November 3, 2023
 Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It’s time to vote! Ballots for the 2023 General Election have been sent out to all registered voters and should be returned by mail or through a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. next Tuesday, November 7th. King County Elections is projecting 45% turnout for the county and are currently sitting at about 13% of ballots returned. To make an informed decision on your ballot, be sure to check out King County Elections’ Voter’s Pamphlet you will have received in the mail or the Video Voters’ Guide where you can hear from the candidates, themselves.
Remember that four King County Council general elections are on the ballot — one for District 4 (my seat) and another for District 8 (Councilmember Joe McDermott’s) — as we did not run for re-election. The other two seats, District 2 (Councilmember Girmay Zahilay) and District 6 (Councilmember Claudia Balducci), are unopposed. So be sure to have a say in your local representation! With your ballot, you should have already received your local voters’ pamphlet, which is where you will find information on most candidates and ballot measures. The pamphlet also features helpful information on who is eligible to vote, how to get additional assistance, and everything voters need to know to confidently cast their ballot.
Tomorrow, visit Vote Centers and a Student Engagement Hub, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bellevue, Federal Way, Kenmore, Kent, Renton, Lumen Field (Seattle), and UW Husky Union Building (Seattle). Also open on Monday and Election Day, these locations are available for voters who need to register to vote, get a replacement ballot, or use an assistive voting device.
Do you need in-person assistance?
Visit the Renton Elections HQ, which will be open to assist you through Election Day, November 7th. Trained staff and specialized equipment are available to help voters with disabilities cast an independent ballot.
Once you return your ballot either through the mail with no stamp required or to a nearby drop box, be sure to sign up for ballot alerts. These alerts allow you to receive text or email alerts, letting you know where your ballot is at every step of the process.
There is much to look forward to in this week’s enews. Here’s a peek at what’s included:
As always, I would like to hear from you. You can call me at 206-477-1004 or reach me by email at jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov.
All the best and I hope you are staying safe.
Quote of the Week
“It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead – in fact, it’s essential.”
- Mary Barra (CEO, General Motors)
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There was no full Council meeting scheduled for this week as it’s the fifth week of the month.
- During Wednesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, the committee, which I chair, received briefings concerning proposed ordinances on the King County Doors Open Cultural Access Sales tax proposal and the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy Implementation Plan. Before adjourning, the committee also received a briefing on a motion establishing the 2024 State Legislative Agenda which will be taken up further at our November 15th
- During Wednesday’s Regional Water Quality Committee meeting, the committee received reports from the Metropolitan Water Pollution Abatement Advisory Committee and the Wastewater Treatment Division. The committee was also briefed on improvements to facilitate RWQC’s development and review of rate policies, then adjourned after completing its monthly review of the 2023 Work Program.
If you missed the meetings, recordings and additional materials will be made available here.
 Law, Justice, Health, and Human Services Committee
During next Tuesday’s 9:30 a.m. meeting, the committee will receive briefings on homicide trends in King County and on a draft motion to address the public defense Class A attorney attrition crisis. The committee will also discuss and take possible action on a proposed ordinance related to requirements for the treatment of and services to juveniles in the custody of the department of adult and juvenile detention. Meeting materials will be made available prior to the meeting here.
Full Council
During next Tuesday’s 1:30 p.m. meeting, the council will present a recognition of Metro Transit upon its 50th anniversary. The council will take possible action on a proposed ordinance relating to development regulations in North Highline, as well as two others concerning the acceptance or denial of land vacation. Also on the agenda are several executive appointments and reappointments, along with a proposed ordinance relating to climate change funding, requesting the executive to develop a property tax levy proposal to address the climate crisis. We will also take possible action on proposed motions acknowledging receipt of a letter certifying the county's inquest website has been improved and that the Economic Development and Small Business Assistance Strategies Report has been received. Meeting materials will be made available prior to the meeting here.
Budget and Fiscal Management Committee
During next Wednesday’s 9:30 a.m. meeting, the committee will discuss and take possible action on proposed ordinances to adopt the King County Department of Local Services, Road Services Division, Annual Six-Year (2024 - 2029) Capital Improvement Program, as well as on adopting a one-year increase to the limit of lost revenue from waiving or discounting fares as they relate to public transportation. Also on the agenda are proposed ordinances relating to fees charged by the medical examiner's office, increasing the fee for several services and programs, body worn cameras for the King County sheriff's office, establishing the crisis care centers fund, and school impact fees and comprehensive planning. Meeting materials will be made available prior to the meeting here.
Joint Meeting of the Committee of the Whole/Regional Policy Committee
During next Wednesday’s special joint meeting at 3:00 p.m., the committees will discuss proposed ordinances adopting the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy Implementation Plan as well as creating the King County Doors Open program to support cultural organizations by imposing a one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax. After the conclusion of the joint meeting, the RPC will take up a proposed ordinance authorizing the King County executive to execute an interlocal agreement with the city of Seattle concerning disposition of residual materials sorted from source-separated recyclables from King County's solid waste jurisdiction and processed at material recovery facilities within the city of Seattle. Meeting materials will be made available prior to the meeting here.
 King County Medical Examiner’s Office transitions to email system for releasing case information.
Starting Tuesday, November 7, 2023, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) will transition from the current phone hotline to an email system to share daily decedent case information. The email will be sent weekday afternoons, excluding holidays.
Sign up now to ensure you start receiving these emails starting Tuesday.
Sign up to receive decedent lists:
Please sign up for the subscription list to receive daily decedent lists.
- Go to the GovDelivery King County subscriptions webpage: King County, Washington (govdelivery.com)
- Enter email address
- Review privacy policy
- CTRL + F and type “KCMEO” or scroll down and find “Public Health – Seattle & King County”
- Check the box next to “DPH – KCMEO Decedent List”
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Submit”
COVID
For up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the County, see the Daily COVID-19 outbreak summary dashboard.
The Washington State Department of Health recently unveiled a new design and web location for its COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard, which displays the number of COVID-19 vaccines given and the percentage of people vaccinated.
The new 2023-2024 COVID vaccine has been approved, and some pharmacies have them available. Check vaccines.gov to find appointments or check with your provider.
Since June, COVID-19 cases have been on an upward climb in King County and according to the CDC, COVID-19 viruses change and make it harder for our bodies to fight off new versions, or variants, even if you’ve had COVID-19 or been vaccinated previously. If you or someone in your household exhibits COVID-19 related symptoms, please take care of yourself and family and stay home. The CDC recommends employees should be out of the workplace for at least 5 days from the onset of symptoms. For more information from CDC, click here.
Overdose data
For up-to-date data on drug and alcohol-induced overdoses in King County, see the Overdose Data Dashboards.
Helpful Public Health-related articles
It’s COVID season. What are the new rules for staying safe? – The Seattle Times
King County Public Health’s Debra Berliner speaks on protecting yourself against COVID-19 variants – Converge
Vaccines are out, but be patient – KUOW
Preparing for respiratory virus season: Tips to prevent serious illness from COVID-19, RSV and flu – Public Health Insider
2% of kids and 7% of adults have gotten the new COVID shots, US data show – The Seattle Times
Health insurance open enrollment starts November 1st – Public Health Insider
King County Regional Homeless Authority provides severe weather shelters to those in need – KIRO 7
PFAS is in the groundwater west of Spokane. What’s known about the contamination is only growing. – The Seattle Times
Accessing nutritious food: More people and families now qualify for Washington State’s The Emergency Food Assistance Program – Public Health Insider
 A successful Gift Cards for Guns event
 October’s Gift Cards for Guns was a great success, thanks to the collaboration of King County, Shoreline, and Kenmore, and all the individuals who dropped off their firearms and contributed to the reduction of firearms in circulation.
In total, the King County Sheriff’s Office collected 319 firearms that included:
- 8 AR-15 type firearms
- 101 pistols
- 48 revolvers
- 56 shotguns
- 98 rifles (non AR-15)
- 7 muzzle-loading
- 1 antique
Environmental Education Programs
 The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks has many resources available for environmental education throughout the end of the year. There are programs available for all age groups, and volunteer opportunities are open as well.
