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 May 2, 2025
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It is estimated there are over 16,000 people facing homelessness currently in King County (pop. 2.3 million).
Encampments, like several currently near Tukwila and Kent, can require the involvement of fire and rescue services or law enforcement. They also require places for people to go for safe shelter, stable housing, and services – resources which are sometimes underfunded or unavailable.
So, when Glacier Middle School in SeaTac invited me to address 7th graders on Career Day on April 24, I decided to challenge kids in three classes to come up with solutions to homelessness.
Here is what they proposed:
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D5 staff used the game Kahoot to have kids propose solutions to homelessness in teams.
We also asked them how to solve homelessness if King County and all 39 cities in King County don’t agree on what to do.
Glacier students discuss how to work with disagreement.
We asked how we solve homelessness if federal funding runs out and we need to spend more money locally:
Kids discussed what to do if there is less federal funding to solve homelessness.
It was an honor to hear from some of District 5’s youngest residents and thinkers. Thank you, Glacier Middle School!
Left to right: D5 staff Saeed Mahamood, CM De’Sean Quinn,
Academic Student Success Coach Kim Booker, D5 staff Jazmin Pairazaman.
The goal of the D5 e-news is to share information about council business, upcoming community events, access to services, opportunities, and ways for us to build an even better King County.
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Photographed left to right: CM De’Sean Quinn, Transit Analyst Seth Worden, ZE Program Deputy Director Adrian Down,
KC Metro Mobility Equity Cabinet Heena Vahora, Environmental Affairs Autumn Salamack
Last Friday, I spoke at Journey to a Cleaner Tomorrow, an Earth Day Metro event at Columbia City Theatre.
This was part of “Earth Deserves More than a Day” a week-long environmental justice event which involved King County DNRP, the City of Tukwila and many community organizations.
Speakers addressed issues such as climate change and changing transit culture. They also discussed exciting news regarding Metro’s transition to a Zero Emission fleet and the new Battery Electric Buses (BEB)!
CM Quinn will be planting a small sapling.
On Saturday, I attended the Normandy Park Arbor Celebration for Earth Day with Jazmin of my staff.
CM De’Sean Quinn with Normandy Park Mayor Eric Zimmerman and Deputy Mayor Sue-Ann Hohimer at the Normandy Park Arbor Day Celebration
On Monday, my D5 staff and I worked at the courthouse and prepared for the week.
On Tuesday, there were two special meetings to correct a technical error in the Parks Levy ordinance. The issue was an erroneous cross-reference within the ordinance that was corrected. The Regional Policy Committee, which includes elected city leaders voted to recommend a corrected ordinance by a vote of 11-0. The Council then voted to approve the corrected ordinance unanimously.
The Council also voted to appoint a committee to write a statement about the parks levy for the voters’ pamphlet for the August 5 election. The voters’ pamphlet committee includes CM Rod Dembowski, Tracy Meyers, the Executive Director of the King County Play Equity Coalition and Susan Pappalardo, the President and founder of Splash Forward.
To watch the Council meeting, click here.
King County is known to be “the best place in the nation to have a heart attack” due to the 51% survival rate of those calling 9-1-1, a survival rate that is as much as 2-3x higher than other areas of the country.
Every 2 minutes someone is getting service under the current King County EMS system which responds to 255,000 calls per year. The current EMS levy will expire at the end of 2025.
King County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) funds all the paramedics in King County and subsidizes response of local fire departments throughout the county as well. It also pays for response to behavioral health crises due to addiction and/or mental illness. I was pleased to co-sponsor this ordinance with CM Dunn and CM Dembowski. To read more about Emergency Medical Services including recommendations by the EMS Task Force, click here.
The Budget and Fiscal Management voted to strengthen King County’s Community Workforce Agreement and Responsible Bidder policies. Click on the photo above to watch a video of CM Quinn’s comments.
The Budget Committee also recommended establishing additional criteria for public contracting as well as strengthening Responsible Bidder policies.
These actions ensure that King County, when signing leases or putting contracts out to bid, prioritizes local contractors who pay prevailing wage to workers and that King County works with qualifying businesses in lower-income zip codes. The goal is to ensure small local businesses, including those in lower income areas, are able to compete for contracts.
If you would like to see the entire Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting, please click here.
My staff represented me at the 4Culture Board meeting in the afternoon, where the board received a briefing on the Doors Open Program.
The Doors Open program helps to provide new opportunities for organizations to employ artists, educators, and cultural workers as employees and contributors to their work. The Sustained Support grants help meet the day-to-day needs for cultural, arts and science organizations including organizations here in District 5.
On Thursday, my staff met with our federal lobby team regarding King County’s federal agenda and our state lobby team to debrief on the legislative session.
I attended the Sound Transit Ridership Experience and Operations (REO) committee. We voted on an agreement with Amtrak regarding use of ST owned tracks, were briefed on a renewed on-board dog policy, and a report on ridership experience metrics.
On Friday, I picked up the keys to the new D5 District Office in Kent! Stay tuned for more information about our official D5 District Office Grand Opening!
King County Councilmember, District 5
Des Moines, Kent, Normandy Park, Renton, SeaTac, Tukwila
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2018 © Eroyn Franklin
This month, the City of Renton voted on accepting a $44,000 4Culture grant (April 7). On April 15, the City of Kent voted on accepting a $216,000 Sustained Support grant. On April 21, Tukwila City Council voted on accepting a $114,000 Sustained Support grant. 4Culture provides sustained support grants to help pay for cultural programming and operations.
4Culture is supported by the countywide hotel/motel tax. It is good to see support for arts, culture and science in South King County.
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District 5 staff work every day to follow issues, take calls and make sure voices in South King County District 5 are heard. Be it about transit service, public health, parks and conservation, or water quality. Local government is your government, and we want to make sure we hear from you.
Jazmin Pairazaman joined my team staffing our front desk and handling my scheduling and incoming correspondence. Jazmin is a student at University of Washington Bothell getting a degree in Law, Economics, and Public Policy. She is a lifelong South King County resident who currently lives in Normandy Park.
Saeed Mahamood joined my team in as a Policy Advisor. Saeed will be staffing me on the Transportation Economy and Environment Committee (TREE) among other responsibilities related to policy matters.
Saeed graduated from the University of Washington last June where he double majored in Molecular Biology and Public Health and was most recently a Ruth Woo Fellow for King County Council. Saeed has lived in Kent for most of his life and has a passion for public service and policy as it relates to addressing issues within District 5.
BrynDel Swift joined my team as Chief of Staff. BrynDel previously worked as Chief of Staff for Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez and prior to that as Chief of Staff to King County Councilmember Larry Phillips. She is committed to public service, local government and is a fan of the legislative branch. BrynDel was born in the PNW and grew up in Lacey, WA.
King County Council District 5 – home of smart kids!
Thank you for reading our thirteenth edition of our e-news. Please feel free to contact us and share information you have about your city or neighborhood at desean.quinn@kingcounty.gov or 206 477-1005.
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De'Sean Quinn (he/him/his)
King County Councilmember, District 5
(206) 477-1005 Send me an email
www.kingcounty.gov/quinn |
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