 Evergreen Highschool. Photo Credit Whitecenterblog.com
School Impact Fees
With kiddos across the county heading back to school, it’s timely that we had a robust discussion and debate about school impact fees at today's Council meeting. These fees are charged to new housing projects, to be used by school districts to fund capital projects like the construction of new school buildings. When the proposal was presented in the Land Use Committee in July, I was concerned that there was no analysis of how the impact fee proposal would impact the feasibility of badly-needed housing in the County. My concern was that, without proper calibration, fees could actually disincentivize the building of more family sized multifamily units in particular—2, 3, and 4-bedroom apartments and smaller, more affordable housing types like cottages, duplexes, triplexes, and condos. This is especially concerning given that school districts are reporting decreased enrollment as families are being pushed out of our communities due to a lack of affordable and family-sized units across the region. When there aren’t enough options for families to live in our communities, they leave (often leaving the state altogether), and schools suffer along with our community as a whole.
I got to work, getting input from stakeholders and developing three amendments designed to support housing, recognizing the ties between affordable and family-sized housing, educational access, and the financial resilience of schools.:
1. Set a fee cap of $5000 to middle housing and family-sized multifamily units with 2 or more bedrooms, beginning in 2026. Single-family home construction would not be impacted by this fee cap.
2. Exempt affordable housing developments from impact fees as allowed by state law.
3. Require an analysis of the effect on housing production school impact fees are having.
I also supported and am thankful for an amendment sponsored by Councilmember Dembowski, which expanded the $5000 fee cap to include all multi-family and middle housing construction, and an amendment by Councilmember Quinn, to ensure county capacity for the housing impacts analysis, providing clarity and cutting down administrative burden for school districts.
Capping these fees on new construction of multi-family and missing middle housing will help to remove barriers and costs of creating these desperately needed housing types, helping to fight back against displacement and increasing revenue into our schools through higher enrollment. I want to thank my council colleagues for this meaningful conversation and all of the partners including the LIUNA, Seattle Building Trades, MLK Labor, Housing Development Consortium, McCullough Hill Leary, School Board Members, Habitat for Humanity, and the White Center CDA, who provided testimony in support. The full legislation passed by an 8-1 vote along with my amendments and the amendments by Councilmembers Dembowski and Quinn. This is one step in our continuing fight to make housing more affordable and abundant here in King County.
 Photo Credit: Kevin Clark of the Seattle Times
Crisis Care Centers Updates
As some of you may have seen, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has sent a letter of support to Executive Braddock for the proposed Crisis Care Center site located at the former Poly Clinic Building on Broadway. Executive Braddock has now transmitted legislation to Council that allows for the purchase of the property and its operation as a Crisis Care Center and I've taken this opportunity to sponsor that legislation. I want to thank Mayor Harrell for his leadership helping address the crisis we are seeing throughout our community, folks struggling and not having an appropriate place to go to get care, for families to take loved ones in crisis or for first responders to be able to have that landing zone for people who shouldn't be in our ERs.
I also want to stress that I've heard from community both those in support and those that have concerns and I'm committed to ensuring that community has a seat at the table as a good neighbor agreement is crafted when a provider is selected in addition to key components like addressing the built environment of the facility. I've pushed for a robust schedule of community engagement from DCHS and the executive and that will continue and I welcome your voice to the conversation. I expect Council to take action next month on approving the legislation around the site and a targeted opening date of 2027.
 Representatives from the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Ploughshares Fund, Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi, Back from the Brink, Sokka Gikai, NW Against Nuclear Weapons, Ground Zero, Hiroshima to Hope, and 350 Eastside
Proclamation on 80th anniversary of bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Last week at Council, we passed a proclamation recognizing the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was honored when Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility reached out to me to sponsor this recognition, because disarmament is an issue I am deeply passionate and concerned about. As we witness our international relationships be deeply harmed by our federal administration’s actions, the call to abolish nuclear weapons grow more urgent every day, and I am proud to amplify and support the advocates leading the charge.
