Mayor Ralph's Weekly Update

Happy Friday Kent,

I wanted to kick-off this week's update by congratulating the Carpinito Brothers Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze here in Kent for being ranked one of the top 26 pumpkin patches in the U.S. and Canada by Yelp!

This annual event is a joy and fun for the whole family, and it's really cool to see them recognized. If you haven't yet, be sure to head over, pick out a pumpkin and enjoy the festivities with your friends and family.

Also want to congratulate Blue Origin for their successful NS-18 launch and landing, as well as our staff for our recent Governor's Smart Communities Award for our Rally the Valley Project.

There's still lots going on around the city, so I hope you enjoy this week's update, find something you're interested in, and have a fabulous weekend!

Dana Ralph, Mayor

I also wanted to congratulate Blue Origin, William Shatner, Audrey Powers and the entire crew of NS-18 for another successful human flight! This flight was yet another testament to Kent’s impact on pushing the boundaries of space exploration, and a victory for Women in STEM!

It's hockey season! 🏒 I'm excited to see the Thunderbirds back at the accesso ShoWare Center tonight for a game against the Everett Silvertips, and again for another game on October 19 against the Spokane Chiefs. If you haven't been to a game yet, I highly recommend it! You can also watch the games on WHL Live and the iHeart Media App.

Thanks to everyone who joined us last night at Half Lion Public House for our Hops & Cops event! It's always great to see our Kent community connecting with our officers and building lasting relationships while enjoying some good conversations and atmosphere.

Kent Receives Smart Vision Award

Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Department of Commerce recently announced the 11 Smart Communities Award winners for 2020-21.

I'm proud to announce that our Rally the Valley: Manufacturing and Industrial Center Subarea Plan, was a Smart Vision Award winner!

Rally the Valley addresses the effects of evolving technology, transformations in industry, outdated land-use policies and fiscal constraints on the Kent Valley.

As you may know, the Kent Valley is home to many of the world’s leading aerospace, advanced manufacturing and global distribution companies.

Our region is fueled by a rich legacy of innovation, trade and supply chain expertise and a world-class work force making it a leader in industrial modernization.

This plan will help shape the future of the Kent Valley, so I want to thank our staff for their important work on this initiative—we're all excited to see it through!

Kent City Council

The Kent City Council Economic & Community Development Committee met on Monday. You can see the agenda, minutes and video recording on our website.

• Information on Business Support Communication Tools
  • Staff presented on work completed to date to inventory, assess and assemble a guidebook of culturally competent and diverse business technical assistance serves available in Kent and throughout south King County.
  • The presentation included details on partnerships between our Economic & Community Development department and business technical assistance organizations, and included information about ongoing work to educate business applicants on resources available to them and how best to prepare for commercial projects in the City of Kent.
• Housing Resources Website Update
  • Staff provided an update on an updated page on the City website which includes details on the Kent Housing Options Plan (KHOP) and various other Human Resources programs, services and opportunities available through King County and the State of Washington.
  • The Planning, Human Services and Rental Housing Inspection Program team identified each department division's most commonly used resources and showcased the update page to the City Council.

King County Vaccination Order

With King County's vaccination verification local health order going into effect on October 25, I wanted to make sure you were aware that this order will apply to all of our Kent Parks & Recreation programs.

Program participants and facility patrons 12 years of age and older at the Kent Commons, Kent Senior Activity Center and Kent Memorial Park building will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in accordance with order issued by King County Public Health.

Verification will be required to participate in all classes, sports leagues, activities, events, fitness programs, personal services, private rental use, or other gatherings at the Kent Commons, Kent Senior Activity Center and Kent Memorial Park building.

This also applies to Spotlight Series performances scheduled at Kent School District Performing Arts Centers. For more information, please visit our Parks webpage.

Haunted BOO-Levard 👻

Spooky season is officially here and I’m so excited for the Haunted BOO-Levard,  returning again this year on Sunday, October 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Our Kent Parks Department is partnering with Kent Station to put on this free outdoor trick-or-treating event, so be sure to mark your calendars.

Kids can trick-or-treat outside participating businesses, then check out the decorated trunks along Ramsay Way.

And if you're interested in decorating your trunk for prizes and bragging rights, be sure to register to decorate your trunk.

Street of Treats 🍬

The Kent Downtown Partnership's Street of Treats is also returning this year for some fun Halloween celebration on Saturday, October 30 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Come on out and visit downtown Kent while showing off your costumes and joining in on some fun activities for all ages.

Participating downtown Kent merchants are welcoming masked visitors to stop in and get a spooktaculur treat, and you can enter the costume contest for a chance to win prizes.

They will have kid’s activities, photo opportunities and more, and you can also support the Kent Food Bank by bring non-perishable food donations.  

Downtown businesses will be waiting for you! This is a free, rain or shine community event. Don't forget to bring your bag for treats.

Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Kent Police is participating in the nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day, happening Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kent Police Department.

Medicines that sit in home cabinets can be highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Many do not know how to properly dispose of unused medicines, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away—both are potential safety and environmental hazards.

The Kent Police Department works directly with the DEA to properly dispose of unwanted medications and is collecting a variety of controlled, non-controlled and over the counter substances. You can learn more by emailing Stacy Judd at SJdd@KentWA.gov.

Fall Recycling Event ♻️

Our Fall Residential Recycling Collection event is tomorrow!

Each spring, summer and fall the City of Kent hosts a free recycling collection event from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. that allows residents to dispose of recyclable items not normally accepted at the curb.

Instead of going to the landfill as trash, all items collected will be reused or recycled. This Fall's event will be at Hogan Park on Saturday, October 16.

You can see the full list of accepted items on our website.

2021 - 2022 Spotlight Series 🎶

Our Spotlight Series continues next Friday, October 22 with a performance by Italian acoustic guitarist Luca Stricagnoli! Tickets are on sale now.

If you can’t make it, be sure to check out one of the other incredible shows! This annual series is bringing some exceptional performances to Kent – you won’t want to miss out. The full line-up and tickets for all shows are available on our website.

Winter Weather Plan

Just a quick reminder as the weather is changing, our Public Works crews are preparing our trucks and equipment to respond to cold weather situations and we're working on updating our snow and ice routes for de-icing, sand and salt. 

You can take a look at some best practices and ways to prepare for winter weather on our website, which will be updated soon with our new routes for this cold season.