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Local Services
Comment period for North Highline, Skyway subarea plans extended again, to Dec. 19
Residents in these two unincorporated urban areas can still review the draft plans and share comments about them at the link below! Subarea plans document each community’s vision for the future and establish policies to support achieving that vision over the next 20 years.
North Highline Subarea Plan
Skyway-West Hill Subarea Plan
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Applications for Alan M. Painter grants are due this Friday
These matching funds support community projects that connect residents of the unincorporated areas to their communities. A total of $90,000 will be reimbursed for projects in 2022, in grants of less than $5,000 per project. Funding will begin in March 2022.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3.
► Find details about this year’s program and how to apply on the Local Services website. Information and applications are available in English and Spanish (and in other languages and formats on request).
► Learn more about the grant program and Alan Painter in this King County Local blog post.
Photo: The Woodside Homeowners Association received a $1,500 program grant for their National Night Out celebration in August.
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New faces
Malcolm Lee aims to deliver much-requested community center to Skyway
As a Skyway resident for nearly 25 years, Malcolm Lee sees the obvious: the diverse and vibrant community lacks a community center. That’s why he’s excited about his new role as a project manager with King County Local Services. His objective is to leverage his experiences, both as a resident and in coordinating high-profile projects, along with a passion for uplifting culturally diverse communities, to help deliver a center to the urban unincorporated area south of Seattle.
“Skyway has needed a community center ever since I was a young boy living in the neighborhood,” the U.S. Navy veteran said. “People in the community have spoken. They want a place where their children and families can gather, learn, and celebrate. It would be a tremendous source of community pride to make this a reality.”
Learn more about Lee's background and his new job on the King County Local blog
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Jeff Wilson to help develop shared septic system
in Fall City
Jeff Wilson has helped address complicated infrastructure problems across the globe – in Italy, Kazakhstan, and even the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But the puzzle he’ll work to solve for King County Local Services sits here in his back yard.
The program manager and Fall City resident’s main goal is to help deliver a shared septic system to the unincorporated area near Snoqualmie. Business owners have asked for this for decades, and say it could unlock the potential of their aging commercial buildings.
“We have a lot of momentum for this work, especially from the community,” he said. “I love this community. And in my experience, when you’re passionate about the community and want to work together, good things can happen.”
Learn more on the King County Local blog
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Join King County Local Services for “Local Lunch” on Fridays
King County Local Services is here to help connect people in unincorporated communities with King County government services.
Join us (almost) every Friday during the noon hour to share questions or comments, ask for help, or just to chat. See our home page for information on how to join. You can also send us questions, comments, or requests by email or call us at 206‑477‑3800.
How are we doing?
Have you talked or interacted with King County Local Services this year? We’d love your feedback. Please take our very brief survey: Local Services Customer Engagement Survey.
Road Services
November rains brought flooded roads
Road Services pressed its entire maintenance response team into action during the Veterans Day storm last month. More than 150 crew members worked around the clock to close off flooded roads, clear clogged drains, remove scores of downed trees, check for signs of slides, and respond to 171 individual requests from community members.
They closed off 13 roads at the height of the storm—nearly all of them in the Snoqualmie River Valley. They kept community members informed through traditional TV news media (two on-air interviews) and social media (their Twitter and Facebook accounts got 45,951 combined hits). The county's 24/7 Road Helpline received 465 calls, and Road Services' storm-related website got 61,494 page views. Learn more on the Road Services flooding page.
Here are some reminders about staying safe during floods:
1. Don't remove Road Closed signs. Even if it looks like there isn't much water on the road, you never know what might lie farther down the road. The signs are put there for your safety!
2. Turn around – don't drown. Driving through standing water is dangerous. Even a few inches could push a vehicle off the road. If water gets into your motor or gets trapped inside your car, it could cause damage—or you could drown.
3. Avoid roads near rivers. Stick to higher ground.
Photo: looking down on a flooded road in the Snoqualmie Valley on Nov. 13.
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Why were roads built in flood areas, and why can't we stop them from flooding?
 Photo: a trestle bridge barely clears floodwaters in the Snoqualmie Valley last month.
Many of the major roads in the Snoqualmie Valley were built in the 19th century, next to rivers and following property lines. Many of these roads will always be vulnerable to flooding because of geography and drainage patterns that existed long before they were built.
Raising a road can make it act as a dam, which can cause damage upstream. Ultimately, water in this area needs to drain into Puget Sound. The fix for some of these problems is to build trestle bridges across the valleys—but each bridge costs tens of millions of dollars.
Natural Resources and Parks
What’s in the works for
Skyway Park?
Learn about the new play area and other things that are coming soon to the park! King County Parks invites you to a virtual information session to talk about park improvements in the works and answer your questions.
Skyway Park Virtual Information Session, Tuesday Dec. 7, 6-7 p.m.
Register at https://bit.ly/skywayparkinfosession.
Information about how to access the Zoom meeting will be sent to those registered before the meeting.
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What does safety mean to you in parks and on trails?
King County Parks is hosting a series of focus groups to explore this topic. If you live, work, or play around any of the following areas, please sign up for a virtual community conversation.
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East and northeast King County
(examples: Issaquah Alps/I-90 corridor, Tolt-MacDonald Park, Snoqualmie Valley Trail)
Dec 3, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
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Glendale (example: Glendale forest)
Dec 6, 5-7 p.m.
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Todo el condado de King (en español)
Dec 1, 5-7 p.m.
Participants will receive $150 for their time and insight. These sessions will help King County Parks make short- and longer-term safety investments in our parks and trails. Register at https://bit.ly/parkslistens.
