Seattle council sets timetable and forum for D5 vacancy, selects Unified Outreach to host forum

Council President Nelson said the City Council has opened a 20-day process to fill the District 5 vacancy and announced a schedule of interviews and public events aimed at identifying a replacement. Nelson said, “We received 22 applications,” and that materials were published on the clerk’s website and distributed to councilmembers. He said the council is now on day seven of the 20-day timeline and that the process will “replicate what we've done for the 2 other vacancy” selections. Nelson outlined the immediate timeline: the council will hold an executive session after the full council meeting tomorrow to discuss the vacancy; a special council meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, July 17, to identify finalists; the public candidate forum will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, July 21, at North Seattle Community College and will be broadcast by the Seattle Channel; councilmembers will publicly interview finalists at a regular council meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 22; and a vote to appoint is scheduled for a special council meeting on Monday, July 28, the 20th day of the process. Nelson cautioned that if no candidate is selected on that day, the council rules “stipulate that we must continue to meet every day until someone is selected.” Nelson said he selected Unified Outreach to host the candidate forum; when asked which group had proposed a Zoom forum, Nelson said it was a consortium of city commissions, including the Women’s Commission. A councilmember who asked the question said they “appreciate in person over Zoom every day.” The council president also said the council published the applicant pool to the clerk’s website and distributed applications to members, and reaffirmed that the forum is open to the public and will be broadcast. He described the host selection as done to “ensure accessibility for all and, consistency with past practice.” No formal motion or vote on appointment was conducted during the briefing. The forum host selection was announced by the council president rather than recorded as a formal council action.