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-Hello.
I'm your host, Brian Callanan.

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The Seattle City Council's
budget process

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is finally complete.

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So what programs were approved
and what didn't make the cut?

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Plus, how is the city's new
drug possession law working out?

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And what impact
will an agreement

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with the Police Officers Guild
have on public safety

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and an officer
staffing crisis?

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I'm with Council member
Andrew Lewis,

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who will be talking
about these issues

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and reflecting on the ups
and downs of his time in office

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after his reelection bid
came up short.

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It's all next
on "Council Edition".

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Do you wish you had
that decision back?

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-No, no, I think
I made the right decision.

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I don't take it back at all.
-All that and more, coming up

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next on "City Inside/Out:
Council Edition".

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♪♪

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♪♪

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And here he is,
Councilmember Andrew Lewis,

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representing District 7,

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also Chair of the council's
Committee on Homelessness.

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Thank you very much
for being here.

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-Thanks, Brian.
-And I know we have a lot

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to reflect on today,
but I did want to start

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by updating our viewers

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on the budget
the council just passed

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and what you were able
to accomplish there.

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I wanted to focus in
on your amendment

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to increase funding for
homelessness services contracts.

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This was a key issue here.

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What impact do you see coming
out of this increase in pay

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for these service providers?

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-Yeah, so one of
the big struggles

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that we've had on public safety

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is the fact
that service providers

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are dramatically underpaid

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to what they should
be receiving.

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And actually nationally,
looking at a U-Dub study

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that was conducted recently,

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we're less competitive
than a lot of peer regions

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and what we pay people
to do this critical work.

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That leads to lots of long-term

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service disruption challenges
that we've been seeing.

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It means that we can't staff
our tiny house villages,

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we can't staff
our emergency shelters,

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we can't staff our emergency
medical services

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that serve folks in these
vulnerable populations

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if they can't find
the people to do the work.

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So, by raising the level of pay
and by raising the benefits,

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we're able
to retain talent here,

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and we're able
to attract talent nationally

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to fill this really critical
void.

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And that's a really
big investment

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that we've made in this budget
and really excited about it.

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-Yeah, and really something
that crosses over

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between what you want
to focus on with regard

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to homelessness
and public safety, really,

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it really does seem like
it bridges both of those issues.

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-Absolutely, you know,
if you can get somebody inside,

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you know, you make
a massive amount of progress

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in terms of
the public disorder

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and the public safety challenges
that we see in the city.

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And that's really what
we're trying to get at,

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is how can we really invest
in those best practices

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and make sure that the people
at the front lines

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who are doing that work
are adequately compensated,

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and that we're a place
they want to come to,

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they want to put down roots.
-Got it.

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I wanted to talk about another
public safety issue with you,

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and this was one of the more
contested votes on the budget --

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the gunshot locator technology,
sometimes known as ShotSpotter.

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Mayor Harrell has been
interested in this

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for about a decade
since his time on the council.

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He presented a $1.5 million
proposal to the council

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to include the audio element of
locating where shots are fired,

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as well as some
closed circuit TV cameras

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and license plate readers.

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So some community members
have been supportive

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of this technology,
while others,

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including your colleague
Councilmember Lisa Herbold,

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have a lot of concerns
after different cities

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have had mixed results, at best.
-There's a study

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in Philadelphia
that shows no better outcomes

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when it comes
to usefulness to address --

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respond to gun violence,

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or to hold perpetrators
accountable.

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When we talk about
false positives,

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that means that police officers

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are going to a location
when they're not needed.

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And when we have such
a staffing crisis in this city,

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why would we want to do that?
-That was Councilmember Herbold

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talking with me last month
about this on "Council Edition".

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This measure passed in November
with a 5-4 vote.

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So why did you support
this gunshot detection proposal,

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and why do you think results
will be positive in Seattle

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when they really haven't been
in many other cities nationwide?

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-Well, what we did, Brian,
is we put the money --

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well, we kept the money
in the budget

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that the mayor had proposed

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to explore this proposal,
but we provisoed it.

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So what we want to really see
as a council

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is what
the Racial Equity Toolkit

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says about this
potential program.

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-'Cause it still has to go
through that process.

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-Right, we want to see what
the surveillance ordinance

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has to say when it goes
through that scrutiny.

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-There's going to be public
hearings, all that kind --

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-Right, So the council
will make a final decision

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on this sometime next year.

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Personally, I mean,
I don't know,

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in terms of the final decision
next year on, like, you know,

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up or down on this technology.

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You know, I won't be
on the council next year,

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so I don't know
how I would vote on that

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'cause I don't have
the information in front of me

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from -- I don't have
a racial equity toolkit.

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-Sure, sure.
-But I do think

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that the executive
deserves the deference

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of at least being able to try
and provide that information

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to the council
for a fully informed decision.

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And that's what we did
in the budget.

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We kept that money.
We put a proviso on it.

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I thought the executive
was very responsible

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in the source of that money,

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taking it from
the police department.

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So it wasn't like
they were taking

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from some other
general fund priority.

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They were taking salary savings
from the police department

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saying, "We want to invest
in some of these

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technology-based
enforcement tools

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pending all of this other
information."

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So, you know,
I knew with confidence

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that in the spring,
probably of next year,

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that, you know, we would be able
to make a final decision

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on this, on the merits
of the proposal

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with all the information.

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So we'll see how that comes.

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I mean, now, Councilmember
Herbold, obviously,

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and I mean,
I respect her decision

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and respect the decisions of
the skeptics of this proposal.

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Why didn't you just make
the decision now?

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I felt like
she had enough information.

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-I see.
-Just wanted to say

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let's,you know, let's not even
go down this road.

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-'Cause the Council
has not approved this

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in many budgets in the past.
-Right.

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But I felt like given how
the executive had come forward

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with the proposal
in a thoughtful way,

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given the source of the money,
that they deserve the chance

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to go do all their
due diligence,

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make a pitch next year
for up or down vote.

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And I would have made
my decision on that

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based on
the information available

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after that process next year.

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-Okay. And that will
be months in progress.

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Thank you for breaking
those pieces down.

