CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE related to the City’s response to the COVID-19 crisis; creating a new Fund in the City Treasury; amending Ordinance 126237, which adopted the 2021 Budget, including the 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); accepting funding from non-City sources; changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds in the 2021 Budget; revising project allocations for certain projects in the 2021-2026 CIP; modifying or adding provisos; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
body
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic, which is particularly severe in high-risk populations such as people with underlying medical conditions and the elderly, and the WHO 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, the Washington Governor issued Proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a state of emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington in response to new cases of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, in response to outbreaks of COVID-19 in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan proclaimed a civil emergency exists in Seattle in the Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency dated March 3, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on March 5, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 31937 affirming the civil emergency, modifying orders transmitted by the Mayor related to the emergency, and establishing Council’s expectations related to future orders and reporting by the Mayor during the civil emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 is officially a global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a national state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 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, the immediate economic impacts from the COVID-19 emergency have been drastic and are expected to last much longer than the civil emergency itself; and
WHEREAS, local companies have reported laying off employees, experiencing substantial revenue losses, dealing with lost business due to fear and stigma, and seeing major declines in foot traffic as tens of thousands of employees are being asked to work from home; and
WHEREAS, these impacts are being felt across all industry sectors, including retail, restaurant, hospitality, transportation, logistics, arts, and culture; and
WHEREAS, an Americans for the Arts survey found that in the state of Washington, arts and cultural organizations and agencies reported a total financial loss of over $35.6 million due to the pandemic, with a median loss of $35,000 per organization; and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey reports that businesses in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector were amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic and are also amongst the most likely to take longer than six months to recover; and
WHEREAS, at the end of August 2020, over 3,000 businesses in the Seattle metropolitan area were closed, with an estimated 59 percent of those closures being permanent, and over 32,700 people in Seattle were unemployed; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a grave economic crisis. People in our community have been laid off or have had their work hours reduced, and many people are struggling to feed and house their families. Social services are strained, given the increased demand for resources. Businesses are struggling to pay their employees and cover operating costs; and
WHEREAS, at the national level, mothers of children aged 12 years and younger lost jobs at a rate three times greater than fathers of young children between February and August 2020, and in December 2020, all 156,000 net job losses in the U.S. were held by women. Throughout the pandemic, women, particularly women of color, have experienced higher levels of unemployment, threatening to undo decades of progress towards gender equity; and
WHEREAS, the affordable housing crisis, homelessness emergency, and the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic and unemployment emergencies are deeply impacting the lives of people throughout Seattle and the region and disproportionately harming Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color, immigrants, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) community, disabled community members, and women, all of whom already struggle against entrenched inequality; and
WHEREAS, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many services, workplaces, and schools were forced to shift online, with stark consequences for Black, Latinx, and low-income households, who have disproportionately less access to the internet at home. Having internet service at home is essential so that people can work remotely, engage their children in distance learning, connect with health care services, and access government services, including financial assistance and other resources; and
WHEREAS, the number of people in shelters, encampments, and hotels has grown due to investments in these homelessness interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is a need to provide permanent affordable housing into which these individuals can move to address the homelessness problem; and
WHEREAS, the current multifamily housing rental market may provide opportunities to loan additional funds to affordable housing providers to purchase existing buildings or buildings under construction and nearing completion that would immediately or rapidly increase the stock of permanently affordable housing in a cost-efficient manner; and
WHEREAS, many people and businesses in Seattle continue to be impacted by COVID-19 and the measures taken to prevent its spread, which resulted in unemployment, housing insecurity, and food insecurity; and
WHEREAS, the State of Washington provided $2 million in its 2021-2023 Capital Budget for the creation of tiny home villages in Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the three new tiny home villages that will be established using funds provided by the Council in the 2021 Adopted Budget are not expected to be operating until late summer or early fall; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle (“City”) recognizes that direct cash assistance to low-income people benefits the greater economy and allows people to make decisions about immediate needs; and
WHEREAS, on March 10, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, providing $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief; and
WHEREAS, ARPA will provide Seattle an estimated $232 million in direct funding, of which about 50 percent was received in 2021 and the remainder will be received in 2022, for pandemic relief that can be used for a broad range of uses, including restoring government services cut or reduced in response to pandemic-related revenue losses, and providing support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis; and
WHEREAS, the City has received $116 million in 2021 from ARPA’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLFR) Fund grant authorized by the U.S. Congress; and
WHEREAS, the City has received $12.2 million in 2021 from the ARPA HOME Investment Partnerships Program authorized by the U.S. Congress to assist individuals or households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and other vulnerable populations, by providing housing, rental assistance, supportive services, and non-congregate shelter, to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability; and
WHEREAS, the acceptance and appropriation of these newly available funds as soon as possible are crucial to preserving public health and safety by mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on the City and the people and organizations it serves; and
WHEREAS, a new fund is needed to manage and maintain accurate accounting and reporting to the federal granting agency required of the large and complex sum of CLFR expenditures; and
WHEREAS, a number of City departments have implemented immediate assistance for affected local small businesses and displaced workers; and
WHEREAS, many people in Seattle continue to struggle with the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the measures taken to prevent its spread, including unemployment, housing insecurity, and food insecurity; and
WHEREAS, the City will utilize federal resources to support programs and services that provide critical and immediate relief to people and small businesses in Seattle, and support longer term strategies that will support a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable recovery; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. A new Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund is created in the City Treasury, into which revenues may be deposited, and from which associated expenditures may be paid including, but not limited to, operating, maintenance, capital, and City administration costs for the purposes described in Section 2 of this ordinance.
