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Transcript file 2026-04-02_select-committee-on-the-library-levy_x185489.srt.
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APOLOGIES FOR NEEDING A FEW
MINUTES THERE TO GET OUR TECH.
ALL SET UP AND READY TO GO.
SO HAPPY TO SEE EVERYONE
HERE THIS EVENING.
THE APRIL 2nd, 2026, MEETING
OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON
THE LIBRARY LEVY WILL COME TO
ORDER.
IT'S 5:35 P.M.
I'M MARITZA RIVERA,
CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL.
KOUP SILL MEMBER: KOUP SILL MEMBER
LIN?
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER RINCK: COUNCILMEMBER RINCK.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS: COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER: COUNCILMEMBER FOSTER.
HERE: HERE.
COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ: COUNCILMEMBER JUAREZ.
COUNCILMEMBER KETTLE.
VICE-CHAIR HOLLINGSWORTH.
HERE: HERE.
CHAIR RIVERA: CHAIR RIVERA.
PRESENT.
SEVEN COUNCILMEMBERS ARE: SEVEN COUNCILMEMBERS ARE
PRESENT.
THANK YOU, CLERK.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WANT TO THANK
YOU ALL FOR COMING
TODAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU,
COLLEAGUES, AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC
AND ANYONE THAT IS JOINING US
ONLINE SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AS
PART OF
THIS -- AND I WANT TO THANK
YOU FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS
AS PART OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
THESE HEARINGS ARE REALLY AN
IMPORTANT PART OF
OUR LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
ENGAGEMENT AND I AM REALLY
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING
YOUR WORDS TODAY.
BEFORE WE START TODAY, I
WANTED TO QUICKLY RECAP THE
MAYOR'S
$410 MILLION LEVY
RENEWAL PROPOSAL, WHICH I
SUPPORT.
THIS PROPOSAL IS 50% LARGER THAN
THE 2019 LEVY.
THAT'S ON TOP OF ACCOUNTING FOR
INFLATION.
I HAVE RECEIVED SOME EMAILS,
AND, COLLEAGUES, YOU MAY HAVE
AS WELL, DESCRIBING THIS LEVY AS
STATUS QUO.
I'M NOT ALWAYS CERTAIN WHERE
CONSTITUENTS RECEIVE
INFORMATION AND WHAT IS OUT
THERE, BUT AS I
JUST CONFIRMED, THIS LEVY IS 50%
MORE THAN WHAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN THE STATUS QUO.
STATUS QUO WOULD HAVE BEEN
A BASELINE OF $219 MILLION PLUS
INFLATION.
BUT BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT OUR
LIBRARIES, WE MADE SURE
THAT, DESPITE THE LEVY CAP, WE
HAD
A PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDED NEW
FUNDING. I'M RESTATING THIS
BECAUSE I
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH
IS ACTUALLY IN THE PACKAGE.
I ALSO WANT TO ANSWER A QUESTION
THAT CAME UP IN
OUR SELECT COMMITTEE EARLIER
THIS WEEK ABOUT FUNDING TO
COMPLETE THE
HVAC SYSTEMS AT THE FIVE
BRANCHES THAT NEED COOLING.
THERE WAS CONFUSION AS
TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD A
GRANT FROM FEMA TO DO THE WORK.
I'M RELIEVED TO REPORT WE
DO HAVE A LETTER, WHICH
YOU RECEIVED TODAY,
COLLEAGUES, CONFIRMING THE GRANT
TO ADD
COOLING TO THESE
FIVE BRANCHES BY THE END OF NEXT
YEAR.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF MY
OVERALL CONCERN WITH GOVERNMENT
SPENDING AND MAKING DECISIONS
BASEDBASED
SPECULATION RATHER THAN REALITY.
THE REALITY IS WE HAVE A FEMA
GRANT.
AS TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR DEFERRED AND ONGOING
MAINTENANCE, THERE IS ALMOST
$86 MILLION IN THIS PROPOSAL FOR
THAT PURPOSE OF WHICH ALMOST
30 MILLION IS ACTUALLY NEW
FUNDING.
THE LIBRARY INDICATED THEY
WILL HAVE TO DO MORE WORK IN
FIVE TO
TEN YEARS BUT WE WILL HAVE A
LEVY RENEWAL IN SEVEN YEARS
WE CAN ADD MORE FUNDING TO.
AS WE DO WITH ALL LEVY
RENEWALS, WE ADD ADDITIONAL
FUNDING
EACH TIME TO DO MORE WORK.
ADDING THAT MONEY NOW
DIMINISHES OUR ABILITY TO
ADDRESS
PRESSING NEEDS TODAY.
AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE A
BROKEN RECORD, THIS IS A
SOLID PROPOSAL THAT NOT ONLY
ADDS BASELINE PLUS INFLATION BUT
50%
MORE ON TOP OF THAT.
WE NEED TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS
DEFENSIBLE TO OUR RESIDENTS
WHO ARE FOOTING THE BILL.
WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO
OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THE
AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED.
HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AGENDA
IS ADOPTED.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ
ITEM ONE INTO THE RECORD.
AGENDA ITEM ONE, COUNCIL BILL
121181. AN ORDINANCE RELATE TO
GO REGULAR PROPERTY TAXES
PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO
THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE
CITY
AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON
AUGUST 4, 2026, OF A PROPOSITION
AUTHORIZING TO LEVY
PROPERTY TAXES UP TO SEVEN YEARS
IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITATION
ON LEVIES IN CHAPTER 84. 55 RCW
FOR
TECHNOLOGY, PROGRAMMING
AND MAINTENANCE WHILE
EXPANDING ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY
THROUGH LIBRARY MATERIALS,
TECHNOLOGY
AND UNDERTAKING A RETROFIT
OF ONE LIBRARY FACILITY
AND RATIFYING AND CONFIRMING
CERTAIN PRIOR ACTS.
THANK YOU, CLERK.
AS PRESIDING OFFICER, I'M NOW
OPENING THE PUBLIC
HEARING ON COUNCIL BILL 121181.
CLERK, HOW MANY SPEAKERS
ARE SIGNED UP TODAY?
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 30
IN- PERSON SPEAKERS AND
FIVE REMOTE SIGNED UP.
GIVEN THAT AND FOLLOWING: GIVEN THAT AND FOLLOWING
OUR COUNCIL RULES, EACH SPEAKER
WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE.
CLERK, I WILL NOW HAND THIS OVER
TO YOU TO PRESENT
THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN I
WILL READ THE NAMES FOR IN-
PERSON
SPEAKERS, AND WE WILL -- I
WILL LET YOU READ THE
INSTRUCTIONS.
I THINK YOU HAVE THAT.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL: THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL
BE MODERATED IN THE FOLLOWING
MANNER.
THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL CONTINUE
UNTIL ALL REGISTERED SPEAKERS
HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SPEAK.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN
THE ORDER THEY REGISTERED.
WE WILL START WITH TEN IN-
PERSON SPEAKERS AND ALTERNATE TO
REMOTE
SPEAKERS AND CONTINUE UNTIL ALL
REGISTERED SPEAKERS HAVE SPOKEN.
SPEAKERS WILL HEAR A CHIME
WHEN TEN SECONDS ARE LEFT OF
THE
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