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I did want to point out also,
as the budget was wrapping up,

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there was another 5-4 vote
on the Council

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to reject transportation
impact fees.

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A "yes" vote would
have allowed these

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to be part of next year's
comprehensive plan process.

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Developers essentially
pay these fees when they build,

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and the money goes towards
transportation infrastructure.

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Transportation impact fees
are authorized by the state.

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Dozens of cities
around Seattle use them.

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Councilmember Peterson
was pushing for this

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to bring in revenue for
the way behind schedule work

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that needs to be done
on our bridges here.

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Why were you a "no" on this?

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What were your concerns
about this?

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-Well, we're in a housing
crisis in the city of Seattle.

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We're the fastest
growing city in the nation.

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We are experiencing
a lot of the challenges

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of being a popular place,
right?

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I mean, we forget
that homelessness

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is something that afflicts
affluent communities.

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It afflicts places
that people want to move to.

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when there's finite housing,
lots of demand for housing,

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it forces a lot of people
out on the streets.

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You have a homelessness crisis,

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you have an affordability
crisis.

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There was some journalism
recently from Danny Westneat

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in his column talking about
the cost of living.

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-Yeah, 100,000 bucks minimum.
-Yeah.

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And a big driver of that
is housing costs

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in the city of Seattle.

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We have high interest rates.

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It's getting more expensive
to buy property.

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That makes it more expensive
to rent that property out.

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-Sure.
-So you look at all of

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those conflicting challenges,

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and is this really
the right time

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to put another disincentive
on building housing,

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to put another fee
on building housing?

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And that is just something that,

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given all of these
compounding crises,

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I couldn't get behind.
I can't -- I don't --

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I cannot put another fee --

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Now, in a different environment,
you know,

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if we were in a place
where housing was more abundant,

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or we were figuring out ways
to streamline the production

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of housing with different
combinations of incentives

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and rules and inflation,
you know,

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inflation and interest rates
were lower,

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if it was a different
economic climate,

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maybe impact fees
would be a good tool.

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You know, like, you know,
10, 15 years ago,

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transportation impact fees,
when we had an environment

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of low inflation
and low interest rates,

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might have been
an attractive way

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to have that kind of tool
and that kind of investment.

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But right now, when we are
seeing permits go down --

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-Building permits, right?
-...less people want to build,

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people are sitting
on their property --

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adding one more disincentive
on the pile

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is not something
that we need right now.

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We need to be producing
tens of thousands,

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hundreds of thousands
of more housing units

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in the city
and in the region.

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-Can I take a quick sidebar here
and talk about a very recent

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housing issue here
at Fort Lawton?

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This is a project
that's been in the works for,

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shoot, almost 20 years here.

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I remember talking about it
with Councilmember Mosqueda

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right here on the set
about four years ago,

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when it looked like everything
was all set and ready to go.

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Now, it looks like there's
a deadline in place from HUD,

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the federal agency
that's working with the city

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to try to make this happen here,
and there's some issues.

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It sounds like the mayor is
very concerned about putting

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a new infrastructure,
what that's going to cost.

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When you brought up those points
about issues with interest rates

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or whatever else, it really
made me think about that.

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And I would love
to get your insight

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on what happens in Fort Lawton
in your district.

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There are some concerns
about this.

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-Yeah, so, I mean,
this has been discussed

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ever since I was in high school.

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It's been a very,
very long time,

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and I continue to think

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that it is the most
appropriate thing

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for there to be some kind
of public housing

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00:09:54,100 --> 00:09:57,000
and park and open space,
mixed development

245
00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,801
in that federal lot
at Fort Lawton,

246
00:10:00,801 --> 00:10:03,834
the last piece of public
property that is on that campus.

247
00:10:03,834 --> 00:10:07,834
And as you're well aware,
as your viewers might be aware,

248
00:10:07,834 --> 00:10:10,901
the Council did pass
a proposal in 2019

249
00:10:10,901 --> 00:10:12,501
that was going to be
a combination

250
00:10:12,501 --> 00:10:14,767
of park expansion
and public housing.

251
00:10:14,767 --> 00:10:16,834
-That's right.
-A couple hundred units,

252
00:10:16,834 --> 00:10:20,133
mostly to support seniors
and veterans.

253
00:10:20,133 --> 00:10:24,901
That proposal, from what
I understand, at this point,

254
00:10:24,901 --> 00:10:27,000
doesn't pencil because
of these same market forces

255
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,634
we've been discussing --
cost of labor,

256
00:10:28,634 --> 00:10:30,734
cost of materials,
cost of the land.

257
00:10:30,734 --> 00:10:33,400
-Different scene now
than in 2019 for sure.

258
00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,901
-Right, so the feds
are asking us

259
00:10:35,901 --> 00:10:38,601
to figure out a way
to make this pencil,

260
00:10:38,601 --> 00:10:41,701
and that might mean
we need to include more units

261
00:10:41,701 --> 00:10:43,467
than the initial proposal.

262
00:10:43,467 --> 00:10:45,834
I think that that's something
that we should be looking into.

263
00:10:45,834 --> 00:10:48,834
I think it would be a huge
waste of an opportunity.

264
00:10:48,834 --> 00:10:51,968
I know that a lot of the folks
in the Magnolia neighborhood

265
00:10:51,968 --> 00:10:54,367
have been skeptical
about this project.

266
00:10:54,367 --> 00:10:56,000
The only thing I would say,

267
00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,567
'cause I know a number of them
may be watching the segment --

268
00:10:59,567 --> 00:11:02,434
the only thing I would say is,
you know, this is part

269
00:11:02,434 --> 00:11:06,434
of the base relocation
and closure process

270
00:11:06,434 --> 00:11:07,834
that the federal
government has.

271
00:11:07,834 --> 00:11:09,968
The federal government
wants to get rid of this parcel.

272
00:11:09,968 --> 00:11:13,601
-Yeah.
-If we cannot come up with a bid

273
00:11:13,601 --> 00:11:17,434
that is a real bid,
and that would be housing,

274
00:11:17,434 --> 00:11:19,400
they will go
on the private market

275
00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:20,701
and try to decommission this.

276
00:11:20,701 --> 00:11:23,701
Housing is going to that lot
regardless.

