Metropolitan King County Council - Regular Meeting

to the September 15th, 2026 meeting of King County Council. I'm Sarah Perry, chair of the council this year, joined by Vice Chair Smerone and Reagan Dunn. And our council colleagues today in this meeting is called to order. Before we begin, please join me in acknowledging that we are on the traditional lands of the Puget Salish peoples, past and present. We thank these caretakers of this land who've lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial, bringing their cultural ways of life and greatly enriching our communities.

With that, Clerk Hay, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Councilmember Balducci? Here. Councilmember Barone?

Here.

Councilmember Dombaski? Here. Councilmember Dunn?

Dunn is here.

Council Member Fain.

Here.

Council Member Lewis. Here. Council Member Mosqueda. Here. Council Member von Reichbauer.

Here.

Chair Perry. Here. You have a full quorum. Thank you.

Next, please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Member Dembowski.

I, for the purpose of your supply of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,

That's one notice. Mr. Zimmerman, a violation. Vice Chair Barone, may I please have a motion to approve the minutes of the September 8th, 2026 council meeting?

I move approval of the minutes of September 8th.

Thank you. The motion is before us. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed say nay. The minutes are approved. Clerk Hay, are there any other additions to the council agenda? I have none. All right, thank you. Turning now to our special items, the first of which is a proclamation of recognizing Welcoming Week in King County, led by Councilmembers Mosqueda and Barone, as well as Rich Stoltz, who is representing Executive Zahilay today. Please begin whenever you're ready.

Well, good afternoon. I am thrilled to be here with my colleague, Councilmember Barron, and with the executive team as well, if they would like to join us. Executive Zahilay, Councilmember Barron, and I have worked together on two proclamations. We will each speak to one of them, but one of them is Welcoming Week, and the other one is Latino Latina Latine Heritage Month. I am so thrilled that here in King County we remain committed to being a welcoming county. We know how incredibly important it is for every resident to feel welcomed here and whether you have been here for generations or have just come to this region recently, we want you to know you are welcome here in Martin Luther King County. I'm proud to be able to sponsor these proclamations today and recognize this important moment, this important effort that we are in to lift up our heritage. As a Latina, as a Mexican American, as a Chicana, I am thrilled that we are able to be here today to celebrate Latino Latina Latine Heritage Month as well as Welcoming Week. Thanks to the executive for his commitment to pushing forward Welcoming Week and hopefully this will be an annual celebration. Today, with Welcoming Week, we celebrate the extraordinary contributions of immigrant communities here in King County, not just today in our present-day King County, but throughout history. The culture, the entrepreneurship, the labor, the leadership, the traditions of the immigrant communities are essential to the identity and success of our region. King County is stronger because of immigrants' presence. Many of our ancestors were here far before ICE was ever invented, far before Homeland Security was proclaimed, far before any borders were drawn and then redrawn. And for Chicanos like me, we understand that our ancestors, our people, did not cross a border. The border crossed us. We take this moment to recognize Welcoming Week as a reminder of our commitment to remind our community and to remind this country that our history matters, our presence today matters. We add value here in King County and around the globe. I encourage everyone here today, listening online, every individual in King County to look at all of the Welcoming Week activities throughout this week here in King County and take a moment to enjoy the community. Bring your family and your neighbors, recommit and redouble your efforts to make sure that our county is truly welcoming to all people in this region. open your arms, open your hearts, open your eyes and your ears and listen to how we can take this moment to recommit to truly being a welcoming county. I know that I do this when we think about the policies that are in front of us from everything from how we enforce our commitment to making sure that the King County International Airport adhere to the executive order, to making sure that all the policies that we put in place for being a responsible contractor, a responsible employer, and a responsible community member committed to public health are really enforced. And today, we celebrate Welcoming Week. Here with us is our colleagues, Executive Zahalai's team, Rich Stoltz, the Policy Advisor on Immigration, and Councilmember Barron as well. And we will collectively read the resolution, unless you'd like to make some additional comments on Welcoming Week.

Just very briefly, on behalf of the King County Executive, I want to thank council members Mosquito and Barone for helping to put together this proclamation. So that we can celebrate and reaffirm King County's place as a welcoming county for everyone, including immigrants and refugees. I also wanted to take a moment to congratulate the city of Kent. And Mayor Rolf will be joining us shortly for being a certified welcoming community. And I want to acknowledge Tim Neffin. from world relief and maharoy from the immigrant and refugee commission and um we'll invite them to share brief remarks um when we've let's do now all right

My name is Tim Niffen. I'm with World Relief Western Washington, and I just wanted to say what an honor it is to be here. I wanted to especially thank Girmay Zoffelman's office for the recognition and your partnership. World Relief Western Washington, has been here in the area for almost 50 years. And we are the largest of the refugee services organizations in the state. We have decades and decades and dozens and dozens of relationships that mean a whole lot to us. And we look forward to partnering with King County to make sure that they flourish in our area. Thank you.

