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September 3, 2025

Welcome to the City Council Newsletter!

Here, you’ll find a recap of all that happened at this week’s City Council meetings as well as individual updates from your City councilmembers. Be sure to watch your emails for the bi-weekly newsletters to stay up-to-date with everything the city council has been working on.

Committee of the Whole

Operations

• Finance staff provided the Second Quarter 2025 Investment Report.

ECD

• A resolution ratifying amendments to the King County Countywide Planning Policies was sent to Council for adoption.

Parks

• A consultant services agreement for a redevelopment at Upland Playfields was sent to Council for approval.

Public Safety

• The acceptance of grant funds to support youth initiatives was sent to Council for approval.

Public Works

• A resolution authorizing the closure of portions of Titusville Alley was sent to Council for adoption.

Council Workshop

Leadership from Kent PD and Puget Sound RFA presented Council with an update on the FD Cares program. You can hear more about these updates by viewing the Council Workshop livestream from September 2nd.

Kent City Council

Public Recognitions

• Mayor recognized the September Employee of the Month.
• Mayor proclaimed September to be Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
• Mayor also proclaimed September to be Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month.

Consent Calendar

• An appointment to the Kent Parks and Recreation Commission was made.
• An ordinance consolidating budget adjustments made in the second quarter was adopted.
• A resolution adopting the City of Kent’s Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan for facilities in the public right-of-way was adopted.
• A Joint Funding Agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior for water resource investigations at City stream gauges was authorized.

Other Business

• The Parks Director and a representative from the City's Consultant shared an update on the Municipal Campus Relocation and Construction Project.
• An ordinance authorizing the issuance of Limited Tax General Obligation Bonds to help fund the project was adopted
•  A resolution was adopted, authorizing the mayor to proceed with all phases of the project and delegate to her sufficient authority to sign all contracts or take all actions necessary to fully design, construct, and complete the project.

Councilmember Updates

The below information is provided by our councilmembers

Satwinder Kaur, Council President I had the honor of spending time with some incredibly talented artists and writers from the Kent Punjabi community with Punjabi Likari Sabha. A beautiful song, written by Manjit Kaur, was released, and Shawn Deol brought it to life with his soulful voice. The lyrics beautifully capture the pride and joy of ancestral lands.

Congratulations to Juan, Rossy, and the entire team at La Huerta Market on celebrating 20 years in Kent! What a wonderful milestone - and here’s to many more years of success ahead. I was glad to join the celebration with Mayor Dana Ralph and Puget Sound Fire. Proud to see small businesses like La Huerta thriving and enriching our community. 

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First day of school in the Kent School District! As I dropped off my kid this morning, I saw so many happy (and proud!) parents - myself included. Some kids were all smiles, others weren’t so sure… and the parents? Let’s just say I think a few of us were even happier than the kids! Wishing all our students, teachers, and families a wonderful school year filled with learning, growth, and new memories.  I started the morning bright and early at the Kent Farmers Market Business Breakfast with Living Well Kent, our downtown businesses, Mayor Ralph, and Kent Chamber CEO. We had such positive conversations about opportunities to grow and strengthen our downtown community — the future looks bright!  My youngest, Mohkam, even joined me, and it’s always wonderful catching up with so many friends. Don’t forget — the Kent Farmers Market runs until September 13. Be sure to stop by and support our local farmers and vendors!

I had the joy of attending the Punjab Sports Camp at Wilson Playfields, where kids of all ages played soccer and volleyball while adults joined in for yoga. The day ended with a wonderful award ceremony, and I was honored to be recognized. Congratulations to Gurcharan Singh Dhillon, Gurdeep Sidhu, and the entire team on another successful year of bringing our community together through sports, health, and celebration.

I had a wonderful time at the Block Party at Kent Lutheran Church alongside Mayor Ralph and Councilmember Fincher.  It was great to see so many local organizers come out to support, and it’s always a joy to catch up with friends in the community. Events like this remind us how strong and connected Kent truly is.     

I had the honor of welcoming the new teachers of Kent School District as they begin an exciting journey shaping the future of our students. It was inspiring to meet so many dedicated educators ready to make a difference in our community. Thank you to Comcast for sponsoring this special event and supporting education in Kent.   

