Resolution Calling for Cooling Upgrades to be Added to the Seattle Library Levy

March 18, 2026

WHEREAS, the 2021 Heat Dome killed over 400 Washington residents who lacked access to cooling, and the City of Seattle remains one of the least air-conditioned big cities in America. Because many Seattle Public Libraries lacked air conditioning, rather than serving as a place of refuge for the public, they were closed.

WHEREAS, fifty union members from 17 unions participated in the 2024 MLK Labor Community Assembly, where they testified that, in general, their workplaces are not prepared for the next heat dome or other extreme weather hazards.

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle 2025 Municipal Buildings Decarbonization Plan estimated that it would cost $17.8M to add cooling to Seattle Public Library Buildings and to bring these buildings into compliance with the City of Seattle’s zero carbon Building Emissions Performance Standards law.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The City should fully fund all cooling and Building Emissions Performance Standards retrofits in the 2026 Seattle Libraries Levy, and that MLK Labor join affiliated unions in conveying this priority to Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and the Seattle City Council.