Executive Services
4Culture
Arc Artist Fellowship offers funding to King County artists
4Culture’s Arc Artist Fellowship is back with another year of unrestricted funding for King County artists!
In each grant cycle, the previous year's Fellows determine eligibility for the next round—this year, Indigenous artists are eligible to apply. The deadline is December 15.
Details: http://bit.ly/4culturearc.
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Cultural Recovery Fund for individuals will begin accepting applications in January
Applications for 4Culture’s recovery fund for individuals will open January 5, 2022 and be available to artists and cultural producers who live in unincorporated King County.
Grant guidelines and application will be posted to 4culture.org/covid-19.
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Rural Area news
Unincorporated Area Councils/Associations & Organizations
On Oct. 27 a joint team of eight Rural Area unincorporated area councils and unincorporated area associations and organizations submitted written testimony to the King County Council’s Mobility & Environment Committee on proposed amendments to the 2021 Countywide Planning Policies Update. Topics covered were urban services in the rural area, school siting, and the four-to-one program. The joint team planned to follow up by providing oral testimony to the committee at its Nov. 30 special meeting.
—Submitted by Peter Rimbos, Corresponding Secretary, Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council
NOTE: Although many public meetings have been canceled, here's a list of community councils and associations that serve King County's unincorporated Community Service Areas, including their usual (or most recent) meeting sites and contact information where applicable.
:: Community Alliance to Reach Out and Engage
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
12819 160th Avenue SE, Renton
See blog for the latest information and to confirm meetings.
:: Enumclaw Plateau Community Association
Tuesday, Dec. 21 – Virtual meeting via Zoom (6:30-8:30 p.m.)
Monthly meetings are open to the public, and may feature guest speakers in addition to community reports and information from a variety of local organizations. For more information email Nancy Merrill.
:: Fall City Community Association
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. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month, and are open to the public. For more information, visit fallcity.org or email Angela Donaldson.
:: Four Creeks Unincorporated Area Council
Tuesday, Dec 14
Visit the website for the latest information and to confirm meeting dates and locations.
:: Greater Maple Valley Unincorporated Area Council
Monday, Dec. 6, virtual meeting via Zoom (7-9:30 p.m.)
Guest Speaker: Dwight Dively, King County Executive’s Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget Director, will discuss the King County budget. Due to the broad interest in this subject, an invitation will be extended to multiple rural area organizations.
Visit the website for the latest information and to confirm meetings. An agenda, including a list of any invited guest speakers as well as Zoom link information, will be posted several days before the meeting.
:: Green Valley/Lake Holm Association Meeting
The Green Valley/Lake Holm Association advocates for citizens who live in unincorporated southeast King County. Primary goals are to maintain the community’s unique historic, agricultural, and rural character; protect the environment; and sustain quality of life in the area. We engage regularly with local government agencies to address concerns and influence policies on topics of mutual interest, such as growth and development, transportation, public safety, and flood control. Stay connected by visiting their Facebook page.
:: Skywest Tool Library
Skyway Water and Sewer office
6723 S 124th Street, Seattle
Join the SkyWest Tool Library Monthly Meeting to learn more about helping to start a new tool library in Skyway. The purpose of the library will be to share ideas, teach, learn, and borrow tools and more. Contact the library on Facebook.
:: North Highline Unincorporated Area Council
Thursday, Dec. 2 – Virtual meeting via Zoom (7-9 p.m.)
Monthly board meetings are open to the public and often feature guest speakers in addition to community reports and information from local organizations. For more information, email Liz Giba.
:: Upper Bear Creek Community Council
Visit the website or Facebook page for the latest information.
:: Vashon Chamber of Commerce
Contact: discover@vashonchamber.com.
:: Vashon-Maury Island Community Council
Monday, Dec. 20 – Virtual meeting via Webex (7-9 p.m.)
Monthly board meetings are open to the public, and often feature guest speakers in addition to community reports and information from a variety of local organizations. For more information email David Vogel.
:: West Hill Community Association
Wednesday Dec. 8 – virtual meeting via Zoom (7-9 p.m.)
Monthly and quarterly meetings are open to the public, and often feature guest speakers in addition to community reports and information from a variety of local organizations. For more information, email contact@mywesthill.org.
As we come to the end of 2021, I suspect many of us will be happy to say goodbye to this year and welcome a new one with a fresh perspective and optimism for the future.
There is much uncertainty about where the COVID-19 pandemic is going given the emergence of the Omicron variant, but we do know that we have high vaccination rates in King County (90% of county residents over age 12 have had at least one shot), and we know how to manage this pandemic. So we do have cause to be optimistic about 2022.
Here at Local Services, we've taken unprecedented measures to support and sustain the small businesses we serve, and many of those businesses are beginning to thrive again. We have community plans for White Center and Skyway that will be delivered to the County Council early in 2022. When final, these plans will guide their communities for the next 20 years. We're also supporting a group of 21 community members in a participatory budgeting process that will make community-based decisions about how to spend $10 million in capital funding and $1.3 million in marijuana revenue. This effort will inform how we work with communities in the future to prioritize investments, as well as our ongoing work with Community Needs Lists throughout unincorporated King County.
We've faced many new challenges over the past two years, but we're emerging with stronger communities. I look forward to working with all of you next year to make unincorporated King County a welcoming place where everyone can thrive.
I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season, surrounded by family and friends.
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Director’s Corner is a column from John Taylor, the director of King County Local Services. To contact John, email AskLocalServices@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-3800 (Relay 711; language interpreters available).
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