Rod’s Report – Vol. 4, Issue 1
Dear Neighbor:
February 11, 2016 marks my third year serving you on the King County Council. I hope you will take a look at my Three Year Report to Constituents summarizing key legislative accomplishments and other initiatives.
2015 was a busy year. We secured new funds to address untested rape kits in King County, passed a nation-leading paid parental leave program, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Federal Voting Rights Act by taking action to expand access to voting for our limited English proficient neighbors and greatly expand ballot drop-box locations throughout King County for this year's elections.
Last November, King County voters generously approved a significant new investment in our children and youth with the passage of Best Starts for Kids. The new funding will help implement recommendations in our Youth Action Plan, for prevention-oriented services to ensure we give our kids the best chance to live life to their full potential. We are working to choose the right strategies and programs to meet those goals. I am focused on ensuring that the taxpayer gets value for this investment with, for example, better health outcomes and reduced involvement with our juvenile justice system. You can keep updated on this work here.
This update includes details on some of these initiatives, as well as other projects that I've worked on to improve the quality of life for our region's residents.
It's a privilege to work for you on the County Council, and I take my responsibility to you seriously. I have not missed a single vote in any committee or council meeting during my three years. I have now voted more than 2,300 consecutive times since taking office on February 11, 2013.
In 2016, I have been selected to serve as Vice-Chair of the County Council, and will continue my service as Chair of the Transportation, Economy & Environment Committee. I also serve on the Law & Justice, Budget & Fiscal Management, Government Accountability & Oversight, and Regional Water Quality Committees, as well as the Board of Health.
Please send me your ideas and thoughts on how King County can best carry out our priorities of ensuring public safety and justice, enhancing mobility, protecting our environment, and ensuring that we care for the most vulnerable in our community.
Thank you for the opportunity to work for you.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Rod Dembowski
Vice Chair, King County Council
Chair, Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee
Wayne Golf Course Saved with Strong Community Partnership
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Rod celebrating the preservation of Wayne Golf Course for future generations.
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On Wednesday, February 10th, I joined citizen group OneBothell, conservation non-profit Forterra, and local Bothell City leaders at Wayne Golf Course in Bothell to announce an agreement with the owners of the 89-acre golf course, which straddles the Sammamish River, to acquire it for conservation purposes.
The agreement to protect this special property is the culmination of more than twenty years of work. Following news of a proposed development for the site early in January of last year, I began meeting and working with local residents to protect this special land from developers. King County has prioritized protection of the land since the early 1990's and I felt strongly that we should finish the vision to protect all of the property, including its more than 4,500 feet of shoreline along the Sammamish River.
In the past year, we have been able to secure $1 million in King County Conservation Futures dollars and supported the successful efforts of Senator Rosemary McAuliffe and Representative Derek Stanford to appropriate an additional $1 million in state funding. I am thrilled about the funding acquired to date and am confident that there is more to come.
The public funding is expected to gradually reimburse Forterra for the acquisition moneys being advanced upfront to acquire the land today. The significant conservation accomplishment is due to the initiative of local residents and the strong partnership they built with King County, the State of Washington, and Forterra to protect the environment for generations to come.
Expanding Ballot Drop Box Locations throughout King County
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Rod and Director of King County
Elections Julie Wise.
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Newly elected Director of King County Elections Julie Wise and I are partnering to make voting more convenient and accessible by expanding ballot drop box locations throughout King County.
The Council recently adopted legislation I authored, requesting the development of a plan that will expand access to ballot drop box locations and improve geographic equity and convenience for voters.
We know that there is high demand for ballot dropbox locations; in the November 2015 general election, more than 25 percent of the total ballots returned were to a ballot drop-off location. I believe that by making voting more convenient for citizens throughout our County, we can increase voter participation.
It's clear to me that in a county of over 2 million individuals, 10 ballot drop box locations is not sufficient. We expect to approve a detailed plan for expanding drop box locations in the next couple of months, and we hope to deploy new drop boxes countywide before this fall's elections.
Our plan will include a proposed total number of drop boxes, additional locations for them to be placed, estimated costs, and an implementation timeline. The proposal for expansion will also analyze the potential use of all public library locations in King County. The plan is to be sent to the Council by April 30, 2016.
Protecting our Waterways
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Watch Rod's interview on KIRO 7 regarding cutting-edge efforts underway to clean Thornton Creek
(click on the photo).
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In December 2015, the King County Council awarded grant funds to local projects aimed at cleaning up our region's waterways. I'm pleased to report that I was able to secure over $400,000 for organizations and projects focused on protecting, restoring, and cleaning the waterways of the north Lake Washington system as well as tributaries to Puget Sound.
