HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-08-25 Special Minutes - Budget Listening SessionSpecial Meeting - Budget Listening Session
Location: Virtual Meeting due to COVID-19 Emergency
Date: August 25, 2020
Start: 6:00 p.m. - 7:47 p.m.
PRESENT
City of Tukwila
City Council
Council:
De'Sean Quinn, Council President; Verna Seal, Kathy Hougardy, Kate Kruller, Thomas McLeod, Zak
Idan, Cynthia Delostrinos Johnson
Mayor & Staff:
Allan Ekberg, Mayor: David Cline, Vicky Carlsen, Juan Padilla, Kari Sand, Rick Still, Gail Labanara,
Niesha Fort -Brooks, Jay Wittwer, Stacy Hansen, Kia Shagena, Jack Pace, Hari Ponnekanti, Derek
Speck, Trish Kinlow, Joseph Todd, Lori Solberg, Mike Ronda, Peter Lau, Han Kirkland,
Community Members:
Katrina Dohn, Eric Owen, Jovita McConnell, Lina Stinson -Ali, Ben Fasbinder, Jonathan Joseph, Mahad
Ahmed, Alexis Mburu, Chuck Parish, Khang Nguyen, Jennifer Tran, Constance, Abigail Tabason,
Gabriela Quintana, Stephanie Gallardo
Council President Quinn welcomed attendees and remarked on the budget process and the Council's
role. Finance Director Vicky Carlsen provided an overview of budgetary considerations and
assumptions. Finance Committee Chair explained to attendees how to provide comment.
Attendees addressed the Council. Verbal comments are summarized as follows:
• Community needs include rental assistance and COVID testing sites
• Consider demands of Youth Voices for Justice (Defund the Police, reallocate funds to BIPOC,
repurpose Justice Center into Youth Center, allocate funds to displaced businesses and
BIPOC and youth)
• Look for cuts with a great impact on budget but minimal impact on services.
• Provide information on savings from Station 52 staffing and how fire response times are
calculated.
• Look at diversified revenue sources, transit -oriented development, permitting process.
• Think creatively about restructuring to keep great programs
• Outcomes and goals from Strategic Planning community process still apply, little things make
a difference, code enforcement and public works work hard for community livability, keep
that a focus and don't go backward.
• Look to public/private partnerships (sports leagues/businesses), natural amenities
6zoo Southcenter Boulevard • Tukwila, Washington • 98188 - Tel: 206-433-1800 • www.tukwilawa.gov
• Consider bonding capacity, sharing expertise across departments, combining departments
• Listen to demands of Youth Voices for Justice, consider impacts of COVID-19 on communities
of color, low income communities; increase testing and advocate for access to vaccine when
available
• Use race and equity lens to develop the budget
• Work in city very siloed, look at creative solutions to find new revenue models, develop
Tukwila Pond Park to include housing, amplify opportunities and assets
• Businesses should consider their footprints; look at Target's urban models
• Incentivize warehouse businesses along trail to engage local artists to activiate riverside wall
space
• Continue community engagement in budget process
Written comments submitted via the Q&A interface are as follows:
What is the councils current stance on defunding/reallocating the Tukwila Police Department funds?
How are the immigrant and BIPOC voices in our communities being prioritized when it comes to
budgeting?
Im sorry can you come back to me? my audio isnt working
Will the Mayor be holding his own listening session?
Thank you De'Sean for your transparency.
Thank you for your thoughtful words. I hope that you will also consider different ways to get additional
revenue—taxing cerrtain businesses, public private puartnerships, new revneue generating ideas
(tu kwila pond, the river etc.)
The idea of reimagine public safety is one that is on the forefront of many peoples mind and
implementing the ideas and comments of Jonathan as well as council member Kruller is exactly the type
of work that serves the community in the way it wants and needs during these times.
Hello. Thank you council members and City employees for holding this session. I'm Eric Owen, the
Business Director of HealthPoint's Tukwila location. We are proud to be of service to thousands of the
most vulnerable Tukwila community members, those most severely impacted by the current
environment. On behalf of our service users I ask that you continue your strong track record of funding
health and human services. As other have stated, these services are needed now more than ever. Healthy
individuals create healthly strong communities.
I am concerned about Safety; Police, Fire and Public Works. Safety is essential to our community. With
the two fires last weekend and the many issues that have taken place with 52 not being fully functioning,
why is there a job opening for Deputy Fire Chief? I see it's an open job req since June. I'm not sure that
particular job is needed when 52 is not always fully functioning. Thank you
I second
Thank you all for putting this on. You'll be hearing from me again soon.
I wasn't able to show up earlier this evening but I'm here now! And wondering if the community can
expect you all to be in attendance on Sunday at the youth protest :)
So can I get a verbal confirmation from every council member that they will show up and listen to the
youth?
Just wanted to say that Councilmember DJ and Councilmember Seals earrings are fabulous!!..don't
know if that needs to be shared But hey it's on the record now... Q
Thank you laurel for all you do!!
3-6pm
Sunday at 2-6pm from Tukwila Justice to City Hall, thanks!
This upcoming Sunday