AN ORDINANCE relating to the transfer of City property located at 722 18th Avenue, Seattle, Washington; authorizing the conveyance of the property to Byrd Barr Place, a Washington non-profit corporation, consistent with the intent of Resolution 31856 and to provide for the continued delivery of social services; making findings of fact about the consideration for the transfer; authorizing acceptance of a negative easement restricting future development of the property; superseding Resolution 31837 for the purposes of this ordinance; and authorizing the Director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services or designee to execute and deliver documents necessary to carry out the conveyance of such property on the terms and conditions of this ordinance.
So every part of the Finance and Housing Committee agenda item for council vote 11986. The link to the transfer of city property located at 722 18th Avenue. Seattle, Washington operating the conveyance the property to Byrd Parkway, the Washington nonprofit corporation, consistent with the intent of Resolution 31856 and provides for the continued delivery of certain social services. The committee recommends the bill pass. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Councilmember Mosqueda, as chair of the committee, you are recognized in order to provide the committee report. Thank you very much, Madam President. Colleagues, I'm really excited about this piece of legislation in front of us. This is a piece of legislation that the community has been advocating for for many years, as we heard in the committee presentation. Almost a decade of work has gone into securing the site that Byrd Bar has offered. This is a site that has nurtured and invested in community. And now the individuals who work at Verve are the community that is supporting Byrd Bar are awaiting ownership to implement improvements and plan for the future. We had a discussion in the Finance and Housing Committee last week and heard from the Mayor's Office of Obesity, Department of Neighborhoods and Byrd bar themselves directly about the process to get here. Byrd Bar, by way of background, has served Seattle residents for over 50 years, providing basic human services like housing assistance, energy assistance, food bank and personal financial resources with special attention given to individuals from diverse backgrounds such as making sure that our elders are immigrants and refugees and people with disabilities have their needs met. That power is not shut off. That as eviction assistance is provided to those who are struggling to make ends meet. This building is an anchor in the community. The building also houses a community food bank. And in hearing from Andrea Kaplan, the Byrd Bar spokesperson, about what this transfer means, it means that the organization will be able to have its roots firmly in community and be able to invest in building on the property in the ways that have been long awaited by the community. And that is also important to have ownership in this transfer. This is one of several mutual and offsetting benefit sites or MLP sites that the city currently owns. But for all intents and purposes, the community organization that is leasing the site from the city has been the longtime store and has taken ownership and responsibility for the site in always but the deed and title. So in late 2018, the Council passed a resolution committing to collaborate with the Executive to ensure the transfer of the property and ensure that there was a recognition of the residents who've been there and to move the site over to their ownership in March of 2019. It has been a long process in getting here to this point today. I'm excited to move this forward. We did ask the question in committee about a long term leases like 99 year leases versus outright ownership. And I know that this is a question I will continue to be asking about moves. I know that there's other councilmembers. Oscar Peterson, thank you for bringing this up in the past as well to see what is the best use of public sites. And in this situation, hearing directly from Bird Bar and the folks in the executive office and departments. I'm fully supportive of transferring this over. I would encourage your support and move that we consider this today. Thank you so much because get it for that committee report. Are there any other comments on the bill? Councilmember Swan. Thank you. Congratulations to all the community members who have for years advocated for the birdbath, place and the central area senior center properties to be transferred to these community organizations to be retained fully for public use. They have struggled through literally years of red tape to make this happen. Over 100 of the community members, along with Bird Bar Place, the Central Area Senior Center and Afrika Down attended an important committee meeting my office held last year on April 23rd, which was in response to the mayor's office. Mayor Dawkins office stalling progress on the community's demands. And it was really inspiring to see so many central area community members, most of them retirees, chanting No more delays, no more delays repeatedly with reference to Durkan stalling. Thanks to Andrea Cobain and Diane Ferguson for their ongoing leadership. Finally, I urge Mayor Dawkins office to finalize the property transfer of the Central Area Senior Center. And in the words of central area seniors, we want no more delays. I'm happy to be voting yes on this legislation to finally transfer what better place to the community. Thank you. Thank you so much. Any other comments on the bill? Councilmember Herbold. Thank you. I just want to speak to my echoing of Councilmember Silence. Congratulations to the community for their advocacy and tireless persistence in making sure that we get this over the finish line. There are several other, as Councilmember Mosqueda mentioned, mutually offsetting benefiting leases, the central area senior center, Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and South Park among four that I can name off the top of my head. And I really urge the executive to move forward expeditiously with the transfer of these facilities as well. It has been a long awaited these these properties have been assessed for their appropriateness for housing. And it is the community has entered into many exercises with the executive under several administrations to demonstrate capacity to take over these properties. So just want to put a put a call out for the executive to work with those organizations that are ready to go and to provide capacity building for those organizations that still need a little bit more help. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Herbold, any other comments on the bill? Hearing on the quick. Please call the role on the passage of the bill Lewis. Yes. Morales. Yes. Must get a. Macheda. Peterson. Yes. So what? The one? Yes. Strauss. Yes. Herbold. Yes. Suarez. Yes. President Gonzalez. Yes. And, Madam Karp, you call Councilmember Mosquito one more time. Councilmember Mosquito. Eight in favor, nine opposed. Thank you, madam. Work. Looks like we may have lost Councilmember Mosqueda. Not sure what happened there, but we'll go ahead and say that the bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation on my behalf? Report of the Community Economic Development Committee. Item five Will the clerk please read Agenda Item five into the record?