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Meeting concluded — minutes pending. The agenda below is what the City posted; minutes haven't been published yet. Issaquah approves Council minutes at the next meeting and ships them embedded in that next meeting's packet, so they typically land here 1–3 weeks after the meeting. Transcript and recording will appear once the City posts the YouTube video and our pipeline catches it.
City Council Special Meeting Cancelled Auto captions

Monday, April 20, 2026

5:30 PM · 3h 23m
0:03 Aha, the magic red light has appeared.
0:06 Welcome everyone. I'm going to call the
0:07 April 20th city council meeting to order
0:09 tonight. Everyone is here. There is no
0:11 excused absences. And tonight's agenda
0:13 is a little different than normal due to
0:14 the appointment of the vacancy occurring
0:15 later in this meeting after new
0:17 business. Is there any objection to the
0:18 agenda as presented?
0:21 And hearing none, the next item on the
0:25 agenda is the pledge of allegiance. I
0:26 welcome you to join me in the pledge of
0:28 allegiance.
0:33 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
0:35 United States of America and to the
0:38 republic for which it stands, one nation
0:41 under God, indivisible, with liberty and
0:44 justice for all.
0:49 >> The next item of business is
0:51 administrative professionals day and we
0:54 would like to invite the following
0:56 members of Isqua staff. I think we have
0:58 Sheree, Michelle, Alicia, Bill, and
1:02 Lindsay here to the podium.
1:19 Lindsay's final words to me this morning
1:21 is, I'm not going to be the one talking,
1:22 but I just heard that she's going to be
1:24 the one talking. So whereas
1:26 administrative professionals day is
1:27 observed annually in workplaces around
1:29 the world to recognize the important
1:30 contributions of administrative support
1:32 staff and whereas administrative
1:34 professionals play an essential role in
1:35 coordinating the office and governmental
1:37 operations of the city of Isiqua and
1:39 whereas administrative professionals are
1:41 vital contributors in today's team
1:43 oriented work environment are key
1:44 frontline public relation ambassadors
1:46 for their organizations and whereas the
1:48 work of administrative professionals
1:49 today requires advanced knowledge and
1:51 expertise in communications computer
1:53 software office technology
1:54 project management, organization,
1:56 customer service, and other vital office
1:57 management responsibilities. Most
1:59 importantly, have the willingness to
2:01 learn and accept new challenges. Now,
2:03 therefore, I'm Mark Mullet, mayor of the
2:04 city of Isqua to recognize Wednesday,
2:06 April 22nd, 2026 as administrative
2:09 professionals day in the city of
2:10 Isiziqua, and I invite the community to
2:12 join me in thanking the city's
2:13 administrative professionals for their
2:15 service and outstanding contributions.
2:24 My own mom was the office manager of my
2:25 local elementary school for 25 years.
2:27 So, this has always been a a fun day in
2:29 our house where treats were brought
2:30 home. But, okay, Lindsay, I know you're
2:33 so excited to speak. Here you go.
2:37 >> Uh, thank you, mayor, and thank you for
2:40 acknowledging administrative
2:41 professionals and for highlighting the
2:43 important role that we play in
2:44 supporting day-to-day operations and
2:46 keeping the city running efficiently. We
2:49 appreciate this recognition of the work
2:51 we do for the Isco community. Thanks.
2:53 >> Okay, photo shoot time. Photo shoot.
3:03 >> One second. One second. Okay, here we
3:05 go.
3:14 >> Council member to solve bills,
3:16 right?
3:19 >> I'm 0 for 28 at this point, but
3:38 The next item of business is audience
3:40 comments. Those you sign up advance,
3:42 you'll be called on first. If you're
3:43 joining virtually, you can raise your
3:44 virtual hand. Those on the phone can
3:46 press star three. If you're not in the
3:48 if you're in the room but did not sign
3:49 up, there will be an opportunity to
3:50 raise your hand at the end. And the
3:54 rough time estimate here is 3 to 5
3:56 minutes. We do say there's nothing wrong
3:58 with brevity during audience comments.
4:00 Brevity gets bonus points, not negative
4:02 energy. And please realize it's not a
4:05 dialogue back and forth. We just want to
4:07 hear from members of the community about
4:10 concerns. And Madame Clerk, is there
4:12 anybody signed up to speak during
4:13 audience comments? And there is. Madam
4:15 clerk, go ahead.
4:22 All right. Uh, the first one is Nicholas
4:24 Herang.
4:33 Hi there. Um, so I am a lifetime
4:36 Isakiqua resident and because of this I
4:39 am deeply opposed to Isakiqua
4:40 implementing flock cameras uh in the
4:43 city limits or any sort of automatic
4:45 license plate readers. Uh flock cameras
4:47 pose a risk to the security and privacy
4:49 of residents and the risk is not evenly
4:52 distributed. Um people of color,
4:54 low-income individuals, LGBTQ plus
4:57 community members, people seeking
4:58 reproductive care and especially
5:01 immigrants carry that higher risk. There
5:03 are many documented cases of ICE using
5:05 flot cameras to track and target people
5:07 and I want Isiqua to remain safe to
5:09 everyone who wants to live and visit the
5:11 city. Thank you.
5:14 >> All right. Thank you very much. And
5:18 we'll try to well we usually try to hold
5:21 applause the uh and just yeah please
5:24 state your name and your relationship or
5:26 or to the city and that could just be
5:27 your address or a business and madam
5:29 clerk. Next, Lesie Crer.
5:39 Good evening. My name is Lesie Crer and
5:41 I live at 22537
5:44 Southeast 42nd Terrace. Thank you for
5:47 the opportunity to make a public comment
5:50 um on the Flock surveillance cameras. My
5:53 understanding is that under flock
5:56 contracts, ICE can possibly get backdoor
5:58 access to surveillance data without
6:01 explicit permission. Also, with the AI
6:04 type system flocks using details such as
6:07 car color or other specifics can be
6:10 logged. My concern is with privacy, data
6:13 security, and data sharing. Senator Ron
6:17 Weiden of Oregon recently noted that 75%
6:20 of Flock's law enforcement customers are
6:23 part of a national lookup program and
6:26 this tool allows them to share
6:28 information with any customer also
6:30 enrolled in the lookup program. This
6:32 doesn't feel like um data security to
6:36 me. I would like to request that Mayor
6:38 Mullet and the city council get the uh
6:41 get the issue of flock cameras into a
6:43 public agenda with a clear timeline for
6:46 a decision. This would allow for
6:49 transparency in full view of an informed
6:53 public and allow our most vulnerable
6:56 neighbors to be aware and prepared.
6:58 Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
7:01 >> Thank you very much. Uh,
7:05 Madam Clerk,
7:06 >> Alistair Brewer.
7:21 Here we go. Alistister Brewer, Isqua
7:24 resident since 1997.
7:27 Um,
7:29 uh, excuse me. Uh my wife and I have
7:32 been Isquid residents since 1997. We
7:35 have raised our now adult kids here and
7:37 are very concerned about public safety
7:38 and protecting the rights of residents.
7:42 I'm here because considering technology
7:44 that carries risks far beyond what most
7:46 residents realize. Uh flock automated
7:49 license plate readers. Supporters will
7:51 say that the cameras are harmless
7:52 because the city can opt out of sharing
7:54 data with federal agencies. Uh but
7:57 reporting shows that does not stop
7:59 federal access. According to an NPR
8:01 investigation, uh, federal agencies,
8:03 including ICE, routinely obtained flock
8:06 data through subpoenas and bench
8:07 warrants, even when local jurisdictions
8:10 explicitly refused to share. The uh,
8:13 articles describe multiple cases where
8:15 ICE accessed ALPR data from cities that
8:19 believe they had walled themselves off.
8:22 Once the data exists, federal agencies
8:24 can and do get it. Uh these systems
8:28 create a continuous form of automated
8:30 surveillance that courts have repeatedly
8:32 said raises Fourth Amendment issues. Uh
8:35 Carpenter versus United States and other
8:37 cases have ruled that long-term
8:39 aggregated tracking of a person's
8:42 movements constitutes a search requiring
8:44 fullthour amendment protections.
8:47 These networks that track vehicles
8:49 across cities, counties, and states
8:51 create exactly the kind of persistent
8:53 surveillance those rulings warned about.
8:56 when the government can reconstruct a
8:58 person's movements over days, weeks, or
9:00 months, that crosses a constitutional
9:02 line. Uh yet, despite that, the current
9:05 federal administration has increasingly
9:08 relied on administrative warrants, not
9:10 judicial bench warrants to obtain data.
9:14 Administrative warrants are not reviewed
9:16 by a judge, and they do not meet the
9:17 Fourth Amendment standard.
9:20 Uh when national leaders use rhetoric
9:22 labeling political opponents as
9:24 terrorists,
9:26 it raises the stakes of any surveillance
9:28 system because once a group is labeled a
9:30 threat, surveillance tools tend to be
9:32 turned on them. History shows this again
9:34 and again. Flock's own technology, their
9:38 own website boasts that the system can
9:40 identify vehicle make, model, color,
9:43 unique decals, and even bumper stickers.
9:46 So that means that political expression
9:48 on your car becomes data in a searchable
9:51 law enforcement database. In a moment
9:53 where political speech is being
9:55 demonized, that should give every Isqua
9:57 resident pause. Isqua does not need to
10:00 join this network and we do not need to
10:02 expose our residents to federal
10:03 surveillance that they never consented
10:05 to. I urge the council to reject flock
10:08 cameras and choose a path that protects
10:10 both public safety and civil liberties.
10:12 Thank you.
10:14 >> Thank you.
10:17 And if you do agree, you can just raise
10:20 your hand at the end as well because
10:21 like I said, our our tradition here is
10:23 we try to avoid having clapping after
10:25 audience remarks. Uh
10:28 Madame Clerk,
10:29 >> Karen Ellis,
10:37 >> you turned it off.
10:38 >> Cool.
10:39 >> Now you're back on.
10:40 >> Thanks. Um, dear city council members
10:42 and mayor Mola and our my and my
10:44 neighbors, my name is Karen Ellis and I
10:46 have been a resident of Isiqua for 10
10:49 years at 630 Southeast Kramer Place.
10:51 I've also been a small business owner in
10:54 Isiziqua. I'm a therapist and trust is
10:57 really important to me and is the
10:59 cornerstone of my practice. And without
11:00 trust, I wouldn't be able to work. And I
11:03 want to trust my local government that
11:05 they have my best interest in mind and
11:07 the best interest of my neighbors. I
11:09 want to trust that everyone is welcome
11:11 and that my city prioritizes the trust
11:14 and the neighbors and the people who
11:16 live there. I cannot trust a government
11:18 that primary support goes to
11:20 corporations such as Target, REI, and
11:22 large businesses that can afford their
11:24 own security for merchandise loss. After
11:27 the grant from Flock that I know is been
11:30 offered, who's going to pay for the
11:32 extra costs? Because I don't want to and
11:34 I don't want my neighbors to have to pay
11:36 for it either. Um, as individuals have
11:38 mentioned uh before me, there's a cost
11:41 to surveillance. My personal data pays a
11:44 price and my neighbors personal data
11:46 pays a price and anyone that drives
11:49 through is aqua will pay that price too.
11:51 And I know there are numerous other
11:53 towns and cities in the area who have
11:55 flock and people don't shop there. I
11:58 don't shop there. Redmond has been
12:00 suspended or is suspending and
12:02 reconsidering their flock. Um, and I
12:05 want to trust the city council members
12:06 have considered the potential loss of
12:08 business as well as the aspects of
12:12 personal data being used against us. Um,
12:18 um, so just think very hard about whose
12:21 trust you actually need, the community's
12:22 trust or large corporations that only
12:24 care about their bottom line. As a
12:27 therapist and small business owner, I
12:28 hope trust means as much to you all as
12:30 it does to me. Thank you for your time.
12:34 Thank you very much. Oh, this is good.
12:36 We're making progress. I like it. Uh,
12:39 Madam Clerk,
12:40 >> Ren Liss.
12:50 >> Hi, I'm Ren Liss. Uh, I'm a resident at
12:53 218 Northeast Dogwood Street. I'm also a
12:56 property owner and a business owner
12:57 within Isiqua. Um, I also oppose block
13:01 cameras for many of the reasons
13:02 presented so far. As the daughter of an
13:07 immigrant, I very much oppose any
13:10 surveillance that puts our neighbors at
13:12 risk. Um, as a woman who has been a
13:16 survivor of domestic violence. I
13:18 definitely oppose flock and the capacity
13:21 for anyone who knows me and knows my
13:24 car, they can get my license plate. I
13:26 can't keep that secret. It is personally
13:29 identifiable information that can be
13:31 used outside of flock to track my my
13:35 whereabouts, where I work, where I live,
13:39 anywhere I go. Um I find that deeply
13:42 concerning not just for myself but for
13:44 others.
13:45 Um on top of that, flock itself has not
13:48 been following its own parameters of not
13:52 accessing cameras. um that was
13:54 demonstrated in them showing cameras
13:57 that included minors uh without the
14:00 consent of the business owners to a
14:02 potential client. Those minors were also
14:04 young women, young girls who were in
14:07 gymnastics attire and potentially
14:10 swimsuits. Like that is a a wild lapse
14:13 of judgment to begin with and in
14:16 opposition to their own policies stated
14:18 in the facts on the web. Um, I think
14:22 that is enough.
14:24 Um, my concerns run deeper. I would urge
14:27 you to, um, vote quickly and swiftly to
14:31 not implement flock. Thank you.
14:34 >> Thank you very much.
14:35 >> Great success. Madam clerk,
14:38 >> Julie Carr.
14:45 >> Good evening. My name is Julie Carr. I
14:47 live here in Isiqua. I live in the
14:50 Sycamore neighborhood and I just wanted
14:52 to add my comment as well tonight just
14:56 um urging a public um discussion of the
15:00 flock camera proposals as soon as
15:02 possible. I don't feel that it benefits
15:05 us to delay that conversation.
15:09 Um these are proposed and it seems to be
15:12 waiting in the wings. I personally um am
15:15 interested in us understanding whether
15:17 this is truly a wise choice for Isiqua.
15:20 I doubt that and I think the only way we
15:23 can really have a good conversation
15:25 about it is if we put it on an agenda
15:27 and move forward as soon as possible. Um
15:31 I am concerned about the public um
15:33 publicly stated business development
15:35 plans, ambitions and uh behaviors of the
15:40 flock corporation. Uh I know there are
15:42 other corporations that also have
15:44 similar cameras. I also have concerns
15:46 there as well.
15:48 Uh it seems like it's uh something that
15:51 many people are concerned about and I
15:53 just urge um efforts right away. Thank
15:56 you.
15:58 >> Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.
16:01 >> Chandra Ryder.
16:06 >> And we see you in the back raise your
16:07 hand. We'll get to you once the people
16:09 who signed up. We will make sure
16:11 Oh, okay.
16:18 >> Good evening. My name is Shandra. I am a
16:20 current Isqua resident. My spouse and I
16:22 live in the Talis neighborhood. I work
16:24 for a large global Fortune 100 company
16:27 based here in Isiqua. And 10 years ago,
16:29 I married the love of my life up the
16:31 street at Tivotsz Creek Manor. I live in
16:33 Isiqua. I work in Isiqua. I do most of
16:36 my shopping in Isqua. And I received
16:37 most of my healthcare in Isiqua. I am
16:40 proud to call Isqua home. So, it
16:42 concerned me recently to learn that last
16:44 year the Isqua Police Department and
16:46 City of Isiqua applied for and received
16:48 a DOJ grant to, among other things,
16:50 install 12 plot cameras across the city.
16:54 The proposed location of these cameras
16:55 would capture vehicle data on every car
16:57 entering, driving through, and leaving
16:59 Isqua daily. I am a former security
17:02 professional with more than 10 years of
17:04 experience in asset protection,
17:06 corporate security, and alarm
17:07 monitoring.
17:09 Two years ago, I helped my current
17:11 employer move their in-house self-hosted
17:13 alarm monitoring system to a cloud-based
17:15 service similar to Block. Cloud-based
17:17 alarm systems and video monitoring
17:19 services have revolutionized the once
17:21 niche industry that was out of reach for
17:23 most businesses and homeowners.
17:26 Self-hosted and monitoring solutions are
17:28 more secure than cloud-based ones. They
17:30 are installed, operated, and maintained
17:32 on-site. They require trained personnel
17:34 to operate and maintain. Historically,
17:36 they have been cost prohibitive and hard
17:38 to implement. So, large entities were
17:40 the only ones that had the resources and
17:42 personnel to do it. Cloud-based systems,
17:45 on the other hand, like Flock, operate
17:46 on a different model. Data is stored
17:49 off-site in data centers across the US.
17:51 Flock handles the installation,
17:53 maintenance, and IT work. Taking the
17:55 burden of installation and maintenance
17:56 off the entity. Their main selling point
17:59 for their LPR system is no IT, no
18:02 wiring, no hassle. What you give up for
18:05 the convenience and hassle is privacy
18:07 and control.
18:09 Block and services like it are the
18:11 Facebook of the alarm monitoring and
18:12 security industry. They are cheaper to
18:15 set up, operate and maintain because
18:17 they are designed to connect and share
18:18 data amongst agencies. That data is
18:21 where they make their real money selling
18:23 it to other agencies. Because of this,
18:26 because of this, the system is by design
18:28 set up to share your data with everyone
18:29 else. Sure, just like Facebook, you can
18:32 choose to share less and you have
18:34 control over your data. But as other
18:36 Washington agencies have learned,
18:37 turning off those sharing settings
18:39 doesn't keep other agencies from
18:40 accessing it. And this is my primary
18:43 concern with Flock and local law
18:44 enforcement using these systems.
18:46 Washington has some of the tightest
18:48 privacy laws in the country. Yet last
18:50 year, a police officer in Texas use
18:52 flock cameras to track and arrest and
18:54 charge a woman seeking legal healthcare
18:56 in our state. The University of
18:58 Washington Center for Human Rights has
19:00 documented abuse by federal agents
19:02 during immigration investigations
19:04 illegally accessing Washington systems
19:06 to track and locate immigrants in our
19:08 state. Despite our state's best in the
19:10 country privacy laws, folks with ill
19:13 intent are still able to access data
19:14 they shouldn't, and Washingtonians pay
19:16 the price. Surveillance is not safety.
19:20 Having worked with law enforcement for
19:21 many years, I appreciate the job they
19:24 are tasked to do and I am sympathetic to
19:26 the challenges. I understand why Flock
19:28 is an enticing solution to make their
19:30 tough jobs seem a little bit easier. But
19:32 let's find a way to accomplish that
19:34 mission without putting Isqua residents,
19:36 workers, and shoppers at risk of
19:37 invasive surveillance and federal
19:39 overreach.
19:41 Seattle, Redmond, Reton, Lynwood, and
19:43 even the Pierce County Sheriff's Office
19:45 have either turned off or stopped
19:47 implementation of these cameras for
19:48 security concerns. So, I urge the mayor
19:51 and the city council to reject this
19:53 flock camera proposal and work with the
19:55 community to find equitable solutions
19:57 for the community problems these cameras
19:58 hope to address without compromising the
20:01 safety and privacy of its residents.
20:03 Thank you.
20:04 >> Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.
20:08 Victor Bellow.
20:14 >> Um, mayor, council members, um, thanks
20:18 for giving me the opportunity to speak
20:19 tonight. Um, I'm standing before you
20:22 tonight as a resident um of eight years
20:25 deeply invested in this in the city's
20:27 civic life through multiple task forces
20:30 and commissions, most recently the
20:32 sister cities commission, but also as a
20:34 Venezuelan who lived through the
20:36 agonizing descent of my home country
20:38 into a police state. I know firsthand
20:40 what it looks like when a government
20:42 builds the technological infrastructure
20:43 to track its citizens, monitor daily
20:45 movements, and systematically remove
20:47 dissident. It always begins quietly,
20:49 heavily subsidized and is always sold
20:52 under the guise of public safety. Uh, as
20:55 you deliberate in the eventual
20:56 implementation of the flock system, um,
20:59 we know it is being framed as a modern
21:01 solution to property crime, but this
21:03 technology is a Trojan horse. The Flock
21:05 Falcon camera uses um, AI that tracks
21:10 vehicle that does vehicle
21:11 fingerprinting, meaning it does not
21:14 simply do uh, read the license plates.
21:17 It also logs highly specific visual
21:19 profiles such as bumper stickers, roof
21:20 racks, custom wheels, creating a
21:23 searchable pattern of life database that
21:26 creates a drag net that continuously
21:27 logs the movements of every resident,
21:29 commuter, and visitor regardless of
21:31 whether they are suspected of a crime.
21:34 We must also recognize that the 50,000
21:37 federal grant is a marketing tactic
21:39 meant to draw the city into a sunken
21:41 into a sunk cost trap. While the grant
21:43 may cover the initial hardware,
21:45 taxpayers will be permanently
21:47 responsible for the ongoing software
21:48 licensing and data storage fees which
21:51 could exceed easily $100,000 a year. Um,
21:55 but my deepest concern is the in is the
21:58 existential threat that disposes to our
22:00 vulnerable neighbors and my own loved
22:02 ones. I have family here who are
22:03 refugees. They are hardworking people
22:05 who live in Isiqua, contribute to our
22:07 community and pay taxes. I have nephews
22:09 who are actively building their futures
22:11 here at 10 college in Belleview,
22:13 Isaakqua High School, Isaacqua Middle
22:15 School, growing up right alongside my 13
22:17 and 16 year old sons. Implementing this
22:20 surve this surveillance network could
22:21 effectively turn these young men and my
22:23 entire family into targets of a
22:25 nationalized police state. Because data
22:28 captured by the scammers to centralized
22:30 cloud service, it is entirely removed
22:32 from the exclusive control of the Isiqua
22:34 Police Department. The current
22:36 architecture of the federal government
22:38 um provides absolutely no guarantees
22:41 that this information will not be
22:42 weaponized against the residents of
22:44 Isiqua. Research has already proven that
22:46 federal immigration agencies employ back
22:48 doors and side doors access to the
22:50 surveillance networks. In fact, border
22:52 patrol has searched data at to at least
22:55 10 different Washington police
22:57 departments despite the absence of any
22:58 explicit sharing agreements. State laws
23:00 such as the Senate Bill 6002 are
23:04 secondary to federal subpoenas. A
23:06 federal court can override this and
23:08 flock needs to turn over all the data
23:10 and protection of my family and anyone
23:12 else is out the window. We already know
23:14 the terror this causes last October.
23:17 Diana Romero was followed and detained
23:19 by federal agents in a norm vehicle
23:21 right outside a local preschool. Our
23:23 community's trust was shattered. I see
23:25 that item ID 1993 um is on the agenda
23:29 tonight. Uh you clearly recognize the
23:31 fear that is currently uh pervades our
23:33 city to eventually approve a mass
23:36 surveillance program in the same breath
23:38 would be a profound betrayal of the
23:40 residents who call Isiqua home.
