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

Dear Friends:

Today’s e-news includes information on my recent visit to Harborview Medical Center, Public Health’s new in-home COVID-19 vaccination program, emergency legislation supporting property tax-deferrals for businesses, 4Culture’s Building for Equity Capacity-Building Grants, health updates and more.


Washington Trivia

A group of Catholic nuns established a retreat center at the present location of the Dumas Bay Centre. Who were they?

(Answer is at the bottom).




Harborview Medical Center Doctors and COVID-19

During my recent visit to Harborview Medical Center, I had the opportunity to meet with Interim CEO Sommer Kleweno-Walley, Medical Director Dr. J. Richard “Rick” Goss, Chief of Trauma Dr. Eileen Bulger and Chief of Surgery Dr. Ron Maier to talk about the important role Harborview has played as a partner in King County’s ongoing response to COVID-19. From testing, treatments, vaccines and ongoing studies, Harborview and King County are committed to preventing the spread of the coronavirus and bringing an end to this pandemic.



With Dr. J. Richard Goss, Dr. Ron Maier, Interim CEO Sommer Kleweno-Walley, and Dr. Eileen Bulger


Public Health launches in-home COVID-19 vaccination program across the county

Seattle – King County Public Health is implementing a new vaccination program for King County residents who are unable to leave their homes. Through partnerships with local fire departments, pharmacies, and medical providers, mobile teams are ready to deliver vaccinations to these residents where they need it most. Read more here. Eligible adults include people age 16 and older who:

• Have not yet been vaccinated and
• Have an injury, developmental disability, or medical condition that makes it difficult to leave the home and
• Would require considerable and taxing effort to get vaccinated outside the home.

Appointments are currently limited and individuals with the greatest challenges leaving their homes will be prioritized. Once an eligible adult is scheduled, the team can also bring shots for any other adults in the home who have not already been vaccinated. To schedule an appointment, call the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977.


2021 real property tax deferral for business

Due to the ongoing economic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington State Legislature passed emergency legislation on April 16th, allowing qualified real property businesses to defer their 2021 property taxes beyond the due dates set by state law with no late charges. Businesses that apply for the program and establish a payment plan with King County Treasury will not have penalties and interest applied to their taxes that are due as long as the business remains compliant with the terms of the payment plan.

King County Treasury is now accepting applications from eligible business taxpayers. For more information about the program and to apply, visit kingcounty.gov/TaxDeferral, or call 206-263-2960. Requests for deferral must be made by April 30, 2021 to participate in the program. You may also send a completed Department of Revenue form to treasuryrpbusplans@kingcounty.gov or mail it to:

King County Treasury Operations
ATTN: RP BUSINESS – TAX PAYMENT PLAN
201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 710
Seattle, WA 98104


4Culture: Building for Equity Capacity-Building Grants

4Culture’s Building for Equity: Capacity-Building Grants aim to invest in an organization’s development to allow them to secure their long-term facility needs. These grants of up to $25,000 may fund a wide-range of activities that increase an organization’s capability to advocate and plan, fundraise, lease, acquire, repair, remodel, and/or construct space suitable for their programming in a sustainable, long-term manner. This fund prioritizes organizations located in, and providing services to, historically underserved communities within King County.

The deadline to apply is May 28th at 5:00 PM. For more information, please check the Application Guidelines or contact Eldon Tam at 206-263-3223 or eldon.tam@4culture.org.




Higher education and vaccinations for Fall 2021

As COVID-19 vaccine eligibility open up to people aged 16 and older in all states, U.S. colleges and universities are announcing their policies for the upcoming Fall term. An increasing number are requiring students to be vaccinated before returning to campus for in-person learning and activities.

Many campuses struggled with COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the past year and see their vaccination mandates as the way to better protect all communities going forward. Although vaccination requirements against diseases such as smallpox, polio, and chicken pox have long been in place, some students and their parents are balking at the COVID-19 requirement because this vaccine is relatively new. That said, it appears that students are eager to be vaccinated.

A poll of 1,000 undergraduates reported that 71% believe higher education schools have the right to require COVID-19 vaccinations. While allowing for religious and medical exemptions, individual institutions are working to improve vaccine accessibility for their students in hopes that the majority of them will be vaccinated.


King County COVID Vaccination Update

As of yesterday, there are 1,025,457 residents who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 640,040 residents who are fully vaccinated in King County, bringing the total of all administered doses to 1,609,449. For more information, visit the King County COVID Vaccination Dashboard here.



Vaccine Locator: To find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, visit Vaccine Locator.

For eligible South King County residents: Public Health – Seattle and King County has high-volume vaccinations sites in Auburn and Kent. Register here.

Register by phone: Call King County Public Health Call Center at 206-477-3977 or Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.

For veterans: Call 1-800-698-2411 and press 8 for COVID information or visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine.

For more information, visit Getting vaccinated in King County.


King County Case Update
Yesterday, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 313 new positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 94,250. In addition, Public Health reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 1,498.









Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

In August 1891, upon learning that Father Peter Hylebos was searching for Sisters to come to his parish in Tacoma, a group of Catholic nuns set out from the Visitation Monastery in Kentucky in order to find an area with a greater prospect for growth.

The Visitation Sisters immediately opened an academy on Tacoma’s Yakima Avenue and purchased a 200-acre area in Lakewood for a monastery and girls’ academy. The Sisters later opened the Visitation Villa, which served as a center for private education for 31 years, the same place where I had my first communion and confirmation in the 1950s.

On the advice of then Archbishop Thomas Connolly, the Sisters closed the academy, sold the property, and purchased the site of their soon-to-be retreat house above Lakota Beach at Dash Point Road, where they hosted retreats for thousands of women at the Visitation Retreat Center. In 1993, the city of Federal Way purchased the property and converted it into a meeting, retreat, and special events facility, now known as the Dumas Bay Centre.



The young person in the middle in the white shirt with a snap-on tie is me. Thank God for the patience of the Visitation Sisters; I was a handful!




Compiled by Cyndee Navarro of my office.


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