Councilmember Strauss, chairing the Select Budget Committee, told colleagues the committee meeting scheduled for the coming week will be vote-heavy and may be lengthy, with the Seattle Shield initiative carrying 17 amendments.
Strauss said the agenda will include the Seattle Shield initiative, carry-forward legislation, the mid-year supplemental budget (including grant acceptances and appropriations), World Cup appropriations and an HCMS loan. She described the earlier briefing on the Seattle Shield initiative that produced extensive discussion and said the upcoming meeting will focus on votes.
Strauss warned members to keep remarks concise during the meeting to move through the agenda, noting the committee previously spent about three-and-a-half hours on one briefing. She asked members to work with central staff ahead of the meeting and to release amendment confidentiality where possible to allow better pre-meeting preparation.
No amendments were adopted during the briefing and no votes were recorded; Strauss said the amendments should be posted by close of business ahead of the committee meeting so members can prepare.
The chair asked members to prioritize efficient amendment debate at the meeting so the committee can complete action on multiple time-sensitive funding items.