Teresa Tuesday: (April 2, 2024)

Welcome to this first Teresa Tuesday of April. I hope everyone enjoyed the joyous holidays we've celebrated over the past two weeks. 

Featured Update

Sound Transits West Seattle Expansion's Impacts on North Delridge

The group gathered to hear from Sound Transit about their plans at Empire Espresso

Last week, I hosted a walking tour with Sound Transit and several key North Delridge business sites in anticipation of the West Seattle light rail expansion. We walked around the proposed site and to talk about impacted businesses, while just a few feet away sat several empty parking lots and a dead-end street barely used. We convened the discussion to help highlight the impacts to not just businesses, but the region's public assets in the area: childcare, recreation, educational programming and community gathering spots that are affected by the current preferred alternative route. The group I assembled included of other Elected Leaders, representatives from their offices, small business owners and labor partners along with Sound Transit. Some of the local businesses and organizations in attendance that would be impacted include Ounces Taproom, West Seattle Health Club, The Skylark Cafe and Club, Nucor, Mode Music, Alki Beach Academy and ILWU Local 52.

One of the nearby empy parking lots

Behind the buidling which is mostly unoccupied except for Bartels.

I believe it is important that Sount Transit prioritizes Businesses, access to childcare, workers, recreation and educational programs over empty streets and parking lots.

Alki Beach Academy, for example is the largest childcare facility on the peninsula and has plans to expand at this site to meet the growing needs of our working families. They plan to be able to serve over 300 children including infants in this area which would otherwise be a childcare desert. 

Standing in front of Alki Academy, a critical piece of the community potentially impacted by the current ST West Seattle Light Rail Expansion

Alki Beach Academy, a childcare facility, has plans to expand at this site to meet the growing needs of our working families. They plan to be able to serve over 300 children including infants in this area which would otherwise be a childcare desert. 

Mode Music and the Skylark provide opportunities for kids to develop their artistic abilities.

The next stop on the tour continued the theme of education as we heard from the owner of Mode Music, a music school with unique building needs due to sound considerations and the Skylark Cafe that offers one of the only all ages venues and gathering places for community. Both of these spots are highly valued in our region. 

Hearing directly from the owners of Ounces about what their community ties mean to them.

We ended our tour at Ounces Taproom, a small family-run biz that hosts many community events and supports food vendors. Noting that relocating isn’t just a matter of finding another space for a place like Ounces, these bits create connections to the neighborhood, which is why the community loves them so much.  

I was encouraged to hear every person speak about their support for Light Rail but rightly raise questions about the uniqueness of the public assets that are affected by this preferred alternative. Sound Transit said they'd bring the info to the board. 

Sound Transit walkthrough for Delridge businesses leaves unanswered questions | Westside Seattle

Stay tuned for more opportunities to bring your perspective on light rail expansion to Sound Transit in the coming weeks. 

Committee Updates:

Board of Health - Working to keep our public health clinics open

I spoke with King5 about our ongoing efforts to keep the clinics open. Their story can be found by clicking this picture.

Last year, Executive Constantine sounded the alarm bells that without legislative help from Olympia the County would be forced to close its public health clinics. These Clinics served nearly 80,000 people last year, many whom are BIPOC low income families who would go without care if not for these services. It's also important to note that it was these brick and mortar sites that helped us to having some of the best out comes during the pandemic despite being one of the earliest areas hit in our country. 

King5 Most King County public health clinics could close in 2025 without funding fix

I'm working with the Executive, my colleagues on the Council our partners at the federal level and the unions whose members work in these clinics to assess what options we now have with the tools Olympia has provided us. There will be more to come but we need to keep our community healthy and cared for by investing in that workforce and investing in our public health infrastructure. My goal is to keep those services going to care for our community's most vulnerable.  

Health & Human Services Committee - Crisis Care Centers Implementation Plan 

At our Health & Human Services Committee meeting this week we received a briefing on the Crisis Care Centers Implementation Plan. If you'd like to see the plan and the presentation from the committee meeting, they can be found here. I welcome your ideas and feedback as we prepare to help address our region's Behavioral Health crisis by creating these centers that families can take loved ones to when they are struggling, and first responders will know where to go when they encounter individuals in crisis. 

The implementation is plan is a dual referral type of legislation and it is also being moved through the process at the Regional Policy Committee. I appreciate getting to work with my Council colleague Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer is chairs the RPC. 

Council Updates:

Valley Medical Center's Newest Addition to their Board of Commissioners

Rick Polintan, accompanied by his wife Pacita, being sworn in by Chair Upthegrove

Rick Polintan, has been a longtime labor activist, community organizer and leader in the Filipino community. I’m so excited to have his voice on the Valley Medical Center Board to help center the voices of community. I know the board has important decisions coming up and I’m glad he will be at the table. Please join me in congratulating Rick who we appointed to a vacancy on the board this week.  

