‘I don’t believe you’: Ursula slams Mayor Wilson’s RV permit veto as Gee questions the cost

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson vetoed the centerpiece of the Seattle City Council’s plan to crack down on RVs parked on city streets. KIRO host Ursula Reutin believes breaking a promise not to veto it hurts the mayor’s credibility.

Four of the five RV ordinances the council passed are becoming law. Wilson vetoed the permit program, which would eventually have banned overnight RV parking without a permit. She said the program is too expensive and legally risky.

“The program as proposed is poorly designed, creating a complicated new city bureaucracy that’s unlikely to be effective, and I fear will have unintended consequences for RV residents who are homeless, but also for traveling workers like nurses, veterans seeking services at the VA and for Seattle homeowners who also just happen to own an RV,” Wilson said.

Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss said Wilson personally promised not to veto the measure after months of negotiation.

That’s what bothered Ursula most.

“If you tell them that you’re not going to veto it, and then at the last minute veto it, guess what? I don’t believe you,” Ursula said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

Wilson plans her own approach

Wilson planned to announce an executive order Tuesday to speed up outreach to people living in RVs and open safe parking lots. The city has funding for two lots that could hold about 180 vehicle residents, Ursula said.

The council passed the permit program 6-3, and overriding a veto takes six votes, so Ursula expects the council to override it.

“I say give Dan Strauss’s plan a try, because what’s happening right now is not working,” she said.

Gee: ‘This is what they signed up for’

KIRO host Gee Scott said he had predicted the veto. He supported Strauss’s plan because he believes something needs to be done, but he worried about what it would cost.

He pointed out that many RVs contain hazardous materials, so the city can’t just tow them to any lot. They have to be handled and disposed of somewhere that can take them.

Gee also argued that the veto fits what Wilson campaigned on, including her opposition to sweeps.

“This is what they signed up for,” Gee said of the voters who elected her. “If Katie Wilson continues on this path, that’s what the people voted for.”

He doesn’t think most of the RV residents in question are people who are simply down on their luck. Ursula agreed, describing them as people “who choose to do illegal things and don’t want to have to deal with rules.”

‘Doing nothing should not be an option’

Even if the permit program takes effect, Gee asked where people would go, since the city still doesn’t have enough shelter beds.

Ursula admitted she doesn’t have an answer. She called the permit program imperfect but said it’s better than what the city has now.

“It’s not a perfect plan, but it is a plan,” Ursula said. “Give it a try, make the tweaks, but doing nothing should not be an option.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio.