Medic One Leases Renewed
I was excited to co-sponsor two pieces of legislation in the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, renewing two leases to continue life-saving Medic One services to Burien and the surrounding area and on Vashon-Maury Island. The Medic One program is operated out of Fire District buildings in both communities and we’re thrilled to continue co-locating the County's emergency medical response in these locations. Thank you to King County Fire District #2 and Vashon Island Fire & Rescue for your continued partnership!
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GAO Meeting at the Museum of Flight
 SPEEA members, including Brian Algiers, with Councilmembers Mosqueda, Balducci, Von Reichbauer, and Barón.
Although not a member of the Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO) committee, Chair Pete Von Reichbauer was kind enough to extend a special invitation to myself and Councilmember Barón to a special meeting held at the museum of flight right in District 8. I was especially proud to see Brian Algiers, a member of SPEEA be confirmed by the committee to the King County Regional International Airport Roundtable as a representative of labor!
Pet Business Permitting Program
After a tragic fire that resulted in the death of a beloved dog, my office took action and worked with Public Health to ensure we were doing what it took to keep this from happening again. Pet parents will now be able to see if their doggie daycare is safe and permitted before entrusting their furry family members to these businesses. Public Health will shut down any canine camp that doesn’t meet our community’s standards. Find out more here. You can also sign up here for alerts when a business’s health permit is suspended.
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Friends of Mukai Land Transfer
The Council approved legislation that I co-sponsored with Councilmember Zahilay, which transfers land from the County to the Friends of Mukai, allowing the Friends of Mukai to move forward with their restoration and preservation of the Mukai Fruit Barreling Plant. This County landmark is a historic reminder of our painful past but also a beacon of hope for a future built on inclusion instead of internment. Friends of Mukai are the current stewards of the Mukai House and Garden and this transfer will allow them to expand on their incredible work which is open to the public. Thank you to all the community members and staff from the executive branch who have worked to make this a reality.
 Click on video to hear my full remarks beginning at 32:50
Residential Treatment Center Opens in South Seattle
As a leader for behavioral health and health care access, I was excited to join Executive Constantine for the opening of Pioneer Human Services' King County Residential Treatment Program (KCRTP) located in south Seattle. The 16-bed program will serve Medicaid-eligible adults who have been involved in the criminal legal system and are experiencing co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorders. KCRTP will have an interdisciplinary team offering a wide array of services to aid patient recovery, including licensed clinicians, peer support, and specialists in housing and employment. The program will provide psychiatric assessments, medication management, and evidence-based practices while also facilitating connections to community-based treatment, housing, and employment as patients reintegrate into the community. The program will begin accepting patients on September 23.
While there, I asked how the neighborhood has responded to the reopening, and was so pleased to hear from Pioneer Health Services’ team that the neighbors have welcomed the new residents with open arms – saying you couldn’t ask for a better neighbor - sober, well-staffed, and never have loud gatherings while providing a critical service for community health. That’s wonderful to hear for this highly needed public asset to provide critical public health to our community! Thank you to all who made this possible. What a wonderful complement to the Crisis Care Center Levy that will help provide a workforce training and apprentice pipeline to help encourage more behavioral health providers to enter the field and create greater stability for the sector and for the community’s health.
 The opening of KCRTP on September 9.
Human Trafficking Keynote
I was truly honored to have been invited to be the Keynote speaker at the 2024 Ending Human Trafficking in an Era of Globalization: Problems, Perspectives, and Progress Conference hosted by the UW Women's Center in the beautiful wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House and in the presence of anti-human trafficking champions, including Dr. Sutapa Basu, Hon. Velma Veloria, and Senator Rebecca Saldaña. The conference assessed the effects of modern-day problems on the anti-human trafficking movement as well as give space for service providers, legislators, government officials, and researchers to participate in the discourse around the issue. They tackled modern-day topics such as issues and policies that push people off their land and into forced migration that can make individuals more vulnerable and thus more suspectable to labor trafficking.
 Outside wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House with (left to right) Hon. Velma Veloria, Dr. Sutapa Basu, and Senator Rebecca Saldaña.
