News from and about King County… from COVID-19 updates to community news affecting our daily lives.

Dear Friends:

Today’s news includes an update on COVID-19 vaccine appointments being affected by the cold weather, the Governor’s announcements on more regions moving to Phase 2 and rent and business assistance, rental assistance for young adults in King County, a virtual meeting with King County Assessor John Wilson regarding 2021 property tax bills, COVID-19 vaccines, winter weather resources, and more.


Washington Trivia

An NFL Hall of Famer and a longtime businessman in Federal Way – who was he?

(Answer is at the bottom).




COVID-19 vaccination appointments at Auburn site moved to Kent due to cold weather

COVID-19 vaccination appointments scheduled at the Auburn drive-through vaccination site for today, tomorrow, and Saturday, (February 11-13), have been moved to the Kent vaccination site due to anticipated severe cold weather. All vaccinations will be indoors at the Kent ShoWare Center vaccination site (625 W James St., Kent 98032) to protect staff working outdoors as well as people who are waiting in their cars in below freezing temperatures and possible snow. Read more here.


Governor announces more regions moving to Phase 2, along with rental and business assistance

Today, Governor Jay Inslee announced five more regions will move to Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington reopening plan. Additionally, Department of Commerce will have an additional $87 million for rental and business assistance. The funds come from the state’s Disaster Response Account and will be evenly split ($43.5 million each) for additional rental and business assistance. Visit the state Department of Commerce’s website to view how rental and business assistance will be distributed among local partners across the state. Read more in the KING 5 article here.




YMCA offers rent assistance for young adults in King County

Young adults (ages 18-24) living in King County and struggling to pay rent can get assistance through the YMCA Social Impact Center that will cover up to six months of rent. The assistance is also available to undocumented people and tenants in informal (friend/family) rental agreements. Funding will be available until June 30, 2021. If you or someone you know needs help, visit this page to learn more and apply. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Aged 18-24
• Household resides in King County (household is any group of people wanting to maintain housing together – young adult does NOT have to be head of household)
• Income at or below 80% area median income over last 60 days
• Behind in at least one month of rent (full or partial) since March 1st




King County Assessor: First property tax bills since the onset of the pandemic

King County Assessor John Wilson will be available during a Zoom call to discuss the release of the 2021 property tax bills, the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. King County will begin mailing tax bills on February 16th.

When: Wednesday, February 17, 10:00 am
Zoom link: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/99110375166
Meeting ID: 991 1037 5166
Join by phone: 253-215-8782
Passcode: 669730


COVID-19 Vaccine Info Session for Immigrants/Refugees

Public Health - Seattle and King County (PHSKC) and the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) have partnered to host training sessions to share accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable communities. Anyone in King County is welcome to attend. Please sign up for the event here. Registered participants will receive the Zoom link to join the online session.

In the session, you will learn about:
• Vaccine ingredients, potential side effects, and the importance of getting it
• Overall vaccine distribution and community outreach plan
• Sources for factual COVID-19 information, as well as translated materials
• Live Q&A

Community groups, organizations, and social service providers who serve immigrant and refugee communities are encouraged to join and bring this important information back to the community. The English session will be on February 17th, Wednesday, 5:00-7:00 PM and the Spanish session will be on February 25th, Thursday, 5:00-7:00 PM.


Be prepared for cold temperatures, snow, ice and possible power outages

Snow is forecast for our region this week with extremely cold temperatures and icy road conditions expected. Please be prepared for possible commute delays and impacts to business operations. Here are some resources:

Metro: MetroWinter.com | My Commute | Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcmetrobus)

Roads: Snow and Ice resources | Sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads) | Call 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100 or 1-800-527-6237 (1-800-KC-Roads)

Water Taxi: Sign up for King County Water Taxi Alerts (text, email)

Power Outages: Download the PSE Mobile Outage app | Outage Map | Resources

• Make sure to have emergency supplies on hand at home and in your vehicle, such as extra batteries, flashlights, food, and blankets
• Have a battery-powered radio ready to go
• Charge cell phones and mobile devices in case the power goes out
• Never touch or go within 35 feet of downed power lines because they might be energized. Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or 911 to report problems.
• Do not use a charcoal or gas grill to cook indoors. Never use a natural gas range for heating, or charcoal as an indoor heating source. This can cause a buildup of poisonous carbon monoxide gas.
• If you choose to use a portable home generator, read the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe operation of the generator. Do not operate generators indoors or in enclosed spaces to avoid the buildup of carbon monoxide.
• If you’re using portable heaters, keep them away from furniture, draperies, and other flammable materials.
• Always use flashlights instead of candles.


King County COVID Vaccination Update

As of yesterday, there were 254,155 first dose and 76,555 second dose vaccines administered among King County residents, bringing the total of all administered doses to 330,710. For more information, visit the King County COVID Vaccination Dashboard here.



Phase Finder: To assess your eligibility to receive COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the Washington Department of Health Phase Finder web form.

Register by phone: For assistance on registering by phone, call Washington state’s COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press # for help with registration by phone.

Other Vaccine Locations: Visit Washington Department of Health’s website for other vaccine locations in the state. If you have any questions, contact COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov.




King County Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 66 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 79,233. In addition, Public Health reported 0 new deaths, keeping the total in the county at 1,305.









Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Floyd Douglas Little was an American professional football player who played as a halfback for the Denver Broncos. Prior to playing in the American Football League, Little was a three-time All-America running back at Syracuse University. He was the first, first-round draft pick to sign with the American Football League’s Broncos and was known then as “the Franchise”. He then played in the National Football League and eventually retired as NFL’s 7th all-time leading rusher with 6,323 yards and 54 total touchdowns. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983, the Denver Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1984 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Little was a longtime businessman who moved to Federal Way in 1990 with his wife, Deborah, and left in 2011 when he became the special assistant to the athletic director at Syracuse University. He is the former owner of the Pacific Coast Ford in Federal Way. He passed away on January 1, 2021 after his battle with cancer.



Compiled by Cyndee Navarro of my office.