AN ORDINANCE relating to City employment; establishing Juneteenth as a legal holiday for certain City employees and a legal parking holiday; amending other provisions to implement Juneteenth as a legal holiday, conform with state law, and make technical corrections; and amending Sections 4.20.190 and 11.14.277 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
Jeff Horwich Council Bill 120184 An ordinance relating to city employee employment, establishing Juneteenth as a legal holiday for certain city employees and illegal parking holiday. Amending other provisions to implement Juneteenth as a legal holiday, conform with state law and make technical corrections and amending sections 4.20.190 and 11.1 4.277 of the Seattle Municipal Code. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I moved to pass Council Bill 120184. Is there a second. Second. Second. Thank you so much. The bill has been moved and seconded. I am going to hand it over to Councilmember Morales, who's the sponsor of the bill to address the item. Thank you. Council President. The proposed legislation, as Judy just said, would establish Juneteenth as one of 11 legal holidays for city employees. It would automatically cover non-representative employees and cover represented employees subject to their unions agreement. It would not apply to uniformed police and fire employees as those employees establish their holidays by collective bargaining. It would also establish Juneteenth as one of ten parking holidays. I grew up in Texas. So Juneteenth, the Juneteenth celebration isn't new to me and was made a state holiday in Texas in 1980. And I knew as a kid that this day was really special for our black neighbors. I know that some believe making this a holiday diminishes the uniqueness of the celebration by offering it to everyone. But I think it's important that our country acknowledges slavery. This holiday, as we as we recognize it as a city, also allows us to acknowledge the legacy of trauma for generations of black Americans and to demonstrate an understanding of the need to actively pursue an anti-racist society. So establishing Juneteenth as an official city holiday gives us an opportunity to remark on our progress toward achieving that goal and bring awareness to the work that we still have to do. Thank you for those comments. Councilmember Morales, really appreciate your leadership in this area. Are there any additional comments? An agenda item for Council Bill 120184. Seeing any additional hands raised. Again, thank you so much, Councilman Morales, for your leadership in this area. Really appreciate you bringing us forward both in our budget process and in this trailer bill and through our Labor Relations Policy Committee work as well. Please call the roll on the passage of Council Bill 120184. Agenda Item four. Lewis. Yes. Morales. Yes. Sarah. Hi. Petersen I. Strauss Yes. Herbold Yes. Whereas I council President Gonzales. Right. Eight in favor. Nine opposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf? Well, the Court please read the short title of item five into the record.