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Public commenters press city attorney over judge statement; remote callers criticize housing policy
Summary
During the Jan. 28 public comment period, a resident asked the council to seek clarification or retraction from the City Attorney’s Office about a statement concerning a judge; other public speakers criticized local housing policy and one in‑person commenter used abusive language and was asked to stop.
At the start of the Jan. 28 Seattle City Council meeting, three members of the public used the allotted public‑comment time to raise separate concerns: one speaker asked the council to request clarification from the City Attorney’s Office about its public statement regarding a judge, another criticized local housing policy and development, and an in‑person speaker used abusive language and was addressed by the presiding officer.
Bennett Houston, who the clerk listed among the in‑person commenters, told the council he had sent a draft resolution to the council clerk calling on the City Attorney’s Office to explain or retract a public statement it issued last year about “Judge Verdotte.” Houston said he had filed a public‑disclosure request and reviewed courthouse audio and argued that “there are discrepancies between what this city attorney’s office said and the facts of the case” and that the office should either retract its statement or explain how the facts support it.
A second in‑person commenter, Alex Zimmerman, introduced himself as president of Stand Up America and at multiple points used abusive and racially charged language, drawing an interruption from the presiding officer and a request to take his seat. The presiding officer and staff repeatedly asked for compliance with chamber rules while the speaker continued to make disruptive remarks; the clerk noted the speaker had been the last in‑person commenter.
A remote commenter identified by the clerk as David Haynes criticized the council’s approach to housing and development, questioning whether the council “really put 60 hours a week into their council job” and urging the council to prioritize financing and regulation that would expand housing supply and quality. His remarks criticized both for‑profit developers and certain nonprofits and accused the council of reinforcing inequitable housing patterns.
The public comment period closed after those speakers. Separately, during the public hearing on council bill 12927 (an extension of interim floodplain regulations tied to updated FEMA flood maps), one remote commenter, Sabrina Beaulieu, identified herself as a regional government affairs manager from Support of Seattle and told the council she hopes the extension will be the final one and urged timely resolution with the Port of Seattle and waterfront property owners.
What the council did not do
No formal council action was recorded in response to the public comments asking the City Attorney’s Office to clarify its statement; Bennett Houston said he had provided a draft resolution and suggested a council member introduce it at a future meeting. The council did open and close the public hearing on the floodplain extension but did not take a final vote on that item at this meeting.
Context
Public comment proceeded under the council’s two‑minute limit and the meeting record shows three in‑person and one remote commentator during the general comment period. The council chair thanked commenters and closed the public comment period before moving on to committee reports and votes.