 Image Credit: Wendy Fry in the Markup.org 12/2/24
Prohibition on AI rent setting - Policy Preview
I’m excited to share that this Thursday I’ll be introducing legislation to make our rental housing market fairer for households in King County by prohibiting the use of technology-assisted “rent price fixing.” What is that you say? Across the country, more and more corporate landlords are using AI-platforms platforms—like Real Page—that allow landlords to collude on rent prices. Through these platforms, large landlords share sensitive information with third-party companies that then use algorithms to recommend higher rents. These tools take private and public data, such as rents, vacancies, and lease renewals, and push landlords to charge more—sometimes even requiring landlords hold units empty to drive up prices, leading to fewer choices and higher costs for renters.
As we work to create more abundant housing options, this legislation will help make a more level playing field for workers and renters in the county – and I’m excited to join jurisdictions around the country pushing back on these unfair corporate practices impacting our local housing markets.
The legislation will be heard in my Health, Housing, and Human Services Committee on September 11th – and I’ll share more information here when the legislation is introduced.
 King County Flood District - Celebrating 25 years of WRIAs
Here's a note from our friends at the flood control district who are working to improve water quality in partnership with local jurisdictions and tribes across the region:
"This year marks a 25-year milestone of coordinated watershed-based salmon recovery partnerships for Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs). The King County Flood Control District (KCFCD) is proud to join in the celebration! Established under the Water Resources Act of 1971 and formalized in Washington Administrative Code, WRIAs provide a foundational framework for watershed management across the state."
Check out their full blog post celebrating WRIAs here!
 Laurie Porter, Councilmember Mosqueda, Kristine Milkovich and Amy Lee Derenthal at the Center for Active Living in West Seattle
Center for Active Living
Thank you to the incredible staff at the Center for Active Living in West Seattle. It was so great to get to see folks coming together to build a network of community and learn about the incredible programs offered. From Rainbow Bingo to help getting the newest phone up and running they are a fun resource that helps people stay connected.
 Thank you to Braden Sigua, President and CEO Will Daughtery, and the incredible staff at the Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center
Some of the dinos might be leaving but Pacific Science Center is still a big part of the heart of Seattle Center. I got to take the time to hear about their plans for the future including the World Cup next year. They have so many cool things I didn't know about like their Maker & Innovation Lab and affordable Access Membership program to help everyone get a chance to learn in a fun and creative environment. They've even partnered with Metro to help folks get there and back at no cost for those who qualify through their KC Metro partnership for free transit. They will be closed from September 2nd through October 10th for some maintenance and adjustments to the facility but I'm looking forward to working with them into the future as we prepare to welcome the world to our region.
 The Log Cabin in White Center
Darlene Sellers is a White Center institution as much as The Log Cabin and the White Center Teen Program are. For Decades she's been making sure that the young people in the area are able to enjoy safe, fun activities like basketball and soccer. With the passage of the Parks levy this month, we can be sure that Darlene and her team will have the resources to keep providing a safe and cherished space in the heart of District 8. It was incredibly special to hear from young leaders who started as participants in these programs and came back to lead them as staff because they wanted to give back to their community. Thank you, Darlene and the rest of the team who are doing incredible work every day.
 King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention: District 8 Updates
We’ve heard from community that even as crime rates are dropping, any gun violence is unacceptable. I’ve been working with Public Health to understand what our current efforts are and how they can be improved but we need community voices in the conversation as well. How have you seen gun violence prevention show up in your neighborhood and what do we need to be doing more of here at the county to keep our kids and streets safe? I also wanted to share with you updates directly from the department about different areas in D8.
Over the past two years, ROGVP has focused on strengthening its collaboration with the City of Burien, local service providers and community organizations. Throughout 2024 and into early 2025, ROGVP partnered with the City of Burien Human Services Department to bring together youth organizations in Burien and White Center. Groups including Southwest Youth and Family Services, Safe Futures, Progress Pushers, Choose 180, Latino Civic Alliance, Pro Se Potential, Burien Collaborative, and Lake Burien Presbyterian Church worked with a graphic recorder over a series of sessions to create a shared vision for collaboration. With the support of a small federal grant, ROGVP is now co-producing a video to showcase these collective efforts, which will be distributed by the City of Burien this winter.
While the full set of Regional Peacekeepers Collective (RPKC) services is not currently available in White Center, ROGVP is committed to supporting the community as resources allow.