277
00:11:23,701 --> 00:11:26,868
There is no way
that an alternative

278
00:11:26,868 --> 00:11:29,934
that isn't housing
is going in to that parcel.

279
00:11:29,934 --> 00:11:32,434
Trust me, you know,
I chaired the parks committee.

280
00:11:32,434 --> 00:11:34,567
I chaired
the Metropolitan Parks District.

281
00:11:34,567 --> 00:11:38,167
There is no way there is enough
money that the city has

282
00:11:38,167 --> 00:11:41,200
to go in and buy that parcel
for a park expansion.

283
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:42,834
It's not going to happen.

284
00:11:42,834 --> 00:11:47,067
And the feds will go
to the next best deal,

285
00:11:47,067 --> 00:11:48,501
which is going to be
a private development.

286
00:11:48,501 --> 00:11:51,133
So I think that
that's really the choice.

287
00:11:51,133 --> 00:11:52,467
It's going to be what kind
of housing.

288
00:11:52,467 --> 00:11:55,434
Do you want to have
a public amenity

289
00:11:55,434 --> 00:11:57,834
that can serve the people,

290
00:11:57,834 --> 00:12:00,734
that can get people
off the street,

291
00:12:00,734 --> 00:12:03,100
that can provide much needed
affordable housing?

292
00:12:03,100 --> 00:12:09,033
Or do we want a market rate,
suburban style subdivision?

293
00:12:09,033 --> 00:12:11,000
And I think the answer
to that is really easy.

294
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:12,667
I think we want public housing.

295
00:12:12,667 --> 00:12:14,400
It might mean we're going
to have to put in more units

296
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:15,567
than originally planned.

297
00:12:15,567 --> 00:12:16,767
I think that we should
embrace that.

298
00:12:16,767 --> 00:12:18,300
I think that's a good idea.
-Yeah.

299
00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:20,968
-So I look forward
to seeing how Mayor Harrell

300
00:12:20,968 --> 00:12:22,834
and the new Council
grapple with that,

301
00:12:22,834 --> 00:12:25,734
because if that opportunity
is squandered,

302
00:12:25,734 --> 00:12:27,234
it would be horrible.

303
00:12:27,234 --> 00:12:29,033
-Great observation,
I appreciate that.

304
00:12:29,033 --> 00:12:30,367
Let me jump back
to the budget here,

305
00:12:30,367 --> 00:12:32,434
another big budget item
that I saw here --

306
00:12:32,434 --> 00:12:34,067
the city funding
a new agreement

307
00:12:34,067 --> 00:12:35,968
with the Seattle
Police Officers Guild

308
00:12:35,968 --> 00:12:38,334
to allow civilian
parking enforcement employees

309
00:12:38,334 --> 00:12:41,000
to direct traffic at large
events like football games.

310
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,767
Now, if police officers
end up working these shifts,

311
00:12:43,767 --> 00:12:46,400
it's an extra $225
per shift,

312
00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,133
which works out to about
$8 million in police overtime

313
00:12:49,133 --> 00:12:50,634
over the next two years.

314
00:12:50,634 --> 00:12:52,868
The agreement also laid out
plans for police involvement

315
00:12:52,868 --> 00:12:55,067
in the dual dispatch program,
as you know,

316
00:12:55,067 --> 00:12:57,234
which you've been a champion of,
and expands the use

317
00:12:57,234 --> 00:13:00,334
of non-police park rangers
to all city parks.

318
00:13:00,334 --> 00:13:02,167
I wanted to break down this
because I've heard

319
00:13:02,167 --> 00:13:04,901
from a few critics who say
this is giving the police union

320
00:13:04,901 --> 00:13:07,634
too much influence on these
non-police alternatives.

321
00:13:07,634 --> 00:13:09,334
How do you look
at this agreement?

322
00:13:09,334 --> 00:13:10,901
-Well, you know,
people ask me all the time

323
00:13:10,901 --> 00:13:13,901
because I've been advocating
for an alternative 911 response

324
00:13:13,901 --> 00:13:15,200
for years and years and years

325
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,667
since the beginning of my time
on the council.

326
00:13:16,667 --> 00:13:18,934
-Right.
-I consider it to be one of my

327
00:13:18,934 --> 00:13:20,567
greatest accomplishments
on the Council,

328
00:13:20,567 --> 00:13:22,234
that we got this
over the finish line

329
00:13:22,234 --> 00:13:25,067
and we are going to have
the CARE response system,

330
00:13:25,067 --> 00:13:27,467
is something right now,
actually --

331
00:13:27,467 --> 00:13:28,868
-It's in progress.
-...that's on the streets.

332
00:13:28,868 --> 00:13:30,868
As of the end of October,
it's on the streets

333
00:13:30,868 --> 00:13:32,601
and responding to calls.

334
00:13:32,601 --> 00:13:36,267
The reality is,
I'll say to the critics of this,

335
00:13:36,267 --> 00:13:39,601
you know, when people ask me
why it's taken so long,

336
00:13:39,601 --> 00:13:41,100
you have to bargain it.

337
00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:43,400
And this is Washington State,

338
00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,100
where we have very,
very strong labor laws.

339
00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:47,434
And as someone who comes
from a union household,

340
00:13:47,434 --> 00:13:50,367
as someone who's been
in two unions,

341
00:13:50,367 --> 00:13:53,167
I'm glad that Washington
has strong labor laws.

342
00:13:53,167 --> 00:13:55,601
But sometimes,
it has this result

343
00:13:55,601 --> 00:13:57,601
that a lot of my
progressive friends don't like,

344
00:13:57,601 --> 00:14:00,167
where you have to bargain
with a union you might not like,

345
00:14:00,167 --> 00:14:01,801
which is
the Police Officer's Guild.

346
00:14:01,801 --> 00:14:03,267
But the reality is,

347
00:14:03,267 --> 00:14:07,033
if those are calls
they currently respond to

348
00:14:07,033 --> 00:14:08,868
and we want to send
someone else,

349
00:14:08,868 --> 00:14:10,901
that has an impact
on their working conditions

350
00:14:10,901 --> 00:14:12,133
in Washington State.

