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Yesterday, we held a marathon seven-and-a-half-hour King County Council meeting, taking action on a wide range of legislation to support those suffering from the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and to address other important issues. Here are some highlights:
 New protections for unincorporated King County renters during COVID-19 crisis
After several months of work and input from stakeholders representing tenants and landlords, the Council passed legislation which I sponsored, along with Councilmembers Kohl-Welles and Zahilay, to address the reality that many residential and small commercial tenants will face a tremendous backlog in rent when the Governor’s moratorium on evictions expires (currently August 1). With over 398,000 new unemployment claims filed by King County residents between March 1 and June 13, we know that many tenants will be unable to suddenly pay all back rent on the day the eviction moratorium ends.
This ordinance, which applies only to unincorporated King County, provides a defense to eviction for people and small businesses who are unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 and gives them the opportunity to have a payment plan. The ordinance allows for a balance of equity between tenants and property owners so that individual cases can be judged on their merits. It is a modest step to keep hundreds or thousands of families from sliding into homelessness and many small businesses from losing their leases as soon as the eviction moratorium ends. Read more here.
Council moves to help clarify winery, brewery and distillery code next steps
Also last night, the King County Council passed two pieces of legislation related to a land use code update adopted last November regarding wineries, breweries and distilleries in unincorporated King County. The two actions, a temporary moratorium on new permits and a motion calling on the County Executive to update our State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist, were taken in response to a Growth Management Hearings Board ruling that found the County’s preliminary environmental review was inadequate.
I sponsored the motion calling for an updated SEPA checklist and joined Councilmember Kathy Lambert in cosponsoring the moratorium ordinance, which was introduced by Councilmember Dembowski. This will make sure we address any shortcomings in the County’s environmental review process while temporarily suspending new permits during the time that the courts review the Growth Management Hearings Board decision.
Legislation passed to fight systemic racism
The Council took action on the first recommended change to the County Charter (our constitution) to increase law enforcement oversight. The recommended Charter amendment expands and better defines our inquest process, which provides a public review of any deaths of people in King County custody. This legislation would require provision of legal counsel to families of victims in all inquest proceedings. The inquest process is essential to a system of accountability for law enforcement provided by King County. Now that it is approved by the County Council, the recommended Charter amendment goes to the November 2020 ballot for voter consideration.
 Emergency supplemental budget passed
The Council unanimously adopted an $86 million supplemental omnibus budget appropriating CARES Act funding received by the County from the Federal government. This will fund the County’s ongoing public health response to COVID-19 and a variety of programs to support people suffering from the economic fallout. The budget includes about $20 million for food security, rental assistance, homeless services and a variety social programs. The funding also supports digital equity in K-12 students and seniors and further invests in behavioral health issues, for which demand has grown sharply during the pandemic. We included language to ensure that funding reached all of those in need, especially communities hit hardest by COVID-19.
Next up, the King County Council is expected to be considering additional emergency supplemental budgets in mid-August and October, prior to drafting the two-year biennial budget for the County in November. In this time of crisis we will continue to work hard to balance the need for public health response, while ensuring we do our part to address the impacts of COVID-19.
For additional details on actions taken by your County Council yesterday, you can view video of the meeting here.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
Council Chair
District 6
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