One City Council member really wants SeaTac to live up to its motto as the “Hospitality City.”

Rick Forschler proposed Oct. 23 that city residents share their homes with airline employees that are laid over in SeaTac during the holidays.

Forschler even gave out his cell phone number, 206-419-5170, for residents interested in his project.

He said pilots, flight attendants and other airline employees are often staying in SeaTac hotels away from their families during holiday periods. He noted residents could be become better neighbors and friends by inviting the employees to spend the holiday with them.

He said the idea came to him as he pondered requests to the council for city funds to put on Angle Lake fireworks displays on Independence Day. The council has appropriated $10,000 annually for several years to help fund the display.

Forschler said he is opposed to using city money for the display but would organize voluntary fundraising efforts. He noted no one has taken him up on his offer.

He said that got him thinking g about the city’s “core competency,” which he described as the airport and related businesses.

Councilmember Pam Fernald declared, “Rick’s idea is really cool.”

In other council business, Forschler questioned a resolution that would express SeaTac’s support for creation of a King County medicine return program.

Forschler said pharmaceutical companies would be required to help pay for the program, which would raise the price of prescription drugs.

He said drugs have been detected in sewer systems but not in unsafe levels. Forschler added that, in the future, microbes in the soil would be effective in neutralizing the drugs.

Forschler said he thinks the council is trying to solve a problem with a solution worse than the problem.

But Fernald said she would take her cue from SeaTac Police Chief James Graddon who favors the take back program.

Fernald said she supports programs that keep drugs off the streets.

Graddon said 50 pounds of drugs were turned in in two hours during SeaTac’s recent drug take back day.

Councilmember Barry Ladenburg noted there has been a 395 percent increase in drug poisoning since 1990.

The council voted 6-1 to pass the resolution favoring a drug take back program with Forschler the lone dissenting vote.

Forschler also offered a dissenting opinion on a proposed ordinance increasing the 2012 city budget for additional work on the Des Moines Creek basin. Forschler did vote for the increase, which passed unanimously.

SeaTac, Des Moines, the Port of Seattle, King County and the Washington State Department of Transportation signed an Interlocal agreement to curb flooding along the creek and enhance salmon habitat.

Much of the 5.8 square-mile basin area is in SeaTac’s city center.

Project partners decided an additional $113,00 was needed to pay for more work on restoration.

SeaTac and the Port each pay 41 percent of the costs while Des Moines pays 18 percent. The percentages are based on the amount of basin land in each jurisdiction.

Forschler said he was concerned about whether the money spent was effective in decreasing fish kills.

He said salmon only spend 1 percent of their life in the streams and their survival might be governed by other factors.

Public Works director Tom Gut said part of the additional funds would be used for a salmon mortality study.