CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION endorsing “Clean Air Clean Energy” Initiative 1631, a statewide initiative to the people that would charge pollution fees on the largest corporate polluters and use the revenue to invest in healthy communities, clean our air and water, promote clean energy, and slow down the impacts of climate change - all under oversight of a public board.
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WHEREAS, the residents of Seattle and those throughout Washington State deserve to breath clean air, drink healthy water, and live in protected environments; and
WHEREAS, over 600,000 Washingtonians live with asthma and thousands more suffer from upper respiratory illnesses and diseases caused by air pollution; and
WHEREAS, climate change is one of the paramount challenges of our time and will have near- and long-term consequences for the economy, the environment, and public health and safety in Seattle and King County; and
WHEREAS, residents of Seattle and King County are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate, including more extreme rainfall events, increasing flooding risk, and more frequent heat events that impact health; and
WHEREAS, the Seattle City Council recognizes the need to pass on a safe, healthy environment and a stable climate to our children and future generations of Washingtonians; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, the Seattle City Council adopted Resolution 31447, formally adopting Seattle’s Climate Action Plan and goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050; and
WHEREAS, Seattle and 15 other local governments, whose members represent over 75 percent of the population of King County, are partnering through the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration to coordinate local government climate and sustainability action; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, Mayor Durkan released her Climate Action Strategy, with specific commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet Seattle’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement; and
WHEREAS, Seattle is a signatory to the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration Joint Letter of Commitment, which includes the following:
Catalytic Policy Commitment: Advocate for comprehensive federal, regional and state science-based limits and a market-based price on carbon pollution and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A portion of revenue from these policies should support local GHG reduction efforts that align with these Joint County-City Climate Commitments, such as funding for transit service, energy efficiency projects, and forest protection and restoration initiatives.
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WHEREAS, state, county, and City shared climate change goals cannot be met without the accelerated phase-out of electricity produced by burning fossil fuels and replacement with renewable energy, investments in energy efficiency, cleaner forms of transportation, and investments in healthy forests and agriculture, all of which will be aided by the passage of Initiative Measure 1631 (“I-1631”); and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle supports policies that provide consumers with cleaner, more affordable, and more efficient fuel, energy, and transportation choices; and
WHEREAS, the largest corporate polluters, causing the most damage to our health, are currently not held accountable nor required to mitigate the damage they cause to our communities; and
WHEREAS, I-1631, by hastening a transition from polluting fossil fuel energy to clean energy, will create thousands of high-paying local jobs that contribute to local economies, in rural and urban communities alike, without hurting the health of their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 will provide a source of funding that Seattle and other municipalities will be able to apply for, to help fund projects that reduce climate pollution and mitigate the effects of climate change; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 prioritizes the protection of communities disproportionately harmed by pollution by targeting investments to provide direct, meaningful, and assured benefits to those communities; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 provides assistance to families with low incomes as we transition to clean energy; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 invests in our state’s natural resources, which are vital to our state’s economy and industries like agriculture, timber, tourism, and fishing, and which protect our health by reducing pollution in the air and water, and secure our community by lowering the risk of fires, floods, and landslides; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 provides funding to restore and protect estuaries, fisheries, and marine shoreline habitats; prepare for sea level rise; increase sustainable supply of water; and improve infrastructure for treating stormwater; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 includes provisions for strong public oversight and accountability; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 respects tribal sovereignty and ensures that affected communities and tribal nations are consulted and involved in decision-making; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 was shaped by tribal nations and communities most affected by pollution and climate change, and is supported by an unprecedented coalition of businesses, labor unions, environmental and economic justice advocates, healthcare professionals, communities of color, faith-based organizations, and community leaders; and
WHEREAS, I-1631 provides Washington State an opportunity to lead the nation and set an example in how to address pollution and climate change in an equitable and economically responsible manner; and
WHEREAS, after notice in accordance with RCW 42.17A.555 and Seattle Municipal Code Section 2.04.300, persons in favor of Initiative 1631 and those opposed to it have been given an equal opportunity to share their views in an open public meeting; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The Seattle City Council and Mayor Jenny Durkan urge Seattle voters to vote “Yes” on Initiative 1631 in the November 6, 2018, general election.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2018, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2018.
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President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2018.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2018.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)