Investing in the Health of our Communities!
June 2024
Dear Friend,
Last week, Council unanimously passed the Crisis Care Centers (CCC) Implementation Plan after 2 years of meetings internally, with non-profits, behavioral health specialists, first responders, labor unions, elected leaders, and community leaders. This is a monumental step in developing a national model of the most personally effective and financially efficient approach toward addressing our region's behavioral health needs.
King County Executive Dow Constantine along with former DCHS Director Leo Flor, current DCHS Director Kelly Rider, and former BHRD Director Kelli Nomura developed this concept for King County in the spring of 2022. In the Fall of 2022, they brought it to Council, where we worked on it for a year and a half to bring it to this point. Thank you to Executive Constantine and his staff, including April Putney, Karan Gill, Penny Lipsou, Mina Hashemi and Sam Porter, as well as the team that led this process from the Executive’s office (pictured above after the vote): Susan McLaughlin, Kate Baber, Dr. Matt Goldman, Jennifer Winslow, Christopher Verschuyl, and Rick Malley-Crawford.
Click on the image above to learn more about crisis care centers!
The plan itself includes five crisis care centers throughout King County, over 100 behavioral health treatment beds, and significant support for the behavioral health workforce! Many folks still have questions about what the Crisis Care Centers will actually do. Here are some videos that might answer those questions:
With this plan in place, I envision a future where everyone will have the chance to get the help they need and get back to living stable, healthy, productive lives. Thank you for your engagement in this process! As always, if you’d like to meet or talk about anything, please reach out by email, sarah.perry@kingcounty.gov, or phone at 206-477-1003, and we’ll find some time to connect!
All the best,
Council Briefings & Actions!
Council has been working hard this month – here’s the work that matters most to D3:
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At the June Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting, we received a briefing on the challenges and opportunities that exist in our childcare system. Thank you to Erin Haick, Political and Legislative Director, SEIU 925, Jessica Tollenaar Cafferty, Co-Lead Best Starts for Kids, and Phoebe Sade, Executive Officer, Bright Spark, for sharing ways that we can work together to make critical progress in this area.
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At the June Budget and Fiscal Management (BFM) Committee meeting, we received a briefing from policy staff on a $172.3 million supplemental budget appropriation from the Executive that supplements the 2023-2024 budget passed by Council. Noteworthy items include: $14 million for KC Metro to test hydrogen fuel cell buses; $12 million to the Climate Office for grant-funded work, including solar and heat pump programs; and $73 million to implement the first year of the Doors Open Program. I invite you to share your priorities with me and provide public comment at the upcoming Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 10 at 9:30 AM!
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At our June 11th Full Council meeting, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined to deliver his State of the County address, highlighting progress and work ahead on everything from creating affordable housing and expanding access to behavioral health care to responding to the climate crisis and growing our transit network. Watch the full address here.
If you are interested in joining us for a meeting to make a comment or just listen in, click on any of the following links: Full Council Meeting; Budget and Fiscal Management; Committee of the Whole; Government Accountability and Oversight; Employment and Administration; Health and Human Services; Labor Policy; Law and Justice; Local Services and Land Use; Transportation, Economy, and Environment; Regional Policy; Regional Transit; Regional Water Quality
Out in the Community!
 (Left): Joined the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new North Bend Sub-Station for the North Bend / Snoqualmie Police Department; (Right): Joined the SnoValley Chamber at their Legislative Update Panel luncheon at the Snoqualmie Casino with the Port of Seattle!
(Left): Visited the brand-new University of Washington Behavioral Health & Learning Center that will open its doors on July 9th and serve our entire region; (Right): Celebrated the North Bend Farmers Market Opening Day Celebration!
 (Left): Celebrated Duvall Days with the Cascade Kennels team; (Right): Celebrated Fall City Day with the Fall City Community Association!
June Recognitions and Holidays!
 June was full of festivities, holidays, and proclamations! We kicked off the month in Duvall at their annual Duvall Days Festival! The following weekend we were out in Fall City enjoying the sun at their annual Fall City Day! On June 16th, we wished a very Happy Father’s Day to all of the Fathers, past and present, Stepfathers, Foster Fathers, and Grandfathers in our community. That same day, Muslim community members around the world celebrated Eid al-Adha! On June 19th, we honored Juneteenth by joining the Black Farmers Collective, who have a farm located right in District 3 in unincorporated Redmond, alongside King County Executive Dow Constantine on a tour to learn about their work to create a local, sustainable, Black-led food system! Finally, I had the honor of sharing a Proclamation recognizing Pride Month in King County alongside my colleague Councilmember Jorge Barón, and I was so excited that we had Greg Jamiel from SnoValley Pride as one of the recipients of the proclamation. We look forward to what July has in store for us!
