Your Update on What's Happening at the King County Council  

New legislation will help provide disaster relief to the Bahamas

Hurricane Dorian destruction. Image source: Wikipeida Commons

This week, the Council unanimously approved a motion that I co-sponsored with my colleagues Councilmember Gossett and Councilmember Kohl-Welles that aims to allow King County employees to provide disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Our legislation requests to enable County employees to donate their vacation time in the form of a cash donation to the people of the Bahamas.

Hurricane Dorian was one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever seen, and devastated the Bahamas when it struck the islands of Great Abaco, Grand Bahama, and others earlier this month. This legislation creates a pathway for County employees to help Bahamian families and communities as they recover and rebuild in the storm’s aftermath.

September is National Recovery Month

Councilmember Kohl-Welles and Councilmember Dunn proclaim September 2019 as Recovery Month in King County

On Wednesday, the Council joined me and Councilmember Kohl-Welles in recognizing September as National Recovery Month. We observe Recovery Month knowing that there a growing number of people across King County who struggle with addiction and mental illness. It is critical that anyone who seeks recovery knows that it is always possible to reclaim their life, and that there are services available to help them be successful in their recovery.

Flood District awards more than $3.6 million for projects in King County

As Chair of the Flood Control District, I oversee flood reduction grants that fund critical projects to reduce flooding across the County. Last week, I announced awards totaling more than $3.6 million in grants to three dozen projects across King County. I am pleased that almost $1.3 million in funding went to support projects that will reduce flooding risks across District 9. Flood reduction projects range in scope from replacing culverts to managing landslide and flooding risks in populous areas.