February UA News

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February 2019

King County departments partner to bring better service to unincorporated areas

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Local Services Department Director John Taylor sign four partnership agreements

 

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, King County Executive Dow Constantine (pictured above, on left, with Local Services Director John Taylor) signed four partnership agreements between the new King County Department of Local Services and four county agencies that provide services to unincorporated areas.

Local Services includes the county's Road Services and Permitting divisions, and these new partnerships now connect the new department to agencies within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Regional Animal Services of King County, and Public Health – Seattle & King County.

The agreements position King County Local Services to coordinate efforts with other agencies and provide timely responses to issues that affect area residents and businesses. They'll also improve the county's transparency and accountability by allowing us to more accurately measure how county service providers are performing in the unincorporated areas.

To learn more, see the related news release on the Local Services website.

And if you'd like to help King County Local Services understand how to best serve your community's needs, please take our online customer support survey at Slido.com (enter "#localservices" at the prompt). The survey will be open through Sunday, March 31.

Learn skills for managing your forested land Feb. 23

Trees (Gold Creek Park)

 

WSU Extension Forestry is holding a day-long winter school for small forest landowners at Green River College in Auburn on Feb. 23. This is a good opportunity for landowners in unincorporated areas to learn hands-on forest management skills.

For details, see the WSU forestry website or Facebook

(Photo by King County Parks)


King County has openings for summer interns

Group photo with safety vests and hardhats

King County Wastewater Treatment Division 2018 summer college interns tour the West Point Treatment Plant. Pictured (l-r): Megan McAdams, Katherine Wilson, Alexander Fairhart, Nicole Kahasha, Alex Cole, Jyoti Bodas, Jasmine Chan, William Recla, Blake Berry, and Toby Una.

King County's Wastewater Treatment and Water and Land Resources divisions are seeking several college students for full-time summer internships in 2019.

In most cases, the work schedule will be 8-hour days, Monday-Friday. Interns will report to various King County Wastewater Treatment Division sites. Most positions require a valid driver's license.

Assignments include communications, continuous improvement, community relations, construction management, engineering (civil/mechanical), resource recovery, stormwater management, and monitoring lakes, streams, wetlands, and/or Puget Sound.

These positions will provide experience in the practical application of coursework in a large-scale urban infrastructure system. Requirements include dependability, effective communication skills, enthusiasm to learn, and willingness and ability to work in a diverse environment.


Discount program for solid waste, recycling fees

King County offers low-income customers a discounted rate to dispose of garbage, recyclables, and yard waste at its recycling and solid waste transfer stations.

Through the Cleanup Lift program, self-haul customers who show their ORCA LIFT, EBT, or Medicaid (ProviderOne) card when entering a King County facility will receive a $12 discount off the cost to dispose of garbage and to recycle yard waste, clean wood, and refrigerators.


Road news: Washing our bridges

Stossel Bridge (side view)

One of the things King County does to maintain our bridges is wash them, which keeps them clear of debris and plants. We have four bridges scheduled for washing in the coming weeks:

Green River GorgeBridge (on SE Green River Gorge Road near Black Diamond)—Feb. 19-20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
NOTE: Requires a full closure.

Raging River Bridge (on SE 68th Street near Snoqualmie)—Feb. 21-22, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Requires a lane restriction.

Mount Si Bridge (on SE Mount Si Road near North Bend)—Feb. 25-March 1, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Requires a lane restriction.

Stossel Bridge (pictured above, on NE Carnation Farm Road)—March 4-8, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Requires a lane restriction.

Visit the Road Services website | Road Services blog


Need funds for a creative project in arts, heritage, or historic preservation?

4Culture 2019 project grants

4Culture is now accepting applications for grants to support creative projects in arts, heritage, and/or historic preservation.

They encourage new applicants and want to work with everyone producing arts and culture in Unincorporated King County.

The deadline is March 6.

For more information, visit the 4Culture website.


Department of Local Services days on Vashon

Bong Sto. Domingo from the King County Department of Local Services will be on Vashon Island every Tuesday in February starting at 9 a.m. for customer service. For more information, contact him by email or call 206-351-8071.


Did you know...

..there are over 100 places in King County where you can get rid of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications?

Keep your family safe and get unwanted medicine out of the home! Find a medicine return drop box at medicinereturn.org or text
MEDS to 667873.

Kids and pets graphic

Disasters happen. Are you ready?

Moncton flood (historic photo)

Photo of Moncton flood, 1915, courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives

When disaster strikes, many services we rely on could be overwhelmed. Critical infrastructure, including transportation, utility, and communication systems, may be damaged. So we all need to be prepared to be self-sufficient for days or weeks at a time. This free workshop is open to the public and covers local hazards, utility control, water storage and purification, emergency sanitation, and creating emergency plans. Note: the class is free for all King County residents, but registration is required.

Thursday, Feb. 7, 6:30-8 p.m.
King County Library Meeting Room
115 E 4th Street
North Bend
Register for this class

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 6:30-8 p.m.
King County Library Meeting Room
1409 SW 107th St
White Center
Register for this class

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:30-8 p.m.
King County Library Meeting Room
12901 Newcastle Way
Newcastle
Register for this class


Upcoming community meetings

Community Alliance to Reach Out and Engage

Monday, Feb. 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
12819 160th Avenue SE
Renton

See website for the latest information and to confirm meetings.

Enumclaw Plateau Community Association

Saturday, Feb. 23, 9-11 a.m.
Enumclaw Community Center
1350 Cole Street
Enumclaw

Visit the website for more info.

Fall City Community Association

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.
Fall City Fire Department
4301 334th Place SE
Fall City

The Fall City Community Association promotes building of community, proactively communicates on local issues, and takes action on selected issues that affect the Fall City community. Open to the public. For more information, email Ashley Glennon

Four Creeks Unincorporated Area Council

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 7-9 p.m.
Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 78
20720 SE May Valley Road
Issaquah

Visit the website for the latest information and to confirm meeting dates and locations.

Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council

Monday, Feb. 4, 7-9:30 p.m.
Maple Valley Fire Station
Southeast corner of SE 231st Street and SR-169 intersection

Guest speakers will be from the new King County Department of Local Services, including Director John Taylor, who will discuss his vision and goals for the new agency. The council will discuss the wide variety of regional and local issues it is working on and ask questions about the function of the new Local Services department. Visit the website for the latest information and to confirm meetings.

Green Valley/Lake Holm Association Meeting

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Fire District 44, Station 95
32316 148th Avenue SE
Auburn

Visit the association on Facebook or Twitter or send email for more information.

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council

Thursday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.
North Highline Fire district
1243 SW 112th Street
White Center
(Parking and entrance are in the back of the station)

Open to the public. Monthly meeting of all-volunteer neighborhood based community organization.  For more information, email Liz Giba.

Skyway Solutions Community Development Association

Monday, Feb. 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
13470 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S
Seattle

Open to the public. Skyway Solutions is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in unincorporated Skyway. For more info call 206-706-6400.

Upper Bear Creek Community Council

No meeting scheduled for February.

Visit the website or Facebook page for the latest information and to confirm meetings.

West Hill Community Association

Community Coffee Hour
Saturday, Feb. 9, 10-11:30 a.m.
Skyway Library
12601 76th Ave S

Meet the members of the West Hill Community Association, neighbors, and friends. Open to the public. Held on second Saturdays and sponsored by the West Hill Community Association. Email for more information.

Board Meeting
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m.
King County Fire District 20 Training Center
12424 76th Avenue S

Board meetings are open to the public and often feature guest speakers as well as community reports and information from a variety of local organizations. For more information, visit the website or send email to contact@mywesthill.org.