23:42 Neighboring cities like Lynwood and
23:44 Redmond have already suspended or
23:45 terminated their flock programs already
23:47 realizing the true risk and experiencing
23:49 a total collapse of public trust. As
23:52 we've seen just this month, even the
23:54 Isocua Highlands Council and other local
23:55 advocacy groups have withdrawn their
23:57 support uh for the grant after
23:59 acknowledging the severe risk associated
24:01 with privacy and oversight. I ask you to
24:03 listen to this warnings of history and
24:04 clear precedent set by our neighboring
24:07 cities. I urge you to formally reject
24:09 this federal grant when it comes before
24:11 you and terminate any plans to install
24:13 flock safety cameras. Please reallocate
24:15 these resources towards community based
24:17 policy and human resources that do not
24:19 demand the um sacrifice of our civil
24:22 liberties. Once you build the
24:24 infrastructure of a surveillance, it is
24:26 nearly impossible to dismantle. Thank
24:28 you very much.
24:30 >> Thank you very much.
24:32 And madam clerk,
24:35 >> oh it looks like we have Karen Ellis
24:37 again, but we've heard from Karen. So
24:39 next we have Chris Adair.
24:51 Good evening. I didn't intend to talk
24:53 and I really don't have anything to add
24:56 to what all of these people have said.
24:58 They they've really presented
25:01 some facts that I hope you're listening
25:04 to.
25:06 I come just with a question.
25:09 Well, let me go back. I live at 1276
25:12 Front Street South. I have lived here
25:14 since 1986.
25:17 And my husband in the back row there is
25:19 Michael Adair and he has lived here for
25:21 74 years.
25:25 When I came,
25:27 the people of Isiqua were complaining
25:29 because they were getting their second
25:32 stoplight
25:34 and they hadn't figured out why they
25:35 needed the first stoplight yet. So, it's
25:38 been a bit. And now here we are hoping
25:42 that we don't get surveillance that we
25:44 really don't need. We really don't want.
25:47 And all I'm saying is I hope and I want
25:51 to trust that the people and thei the
25:55 citizens of Isiqua would be given the
25:58 opportunity
26:00 to understand what the flock is
26:03 and to be given the opportunity to vote
26:06 on it.
26:08 Okay.
26:10 Thank you very much. Hi, Russell. Been a
26:14 while.
26:18 >> See, they're all they're seconding the
26:19 high Russell support. So, that was good.
26:22 Uh, Madam Cler,
26:23 >> Margaret Escobar.
26:33 >> Um, really I it's hard to add to
26:36 everything that everyone has already
26:38 said. I agree with our previous
26:40 speakers. I just want to say that this
26:42 circumvents the fourth amendment of the
26:45 constitution using technology because
26:48 people can access police can access
26:51 information without a warrant and that
26:54 may seem like a good idea when you're
26:56 the police officer or but we I mean we
27:00 swore uh pledged allegiance to the flag
27:02 and we ask for liberty and justice for
27:04 all and part of that is defended by the
27:07 fourth amendment and if we give it up
27:10 just for ease, we're going to be sorry.
27:14 We're going to regret it. The the the
27:16 fact that we have a right to protect
27:18 ourselves from searches, from
27:20 surveillance, except when a judge deems
27:24 it necessary, is a precious thing, and
27:26 we shouldn't just give it up for
27:28 something that looks like an easy way
27:29 out.
27:31 Um, that's my first statement. My second
27:34 is um there isn't a person in this room
27:37 who might not someday have a loved one
27:40 if not themselves who's being stalked by
27:43 a creepy ex partner whatever it is very
27:48 common and making it easier for that
27:51 person to make their life miserable is
27:53 not something any of us will want and so
27:56 for a second reason we might regret this
28:00 tool in the future. So, I kind of wanted
28:02 to make those two points clear.
28:04 >> Can you state your name and relation?
28:06 >> I'm so sorry. I'm Margaret Escobar. I've
28:08 lived over 30 years in Isiqua. I live at
28:11 490 Mount Defiance Circle um for most of
28:14 that.
28:14 >> Excellent. Thank you very much.
28:17 >> Madam Clerk,
28:19 >> will Keryotti?
28:28 Um, hi. I'm Will Keryotti. I live in the
28:32 Isiqua Highlands. Thank you council
28:34 members for the floor and for the
28:35 opportunity to provide comment.
28:38 I have lived around Isiqua my whole life
28:42 and began living in the Isqua Highlands
28:44 recently. Um, Isqua has recently been
28:48 approved for a federal grant of
28:49 $400,000.
28:51 Um, a portion of which will be put
28:52 towards the installation of flock
28:54 cameras. And I am terrified at the
28:56 prospect of those cameras being
28:57 installed here. In an ideal world, flaw
29:00 cameras would be a useful tool in
29:01 keeping our community safe. But in
29:03 reality, that's not how they'll
29:05 function. Isiqua has an already
29:08 remarkably low violent crime rate. Very
29:11 little of it at random or happening in
29:13 the streets. Very little of it
29:15 preventable or aided by sprawling
29:18 security systems.
29:20 Um, security systems like that might
29:24 make things easier to resolve, but they
29:26 aren't going to really prevent someone
29:28 from getting hurt. What is far more
29:31 scary to me is the prospect of someone
29:33 who I did not consent to my information
29:35 being shared with knowing where I am or
29:38 where I might go. I have at certain
29:40 points in my life had reason to believe
29:42 that someone was trying to intentionally
29:44 find out information about me to
29:46 intimidate and possibly hurt me. This
29:49 certainly wasn't something I had enough
29:50 evidence to go to police about or
29:52 acquire acquire legal protections for,
29:55 but was more than enough to cause a lot
29:57 of stress and paranoia in my life. The
29:59 situation has since been resolved, but I
30:02 can't help but imagine how terrifying it
30:04 would have been if there had been
30:06 additional information about my
30:07 whereabouts available for public access.
30:10 I can't imagine I am the only member of
30:12 our community who has been in a
30:13 situation where that kind of information
30:15 could cause them significant stress or
30:17 potentially endanger their life.
30:21 I urge the council to consider that the
30:23 potential harm done by this kind of
30:24 surveillance is a lot more concerning
30:26 than the perceived benefits it might
30:28 provide and choose a different safer
30:32 method of surveillance. Thank you so
30:34 much for your time.
30:36 >> Thank you madam clerk.
30:41 BJ Olum.
30:50 >> Hello. All right. Um, my name is BJ
30:53 Ellum. Um, I've been a resident of
30:55 Isiqua for around four years. I live in
30:56 the Bohemian, just a little bit that
30:58 way. Um, city council members, Mr.
31:01 Mayor, um, all the city staff, um,
31:04 helping to run this smoothly. Thank you
31:06 for your time and openness to hearing
31:07 from the public tonight. something I
31:09 really appreciate.
31:10 Um, I come to urge the city council to
31:12 formally schedule a vote on the proposal
31:14 to add flock ALPR cameras to Isiqua and
31:17 for that vote to be soon and for that
31:18 vote to be no.
31:21 This is for a number of reasons, not
31:22 least among them the safety concerns
31:24 these cameras pose to vulnerable people,
31:26 the way such groups are made more
31:28 vulnerable by their movements being
31:29 tracked, and the general unpleasantness
31:31 of surveillance in our community.
31:34 But there's another quite basic reason
31:36 which is questioning the degree to which
31:38 we should entrust our safety and the
31:39 data about our lives and our movements
31:41 to huge data harvesting tech companies
31:43 and Flock in particular.
31:46 Over the past year, this company has
31:48 given dramatic opportunity for seriously
31:50 questioning their trustworthiness on
31:52 these issues, especially from the points
31:54 of view of security and compliance. So,
31:55 I want to just overview a few incidents
31:57 that stood out to me. Um, in terms of
32:00 security, these come from 404 media. Um,
32:04 as of last year, the highest level of
32:06 access, so seeing everything the camera
32:09 saw and recorded, um, and even being
32:11 able to adjust those, um, images, um,
32:14 could be obtained on some Flock cameras
32:15 via straightforward process that began
32:18 with simply pressing a button on the
32:19 back of the camera a few times.
32:22 Also, as of last year, flocks
32:24 accidentally exposed data to the
32:25 internet that included things like
32:27 police officers contact information,
32:29 their expected patrol areas, and
32:32 appeared to also include um a way to
32:34 track active location of certain patrol
32:36 vehicles.
32:37 As recently as this year,
32:40 at least 60 flock cameras were
32:42 inadvertently streaming live footage
32:44 from security cameras to the open
32:45 internet. Now, different model of
32:48 camera, but same company. And these um
32:51 these cameras included feed or the feeds
32:53 that were being shown to the internet
32:55 were things like um parking lot footage
32:58 of people loading potentially expensive
33:00 purchases into their vehicles. Um
33:02 isolated trails, people walking alone,
33:05 and a playground with un with
33:07 unaccompanied children to the open
33:09 internet.
33:11 In terms of compliance, one of the tools
33:13 that talk that Flock seems to offer in
33:16 uh is these network auditing reports
33:18 that are supposed to tell you how your
33:20 network has been searched and who's been
33:22 searching it. And it has a reason field
33:24 that's supposed to say why the search
33:25 was made. Flock allows that that um
33:29 reason field to have extremely generic
33:31 words like investigation. It also allows
33:33 that field to be blank
33:36 so you don't necessarily know why your
33:38 system is being searched.
33:41 A report from the University of
33:42 Washington's Center for Human Rights
33:44 last year observed that despite Illinois
33:47 and Virginia having strong restrictions
33:49 on how ALPR data can be shared and
33:52 California banning the sharing of that
33:54 data out of state altogether, those laws
33:56 appear to have been in their words
33:58 regularly violated.
34:01 It's also worth noting that in response
34:04 or in the topic of uh claims that f that
34:07 flock makes about how their data can be
34:09 accessed um the report had this to say.
34:11 Unlike all its major competitors in the
34:13 ALPR market, Flock has refused to allow
34:15 independent security analysts to test
34:18 its devices to ensure that claims made
34:20 by the company are accurate.
34:22 Because of reasons like these, my
34:24 concerns are not put to rest by
34:25 Washington state's recent SP 60002
34:29 um legislation, despite it offering
34:31 important first steps in regulating
34:33 ALPRs and their usage. Um I think that
34:36 isqua's residents, visitors, and the
34:39 people who work here deserve better than
34:41 to be surveiled by an AI powered camera
34:43 system simply because they're coming and
34:45 going.
34:46 Um, I think we know enough about this
34:48 system and this company, these types of
34:51 technologies to make a decision soon.
34:54 Um, I think the right thing to do is to
34:55 say no to this proposal and the right
34:57 time is as soon as possible. Thank you.
35:00 >> Thank you very much.
35:03 Madam click
35:04 >> May Hollings Head.
35:08 >> Thank you to the mayor and the council
35:10 for hearing me. My name is May Hollings
35:12 Head and I a junior at Gibson High
35:14 School. I am also an intern with council
35:16 member Walsh. As a part of this, we have
35:18 been researching the issues that our
35:20 city faces. Recently, the city of
35:22 Isiziqua was offered a significant
35:24 amount of money from the federal
35:25 government to install automated license
35:27 plate readers, which have been
35:28 repeatedly proven to be both intrusive
35:30 and insecure. While some may say these
35:32 cameras keep us safer, the cost of
35:34 privacy is too high for these cameras to
35:36 be a good option for our city. I ask
35:39 that you all consider the voices of your
35:41 of the voices of your community when you
35:43 consider whether or whether or not to
35:45 accept this grant and install these
35:47 cameras as many of us that you have
35:49 heard today believe that ALPRs are not
35:51 the right path forward for. Thank you
35:53 all.
35:55 >> Thank you.
35:58 >> Madam clerk,
36:00 >> no one further has signed up to speak.
36:02 >> Okay. Is there anybody else in the room
36:04 who hasn't signed up but would like to
36:07 speak?
36:08 Okay. Not seeing any online. Madam
36:11 clerk, do we have any indication of
36:12 anyone?
36:13 >> We have a few members of the public with
36:15 us virtually,
36:17 but I'm not seeing anything.
36:19 >> Okay. Well, thank you very much for
36:21 everyone who did show up to comment. We
36:23 appreciate getting the feedback. I think
36:25 I did hear several people ask like what
36:28 is the expected timeline? And I think
36:29 the challenge we've had for the city of
36:30 Isiqua is our current chief of police is
36:32 retiring and we are in the process of we
36:35 will hire a new chief of police next
36:36 month. And so I think the the grant
36:40 that's in question which is for other
36:42 safety equipment as well which is tasers
36:44 and flock expires on September 30th. And
36:47 so the current council agenda I think
36:50 has August as the next touch point to go
36:53 to services safety and parks. And then I
36:56 think based on how that process goes
36:58 would determine whether it comes to the
37:00 full council or not. And I think what
37:02 the city clerk has done is anybody who
37:05 is interested in being updated, if you
37:07 know that is the current published
37:08 timeline, but I appreciate your guys's
37:10 concerns and if you want to be on a
37:12 list, you can leave your email and that
37:14 will automatically have you included if
37:16 for some reason that date were to move
37:18 forward or backward. I think the the
37:20 thought process from the city
37:21 administration's perspective is get the
37:23 new police chief hired next month and
37:25 then decide of how the timing looks from
37:29 there because it's hard to basically do
37:31 the process when you're in between
37:34 police chiefs. And with that, that will
37:37 close audience comments. And the next
37:40 item on the calendar is the consent
37:43 calendar. And I do not have any remarks
37:45 on the consent calendar. Are there any
37:47 committee chairs or chair design who
37:48 would like to report on the consent
37:49 calendar items?
37:52 Not seeing any. The consent calendar was
37:55 distributed to the council in advance.
37:56 If authorized, the items of the consent
37:57 calendar will be considered together and
37:59 approved by one motion. Have the
38:00 payables and payroll been reviewed?
38:03 >> They have.
38:03 >> They have.
38:04 >> That is an affirmative. Does any council
38:06 member want to remove any items from the
38:08 consent calendar and consider it under
38:09 regular business?
38:12 Not seeing any. Is there a motion?
38:15 >> Mr. Mr. Mayor, I move the I move the
38:17 consent calendar as published in the
38:18 agenda today.
38:20 >> Second.
38:21 >> Okay, there's been a motion and a
38:23 second. All those in favor, please say
38:25 >> I.
38:25 >> I.
38:26 >> All those opposed, no. And that passes
38:30 unanimously. The next item of business
38:33 is an exciting one. Regular business,
38:36 city hall purchase and sale agreement.
38:40 Autumn, this is like your life lifeline
38:43 lifetime dream to present to the council
38:46 to potentially take action on the
38:48 purchase of a new city hall. Autumn
38:50 Monahan.
38:55 >> Thank you for that introduction, mayor.
38:56 Um, hello council members. My name is
38:58 Autumn Monahan. I'm the administrative
39:00 services director. I'm here with several
39:02 friends tonight, including uh Jeannie
39:05 Justice, our administrative services
39:06 manager, who's been um just critical in
39:09 supporting me throughout this effort, as
39:11 well as several other staff who are here
39:12 um to help answer any questions.
39:15 So, um here tonight
39:18 um to present on a proposed purchase for
39:20 a new city hall. administration's
39:22 recommendation is to approve a purchase
39:23 and sale agreement um for a property at
39:26 1055 Northwest Maple Street uh for the
39:29 amount of 12.975 million plus closing
39:32 closing costs and authorizing the mayor
39:35 to execute a lease agreement and other
39:36 documents necessary to complete the
39:38 purchase.
39:41 Um I will go through this very quickly
39:43 just because I was before you only two
39:45 weeks ago with uh this summary. So I'll
39:47 be very quick. Uh but this project has
39:51 um gone on for many years. Uh we started
39:53 this back in 2018 with our first space
39:57 needs study being completed. I took this
39:58 project on in 2023.
40:01 Um you know at that time council
40:02 supported a phased approach with
40:04 remodeling our police station first.
40:06 That's the most essential uh first step.
40:09 But the question was where does city
40:10 hall go? Uh if we're remodeling the
40:12 building at 130 East Sunset Way
40:14 exclusively for police use, we needed to
40:16 find a home for city hall. So, at that
40:18 point, council asked uh go out to the
40:20 community uh engage with our residents
40:23 uh to come back with some solutions. And
40:26 so, uh the city's largest task force to
40:28 date that I at least that I'm aware of
40:31 um got together and we had seven or
40:33 eight meetings last year and they really
40:35 dove into the specifics on uh what is a
40:38 quad needed as far as space and made
40:40 recommendations.
40:42 And then just earlier this year, we
40:44 moved our first piece of the puzzle and
40:46 moving municipal court out of this
40:47 building into a lease space uh with King
40:49 County District Court.
40:52 So the task force recommendations uh
40:54 there were several um the top priority
40:57 that emerged even before we had our
40:59 first meeting and we were just doing
41:00 tours of the police station was we
41:02 needed to address operational needs and
41:05 space needs of our police department.
41:07 And you know task force members said,
41:09 "Can we do that now?" like how quickly
41:11 can we actually pull that off uh once
41:13 they took the tours and saw uh the state
41:15 of just how squeezed our department is
41:18 in trying to operate but then again what
41:21 happens to city hall and so you know we
41:23 did share we have been looking for
41:25 properties to purchase and renovate and
41:27 it's been very very difficult to find
41:29 those in Isiqua and so while the task
41:32 force said please do remain flexible and
41:34 open to new opportunities ultimately we
41:36 went down the path of looking at what it
41:38 would cost to build a new city hall
41:40 either at city hall south this property
41:42 or over at Pickering.
41:47 Our project goals from the beginning,
41:49 which council adopted in 2023, are to
41:51 ensure safety, responsibly steward
41:53 public dollars, provide community
41:55 accessibility and convenience, support
41:58 economic development, deliver enhanced
42:00 community amenities, and embody
42:02 environmental stewardship.
42:06 So, I was before you just I think it was
42:07 two weeks ago in early April with a new
42:11 proposal um from administration on
42:13 what's next for our space needs.
42:16 We do not recommend pursuing
42:17 construction of a new city hall at this
42:19 time. We also recommend leveraging a
42:22 councilmatic bond to pay for a police
42:24 remodel and pay that debt service with
42:26 public safety sales tax revenue.
42:29 Uh we also recommend temporarily
42:31 retaining this building for police use
42:33 during that remodel because we'll have a
42:35 lot of shifting back and forth as we
42:36 remodel that building and then using
42:38 one-time funds to purchase and renovate
42:40 an existing building for city hall use.
42:45 A quick reminder, our estimate of cost
42:47 for building a new city hall, whether at
42:49 this site or at Pickering, was anywhere
42:50 from 44 to $57 million. And that was for
42:53 a 35,000t building. And the timeline
42:56 would be anywhere from three and a half
42:57 to four years to pull that off.
43:01 I mentioned there's a lack of inventory.
43:03 We have been working with our broker
43:04 CBRE for several years looking for a
43:07 property in Isiqua. There just there
43:10 aren't any. So there are 24 office
43:13 buildings in Isiqua um that are anywhere
43:16 between 10,000 and 40,000 square ft. Uh
43:19 and only 11 of those are 15,000 ft or
43:22 more. Uh, one of those buildings is City
43:25 Hall Northwest, which the city uh, sold
43:27 last year, and the other is the building
43:29 that I'm here tonight to propose that we
43:31 purchase at, uh, 1055 Northwest Maple
43:34 Street. So, this property is also known
43:37 as the Ednetics building to many in our
43:39 community. It's an extremely rare
43:42 offmarket opportunity uh, that recently
43:44 became available. It's it's a property
43:46 that, uh, we toured as staff even
43:49 several years ago when it was only
43:50 really available as a option to lease.
43:52 Um, so this is a very exciting
43:54 opportunity for us. The property
43:56 features 21,000 square ft of
43:58 high-quality office space located in
44:00 central Isiqua.
44:02 It meets a lot of our goals for space
44:04 needs, uh, providing a cost-effective
44:06 solution for where city hall goes,
44:09 allowing for us to quickly then start
44:11 working on renovations for PD. It's
44:13 located in central Isiqua, close to
44:15 transit and open space. Uh, it has a
44:18 really nice front counter, so it's
44:19 really welcoming to our community as far
44:21 as a a place that we can offer customer
44:23 service, and it's a really
44:25 well-maintained building. Um, our
44:26 facilities team has already been through
44:27 it. Um, and it's really been
44:29 wellmaintained over the years. It also
44:31 offers a lot of flexible space in the
44:32 years to come.
44:37 The property, here's just a quick map
44:39 just to orient you. property if you can
44:41 kind of locate where Tibbitz Valley Park
44:43 is close to parks close to our future
44:46 TOD project and close to the transit
44:48 center and like I said before also
44:50 located in central Isiqua.
44:53 So on to the purchase and sale terms. Uh
44:56 the proposed price is $12.97
45:00 million.
45:02 Under a proposed agreement, the seller
45:04 would retain the use of their existing
45:06 family office on the ground floor, which
45:08 is about 4,400 square feet through a
45:11 seven-year lease. And the fair market
45:14 value of this lease was factored in to
45:16 the negotiated purchase price.
45:19 The seller would pay the broker fees. Uh
45:21 the due diligence period is 20 days,
45:23 which has already started. The earnest
45:25 money is half a million dollars, which
45:27 is also refundable within that due
45:29 diligence period. The purchase and sale
45:31 agreement and the lease are contingent
45:33 upon city council approval, which is why
45:35 I'm here tonight. And uh we hope to
45:38 close fairly soon, but it does have
45:40 flexibility of closing within the you
45:41 know, the longest we can go is 120 days
45:44 following due diligence.
45:48 Uh just quickly in working with CBRE, um
45:51 we asked them to do some comparables of
45:53 just what the price is for office space
45:55 in this area. So they performed analysis
45:57 and found that the average price in our
46:00 area is about $725 per square foot and
46:03 this purchase is $69 per square foot.
46:10 Uh we have done a lot of space needs
46:12 studies as I mentioned in our timeline
46:14 uh over the years. Um this building can
46:16 accomodate accommodate city hall staff
46:18 in a hybrid model. The current office
46:21 use that we need to move right away is
46:24 the top floor of city hall, the eagle
46:26 room, and the top floor of this
46:28 building. Uh, and that's only 12,600
46:30 square ft. If you're factoring in the
46:32 lease for 7 years, we still have about
46:34 17,000 ft with this opportunity.
