Sara Nelson seen via Monday’s online Seattle City Council meeting being sworn-in to office: “We did it! I just took my ceremonial oath of office during my first City Council meeting. Thank you to my former boss and mentor, Councilmember Richard Conlin, for administering the oath.”

With a new mix on the Seattle City Council, the body has chosen a new president and announced its committee assignments for the next two years.

The new year will also bring an updated meeting schedule and continued commitment to online sessions as the pandemic continues to restrict gathering, the council announced. The new schedule reflects some of the realities of the new pandemic-era work week — Mondays just aren’t the same as they used to be.

Capitol Hill’s veteran council member, meanwhile, will hold onto the committee she has made the centerpiece of her office as she continues her third term at Seattle City Hall.

District 3 representative Kshama Sawant representing Capitol Hill, the Central District, and nearby neighborhoods, will retain her chair leading the council’s Sustainability and Renters’ Rights Committee a position that aligns well with her ongoing push for tenants rights and the renewed fight for rent control in Seattle that reignited as she battled the 2021 attempt to have her recalled. Sawant defeated the recall in a December special election and remains the longest serving member on the council.

North Seattle representative Debora Juarez will lead the council after being selected as president. The Blackfeet Nation member is the first Indigenous president selected by the council. Juarez has frequently been an opponent of the council’s most progressive legislation. She was one of two council members to oppose the JumpStart tax on the city’s largest companies.

Juarez replaces Lorena González who opted not to defend her seat on the council as she ran for mayor.

González’s seat, one of two citywide positions on the council, is now filled by Sara Nelson. The rookie council member will chair a rejiggered Committee on Economic Development, Technology & City Light.

Nelson’s fellow citywide rep, newly reelected Teresa Mosqueda, will continue to lead the way on the council’s budget battles and chair the Committee on Finance & Housing.

I just officially began my second term! Before we get underway, I want to take a moment to reflect on the amazing things we have done together over the last 12 months and what we have left to do. Thank you, I can't wait to keep working to improve our city with you. pic.twitter.com/FTL8jc55wu

— Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (@CMTMosqueda) January 4, 2022

The committee assignments are two-year terms and each member is responsible for chairing a committee and managing legislation related to the committee’s focus. Council members also serve as a vice-chair on one committee and as a member on between two to four committees each. The assignments are two-year terms.

A full roster of committee assignments and the new weekly schedule is below.

The biggest schedule change for the body will be a move likely to be echoed in workplaces across the country. Full council meetings will now take place on Tuesdays at 2 PM instead of Mondays as remote meetings and work have also meant a redefinition of the week and work hours as people juggle schedules of career and home and many offices in City Hall and beyond are preparing for hybrid in-person schedules. The council’s change will also likely make it easier for more people to participate. Community advocates continue to push for more nighttime and weekend sessions to be included in the schedule.

City Hall begins 2022 with a rush of new teams and offices forming. CHS reported here on the team and early priorities put together by Mayor Bruce Harrell and the new directions being set by City Attorney Ann Davison.

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