APIAHiP National Forum in Chinatown International District
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It was a packed house at Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation’s (APIAHiP) National Forum in the Seattle’s Chinatown International District - celebrating preservation of buildings and community, as we build housing and community amenities in the vision and vein of what community wants and needs. View the full program here.
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Standing with Labor
 Last week I was proud to stand with the members of SEIU 925 and WSFE at Harborview who are standing up for a fair contract including protections against AI taking their jobs and livable wages. I also joined the Machinists of IAM 751 at Boeing who are on strike to get their company back on track starting with investing in their homegrown workforce.
Solid Ground Circulator
I’ve heard from Vashon Island and West Seattle constituents who are interested in using water taxi transit to get to medical appointments that there are some challenges getting to medical appointments up First Hill without a car. So we did some research – and we think we have an option for you! Here is a transit option that may be accessible to those looking to make the journey up to “Pill Hill” without taking a car. I am excited to share about a program I recently learned about – the Downtown Circulator. We verified that they have capacity to take on boatloads (pun intended) of Vashon Islanders! Solid Ground, a local human services organization, operates a shuttle bus called the Downtown Circulator in partnership with the City of Seattle. The Downtown Circulator is a free, fixed-route, ADA accessible shuttle bus that connects riders to various health and human service providers in First Hill. It runs Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm, on a fixed, one-way, 30-minute loop. While it does go only one way, and could take approximately 20 minutes to circle up to First Hill, it’s another good option to get folks to appointments in addition to the Rapid Ride G-Line so more folks can leave their cars at home. Look for their green Circulator bus stop signs downtown; head to Stop 3 (1st and Marion) for the closest pickup to the Water Taxi dock!
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 Click on the map to view the full flyer.
Parks Grants Release
 I’m thrilled to announce that myself and my colleagues on the King County Council and Executive Constantine are releasing $5 million in grant funding to support outdoor recreation, refurbished aquatic centers, and enhanced sports fields. Congratulations to these District 8 nonprofits and community leaders on their recent awards that benefit the health and wellbeing of our community:
- Adult & Youth Learning Center
- Cultivated Minds
- Interim Community Development Association
- Para Los Niños de Highline
- Seatown FC Foundation
- Ta’alem Community Center
- Evergreen Pool
- South Park Senior Citizens
- Summit Community Center
- Youth Experiential Training Institute (Y.E.T.I.)
- Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS)
- Muslim American Youth Foundation (MAYF)
- Upower
and all other parks and rec spaces that help support our region’s youth!
Rat City Art & Food Walk
Happening the 3rd Thursday of every month in White Center!
Vashon Community Event
Highlighting an opportunity for islanders to learn about different health focused events and information sessions organized by the Island Navigation Network.
Grant Opportunities
Partners in Water Program
Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is offering four grants of $27,500 each to help enhance community engagement in wastewater infrastructure projects.
Applications due by 11:59 pm on September 30.
Click on image for full grant advertisement.
Request for Proposals (RFP): PHSKC Centering Diverse Healers in Youth Well-Being and Mental Health
This RFP seeks to:
- Increase access to youth well-being and mental health supports.
- Improve retention of a diverse workforce that supports youth mental health, especially for BIPOC and/or LGBTQ young people.
- Increase support for providers who reflect the experiences of young people seeking support.
Applications due by 5:00 pm on October 18.
Scheduled Public Meetings
West Seattle Link Extension drop-in sessions
Following the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Sound Transit will be hosting drop-in events to share information about the project and answer your questions.
When: Wednesday September 25, 4:30-6:30 pm
Where: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, West Seattle Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali interpretation will be provided.
When: Tuesday October 1, 4:30-6:30 pm
Where: Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Ave SW, West Seattle Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation will be provided.
When: Wednesday October 2, 11 am-1 pm
Where: Gallery B612, 1915 First Ave. S, SODO
Puget Sound Regional Council’s Regional Safety Action Plan Public Meeting Thursday September 26, 5-7:30 pm
El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144
Virtual Public Meeting for proposed changes to septic code
Thursday September 26, 5-7 pm
Virtual Washington State Ferries Public Meetings
Prior registration is required for these virtual meetings. Meeting participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments ahead of time by emailing wsfcomms@wsdot.wa.gov.
Tuesday September 24, 12 pm - register here
Wednesday September 25, 6 pm - register here
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