46:37 Our latest uh space planning found that,
46:41 you know, very much the the top end of
46:44 what we would need as far as square
46:45 footage was 35,000 square ft. that
46:48 included a significant amount of space
46:50 for community use
46:52 and with the uh idea of a potential
46:54 parks bond which could offer some other
46:57 opportunities for um for community
46:59 meeting space perhaps going to voters
47:02 this year that would be a good
47:03 opportunity to also pursue how to best
47:05 be creative in some of our other
47:07 existing spaces to be used to for um
47:09 community use. So, the next step um if
47:13 this um is approved tonight is hiring an
47:16 architect for space planning. There's
47:18 already been a lot of questions of who's
47:19 going where and what would happen if
47:21 this is approved. Um there would take
47:23 some time and effort in looking at how
47:25 we could best uh utilize that building
47:27 and any tenant improvements we would
47:29 need to make.
47:31 Uh so, the budget for this project um
47:34 the proposal is to use all one-time
47:36 revenue that has been set aside
47:38 specifically for our facility needs. The
47:40 largest of that is the proceeds from our
47:43 previous city hall northwest building
47:44 which we sold last year as well as the
47:47 food bank when we sold that property.
47:49 The lakeside development agreement set
47:51 aside money specifically for facility
47:53 use. We also have government mitigation
47:55 fees saved up. And we have some interest
47:58 earnings that could be used specifically
48:00 for those tenant improvements,
48:01 furniture, other things, too. So in
48:03 total, we have up to $16.3 million.
48:07 Again, all that are in one-time funds.
48:14 Our due diligence is 20 days. That has
48:16 already started. That clock has started.
48:19 Uh we are reviewing the title which we
48:21 just recently received. Uh all the
48:23 permit information um information
48:26 provided by the seller. Uh we are also
48:28 hiring a third-party uh company to come
48:30 in and do a building condition
48:32 assessment as well as a phase one. Our
48:34 major systems and building envelope will
48:37 be reviewed and the storm water system
48:39 on the adjacent parcel will also be
48:40 looked at too.
48:48 So, uh the property is a little over
48:50 68,000 square ft. It is zoned urban core
48:54 and is constrained by uh wetlands and
48:56 stream buffers from the south and the
48:58 east. any further expansion or
49:00 redevelopment of the property, which
49:02 we're not recommending at this time, uh
49:04 would be required to comply with the
49:06 then current code requirements.
49:09 Reszoning this property to community
49:11 facilities facilities, which is what our
49:13 other properties are zoned at, uh any
49:15 city any city property is would also
49:18 provide uh more flexibility for this
49:20 site in the future if there was ever a
49:22 need that we would want to remodel or to
49:24 grow.
49:29 So, as for timing and next steps, like I
49:31 said, we're very busy right now going
49:33 through the due diligence period. Um,
49:34 like I've shared with several uh folks.
49:38 Um, so far so good. Everything looks
49:39 very well maintained on this building,
49:41 but we'll be doing more of that work
49:43 now. Following uh any following the
49:46 closing, we would then finalize a move
49:48 plan. So, space planning, tenant
49:50 improvements, furniture, come back to
49:52 you with that plan and an update um
49:55 before proceeding with that work.
49:59 And with that, here's your proposed
50:01 motion and I am available as well as
50:03 some of my co-workers to answer any
50:05 questions.
50:05 >> Council President Marks.
50:07 >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Can you tell me a
50:09 little bit more under the diligence um
50:13 storm water system on the adjacent
50:14 parcel? What's that about? So that was
50:17 built when the uh building was first
50:19 built and so it's on a separate parcel
50:21 that was part of a larger development
50:24 that includes Target and a few other of
50:26 the businesses area in the area around
50:28 there as more of a master plan. So when
50:30 that building was built, there was uh an
50:32 easement granted to uh to build the
50:36 storm water retention on a separate site
50:38 and that the easement would also require
50:41 for the property owner to maintain it.
50:44 >> Still confused. Is it a detention pond
50:46 or a pump? What is it?
50:48 >> It is uh you look at the exact
50:52 >> is it passive? Is it active?
50:54 >> It's passive.
51:01 >> Council member.
51:04 >> Oh,
51:04 >> yeah. Oh,
51:07 >> are you looking up more information?
51:08 >> I am looking it up. Sorry. One sec. Oh.
51:17 It's a bofiltration swale.
51:21 >> Is it Is this the parcel that's directly
51:23 to the east of it?
51:24 >> Yes.
51:25 >> It's a It's like a little triangular
51:26 corner corner piece.
51:28 >> Okay. So, why is that our Why are we Why
51:33 is that part of our due diligence? What
51:34 are we
51:35 >> uh We're just looking at has it been has
51:37 it been maintained? What will it take to
51:39 maintain in the future? But but is that
51:41 part of what we'd be buying?
51:43 >> No, but the easement is that we would
51:44 maintain it even though it's not on our
51:46 property.
51:46 >> I see. Y
51:47 >> Okay. Thank you.
51:48 >> Yep.
51:50 >> Council over there.
51:52 >> Um you mentioned the reszoning it for
51:54 community facilities adds more
51:56 flexibility. What kind of flexibility
51:58 does that add exactly?
52:00 >> Yeah, I I'm going to phone a friend. We
52:01 have our community planning and
52:03 development director, Minnie, online.
52:07 >> Minnie, your phone's ringing.
52:12 Hello everyone. Um this is Mini Dali,
52:15 community planning and development
52:16 director here. Um in terms of
52:19 flexibility, um it it ties to anything
52:22 that it doesn't currently comply with
52:25 our regulations. Um if it is zoned
52:28 community facilities facilities CFF then
52:32 uh because it's public's investment in
52:34 the in in that infrastructure or
52:37 building uh there is a little bit more
52:39 leeway in terms of what it can and
52:42 cannot do in terms of expansion or
52:45 continued use or anything that doesn't
52:47 comply with the code. So it provides
52:49 more flexible path for uh for doing some
52:53 of those things for public buildings.
53:00 >> Does that help answer your question?
53:03 >> I mean a bit. I mean more flexibility. I
53:05 you know I was saying more concrete just
53:07 we can expand it beyond our codes would
53:10 normally allow or I'm just not quite
53:12 sure what that flexibility is but
53:13 obviously this is a long range issue and
53:15 we're not doing it right now. I'm just
53:16 curious.
53:18 Yeah, it's it's um more generic and more
53:21 broad than specific things what you can
53:24 and cannot do. So, it gives a a big um
53:27 discretion uh as a policy, you know, and
53:31 some of these buildings are like the
53:32 community center, the senior center. So,
53:34 a lot of public investments have gone in
53:36 into it, but codes change over time and
53:39 so they're looked at a little bit more
53:42 um leniently because of public's
53:44 investment. But it isn't one thing or
53:46 two things. It's much more broad uh in
53:50 terms of what the flexibility can be
53:52 granted under those provisions.
53:54 >> Yeah.
53:55 >> Deputy President Jay.
53:57 >> Um great. So um on one of the previous
54:00 slides you showed that the amount of
54:01 onetime funds we have is about 16
54:03 million and the cost of the new city
54:04 hall is about 13 million. Um what's the
54:07 plan for that 3 million to be spent on?
54:10 >> Yeah, I'll bring up that slide again.
54:13 Uh, so right now we know the cost of the
54:15 building and so next would be looking at
54:18 tenant improvements, space planning,
54:20 what would be needed to actually move
54:22 into the building? I don't anticipate
54:23 it's going to cost that much, but was
54:25 sharing with you all the different
54:26 options we have as far as budget.
54:29 >> And so if we don't spend the full amount
54:31 of money, could that money be applied to
54:33 say, you know, the police improvements
54:34 that we talked about or, you know, other
54:36 facility needs like HVAC and other city
54:38 facilities or things like that?
54:40 >> Yes. Great. Thank you.
54:43 Oh, and Autumn, you forgot to mention it
54:44 comes with a generator. Very exciting.
54:46 Uh, Council Member Walsh,
54:49 >> thank you. In looking at this um on
54:53 Google Maps, it appears that uh Spring
54:56 Hill Suites uh the access to their
54:58 garage is through perhaps a shared
55:01 driveway. Is that part of a right of way
55:04 or something that we would maintain?
55:06 >> It is part of an easement. So, that was
55:08 part of the um yeah, some of that title
55:11 uh information that we just received,
55:12 but yes, it is shared.
55:13 >> Okay. Thank you,
55:16 >> Council Member Joe.
55:18 >> Thank you. Um Autumn, appreciate all the
55:20 hard work uh you've done over the years
55:23 on this. Uh it's exciting to see that
55:25 we're near a possible conclusion. Um, I
55:28 had a question about the due diligence
55:30 plans and whether or not that included
55:32 an assessment of the parking lot, the
55:35 pavement condition, um, any of the
55:37 deterioration that might be there. If
55:39 you could comment on that.
55:41 >> Yes, part of the review from that third
55:43 party company that I mentioned will
55:44 include assessment of the pavement. Um,
55:47 there are some areas of cracking and
55:48 there was an assessment done in 2021
55:50 that says that at some point it will
55:51 need some maintenance. Um, but but we
55:53 also know some folks who can do that,
55:55 too. So,
55:57 >> I appreciate that. I I know that uh
56:00 those of us that were here when it was
56:02 first built uh know that it was uh um
56:05 primarily of wetland and wet uh soil and
56:08 we hope that uh no serious settling has
56:10 occurred etc etc. So, thank you for
56:12 doing that.
56:18 All right. I'm not seeing any other
56:22 questions. Uh,
56:26 there's no further. Well, I guess I look
56:30 to see if there's a motion.
56:33 >> Council President Marks.
56:34 >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to approve
56:36 a purchase and sale agreement with DWP
56:38 LLC to purchase the property known as
56:41 King County Tax Parcel 2824069326
56:46 1055 Northwest Maple Street for the
56:48 amount of 12,975,000
56:51 plus closing costs and and authorize the
56:54 mayor to execute a lease agreement with
56:55 DWP LLC and other documents necessary to
56:58 complete the purchase.
57:00 >> Second.
57:02 >> Okay, there's been a motion and a
57:04 second. Is there any further discussion?
57:06 Council member Council President Marts.
57:08 >> So, this property has has been known
57:12 there there was a there's been a
57:13 parallel effort for the last 20 years um
57:16 to look at a human services campus and
57:18 um this property was well known to a lot
57:20 of us um back in the days when we were
57:22 looking for human services campus
57:24 because we were really excited about it.
57:25 We couldn't make it work 20 years ago.
57:27 Um the search for a human services
57:29 campus unfortunately continues on. Um,
57:32 but this is really exciting. Um, this is
57:35 at a great price. Um, 13 million. I'm,
57:39 you know, I'm I'm not a rocket scientist
57:41 anymore, but I'm pretty sure the 13
57:43 million is a lot less than 47 million.
57:45 Um, so so this would be really good. We
57:48 would have to be, you know, creative in
57:50 using the space. Um the capital
57:52 facilities uh task force uh came up with
57:56 good estimates and those um you know
57:58 we'll have to find other places for
58:00 community engagement. Um fortunately the
58:03 city has a lot of of spaces for
58:05 community engagement and you know in a
58:08 time of very careful finances um doing
58:12 this this is as frugal of a space as we
58:15 can possibly imagine getting anywhere.
58:17 So, I just really um uh appreciate the
58:20 administration's effort to go out and
58:22 find this opportunity. It wasn't like it
58:24 it wasn't on, you know, Zillow,
58:27 but you found it and uh came up with a
58:29 creative solution to it. So, kudos to
58:30 everybody involved and I am a a strong
58:33 uh I I will strongly proudly support
58:35 this this evening.
58:37 >> Deputy President Jen.
58:39 >> Great. Well, first of all, I want to
58:40 give massive kudos to Autumn and our
58:42 broker team at CBRE for getting this
58:44 deal done. This, you know, as council
58:46 president Martz mentioned, this was not
58:47 on Zillow. The seller didn't actually
58:49 really want to sell that much. And so,
58:51 it took a lot of persistence from Autumn
58:52 and everyone involved to get to this
58:54 deal, which in my opinion is a great
58:56 deal for Isiquat's 13 million, which is
58:58 a lot less than, you know, the $50
59:00 million that it could have cost. We're
59:02 saving what $40 million of taxpayer
59:04 money if I'm doing the math correctly,
59:06 which is really great, especially given,
59:08 you know, we've seen in some neighboring
59:09 communities they've tried to, you know,
59:11 pass a bond to build a new city hall,
59:14 failed, and now they're trying to figure
59:15 out what to do. I think that this, you
59:17 know, given that we already have the
59:18 money from selling off city hall
59:20 northwest, which by the way, if you're
59:21 exiting the highway off uh exit 15, you
59:24 can see it's very much under
59:25 construction right now. So, we got rid
59:27 of that and got this new beautiful
59:29 office building. Um, Council Member
59:30 Nichols and I had the opportunity to
59:32 tour it on Saturday. It's very, very
59:34 nice. So, it's very exciting. Um, what
59:37 another thing that I'm really excited
59:38 about with this space is that it's a lot
59:40 bigger than our current space. So, that
59:41 gives us the opportunity to, you know,
59:43 move some of the folks who are currently
59:44 in spaces that previously were community
59:46 spaces like Tibbitz Manor into City
59:48 Hall. You know, we earlier heard from
59:50 someone who had the opportunity to get
59:51 married in Tibet Manor. I got married
59:54 last summer. I actually was like that
59:55 would be a cool venue cuz it's so close
59:57 to my house but it's no longer available
59:59 for use as a wedding venue. So perhaps
1:00:01 with this new city hall that could be a
1:00:03 possibility. Um but you know with
1:00:06 community spaces we have all these um
1:00:07 you know cool buildings around the city
1:00:09 um that are currently used for office
1:00:11 space that could be transformed. So
1:00:13 that's really exciting as well. Um, one
1:00:16 point I do want to raise though on the
1:00:18 resoning is that I want to be cautious
1:00:20 about potentially reszoning to community
1:00:21 facilities facilities because last year
1:00:23 we had this discussion of do we actually
1:00:25 want to get rid of this category of
1:00:26 zoning altogether um community
1:00:28 facilities facilities because you know
1:00:30 when we sold city hall northwest we had
1:00:32 to reszone the property to basically
1:00:34 like office space something like that to
1:00:36 be able to sell it to someone who is not
1:00:38 the city and so that adds basically a
1:00:40 one-year timeline to you know selling
1:00:42 any property given the state of the
1:00:44 world, you know, the market crash in
1:00:47 that amount of time. So that actually
1:00:49 reduces flexibility from the perspective
1:00:51 of, you know, um, selling city
1:00:53 properties. So that's something that I
1:00:55 want to be very intentional about if we
1:00:56 choose to pursue. Um, also I don't
1:01:00 really love this concept that, you know,
1:01:02 oh, we can create our own zone and then
1:01:03 set our own rules for ourselves and
1:01:06 then, you know, that are less stringent
1:01:08 than for other people in the city. I
1:01:10 don't think that necessarily like sends
1:01:12 the right message, but um that's a kind
1:01:14 of further discussion for the future.
1:01:16 For tonight, um I'm very very excited to
1:01:18 vote yes on buying this new city hall
1:01:20 and uh you know, moving forward with
1:01:22 that.
1:01:24 >> Council member Dair,
1:01:27 >> um I just wanted to add and also commend
1:01:29 the administration for the work that
1:01:30 went into this. I actually in my
1:01:32 appointment speech talked about this
1:01:35 issue. I got here, you know, part of the
1:01:37 way it was through the task force on
1:01:39 this issue, saw the police station, saw
1:01:41 the problems that they had and how
1:01:43 urgent that was, but recognized how
1:01:45 difficult a solution this was going to
1:01:48 be because of the cost to find a new
1:01:50 city hall and to build one and because
1:01:51 there was no inventory. The only way is
1:01:53 to build, but the costs were so
1:01:55 astronomical. And in my speech wanted,
1:01:58 you know, us to work hard to find a
1:01:59 solution and I'm just amazed that a
1:02:02 solution is already here. Um, and I
1:02:04 toured it today as well and just saw,
1:02:07 you know, could see the future of what
1:02:08 this will be of such a great space as
1:02:11 well as the the how we'll finally fix
1:02:15 the police station problems and all the
1:02:16 things that are there. So, I just really
1:02:18 wanted to commend the administration for
1:02:20 this work and how excited I am to be
1:02:23 here and already be saying yes to this
1:02:25 and having this problem um, finally
1:02:27 actually addressed. So, thank you all
1:02:29 for all the work you did on this. Right.
1:02:32 Council member Joe,
1:02:34 >> thank you. I I saw that our finance
1:02:35 director left before I could make this
1:02:38 comment, but I want to give uh kudos and
1:02:41 appreciation to the administration and
1:02:43 the mayor for uh this purchase. Um it's
1:02:47 it's an allcash purchase. We're not
1:02:49 going into debt to buy this building.
1:02:52 The voters, our citizens are not being
1:02:54 asked to approve any new funding for
1:02:57 this. the the money that is there we've
1:03:00 squirreled away over the years from
1:03:02 different government mitigation activity
1:03:05 um the sale of the food bank u um down
1:03:08 the street and so by saving and planning
1:03:12 uh we were able to seize this
1:03:14 opportunity when it became available at
1:03:17 no additional debt cost to our citizens.
1:03:20 So, I really want to thank the
1:03:22 administration, the mayor for making
1:03:24 that happen and saving this money over
1:03:26 time so that we could wait until we had
1:03:28 an opportunity that could really make
1:03:29 sense. I'm fully in support of it this
1:03:31 evening.
1:03:32 >> You should know Kristen does rewatch all
1:03:34 positive comments about our apartments.
1:03:36 >> Council member Nichols,
1:03:37 >> I'll be brief. Yeah. Uh, I think the
1:03:39 space looks really great. Uh, and
1:03:41 critically, as has been mentioned
1:03:42 multiple times, it's also
1:03:43 cost-effective. Uh there are some novel
1:03:45 aspects to this deal that clearly
1:03:47 required some good creativity and I
1:03:49 think show really good thinking uh to
1:03:50 solve what has been a well-known problem
1:03:52 for quite some time. Um so uh to reuse a
1:03:55 word that's been used multiple times
1:03:56 kudos uh to the staff uh and I really
1:03:59 look forward to seeing this deal go
1:04:00 through. Uh I also just briefly on
1:04:03 zoning I I don't think we need to
1:04:04 address this issue even soon necessarily
1:04:08 uh if I understand the responses from
1:04:09 staff today correctly. Uh looking at the
1:04:11 space, it does look like it'll be suit
1:04:13 suitable for quite some time. Uh and I
1:04:15 think we can delay that to a future date
1:04:16 when for example we're looking at zoning
1:04:18 in this area overall or if it otherwise
1:04:20 comes up. So uh I'll also be voting yes
1:04:22 and uh kudos to the staff.
1:04:27 >> Council member Walsh
1:04:29 >> agree. I don't have anything else to
1:04:32 add. I'm just glad to see that we are
1:04:35 addressing this issue and are able to
1:04:37 move forward. Thank you.
1:04:39 >> Okay. If there's no further discussion,
1:04:40 the motion before the council is to
1:04:42 approve a purchase sale agreement with
1:04:43 DWP LLC to purchase a property known as
1:04:45 King County, Texas parcel
1:04:48 28246-9326
1:04:52 1055 Northwest Maple Street for the
1:04:53 amount of 12,975,000
1:04:56 plus closing cost and authorized mayor
1:04:57 to execute a lease agreement with DWP
1:04:59 LLC and other documents necessary to
1:05:02 complete the purchase. All those in
1:05:03 favor, please say I.
1:05:05 >> I.
1:05:07 >> All those opposed, no. And that passes
1:05:10 unanimously. None of them, you should
1:05:12 know. I did suggest we have champagne,
1:05:13 but our city administrator, Wall-E, said
1:05:15 we're not allowed to have champagne on
1:05:17 the dis. And so that was rejected. But
1:05:19 uh on we go to the next business item.
1:05:22 And uh ID193, new business request,
1:05:26 public reporting on immigration
1:05:27 enforcement activity. The March 16th
1:05:29 city council meeting, Council Member
1:05:30 Nichols presented this new business
1:05:31 item. The city council voted to for this
1:05:33 item the next step in the process, which
1:05:34 is a preliminary staff response. We're
1:05:37 going to ask
1:05:39 uh city administrator uh
1:05:43 the assistant to the city administrator
1:05:44 Dale Marky Crimp to provide the staff
1:05:46 response. I think Dale is coming in by
1:05:50 the cloud. There is Dale.
1:05:52 >> I am. Can you all hear me loud and
1:05:54 clear?
1:05:55 >> We can.
1:05:56 >> Awesome. I can see the nods. Good
1:05:58 evening, Mayor Mullet, members of the
1:06:00 city council. I am Dale Marky Crimp,
1:06:02 assistant to the city administrator,
1:06:04 coming to you over the airwaves this
1:06:06 evening. Um, I'm here to introduce the
1:06:08 administration's response to the new
1:06:10 business item ID 1933, public reporting
1:06:13 on immigration enforcement activity. Um,
1:06:16 and as you can see on the screen, uh,
1:06:19 police chief Polishwan is also here with
1:06:21 me this evening and will be able to
1:06:22 answer qu any questions you might have.
1:06:25 So, in response to this new business
1:06:27 item, the administration is recommending
1:06:29 that the police department implements a
1:06:31 new computer aided dispatch or CAD code
1:06:34 to capture community reported federal
1:06:36 immigration enforcement activity as well
1:06:39 as um recommending that they include a
1:06:42 monthly summary of calls in the city's
1:06:44 public facing police department monthly
1:06:46 report. Um an attachment which shows a
1:06:49 mockup of that report is included in the
1:06:51 council materials this evening. We
1:06:53 believe both of these actions will
1:06:55 support transparent sharing of confirmed
1:06:57 incidents within city limits. A bit of
1:07:00 background on this. Um, Mayor Mullet
1:07:03 already mentioned uh Council Member
1:07:05 Nichols submitted a new business request
1:07:07 at the March 16th meeting regarding the
1:07:09 city's reporting on federal immigration
1:07:11 enforcement activities within city
1:07:13 limits. The city already rep reports on
1:07:16 its own law enforcement activity and as
1:07:18 noted in council member Nichols request,
1:07:20 the city does track and report some data
1:07:23 related to immigration status. But this
1:07:26 information on U visa and T visa
1:07:29 certification requests is shared at the
1:07:32 request of the person requesting that
1:07:35 information from our police department
1:07:37 in order to apply for particular types
1:07:39 of immigration visas. This information
1:07:43 differs significantly from federal
1:07:44 immigration enforcement activity, which
1:07:46 is activity conducted by federal
1:07:48 agencies and not reported to or
1:07:51 controlled by the city. So, it's really
1:07:54 challenging uh to track and report on
1:07:57 federal immigration enforcement
1:07:58 primarily due to uh the legal framework
1:08:02 that governs federal and local authority
1:08:04 in the United States. Under the
1:08:06 Constitution, um specifically the
1:08:08 supremacy clause, federal agencies are
1:08:10 able to enforce federal law nationwide
1:08:13 and they operate
1:08:15 independently of local jurisdictions. So
1:08:18 to put that more succinctly, federal
1:08:21 authorities aren't required to notify or
1:08:24 cooperate with or even provide any
1:08:26 information to lo local jurisdictions
1:08:29 about their activities. So, the city
1:08:31 doesn't have a reliable data source that
1:08:34 they can just go to um to confirm
1:08:37 federal immigration enforcement that
1:08:39 happens within Isiqua. However, we do
1:08:42 have an awesome community and the
1:08:44 administration re recognizes that the
1:08:47 community is interested in transparency
1:08:50 and deeply desires to know about federal
1:08:53 movement within our community as much as
1:08:55 they can. And to address this, the
1:08:57 administration and our police department
1:08:59 needs their help. So what the
1:09:01 administration is recommending is that
1:09:02 the police department, as they already
1:09:04 have, creates a new dispatch code. So
1:09:07 there's a new code now that dispatchers
1:09:09 can use when a community member calls
1:09:10 911 to report suspected federal
1:09:13 immigration enforcement activity or
1:09:15 concerns related to federal immigration
1:09:17 authority. Dispatchers will dispatch
1:09:20 officers to investigate.
