October 21, 2022
 I attended a ribbon cutting last Friday at the new Uptown ballot box with Director of King County Elections Julie Wise.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
On Friday, I attended a ribbon-cutting event at the new Uptown ballot box outside Metropolitan Market on 1stN. and Mercer St., an excellent location for a new box as it is in a busy commercial and residential area. Ballots went out to registered voters on Wednesday – see this list of ballot boxes to find a convenient location near you. Voters can still register for the first time, update their registration, get a replacement ballot, or use an accessible voting device at satellite vote centers which will be will be open across the county Saturday, November 5; Monday, November 7; and Tuesday, Election Day, November 8.
As always, I would like to hear from you. You can call me at 206-477-1004 or you can reach me by email at jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov.
All the best and I hope you are staying safe.
Quote of the week
“When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to happiness that you can give out.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
 COVID resources
King County’s community level of COVID remains currently classified as low, although there are still about 311 daily new cases, according to the most recent reports. Please continue to exercise caution throughout each day to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
For up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the County, see the Daily COVID-19 outbreak summary dashboard. The links to the data by demographics and geography are on the same page. And you can also view the most recent statewide COVID-19 data from the state Department of Health (DOH).
COVID-19 Data Dashboards have been updated to provide a more intuitive view of King County data. For more information on these updates, see this article from the Public Health Insider. View all County COVID-related Data Dashboards here, including vaccination rates and outcomes according to vaccination status.
Monkeypox resources
New monkeypox cases in King County seem to have peaked in July and August. As of Wednesday, there have been a total of 475 cases in King County. For the most up-to-date data and advice from Public Health – Seattle and King County, visit this page.
The King County Department of Health has launched an interactive monkeypox virus (MPV) data dashboard. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Health MPV information page. Visit the new dashboard here.
Helpful Public Health-related articles
The antigay stigma surrounding monkeypox – The Daily
Will COVID spike again this fall? 6 tips to help you stay safe – The Seattle Times
Local doctors urge public to get flu shots, COVID boosters ahead of flu season – KOMO News.
States, not CDC, set school vaccine requirements – Associated Press
False claim that CDC would require covid vaccines for kids goes viral – The Washington Post
How did COVID-19 impact people living with disabilities? – Public Health Insider
 Committee of the Whole
The Committee of the Whole, which I chair, met on Monday. We received two briefings from the King County Library and from our 4Culture agency. I urge you to view their highly informative PowerPoints. The Committee also discussed several ordinances, including the removal of land from the Ames Lake Water Association for water service and the removal of land from the city of Issaquah’s sewer service area. The Committee also took action continuing a one‑year moratorium prohibiting the acceptance of applications for the establishment of new or expansion of existing wineries, breweries, distilleries and remote tasting rooms, as primary or accessory uses or as home occupations or home industries. For more information on this meeting and to view its video recording, click here.
Full Council
The King County Council met on Tuesday. The Council proclaimed October 23rd to 29th as Pro Bono Week in King County. The Council also discussed an ordinance on an agreement with the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587 representing benefits-eligible employees in the Metro transit department. We also took action on several of the Executive's reappointments. For more information on this meeting and to view its video recording, click here.
Regional Transit Committee
The Regional Transit Committee met on Wednesday. The Committee discussed and took action on an ordinance relating to public transportation, revising rates of low-income fare on buses, trolleys, transit vans, dial-a-ride vehicles and streetcars to $1.00 for one year. The Committee also heard a briefing on the performance measurement dashboard from the Metro Transit Department. For more information on this meeting, click here.
Budget and Fiscal Management Committee
The Budget and Fiscal Management Committee met on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. for a public hearing to discuss the Executive’s Proposed 2023-2024 Budget. Those interested were able to join both in person and online. More information can be found here.
The Committee also met on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for final briefings on budget panel items that required continued deliberation. More information on this meeting is available here.
Board of Health
The Board of Health met yesterday, at which it received a briefing on sexual and gender-based violence in K-12 schools, which was added to the workplan as a result of an amendment of mine to the Board’s Workplan. Students spoke passionately about their experiences and requests for more being done to prevent harm to students. The Board also approved a resolution for identifying the Board's selected nonelected member candidates to begin serving in 2023. For more information on this meeting, click here.
