Solidarity With Ukrainians
In response to the events unfolding in Ukraine, I released this statement yesterday.
"The City of Kent stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian community at home and abroad. With over 4,000 Ukrainian-American residents, the City of Kent is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the State of Washington.
Americans with Ukrainian heritage living in Kent have enriched our community and have been a part of our cultural fabric for decades—making significant contributions to the city at large.
Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people as they endure this violence, and with the Russian people demonstrating against it."
🕯️ Unity for Ukraine Vigil
A vigil hosted by members of the South County community will be held at the Kent City Hall Courtyard this Tuesday, March 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. just before the regularly scheduled Kent City Council meeting.
At the meeting, Mayor Dana Ralph will present an official proclamation expressing our support for our Ukrainian community members in Kent and abroad.
We invite attendees to begin gathering at 6 p.m. and the program including speakers will begin at 6:30 p.m.
🏙️ 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.
As a reminder, this event will be livestreamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in-person.
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 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.
Please note that there will be another event later in the evening on February 28 for an online, livestreamed event on Facebook and Instagram. Tune in if you can't make it in-person to the Kent Senior Activity Center!
📅 Monday, February 28
🕘 6 - 7 p.m.
💻 Facebook Live
♻️ 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.
Kent Parks is Hiring!
Do you want to have fun at work AND make a difference here in our community? Kent Parks is now hiring for all seasonal positions!
Working for our Parks Department means that your talents are dedicated to enriching the lives our Kent residents.
Whether you’re interested in maintaining our parks and trails, working at the Riverbend Golf Complex, lifeguarding the beach at Lake Meridian, officiating one of our sports programs, or working with local youth during camps, on our playgrounds, or in programs, we have something for you!
Check out all available jobs online now at MyKentParks.com/Jobs.
I can’t wait for you to join our team!
🏞 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.
Leisure Tourism Promotion Grants
Applications for the City of Kent’s 2022 Business or Leisure Tourism Promotion Grants will be accepted online beginning March 1 through midnight March 30!
The program is designed to fund the marketing, operation and promotion of activities, events or projects that promote Kent both as a business or leisure destination, ultimately bringing more people to the city.
Nonprofit organizations, convention and visitors’ bureaus, public facilities districts, destination marketing organizations, chambers of commerce and municipalities are eligible to apply.
Kent’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) will review the applications in April and make funding recommendations to the Kent City Council.
The grant awards are selected via a competitive process and are provided on a reimbursable basis.
Complete program eligibility requirements and criteria is available at KentWA.gov/LTAC. The online application will go live March 1.
The money for grant awards is made possible by the collection of a one percent state tax on overnight hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast stays. State law dictates who is eligible to apply, and mandates the funds be used for marketing and promotion of business and leisure tourism.
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