In response to messages concerning Route 8
Many of you have reached out to me with your concerns about reliability on Route 8. As regular transit users, my staff and I have experienced some of these delays and they are certainly frustrating. In this corridor specifically, it is especially difficult because of the limited east-west routes, shared jurisdictions, and backups on I-5. I reached out to King County Metro and they are currently in discussion with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) on strategies to alleviate this issue. I’ve included their joint response below:
In response to recent public advocacy to reduce travel delays on Route 8, King County Metro (Metro) and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) want to provide information on the route, previous transit priority efforts to improve travel time and reliability, and next steps.
Route 8 connects Seattle Center, Capitol Hill, Central District, Madison Valley, and Mount Baker. The route links several important destinations and is among Metro’s busiest routes carrying nearly 6,000 riders on weekdays. The route has long struggled with travel time and reliability issues along Denny Way. This narrow width of this direct east-west street attracts high volumes of people driving and is a connection to an I-5 on ramp, and we recognize that trips have become more delayed over time.
In general, local jurisdictions or WSDOT own and maintain the public right-of-way (ROW), including streets and traffic signals. Metro operates transit service and builds and maintains its trolley Overhead Catenary System, bus stops and layover facilities in the ROW. To effectively reach our shared transportation, development and climate goals, Metro must partner with local jurisdictions in the planning, design and implementation of projects that improve the travel time and reliability of transit service along corridors and at specific locations. The success of travel time and reliability projects depends on Metro, local jurisdictions, WSDOT and other stakeholders understanding each other’s policies, standards, shared goals, and decision processes.
To improve service to Route 8 riders, Metro and SDOT have implemented numerous approaches over the years. In 2010, Metro eliminated several stops along the route to address bus bunching. In 2016, Metro split Route 8 into the Route 8 and the Route 38 to shorten the route and improve on-time performance. In 2017-2018, SDOT and Metro implemented a series of measures including adding a transit-only lane from Fairview Ave to Stewart St, longer green light times where Denny Way meets 5th and 6th avenues, street channelization improvements, left turn restrictions, and parking removal. In 2021, as part of the Climate Pledge Arena street improvement requirements, transit lanes were installed on Queen Anne Avenue North and First Avenue North.
Despite investments, reliability on Denny Way continues to be a challenging problem to solve due to travel demand and major construction impacts. SDOT and Metro are dedicated to working together to provide mobility and find ways to prioritize transit in the city of Seattle. SDOT and Metro will continue to discuss and review the potential for transit priority treatments along Denny Way, including extending the transit-only lane, to see if it is feasible in this unique transportation environment.
Two projects are underway to help improve reliability. Working with in the project budget, the upcoming Denny Way Paving Project scoped consolidation of additional bus stops to help with bunching and is expected to start construction as soon as 2024. SDOT and Metro recently began a partnership project to create a new bus pathway on Harrison and Mercer Streets to provide additional east-west bus service on less congested streets. That is a longer-term effort as that project is expected to be completed in 2028. Both agencies commit to continuing to look for solutions on Denny Way such as prioritizing moving more people and goods by funding investments meeting climate targets like bus priority, as recommended in the draft Seattle Transportation Plan and King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan.
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me and I commit to continuing to track and urge action to increase reliability and streamline transit through this corridor. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with further questions, comments, and concerns.
Former King County Jail guard and five others indicted for bribery scheme that brought meth and fentanyl into Seattle jail.
A former King County Jail guard, two Department of Corrections inmates, and three co-conspirators were indicted by a federal grand jury for five federal felonies including bribery, drug possession with intent to distribute, and conspiracy. The jail guard accepted bribes to bring methamphetamine and fentanyl into the jail for the benefit of inmates, which is an incredibly unfortunate action that not only breached the public’s trust in the authorities within our jails, but the safety of the surrounding incarcerated people.
 Fall back
 Daylight Saving will end on Sunday, November 5th. Get ready to “fall back” and set your clocks back an hour.
Fly Washington Fall Food Drive
 The Fly Washington Food Drive is open and accepting donations until November 17th. You may drop off your donations of non-perishable food items to one of the eleven drop-off locations listed above. All donations will be delivered to support local food banks.
