 120957, AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTION CAMPAIGNS, PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 5th, 2025, OF A PROPOSITION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO LEVY REGULAR PROPERTY TAXES FOR UP TO 10 YEARS IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITATION ON LEVEES IN CHAPTER 84.55 RCW FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE COST AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY'S DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND OTHER CITY PURPOSES, OUTLINING A PROCESS FOR CONTEMPLATION OF CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM, APPLYING RCW 84.30 6.381'S SENIOR CITIZENS AND DISABLED PERSONS EXEMPTION TO SUCH LEVY, AND RATIFYING AND CONFIRMING CERTAIN FIRE ASK FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS THIS, OF COURSE, BUT BEFORE WE HAND IT OVER TO THE PRESENTERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO IS JUST TUNING IN NOW UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE NOT PASSING THE RENEWAL. WELL, WE ARE VOTING TO SEND THE PROGRAM TO THE BALLOT FOR VOTER APPROVAL, SO WE ARE NOT MAKING IT A UNILATERAL DECISION AT THE CITY HERE, THIS WILL GO TO THE VOTERS AS IT DID BEFORE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT. SO, WITH THAT, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, THEN YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION. >> I AND WAYNE BARNETT, I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SEATTLE ETHICS COMMISSION. >> RENE LeBEAU, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM. >> DAN NOLTE. >> AND BRIAN GOODNIGHT. [ INAUDIBLE ] COUNCIL PRESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING US TODAY. SO, EARLIER THIS MONTH, COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE AND MAYOR HARRELL WERE PROUD TO STAND WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATES BEHIND THIS, TO TOUT THE GROUNDBREAKING SUCCESS OF THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM. AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE PRESENTATION FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BARNETT TODAY, THIS TOOL HAS OPENED OPPORTUNITIES FOR CANDIDATES WHO WOULD HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED RUNNING FOR OFFICE WITHOUT THIS TOOL BEING THERE. I EXPECT AND I KNOW THERE ARE MEMBERS ON THIS COUNCIL WHO PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE PLUNGED INTO THIS PROGRAM HAD THIS NOT BEEN AVAILABLE. SO, THE PROGRAM -- THE PRESENTATION THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TODAY WAS RELATIVELY EASY ONE IN THAT MOST MEMBERS ARE ALREADY INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, SEVERAL HAVING USED IT THEMSELVES. AND THANKS TO THE 2015 VOTER INITIATIVE, THIS WAS ALREADY IN THE BOOKS IN THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL CODE, SO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IN THIS LEGISLATION IS SIMPLY WHETHER YOU WANT TO ASK VOTERS TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE PROGRAM ANOTHER 10 YEARS VIA PROPERTY TAX [ INAUDIBLE ]. SO, BEFORE I BEGIN WORKING IN CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2007, I USED TO MANAGE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND WORKED AT A POLITICAL FUNDRAISING FIRM, AND I SAW THE TOLL IT TOOK, SITTING IN A CONFERENCE ROOM, [ INAUDIBLE ], TALKING TO A LIMITED LIST OF POTENTIAL DONORS, TO HELP FINANCE THEIR CAMPAIGNS. AND WHEN I LOOK AT MANY OF THE CAMPAIGNS BEING RUN TODAY, I SEE PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF GROCERY STORES, OUTSIDE LIGHT RAIL STATIONS, HOSTING DEMOCRACY VOUCHER HOUSE PARTIES, AND THERE IS NO OTHER CITY DOING THIS. AS SEVERAL OF THE COMMENTERS TESTIFIED BEFORE YOU TODAY. SO, IT HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE CHANGE AND ONE FOR THE BETTER, WHICH IS WHY IT MAYOR HARRELL HAS PROPOSED WE CONTINUE FUNDING THIS ENDEAVOR FOR ANOTHER DECADE, AND ULTIMATELY AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT NOTED, IT WILL BE UP TO SEATTLE VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO DO THIS. SO, WITH THAT, LET ME TURN THIS OVER TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BARNETT, WHO CAN TALK YOU THROUGH THE LAST 10 YEARS OF THIS PROGRAM AND THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO COME. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAN. I PUT TOGETHER A BRIEF POWERPOINT FOR YOU, JUST ON THE PROGRAM. DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS WERE CREATED BY VOTERS IN 2015. THEY WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2017. IT IS THE FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. AND IT'S ADMINISTERED BY US AT THE FCC. WE SEND FOUR $25 VOUCHERS TO EVERYONE IN THE CITY, AND EVERY REGISTERED VOTER, AND [ INAUDIBLE ] RESIDENT WHO ASKS TO BE ON THE PROGRAM. AND THEY CAN USE THOSE VOUCHERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO WHATEVER CANDIDATE THEY WANT, AS LONG AS THEY ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. THEY HAVE TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO USE THE VOUCHERS. THE MAYOR HAS PROPOSED A 10 YEAR LEVY TO RENEW IT. AND THAT'S WHAT I WILL TRY TO TALK YOU THROUGH HERE, JUST WHAT HAS BEEN GOOD ABOUT THE PROGRAM. OKAY. THIS IS THE FIRST SLIDE, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING -- IT IS TWO PICTURES. THE FIRST ONE WAS PREPARED BY SIGHT LINE PRIOR TO THE VOTE TO PUT THIS MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. IT IS 2013 AND SHOWING WHERE VOTERS [ INAUDIBLE ] SEATTLE RACES. AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS NOT A VERY BRIGHT MAP. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T CONTRIBUTE. IN 2019, THAT WAS THE SECOND YEAR UNDER THE PROGRAM, THAT IS THE SECOND MAP. YOU CAN JUST SEE, THE DOTS ARE EVERYWHERE. PEOPLE ARE CONTRIBUTING FROM EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY. YOU CAN TELL WHERE THE ZOO IS THERE, AND DISCOVERY PARK, AND MAGNUSON PARK [ INAUDIBLE ] SO, THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH PEOPLE HAVE REALLY TAKEN UP THE PROGRAM. OH, SORRY. TOTAL NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTORS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE SEEN. PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM GOING INTO EFFECT IN 2013, LESS THAN 17,000 PEOPLE GIVE MONEY TO A CANDIDATE. BY 2021, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON THE BALLOT AND OTHER CITYWIDE SEATS, THAT ROSE TO 68,000 , SO WE ARE SEEING NUMBERS UNLIKE ANY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY. IT DID FOLLOW IN 2023, BUT WE ATTRIBUTE THAT A LITTLE BIT COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, SO -- HERE IS ANOTHER THING THAT IS DONE, IS PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTORS FROM OUTSIDE SEATTLE. ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THE MONEY FOR OUR CITY RACES USED TO FLOW FROM OUTSIDE SEATTLE. PRIOR TO THE DAWN OF THE PROGRAM. SINCE THEN, IT HAS PLUMMETED TO 7%, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN SEVEN. SO, THAT IS, I THINK, A NOTABLE THING. UM, AGAIN, THIS GRAPH SHOWS BEFORE THE VOUCHER PROGRAM , THE TWO YEAR CYCLE BEFORE, WHERE ALL THE COUNCILMEMBERS WERE ELECTED. COMPARE THAT WITH THE TWO YEARS AFTER THE PROGRAM , WHEN ALL NINE COUNCILMEMBERS WERE ELECTED. WE ONLY HAVE 2.67 CANDIDATES PER COUNCIL RACE PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM. FIVE OF THE NINE RACES HAD NO [ INAUDIBLE ], SO YOU JUST GOT ONE CHANCE, THE GENERAL, TO VOTE FOR PEOPLE, AND OFTEN TIMES, SEVERAL OF THE CANDIDATES -- ONE CANDIDATE ACTUALLY ENDORSED HIS OPPONENT, SO, EVERY [ INAUDIBLE ] ON THE BALLOT, EIGHT OF NINE WON. SEVEN WON BY MORE THAN 20 POINTS. THREE GOT MORE THAN 80. [ INAUDIBLE ] PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM. AFTERWARDS, WE ARE UP TO SIX CANDIDATES PER ELECTION, EVERYTHING GOES TO THE PRIMARY, AND ONLY THREE OF THE NINE RACES ARE DECIDED [ INAUDIBLE ]. ONLY THREE CANDIDATES GOT MORE THAN 60% [ INAUDIBLE ]. UM, SO, THE RENEWAL , THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE VOTING ON. 10 YEAR PROPERTY TAX LEVY, $4.5 MILLION A YEAR OVER 10 YEARS, SO $45 MILLION. .0142 SENT TAX RATE, WHICH COMES OUT TO $13.07 ON THE OWNER OF A MEDIAN PRICED HOME, WHICH IS $920,000 NEXT YEAR. AND THE VOTERS WILL CONSIDER THIS IN AUGUST, IF YOU VOTE TO PUT IT THERE. UM, I HAVE ONE MORE -- CAN YOU TAKE ME TO THE NEXT ONE. THIS GOES TO SHOW HOW WE GOT TO THE $4.5 MILLION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF IT WAS 3 MILLION, AND YOU CAN SEE IT WOULD GO QUICKLY INTO THE RED. BY 2029, WE WOULD RUN OUT OF MONEY. NEXT ONE UP IS $4 MILLION, AND STILL IN THE OUTER YEARS, WE DO RUN OUT OF MONEY. BUT THE TOP ONE IS 4.5, AND YOU CAN SEE, WE JUST NARROWLY ARE IN THE BLACK FOR ALL 10 YEARS. THIS IS A PROBLEM WE ARE TRYING TO BUDGET 10 YEARS OUT. [ INAUDIBLE ] AND WITH THAT, I THINK I AM READY TO TURN TO [ INAUDIBLE ] FOR QUESTIONS. NEXT STEPS. WE DO HAVE YOUR NEXT COMMITTEE VOTE ON THE 11th OR 10th. HAVE A CHANCE TO CAST A VOTE ON THIS. IT WOULD THEN GO TO FULL COUNCIL ON THE 22nd. KING COUNTY'S SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS MAY 2nd, THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT OVER TO THE COUNTY TO LET THEM KNOW [ INAUDIBLE ] . AND ELECTION DAY WOULD BE AUGUST 5th. PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION WOULD START NEXT JANUARY 1st. AND WE WOULD ALSO PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, WE WILL PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR TO START LOOKING AT PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES. WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY RIGHT NOW, BUT IF PEOPLE WANT US TO CONSIDER THEM OR IF COUNCIL WANTS TO TAKE ACTION WITHOUT US, THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE [ INAUDIBLE ] . THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? >> SURE, THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. [ INAUDIBLE ] AGENDA THAT WAS SENT OUT TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS EARLIER THIS WEEK. IT IS MOSTLY BACKGROUND, SIMILAR CONTENT TO WHAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY. THE ONLY THING I WILL ADD FOR KIND OF THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNCIL HERE IS IN TERMS OF COMPARISON OF WHAT IT WOULD COST , THE CURRENT LEVY VERSUS THE PROPOSED LEVY, THE EXISTING LEVY ON AVERAGE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS COSTED THE OWNER OF A MEDIUM VALUE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ABOUT $8.80 A YEAR, SO THE PROPOSED RENEWAL , AS DIRECTOR BARNETT SAID, WOULD BE ABOUT $13.07 PER YEAR. SO, JUST IN TERMS OF COMPARISON. THANK YOU. >> THAT SPARKED A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SARA, WANT TO ADD ANYTHING BEFORE I ASK? SO, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE PAYING, BUT WHAT IS THE LUMP SUM THAT YOU ARE HOPING THAT THE EXISTING PROGRAM COLLECTS, AND I KNOW IT VARIES BY YEAR DEPENDING ON THE PROPERTY, BUT WHAT WAS THE TARGET AND WHAT WILL BE THE RENEWAL TARGET? >> THE TARGET WAS $3 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, DID YOU WANT HIM TO ANSWER? SO, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO RAISE IT TO $4.5 MILLION. SO, $1.5 MILLION MORE EACH YEAR. >> IN ANTICIPATION OF ABOUT SIX CANDIDATES OR SOMETHING A YEAR. >> ALSO RISING COSTS. I MEAN, REALLY, THAT IS SOMETHING JUST FOR BUDGETING, THAT IS WHY WE DO THE SIX CANDIDATES PER RACE, EACH OF THEM USING SO MANY VOUCHERS, THAT IS JUST A BUDGETING THING WE DO. BUT IN THE END, I THINK OUR GRAPH HERE EVEN SHOWS, IT IS ROUGHLY 65% [ INAUDIBLE ] . >> AND THE RATIONALE FOR THE INCREASE IS A PRESUMPTION OF 4.1% ANNUAL CPI INCREASE. AND I THINK BRIAN MENTIONED THAT IN HIS MEMO, BASICALLY BRINGS THE RIGHT TO THE $4.5 MILLION THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING [ INAUDIBLE ]. >> THANK YOU. YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE -- GO AHEAD. >> THE CPI INCREASE , WHY IS IT CALCULATED -- I MEAN -- I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT WE ESTIMATE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARRIVED AT THE ESTIMATE, RIGHT? AND THEN HOW MUCH DO YOU ACTUALLY USE OF THE ESTIMATE, SO, IS IT THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING AN INCREASE BECAUSE WE ARE USING X AMOUNT? WE THINK WE WILL USE X AMOUNT MORE THAN WE ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED FOR THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS OF THIS PROGRAM? >> THE FIGURES WERE SET IN 2015 WHEN IT WENT TO THE VOTERS, SO NOW THE FIGURE IS ALREADY 10 YEARS OUT, AND THEN ANOTHER 10 YEARS, IT WILL BE 20 YEARS OLD, SO THIS IS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RISING COST OF PAPER AND STAFF AND MAILING AND CAMPAIGNING. SO, THOSE ARE ALL COSTS WHICH WE ARE TAKING -- TRYING TO ESTIMATE THEM. >> THANK YOU. AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS DIFFERENT, IT'S HOW MUCH ARE WE USING? BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING WE UTILIZE IT AT ABOUT 65%, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY? >> WHAT WE UTILIZE IS A PERCENT -- I THINK THE SIX CANDIDATES PER RACE ALL USING VOUCHERS, THAT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE KIND OF -- THAT IS JUST A MECHANISM WE ARE SUPPOSED TO USE AND THE LAWSUIT SAYS WE HAVE TO USE IT, SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO. BUT WE FIGURED IN 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE KNOW WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY 65% OF THAT. AND ALL THE NUMBERS IN MY BUDGET THERE WERE BASED ON 65% SPENDING. >> DID YOU SAY OVERSPENDING? >> JUST SPENDING POINT >> HOW ABOUT I TAKE A CRACK AT IT? SO, IF THEY WERE TO HAVE SIX CANDIDATES PER ELECTION AND VOUCHERS, THE RENEWAL PRULD BE BEOPOSED RIGHT NOW. SO, THEY LOOKED AT THE HISTORICAL, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN USED OF IT, WHICH IS ABOUT 65%, AND THAT IS WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THEIR PROTECTIONS, SO BASED ON INCREASES TO STAFF COSTS, VOUCHER DISTRIBUTIONS, PRINTING AND MAILING, THOSE TYPES OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, AND THEN HOW MANY CANDIDATES ARE PARTICIPATING AND HOW MUCH EACH CANDIDATE IS ALLOWED TO RECEIVE AND DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS, AND THEY RENTED OUT FOR 10 YEARS, AND THE $4.5 MILLION IS THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T GO INTO THE RED OVER THE TEN-YEAR PERIOD. >> THANK YOU, BRIAN, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING , USAGE VERSUS UNDERSTAND, VERSUS DO WE REALLY NEED WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR BASED ON OUR UNDERSTAND, IF YOU