Since 1958, when Jim Ellis and King County voters set out to clean up our streams, rivers, and lakes through the Metro initiative, we have made significant progress in cleaning our waters. These water quality grants build on those early efforts and make critical new investments in community-based water quality monitoring and clean-up work, including the use of advanced technologies and methods to identify and abate water pollution.
The projects and organizations receiving funds exemplify the best in regional problem-solving, as envisioned by Metro's founders. I'm excited to see the results of these investments.
The projects and community groups receiving funding include:
- Adopt a Stream Foundation - $15,000 – for work in Little Bear Creek
- Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance - $15,000 – for Denny and Juanita Creeks
- Lake Forest Park Streamkeepers - $15,000 – for McAleer and Lyon Creeks
- Thornton Creek Alliance - $15,000 – for Thornton Creek
- Sno-King Watershed Council - $15,000 – for Swamp Creek
- City of Shoreline - $15,000 – for Boeing Creek
I am particularly excited about securing a $320,000 grant for a joint effort by Seattle Public Utilities and King County to continue their breakthrough work to identify and abate sources of pollution in Thornton Creek. This grant will allow them to broaden their work to other regional creeks. KIRO 7 featured this cutting-edge work in a report which can be found here.
Building for Culture: Preserving, Renovating, and Building Veterans and Heritage Facilities in Shoreline and Kenmore
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Rod and Mr. Dwight Stevens, Chair of the Shoreline Veterans Association, at the construction of the Shoreline Veterans Memorial Plaza, outside of Shoreline City Hall.
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In November the Council had a unique opportunity to make game-changing investments in our region's arts and heritage organizations, thanks to the Building for Culture grant program.
The program is a partnership between King County and 4Culture, King County's cultural services agency, which uses bonds backed by the hotel-motel tax to invest in new and existing cultural, heritage and arts facilities.
I was proud to secure nearly $300,000 in Building for Culture grants for several projects in District 1. The grants will fund expansion of the Shoreline Historical Museum, completion of the Shoreline Veterans Memorial, repairs at the Richmond Masonic Center, and continued renovation of the Kenmore Community Club.
These organizations have a tremendous impact on our community, and these grants will ensure they continue to serve our residents for years to come.
Removing Rails - Eastside Rail Corridor Update
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Watch Rod and other regional leaders pull up the first railroad spike on the County's portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor in South Kirkland
(click on the above photo).
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On Friday, January 8th I was honored to take part in the ceremonial removal of the first railroad spike on the County's portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor. This was a small, but crucial step to achieve the County's goal of developing a shared, continuous, multi-use corridor through the spine of east King County.
We've witnessed the success of the interim trail improvements made by the City of Kirkland on their portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor and the enthusiastic reception the improvements have received from residents and businesses in the community. I am excited about making the corridor more accessible to other communities as quickly as possible, so that more folks can take advantage of this tremendous regional asset.
More information about the project can be found
here.
Grant Opportunities
Van donations
The King County Council van donation program is now accepting applications from qualified non-profit organizations that could use a retired Metro van-pool van. Organizations must meet the minimum criteria, and use the van to transport kids, seniors, veterans or low-income individuals. Applications and the criteria to qualify can be obtained by emailing Garrett Holbrook at garrett.holbrook@kingcounty.gov. Applications are due by the end of February.
4Culture preservation project funding
The Preservation Special Projects program offers funding for neighborhood survey/inventory, landmark registration, project planning, research, advocacy efforts and more. They encourage projects that highlight historic places in innovative ways, utilize new technology, and engage new audiences. In 2015, 12 out of 19 proposals received a total of $85,000 in awards ranging from $1,200 to $15,100. A portion of Lodging Tax revenues collected in King County provides all of the funding for this program. Applications are due February 24th. For more information visit: http://www.4culture.org/apply/preservationprojects/index.htm.
In the Community
 On January 13th Rod had the honor of swearing into office Kenmore Mayor David Baker and Councilmembers Brent Smith, Milt Curtis, and Stacey Denuski.
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 Rod removing one of the first railroad spikes on King County's portion of the Eastside Rail Corridor in Kirkland.
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 Rod joined members of the Lake Forest Park City Council and Senator David Frockt to celebrate the completion of the Lyon Creek flood mitigation project in Lake Forest Park. The King County Flood Control District was a key partner with the city to protect homes and businesses, SR522, and the fire station, all while improving fish habitat.
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 Rod presenting a King County Proclamation to members of the Shoreline Veterans Association on Veterans Day.
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Rod at the groundbreaking of the Ronald Commons in Shoreline with Peter Shapiro, Edie Loyer Nelson and Gretchen Atkinson. The new building will include 60 units of affordable housing from Compass Housing Alliance, including units for families and veterans, and support services from Hopelink. King County is providing more than $2.8 million in funding.
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