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

Dunn Champions $100k in Funding for Homeless Bus Tickets

I’m pleased to announce that after much negotiation, I was successful in getting $100k in King County’s supplemental budget for purchasing bus tickets for the homeless.

The new $100K will expand family reunification services through existing programs while the County looks at how a dedicated family reunification program would best be designed and—a crucial component—how to track data on its success.

I believe that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, and I support taking the time to make informed decisions. However, this $100k is not my last ask. San Diego and San Francisco both spend $1.2 million each on family reunification programs, and when the time comes, I will be asking for a larger investment to fund our own program here in King County.

Update on Lake Wilderness Trail Paving Project

After negative community feedback on the King County Parks Department Lake Wilderness Trail paving project, I worked on legislation to require the Parks Department to collaborate with the City of Maple Valley to find alternative projects that could be pursued instead. This means that while the Parks Levy funding will remain invested in the Maple Valley community, the actual project that receives that funding will be reassessed. Other potential projects include extending the gravel trail south in order to connect to the Black Diamond Open Space trail system.

If you have any input on this matter, please email me at: reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov.

Upcoming Eastrail Detours

Beginning November 25 through late December, Eastrail users can expect detours while a 2.5 mile segment of the trail south of I-90 is being paved. While construction is underway, trail users will be directed to either the Lake Washington Loop Trail, 106 Ave SE, or Washington Boulevard SE. The detours will occur on weekdays only between the hours of 7 AM – 5 PM, and are expected to last approximately three weeks. For more information, visit the King County Parks webpage.

In the News

• KIRO 7 News: King County offering the homeless one-way tickets back home

• KOMO News: King County OKs additional $100,000 for homeless bus tickets

• KOMO News: County council member critiques plan for homeless authority