March 2, 2021

Dear Friends,

As we look ahead to the beginning of spring, vaccines doses in King County are being administered as quickly as the supply allows and our work at the King County Council continues to be very busy.

It is certainly hard to believe that we have all being responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in our region for over a year now. Thankfully, three different vaccines are being distributed in the U.S, now that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also on the way. While we wait for more doses to be delivered to King County, it is very important that we continue following Public Health guidelines, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Thank you so much for everything that you are continuing to do to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our region.

Continue reading for an update on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution, information on a current King Conservation District election, and more.

Stay Healthy!

Kathy Lambert

In this Issue:

      1. Access your King Conservation District ballot!
      2. COVID-19 vaccine distribution update
      3. King County Metro service survey
      4. Apply for a Reduced Fare ORCA card online
      5. King County Roads’ Draft Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan
      6. King County Library System reopening specific locations
      7. Water and sewage

1. Access your King Conservation District ballot!

Did you know that the King Conservation District (KCD) is currently holding its annual board election to fill an open position on the Board of Supervisors?

Voters who live in the service area are now able to access their ballot online. Voters may submit their ballots electronically by 5pm on March 23, or by mail with a postmark of March 23 or earlier.

The KCD is led by a five-member, volunteer board. Three positions are elected, and two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Board members serve three-year terms and oversee the operations of KCD, which is an agency working to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through sustainable stewardship. KCD provides many services to preserve our environment.

The KCD service area includes all of King County, excluding the cities of Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific, and Skykomish.

There are nine candidates running for the open position, and you can learn more about the candidates and election by clicking here.

2. COVID-19 vaccine distribution update

As of yesterday, March 1, 341,532 King County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 198,503 residents fully vaccinated. 63.9% of King County residents 75 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

At our most recent King County Council meeting, we received an informative briefing from Public Health – Seattle & King County Director Patty Hayes. Director Hayes explained that the recent large snowstorm slowed the vaccine distribution effort, creating the rescheduling of more than 3,000 appointments.

Just last week, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recommended by an FDA panel of advisers, and was shipped from the distribution center on in Kentucky on March 1!

As has been the case since the beginning of vaccine distribution, vaccine supply continues to be the constraining factor. So many generous groups have volunteered their location and there are currently more than 350 places planned to be used as vaccine sites in King County. This includes pharmacies, health centers, hospitals, mobile vans, and more. So once the vaccines are able to get here, there will be many places to get the vaccine.

Our district is well prepared with lots of work in organization to be ready. Eastside Fire and Rescue has already been working with a mobile unit and another very generous group ready to help!

To learn more about vaccine distribution in King County, click here.

3. King County Metro service survey

King County Metro wants to hear from you!

Last spring, Metro had to make the very difficult decision to suspend a significant amount of transit service due to COVID-19. As we continue responding to the pandemic, Metro is making plans to restore suspended bus service to where it is most needed.

To help inform their decisions for which routes to restore first, Metro is conducting a community survey, and they would love your input! Learn more by clicking here.

4. Apply for a Reduced Fare ORCA card online

King County Metro is making it easier for those who qualify to apply for a Reduced Fare ORCA card online! As of February 16, users who are seniors, youth, have a disability, or income qualified can now apply for the reduced fare card online using a secure portal.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of having an ORCA card and using transit throughout the region, be sure to attend one of Metro’s virtual Neighborhood Pop-Ups.

To learn more about apply for the Reduced Fare ORCA card or attending a virtual Neighborhood Pop-Up, click here.

5. King County Roads’ Draft Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan

The King County Road Services Division is inviting you to review and comment on their Draft Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan.

The draft plan identifies and plans accessibility improvements to the pedestrian facilities on roads maintained by the division. It is based on engagement with members of the disability community as well as the broader unincorporated King County community, an inventory and assessment of existing pedestrian facilities, and an evaluation of county policies and practices.

To review the draft and learn more, click here.

Comments are being gathered from now through March 22, and may be submitted by email, US mail, or telephone to John Vander Sluis:

John Vander Sluis
ADA Transition Plan Project Manager
206-263-0621, jvandersluis@kingcounty.gov
201 South Jackson Street
Seattle, WA 98104-3856

6. King County Library System reopening specific locations

On March 3, a number of King County Library System locations will reopen for in-building services.

In District 3, the Fall City and Skykomish libraries will reopen for in-library services, as well as continued contactless services and book drop returns at these facilities and others.

At locations that have opened for in-building service, you can check out books on hold, browse the collection, use a computer for up to 50 minutes, use the copier, printer, or scanner, apply for a library card, and more. Meeting and study rooms will not be available for use at this time.

Libraries will be open for one hour at a time, followed by an hour of cleaning in which the building will be closed. Be sure to check your library’s location page for up to date hours and information starting on March 3.

To learn more, click here.

7. Water and Sewage

The main wastewater plant in Seattle is hitting its capacity during winter storms. This causes overflows into the Puget Sound, which is harmful to fish and marine life. In order to deal with these capacity issues and plan for growth there will need to be improvements made. Over the last year, I have worked with the Department of Natural Resources and Parks to set up a dashboard to make this data readily available. In the Regional Water Quality Committee (RWQC) we have been briefed by the Department of Ecology on their standards as well as worked with the Water and Land Department to establish a major maintenance report and brief the committee regularly. We will be briefing in the next few months on several important studies – Loads and Flows and Clean Water. These meeting might be of interest to you and can be found online here.

The Clean Water study will present 35 aspects for decision making to all the cities and our county who are part of the wastewater system. These should be lively discussions over the next few months as we plan for the next decades

Saying Good bye to Lane

One of our employees, Lane Covington will be moving to a new position and we will miss his services in our district. He attends many meetings in the community and staffs transportation issues as well as producing these newsletters. We will all miss his great efforts and dedication to our team and to all of you.

Conclusion

There are so many issues before us right now and the first few months of this year have flown by. Thanks for all you do for your neighbors and our community.

Best wishes.