November 2, 2018

Dear Friends,

Over the last several weeks I have been busy working with my colleagues on the biennial 2019-2020 King County Budget. This is a huge undertaking that takes many weeks of hard work by my fellow Councilmembers and staff, as well as the dedicated feedback and advocacy from constituents, such as yourself, to guide our work. Thank you to everyone who took the time out of their evening on October 4th to attend our public budget town hall in Fall City. It was a wonderful experience to hear about the varied issues that are so important.

Over the last month we have convened four panels to discuss the biggest issues facing our County. They include housing, local services, mobility, and equity and social justice. I chaired the “Local Services Excellence” panel to make sure that we are preparing to provide the best local government and customer service we can to unincorporated residents. We are close to reaching the finish line now and anticipate the adoption of a final budget by mid-November.

We are in the process of launching the new Department of Local Services and it will formally begin operations on January 1st, 2019. The new cabinet-level department will be led by Director John Taylor. For the first time, unincorporated residents will have a director in the Executive’s cabinet dedicated to addressing their ongoing and emergent needs while delivering the high-quality services they deserve.

I would like to share some important updates from around the County regarding upcoming road maintenance and closures, an important proclamation that we recognized at the Council, and opportunities for you to comment on mobility in the north Eastside of the County. Please read about all these topics and more down below.

It’s always a pleasure to represent you and all of District 3.

Kathy Lambert

In this Issue:

      1. John Taylor named as director of new Department of Local Services
      2. Road closure tomorrow (11/3): NE Novelty Hill
      3. October declared Domestic Violence Awareness Month
      4. Flood season has arrived
      5. Share your thoughts on mobility around the north Eastside
      6. NE Woodinville Duvall Road maintenance coming up
      7. MLK vision call for submissions

1. Executive appoints John Taylor director of the new Department of Local Services

County Executive Dow Constantine recently appointed John Taylor as Director of the newly established King County Department of Local Services.

John Taylor currently serves as assistant director of King County’s Water and Land Resources Division, giving him years of experience in leadership and service to residents of King County, and many of you already know and have worked with him.

The county’s unincorporated communities are home to 250,000 residents, which would effectively make them the second largest city in the state. The new department will respond to local needs, streamline service delivery, and meet the needs of those residents by giving them more direct access to the various services of local government.

I am excited that John will be taking on this new vitally important position, and I am confident in his ability to listen and respond to the unique needs of unincorporated residents around the County. I look forward to working with him in his new role.

For my complete statement please visit the following website: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2018/October/10-02-KL-Taylorstatement.aspx

2. Section of NE Novelty Hill Road to close, November 3rd

On Saturday, November 3rd from 8 am to 5:30 pm, guardrail repair and tree maintenance will take place on NE Novelty Hill Road near Duvall. The work requires a full closure of NE Novelty Hill Road from 243rd Avenue NE to West Snoqualmie Valley Road NE. A detour will be in place. Visit the My Commute webpage to see the map and detour route.

3. County Council proclaims Domestic Violence Awareness Month

On October 15th, the King County Council signed and presented a proclamation that declared October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This was an opportunity to recognize survivors and to highlight the resources, from law enforcement to community service providers, available to those trying to escape their abusers.

For more information on this important proclamation, please visit the following website: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/news/2018/October/10-15-domestic-violence.aspx

4. How to prepare for flood season

The Tolt River has reached flood phase 3. Moderate flooding may occur, and the San Souci area may experience deep and fast flood water. The Snoqualmie River is at phase 2, which means there is minor flooding and the potential for some localized road closures.

Here is a list of possible road closures associated with the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers:

SE Mill Pond (City of Snoqualmie)
324th Ave SE
SE 24th St (at Patterson Ck Bridge)
Neal Road SE
W Snoqualmie River Road (near SE 24th St)
W Snoqualmie River Rd (Near Tolt Hill Road)
NE Tolt Hill Road
NE 80th St
NE 100th St and 284th Ave NE
NE 124th St

At this time of year, it is important to start thinking about flood safety and what you can do to be prepared in case of high water. Here are some tips and steps that you can take:

• Assemble a basic emergency preparedness kit for your home and your car: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/emergency-management/preparedness.aspx

• Avoid walking or driving through flooded roads.

• Have a plan for what to do with your pets in the event of an evacuation.

• Find out the nearest location for free sandbags during a flood: https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/environment/water-and-land/flooding/sandbag-distribution.aspx

Please also take this opportunity to sign up for King County Flood alerts. It is a free, automated system that gives subscribers customized alerts about potential flooding in any of King County’s six major river systems. You can learn more about flooding and subscribe at kingcounty.gov/flood.

5. How can we improve mobility in the north Eastside?

Metro and Sound Transit would like your feedback on how to improve transit in the Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville areas. This area is rapidly growing and we want to be sure that transit service is adapting accordingly and living up to the needs of users. Convenience and reliability are the focus of the changes.

If you ride Metro routes 234, 235, 236, 238, 243, 244, 248, 255, 277, or 930 and/or Sound Transit Express routes 540, 541, or 545, check out the project website, come to a public meeting or visit the online open house, and take the survey by Nov. 13 to share your thoughts about proposed changes. More details are available at www.kingcounty.gov/metro/north-eastside.

6. Tree maintenance on NE Woodinville Duvall Road, November 13-16

From Tuesday, November 13th to Friday, November 16th, crews will be doing tree maintenance on NE Woodinville Duvall Road between NE 172nd Street and West Snoqualmie Valley Road NE near Duvall. The work requires a lane restriction from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit the My Commute web page to view the map.

Roads anticipates their work to include pruning over 60 trees and removing trees on the right of way. This work is needed prior to the winter season.

7. What is your vision of Martin Luther King, Jr?

In January we will celebrate the life and legacy of our county’s namesake – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This annual celebration recognizes the tremendous impact Dr. King continues to have on our nation and reminds us of our commitment to equity and justice.

We would like to invite you to submit your interpretation, through a photo, work of art, or essay of the theme for the 2019 celebration:

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality”-– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A selection of submissions will be on display at locations throughout the County and at the celebration. For more information and to submit your interpretation, please visit the following webpage: https://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice/mlk.aspx

I learned so much about this important person when I wrote a children's book about him. My dad, who was a San Francisco police officer, once guarded him when he he visited San Francisco. I greatly admire his courgae and faith.