1:09:22 We're we're also going to rely on that
1:09:25 community reported data. With this code,
1:09:28 the police department is going to be
1:09:30 able to systematically log, track, and
1:09:32 analyze these calls over time and
1:09:35 understand where behavior where activity
1:09:38 is taking place. And then with this
1:09:40 code, um this will allow for all of the
1:09:44 any any calls and activity to be
1:09:46 reported out in a monthly report. And so
1:09:49 you can see in attachment A in your
1:09:50 materials, um, our crimerevention
1:09:53 analyst has already modeled up what this
1:09:55 would look like. Um, adding a number of
1:09:57 calls, uh, related to ICE activity in
1:10:00 the monthly report. I want to emphasize
1:10:04 um, that this reporting will only
1:10:06 reflect what is reported via 911
1:10:08 dispatch to the Isiqua Police
1:10:10 Department. Officers will then report to
1:10:12 the scene and and if they can, they'll
1:10:14 confirm what's happening. However,
1:10:16 again, due to the independent authority
1:10:19 of federal agencies and the absence of a
1:10:22 requirement to notify the city of their
1:10:24 actions, the city cannot always
1:10:26 independently verify or comprehensively
1:10:28 track all federal enforcement activity.
1:10:31 They will do their best. They will show
1:10:32 up at the the scene. They will
1:10:34 investigate. Um, but please know that a
1:10:37 a federal immigration officer could say
1:10:41 nothing. They don't have to say
1:10:43 anything. The CAD code has been created.
1:10:46 Um the police department is actually
1:10:47 already using it to code appropriate
1:10:49 calls and the department's data analyst
1:10:52 has already included the number of calls
1:10:54 related to this uh CAD code in the Marsh
1:10:57 report. Um this is the administration's
1:11:00 recommendation moving forward. Um and
1:11:03 there's no further council action needed
1:11:04 tonight if this satisfies the business
1:11:06 request. However, um included in the
1:11:10 materials for this evening are a couple
1:11:11 other options. Um, and I will uh turn it
1:11:15 over for to the council for questions
1:11:17 and consideration.
1:11:22 >> Okay, I'm looking. Is there a
1:11:26 >> No questions, but I have a motion.
1:11:27 >> Yep. Council member Mark. I move the
1:11:30 city council direct the administration
1:11:32 collect data related to community
1:11:34 reported federal immigration enforcement
1:11:36 activity to the public facing police
1:11:39 department monthly report including how
1:11:41 many federal immigration activities were
1:11:43 able to be confirmed.
1:11:47 >> Second.
1:11:49 Okay, there's
1:11:51 there's been a motion and a second
1:11:53 discussion.
1:11:54 >> Yeah, thank you. Um, I appreciate first
1:11:57 of all that um the city administration
1:12:01 has been able to respond to this. I
1:12:03 think this is a great example of a new
1:12:05 business request item where a city
1:12:08 council member was able to um recognize
1:12:12 that there was a community need around
1:12:15 clear um public transparent information
1:12:18 about um any reported um federal
1:12:21 immigration activity in the community.
1:12:24 And so having that transparency be able
1:12:27 to be included in a monthly police
1:12:30 report is important. My concern in just
1:12:33 stopping at that point and not also
1:12:36 reporting out on any confirmed um
1:12:39 activities
1:12:41 may lead people to believe that there
1:12:44 were that many different activities in
1:12:49 the community when there may be 15 or 20
1:12:52 people reporting for a a single event.
1:12:55 And so I have um added to this basically
1:13:00 saying that I would like us to also
1:13:03 report how many of those federal
1:13:05 immigration activities were able to be
1:13:07 confirmed um because that will provide
1:13:09 the public a little bit more
1:13:11 information. I recognize that there uh
1:13:14 the federal administration does not have
1:13:17 to um say anything um when our officers
1:13:21 go out, but it is important for us to be
1:13:24 able to show not only that we are
1:13:27 receiving these reports, but that we are
1:13:29 going out and responding to them and
1:13:32 that if we can confirm or
1:13:36 disisconfirm um see that something is
1:13:40 not uh federal immigration activity,
1:13:43 then that allows us to provide
1:13:45 additional public information um to the
1:13:47 community.
1:13:50 >> Council member Adair.
1:13:52 >> Uh yeah, I want to echo those the same
1:13:54 comments from uh council member Walsh
1:13:56 and that I you know I think this is you
1:13:57 know a start but similarly in like the
1:13:59 sample version that was sent. It simply
1:14:00 just said ICE reported related reports
1:14:03 which I don't feel is enough information
1:14:05 since that can just simply be how many
1:14:07 people called and obviously we want to
1:14:09 know what was actually an event what you
1:14:11 know what was just people thought it was
1:14:13 but that's not the case as well as how
1:14:16 many people were potentially detained at
1:14:18 said event. I feel like there is more
1:14:20 data to be obtained that this is a good
1:14:22 start. You now have a mechanism to start
1:14:24 tracking it. But I do think this is this
1:14:26 is a step towards what we need to do and
1:14:29 that there needs to be continued work to
1:14:31 get all the data we need because you if
1:14:32 you look at one of the monthly reports
1:14:34 that the police does have there's you
1:14:35 know there's multiple pages going into
1:14:37 all sorts of things of the different
1:14:39 types of offenses and breaking it down
1:14:41 by all sorts of types. So there is we
1:14:43 regularly supply more data than just the
1:14:46 reports and I would like that same level
1:14:47 of data to be applied to this.
1:14:50 >> Council President Marks.
1:14:52 >> Thank you. I'd like to ask the
1:14:53 administration if they feel they'd be
1:14:54 able to achieve this.
1:15:00 >> Yes. Uh Miss Marky Crimp has had
1:15:03 conversations with Council Member Walsh
1:15:05 this afternoon and I think we could
1:15:06 we'll be able to add an additional line.
1:15:08 Is that correct?
1:15:13 >> Yes, we should be able to add an
1:15:15 additional line. Um, if the number of
1:15:18 calls is above one, um, and then we
1:15:21 confirm or disisconfirm, I think both
1:15:23 council member Walsh and I will find a
1:15:25 better word than disconfirm. But, um,
1:15:28 we'll be able to expand on that. And if
1:15:30 it becomes a situation, council member
1:15:31 Adair, where that number is 10, 15, 20,
1:15:36 and we get to the point where we have
1:15:38 that volume of calls coming in, I could
1:15:41 see us doing something similar to what
1:15:43 we did years ago by adding more detail
1:15:45 to um theft. Um
1:15:50 in that report, we sort of originally
1:15:52 only reported on crime types and then we
1:15:55 sort of drilled down on theft,
1:15:56 especially when shoplifting was
1:15:57 particularly high. So I think the the
1:16:00 report can morph and grow as we have
1:16:03 more data, but if the call number is
1:16:05 zero, I think, you know, we'll see that
1:16:06 line. But if the call number rises above
1:16:09 zero, we'll we'll add um at least that
1:16:11 second um confirmed incident. Um I
1:16:16 believe we can do that.
1:16:18 >> Thank you for that. Um this is obviously
1:16:21 an incredibly charged issue and I'm from
1:16:24 Minneapolis. Uh so um you know I've seen
1:16:27 this issue uh you know tear at the
1:16:31 hearts of our communities. I but I think
1:16:33 that um this is a good you know we are a
1:16:36 datadriven city and our IPD is data
1:16:40 driven and so I think this is a a good
1:16:43 step to try to understand what's going
1:16:45 on in our community better um while
1:16:49 still uh
1:16:52 you know make in a difficult situation
1:16:55 um getting more data in a way that
1:16:57 doesn't hamper the IPD but uh allows a
1:17:00 community to understand better what's
1:17:02 happening is a is is a really smart move
1:17:04 going forward. Thank you,
1:17:07 >> Council Member Nichols.
1:17:09 >> Thank you. Uh I want to first speak to
1:17:10 the underlying business item and then
1:17:12 I'll speak to the motion itself. Um so I
1:17:15 want to start by thanking the chief uh
1:17:17 and the and the staff for the thoughtful
1:17:18 response to this uh new business
1:17:20 request. When I raised this uh back in
1:17:22 March um not that long ago either, so
1:17:25 this is a quick turnaround as well. I
1:17:27 wasn't really sure what was going to be
1:17:29 possible. Um, as was pointed out,
1:17:30 federal immigration enforcement is by
1:17:32 design a federal function, and the staff
1:17:34 report lays out clearly why the city
1:17:36 can't just pull those numbers from f
1:17:38 federal agencies. Um, so what I
1:17:40 appreciate here is that the staff got
1:17:42 creative uh creating a new CAD code,
1:17:44 which is not a a term I had ever heard
1:17:45 of before reading this. So, I appreciate
1:17:47 learning that as well, um, to capture
1:17:49 community reported activity and then
1:17:51 going also going back through the
1:17:53 existing ones to see what can be
1:17:54 recorded. um strikes me as a practical
1:17:57 solution uh to a problem that has
1:17:59 legitimate uh that has real
1:18:01 constitutional limits built into it. Um
1:18:04 and as we've seen I think tonight as
1:18:05 well this matters because residents are
1:18:07 asking us what's happening in their
1:18:08 community. Um and even when we can't
1:18:11 confirm this federal activity being able
1:18:13 to say here's what residents are
1:18:14 reporting and here is what our officers
1:18:16 are seeing when they respond is a good
1:18:18 step. Um so I'm pleased to see this
1:18:20 moving forward. Uh, and I want to thank
1:18:22 staff again. Um, specifically on Council
1:18:25 Member Walsh's motion, um, I will speak
1:18:27 to the support of that as well. Uh, I
1:18:29 think it clarifies the data in a useful
1:18:31 way. Uh, I'm glad to hear that it is
1:18:32 feasible from the perspective of staff.
1:18:34 Um, and of course with all of these
1:18:36 data, uh, we we are aware they are going
1:18:38 to be imperfect. Um, so we will know
1:18:40 that, respect that, and treat them
1:18:41 appropriately. But I think more data in
1:18:43 this area is always going to be useful.
1:18:45 So, I I appreciate um both the staff's
1:18:47 efforts to make this happen and I also
1:18:49 support council member Walsh's motion to
1:18:51 improve it further.
1:18:54 >> All right. Okay. Seeing no further
1:18:56 discussion, motion further council is to
1:18:58 direct the administration to collect
1:19:00 data related to the community reported
1:19:01 federal immigration enforcement activity
1:19:03 to the public public facing police
1:19:05 department monthly report including how
1:19:06 many federal immigration activities were
1:19:08 able to be confirmed. All those in
1:19:11 favor, please say I. I.
1:19:15 >> All those opposed? No. And that passes
1:19:18 unanimously. The next item of business
1:19:21 is an exciting one. It's regular
1:19:22 business to appoint the council vacancy
1:19:25 that was left when
1:19:28 previous council president Barbby
1:19:29 Michelle had to step down. And so the
1:19:32 April 7th special city council meeting,
1:19:34 the city council heard presentations
1:19:35 from eight applicants to the city
1:19:36 council position number three. Following
1:19:38 the presentations and deliberations, the
1:19:40 city council moved Donovan Richards and
1:19:41 Erica Boyd forward to the second round
1:19:42 of interviews which will occur tonight.
1:19:44 Tonight's meeting, the applicants will
1:19:45 be interviewed one at a time and asked
1:19:47 the same series of questions.
1:19:48 Applicants, we'd like to request that
1:19:50 you step into the side room off the
1:19:52 lobby that is your turn to be
1:19:53 interviewed so that you do not hear the
1:19:54 questions in advance. And once you
1:19:56 complete your interview, you're welcome
1:19:58 to stay in the room. After the
1:20:01 interviews, the city council will go on
1:20:02 an executive session, which is a close
1:20:03 session where they can discuss the
1:20:04 qualifications of the applicants. After
1:20:07 the close session, we will reopen the
1:20:09 public meeting. The city council is then
1:20:10 expected to vote to make the appointment
1:20:12 tonight. That person will then be sworn
1:20:13 in and take a seat at the dis. And I'd
1:20:16 like to ask the applicants to head into
1:20:19 the lobby now. I think Cassidy is back
1:20:22 there. Go to Cassidy.
1:20:34 Then council president, would you like
1:20:36 to discuss the questions or interview
1:20:37 timing with the city council before we
1:20:40 begin the interviews? Let's wait for
1:20:42 Cassidy to
1:20:46 close the doors.
1:20:49 They are now closed.
1:20:51 >> Thank you. So, uh, Deputy Council
1:20:53 President and I, uh, developed these
1:20:55 questions to, um, continue the spirit of
1:20:59 the previous set of questions without
1:21:00 having them be identical to the previous
1:21:02 set of questions to get some unique
1:21:04 answers, uh, out of folks. Um, and
1:21:07 worked through this a while back, but
1:21:08 are certainly open to if anybody uh,
1:21:11 feels any of these are head scratchers
1:21:12 or have any concerns about them, we we
1:21:15 have the opportunity uh, we have the
1:21:18 opportunity to change them right now.
1:21:23 I'm looking.
1:21:27 We don't see any objections. We're going
1:21:29 to go with the five questions as you
1:21:32 currently have them. The order, which
1:21:35 was drawn completely randomly, is going
1:21:37 to be Donovan Richards first, Erica
1:21:39 Boyd's second. And uh
1:21:43 >> can I also add there was a there was a
1:21:45 conversation about how many minutes we
1:21:47 wanted to offer and uh conversations
1:21:51 about going up or down or whatever. But
1:21:53 you know at the previous time we offered
1:21:55 20 minutes. Every single candidate did
1:21:58 it all in much faster than 20 minutes.
1:22:00 Um so we felt we didn't want to move
1:22:02 that number even because we only had two
1:22:04 candidates um offer offer the same
1:22:06 number.
1:22:07 >> Okay. So 20 minutes. Council member
1:22:09 Walsh
1:22:10 >> up to
1:22:11 >> up to I like it.
1:22:12 >> Yes. Um how are we asking these
1:22:15 questions? Sometimes we've done a
1:22:16 roundroin. Sometimes it's just been
1:22:18 council president or mayor.
1:22:20 >> Just trying to determine.
1:22:21 >> I'm not asking any questions.
1:22:23 >> I'd be happy to just have a cycle
1:22:24 through.
1:22:25 >> I mean there's only there's two people
1:22:27 times five questions. So there's 10
1:22:28 questions. So
1:22:29 >> some people will get to that's fine. We
1:22:32 can we can start with our with
1:22:33 >> I was say what's the cycle because I
1:22:35 didn't do this before. The person who's
1:22:37 most recently been on the firing line, I
1:22:38 think, should probably start. Well, I
1:22:40 >> I have the first question.
1:22:44 >> Okay. And so,
1:22:47 Madam Clerk, are you grabbing Donovan
1:22:49 Richards?
1:22:51 Oh, extra security. I like it.
1:22:59 David Kappa, you're blocking
1:23:34 Are we are we having him go there or up
1:23:36 there?
1:23:38 Your call.
1:23:40 There.
1:23:43 Welcome, Donovan. We're going to have
1:23:44 you go up on this side.
1:23:53 I think your council is going to take
1:23:55 turns asking you five questions. Council
1:23:58 member Odair is going to go first. And
1:24:01 you're you've been allocated ample time.
1:24:04 So it's uh normally I think these have
1:24:07 taken roughly 10 or so minutes, but we
1:24:10 allocate more than that just in case uh
1:24:12 it goes longer. And we are going to
1:24:15 start council member
1:24:16 >> Adair. All right, I'm first. All right,
1:24:19 this question has kind of two parts to
1:24:21 it. So, I'm gonna ask the whole
1:24:22 question. So, which goal or objective in
1:24:25 the Isiqua strategic plan do you
1:24:27 consider most critical to the success of
1:24:29 the city and why? And how would you
1:24:32 address this goal or objective? And I
1:24:35 can repeat the question if you need to.
1:24:37 Could you repeat it just
1:24:40 >> which goal or objective in the Isiqua
1:24:42 strategic plan do you consider most
1:24:44 critical to the success of the city and
1:24:47 why and how would you address this goal
1:24:50 or objective?
1:24:51 >> Gotcha. Okay.
1:24:54 Yeah. So
1:24:56 in this strategic plan uh I would say
1:25:02 the goals and objectives that's around
1:25:05 housing as well as uh kind of the
1:25:09 diverse and equitable uh
1:25:13 services and and just having Isiqua be a
1:25:16 place that is for uh everyone uh would
1:25:20 be in my mind the most important uh
1:25:24 objective. Ive uh I truly believe that
1:25:28 uh you know the concept of de and I the
1:25:31 you know diversity equity and inclusion
1:25:33 uh is a you know in the business realm
1:25:37 the whole fact that it exists because it
1:25:39 gets to better outcomes from a business
1:25:40 perspective but I think the same applies
1:25:43 from a community perspective uh we can't
1:25:47 solve problems uh if we all have the
1:25:49 same background and same ideas uh and
1:25:53 being able to to have a welcoming place
1:25:56 where there is a diverse amount of
1:25:57 people that call this place home and
1:25:59 that want to be contributing to this
1:26:02 place. Uh and the local community life
1:26:05 that we have gives us the ability to uh
1:26:10 think outside of the box, have multiple
1:26:12 perspectives and find those solutions to
1:26:15 the problems that we all experience uh
1:26:20 uh we might otherwise not think about.
1:26:22 So um that would be the uh the goal or
1:26:26 objective. How do we go about doing
1:26:28 that? Uh well part of that requires
1:26:33 you know the affordability piece. Um you
1:26:35 know socioeconomic status is an
1:26:38 important element of diversity here and
1:26:41 if it's too expensive to live here uh
1:26:44 for a certain amount of people that are
1:26:46 uh wanting to be here uh then we don't
1:26:49 have that uh diverse perspective. I
1:26:52 think that also uh needs to be
1:26:55 represented in leadership uh that we
1:26:57 have voices that are in leadership that
1:26:59 could speak to those um
1:27:02 concerns and issues. Uh so you know any
1:27:06 considerations about uh you know
1:27:09 appointing people or leadership in the
1:27:11 city. I think that the uh diversity
1:27:13 component is a really important part of
1:27:15 that uh that I would want to be working
1:27:17 toward. And I think the third part about
1:27:20 this too is uh more on the messaging
1:27:23 side. There's a lot of good things that
1:27:26 are already happening in the city that
1:27:27 not necessarily everyone knows about. Uh
1:27:30 so being able to find ways to get that
1:27:32 message out when there are opportunities
1:27:35 for community- based conversations uh
1:27:38 and opportunities for uh community-
1:27:41 based um gettogethers and uh community
1:27:45 building. uh you know being able to tell
1:27:48 that story in a compelling way that gets
1:27:50 people excited to be going to Isiqua get
1:27:53 us more salmon days sort of a thing uh
1:27:55 is always a good thing. So that's at a
1:27:58 high level the first thoughts that uh
1:28:00 come to me on that.
1:28:02 >> Excellent. And now we're going to go to
1:28:04 Council Member Nichols. Question number
1:28:07 >> Thank you. And uh I'm also happy to
1:28:09 repeat these questions or this question.
1:28:12 the community says that public safety is
1:28:15 important. What do you consider the
1:28:17 critical public safety challenges for
1:28:18 the city and how might you hope to
1:28:20 address them in your first term on
1:28:22 council?
1:28:24 >> Could you repeat it again? I'm just
1:28:25 writing it down.
1:28:26 >> Yep. Make sure I get it all.
1:28:28 >> The community says that public safety is
1:28:30 important.
1:28:32 What do you consider the critical public
1:28:34 safety challenges for the city and how
1:28:37 might you hope to address them in your
1:28:39 first term on council?
1:28:44 Okay.
1:28:48 I do want to use this question to give
1:28:51 you a little bit of a background uh
1:28:53 around how I tend to think about
1:28:56 complicated
1:28:57 uh you know multiaceted
1:29:00 questions like this because um you know
1:29:03 I do come from the consulting world uh
1:29:06 and uh there is a theory called
1:29:10 stakeholder theory that is in a business
1:29:12 sense when you make decisions you have
1:29:14 to account for all the stakeholders that
1:29:17 are impacted by this decision, not just
1:29:19 the shareholders, the ones that need to
1:29:21 make money. Uh, and I've been really
1:29:23 influenced by a British economist
1:29:27 actually who wrote a book called Donut
1:29:28 Economics. Uh, and it's been one of my
1:29:31 guiding uh, considerations when it comes
1:29:34 to how to make decisions where there's,
1:29:36 you know, complicated factors to this.
1:29:38 And the basic argument here is that you
1:29:41 need to run through any particular
1:29:43 consideration uh, with a couple of
1:29:46 lenses. uh one being what's the social
1:29:48 floor where if you go below that floor
1:29:51 then you're hurting people uh and that's
1:29:53 an absolute no um in any sort of
1:29:56 decision that I'd want to make or help
1:29:57 influence and make. The other is the
1:30:00 ecological ceiling and that goes to more
1:30:02 to resources. You know, if you cut down
1:30:04 our entire forest to build houses, you
1:30:06 no longer have forces and you've gone
1:30:08 above the ecological ceiling. So when
1:30:10 I'm thinking about decisions, I'm
1:30:12 thinking about that median, that middle
1:30:15 ground where we've reached and met the
1:30:17 basic needs, but we're not going too far
1:30:20 to the point where we're hurting uh the
1:30:23 natural resources or the community of
1:30:26 our city in any way. Uh beyond that, the
1:30:29 questions that I then need to ask are
1:30:30 around like equity and access. Who's
1:30:33 included in this? Who is this impacting?
1:30:35 Um I want to ask the flourishing test.