New Deputy Omsbuds 

The King County Ombuds Office would like to announce a new Deputy Ombuds has been hired to assist residents in unincorporated King County. Eric Beach has joined the Ombuds team, taking the lead on resolving issues in rural areas of the county. Eric moved over from the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks where he had helped farmers and small forest landowners with obtaining permits and navigating land use regulations.  The Ombuds Office manages complaints from the public about King County government agencies and departments to promote public confidence in King County government. The Ombuds team can be reached at ombudsmail@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-1050.

Community Opportunities:

Painter Grants

Congratulations to the 9 organizations in District 8 who won approval for their Alan Painter Grant proposals. These Painter Grants help orgs do small projects or hold events and is administered by the Department of Local Services. Here is the list of awardees and their projects. Congratulations!

Vashon Community Council

Vashon Community Council Meeting Announcement from last month

Last Month I also joined the Vashon Community Council to talk about what is happening on the island like the announcement that there will not be a new dog park at the Wax Orchard site and the timeline for expanded Water Taxi service. I also wanted to make sure everyone knew that on April 4th, 5:30pm I and some of my Council Colleagues will be on Vashon to give an Update on the Comprehensive Plan. We will be at the Vashon Arts Center and hope to see you there.  

Cultural Producers Recovery Fund 

This fund provides up to $12,000 to those impacted by the pandemic as they recuperate, adapt and advance their practice. We know that many of you have been profoundly affected by and continue to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, having experienced unemployment, the loss of freelance income, and unanticipated expenses. The Cultural Producer Recovery Fund is an opportunity for Cultural Producers to recover from some of the significant financial impacts they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second and final round of American Resource Plan Act (ARPA) grants for Cultural Producers. We’ve streamlined the criteria to make the application process easier. For this round, you do not need to provide personal tax return documents to demonstrate financial loss due to the pandemic.

For more information on eligibility, please read the guidelines.

Apply by May 8th, 2024 at 5pm 

RFP for Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team 

Health One, a Seattle Fire Department program that responds to low-acuity crisis calls, is a relatively new alternative for 911 dispatchers. Photo from Publicola Story by Paul Kiefer

The Department of Community and Human Services’ Behavioral Health and Recovery Division is pleased to announce an open Request for Proposals (RFP) for expansion of adult mobile crisis services. The purpose of the RFP is to expand access to adult mobile crisis services throughout the County by adding an additional 10 mobile crisis teams and geographically disbursing teams throughout the County. Through this RFP, DCHS intends to award funding appropriated from both Medicaid and state and local funding sources including the MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax Fund (MIDD) and the Crisis Care Centers Levy (CCC).

The RFP will close on April 23, 2024. Initial decisions are expected to be made in May 2024. For more information about this RFP, please visit this link: MRRCT RFP.

BE Heard: BIPOC Voices about Mental Health and Wellness Community Listening Project

The Department of Community and Human Services’ Behavioral Health and Recovery Division is pleased to announce an open Request for Applications (RFA) for Be Heard: BIPOC Voices about Mental Health and Wellness Community Listening Project funded by the MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax Fund.

The Be Heard: BIPOC Voices about Mental Health and Wellness Community Listening Project RFA will fund small Community-Based and/or BIPOC-led Organizations that provide mental health and wellness supports to host Community Listening Sessions. Information from these listening sessions will help King County BHRD understand how to improve behavioral health contracts, services and programming to better serve individuals from BIPOC communities.   

For more information about this RFA, please visit https://forms.office.com/g/J2ZeypRqag. Organizations interested in applying can also initiate their applications through this site.

Maritime Heritage Grant 

Image: Schooner Adventuress. Photo by Jan Anderson

Since time immemorial, people have settled along the saltwater shores of what is today Washington State, supported by the rich maritime resources for food, shelter, inspiration, trade, and transportation. Today, Washington’s shores continue to serve as home to many vibrant maritime cultures. To support those who celebrate, maintain, and share our state’s water-based stories and resources, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area is pleased to offer the Maritime Washington Grant Program. This program will award funds to the nonprofit organizations, local governments, Tribes, regional educational institutions, and other entities connected to our region’s maritime heritage.

The mission of the Maritime Washington Grant Program is to support work that strengthens, maintains, and shares maritime heritage in Washington. We define “maritime heritage” broadly as the history and connection that people have with the marine environment. It includes tangible and intangible resources and encompasses cultural, historical, and natural resources.

Find out more and apply here

Grant Opportunities from Congresswoman Jayapal

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal WA-7

Congresswoman Jayap asked me to share opportunities for District 8 residents to learn more about grants and resources available to them from the Federal Government. We want more people to benefit from the transformative investments being made by the Biden-Harris Administration to lower costs, fight the climate crisis, and invest in the future of our country.

The Congresswoman has a monthly grants newsletter overviewing federal funding opportunities. If you would like to sign up to receive that newsletter, please follow the link here or visit her grants resources page here.  

Thank you for signing up for the #TeresaTuesday Newsletter. We will send you regular updates every other week. If you’d like to reach out or have an issue we can help with, please reach out anytime.

Thank you for allowing us to represent you on the King County Council!

Teresa Mosqueda
King County Councilmember, District 8
(206) 477-1008
teresa.mosqueda@kingcounty.gov