CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the Green New Deal for Seattle; establishing the Green New Deal Oversight Board; providing compensation for those who incur a financial hardship by their participation on the Board; requesting that the Office of Sustainability and Environment create an interdepartmental team to advance the Green New Deal for Seattle; amending Section 3.14.970 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and adding a new Section 3.14.979 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, concurrently with this ordinance, The City of Seattle (“City”) is considering a resolution affirming support for the federal Green New Deal and identifying goals and actions for a Green New Deal for Seattle; and
WHEREAS, within that resolution is a commitment to creating new revenues to implement some of the necessary actions to achieve the goals of the Green New Deal for Seattle; and
WHEREAS, in addition to aligning the City’s current investments to support the Green New Deal for Seattle, resources above and beyond dedicated revenues for a Green New Deal for Seattle will be necessary to achieve the City’s goals; and
WHEREAS, a Green New Deal Oversight Board (“Board”) will offer insight and perspective from those communities most impacted by economic, racial, and environmental injustice, supported by individuals with various areas of expertise in the issue areas outlined in the Green New Deal for Seattle resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Board is intended to hold the City and other stakeholders accountable to their commitments to implementing equitable policies, programs, and projects that realize the vision laid out in the Green New Deal for Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the Board will ensure that racial equity is centered in all City policies, programs, and investments related to the Green New Deal for Seattle by engaging Black, Indigenous, and people of color and advancing their priorities; and
WHEREAS, it may be a financial hardship for some Board members to devote significant time to this Board without compensation; and
WHEREAS, City departments need to develop actionable plans, targets, and metrics to ensure that the City is doing its part to meets Seattle’s goal to be free of climate pollutants by 2030; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 3.14.970 of the Seattle Municipal Code, enacted by Ordinance 120121, is amended as follows:
3.14.970 Director-Duties((.))
The Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment shall be the head of the Office of Sustainability and Environment, shall be responsible for the administration of the Office, and shall:
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G. Promulgate rules and regulations to carry out departmental activities pursuant to ((the Administrative Code, SMC)) Chapter 3.02;
H. Provide staff support for all boards, commissions, and committees associated with the Office of Sustainability and Environment;
I ((H)). Exercise such other and further powers and duties as shall be prescribed by ordinance.
Section 2. A new Section 3.14.979 is added to the Seattle Municipal Code as follows:
3.14.979 Green New Deal Oversight Board
A. There is established a Green New Deal Oversight Board (Board) that shall advise and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council related to the Green New Deal for Seattle and monitor progress in meeting intended outcomes and goals. Duties of the Board shall include the following:
1. Providing proposals for the design of new policies, programs, and projects and for modifications to existing policies, programs, and projects to the Mayor, City Council, and City departments that advance the Green New Deal for Seattle;
2. Supporting the planning and implementation of individual City departmental actions, policies, programs, and practices, to make Seattle climate-pollution free by 2030;
3. Providing recommendations on City budget priorities and priority City actions;
4. Coordinating efforts with the Environmental Justice Committee, Equitable Development Initiative Advisory Board, Transportation Equity Workgroup and other City Boards and Commissions, as needed;
5. Submitting an initial workplan to the Council and the Mayor by July 1, 2020, and provide an updated workplan annually thereafter. The workplan should:
a. Define what constitutes a policy, program, or project that advances the Green New Deal for Seattle;
b. Identify the Board’s annual scope of work, including priorities, goals, outcomes, and key stakeholders to consult; and
c. Provide an annual engagement plan for collaborating with existing committees, boards, and commissions whose scope align with those of the Board.
6. Reviewing a semiannual, or at a frequency determined by the workplan, report of outcomes and indicators for the previous year related to policies, programs, and projects related to the Green New Deal for Seattle.
