AN ORDINANCE relating to contracting by the Human Services Department; adding a new Section 3.20.050 to the Seattle Municipal Code to provide that the Seattle Human Services Department utilize a results-based framework for designing human service investments; amending Section 3.20.030 of the Seattle Municipal Code to clarify the duties of the Director of the Human Services Department with respect to contracting for human services to carry out department programs; and adding a new Section 20.50.020 to the Seattle Municipal Code to exempt contracts for human services executed by the Director from provisions of Chapter 20.50.
Bill passed and show signage. Please read agenda item number 34. Agenda item 34. Cancel 119 125. Relating to contracting by the Human Services Department, the committee recommends the bill passed as amended. Very good. Who would like to speak on this item? Customer Herbold. Thank you. This ordinance was crafted with input from community providers, the Human Services Department, community based researchers. My fellow city council members. It is a new version of a bill that was referred to us by Mayor Burgess. Results based accountability is utilized at 77% of HST contracts. The ordinance is intended to direct HST and how to utilize our results based accountability in designing their future investments while maintaining some some oversight by the Council before that is done. It's crafted specifically to address potential unintended consequences related to results. Based contracting specifically includes the definition of culturally responsive research. And we did that because culturally responsive research is cognizant of and understands and addresses the cultural context in which the research takes place. This includes the inclusion of community based organizations and other stakeholder perspectives in designing the study, as well as designing the programs themselves. Developing the measures that those programs will be held to to meet. Interpreting the data and disseminating the findings. There's been a lot of discussion around pay for performance. This ordinance does not mandate performance pay, but allows it at the directors discretion. Very good. Thank you. Councilman Herbold, any further comments on this particular bill, Councilmember Sean. Thank you. President Harrell I made these comments at the Budget Committee meeting this morning, but I knew I should make them again because this is again being voted in for council. First, I want to say that I appreciate this version from Councilmember Herbold and the effort that was put into making the or trying to make the results based accountability contracting ordinance less harmful than the version that Mayor Burgess sent to council last month. However, the idea is fundamentally not beneficial to human service providers, and I intend to vote no. It will create additional red tape that human service providers will need to wade through to receive funding. The larger, well-resourced nonprofits will be able to hire the necessary accountants to make to get through. But community based nonprofits will find it difficult to meet the requirement no matter how excellent their work. It is to me akin to the standardized testing approach that has been shoved down the throats of our public schools by politicians who want to look like they're serious about. Improving education without doing the one thing that education needs, which is provide more funding for education so that class sizes are reduced. This is in the same vein, unfortunately, because our human service providers need more funds, not more red tape. When we talk about results, I think we have to you know, this is missing this. This approach is missing a fundamental reality, which is that how can human service providers possibly keep up with the expanding problem? And more and more people are in need of services because of the inherent situation in our in our city with the rising rents and so on. So I don't know how you can have results based accountability when it's a moving target that human service providers are dealing with. I think the Human Services Department should have the flexibility to approach each contract on its own merits rather than on the results based accountability trademarked framework. Plus, I'm not even clear why this was buried in the budget. It is not a budget legislation. The question I have is where is the task force but the human service providers who have expressed a lot of concerns? Where is the process? Again, I'm glad that Councilmember Herbold made this legislation less bad, but unfortunately, less bad does not necessarily mean helpful. So I will be voting no. Incumbents want any of their colleagues want to make any further comments. We'll just vote on it. I thank you for concerns to watch. I'll just say before I vote, I'm supporting legislation. But what she did articulate is probably my highest concern in this, and I just will believe that as we implement this, it is not a stick to thwart out some of these great organization, do some great work, but is to assist them even do the work better. But I'm hoping that the values in our hearts and trying to get this work done is shown in those service providers that we're working with. So we ready to vote? Please call the roll on the passage of council. Bill 119125. Johnson Maurice. O'Brien Hi. Sergeant. No. Bagshaw Hi. Gonzales, I. Harris Talley, I. Herbold i. President Harrell. I. Adan favor one opposed. The bill passed and show sign it. Please read agenda items 35 and 36.