Good afternoon council members. I want to say thank you to you and to the executive's office for recognizing the city of Kent today. We are very excited to have been granted or maybe I should say earn a two-star designation from Welcoming America certifying us as a welcoming city. The recognition today is it's really good timing given that this work we've been doing now for for many years and was directed out of our race and equity strategic plan. A two-star designation means that Kent successfully has completed a rigorous independent review and demonstrated that we meet all of the Welcoming America requirements. The review examined our policies, our programs, and partnerships that help residents participate in civic life, access city services, feel safe, build community connections, and contribute to our local economy. The designation recognizes the meaningful work across our city, including our language access plan, something I am extremely proud of, as well as the work done by our police department to strengthen community trust. Welcoming Week also reminds us that the work extends beyond City Hall. It brings immigrants, refugees, and long-time residents together to build relationships, celebrate our shared community, and strengthen a sense of belonging for everyone. Kent is one of the most diverse cities in the entire country. We are very, very proud of that. We're proud of this achievement, the designation, and what it represents, but we know that this is just the beginning. The work will continue. On behalf of the city of Kent, thank you so much for recognizing the work that we've been doing.

Hi, everyone. My name is Maha Roy. I'm the co-chair of King County Immigrants and Refugee Commission. It's a difficult time for us, a lot of difficult times where we are losing our family members. We are seeing that somehow we are sustaining our nonprofits, which are serving ourselves. And it's really hard for us to organize inside the communities and also advocate for our labor rights. for our rights to be in this country as a legal person, right? So I really want to make us remember our contribution to this country, make us remember that our families and our ancestors have been here, and we are contributing to this economy as we move forward with our family, with our workspace, and with whatever we can do, right? So thank you so much for this proclamation, and I look forward to collaborate and to bring voices where we are literally invisible. We are an invisible population, so we need to keep on advocating for ourselves, we need to organize, and we need to agitate for our own rights. So, that's me.

Okay, wonderful. Well, if you'd like to all gather around, we will go ahead and read the proclamation. Whereas Welcoming Week is an annual global movement that affirms the belief that all people, including immigrants and refugees, belong and are valued.

And whereas King County is one of the most vibrant and rapidly growing regions of the Pacific Northwest, now home to approximately 2.4 million residents as of 2025, a 22% increase since 2010, reflecting the energy, ambition, and resilience of the people who choose to call this place home and...

Whereas King County has affirmed that it is a welcoming county and it is committed to protecting the rights of immigrants and refugees, residents, and community members, providing government services to all people regardless of their immigration status, national origin, or language, and...

Whereas King County is home to two cities, Kirkland and Kent... That were recently recognized as certified welcoming by Welcoming America, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization through a rigorous review of policies and practices.

And whereas Welcoming Week will be held on September 10th to the 19th this year and

Where cities across our county will be holding events during Welcoming Week from SeaTac to Redmond, Bellevue to Shoreline, Issaquah to Seattle and beyond, celebrating the cultural and economic diversity that make up the fabric of King County.

Now therefore, we the Metropolitan King County Council and the King County Executive Proclaim the week of September 10th through the 19th, 2026 as Welcoming Week in King County. And encourage all residents to find common ground with our neighbors across different cultures and perspectives that make our region vibrant. Join in celebrating the contributions of immigrants and refugee community members. Participate in Welcoming Week events and advance our shared commitment to building a welcoming, equitable, resilient, and inclusive region for all. Day of the State.

Would you like us to join you for the photo? Would be wonderful, thank you. All right, let's go on down.

I think we have a few of these.

Yeah, we'll move this back. So we'll go in front here, folks. We'll move in front of the podium. Go ahead and you guys be in the front.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,

Thank you.

Well, thank you to the executive and council members for leading us in that special item. Turning now to a proclamation recognizing Latino A.A. Heritage Month in King County. Council members Barron and Mosqueda, please take it away.

So thank you so much, Chair Perry. And it is a little bit of a mouthful, I want to acknowledge. We're trying to make sure we're inclusive in recognizing the various gender identities in our community, including the Latina community. So colleagues, I'm honored to present this year's Latina Heritage- May I interrupt for a moment?