B. The Board shall consist of 19 appointed members, numbered 1 through 19. The Mayor shall make appointments to positions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, and 19, and the City Council shall make appointments to positions 2, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 16, and 18, and the Board shall make appointments to positions 8, 11, and 17. Mayoral and Board appointments shall be subject to confirmation by the City Council. Terms shall be for three years, from May 1 to April 30 three years later, except that the initial terms for positions 1 through 9 shall expire April 30, 2023, and the initial terms for positions 10 through 19 shall expire April 30, 2022. No members shall serve more than two consecutive terms. Upon the resignation, retirement, death, incapacity, or removal of a Board member, the authority appointing such member may appoint a replacement for the balance of the term. If a person is appointed to fill the duration of an unexpired term, then that term shall count as one of the two consecutive terms only if the portion of the unexpired term actually served is at least one year. A member whose term is ending may continue on an interim basis as a member with voting rights until such time as a successor for that position has been appointed by the City Council or confirmed by the City Council. Any vacancy in an unexpired term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The appointing authority may remove any member for good cause, including unexcused absence from two or more consecutive meetings without cause.
C. The 19 appointed members shall be comprised of the following:
1. Eight members of communities directly impacted by racial, economic, and environmental injustices. These members must be: part of a community-based organization or community group that represents a community that is disproportionately burdened by pollution and environmental hazards and, based on socioeconomic and population health risk factors, is particularly vulnerable to an increased pollution burden; and carry out the majority of their work using a community-based approach in the Seattle area. Two of these members should be representatives from tribes whose treaty rights are connected to the lands and waterways of Seattle (or whose usual and accustomed places are in Seattle). Two of these members should be between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of their appointment (Positions 1 through 8);
2. Three representatives of organizations engaged in environmental justice work (Positions 9 through 11);
3. Four representative of labor unions (Positions 12 through 15);
4. Three individuals with depth of experience in greenhouse gas reduction and climate resiliency strategy relevant to cities and their residents, in fields such as public health, infrastructure, sea-level rise, or extreme weather events (Positions 16 through 18); and
5. One representative of an organization involved in workforce training (Position 19).
D. The Board should meet every month, or as needed, beginning in January 2020.
E. Members shall serve without pay, except that members may request compensation of $50 per hour served if participating on the Board presents a financial hardship. Upon such request, the Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment is authorized to expend funds in the Office of Sustainability and Environment’s budget for this purpose. No money may be expended for services rendered prior to a request being filed with the Director.
F. The Board shall have the power to:
1. Elect one or more Board members to serve as Chairperson for a one-year term, and elect one or more members to serve as Vice Chairperson for a one-year term, who shall serve as Chair in the absence of the Chairperson.
2. Organize itself, establish committees or subcommittees, enlist the expertise of others as needed, and delegate duties for the performance of its work; and
3. Adopt rules of procedure to accomplish its functions.
Section 3. The Council requests that the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) create an interdepartmental team (IDT) to advance the Green New Deal for Seattle. The IDT should be comprised of representatives from the Department of Parks and Recreation, Seattle Department of Transportation, Office of Planning and Community Development, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Office of Housing, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, Office of Economic Development, Seattle Department of Human Resources, Office of Emergency Management, Department of Neighborhoods, the Mayor’s Office, City Council, City Council Central Staff, and other departments as needed. The IDT should support the development and creation of annual climate actions for all City departments that will collectively result in the elimination of climate pollutants by 2030 and measure progress towards this goal. Each City department’s annual climate actions should include specific actions and timelines for implementing these actions, with an emphasis on actions that can be implemented immediately. The IDT should consult with the Board semiannually on the development and implementation of City departmental climate actions and progress towards goals as well as policies, programs, and projects to advance the Green New Deal for Seattle. Each City department should present its climate actions and priorities to City Council by July 1, 2020, and thereafter provide annual reports on the City’s progress towards climate pollutant elimination goals.
The Council further requests that, to the extent possible with budget and staff resources, OSE analyze the impacts of potential actions that require Council approval to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the sources identified in the 2016 Seattle Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and estimate measurable progress each action would provide towards making Seattle free of climate pollutants by 2030.
Section 4. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2019, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2019.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2019.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)