351
00:14:12,133 --> 00:14:13,667
Under the state law,
you have to bargain it.

352
00:14:13,667 --> 00:14:15,934
If you don't like that,
go to the state legislature

353
00:14:15,934 --> 00:14:17,968
and ask them to change it.

354
00:14:17,968 --> 00:14:19,868
You know, but that's just
the reality of the law.

355
00:14:19,868 --> 00:14:23,801
We can't just impose it.
So you have to come to terms.

356
00:14:23,801 --> 00:14:25,701
And I think we came
to an equitable agreement

357
00:14:25,701 --> 00:14:27,934
with the Seattle Police
Officers Guild.

358
00:14:27,934 --> 00:14:30,100
#There was one more component
to that, Brian.

359
00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:34,200
We can more broadly assign
alternative civilian staff

360
00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,767
to event staffing
and traffic direction as well

361
00:14:36,767 --> 00:14:38,334
as part of this agreement.

362
00:14:38,334 --> 00:14:42,801
So what the city gets,
what we get are three things.

363
00:14:42,801 --> 00:14:45,367
We get their agreement
not to contest

364
00:14:45,367 --> 00:14:48,968
this new dual dispatch
911 alternative response,

365
00:14:48,968 --> 00:14:50,434
which over time,
can evolve to be

366
00:14:50,434 --> 00:14:53,167
a fully independent
911 alternative response.

367
00:14:53,167 --> 00:14:57,434
We get the ability to send
our new park rangers --

368
00:14:57,434 --> 00:14:59,667
a program that I created through
the Metropolitan Park District,

369
00:14:59,667 --> 00:15:01,100
or reinvigorated.

370
00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:03,734
We had two rangers.
We are now going to have 28.

371
00:15:03,734 --> 00:15:05,567
We get to send those
park rangers to any park

372
00:15:05,567 --> 00:15:07,501
in the city now, instead of --
-Right, not just Downtown.

373
00:15:07,501 --> 00:15:09,701
-...instead of just
the downtown core park.

374
00:15:09,701 --> 00:15:14,200
We also get to essentially
break the monopoly

375
00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,133
on event staffing that
the police have had.

376
00:15:17,133 --> 00:15:18,801
In exchange for those things,

377
00:15:18,801 --> 00:15:21,834
when police
do the event staffing,

378
00:15:21,834 --> 00:15:24,634
we have to pay them a premium,
we have to pay them more money.

379
00:15:24,634 --> 00:15:27,267
That's just the reality
of the law and the state.

380
00:15:27,267 --> 00:15:29,167
I think it's
an equitable agreement.

381
00:15:29,167 --> 00:15:31,467
You know, I think
that we get a lot for this

382
00:15:31,467 --> 00:15:33,601
and a lot of the flexibility
that community

383
00:15:33,601 --> 00:15:36,133
has been demanding
to be able to have

384
00:15:36,133 --> 00:15:38,467
a broader civilianization
of some of these

385
00:15:38,467 --> 00:15:41,334
public safety roles
that historically have been held

386
00:15:41,334 --> 00:15:43,167
in monopoly by the police.

387
00:15:43,167 --> 00:15:44,767
If you want to make progress
on these things,

388
00:15:44,767 --> 00:15:47,467
that's what you have to do
to reject this deal,

389
00:15:47,467 --> 00:15:49,701
would be to go back
to square one.

390
00:15:49,701 --> 00:15:53,601
To reject this deal
would be to continue

391
00:15:53,601 --> 00:15:55,868
to have the police
do all of those functions.

392
00:15:55,868 --> 00:15:58,033
So, you know,
you have to make a deal.

393
00:15:58,033 --> 00:16:00,267
There's no way around
making the deal.

394
00:16:00,267 --> 00:16:01,801
And we made the deal,
and it's a good one.

395
00:16:01,801 --> 00:16:03,200
-Fair enough.
I want to work

396
00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,033
on another piece in the budget
where you were able

397
00:16:05,033 --> 00:16:09,200
to secure $200,000 for
pre-filing diversion programs.

398
00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,133
This is all about
finding alternatives to jail

399
00:16:11,133 --> 00:16:13,133
for people committing
lower level crimes.

400
00:16:13,133 --> 00:16:15,067
But I didn't see
anything else in the budget

401
00:16:15,067 --> 00:16:17,067
that substantially
increases funding

402
00:16:17,067 --> 00:16:18,234
to these types
of alternatives,

403
00:16:18,234 --> 00:16:19,934
which I know were
a key part of the debate

404
00:16:19,934 --> 00:16:23,834
over revamping our city's
drug possession law this fall.

405
00:16:23,834 --> 00:16:26,634
What impact is $200,000
going to have?

406
00:16:26,634 --> 00:16:28,567
-So, it's going to have
a significant impact.

407
00:16:28,567 --> 00:16:31,767
Pre-file diversion is a very,
very affordable way

408
00:16:31,767 --> 00:16:36,634
to resolve criminal
legal system challenges.

409
00:16:36,634 --> 00:16:40,234
It diverts folks,
at the point,

410
00:16:40,234 --> 00:16:44,200
where a prosecutor might be
charging somebody with a crime

411
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,234
to a community-based
organization

412
00:16:46,234 --> 00:16:48,167
for some kind
of alternative programing

413
00:16:48,167 --> 00:16:50,934
based on whatever
they're accused of doing.

414
00:16:50,934 --> 00:16:52,968
And keep in mind,
for people viewing at home,

415
00:16:52,968 --> 00:16:54,734
this is all for low-level stuff.
-Yeah.

416
00:16:54,734 --> 00:16:56,400
-This is all for misdemeanors

417
00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:57,934
that happen
in the city of Seattle,

418
00:16:57,934 --> 00:17:01,334
and almost entirely,
nonviolent misdemeanors.

419
00:17:01,334 --> 00:17:03,834
So, this is for, you know,
if someone has --

420
00:17:03,834 --> 00:17:06,167
has shoplifted a small amount,

421
00:17:06,167 --> 00:17:10,300
or if somebody
has trespassed somewhere,

422
00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:13,100
this is an alternative way
for them to be held accountable

423
00:17:13,100 --> 00:17:16,634
and to engage with some kind
of constructive programing,

424
00:17:16,634 --> 00:17:18,901
to get a second chance
as an alternative

425
00:17:18,901 --> 00:17:20,934
to the traditional criminal
legal system.

