An ORDINANCE related to special permits for the limited movement of vehicles carrying sealed ocean-going containers in excess of the legal weight limits; adopting a new chapter 11.61 to the Seattle Municipal Code establishing such a special permit system; authorizing the Department of Transportation to execute agreements with the Port of Seattle to accept funds; creating a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer position to monitor and enforce the heavy haul network and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
The Report of the Transportation Committee Agenda Item two Council Bill 118366 related to special permits for the limited movement of vehicles carrying sealed ocean going containers in excess of the legal weight limits. Adopting a new Chapter 11.61 to the Seattle Municipal Code, establishing such a special permit system authorizing the Department of Transportation to execute agreements with the Port of Seattle to accept funds creating a commercial vehicle enforcement officer position to monitor, enforce the heavy haul network and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts. The committee recommends a divided report with a recommendation to that the bill pass, as amended by councilmembers Rasmussen, Burgess, Gordon Okamoto and a recommendation to not pass by council members O'Brien and so on. Thank you. The majority opinion goes first with divided reports. So, Councilmember Rasmussen. Thank you. This bill establishes the heavy haul network in the SODO area. The network will be a series of 26 streets that freight will use to haul sealed containers from ships at the port to nearby shipping facilities in the Sodo and West Thomas area. Currently, our streets have an £80,000 weight limit. Trucking companies, shippers or independent drivers wishing to transport containers over that £80,000 weight limit either have to carry the containers on trucks that are outfitted with special expensive chassis designed to distribute the weight over the additional axles or break the law and exceed the weight limit with using standard chassis . As we've already heard from one of the drivers about the the high costs of any fine that may be related if you're caught breaking the law and the load limit. With this legislation and the agreement that's attached to it. Trucks with permits will be able to carry freight weighing up to £98,000 on standard houses on roads that are part of the network. The drivers will pay a $200 annual permit that allows them to move heavy hauls within the network permit. Revenues will help pay for an additional commercial vehicle enforcement officer to ensure the proper use of the corridor. Drivers will be required to undergo twice annual commercial vehicle safety inspections, and as I said earlier, only sealed oceangoing containers will be allowed. General traffic will be allowed still on those roads. In the heavy haul network, the Department of Transportation and Port Engineers estimate that the heavy haul roads would deteriorate faster by 10% faster than if they were carrying weight within the £80,000 limit. The exact level that would be required for a contribution from the port to the city to help pay for these additional costs will depend upon future studies to determine the impact of the heavy hauls. But it's anticipated that the costs for additional maintenance will be between ten and $20 million over the next 20 years. All of this is provided for in the Council Bill itself and the memorandum of understanding that is attached to the Council Bill. So overall, with the memorandum of agreement and the legislation, the result is that it eliminates truck driver citations from our state patrol and increases vehicle safety by requiring twice yearly vehicle inspections. It adds a new commercial vehicle enforcement officer to enhance safety compliance. The Port of Seattle and our maritime industry, which are major employers in the region and an important part of our economy, will remain competitive. As you know, the port is in a fiercely competitive market for cargo. And if we don't allow the heavier loads on these streets, they'll go to other ports, including nearby Tacoma, Los Angeles and Long Beach, which already have heavy haul corridors. There was some concern. And we do know that there is a divided report on this about issues relating to the port. And one of the ones that came up. Was the issue of providing adequate bathrooms for the drivers at the port 18 terminals, port 18 terminals. This issue has been an ongoing dispute some time between the drivers and the port. And I'm happy to announce that the city, the port and representatives of the drivers have worked out an agreement with regard to the condition of the bathrooms, in the bathrooms that will be provided. And that in agreement includes the commitment by the port to refurbish two existing restrooms. The port will have the three new portable restrooms for drivers and also additional parking stalls so that the drivers can access other restrooms safely. So overall, with the agreement between the port and the drivers, as well as this legislation and the memorandum of agreement, we have a win win for the port, for US competitiveness and the many jobs that depend upon the port for Seattle, which depends in part upon the port success for the survival of our economy, and also the drivers who we've heard from at times over the course of the development of this legislation. So I would like to thank the port for their partnership and for their understanding and working on the issue related to the restrooms and also with regard to our need for better maintenance of our streets and to members of staff, including Brian Seward of the Office of Economic Development and Rockey of the Office of Economic Development. Scott Kirby of the Department of Transportation. Peter Lindsay of our central staff and Anthony Auriemma of my staff. Thank you. The Minority Report. Councilmember O'Brien. Thank you. I am the author of The Minority Report. And I'm in the in your position of having getting to say that the work that's been done in the last few weeks has allowed me to feel much more comfortable with this legislation and so I'll be supporting it at the committee raised a lot of it raised a lot of concerns about a number of issues, specifically around low wage workers and drivers and talked a lot about wanting to see a commitment to making sure that the bathroom facilities at terminal 18 we're going to be acceptable. I want to thank Councilmember Rasmussen and Council President Burgess for holding this legislation for a couple of weeks to allow for some really good work to have happen. I want to thank the Port of Seattle and folks from the executive side and Office Economic Development for working very hard in the last couple of weeks to reach an agreement on how we can move forward on providing those bathrooms at Terminal 18. The commitment is what I've been hearing from the truck drivers that they want to see, and I'm really thrilled that we're at a place where we are today. Now, it's a commitment. The bathrooms aren't in place. But I've heard from port commissioners Albo and Gregoire today that they take this commitment seriously and we're going to work in a timely, expedited fashion to make sure that the work follows through so the drivers will actually have the facilities they've been hoping for for a long time. So with that, I want to I want to thank the port especially for the specifics on this. And I look forward to opportunities to continue to work together as a region to make sure we have a robust economy and to make sure, especially those lowest wage workers are being treated fairly. And I think what was demonstrated in the last couple of weeks was a real a real commitment towards that values. And I really appreciate that. So I will be voting. Yes on this. Thank you. Councilmember So on. Thank you. President Burgess. I concur with the points Councilmember Brian made, except just one correction. The Minority Report was coauthored by on Tim O'Brien and me. And when this special permit for a heavy haul network came up for a vote in committee, we voted no because the Teamsters Union that has been organizing and fighting alongside the port truckers pointed out that there were significant and there are still significant worker rights issues that need to be addressed. The lack of access to bathrooms is one of them and a really urgent one. I want everybody in the public to know that do know how impactful taking your vote seriously. Elected officials taking their vote seriously can be because after this Minority Report was issued, there was some movement from the port commissioners who wanted this memorandum memorandum of understanding and began to show willingness for the first time, in my experience, to do something about the long needed bathrooms. And it's an example of how, contrary to what the corporate media says, you know, when you vote no, you're grandstanding. In reality, if elected officials take their yes or no vote on these issues seriously, then rather than rubber stamping the status quo, they can actually get some movement on these issues. So. This change will also now vote yes on the contract. Although the caution is the bathrooms have been promised, they haven't been delivered yet and we will need to remain vigilant that they follow through on that and also follow through on other remaining worker rights issues. Council Member Gordon. I just want to say that I'm so very. Very pleased that we've come together with the. Port and our work partnering with them to make our port more competitive. And it is great to see the city and the port working together towards that aim and also to do the humanitarian thing with the workers. And yes, I will be voting for this. Please call a role on the passage of the bill. Bagshot Garden. Harrow. Licata. I O'Brien. II Okamoto. Rasmussen. Seward. I am President Burgess High nine. In favor and opposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Adoption of other resolutions. Please read item three.