Mr. Zimmerman, please put your sign down. Please do not hold the sign up during this, it's disrespectful. Thank you. Would you begin again?

Of course, Chair, thank you so much. Thank you very much. Colleagues, I'm honored to present this year's Latina Heritage Month Proclamation today, alongside my colleague, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. I want to acknowledge that we're going to be joining us, and I'll invite Hilda and Teresa to come to the podium here. We have from El Centro de la Raza, the Child Development Center Director, Hilda Magana, who's going to be sharing a few words in a minute, who is going to graciously receive this year's proclamation. And I just want to acknowledge that this proclamation is made to highlight the endless contributions, accomplishments, influence, and rich history of our Latina friends and neighbors. King County continues to stand firmly in solidarity with our Latina community by uplifting their voices, stories, and achievements which enrich our region. To those in the audience who are listening who identify with this community, your resilience is commendable, and we appreciate the positive impacts your presence has made to our region. And I just want to acknowledge that the dual proclamations that we're presenting today highlight both the immigrant experience that we heard with the welcoming week proclamation. And then this one highlights the Latino community, which of course, there's overlap in those two communities. But I want to acknowledge that there are different communities. But as a Latino immigrant, I feel particularly proud that the county continues to recognize both of these values of inclusivity and for both of those communities, in my case, where I overlap. With that, would you like to say a few words? Okay, I'll invite Hilda to say a few words and then we'll read the proclamation.

Buenas tardes.

Buenas tardes.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Hilda Magana, and I'm the Senior Director of El Centro de la Raza Jose Marti Child Development Centers. On behalf of El Centro de la Raza, our Executive Director Estela Ortega, Associate Director Miguel Maestas, and our center's leadership group, we thank you for making the Latino Heritage Month Proclamation. Thank you so much. Muchas gracias. At El Centro de la Raza, we recapture our culture. We empower and support the Latino community through civic engagement, art, food, and culture, and community events. Like today, National Voter Registration Day, where we are encouraging the community to register to vote. And participating in different Fiestas Patrias event this month, like Sea Mars Parade celebrating the Latino countries who Independence Day is this month. We honor the contributions of our rich culture. We are proud of the hard working people contributing to the economy of this country. And the rich values of keeping families together, just to name some of those examples. Thank you so much. Thank you, . Thank you, council members. All right.

All right, we'll proceed to read the proclamation here, and we'll take some photos in a second. Don't worry. We're just going to read the proclamation and then we'll take the photos. All right, whereas our country's Latino heritage reaches back more than five centuries, when the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Latino civilization was already established in what is now Florida and the Caribbean, as well as other parts of our continent.

Whereas, since that time, Latino residents have been a consistent and vital influence in the history and culture of the United States, Washington State, and King County, and.

Whereas September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration for Latino Heritage Month because it is the anniversary of the 1821 independence declarations in five Latin American countries, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and Mexico, Chile, and Belize celebrate their independence day on September 16, September 18, and September 21, respectively, and

Whereas people of Latino, Latina ancestry make up about 20% of our nation's total population and about 11% of the population here in King County. And...

Whereas the cultural, economic, and political influences of Latino members of the communities in King County and the Pacific Northwest can be seen and appreciated in all aspects of life as business owners, agricultural workers and farmers, professionals, chefs, educators, elected officials, students, gifted artists, musicians, and other active members of our community, and

Whereas across all walks of life, the Latino community is a vital part of the cultural, economic, and political life of our region. And young people of Latino ancestry continue to invest in this region with their talents and ideas, making our community culturally rich and forward-thinking.

Now, therefore, we, the Metropolitan King County Council, proclaim September 15th through October 15th, 2026 as Latino, Latina, Latina Heritage Month in King County and encourage all county residents to join us in celebrating the many contributions people of Latino heritage bring to our community dated this 15th day of September 2026.

Thank you.

Would you like us to join you? Please join us. Okay, of course. Let's join our colleagues.

All right. So, come on.

Okay, right here.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

Thank you.

