>>> GOOD MORNING.
DECEMBER 15, 2021 MEETING OF THE
TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES
COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER.
THE TIME IS 9:30 AM.
I AM ALEX PEDERSEN, CHAIR OF
THE COMMITTEE.
THE COUNCIL PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE?
>> COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ ?
>> HERE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD?
COUNCILMEMBER MORALES?
>> HERE.
>> CHAIR PEDERSEN?
>> HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD IS HERE AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> WE HAVE FOUR PRESENT.
>> COUNCILMEMBER STRAUSS'S
EXCUSE TO THIS WEEK.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS
MEETING IN THE NEXT HOUR.
WE HAVE THREE ITEMS. WE HAVE
ABOUT THREE CALLERS ON THE
LINE.
úWE HAVE ONE ITEM WE ARE GOING
TO BE DEVOTING ON TODAY.
IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION,
TODAY'S PROPOSED AGENDA WILL BE
ADOPTED.
HEARING NO EGYPTIAN --
OBJECTION, THE AGENDA IS
ADOPTED.
WELCOME TO THE LAST MEETING OF
THE TRANSPORTATION AND
UTILITIES COMMITTEE OF 2021.
IN FACT, THIS IS THE LAST
COMMITTEE MEETING OF ANY
COUNCILMEMBERS THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO ARE ABLE
TO BE HERE TODAY.
WE ARE ABOUT TO START OUR
COUNCIL RECESS . I APPRECIATE
EVERYBODY BEING HERE WHO COULD
MAKE IT.
TODAY, WE HAVE TWO
INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AND
A VOTE ON THE LONG-AWAITED
FINAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS TO
MAKE A REALITY THE GEORGETOWN
TO SOUTH PARK TRAIL.
ASSUMING THAT ITEM PASSES,
WHICH I ASSUME IT WILL, IT WILL
BE VOTED ON BY THE FULL COUNCIL
EARLY NEXT YEAR.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE
REMOTE GENERAL COMMENT PERIOD
FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND
UTILITIES COMMITTEE.
EVERYONE, PLEASE BE PATIENT AS
WE OPERATE THIS ONLINE SYSTEM.
WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY LOOKING FOR
WAYS TO MAKE THIS BETTER.
IT REMAINS THE INTENT OF THE
CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE PUBLIC
COMMENT REGULARLY INCLUDED ON
MEETING AGENDAS.
THE CITY COUNCIL RESERVES THE
RIGHT TO MODIFY THESE COMMENT
PERIODS AT ANY POINT IF WE FEEL
THAT THE SYSTEM IS BEING ABUSED
OR UNSUITABLE FOR OUR MEETINGS
TO BE CONDUCTED EFFICIENTLY AND
IN A MANNER IN WHICH WE ARE
ABLE TO CONDUCT OUR NECESSARY
BUSINES.
I WILL MODERATE IN THE
FOLLOWING MATTER.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR
THIS MEETING WILL BE UP TO 20
MINUTES.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO
MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I WILL CALL ON TWO SPEAKERS AT
A TIME IN THE ORDER IN WHICH
THEY HAVE REGISTERED ON THE
WEBSITE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, YOU
CAN SIGN UP BEFORE THE END OF
THIS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BY
GOING TO THE WEBSITE AT
SEATTLE.GOV/COUNCIL.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT LINK IS
LISTED ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
ONCE I CALL ON A SPEAKER, THERE
WILL BE AN AUTOMATIC PROMPT OF,
YOU HAVE BEEN UNMUTED.
THAT IS THE QUEUE TO SPEAK.
THE SPEAKER MUST PRESS á6 TO DO
ANY SPEAKING.
AS A REMINDER, PUBLIC COMMENT
SHOULD BE LINKED TO THE ITEM ON
TODAY'S AGENDA OR A WORK
PROGRAM OF THE COMMITTEE.
THE SPEAKER WILL HEAR A CHIME
WHEN 10 SECONDS LEFT IN THE
ALLOTTED TIME.
WE ASK AT THAT TIME TO BEGIN TO
WRAP UP YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF YOU DO NOT END YOUR TIME IN
THE COMMENT ALLOTTED, THE
MICROPHONE OF THE SPEAKER WILL
BE MUTED TO ALLOW FOR US TO
CALL IN THE NEXT SPEAKER.
ONCE YOU ARE DONE, PLEASE
DISCONNECT FROM THE LINE.
IF YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW THE MEETING, PLEASE DO
SO THROUGH THE SEATTLE CHANNEL
OR LISTENING OPTIONS.
THE REGULAR COMMENT PERIOD FOR
THIS COMMITTEE MEETING IS NOW
OPEN.
I WILL CALL ON THE FIRST
SPEAKERS.
WE WILL HEAR FIRST FROM MIKE
AND THEN ANITA.
GO AHEAD, MIKE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
MY NAME IS MIKE.
I LIVE IN THE SEATTLE AREA, 116
FAIRVIEW AVENUE.
MY COMMENT IS ON THE SCOOTER'S
SHARE PILOT EVALUATION,
PARTICULARLY THE SAFETY SECTION
OF THIS REPORT.
IT IS INCOMPLETE.
THE INJURIES AND FATALITY DATA
ON PAGE 20 IS INCOMPLETE.
NO DATA INFORMATION FROM AREA
HOSPITALS OR EMERGENCY SERVICES
IS INCLUDED.
I MAKE REFERENCE TO A STUDY IN
2019 AT TEXAS, WHICH IS THE
GOLD STANDARD OF THESE CHANGES
IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN THEY REVIEWED THEIR INJURY
DATA, THEY FOUND THAT 90% OF
THE REPORTED SCOOTER ENTRIES
WERE FROM HOSPITAL EMERGENCY
ROOM AND EMERGENCY AMBULANCE
SERVICE RECORDS.
ONLY 10% OF INJURIES WERE FOUND
ON POLICE REPORTS.
THE SEATTLE STUDY SHOWS ONLY
POLICE REPORT EVENTS. I AM
CONCERNED THAT IT IS MISSING 90%
OF OTHER ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES.
THE FATALITY AND SERIOUS
INJURIES REPORTED AND LIKELY
HUNDREDS OF OTHER INJURIES THAT
HAVE OCCURRED BUT HAVE NOT BEEN
REPORTED SHOULD CAUSE A SECOND
LOOK AT THE DANGEROUS ACTIVITY
THE SEATTLE COUNCIL HAS
PERMITTED IN OUR CITY BY
ALLOWING THE e-SCOOTERS.
FURTHERMORE, THERE IS NO
MENTION OR SEEMING CONCERN FROM
PEDESTRIAN INJURIES FROM THE e-
SCOOTER PLAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
NEXT, WE WILL HEAR FROM ANITA,
FOLLOWED BY DAVID.
GO AHEAD, ANITA.
>> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR PEDERSEN
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I AM ANITA GALLAGHER, SENIOR
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MANAGER
FOR THE NORTHWEST ALLIANCE.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON THE
SCOOTER SHARE AND MOBILITY
AGENDA ITEM.
SINCE 2017, WE HAVE ENJOYED THE
HONOR OF SERVING THE PEOPLE OF
SEATTLE AND A FANTASTIC
PARTNERSHIP WE BUILT WITH THE
CITY AND YOUR OUTSTANDING STAFF.
IN 2019, WE CONTINUED TO SERVE
THE COMMUNITY AFTER OTHER BIKE
SHARE OPERATORS LEFT THE
MARKET.
WE WERE THE FIRST TO LAUNCH
ELECTRIC SCOOTERS IN SEATTLE.
AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE STAFF
PRESENTATION TODAY, MORE THAN A
QUARTER OF 1 MILLION RIDERS
CHOSE TO RIDE DURING THE PILOT
PROGRAM, MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT
OF OUR CLOSEST COMPETITOR.
THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR
RELIABLE OPERATIONS IN THE
EXEMPLARY SERVICES OUR TEAM
PROVIDES.
WE ARE PLEASED TO CONTRIBUTE
TOWARDS THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
GOAL TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION
AND TO ADVANCE TRANSPORTATION
EQUITY IN THE CITY.
THE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY CITY
STAFF INDICATES THAT 54% OF
MICRO MOBILITY RIDERS WOULD
HAVE USED A SINGLE OCCUPANCY
VEHICLE FOR THEIR LAST TRIP.
OVER HALF OF THEIR RIDES WERE
FIRST AND LAST MILE TO TRANSIT.
15% OF SCOOTER USERS REPORTED
HAVING A DISABILITY.
31% COME FROM HOUSEHOLDS
EARNING LESS THAN $50,000 PER
YEAR.
ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
CITY HAS BEEN ROOTED IN OUR
SHARED VALUES.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE
CONTINUATION OF A SUCCESSFUL
SHARED MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM
HERE IN SEATTLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING
MY COMMENTS TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, ANITA.
NEXT, WE HAVE DAVID.
GO AHEAD, DAVID.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING,
COUNCILMEMBERS AND STAFF.
I AM THE POLICY MANAGER AT
SUPER PEDESTRIAN, A MICRO
MOBILITY COMPANY THAT OPERATES
AN e-SCOOTER SERVICE IN
SEATTLE.
I WANT TO THANK THE
TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES
COMMITTEE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY IN FAVOR
OF THE e-SCOOTER PILOT.
IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE OVER ONE
YEAR SINCE SUPER PEDESTRIAN WAS
AWARDED THE PRIVILEGE OF
OPERATING ELECTRONIC SCOOTERS
IN SEATTLE.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BECOME AN
INTEGRAL PART OF TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY,
PROVIDING 631,000 RIDES,
ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 40% OF THE
MARKET SHARE IN THE CITY.
AS AN OPERATOR, WE APPRECIATE
THE e-SCOOTERS SERVICE PILOT
PROGRAM, ESTABLISHING RULES FOR
SCOOTER SHARE OPERATORS.
AS CHAMPIONS FOR MICHAEL
ABILITY AND PARTNERS FOR THE
CITY IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS, WE
SUPPORT MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT
IN CHANGING TRANSPORTATION
HABITS.
