A RESOLUTION in support of the bid by The City of Seattle to host the National League of Cities 2024 or 2025 City Summit conference.
Bill passed and chair of the Senate. Please read the new agenda item number one, which will be resolution 31813. From the amended agenda resolution 318138 Resolution in support of the bid by the City of Seattle to host the National League of Cities 2024 or 2025. Cities Summit. Conference. Casper and Bexar. Thank you very much, Council colleagues. I know that this may have come as a surprise to you today. That's on the agenda. Last week, our office circulated this resolution. And the point is to invite our National League of Cities to come to the city of Seattle 2024 or 2025. As Tom Norwalk said the last time, they were heroes 2013. This is not a money ask. So in case any of you are concerned about having not seen any finances attached to this, there is not a money ask at this point. The request is that we sign a letter that invites the NLC to come to the city of Seattle. I have attended this National League of Cities Conference many times and I can tell you it's extremely valuable. And when people came to our city in 2013 that the economic impact was estimated to be about $8 million, the city at that time put $80,000 of our own resources in terms of time toward supporting and hosting. There is a host committee that will end up raising somewhere close to a half a million dollars, but that is not a request that's coming directly to the city. If we support this and pass this resolution today, the mayor will attach her own letter and that is attached to this resolution that will go to the National League of Cities, the woman who's head of conferences and meetings. And I ask for your support. Thank you very much. Appreciate the public testimony in that regard. Any comments, questions or concerns before we vote? Council member Gonzalez. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to to consider this resolution in front of us today. I don't think it's entirely fair to say that this is not a money ask. I think it will lead to expenditures by the city of Seattle. And I'm a little concerned that I don't have a clear understanding of what that level of commitment will be and so on. So, you know, I am I understand why the resolution is coming to us at this juncture. And I don't want to send Mr. Norwalk a message that I'm not supportive or of being convinced that this is that we've got all of the information we need to be considered here. So I just want to say that I'm going to vote no on this, not because I will not be supportive of the effort down the road, but just because I don't feel like I have all of the full information that I need to be able to get a full, robust understanding of the impacts of this resolution and the city of Seattle submission of this of this letter. So I recognize that this is just an initial exploration of the issue. And so I just want to be able to reserve my right later on to be more critical of the proposal. And so for those reasons, I intend to vote no on this resolution. Thank you. Councilman Casar, Councilman Beck. Sure. Just for those who may be concerned, likewise about what this could lead down the road, again, we're talking about 6 to 7 years down the road. And in 2013, our city staff, the amount of time that was estimated that they put in was $80,000. And the actual budget that I was handed about 5 minutes before this meeting from the 2013 NLC, the conference expenses was a total of $613,000, of which the city participated. But it was in fundraising, not coming out of our general fund. So I think with the what we know about the expected economic impact for our hotels, for people who are coming here, and as our workers are given getting more and more support that they are protected within our hotels, what the number that I was given to anticipate the economic value to our city in 2024 or 2025 is expected to be close to $14 million over 13, around 13 887. I think it's worthy of us looking into this. And as I say today, this is a resolution that will have a letter supported and attached by the mayor that simply says to the National League of Cities, we think this is a good idea. We invite you to come to Seattle, and I think I urge your support on this so that we can move it forward. Thank you very much. Councilmember Swan. Thank you, President. I understand that going through her remarks, you're saying that this is this resolution at this moment does not have any fiscal component to it. I do think, though, that the questions it raises are quite important. There is no money asked at this point, but I think it does point towards a direction over the horizon that I do not support. I do not think it is a good use of public funds to support a luxurious conference of the political establishment, to hobnob with the downtown Seattle Association. And the very fact that the downtown Seattle Association representative is here to speak in favor of it should be something of a warning for everybody to who wants to be supporting this. I also call to question the use of public dime and city council time to be doing the bidding of big business. When you say economic value to the city going to measure who is it? I mean, economic. If if the downtown Seattle Association is you're speaking in favor of it, then the economic value is for big business. And I also do not have the full facts at my disposal at this moment. But all indications are that it will be economic value for big business. And so I also intend to would. No. Thank you for that. Any further comments? I quite can. I didn't expect such a lively debate on this resolution. I will be supporting it. Again, I just think that it sends a message that we are interested in hosting this event. And I think as we grapple with the issues of the largest city in the state, that we would welcome a good conversation with other leaders, whether they be in business or politics or non-profits or in health organizations. We welcome that discussion, and I think that we can. Consider the fiscal impacts down the road. I'm supporting it just to send this signal that this which should be something we may want to pursue. Okay. Anyone else want to chime in before we vote? I just think for the record, it's just we continuously get asked to make sure that we are making fact based, data driven decisions from up here. And and and I and I want to be really clear that that's that is the filter that I am applying in my vote to this resolution. I don't I don't have enough details and information to draw the conclusion based on 2013, information that we will once again, six years from now, spend $80,000. Think the city has changed a lot since 2013. And I think we deserve an opportunity to be able to reserve an opportunity to ask these deeper questions before a majority of this council commits itself to saying yes to the impacts of bringing that and LC to the city of Seattle. And so I just want to lift up that. For me, it's really important to have that that level of intellectual integrity in terms of making sure that I'm looking at this resolution and what we're being asked to vote on with a lens of making sure that we know fully what those impacts are going to be. And I feel like we just don't know what that is. And I have the same concerns when we voted. For. The FIFA application things for World Cup, and those same concerns exists for me in the context of this resolution. Understood. Any further comments? I'll see. Councilmember skater grabbing the mic. Cosmos Getty on the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate Councilmember Gonzalez's concerns. Initially raising questions about this ordinance. And the way that I looked at this as well was to put into context what the city would be responsible for. I will I will be supporting this resolution today. But I want to underscore that, similar to the amendments that I sponsored for the World Cup invitation that we I would like to very much be looking forward to incorporating labor standards, protections, environmental protections and being good stewards of the public dollar and looking at our fiduciary responsibilities should this be successful. But I will be voting yes on this. And I want to underscore my my concerns are similar. And we'll be looking forward to future legislation, should we be successful to make sure that we lift up environmental, labor and our fiduciary responsibilities. Thank you, Councilmember Skinner. Okay. I think we're ready to vote. I know was three two thus far. So we'll see the way this one. Okay. Those in favor of adopting the resolution. Please hold I and raise your hand, I. Those oppose. Vote no and raise your hand, please. The motion carried, the motion carries and the resolution is dropped and Cher will sign it. Thank you for that lively debate. Okay, please read the next agenda item into the record, please.