1:30:38 how is this helping us thrive, not just
1:30:41 survive. Um, and then there's an
1:30:43 accountability component to the
1:30:45 decision-m as well. How do we know uh
1:30:48 that what the decision that we made was
1:30:50 successful? So, when it comes to public
1:30:52 safety, you know, we've had a a big
1:30:54 discussion about that today when it
1:30:56 comes to the flock cameras. Um, you
1:30:59 know, I want to make those ex those
1:31:01 considerations. So, what's the social
1:31:03 floor? How do we are making sure that
1:31:05 we're meeting our basic needs? PI the
1:31:07 right to privacy is a basic need uh that
1:31:10 we all have and all need to uh be
1:31:12 considering. Uh so you know right there
1:31:16 uh that puts a really hard uh
1:31:20 question on whether or not to go forward
1:31:21 with flock cameras for example. But even
1:31:24 larger uh for any sort of public uh
1:31:28 safety considerations, how we are
1:31:31 deploying our police force and how we
1:31:33 want them to uh engage in our community,
1:31:37 are we making sure that those
1:31:38 engagements are are meeting the
1:31:41 community's basic needs and from an
1:31:42 equity and access standpoint are uh
1:31:45 consistent uh regardless of who is
1:31:48 engaging with public safety. Um I think
1:31:51 at a broader level um
1:31:54 I am more on the side of you know
1:31:57 there's two parts to public safety right
1:31:59 there's the um
1:32:03 the work required to
1:32:06 bring about justice. So the the policing
1:32:09 work that's done after the fact. Uh but
1:32:12 then there's also the work beforehand
1:32:14 before you know something becomes a
1:32:17 public threat. Um, and I think we tend
1:32:20 to to think more about, you know, adding
1:32:23 resources to the after the-act component
1:32:26 where I think the consideration needs to
1:32:28 be to the before component as well. Um,
1:32:31 and what ways could we continue to
1:32:32 invest in the programs required to uh
1:32:37 help people uh and help people in ways
1:32:40 that don't they don't then feel like
1:32:42 they need to be engaging in any of the
1:32:45 actions that might uh put them down on,
1:32:48 you know, in the categorization of of
1:32:50 being a part of the public safety threat
1:32:52 that we're talking about. Um, so in that
1:32:55 sense, you know, I would certainly be
1:32:57 against flock cameras. Uh, and I would
1:32:59 also be
1:33:01 trying to put forward considerations for
1:33:05 you know social programs and other
1:33:07 organizationalbased
1:33:09 um community- based uh opportunities
1:33:12 that can you know put people on the
1:33:15 right path before uh you know we have to
1:33:18 get to the justice component of policing
1:33:20 on the back half. Does that answer your
1:33:23 question council member Nichols?
1:33:25 Okay. And then the third question, just
1:33:28 a time check. We're at 9 minutes, so
1:33:30 there's 11 minutes left for the last
1:33:31 three questions. And uh, Council Member
1:33:34 Joe, I'll go faster.
1:33:35 >> Thank you. Given that you would be
1:33:37 appointed to council without having run
1:33:39 a campaign for a contested seat, how
1:33:42 would you go about learning what's
1:33:43 important to the Isiqua constituents?
1:33:47 >> Yeah. Um, great question. Uh, I am an
1:33:53 incredibly curious person. And I feel
1:33:55 like that's one of my uh superpowers. Uh
1:33:58 I'm not trying to toot my own horn or
1:34:00 anything like that, but um I'm always
1:34:02 reading a book. So, first and foremost,
1:34:05 if there's a book about it, I want to
1:34:06 read it. Um I think I've already read 30
1:34:09 books this year. Uh but I recognize that
1:34:12 not everything is in a book. So beyond
1:34:15 that, I think the second component to,
1:34:18 you know, getting up to speed is going
1:34:20 to be having conversations, grabbing
1:34:22 coffee with anyone and everyone that,
1:34:26 um, has a point of view, um, that I have
1:34:29 yet to experience. Uh, I love having
1:34:32 one-on-one conversations. I love asking
1:34:34 questions. I love hearing people's
1:34:37 stories. Uh, and I would want to do
1:34:38 that. And I think the third component to
1:34:40 that is firsthand experience. It is
1:34:44 going to the events. It's um being in
1:34:48 the community um and just being in the
1:34:50 space. Uh and there would be a
1:34:52 commitment to uh advancing and having
1:34:56 more opportunity to do that uh solo but
1:34:59 also with my family when we have family
1:35:01 based events that I can bring my kids
1:35:03 and uh my wife to as well. So that would
1:35:06 be my approach there.
1:35:08 Excellent. Council member Walsh.
1:35:10 >> Thank you. What do you see as the
1:35:12 biggest challenge facing Isiqua and how
1:35:15 would you propose addressing it?
1:35:17 >> Yeah. Uh the biggest challenge in my
1:35:20 mind is housing and affordability. Um
1:35:25 you know, I spoke a little bit last time
1:35:27 around about my friend who's, you know,
1:35:29 above the median income, who's uh unable
1:35:34 buy a house in Isiqua. Really wants to
1:35:36 but can't. Uh and just the thought again
1:35:38 if we go back to you know community for
1:35:42 all people uh if you know more than half
1:35:45 of the King County can't afford to live
1:35:47 here um then that needs to be considered
1:35:51 uh how we can make that more accessible
1:35:53 for more people. Um so what do we do
1:35:56 from a housing standpoint? Um I'm
1:35:58 mindful that you know there are some you
1:36:00 know big picture ideas that would cost a
1:36:03 lot of money and that would take a lot
1:36:04 of time. uh and you know might be harder
1:36:07 to do but there also might be some
1:36:08 easier and quicker wins that we can do
1:36:11 as well. So, um I think in my mind, one
1:36:14 thing is to be thinking about in what
1:36:16 ways can we make those quick winds
1:36:18 easier and what ways can we um reduce
1:36:21 like permitting friction um for you know
1:36:25 additional like accessory dwelling units
1:36:27 within current house housing. um you
1:36:30 know, thinking through in what ways we
1:36:32 can um
1:36:36 think through our zoning and see if
1:36:37 there's ways to include some teeth in
1:36:40 the zoning to make sure that when uh
1:36:44 housing is being built that's it's being
1:36:46 built across um all income levels so
1:36:49 that there is accessibility across the
1:36:51 board and doing some of the work when we
1:36:54 think about the uh you know my donut
1:36:56 economics thing here and my decision
1:36:58 lenses thinking about like how to
1:36:59 measure that and how to make sure that
1:37:01 you know for the uh King County
1:37:05 averages, you know, are we making sure
1:37:07 that we have accessible housing across
1:37:09 the board there? Um I think some of the
1:37:11 bigger ideas that take a lot more work
1:37:13 and a lot more thing out there. I'm
1:37:15 really interested in like the concept of
1:37:16 a community land trust model where uh
1:37:20 you kind of divorce the cost of the land
1:37:22 from the cost of the house to make that
1:37:24 a bit more affordable for people. Um but
1:37:27 yes uh those are just some options but
1:37:29 largely that's the the critical
1:37:31 challenge that I see is making sure that
1:37:34 uh the people who want to live here uh
1:37:36 can live here uh because again that'll
1:37:38 help us all from a flourish flourishing
1:37:42 community standpoint.
1:37:43 >> All right. Excellent. And Deputy
1:37:45 President Jen last question.
1:37:47 >> Great. Last question. Um if appointed to
1:37:49 the Isiqua City Council, what would you
1:37:52 uniquely bring to the council that would
1:37:53 make us better?
1:37:55 Yeah. Uh, good question. So, I come from
1:38:00 the consulting world.
1:38:02 Uh, and I do want to note that one of
1:38:04 the things about coming from the
1:38:06 consulting world is that I had to put I
1:38:09 had to take a new project every couple
1:38:11 of weeks. We had quick burn projects
1:38:13 where I had to jump around from topic to
1:38:16 topic and I had to get up to speed fast.
1:38:19 Um, I'm mindful that serving on council
1:38:23 means that you have to jump around a lot
1:38:26 across different topics that apply to
1:38:28 the city and it takes a lot of work to,
1:38:31 you know, know just enough to be
1:38:33 dangerous across the board. Uh, and as a
1:38:36 consultant, I had to do that every day
1:38:39 jumping around from different clients,
1:38:41 different technologies, different uh,
1:38:44 service models etc. Um I think the other
1:38:47 element uh that I can bring to the table
1:38:49 here um is my background my educational
1:38:52 background. Uh I my background in
1:38:56 philosophy teaching adjunct and business
1:38:58 ethics. It's given me a chance to kind
1:39:00 of pursue questions from all angles. Uh
1:39:04 recognizing that there's always a push
1:39:06 and pull. Uh that you can't give
1:39:09 everyone a win at all times. But that's
1:39:12 why I want to consider you know the
1:39:14 donut economic that kind of safe and
1:39:16 just equilibrium where any decision that
1:39:20 I make uh not only you know takes us
1:39:22 above the social floor but also doesn't
1:39:25 push us beyond the ecological ceiling uh
1:39:28 where we're in that safe and just space.
1:39:31 Um and yeah I mean I fully buy in to the
1:39:36 strategic uh plan that city of Isiqua
1:39:39 has uh and I'd love to serve with you.
1:39:41 um if at all possible and I appreciate
1:39:44 your time and just thank you. I'm here.
1:39:47 >> Excellent. Very well done. And I will
1:39:49 say I'm I finished my last book over the
1:39:52 weekend. So what's your favorite of the
1:39:54 30 books you read this year?
1:39:55 >> Great question. Um
1:39:59 I've been So I read The Grapes of Wrath
1:40:02 finally. I hadn't read that one yet, so
1:40:04 that was really good. Um and then uh The
1:40:07 Ecology of Freedom by a philosopher. Um,
1:40:10 I'd have to go look up his name again,
1:40:11 but that was really interesting point of
1:40:13 view in terms of community- based
1:40:16 interdependence and trying to recognize
1:40:18 the fact that like we need each other
1:40:20 and to be free doesn't mean to be
1:40:22 separated from people, but it means to
1:40:25 to bring what you have to the table and
1:40:27 to be able to encourage each other
1:40:29 toward the common goal that you might
1:40:31 all have. So, that was a really good
1:40:32 book.
1:40:33 >> Oh, excellent. Okay, you do not have to
1:40:35 go back in the other room. You can hang
1:40:37 out here and we will have the city
1:40:41 clerk. Do we have some sort of bat
1:40:43 signal? The bat signal is you just walk
1:40:44 back to the room. Oh, wait.
1:40:46 >> Thank you so much, everyone.
1:40:47 >> Thank you, Don.
1:41:40 Okay, Erica, the way it works, you will
1:41:43 get five questions. We're going to start
1:41:45 with Council Member Nichols and with
1:41:47 Council President Martz. And the total
1:41:50 time is 20 minutes. Like I said, not
1:41:52 required to go the full 20, but you do
1:41:54 have that option. And uh and with that,
1:41:57 let's start with Council Member Nichols.
1:42:11 Oh, we're going the Okay, switching
1:42:13 direction. We're going to end with Kevin
1:42:15 and start with Council President Marts
1:42:17 would have been the same five. Kevin
1:42:19 Russell.
1:42:24 >> Oh,
1:42:26 >> oh, okay.
1:42:27 >> Sorry, I wasn't sorry. I wasn't clear
1:42:29 when we discussed it.
1:42:31 >> Council President Martz, you get
1:42:32 question number one. So then Deputy
1:42:35 President Jen gets Okay, I get I'm
1:42:37 tracking. I'm tracking.
1:42:39 >> Or we could just go with the same five
1:42:41 people. Let's let's just go with the
1:42:42 same five people asking the same five
1:42:44 questions to get continuity uh as much
1:42:47 as before since otherwise I think it's a
1:42:49 little confusing. If that's okay with
1:42:50 you, Mr. Eric, don't worry. We're not
1:42:52 charging you time for this conversation.
1:42:54 >> Is that okay with Is that okay with you,
1:42:55 Mr. Man? Rather than try to figure it
1:42:58 out right now. Thank you.
1:43:00 >> Okay, council member
1:43:01 >> Dair then I'm first. All right, here we
1:43:03 go. All right. This uh question is two
1:43:05 parts so and I can repeat it as needed.
1:43:07 Okay.
1:43:08 >> Which goal or objective in the Isiqua
1:43:10 strategic plan do you consider most
1:43:13 critical to the success of the city and
1:43:15 why? And the second part, how would you
1:43:18 address this goal or objective?
1:43:35 Thank you for your patience with me. Can
1:43:37 you all hear me? Awesome. Um sometimes
1:43:39 if I write things down, I'll hold it in
1:43:41 my brain a little. Um as I think through
1:43:43 it, I'll um lose the question
1:43:44 potentially. So um uh of we have a
1:43:49 really well-built strategic plan and I
1:43:51 know a lot of that is because of how uh
1:43:54 community informed it is. Um for me uh
1:44:00 gravitating most towards socioeconomic
1:44:03 vitality. I really think that is such a
1:44:07 good measure uh and pulse across
1:44:13 the entire city. It has multiple touch
1:44:15 points on things like uh
1:44:20 how well our businesses are doing and
1:44:22 the jobs that are anchored here to
1:44:25 housing
1:44:27 um and to human services which for me uh
1:44:32 will be a big priority of mine should I
1:44:34 be appointed to this vacancy. And so
1:44:42 second question was how would I address
1:44:43 it? Um
1:44:46 I think housing really is an anchor of
1:44:50 socioeconomic vitality. When you have
1:44:53 enough housing uh that's built, it can
1:44:56 help address so many other uh
1:45:01 issues that the city uh is looking to
1:45:04 resolve. Um, but I know housing is a
1:45:06 really big one and
1:45:10 I might not be able to share specifics
1:45:12 right at this moment, but uh it's
1:45:23 it's something we've heard again and
1:45:25 again from our community that needs to
1:45:27 be addressed. Uh the city I know has
1:45:30 looked at uh
1:45:33 this issue multiple ways and multiple
1:45:36 times. We've identified the place uh
1:45:40 where we would like to build up within
1:45:42 the uh central escrow regional growth
1:45:44 area and yet
1:45:47 we don't have development there. So um
1:45:52 I think the biggest lever we can pull to
1:45:56 boost our socioeconomic vitality is
1:45:59 building and I don't want to leave any
1:46:01 stone unturned and trying to solve that.
1:46:06 >> Okay. Excellent. Council Nichols.
1:46:10 >> Thank you. Um the community says that
1:46:14 public safety is important.
1:46:18 What do you consider the critical public
1:46:21 safety challenges for the city and how
1:46:25 might you hope to address them in your
1:46:27 first term on council?
1:46:29 And I'm happy to repeat that if it's
1:46:31 helpful.
1:46:35 >> So, what do I consider um within public
1:46:39 safety um the critical challenges? How
1:46:42 would I address that?
1:46:44 Uh when I was reviewing
1:46:48 different documents in preparation for
1:46:51 this, I noticed that uh within the Isqua
1:46:54 community survey, um
1:46:58 public safety really gets high marks and
1:47:02 I know regionally postco
1:47:06 crime trends are going down depending on
1:47:08 what kind it is. Uh, I know that from
1:47:12 the community survey, we are
1:47:14 consistently ranked as safe and so
1:47:20 I need to think a little more about how
1:47:22 I would specifically address it. But I
1:47:26 for certain what I would do is
1:47:32 what I can to maintain the level of
1:47:34 safety that uh get such high marks in
1:47:39 our feedback from the community.
1:47:43 I'm also very conscious uh I shared my
1:47:46 story uh in my earlier presentation a
1:47:49 couple weeks ago. Um, my mom is uh in
1:47:53 law enforcement. She has been since I
1:47:55 was a very small child and I'm very
1:47:56 proud of her career. I grew up actually
1:47:59 playing with a box of toys uh on the
1:48:02 department floor while she would finish
1:48:03 up her reports. And if it's any
1:48:05 indication of my age, one of the toys
1:48:06 included a slinky and a couch ball. But
1:48:11 police technology has come so far since
1:48:16 my mom started her career. She was
1:48:18 writing paper tickets when I was a kid.
1:48:27 I'm I'm
1:48:31 as we review technology, I want to make
1:48:35 sure that
1:48:37 safety
1:48:39 I want to take a good hard look and
1:48:41 listen to the community about who feels
1:48:45 safe because I know that safety means
1:48:48 different things for different people.
1:48:52 And so my first step in addressing um
1:48:58 should I be appointed
1:49:01 uh it's to do some some deeper listening
1:49:04 and dig into the data and per my public
1:49:08 administration background look at what
1:49:10 problem we're trying to solve. Um,
1:49:14 I'll look into what aspects of public
1:49:16 safety are we maybe not getting uh such
1:49:19 high marks on in our feedback from the
1:49:21 community, but I know overall
1:49:26 we do a pretty good job and so I don't
1:49:28 want to do anything to dismantle that.
1:49:32 >> Excellent. Council Joe,
1:49:34 >> given that you would be appointed to
1:49:36 council without having run a campaign
1:49:37 for a contested seat, how would you go
1:49:40 about learning what's important to
1:49:42 Isiqua constituents?
1:49:49 >> Thank you for the question. Um,
1:49:52 I am very cognizant that um I would not
1:49:56 have uh doornocking opportunities uh
1:50:00 until I so choose. Um, I won't leave
1:50:02 that um um unattended potentially. Uh
1:50:06 just cuz I'm not running doesn't mean
1:50:08 that I can't go and talk to my
1:50:09 neighbors. Um I know it's a little
1:50:10 unique, but uh but I really believe in
1:50:14 meeting the community where they're at.
1:50:15 And I know that this works from my work
1:50:18 uh at um within my professional job. We
1:50:22 put together I helped support uh the
1:50:24 building of the state's first uh
1:50:28 perinatal 325 youth behavioral health
1:50:30 strategic plan getting multiple state
1:50:32 agencies all rowing in the same
1:50:33 direction to address uh something that's
1:50:35 been identified as a really high need uh
1:50:37 within our state and I know it is here
1:50:39 in this community as well but um
1:50:42 I we were most successful especially in
1:50:46 getting the voices from
1:50:50 the exact demographics that the plan was
1:50:52 hoping to address youth when we went to
1:50:56 the places they were at like different
1:50:58 fairs um plugging into different
1:51:01 committees they were already
1:51:03 um attending or uh youth events, mental
1:51:08 health fairs. And so for me
1:51:11 with the consent and the permission of
1:51:14 the community, I would be attending
1:51:16 things like that. um like um whether
1:51:21 the Latino Circle or uh I'm already a
1:51:25 avid uh lover of our farmers market and
1:51:28 I know that uh city council members have
1:51:31 posted up there before um to talk to the
1:51:34 community um and
1:51:38 uh would continue to um just keep my ear
1:51:41 to the ground as best as I can and uh I
1:51:46 know beyond knocking on doors and things
1:51:50 just looking at the community feedback
1:51:52 portions of all of the plans we have um
1:51:55 the community survey that we do each
1:51:58 year and uh
1:52:03 as well as we get good feedback from our
1:52:06 boards and commissions. I know when I
1:52:07 I've been on TAB for a few years now,
1:52:10 currently the chair and um we've had
1:52:13 city council members just come in and
1:52:15 listen um you know and it's always
1:52:17 really great um being on those boards
1:52:19 and having that acknowledgement and just
1:52:22 uh being able to
1:52:26 I think council members can get a
1:52:29 different perspective when they attend
1:52:30 those. and um
1:52:34 I would commit to doing that as much as
1:52:37 I can.
1:52:40 >> Excellent. Council Walsh,
1:52:42 >> thank you. Um what do you see as the
1:52:45 biggest challenge
1:52:47 facing Isiqua and how would you propose
1:52:50 addressing it?
1:52:57 Um I touched on this earlier but uh for
1:53:01 certain I think housing I think we have
1:53:03 we have an identified area that we want
1:53:07 uh to build in and yet we're having some
1:53:11 difficulty. So um I'm encouraged by uh
1:53:16 the earlier council retreat that
1:53:18 happened this year. um just the
1:53:21 enthusiasm to
1:53:24 come at this from
1:53:26 different angles uh and take into
1:53:29 account that so much work has already
1:53:32 been done um
1:53:35 various reports uh I'm really encouraged
1:53:38 by I think it's the R refellis report
1:53:41 that identified um ways to make the
1:53:44 permitting process easier more
1:53:47 streamlined Um, I know other cities have
1:53:50 had success with that, too. And, uh, I
1:53:52 would do what I could to make sure we
1:53:56 keep that great pace that we're, uh, I
1:53:58 think really finding now. Um, and my
1:54:01 kudos goes out to the city staff with
1:54:03 that.
1:54:13 I'd be focused on what's within this our
1:54:16 the city's control to incentivize
1:54:18 development. Um especially for workforce
1:54:22 housing
1:54:26 which can also address a lot of other
1:54:30 if your workforce is able to live where
1:54:32 they work that can address things like
1:54:34 congestion
1:54:36 um which I know is another big challenge
1:54:39 uh for the city that I've definitely
1:54:41 heard as on my time on tab
1:54:48 Uh, I'm curious what more the city can
1:54:53 do, how we can look into um our code
1:54:57 provisions to increase the diversity of
1:54:59 our housing types. Uh, in my
1:55:03 last presentation to the city, I um
1:55:08 mentioned wanting to build more housing,
1:55:10 but build housing that's easier for
1:55:15 folks to connect to their neighbors. And
1:55:17 um I know that uh the financial
1:55:20 feasibility of cottage housing,
1:55:21 courtyard apartments in different zones,
1:55:24 we might have to pull some other levers
1:55:26 like parking um in order to make that a
1:55:29 reality. And I certainly don't want uh
1:55:32 the perfect to get in the way of the
1:55:34 good. But I know that
1:55:39 I think we can do both. I think we can
1:55:41 densify and build housing and make it
1:55:44 really enjoyable to live in.
1:55:48 >> Excellent. And the last question, Deputy
1:55:50 President Jen.
1:55:51 >> Great. Last question. Um, if appointed
1:55:54 to the Isiqua City Council, what would
1:55:56 you uniquely bring to the council that
1:55:58 would make us better?
1:56:03 >> Thank you for the question and thank you
1:56:06 for allowing me to partake in this
1:56:08 process. It's really been an honor.
1:56:11 I have a uh unique set of skills from my
1:56:16 professional experience um working as a
1:56:19 legislative assistant. Uh I hear from
1:56:22 folks daily about um what they think is
1:56:25 working for them from government um what
1:56:28 they like to see more of. You typically
1:56:30 don't hear a lot about uh what they
1:56:33 think is working really well. I am
1:56:35 cognizant of that. Um,
1:56:38 oftentimes no news is good news. And I'm
1:56:40 guilty of this myself. I I remember uh
1:56:42 driving over a filledin pothole in my
1:56:45 road and thinking, "Ah, this is great.
1:56:47 I'm so happy the city fixed this." And
1:56:49 of course, I didn't say anything. So,
1:56:51 that's why I made to practice some more
1:56:52 gratitude there and put my money where
1:56:54 my mouth is. that um I
1:57:00 bring with me deep listening skills.