What a wonderful celebration. Thank you, council members. Next, I have the privilege of presenting the Legislative Branch Service Awards to recognize the outstanding achievements in public service of the staff that make everything we do at King County Council possible. And I will be down at the podium to do this. Thank you. Okay, today we are recognizing and honoring the extraordinary work and dedication of staff members in the King County Legislative Branch. The Legislative Branch includes the council and five independent agencies, the King County Auditor's Office, the Board of Appeals and Equalization, the Hearing Examiner, the Office of Law Enforcement and Oversight, commonly known as OLIO, and the Office of the Ombuds. The work our staff members do on a daily basis supports the important work done in each of these offices and ensures that all residents of King County can thrive. Every year we take the time to recognize staff who have reached service milestones in multiples of five years. There are 15 staff members who have reached service milestones this year and five are present here today to receive their certificates of appreciation from the council. Their years of service range from 10 to 35 years. And we will begin with Mia Neidert in the King County Auditor's Office. Mia, if you'll join me right up here. Congratulations to Mia Neidert on 10 years of service with King County. Mia is a supervising auditor in the King County Auditor's Office where she oversees teams during audits of the county departments and programs. Mia loves learning new things from her amazing coworkers and appreciates exploring all the different corners of the county through her work. Mia has two children, ages 3 and 6, and enjoys reading, knitting, and trying to convince her kids to go on hikes with her in her free time. She says she's grateful to work in a place that supports the professional development and critical thinking with a focus on the public good. Thank you, Mia, for your 10 years of service. And I think we're going to get a picture right here. Would you like anyone else in the photo? This is fine. Okay. Thank you. Great. Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Congratulations next to Nick Bowman, 10 years. Join us. Come on down. Congratulations to Nick Bowman on 10 years of service with the King County Council. Nick serves as a senior principal legislative analyst. Let me start that again. Nick serves as a senior principal legislative analyst with our policy team where he provides objective analysis of legislative and policy proposals, conducts policy research, and drafts legislation and amendments. His key issues include law enforcement and law enforcement oversight and transportation infrastructure, happy about yes Nick says he most enjoys the challenge of researching and analyzing complex policy issues the opportunity to work alongside a team of incredibly bright and hard-working analysts and the ever-evolving nature of the legislative environment Nick lives in Rainier Beach with his partner Kelly and their two children Evelyn 10 and Calvin 8 and enjoys backpacking snowboarding and prospecting for gold when he's not at work thank you Nick for 10 years of service thank you so much We get a picture. Did you want anyone else? No, this is good. Thank you. Oh, here, we should step over here.

I'm short. I'm short. Is that good? OK.

Great, thank you. All right, next we are recognizing Leah Krekelzapi. Congratulations, Leah Krekelzapi on 25 years for the King County Council. How is that possible? As a senior principal legislative analyst, Leah supports the council in enacting legislation by providing staff reports, drafting amendments to legislation, answering council members many, many, many questions about policies and programs. Prior to working on the policy team, we spent 14 years working as staff for different council members, including council members Louise Miller of my district. District 3 and Larry Phillips. In her current role, Leah enjoys feeling that the work she does serves her community and contributes to improving the lives of community members. She says she's grateful for all the people who took her under their wing when she started at council, then very young and inexperienced, she says, and taught her so much, especially council members Miller and Phillips and their staff, as well as many others. She says she tries to pay it forward now that she's an old timer. She lives with her partner, Dave, and has two children, Lily, 10, and Elania? Elena. Elena, beautiful, eight. Are they here with us today? No. No, okay. All right, thank you. Join me in congratulating Leah and thanking her for wonderful numbers. Right here? Okay, right here. One, two, three.

One, two, three. Congratulations.

Thanks.

Angel Foss is joining us today to celebrate 30 years of service with the Council.

I'm going to ask you to hold this right there, okay?

Angel is deputy clerk for the council. She coordinates agendas, advises on parliamentary rules and procedures, generally keeps us in order, and helps ensure the flow of reports and other information throughout the legislative process. Before coming to council, Angel worked in the King County Prosecutor's Office Family Support Division as a case coordinator. She says she's very fortunate to work with Melanie, Bruce, Cherry, Gavin, and Joe. They're so smart, funny, and kind, and they deliver exceptional results even under immense pressure. I can't believe how many people are recognizing other people in their work here, and you mong this strongly. Angel says, serving with Melanie and being her deputy since 2019 has been so rewarding on many levels. Working with her will always be one of the greatest privileges of my career. It was worth the wait of 20 years to be able to work with a woman of her caliber. Your endurance has paid off, and she says, I'm glad to be here to celebrate today. Angel lives in the Prairie Ridge neighborhood of Bonney Lake with her partner, Wade. She has two children, Travis and Erica, three grandchildren. Is that Kaya? Kaya. Kaya, Clara, and Ellie. In her free time, she enjoys travel, live music, gardening, and spending time. With her family? Yes, with her family.