426
00:17:20,934 --> 00:17:22,534
There's a couple
of really big advantages.

427
00:17:22,534 --> 00:17:25,434
First, the person
can avoid being charged

428
00:17:25,434 --> 00:17:27,501
at all, in the first place,

429
00:17:27,501 --> 00:17:29,634
and a charge,
people often forget,

430
00:17:29,634 --> 00:17:31,200
is a criminal record.

431
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:32,968
Like, even if you're charged,
and it's dismissed,

432
00:17:32,968 --> 00:17:35,801
it'll still show up in public
record that you were charged.

433
00:17:35,801 --> 00:17:37,667
This is a way
to avoid being charged,

434
00:17:37,667 --> 00:17:39,667
because it's before
the filing decision.

435
00:17:39,667 --> 00:17:41,601
-Mm-hm.

436
00:17:41,601 --> 00:17:44,534
-Another advantage is it
doesn't bog our court system

437
00:17:44,534 --> 00:17:48,133
down with a bunch
of small, more minor things.

438
00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:50,300
So then, the court system
can spend more time

439
00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:53,234
on more serious offenses --
domestic violence,

440
00:17:53,234 --> 00:17:56,767
driving under the influence,
assault, violent crimes.

441
00:17:56,767 --> 00:17:59,334
Those things can take up
a bigger volume of time

442
00:17:59,334 --> 00:18:01,767
in the court, because
we've been able to resolve

443
00:18:01,767 --> 00:18:03,801
a lot of these
smaller things over here.

444
00:18:03,801 --> 00:18:06,734
When I worked for
City Attorney Pete Holmes,

445
00:18:06,734 --> 00:18:08,968
I was one of the prosecutors
that worked on setting up

446
00:18:08,968 --> 00:18:10,801
our initial pre-filing
diversion programing.

447
00:18:10,801 --> 00:18:12,601
-Yeah.
-It's been immensely successful.

448
00:18:12,601 --> 00:18:16,801
The primary thing
in the criminal legal system

449
00:18:16,801 --> 00:18:21,701
that we use to determine success
should not be conviction rate

450
00:18:21,701 --> 00:18:24,100
or how many people
we incarcerate.

451
00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:26,067
It should be recidivism rate.

452
00:18:26,067 --> 00:18:27,968
That's the thing that we should
really be looking at.

453
00:18:27,968 --> 00:18:31,834
Like, how often are people
not coming back to the system,

454
00:18:31,834 --> 00:18:35,501
not getting arrested again,
not going back to the court?

455
00:18:35,501 --> 00:18:39,734
Well over two-thirds,
I think, even higher

456
00:18:39,734 --> 00:18:42,601
than that of the people that
go through pre-file diversion,

457
00:18:42,601 --> 00:18:44,834
do not commit new offenses.

458
00:18:44,834 --> 00:18:46,601
It's an extremely
successful program,

459
00:18:46,601 --> 00:18:49,200
way higher than people

460
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,067
who go through the normal
criminal legal system.

461
00:18:53,067 --> 00:18:56,701
And it's about 1,000
or so dollars per diversion

462
00:18:56,701 --> 00:19:00,067
for the folks that we
contract with to do this work.

463
00:19:00,067 --> 00:19:02,100
So, I think, it's going
to make a big difference.

464
00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:04,434
It's also an additional $200,000

465
00:19:04,434 --> 00:19:06,234
that builds on several
hundred thousand dollars

466
00:19:06,234 --> 00:19:08,534
that we put in
the mid-year supplemental,

467
00:19:08,534 --> 00:19:10,234
as well as several
hundred thousand dollars

468
00:19:10,234 --> 00:19:11,234
from last year's budget.

469
00:19:11,234 --> 00:19:12,934
So, it's an accumulation,

470
00:19:12,934 --> 00:19:17,767
where we're getting to the point
of pushing

471
00:19:17,767 --> 00:19:19,701
$1 million
for pre-file diversion,

472
00:19:19,701 --> 00:19:23,200
which is a huge increase over
what we've historically done.

473
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,067
The only other thing
I would say, too,

474
00:19:25,067 --> 00:19:26,734
in terms of our interventions

475
00:19:26,734 --> 00:19:29,367
around the intersection
of drug use...

476
00:19:29,367 --> 00:19:33,167
-Yeah.
-...is we did protect

477
00:19:33,167 --> 00:19:37,234
and enhance the work
of the Third Avenue Project,

478
00:19:37,234 --> 00:19:39,100
which has been
one of our key interventions

479
00:19:39,100 --> 00:19:41,968
and something
that's being covered quite a bit

480
00:19:41,968 --> 00:19:43,834
in the news recently,
which is great.

481
00:19:43,834 --> 00:19:46,100
I'm very, very proud
of bringing the parties

482
00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:47,968
together for
the Third Avenue Project.

483
00:19:47,968 --> 00:19:50,634
I'm glad it's kind of expanded
beyond its pilot form,

484
00:19:50,634 --> 00:19:54,200
and now it's becoming sort of
a more permanent institution.

485
00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,100
The challenge
that they're facing,

486
00:19:56,100 --> 00:19:57,334
and this is what --

487
00:19:57,334 --> 00:19:59,501
the next level of what
we need to do

488
00:19:59,501 --> 00:20:02,267
to fund interventions
for this work

489
00:20:02,267 --> 00:20:04,901
is provide more places
for people to go.

490
00:20:04,901 --> 00:20:07,834
-Yeah.
-There was not really --

491
00:20:07,834 --> 00:20:10,934
None of the providers
we were talking to

492
00:20:10,934 --> 00:20:14,901
really wanted some
additional outreach resource.

493
00:20:14,901 --> 00:20:16,901
We had the means to provide it.

494
00:20:16,901 --> 00:20:19,167
That was not something that
they were really looking for.

495
00:20:19,167 --> 00:20:20,968
What they were saying is,
"Look, we have plenty of people

496
00:20:20,968 --> 00:20:22,300
who are doing outreach.