WE ARE CERTAIN TO PROVIDE SAFE,
GREEN, AND RULE ABIDING SERVICE
OVER THE LAST YEAR OF
OPERATION.
I WOULD HIDE THAT LIKE TO
HIGHLIGHT HOW WE HAVE PROVIDED
SUPER AFFORDABLE SERVICE.
WE HAVE GIVEN LOW INCOME
SEATTLE RESIDENTS A COST-
EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET AROUND,
WITH OVER 400 RESIDENTS IN
ROLLING, WHICH PROVIDES A 95%
DISCOUNT ON THEIR LOCAL RIDES.
RIDES HAVE LESS THAN 20 MINUTES
ARE FREE.
WE PROVIDE CRITICAL
TRANSPORTATION ACCESS FOR
UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE AVERAGED 17% OF OUR SCOOTERS
IN EQUITY AREAS, EXCEEDING THE
10% REQUIREMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE ENJOYED
BEING A PART OF SEATTLE.
W HAVE PARTICIPATED ON PARKING
DAY, VARIOUS SHARE EVENTS,
GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 HELMETS,
PARTNERED WITH OTHERS TO HELP
WITH TRIP CAMPAIGN, AND
DONATED OVER 100 BICYCLES. AS
YOU CONSIDER THE PILOT IN THE
FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM, WE WOULD
LIKE TO OFFER OUR SUPPORT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR LIST OF
SPEAKERS.
WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC
COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS MEETING
AND MOVE ON TO THE FIRST
LEGISLATIVE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ THE
TITLE OF THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM
INTO THE AGENDA, THE SHORT
TITLE.
>> AGENDA CB 120230, ITEM 1,AN
ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE CITY
LIGHT DEPARTMENT, THE SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND
RECREATION, AND THE SEATTLE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION;
DECLARING CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY
RIGHTS TO BE SURPLUS TO THE
NEEDS OF CITY LIGHT; FOUR
BRIEFING DISCUSSION AND
POSSIBLE VOTE.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE
PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT IS TRUE.
WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS
ON DECEMBER 1 AT OUR MEETING.
WE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON IT AT
THIS MEETING.
THIS IS THE LAST IN A SERIES OF
COUNCIL ACTIONS TO CLEAN UP THE
TITLE AND ACCESS TO THE VARIOUS
PARCELS OF LAND.
IT ULTIMATELY FACILITATES THE
GEORGETOWN TO SOUTHPARK
PEDESTRIAN BIKE TRAIL.
THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY PRIOR
COUNCIL BUDGET ACTIONS.
IT HAS BEEN GRATIFYING TO SEE
VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS
WORKING TOGETHER, CITY LIGHT,
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES,
ARCSIN REC, SDOT, AND UTILITIES
INVOLVEMENT INCLUDING THE
VACATION OF A STREET NEARBY.
THAT INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT
PUBLIC BENEFITS.
WE MAY WISH TO HEAR SOME EXTRA
MARKS FROM ONE OR TWO OF THE
COUNCILMEMBERS THIS DISTRICT
WILL BENEFIT.
START WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER
AND CEO OF SEATTLE CITY LIGHT,
DEBRA SMITH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COUNCILMEMBER PEDERSEN.
WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO GO TO
THE CONSULTATION AGAIN, AS WE
HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A
BIT.
WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO YOUR
COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMEMBERS.
I WANTED TO TAKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU ALL
FOR YOUR SERVICE.
IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WILL LAND
IN THE NEW YEAR.
CHAIR PEDERSEN, IT HAS BEEN
WONDERFUL WORKING WITH YOU,
WORKING WITH THE ENTIRE
COMMITTEE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE
GOOD WORK WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
MOVE THROUGH COMMITTEE AND
THROUGH COUNCIL THIS YEAR.
IT FEELS VERY DIFFERENT THAN
2020.
I KNOW I SPEAK FOR OUR
EXECUTIVE TEAM AND LEADERSHIP
TEAM AND THE FOLKS ON THIS CALL
AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR
FOCUS, YOUR DEDICATION, AND
YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
YES, WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO
THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AGAIN.
COUNCILMEMBERS, COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, WE DO HAVE ERIC
McCONAGHY FROM COUNCIL CENTRAL
STAFF IF THERE ARE ANY FINAL
QUESTIONS OF CENTRAL STAFF OR
ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS
REGARDING THIS PROJECT.
IT HAS BEEN PRETTY WELL VETTED.
BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS, LET ME
GO AHEAD AND GET IT ON THE
TABLE OFFICIALLY AND MAYBE A
COUNCILMEMBER OR TWO MAY HAVE A
COMMENT ON IT.
COUNCILMEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO
MOVE THAT OUR COMMITTEE
RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF CB
120230, ITEM 1 ON OUR AGENDA.
IS THERE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>> THANK YOU.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED
TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS
BILL.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS?
>> I WILL -- THANK YOU, CHAIR
PEDERSEN.
I WILL AGAIN SAY THANK YOU TO
THE WHOLE TEAM FOR CONTINUING
TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I AM EXCITED TO GET THIS
TRANSFER HAPPENING AND TO GET
THE PROJECT GOING SO THAT THE
FOLKS IN GEORGETOWN AND
SOUTHPARK CAN BEGIN USING THE
TRAIL.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> I THINK, AND COUNCILMEMBER
HERBOLD IS EXCITED ABOUT IT,
TOO.
SO IS COUNCILMEMBER GONZALEZ.
I THINK WE DID HAVE A
COMMITMENT THAT IF WE DO HAVE
DOGS, WE CAN BRING THEM DOWN TO
THE DOUG PARK IF IT IS NOT IN
OUR DISTRICT.
I AM HOPING THAT IS TRUE.
OKAY, GLAD.
>> COUNCILMEMBER, YOU ARE ALSO
WELCOME TO BRING YOUR DOUG TO
THE DOUG PARK AT OUR
SUBSTATION.
WE ARE HAPPY TO HOST.
>> THANK YOU.
LET'S GET MOVING ON IT THEN.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE CALL THE
ROLE ON COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE CB
120230 ?
>> GONZALEZ?
>> AYE.
>>
>> COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD?
>> AYE.
>> COUNCILMEMBER MORALES?
>> AYE.
>> CHAIR PEDERSEN?
>> AYE.
>> THE MOTION IS APPROVED.
>> AND THIS BILL WILL BE SENT
TO THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL
MEETING, WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE
JANUARY 3. WILL THE CLERK
PLEASE, THANK YOU EVERYBODY
FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
WE WILL CONNECT WITH YOU ON
IMPLEMENTATION AS WE MOVE
FORWARD.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ THE
TITLE OF THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM
INTO THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM 2, PRESENTATION
SCOOTER SHARE AND MOBILITY FOR
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU.
I AM EXCITED TO HAVE SDOT'S NEW
MOBILITY TEAM HERE TO SHARE
WITH US ON SCOOTER SHARE,
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, AND OTHER
EMERGING TRANSPORTATION
TECHNOLOGIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD
INTO 2022.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
THE DEPARTMENT AND THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE TO ENSURE WE ARE
COLLECTING SUFFICIENT DATA ON
SCOOTER SHARE AND DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP
PEDESTRIANS AND RIDERS SAFE AS
WE WORK TO DECARBONIZE OUR
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AND HAVE
FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS
TO EVEN MORE ROBUST TRANSIT
SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
WELCOME.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST HERE?
JUST JUMP IN.
>> HELLO.
THANK YOU FOR CONTROLLING THE
POWERPOINT TODAY.
THANKS FOR HAVING US.
MY NAME IS KELLY RULA.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE
TODAY.
OUR GROUP COVERS A NUMBER OF
THINGS, IF YOU WHICH WE WILL
GET INTO LATER.
WE REALLY TRY TO FOCUS OUR
WORK, ESPECIALLY IN THIS NEW
AND EMERGING SPACE, ROUND THE
VALUES OF CLIMATE SAFETY IN
EQUITY.
WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS A FEW
PIECES OF PORTFOLIO TODAY,
INCLUDING SCOOTER SHARE PILOT,
AS WELL AS SOME OTHER ITEMS.
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE BECKY
EDMONDS, A LONGTIME SDOT
EMPLOYEE WHO HAS RECENTLY
JOINED OUR TEAM TO LEAD THE
MICRO MOBILITY PROGRAM.
TAKE IT AWAY.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I AM BECKY EDMONDS AND I WILL
BE TALKING ABOUT OUR SCOOTER
SHARE PILOT.
I WILL DO A LITTLE BIT OF
BACKGROUND , GET INTO OUR
NUMBERS, AND TALK ABOUT HOW
THIS HELPS US MEET OUR EQUITY,
SAFETY, AND CLIMATE GOALS.
THEN WE WILL GET INTO TAKEAWAYS
AND NEXT STEPS.
SEATTLE HAS HAD SOME FORM OF
MICRO MOBILITY FOR A WHILE NOW.
WE FIRST HAD MY CHAIR STARTING
IN 2014.
IT WAS CALLED PRONTO.
EVENTUALLY THAT SHUT DOWN AND
WE MOVED FROM THAT WHICH WAS A
STATION BASED SYSTEM TO A FREE-
FLOATING MODEL.
WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES
TO DO THAT IN 2017.
2018 IS WHEN WE START TO SEE e-
SCOOTERS EMERGING AS A SHARED
MODE NATIONALLY.
IN SEATTLE, WE TOOK OUR TIME.
I WILL GET INTO HOW WE DESIGNED
OUR PILOT BEFORE EVENTUALLY
LAUNCHING THE SCOOTER PROGRAM IN
OCTOBER 2020.
NEXT SLIDE?
WE ARE NOT ALONE.
AS I MENTIONED, SCOOTERS HAVE
BEEN AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE
IN NORTH AMERICA.
THERE ARE OVER 200 CITIES IN
NORTH AMERICA THAT HAVE SOME
FORM OF MICRO MOBILITY.
NEXT SLIDE?
SO IN TERMS OF HOW WE DESIGN
OUR PILOT, WE WANTED TO BE
REALLY INTENTIONAL.