Upcoming Regional Committees I serve on: 

PSRC Growth Management Policy Board - 9/4
King County-Cities Climate Collaboration Outreach Committee - 9/5
Domestic Violence Initiative Task Force - 9/9
Puget Sound Clean Air Advisory Committee - 9/10

John Boyd I sit on the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LWHMP), Management Coordinator Committee (MCC), as a member and a Sound City Association representative (SCA). On this day, we were looking ahead to Q3. We started with Expanding Digital Equity and Outreach: The team is scaling outreach after Q2’s successful launch of the new Instagram account. The team continues to strengthen engagement with youth, immigrants, and BIPOC communities through inclusive storytelling and co-design. Strengthening Legislative Readiness: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for the Moderate Risk Waste (MRW) project (i.e., the proposed Hazardous Waste Modernization Act), transitioning from research/transition to the legislative phase in anticipation of the 2026 legislative session. Cross-agency alignment and partner coordination will be essential in the coming months. The Policy Team will continue to monitor challenges to lead in cookware law. Operationalizing Racial Equity: The Racial Equity Team is working to deepen technical assistance to LOBs and offer tailored support. Q3 marks the busiest time of year for the fixed disposal sites. Also, The Hazardous Waste Management Program, in partnership with the University of Washington, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and Purdue University, is taking bold steps to better understand PFAS exposure in our homes and communities. This first-of-its-kind pilot project, led by UW researchers, used a handheld screening instrument to test everyday items for signs of PFAS—long-lasting, harmful chemicals linked to cancer, immune suppression, and hormone disruption.

This project was funded through the Washington State Legislature as part of the 2023–2024 supplemental budget and reflects our shared commitment to preventing toxic exposures through innovation, science, and community engagement.

Brenda Fincher MIDD   This zoom meeting was a briefing on the MIDD Ordinance Renewal and provided an overview of what has been done and some of what may continue. The 0.1% sales tax  is collected throughout King County for MIDD – Mental Illness & Drug Dependency treatment. This funds 15% of the behavioral health (BH) revenue in our county and totals about $97 million dollars. This is accomplished with the help of programming through our local hospitals, organizations, and technicians. Various grantees provide a variety of BH treatments for King County residents of all ages – preschoolers through senior citizens. Some of the program goals are to reduce behavioral health crisis episodes, diverting people from jails, hospitals and emergency rooms, increasing culturally appropriate, trauma--informed BH services, and improving the health and wellness of people in King County.

Arts Commission
The 2025-26 Spotlight Series program is available online. This series provides great opportunities to enjoy live performances by professional artists without the parking hassles some other cities may offer. kentwa.gov/spotlightseries  

KC Metro Open House
King County Metro held an open house at our downtown library. They had representatives available to answer questions along with maps showing bus routes, including the RapidRide I line. 

KLC Block Party
Thank you Pastor Tormod and Kent Lutheran Church for bringing local resources together for a Community Block Party. They pulled together service organizations from around Kent to showcase what is available to community members. This free event also included entertainment and lunch. 

La Huerta International Market
Congratulations to La Huerta Market which celebrated their 20th anniversary. This grocery store has more than groceries. Most of what they carry won’t be found at one of our chain grocers. Their restaurant is a place to catch a good lunch or to pick up dinner for the family when you want a good meal but don’t feel like cooking. Drop in and take a look at the wares, groceries, and menu they have to offer.  

Public Works
Our discussion centered around the Critical Areas ordinance, ADA Transition Plan for the Public Right-of-Way (Title II), and the US Geological Survey and their joint funding of our stream and river gages. Most of the conversation focused on Metro’s South Link Connections, which has removed some routes and modified other ones; and around whether Metro will still be able to serve the people of Kent and get them when they want/need to go.

I attended the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) annual meeting and learned more about traffic safety than I would have ever dreamed. Safer streets for EVERYONE is the goal. Among the topics were Telematics, road design, distracted driving, impaired driving, influencers, social media, autonomous vehicles, lots of data, and much more. The mayor and I attended a session on autonomous trucks. These trucks are already on the highways of Texas.  

We have quite a bit of educating to do with our public.

Zandria Michaud It’s back to school for Kent students. Make sure to check out the Fall Recreation Program. There’s something for everyone. The Free Summer Movie Series continues with Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark on Friday, September 5. The movie starts at dusk, and free popcorn is available. Please bring blankets or low-backed chairs. On Tuesday, Council authorized the Mayor to sign the Consultant Services Agreement with Site Workshops, LLC for Uplands Playfield Splashpad. This project will redevelop the existing park and construct the City’s first purpose-built splash park. Other improvements may include accessible children’s play area, restroom building, Interurban Trailhead, open lawn, and space for community gathering. I had a great time checking out cars at the Cruisin’ Kent Car Show at Kent Station.

I look forward to seeing you out and about.

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