497
00:20:22,300 --> 00:20:24,434
The challenge is
we don't have places

498
00:20:24,434 --> 00:20:26,701
on the back end
to send people to."

499
00:20:26,701 --> 00:20:28,167
So, you know, the challenge

500
00:20:28,167 --> 00:20:29,801
that's going to face
the next council,

501
00:20:29,801 --> 00:20:32,734
and the challenge that,
you know, that I was prepared

502
00:20:32,734 --> 00:20:35,801
to be very engaged in,
continue to be engaged in

503
00:20:35,801 --> 00:20:38,601
had I been reelected,
is going to be to provide

504
00:20:38,601 --> 00:20:40,334
those back end places
for people to go.

505
00:20:40,334 --> 00:20:42,067
-Yeah.
-And that's really what we need

506
00:20:42,067 --> 00:20:43,567
to do to go
to the next level.

507
00:20:43,567 --> 00:20:46,067
And I think that that's work
that, you know, the mayor,

508
00:20:46,067 --> 00:20:48,334
the King County Regional
Homelessness Authority,

509
00:20:48,334 --> 00:20:50,734
all of these folks
are committed to,

510
00:20:50,734 --> 00:20:53,067
and that's the next step.

511
00:20:53,067 --> 00:20:54,300
-Thank you,
I want to keep going down

512
00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:55,868
this path
with the criminal legal system,

513
00:20:55,868 --> 00:20:57,267
and talk about
what's next for you,

514
00:20:57,267 --> 00:20:59,367
and look back
on this drug law discussion

515
00:20:59,367 --> 00:21:01,901
from June of this year when
you were all set to vote, yes,

516
00:21:01,901 --> 00:21:03,267
on the first iteration
of this law.

517
00:21:03,267 --> 00:21:06,067
But because the promise
of a pretrial diversion program

518
00:21:06,067 --> 00:21:08,400
wasn't fully fleshed out,
along with other concerns,

519
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,200
you said you
couldn't vote, yes.

520
00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,868
-I just can't,

521
00:21:11,868 --> 00:21:13,868
because I've worked
in these systems.

522
00:21:15,334 --> 00:21:17,434
And I owe it
to everyone involved

523
00:21:17,434 --> 00:21:19,434
to bring my experience
on that,

524
00:21:19,434 --> 00:21:22,133
sincerely to the table
and to daylight it,

525
00:21:22,133 --> 00:21:23,367
I just do.

526
00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:28,667
It's more important than
whether I stay on this dais.

527
00:21:31,367 --> 00:21:34,868
Because real -- Because real
public policy matters

528
00:21:34,868 --> 00:21:36,567
on how we take care of this.

529
00:21:36,567 --> 00:21:38,567
-I think, you seem to know,
even then,

530
00:21:38,567 --> 00:21:40,968
this decision
could cost you your job,

531
00:21:40,968 --> 00:21:43,501
and your reelection bid
did indeed come up short.

532
00:21:43,501 --> 00:21:45,868
Do you wish you had
that decision back?

533
00:21:45,868 --> 00:21:47,901
-No, no, I think,
I made the right decision.

534
00:21:47,901 --> 00:21:50,667
I don't take it back at all.

535
00:21:50,667 --> 00:21:56,501
You know, I went to law school
at a time when we were seriously

536
00:21:56,501 --> 00:21:59,534
reexamining
a lot of our preconceptions

537
00:21:59,534 --> 00:22:02,868
that have undergirded
how we deal with addiction.

538
00:22:02,868 --> 00:22:06,567
I mean, we used to criminalize
addiction in this country

539
00:22:06,567 --> 00:22:10,934
with horrible, horrible results,
you know, more drug use

540
00:22:10,934 --> 00:22:13,767
and dealing
and drug crime than ever.

541
00:22:13,767 --> 00:22:20,167
But also ruining the lives of
millions of our fellow citizens

542
00:22:20,167 --> 00:22:22,868
by taking away their rights,
putting them in prison.

543
00:22:22,868 --> 00:22:24,634
And I do think
that we're, unfortunately,

544
00:22:24,634 --> 00:22:27,534
on the precipice of trying
to deal with these challenges

545
00:22:27,534 --> 00:22:29,067
in the same way again.

546
00:22:29,067 --> 00:22:32,334
And I was acknowledging
the political vulnerability,

547
00:22:32,334 --> 00:22:34,734
because, you know,
people are scared, right?

548
00:22:34,734 --> 00:22:36,300
I mean, I just went
through a campaign

549
00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:41,601
and talked to thousands and
thousands of my fellow citizens.

550
00:22:41,601 --> 00:22:44,367
You know, it's a, you know,
going door-to-door.

551
00:22:44,367 --> 00:22:46,400
And so you talk face to face
with a lot of people.

552
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,467
And, I mean, I get that people
are scared, like,

553
00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:50,567
I'm a parent in this community.
-Mm-hmm.

554
00:22:50,567 --> 00:22:55,167
-You know, I definitely
have issues

555
00:22:55,167 --> 00:22:56,567
raising my daughter
in this community,

556
00:22:56,567 --> 00:22:58,400
in a place where she is
going to be exposed to

557
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,067
and see people who are,
you know, using drugs

558
00:23:01,067 --> 00:23:03,200
and people who are
in extreme poverty.

559
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,868
But I think that what
that really requires

560
00:23:05,868 --> 00:23:07,934
is that we really center

561
00:23:07,934 --> 00:23:09,868
how we're going to successfully
move forward on this

562
00:23:09,868 --> 00:23:11,901
and not repeat
the mistakes of the past.

563
00:23:11,901 --> 00:23:14,734
I do think that the proposal
we came up with,

564
00:23:14,734 --> 00:23:18,100
with Mayor Harrell,
which we have seen in earnest,

565
00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:19,400
start getting enforced
in October,

566
00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:20,667
is striking the right balance.

567
00:23:20,667 --> 00:23:21,968
We're referring people
to treatment,

568
00:23:21,968 --> 00:23:23,334
to the extent,
that people are entering

569
00:23:23,334 --> 00:23:24,601
the criminal legal system.

