Meeting with Council Member Eddie Lin
Saturday January 10, 2026 10 AM to 12 PM, at El Centro, Room 311
Community Members present: 40 in Person, 6 on zoom
Board Members present: Maria, Joseph, Kalia, Whit, Scott, Simon, Gerry
Meeting came to order at 10:10
Introductions
10:15 - 10:44 Maria shared goals and accomplishments via power point
10:45 Council Member Eddie Lin, newly elected, introduced himself. He moved to Beacon Hill in 2007, has been working as a lawyer in the City’s Office of Housing and the Housing issue was one of the reasons he ran for office.
Community asked to discontinue recording at this point
Major points discussed:
Surveillance cameras - the previous council had allocated $3 million to be spent on surveillance cameras. CM Lin is not in support of this and will investigate whether this money has been spent. He would favor a pause in any implementation of cameras. He noted that because of Public Records laws, we can collect some data, but it is not 100% protected.
Need to protect our immigrant neighbors. ICE and social media are propagating misinformation. The owner of El Saborcito taco truck, Jose Calihua, who has been here since 2013, was kidnapped by ICE and is now detained in Texas
A business owner and non Beacon Hill resident who is involved in encampment clean up services raised the issue of encampments at Jose Rizal Park, pushing for more policing. CM Lin responded that the issue is multilayered. CM Lin supports a housing first policy. He stated that there are many vacant lots where construction has ground to a halt because of finance issues that could be used for temporary emergency housing. He wants to provide needed services, but notes that these are different for each group. Police activity at 12th and Jackson, Little Saigon and North Beacon Hill causes further disruption to the lives of people living outside in these areas, compounding instability for some of our most vulnerable neighbors and reducing safety for all.-
Encourage constituents to get involved with their state legislators who are working on privacy laws with the “Keep Washington Working” Act, especially the Dept. of Licensing.
CM Lin also recommended keeping in touch with our “At Large” Council Members, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster.
The Office of Development is looking into financing for ADUs and DADUs
Eci Ameh, JD, Executive Director of the Community Police Commission, notes that this is an independent agency that works with issues about policing, but is not part of the Police Department.
11:45 Maria wrapped up, with a question of how to raise up issues related to Beacon Hill and CM Lin replied that he wanted to work closely with us.
12:00 Adjourn