CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION to delay consideration of the Mayor’s nomination of Jason Johnson to be Director of the Human Services Department until a formal search process can be completed; and to convene a search committee representing all Human Services Department stakeholders to define qualifications, skills, and attributes for an appointee and recommend finalists for appointment.
body
WHEREAS, more than 12 percent of Seattle residents live in poverty or food insecurity; and
WHEREAS, the City’s ability to operate food banks, congregate meals, other income support programs, and youth development and empowerment programs depends on partnerships with a range of human service agencies; and
WHEREAS, the current Aging and Disability Services 2016-2019 Area Plan for Seattle-King County reports that by 2040 nearly 25 percent of the population of King County is expected to be age 60 or older; and
WHEREAS, the Human Services Department serves as the Area Agency on Aging for all of King County, relying heavily on non-profit partners to deliver services to older adults in the County; and
WHEREAS, a state of emergency stemming from the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly unsheltered homelessness, continues in Seattle with disproportionate impacts on people of color; and
WHEREAS, communities that have ended homelessness have done so by fully engaging every stakeholder, including non-profit human services providers, individuals who have or are experiencing homelessness, City employees, civic leadership, government institutions, local businesses, and philanthropic institutions; and
WHEREAS, the City has committed to eliminating institutional racism and racial and social disparities across key indicators of success, including health, education, criminal justice, and employment, as affirmed in Resolution 31164; and
WHEREAS, on January 15, 2019, the Seattle Human Services Coalition provided a letter to the City Council asking the Council to return the nomination of Jason Johnson and request a full search process that would include integral participation of human services providers, program participants, Human Services Department employees, and other public partners; and
WHEREAS, on January 24, 2019, 100 people came out to the Council’s Human Services, Equitable Development, and Renter’s Rights Committee meeting, and 35 people, including many employees of the Human Services Department, spoke out against the Council moving forward with this nomination and called for an open, inclusive search process; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT:
Section 1. The City Council shall not take action on the nomination of the Director of the Human Services Department until a formal search process that comports with the goals and priorities of the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative is completed.
Section 2. The Council requests that the Mayor convene a search committee that includes representatives of non-profit human services providers, individuals who have or are experiencing homelessness and other clients of the Human Services Department, and employees in the Human Services Department. Representatives of Human Services Department employees should be selected by PROTEC 17 and the Human Services Department Change Team and Caucuses. The search committee should consider the qualifications, skills, and attributes sought in the next Director of the Human Services Department necessary to effectively lead the Human Services Department in carrying out its mission and meeting statutory requirements for the department, including, but not limited to, expertise in:
1. Serving low-income populations and populations at risk for or experiencing homelessness;
2. Addressing institutional discrimination and racial disparities;
3. Incorporating the principles of the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative in leading and managing staff;
4. Managing large institutions; and
5. Promoting continuous improvement in serving the needs of Seattle residents.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2019, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)