Just wanted to wish all of our City of Kent employees a Happy Employee Appreciation Day!

I hold all of our staff in high regard, and I am so thankful for the incredible work they do to serve our community each and every day. 

Appreciate and celebrate women and their accomplishments every day! When women succeed, our community succeeds. 

I was honored to join mayors from across the country in this video from the United States Conference of Mayors, highlighting the importance of strong local-federal partnerships in driving economic growth, improving infrastructure, and enhancing public safety.

Our cities are the backbone of this nation, and together, we’re building a stronger future. Watch the video and see why cities matter!

Tuesday was Read Across America Day and Horizon Elementary invited guest readers to help celebrate.

I read "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" to 4th grade students.

The book had a great message reminding us that we are the authors of our own stories, and every story deserves to be read.

Thank you, Horizon, for the invitation and for being fantastic listeners.

I had a great time at the Kent Chamber of Commerce 2025 State of the City business edition luncheon at Green River College-Kent.

It was an incredible opportunity to preview my upcoming State of the City address with business leaders and community members.

The Cider and Ale Trail is back with some of the best cideries, breweries and distilleries for a fantastic night of tasting, live music, dining and shopping in historic downtown Kent.

📅 Tonight, March 7
⌚ 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
📍   Historic Downtown Kent 

Get your tickets now!

Bring the kids to Kent Kids' Arts Day at the Kent Commons Community Center on Saturday, March 8!

Young artists from Pre-K to Grade 4 are invited to join the Kent Parks team for a day full of arts & crafts fun.

Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, onsite food trucks, and projects led by professional, local artists. Cost is $10 per child. Tickets can be purchased at the door! Adults and kids 2 and under are FREE.

📅 Tomorrow, March 8
⏰ 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
📍 Kent Commons Community Center

We had another great class of Kent 101 last night! Our Economic and Community Development staff talked about the comprehensive plan, and the important work they do telling Kent's business stories and connecting people and businesses with resources. 

We had an amazing turnout at Hogan Park with 883 cars dropping off materials and 131 people purchasing a rain barrel or compost bin!

We sold 101 rain barrels and 49 compost bins—our first time offering them in over a decade!

Missed out? We’ll have them available again at our June 7 Recycling Event at Canyon Ridge Middle School.

Multimodal improvements extending Meeker streetscape amenities to Kent Elementary School and the 64th Ave intersection continue!

Crews finished new storm improvements on the south side last week with curb and gutter work underway this week. bit.ly/4dGIUAr

When complete, traffic lanes on Meeker will decrease from two to one and a multimodal promenade will be constructed including a new midblock raised crosswalk.

The city will install rapid flashing beacons, traffic islands, a two-way shared use path, streetscape amenities, a wider sidewalk, street trees and vegetated buffers, pedestrian signals, and lighting. Construction is anticipated to be completed this fall.

Thank you to everyone who attended Coffee with the Chief this week at Cutters Point Coffee. You asked great questions, and all our KPD staff had a good time.

A special thank you to Councilmembers Troutner and Boyd who also attended.

The Neighborhood Matching Grant Program application is open!

This offers matching funds on a competitive basis to recognized neighborhood councils to develop and implement projects which will enhance the livability of their communities.

Cookie Hooky is the sweetest way to shake up your workday, and is hosted at accesso ShoWare Center May 8th from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This fun-filled fundraiser is all about raising money for the Community Events Fund which will support local non-profits by providing the opportunity for kids and families to enjoy events in the greater Kent area.

Catch the next Thunderbirds game Saturday night against the Portland Winterhawks! The game begins at 6:05 p.m. at the accesso ShoWare Center. Go Birds!

The next session of FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training starts Wednesday March 19^th. 

This free eight-week program meets on Wednesdays from either 1-4:30 p.m. (Afternoon Class) or 6 pm – 9:30 pm (Evening Class) and taught by Puget Sound Fire staff. 

Make sure that yourself and your family will be prepared for a major disaster and able to care for yourself, your family and your neighbors until help arrives.  The 8-week program provides instruction on disaster preparedness, disaster first aid, triage, fire safety, search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization and finished with a simulation exercise to practice all the skills they have learned.

Here's more information about the program. CERT Online Registration and Information

Our Bicycle Advisory Board is accepting applications for new members.

Members advise the council, mayor and staff on projects, policies and programs that affect cycling conditions in Kent!

Do you want to get more involved with our Parks department? Apply to serve on our Kent Parks & Recreation Commission! Commissioners work directly with the Kent Parks Department to provide input on strategic planning efforts that influence our parks system.

Applications are now being accepted for the city's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Board!

The goal of the board is to increase engagement, integration, and access to city services for all cultural communities in Kent.

You can learn about the city's work in these areas and the Equity Strategic Plan at KentWA.gov/Race-Equity and apply to be on the board here!

We’re thrilled to launch Sidewalk Sessions—a brand-new way for our Public Works team and me to connect with you directly in your neighborhood!

Public Works is the backbone of our community. From smooth roads and safe sidewalks to reliable utilities, their work keeps Kent running strong. We’ll visit neighborhoods across the city to share updates, answer questions, and hear what’s important to you.

This is your chance to learn more about the incredible work happening behind the scenes to maintain and improve Kent’s infrastructure—and how it all impacts your daily life.
Sign up to bring Sidewalk Sessions to your neighborhood!

It's almost curbside clean-up time! 

With Kent's annual "Spring and Fall Curbside Clean-up" programs, residents may rid themselves of extra yard waste and garbage.

The events are free to all residential households living in the Kent city limits. Simply place your extra garbage and yard waste at the curb on your regular yard waste pick-up day. Here's all the info!

Interested in starting a Neighborhood Block Watch or revitalizing an old one?  Come learn how to start a Block Watch from Kent PD's Community Education Unit and Neighborhood Response Team! 

To Register email:
West Hill/Valley Sara Wood swood@kentwa.gov  
East Hill Stacy Judd sjudd@kentwa.gov

📅 Tuesday, March 11
⌚ 6:30 p.m.- 8 p.m.
📍 Kent City Hall 

We're hiring! Check out our featured jobs and find great opportunities on our hiring page at jobs.kentwa.gov

The KentWorks app lets you access information and improve your neighborhood and community by reporting non-emergency issues to the city. You can request a service, report a problem and find information about the City of Kent all from your mobile device in just a few taps!