November 7, 2019

Dear Friends,

As we get closer to the end of the year, things continue to be very busy here at the King County Council as we complete many year-end duties. I would like to update you on a number of things going on around the county including flood preparation, an important report on solid waste, an update from King County Metro, and more.

It's a pleasure to represent District 3.

Kathy Lambert

In this Issue:

      1. Flood preparation
      2. Arcadis solid waste report
      3. Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation
      4. Unincorporated Area newsletter update
      5. Metro Park & Ride SOV permits
      6. Eastrail job opportunity

1. Flood preparation

Flood season is officially here, and that is something we are all too well aware and again experienced after the recent flooding in the region at the end of October.

King County has a number of valuable resources to help you prepare for flooding, including a smartphone app that provides real-time flooding information and shows current river flows, flood stage data and forecasts, as well as real-time flood phases. The app uses data from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Weather Service, and Northwest River Forecast Center downloaded every 10 minutes.

For more information and to download the app, click here.

To learn more about how to prepare for a flood, including using sandbags to prevent flood damages, click here.

2. Arcadis solid waste report

Earlier this week, the King County Council Committee of the Whole discussed the long-awaited solid waste report from Arcadis. You can watch the meeting by clicking here.

The report looks at the feasibility of waste-to-energy and waste export by rail in King County. The professionals at Arcadis found that waste-to-energy has a “significant financial and environmental benefit to the County over waste export by rail” and would save King County between $4.3 billion and $7.2 billion over 50 years, all while utilizing our waste and turning it into energy!

It is amazing to see so many plants operating around the world!

Overall, modern waste-to-energy is an environmentally responsible, long-term, predictable solution that could have a positive impact on the region for generations to come.

Read the report here.

3. Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation

Last month, the King County Council officially proclaimed the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic violence is a crime that happens all too often, and can completely change the lives of victims, their family, and their community. One in three women and one in four men experience some form of domestic abuse, and men who witness their parents’ domestic violence as children are twice as likely to abuse their own partners in the future. It is a severe issue that must be stopped and I encourage those who need help or know someone who needs help to reach out to local resources.

If it is an emergency and help is needed immediately, call 911. If you are looking to access local resources related to domestic violence, the following organizations serve the different regions of King County and have phone numbers available to call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: in East King County, LifeWire at 425-746-1940; in Seattle, New Beginnings at 206-522-9472; and in south King County, DAWN at 425-656-7867.

To learn more about the proclamation and to access local resources, click here.

4. Unincorporated Area newsletter update

Below is some important information from the King County Unincorporated Area Community News:

“New plan will allow King County to plow more county roads after a snowstorm

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the King County Council unanimously approved a Road Services Division plan to remove snow and ice from more county roads this winter. The plan allows the county to add 70 miles to the existing 583 miles of designated snow routes in unincorporated areas during major storms.

The added miles will help make more roads passable, so more residents will find it easier and safer to travel to and from major corridors after a major storm. The benefits will be spread across unincorporated King County, with a focus on areas more than 500 feet above sea level.

“Last winter, our crews worked around the clock plowing and de-icing hundreds of miles of roads,” said Road Services Director Rick Brater. “It took more than 30 trucks and plows, and 120 highly dedicated employees, to get the job done.

“Even with a great team, we sometimes don’t have enough resources. This Snow and Ice Plan will help us make better use of our limited resources and provide improved service during a very large storm.”

Read the news release

Winter is coming to ‘Your Big Backyard’

King County’s parks and trails, which include lower elevation forests, river banks, and wetland areas, can be great places to get outside during winter when other places are affected by snow and poor road conditions. That said, our parks and trails are also affected by winter storms, which can cause flooding, downed trees, and slippery trails. These conditions may require us to close access to certain trails—or even whole parks—for safety and to protect natural resources.

Temporary closures:

• Cougar Mountain: Red Town Trailhead is closed until further notice due to a sinkhole in the parking area. Big Tree Ridge Trailhead is closed for construction, and expected to reopen in fall 2020. Harvey Manning Trailhead will be closed Nov. 18-22 to accommodate the asbestos abatement, demolition, and removal of nearby structures (weather permitting).

• Snoqualmie Valley Trail: Due to a bridge repair, the trail will be closed just north of Carnation from Oct. 14 through Dec. 13. There is no available detour. King County Parks is replacing worn areas of the bridge that pose a public safety issue. Learn more

The Washington Trails Association has tips on enjoying winter hiking while staying safe—and see below under Natural Resources & Parks for more Parks project updates.

Open house on Upper Tokul Creek Bridge replacement

King County Road Services is planning to replace the Upper Tokul Creek Bridge on Tokul Road SE, north of Snoqualmie. Our project design team has been working with the design consultant on possible options for a replacement bridge. The community is invited to a public meeting on Nov. 19 for project updates and to provide comments on the project. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Snoqualmie Fire Department (37600 Snoqualmie Parkway).

Learn more on the project website

Local Services in your community

You don't need to be an explorer to find us! King County Local Services offers regular weekly customer service hours in unincorporated King County. Drop by and let us know how we can serve you!

Fall City Library – Fridays, 10-3
33415 SE 42nd Place, Fall City
-Local Services: John Taylor

Woodinville Library – Tuesdays, 10-3
17105 Avondale Road NE, Woodinville
-Local Services: Marissa Alegria

Grants available to help engage veterans

The Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy has a new funding opportunity called Vets Engaged, to fund community-building activities or events that help vets and their families strengthen their social networks.

Organizations can propose events or activities that will bring veterans together (with non-veterans too).

For more information on the funding and how to apply, see the Vets Engaged website.”

5. Metro Park & Ride SOV permits

This week, King County Metro will begin selling single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) parking permits for nine King County park and rides, and the permits will go into effect on December 2nd. The park and rides where these permits will be implemented are the Bear Creek Park & Ride, Redmond Park & Ride, Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride, Aurora Village Transit Center, Bothell Park & Ride, Kenmore Park & Ride, South Kirkland Park & Ride, Tukwila Park & Ride, and the Shoreline Park & Ride. Permits will cost between $60-$90 per month for most drivers, or $20 per month for ORCA LIFT drivers. Carpool monthly permits will still be free.

This permitting plan came before the King County Council earlier this year and I received over 100 responses to a survey regarding the program (thank you to all those who provided feedback). In response to this feedback, I voted “no” on this plan.

The number of SOV permitted stalls at each park and ride will be based off of the demand for permits. IF FEWER PERMITS ARE PURCHASED, FEWER PARKING STALLS WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THEY WILL REMAIN OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. These permits will not exceed 50 percent of total stalls in a given park and ride, so there will still be free parking and carpool parking available. King County Metro will adjust the number of permitted stalls moving forward to accommodate the changing number of permit holders.

SOV permitted stalls will be open to any drivers on weekends and after 10am on weekdays.

To learn more about the plan, click here

6. Eastrail job opportunity

The Eastrail Partners is a newly established non-profit with a mission to engage the private sector, adjacent landowners, and the surrounding community in making the Eastrail (formerly the Eastside Rail Corridor) the best it can be for all King County residents.

The Eastrail Partners is seeking a well-connected and savvy leader to serve as their Executive Director. The Executive Director will play a lead role in transitioning the Eastrail into a world class recreational, community, and transportation feature in King County.

The Executive Director will be responsible for the leadership, management, and fundraising for the Eastrail Partners, according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors.

To learn more, click here.

Conclusion

We are continuing to work on the county supplemental budget and many policy issues.

Have a great week -