HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-10-06 Proclamation - Emergency for Asylum Seekersr ffl
Office of the Mayor
City of Tukwila, Washington
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) chapter 38.52 authorizes the Mayor to
exercise emergency powers; and
WHEREAS, Tukwila Municipal Code (TMC) Section 2.57.030(1) empowers the Mayor to
proclaim a state of emergency when an incident, whether natural or man-made, requires
immediate responsive action to protect life and property; and
WHEREAS, during the past 10 months, over 200 asylees have arrived at the Riverton Park
United Methodist Church ("RPUMC") in Tukwila seeking shelter, food, clothing, and social
services; and
WHEREAS, the RPUMC has created shelter space inside of its sanctuary, as well as established
a tent encampment on the RPUMC grounds; and
WHEREAS, the RPUMC has expressed concerns to the City and other elected officials at the
county, state, and federal levels that the RPUMC facility is at or beyond its capacity due to the
influx of new asylees, and it is becoming increasingly challenging to meet the needs of the
people, including children and infants, seeking asylum; and
WHEREAS, the RPUMC has expressed the same concerns to numerous non-profit
organizations associated with disadvantaged and homelessness within King County that the
RPUMC facility is at or beyond its capacity, with responses back that the non-profit
organizations also are at full capacity; and
WHEREAS, the situation at the RPUMC constitutes a humanitarian crisis where the need for
resources for safe sanitary shelter is acute and beyond the capabilities of Tukwila itself to
manage; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to assist in the coordination of resources and support to the
RPUMC, and it is believed a formal proclamation of emergency allows additional resources to
flow to the RPUMC and the City to resolve this crisis in a more expeditious manner; and
WHEREAS, on October 2, 2023, the City participated in the Riverton Park Asylee Roundtable
to discuss the situation at the RPUMC, and representatives from several non-profit service
providers attended, along with representatives of the following government agencies:
United States Senators and Representatives
Governor's Office
Washington State Department of Commerce
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
State Senators and Representatives
King County Council
Seattle -King County Public Health
King County Regional Homelessness Authority
Seattle Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Tukwila seeks the cooperation and assistance of county, state, and
federal partners to help makes fund and resources available immediately to address this
growing crisis;
THEREFORE, I, Allan Ekberg, Mayor of the City of Tukwila, do hereby proclaim a state of
emergency within the City of Tukwila at the RPUMC; and that during the existence of said
emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the Director of Emergency Management and
the emergency organization of this city shall be those prescribed by state law, by ordinances,
and resolutions of this City. Said local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until
its termination is proclaimed by the Mayor of the City of Tukwila, State of Washington.
Presented this 6th day of October, 2023.
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
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