WE TOOK ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF
TO DEVELOP THE PILOT.
WE WORKED WITH OVER 30
STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND SURVEYED
750 RESIDENTS.
WE TOOK LESSONS FROM OTHER
CITIES THAT HAD BEEN DOING THIS
BEFORE US AND TOOK LESSONS
LEARNED FROM OUR OWN BIKE SHARE
SYSTEM.
WE HAD TO GRAPPLE WITH SOME
DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, ONE OF THOSE IS
SIDEWALK WRITING.
WE DECIDED TO NOT ALLOW
SCOOTERS ON SIDEWALKS.
EVENTUALLY AFTER ALL THAT
PROCESS, COUNCIL PASSED
LEGISLATION IN SEPTEMBER 2020
AND WE STARTED OUR SCOOTER
PILOT SOON AFTER THAT.
NEXT SLIDE?
IN OUR PILOT, WE HAVE FOUR
DIFFERENT SCOOTER VENDORS.
THIS WAS AN INTENTIONAL CHOICE
TO SHOW A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
OPTIONS.
LINE WAS CHOSEN PARTIALLY
BECAUSE THEY OPERATE BY CHAIRS,
AS WELL.
THEN WE HAVE LINK, WHICH OFFERS
A STANDING SCOOTER.
WHEELS OFFERS A SITTING STYLE
SCOOTER, WHICH PROVIDES A
DIFFERENT OPTION AND IS MORE
COMFORTABLE FOR CERTAIN USERS.
FINALLY, WE HAVE A FOURTH
VENDOR.
WE INVITED THEM IN A LITTLE
LATER TO THE PILOT.
THEY SPECIFICALLY HAVE
SOMETHING CALLED DROVER A.I.,
WHICH GIVES FEEDBACK TO USERS
ABOUT HOW THEY PARK THEIR
DEVICE AND KEEPS PEOPLE OFF THE
SIDEWALKS WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT
BE THERE.
NEXT SLIDE?
THESE ARE OUR FIVE OBJECTIVES
OF THE SCOOTER PILOT.
WE DEVELOPED THESE IN
COLLABORATION WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND ALSO BASED ON OUR
BIKE SHARE PROGRAM.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE ACTIVE AND
LOW CARBON TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONS, EXPAND ACCESSIBILITY
AND USE BY BLACK AND INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE, NONBLACK PEOPLE OF
COLOR, LOW-INCOME PEOPLE,
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, AND
PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH
PROFICIENCY.
WE WANTED TO BE SAFE AND KEEP
OUR SIDEWALKS SAFE AND
ACCESSIBLE.
FINALLY, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE
ACCESSIBLE AND ADAPTIVE
MOBILITY OPTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE?
A LOT GOES INTO MANAGING OUR
PILOT WITH SCOOTERS.
THIS SHOWS ALL OF THOSE
ELEMENTS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE THE DATA WE
TAKE IN.
WE HAVE REAL-TIME DATA FEEDS
FROM ALL OF OUR VENDORS.
WE MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OUR VENDORS.
WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN
INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INCLUDES
DESIGNATED PARKING LOCATIONS
THAT KEEPS OUR SIDEWALKS CLEAR.
AND WE DO A LOT OF EVALUATION.
WE PROMOTE ACCESS AND
AFFORDABILITY.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE IS THE
REGULATORY PIECE, WHICH INCLUDES
THE CODE CHANGES AND
COMPLIANCE.
NEXT SLIDE?
MOST OF THE DATA IN THIS
PRESENTATION COVERS OUR FIRST
FULL YEAR OF THE PILOT, WHICH
RAN FROM OCTOBER 1, 2020
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2021.
WE TOOK A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH
AS WE LOOKED THROUGH OUR PILOT.
THESE ARE OUR DIFFERENT DATA
SOURCES.
THIS INCLUDES THE TRIP FEEDS
FROM VENDORS.
WE GET MEMBERSHIP REPORTS.
WE AUDIT THE PARKING SITUATION.
WE DID A SURVEY THAT I WILL GET
INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL
ON LATER, WHICH HAD OVER 4000
RESPONDENTS.
WE LOOK AT POLICY THROUGH
POLICE REPORTS AND CONSTITUENT
FEEDBACK.
NEXT SLIDE?
NOW WE WILL GET INTO THE
NUMBERS.
DID PEOPLE USE SCOOTER SHARE?
THE RESOUNDING ANSWER IS YES.
WE HAD OVER 1.4 MILLION TRIPS
IN THAT FIRST YEAR.
THIS DOES TRACK WITH HOW MANY
DEVICES WERE DEPLOYED.
IN THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, YOU
CAN SEE THE BLUE BARS SHOW
DEPLOYMENT OF SCOOTERS, WHICH
GREW STEADILY OVER THE COURSE
OF THE PILOT, AS DID HOW MANY
TRIPS THERE WERE PER DAY.
BY CHAIRS REMAINED A LITTLE
LOWER THAN THAT, BUT PRETTY
STEADY DURING THAT TIME.
THE AVERAGE SCOOTERS ON THE
STREET DURING THE PILOT WAS
2600 ABOUT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT WAS IN
THE MIDDLE.
AS WE GREW, IT GOT TO OVER 4000
BY SEPTEMBER.
NEXT SLIDE?
WHAT KINDS OF TRIPS ARE PEOPLE
TAKING?
THE AVERAGE TRIP WAS ABOUT 15
MINUTES LONG.
IT WENT 1.4 MILES.
THAT WOULD COST A LITTLE OVER $6
. THAT IS BASED ON THE AVERAGE
NUMBERS AND THEIR COST
STRUCTURE.
THE VENDORS DO OFFER VARIOUS
OPTIONS FOR REDUCING THE COST,
INCLUDING THE REDUCED FARE
PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS THINGS
LIKE MONTHLY PASSES AND OTHER
OPTIONS FOR FREQUENT USERS.
WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT PREVIOUS
SLIDE.
ON THE RIGHT, YOU WILL SEE THE
UNIQUE RIDERS WE COUNTED.
I DID WANT TO SHOW FIVE
DIFFERENT VENDORS, AS A NUMBER
OF PEOPLE MAY HAVE SIGNED UP
FOR MULTIPLE.
THERE WERE OVER A QUARTER OF 1
MILLION UNIQUE USERS OF THE
SYSTEM.
THAT WORKS OUT TO THREE RIDES
ON AVERAGE PER USER.
THERE IS A PRETTY BIG RANGE IN
TERMS OF THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF
RIDES INDIVIDUALS TAKE.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE
NOW.
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE USER SURVEY THAT WE
COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER 2021, SO
PRETTY RECENT.
IT WAS PROMOTED VIA THE VENDORS
TO USERS OF SCOOTERS.
WE GOT OVER 4000 RESPONDENTS,
PEOPLE WHO USED THE SCOOTERS.
THIS GAVE US A LOT OF
INFORMATION WE DO HAVE ABOUT
SAFETY AS WELL AS RIDER
EXPERIENCE AND HOW PEOPLE ARE
BEHAVING WHEN THEY ARE USING
SCOOTERS.
NEXT SLIDE?
WHO IS USING SCOOTER SHARE?
THIS IS WHAT WE GOT FROM OUR
SURVEY.
FIRST OF ALL, WE FOUND THAT 56%
OF SCOOTER USERS REPORTED ALSO
HAVING USED BIKE SHARES.
THERE IS OVERLAP AND ALSO A
UNIQUE SET OF USERS.
IN TERMS OF RACE, THE RACIAL
DEMOGRAPHICS WERE PRETTY
SIMILAR TO THE SEATTLE
POPULATION.
WE FOUND THAT 15% OF USERS
IDENTIFIED AS HAVING SOME KIND
OF DISABILITY.
WE FOUND THAT 65% OF USERS
IDENTIFIED AS MEN, WHICH IS AN
OVERREPRESENTATION COMPARED TO
THE GENERAL POPULATION.
IN TERMS OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME,
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A PRETTY
DIVERSE RANGE OF HOUSEHOLD
INCOMES AND PEOPLE WHO USE THE
SCOOTER PROGRAM.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE
FROM THERE.
NOW WE WILL GET A LITTLE BIT
INTO OUR EQUITY METRICS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE A
REQUIREMENT THAT VENDORS DEPLOY
10% OF THEIR FLEET TO EQUITY
FOCUS AREAS, WHICH ARE SHOWN ON
THE MAP ON THE RIGHT.
OVERALL, WE SAW 15 1/2% WERE
DEPLOYED IN THOSE EQUITY AREAS.
WE ARE MEETING THAT GOAL AND WE
ALSO KNOW THAT THAT IS JUST ONE
BASELINE AND THERE IS MORE TO
DO IN TERMS OF EQUITY.
WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
VENDORS ARE REQUIRED TO OFFER
REDUCED FARE PLANS. THE EXACT
STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN VARIES BY
FENDER, BUT WE CAP IT AT $1.50
PER HOUR.
WE FOUND THAT REDUCED FARE
RIDERS TOOK OVER 67,000 TRIPS,
WHICH IS ABOUT 4.5% OF TOTAL
TRIPS.
THEY AVERAGED MANY MORE TRIPS
PER RIDER, 64 TRIPS FOR THE
RIDER PER YEAR COMPARED TO JUST
THREE OVERALL.
YOU CAN SEE THE UNIQUE USERS
WHO HAVE SIGNED UP BY FENDER ON
THE RIGHT THERE.
IT IS AT LEAST 400 PEOPLE IF
THERE IS OVERLAP.
NEXT SLIDE?
WE DO OUTREACH WITH COMMUNITY
PARTNERS.
WE PROVIDED OUTREACH TO BIPOC
COMMUNITIES.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE WILL WORK
ON NEXT YEAR, ADDRESSING THOSE
BARRIERS. SOME OF THOSE
INCLUDED LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON
HOW TO USE SCOOTERS.
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
ACCESS TO HELMETS AND HAVING A
SAFE PLACE TO RIDE.
AFFORDABILITY WAS A CONCERN, AS
WELL AS SOME LANGUAGE ACCESS
NEEDS.
