CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION authorizing an exception to the level of General Fund support to Seattle Parks and Recreation due to exigent economic circumstances, by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
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WHEREAS, Section 3.3 of the interlocal agreement establishing the Seattle Park District authorized by City of Seattle Ordinance 124468 establishes that the City will provide a minimum level of General Fund support to Seattle Parks and Recreation; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.3 of the interlocal agreement, a 3/4 vote from the City Council may suspend this minimum level of General Fund support in the event of a natural disaster or exigent economic circumstances; and
WHEREAS, factoring in annual inflation of the Consumer Price Index, this level of General Fund support for 2020 totals $101,604,265; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the COVID-19 disease is a global pandemic and has raised the health emergency to the highest level requiring dramatic interventions to disrupt the spread of this disease; and
WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee declared a statewide state of emergency in response to outbreaks of the COVID-19 disease in Washington; and
WHEREAS, in response to outbreaks of the COVID-19 disease in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed a civil emergency exists in the City of Seattle in the Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency dated March 3, 2020, modified by Resolution 31937; and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Governor issued a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, which, combined with other measures taken to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, effectively closed many businesses in the state of Washington; and
WHEREAS, on May 1, 2020, the Governor extended the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order through May 31, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the impacts of these closures are being felt across all industry sectors, including retail, restaurant, hospitality, transportation, logistics, arts, and culture; and
WHEREAS, the economic impact may have long-term, dynamic, and unpredictable local and regional consequences; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle is facing an unprecedented shortfall in tax revenues in 2020 associated with these closures; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE THAT:
Section 1. The City Council (“Council”) finds and declares:
A. In the exercise of The City of Seattle’s police powers, the City may pass regulations designed to protect and promote public peace, health, safety, and welfare.
B. On January 24, 2020, the Seattle Office of Emergency Management announced that the first reported case in Washington and in the United States of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) occurred in Snohomish County.
C. On February 28, 2020, Public Health - Seattle and King County announced the first King County and United States death due to COVID-19 at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, Washington.
D. On February 29, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in response to new cases of COVID-19, directing state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to the outbreak.
E. On March 3, 2020, Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a proclamation of civil emergency in response to new cases of COVID-19, authorizing the Mayor to exercise the emergency powers necessary for the protection of the public peace, safety, and welfare.
F. On March 11, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee amended his emergency order to prohibit gatherings of 250 people or more for social, spiritual and recreational activities including, but not limited to, community, civic, public, leisure, faith-based, or sporting events; parades; concerts; festivals; conventions; fundraisers; and similar activities.
G. On March 13, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee amended his emergency order closing all schools in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties through April 24, 2020 to apply statewide.
H. On March 13, 2020, the U.S. President declared that the COVID-19 outbreak constituted a national emergency.
I. On March 16, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee mandated the immediate two-week closure of all restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities and amended his emergency order to prohibit gatherings of 50 people or more.
J. On March 23, 2020, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order that required that all non-essential businesses be closed and banned all gatherings for two weeks, and on April 2, extended the order until May 4. On May 1, 2020, Governor Inslee extended that order until May 31.
K. The City of Seattle’s 2020 Budget was adopted in late 2019, before the impacts of the COVID-19 could be anticipated.
L. The impacts of the COVID-19 emergency include a severe local, state, national, and global economic recession, all of which impact the City’s revenue streams. As a result, it is necessary for the City to revisit and adjust the 2020 Budget to reflect the new economic reality.
M. Because of the long-lasting financial impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the City’s response to it, the City will not have sufficient General Fund resources to meet the expectation of support to Seattle Parks and Recreation created by Ordinance 124468.
N. By reason of the findings set out above, this legislation is necessary in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Section 2. The current global pandemic and associated exigent economic circumstances prevent the City Council from maintaining the minimum level of General Fund support to Seattle Parks and Recreation in 2020.
Adopted by a 3/4 vote of all the members of the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2020, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)