In 2024, the Sea Mar clinic team in White Center contacted the City of Seattle about safety concerns. ROGVP joined these discussions and supported the Department of Neighborhoods in holding a community safety meeting. This led to a call for stronger connections and ongoing collaboration. ROGVP’s follow-up has focused mostly on the concerns raised by Sea Mar, including providing recommendations for de-escalation training for clinic staff, sharing transit safety issues with King County Metro, and connecting Sea Mar staff to the White Center Business Association’s monthly meetings.
During ROGVP’s “100 Days of Action” in 2024, the ROGVP team also engaged with Our Hope School/Mosque community to explore training and collaboration opportunities focused on safety. This partnership continues to develop.
Additionally, ROGVP hosted its annual firearm safe storage event in the White Center/Burien area in June of 2024 and 2025 to promote gun safety and raise awareness about available community services for youth and families.
In January 2025, ROGVP hired a Community Engagement Specialist. This role oversees planning and facilitating community safety meetings, creates events with local partners, supports survivors, provides information and education about gun violence prevention at events, and will manage the new Youth Ambassador Program launching later in 2025, with youth participants from both Burien and White Center.
High Point Resident Engagement
As the City of Seattle continues its investment in the Seattle Community Safety Initiative (SCSI), the Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention (ROGVP) generally relies on the City to deliver services and engage with Seattle residents concerned about gun violence. Currently, the City of Seattle funds the YMCA of Greater Seattle to provide services in West Seattle and High Point.
ROGVP staff are always open to speaking with concerned residents when capacity allows and can connect individuals to contacts within the City of Seattle for further support.
 Increased Vashon Library Hours
Libraries are where so many of our community priorities come together—from supporting families with accessible learning spaces to giving small businesses and workers places to connect and thrive. I'm proud to share that as of August 24th, the Vashon Library will now be open 7 days a week with Sunday service from 11am to 6pm.
 West Seattle Metro Bus Stop Upgrades
Metro will be providing bus stop upgrades on routes 125 and 128 in West Seattle to improve transit conditions along 16th Avenue Southwest between Southwest Holden and Henderson streets and will begin construction this summer.
Metro collected feedback from riders and neighbors in 2024 via survey and developed proposed changes to be built by the City of Seattle that reflect rider and community requests.
This project will improve transit conditions at five existing bus stops and add two new bus stops. The improvements include:
- Bus boarding zones that are more accessible, especially for those using a mobility device
- Sheltered seating at one stop and a standalone bench at two stops
- Three new bus bulbs designed to enhance transit service and reduce pedestrian crossing distances at intersections
Four current bus stops located at Southwest Elmgrove and Cloverdale streets will be closed once nearby bus stop upgrades are completed and riders would be directed about one block away to new or improved bus stops.
Construction on bus stop improvements will begin this summer and will continue into early 2026. All bus stop improvement work will be completed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) within the public right-of-way. Metro will not close any bus stops until the improvements at nearby stops are complete. During construction there may be temporary disruptions to normal bus operations.
Riders can email HaveASay@kingcounty.gov if they need assistance finding the nearest bus stop and can email questions about Metro’s plans to community.relations@kingcounty.gov.
 King County Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) is recruiting
The Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) represents the interests of the public in its efforts to hold the King County Sheriff’s Office accountable for providing fair and just police services. OLEO is looking for community members who want to serve as advocates for the interests of the diverse communities across King County. Learn more and apply here.
 Teen Summer Musical
I want to take this space to appreciate the awesome Teen Summer Musical put on this past week. This production of The Wiz, was not just a testament to the power of arts to bring us together, but it was to hard to remember that the stars were just teens. Congratulations to Director Isiah Anderson Jr Acts on Stage Founder and Executive Director Michelle Lang-Raymond for an incredible production. I hope you got a chance to attend and show your support but if you missed it you can check out some of the coverage here:
At 25, Seattle's Teen Summer Musical Continues to Offer a Stage — and a Home — for Young Performers
Seattle’s Teen Summer Musical celebrates milestone with ‘The Wiz’ | The Seattle Times
 Photo Credit: Kevin Clark of the Seattle Times
Highline Heritage Museum
I also want to highlight the Highline Heritage Museum which just got terrific coverage in this Seattle Times piece and it always brings a smile to my face when I get to visit. If you haven't already gotten the chance to stop by, check it out next time you are in Burien.
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