And friends. And friends. With my chosen family. With your chosen family.

There we go, that's right. Her life motto is, they brought the storm, I brought endurance. Let's congratulate Angel on 30 years of service. Thank you. Congratulations. You want to stand right here? Oh. Oh. Others? Yes. Good. Good. Yes. One more. One more? Let's go.

Come on down.

That's one. That's one. That's one.

Right here. Big smiles. Good. Good.

One, two, three.

And congratulations to our own Angelica Calderon on 35 years with King County Council. Angelica, hello. The youngest one. Yes, you are the youngest one. I noticed that. I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah, there we are. Angelica is a committee assistant currently supporting four committees, health, housing, human services, regional policy, regional water quality, and transportation economy and environment. Angelica first came to work in King County in elections before shifting to the Office of Public Works and then the Executive's GMA office. She began working at the Council in 1994. These days, Angelica feels most comfortable when she can bring together different perspectives to overcome roadblocks and enjoys working with and learning from her amazing co-workers. She lives in South Seattle, has twin 27-year-old daughters, Jade and Giselle, and a 20-year-old son, Rafi. Angelica's passions are family and work, and she enjoys spending time with her family when she's not working. She loves the opportunity to be part of the new staff training and to be able to share some of her knowledge acquired over the years working with the council. Congratulations, Angelica, on an impressive and wonderful 35 years of service.

Thank you. Let's put a little picture right here, okay? Yeah. One, two, three. One, two, three.

Congratulations. Oh, absolutely, please. Anybody? Sorry, I should have said that before. And at the end, we'll have everyone come together with a capsule. Oh, yes, please. Did you make her? Congratulations. Thank you. Can we have all of our five come on up here and maybe take, somebody gets my gavel, maybe that's Angelica. You can sit here with me. Please come on up and join us and we'll get a picture. Yes, let's do that. Even though it makes, gosh, Claudia jump again, sorry. Do we have all of them? Please join us. Come on, you guys are going to sit.

Let's have someone go to that side. Two on that side. Okay, great.

I feel like you get the middle.

Where's Gavin?

OK, everybody's looking right here. Big smiles.

One, two, three.

Here we go. Looking right this way. One, two, three. Nice big smiles. And again. One, two, three.

Yes, indeed. Thank you.

to the address below.

Okay, thank you very much. That was wonderful to see everybody. And again, we're so grateful for the service. Wonderful service of everybody with us in King County Council. We'll now turn to the reading of items into the record and hearing of public comments. Clerk Hay, will you please read the items into the record?

Thank you. Item 6 is Proclamation of September 10th to the 19th, 2026 as Welcoming Week in King County and Proclamation of September 15th to October 15th, 2026 as Latino, Latina, Latina Heritage Month in King County. item seven is proposed motion number 2026-0144 accepting the office of law enforcement oversight's annual report for the year 2025 item 8 is proposed motion number 2026-0170 confirming the executive's appointment of daniel stanton who resides in council district 7 to the king county community advisory committee for law enforcement oversight as an at-large representative item 9 is proposed motion number 2026-0183 confirming the executive's appointment of kyle jones who resides in Council District 2 to the King County Community Advisory Committee on Law Enforcement Oversight as an at-large representative. Item 10 is proposed, motion number 2026-0186, confirming the executive's appointment of Samuel Hawkins, who resides in Council District 5 to the King County Community Advisory Committee committee for law enforcement oversight as an at-large representative item 11 is proposed motion number 2026-0212 confirming the reappointment of jason lombacher to the citizens election oversight committee as a representative sponsored by an academic institution and who has knowledge of elections item 12 is proposed motion number 2026-0251 confirming the executive's reappointment of Jeffrey Murdock, who resides in Council District 4, to King County Landmarks Commission as a representative of professionals with experience in historic preservation-related disciplines. And Item 22 is Proclamation of September 26, 2026 as Mesothelioma Awareness Day in King County.

