The Library's Education and Neighborhoods Committee on Jan. 9 recommended that the City Council approve three appointments to the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority Governing Council, voting 3-0 to forward appointments 03045–03047 to the full council.

The appointments include Gabriel "Gabe" Grant (appointment 03045), Andrew Robinson (appointment 03046) and the reappointment of Gundeep Singh (03047). The committee's recommendation will be transmitted to the Jan. 14 City Council meeting for confirmation.

The committee's action follows brief introductions by Sierra Howlett Brown, deputy director in the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, who summarized each nominee's background. Howlett Brown said Gabe Grant is a Seattle native with more than two decades in real estate, currently a partner at Spectrum Development Solutions LLC and managing broker at Spectrum Brokerage Services LLC, and noted his prior service on nonprofit boards including Bellwether Housing and Historic Seattle. Howlett Brown said Andrew Robinson works as a fiscal analyst in the City of Seattle's Office of City Finance. Howlett Brown described Gundeep Singh as a real estate analyst at BMGI with experience in acquisitions and asset management and active involvement in South Asian and Sikh community organizations.

Andrew Robinson introduced himself to the committee as a fiscal analyst in the Office of City Finance who "work[s] with a lot of the PDAs and have been attending the Pike Place Market Finance and Asset Committee meetings as the city representative," and said he "will be participating as a non voting member." Gabriel Grant said he grew up in Seattle and called serving on the PDA council "a real honor," pointing to an upcoming master plan and a newly hired executive director as reasons the council will be undertaking "important issues" at the market.

Vice Chair Rink, speaking from the dais, thanked the nominees and raised safety concerns for pedestrians in and around Pike Place Market, referencing the New Orleans attack on New Year's Day as prompting renewed conversation about pedestrianizing portions of the area. Rink said she would like continued dialogue with the PDA council on safety and pedestrianization.

Chair Maritza Rivera moved that the committee recommend passage of appointments 03045–03047; the motion was seconded and approved by recorded voice votes (Moore — aye; Rink — aye; Rivera — aye), with the clerk announcing "3 in favor and none opposed." The committee's recommendation will be placed on the Jan. 14 City Council agenda for final action.

The committee opened a hybrid public comment period at the start of the meeting but the clerk reported zero in-person and zero remote speakers; no public comments were made on these appointments during the session.

The committee meeting adjourned at 9:48 a.m. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.