WILL, OF THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE CALCULATING THE ESTIMATE, BUT USAGE IS IMPORTANT IF PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY UTILIZING IT, AND WE HAVE UNDER SPEND EVERY YEAR, THEN YOU COULD GO LESSER THAN THE ESTIMATE OF THE $4 MILLION, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY UTILIZING THAT MUCH, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO, THAT GOES TO MY QUESTION, BRIAN. >> SO, WITH OUR PROJECTIONS, THE $4.5 MILLION PER YEAR WOULD BE REQUIRED. YET. >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE 35% LEFT AFTER EACH -- I MEAN, IF YOU SAY WE ARE ONLY USING 65%, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE 35% LEFT OVER? I THINK IT WAS CLOSER TO 50 OR SOMETHING ONE OF THE YEARS, YOU KNOW? >> IT ROLLS OVER INTO THE FUND. ALL THE FUNDS HAVE ONLY BEEN USED TO DO THIS PROGRAM, SO, I THINK THE DRAFTERS WHO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT, THAT WAS SOMETHING TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE VOUCHER PROGRAM. SO, I THINK WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH LEFT OVER RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE ARE ABOUT TO RUN OUT ANYWAYS, SO YES. >> CAN I ASK -- >> JUST -- YEAR-TO-YEAR, IT EVENS OUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE USAGE IN SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS? >> YES, WE ARE VERY HARD TO BUDGET. BECAUSE WE GO UP, WE GO DOWN. >> AND WHAT ABOUT -- CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, COUNCIL PRESIDENT? JUST IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW , YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY, I GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO UTILIZE THEM, DO THEY EXPIRE? JUST ALL OF THAT INFORMATION FROM AN OUTREACH STANDPOINT AND EDUCATION STANDPOINT, WHAT IS THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, IF YOU WILL, IF THERE IS ONE, TO LET FOLKS KNOW HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO USE THESE? >> YEAH, WE DO SOME STUFF IN HOUSE, WE DID IT ALL IN HOUSE THE FIRST YEAR, BUT THEN WHEN WE HAVE THIS STUDY TO LOOK AT IT, I THINK [ INAUDIBLE ] TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER. THEY ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED WE START DOING SOME CONTRACT WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE MUCH SUCCESS IN GETTING INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HARDER TO REACH, AND TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WERE. SO, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF EDUCATION OVER 10 YEARS. WE CONTINUE TO PRINT A LOT OF STUFF. IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES. AND WE REALLY RELY ON THE CBO'S TO REALLY GO OUT THERE AND SPREAD THE WORD. >> RIGHT, BECAUSE THE POINT IS TO REACH THOSE FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE THE MEANS, BUT WE WANT TO GET THEM ENGAGED, SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING ABOUT OUTREACH AND MAKING SURE WE ARE REACHING FOLKS [ INAUDIBLE ] . I SEE KNOBS IN THE AUDIENCE. THANK YOU. [ LAUGHTER ] THANK YOU. >> AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING SURE THAT EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH DOESN'T LEAD INTO SOME KIND OF CAMPAIGNING. >> OH, YES, WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE, YOU CAN GO OUT, WE WANT YOU TO PROMOTE THE PROGRAM. [ INAUDIBLE ] PLEASE DON'T MENTION CANDIDATES. >> CORRECT, VERY IMPORTANT. [ LAUGHTER ] THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> WELL, I SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. I WISH THAT COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE WERE HERE, BECAUSE HE IS A BIG CHAMPION AS WELL, I KNOW THAT HE WOULD LOVE TO SAY SOME REMARKS. BUT YOU KNOW, THE CHOICE WAS DO WE PROCESS THIS -- THE RENEWAL THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE OR DO WE MAKE PEOPLE GO OUT AND COLLECT SIGNATURES ALL OVER AGAIN? WHICH I CERTAINLY DID NOT WANT TO DO. SO, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE HAVE TIME IN THIS COMMITTEE TO PROCESS -- NOT PROCESS, BUT DELIBERATE, AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT. SO, I ADD ONE LAST QUESTION. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES, SOME CHANGES , I UNDERSTAND, ARE MADE FROM CYCLE TO CYCLE BY THE COMMISSIONER, RECOMMENDED OR ACCEPTED BY THE COMMISSIONER, BASED ON CANDIDATES' SUGGESTIONS FOR TWEAKING. YOU KNOW, HOW CAN IT MAKE IT EASIER TO CAMPAIGN WITH THEM? AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES THAT COULD BE MADE THAT HAVE TO DO WITH -- THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN , I DON'T KNOW, THE ENABLING LEGISLATION, IS THAT HOW IT WOULD GO? TELL ME WHAT KIND OF CHANGES CAN BE MADE AND WHAT THIS TASK FORCE IS ABOUT? >> I THINK THIS ONE MAY BE BETTER HANDLED BY THE MAYOR'S REPRESENTATIVE. >> PART OF THE LEGISLATION WILL HAVE US CONVENED EARLY NEXT YEAR. SOMETHINGS CAN BE IMPOSED BY THE ETHICS COMMISSION, FOR INSTANCE, EARLIER, A FEW YEARS AGO, I THINK THEY CHANGED THE REGULATION FOR DEMOCRACY VOUCHER COLLECTORS. BUT THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT, IN TALKING WITH COUNCILMEMBERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, FOR INSTANCE, SOME COUNCILMEMBERS -- SORRY, SOME CANDIDATES ARE WORRIED THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY ARE COLLECTING DOESN'T ALLOW THEM TO DO SUFFICIENT OUTREACH, AND ALSO PAY THEIR CAMPAIGN MANAGER A LIVING WAGE. I READ A RECENT EDITORIAL IN THE TIMES THAT RECOMMENDED DEMOCRACY VOUCHERS BE SENT OUT LATER. THERE IS ONE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, I WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER TO QUALIFY AS CANDIDATES, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE PROBABLY WORTHY OF HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT, PROBABLY NOT WHEN WE ARE AT FEVER PITCH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAMPAIGN SEASON, WHEN SEVERAL INCUMBENTS ARE ON THE BALLOT, SO ONCE WE HAVE ANOTHER FULL YEAR OF MAYORAL DATA, BECAUSE WE HAVE ONLY DONE ONE MAYORAL TERM THROUGH THE DEMOCRACY VOUCHER PROGRAM, IS A TIME TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE TODAY AND TAKE A DEEPER DIVE IN CONSULTATION WITH COUNCIL AND ETHICS COMMISSION. >> MAYORAL AND CITYWIDE COUNCIL TERM. >> I SHOULD POINT OUT, TOO -- >> THERE HAVE BEEN TWO, I THINK. 2017 AND 2021. >> 2017 TO HAVE THE MAYOR. >> WE REALLY THINK OF OURSELVES AS HAVING TWO SETS OF CUSTOMERS. ONE OUR CANDIDATES AND WE OBVIOUSLY WANT THEM TO TAKE PART IN THE PROGRAM AND TO USE IT, SO WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM ON THEIR EXPERIENCE. OUR OTHER CUSTOMER IS REGULAR PEOPLE OUT THERE ON THE STREET, PEOPLE WHO USE THE VOUCHERS. WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE WE HEAR FROM BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS BEFORE WE DO ANY CHANGES. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION IN A POSSIBLE VOTE AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS APRIL 10th. >> YES. >> YEA, I WAS RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WHO SHED -- IF COUNCILMEMBERS WHO AREN'T HERE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TO WHOM SHOULD THEY DIRECT THEM? >> YOU SHOULD RUN THOSE QUESTIONS THROUGH ME. IF THEY REQUIRE INPUT [ INAUDIBLE ] >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, PLEASE. READ IT INTO THE RECORD, ITEM 3. >> AGENDA ITEM 3, FOR RECOMMENDATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS CURRENT GUN VIOLENCE PATTERNS IN SEATTLE FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION. >> WHILE YOU'RE GETTING SETTLED, I WILL JUST SAY SOME OPENING REMARKS, IF I MAY. WELL, I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE NOISE PIPES DOWN. OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THIS AUDIT. I JUST WILL EXPLAIN HOW THIS AUDIT GOT HERE. JUST BRIEFLY. AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO OUR PRESENTERS. SO, FIRST OF ALL, I WILL SAY THAT THIS -- THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT GREW OUT OF A REQUEST FROM MAYOR HARRELL AND I TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR , IT WAS SUBMITTED I BELIEVE ON JANUARY 7th, 2024, AFTER I BECAME COUNCIL PRESIDENT. AND WE RESPECTFULLY -- AND IT READS , "WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOUR OFFICE EGGS ASSIST [ INAUDIBLE ] ON THE SOON TO BE DEPLOYED TECHNOLOGIES IS DESCRIBED BELOW. WE REQUEST THAT YOUR OFFICE UPDATE YOUR 2012 ASSESSMENT OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE CITY, INCLUDING PROGRAMS OPERATED BY THE CITY AND THOSE RUN BY THE COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE 2012 ASSESSMENT, PLEASE IDENTIFY THE EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, THOSE WITH NO EVIDENCE OF EFFECTIVENESS, THOSE THAT MAY BE PROMISING, AND THOSE THAT MAY CAUSE HARM. WE ALSO VALUE YOUR OPINION ON WHAT CRIME PRODUCTION --. -- [ INAUDIBLE ] WE WOULD CONSIDER THIS ASSESSMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO HELP INFORM DECISIONS FOR THE 20 TWICE CITY BUDGET WHICH WILL START BEING MADE IN APRIL." SO, THAT WAS THE REQUEST, AND BECAUSE IT WAS SIGNED BY THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, IT GOT BUMPED UP TO THE AUDITORS VERY BUSY LIST OF REQUESTS, AND IT WAS GOING FORWARD, AND THAT I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN, SHORTLY AFTER THE GARFIELD SCHOOL SHOOTING AT THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR, BECAUSE I SAID HOW IS THAT AUDIT COMING ALONG? I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE AUDIT REQUEST HAD BEEN PUT ON PAUSE BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BECAUSE -- THE EXPLANATION WAS HST IS PREPARING TO ISSUE A NEW ROUND THAT WILL RESULT IN NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. ASSESSING THESE PROGRAMS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RFP RESPONSES SEEMS MORE PRUDENT. WELL, I DISAGREE, I THOUGHT THAT THE AUDIT COULD INFORM THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT WE WANT RECIPIENTS OR THE BIDDERS TO BE -- TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO EXECUTE. ANYWAY, I KVETCH ABOUT THIS ON THE DAIS, I ENDED UP TALKING TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SO, THAT IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT I DID FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THE FOCUS ON GUN VIOLENCE WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE MORE ANSWERS ON, BECAUSE THAT IS MORE SERIOUS, AND PEOPLE ARE DYING, AND ALSO, AGAIN, A TRAGIC FATALITY HAD JUST HAPPENED AT GARFIELD. SO, THE REQUEST -- I MADE A REQUEST TO FOCUS ON THAT SLICE OF CRIME PREVENTION, AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE GOT BEFORE US. I UNCAUSED THE WORK ON THE BROADER RANGE OF PROGRAMS, AND THAT WILL BE ONGOING, BUT I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO GET US THE INFORMATION ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, THE NATURE OF IT, AND PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS RIGHT NOW. SO, WITH THAT, I WILL LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION. >> GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I AM CLAUDIA GROSS-SHADER, AND THE RESEARCH DIRECTOR WITH THE OFFICE OF CITY AUDITOR. I WOULD QUICKLY LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUE ANDREW, WHO ALSO WORKED ON THIS REPORT, AS WELL AS OUR CITY AUDITOR, DAVID JONES, WHO IS IN AUDIENCE. >> NATALIE WALTON-ANDERSON, PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. >> WASHINGTON, DEPUTY MAYOR. >> REBECCA BOATRIGHT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ANALYTICS AND RESEARCH AT THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT . >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON. OUR REPORT OFFERS FOUR CONCRETE THINGS THAT THE CITY COULD DO TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE CURRENT GUN VIOLENCE PATTERNS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN SEATTLE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, ESPECIALLY NOW, THAT OUR FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE MORE CITY RESOURCES. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS DO REQUIRE THE CITY TO GET MORE ORGANIZED. MORE ORGANIZED AROUND DATA THAT CAN HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE, AND MORE ORGANIZED IN COORDINATING ACTIVITIES AMONG CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, ALL USING AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH TO ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE. WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL ON THIS. OUR REPORT OFFERS EXAMPLES FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE LED TO DECLINES IN GUN VIOLENCE. AND WE HAVE NOTED IN THE REPORT , WHERE FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO SEATTLE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AGREES WITH ALL FOUR OF OUR AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE RESPONSE LETTER IS INCLUDED AS APPENDIX A IN OUR REPORT. IN THE LETTER, THE CITY'S CHIEF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER HERE, NATALIE WALTON-ANDERSON, IDENTIFIES THE THINGS THAT THE EXECUTIVE IS CURRENTLY DOING AND PLANS TO DO TO ADDRESS OUR AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS. THE LETTER CLOSES BY SAYING, "OUR CITY GOVERNMENT IS A LEARNING ORGANIZATION. WE STRIVE TO DO BETTER, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE, AND DO SO WITH INTEGRITY, FAIRNESS, AND JUSTICE. " AND OUR OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF CITY AUDITOR IS PART OF THIS LEARNING ORGANIZATION. OUR WORK, OUR AUDIT FINDINGS, OUR AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND OUR FOLLOW-UP ON OUR AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE AND CHALLENGING FOR THE EXECUTIVE. SO, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE EXECUTIVES COLLABORATION ON THESE AUDITS, AND THEIR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF OUR SHARED GOAL OF DOING BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE. THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU CAN FIND OUR REPORT ON OUR WEBSITE, THE LINK IS UP THERE. AND WITH ALL OF OUR AUDITS, WE FOLLOWED THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS, SO YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF THE QUALITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF OUR WORK. IN ADDITION TO THIS AUDIT, WE HARNESS THE POWER OF ADDITIONAL AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS. WE RECEIVED THREE FEDERAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE , OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS OF VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION ROAD MAP PROGRAM, AS WELL AS FROM THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM. THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM FUNDED A RESEARCHER, DR. LEXI GILL, WHO WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. THERE CRIME STRATEGIES UNIT. TO CONDUCT A SEATTLE GUN VIOLENCE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS FOR THIS AUDIT. AND DAVID BAKER, THE DIRECTOR OF DATA AND ANALYTICS FROM THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE , HE WAS HERE EARLIER, HE HAD TO LEAVE, BUT WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THEIR COLLABORATION ON THIS WORK. ALSO, WE APPRECIATE THE DEEP COLLABORATION FROM THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PERFORMANCE , ANALYTICS, AND RESEARCH GROUP PROVIDED TWO CUSTOM REPORTS FOR THIS AUDIT, AND REBECCA BOATRIGHT WHO OVERSEES THAT GROUP IS HERE TODAY. AND FINALLY, THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS LISTED HERE ON THIS SIDE ALSO PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON THE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT MENTIONED, THIS AUDIT GREW OUT OF A REQUEST FROM MAYOR HARRELL AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT SARA NELSON TO EVALUATE THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS IN PREVENTING AND REDUCING CRIME, AND THIS AUDIT IS A FIRST STEP TOWARD THAT GOAL OF ENSURING THAT THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS ARE EFFECTIVE. WE LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE. SEATTLE HAS SUSTAINED A POST-PANDEMIC INCREASE IN SHOOTINGS. ACCORDING TO SPD DATA, BETWEEN 2020 AND 2024, SHOTS FIRED INCREASED BY 71%. NONFATAL SHOOTINGS INCREASED 58%. AND FATAL SHOOTINGS INCREASED 23%. IN THIS AUDIT, WE SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT GUN VIOLENCE PATTERNS THAT SEATTLE IS EXPERIENCING. WE WANTED TO LEARN HOW GUN VIOLENCE INTERSECTS WITH OTHER ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WHAT ARE THE TRENDS IN YOUTH GUN VIOLENCE? AND WHERE ARE THE SPECIFIC PLACES IN SEATTLE WERE GUN VIOLENCE INCIDENTS ARE CONCENTRATED? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHEN WE WENT TO FIND THE DATA TO ANSWER THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS, WE BUMPED INTO OUR FIRST FINDING AREA. WE FOUND THAT UNLIKE SOME OTHER CITIES, SEATTLE DOES NOT HAVE A FRAMEWORK OR AN UMBRELLA FOR COMING TOGETHER AS CITY AGENCIES AND PARTNERS TO ASK THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS AND LOOK AT THE DATA TOGETHER. AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD AS A CRITICISM OF THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN FACT, SPD HAS CAPACITY TO PERFORM SOPHISTICATED DIAGNOSTIC AND GEOSPATIAL ANALYSES RELATED TO GUN VIOLENCE, AND WE HAVE LINKS TO SOME EXAMPLES OF THESE TYPES OF ANALYSES IN OUR REPORT. SO, WHAT'S MISSING IS SYSTEMATIC INFORMATION SHARING. AND HERE IS AN EXAMPLE FROM OUR AUDIT. EARLY ON IN OUR AUDIT, WE SPOKE WITH PARKS OFFICIALS, SPD, AND THE KING COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AND EVERYONE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN PARKS IN SEATTLE WERE GUN VIOLENCE WAS CONCENTRATED. BUT THEY ALL COLLECTED THE DATA DIFFERENTLY. DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF INCIDENTS, AND EVEN DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE LOCATIONS. SO, WE ALL GOT ON THE SAME PAGE, AND SPD CREATED A CONSENSUS REPORT FOR US. IT IS SUMMARIZED IN EXHIBIT SEVEN OF OUR REPORT ON PAGE 21. IT IS TITLED SEATTLE PARKS WITH HIGH INCIDENCE OF SHOOTINGS AND SHOTS FIRED, FROM JANUARY 2021 THROUGH AUGUST 2024. AND SO NOW, THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE CITY IN FOCUSING ITS LIMITED RESOURCES. AS COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON KNOWS, THERE ARE MANY PROVEN, EFFECTIVE , PLACE-BASED STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME, LIKE IMPROVED LIGHTING AND INCREASED ACCESS CONTROLS THAT COULD BE EFFECTIVE AT THESE PARK LOCATIONS. AND THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE. WITHOUT THIS FRAMEWORK OR UMBRELLA FOR INFORMATION SHARING, THE CITY IS MISSING OUT ON IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION. OUR REPORT OFFERS SOME EXAMPLES OF SYSTEMATIC INFORMATION SHARING FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS. BALTIMORE HAS EXPERIENCED A DROP IN VIOLENT CRIME SINCE 2021. INCLUDING A 23% DROP IN FATAL SHOOTINGS AND A 34% DECLINE IN NONFATAL SHOOTINGS FROM 2023 TO 2024. AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN BALTIMORE AND IN A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED IN OUR REPORT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT THE CONVENER. THE POLICE PARTICIPATE IN INFORMATION SHARING, BUT THEY DON'T HOLD THE UMBRELLA, IF YOU WILL. IN BALTIMORE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONVENING AGENCY IS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND ENGAGEMENT. THEY MAINTAIN AN ONLINE DASHBOARD , AND WE LOOK TO IT IN OUR REPORT ON PAGE 11. IT IS CALLED THE PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY DASHBOARD, AND IT COMBINES DATA FROM POLICE, FROM PROSECUTORS, AND FROM BALTIMORE'S EVIDENCE-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, ALL IN ONE PLACE. THE OFFICIALS IN BALTIMORE NOTE THAT THE DASHBOARD IS DESIGNED TO " ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO HOLD AGENCIES ACCOUNTABLE." WE OFFER TWO RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS AREA, AND BOTH OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ON PAGE 14. FIRST, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY DEVELOP A MORE SYSTEMATIC REPORTING AND INFORMATION SHARING FRAMEWORK FOR GUN VIOLENCE. AND WE NOTE THAT THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM, IT IS STILL AVAILABLE IF THE CITY WANTS TO CONTINUE ON THIS PATH. SECOND, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY TAKE A LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE THAT ESTABLISHED OUR CARE DEPARTMENT, AND THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THIS ORDINANCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT CARE COULD POSSIBLY, POTENTIALLY BE A CONVENER FOR INFORMATION SHARING AROUND GUN VIOLENCE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OUR SECOND FINDING AREA IS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT ROUTINELY OR SYSTEMATICALLY ENGAGE IN OTHER -- ENGAGE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH TO ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE, BASED ON DATA AND PROBLEM SOLVING. FROM THE DATA THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER FOR THIS AUDIT, WE IDENTIFIED SOME AREAS FOR THE CITY TO ENGAGE IN PROBLEM SOLVING. PROBLEM SOLVING TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE IN PARKS, OR GUN VIOLENCE WITH A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NEXUS, OR GUN VIOLENCE WITH A NEXUS OF HOMELESSNESS. WE HIGHLIGHT SOME EXAMPLES FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED AN ALL HANDS ON DECK PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH. AGAIN, BALTIMORE HAS DOCUMENTED THEIR ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH IN THEIR VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN, THAT WAS REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE IN 2020. THE 2024 UPDATE OF THE BALTIMORE PLAN SHOWS THAT 54% OR 38 ACTION ITEMS OF THAT PLAN ARE NOW COMPLETED. AND BALTIMORE IS MEASURING ITS RESULTS THROUGH RIGOROUS EVALUATIONS AND THROUGH PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY DASHBOARD THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. MILWAUKEE PIONEERED THE DEVELOPMENT , AND IT BRINGS TOGETHER POLICE, CITY AGENCIES, SCHOOLS HOSPITALS PROSECUTORS CORRECTIONS, SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO USE STRATEGIC PROBLEM ANALYSIS , AND TO FOCUS CITY RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE. HOMICIDE COUNTS IN MILWAUKEE FELL 52% OVER EIGHT YEARS THROUGH THE USE OF THE HOMICIDE REVIEW COMMISSION. THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE HOMICIDE REVIEW COMMISSION IS CALLED VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCILS, AND THAT IS ON PAGE STEEN AND 17 OF OUR REPORT. THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCILS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY JOHNS HOPKINS, BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND DR. MALLORY O'BRIEN AND HER TEAM FROM JOHNS HOPKINS HAVE OFFERED TO PROVIDE THE CITY WITH FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT THIS FRAMEWORK. SO, FOR THIS AREA, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY IMPROVE ITS CAPACITY FOR PROBLEM ANALYSIS TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE, AND WE RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY IMPLEMENT A FRAMEWORK FOR REGULAR SYSTEMATIC COORDINATION AMONG CITY DEPARTMENTS, OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCIL MODEL. >> LAST, WE HAVE AN ITEM FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION. WE ARE NOT MAKING A FORMAL AUDIT RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE WE OURSELVES DO NOT DO ANY AUDIT WORK IN THIS AREA. HOWEVER, IN 2023, AT MAYOR HARRELL'S REQUEST, THE CENTER FOR EVIDENCE-BASED CRIME POLICY CONDUCTED A REVIEW OF SPD INVESTIGATIONS, AND THEY FOUND THAT MANY OF SPD'S PRACTICES RELATED TO INVESTIGATIONS WERE NOT WELL ALIGNED WITH THE RESEARCH ON WHAT IS EFFECTIVE FOR POLICE INVESTIGATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WERE NO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OR MANUALS FOR INVESTIGATIONS, NO FORMAL TRAINING PROCESSES, AND FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN PATROL AND [ INAUDIBLE ]. THEY NOTED THAT , " EVEN IF THE SPD RETURNS TO FULL PERSONAL CAPACITY, THESE ORGANIZATIONAL WEAKNESSES WILL CONTINUE IF UNATTENDED ." AND THE REASON THIS IS IMPORTANT , RELATED TO OUR AUDIT REPORT, IS THAT INFORMATION FROM POLICE INVESTIGATIONS IS CRUCIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT GUN VIOLENCE PATTERNS IN SEATTLE. FURTHER EFFECTIVE POLICE INVESTIGATIONS CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE, AND THEREFORE, WE URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR SPD'S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE WEAKNESSES IDENTIFIED IN ITS INVESTIGATIVE OPERATIONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS A SUMMARY OF OUR FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IT IS A BUSY SLIDE, IT IS REALLY JUST AVAILABLE IN CASE FOLKS WHO ARE VIEWING THIS PRESENTATION WOULD LIKE TO DOWNLOAD THIS SLIDE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY. IN CONCLUSION, ALTHOUGH ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE IS EXTREMELY TIME CHALLENGING, OUR AUDIT IDENTIFIES SOME CONCRETE STEPS THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE TODAY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GUN VIOLENCE AND ENGAGED THE WHOLE CITY GOVERNMENT AND ITS PARTNERS IN AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH. AND THESE RECOMMENDATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CITY RESOURCES. IN FACT, OUR REPORT INCLUDES OFFERS OF FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP SEATTLE IMPLEMENT SYSTEMS THAT HAVE A TRACK RECORD FOR REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE IN OTHER CITIES. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE AUDIT REPORT AND FOR INVITING US TODAY, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR PANEL, STARTING WITH NATALIE WALTON-ANDERSON OR WASHINGTON, I'M NOT SURE. GREAT, THANK YOU. >> [ INAUDIBLE ] >> TALK CLOSER INTO THE MIC. >> LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO THE AUDITORS OFFICE AND DR. CLAUDIA GROSS-SHADER FOR THE WORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FROM THIS AUDIT THAT WERE COMMISSIONED BY, AGAIN, MAYOR HARRELL AND COUNCILMEMBER NELSON, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE CURRENT GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY. THE MAYOR'S TOP PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IN PARTICULAR, ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE [ INAUDIBLE ] UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ALSO SHARES [ INAUDIBLE ] AND WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ANALYZE, INVESTIGATE, AND SOLVE CRIMES TO GET GUNS OFF OUR STREETS, ENFORCE OUR LAWS, BY ARRESTING THOSE [ INAUDIBLE ] INVOLVED IN GUN VIOLENCE. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE INTRODUCED THE ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK THAT SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT THAT REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE CITYWIDE IS A TOP PRIORITY. AND IT AFFIRMS THAT NO ONE DEPARTMENT, NO ONE SYSTEM, OR NO ONE PROVIDER CAN DO THIS WORK ALONE, AND THE SOLUTIONS MUST COME FROM A COLLABORATION ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS, REGIONAL PARTNERS, AND MUST ALSO INVOLVE OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR INPUT AND WHAT THEY SAY, AND ALSO, AN OVERALL HOLISTIC APPROACH. WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS TO EXPAND HOSPITAL-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION, PROVIDE ACCESS TO TRAUMA INFORMED CARE, AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH, SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES, AND INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING, AND THAT PROGRAMMING IS A CLEAR UPSTREAM APPROACH TO PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE. SPD CONTINUES TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN THEIR ABILITY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, UTILIZING DATA TO ESTABLISH PATTERNS AND TRENDS, RESULTING IN THE ABILITY TO USE OUR EXISTING INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCES TO HAVE [ INAUDIBLE ] IMPACT. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE REBECCA BOATRIGHT WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. WE ARE WORKING WITH BOTH PROSECUTORS OFFICES, AND ALSO AROUND THE REGION TO ENFORCE GUN SURRENDER LAWS AS WELL. AND SPD CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS WORK AND PARTNERSHIPS REGIONALLY, TOUCHING MANY OF THE OTHER 38 MUNICIPALITIES, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, GUN VIOLENCE DOES NOT STAY WITHIN THE BORDERS OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, AND IT INTERSECTS CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SPD CONTINUES TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND EXPAND ITS REGIONAL TASK FORCE WORK WITH OUR REGIONAL AND FEDERAL PARTNERS. THIS WORK INCLUDES A COMMITMENT TO UNDERSTANDING AND CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THE DATA AS TO WHERE THESE GUNS ARE SOURCED. IN ADDITION, THE CITY IS ALSO IN PROGRESS TO UPDATE THE 2019 GUN TRACE REPORT, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THE ORIGINS OF HOW THESE GUNS COME INTO OUR CITY AND OUR REGION, IN ORDER TO COMBAT AND REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE. SPD CONTINUES TO WORK WITH OUR JOINT FEDERAL AND REGIONAL TASK FORCE INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS, AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN GUNS OFF THE STREETS, COUNTLESS ARRESTS IN CASES SUBMITTED FOR PROSECUTION. IN 2023, SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECOVERED 1918 GONE SPEED IN 2024, THE RECOVERED 1934 GUNS, AND AS OF FEBRUARY 28th OF THIS YEAR, THE RECOVERED 436 GUNS. THAT IS SEVEN GUNS ON AVERAGE PER DAY. TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE, WE ARE ALIGNED WITH THE AUDITORS REPORT AND WE MUST HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AND STRONG PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE. AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO. TURNING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS. FIRST RECOMMENDATION ENCOURAGES THE CITY TO REPORT GUN VIOLENCE PATTERNS PUBLICLY. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY, AND IN TERMS OF MEASURING OUTCOMES AND ESTABLISHING KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS. AND HAVING HOURLY PUBLIC DATA AND DASHBOARDS THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED AND PUBLICLY SHARED WILL INCREASE COLLABORATION AND PROVIDE VISIBILITY FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS, FOR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING DONE. SIMPLY PUT, WE AGREE WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION, AND SPD HAS CURRENTLY MAINTAINED A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WITH SOME OF THE DATA ANALYSIS SUGGESTED IN THE AUDITORS REPORT. THE EXPANSION OF THIS DATA AND THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IT MORE WIDELY IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, BALANCING THE NECESSARY INTERESTS AND NOT COMPROMISING [ INAUDIBLE ] INVESTIGATIVE WORK ALSO HAS TO BE [ INAUDIBLE ]. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER TWO, REGARDING CONTINUOUS UPDATES [ INAUDIBLE ] THE MAYOR IS ALSO COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THOSE UPDATES TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE STATUS OF THE CARE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE DONE THAT JUST RECENTLY. THE KEY HERE IS TO UPDATE COUNCILMEMBERS AND OUR COMMUNITY ON THE STATUS OF CARE, PROGRESS RELATED TO THE ORDINANCE, AND [ INAUDIBLE ]. WE HAVE STARTED THAT WORK WITH THE INTERROGATIONS OF THE LEAD AND CO-LEAD CONTRACT WITHIN CARE. REMEMBERING THAT CARE WAS LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2023, NOT EVEN TWO YEARS OLD YET. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND CONSIDER [ INAUDIBLE ] TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR STAFFING, TRAINING, AND BUILDING UPON NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. AGAIN, WE ARE BUILDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT ON THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS INTEGRATED IN SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCE , AND CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CHIEF [ INAUDIBLE ] AND HER TEAM TO CONTINUALLY UPDATE COUNTS ON THE PROGRESS. I KNOW THAT IS A PRIORI FOR COUNCIL. RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE ENCOURAGES [ INAUDIBLE ] PROBLEM-SOLVING ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING. AGAIN, WE ARE ALIGNED ON THIS RECOMMENDATION AS WELL. SPD SUPPORTS [ INAUDIBLE ] EVIDENCE-BASED ANALYSIS TO ADDRESS CRIME AND HAS BEEN DOING SO FOR YEARS. IN HIRING CHIEF BARNES, OUR NEW POLICE CHIEF, EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING IS A PRIORITY FOR THE CHIEF. [ INAUDIBLE ] AREAS OF CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. SPD SHARES A RESPONSE OF SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF PROBLEM SOLVING BASED WORK, INCLUDING CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN AT EVERY PRECINCT, AND MORE CONCENTRATED RECENTLY WITH THE [ INAUDIBLE ] INITIATIVE, AND ALSO THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION TEAM. SPD WORKS ROUTINELY TO ADDRESS THOSE FEW INDIVIDUALS THAT CREATE THE MOST IMPACT, [ INAUDIBLE ] AT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WORKING WITH BOTH THE CITY AND COUNTY PROSECUTOR, A COORDINATED WAY [ INAUDIBLE ] HOLISTIC RESPONSE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS. IN ADDITION, SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO ASSESS THE SAN FRANCISCO MODEL FOR ADDRESSING CRIME AND DISORDER. AND THEY BROUGHT BACK SOME LESSONS LEARNED THAT WERE THOUGHT OF AND COMPREHENDED IN TERMS OF OUR LAUNCH OF THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION TEAM. NEW TECHNOLOGIES LIKE OUR AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE READERS THAT ARE INSTALLED ON PATROL CARS, OUR REAL-TIME CRIME CENTER WILL ALLOW A MUCH MORE [ INAUDIBLE ] APPROACH TO ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE AS WELL, AND WE HAVE UTILIZED THE CRIME DATA TO PICK THREE PILOT AREAS WHERE CRIME IS CONCENTRATED FOR INSTALLATION OF THOSE CAMERAS. SPD IS READILY AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE UPDATES AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ASSESSMENT THAT EVALUATED SPD'S CURRENT CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SYSTEMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES. THAT REPORT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE MAYOR , THAT LEAD ON THIS ISSUE THAT CALLED FOR AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO REFORM SPD'S CURRENT INVESTIGATIVE POLICIES. UPDATE ON THIS PROGRESS IS CRUCIAL AND THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR BOTH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CHIEF BARNES AND THE SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. LAST RECOMMENDATION STATES THAT THE CITY SHOULD IMPLEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR REGULAR SYSTEMATIC COORDINATION AMONG THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE. THE ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK NAMED THIS COORDINATION, AND THE CITY HAS TAKEN THE FIRST STEP IN IMPLEMENTING THAT. WITH ESTABLISHING THE MULTI-DEPARTMENT AND MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION TEAM. WE TOOK LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PLANNING STAGES [ INAUDIBLE ] AND THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION PLAN. TAKING FROM THESE PLANNING STAGES , WE ARE NOW READY TO BUILD AND EXPAND THIS APPROACH WITH THE ANTICIPATED LAUNCH OF OUR ONE SEATTLE SUBCABINET, AND THE SUBCABINET WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERSIGHT AND INITIATIVES ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND INVESTMENTS AS WELL. INTEGRATING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A DATA CENTRIC STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE MOST URGENT PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS, GUN VIOLENCE BEING AT THE TOP. WE ALL BENEFIT FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED IN THIS AUDIT, TO UNDERSTAND AND CONTINUE TO INFORM OUR NEXT ACTIONS URGENTLY TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE AND TO ENSURE THOSE EFFORTS ARE EFFECTIVE AND ARE ALIGNED IN THE VISION. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR, THE COUNCIL UNDER DAVID JONES, AND DR. GROSS-SHADER FOR THE AUDIT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU. >> I AM GOING TO SAY A BRIEF [ INAUDIBLE ] DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON. I WANT TO SAY, AND I'M SO HAPPY AND BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A STRONG, COMPETENT WOMAN IN THIS POSITION, WHO IS DOING AMAZING WORK WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME , [ INAUDIBLE ] . I THINK WORDS ARE POWERFUL, AND SO, I WANT TO JUST PROVIDE SOME CLARITY AROUND THE WORD AGREEMENT. I WOULD SAY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AGREES WITH THE AUDIT FINDINGS, BUT WE WERE ALREADY DOING THE THINGS THAT WERE IN THE AUDIT FINDINGS, AND THERE IS A BIG DISTINCTION. I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT AS A WOMAN WHO IS RAISING A BLACK SON, MARRIED TO A BLACK MAN, AND WHO LOST MY BROTHER TO GUN VIOLENCE, AND LAST SUMMER LOST MY NEPHEW TO GUN VIOLENCE IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE PERSON THAT THE MAYOR HAS PUT OVER ORGANIZING THE COMMUNITY SAFETY WORK, WHICH IS ME, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND ANYBODY MORE MOTIVATED OR DEDICATED TO DOING SUCH A THING. AND I THINK IT MATTERS, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN WE SAY TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THE AUDITOR'S FINDINGS, AND THEN WE RESPOND TO THE FINDINGS, WE TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ALREADY IN SOME CASES DOING THE VERY THING THAT WERE IN THE FINDINGS, SO YES, I AGREE WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND I WANT TO GET SPACE AND ROOM FOR RECOGNITION THAT THROUGH THE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK, THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE C.A.R.E. DEPARTMENT, THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE C.A.R.E. TEAM, THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN RFP THAT WILL BE RELEASED THIS SUMMER, UTILIZING THE BALTIMORE MODEL, GIVEN THE FACT THAT OUR LIAISON FOR GUN VIOLENCE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS ENROLLED IN A NATIONAL CVI WORKSHOP, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AND GIVE OURSELVES SOME KUDOS FOR THE WORK THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE FOR A GOOD OVERVIEW OF THE TYPES OF PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING APPROACHES THAT WITH AN ALL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO LEAD TO DEMONSTRABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY. CHIEF WALTON-ANDERSON ABLY DESCRIBED MUCH OF THE WORK THAT SPD IS DOING IN THIS AREA, SO I WON'T REITERATE ALL OF THE DETAILS THAT SHE SHARED. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE A FEW POINTS. WITHIN THE TOTALITY OF THE ECOSYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, SPD OBVIOUSLY PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE, AND SPD HAS LONG UTILIZED PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CHRONIC ISSUES, INCLUDING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT ARE DISCUSSED IN THE RESPONSE AND INCLUDED WITHIN THE REPORT. THE ULTIMATE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF THESE PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, REQUIRES A PARTNERSHIP OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS, PUBLIC, PRIVATE, NONPROFIT, UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF POLICE, SHIFTING POLICE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS CRIME AND DISORDER HAS BEEN PROVEN TO HAVE SOME EFFECT ON CRIME, BUT THESE STRATEGIES ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE OVER TIME, THE PARTICIPATION OF OTHER PLAYERS, AND WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT ACKNOWLEDGED, AND THAT IS A CRITICAL PART OF MAYOR HARRELL'S ONE SEATTLE APPROACH. THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH TO CRIME AND DISORDER. TO THAT END, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE POINTS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE. FIRST, IN CONTRAST TO THE JURISDICTIONS NOTED IN THE AUDIT REPORT, GUN VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE IS NOT SO NEATLY TIED EMPIRICALLY TO A PARTICULAR LOCATION, SUCH THAT STRATEGIES HIGHLIGHTED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO DECOUPLE THE VIOLENCE FROM A PARTICULAR LOCATION ARE NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE. AND WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE SPD TRACKS ALL SHOTS FIRED EVENTS REPORTED, WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ASSOCIATED PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY, AND WITH A TEAM OF HIGHLY TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED INTELLIGENCE AND DATA ANALYSTS, SPD HAS COME AS CHIEF WALTON-ANDERSON NOTED, SOPHISTICATED ABILITY TO IDENTIFY ANY EMERGING OR FORECASTED TRENDS. AS YOU KNOW, CHIEF BARNES HIMSELF IS A MEMBER OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED LEASING HALL OF FAME AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, HAS MADE VERY CLEAR THAT SPD STRATEGIES AROUND CRIME AND HARM REDUCTION WILL BE ROOTED IN RIGOROUS ANALYSIS , TO ADHERE TO BEST PRACTICES AND EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING. SPD HAS THE TEAMS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THIS DIRECTION. SECOND, WE ALSO KNOW THAT MOST GUN VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE IS HIGHLY LINKED TO SPECIFIC PERSONS OR NETWORKS OF INDIVIDUALS, AND THIS GETS INTO A LIMITATION OF THIS AUDIT, LIKE ANY THIRD-PARTY REPORT, DUE TO LEGAL AND REGULATORY PARAMETERS THAT OFTEN CARD INFORMATION MATERIAL TO ONGOING INVESTIGATIVE WORK. THE STRATEGIES, METHODS, AND SOURCES THAT UNDERLINE MUCH OF SPD'S WORK IN THIS AREA IS NOT INFORMATION THAT WE CAN OPENLY SHARE. UNTIL A CASE AND ASSOCIATED CASES INVOLVING THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE CLOSED. FOR THAT REASON, THE AUDIT DOES NOT GET INTO A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE CASES THAT SPD IS PRESENTLY BUILDING, FREQUENTLY, ALONGSIDE OTHERS, AS HAS BEEN NOTED AT THE REGIONAL AND FEDERAL LEVEL, WHICH I'LL DO RELY ON EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES. FINALLY, I WANT TO TOUCH BRIEFLY UPON THE WORK SPD IS DOING TO ADDRESS THE FINDINGS OF THE GNU REPORT MENTIONED EARLIER. AS CHIEF BARNES PREVIEWED IN HIS REMARKS BEFORE COUNCIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT IS A HIGH-PRIORITY TO ADDRESS THESE FINDINGS. SPD HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TOWARDS INCREASING STAFFING, BRINGING ONLINE NEW TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, BUILDING UP DEPARTMENT PROTOCOLS AND SOP IS, AND IMPORTANTLY, IMPLEMENTING RIGOROUS DATA AND RECORDS GOVERNANCE PRACTICES, ALL OF WHICH LEAD TO GREATER EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. I KNOW CHIEF BARNES LOOKS FORWARD TO READING COUNCIL ON THIS WORK WHEN WE HAVE MORE TIME THAN IS ALLOTTED TODAY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS, EVERYONE. BEFORE I PROCEED, CAN YOU TELL ME , WHEN DID -- WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST DRAFT OUT? >> [ INAUDIBLE ] >> EARLY NOVEMBER 2024. >> OKAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETIME OVER THE SUMMER MORE? OKAY, ANYWAY, I HOPE THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT MORE FRANKLY AND PERHAPS ONE-ON-ONE ABOUT SOME DISAGREEMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTENT, BECAUSE I NOW FEEL LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT AWKWARD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THE WAYS THAT YOUR FINDINGS WERE CHARACTERIZED BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING. I SAW YOU WRITING DOWN, SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO NUANCE? >> AS CHIEF WALTON-ANDERSON SAID IN THE EXECUTIVE RESPONSE LETTER, OUR CITY GOVERNMENT IS A LEARNING ORGANIZATION , AND THIS IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION OF A LEARNING ORGANIZATION, THE WHOLE AUDIT PROCESS IS PART OF THAT LEARNING. AS YOU SAW IN OUR SIDES, THIS AUDIT WORK WAS SCALED BACK FROM THE ORIGINAL REQUEST THAT CAME TO US, BECAUSE WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR INVESTMENTS IN CRIME REDUCTION, CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY SAFETY, BUT IT IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, AND THIS REALLY IS PART OF THAT ITERATIVE PROCESS. WE HAVE TO AT THE BEGINNING UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHAT THE CURRENT ALBUM LOOKS LIKE IN SEATTLE TODAY, AND I THINK THAT THERE IS AGREEMENT HERE AT THIS TABLE THAT GUN VIOLENCE HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC. AND SO, WHAT DO THOSE NEW PATTERNS OF GUN VIOLENCE LOOK LIKE CUSTOMER IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS BROAD AGREEMENT THERE. I WAS ACTUALLY WRITING THE AREAS WHERE WE WERE IN AGREEMENT. I WAS REALLY THRILLED TO HEAR FROM DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON THE HST WILL BE USING BALTIMORE MODEL FOR THE RFP THAT THEY WILL BE RELEASING FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY INVESTMENTS. ASK ONE QUESTION REAL QUICK, WE ARE NOT USING THE MODEL, WE USE THE MODEL TO INFORM THE MODEL THAT WE DEVELOPED, SO I AGREE WITH YOU, IT IS A POWERFUL MODEL THAT INFORMED OUR RFP. >> YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND ANOTHER ASPECT THAT MAKES THAT MODEL SO POWERFUL IS THAT THEY RIGOROUSLY EVALUATE THAT WORK. AND BY RIGOROUSLY EVALUATING, THAT MEANS THAT THEY USE SCIENTIFIC METHODS, AND IT IS POSSIBLE, EVEN WITH COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONS, TO USE SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER OR NOT THE PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE, HAVE ZERO EFFECT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES OUR SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS CAN HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT, THEY CAN ACTUALLY HARM THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE INTENDING TO SERVE. SO, I HOPE THAT RIGOROUS EVALUATION WILL ALSO BE PART OF THE CITY'S COMMITMENT AS HSD LOOKS TO RELEASE THE RFP. I COULD GO ON, BUT -- AND I WILL JUMP IN AGAIN IF NEEDED. >> WE WILL ASK QUESTIONS. UM, I COME AT THIS FROM THE POINT OF -- THE COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ADDRESS OUR VERY , VERY SERIOUS PROBLEMS, AND SO, WE CAN PASS NEW LAWS , PROVIDING ENFORCEMENT TOOLS LIKE SODA AND SOAP, BUT THOSE DON'T DO ANY GOOD UNLESS OFFICERS ARE USING THEM, UNLESS THE PORTS GRANT THE STAY OUT OF THIS AREA ORDER, ET CETERA, SO THAT IS AN ISSUE, THAT WE PASS THE LAWS AND EXECUTIVE EXECUTES. AND COUNCIL ALSO IS TRYING VERY HARD TO EXERCISE OUR OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY , AS EVIDENCED BY ALL THE FUNDS THAT WE PASSED DURING BUDGET, ASKING A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS TO MAKE INFORMED BUDGET DECISIONS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ALSO LEGISLATION, IT IS A WALL, SO WE ARE TRYING TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND THAT IS WHY WE REQUEST AUDITS THAT ARE PRESENTED HERE, AND THIS AUDIT IS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY , WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW AND WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING AND WHY? AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS IS THIS PROVIDES FOR RESOURCES THAT ARE FREE IN THIS DECLINING BUDGET ENVIRONMENT THAT WE ARE EXISTING IN. WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY MONEY FOR THE ALREADY EXISTING MODELS AND METHODOLOGIES AND ADVICE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT THE FEDERAL OFFICES AROUND THIS REGION, DEA, DOJ, -- >> POLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM, THAT IS NOT A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. ALSO, WE DO HAVE AN OFFER OF FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. >> RIGHT, AND THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, THE ONES THAT WORK ON ADDICTION, AND THEN THERE IS THE DEA'S OFFICE OF THE HIGH INTENSITY DRUG AREA, IS THAT HOW THEY'RE CALLED? YEAH, SO, I LEARNED ALL OF THIS FROM THE LAST [ INAUDIBLE ]. SO, I COME AT THIS FROM A PERSPECTIVE WHEN I AM READING THESE AUDITS, THEY OFTEN REFER TO RECOMMENDATIONS IN PREVIOUS AUDITS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN IMPLEMENTED, AND SO, THAT IS FUELING SOME OF MY FRUSTRATION THAT IF THERE IS EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES OUT THERE, WHY AREN'T WE USING THEM? SOME OF YOU PRESENTED REALLY GOOD REASONS WHY OR THINGS THAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING. I HADN'T HEARD OF THE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK -- FRAMEWORK FOR RESTORATION, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT STARTED. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MY LACK OF ATTENTION. >> I THINK YOU CAME TO ONE, IT WAS WHEN THE MAYOR WENT AROUND THE CITY AND HELD PUBLIC SAFETY FORUMS IN THE COMMUNITY AND TOOK ALL THE FEEDBACK, AND THEN I THINK IT WAS -- WHEN LAST YEAR? >> OCTOBER. NEXT HE RELEASED THE ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK. >> WELL, I DID NOT GO TO ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS AROUND THE CITY, BUT -- SO, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON, AND I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT IT IS INFORMED A BIT BY THE BALTIMORE WORK, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY -- A PLACE-BASED POLICING IS NOW PART OF OUR CIVIC LEXICON NOW, I BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR IT, BUT YOUR AUDIT ON THE OVERLAP OF DRUGS AND CRIME. SO, THIS IS WHERE I'M COMING FROM, JUST, I AM READING FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE. GREAT IDEAS THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT TO MAKE PERHAPS FASTER PROGRESS ON SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS. I WILL NOTE THAT ON PAGE -- LET'S SEE, THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT SAYS OUR 2023 AUDIT ON ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME IN SEATTLE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY CONSIDER USING FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO BEGIN TO BIPOC, WHICH IS ORIENTED POLICING TECHNIQUES, TO ADDRESS KNOWN ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME , FENCING OPERATIONS, THESE SAME RESOURCES COULD BE USED TO HELP THE CITY OF BIPOC TECHNIQUES TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE IN THE CITY. FURTHER, AS WE DESCRIBED IN OUR 2024 AUDIT ON PLACES IN SEATTLE WERE OVERDOSES AND PRIMES ARE CONCENTRATED, THE CITY HAS NOT ROUTINELY USED AN EVIDENCE-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM SOLVING FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS PLACES WHERE CRIME IS CONCENTRATED . THAT IS ON PAGE 17. ANOTHER ONE SAYS FOCUSED DETERRENCE IS EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY FOR REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME USED ALSO IN BALTIMORE AND NUMEROUS OTHER CITIES, OUR 2015 STREET OUTREACH AUDIT NOTED THAT THE CITY OF SEATTLE DOES NOT USE A FOCUSED APPROACH TO ADDRESS VIOLENT CRIME AND VICTIMIZATION, AND THAT IS STILL THE CASE TODAY. SO, THIS IS WHAT I AM PICKING UP ON, AND IT CERTAINLY SERVES NO ONE FOR ONE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT TO BLAME THE OTHER ONE. I JUST -- I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE EXECUTIVE IS OPEN TO ANY OF THESE -- TO REACHING OUT TO THE DOJ, THE DEA, AND THE AGENCIES THAT ARE SUGGESTED HERE, TO MAYBE MORE SYSTEMATICALLY ADOPT WHAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING IN OTHER CITIES. AND YOU, DIRECTOR, STEPPED UP VALIANTLY AT THE BRIEFING ON THE LAST PRESENTATION AND TOOK THE LEAD ON THAT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT HOW THAT IS GOING, AND I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT IT IS NOT. IT'S JUST , I FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN TO GO FORWARD, SO THAT'S ALL I WILL SAY RIGHT NOW. GO AHEAD. >> SO, SPD ROUTINELY DOES A FAIR AMOUNT OF WORK WITH PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING AND PLACE-BASED POLICING AND THAT GOES BACK TO THE DAYS OF CHIEF COLONEL [ INAUDIBLE ], AND HE HAS EXPANDED THROUGH SINCE. THE MICRO POLICING PLANS ON THROUGH OUR PAST CHEATS, AND CHIEF BARNES IS OBVIOUSLY VERY COMMITTED TO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING APPROACHES AND THE WORK THAT HE IS DIRECTING SPD TO DO. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT, SPD FOCUSED ON THE TOPIC OF GUN VIOLENCE, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE RELATIVE TO OTHER TYPES OF CRIME AND DISORDER THAT WE ARE ENGAGED WITH. THE EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE CLOSELY AND ADDRESSING, SO THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION INITIATIVES, THIRD AND PIKE, AND IN THE CID, AND AS I UNDERSTAND, COMING TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF THE TYPES OF PLACE-BASED POLICING THAT ARE USED TO ADDRESS CRIME AND DISORDER INDISCREET LOCATIONS WHERE WE HAVE DATA TO SAY THIS IS IN FACT A HOTSPOT FOR THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY, THAT LENDS ITSELF TO INTERVENTIONS THAT WILL START TO DECOUPLE THE DISORDER FROM THE PARTICULAR PLACE. SO, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE COUNCIL WITH THE IMPRESSION FROM SPD THAT WE ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THIS WORK ONGOING, AND HAVE BEEN FOR AT LEAST THE TWO DECADES THAT I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY, AND WE ARE CERTAINLY HAPPY TO BRIEF CANCEL ON ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING ON THAT END. >> AND IF I CAN JUST ADD, I WAS PRESENT AND RESPONDED ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO THE LAST TWO AUDITS, IN TERMS OF THE ONES YOU JUST REFERENCED, IN TERMS OF INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN OVERDOSE AND WHERE CRIME IS [ INAUDIBLE ], AND ALSO THE ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT AUDIT. WE HAVE USED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS ROAD MAPS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN ACTIVATION TEAM, FOR OUR PLACE-BASED STRATEGIES, THE DATA THAT WAS THERE. WE HAVE CONNECTED AND HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS AND FORWARDED TRAININGS. WE HAVE EVEN REACHED OUT TO SNOHOMISH COUNTY, [ INAUDIBLE ], THEY HAD AN EXAMPLE OF, AGAIN, MORE OF A COORDINATED APPROACH. SO, I WANT TO CONFIRM, BUT ALSO JUST CORRECT THAT WE ARE TAKING SERIOUSLY A RECOMMENDATION [ INAUDIBLE ] , UNDER MY DIRECTION, IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM, AND UTILIZING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE PLAN OUT HOW TO ADDRESS WHERE CRIME IS CONCENTRATED OR VIOLENT CRIME IS CONCENTRATED AT THE CITY, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. >> AND ACTUALLY, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL. AND I DON'T WANT TO VOLUNTEER YOU FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS, BUT THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL COULD GET AN UPDATE ON, FROM NATALIE AND HER TEAM. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE FOLLOW-UP STEPS ON THE ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME AUDIT AND THE OVERDOSE AND CRIME PREVENTION AUDIT? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OFFER THAT -- WELL, APPRECIATE THAT THE EXECUTIVE HAS USED OUR PREVIOUS AUDIT AS ROAD MAPS, AND THIS AUDIT TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, SINCE THERE IS GENERAL CONCURRENCE ON OUR AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND SINCE THERE IS THIS NEW STRUCTURE IN PLACE, THE ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK, THANK YOU, HOW DOES THAT -- WHAT IS THE CROSSWALK BETWEEN THE PRACTICES THAT ARE BEING CONTEMPLATED FOR THAT ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK AND SOMETHING THAT HAS MORE OF A TRACK RECORD, LIKE THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCILS FROM JOHNS HOPKINS? I MEAN, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT JOHNS HOPKINS WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP US CONSIDER. IF WE HAVE MISSED ANYTHING IN HOUSE SEATTLE IS PROCEEDING OR IF THERE IS SOME LEARNING FROM THEIR WORK IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WITH THE VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCILS, THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE INTO THE ONE SEATTLE RESTORATION FRAMEWORK. AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. WE CAN USE THESE OTHER RESOURCES, THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE -- ACTUALLY THE FOLKS FROM BALTIMORE THAT WE TALKED TO WERE VERY FORTHCOMING AND VERY WILLING TO SHARE INFORMATION, SO THEY ALSO STAND AS A RESOURCE. AND I THINK THAT THIS CONVERSATION GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON WHAT SEATTLE IS DOING OR CONTEMPLATING DOING. >> I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT DIRECTOR KIM'S TEAM [ INAUDIBLE ] HAS TAKEN ON -- THEY ARE GOING ON FIELD TRIPS TO ALL THE CITIES THAT HAVE LIKE DEMOGRAPHICS TO SEATTLE TO VISIT THEM AND SAY, HEY, HOW IS THIS WORKING? ALSO AGAIN, DAVITA IS TAKING TRIPS TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, SO THEY HAVE BALTIMORE ON THEIR SCHEDULE. THEY HAVE A LIST OF CITIES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TO USE THAT INFORMATION TO HELP INFORM THE RFP. AND SO, SOMETIMES I THINK WE SUFFER FROM JUST NOT COMMUNICATING SOME THINGS TO EACH OTHER, AND I JUST -- I THINK WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS AUDIT IS THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY COMMUNICATE A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO THAT YOU ALL ARE UPDATED ON EFFORTS, AND ALSO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, SO THAT WHEN WE DO UTILIZE THE BRILLIANCE OF THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING, AND THEREFORE, WE CAN GET THE BEST OUT OF AN AUDIT REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT TO SAY THIS WASN'T THE BEST [ INAUDIBLE ], BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MISCOMMUNICATION ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT IS NOT HAPPENING. >> WELL, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS PUT OUT MONTHS AGO, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS WAITING TO SCHEDULE IT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS BACK AND FORTH ON ANY KIND OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR WHATEVER. I WILL SAY THAT I DID TALK TO DR. MALLORY O'BRIEN YESTERDAY FROM JOHNS HOPKINS, AND SHE DID EXPLAIN SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PLACE FOR THE VIOLENT -- VIOLENCE REDUCTION COUNCILS. AND GIVEN THE SUCCESS THAT IT HAS HAD IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD FIRST STEP. COUNCILMEMBER SULLIVAN, GO AHEAD. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, MADAM PRESIDENT. I AM IN ALL OF [ INAUDIBLE ]. I THINK YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY. YOU KNOW, WE GO BACK AWAY. CLAUDIA, I THINK WE FIRST MET DOING THE [ INAUDIBLE ] >> YES, WE DID. >> SO, WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY THERE. AND I AM LOOKING AT THE DREAM TEAM. DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON, I CAN'T AGREE MORE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WITH YOUR WORDS. WORK IS BEING DONE. AND I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER PERSON TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE CHAIN , TRYING TO GET THESE THINGS DONE, AND I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY SYMPATHIES TO YOU FOR THE LOSSES THAT YOU HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED. THIS IS PERSONAL. RIGHT? THIS IS AN ACADEMIC. THIS IS A THEORETICAL, THIS IS PERSONAL. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. I DO HAVE -- I COULD TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT THIS FOR HOURS, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I DO JUST WANT TO SAY, FOR CLARIFICATION, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT POP, YOU HAVE A CRIME TRIANGLE, THAT ACTUALLY PREDATES COLONEL [ INAUDIBLE ], IT GOES BACK TO STAMPER. THIS IS THE WORK THAT AS CRIME PREVENTION COORDINATORS, WE WERE DOING, WE WERE IMPLEMENTING IN THE STUFF THAT WE WERE DOING IN COMMUNITY, AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION , IN PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT HOTSPOT PREVENTION, THAT PLACE-BASED STUFF IS SOMETHING I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN, AND YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT [ INAUDIBLE ] BEACH FOR EXAMPLE, WHY IS ANDERSON A HOTSPOT? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PHYSICAL LOCATION WHERE THINGS ARE ALWAYS POPPING OFF? SO, I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GET A HANDLE ON THAT. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, REALIZING THAT, OKAY, WE HAVE CERTAIN PARKS, FOUR OF WHICH IN MY DISTRICT, ON THIS LIST, WHERE WE HAVE HAD VIOLENT INCIDENTS IN THOSE PARKS. ONE OF THE EASIEST SOLUTIONS IS TO CLOSE OFF THE PARKING LOTS, LOCK THEM AT NIGHT. AND TRYING TO GET COOPERATION FROM OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT HAPPEN HAS BEEN TOUGH. BUT WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, WE HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC RESULT. SO, I WOULD SAY THAT COOPERATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, BETWEEN AGENCIES, THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE IT AIN'T JUST A POLICE ISSUE, IT AIN'T JUST A PARKS ISSUE, IT AIN'T JUST AN SDOT ISSUE, IT IS A SEATTLE ISSUE, SO ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, AND LET'S NOT GET IN OUR OWN WAY IN TERMS OF SOLVING THIS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT -- THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION -- VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY IN COMMUNITY AND REALIZE THAT SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED RECENTLY -- AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS PROBABLY WHY WE HAVE GOT NEW RFPs GOING OUT THERE TO TRY TO CALL SOME OF THAT CAPACITY BACK. MY FEAR IS WHAT WE CAN GO TO JOHNS HOPKINS AND [ INAUDIBLE ] FOR THIS RESEARCH AND ASSISTANCE, I'M NOT GOING TO COUNT ON THE FEDS TO GIVE US ANYTHING. AT THIS POINT. SO, HOW DO WE AS A CITY SUPPORT THOSE COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORTS WHEN WE ARE FACING A $47 MILLION SHORTFALL ? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO COME UP WITH THE CASH TO SUPPORT THOSE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS, AND I WOULD WELCOME ANY IDEAS TO HAVE ALONG THOSE LINES. SO, THAT IS ONE QUESTION. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON. THERE IS A LOT IN THERE. I'M GOING TO GIVE IT A START WITH THE LAST THING THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT, WHICH IS HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ? I THINK ONE OF THE BEST WAYS THAT THE CITY CAN SUPPORT THE GOOD WORK OF THESE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IS BY HELPING TO SHARE WITH THEM WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT IS EFFECTIVE AND WHAT IS NOT EFFECTIVE. AND OUR OFFICE LOOKED AT THAT IN 2012 , AND THERE IS A LOT MORE KNOWN ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS ARE EFFECTIVE AND WHAT IS NOT EFFECTIVE, AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING THAT THE CITY CAN DO TO SUPPORT ITS COMMUNITY BASED PARTNERS. IT ALSO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING IN SEATTLE. IN 2013, I -- FOR OUR OFFICE, I WAS WORKING ON A GRANT WITH FOLKS FROM THE CENTER FOR EVIDENCE-BASED CRIME POLICY, TO ADDRESS HOTSPOTS OF CRIME IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE. AND WE WOUND UP RUNNING INTO A PROBLEM WHEN WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THE TRAINING MATERIALS FOR THE TEAM AT THE WEST PRECINCT. AND THE ISSUE WAS THAT THERE WASN'T A BROAD UNDERSTANDING ABOUT PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING. AND EVERYONE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT HAD BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE APARTMENT BY CHIEF STAMPER, BUT IT HADN'T BEEN ADOPTED. SO, WE CALLED FORMER CHIEF STAMPER AND ASKED HIM ABOUT PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING. AND HE DID TRY TO INTRODUCE THAT FRAMEWORK DURING HIS TENURE AT SPD, AND IT WASN'T WIDELY ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT. IT'S A SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK , AND IT REQUIRES FOUR STEPS . SO, THE FOUR STEPS ARE QUITE SPECIFIC. IT IS SCANNING THE ENVIRONMENT, ANALYZING THE PROBLEM, THE RESPONSE, AND DOING THE ASSESSMENTS. IT IS CALLED THE SARAH MODEL. CARA. SO, IF WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING IN SEATTLE, WE WILL HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF THAT , IN THAT ASSESSMENT PIECE. WE WILL HAVE A LIBRARY OF OUR EFFORTS IN PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING THAT WE CAN LOOK BACK ON AND GO THROUGH AND LEARN FROM. AND WE WILL HAVE REPORTS THAT WE CAN VIEW AND LEARN FROM. TO PRESENT DAY, IN TERMS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING IN SEATTLE. I'M THRILLED TO HEAR THAT OUR NEW CHIEF IS REALLY SUPER COMMITTED TO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING. AND THAT THERE IS ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS, BUT IT REQUIRES A LEVEL OF RIGOR AND FOCUS ON ALL OF THOSE STEPS, INCLUDING THE ASSESSMENT STEP. AND THAT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING, AND IF WE ARE REALLY DOING THAT TYPE OF EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING, IT WILL INCLUDE ALL OF THOSE STEPS. ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY BROADLY, I DON'T THINK -- AS DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON SAID, THAT WORDS ARE IMPORTANT. AND THERE WAS A WORD OF MISUNDERSTANDING THAT WAS USED, AND I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK THERE HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTANDINGS. I THINK -- AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK DAVITA BRISCOE, WHO IS THE MAYOR'S GUN VIOLENCE LIAISON, WHO WORKED WITH US ON THIS AUDIT, AND SHE IS INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE GROUND HERE IN SEATTLE, AND WHAT IS GOING ON NATIONALLY AND WE WORKED WITH HER VERY CLOSELY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS REPORT, AND SHE AGREES WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THIS REPORT, ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. I THINK THAT WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THIS TENSION THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING. WE ARE PART OF THE CITY'S LEARNING ECOSYSTEM , BUT WE ARE IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND WE ARE ALWAYS PUSHING THE EXECUTIVE TO DO MORE AND DO BETTER. HEY, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS RESOURCE, HEY, YOU COULD TAKE YOUR FRAMEWORK UP A NOTCH BY LOOKING AT THIS MODEL FROM JOHNS HOPKINS. AND SO, I THINK THAT PART OF WHAT YOU ARE HEARING AT THE TABLE TODAY IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE HEALTHY TENSION OF BEING A LEARNING ORGANIZATION. AND IT WILL BE STRENGTHENED IF WE CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER AND PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER IN REAL TIME, LIKE ON THESE VISITS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS. HEY, WELL, IF THE EXECUTIVE IS GOING, MAYBE WE CAN TAG ALONG, AT LEAST VIRTUALLY, SO WE CAN BE LEARNING IN TIME WITH YOU AND SHARING OUR INFORMATION IN REAL TIME WITH YOU ALL. SO, I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT. I SEE THAT YOU'RE NODDING. DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON? >> I WANT TO ANSWER ONE OF YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS, TOTALLY AGREE, THANK YOU. SO, WHEN MAYOR HARRELL FIRST STARTED AND I WAS TELLING HIM THIS MORNING, WE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES. I WAS DRIVING HERE TODAY AND I PASSED AN ENCAMPMENT THAT AT ONE POINT, AND YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER IT, BECAUSE ALL OF YOU GUYS CONTACTED ME, WHERE THERE WERE SHOTS FIRED AT AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT EVERY DAY, PROPANE TANKS EXPLODING. IT WAS CHAOTIC WHEN WE CAME OUT OF COVID FOR VARIOUS REASONS. AND SO, I HAD TO REMIND MYSELF THAT WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, AND WHEN I SAY TOGETHER, I MEAN COUNCIL, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY. SO, I PASSED BY AND I WAS JUST LIKE, WOW, THEY ARE CLEANING, PEOPLE WERE PLACES -- OFFERED PLACES TO GO INSIDE, THEN I SAW A SECURITY GUARD HELPING A WOMAN TO MOVE PAST SOME DISTURBANCE, AND THOUGHTFULLY AND HELPFULLY HAVING SOMEBODY MOVE ON, AND I THOUGHT, THE STREETS ARE BUSTLING AND PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE. AND SO, WHEN THE MAYOR FIRST STARTED, THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO ME IS I WANT EVERY SINGLE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES COMMUNITY SAFETY FUNDING IN [ INAUDIBLE ], AND I WANT THEM TO TELL ME WHAT THEY DO, HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IT, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE COME AND WHAT OUTCOMES WERE. THAT ROOM WAS PACKED. THAT WAS A MONTH, TOO, PROBABLY, FROM WHEN YOU STARTED. ONCE THAT WAS OVER, HE BROUGHT DIRECTOR KIM AND I UPSTAIRS TO HIS OFFICE AND HE SAID WE NEED TO PUT THIS MONEY OUT TO BID, BUT WE NEED TO DO SO THOUGHTFULLY AND IT NEEDS TO BE BASED ON RESEARCH, SO WE DID THAT. LOTS OF STUFF HAPPENED THAT WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT. AND THEN TO YOUR POINT, SOME BAD THINGS HAPPENED. THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE UNDER IT INVESTIGATION, WHICH I WON'T GO INTO, BECAUSE I'M NOT A LAWYER, AN INVESTIGATION WHICH SHOOK THE KIND OF MOVEMENT UP, AND CONSTANT MOURNING, AND I AM HOPING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN HEAL AND BE RESTORED FROM THE TRAUMA THAT THEY EXPERIENCED. AND WANT TO REMIND US THAT EVERY DAY, PEOPLE THAT ARE ENTRUSTED POSITIONS OF POWER MISUSE THAT TRUST, WHETHER IT IS MONEY LAUNDERING, SEXUAL ASSAULT, FRAUD, WHATEVER IT IS, AND I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T HYPERFOCUS WHEN AN ORGANIZATION RAN BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE COMMUNITY MAKES A MISTAKE. WHAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR MONEY IS BEING USED FOR THE PURPOSE THAT WE FUNDED THAT ORGANIZATION FOR, AND THAT WE CAN HOLD OUR HEAD UP HIGH AND SAY TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUNG ADULTS THAT WE SERVE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST WORK. AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO -- SO, THE RFP WAS ACTUALLY ASKED FOR IN MAYOR HARRELL'S FIRST YEAR, AND IT WAS PUT OFF FOR VERY GOOD REASONS, BECAUSE WE HAD TO ADDRESS THE FIRST THING FIRST, AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT DAILY, SOMETIMES MAYBE WEEKLY EXPLOSIONS, FIRES CONSTANTLY HAPPENING, TRYING TO CONVINCE POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE ARE A CITY THAT APPRECIATE THEM AND WANT THEM HERE, THAT TOOK THREE YEARS. AND SO, WHAT I SAID TO THE DIRECTORS, WE ARE RIGHT ON TIME. I DON'T BELIEVE WE ARE BEHIND, WE ARE RIGHT ON TIME, BECAUSE COLLECTIVELY, WE DID THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FIRST. AND NOW IT IS TIME TO GO A LITTLE DEEPER AND START WORKING AT HOW DO WE START MAKING THE SYSTEM, THE COMMUNITY GUN VIOLENCE SYSTEM, AND THEN THE SYSTEM, POLICE, FIRE, AND ALL THAT STRONGER? THAT IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. >> GREAT, THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS, I KNOW WE ARE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME. TO THE POINT ABOUT THE RFP'S, I THINK THIS IS A CONCERN THAT COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA HAS. I THINK IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE WE SPENDING, WHAT ARE WE SPENDING IT ON, AND WHAT ARE THE RESULTS? YOU KNOW? IF WE ARE GIVING MONEY TO X ORGANIZATIONS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING THE OUTCOMES FROM THAT EXPENDITURE, AND IF WE ARE NOT, MAYBE WE SHIPPED THE MONEY SOMEPLACE ELSE. SO, IT IS THAT WHOLE ACCOUNTABILITY THING. TWO QUICK THINGS. ONE IS -- YEAH? >> AND THAT IS WHY -- WE ARE NOT GOING TO BEAT THIS TO