WE ALSO IN COORDINATION WITH
THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
AND THE VENDORS, WE HELD
OUTREACH EVENTS. THIS INCLUDED
GIVING AWAY HELMETS, HANDS-ON
INSTRUCTIONÃWHICH I THINK
MAKES A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE
FOR PEOPLE IN GETTING MORE
COMFORTABLE WITH SCOOTERS, AND
WE ALLOWED PEOPLE TO SIGN UP
FOR REDUCED THEIR PLANS -- FARE
PLANS AT THOSE EVENTS.
ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF OUR
PROGRAM IS ADAPTIVE CYCLING.
ONE MAJOR WAY WE DO THIS IS
THAT WE PARTNER WITH OUTDOORS
FOR ALL, AN EXISTING NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION IN SEATTLE THAT
HAS 200 BICYCLES IN THEIR FLEET
THAT ARE ADAPTED.
OUR FUNDS ALLOWED THEM TO OFFER
PROGRAMMING FOR FREE AND WITH
EXPANDED HOURS DURING SUMMER
MONTHS.
COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR
PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR THIS PROGRAM TO EXPAND
EVEN MORE NEXT YEAR.
ANOTHER PIECE OF ACCESSIBILITY
WAS OUR PRIORITY FOR HAVING THE
SEATED SCOOTER OPTION, GIVES
PEOPLE JUST AN ADDITIONAL WAY
TO GET AROUND THAT WE THINK IS
MORE COMFORTABLE FOR CERTAIN
USERS.
NEXT SLIDE?
NEXT, WE WILL GET INTO THE
SAFETY PIECES.
WE HAD VENDORS IMPLEMENT VARIOUS
SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT THERE
IS A PICTURE OF THE REQUIRED
SAFETY QUIZ THAT POPS UP BEFORE
YOUR FIRST RIDE.
WE ALSO REQUIRE THAT THEY
REDUCE SPEEDS ON THE FIRST
RIDE, SO IT IS CAPPED AT EIGHT
MILES PER HOUR AS PEOPLE GET
MORE COMFORTABLE WITH USING
THEM.
WE IMPLEMENTED A REQUIREMENT
THAT SCOOTER RIDERS WEAR
HELMETS.
HOWEVER, WE FOUND THAT 70% OF
PEOPLE REPORTED THAT THEY NEVER
OR ALMOST NEVER WEAR HELMETS.
THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THAT
IS PEOPLE REPORTING THAT THEY
DID NOT WANT TO CARRY THAT
AROUND, AS WELL AS SOME PEOPLE
SAYING THEY DID NOT OWN AT
HELMET.
WE ALSO DON'T ALLOW SIDEWALK
WRITING UNLESS CIRCUMSTANCES
DICTATE.
IN OUR SURVEY, WE FOUND THAT
73% OF PEOPLE SAID THEY WROTE
IT IN THE STREET AND BIKE LANES
OR ON BIKE PATHS, WHICH ARE
ALLOWED.
22% SAID THEY WROTE MOST OF
THEIR LAST TRIP ON THE
SIDEWALK.
MOST USERS SAID THE REASON THEY
CHOSE WHERE THEY RODE DEPENDED
ON WHAT FELT SAFEST FOR THEM.
NEXT SLIDE?
THE SAFETY, ANOTHER KEY PIECE
IS LOOKING AT INJURIES AND
FATALITIES.
ONE SOURCE WE HAVE FOR THIS IS
POLICE REPORTS.
WE LOOK FOR SCOOTER RELATED
ISSUES.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ON
THESE WHETHER THEY WERE RELATED
TO SCOOTER SHARE OR PRIVATELY
OWNED SCOOTERS.
WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE 17
SCOOTER RELATED COLLISIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS ONE
FATALITY THIS PASSED OCTOBER ON
AIRPORT WAY SOUTH.
ALL INJURIES AND THE FATALITY
INVOLVES A SCOOTER COLLISION
WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE.
OUR USER SURVEY ALSO GOT A LOT
OF SAFETY INFORMATION.
THIS IS ANOTHER KEY SOURCE OF
DATA FOR US.
WE ASK THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
INJURED IN ANY WAY USING A
SCOOTER AND IF THEY HAD MEDICAL
CARE OF ANY KIND.
WE FOUND THAT 2.6% OF USERS
SAID THEY HAD SOUGHT SOME FORM
OF MEDICAL CARE FOR A SCOOTER
RELATED INJURY.
WE ARE GETTING MORE INTO THE
DATA, WHERE HE ASKED PEOPLE TO
DESCRIBE THEIR ENTRIES MORE.
WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION
TO SHARE ABOUT THAT LATER.
I THINK THIS SURVEY IS
CAPTURING A WIDER NET THAN WE
MIGHT GET FROM DATA THAT ONLY
LOOKS AT E.R.
VISITS.
IT IS LOOKING AT A LOT OF
DIFFERENT KINDS OF ENTRIES.
WE DON'T HAVE COMPARABLE DATA
TO OTHER MODES OR OTHER CITIES
WHO HAVE DONE SIMILAR SURVEYS
YET.
NEXT SLIDE?
>> TECHIE, IF I MAY, JUST LIFT
UP THE POINT WE HEARD FROM A
PUBLIC COMMENT OR ABOUT
HOSPITAL DATA, CAN YOU CLARIFY
THE NEXT LAYER YOU ARE GOING TO
UNCOVER IN TERMS OF GETTING TO
THE BOTTOM OF THE SAFETY ISSUE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN NO
WHAT THE TRENDS ARE IN NO
WHETHER WE NEED TO BE DOING
THINGS DIFFERENTLY?
>> I THINK THE IMMEDIATE NEXT
STEP IS WE NEED TO GET MORE
FROM OUR EXISTING SURVEY ABOUT
THE TYPES OF INJURIES PEOPLE
ARE DESCRIBING.
THAT WILL HELP TELL US MORE
ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT.
WE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO WORK
WITH UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
AND HARBORVIEW ON THE EMERGENCY
ROOM SIDE OF THINGS.
THOSE STAFF NO LONGER HAD ROOM
TO WORK WITH US BECAUSE OF THE
COVID PANDEMIC.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE WOULD HOPE
TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
NOT SURE HOW THAT WOULD LOOK
LIKE, EXACTLY.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING FOR US
TO TRY TO GET AT WHAT THIS
NUMBER WILL LOOK LIKE FOR OTHER
MODES.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE PLANS
TO DO THAT JUST YET.
>> IF OTHER CITIES ARE DOING
THAT, I REALIZE THE COVID
PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT,
BUT IF OTHER CITIES ARE
COLLECTING THAT DATA, I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THAT. IT IS ALSO A
FAIR POINT IN TERMS OF GETTING
SIMILAR DATA FROM OTHER MODES
AND TRACKING THAT OVER TIME TO
SEE WHAT THE TRENDS ARE,
COMPARING THAT TO OTHER CITIES
AND THEIR PROGRAMS.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN WE WERE
NOT ABLE TO PARTNER WITH
HARBORVIEW ON THAT STUDY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, AS SOON AS
WE CAN, GETTING THAT
INFORMATION FROM HOSPITALS AND
HOW IT IMPACTS OTHER MODES, AS
WELL.
COUNCILMEMBER HERBOLD?
>> THANK YOU.
I WAS GOING TO HOLD MY QUESTION
UNTIL THE END, BUT GIVING THAT
WE ARE ASKING SOME, CHAIR
PEDERSEN, I WANT TO SEE IF I
COULD DO THE SAME, IF THAT IS
ALL RIGHT.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THE POINT
THAT YOU ARE MAKING, CHAIR
PEDERSEN, 2.6% OF SCOOTER USERS
REPORTING AN INJURY.
I THINK THAT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT
ONE OUT OF 40 USERS?
TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT
THAT IS ALARMING, AND IT KIND
OF SOUNDS LIKE IT IS, IT WOULD
BE GOOD TO COMPARE IT TO
CYCLING AND WALKING PER NUMBER
OF TRIPS TO GET A SENSE OF THAT.
REGARDING THE RIDER EXPERIENCE
SLIDE, SLIDE 19, THE 22% OF
FOLKS WHO ARE RIDING ON THE
SIDEWALK FOR MOST OF THEIR
TRIP, I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE
EXPLAINING THAT FOLKS ARE
MAKING CHOICES BASED ON WHAT IS
SAFEST, AND IN MAKING THE CHOICE
TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK, YOU
ARE MAKING A CHOICE THAT SEEMS
LIKE IT IS SAFER FOR YOU AS THE
SCOOTER RIDER, BUT YOU ARE
MAKING THE SIDEWALKS LESS SAFE
FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE USING
THEM.
I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT
CHOICE THAT RIDERS SHOULD BE
MAKING.
I AM WONDERING WHAT WE ARE
DOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
IF PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO THE
SIDEWALK BECAUSE IT IS SAFER,
IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THEY SHOULD
BE ENCOURAGED TO WALK THEIR TRIP
FOR THAT PORTION OF THE TRIP. I
JUST WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
THAT.
I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH
MOTORIZED WHEEL VEHICLES ON OUR
SIDEWALKS.
I HAVE EXPRESSED THAT OVER
YEARS OF OUR DEVELOPING AND
IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM. I
CONTINUE TO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT
THE IMPACTS TO PEDESTRIANS,
PARTICULARLY FOLKS WHO HAVE
MOBILITY ISSUES. SIDEWALKS ARE
CALLED SIDEWALKS BECAUSE THEY
ARE FOR WALKING.
THANK YOU.
>> YEAH, I CAN GO AHEAD AND
PROVIDE SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT.
I AGREE IT IS A CONCERN.
I THINK WE WANT TO DO MORE
EDUCATION NEXT YEAR, SOME FOR
USERS AND ALSO NONUSERS, WITH
MESSAGING ABOUT NOT RIDING ON
THE SIDEWALK.
I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT
POTENTIALLY SPECIFICALLY SAYING
YOU SHOULD WALK YOUR SCOOTER
WHILE YOU ARE ON THE SIDEWALK
IF YOU NEED TO BE THERE IS
POTENTIALLY A GOOD MESSAGE THAT
WE COULD USE.
THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS.
WE ARE SEEING GOOD THINGS OUT
OF THE DATA WE ARE SEEING FROM
SPIN AND THEIR ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN
DETECT SIDEWALK WRITING.
WE SAW IN THEIR INITIAL DATA
THAT SIDEWALK WRITING WENT DOWN
AS PEOPLE TOOK MORE TRIPS ON
SPIN.
THAT IS SORT OF REINFORCING
THE MESSAGE.
I THINK THAT WAS ABOUT ALL I
HAVE AT THIS POINT.
>> THANK YOU.
PLEASE CONTINUE.
>> ANOTHER KEY PIECE OF
SIDEWALK SAFETY IS KEEPING
SIDEWALKS CLEAR FROM PARKED
DEVICES.
WE REGULARLY CONDUCT AUDITS OF
HOW DEVICES ARE PARKED.
WE THINK ESTABLISHING SOME
DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS, WHICH
WE DID A BUNCH LAST YEAR AND WE
PUT THEM NEAR CERTAIN STATIONS.
THERE ARE A COUPLE ACROSS THIS
THE STREET FROM THE ROOSEVELT
STATION.
WE HAVE WORK TO DO IN TERMS OF
ENCOURAGING PROPER PARKING
BEHAVIOR.
YOU CAN SEE ON OUR CHART,
QUARTER OVER QUARTER, WE HAD
OUR BEST YET IN Q3, 2021.
WE GOT DOWN TO 8% OF DEVICES
OVERALL THAT WERE CONSIDERED
OBSTRUCTIONS.
OUR TARGET IS 3%, WHICH IS AN
AGGRESSIVE TARGET.
THERE IS MORE EDUCATION TO BE
DONE WITH THAT, AS WELL AS
POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
TO HELP PEOPLE PARKED DEVICES
CORRECTLY.
NEXT SLIDE?
IN TERMS OF CLIMATE, THE ZERO-
EMISSION OPTIONS FOR THE END-
USER, WE USE BANS TO REBALANCE
AND SERVICE THE SYSTEM.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY GAS-POWERED.
THEY ARE LOOKING TO ELECTRIFY
THEIR BANS.
IT IS ABOUT 30,000 MILES,
VENDOR FOR THE YEAR. D PER
THERE WERE OVER 2.2 MILLION
MILES TRAVELED BY SCOOTER IN
THE PILOT YEAR.
OVER HALF OF TRIPS START OR END
NEAR A FREQUENT TRANSIT STOP,
WHICH I THINK IS PARTIALLY
PEOPLE CONNECTING TO TRANSIT.
WE WILL LEARN MORE IN OUR
SURVEY ABOUT THAT.
THOSE ARE ALSO THE
NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE ARE A
LOT OF SCOOTERS AND PLACES TO
GO.
FINALLY, WE FOUND THAT 24% OF
SCOOTER USERS SAID THEY WOULD
HAVE USED A PERSONAL VEHICLE
FOR THEIR LAST SCOOTER TRIP IF
THEY HAD NOT USED A SCOOTER.
ANOTHER 30% SAID THEY WOULD
HAVE USED SOMETHING ELSE,
INSTEAD.
PEOPLE SEEM TO BE MOVING AWAY
FROM CARS, NOT JUST SCOOTER
USERS.
NEXT SLIDE?
WHAT ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS?
PEOPLE ARE RIDING SCOOTERS.
WE THINK THEY'RE USING THEM FOR
VARIOUS TYPES OF TRIPS.
WE SAW PRETTY GOOD USE EVEN IN
A PANDEMIC.
ON PLACES THAT HAD SCOOTERS
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THEY SAW A
BIG TIP.
HE STARTED DURING A PANDEMIC
AND HAVE SEEN PRETTY STEADY
GROWTH.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE
EXPANDED ACCESS IN TERMS OF WHO
HAS ACCESS AND FEELS
COMFORTABLE USING SCOOTERS.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT
AFFORDABILITY.
WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
INJURIES AND COLLISIONS AND WE
PLAN TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE
EDUCATION ABOUT SAFETY, WE HAVE
SEEN DEVICE PARKING IMPROVE
OVER TIME.
THERE IS STILL MORE WE NEED TO
DO ON THAT.
JUST OVERALL, WE THINK THAT
SCOOTERS PROVIDED CLIMATE
FRIENDLY OPTIONS THAT
COMPLEMENTED OUR BIKE SHARE AND
TRANSIT SYSTEM.
NEXT SLIDE?
OUR IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS, WE
PLAN TO CONTINUE TO HAVE
SCOOTERS.
WE WILL EXTEND THE EXISTING
PERMITS THROUGH QUARTER ONE OF
2022.
THEN WE PLAN TO HAVE A
COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO SELECT
SCOOTER VENDORS FOR THE FUTURE.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR AUDIT
PROGRAM, LOOKING FOR PARKING
OBSTRUCTIONS IN PARTICULAR AS
WELL AS COLLECTING MORE DATA ON
HOW MUCH SIDEWALK WRITING IS
HAPPENING.
WE STARTED TO DO THAT THIS
YEAR.
THERE IS ROOM TO COLLECT MORE
DATA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT
IS HAPPENING AND IF THERE ARE
SPECIFIC AREAS WE NEED TO
TARGET FOR ADDITIONAL
MESSAGING.
AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE PLANNING
TO EXPAND PUBLIC AWARENESS
úCAMPAIGNS AS WELL AS GET HELME
USE UP.
A PIECE OF THAT IS GETTING
HELMETS INTO THE HANDS OF
PEOPLE AS WELL AS REINFORCING
THE MESSAGE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD
BE WEARING HELMETS.
WE PLAN TO CONTINUE OUR
EDUCATION IN EQUITY FOCUSED
COMMUNITIES AND EXPAND THAT IN
THE FUTURE.
WE ARE EVALUATING HOW WE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO BRING THE COST DOWN,
WHETHER IT IS PARTIALLY
EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AND
ACCESS TO THE REDUCED FARE
PROGRAM
>> SOME INSERTS WERE MADE THAT
WILL GO INTO EFFECT IN 2022.
IF YOU CHANGES COMING DOWN THE
PIKE THERE.
WE ARE ALSO, SDOT IS CURRENTLY
PARTNERING WITH BELLEVUE D.O.T.
ON A JOINT STRATEGIC PLANNING
EFFORT AROUND READINESS
SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN
2022, SO IT PRETTY QUICK
PROJECT.
THE TWO CITIES ARE WORKING WITH
A CONSULTANT TO MAP THE
INDUSTRY AND ITS PLAYERS,
ASSESSED TECHNOLOGY AND
INFRASTRUCTURE AND POLICY
READINESS THROUGH A REGIONAL
LENS.
WE BOTH UNDERSTAND THAT THESE
VEHICLES WILL OPERATE CROSS
JURISDICTION ONLY WHEN THEY
COME IN AT SCALE.
WE COORDINATE REGULARLY WITH
OUR PEER CITIES AROUND THE
COUNTRY TO SHARE LEARNINGS AND
BEST PRACTICES AS THESE
AUTOMATED MODES BEGAN TESTING
IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
THAT EXTENDS INTO SOME OF THE
OTHER MODES I WILL TALK ABOUT.
WE DO TALK TO OUR SISTER AND
BROTHER CITIES AROUND THE
COUNTRY ALL THE TIME.
MOST RECENTLY AN AMAZON COMPANY
BEGAN TESTING ON A LIMITED
SCALE IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE.
THE MOST RECENT TESTING ROUND
WAS COMPLETED AND WE HAVE NOT
INDICATED ANY MORE TESTING AT
THIS TIME.
WE HAVE A FEW OTHER INTERESTING
FUND MODES HERE.
LAST SPRING, SDOT PARTNERED
WITH A LAB AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON AS WELL AS PRIVATE
PARTNERS LIKE GENERAL MOTORS
AND OTHERS TO LAUNCH AN
INTERESTING MICRO WEBSITE.
FINDINGS FROM THIS PILOT SHOWED
A 30% REDUCTION IN TAILPIPE
CARBON ADMISSIONS PER PACKAGE
COMPARED TO TRUCK DELIVERIES,
WHICH IS REALLY PROMISING.
SDOT HAS PLANS TO ADVANCE
EFFORTS IN 2022, WHICH IS
EXCITING.
PERSONAL DELIVERY DEVICES, ALSO
KNOWN AS PDD'S FOR SHORT, ALSO
KNOWN AS SIDEWALK ROBOTS, THESE
WERE PUT INTO WASHINGTON STATE
CODE IN 2019.
WHILE WE KNOW SOME LIMITED
TESTING HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF
SEATTLE'S LIMITS, THESE DEVICES
ARE STARTING TO GAIN IN
POPULARITY AROUND THE COUNTRY,
ESPECIALLY SEEING THEM IN
COASTAL CALIFORNIA AND AROUND
COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
THEY TEND TO BE USED FOR THINGS
LIKE FOOD DELIVERY OR SMALL
PACKAGE DELIVERIES IN A VERY
SMALL RADIUS.
FINALLY FOR TODAY, WE ARE ALSO
MONITORING DRONES AND WHAT IS
KNOWN AS UNMANNED AERIAL
MOBILITY. THIS AIR TRAVEL,
EITHER DELIVERY BY DRONES OR
PASSENGER TRANSPORT THROUGH AN
AUTOMATED AERIAL DEVICE, HAS
BEEN GAINING TRACTION IS THE
CONCEPT ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
ESPECIALLY IN CALIFORNIA, WHERE
THIS PROMISE OF AERIAL
PASSENGER TRAVEL IS VERY
COMPELLING GIVEN THE CONGESTED
ROADWAYS DOWN THERE.
WHILE THIS SPACE WILL PROBABLY
BE REGULATED HEAVILY BY FEDERAL
AIRSPACE ROLES, SDOT IS STILL
MONITORING THIS INDUSTRY,
ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO
REGIONAL INTERESTS AND THE
TECHNOLOGY THAT IS EVOLVING IN
THIS SPACE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMITTEE
MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR
SDOT EXPERTS HERE?