Section 2. The purpose of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance is to manage proceeds to The City of Seattle from the federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund grant authorized by the U.S. Congress.
Section 3. The Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund shall receive revenues from the federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund grant or transfer. The Fund shall receive earnings on its positive balances and pay interest on its negative balances.
Section 4. The City Budget Director shall have responsibility for administering the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The Director of Finance is authorized to create accounts or subaccounts as may be needed to implement the Fund’s purpose and intent as established by this ordinance.
Section 5. The Mayor or the Mayor’s designee is authorized to accept the following non-City funding from the grantors listed below, and to execute, deliver, and perform, on behalf of The City of Seattle, agreements for the purposes described below. The funds, when received, shall be deposited in the receiving funds identified below.
|
Item |
Department |
Grantor |
Purpose |
Fund |
Amount |
|
5.1 |
Finance General |
United States - Federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds |
Recovery from COVID-19 and its impacts |
Coronavirus Local Recovery Fund (14000) |
$91,170,814 |
|
5.2 |
Finance General |
United States - Federal Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds |
Recovery from COVID-19 and its impacts (revenue backfill) |
General Fund (00100) |
$25,000,000 |
|
5.3 |
Executive (Office of Housing) |
Federal HOME Funds |
Permanent affordable housing |
Low-Income Housing Fund (16400) |
$12,220,684 |
|
TOTAL |
$128,391,498 |
Section 6. Contingent upon the execution of the grants or other funding agreements authorized in Section 5 of this ordinance, the appropriations for the following items in the 2021 Budget are increased from the funds shown, as follows:
|
Item |
Department |
Fund |
Budget Summary Level/BCL Code |
Amount |
|
6.1 |
Seattle Department of Human Resources |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
HR Services (BO-HR-N6000) |
$50,000 |
|
6.2 |
Department of Finance and Administrative Services |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
City Purchasing and Contracting Services (BO-FA-CPCS) |
$450,000 |
|
6.3 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO-ED-X1D00) |
$1,000,000 |
|
6.4 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO-ED-X1D00) |
$7,500,000 |
|
6.5 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO ED X1D00) |
$2,000,000 |
|
6.6 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO ED X1D00) |
$2,000,000 |
|
6.7 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO ED X1D00) |
$7,500,000 |
|
6.8 |
Executive (Office of Arts & Culture) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Arts and Cultural Programs (BO-AR-VA160) |
$3,000,000 |
|
6.9 |
Executive (Office of Economic Development) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Business Services (BO-ED-X1D00) |
$300,000 |
|
6.10 |
Seattle Public Library |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
The Seattle Public Library (BO-SPL) |
$1,100,000 |
|
6.11 |
Department of Education and Early Learning |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Post-Secondary Programs (BO-EE-IL300) |
$4,000,000 |
|
6.12 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Supporting Affordability and Livability (BO-HS-H1000) |
$5,000,000 |
|
6.13 |
Department of Education and Early Learning |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Early Learning (BO-EE-IL100) |
$3,000,000 |
|
6.14 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Supporting Affordability and Livability (BO-HS-H1000) |
$690,000 |
|
6.15 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Supporting Safe Communities (BO-HS-H4000) |
$600,000 |
|
6.16 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Preparing Youth for Success (BO-HS-H2000) |
$600,000 |
|
6.17 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Promoting Public Health (BO-HS-H7000) |
$225,000 |
|
6.18 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$1,300,000 |
|
6.19 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$2,300,000 |
|
6.20 |
Executive (Office of Housing) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Multifamily Housing (BO-HU-3000) |
$2,000,000 |
|
6.21 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$7,500,000 |
|
6.22 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$6,700,000 |
|
6.23 |
Executive (Office of Housing) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Multifamily Housing (BO-HU-3000) |
$16,300,000 |
|
6.24 |
Human Services Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$500,000 |
|
6.25 |
Executive (Office of Arts & Culture) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Public Art (BO-AR-2VMA0) |
$375,000 |
|
6.26 |
Seattle Center |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Campus (BO-SC-60000) |
$200,000 |
|
6.27 |
Seattle Department of Transportation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
ROW Management (BO-TR-17004) |
$300,000 |
|
6.28 |
Seattle Department of Transportation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
ROW Management (BO-TR-17004) |
$625,000 |
|
6.29 |