 Full Council
The King County Council will meet on Tuesday, October 25th at 1:00 p.m. This council meeting will include a proclamation on October 2022 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in King County. The council will also take action on an ordinance approving and adopting a memorandum of agreement negotiated by and between King County and the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 587, as well as on an ordinance confirming the reappointment of Wendy Davis to the King County rural forest commission. For meeting materials, the meeting agenda, and information on how to join these meetings, click here.
Employment and Administration Committee
The Employment and Administration Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 25th following adjournment of our weekly Council meeting which begins at 1:30 p.m. The committee will receive two briefings, a human resources update and a chief of staff update. The committee will also discuss the King County Fleet Vehicle Pool Program, as well as motions to approve several King County job descriptions. For meeting materials, the meeting agenda, and information on how to join these meetings, click here.
Budget and Fiscal Management Committee
 The Budget and Fiscal Management Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25th and Wednesday, October 26th. Over these two meetings, the committee will consider proposed ordinances relating to school impact fees and comprehensive planning; public transit; development permitting fees; surface water management; and property tax levies. The committee will also consider an ordinance concerning the renaming of the DCHS Children and Youth Department, as well as several ordinances relating to performance management and accountability; the organization of administrative offices and executive departments and offices; electronic monitoring fees; temporarily raising thresholds for emergent need projects; acknowledgement of receipt of the Body-Worn Camera and In-Car Camera System Pilot Report; adoption of the Harborview Medical Center 2023 Capital Improvement Program Annual Budget. For meeting materials, the meeting agenda, and information on how to join these meetings, click here.
 The mid-term election is here!
Ballots were sent out yesterday to 1.4 million registered voters for the mid-term general election. Here’s what you need to know:
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What’s on the Ballot: There will be a total of 90 offices and 140 candidates up for election, including Washington’s Senator, Members of Congress, State Legislators, and Secretary of State. There are also 13 measures on the ballot for voters to weigh-in on, including two countywide measures.
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Drop Boxes: Boxes will be officially open on Thursday, October 20 with driver teams picking up ballots starting Friday, October 21. A list of all 76 boxes can be found online and in our voters’ pamphlet.
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Vote Centers: Satellite Vote Centers will be open across the county Saturday, November 5, Monday, November 7, and Tuesday, Election Day, November 8. In addition to the headquarters in Renton, you may fill out and submit your ballot at Kenmore City Hall, Bellevue College, Lumen Field in Seattle, Kent City Hall, Federal Way Performing Arts Center and the Student Union Building at UW.
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Sign-up for Ballot Notifications: Voters can sign-up to receive text messages, emails (or both!) about when their ballot is mailed, when we’ve received it, and when their signature has been verified (or if there’s an issue with their signature). Voters can sign-up in the My Voter Information Tool.
 WaterWorks Grant Ranking Committee seeks members
The King County WaterWorks Ranking Committee is looking for eight new volunteer members. This is a great way to get involved as the WaterWorks Grant Program gets ready for its next grant cycle. The volunteer advisory group reviews, ranks, and recommends grant proposals for funding. Please send your completed application, or any questions, to Elizabeth Loudon, WaterWorks Grant Manager at elizabeth.loudon@kingcounty.gov. For more information, see this page.
 King County Regional Homelessness Authority opens shelter for people living outside as smoke lingers
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority has opened an emergency smoke shelter to relieve people living outside from the unhealthy air that’s covered the region. However, few people have taken respite in the shelters. The site opened to adults on Tuesday, is open overnight, and providing free meals. The emergency shelter will now remain open until Friday morning, as smoky conditions continue. For more information, see this article from The Seattle Times.
Help shape next steps for Link light rail and the Chinatown-International District station area!
If you missed the Chinatown-International District Kick-off Open House last week, you can still provide feedback on the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions. Information on these Extensions are available from Sound Transit. A survey is available here until Sunday, October 23rd.
Speakers announces for People v. Cancer
The Atlantic recently announced the first lineup of speakers for its fifth annual People v. Cancer event on Thursday, November 3rd. This event, which can be joined in-person or virtually, will unveil groundbreaking research and host conversations from within the cancer community.
