CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the Seattle Waterfront Park; authorizing the Director of Seattle Center to accept non-City funds; amending Ordinance 126725, which adopted the 2023 Budget; and creating new positions at Seattle Center.
body
WHEREAS, in 2013, the City established the Waterfront Seattle Program, a series of capital improvements based on the Central Waterfront Concept Plan; the program is a $756 million investment supported by a funding partnership including a $160 million Local Improvement District and a $110 million philanthropic contribution; and
WHEREAS, throughout the design, planning, and construction of the Central Waterfront improvements, the City and the community have prioritized the need to identify and fund operations, maintenance, and a public safety program that protects and enhances this investment and ensures new public spaces will be safe, well-maintained, and inviting to the public over the long term; and
WHEREAS, in August 2014, Seattle voters approved creation of the Seattle Park District and funds collected by the District pay for operations and maintenance of Seattle parks, including an annual budget dedicated to operations and maintenance of the Central Waterfront Parks and Public Spaces; and
WHEREAS, in September 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution 31768, which signaled the City’s intent to work with Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) to reach an agreement for the long-term provision of high-quality operations and management services commensurate with the quality of programming envisioned in the public planning for the waterfront, and as reflected in the improvements included in the Central Waterfront Improvement Program; and
WHEREAS, in December 2019, the City Council passed Ordinance 125761, which authorized a two-year pilot agreement between Friends and the City for park operations at Pier 62, which included joint responsibility for public safety and allowed for Friends to provide 24/7 contracted security with limitations to Park Rule enforcement; and
WHEREAS, the same ordinance established the Central Waterfront Oversight Committee (“CWOC”), to serve in an advisory role to provide feedback to the City and Operating Partner on the operations, maintenance, and public safety of the Waterfront Park; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 the CWOC conducted extensive research of national peer parks operations, maintenance, and public safety models in their development of the Waterfront Performance Standard, which is the primary tool to evaluate and measure success of Waterfront Park; and
WHEREAS, in its 2021 Annual Report the CWOC recommended that the City consider transferring operations, maintenance, and public safety to the Seattle Center Department and that the City dedicate resources to public safety on the waterfront; and
WHEREAS, in the Seattle Park District renewal cycle, the Seattle Park District Board approved and dedicated $5,095,757 in funding from the growth rate in the 2023-2028 Park District cycle starting in 2025 for waterfront maintenance, operations and public safety; and
WHEREAS, hiring of the dedicated waterfront public safety team will start in 2023 and ramp up through 2025 when the park is open in its entirety; and
WHEREAS, the waterfront maintenance Park District funds will not be fully spent in 2023 due to the ramp up of maintenance activities, the underspend will be applied to public safety hiring in 2023 and 2024 prior to the dedicated Park District safety funding in 2025; and
WHEREAS, Friends is committed to supporting and providing additional funding to the City for public safety and will make an annual contribution to the City between 2023-2028 to support funding for City waterfront public safety positions; and
WHEREAS, the City and Friends are entering into a long-term management agreement for Waterfront Park operations, maintenance and public safety; and
WHEREAS, Friends will continue to fund its contracted public safety staff in 2023 until the City has hired and trained City public safety employees, which is anticipated to be approximately June 2023; and
WHEREAS, once the City’s public safety team is hired and trained, Friends will end its 24/7 contracted public safety team; and
WHEREAS, Friends funding that was budgeted for 2023 that is underspend on its 24/7 contract will be granted to the City to financially support the City public safety positions; and
WHEREAS, the Friends amount of $945,000 that was budgeted for the 24/7 public safety team will be allocated to the City in 2024 for financial support for the City public safety positions; and
WHEREAS, it is anticipated that Friends will contribute $1,000,000 annually in years 2025-2028 to augment the city’s public safety funding model; and
WHEREAS, the Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent is delegating authority to operate, maintain, and manage Waterfront Park and Public Spaces to the Seattle Center Director from 2023-2028; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Director of Seattle Center or designee is authorized to accept non-City funding from Friends of Waterfront Seattle, consistent with the funding commitment attached to this ordinance as Attachment A, for the purpose of supporting public safety funding for Waterfront Park and Public Spaces. The funds, when received, shall be deposited into the Seattle Center Fund (11410).
Section 2. Contingent upon the execution of the funding agreement and receipt of the funds authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the appropriations for the following items in the 2023 Budget are increased as follows:
|
Item |
Department |
Fund |
Budget Summary Level/BCL Code |
Amount |
|
2.1 |
Seattle Center |
Seattle Center Fund (11410) |
Waterfront (11410-BO-SC-61000) |
$596,250 |
|
Total |
$596,250 |
Section 3. The following positions are created in Seattle Center:
|
Item |
Department |
Position Title |
Position Status |
Number |
|
3.1 |
Seattle Center |
Security Officer (50540) |
Full-time |
8.0 |
|
3.2 |
Seattle Center |
Security Officer, Senior (50541) |
Full-time |
3.0 |
|
Total |
11.0 |
The Director of Seattle Center is authorized to fill these positions subject to Seattle Municipal Code Title 4, The City’s Personnel Rules, Civil Service rules, and applicable employment laws.
Section 4. The following positions are increased from part-time status to full-time status in Seattle Center:
|
Item |
Department |
Position Title |
Position Status |
Number |
|
4.1 |
Seattle Center |
Security Officer (50540) |
Full-time |
1.0 |
|
Total |
1.0 |
Section 5. 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 _________________________, 2023, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2023.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2022.
____________________________________
Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2023.
____________________________________
Elizabeth M. Adkisson, Interim City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment A - Friends of the Waterfront Funding Commitment Letter