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR
STAYING AHEAD OF THESE EMERGING
ISSUES SO THAT WE CAN
PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND DEAL WITH
LIABILITY RISKS AND SUCH.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU IN THE COMING YEAR, AS WELL
WITH THE INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION SO WE CAN WORK
COLLABORATIVELY ON NEXT STEPS
FOR SEATTLE ON THESE ISSUES.
ALL RIGHT.
IF NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS,
WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE LAST ITEM
ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU TO SDOT.
WE APPRECIATE SEEING YOU.
ALL RIGHT.
WILL THE CLERK PLEASE READ THE
TITLE OF THE FINAL AGENDA ITEM
INTO THE RECORD?
>> AGENDA ITEM 3, PRESENTATION:
PARAMETERS FOR 2021 FINANCIAL
AUDIT OF SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES, FOR BRIEFING AND
DISCUSSION.
>> THANK YOU.
EVERY YEAR, OUR UTILITIES HAVE
THEIR BOOKS AUDITED BY
INDEPENDENT OUTSIDE AUDITORS.
TODAY, THE AUDITORS ARE COMING
TO US TO PRESENT THE STATUS AND
SCHEDULE OF THEIR 2021 AUDIT.
THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS ARE
FROM THE FIRM MOSS ADAMS.
I WELCOME THEM TO THE COMMITTEE
TODAY.
PLEASE, DIRECTOR, LET'S TURN IT
OVER TO YOU FOR ANY
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS.
OF COURSE, FOR COUNCILMEMBERS,
WE KNOW THAT BRIAN GOODNIGHT ON
THE CITY COUNCIL CENTRAL STAFF
IS OUR POINT PERSON FOR SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES.
DIRECTOR LEE, WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR PEDERSEN
AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I AM ANGELA LEE, THE INTERIM
GENERAL MANAGER FOR SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES.
BEFORE I START, I WANT TO TAKE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK
COUNCIL PRESIDENT GONZALEZ FOR
YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE
CITY OF SEATTLE.
I KNOW EVERYONE OF YOU COMMITS
AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PERSONAL
TIME AND TIME AWAY FROM YOUR
FAMILY AND LOVED ONES TO SERVE
OUR CONSTITUENTS.
THOSE OF US AT SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES ARE EXTREMELY
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
TODAY, I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE
LAURIE TISH AND TODD RYLAND
FROM MOSS ADAMS, WILL PRESENT
TO THE COMMITTEE THEIR AUDIT
PLAN FOR 2022.
SPU IS REQUIRED TO HAVE AN
EXTERNAL AUDIT FOR DRAINAGE AND
WASTEWATER, SOLID AND
WASTEWATER FUNDS.
THE STATEMENTS ARE PREPARED
PURSUANT TO REQUIREMENTS FOR
BONDS ISSUED FOR THE FUNDS AND
TO SUPPORT OTHER SPU FINANCING
ACTIVITIES.
UNDER THE AUDITING STANDARDS,
MOSS ADAMS IS REQUIRED TO
PROVIDE THIS OVERVIEW AND WILL
COMMUNICATE THE RESULTS UPON
ORDER COMPLETION NEXT YEAR.
THE PRESENTATION GIVES THE
COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH MOSS ADAMS.
THE AREAS OF FOCUS AND TO
DISCUSS ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS
THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE RELATED
TO THE FINANCIAL REPORTING OF
SPU.
AT THIS POINT, I WILL HAND IT
OFF TO LAURIE TISH.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING.
DIRECTOR LEE GAVE PART OF MY
INTRO, SO WE WILL JUST GET
RIGHT INTO IT.
AS HE MENTIONED, WE WILL BE
COMING BACK TO YOU AT THE
CONCLUSION OF THE AUDIT TO GET
THE REPORT OUT.
THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A
TASTE OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN
PLANNING SO FAR AND SOME OF THE
AREAS OF RISK THAT WE PLAN TO
TACKLE IN THE AUDIT.
TODD IS GOING TO GO OVER SOME
OF OUR DELIVERABLES AND OUR
TIMELINE.
THEN I WILL TAKE IT FROM HIM
AND GO OVER SOME OF THE RISKS.
WE ARE HOPING WE WILL HAVE A
TWO-WAY DIALOGUE THIS MORNING
ON ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE
US TO FOLLOW UP ON OR ANY OF
YOUR CONCERNS.
TODD, GO AHEAD AND TAKE AWAY.
THANK YOU, LAURIE.
AS LAURIE AND ANDREW MENTIONED,
WE WOULD DO AN OVERVIEW OF OUR
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT.
WE WILL START WITH A QUICK
INTRODUCTION TO YOUR SERVICE
TEAM FOR THE AUDITS.
THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH THE
OTHER ITEMS YOU CAN SEE ON THE
AGENDA.
FIRST OFF, THE SERVICE
LEADERSHIP TEAM, LAURIE TISH IS
LEAD ENGAGEMENT PARTNER . AS
THE SENIOR MANAGER, I SUPPORT
HER IN ALL THINGS SHE NEEDS TO
GET COMFORTABLE WITH SIGNING
THE AUDIT REPORTS.ONE IS OUR
CONCURRING PARTNER.
SHE TAKES A 30,000 FOOT
BROADVIEW AND LOOK AT WORK WE
DO TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO
BIG PIECES THAT WE MISSED.
NICOLE SIEKMEIER JANES IS THE
MANAGER FOR THE ENGAGEMENTS.
SHE IS THE ONE WHO IS REALLY
COORDINATING DAY TO DAY WITH
THE SPU STAFF, MAKING SURE THAT
OUR TEAM IS STAYING ON TRACK.
AND THEN FINALLY MARIA BRAUN
AND JENNIFER GRANT LEAD UP THE
I.T.
SIDE OF OUR AUDIT WORK.
WE DO SOME LIMITED I.T.
PROCEDURES, WORKING WITH SPU
AND CITY OF SEATTLE STAFF TO
MAKE SURE WE CAN GET
COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH THE
SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT OUR
AUDIT OPINIONS.
THE SCOPE OF SERVICES, OUR
AUDITS ARE CONDUCTED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY
ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS,
FOLLOWING GOVERNMENT AUDITING
STANDARDS.
REPORTS WILL BE ISSUED,
INCLUDING THE INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS REPORT FOR ALL THREE
FUNDS, THE WATER FUND, DRAINAGE
AND WASTEWATER, AND THE SOLID
WASTE FUND'S.
REQUIRED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT
AUDITING STANDARDS, WE WILL BE
ISSUING A REPORT ON INTERNAL
CONTROL OVER THE FINANCIAL
REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE ON
OTHER MATTERS, AS WELL AS
REPORTING TO THOSE CHARGED WITH
GOVERNANCE, WHICH IS
ENCAPSULATED IN THIS
PRESENTATION HERE WITH YOU AT
THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND THEN
ALSO OUR CONCLUDING PRESENTATION
IN MAY ONCE WE HAVE ISSUED OUR
AUDIT REPORTS.
PART OF OUR REQUIRED
COMMUNICATION IS TO SPECIFICALLY
LAYOUT WHAT OUR
RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AS THE
AUDITORS.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FORMING
AND EXPRESSING AN OPINION ON
WHETHER THE FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS ARE PREPARED IN
MATERIAL RESPECTS WITH
GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING
STANDARDS.
I LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WHAT
WE ARE FOCUSING IN ON IS THERE
MATERIAL RESPECTS.
THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE SAID AS
SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY USING
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS MIGHT
CONSIDER WHEN THEY ARE MAKING
DECISIONS.
OUR AUDITS ARE SET UP USING
STATISTICAL SAMPLING TO PROVIDE
REASONABLE AND NOT ABSOLUTE
ASSURANCE.
THERE IS ALWAYS THAT CAVEAT.
THERE MAY BE SOMETHING YOU FIND
OR SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST TOO
SMALL. FOR THE SAKE OF COST-
BENEFIT, WE DON'T DIG INTO
EVERY LITTLE, TINY ISSUE THAT
WE FIND.
THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE
RESPONSIBLE TO COMMUNICATE ANY
SIGNIFICANT MATTERS.
AS WE GO THROUGH THAT STUFF,
EVEN IF IT MAY NOT BE DEEMED
MATERIAL, IF WE THINK IT IS
SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT IT
SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO YOU
AS THE GOVERNING BODY, WE WILL
BE BRINGING THAT UP IN THE EXIT
PRESENTATION, AS WELL.
THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS DOES NOT RELIEVE
MANAGEMENT OR YOU HAVE YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
OPERATION AND OVERSIGHT OF SPU.
FINALLY, AS I MENTIONED, WE TAKE
A RISK BASED APPROACH TO OUR
AUDIT PLAN.
OUR PROCEDURES ARE NOT DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY FOR IDENTIFYING
THOSE OTHER MATTERS TO BE
COMMUNICATED TO YOU.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE FIND THEM,
THEY WILL BE COMMUNICATED.
COMPLETED OUR AUDIT PLANNING IN
NOVEMBER.
IN DECEMBER, WE STARTED OUR
INTERIM AUDIT PROCEDURES.
SO GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE
CONTROLS AT SPU AND THE I.T.
SYSTEMS AND THEN MOVING FORWARD
TO RIGHT NOW OUR ENTRANCE
CONFERENCE WITH THE COMMITTEE.
WE WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A
BREAK AFTER THE END OF THE YEAR
SO THAT THE SPU STAFF CAN CLOSE
OUT THE BOOKS AND GET
EVERYTHING FINE-TUNED AND READY
FOR US TO LOOK AT.
WE WILL COME OUT IN A MARCH OR
APRIL TIME FRAME, WHERE WE DO
THE MAJORITY OF OUR STANCE OF
TESTING, MAKING SURE ALL THE
BALANCES ARE SUPPORTED AND
REALLY GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH
OUR AUDIT WORK.
WE FINALIZE THE AUDIT REPORT BY
APRIL 30.
IN MAY, WE HAVE OUR EXIT
CONFERENCES BOTH WITH
MANAGEMENT AND WITH COUNCIL.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LAURIE.
