1200 King County  
Courthouse  
King County  
516 Third Avenue  
Seattle, WA 98104  
Meeting Minutes  
Health, Housing, and Human Services  
Committee  
Councilmembers:  
Teresa Mosqueda, Chair;  
Rhonda Lewis, Vice Chair;  
Jorge L. Barón, Steffanie Fain  
Lead Staff: Wendy Soo Hoo (206-477-0890)  
Committee Clerk: Angelica Calderon (206-477-0874)  
9:30 AM  
Tuesday, February 3, 2026  
DRAFT MINUTES  
Room 1001  
Hybrid Meetings: Attend King County Council committee meetings in  
person in Council Chambers (Room 1001), 516 3rd Avenue in Seattle, or  
through remote access. Details on how to attend and/or provide public  
comment remotely are listed below.  
Pursuant to K.C.C. 1.24.035 A. and F., this meeting is also noticed as a  
meeting of the Metropolitan King County Council, whose agenda is limited  
to the committee business. In this meeting only the rules and procedures  
applicable to committees apply and not those applicable to full council  
meetings.  
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT: The Health, Housing, and Human  
Services Committee values community input and looks forward to hearing  
from you on agenda items.  
There are three ways to provide public comment:  
1. In person: You may attend the meeting and provide comment in the  
Council Chambers.  
2. By email: You may comment in writing on current agenda items by  
submitting your email comments to kcccomitt@kingcounty.gov. If your  
email is received by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting, your email  
comments will be distributed to the committee members and appropriate  
staff prior to the meeting.  
3. Remote attendance at the meeting by phone or computer (see  
"Connecting to the Webinar" below)  
You are not required to sign up in advance. Comments are limited to  
current agenda items.  
Meeting Minutes  
February 3, 2026  
Health, Housing, and Human  
Services Committee  
You have the right to language access services at no cost to you. To  
request these services, please contact Language Access Coordinator,  
Tera Chea at (206) 477 9259 or email Tera.chea2@kingcounty.gov by 8:00  
a.m. at least three business days prior to the meeting.  
CONNECTING TO THE WEBINAR:  
Webinar ID: 842 7675 9952  
By computer using the Zoom application at https://zoom.us/join and the  
webinar ID above.  
Via phone by calling 1 253 215 8782 and using the webinar ID above.  
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO THE MEETING REMOTELY: There are  
several ways to watch or listen in to the meeting:  
1) Stream online via this link: http://www.kingcounty.gov/kctv, or input the  
link web address into your web browser.  
2) Watch King County TV on Comcast Channel 22 and 322(HD) and  
Astound Broadband Channels 22 and 711(HD)  
3) Listen to the meeting by telephone – See “Connecting to the Webinar”  
above.  
To help us manage the meeting, if you do not wish to be called upon for  
public comment please use the Livestream or King County TV options  
listed above, if possible, to watch or listen to the meeting.  
1.  
2.  
Call to Order  
Chair Mosqueda called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m.  
Roll Call  
4 - Barón, Fain, Lewis and Mosqueda  
Present:  
3.  
4.  
Approval of Minutes  
Councilmember Lewis moved approval of the minutes of the December 2, 2025  
Special meeting. Seeing no objections, the minutes were approved.  
Public Comment  
The following people were present to offer public comment:  
1. Kody Zalowski 2. Kackson Holder 3. Kelsey Taylor 4 . Christopher 5.Dr. Darcy  
Constans 6. Ginny Jordan; 7 Owen  
Meeting Minutes  
February 3, 2026  
Health, Housing, and Human  
Services Committee  
Briefing  
5.  
Briefing No. 2026-B0015  
The impacts of Federal Funding Cuts and future service needs at Harborview Medical Center  
Lindsey Grad, Legislative Director SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and Andrew Burton,  
Registered nurse representative, UW Medicine, commented to the Committee and  
answered questions from the members.  
Sommer Kleweno Walley, CEO, Harborview Medical Center, briefed the Committee via  
PowerPoint presentation and answered questions from the members. Ian Goodhew,  
Chief External Affairs Officer, UW Medicine and Madeline Grant, Chief Administrative  
Officer, Harborview Medical Center, were also presented to comment and answer  
questions from the members.  
This matter was Presented  
6.  
Briefing No. 2026-B0016  
Impacts of Federal Funding Cuts and Scheduling Restrictions at Valley Medical Center  
Rick Polintan, Commissioner, Valley Medical Center Commission; Lika Smith, ED of  
Pacific Islander Health Board, Amirah H. Ziada, Union Representative, OPEIU LOCAL  
8 and Eily Brice, Co-Executive Director, NW Health Law Advocates commented and  
answered questions from the members.  
David Smith, Chief Legal Counsel, Valley Medical Center, briefed the Committee via  
PowerPoint presentation and answered questions from the members. Liz Nolan, Chief  
Communications & Philanthropy Officer, Valley Medical Center, was also present.  
This matter was Presented  
Discussion and Possible Action  
7.  
Proposed Motion No. 2026-0017  
A MOTION stating the council's support for continued entheogen-related research for alternative  
treatment modalities, structured medical models, and full decriminalization of entheogen-related activities  
and requesting that the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of any adult engaging in certain  
entheogen-related activities be among King County's lowest criminal enforcement priorities.  
Mosqueda  
Sponsors:  
Nick Bowman, Council staff, briefed the Committee on the legislation and answered  
questions from members. Daniel Clark, Chief Deputy, King County Prosecuting  
Attorney’s Office, commented to the Committee and answered questions from the  
members.  
This matter was Deferred  
Other Business  
Meeting Minutes  
February 3, 2026  
Health, Housing, and Human  
Services Committee  
There was no other business to come before the Committee.  
Adjournment  
The meeting was adjourned at 11:54 a.m.