Thank you very much. The Council will now take public comment on those ordinances, motions, proclamations and recognitions on today's Agenda for Action, which includes Agenda Items 6 through 12 and 22. Listening to the public and taking into consideration the public's thoughts is an important part of our process and one that greatly enhances our deliberations. In order to allow everyone equal time to provide comment, please recognize the following ground rules. Limit your comment to two minutes. Remain seated until time. For your public comment, do not make audible noise during the meeting without being recognized. It's also a reminder that public comment may not be used for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition. Speaker should address their comments directly to the chair and not address individual council members or the audience. And per council rules, disruptive behavior can or may lead to an audience member being asked to leave the meeting. In addition to those behaviors already mentioned, holding signs that obstruct the free passage or view of others attending the meeting is not prohibited. And holding signs at the podium while providing comment is not prohibited. For online, press star nine on the phone or click the raise hand icon in the Zoom toolbar located at the bottom of the screen to notify the clerk. The clerk will call the names or the last three digits of the phone numbers in order and will then unmute each line. At the end of each comment, the clerk will lower hands. And with that, Clerk Foss, please begin calling the names here in person, followed by those hands raised on line for public comment.

Thank you, Chair Perry. First name on the list is Kevin Altimer.

Here to speak about item 22. Item 22, mesothelioma is a very deadly disease. My grandmother died from emphysema, so I know lung diseases are varied. And I know that funding is very important for these type of things. But to shift from the funding is to also look at this council that has funding and has paid for things like the Clark Newberg investigation, where Chair Perry had basically managed that investigation because she signed the contract. The contract was an expired contract that was expired in August the 8th.

Could you please mute? Thank you. It's August the 8th. Your time is up. Time is up? I'm sorry, you-

because the state told me the next time you do this, because I already put you on notice last week, when you interrupted, you did not have any of these people vote.

Mr. Alzheimer, you were veering from the topic of 22. You were veering from the top of 22. Thank you, Mr. Alzheimer. Your time is done. Is he muted? Yeah, thank you. Next, please. I'm sorry, that's your second notice. Second notice, please. Third notice, would you please leave the chambers, Mr. Alzheimer? Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Alzheimer. Next name on the list is Alex Zimmerman.

Thank you very much. Yeah. My name Alex Zimmerman. I'm president of Stand Up America party and I come to country like refugee 50 year ago. So right now, situation for last few year in King Country about position number six, welcome to King Country. Yeah, that's exactly what I was talking. So for last couple of years, situation in King Country fundamentally changed. I don't recommend you come to this county, you know what it means, and I explain to you why. Number one, they fundamentally for last few years changed us freedom of speech, cut constitution. They acting like a criminal, like bandita, like Nazi, Gestapo, fascist, mob, bandita. It's exactly what's happened. It's number one. Number two, you will be arrested by ICE. Yes, it's exactly what is will be happen because when you come to country not legally, In number three, what is absolutely idiotic situation, these people steal from us $3.35 billion. So right now, everybody who come here will possibly pay these taxes, compensate this $35 billion. There's no analogy in America. King country for this, I told you, number one fascist county in America officially. You need to understand this. It's a fundamental difference. So to everybody, newcomers who come to King Country, you need to understand this problem. You have question, you can call Alex Zimmerman 24-7 and I explained to you probably another 10 point what is I cannot deliver because I have only two minutes. It's absolutely absurd how too many. But I want to explain to you what's going on. Viva Trump, viva new American revolution, stand up slave and happy cow. We need to clean this chamber from this bandito, from them Nazi Gestapo fascist pig.

Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman.

Next on the list is Yvette Dynish.

good afternoon council members i was going to speak on item 16 that i realized that's not open for a commenting today so instead i want to thank you for recognizing and awarding um Mia, Nick, Angel, and Angelica for all of her work. That was pretty cool. It's always nice to see that kind of work being done. And a special shout-out to Councilmember Lewis. I receive and I do read your newsletter, and you'll be out there. You're working really, really hard. Thank you so very, very much. And so next time when it's appropriate, I will speak on what I was going to speak on today. And go Ducks. Thank you.

The last name on my list in chambers is Emijah Smith.

I just wanted to say we're honored to invite Emijah Smith to come speak in memory of a very beloved community member who has been lost recently. Thank you for being here.

Well, happy to speak twice. So my name is Emijah Smith. I'm in District 2. Hello to all the council members. I do want to say thank you for honoring folks who are doing the service. That's important for the work that we're trying to do. Since I have an opportunity just to speak as a resident, I do want to speak around Skyways District 2. There was an opportunity at a meeting I attended some time ago. We were talking about the participatory funds. So I don't know if it's on the docket to talk about, but it is around budget.

It is, unfortunately, not. But I would very much like to invite you back on the fourth Tuesday to speak about Skyway District.

Happy to do that. Happy to do that.

If you would like to speak about what you were going to speak about your family member, that would be wonderful.