>> TO CONTINUE ON WITH TODD'S
COMMENT, WE COVERED THE SCOPE
OF THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AND ALL OF THE
ACCOUNTS OF THE UTILITIES.
I DO WANT TO DRAW YOUR
ATTENTION TO WHERE WE BELIEVE
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND MOST
ACCOUNTS THAT CONTAIN RISK,
WHICH IS WHERE WE SPEND MOST OF
OUR TIME IN CONDUCTING THE
AUDIT.
OF COURSE, STARTING OFF WITH
UTILITY PLANS, SO THE ASSETS,
WHETHER THOSE ARE SELF
CONSTRUCTED OR PURCHASED OR
EXISTING ASSETS.
WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE
INTERNAL CONTROLS AROUND THAT.
WE ACTUALLY DO INTERVIEW
PROGRAM MANAGERS FOR THE SELF
CONSTRUCTED ASSETS.
WE LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION.
WE LOOK AT WHEN THOSE ARE
CLOSED INTO CAPITAL ASSETS, IF
IT IS SELF CONSTRUCTED.
WE LOOK AT THOSE VENDOR
PURCHASES AND ALL THE SYSTEMS
THAT FLOW INTO UTILITY PLANS.
THAT IS A BIG PART OF OUR
AUDIT, THE HEART OF OUR AUDIT.
BONDED DEBT, DEFINITELY AN
IMPORTANT BALANCE.
YOU HAVE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE
VERY INTERESTED, BONDHOLDERS
WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED THAT
THOSE ARE ACCOUNTED FOR
PROPERLY.
ACCOUNTING FOR BONDS CAN BE
VERY COMPLEX.
SO WE DO LOOK AT THAT VERY
CLOSELY, NOT ONLY NEW ISSUANCES
OR RE-FUNDINGS OF DEBT, BUT
ALSO THE EXISTING DEBT AND THE
AMORTIZATION PAYDOWN OF THAT
EXISTING DEBT.
ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES IS
ALWAYS A BIG ISSUE AND RISK IN
ANY UTILITY.
THAT ENCOMPASSES ANY POLLUTION
REMEDIATION OBLIGATIONS OR
CLAIMS OR ANY STATE OR FEDERAL
REGULATORY BINDINGS THAT ARE
INTERESTED IN POTENTIAL SITES
THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON YOUR
BOOKS.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF
SHARED ACCOUNTS IN THIS AREA
WITH NOT ONLY SEATTLE CITY
LIGHT, BUT THE CITY OF SEATTLE.
SO WE DO LOOK AT THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES SHARE OF THE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE
LIABILITIES.
UNIQUE TO UTILITIES IS
REGULATORY ACCOUNTING.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MECHANISMS
THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO UTILITIES
TO DEFER CHARGES AND MATCH THEM
AGAINST THE RATES THAT ARE
COMING IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE DO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT
THE LAYERS OF THOSE DEFERRED
CHARGES OR THOSE DEFERRED
CREDITS, INCLUDING ANY
CAPITALIZED INTEREST THAT MAY
BE ACCRUING.
OF COURSE, EVERY SINGLE AUDIT
LISTS REVENUES AS A RISK.
WE LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT THE
PRECEDING CYCLE AND THE
CONTROLS AROUND THOSE AND HOW
THE BUILDINGS AND INVOICES AND
CYCLES MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE
REVENUES.
EXPENSES AGAIN, THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE COIN, LOOKING AT YOUR
CASH DISBURSEMENTS AND YOUR
VENDORS, YOUR PAYABLE SYSTEMS,
AND GETTING CONTROL RELIANCE
AND GETTING A LOT OF OUR AUDIT
INSURANCE FROM LOOKING AT THE
CONTROLS AROUND BOTH OF THOSE
OPERATING REVENUES AND
OPERATING EXPENSES.
TODD MENTIONED BRIEFLY THAT WE
HAVE A SEPARATE TEAM THAT IS
TRAINED SPECIFICALLY IN GENERAL
COMPUTER CONTROLS.
WE DO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AND OF
COURSE WE HAVE TO COORDINATE
THAT WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLE
WITH THEIR I.T.
DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF
OUR AUDIT TIME. IT IS DEVOTED
TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
CONTROLS.
THAT IS COMBINED WITH THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENT INTERNAL
CONTROLS TO GIVE US THAT AUDIT
ASSURANCE THAT WE NEED TO SIGN
THE OPINION.
WE ARE JUST COMING OUT OF OUR
WORK ON THE INTERNAL CONTROLS
AND PLANNING.
NOW WE ARE GOING TO WORK TO
DEVELOP OUR FINAL AUDIT PLAN
BASED ON THE RESULTS OF OUR
TESTING.
WE WILL BE BACK AGAIN IN MARCH
TO DO THE BULK OF OUR WORK.
ONE THING I DO WANT TO BRING UP
IS CONSIDERATION OF FRAUD IN
ANY AUDIT.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE
AUDITOR TO OBTAIN REASONABLE
ASSURANCE THAT YOUR FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AS A WHOLE ARE FREE
OF ANY TYPE OF MATERIAL
MISSTATEMENT.
THAT IS WHETHER IT IS CAUSED BY
AN ERROR OR INTENTIONAL FRAUD.
WE DO HAVE SOME PROCEDURES IN
PLACE IN OUR AUDIT TO ADDRESS
THIS, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T DESIGN
THE AUDIT TO LOOK FOR FRAUD.
WE CERTAINLY DO DESIGN THE
AUDIT TO TRY TO IDENTIFY ANY
RISKS OF MATERIAL MISSTATEMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROCEDURES
AROUND THE INTERNAL CONTROLS.
WE DO ACTUALLY BRAINSTORM AS AN
AUDIT TEAM ON, HEY, HOW CAN WE
POKE HOLES AT THIS SYSTEM?
IS THERE A WAY WE COULD THINK
OF THAT SOMEBODY COULD GET
THROUGH AND TRY TO PERPETRATE A
FRAUD?
WE ALSO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS
THROUGHOUT ALL OF SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES, NOT JUST THE
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST THE
PROGRAM MANAGERS THAT WE ARE
TALKING TO ABOUT CONSTRUCTED
ASSETS, BUT THROUGHOUT THE
ORGANIZATION TO DETERMINE IF
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE CODE OF
CONDUCT, IF THEY UNDERSTAND
INTERNAL CONTROLS.
DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE TONE AT
THE TOP IS APPROPRIATE TO
PREVENT THE RISK OF FRAUD?
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE
CERTAINLY CONSIDER DURING OUR
AUDIT.
BEFORE I FINISH UP WITH A
COUPLE OF OTHER INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS, I DO WANT TO TAKE THE
TIME TO PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS AND
FIND OUT IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY
CONCERNS. DO YOU HAVE ANY
COMMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE
ATTITUDES, AWARENESS ABOUT
INTERNAL CONTROLS AT SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES, ANY AWARENESS
OF COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN SPU
AND THE TYPE OF REGULATORS,
ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
COMMENT TO US NOW?
WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT INTO
ACCOUNT FOR OUR AUDIT PLAN.
>> THANK YOU.
I THINK JUST BIG PICTURE, THE
TONE AT THE TOP HERE IS WE
OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HAVE THESE
THOROUGH AUDITS DONE AS THEY
ARE NORMALLY.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A $1
BILLION ENTERPRISE THAT
DELIVERS CLEAN WATER TO
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
AND REMOVES WASTE AND IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT TOWARDS THE
FUNCTIONING OF ANY CITY,
PARTICULARLY ARE WHERE ELECTED
OFFICIALS ARE INVOLVED
DIRECTLY, NOT ONLY IN GENERAL
GOVERNMENT, BUT IN OVERSEEING
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES AS
WELL AS SEATTLE CITY LIGHT FOR
ELECTRICITY.
WE ARE GLAD THAT YOU ARE HERE
TO DO THIS OPENING WITH US ON
THE AUDIT FOR 2021.
>> AND YOU DO HAVE OUR CONTACT
INFORMATION.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU
HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT
ARISE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS,
DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO LAST COUPLE OF
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS THAT I WANT
TO GO OVER, I DID WANT TO LET
YOU KNOW OF AN AUDIT STANDARD
THAT RELATES TO DOCUMENTS
CONTAINING THE AUDITED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
IF OUR REPORT IS USED IN ANY
TYPE OF DOCUMENT SUCH AS AN
ANNUAL REPORT OR A BOND
ISSUANCE, WE DO REQUEST THAT
YOU READ THAT DOCUMENT TO MAKE
SURE THERE IS NOTHING
INCONSISTENT IN THE DOCUMENT
THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT OR
INCONSISTENT WITH OUR REPORT
AND WITH THE AUDITED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS.
WE DO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH MANAGEMENT WHEN THEY ARE
READY FOR A NEW BOND ISSUE, FOR
EXAMPLE.
WE DO GET THE PRELIMINARY
DOCUMENT IN ADVANCE.
WE READ IT.
WE ARE READING IT TO MAKE SURE
THERE IS NOTHING IN THERE THAT
WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THEMSELVES
OR OUR AUDIT OPINION.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW
THAT THAT DOES OCCUR.
THERE HAS BEEN A FLURRY OF NEW
AUDITING STANDARDS RELEASED
LATELY.
NOTHING THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY
NOTICE, BUT IT IS CHANGING THE
FORMAT AND SOME OF THE WORDING
IN OUR AUDIT REPORTS.
THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS ON WHAT WE NEED TO
COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AT THE END
OF THE AUDIT.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY
OF YOU WILL NOTICE MUCH
DIFFERENCE.
IT IS REALLY MORE FOR THE
AUDITORS AND THE WAY WE ARE
WORDING OUR REPORT.
MORE TO COME ON THAT WHEN WE
REPORT OUT IN MAY.
I WILL BE ABLE TO REPORT OUT AT
THAT POINT HOW THE OPINION
PARAGRAPH AND SOME OF THE
WORDING IN THE REPORT HAS
CHANGED FROM PRIOR YEARS.
