AN ORDINANCE relating to the Special Events Committee, special events permitting, and special events fees; amending Sections 15.52.005, 15.52.010, 15.52.020, 15.52.030, 15.52.040, 15.52.050, 15.52.060, 15.52.080, and 15.52.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and repealing and replacing Section 15.52.070 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
Report. Of the Committee on Housing Affordability, Human Services and Economic Resiliency Agenda. Item one Council Bill 118463 Relating to the Special Events Committee. Special Events Permitting and Special Events Fees Amending Sections 15.5 2.05.010.020.030.040.050.060.0800 and 15.5 2.090 of the Seattle Missile Code and Repealing and Replacing Section 15.5 2.0700 of the Seattle and the Zip code. The committee recommends the bill passed as amended. Thank you, Councilmember Okamoto. Thank you, Council President Burgess. Our special event fees have not. Changed since 1991. And when one looked at. The fees. Themselves, they really didn't make sense and they didn't serve the interests of the public at. All. We love our special events. They make our city what it is. But at the same time, I think the level of public subsidies and the public cost to special events was really becoming a point that we really needed to examine at the Office of Economic Development, reviewed and looked at other cities and best practices throughout the country, and found that. In fact, our fee structure. Was out of line with what others charged. There was a series of meetings of the of the. Committee to look at the different. Options. Available. We heard from the public. And there were several amendments made to the executive's recommendations that addressed many of the issues. For example, thanks to Councilmember Salant, there was clarifying language to protect free speech events and to and to separate those out. For a mix of free speech events. We created a two year gradual phase in an introduction to the fees. Kept the fees so that increases would not be exceed 10%, as well as measures to look at the program after the first year. An audit are our police costs, which in many cases are the largest cost of special event fees. I want to thank the Office of Economic Development for working with us. This did pass out of the committee without. Without objections. Thank you. Questions or comments? Please call the role on the passage of the Bill. O'Brien. All right. Okamoto. All right. Rasmussen. All right. So want. I. Back shot? Gordon I. Harrill I. Lakota I am President Burgess nine in favor and unopposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Please read items two and three.