Seattle Parks and Recreation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Recreation Facility Programs (BO-PR-50000) |
$1,600,000 |
|
6.30 |
Seattle Parks and Recreation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Parks and Facilities Maintenance and Repairs (BO-PR-10000) |
$1,050,000 |
|
6.31 |
Seattle Parks and Recreation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Recreation Facility Programs (BO-PR-50000) |
$500,000 |
|
6.32 |
Seattle Information Technology Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Applications (BO-IT-D0600) |
$225,000 |
|
6.33 |
Seattle Information Technology Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Applications (BO-IT-D0600) |
$6,000,000 |
|
6.34 |
Department of Finance and Administrative Services |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Facilities Services (BO-FA-FACILITY) |
$300,000 |
|
6.35 |
Department of Finance and Administrative Services |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Facilities Services (BO-FA-FACILITY) |
$1,300,000 |
|
6.36 |
Human Services Fund |
Human Services Fund (16200) |
Addressing Homelessness (BO-HS-H3000) |
$400,000 |
|
6.37 |
Seattle Information Technology Department |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Applications (BO-IT-D0600) |
$500,000 |
|
6.38 |
Executive (City Budget Office) |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
City Budget Office (BO-CB-CZ000) |
$275,000 |
|
6.39 |
Executive (Office of Housing) |
Low-Income Housing Fund (16400) |
Multifamily Housing (BO-HU-3000) |
$12,220,684 |
|
TOTAL |
$101,485,684 |
Unspent funds so appropriated shall carry forward to subsequent fiscal years until they are exhausted or abandoned by ordinance.
Section 7. The appropriations for the following items in the 2021 Adopted Budget and project allocations in the 2021-2026 Adopted Capital Improvement Program are modified as follows:
|
Item |
Department |
Fund |
Budget Summary Level |
Additional Budget Appropriation |
CIP Project Name |
|
7.1 |
Seattle Department of Transportation |
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (14000) |
Mobility-Capital (BC-TR-19003) |
$1,875,000 |
BMP - Greenways (MC-TR-C063) |
|
Net Change |
$1,875,000 |
|
These modifications shall operate for the purposes of decreasing or increasing the bases for the limit imposed by subsection 4(c) of Ordinance 126237.
Section 8. Statement of Intent. By establishing this Section 8, the Council and the Mayor express their policy intent to prioritize use of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to maintain programs and services that support the City’s public health response; provide critical resources to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color, immigrants, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) community, women, low-income households, people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, and people who work in the creative economy; and invest in small and micro-businesses and workforce development. Investments will focus on addressing the ongoing health needs and both the short- and long-term economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, building on and expanding the types of investments funded in the JumpStart Seattle COVID Relief Plan in 2020 and 2021. The City will prioritize opportunities to partner with local community-based organizations that are culturally relevant and historically rooted in, and founded by, communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and have organizational leadership, staff, and board composition that reflect the community they serve, for the purposes of direct grants and/or allocation of grants to community. The following policy intent shall guide the expenditures authorized in Sections 6 and 7 of this ordinance:
A. Section 6, line 6.3: $1,000,000 to the Office of Economic Development (OED) to partner with the Port of Seattle to provide youth employment and paid internship opportunities targeting youth who are most underserved in our region between the ages of 16 to 24 years old, including Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). This funding will broaden the program to ensure that BIPOC organizations that provide culturally responsive pre-employment programming and support services with an emphasis on BIPOC youth or organizations that work with BIPOC youth qualify.
B. Section 6, lines 6.4 to 6.8: $19,000,000 is allocated to OED and $3,000,000 is allocated to the Office of Arts and Culture (ARTS) to promote recovery of small and micro-businesses, neighborhoods, and Downtown. Use of funds should focus on programs that will respond to the immediate harms of the pandemic and to mitigate its longer-term impact in compounding the systemic public health and economic challenges of disproportionately impacted populations. Funding will be prioritized to support businesses and non-profit organizations who have experienced barriers to accessing other financial assistance, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, and may be used to support innovative new businesses launched by BIPOC workers. Funds will be used to provide:
1. Grants to small and micro-businesses and non-profit organizations, to support reopening and recovery efforts, ensuring that arts and cultural organizations and businesses are eligible for longer-term financial support (Line 6.4).