1:57:03 When I interact with constituents,
1:57:07 members of the public, it's my goal to
1:57:10 make sure that even if we disagree on an
1:57:13 issue or what the issue even is or how
1:57:16 to address it, I want that person to
1:57:19 leave the conversation at least feeling
1:57:22 heard and ideally that they had a
1:57:25 positive interaction with their
1:57:27 government.
1:57:29 um especially in the age of automation
1:57:31 or chat bots, they heard a real human
1:57:33 listen to their concerns and I bring
1:57:35 that same spirit and ethos to any any
1:57:39 work on the council.
1:57:42 As I mentioned earlier, I have lived
1:57:44 experience um with both my career and my
1:57:47 personal live experience of um
1:57:52 benefiting from government services
1:57:54 being on the women infants and children
1:57:57 program as an infant um which helped me
1:58:01 grow. I've seen the benefit that
1:58:05 government can have. Um,
1:58:14 I also
1:58:18 relating to the human services realm,
1:58:24 I want to do as much as I can to address
1:58:27 um, get folks pointed in the right
1:58:30 direction, whether it's behavioral
1:58:32 health, clothing. We know there's gaps
1:58:35 um identified within the human services
1:58:38 plan. Um
1:58:41 I'd mentioned earlier in my presentation
1:58:43 a couple weeks ago that there's truly no
1:58:45 greater joy than be able being able to
1:58:47 be that conduit and connect someone with
1:58:50 what they're seeking or what they need
1:58:51 or at least point them in the right
1:58:53 direction. And um I'd be looking for
1:58:58 those glimmers and
1:59:00 being able to create hope on the horizon
1:59:04 in my time on council.
1:59:07 I know what it's like to be able to have
1:59:10 um access to behavioral health resources
1:59:15 and have a supportive community.
1:59:19 I know there's folks out in Isiqua that
1:59:21 are seeking that. Um we've got great
1:59:25 city staff and resources that um already
1:59:28 point them in the right direction and
1:59:30 wrap them around them with support that
1:59:33 we can offer and to the best of my
1:59:36 ability.
1:59:39 I want to keep my foot on the gas with
1:59:42 that.
1:59:44 >> All right. Excellent. Thank you very
1:59:45 much. And both Erica and Donovan, you
1:59:48 guys did excellent.
1:59:50 We are now going to go in executive
1:59:52 session. Qualifications appointment for
1:59:54 RCW42.30.110
1:59:57 parentheses one parentheses small age.
1:59:59 Council will now go on executive
2:00:00 session. The close session is expected
2:00:01 to take approximately 15 minutes. It may
2:00:03 be extended. If the time is extended,
2:00:05 the clerk will come down and make an
2:00:06 announcement. The city council is
2:00:08 planning to act after the close session
2:00:09 as part of the open meeting to make an
2:00:11 appointment. Executive sessions are
2:00:13 closed to the public. Council members,
2:00:14 the executive session will be held
2:00:16 upstairs. We will now go into executive
2:00:19 session at 9:00 and the session will
2:00:21 officially start in 5 or 10 minutes
2:00:25 somewhere in between there whenever
2:00:27 everyone's ready. And uh with that we
2:00:30 are now in executive session.
2:00:44 Okay.
2:09:06 Yeah, it is
2:14:00 I know.
2:14:22 Happy
2:14:27 48 hours.
2:15:11 So crazy.
2:16:05 That's not going to work.
2:17:05 Why are you not
2:18:00 No idea.
2:18:54 And then I was
2:19:39 That night,
2:20:51 philosophy
2:21:19 of the world.
2:21:21 Where did the other
2:22:00 Arseny, you're like ahead of us here. I
2:22:02 like it. The red light is
2:22:07 ready.
2:22:10 Okay,
2:22:12 we are back in open session at 9:22
2:22:16 p.m. At this point, the city council can
2:22:18 nominate individuals to the appointment.
2:22:20 Are there any comments before the
2:22:21 nominations are made?
2:22:25 >> Council President Mart. So, this is
2:22:28 probably a broken record at this point,
2:22:29 but uh you know, I will say that uh this
2:22:33 is uh always a tough decision and uh you
2:22:37 know, we we got down to a a smaller
2:22:39 finalist pool this time than previous
2:22:41 times. Uh so in some senses that
2:22:44 ratchets the pressure up a little bit,
2:22:46 but um you know look at the hallowed
2:22:49 list of people who had not gotten
2:22:50 appointed to city council in the past
2:22:52 and seen so many of them that went on to
2:22:54 great things like Bill Ramos uh and Mary
2:22:56 Lupali. So uh this is but one chapter in
2:23:01 uh an ongoing conversation and an
2:23:03 ongoing uh relationship with the city.
2:23:05 Thank you.
2:23:09 >> All right. Okay. So, are you ready to
2:23:13 make nominations? As a reminder,
2:23:14 nominees need to be made by one council
2:23:16 member and seconded by another council
2:23:18 member Joe.
2:23:20 >> Mayor Mola, thank you. Um, I would like
2:23:24 to nominate Erica Boyd to fill our
2:23:26 council vacancy for position number two.
2:23:32 Council
2:23:32 >> Walsh.
2:23:33 >> Second.
2:23:34 >> Okay. There's been a nomination and a
2:23:36 second. Is there any discussion? Council
2:23:39 member Joe,
2:23:40 >> I want to thank both candidates for
2:23:42 going through this process. Um, as a
2:23:46 former attorney, I know how hard it is
2:23:48 to get up to that dis and to put your
2:23:52 life out there for all the world to see
2:23:54 and for people to scrutinize your
2:23:57 answers or things you might not say. Um,
2:24:01 but I think that in this particular
2:24:03 case, we have a a need that we need to
2:24:06 fill, which is uh a person that can uh
2:24:11 fill a void that Barb D Michelle left us
2:24:13 when we have um
2:24:16 the need to have a person that's a keyed
2:24:19 into community service and our nonprofit
2:24:22 community and communicating with those
2:24:25 that are less fortunate in our community
2:24:27 in a way that lifts them up and uh will
2:24:31 help us be a stronger council overall as
2:24:33 we are more um sensitive to uh the needs
2:24:38 of our community along the way. I think
2:24:40 Erica fills that need. That's not to say
2:24:42 that other candidates uh in the future
2:24:44 might not uh be eligible or want to come
2:24:48 forward either in a process where
2:24:51 there's a selection or an election in
2:24:53 the future uh as well. But, uh, I fully,
2:24:56 uh, support Erica's, uh, nomination and,
2:25:00 uh, look forward to voting yes for her
2:25:02 this evening.
2:25:06 All right. Not seeing any other
2:25:09 discussion. Are there any other
2:25:10 nominations?
2:25:12 Okay. So, the first nominee is Erica
2:25:14 Boyd. There's no further discussion. All
2:25:16 those in favor of reporting Erica Boyd
2:25:18 to council position number three, please
2:25:19 signify by saying I.
2:25:22 Please signify by saying I. and raising
2:25:25 your hand. I
2:25:31 >> by unanimous vote, Erica Boyd is now
2:25:34 appointed to is city council position
2:25:37 number three. Congratulations. Uh
2:25:48 we're going to do the oath of office
2:25:50 next. But I will say, Donovan, I think
2:25:52 Council Member Joe pointed out at the
2:25:54 farmers markets, two people we'd always
2:25:56 see there very early on were you and
2:25:58 Erica. So you guys may not have realized
2:26:00 it, but your paths have been crossing, I
2:26:02 guess, at farmers market Saturdays for
2:26:04 quite a while. And we really appreciate
2:26:06 you putting yourself out there for this
2:26:08 process. You did an excellent job as
2:26:11 well. And Erica, I'm going to meet you
2:26:13 up front for the oath of office.
2:26:34 So, yes, you got to raise your right
2:26:36 hand. You know the drill. That's good.
2:26:40 >> I state your name.
2:26:41 >> I, Eric Boy.
2:26:43 >> Having been duly appointed to Is City of
2:26:45 Isiqua Council position number three.
2:26:46 having the duty of the city,
2:26:50 >> do solemnly swear
2:26:51 >> domly swear
2:26:52 >> that I will faithfully and impartially
2:26:54 >> That I will faithfully and
2:26:56 >> discharge the duties of this office
2:26:58 >> discharge the duties of this office
2:26:59 >> according to the law
2:27:01 >> according to the law
2:27:02 >> and to the best of my ability
2:27:03 >> to the best of my ability
2:27:04 >> that I will support
2:27:05 >> that I will support
2:27:06 >> the Constitution of the United States
2:27:08 >> the constitution of the United States
2:27:09 >> and the Constitution and laws of the
2:27:11 state of Washington
2:27:12 >> and the Constitution laws of the state
2:27:13 of Washington
2:27:14 >> and all local ordinances and all.
2:27:18 >> All right. Congratulations.
2:27:36 Oh, got it.
2:27:47 Let's do the photo. We'll do the photo
2:27:48 first.
2:27:54 >> Now you can sign.
2:27:56 You have to do both of those.
2:28:12 We're going to we're going to take a
2:28:14 short break so we can do one group photo
2:28:16 and then we will reconvene.
2:29:16 Okay, we are now Whoa, wait. We're back
2:29:21 in open session at 9:29.
2:29:25 The next item of business is committee
2:29:28 regional reports. We'll go through each
2:29:30 council member to have them give us
2:29:33 their reports. And council member Boyd,
2:29:36 do you want to report on your regional
2:29:37 committees? I'm just kidding. Council
2:29:39 member Adair.
2:29:41 >> Uh uh thank you. Uh I just have that the
2:29:45 services, safety, and parks committee
2:29:46 meeting that was originally scheduled
2:29:48 for April 28th was cancelled because the
2:29:50 May meeting was moved up to May 5th. So
2:29:52 as a result, the agenda items for both
2:29:54 April and May were combined into the May
2:29:56 5th meeting to avoid holding two
2:29:57 meetings one week apart.
2:30:00 That concludes my report.
2:30:02 >> Council member Nichols. Thank you. The
2:30:05 East Side Transportation Partnership met
2:30:06 in person on uh Friday, April 10th, but
2:30:10 I will defer for the committee report on
2:30:11 that to the vice chair of that
2:30:12 committee,
2:30:16 >> Council Member Joe.
2:30:17 >> Thank you. Uh the Mobility and
2:30:19 Infrastructure Committee, uh which is
2:30:22 scheduled for next was scheduled for
2:30:23 next week is canled. Um
2:30:27 we're canceling it because it was
2:30:28 originally scheduled on the night that
2:30:30 the school district meeting uh and
2:30:32 council uh dinner was scheduled. So um
2:30:35 we just moved it to next month. April
2:30:38 22nd, Cascade Water Alliance Board will
2:30:41 be meeting and I'm on the Finance and
2:30:43 Intergovernmental Committee and that's
2:30:45 meeting on 421.
2:30:47 Lastly, uh, ELTAC met this afternoon and
2:30:52 we, um, discussed the applications that
2:30:55 we received last year and talked about
2:30:57 how those applications can be improved
2:31:00 and the information that we received can
2:31:01 be, um, better processed by us to cut
2:31:05 down on our time potentially that we
2:31:08 review those applications. We also
2:31:10 talked about uh reporting factors that
2:31:12 were brought up at the uh council
2:31:14 meeting during the ELTAC discussion and
2:31:17 um trying to have a more visible
2:31:18 transparent process for that uh
2:31:22 information as it comes back uh for
2:31:24 council to deliberate on. Lastly, we
2:31:27 received a report from our destination
2:31:29 management organization, Visit Isiqua,
2:31:32 and found out about uh the things that
2:31:34 they've been doing in the last quarter.
2:31:36 I believe that report uh has been
2:31:38 forwarded or will be forwarded to
2:31:39 council. So look for it in your email
2:31:42 boxes. That concludes my report. Thank
2:31:44 >> All right, Council Member Walsh.
2:31:46 >> Thank you. I have three reports. Um as
2:31:49 the chair of the Planning, Development,
2:31:51 and Environment Committee, I want to
2:31:52 report out that our next meeting is on
2:31:54 May 19th, which again is a changed dates
2:31:57 because of a few shifting things. Um, we
2:32:00 will discuss code amendments and uh a
2:32:03 goals and outcomes discussion for our
2:32:05 proposed new housing work. And I guess I
2:32:09 would I was going to say the for those
2:32:11 who remember it, we had a goals and
2:32:13 outcomes chart for um our title 18 work,
2:32:16 but honestly uh council president Martz,
2:32:20 I think you're the only one here that
2:32:22 was there at that time. So, we're
2:32:25 bringing that back because it works.
2:32:28 >> Yes. Yeah, that was just two years
2:32:30 earlier when we started the process.
2:32:32 Yeah.
2:32:33 >> Um the council rules ad hoc. So we met
2:32:37 on April 2nd and provided feedback on
2:32:40 several sections of the council rules.
2:32:43 Uh social media policy, audience
2:32:45 comments, seating, voting and
2:32:47 abstensions, confidentiality,
2:32:49 correspondence, and the special meeting
2:32:51 process. Uh, we were supposed to address
2:32:54 the new business request process and use
2:32:56 of staff time, but those items were
2:32:58 continued to the April 21st meeting due
2:33:00 to a lack of time. Our next meeting is
2:33:03 tomorrow, April 21st, at 6:30 p.m. at
2:33:06 the steelhead room. Um, we will review a
2:33:09 draft of the social media policy,
2:33:11 provide guidance on the changes to the
2:33:14 new business requests and use of staff
2:33:16 time topics, and review a complete set
2:33:19 of draft amendments to council rules and
2:33:23 provide input on the presentation to C
2:33:26 uh, city council because we're going to
2:33:28 report out at the May 4th meeting. And
2:33:31 then East Side Fire and Rescue, we met
2:33:33 on April 9th to continue the very
2:33:36 important detailed conversation about
2:33:39 consolidation and financing options. One
2:33:42 of the things we learned there is East
2:33:44 Side Fire and Rescue is a little bit
2:33:46 ahead of the curve in that we basically
2:33:50 created
2:33:51 regional fire governance but without all
2:33:55 of the state levers for funding it by
2:33:58 creating what we currently have now with
2:34:00 an interlocal agreement and a nonprofit.
2:34:03 And so we reviewed um the other options
2:34:06 that might be out there um including a
2:34:09 regional fire authority or consolidating
2:34:12 into an existing RFA regional fire
2:34:15 authority or looking at uh fire
2:34:18 districts. We discussed pros and cons.
2:34:21 Uh we also had a bunch of other
2:34:22 information about the potential
2:34:24 financial impacts but again we ran out
2:34:26 of time because we have such detailed
2:34:28 and lovely uh conversation. So that is
2:34:30 pushed to the May meeting. Um, we also
2:34:33 nominated members for the finance and
2:34:35 administration committee which will
2:34:38 include council member Adair and our
2:34:40 next meeting is May 14th and that
2:34:42 concludes my report.
2:34:43 >> Right, Deputy President Jay.
2:34:45 >> Great. I have three as well. Um, so the
2:34:49 first one as council member Nichols
2:34:50 mentioned, we had an Eastside
2:34:51 Transportation Partnership meeting on
2:34:54 Friday, April 10th in Redmond. Um, PSRC
2:34:57 shared some federal and state updates.
2:34:58 We went around all the cities shared
2:35:00 their local priorities. One in
2:35:02 particular to call out is that Samish
2:35:03 mentioned their number one priority is
2:35:05 supporting Isiqua light rail which was
2:35:08 great. Um and then one of the items on
2:35:10 the agenda was um I had worked with uh
2:35:13 some council members from Kirkland to
2:35:14 draft a letter of support for the four
2:35:16 line for the east side transportation
2:35:17 partnership. There were a few you know
2:35:20 minor edits that were brought up and so
2:35:22 um we worked with metro staff to kind of
2:35:23 implement those adjustments. Um and we
2:35:26 will be approving that or voting to
2:35:28 approve that in May in the next ETP
2:35:30 meeting which is on May 9th. Um the King
2:35:33 County Regional Homelessness Authority
2:35:35 had our board retreat that same day
2:35:36 which was Friday uh April 10th in person
2:35:39 in Seattle. Um we discussed 2025
2:35:42 accomplishments and 2026 opportunities.
2:35:45 Lots of um interesting questions from
2:35:47 board members. We also discussed the
2:35:49 creation of a finance committee and an
2:35:52 executive committee. So, more to come on
2:35:53 that and I think probably the finance
2:35:55 committee is going to be created um in
2:35:57 our next board meeting which is this
2:35:59 Friday, April 24th. Um which will be
2:36:01 held virtually from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00
2:36:03 p.m. Finally, this Friday, the King
2:36:05 County Flood Control District Advisory
2:36:08 Committee, it's a handful, it's a
2:36:10 sevenletter acronym. Um we have our
2:36:12 first meeting this Friday uh from 1 to 3
2:36:15 pm. Um and so basically this committee
2:36:18 advises King County, the King County
2:36:20 Council in their offices as the King
2:36:22 County Flood Control District on what
2:36:24 types of uh flood mitigation projects to
2:36:27 fund. And so apparently the criteria
2:36:30 for, you know, how they prioritize flood
2:36:31 mitigation projects has changed since
2:36:33 the flooding back in December. So that's
2:36:35 going to be interesting. Probably
2:36:37 there's going to be more funding given
2:36:38 what we saw in December as well. So,
2:36:40 we'll have updates after that. That
2:36:42 concludes my report.
2:36:43 >> All right. Council President Martz.
2:36:45 >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Sound Cities
2:36:46 Association Public Issues Committee met
2:36:48 on Wednesday, April 8th at 7 p.m. Uh, it
2:36:52 was really the biggest issue was around
2:36:54 the King County Transportation
2:36:55 District's
2:36:57 uh 0.1 countywide sales tax. Um so the
2:37:04 punchline is that um when the KCTD met
2:37:09 at different times of the evening there
2:37:11 were seven of the nine members in favor
2:37:13 of at least some city pass through. The
2:37:15 problem was that there was no more than
2:37:16 four of the nine on any particular vote.
2:37:19 Uh so the executive's office actually
2:37:22 opposed the pass through but has
2:37:24 indicated a willingness to engage in
2:37:26 conversation with the appropriate
2:37:28 formula for a pass through. We um so uh
2:37:32 executive director Feldstein sort of
2:37:34 went through what the objections were.
2:37:37 Some of them are like well you've never
2:37:39 had a pass through of uh this exact
2:37:43 style before from the county back to the
2:37:46 cities and um he had good
2:37:48 counterarguments for each of it. Um KCTD
2:37:52 is likely to vote on an updated proposal
2:37:53 in May. I forwarded you all the language
2:37:56 of a draft uh draft letter. Um we did
2:38:01 some word smithing on that. There may be
2:38:03 some further word smithing. I believe
2:38:04 that that language reflects the last
2:38:06 time this council spent some time on the
2:38:08 subject. We are right in the middle lane
2:38:11 of how other cities feel about it which
2:38:14 is like 20 to 25%
2:38:16 um would be uh would be fair and not
2:38:20 usurious uh on the county. But if
2:38:23 anybody has any feedback on that letter,
2:38:25 please send it to me and uh and I will
2:38:27 incorporate that in my comments back
2:38:29 next month. Uh the Sound Cities
2:38:31 Association Board of Directors met the
2:38:33 following uh Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Ren
2:38:37 City Hall and it was really mostly again
2:38:39 about this transportation district, the
2:38:41 King County Transportation District.
2:38:43 That was the big thing. Um there was
2:38:45 also at both of them there was um I
2:38:47 would also say a spirited conversation
2:38:49 about um Olympia this year and about uh
2:38:55 where we had successes and where we did
2:38:57 not have successes and how uh we can go
2:39:01 about having better engagement with uh
2:39:04 the folks in Olympia and have a you know
2:39:07 move beyond our immediate legislators.
2:39:10 you know, go talk to some other
2:39:12 legislators uh out there who help them
2:39:14 understand our needs for for example um
2:39:17 because our legislators know us well at
2:39:19 this point hopefully. Uh so it was a so
2:39:22 both but both pick and uh the board of
2:39:26 directors there was quite quite a lot of
2:39:28 conversation about how do we um talk
2:39:31 better in Olympia about um issues that
2:39:34 come up at the city level. a feeling
2:39:36 that perhaps um the way that it went um
2:39:39 indicated we could improve those
2:39:41 conversations. That concludes my report.
2:39:43 >> Excellent. Hear that? RIP Paul. Council
2:39:45 President Marts wants to reach your
2:39:47 legislative colleagues and expand his
2:39:49 horizons.
2:39:51 Okay. So, tonight the rainer dog the new
2:39:54 Rainer Trail dog park opened. The
2:39:56 council was there. It was very exciting.
2:39:58 Uh Chris Kovac's dog Bug successfully
2:40:00 put on Tim Smith's GoPro and retrieved
2:40:03 the very first tennis ball in the Isiqua
2:40:06 new dog park and it was fun event. The
2:40:09 spring business openhouse is this
2:40:11 Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 at
2:40:13 Blakeley Hall. People can come by
2:40:16 basically city staff will be there. I
2:40:17 plan to be there. All the council is
2:40:19 invited if they can make it and
2:40:21 basically just give people in the small
2:40:23 business community squad a chance to ask
2:40:24 questions and and understand how to
2:40:26 better navigate the process. Uh downtown
2:40:28 is called summer wine and art starts
2:40:30 this Friday. That's at 6:00. My wife
2:40:33 Kelly and I have already purchased our
2:40:35 tickets and uh so we will be there. I
2:40:38 have not checked the weather yet, but we
2:40:40 encourage everyone to attend the
2:40:42 winewalk. And then Stacy sustainability
2:40:45 fair and the farmers market preview is
2:40:47 this Saturday. So inside Pickering Barn
2:40:49 you have sustainability fair and at the
2:40:51 same time it's sort of not the I think
2:40:54 the official launch of the farmers
2:40:55 market is Saturday May 1st but this is
2:40:57 called like the preview launch and so a
2:40:59 lot of the vendors will actually have
2:41:01 their stuff set up as well during the
2:41:03 sustainability fair this Saturday April
2:41:06 25th from 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. Uh ebike
2:41:08 demos, EV showcases, uh free clothing,
2:41:11 tree giveaways, uh and Council Member
2:41:14 Joe. Yes, I will be at the Cascade Water
2:41:16 Alliance board meeting this Wednesday
2:41:17 from 3:30 to 5:00. We still have to
2:41:19 figure out what we're doing with the
2:41:21 interim executive director versus
2:41:23 potentially doing a search for a new
2:41:24 executive director. And and I assume we
2:41:26 will hopefully resolve that issue at the
2:41:28 meeting this Wednesday. And that
2:41:31 concludes the mayor's report. Does
2:41:34 anyone have anything for the go to the
2:41:35 order? Council member Walsh.