Yeah. I'm a resident here, and I was invited here to speak that said that there was an opportunity to honor a really good friend of mine who recently passed, KL Shannon. But I thought it was an invitation and it was something that was happening here with the county, not me just coming and putting myself out here to talk about KL. Because KL's type of person, she did not like a lot of shine. So I came in honor of the invitation. So what I always say about KL Shannon, KL Shannon was a great black woman who began organizing at a very young age in her teenage years. She's seen a young man across the street, her neighbor, experiencing police brutality. And she came outside of her home to try to interrupt and stop that. And then she ended up getting targeted by the police. And that really started her advocacy and activism. I also had an opportunity to walk with Kale and ask her who inspired her and she shared about an auntie that she had in the community that she would watch and would model her auntie standing up and speaking up for different issues in the community. I was fortunate enough to meet Kale and speak, just being in the community and seeing her vast advocacy issues that she would carry from education. She was on the PTA when I was on PTA. She raised her nephews. Her housing, she was a magnificent housing organizer. And I think it's Hope Four, Hope Six, when they were transitioning, what we call the projects here in the city of Seattle, to become mixed income. And KL made sure, I think it was, yes Sir Terrace was the last one, to make sure residents just weren't pushed out, that residents could come back. But I watched the other projects, quote unquote projects, really kind of push people out. So KL had a natural light on her, where her advocacy was recognized by all groups, classes, class backgrounds, ethnicity backgrounds. I mean, something that the average person cannot do. So her energy and her organizing, her activism is deeply missed by me. And so I got a chance to really learn and watch the level of kindness that Kayle shared, but also she stood and she walked in her principles. So I just wanted to come and have an opportunity to share that and honor the work that she does. And the number one thing that Kayle that I knew in our friendship and our organizing together, she really centered the children in our youth. So she was really active in helping families navigate the juvenile justice system, making sure that children were not being just forced and pushed into the adult care system, making sure that people were getting resources and that they had someone that could walk alongside them throughout the process of navigating these systems that systemically oppress so many. so that's really why i'm here to show up and honor my friend and so i think what she would ask of this council is not just to say her name but to really do the work police accountability is real we have to show up and do the work offering people service and opportunities to get in here and really push social justice work and to not let her name be forgotten. Because if anyone crossed her path and got a chance to see the kindness being brought in, having opportunities to really build leadership around our youth to really address these issues that are really harming and hurting our community. she would call on y'all to be accountable. She would call on action for y'all in this moment. I may be speaking a little softly or whatever, but Kayle, and Kayle spoke very softly and brought humor into her organizing. But nonetheless, she would be determined and steadfast to make sure that we're doing something, that we're really putting our dollars where they count, that we're really bringing community together. So thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you for your beautiful words, Jemichael. Thank you. Okay, if there's no one in chambers, if anyone is in chambers that hasn't had a chance to speak who would like that opportunity, please let me know. Please raise your hand. Okay, we can go now online. Thank you.

The first name online is Brian.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can. Go right ahead.

Good afternoon, council members. I appreciate this opportunity to address you about item 19, a motion about initiative 638. My name is Brian Anderson. I am speaking to you as a supporter of Democrats. Brian. Yes.

Hi, I'm sorry to interrupt. That is under our first reading and referral of ordinances. It's not under the items that receive comments because there will be another time for it to come before the council for comments as it is being referred. And so I invite you to... speak on a different topic that is on the agenda or to come back on the fourth tuesday to speak on this topic or to come when it is actually on the agenda itself and i'm sorry to next week yes next tuesday is the fourth tuesday and and all comments on all areas pertaining to king county are welcome would you like to speak on something else on the agenda or would you like to maybe come back next week no thank you i'll come back okay thanks so much we really appreciate it Okay, and I want to, that looks like we don't have anyone else online. So seeing no further requests, we'll close the public hearing. And we're turning next to the motion consent agenda. Vice Chair Barone, will you please move consent agenda item 7 through 11?

I move consent agenda item 7 through 11.

Thank you. Item 7 through 11 are before us. Clerk Haley, will you please call the roll? Thank you.

Council Member Balducci. Aye. Council Member Barone.

Aye.

Council Member Domboski.

Aye.

Council Member Dunn. Council Member Fain. Council Member Lewis. Council Member Mosqueda. Council Member Von Rackbauer.

Aye.

Chair Perry. Aye. The vote is aye. Thank you. The vote is six ayes, and Council Members Dunn, Lewis, and Mosqueda excused.