2. Financial support for affordable commercial space, focusing on long-term leases, acquisition and tenant improvement to build community wealth (Line 6.5).
3. Technical assistance, with in-language support, for small and micro-businesses and non-profit organizations to help them continue to modify their business model in a post-COVID world. This will include, but is not limited to, assistance with renegotiating leases, renewing leases, refinancing back rent, and addressing any other lease- or landlord-related issues (Line 6.6).
4. Recovery grants to support neighborhood and Downtown activation, special events, and other neighborhood-specific economic development priorities, with a focus on supporting equity business districts and neighborhood or business organizations that suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Of this amount, $5,500,000 is allocated to neighborhoods and $2,000,000 is for Downtown (Line 6.7).
5. Direct financial assistance to arts and cultural organizations and businesses (“the creative sector”), including stabilization grants and financial support for affordable commercial space (Line 6.8). ARTS will partner with OED to administer the proposed grant funding to arts and cultural organizations and businesses needing immediate funding to reopen, bring back their staff, and continue their critical contributions to the economic, cultural, and social vibrancy in Seattle.
C. Section 6, line 6.13: $3,000,000 is allocated for additional compensation to supplement the wages of child care workers and other child care provider staff in recognition of the essential service they have provided during the pandemic and to help stabilize the child care industry, which is necessary not only for child care workers but also for the children and families they serve who otherwise may not be able to return to work without adequate and affordable childcare. Child care workers and provider staff typically earn low wages, yet they have continued to put themselves at risk during the pandemic by providing in-person care to children and families, including care for children attending school online, thereby enabling parents and caregivers to participate in the workforce. The premium pay may be distributed as a lump sum directly to child care workers and provider staff or may be allocated to providers for distribution to their employees.
D. Section 6, line 6.14: $690,000 is allocated to support restaurants preparing free meals to those in need, while supporting local farms and producers and building long-term local supply chain relationships. Such funds should be used to contract with an organization, such as Seattle Good Business Network, that has supported these community kitchens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
E. Section 6, lines 6.15 and 6.16: $1,200,000 is allocated to the Human Services Department to support a trauma-informed response to those most impacted by the COVID pandemic and the economic effects of public health directives. Six hundred thousand dollars is allocated to support programs for survivors of gender-based violence, including at least $85,000 for organizations which provide legal assistance for immigrant and refugee survivors of gender-based violence, such as King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Six hundred thousand dollars is allocated for programs supporting mental health and behavioral services for individuals, youth and families, including services provided at emergency shelters and supportive housing.
F. Section 6, line 6.17: $225,000 is allocated to provide diapers to families in need. Such funds should be used to contract with an organization whose mission is to provide essential items to local children in need by collecting and distributing diapers, clothing, and equipment, such as WestSide Baby.
G. Section 6, line 6.24: $500,000 is allocated to the Human Services Department (HSD) to support a six-month pilot to serve people experiencing homelessness who are living in recreational vehicles (RVs), such as a staffed safe parking lot, case management to move those living in RVs into permanent housing, services to meet the basic needs of RV residents utilizing the safe lot, or RV storage for households that accept housing or shelter placements. At least a portion of the funds are intended to support storage of RVs for households experiencing homelessness who accept housing or shelter placements.
H. Section 6, line 6.29: $1,600,000 is allocated to Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) to support scholarships for child care services provided at SPR related facilities in the summer and fall of 2021, to support the opening of eight wading pools, seven days a week, from the end of June to Labor Day of 2021, and to support the Rec’N The Streets program offering recreational activities and mobile playgrounds at parks and in neighborhoods across Seattle
I. Section 6, line 6.30: $1,050,000 is allocated to SPR to support enhanced maintenance and custodial cleaning efforts (e.g., litter collection, comfort station cleaning visits, etc.) at parks, community centers, and other facilities expected to see heavy use in the spring, summer, and early fall of 2021.
J. Section 6, line 6.31: $500,000 is provided to SPR to support expanded activation at parks that build community by providing cultural and recreational activities; and support artists and small businesses, including food trucks or food carts and other vendors, as they rebuild after the pandemic. This effort could serve as a model to be funded with future JumpStart Seattle economic resiliency funding.
