AN ORDINANCE relating to the organization of City government; adding data reporting responsibilities to the City Attorney’s Office; and adding a new Chapter 3.46 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
Agenda Item 27 Council Bill 120247 An ordinance relating to the Organization of City Government adding data reporting responsibilities to the City Attorney's Office and adding a new Chapter 3.46 to the Seattle Municipal Code. The committee recommends the bill passes amended. Thank you so much, Governor Herbold, you are the chair of this committee. Would you like to address the item first? Actually, I think I would like to hand it over to the sponsors to address. Thank you. Great customer. Lewis, would you like to go ahead and make some remarks about the base legislation? I know you have an amendment that you'd like to have us consider, but perhaps you can address the base legislation before we consider the amendment. Certainly, Madam President, I mean, this is the much discussed data reporting and transparency legislation that would require quarterly reporting of certain important metrics from the Seattle City Attorney's Office pursuant to certain funding decisions that we made during the budget cycle. I do think part of the confusion attached to this is that if we had been successful in having this legislating happen concurrent with the rest of the budget, maybe it wouldn't look strange. To be doing it now. But in any event, this legislation matches certain new funding additions in this recent budget, with certain reporting requirements similar to other sources that affect notice and reporting requirements. It is incorporated into the Seattle Municipal Code. I think I can leave it right there for now pending the discussion on the amendment and I can make further remarks later if that is helpful as well. Thank you so much, Councilmember Lewis. Appreciate it. Colleagues, we're going to go ahead now that we have the base legislation that to consider before us is described, Councilmember Lewis, I think it would be appropriate for us to consider the amendment and have a discussion about the amendment. And then once the amendment passes through or does not, we can then have a we can open up that conversation to the bill as amended or not. So consider, Lewis, when you go ahead and make your motion for us to consider the amendment, and then we can discuss that amendment and then and then open up the discussion to the broader bill after we consider the amendment. Thank you, councilmembers. I have an amendment I would like to propose. It did not meet the council rule of distribution prior to 12 noon and would request that the rules be suspended to allow consideration. Thank you, Councilman Lewis. If there's no objection, the council rules will be suspended to allow to allow an amendment that was not distributed by noon, as customarily was just. Mentioned. Carry no objection. The council rules are suspended and we cannot proceed with consideration of the amendment. Councilor Lewis. Now you have to move the move the actual amendment. Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I do move to amend Council Bill 1 to 0 247 as presented on Amendment 1/2. Thank you. It's been moved and seconded to amend the Council Bill as presented on Amendment one. I'm going to hand a back over to Councilmember Lewis to address the amendments. Thank you, Madam President. And this is an amendment that was recommended after consultation with law. I do apologize not distributing this amendment. Prior to noon, there was some confusion on whether I would be bringing it or whether Councilmember Peterson would be bringing it. But we did sort that out and I did so distributed. The impact of this amendment relates to a mandatory language that Council President Gonzalez passed into this legislation during the committee meeting last week, creating a 90 day notice requirement for material changes to the free file diversion program. This would alter the language to be notification to the Council of such changes within 90 days of implementation, rather than wording it as 90 days before implementation. This is the preferred language of the law department just to make sure that this legislation does not potentially run afoul of the charter requirements on giving full supervisory responsibility of pending legislation, including the possibility of of a diversion. Investing that in the city. Attorney I don't believe the practical effect of this amendment is going to be that significant, though it is possible that it could certainly create a looser notification requirement than the current language, though I think the important thing indicated here is that there be an expectation of notification and I am sure that that is going to be something that the Council will be very assertive about, making sure that there is close consultation on how these investments are being are being spent. So this is the preferred language from law just to make sure that we do not inadvertently run afoul of the charter. And I do believe just erring on the side of being cautious and staying within our oversight and due diligence. LANE This language is more appropriate, a more appropriate modification of the legislation. So with that, I don't have anything else to add. Thank you so much, Councilmember Lewis. Are there any additional comments on Amendment One? I haven't seen any other hands raised. So let's go ahead and pull this to a vote. Well, he's called the role on the adoption of Amendment One. Lewis. Yes. Morales. Yes. Let's get up. I. Petersen I. Strauss Yes. For both, yes. Whereas I counsel President Gonzalez I it in favor and unopposed. The motion carries and the amendment is adopted and we now have an amended council bill before us. Are there any further comments on the amended council? I'm not seeing any hands raised. Do you want to say thank you so much to Councilmember Lewis and his staff for working with my office on this bill? It was a pleasure to co-sponsor this bill with you. That is really at the core a good governance transparency bill that requires some reporting that is transparent to members of the public on a set of programing that we have been consistently asked to fund and to expand. And as a result of those budget implications, I do think it's appropriate for us to request, regardless of who the city attorney is, information about the effectiveness of that program in a way that is transparent, consistent and where expectations are the same in this sort of cross branch setting. So appreciate an opportunity to work with you and with you in your office. And of course, thanks to Brianna Thomas, my chief of staff in my office, for all of her good work on this as well. And huge thanks to Councilmember Herbold for allowing us to have a hearing and and shepherding us through the legislative process. We appreciate your graciousness in allowing us an opportunity to have that conversation in your committee. Councilmember Lewis, any closing remarks? Thank you, Madam President. I do just want to briefly we've been discussing this a lot, and I made extensive statements in briefings. So I just want to cover some of the top line edits I alluded to in my remarks before the amendment. I do think that the timing has been somewhat unfortunate given that this legislation appears deep, coupled from our budget, which has invited all sorts of strange interpretations and strange bedfellows opposing more transparency, including a daily newspaper. I would say that I just want to emphasize the coupling of this legislation with the unprecedented additional investments in the city attorney's office. This incoming city attorney is going to have more resources available to her than any of her predecessors, including new positions to facilitate the collection and dissemination of data which this legislation is structured to complement. So this is not some new mandate on top of existing resources. This is new requirements for the office that is directly related to personnel increases and funding increases that we just put into this budget with something like this in mind at the time. So I think that that's just important emphasized. That is a $38.5 million budget that the city attorney's office is going to have for 2022. It's a 9% increase from the previous biennium and certainly warranted given the situation that we're in the city and the need to make sure that all of our officers that engage in public safety work can be successful. The implication that this council is being insufficiently supportive of that incoming office is frankly just not borne out by the statement made by the budget that we just passed earlier this month. So I do I just want to signify that despite the tension over the course of the last week regarding this legislation, I remain dedicated to working with the incoming city attorney to address a lot of chronic issues in the city. This data transparency is going to be a big part of allowing the council and the city attorney to work together to really refine and address the best strategies to address some of our public safety challenges. And it is my hope that we can move forward in that spirit despite this disagreement over this legislation this week. So with that, I don't have anything else to add. Anti-consumer Louis for closing out debate. Appreciate your leadership on this issue. Will the Court please call the roll on the adoption of Council Bill 120247 as amended? The words. Yes. Morales. Yes. Skinner I. Peterson No. Strauss. Yes. Verbal? Yes. Whereas I. Council President Gonzalez and seven in favor one opposed. The motion carries and I'm sorry yes the motion carries the council bill is adopted as amended and the chair will sign it will the first please to fix my signature. It's in the legislation on my behalf will please read item 28 into the record.