📌 City Offices Closed Monday
Happy Friday, Kent!
Just a reminder that Kent City Hall, the Centennial Center, Senior Activity Center and Kent Commons will be closed Monday in observance of Presidents Day.
This week's update is packed with important information and details on some fun upcoming events, so dive right in! Have a great weekend.
Dana Ralph, Mayor
🏙️ 2022 State of the City
I’d like to personally invite you my 2022 State of the City Address! I would love to have you there as I reflect on Kent’s legacy, celebrate our community and share updates about the progress we have made.
📅 Thursday, March 10
🕘 6:30 p.m.
📍 Kent-Meridian High School
The State of the City is a customary speech that the mayor of a city gives each year to address the community, reflect on accomplishments, recognize areas for improvement and talk about the future. No RSVP is required to attend and it's open to all residents.
Kent has a bright future, and I’m excited to speak to our vision and direction moving forward. It’s been quite a year, and you won’t want to miss this important update!
🦠 COVID-19 Update
Gov. Jay Inslee has announced that beginning March 21, face masks will no longer be required in most indoor settings, including schools and child care facilities.
The mask mandate will still be applicable in health care settings such as hospitals, outpatient and dental offices, as well as long-term care and correctional facilities.
Subsequent announcements included that, beginning March 1, vaccine verification for large events will no longer be required.
Businesses and local governments can still choose to implement vaccination or face mask requirements for workers or customers, and school districts can still choose to have students and teachers wear masks.
Federal law still requires face masks in certain settings such as public transportation and school buses.
Seattle & King County Public Health has indicated that they will continue to evaluate the appropriate time to lift the local indoor mask order by considering number and severity of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, deaths, as well as the ability for hospitals and the healthcare system to manage patient loads.
They noted that they will keep watching the numbers closely and will reassess in the coming weeks.
📑 Kent City Council
On Tuesday evening during our Kent City Council meeting, I was honored to proclaim February as Black History Month in the City of Kent!
I want to thank Council President Boyce, Kent's first black city councilmember and council president, for receiving the proclamation and for his leadership.
Black History Month serves as a celebration of the accomplishments, contributions and culture of Black Americans throughout the history of our nation.
It's a time to recognize that across the generations, countless Black Americans have demonstrated profound moral courage and resilience to help shape this country for the better.
We must continually celebrate these accomplishments and carry on that legacy while advancing the cause of civil rights, dignity, opportunity and inclusion, which strengthens our families and communities.
Here's a brief recap on the Kent City Council meeting on February 15. As always, you can find meeting agendas, video recordings and minutes our website.
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Public Recognitions
- Appointment to Human Services Commission, Proclamation for Black History Month.
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Public Safety Report
- Year End Homicide Report, 2021 Year End King County Firearm Violence Report, Community Academy
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Reports from Mayor, Chief Administrative Officer and Councilmembers
- Details on community events, regional and local committee work, partner organizations and more.
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Approval of Consent Calendar Items
- Meeting minutes, purchases, leases, contracts, fund allocations, updates to ordinances, interlocal agreements.
📚 Kent 101 Spring Session
I'm super excited to announce that Kent 101 is back!
It's our free, seasonal civics course offering residents the opportunity to better understand how our city government works. It covers the roles and work of city leadership, our staff and departments and more.
Learn more and apply online by 5 p.m. on March 22!
Selected participants will be notified by Thursday, March 31. Classes take place over 8 weeks every Thursday in-person at Kent City Hall, April 7 through June 2 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.
☕ Coffee & Conversation
Just want to remind you that my third public, in-person Coffee & Conversation event is happening later this month!
📅 Monday, February 28
🕘 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
📍 Kent Senior Activity Center
As your mayor, it's important to me that all voices and perspectives in our community are heard. I hold these events because as a lifelong Kent resident, I am so invested in the growth and strength of our city, and I welcome these open and honest conversations.
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I had a great time meeting with residents during Wednesday's Coffee & Conversation event—we had great conversations and dialogue. Thanks to everyone who attended for sharing your thoughts!
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💬 Convos with Council
Our virtual Convos with Council series continues next week with Kent City Council President Bill Boyce!
📅 Thursday, February 24
🕘 6-7 p.m.
💻 Via Zoom
Bill will be available to talk about whatever is on your mind and answer any questions you may have, as well as share some information about what the city council is working on! Register for the Zoom meeting here.
🚏 RapidRide Feedback
King County Metro Transit is finalizing their station designs for a RapidRide line through Kent coming in 2025 and they need your feedback!
Public transit is an important part of how we will meet the diverse needs and priorities of our rapidly growing region, which requires more access to steady and consistent service.
RapidRide I Line will upgrade the current Route 160, between Renton, Kent and Auburn. Metro has done significant work to assess ridership, prioritize equity, and design for speed and reliability. Learn more on their website and be sure to share your thoughts by this Sunday, February 20.
♻️ Recycling Collection Event
Our Spring Recycling Event is coming up soon! We'll be accepting and disposing of recyclable items not normally accepted at the curb for free.
📅 Saturday, March 5
🕘 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
📍 Hogan Park
Instead of going to the landfill as trash, all items that we collect will be reused or recycled! See more details and the full list of accepted items on our website.
👮 Community Police Academy
The Kent Police Department is now accepting applications for the 2022 Spring Community Police Academy! Classes will be on Tuesday evenings, for 10 weeks, starting April 5th and will end on June 14th.
The sessions are from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and held in person at the Kent Police/Fire Training Center located at 24523 116th Ave SE.
The Community Police Academy is delivered in a series of classes that offer straightforward, candid information regarding daily and specialized operations of the police department, while defining the agency’s role in the community.
A wide range of law enforcement topics will be discussed to include an overview of law enforcement, recruiting, traffic enforcement, investigations, narcotics, gangs, community education, use of force, stress and chaplaincy, and K-9.
There is no cost for participating in the Community Police Academy. It is open to any adult 18 years or older that lives, works, or has an interest in the City of Kent and its police department. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
The application can be found here.
🎤 Spotlight Series: The Drifters
This year’s Spotlight Series has been a ton of fun, and luckily we still have three more incredible shows on the way!
From a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, to a “pianistic firebrand” and a four-time Hawaiian Grammy-winner, we will be ending this year’s line-up on a high note!
Tickets are on sale now for all three shows. I hope to see you at one (or all!) of these shows. See schedule and buy tickets.
🏞 Parks Commission
If you’re looking to get more involved with the Kent community, our Parks & Recreation Commission is still accepting applications!
We are looking to fill multiple seats and are in need of both adult and youth commissioners. Note that applicants must be at least 16 years of age or older.
Parks commissioners meet with our team once a month and work to provide input on strategic planning efforts that influence the City’s parks and recreation system, including things like planning, funding, rules, programs, and more.
If this is an opportunity that you're interested in, apply online on our website!
🎉 Downtown Events
We've got a few fun events coming up in Downtown Kent being put together by the Kent Downtown Partnership!
The KDP is a volunteer driven organization centered around community that helps organize fun and exciting things to do while promoting local businesses and volunteer opportunities.
You can learn more about each of these upcoming events by following the links to the Kent Downtown Partnership website.
Meeker Street Nerd Party
📅 Saturday, February 26
📍 314 W Meeker St
🕕 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Downtown Cleanup
📅 Saturday, March 5
📍 Kherson Park, 307 W Gowe St
🕕 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Cider & Ale Trail
📅 Friday, March 11
📍 202 W Gowe St
🕕 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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