On the Issues!
Informed by both our survey data and community conversations, our priority areas this year include Community Health & Safety, Environmental Preservation & Farm Protection, and Small Businesses & Creative Economy. We are hard at work convening meetings with organizations and are looking forward to the positive change we can create together!
On the Topic of Community Health & Safety
‘Ready, Set, Go’ Evacuation Campaign Expansion: Last summer, the regional Ready, Set, Go! evacuation campaign launched in partnership with King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties. This year, Kitsap, Skagit, and Whatcom counties have joined the effort. The program educates the public on how to respond to the three levels of evacuations and prepares them for actions they should take at each level. The expansion of this program also includes two new Sheriff’s Office helicopter water buckets that boost King County’s ability to fight wildfires. It was so great to visit Eastside Fire & Rescue Station 87 to see these buckets alongside the King County Sheriff's Office, King County Emergency Management, Snoqualmie Mayor Ross, and King County Executive Constantine.
On the Topic of the Environmental Preservation & Farm Protection
Eastrail 42-mile Trail Network Update: U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell secured a $25 million grant administrated by the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help King County Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks complete the southern segment of Eastrail, an emerging 42-mile regional trail connected to high-capacity transit! Throughout my tenure as Co-Chair of the Eastrail Regional Advisory Council we've been working hard to close the final gap in the trail network, and with this monumental funding award from USDOT, we are finally able to realize our vision of an uninterrupted 42-mile trail system! This will allow us to continue to connect our vibrant communities across East King County and expand access to our regional parks and open spaces, including King County Conservation Futures acquisitions and partnership on the Mountains to Sound Greenway corridor.
On the Topic of Small Businesses & Creative Economy
Nonprofit Finance Fund Workshop: To support organizations applying for grants through the Doors Open Facilities Building for Equity programs, the Nonprofit Finance Fund will lead an introductory workshop for nonprofits focused on preparing for facilities projects. Acquiring a new facility/space or making substantial changes to existing facilities/space is an exciting way for nonprofits to grow their impact and strengthen their ties to the communities they serve. Join the workshop on Tuesday, July 9th from 3:00 - 4:30 PM on Zoom -- make sure to register here!
District 3 Town Halls
Upcoming Town Hall: Fall City (July 25th)
We are excited to host an in-person KC D3 Fall City Town Hall on Thursday, July 25th at 6:30 PM at a location in Fall City to be announced soon! Join us to learn and share as we get to know each other and how we can work together to ensure that Fall City has the best communities possible for all! We will be joined by KC Experts and will be sharing more details soon, so stay tuned for more information!
KC D3 Snoqualmie Pass Town Hall Recap
It was delightful to hear from our Snoqualmie Pass residents at the Silver Fir Lodge at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Our guest speakers joined us to talk about community safety, road infrastructure and maintenance, and environmental preservation in Snoqualmie Pass and across D3. You can watch a recap of the Town Hall here!
Update on the 2024 Comprehensive Plan!
Earlier this month, our King County Council Local Services and Land Use Committee voted and approved legislation on the once-a-decade update to the Comprehensive Plan, which shapes all aspects of unincorporated county growth and development!
It has been an honor to lead the Comprehensive Plan update this year, and I'm appreciative of my colleagues for voting to approve the striking amendment that I put forward. This legislation represents the culmination of nearly six months of work to integrate community input and build upon the plan that was transmitted to Council by the Executive in December of 2023.
My Council colleagues and I listened to the issues that are most important to our residents – including access to housing, safer communities, and environmental protections – so that, together, we could create the best plan for all our community members. Thank you to all the residents who stepped forward to share their feedback on this critical plan. I'm looking forward to continuing our work on the Comprehensive Plan as we move toward a final vote later this year. Read more about the vote here!
Summer Food Support for Families
For many families in our community, school meals are an essential way that they keep their children fed. Summer break can be a challenging time financially, which is why the SUN Bucks program is available. This program offers each eligible child $120 in food benefits, aimed at supporting nutritious, affordable meals during the summer months. For more information and to apply, visit this website or click the button below.
