Bike helmet giveaway at Broadview-Thomson K-8 School, my last Council meeting as I retire, a Congressional recognition, SIFF Cinema Downtown ribbon-cutting and opening night, and more.

December 15, 2023

Here I am pictured with Cascade Bicycle Club staff, Broadview-Thomson principal Tipton Blish and Clara Manahan on my staff after handing out free bicycle helmets to students in the rain. Missing is my Chief-of-Staff Adam Cooper who was there coordinating everything.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last week, I was pleased to join the Cascade Bicycle Club in a helmet giveaway at Broadview-Thomson K-8 School, located in the northern part of District Four. Bike helmets are an important safety mechanism to protect against brain injuries and it’s important for children to build the habit of wearing a well-fitting helmet each and every time they go biking, skating, or scootering. It was very fun to see how excited each child was to receive their helmet and I was pleased to be able to help secure the funding for this event and hand them out.

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. Even as incoming Councilmember Jorge Barón takes office, the District 4 phone number will stay the same and serves as a good first point of contact for the office.

All the best and I hope you are staying safe.

Quote of the Week

“Something which we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade.” - Constance Baker Motley

Government Accountability and Oversight Committee

This week, the GAO committee took action on three proposed motions, one of which accepted a report on menstrual hygiene products and two of which advanced appointments to the King County International Airport Roundtable. Then, the committee received two briefings on the King County International Airport audit and on King County Elections. It was a brief meeting, and the recording is available here.

Here, CM McDermott and I are pictured with Megan Utemei, Outreach Director for U.S. Senator Patty Murray, with the Congressional Records of Tribute that Sen. Murray read on the Senate Floor.

Full Council

On Tuesday, the full Council met for its last meeting of the year and took up several pieces of legislation, most notably including two ordinances related to property tax levies and passing the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy Implementation Plan Ordinance. The VSHSL Levy provides crucial services throughout the county and focuses specifically on veterans, seniors, and other individuals and families in need of behavioral health services, affordable housing, and more. The Implementation Plan will be the guiding document over the course of the levy.

I was also honored on Tuesday to be joined by Megan Utemei, Outreach Director for Senator Patty Murray, who presented Councilmember Joe McDermott (who is also leaving the Council) and me with Congressional Records of Tribute for our extensive public service. As it was my last council meeting, it was truly overwhelming to feel the care and support of my colleagues, community, and even Congress! The full recording of the meeting is available here and the video that King County TV made for me is available here. Community members and colleagues made remarks on Councilmember McDermott’s and my final council meeting at 14:00 minutes and approximately 55:00 into the recording.

I was thrilled to get to share my last Council meeting with some of my family! My granddaughter Frances Fern even provided public comment.

Forecast Council Meeting

This morning, I joined the meeting of the Forecast Council to discuss and appoint Lizbeth Martin-Mahar as the new Chief Economist for King County. The agenda and materials are available here.

If you missed the meetings, recordings and additional materials will be made available here. 

Supplemental Budget passed last week.

The Council passed the 2^nd Omnibus Budget to the 2023-2024 Biennial Budget. This budget made nearly $7 million in savings to the General Fund, a priority that hopefully alleviates some of the $50 million shortfall the General Fund is facing in the 2025-2026 budget cycle. Additional financial pressure will be felt in our community as the federal coronavirus relief funds (CLRF) are soon to dry up. Some good news is I was able to procure some funding for important projects and programs in District Four, including funding for operation of the free waterfront shuttle this coming summer season. I also secured funding for the Ballard NW Senior Center’s long overdue elevator replacement and for the UW Women’s Center in support of a summit on human trafficking next year, continuing critical work I have been involved with throughout my career. Finally, I secured funding for several organizations that continue to do great things in our neighborhoods—Path With Art, National Nordic Museum, Skate Like A Girl, Woodland Park Zoo, Queen Anne Historical Society, and Nomad Boxing.

SIFF Cinema Downtown, formerly Cinerama, opens.

On Thursday afternoon, I was delighted to join the Seattle International Film Festival in Belltown for the ribbon-cutting for the new SIFF Cinema Downtown, formerly known as the Cinerama. I was pleased to be able to help SIFF secure County funding to purchase the Cinerama, thanks to our Budget Chair Joe McDermott, and am looking forward to being able to see films there again. The SIFF Cinema Downtown, along with the SIFF Film Center at the Seattle Center, SIFF Cinema Uptown and the SIFF Cinema Egyptian is now part of the SIFF family of theaters. Thank you, SIFF CEO Tom Mara, for inviting me to join you and share remarks, it was an absolute pleasure.  And I enjoyed being at the grand opening of the theater last night watching the Seattle premiere of “Wonka” with City CM Andrew Lewis and Laura Lewis and my colleague CM Joe McDermott and Michael Culpepper which was a lot of fun. Read coverage of the opening in The Seattle Times here.

Holiday activities galore!

This weekend, tons of community events will be going on to celebrate the holiday season. In South Lake Union this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be free rides on the streetcar, free Santa photos and hot chocolate, and more. It’s all ages and more information is available here. At Discovery Park, the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation will be hosting their Native Art Market, more info on that is available here. And over in Ballard there are events, too! Check out a roundup of local holiday events from MyBallard or The Stranger at these links.

Compass Housing seeking clothing donations.

This holiday season, Compass Housing is seeking donations of warm clothing for their shelter guests. They had a large donation lined up, but it fell through this week, so they are putting out a community call for help. Additional information on the types of items they’re looking for are available here.  If you have items that could be shared, please contact Sam Townsend, Community Engagement Manager at 206-719-9137 or stownsend@Compasshousingalliance.org to schedule an appointment to drop off or get items picked up.

RSV and flu cases are on the rise.

Emergency dept. visits for flu and RSV in King County are increasing so make sure that you are up-to-date on your recommended vaccines and get ready to mask in healthcare settings. For tips and tricks on how to stay healthy this cold and flu season, check out the Public Health Insider’s article here.

Need help? There’s a place for you to call.

Here in Washington state, you are only three numbers away from help. In case of a life-threatening or other emergency, dialing 911 will connect you with emergency services. If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts or other significant mental health challenges, dialing 988 will connect you with services. And if you need support or have inquiries around health and human services, 211 is the number to call. Check out this video for information on when to call each number and how they all connect.

Metro Route 5 improvements are being explored.

Do you regularly use Route 5 to traverse District 4? If so, you’ll be interested in the findings of the King County Metro Route 5 Improvements study that Metro is conducting in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation. The study will identify improvements along the route that could shorten bus travel times and improve reliability. Read more about the upcoming study here.

Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm steps down.

On Tuesday, Julie Timm, the Sound Transit CEO, announced that she will be leaving to take care of family matters. Her last day with Sound Transit will be January 12^th, and a transition team will be put into place to appoint the interim CEO and help the agency move through this change. Read more about the announcement here.

King County Airport Audit released.

There has been much discussion around the King County International Airport in recent months, and earlier this week, the King County Auditor’s Office released their report on it, titled “King County Airport: Accountability and Transparency Could Strengthen Community Engagement.”  The report is comprehensive and interesting and was discussed at the GAO committee this week. If you’re interested, the full report is available here.

As I am soon leaving...

Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates. I will be sending out one final enews edition next week. Although it’s been difficult for me to absorb that I am retiring from public service, it’s beginning to feel real with just a bit over two weeks to go.  And if you are interested, you can click here to visit the archive page where you can find all of my previous enews updates.