Architect provides historic overview and updates on Northwest Native Canoe Center
 Last month, many visited The Center for Wooden Boats to listen to architect Bruce Arnold share the plans for the Northwest Native Canoe Center, which will be erected in Lake Union Park and will include both a Welcome House and a Canoe Carving House. I was pleased to have successfully included $1.1 million in last year’s 2023-2024 biennial budget for the Canoe Center.
Public Meeting Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Phase 2 Federal Funding
 The WA State Department of Commerce and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will host a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, November 14th at 2:30 p.m. to discuss federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Phase 2 funding. The meeting will help local jurisdictions to access federal funds to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.
Health Care for the Homelessness Network Community Advisory
 Belltown Wine Share
 The Belltown First Friday Wine Share will be hosted by Anthony Le-Lenhardt along with June Carlin, Jahmal Borden, Ann Marie Hitchcock, Anu and Pat Amiekar at Seattle Heights Condominiums. Bring a friend, a bottle of wine, and your own glass to reduce plastic usage. Snacks will be provided.
When: Friday, November 3rd
Where: Seattle Heights Condominiums located at 2600 2nd Avenue
Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead Celebration
 When: Saturday, November 4th, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Phinney Neighborhood Association
More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/287641967363615/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_custom_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D
Fire pits at Pier 62
 Enjoy an open wood fire in a fire pit while watching the sun set on the Puget Sound. This activity is available if weather permits.
When: Thursdays from 3-6 p.m.
Where: Pier 62
More information:
https://waterfrontparkseattle.org/event/pier-62-fire-pit/?utm_source=Friends+of+Waterfront+Seattle+Newsletter&utm_campaign=698e0e5990-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_06_26_07_27_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f515eed34b-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
Diwali Lights of India
 When: Saturday, November 11th from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Seattle Center
More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1676770036130325/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D
Troll Vintage Market Pop Up
 When: Saturday, November 18th from 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: 701 N. Northlake Way
More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/698555325222702/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22discovery_top_tab%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D
If you know of any events that you would like to see highlighted in my enews, feel free to share them at lilli.deleon@kingcounty.gov.
 WSDA Local Food System Infrastructure Grants
 The purpose of the Washington State Department of Agriculture Local Food System Infrastructure Grant program is to support local food supply chains and market access for farms, ranches, food processors, and food distributors and fund projects that expand and strengthen collaboration across linkages in the regional food supply chain. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, November 15th.
Middle Housing Grant
 The second round of the 2023-2025 Middle Housing Grants is now open for cities and counties and actions relating to adopting ordinances that plan for and accommodate housing at all income levels. There is approximately $1.5 million available to implement House Bill 1110.
Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, November 22nd, at 5:00 p.m. Please send completed applications to gmsgrants@commerce.wa.gov.
Alan Painter Grant Program
The purpose of the Alan Painter Grant Program is to fund community projects that offer unincorporated area residents in the Community Service Areas an opportunity to participate and be more connected in their communities and to King County. Funded projects must demonstrate how activities are accessible to all residents regardless of race, income, or language spoken. Applications will be accepted until Friday, December 15th at 5:00 p.m. This program is very significant for me as Alan was a friend of mine before he passed.
Storefront Repair Grant Program
This new grant program is available to small businesses in unincorporated King County that have experienced vandalism or break-ins since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Applications will be accepted until Sunday, December 31st.
 Local author E.J. Koh’s new novel explores the power of forgiveness.
 A recent graduate from the University of Washington’s doctorate program for Korean American literature, history, and film, E.J. Koh has published an inspiring novel, The Liberators, surrounding the concept of forgiveness, which will be released on November 7th. Koh explains that if forgiving others is the first step toward peace, then the final, and often most difficult one, is forgiving oneself. This lesson, wrapped in poetic writing, is the central focus of the novel, and draws on her life’s experiences and journey toward growth. Read more in this article from The Seattle Times.
Helpful and informative links
Try on proposed King County property tax changes with this tool – Crosscut
Aid limited as asylum-seekers group at Tukwila church grows past 300 – The Seattle Times
King County gun violence prevention office is a much needed new tool – 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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