2:41:39 >> Thank you. Um, responsive to the
2:41:43 community who have emailed us um, over
2:41:47 the last several weeks and who came out
2:41:49 tonight, I would move that the city
2:41:51 council direct the mayor and city
2:41:53 administration to place the topic of the
2:41:56 congressional community appropriations
2:41:58 grant and the proposed automative
2:42:00 license plate reader camera program on
2:42:03 the agenda for the council committee of
2:42:05 the whole meeting on May 11th, 2026,
2:42:08 including a full staff briefing and
2:42:11 opportunity for council discussion.
2:42:15 >> I'll second that.
2:42:17 >> There's been a motion and a second. Is
2:42:19 there any conversation? Council member
2:42:21 Walsh.
2:42:22 >> Thank you. Um
2:42:25 I just feel it's really important at
2:42:27 this point to
2:42:31 understand that our community needs um
2:42:33 transparency, accountability, and really
2:42:37 acknowledging that we are going to
2:42:39 follow through on issues that have
2:42:41 already been identified as important. um
2:42:46 these automatic license plate readers,
2:42:49 ALPRS or flot cameras um was previously
2:42:52 scheduled to come before us on May 19th
2:42:54 and then it was removed from the agenda
2:42:57 calendar. Um as I mentioned at the same
2:42:59 time we've received a significant volume
2:43:01 of public feedback particularly
2:43:04 regarding the flot cameras um with many
2:43:06 community members asking us to address
2:43:08 this issue openly rather than delay it.
2:43:11 Um, I think it's really important that
2:43:13 we establish a clear and timely path
2:43:15 forward and not delay something to a
2:43:19 time uncertain after a um, new police
2:43:23 chief is hired. Adding this item to our
2:43:26 already scheduled May 11th committee of
2:43:28 the whole meeting accomplishes a few
2:43:30 things. It restores a public process
2:43:32 around an issue that has generated
2:43:34 community concern, provides transparency
2:43:37 into both the grant opportunity and the
2:43:39 proposed flock camera program. It gives
2:43:42 the council the opportunity to ask
2:43:43 questions and receive a full briefing
2:43:45 from staff and it creates a community
2:43:49 conversation and a point where the
2:43:52 community knows when they can hear um
2:43:54 about something. Um the motion does not
2:43:58 take a position on the substance of the
2:44:00 proposal. It simply ensures that the
2:44:02 discussion happens in a public
2:44:04 transparent setting consistent with a
2:44:06 role in providing oversight. Um so I
2:44:09 think it's just really important that we
2:44:12 recognize that the public is eager for
2:44:14 engagement on this topic and um needs an
2:44:19 appropriate and timely opportunity to do
2:44:20 that. Council President Marts,
2:44:24 >> I'm I'm a little confused about the
2:44:26 about what's actually being proposed. We
2:44:29 we write checks, we pass laws, we pass
2:44:32 resolutions. Which of those three are
2:44:35 are we talking about doing here?
2:44:37 >> I am directing suggesting we direct the
2:44:39 administration to bring an item to our
2:44:42 agenda um that was previously removed.
2:44:47 >> The So you're asking because I'm not
2:44:49 sure. So, you're asking them to bring
2:44:52 the grant because the grant is doesn't,
2:44:55 I believe, require our approval.
2:44:58 >> Well, it should if it's a contract or
2:45:01 since over $300,000, which is what the
2:45:06 council has approval authority.
2:45:09 >> One of my fellow council members
2:45:12 approval.
2:45:12 >> Does it does it or does it not require
2:45:14 city approval
2:45:16 >> or council approval, I should say? We're
2:45:18 still working with the federal
2:45:20 government on that, but I think it at
2:45:23 this point we believe it will, but
2:45:25 again, we don't have something to bring
2:45:27 before the council at this point.
2:45:28 >> Right. So, you're you're basically
2:45:30 directing them to finish preparing that.
2:45:33 >> Yes. Because the previous um timeline
2:45:37 that was given to us was May 19th. That
2:45:41 has since been pulled and we've received
2:45:43 a lot of community concern over that.
2:45:46 And so even if the full and concise
2:45:49 complete information cannot be achieved
2:45:52 by the May 11th, I believe the community
2:45:56 deserves a time certain and a time in
2:46:00 within the bounds of the time period
2:46:02 that was previously mentioned in order
2:46:06 to hear what the council's responses to
2:46:10 this topic.
2:46:12 Can I ask the city clerk, did the item
2:46:14 get bold or did it get moved to a
2:46:16 different date later in the calendar?
2:46:19 >> It is currently not on our planning
2:46:21 calendar.
2:46:22 >> It's currently under the TBD 2026
2:46:24 awaiting more precise scheduling. So
2:46:29 >> got it.
2:46:30 >> Mr. Mayor, if I can just remind the
2:46:33 council that the planning calendar is
2:46:35 just that. It's a planning calendar. It
2:46:37 does not commit us to anything. We do it
2:46:39 as a courtesy um to be transparent. Um
2:46:42 and we often say that dates move, you
2:46:46 know, and uh certainly we do our best to
2:46:49 fulfill them, but there is no obligation
2:46:52 by the administration to fulfill any of
2:46:54 that. We do our best and I think as the
2:46:56 mayor has said um this evening, it has
2:46:59 been his judgment uh that this item
2:47:02 still needs additional uh study. we want
2:47:04 to wait for a new police chief because
2:47:06 that individual is going to have to move
2:47:09 forward with the responsibility of
2:47:11 protecting the community uh and feel
2:47:13 that it's important for that individual
2:47:15 to have uh some time and given that it's
2:47:18 we're going to be hopefully interviewing
2:47:19 candidates at the end of May um a little
2:47:22 bit delay doesn't seem to be an issue
2:47:25 for us. We have until the end of
2:47:28 September to uh work on the to accept
2:47:31 the grant. Um, so we have some time.
2:47:36 >> Council President Mart, did you
2:47:38 >> uh Okay. So, um, I think I'm going to
2:47:41 oppose this motion. Um, I think that I
2:47:46 have heard
2:47:48 I think in the community there is a
2:47:50 range of opinions. Um, there are folks
2:47:53 who are just dead set against using
2:47:56 ALPRs
2:47:57 and there are folks who don't like how
2:48:01 uh, Flock organizes its ALPRs and I
2:48:04 suspect there are folks in the community
2:48:06 who are okay with it, although we didn't
2:48:07 hear from many of them this evening. Um,
2:48:09 I think that ALPRs
2:48:12 are remind me very much of uh, body
2:48:16 cameras. For many years, we did not
2:48:19 implement body cameras because the ACLU
2:48:23 of Washington and National ACLU and
2:48:25 other organizations had a lot of
2:48:27 concerns with body cameras. Um, over
2:48:29 time those concerns were addressed and
2:48:32 now body cameras are considered an
2:48:34 essential tool for policing. Um, I don't
2:48:37 know if I support using ALPRs. I don't
2:48:41 know where I sit in that spectrum that I
2:48:43 just described. Um, but I want to have a
2:48:46 comprehensive conversation. And I think
2:48:49 forcing the administration to have a
2:48:51 date certain uh on something. I've never
2:48:54 seen that before. I've never seen this
2:48:56 council do that in 17 years. Attempt to
2:48:58 force the administration to do have a
2:49:00 conversation. I mean, you can you can
2:49:02 pass a resolution and say, "I hate lock
2:49:04 cameras." Right? But forcing the
2:49:06 administration to bring a bill forward
2:49:07 seems really weird to me. So, I think
2:49:09 it's a bad idea. I think it sets a bad
2:49:11 precedent. I also think we should have a
2:49:13 comprehensive conversation about ALPRs.
2:49:15 I think we should understand um are you
2:49:19 know there is Axon, there is Motorola,
2:49:22 there are other solutions other than
2:49:23 flock. I don't know if this grant uh
2:49:26 would allow that but you know there's
2:49:27 other potential solutions out there.
2:49:30 Points were brought up about you know
2:49:32 domestic abuse. I would be interested to
2:49:34 know if the police feel that you have
2:49:37 that um ALPRs give tools to people to
2:49:41 help prevent domestic abuse because you
2:49:43 can um you can tag the you know the
2:49:45 potential vehicles that are coming in. I
2:49:47 just think there's a lot of questions
2:49:48 associated with this. I think it's an
2:49:50 important conversation to have. I don't
2:49:51 want to have the wrong conversation and
2:49:53 I certainly don't want to again rush the
2:49:55 administration into something that
2:49:56 they're not ready to do. So for all
2:49:58 those reasons I'm going to oppose this
2:49:59 motion this evening. Thank you. Council
2:50:01 member Nichols.
2:50:05 >> Thank you.
2:50:07 Rachel Turpin, city attorney. I just
2:50:08 wanted to I I looked up the grant while
2:50:11 we were sitting here and it's for
2:50:13 $452,000.
2:50:15 So, it will definitely have to come to
2:50:17 council. So, there's no way for the city
2:50:19 to legally implement this grant without
2:50:22 it getting council approval at whether
2:50:25 it be, you know, now or in the future.
2:50:28 So just to clarify that I also wanted to
2:50:32 let everyone know um the grant is for
2:50:35 more than flock cameras. The application
2:50:37 was for other technology and I believe
2:50:39 that the flock cameras were pretty small
2:50:41 part of it and the estimate for the
2:50:43 other technology is pretty outdated. So
2:50:47 I'm not sure in you know my my
2:50:49 understanding is I'm not really even
2:50:51 sure how much grant money would be left
2:50:53 over for flock. However, I think that
2:50:55 you might need more time um
2:50:59 to actually like get more estimates to
2:51:02 actually know what the current costs
2:51:06 >> And I Rachel is it it's basically the
2:51:09 way the grant is designed.
2:51:11 >> You could do all tasers if you wanted
2:51:14 to. And that would be one option that
2:51:16 the new police chief, the new chief of
2:51:19 police could recommend to the council is
2:51:22 just saying, "Hey, based on the status
2:51:24 of the city's current equipment, I'm
2:51:26 recommending X." But we don't know at
2:51:28 this point in time what that new police
2:51:30 chief's recommendation would be because
2:51:32 we're interviewing that person on May
2:51:33 28th and May 29th. Is that
2:51:35 >> Yes, that is correct. That's that is my
2:51:37 understanding of the grant is that it's
2:51:38 we have put several options in our
2:51:41 application. It can be used for any of
2:51:42 those. But um it doesn't it mean you
2:51:46 know it doesn't mean that there's not
2:51:47 some aortion that's aortioned to one
2:51:50 versus the other and it's likely that
2:51:53 the tasers will end up costing more than
2:51:55 we thought they would.
2:51:57 >> Okay. Uh Council Member Nichols.
2:51:59 >> Yeah. Um I I think I I first of all I
2:52:02 support this motion. Um but I want to
2:52:06 just briefly on the procedural sides of
2:52:07 things. I mean my my understanding is
2:52:10 that we do do these kinds of things
2:52:12 somewhat routinely. Um we the I think
2:52:15 the second meeting I was at we had a
2:52:17 good of the order motion brought up
2:52:19 under the same process effectively to
2:52:22 have a resol to to bring forward a
2:52:24 discussion on uh supporting a school
2:52:26 levy that was upcoming. So as far as one
2:52:29 of the tools that are available to the
2:52:30 council to try to control our agenda,
2:52:32 this is my understanding is one of them.
2:52:34 We also have um in our council rules, we
2:52:37 have the it's state it's worded oddly.
2:52:40 It says the council president andor the
2:52:42 mayor are able to move these things
2:52:44 around. Um and we also have of course
2:52:45 the new business item that we exercise
2:52:48 tonight. So we do have it's our it's our
2:52:51 meeting. We do have control over the
2:52:52 agenda and we have a couple different
2:52:54 mechanisms to do that and I think this
2:52:55 is an example that's well within the
2:52:57 spirit of others that have quite
2:52:58 recently been used. Um I I don't want to
2:53:02 debate flock cameras tonight. I don't
2:53:04 think it'll come as any surprise to
2:53:05 anybody that I'm against them, but uh I
2:53:08 don't want to because this motion isn't
2:53:09 about that. It's about that procedural
2:53:12 step of trying to bring forward this
2:53:13 discussion sooner as we have many in our
2:53:16 community very very very clearly saying
2:53:17 they would like to see. Um and I think
2:53:20 it's appropriate to as well. Um I I have
2:53:23 heard the argument that we should wait
2:53:25 for a new police chief. Um and frankly I
2:53:29 I disagree with that. I think we we know
2:53:31 what we will need to know with only very
2:53:34 limited exceptions what from what would
2:53:36 happen between now and the time we get a
2:53:38 new police chief and that's because as
2:53:40 was brought up in the overwhelming
2:53:42 public comments that we've got on this
2:53:45 adopting one of these programs comes
2:53:47 down to trust and there's a couple
2:53:49 different layers of that trust that I
2:53:50 want to specifically name because I
2:53:51 think understanding those is important
2:53:53 to why this is a good conversation to
2:53:54 have now and why it shouldn't matter if
2:53:56 we wait. So layer one with this trust is
2:54:00 we have to trust our federal government
2:54:02 not to access our residents data in ways
2:54:04 that we don't sanction. Uh multiple
2:54:06 examples and mechanisms for that to
2:54:07 happen were brought up tonight. Layer
2:54:10 two, we have to trust whether ALPR
2:54:12 vendors we work with have adequate
2:54:14 safeguards and to not expose or monetize
2:54:16 our data in ways we don't want them to.
2:54:18 Multiple examples of that failure mode
2:54:19 were brought up tonight. We also have to
2:54:21 trust other Washington police agencies
2:54:23 with whom we would share the data on our
2:54:25 residents and visitors to follow their
2:54:28 own policies and ours and not to become
2:54:30 a side door that exposes our residents
2:54:32 to surveillance. Multiple examples of
2:54:34 that were brought up tonight.
2:54:36 Finally, four, we have to trust our own
2:54:38 department's internal compliance. Uh as
2:54:40 we're all aware, our department has had
2:54:42 struggles to put it mildly to comply
2:54:44 with their stated policies on
2:54:46 appropriate polic on on how these these
2:54:49 data are entered for to allow auditing.
2:54:51 However, that's the only topic where I
2:54:53 would really be interested to hear in a
2:54:55 new a new police chief's opinion. Um,
2:54:59 I think if we are no on any of those
2:55:02 first layers of trust, if we're no on
2:55:05 the federal government, if we're no on
2:55:06 the companies overall, if we're no on um
2:55:10 how other agencies in Washington can be
2:55:12 trusted to always follow their own
2:55:14 policies,
2:55:15 then we should logically be no to the
2:55:17 entire proposal because it's it requires
2:55:19 trust on all of those. So waiting for a
2:55:22 new chief does not make sense to me. I
2:55:24 think we have quite a bit of feedback
2:55:26 from the community that they would like
2:55:27 to hear this put to bed now. Um, one way
2:55:29 or the other, it's obviously causing
2:55:31 quite a bit of anxiety for many many
2:55:33 people. Um, and the the new data we get
2:55:36 I think is only gerine in the case where
2:55:39 we first have all of those layers of
2:55:40 trust finalized. The the last point I
2:55:43 want to make on this is I have heard and
2:55:46 at least discussion that SB60002 will
2:55:48 offer us reassurance um and that that
2:55:50 we'll need time to figure out how to
2:55:52 implement that. That's another reason to
2:55:53 delay. Um
2:55:56 I I this is another one I just don't
2:55:58 really understand. Like that's a it's a
2:56:00 state statute that sets a minimum
2:56:01 acceptable behavior u but not like a
2:56:04 maximum aspiration for how carefully our
2:56:06 city should treat its residents data.
2:56:07 And we can have that discussion now too.
2:56:09 Um I I find it really notable. Well, the
2:56:12 prime sponsor of that bill, SB60002,
2:56:14 said earlier in the month, and I'm
2:56:15 quoting her, quote, "I don't like these
2:56:18 cameras either, and if you ask me at the
2:56:20 local level, I'd be very uncomfortable
2:56:21 with the cameras." So, when the
2:56:23 legislator who sponsored the guardrails
2:56:25 says she herself would be uncomfortable
2:56:26 deploying the technology, we should hear
2:56:28 that. Um, so 6002 is a floor, but it
2:56:32 permits us to stand very far above it if
2:56:34 we want to, and we know what we need to
2:56:36 know now, and we should let the
2:56:37 community know what our thoughts are.
2:56:39 So, I support the motion.
2:56:42 Council member.
2:56:44 >> Uh yes. So when this agenda item was was
2:56:48 originally on there, you know, it was
2:56:49 told to me that, you know, it was plans
2:56:50 to extend it and to delay it rather. And
2:56:53 at the time, I did support that because
2:56:55 I equally wanted a very robust uh level
2:56:59 of information and discussion on this
2:57:01 because I do think it is a very
2:57:03 important topic and one that has a lot
2:57:05 of layers, outcomes, and people affected
2:57:08 by it. So I did want more time to get
2:57:10 that information. But in the last few
2:57:13 weeks that my opinion on that decision
2:57:15 has changed due to the public outcry.
2:57:18 Like besides the you know daily emails
2:57:20 we are getting to city council. I've had
2:57:23 direct conversations of individuals in
2:57:25 this city just talking to me out on the
2:57:27 street neighbors. There is a real sense
2:57:30 of fear um uncertainty and the community
2:57:36 the the act of it community expecting it
2:57:39 to be discussed and then suddenly not
2:57:41 being discussed has created a sense of
2:57:43 distrust with this with this government
2:57:46 and I'm just seeing that daily now and
2:57:49 so I do feel that this discussion needs
2:57:52 to happen now earlier and I don't I
2:57:55 think the delay is creating more
2:57:58 problems by doing it and so I feel that
2:58:01 there is a mechanism in which we can
2:58:03 discuss this earlier as brought up you
2:58:05 know the the grant covers many
2:58:07 technologies perhaps the discussion is
2:58:09 simply on the specific of this
2:58:11 technology shouldn't be part of that
2:58:13 grant um you know the the mechanisms I'm
2:58:16 uncertain about of but I believe we do
2:58:18 need to have this discussion now in
2:58:20 order to regain that trust with the
2:58:22 community so I do support this motion
2:58:27 >> and I don't know the answer to Uh, city
2:58:29 administrator, do we know if Chief
2:58:30 Schwan's
2:58:33 availability is on May?
2:58:37 >> Uh, she is doing some traveling as she
2:58:39 concludes her service with the city. Um,
2:58:41 she certainly is said that she'll be
2:58:43 available electronically.
2:58:46 >> Okay. So, our chief of police is not in
2:58:49 town to do the presentation on May 11th.
2:58:52 I'm just making that clear. Uh,
2:58:55 okay. Council member Joe,
2:58:58 >> thank you. Um,
2:59:00 former mayor Fred Butler said something
2:59:03 that kind of sticks in my mind. Um, if
2:59:06 you want it bad, you get it bad. And let
2:59:09 me just put that in context for you. Um,
2:59:12 if we push this up and we don't know the
2:59:16 full contents of the package,
2:59:19 it creates a situation where the public
2:59:22 doesn't know what's in the package and
2:59:24 they'll be bringing comments about the
2:59:25 whatifs,
2:59:27 the whatabouts, and not the package
2:59:29 itself. If we wait, I'm hearing from the
2:59:33 administration that they'll know what
2:59:35 they're going to put in that package.
2:59:38 uh because they're working on the
2:59:40 estimates. They're working on the the
2:59:42 how the the pieces will be put together
2:59:44 in there and we'll know whether or not
2:59:47 there's even an element of flot cameras
2:59:49 in there or not. Uh and if there is, how
2:59:53 much it is and why it's being brought
2:59:55 forward.
2:59:57 The last element is the the police chief
2:59:59 issue. Um
3:00:03 think about it. when you come into a new
3:00:07 uh you've just been hired. Um, I would
3:00:11 want the flexibility to um
3:00:16 create and mold the funding that's going
3:00:19 to adhere to my vision of what I want to
3:00:22 see in this new job and then put that
3:00:26 out there for a conversation with the
3:00:28 council or whatever governing body it
3:00:30 might be a board of directors to work on
3:00:32 that vision together. So, it's a shared
3:00:34 vision with compromise going forward.
3:00:38 If we decide to not do the grant at all,
3:00:44 uh that flexibility is gone for the new
3:00:46 person. If we decide what we want to put
3:00:49 into that grant without the input from
3:00:52 the new person that's coming in, we've
3:00:54 straight jacketed that person for at
3:00:56 least a year on the vision they would
3:01:00 like to put forward before we've even
3:01:02 heard what vision they'd like to bring
3:01:04 forward.
3:01:06 That doesn't mean that their vision is
3:01:08 going to be what we're going to do. That
3:01:10 doesn't mean that our vision vision is
3:01:12 what we're going to do. But we're going
3:01:13 to work together to find out what that
3:01:16 vision is and in a collaborative fashion
3:01:19 to welcome that new candidate in the new
3:01:22 police chief in so that vision can be
3:01:25 one that's shared by everybody. Um,
3:01:30 justice delayed is justice denied was
3:01:34 something that was said during the
3:01:35 debate about my ancestors and their
3:01:38 internment in Menadoka.
3:01:42 Um, in this particular case, delaying it
3:01:45 and telling the community that we are
3:01:47 delaying it and why we're delaying it
3:01:49 and then telling them what um, date
3:01:53 certain we're going to bring it back.
3:01:55 It's got to come back before September,
3:01:56 but the administration will have a
3:01:58 better idea of saying this is the date
3:02:00 that we're going to bring it back. Um,
3:02:02 if people want to comment on it, these
3:02:04 are the ways that they can comment on
3:02:05 it. Here are the public hearing
3:02:08 potentials. Here are the public comment
3:02:10 potentials. They will know what's in the
3:02:12 package. They'll know what they're
3:02:13 commenting on. We will know what we're
3:02:16 talking about and moving forward. If we
3:02:18 bring it in too early, there's just too
3:02:20 much speculation that can go on. And if
3:02:24 you have speculation about let's say a
3:02:27 um drug center for needles, you can have
3:02:32 a discussion that goes till midnight
3:02:34 because people are talking about the
3:02:35 whatifs and the speculation, not talking
3:02:38 about what's actually in the package.
3:02:40 I'd be in favor of not supporting this
3:02:43 motion so that we could have a clear
3:02:44 picture from the administration from our
3:02:47 new police chief what is going in there.
3:02:49 flat cameras are not coming in between
3:02:51 now and the time that we're considering
3:02:53 this grant in any way, shape, or form.
3:02:55 We can tell our citizens that. We can
3:02:58 tell them that it's going to be
3:02:58 discussed on a date certain. And here's
3:03:00 what's in the package. Here's what's
3:03:02 going to be discussed. And then they can
3:03:04 give their input on the actual package
3:03:07 rather than on speculation as to what
3:03:10 might be in the package, which could
3:03:11 include anything and everything under
3:03:13 the sun, including drones that surveil
3:03:18 and are like the Terminator, just as an
3:03:20 extreme example. That could be in there,
3:03:22 too, from a person's point of view. So,
3:03:25 I would be in favor of of delaying this
3:03:28 until we can get a clear picture of what
3:03:29 is going to actually be in the package.