IT WILL STILL BE AN UNMODIFIED
OR UNQUALIFIED OPINION, WHICH
WILL STILL BE VERY APPARENT TO
THE READER.
THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT, TO
CLEAN UP THE LANGUAGE SO IT IS
A LITTLE MORE USER-FRIENDLY TO
THE USERS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS
OF THE AUDIT REPORTS.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LARGE
FLURRY OF ACCOUNTING
DEVELOPMENTS.
I HAVE THREE PAGES HERE.
I AM NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH
ALL OF THESE.
THAT IS MAINLY BECAUSE MOST OF
THEM DON'T APPLY TO SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES.
BUT I WANT YOU TO SEE THE WHOLE
UNIVERSE OF THESE NEW
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS THAT HAVE
COME OUT THAT ARE GOING TO BE
APPLICABLE OVER THE NEXT FEW
YEARS.
THE ONES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES ARE ON
THIS FIRST SLIDE.
THE LEASES STANDARD IS A PRETTY
BIG CHANGE IN THE WAY THAT LEASE
ASSETS OR LIABILITIES ARE
ACCOUNTED FOR.
THEY WILL BE BROUGHT ONTO THE
BALANCE SHEET AS OPPOSED TO
EXPENSES INCURRED.
THIS IS NOT EFFECTIVE UNTIL
2022.
BUT OF COURSE, 2022 STARTS IN A
FEW WEEKS.
WE WILL BE WORKING WITH
MANAGEMENT EVEN DURING THE
CONDUCT OF OUR AUDIT OF 2021 TO
HELP THEM WITH THE
IMPLEMENTATION.
THEY HAVE TO GIVE AN INVENTORY
OF THEIR LEASES.
THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
MAY NEED TO START TO BE
CAPITALIZED ONTO THE BALANCE
SHEET AS OPPOSED TO EXPENSED.
WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM FOR A
SMOOTH TRANSITION.
WHEN WE COME BACK IN A YEAR, WE
WILL TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WILL
BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2022.
SO NOTHING YET, BUT THAT IS
COMING.
THE OTHER INTERESTING ONE FOR
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES IS
GASB 89, THE ACCOUNTING FOR
INTEREST COST.
VERY RECENTLY UNTIL THIS
STANDARD, WHEN YOU HAD A SELF
CONSTRUCTED ASSET, YOU WERE
EQUIRED TO ACTUALLY CAPITALIZE
ANY INTEREST COSTS THAT WERE
RELATED TO THAT.
IF YOU ISSUED BONDS TO HELP PAY
FOR NEW INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED
TO THE WATER UTILITY, FOR
EXAMPLE, THAT INTEREST COST
WOULD BECOME PART OF THE ASSET
ON THE BALANCE SHEET.
THIS STANDARD TOOK THAT AWAY.
NOW INTEREST COSTS ARE EXPENSED.
HOWEVER, YOU HEARD ME MENTION
EARLIER THAT UTILITIES HAVE
SOME VERY UNIQUE ACCOUNTING
MECHANISMS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
IN THIS CASE, THIS IS ONE THAT
WAS AVAILABLE WHERE ANY
MUNICIPAL UTILITY IS ALLOWED TO
INVOKE REGULATORY ACCOUNTING.
YOU CAN CONTINUE TO CAPITALIZE
INTEREST.
BECAUSE INTEREST COSTS ARE SUCH
A BIG PART OF YOUR SELF
CONSTRUCTED ASSET, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF LARGE
MUNICIPAL UTILITIES ARE DOING.
THEY ARE INVOKING THIS
REGULATORY ACCOUNT.
ALL THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT
YOU KNOW THAT THIS ASSET THAT
YOU ARE CREATING, YOU ARE GOING
TO RECOVER THE COST OF THAT
ASSET OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
IT MAY BE A BOND ISSUE THAT
TAKES 30 YEARS TO AMORTIZE OUT,
TO PAY BACK.
BUT THE LIFE OF THE ASSET YOU
BUILD MIGHT BE 30, 40, 50
YEARS.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF
WHY THE MATCHING PRINCIPLE
EXISTS AND WHY UTILITIES ARE
ALLOWED TO INVOKE REGULATORY
ACCOUNTING SO THEY CAN BETTER
MATCH RATE REVENUE THAT THEY
ARE GOING TO GET IN THE FUTURE
AGAINST THE EXPENSES THAT THEY
ARE INCURRING TODAY.
WE COMPLETELY AGREE, THIS WAS
AN APPROPRIATE THING TO DO FOR
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES.
AGAIN, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO
CAPITALIZE INTEREST TO THEIR
PROJECTS.
SO NO CHANGE, BUT IT IS UNIQUE
BECAUSE, AGAIN, IF YOU ARE NOT
A UTILITY, YOU CANNOT INVOKE
THIS TYPE OF ACCOUNTING.
I DID WANT TO POINT THAT OUT TO
YOU IN CASE YOU ARE TALKING
WITH YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS AND YOU
WONDER WHY THEY ARE STILL
CAPITALIZING INTEREST.
HIS IS WHY.
THAT IS THE MAIN ONE.
THE REST OF THEM, AND TODD, IF
YOU WANT TO QUICKLY THROUGH THE
NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES, THE REST
OF THE STANDARDS EITHER HAVE NO
IMPACT TO SEATTLE PUBLIC
UTILITIES OR VERY MINOR.
THEY WILL BE ASSESSING THOSE TO
DETERMINE.
AGAIN, I WOULD SAY THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THESE ACTUALLY DO
NOT HAVE ANY APPLICABILITY TO
THE UTILITY.
SO WITH THAT, THAT IS THE END
OF OUR DISCUSSION OF OUR AUDIT
PLAN.
AGAIN, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE
QUESTIONS NOW.
IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING IN
JANUARY OR FEBRUARY OR MARCH,
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO
CONTACT US.
WE CAN SET THE MEETING AND GO
OVER IT WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
AGAIN, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
WITH BOTH THE UTILITIES
ENTERPRISES THAT WE HAVE TO
HAVE THESE AUDITS.
I WILL BE INTERESTED TO SEE,
ONE OF THE THINGS UNIQUE TO
WASHINGTON STATE IS THE SO-
CALLED UTILITY TAX, WHERE THE
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION CONTACTS
THE UTILITY -- 10 TAX THE
UTILITY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE REVENUES,
WE CONVERT THEM INTO REVENUE
AND USE IT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS
FOR GENERAL CITY GOVERNMENT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS
UNIQUE TO WASHINGTON STATE.
I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS.
COUNCILMEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS
FOR THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
WHILE WE HAVE THEM?
IF NOT, THEY ARE OPEN TO BEING
CONTACTED DURING THEIR AUDIT
PROCESS, AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
THAT WAS OUR LAST ITEM.
IN CASE THE VIEWING PUBLIC DID
NOT SEE THIS, COUNCIL PRESIDENT
GONZALEZ, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT AUDITING
STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTING, THE
INTENSITY AND ATTENTION EVEN IN
THE LAST MEETING HERE ON THIS
ITEM IS ANOTHER PIECE OF
EVIDENCE ABOUT HOW MUCH SHE
CARES ABOUT OUR CITY ON ANY
ITEM.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I THINK THIS
IS YOUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING
OFFICIALLY?
I KNOW WE ALREADY HAD OUR
HEARTFELT GOODBYES.
ALL OF OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES
JOINED IN PRESENTING A
PROCLAMATION HONORING YOU AND
YOUR TEAM.
I WANT TO SAY AGAIN WHAT AN
HONOR IT HAS BEEN TO WORK WITH
YOU AS OUR PRESIDENT.
I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED AND
APPRECIATED OUR CONVERSATIONS
WITH YOUR STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP.
AND YOUR GENEROSITY, BEING
FORTHRIGHT ABOUT YOUR POSITIONS
AND EXPLAINING THEM, EVEN IF WE
ARE COMING AT AN ISSUE FROM A
DIFFERENT ANGLE, I HAVE ALWAYS
VALUED THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU IN
THE FUTURE.
IF YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS
HERE, AT THE TAIL END OF THIS
AUDIT DISCUSSION OF THE SPU, I
WELCOME THAT.
>> SURE.
THANK YOU, CHAIR PEDERSEN.
IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE
ON THIS COMMITTEE UNDER YOUR
LEADERSHIP.
IT IS A BIG COMMITTEE WITH LOTS
OF REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES
RELATED TO ALL OF OUR
UTILITIES, AS WE JUST HEARD
FROM THIS REALLY IMPORTANT
AUDIT.
THAT IS WHAT KEEPS THE LIGHTS
ON AND THE WATER FLOWING TO THE
HOMES OF PEOPLE.
IT DEALS WITH BASIC SERVICES
LIKE TRASH PICKUP AND RECYCLING
AND COMPOST.
I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW MUCH
YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET
THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OVER THE
LAST TWO YEARS.
I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFUL
APPROACH TO ALL THE CRITICAL
WORK RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION,
WHICH HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR
CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS, OF
COURSE.
IT HAS BEEN A REAL PLEASURE TO
WORK WITH YOU CLOSELY HERE AND
ON SOME OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES
THAT WE SIT ON TOGETHER.
AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT, A HUGE
GRATITUDE TO CITY LIGHT, SPU,
SDOT FOR ALL OF YOUR IMPORTANT
WORK AS FAR AS MAKING SURE WE
ARE A MORE SUSTAINABLE,
EQUITABLE CITY IN HOW WE
DELIVER OUR SERVICES THAT ARE
KEY TO MAKING US A VIBRANT
CITY.
IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO DIG
INTO THIS COMPLEX WORK AND TO
BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS BE MY LAST
COMMITTEE MEETING IS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO ME.
THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR
SERVICE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT
ALL OF YOU CAN DO.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
WELL, THIS CONCLUDES THE
DECEMBER 15, 2021 MEETING OF
THE TRANSPORTATION AND
UTILITIES COMMITTEE.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
THE COUNCIL IS HEADING INTO A
TWO-WEEK RECESS PERIOD WITH NO
COMMITTEE MEETINGS OR COUNCIL
MEETINGS.
WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.