Speakers will include
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Danielle Carnival, White House Cancer Moonshot coordinator, Office of Science and Technology Policy
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Isabelle Choi, director of research and clinical director at the New York Proton Center, and radiation oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
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Leticia Nogueira, director of health-services research at the American Cancer Society
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Susan Saulny, Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
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Northwell Health Nurse Choir for a closing performance
UW Medicine announces Mission Forward initiative to address financial challenges
As a result of capacity, access, and staffing challenges, UW Medicine, has announced Mission Forward, an initiative dedicated to defining the future path of UW Medicine and the necessary steps it must take to continue delivering on its mission of improving public health. This initiative has enlisted the partnership of Huron Consulting Group, global professional services firm, to help assess UW Medicine’s financial situation and evaluate opportunities to achieve greater operational efficiency while promoting equitable patient care and maintaining its research and educational programs.
Group seeks historic status for Wallingford, with pushback from a large number of residents
There has been contention among renters and homeowners in the Wallingford community regarding the effort to include a portion of Wallingford in the National Register of Historic Places. This effort was approved by the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at a state council meeting on Friday. Those in support of the Wallingford-Meridian Streetcar Historic District say that they wish to document the architecture of Wallingford and preserve its history. Those opposed to this labeling believe that the historic district status could skyrocket rents and home prices, thus pricing out long-time renters in the neighborhood. Read more about this issue and the next steps in the process here.
Hear a conversation about the future of public health
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will host a conversation with emerging leaders in public health on Wednesday, October 26th at 10:00 a.m. Panelists include Tiffani Bell Washington, psychiatrist who focuses on erasing the stigma of mental health care in the Black community; Sarah Tsay, a hospital executive who tackles emergency preparedness through an equity lens; and Teguo Djoyum, a nonprofit founder who travels the world to bring neurodiagnostic training to the Global South. These leaders will comprise a panel discussing the joys and challenges of public health today. To register for this event and submit your questions to the panel, click here.
Career Launch Day in Tukwila
Join students, parents, service providers, and others in attending a career launch event at the ANEW Training Center in Tukwila on October 25th at 4:00 p.m. This event will highlight how apprenticeships and trades-related careers can lead to success. Information about ANEW, RISE Up, and the Machinist Institute will be available, as well as hands-on activities for students. More information is available here.
 My visit to the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market
 (From left) Will Cadra, Linda Kelly, Matt Kelly, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Maria College, Sam Bradshaw, Kim Seiferth
Last Thursday, I stopped by the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market to chat with Executive Director Matt Kelly and Board Chair Maria College. I enjoyed visiting the stands and stocking up on some fresh fruits and veggies as well as taking home a Mexican dinner. I was pleased to be able to secure $800 each for several of the farmer’s markets in District Four (including Phinney, Wallingford, Magnolia, and Ballard) to assist with their operations and provide some support, as their operations have been significantly impacted by COVID over the past few years. Sadly, this was the last market of the regular season for Queen Anne, but QAFM has three Harvest Markets scheduled on October 29th, November 19th and December 17th. Thanks very much for making fresh, healthy food accessible and building community, QAFM!
A moment of inspiration
Eclipse the dog, Seattle’s bus-riding icon, has died
 Eclipse was a Seattle dog known for riding the bus by herself. She died on Friday in her sleep at 10 years old. Eclipse gained nation-wide fame in 2015, when she began to take the bus on her own. She was accustomed to taking the bus with her owner, Jeff Young, to the Belltown dog park. One day, while smoking a cigarette as the bus arrived, Eclipse boarded the bus without him. As the weeks went on, both bus drivers and passengers recognized her as a regular commuter, and she would ride the bus alone, watching the window to know when to get off for her stop. King County Metro paid a kind tribute to this loyal transit rider on their Twitter page last week. Read more about Eclipse’s story here.
Helpful and informative links
Seattle breaks heat record as wildfires and smoke spread – The Seattle Times
Air quality alerts extended throughout western Washington amid wildfires – CBS News
Air quality around Seattle ranked worst in the world – My Northwest
As several WA fires grow, rain on way to Seattle, Cascade Mountains – The Seattle Times
Homelessness: Invest in front-line staff – The Seattle Times
The rent revolution is coming – The Seattle Times
Seattle-area weather: Temps cool off but smoke sticks around – The Seattle Times
Seattle to maintain control of troubled City Hall Park – My Northwest
Investors, 80 ex-staffers demand new leadership at Seattle’s Forterra – The Seattle Times
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates. Feel free to forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here. And you can click here to visit the archive page where you can find all of my previous enews updates.
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