K. Section 6, lines 6.32 and 6.38: $500,000 is allocated to measure and evaluate the impacts of the City’s recovery investments; lead a data disaggregation pilot to better understand resident needs and assets; implement a cohesive common application tool for new and existing City recovery investments; and provide centralized marketing and compensation for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to increase awareness of recovery programs among under-resourced communities. This should include establishing an Equitable Recovery Evaluation Pilot intended to prioritize racial equity in investment strategies, program development, and impact assessment, and to identify best practices to deepen the impact of City recovery investments. The pilot program will work with partners to set citywide best practices for disaggregating data in line with City data privacy principles. In addition, the pilot will select at least three investment areas and use data disaggregated by race and ethnicity to determine appropriate investment priorities; collaborate with impacted communities for program development and deployment; and use collected data to evaluate program effectiveness in serving most impacted communities. At the end of the evaluation period, a report with lessons learned and policy implications will be developed for application to a broader range of City programs and departments. The pilot program will be based on implementation of a cohesive common application tool that reduces time and effort for residents to find and apply for recovery funds. This tool collects applicant data centrally, making it possible to evaluate investments across the City, including the pilot program.
L. Section 6, line 6.36: $400,000 is allocated to the Human Services Department to support the operation of new tiny home villages. These funds will be provided in concert with $2 million for tiny home villages in the State 2021-2023 Capital Budget and unspent appropriations from Council Budget Actions HOM-008-B-002 and HOM-009-B-002 in the 2021 Adopted Budget to ensure that initial operational funds are available to establish more than three tiny home villages supported by the State’s capital funding. The Human Services Department should conduct its work to assess locations for tiny home villages, including initial community engagement, examination of environmental hazards, and estimates for site improvements, with the assumption that no fewer than nine new tiny home villages will be supported by the funds discussed above, additional future appropriations, or by private donations.
Section 9. Future Actions. By establishing this Section 9, the Council and the Mayor express their policy intent to implement via future legislation the following:
A. The City, through this appropriations bill and future bills, will use CLFR and HOME funds to provide the Office of Housing (OH) at least $60,000,000 in funding for loans to affordable housing providers to acquire properties that support or create permanent affordable housing. OH shall prioritize acquisitions that result in new units of permanent supportive housing and housing serving households at or below 50 percent of Area Median Income. OH should also prioritize the acquisition of multifamily rental housing projects that are under construction. In addition, when loaning funds for acquiring properties, OH will prioritize working with local, community-based, non-profit organizations that are culturally relevant and historically rooted, and have organizational staff and board composition that seek to reflect the community they serve, for the purposes of direct grants and/or allocation of grants to community, particularly when an acquisition is located in an area that is at high risk for displacement. The OH Director may use funds to support up to 100 percent of the acquisition costs while maximizing leverage from other fund sources.
B. The City anticipates receiving an additional $7,400,000 of ARPA funds from the Washington State Department of Human Services, of which at least $1,500,000 is intended to increase contracts for contracted providers serving seniors in 2021, with a focus on addressing senior isolation and other impacts of the pandemic.
C. The City, through a future appropriation bill, will use federal funds or other resources for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to make the Alki Point, Green Lake, and Lake Washington Boulevard Keep Moving Streets permanent. For the Green Lake Keep Moving Street, SDOT should consider installing a two-way protected bike lane on West Green Lake Way North and complete a connected bike lane around Green Lake. This will include resources to conduct equitable community outreach, prioritizing input from communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including: Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color; immigrants and refugees; and people with disabilities, before making final decisions on (1) if permanent changes will be made at all three locations, and, (2) if permanent changes are recommended, how and what permanent changes would be implemented
Section 10. This ordinance imposes the following provisos:
A. “No more than $2 million appropriated in the 2021 budget for the Office of Economic Development’s Business Services (BO-ED-X1D00) Budget Summary Level may be spent for recovery grants to support Downtown activation, special events, and other Downtown-specific economic development priorities. Grant funding shall prioritize equity business districts as well as business and neighborhood districts that suffered financial hardship due to the COVID-19 civil emergency.”
B. “No more than $5.5 million appropriated in the 2021 budget for the Office of Economic Development’s Business Services (BO-ED-X1D00) Budget Summary Level may be spent for recovery grants to support neighborhood activation, special events, and other neighborhood-specific economic development priorities. Grant funding shall prioritize equity business districts as well as business and neighborhood districts that suffered financial hardship due to the COVID-19 civil emergency.”
Section 11. Ratify and Confirm. Any act taken by the City pursuant to the authority and in compliance with the conditions of this ordinance but prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 12. 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 _________________________, 2021, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2021.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this ________ day of _________________, 2021.
____________________________________
Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2021.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)