570
00:23:24,601 --> 00:23:26,234
It's for warrants,
for other matters,

571
00:23:26,234 --> 00:23:28,400
or it's for dealing
and trafficking in drugs,

572
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,067
not just using them.

573
00:23:30,067 --> 00:23:31,667
People are getting
referred to LEAD.

574
00:23:31,667 --> 00:23:33,067
These are all things
that weren't

575
00:23:33,067 --> 00:23:34,234
in the original proposal.

576
00:23:34,234 --> 00:23:36,300
I think it's a better proposal.
-Yeah.

577
00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:38,934
-But I think that at a broader
cultural level,

578
00:23:38,934 --> 00:23:40,234
I think that it's --

579
00:23:40,234 --> 00:23:43,067
we're getting to
a dangerous place now

580
00:23:43,067 --> 00:23:46,767
where we are tiptoeing back

581
00:23:46,767 --> 00:23:51,334
into this place that,
you know,

582
00:23:51,334 --> 00:23:53,934
has been thoroughly rejected,
thoroughly debunked,

583
00:23:53,934 --> 00:23:56,400
that just criminalizing
these behaviors

584
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:57,701
is somehow
going to change them.

585
00:23:57,701 --> 00:23:59,167
-And I just want
to throw in this email,

586
00:23:59,167 --> 00:24:00,634
because I think
it goes down this path.

587
00:24:00,634 --> 00:24:02,067
Brit wrote us this.

588
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,067
You really took a stand
on this legislation.

589
00:24:10,067 --> 00:24:12,701
We've heard about this, I guess,
how do you hope the council,

590
00:24:12,701 --> 00:24:14,834
the city, follows up on this
in the years ahead?

591
00:24:14,834 --> 00:24:16,567
-Yeah, I mean, I hope
that they make decisions

592
00:24:16,567 --> 00:24:18,267
that are based in evidence.

593
00:24:18,267 --> 00:24:21,400
I hope that we don't
go down a pathway

594
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:27,067
where we're responding
to the fear in the community,

595
00:24:27,067 --> 00:24:30,968
just with pandering and things

596
00:24:30,968 --> 00:24:33,767
that aren't going to actually
fix the underlying problem.

597
00:24:33,767 --> 00:24:36,234
-Yeah.
-That takes a lot of courage.

598
00:24:36,234 --> 00:24:37,934
I mean, part of it is,
you know, I have the luxury

599
00:24:37,934 --> 00:24:39,234
of being able to have courage,

600
00:24:39,234 --> 00:24:41,167
because I have a law degree,
I'm an attorney.

601
00:24:41,167 --> 00:24:42,701
I'm still barred.
-Yeah.

602
00:24:42,701 --> 00:24:45,701
-I've got plenty of
offers and opportunities

603
00:24:45,701 --> 00:24:47,767
to go back to practicing law,
and I'm looking forward to that.

604
00:24:47,767 --> 00:24:48,968
-Okay. Okay.

605
00:24:48,968 --> 00:24:51,067
-But I do think
that you can be

606
00:24:51,067 --> 00:24:53,934
in a difficult place
in politics

607
00:24:53,934 --> 00:24:59,133
where people are so dependent
on their job in politics

608
00:24:59,133 --> 00:25:02,167
that it leads you to a place
where you're not willing

609
00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:06,901
to bring your better judgment
to bear and lead.

610
00:25:06,901 --> 00:25:12,200
It's not our responsibility
just to knee-jerk pander

611
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,400
to whatever the fear
in our community is.

612
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,400
Part of our responsibility
is to take our background,

613
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,634
our experience,
things we know to be true,

614
00:25:20,634 --> 00:25:22,601
and try to guide public opinion

615
00:25:22,601 --> 00:25:24,067
towards a way
to actually fix them

616
00:25:24,067 --> 00:25:25,701
and come to grips
with our challenges.

617
00:25:25,701 --> 00:25:28,067
You know, you want to solve
public drug use,

618
00:25:28,067 --> 00:25:30,067
you know, you have
to really invest

619
00:25:30,067 --> 00:25:31,300
in a Housing First proposal.

620
00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:32,968
You have to really invest
in harm reduction.

621
00:25:32,968 --> 00:25:36,767
You have to invest
in some of the stuff

622
00:25:36,767 --> 00:25:40,067
that we saw proof of concept
with through Just Care.

623
00:25:40,067 --> 00:25:41,868
Those are the kinds of things
that are going to fix

624
00:25:41,868 --> 00:25:43,300
and move forward on this.

625
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:45,234
Um, just, uh, um --

626
00:25:45,234 --> 00:25:49,567
But I understand that it is easy
for people to just say,

627
00:25:49,567 --> 00:25:51,601
"If we put all these
drug users in jail,

628
00:25:51,601 --> 00:25:54,133
we won't have to
see them anymore."

629
00:25:54,133 --> 00:25:56,400
I understand that it's easy
for a politician to say that.

630
00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,133
It's part of the reason
that we shouldn't.

631
00:25:58,133 --> 00:26:00,067
-I see, I guess,
just looking back

632
00:26:00,067 --> 00:26:01,601
on your 4 years in office,

633
00:26:01,601 --> 00:26:03,367
I know a lot of people are going
to remember that decision,

634
00:26:03,367 --> 00:26:06,334
but what do you hope
people remember you by?

635
00:26:06,334 --> 00:26:09,400
-Yeah, I mean,
we accomplished

636
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,133
a really, really big volume
of work in one term.

637
00:26:13,133 --> 00:26:14,767
And that was part of my goal,

638
00:26:14,767 --> 00:26:16,267
right, is like,
because you never know

639
00:26:16,267 --> 00:26:17,734
if you're going to get
reelected, obviously, right?

640
00:26:17,734 --> 00:26:19,167
So, it's like,
do as much as you can

641
00:26:19,167 --> 00:26:20,934
with the time that you have.

642
00:26:20,934 --> 00:26:23,434
And we did a lot.
I mean, we saved the Cinerama.

643
00:26:23,434 --> 00:26:25,767
We got an investment in place

644
00:26:25,767 --> 00:26:28,167
to completely rebuild
the Queen Anne Community Center.

