Wednesday afternoon I was part of an entourage of agencies and people -- including the City of Auburn, City of Kent, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, U.S. Representative Adam Smith and his staff, and the REACH program – that visited a large homeless encampment on King County property between Kent and Auburn, just north of the Auburn Golf Course. Before we walked through the camp, which spans several acres of land near the busy road and a soccer field, a pair of King County Sheriff's deputies talked about a man and the life they saved.
Just a few days before we arrived, the officers and service providers made contact with an older man named Billy. Billy was badly injured, his legs covered in open sores. Had they not found Billy when they did, he would have died. Simple as that. The question those officers asked of us, and the question I have for my fellow electeds and leaders, is this: when is enough, enough? When are we going to stop talking and start doing. I know this isn't easy, but it's necessary. Because I refuse to have anymore Billys dying outside.
 In Auburn, we do things a little bit differently than most of the county, and that's no secret. There's not a person outside our anti-homelessness team and community response team doesn't know or have contact with every single day. We offer them services, and believe me, we can be annoying about it. We offer them housing. We offer them help. And after all of that, if they don't want the help, our message is clear: maybe Auburn isn't the community for you. We wish it wasn't that way, but sometimes you just can't help someone who doesn't want it.
We've made remarkable progress in our city, but homelessness isn't an Auburn issue. People know where our city limits begin and end, so a solution is only as good as the partners you have. It breaks my heart to see the conditions we've allowed our community members to live in outside. We cannot allow this to continue and I sincerely hope Congressman Smith's visit will help spread the message further than our little corner of King County.
 Reservations will soon close for the State of the City Address Wednesday, April 19 at the Muckleshoot Tribe Indian Convention Center.
This year I'll be talking about three core themes that are central to everything Auburn accomplishes: Compassion, Accountability and Community.
You can reserve your FREE tickets below by following the link. I'll see you soon!
📅 Wednesday, April 19
🕐 6 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m.
📍 Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Convention Center
🎟️ Reserve tickets online
 This week at our city council meeting, we got to hear from Junior City Councilmembers Waylon Menzia, Jonathan Mulenga, Janine Park and Briseyda Sandate about their trip to Washington D.C. to the National League of Cities' Congressional Leadership Conference a few weekends ago.
I've had the honor of watching several of our junior members including Waylon and Jonathan, grow over the years, from attending meetings in 7th grade, to going off to college in just a few short months. Jonathan, if you didn't know, is headed to Stanford, and Waylon is in Running Start and working for Sen. Claire Wilson (D 30th LD)! I am always so impressed by their candor, attitude, and willingness to learn and grow in their roles. Their ideas and intuition have been incredibly valuable!
I truly hope when they're done with their studies, and they go off and change the world, that they'll consider coming back to Auburn and shepherding this community along for the next generation, just like we're doing now.
If you know someone in your life who you think would make a great fit (or if that person is you!), please consider applying.
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Hop around Auburn's parks and trails in search of the elusive bunny, who'll be hidden in various locations around Auburn. Find the bunny, have a chance to win prizes and have a blast doing it! This will be a fun and safe event for families, Seniors, our Specialized Recreation Community or anyone looking for an opportunity to get outside and get active in an outdoor setting.
Learn more.
📅 Friday, April 7 - Monday, April 10
🕐 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
📍 Various Parks and Trails
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Hunt for traditional eggs, scavenge for delicious prices, get photos with the Easter Bunny, and hey, maybe even paint your face while you're at it!
📅 Saturday, April 8
🕐 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
📍 Kent Station - 417 Ramsay Way, Kent, WA
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Ted Vigil is a singer, songwriter and John Denver tribute artist extraordinaire. He has wowed crowds, sells out theaters nationwide and has played twice for John Denver’s own “Windstar Foundation” in Aspen, Colorado. Joining him on stage are a group of professional musicians and the very talented singer Amanda Bacon. Join us as Ted performs many of John Denver’s greatest hits.
📅 Saturday, April 8
🕐 7:30 p.m.
📍 Auburn Performing Arts Center, 702 4th Street NE
🎟️ Buy Tickets Online
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 Why am I giving long-time City of Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation Director Daryl Faber a mayor's proclamation? Because later this month it's Arbor Day! And what better person to receive such an honor 🌲.
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