By Jack Mayne
The SeaTac City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 concluded with a sometimes contentious back and forth exchange between Mayor Erin Sitterley and Councilmember Takele Gobena.
Near the end of the Council meeting, Councilmember Pam Fernald called a point of order on comments made by Councilmember Takele Gobena, and the the Councilmember persisted in trying to make his views on the point of order.
“Councilmember Gobena stop talking,” the mayor said. The two had a back and forth conversation that ended finally with the mayor calling a five minute recess. Gobena attempted to continue his argument but was again repeatedly muted by the mayor – watch an 11 minute, 27 second excerpt below:
SeaTac Housing
The Council and city staff spent many hours over a long time to put together and prepare for a housing inventory plan which it approved at the meeting despite some members expressing concerns about its potential completeness. The plan was adopted 6 to 1, with Councilmember Takele Gobena the opponent.
The plan says “housing costs rising faster than incomes for most of the last decade” and that “many SeaTac households spend 30 percent or more of their earnings on housing” and that “most homes built between 1950 and 1980, some have significant maintenance costs, potential health & displacement risks.”
But, after two decades of “generally slow housing growth,” and while production is accelerating, now “many units are under construction.”
But the city says there are gaps in the SeaTac housing supply and the Council needs to enact the proposed “housing action plan.”
“Because (the) proposed plan meets grant requirements and due to support shown through outreach process, staff recommends adoption of proposed plan with no changes,” the Council was told.
34th Avenue
The Council approved a contract for RL Alia Co. of RPlanning & Economic Development.
Because the proposed plan meets grant requirements and due to support shown through outreach process, the city staff recommended adoption of proposed plan for design services during construction and Perteet for construction management services.
Project improvements along 34th Avenue South between South 160th Street and South 166th Street include the construction of sidewalks, planter strips, curb, gutter, pedestrian lighting, storm drainage facilities, pavement reconstruction, traffic calming, water main replacement and under-grounding of overhead utilities. This project will include improvements along the north side of South 161st Street and along the north side of South 160th street.
The city received $2.0 million in funding through the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board and $2,464,000 in federal funding through the Safe Routes to School Program.
City staff told Council the project will create a walkable community for the neighborhood by connecting to previously completed sidewalk projects. Staff said community members will also be able to access transit services and local businesses on International Boulevard by utilizing the new sidewalks and bike lanes. The work will be done by October.
Highline Water
Council also approved an interlocal agreement with Highline Water District for the removal and replacement of water main as part of the 34th Avenue South capital improvement project.
City staff told Council that once the work is complete, there is a five-year moratorium on the roadway that requires significant restoration should a utility decide on work that impacts the pavement and supporting infrastructure.
Proclamations
The Council approved two proclamations, one for 2021 National Recovery Month and the second for Constitutional Month.
Mr. Gobena was introducing an off-the-subject item that had nothing to do with the item being discussed. When the Council is discussing an issue that is about to be voted on, no extraneous issue is to be introduced during that discussion. This is not only proper and respectful etiquette to follow during any business meeting, but is also clearly defined in Robert’s Rules of Order. These rules govern nearly all government and private or corporate meetings in the United States (including my Blue Bird and Camp Fire Meetings when I was a child, beginning at age 7 as well as my student government meetings that began at age 8 in the public school that I attended). All of SeaTac’s Council Members are trained on this procedure and are expected to follow these rules, including the procedure to relax such rules or temporarily suspend said rules when appropriate. No relaxation or temporary suspension of the rules was requested during this Council Meeting.
If the reader/viewer of this article and video is not already aware of what had transpired prior to this Council Meeting, the following is background for what happened prior to this meeting regarding the issue he was attempting to discuss at this inappropriate time. Mr. Gobena suggested more than a year ago that an additional committee of his choosing be added to our City’s Citizens’ Advisory Committee offerings. He provided no details for formation of this additional committee, failed to explain the purpose of his desired committee and offered no implementation timing or strategy, etc. for it. He simply requested that an additional committee be formed. He was asked numerous times by our City Clerk to provide additional details (such details are required prior to asking a committee to discuss such a proposal). Mr. Gobena never responded to the multiple requests (and never acknowledged his receipt of said requests). After waiting patiently for more than a year, his request died because of his lack of action. Now, more than a year later, in the midst of a Council Meeting he begins a rant about the other Council Members failing to create his imagined Committee.
If Mr. Gobena expects to be an effective Council Member he needs to follow the guidelines for business and committee meetings and the responsibility of a Council Member who introduces a requests for action on any subject.
I just re- listened to the above mentioned council meeting. What does Mr. Gobena think about being unplugged? Has he asked & listened to the Mayor & other members explain as to why he couldn’t do what he attempted & learn from it? I wonder if he is assuming it is because he is black? I hope not. Roberts Rules of Order are the only way to have a civil meeting, stay on track & complete issues. In general, I am so tired of the rude & meanness heard in some of the council’s members. I am very tired of anyone making accusations of racism, homophobia without having any proof to back up their claim. Can we all stop the antics & get our city business done?