By our vote, we've adopted proposed motions 2026, 0144, 0170, 0183, 0186, and 0212. Turning to our last action item today, which is the reappointment consent agenda. Vice Chair Barone, would you please move consent agenda item 12?

I move agenda item 12.

Thank you. Agenda item 12 is before us. Clerk K, will you please call the roll?

Thank you. Council Member Balducci. Aye. Council Member Barone.

Aye.

Council Member Dombaski.

Aye.

Council Member Dunn. Council Member Fain. Aye. Council Member Lewis. Council Member Mosqueda. Council Member von Reichbauer.

Aye.

chair perry aye the vote is six eyes and council members dunn lewis and mosqueda excused thank you by our vote we've adopted proposed motion number 2026 0251 if there's no objection uh the published marked agenda together with any changes made in today's meeting will stand approved as the first reading and referral of ordinances and motions items 13 through 20 as listed Under Other Business, I'll note that we have a proclamation September 26, 2026, as Meso-Leoma Awareness Day in King County being presented in the community by Councilmember Lewis. Additionally, my office received a request to adjourn today's council meeting in memory of Kale Shannon. Councilmember Lewis, Councilmember Mosquito, would you like to share any remarks?

Thank you, Chair. As we just heard, this past week, D2 lost a widely respected activist, advocate, and community leader, KL Shannon. Her decades of work helped advance many causes, including social justice, environmental justice, economic justice, just to name a few. KL's work benefited not only D2, but all of King County and beyond. KL's commitment to community will be greatly missed by many, many friends, neighbors, activists, organizers, and all who believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. County should reflect Dr. King's vision of the beloved community. King County is better because KL Shannon helped make it so. May her memory be a blessing.

Thank you. Council Member Mosqueda.

Thank you so much. I want to thank Councilmember Lewis for the initiative to make sure to recognize KL Shannon here today. And as we were talking to Amijah Smith in the hall, we were talking about this should be one of many opportunities for us to recognize the life, the legacy, and the demand for action from KL. I thank Amaisha for coming and presenting here today. I know that she is representing an entire community and family that is still grieving. And while many of us were inspired by Kayle's actions throughout her life, me personally remembering her leadership during the WTO organizing era, all the way to the incredible legacy that she left with fighting for no youth jail here in King County, and her continued commitment to lifting up racial justice, social justice, gender justice in all of her work. One thing that Amijah Smith noted at the podium just a moment ago is her constant interest in holding folks accountable. in a way that brought people in and made it clear that we were not done when there was one item checked off the list, that this was a continued arc. And the arc, if it's ever to bend towards justice, demands more of us every single step of the way. So in her name and in her memory, and thanks again to Council Member Lewis for bringing this forward, I think we all are here to recommit to doing more and being held accountable to follow through. Thanks again. Thank you, Council Members Lewis and Mosqueda.

Thank you. Before we adjourn, do my colleagues have any other business for the good of the order? Chair?

Council Member Mosqueda. I just wanted to make sure if there was any votes that I missed that I got recorded as a yes vote. Here we have...

It's not that easy, but I'll help you out. Thank you. Madam Chair, I know that we reopened the voting... on the first consent agenda so that members may cast a vote i've been voting on the prevailed side okay let's so let us reopen the voting on the first consent agenda i'm sorry i can't remember the formal title of that but i think the clerk knows that covers it are there two members that would like to cast votes

What are the votes that are missing? We are missing the vote of Council Member Dunn, Council Member Lewis, and Council Member Mosqueda.

And Council Member Lewis and Council Member Mosqueda, would you like to register your vote?

Thank you so much, Chair. Council Member Mosqueda, I vote aye on the votes. Council Member Lewis votes aye.

The final vote is 8 ayes and Councilmember Dunn excused for consent agenda items 7 through 11 and we have one more consent agenda item 12.

We reopen the reappointment consent agenda to allow opportunities to vote on item 12.

Reopening consent agenda item 12 to make sure we have all the votes counted. Councilmembers Mosqueda and Lewis, how would you vote?

Councilmember Lewis votes aye. Council Member Mosky, the vote's aye as well. Thank you very much.

The final vote is eight ayes and Council Member Dunn excused. And is that all of the votes that are missing? That's it. Thank you very much. Council Member Dombowski, did you have anything final?

Just a Council Member, my friend Council Member Von Reichbauer was kind of looking at me inquisitively. Council Member Von Reichbauer, someday I might need the favor returned.

Okay, so noted. Seeing no further business before us, we adjourn the September 15th, 2026 council meeting in honor of KL Shannon.