CITY OF SEATTLE

ORDINANCE __________________

COUNCIL BILL __________________

AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 126000, which adopted the 2020 Budget; changing appropriations to the Executive Department’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, the Department of Neighborhoods, the Department of Education and Early Learning, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and budget control levels, and from various funds in the Budget, for the purpose of providing food support to individuals in Seattle; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.

WHEREAS, on March 3, 2020, Mayor Durkan proclaimed the existence of a civil emergency in the City of Seattle due to confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the Seattle area; and

WHEREAS, in response to COVID-19, the Governor of Washington has closed or limited operations of many businesses in the City of Seattle; and

WHEREAS, these actions are appropriate for public health reasons, but have severe economic impacts on families and individuals in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, these impacts are being felt most strongly by people with low income or food insecurity; and

WHEREAS, a number of City departments have convened meetings with partners to strategize immediate interventions for vulnerable and food insecure populations; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance 125324, passed on June 5, 2017, imposed a tax on engaging n the business of distributing sweetened beverages (“Sweetened Beverage Tax”), with specific direction on how the proceeds generated should be expended; and

WHEREAS, services funded by the proceeds of the Sweetened Beverage Tax are intended to expand access to healthy and affordable food; close the food security gap; promote healthy nutrition choices; reduce disparities in social, developmental, and education readiness and learning for children; assist high school graduates to enter college; and expand services for the birth-to-five population and their families; and

WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council wish to redirect some Sweetened Beverage Tax resources to increase food access for the people of Seattle; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. To effectuate Ordinance 125886, which creates a separate fund for Sweetened Beverage Tax revenues, the appropriations for the following items in the 2020 Budget are modified as follows:

Section 2. To support the appropriations moves made in Section 1 of this ordinance, and to move 2019 Sweetened Beverage Tax revenues into the Sweetened Beverage Tax Fund, cash is transferred as shown in the following table:

Section 3. In order to pay for necessary costs and expenses incurred or to be incurred in 2019, but for which insufficient appropriations were made due to causes that could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of making the 2020 Budget, appropriations for the following items in the 2020 Budget are increased from the funds shown, as follows:

Section 4. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.

Section 5. The Council requests that the Office of Sustainability and Environment prioritize supporting the following categories of Seattle residents, should the City fund additional food assistance in the future:

A.  Immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status, and including recipients of the State-Funded Food Assistance Program;

B.  Individuals aged 60 years or older;

C.  Individuals with disabilities;

D.  Workers dislocated due to the COVID-19 civil and state emergency; and

E.  Individuals enrolled in City assistance programs, such as Fresh Bucks and the Utility Discount Program.

Section 6. The Council requests that the Office of Sustainability and Environment continue to pursue partnerships with additional retailers, with a preference for those with unionized employees, for its emergency grocery voucher program so that program participants have a wider range of options for purchasing their groceries and other eligible household items.

Section 7. 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 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 passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2020.

____________________________________

President ____________ of the City Council

Approved by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.

____________________________________

Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor

Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2020.

____________________________________

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)