DEATH, WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN AROUND THIS, DEPUTY MAYOR, BUT THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE -- ALL THE NECESSARY WORK HAD TO HAPPEN, BUT BEFORE ISSUING A NEW RFP FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORK, FIGURE OUT WHAT IS -- WHAT KINDS OF WORK THAT WE ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR HAS BEEN AFFECTED, AND THEN TRY TO FEEL LIKE HOW CAN THAT INFLUENCE THE NEXT ROUND OF -- X THAT WAS MY ONLY ARGUMENT, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE HORSE, WE ALREADY DID IT. THE AUDIT THAT CLAUDIA AND HER TEAM DID YEARS AGO STILL STANDS. SO, MY ARGUMENT BACK WAS WE DON'T NEED TO PUBLISH ANOTHER REPORT. LET US DO THE WORK FROM THE LAST AUDIT, WHICH WE TRIED TO DO, AND WE BASICALLY GOT AS FAR AS CITY COUNCIL, AND WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. AND SO, WHEN I SAY WE ARE RIGHT ON TIME, THANK GOD WE HAVE A COUNCIL AND A MAYOR'S OFFICE WHO DO AGREE THAT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE IS IMPORTANT, AND THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT TO DO SO, AND I HOPE YOU KNOW -- AND I HOPE EVERYBODY CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THE CONDITIONS WERE NOT RIGHT TO DO SO TWO YEARS AGO. [ INAUDIBLE ] WILLING TO DO THAT. >> THE AUDIT THAT THE MAYOR AND I REQUESTED WAS TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE 2012 AUDIT, THAT WAS WHEN COUNCIL WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE COUNCIL THAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO. SO, PRESUMABLY, THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CHANGED ALSO, SO, IN ANY CASE -- GO AHEAD. OH, YOU WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE POINTS. >> A COUPLE THINGS, ONE GETTING BACK TO THE WHOLE PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING MODEL. OF COURSE, I WAS WITH THE DEPARTMENT AT THAT TIME, AND I REMEMBER THE RESISTANCE AND I REMEMBER WHAT THE RESISTANCE WAS. AND TO SAY THE DEPARTMENT HAS EVOLVED FROM THOSE TIMES. SO, I THINK WE -- YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES THAT PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING AND CARA ARE GOOD TOOLS, AS OPPOSED TO THAT SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE -- YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE TO ARREST PEOPLE, THAT WILL KIND OF ATTITUDE. AND SOME OF IT ACTUALLY CAME DOWN TO PERSONALITIES THAT WERE IN LEADERSHIP AT THE TIME, THAT RANK-AND-FILE HAD ISSUES WITH, LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY. LAST THING IS ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE STREET LEVEL THAT WILL HELP OFFICERS IN THE PRESENT IS GETTING OUR STAFFING LEVELS BACK TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE CRIME ANALYSIS DETECTIVES BACK IN THE PRECINCT LEVEL. AND NOT JUST SITTING IN THE REAL-TIME CRIME CENTER. IT IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY RELIED ON, YOU KNOW, DOING MY WORK , MEETING WITH COMMUNITY, GOING TO MY CRIME ANALYSIS DETECTIVES AND SAYING, HEY, CAN YOU RUN THESE STATS FOR THIS QUARTER MILE FOR THIS MUCH AMOUNT OF TIME, AND WITHIN A FEW >>, I HAD THE DATA. THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. AND I KNOW WE HAVE LOST THAT ABILITY. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO HAVE THAT CAPABILITY COME BACK. >> OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA? >> SORRY, I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU ON THE WORK OF THE PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS TEAM, WHICH NOW INCLUDES ALL OF OUR CRIME ANALYSIS GROUPS. WE NOW HAVE ALL OF OUR DATA CONSOLIDATED UNDER ONE SYSTEM, WE ARE ABLE TO ANALYZE OUR DATA AT A LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION THAT IS UNRIVALED IN THIS COUNTRY, IF NOT THE WORLD. WE ARE PUSHING THIS OUT TO PRECINCTS. THE DASHBOARDS ARE UP TO DATE, THEY ARE PARSABLE IF YOU HAVE INTERNAL ACCESS TO THE DASHBOARDS, THERE PARSABLE DOWN TO THE STREET LEVEL OF DATA. WE ARE NOT ONLY PROVIDING THE NUMBERS, BUT WE ARE PROVIDING THE ANALYSES AS TO WHAT THOSE NUMBERS MEAN, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE INCREASING CRIME PREVENTION COORDINATORS TO BRING THEM UP TO SPEED AS DATA ANALYSTS, ENSURING THAT WE ARE ALL OPERATING OFF OF THE SAME DATA SET AND FRAMEWORK. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> AND YOUR ANALYTICS WERE COMPLEMENTED IN THE AUDIT AND ISSUE WAS LET'S MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF IT BEYOND THE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE DOING THE DIRECT WORK. BUT GO ON. COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON FOR BEING HERE. I HAVE KNOWN DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON FOR A LONG TIME AND THERE IS NO -- SHE -- I MEAN, I CAN'T EVEN UNDERSCORE -- THE LEVEL OF INTEGRITY AND THE CARE THAT SHE BRINGS TO THE WORK AND THE COMMITMENT IS UNQUESTIONABLE. AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND. GENERAL COUNSEL BOATRIGHT, I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH YOU FOR THE LAST YEAR , WE KNEW OF EACH OTHER BEFORE THAT, AND I KNOW HOW HARD SPD IS WORKING TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. I TELL EVERYONE I KNOW HOW MUCH SPD IS DOING TO REALLY RESPOND TO PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE DISTRICT. DIRECTOR WALTON-UNDERSTAND, YOU ARE NEWER TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, YOU AND I HAVEN'T HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS SITUATION , MAGNUSON PARK AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. AND CLAUDIA, GROSS-SHADER, I SAVED YOU FOR LAST, BECAUSE I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR VALIDATING THE CONSTITUENTS OF MY DISTRICT AND ME WITH THIS AUDIT. I HAVE BEEN HERE A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, AND MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE TOLD ME ON A DAILY BASIS WHAT IS BASICALLY CONTAINED IN YOUR REPORT, THAT THE SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT IS AS BAD AS THEY THINK IT IS. THAT MAGNUSON PARK WHO RATES FORTH OUT OF 11 ON HERE, IS AS BAD AS THEY THINK IT IS. WELL I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM WITH SOME FOLKS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE [ INAUDIBLE ] IN THE DISTRICT TO NO AVAIL IN MY MIND. I DO THINK THAT THIS REPORT UNDERSCORES -- THERE IS A CENTRALIZATION PROBLEM IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY , AND PARTICULARLY THE GUN VIOLENCE SPACE. THE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING GREAT WORK, AND I WILL ALSO SAY PARKS, BECAUSE PARKS ARE LISTED HERE. PARKS IS GIVING GREAT ATTENTION AS WELL. AND LAST SUMMER WHEN THE SITUATION AT MAGNUSON PARK WAS REALLY HEATING UP, PARKS TOOK ME SERIOUSLY , SPD TOOK ME SERIOUSLY, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DID NOT. THEY TRIED TO DIMINISH WHAT I WAS SAYING, OH, THOSE ARE KIDS PARTYING AT THE PARK. NO, THEY WERE NOT KIDS PARTYING AT THE PARK. SO, TO ME, THERE IS EXACTLY WHAT THE REPORT SAYS. WE NEED CENTRALIZED LEADERSHIP TO TACKLE THESE PROBLEMS. THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO DOING THE BEST THEY CAN. THEY NEED LEADERSHIP, TOO. BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR -- THE ROAD MAP, I FEEL LIKE SEATTLE STARTED AT STEP 7, INSTEAD OF STARTING AT STEP 1. AND YOU ARE NODDING, SO I THINK YOU AGREE. [ LAUGHTER ] AND SO, TO ME, THERE IS, NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT DEPUTY WASHINGTON, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT IS TRUE, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT, WE NEED TO BE HONEST. WE NEED TO BE HONEST WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SEATTLE. AND YES, POST-COVID, THINGS GOT WORSE. YES, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. AND WE NEED TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER. AND THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE HARD WORK THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN , THAT SPD HAS DONE, THAT PARKS HAS DONE, AND HSD AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY IS GOING EVERY WHICH WAY DIRECTION AND THERE ISN'T A CENTRALIZED -- WE ARE ALL REALLY A ONE SEATTLE. AND NOT JUST ONE SEATTLE WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND HIS DEPARTMENTS THAT HE OVERSEES, BUT WITH THE COUNCIL AS WELL. THAT WAS VERY CLEAR TO ME OUT OF THIS AUDIT. AND IN FACT, IT WAS JUST YESTERDAY THAT I WAS SPEAKING WITH CHIEF BARNES, AND I WAS SAYING, BECAUSE HE WAS EXPLAINING ALL THE HARD WORK THEY ARE DOING, AND I SAID, CHIEF, EVERY DAY, AT LEAST ONCE A DAY, I TELL PEOPLE HOW HARD SPD IS WORKING. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, CHIEF BARNES IS NOT JUST YOU. THIS DOESN'T JUST FALL ON SPD. AND I HADN'T EVEN READ THIS REPORT YET, BECAUSE I READ IT TODAY, THIS MORNING, SO IT WAS EXACTLY AS I WAS SAYING. WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER, EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS TO WORK TOGETHER. AND SOME OF THE STUFF IN HERE ABOUT CLOSING GATES AT THE PARKS AND THE LIGHTING, I JUST WAS HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH DEPUTY MAYOR FARRELL ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, AND ALSO WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. THIS IS, TO ME, LOW HANGING FRUIT, AND WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. AND SO, TO ME, IT WAS REALLY , LIKE I SAID, VALIDATING. AND I WANT ACTION. I DO. AND I AM HERE TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GET. BUT MY CONSTITUENTS KNOW, I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR, PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING, AND I NEED ACTION FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED. AND THAT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR, BECAUSE THE IS OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME THAT SOMEHOW, CONSTITUENTS ARE OVER BLOWING THE SITUATION. THEY ARE NOT. THIS REPORT SHOWS HOW BAD THINGS ARE AT MAGNUSON PARK. AND AS I HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR OVER A YEAR, WE HAVE LOW INCOME PEOPLE WITH TEENAGERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN LIVING AT MAGNUSON PARK. THEY ARE MY CONSTITUENTS AS WELL. AND I AM HERE FOR THEM, TOO. I AM HERE FOR EVERYBODY. SO, I AM NOT GOING TO SIT AROUND AND PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK THAT WE HAVE DONE -- FOR THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE THUS FAR. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR WASHINGTON IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE YOU AND I TALK ABOUT THIS OFTEN. WE DO NEED TO DO BETTER, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ABSOLUTELY THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER, WORKING TOGETHER. AND TO ME, THE COMMUNICATION PROBLEM IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. AND THIS DECENTRALIZED APPROACH THAT WE ARE TAKING. AND WE HAVE A RESOURCE ISSUE. THERE IS A DEFICIT TO THIS CITY. AND WE KNOW THAT IF WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THOSE RESOURCES WORK BETTER FOR US. AND I DON'T WANT PEOPLE BLAMING SPD OR ANY -- ANYONE INDIVIDUALLY, OR COUNCIL, OR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE INDIVIDUALLY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. AND SO, YOU'RE HEARING MY FRUSTRATION BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR YEAR. AND MY CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION . THEY ARE GETTING DISMISSED. AND I DON'T WANT THAT ANYMORE. AND I THINK THIS REPORT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE NOT WRONG. AND SO, I REALLY CANNOT UNDERSCORE HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR THIS AUDIT. I WANT TO THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT NELSON , FOR REALLY PUSHING ON THIS AUDIT TO HAPPEN. AND YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RESPONSE TO THIS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IN TERMS OF ARE WE REACHING OUT TO DOJ AND TO JOHNS HOPKINS? I UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE GOT -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CRISIS WITH THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PARTNERS IN BALTIMORE AND MILWAUKEE AND OTHER PLACES WHO WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE DOJ AND WITH JOHNS HOPKINS TO BUILD A MODEL THAT WE CAN JUST REPLICATE. WE DON'T NEED TO GO ON OUR OWN. WE DON'T NEED TO BE THE FIRST FOR EVERYTHING. BEING THE FIRST SOMETIMES DOESN'T MEAN WE GET IT RIGHT. SOMEONE ELSE IS -- BALTIMORE, EVERYBODY KNOWS, IT IS NOT A SECRET HOW BAD BALTIMORE WAS. AND THEY ARE HAVING SUCCESS. LET'S REPLICATE SOME OF THAT HERE, AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO DO THAT? AND I AM HERE FOR THAT. SO, THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST HAD THAT COMMENT, AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND I WELCOME A CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR HARRELL . I MEAN, PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE FOR HIM. I WOULD HAVE LOVED FOR HIM TO HAVE STOPPED BY TODAY. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. THIS ISN'T EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TAKING CREDIT. I AM NOT ABOUT THE CREDIT. GM WASHINGTON, YOU KNOW THAT, TOO. I DON'T LIKE THE SPOTLIGHT, I DON'T LIKE CAMERAS, I DON'T LIKE TO BE ON THE NEWS. I AM ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF OF THE PEOPLE TO GET THINGS DONE. AND SO, AGAIN, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I WANT TO PARTNER WITH YOU, DIRECTOR WALTON-ANDERSON, IN A ROBUST WAY. THERE IS NO CREDIT HERE, LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO GET IT DONE, AND LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE ALL MUTUALLY WANT. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, CLAUDIA. >> COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IN BALTIMORE FOUND IT TO BE A HELPFUL TOOL TO WRITE AN ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GUN VIOLENCE -- >> OH MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THAT. >> [ INAUDIBLE ] >> SO, AND THEN, AND ALSO TO YOUR POINT ABOUT MAGNUSON PARK , AND IT IS REALLY SO IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU ACTUALLY DO COME TOGETHER AND LOOK AT THE DATA, AND WE ALL GOT ON ONE PAGE WITH THE WAY THE DATA WAS COLLECTED, AND THANK YOU, SPD, FOR PRODUCING THAT REPORT THAT ALLOWED US TO SEE, AND AN EXAMPLE OF LOOKING AT THE DATA TOGETHER IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, THE FRIENDS OF LITTLE SAIGON, A SMALL, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION, ARE ACTUALLY DOING PLATES BASED PROBLEM SOLVING, AND THEY HAVE EVEN USED SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT WE HAVE MENTIONED IN OUR AUDIT, AND THEY HAVE COME UP WITH ABOUT 30 RECOMMENDATIONS, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BUT IT SPEAKS TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, IT IS INCREASED INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY. THEY'RE JUST ASKING FOR OUR AGENCIES TO COMMUNICATE BETTER. THAT IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. X WORK TOGETHER, AND I WILL SAY THAT I HAD DON PRESENT ABOUT THAT EFFORT AND LITTLE SAIGON, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AT THE COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR. SO, I GUESS. I MEAN, CONSTITUENTS WANT ALL OF US, THE AGENCIES TO WORK TOGETHER, AND LIKE I SAID, THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PARTNERS, THEY NEED HELP TO IDENTIFYING HOW TO EVEN VEST DO THEIR WORK, BUT IT HAS TO START WITH A TOP-DOWN COORDINATION ON BEST PRACTICES, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GIVING THEM, AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THEM, WE PUT THAT IN THEIR CONTRACTS, BUT WE DID KIND OF AN UPSIDE DOWN. THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE. AND ALSO, BEST PRACTICES TODAY MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY WERE PRE-COVID, LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT THAT, TOO. >> COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA, CAN I PLEASE? THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO REITERATE, AND I TOLD YOU THIS WHEN YOU ASKED ME ABOUT IT MAYBE LAST YEAR. THERE IS A REASON WHY WE ARE SITTING HERE, THERE IS A REASON WHY WE STARTED AT STEP 7. IT IS NOBODY'S FAULT THAT IS ON THE DAIS RIGHT NOW AND IT IS NOT ANY DEPARTMENTS FALL. I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 10 YEARS. EVERY TIME WE GOT READY TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING THAT WAS EVIDENCE-BASED, THAT HAD OUTCOMES, THE CHAMBERS WOULD FILL WITH PEOPLE, AND IT NEVER GOT APPROVED. AND SO, I AM NOT GOING TO DO MY JOB, I HAVE TO STAND UP FOR THE DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE TRIED TO DO THIS WORK OVER AND OVER AGAIN , AND I CANNOT -- WE HAVE A MOMENT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE INTEND TO FULLY UTILIZE THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WHO AGREES THAT ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, SO THERE WILL COME A TIME, AND I THINK COUNCILMEMBER SOLOMON, YOU SAID THIS, WHERE WE WILL BE SITTING AT THIS VERY TABLE, SAYING HERE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE RFP, HERE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO PAY FOR, HERE IS THE RFP, SO I HOPE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE 10 YEARS I HAVE BEEN HERE, WE CAN ACTUALLY GET ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND IMPLEMENT CONTRACTS WITH OUTCOMES AND ACCOUNTABILITY. SO, IT JUST MATTERS TO ME SO DEEPLY THAT THAT IS NOT LOST. PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN SITTING AROUND FOR DECADES, TWIDDLING THEIR THUMBS, NOT TRYING TO GET TO THAT VERY POINT, THEY HAVE BEEN STOPPED, AND THAT IS A PART >> THAT IS WHAT I AM SAYING. >> CAN I JUST BRIEFLY RESPOND IN TERMS OF WHAT COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA SAID IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. I WANT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA SAID JUST IN RELATIONSHIP TO GUN VIOLENCE AT THE PARKS AND BOAT LAUNCHES. I THINK ONE THING IS OBVIOUSLY DR. GROSS-SHADER DID AN ANALYSIS, WORKING WITH SPD ON THE SHOTS FIRED. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM, AGAIN, THIS GOES TO COMMUNICATION, AT THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED HERE LAST SUMMER, AND THE CONSTITUENT EMAILS OVER AND OVER ABOUT NOT JUST SHOTS FIRED, BUT THE NOISE AND OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE GOING ON ACROSS THE PARK, MAGNUSON BEING OUR LARGEST PARK. [ INAUDIBLE ] THE BOAT LAUNCHES OBVIOUSLY NEXT TO THE WATER. SPD WAS ABLE TO DO THE SAME SORT OF DATA, BECAUSE WE WERE DOING OUR SUMMER PARKS PLANNING, NOT AN EXCLUSION OF COUNCILMEMBERS, BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SORT OF CAPITAL INVESTMENTS WE CAN HAVE IN TERMS OF DATES AND IN TERMS OF DOING SOMETHING MORE THAN ONE OFF M.O. USE. I WOULD JUST SHARE WITH YOU THAT PLANNING IS IN PROGRESS, AND WHAT I AM HEARING FROM YOU BECAUSE YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ABSOLUTELY VALIDATED, I DIDN'T NEED THIS REPORT TO KNOW THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON IN MAGNUS IN WERE IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS WHY MEETING WITH MAGNUSON HOUSING, MEETING WITH SANTOS PLACE, AND ASKING THEM TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH SPD, WHAT IS YOUR SECURITY PLAN, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO ADDRESS TENANTS? THOSE WERE THINGS THAT WERE DONE NOT AN EXCLUSION, BUT ACTUALLY BASED ON YOUR INPUT AND ADVOCACY, COUNCILMEMBER RIVERA. AND ALSO, IN TERMS OF THE PARKS SAFETY PLAN, WE ARE IN THE PLANNING AND DRAFTING STAGE, TRYING TO WORK WITH DM FARRELL AND PARKS, TRYING TO GET PARKS AND SDOT TO COME UP WITH A DRAFT PLAN FOR PRESENTATION, I HOPE THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE PRESENTED TO TRY AND MEET THE NEEDS YOU HAVE SAID, BECAUSE AS YOU HAVE INDICATED, THOSE MOUs ARE NOT THERE, BUT I AM HEARING YOU IN TERMS OF WE NEED ENHANCED COMMUNICATION AND FIGURING OUT THE RIGHT WAY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCIL, COMMUNICATING ON A PLAN THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WE ALL SERVE. BUT I AM HERE TO TAKE ACTION, FOR SURE, AS YOUR CHIEF OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. I WILL VALIDATE ALL DAY LONG THE GUN VIOLENCE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN MAGNUSON, BECAUSE LIKE YOU, I HEARD FROM THOSE CONSTITUENTS AND WANT TO WORK WITH YOU, AND I HAVE HEARD SPECIFICALLY FROM YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR ADVOCACY. SO, WE DO WANT TO TAKE ACTION. WE ACTUALLY WANT A PLAN THAT WORKS LONG-TERM, NOT FOR JUST A ONE OFF FOR A FEW DAYS. SO, I JUST WANTED TO CONVEY THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY AND DO MORE TO COMMUNICATE AND SHOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE URGENT ACTION IN PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF YOU. >> I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS ONE THING, BECAUSE, ONE OF MY BIGGEST THINGS ABOUT THIS REPORT IS DOES THAT ONE SEATTLE APPROACH IS MAKING SURE THAT COUNCILMEMBERS ARE ON THE FRONT END, SO IF YOU'RE MEETING, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO KNOW ON THE FRONT END, WHEN YOU ARE COMING TO THE DISTRICT. I DON'T WANT CONSTITUENTS TO TELL ME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN THERE OR THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN THERE, OR GET A CALL THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT THE MAYOR IS GOING TO BE IN THE DISTRICT, IF HE IS GOING TO BE IN THE DISTRICT. HE WASN'T AT THE ONE IN BITTER LAKE, WHICH IS THE ONE ON THE NORTH END. THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT WE WANT TO BE INVOLVED ON THE FRONT END, SO THAT WE REALLY ARE WORKING TOGETHER, AND I UNDERSTAND THE MAYOR IS THE BOSS OF THE DEPARTMENTS, I DON'T WANT TO BE THE BOSS OF THE DEPARTMENTS, I JUST WANT TO BE A PARTNER ON THE FRONT END, BECAUSE WE CONCERT CONSTITUENTS BETTER THAT WAY, SO WHEN I AM MEETING WITH CONSTITUENTS, WE HAVE A CONSISTENT MESSAGE AND I HAVE THE INFORMATION TO SHARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. >> THANKS, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE, YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR BOSS , YOUR EXECUTIVE BOSS HERE. AND SO, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE CERTAIN INFORMATION, RESPOND IN A CERTAIN WAY, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO HEAR, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE WOULD BE, WOW, I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING IN THIS AUDIT, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE TO REHASH THE WHOLE CONVERSATION. I THINK LEADERS HAVE TO HAVE HUMILITY WHEN YOU HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS, AS I AM SURE YOU DO, AND FROM COUNCIL, AND EVERYBODY IS SAYING, WE MUST DO BETTER, BECAUSE IT DID READ -- I HEARD A LOT TODAY AND IN THE LETTER, WE ARE DEALING WITH THIS, THIS, AND THIS, WHICH IS GREAT FOR ME TO KNOW. THERE WAS LESS, AND WE RECOGNIZE THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, THESE ARE SOME OF OUR WEAKNESSES, OUR WE HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THAT. >> IF WE COULD ASK FOR THE SAME RESPECT BACK, WHICH IS WHEN YOU ARE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH THIS, MY ARGUMENT TO YOU WAS WE HEARD THE LAST AUDIT. WE ARE WORKING ON THIS, AND WE DIDN'T GET THAT SAME RESPECT BACK OF HUMILITY, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN HUMILITY. SO, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HEARD US WHEN WE WERE TELLING YOU THAT WE ALREADY WORKING ON IT. SO, I AGREE WITH YOU, I'M ASKING FOR HUMILITY BOTH WAYS. >> OKAY, THE LAST AUDIT, YOU MEAN THE CRIME AND OVERDOSE ONE? X THE ONE THAT YOU DID, THE REASON I SAID I DIDN'T LEARN ANYTHING IS BECAUSE I TOLD YOU BEFORE, THE THINGS IN AUDIT OUR LITERATURE, I HAVE A MASTERS DEGREE IN HUMAN SERVICES, SO I DON'T NEED AN AUDIT, TO TELL ME THE THINGS I CAN SEE ON THE STREETS AND THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS, SO I'M JUST ASKING, BECAUSE YOU ARE TALKING TO THE EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE WHEN YOU ARE MAKING THE COMMENTS THAT THE HUMILITY GO BOTH WAYS. I AM HAPPY TO BE HUMBLE IF WE CAN PARTNER IN BEING HUMBLE BOTH WAYS. >> ABSOLUTELY. AND >> AND THAT WAS A EXECUTIVE THAT CAME TO ME AND SAID, HEY, WILL YOU SIGN ON WITH ME? I WAS ONLY TWO YEARS ONTO MY JOB HERE IN COUNCIL. HEY, WOULD YOU SIGN ON, WE CAN DO THIS. SO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON THE RIGHT PROGRAMS, SO THAT'S HOW THAT STARTED? IN ANY CASE, IT IS GOING TO BE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER, AND THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON ALL FRONTS, AND I HOPE MAYBE WE CAN BE BROUGHT IN EARLIER, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THE AUDIT THAT ARE BROUGHT UP, THAT COULD BE REALLY VALUABLE, AND AGAIN, IF THEY ARE ALREADY WORKING IF THEY ARE WORKING A NEW PROGRAM, HAS REALLY SEATTLE SPECIFIC ELEMENTS IN IT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO TRIED AND TRUE, TESTED, EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, THAT WHEN I SEE 50% REDUCTION IN VIOLENCE OVER THE COURSE OF EIGHT YEARS FOR MILWAUKEE, WHEN I SEE 29% IN ONE YEAR IN LAS VEGAS FOR IMPLEMENTING PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING, AND WHEN I HEAR -- LET'S SEE, ANOTHER ONE WAS -- LARRY SAID LAS VEGAS, CINCINNATI HAD TREMENDOUS REDUCTION AS WELL, SO WHEN I AM SEEING THOSE DOUBLE-DIGIT REDUCTIONS IN GUN VIOLENCE, AND OTHER CITIES, FOR HAVING IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE MODELS , AND THESE MODELS ARE AVAILABLE TO US FOR FREE, THAT IS WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME, AND AT SOME POINT, WE WILL PARSE OUT, WHAT ARE WE ALREADY DOING? BUT THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO KEEP PUSHING, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE NEXT MODEL, NEXT AUDIT ON SOMETHING ELSE, AND THERE AREN'T THINGS SAYING, WELL, AS WE SAID IN THIS ONE, IN THE 2025 AUDIT, WE SHOULD DO THIS. THAT'S THE CIRCULAR DYNAMIC THAT I WANT TO AVOID, AND IF THERE ARE GOOD IDEAS, LET'S DO THEM. >> ALSO, JUST TO LIGHTEN THE CONVERSATION HERE, I HAVE A SCIENCE DEGREE, AND I ALWAYS THINK OF MOLECULES, YOU KNOW, WHEN ATOMS ARE HEATED, THERE LIKE BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER, AND I THINK THERE IS A LITTLE OF THAT HAPPENING, SO, LET'S COME TOGETHER, SO WE CAN REALLY WORK TOGETHER, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL -- YOU ARE HERE REPRESENTING THE EXECUTIVE, AND INDIVIDUALLY, IT'S NOT A FRUSTRATION ON PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY, BUT AS A WHOLE, YOU ARE SENSING A FRUSTRATION THAT IS COMING FROM OUR COLLECTIVE CONSTITUENTS, AND CP, YOUR CITYWIDE, SO, YOU HEAR IT FROM EVERYONE ACROSS THE CITY, SO WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO BETTER TOGETHER, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALLY, THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING, BUT IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK AT THE FRONT END TOGETHER, IN A CENTRALIZED APPROACH, AND THAT IT GOES DOWN TO THE DEPARTMENTS, I THINK WE WILL ACHIEVE MORE FASTER, AND I GUESS THAT IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO COMMUNICATE. >> [ CAPTIONERS TRANSITIONING ] >> AND I HOLD BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL DEGREE AND THE PERSONAL DEGREE AND I DESERVE THAT RESPECT, SO I ALSO HAVE THICK SKIN AND I LOVE THIS KIND OF DISCORD, I DON'T THINK, WE ALL TALK OFF-LINE, THIS ISN'T TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD AS NOT GETTING ALONG, AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WE ALL FEEL RESPECTED. CLEARLY YOU DIDN'T FEEL RESPECTED ON SOME POINT ON BEHALF OF YOUR CONSTITUENCIES, BUT I DIDN'T FEEL RESPECTED AND HEARD AT ALL, SO HOW DO WE DO THIS BETTER NEXT TIME? >> AND IF THAT WAS COMING FROM ME, APOLOGIES, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THAT I DON'T INDIVIDUALLY DISRESPECT ANYONE, AND YOU AND I ARE LIKE-MINDED, AND WE WORK WELL TOGETHER, WE ALWAYS BRING EACH OTHER EARLY AND OFTEN FROM THE BEGINNING, AND FROM THE TIME I HAVE WORKED HERE, WE HAVE WORKED ON A FEW THINGS, NOT MANY, BECAUSE I DON'T SIT ON HUMAN SERVICES, BUT I KNOW BECAUSE WE WORK EARLY AND OFTEN, WE ACHIEVE GOOD OUTCOMES, I THINK. THANK YOU. >> AND THE STRONG FEELINGS OF ALL THESE WOMEN HERE , THERE IS NO APOLOGY, THERE SHOULD BE NO APOLOGY FOR CARING SO MUCH. I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS ON DISPLAY HERE. WE CARE ABOUT OUR WORK, WE CARE ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR WORK AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE REACTING STRONGLY AND ALSO WE ARE CHANNELING THE STRONG EMOTION, ANGER, FRUSTRATION AND HOPE FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS. >> 100%. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR PRESENTING TODAY. >> I WILL KEEP ASKING. >> OH, YEAH. IS THERE ANY BUSINESS ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP? OKAY, THIS CONCLUDES THE MARCH 26 MEETING OF THE GOVERNANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING, IT IS 4:29 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.