3:03:31 The administration, from what I
3:03:33 understand, is not prepared to tell us
3:03:35 what they're going to put in that
3:03:36 package because the estimates are not
3:03:37 there. We want to give the flexibility
3:03:39 to the police chief coming in. Um, I
3:03:41 would hope that we would delay this and
3:03:44 I'm not saying that we don't need to
3:03:46 discuss block cameras if it's in there.
3:03:48 We certainly need to have a robust
3:03:49 discussion, but I'm not in support of
3:03:51 the motion this evening. Thank you,
3:03:53 >> Deputy President Shank.
3:03:55 Um, so I think my take on this motion
3:03:59 is, you know, committee of the whole is
3:04:01 not about making a specific decision,
3:04:03 right? It's that this grant is going to
3:04:04 be brought to us and we're going to have
3:04:06 a conversation about it. I think it's
3:04:07 been brought up multiple times tonight,
3:04:09 you know, oh, the grant could cover a
3:04:11 bunch of different things. It would be,
3:04:12 I think, very helpful for me and also
3:04:15 probably for my fellow council members
3:04:16 to get a presentation on what all those
3:04:18 different things are just so that we're
3:04:19 actually on the same page because I
3:04:21 don't I mean, I think maybe I kind of
3:04:22 skimmed the grant, but I think we can
3:04:26 have a better conversation if we
3:04:28 actually understand what the grant
3:04:31 entails. And I don't think we've
3:04:33 actually gotten that yet. So, I think I
3:04:35 would support having that conversation,
3:04:37 you know, as a committee of the whole so
3:04:39 that we can actually cuz if if the topic
3:04:41 is, you know, okay, we're getting this
3:04:43 federal grant, what can we do with it? I
3:04:45 think we can discuss a few of the
3:04:47 different things, you know, what we put
3:04:48 in there, what it could potentially be
3:04:50 used for, and give some general guidance
3:04:51 on how to move forward. That doesn't
3:04:53 because it's committee of the whole,
3:04:54 that doesn't necessarily preclude us
3:04:56 from, you know, waiting for the new
3:04:58 police chief to be hired to actually
3:05:00 make a decision. It just gives us the
3:05:02 opportunity to actually understand what
3:05:04 is in the grant, which I think we've all
3:05:06 kind of been having these conversations
3:05:08 about. And I think even for those of us
3:05:09 on the council, I think would be very
3:05:11 helpful to actually understand what the
3:05:13 grant is and what it is not. Um, and
3:05:16 also, you know, there have been times
3:05:18 when we've had multiple committee of the
3:05:19 whole meetings on a specific topic,
3:05:21 right? This could just be a first touch
3:05:22 of, okay, here's what the grant is,
3:05:24 here's what the proposal is so far. We
3:05:26 could tweak it in this way or the other
3:05:28 way. But again, you know, I think it's
3:05:30 important for us to actually have a
3:05:31 clear understanding of what that is.
3:05:33 Even if we don't have, you know, the
3:05:35 cost estimates on every specific
3:05:37 component, I think it would be really
3:05:39 helpful for us to get an actual
3:05:40 presentation on it. So, I will be
3:05:42 supporting this.
3:05:44 >> Council member Dair. Oh, council member
3:05:46 White Boy.
3:05:48 I was largely going to say that I'm
3:05:50 interested in discussing this at the
3:05:53 council of the whole um because we're we
3:05:58 don't have to make a decision at that
3:06:00 meeting. I think it would be very
3:06:01 beneficial to discuss it and my
3:06:06 understanding which is very rocky
3:06:07 because of how new I am is that uh this
3:06:10 isn't too much earlier than the original
3:06:13 timeline that we were the council was
3:06:16 going to discuss this issue or uh have
3:06:20 it on the agenda more. So, I very much
3:06:23 hear the administrative concerns about,
3:06:26 you know, needing time to get all the
3:06:28 right details, but um
3:06:31 I think the community would benefit from
3:06:32 us discussing it with what we have,
3:06:36 especially if we are open about
3:06:40 we will be
3:06:43 getting more details
3:06:45 uh in the future. But for now, let's
3:06:47 start this conversation.
3:06:50 Council
3:06:51 member Dair.
3:06:53 >> Um yeah, so um I wanted to echo echo uh
3:06:56 Deputy President Jiang's points that in
3:06:58 the committee of the whole we get to
3:06:59 discuss something in all its details
3:07:02 similar to the uh the parks levy renewal
3:07:05 we talked about. And while we didn't
3:07:06 like remove one of the proposed projects
3:07:09 during that meeting, we could have said,
3:07:10 "Oh, we don't like that project. Don't
3:07:13 include that in your ongoing work on
3:07:15 this levy." Similarly, with this
3:07:17 package, we not deciding on the grant as
3:07:19 a whole, but we could say, "Okay, we
3:07:21 like these elements of it." And as you
3:07:22 continue to have these conversations and
3:07:24 build it, we like these things, we don't
3:07:26 like these things, and that be part of
3:07:28 that conversation. And so I do think
3:07:30 this is a good time and place to start
3:07:32 having those and to help to help um
3:07:36 inform the new chief when they do get
3:07:38 there and they are building this package
3:07:40 of what they want to do and what they
3:07:41 see for our police force. They have the
3:07:44 inputs from us already of the things
3:07:46 that we support, the things we feel the
3:07:49 community supports. And so I feel like
3:07:51 we can have this conversation now to
3:07:53 discuss it. We're not necessarily voting
3:07:55 on the grant, but we're trying to inform
3:07:57 it in terms of how it will be built,
3:07:59 similar to how we build other things.
3:08:06 >> Okay, Mr. Mayor.
3:08:07 >> Yes. Just to try to clarify. So, we have
3:08:11 submitted a grant. We can come and we
3:08:13 can share orally. We've already shared
3:08:16 the documents with the council, but we
3:08:17 can share for the community. This is
3:08:20 what the the notice was that we
3:08:22 responded to. this is what we proposed
3:08:25 and then we have received notification
3:08:26 that we've received
3:08:28 the grant with a dollar amount and so
3:08:30 the next step to that is to negotiate a
3:08:33 grant agreement with the federal
3:08:35 government which we have not yet done so
3:08:37 and we will not have done by the 11th so
3:08:40 really
3:08:40 >> we don't even have a draft right now
3:08:42 just so everyone is clear like okay
3:08:44 >> so we will basically share what we've
3:08:47 already shared which is this is what was
3:08:49 the request and it was a request from
3:08:51 Congresswoman Shrier's office. Um, and
3:08:53 then what we submitted as an application
3:08:56 and that's what we'll share
3:08:59 and the council can comment,
3:09:02 I guess, as you like. As we've said,
3:09:04 we're trying to get a a better sense of
3:09:07 the uh the cost associated with the
3:09:10 tasers. Uh, that those are it's a larger
3:09:13 dollar amount. It's a fixed dollar
3:09:14 amount. Um, we got a proposal that was
3:09:17 received when we put the grant together.
3:09:19 We have gone back to the manufacturer to
3:09:22 get an an updated cost. We have yet to
3:09:24 receive that. So, we'll share what we
3:09:26 have at the time. Um, but then that
3:09:29 would be as far as we would go. Is that
3:09:31 my understanding? At the committee, the
3:09:32 whole and get whatever input you have on
3:09:35 the grant that we submitted
3:09:38 a year ago.
3:09:40 >> Deputy President Jang and then President
3:09:42 Mart.
3:09:44 >> Yeah, I mean, I think that's aligned
3:09:46 with what I was thinking. Um any
3:09:49 additional detail you're able to share
3:09:51 on you know like is there any
3:09:52 flexibility you know here's what we
3:09:54 applied for the grant for my
3:09:58 is there any flexibility and you know
3:09:59 what we can spend it on um to the extent
3:10:02 you're able to share that and just like
3:10:03 share a snapshot of where we're at in
3:10:05 the process. I think that would be
3:10:06 helpful just from the perspective of
3:10:08 transparency since that's what we've
3:10:10 been hearing a lot about from our
3:10:11 community.
3:10:12 >> Okay. And I think Rachel we know we have
3:10:14 flexibility right now. Right. Well, we
3:10:15 don't I don't know because I don't have
3:10:17 an agreement to look at. So, until I get
3:10:20 a document from the federal government
3:10:21 that's has the rules and restrictions in
3:10:23 it. I can't say that with certainty.
3:10:25 That's the way most of it work. Most of
3:10:27 it works. It's it's listed in the
3:10:29 federal appropriations bill as as taser
3:10:32 equipment. It's not or as I think bodywn
3:10:35 camera equipment because it's a a it's
3:10:38 equipment that links the bodywn camera
3:10:40 to your taser discharge. So, I know
3:10:43 that's not the bulk of the the funding.
3:10:46 I can't imagine that they wouldn't say,
3:10:48 "Oh, you can take it looks like
3:10:50 approximately
3:10:52 380,000
3:10:55 $85,000 of the $342,000
3:10:58 is for the taser equipment. So, it's
3:11:01 $75,000 that's for the ALPR system." I
3:11:04 can't imagine that they wouldn't say,
3:11:06 "Oh, you don't you just don't have to
3:11:07 take the whole thing and you can take,
3:11:09 you know, whatever the amount is for the
3:11:12 tasers." And I I I imagine that will be
3:11:15 okay. That is the way it is with pretty
3:11:18 much most grant agreements I've ever
3:11:20 read, but I won't be able to give you
3:11:21 that certainty on May 11th unless I see
3:11:25 the contract.
3:11:28 >> Council President Marts.
3:11:31 So I understand the argument that um by
3:11:35 talking about it at committee of the
3:11:37 whole uh you're it's not the point we're
3:11:40 not making necessarily a decision uh at
3:11:43 that first committee of the whole.
3:11:45 Nevertheless, at some point somewhere
3:11:47 here before September, we'll have to
3:11:49 make a decision. And I think we owe it
3:11:52 to ourselves to what we've not heard
3:11:56 thus far in this conversation at all is
3:11:58 why our police force wants ALPRs.
3:12:01 Uh we haven't heard why cities like Kent
3:12:04 and Auburn are very happy having ALPRs.
3:12:07 Um, I think that there's a conversation
3:12:11 um to the extent that there are specific
3:12:13 concerns that we've heard around things
3:12:15 like uh protection of folks in domestic
3:12:18 violence and in areas like uh local uh
3:12:23 database control. Um, I think that we
3:12:26 want to hear um what's the
3:12:28 state-of-the-art in that and I think
3:12:30 that we probably want to hear um the
3:12:32 state versus Simson decision uh around
3:12:35 the fourth amendment and uh its
3:12:37 relationship to ALPRs here in Washington
3:12:39 state uh to address that concern that
3:12:41 we've heard from the public. So that's
3:12:43 all I believe those things should all be
3:12:46 discussed before we make a decision
3:12:48 whether that occurs at the next cow
3:12:50 meeting or a cow meeting after that or
3:12:52 whatever. Um I think we would be doing a
3:12:55 disservice
3:12:57 um merely because we have heard uh a lot
3:13:02 of public concern with this technology.
3:13:05 I don't think that's the the end of the
3:13:07 conversation. I think it's up I think
3:13:09 it's beholden to us um to ask for a good
3:13:12 understanding of to the best that we can
3:13:15 of the concerns that we've heard before
3:13:16 we make a decision. Thank you,
3:13:19 >> Council Member Walsh.
3:13:21 >> Thank you. Um, I would be interested in
3:13:25 hearing why the police department
3:13:27 applied for this grant, why they thought
3:13:29 these particular technologies would be
3:13:32 interesting to them. That's
3:13:35 a piece of the puzzle and I would expect
3:13:39 with any presentation to the city
3:13:42 council on a potential grant, it would
3:13:44 be why did we seek this grant? What were
3:13:47 we trying to solve? So that makes sense
3:13:50 um from my perspective on that. My goal
3:13:55 in this is to create a date certain and
3:13:59 public transparency. all of the
3:14:01 information that we have been talking
3:14:03 about thus far, the fact that there are
3:14:05 tasers involved in this uh potential
3:14:09 grant, the fact that this came from
3:14:10 Congresswoman Shrier's office, the fact
3:14:12 that our police department applied for
3:14:15 it in 2025, all of that is information
3:14:17 that we have as city council members
3:14:21 that the public does not have. And so
3:14:24 the goal here at the very very minimum
3:14:29 is to have a meeting where there is
3:14:32 public information shared about this
3:14:35 potential grant opportunity.
3:14:38 What that could include, why we applied
3:14:41 for it, and what the city council and
3:14:43 the community's perspectives are on
3:14:46 that. And I think council member Adair's
3:14:48 point of, hey, if we came into this,
3:14:52 just like if we had a potential
3:14:54 sustainability grant and you came to
3:14:57 city council and said, look, do you want
3:14:59 us to focus more on
3:15:02 um solar panels or more on a
3:15:06 communityoriented set of heat pumps? We
3:15:09 could provide that perspective and that
3:15:11 keeps you from going down a path of
3:15:14 trying to solve two different things if
3:15:17 the decision-making body which is the
3:15:20 seven of us up here
3:15:22 have a perspective particularly as
3:15:25 informed by the community. So I I think
3:15:29 there is the potential that this could
3:15:31 save the administration time and effort
3:15:34 if we are able to daylight some of these
3:15:38 pieces of information and feedback
3:15:40 early.
3:15:45 >> Council member Nichols,
3:15:49 >> the other point on this that I think has
3:15:51 been brought up a couple times is that
3:15:52 this doesn't have to be the only time we
3:15:54 have this conversation. Um, I I think
3:15:57 it's highly unlikely that if we were to
3:15:59 bring block cameras into Isqua, we would
3:16:01 only want a single conversation on it.
3:16:03 Um, I think we will want multiple and
3:16:06 it's I appreciate that we don't know
3:16:08 everything we would want to know at the
3:16:09 moment. Um, and that we the
3:16:10 administration doesn't have everyone
3:16:12 present who to who could present it
3:16:14 because they haven't been hired. Um,
3:16:16 those are all valid points. Nonetheless,
3:16:18 it's not that we know nothing. We do
3:16:20 have a good amount that we do know. We
3:16:22 know as has been brought up that we
3:16:23 applied for this grant. We know what the
3:16:25 grant says. We know what the
3:16:26 justifications for it were in that
3:16:27 grant. Um,
3:16:30 and that is of course all somewhat
3:16:33 public, but it's hard to access unless
3:16:35 you really know what you're looking for.
3:16:37 So making that clear and clearly
3:16:39 available would I think be a good
3:16:41 minimum first step there. Um, and if
3:16:43 there's more that the administration has
3:16:44 the time to acquire by that point,
3:16:46 whether it's quotes, whether it's a more
3:16:49 informed perspective, um, based on an an
3:16:52 advocate within the administration who
3:16:53 wants to make a case one way or the
3:16:55 other, um, or whether it's federal
3:16:57 contract language if we receive that,
3:16:59 those would all be nice to have to add
3:17:00 on. But I do expect we will have
3:17:02 additional conversations on this in the
3:17:04 future. And this isn't a rush. Like,
3:17:06 this is a first touch at a conversation
3:17:08 that shouldn't be rushed. Um, and we
3:17:10 have plenty of time to have multiple
3:17:11 conversations to that end.
3:17:15 >> Council member,
3:17:17 >> uh, I don't have much more to add. Uh,
3:17:19 council members Walsh Nichols racisely
3:17:20 said what I was wanting to say in that I
3:17:22 feel like the point of this isn't
3:17:24 necessarily for you to have everything
3:17:26 about this final agreement but to have
3:17:28 everything that has brought us to this
3:17:30 point and what next steps you are
3:17:32 working on what you are thinking of it
3:17:34 because clearly the grant had some you
3:17:35 know components to it technologies in it
3:17:38 and you know this is coming from the new
3:17:41 person that and I wasn't in these prior
3:17:43 meetings that I don't know all that and
3:17:44 I'm here a lot of it is hearsay and I
3:17:47 feel that the And now and I feel that
3:17:49 the public really demands this and I
3:17:51 think so that's why I do think we need
3:17:53 to have this upfront. Here is where
3:17:55 everything is. Here is where what we
3:17:57 found out. Here's what has been approved
3:17:59 or not approved and here's where the
3:18:00 next steps will be. Um and so recognize
3:18:03 you won't have a full contract but that
3:18:04 you can kind of get us to get us to that
3:18:07 day of where everything is and we can
3:18:09 present that discuss that and then
3:18:10 figure out the next steps.
3:18:13 >> And Mr. Mayor. So again, I want to make
3:18:15 sure that when we do have the
3:18:16 conversation that everyone's on the same
3:18:18 page of what we're coming back with. So
3:18:21 um we will bring the notice that we
3:18:24 responded to. We will bring the
3:18:27 application. Uh we will have the
3:18:30 justification
3:18:31 uh from the department. Uh I think it
3:18:33 would also be useful for us to review
3:18:35 the previous council discussion because
3:18:38 the reality of how this all happened was
3:18:41 the discussion that occurred in service
3:18:43 to safety and parks and then the
3:18:45 discussion that occurred with the full
3:18:46 city council uh last July where the
3:18:50 council uh I think and we'll have to go
3:18:52 back and watch the tape to get the
3:18:54 actual words but certainly the
3:18:56 impression that was left to the police
3:18:57 department staff after the July
3:18:59 discussion was sure this is really
3:19:01 interesting but there's no money. And so
3:19:03 I think the impetus for the police staff
3:19:06 to actually file this application was
3:19:10 the discussion in July from the council
3:19:11 that said, "Yeah, this is a good idea,
3:19:13 but we don't have the money right now."
3:19:15 So we want to make sure we'll go back
3:19:16 and and include those uh pertinent
3:19:20 portions. I off the top of my head, I
3:19:22 think it was two discussions. It came
3:19:23 out of service to safety and parks. I
3:19:25 think it then came back to the council.
3:19:27 So it may have be a third discussion
3:19:29 because there absolutely was a
3:19:30 discussion in July where we said is this
3:19:33 something that the council wants to
3:19:34 allocate funds for. The council said no
3:19:37 we're we're concerned about where we are
3:19:39 uh in the current fiscal year. Uh we
3:19:42 don't want to do that. Uh and I think
3:19:43 that from that point on is when the
3:19:46 department said okay great we'll go find
3:19:47 the money if the council uh doesn't have
3:19:50 the money but is not objecting at that
3:19:52 point with what was known. That's what
3:19:54 brought that. So, we'll go back and get
3:19:56 the tapes and and share for those
3:19:58 members who were not on the council for
3:20:00 those discussions to at least have the
3:20:02 benefit of what the staff heard from the
3:20:05 council in those discussions. So, that
3:20:07 will be what we bring back on the 11th.
3:20:09 That makes sense for everyone.
3:20:13 Great.
3:20:16 Okay. Yeah. And to reiterate, I think
3:20:18 what we just heard from city
3:20:19 administrator Tullah's point, I think a
3:20:22 lot of the issues that council president
3:20:24 Martz brought up will not we're not
3:20:26 going to be in a we're not going to have
3:20:28 the time to kind of bring those
3:20:29 arguments forward on May 11th, but I
3:20:31 think as the city administrator
3:20:33 described, we'll bring forward kind of
3:20:34 the factual information that we do have
3:20:36 and uh and go from there. So, there's no
3:20:38 further discussion, the motion from the
3:20:39 council.
3:20:40 >> Oh, council member Joe. Um, I'm always
3:20:42 curious if we devote time to this
3:20:45 between now and May 11th, what are we
3:20:48 not going to be able to address or what
3:20:50 will go off the plan if anything on the
3:20:53 administration side?
3:20:56 Much of the information is already
3:20:58 gathered. I think the piece that we'll
3:21:00 have to go back is to get uh a precise
3:21:03 uh documentation of the council's
3:21:06 discussions on this because I think
3:21:07 through the discussions I've heard this
3:21:09 evening, you want to know why this
3:21:11 happened. And I think a part of why this
3:21:13 happened was the discussions that the
3:21:15 city council had in the spring and
3:21:17 summer last year, which certainly was
3:21:20 different than the discussions that are
3:21:22 happening now. And so I think just for
3:21:23 the record, we want to make sure that
3:21:26 the community is aware of the council's
3:21:28 previous discussions on this topic that
3:21:30 this just didn't come out of the blue
3:21:33 that there were discussions last year.
3:21:35 So we'll include that as well. So I I
3:21:37 that's the only part that will require
3:21:38 some work and we've got a couple of
3:21:40 weeks uh to do that. Again, it was two
3:21:42 or three meetings.
3:21:45 The clerk's office will help us
3:21:47 determine that pretty quickly.
3:21:51 >> Okay. Okay. So, there's no further
3:21:52 discussion. The motion from the council
3:21:54 is to direct the mayor city
3:21:55 administration to place the topic of the
3:21:56 congressional community appropriations
3:21:58 grant and the proposed automated license
3:22:00 plate reader camera program on the
3:22:01 agenda for the council committee the
3:22:02 whole meeting on May 11th, 2026,
3:22:05 including a full staff briefing and
3:22:06 opportunity for council discussion. All
3:22:09 those in favor, please say I. I.
3:22:12 >> I. I.
3:22:13 >> All those opposed, no.
3:22:17 And that passes 5 to 2. And
3:22:22 I'd like to announce the following
3:22:23 upcoming council meetings. Uh Monday,
3:22:25 April 27th, the joint meeting with the
3:22:27 city council and the Isqua school board
3:22:28 is at 6 p.m. Yes, we will have typhoon
3:22:31 uh from our favorite tie place across
3:22:32 the street here. This will be the Isqua
3:22:34 senior center. Uh
3:22:36 anticipated agenda items. Welcome in
3:22:38 team building. Yes, that's an agenda
3:22:41 item. We have a squad development
3:22:43 update, growth projections.
3:22:45 uh updates on activities issues for ISC
3:22:47 schools located in Isakiqua update of
3:22:49 the new high school and the joint use
3:22:51 agreement with the parks department. Uh
3:22:53 the next regular city council meeting is
3:22:55 Monday, May 4th. Anticipate agenda items
3:22:57 are the city council rules and
3:22:58 procedures ad hoc committee report out
3:23:00 the public records act training. Get
3:23:02 excited.
3:23:04 The always exciting public records act.
3:23:06 I know our city clerk is really excited
3:23:08 for that training. And uh there's no
3:23:11 further business. This meeting is
3:23:13 adjourned at 10:23
Minutes for this meeting haven't been published yet. Council and committee minutes are approved at the next meeting and embedded as a consent-calendar attachment in that meeting's agenda packet — they will appear here once that next packet is processed.