Visit a Farmers Market this Summer!
This year, one of our main priorities has been to visit farms across our District to learn about their work and hear any farming and agricultural related challenges, concerns, and opportunities for support that we can work on together! This summer, many of our local farms will be at a market near you, so make sure to check them out:
Grant Opportunities this Quarter!
Do you know of an impactful organization that's looking for funding? Our District 3 Team has resources for you! Every month we share a Grants Newsletter that highlights upcoming grant opportunities over the next few months, and there are several grant opportunities that are available now! Investing in our local non-profits and supporting innovative ideas through funding is critical to ensure that each of our communities can thrive, now and into the future!
Fall City Spotlight!
This month the spotlight is shining on a Fall City business, non-profit, and civic engagement opportunity! We hope you have a chance to visit these fantastic community contributors – and remember to Go Local!
Small Business Spotlight: Aroma Coffee
Aroma Coffee is a community-centered coffee shop in the heart of Fall City! With delicious drinks and food along with a beautiful space to work or spend quality time, there's something for everyone! Join them every Friday at their Market as they build community while supporting local artisans and farmers. You can look forward to rotating food trucks and 16 local market vendors each week! Visit their website here or stop by the shop at 33429 SE Redmond Fall City Rd, Fall City, WA 98024. Questions? Call them at 425-441-8111 or send them an email at info@aromacoffeeco.com.
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Originally founded in 1995, Fall City Arts was established to bring the community together over activities such as Shakespeare in the Park, community dances, musical performances, art installations, craft markets, and more. Now run by the stellar team of Krimsey Lilleth, Scott Ricketts, and Morgan Leahy, they are focused on bringing free art and culture events to Fall City along with working to get Fall City certified as a Creative District! Visit their website here to learn more. Questions? Send them an email at hello@fallcityarts.org.
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The Fall City Community Association (FCCA), a volunteer organization that represents the unincorporated area of Fall City, has been doing impressive work to engage residents in serving the community! They help in the planning of Fall City Day, which took place this year on June 8th -- you can watch a great recap of the parade here! They also do a great job at engaging with local non-profits in Fall City, and you can learn more here. If you have any questions, make sure to contact FCCA at ilovefallcity@gmail.com or visit their website here.
About Town!
With so much going on across our District 3 cities and towns, we want to ensure that you know about any upcoming major events, parades, festivals, and activities. Below is a short list of some upcoming events!
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Thursday, July 4th, 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM: family activities, pancake breakfast, Northshore Veterans Memorial Car Show, parade, and more!
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Thursday, July 4th, 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM: pancake breakfast, 5K run, parade, kiddie parade, vendor village, car and motorcycle show, live music, fireworks, and more!
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Thursday, July 4th, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM: family activities, kids and pets parade, bouncy houses, carnival games, petting zoo, food trucks, and more!
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Thursday, July 4th, 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM: family activities, food vendors, activities, fireworks show, and more!
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Thursday, July 4th, 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM: family fun, vendors, inflatables, kids' activities, music, food trucks, fireworks show, and more!
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Wednesday, July 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st, 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM: live music, family fun, vendors, kids' activities, food trucks, and more!
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Saturday, July 13th, 8:00 AM - 10:30 PM: craft market, live music, parades, carnival rides, bike races, food vendors, kids' activities, drone show, and more!
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Saturday, July 20th, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM: green building tour, farm and garden tour, John the Falconer and His Birds of Prey, craft vendors, and more!
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Saturday, July 20th, 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM: live music, kid zone, food trucks, vendors, arts & crafts, and more!
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Saturday, July 27th, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM: live music, ethnic food, cultural performances, and more!
If you know of any upcoming events that you’d like us to highlight in next month’s newsletter, please share them at osman.salahuddin@kingcounty.gov.
Stay Connected!
Please forward this email and invite others to sign up to receive email updates. Also, make sure that you follow our Facebook account, Instagram account, and X (Twitter) page to stay up-to-date on everything we are working on together!
Finally... a reminder that I’d love to grab a cup of coffee and talk. Just reach out to our team member Osman at osman.salahuddin@kingcounty.gov or at 206-507-9860 and he will set us up!
All the best,
 Sarah Perry
King County Council
District 3
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