CITY OF SEATTLE

ORDINANCE __________________

COUNCIL BILL __________________

AN ORDINANCE amending Ordinance 127156, which adopted the 2025 Budget, including the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP); changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds in the Budget to support the City’s efforts to expeditiously deliver the Sound Transit 3 program permit review and other oversight; creating exempt and nonexempt positions; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.

WHEREAS, the 2025 Adopted and 2026 Endorsed Budgets included a reserve budget in Finance General for the purpose of supporting Sound Transit 3 (ST3) program related staffing needs; and

WHEREAS, release of the 2025 reserve is predicated on approval of a ST3 Staffing and Resource Plan; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance 127228, passed by the Council in June 2025, makes changes to development regulation and processes applicable to light rail transit facilities to streamline the permit review process or resolve code conflicts; and

WHEREAS, permitting for the West Seattle Link Extension is expected to expand substantially in Q4 2025, construction is expected to begin in 2027, and service is anticipated to begin in 2032. The Ballard Link Extension is still in the planning stages and opening of the extension is scheduled for 2039; and

WHEREAS, timing of the staffing increase has been aligned with expected receipt of Sound Transit 3 permit submissions in late 2025, the anticipated need to support City ST3 staffing and consultant support from the reserve amount for 2025 is $2,431,947; and

WHEREAS, the City and Sound Transit have financial agreements to bill and collect fees on bodies of work that are necessary to advance project design and permitting but that are not billable through permit fees; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that a large portion of staff time required to implement the light rail code amendments to facilities’ streamlined permitting will be resourced through City of Seattle and Sound Transit Task Orders; and

WHEREAS, the Office of the Waterfront, Civic Projects, and Sound Transit (OWCPST) prepared an ST3 Staffing and Resource Plan that includes an analysis of resource needs (staffing and consultant) to support the ST3 program effort; and

WHEREAS, the ST3 Staffing and Resource Plan identifies 50.0 additional staff in various City departments who will collaborate with Sound Transit on project design and engineering, environmental review and project permitting, and construction management and project impact mitigation, as well as lead on station area planning and access projects; and

WHEREAS, the ST3 Staffing and Resource Plan also identifies funding for consultant services to supplement staff work; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Harrell’s Executive Order 2025-02 prioritized expanding the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects to provide oversight of the City’s Sound Transit Program in order to streamline permitting and processes, add key resources and staffing, and develop a strategy for delivering an excellent transit experience; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. To pay for necessary costs and expenses to be incurred in 2025, but for which insufficient appropriations were made due to causes that could not have been reasonably foreseen at the time of the making of the 2025 budget, the appropriations for the following items in the 2025 Budget are modified from the funds shown, as follows:

Section 2. The following new positions are created in the Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Department of Neighborhoods:

The Director of Transportation, General Manager/CEO of Seattle City Light, General Manager/CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, and the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods are authorized to fill these positions subject to Seattle Municipal Code Title 4, the City’s Personnel Rules, and applicable employment laws.

The above-named department directors are authorized to fill the positions denoted above with an asterisk (*) only upon completion of a funding agreement and/or permit schedule commitment from Sound Transit being obtained by the City.

Section 3. The following new positions, which are exempt from Civil Service and Public Safety Civil Service rules and laws, are created in the Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, and Seattle Parks and Recreation:

The Director of Transportation, General Manager/CEO of Seattle City Light, General Manager/CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, and Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation are authorized to fill these positions subject Seattle Municipal Code Title 4, the City’s Personnel Rules, and applicable employment laws.

The above-named department directors are authorized to fill the positions denoted above with an asterisk (*) only upon completion of a funding agreement and/or permit schedule commitment from Sound Transit being obtained by the City.

Section 4. The positions established in Section 2 and Section 3 of this ordinance will sunset after completion of the West Seattle and Ballard Link Light Rail Extension projects.

Section 5. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken after its passage and prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.

Section 6. This ordinance shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Sections 1.04.020 and 1.04.070.

Passed by a 3/4 vote of all the members of the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2025, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this ________ day of _________________________, 2025.

____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council

Approved /  returned unsigned /  vetoed this ____day of _______________, 2025.

____________________________________
Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor

Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2025.

____________________________________
Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk

(Seal)