645
00:26:28,167 --> 00:26:30,968
We dramatically increased
our park ranger program.

646
00:26:30,968 --> 00:26:35,467
We put in place
a capital plan to restore

647
00:26:35,467 --> 00:26:39,267
and decarbonize
half of our community centers

648
00:26:39,267 --> 00:26:40,868
in the city of Seattle.

649
00:26:40,868 --> 00:26:43,567
We...

650
00:26:43,567 --> 00:26:46,400
put together
a massive capital plan

651
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,567
for the aquarium expansion
for the Overlook Walk

652
00:26:49,567 --> 00:26:52,567
to make sure that was done
on time and on budget.

653
00:26:52,567 --> 00:26:57,200
We brought back Bumbershoot
and added

654
00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,100
a workforce development
component to that work.

655
00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:01,734
Something else from the budget
that I'm very proud of is,

656
00:27:01,734 --> 00:27:03,934
you know,
building on last year,

657
00:27:03,934 --> 00:27:07,834
when we put in
an initial 100,000 or so dollars

658
00:27:07,834 --> 00:27:10,601
for the new Bumbershoot
to dip its toes in the water

659
00:27:10,601 --> 00:27:13,067
of doing a workforce development
program for young people.

660
00:27:13,067 --> 00:27:15,067
-Yeah.
-We more than doubled

661
00:27:15,067 --> 00:27:17,667
that this year
to continue that work,

662
00:27:17,667 --> 00:27:20,167
because they had a cohort
of 16 young people,

663
00:27:20,167 --> 00:27:21,534
taught music promotion,

664
00:27:21,534 --> 00:27:22,734
music mixing.
-Right. Right.

665
00:27:22,734 --> 00:27:24,567
-You know,
those kinds of skills.

666
00:27:24,567 --> 00:27:26,067
They want to do it again,

667
00:27:26,067 --> 00:27:28,367
increase the cohort,
keep that work going

668
00:27:28,367 --> 00:27:29,968
as part of a year-long
activation

669
00:27:29,968 --> 00:27:32,167
of the new Bumbershoot,
super proud of that.

670
00:27:32,167 --> 00:27:33,567
We were able
to get that work done.

671
00:27:33,567 --> 00:27:35,734
-Yeah.
We were able to bring,

672
00:27:35,734 --> 00:27:37,901
I mean, just continuing
to go down the list.

673
00:27:37,901 --> 00:27:40,300
-Yeah.
-We're going to have

674
00:27:40,300 --> 00:27:42,467
ranked-choice
voting primaries now,

675
00:27:42,467 --> 00:27:44,100
which is something
that my office led on

676
00:27:44,100 --> 00:27:47,167
and got over the finish line.
-Yeah.

677
00:27:47,167 --> 00:27:49,701
-You know, I mean, there's
so many ways that my team,

678
00:27:49,701 --> 00:27:51,534
and I want to give a shout-out,
you know,

679
00:27:51,534 --> 00:27:53,300
to Jacob Thorpe,
my Chief of Staff,

680
00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:56,067
you know, Kamilah Brown,

681
00:27:56,067 --> 00:27:59,634
Parker Dawson,
Maliq Phakdymanivong,

682
00:27:59,634 --> 00:28:01,667
Daniel Suarez,
Katherine Sims.

683
00:28:01,667 --> 00:28:03,601
My legislative aides
over the past 4 years,

684
00:28:03,601 --> 00:28:06,667
I mean, just worked
themselves ragged

685
00:28:06,667 --> 00:28:09,300
to get all of this stuff
done with me.

686
00:28:09,300 --> 00:28:12,467
And we just showed up every day
saying, "What can we do today?"

687
00:28:12,467 --> 00:28:14,133
And it's a huge,
huge volume of work.

688
00:28:14,133 --> 00:28:15,534
I mean, every time
I go to the Cinerama

689
00:28:15,534 --> 00:28:16,767
and watch a movie there,
I'm going to be like,

690
00:28:16,767 --> 00:28:18,367
"Man, like, you know,
we got this done."

691
00:28:18,367 --> 00:28:19,734
-Sure.
-Every time I'm voting

692
00:28:19,734 --> 00:28:21,300
in a ranked-choice
voting election in a primary,

693
00:28:21,300 --> 00:28:22,868
I'm going to be like,
"Man, we got this done."

694
00:28:22,868 --> 00:28:25,968
-Yeah.
You know, go into the aquarium.

695
00:28:25,968 --> 00:28:27,634
I mean, you just like
go down the list.

696
00:28:27,634 --> 00:28:29,067
And there's a lot that we did.

697
00:28:29,067 --> 00:28:30,167
And it wasn't easy,

698
00:28:30,167 --> 00:28:31,901
because we had
the hurdle of

699
00:28:31,901 --> 00:28:33,434
the first half of the term

700
00:28:33,434 --> 00:28:36,567
was overwhelmingly dominated
by the impact of the pandemic.

701
00:28:36,567 --> 00:28:39,601
-Right.
-The...

702
00:28:39,601 --> 00:28:41,067
You know, and then
the fallout of that

703
00:28:41,067 --> 00:28:42,601
continues to be
a really big problem.

704
00:28:42,601 --> 00:28:44,367
-Yeah.
-But I'm really, really proud

705
00:28:44,367 --> 00:28:46,434
of the massive volume
of work we got done.

706
00:28:46,434 --> 00:28:48,767
And just really look forward

707
00:28:48,767 --> 00:28:51,667
to seeing the impact of that
over the next several years.

708
00:28:51,667 --> 00:28:52,968
-All right.
Thank you very much.

709
00:28:52,968 --> 00:28:54,334
Councilmember Andrew Lewis,

710
00:28:54,334 --> 00:28:56,067
I appreciate working with you.
-Yeah. Of course.

711
00:28:56,067 --> 00:28:57,601
-Good to see you.
-Thank you. Thank you very much.

712
00:28:57,601 --> 00:29:00,734
And we will see everyone else
next time on "Council Edition."

713
00:29:00,734 --> 00:29:10,734
♪♪

714
00:29:10,734 --> 00:29:16,400
♪♪

715
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:21,534
♪♪