Mayor Ralph's Weekly Update

Happy Friday Kent,

Earlier today I was joined by the mayors of Auburn, Federal Way and Renton in releasing a joint statement calling for further discussion on the new felony charging practices instituted by the King County Prosecutor's Office. 

You can see the full statement here.

Working together to address crime in the city and keeping our community safe will continue to be a top priority of mine. We'll be sharing updates on our progress as we have more information available. 

On another note, this week the Kent City Council held our final meeting of the year, and I wanted to congratulate our newly elected Council President Bill Boyce!

Bill has been a passionate leader in the Kent community for many years, and I'm confident in his ability to lead our council to make the important decisions that will help build our community up and continue the progress we have made. 

I also wanted to thank outgoing Council President Toni Troutner for her service. It has been a pleasure working with her in her capacity as council president and I know she'll keep serving as a leader that Kent residents can be proud of on our council.

As we wind down the year, I want to encourage you to stay connected to all things Kent by making sure you're following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We post lots of great information about things happening around the city, including programs, services, events and fun opportunities.

I know many residents may be traveling to celebrate the holidays this weekend and into next week, so please remember to stay safe and enjoy your weekend!

Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor

Prepare for Winter Weather!

We're at that time of the year where we see patches of ice developing overnight on roads, particularly bridges and overpasses!

Forecast is projecting heavy rain this weekend and wind gusts up to 35mph, so please drive carefully and make sure your vehicle is ready for the weather.

We recently released our Winter Weather Plan video, so check that our for tips and details on how we prepare and respond to snow and ice events.

Kent City Council

The Kent City Council held their last Kent City Council meeting of the year on Tuesday evening. As always, you can view the agendas, minutes and meeting recordings on our website.

12/14/21 Kent City Council Meeting

• Public Recognitions
  • Employee of the Month, Governor’s Smart Communities Award.
• Public Safety Report
  • Awarding of commendations, update on crime and police statistics, area clean-ups, hiring.
• Reports from Mayor, Council and Staff
  • Update on regional and local committee work, business and community partnerships, community events and more.
• Approval of Consent Calendar
  • Payment of bills, grant and contract agreements, ordinance amendments, approval of minutes.
• 2021 Annual Docket Report
  • Update from staff regarding public requests for zoning and code amendments for the annual workplan.
• Election of Council President
  • Councilmember Bill Boyce elected Kent City Council President.

12/14/21 Kent City Council Workshop

• Quarterly Sound Transit Update: Federal Way Link Extension & Downtown Garage
  • Staff provided an update on project permitting, site plans, construction progress, parking demand, Sounder ridership and development agreements with Sound Transit.

Christmas Rush 5K/10K

Want to thank everyone who came out to our Christmas Rush 5K/10K event last weekend over at Hogan Park!

It was a rainy day but our runners and walkers took it in stride and had a blast. You can check out the race times and results online!

2021 Shop with a Cop

Earlier this month we held one of my favorite events of the year—our 8th annual Shop with a Cop!

For the past several years, our multimedia department have joined us at the event to capture the special moments occurring between our Officers and our Kent kids, you can check that out here!

Kent Police Officers, Explorers, volunteers and I gathered in the early hours of the morning to make a special holiday experience for 38 kids in our community.

Every year we partner with Kent Youth and Family Services to pick some kids, pair them up with an officer, and have them pick out Christmas gifts!

This is a special time for our officers who are here on their own time, often after working until 6 a.m. on grave shift. Despite the early hour, we never have a problem finding volunteers.

Having an opportunity to spend a half hour to make a Kent child's Christmas more joyful is a privilege, and I'm so thankful for the community support of this event.

Parks & Open Space Plan

Our Parks & Recreation team is holding their final pop-up event tomorrow to hear from the community in-person about the ongoing Parks and Open Space Plan! 

Come on our to West Fenwick Park tomorrow between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to chat with our staff and share your thoughts about our Parks system!

Check out the Kent Parks Facebook Events page for more details, then visit us online to learn more about the plan.

Spotlight Series

Thank you to everyone who has joined us for one (or more) of this season’s Spotlight Series performances – it's been a rockin’ time so far!

Just a reminder that the remaining six shows will take place in the New Year.

The rest of the season kicks off with International Guitar Night on January 21 and tickets are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit KentArts.com.

Winter Parks Guide

If you haven't taken a look through our Winter Parks & Recreation Guide yet, you really should! Registration is open for tons of fun courses, programs and activities for all ages.

From yoga to softball, to piano and arts, there's something for everyone to participate in and enjoy this season.Take a look through our program guide online and be sure to register soon.