A belated Happy Labor Day! With Labor Day and the start of school for many in our area, I want to take a moment to recognize the working families in District 8. It’s not always easy to get everyone breakfast, lunches made, out the door, put in a full days work and still come home and be engaged in your community. This can be even harder with all the attacks coming from the federal administration and higher prices at the grocery store. Through it all, the working families of our region are the foundation our community is built on.

I want to lift up the message of the Labor Day Celebration I joined earlier this month, that we need a government that is putting the needs of working people ahead of the wants of the few billionaires. My friend and Executive Secretary Treasurer of MLK Labor, Katie Garrow summed it up best:

Shout out to every worker who got up early this morning to stock the shelves, administer the IVs, and dig the trench. Labor Day is a holiday to celebrate our movement, but right now, working people have been betrayed.  

This Labor Day, working people are pissed off. We’re working harder than ever, but falling further behind. Federal workers lost their unions, Black workers are unemployed at twice the rate white ones are and immigrant workers are living in fear for themselves and their families. Labor Day is a call to action. We refuse to be divided by race, immigration status, or job title. We stand together. America belongs to workers. And together, we’re taking it back!   

Prohibition on AI rent price fixing – Across the country, more and more corporate landlords are using AI platforms to facilitate collusion on rent prices. These tools allow landlords to coordinate indirectly to push rents higher than the market would naturally bear—essentially creating a virtual backroom where landlords skirt antitrust laws to set rent prices. This undermines healthy competition and leaves renters with fewer affordable options. Working families could be facing higher prices if we let this technology run unchecked in the county. I'm proud that we are joining jurisdictions like Seattle and others across the country to prohibit these platforms in unincorporated areas of the county. Here’s some local news coverage of AI rent price fixing: 

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/jesse-jones-renter-agreements/3f5b47ad-a54f-4667-9781-10e06f51cc7b/ 

https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/09/24/policy-lab-ban-algorithmic-rental-price-setting/ 

https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-is-seattle-s-rent-so-high-the-justice-department-investigates-possible-price-fixing 

Crisis Care Center – I’ve heard from many families and first responders that when they have a loved one or are dealing with a person in crisis there isn’t a good place for them to go. This is why I was a proud supporter of the Crisis Care Center levy before I joined the Council, why I sponsored the implementation plan of the levy in my first year and why I sponsored the package of legislation that is facilitating the creation of a Crisis Care Center on Broadway. We need more spaces for our families to get care that aren’t our ERs where people can languish for hours if not days all while not getting the care they need due to a lack of beds. All though the legislation moved through committee last week was an important step, it was not the first and it is not the last. I also sponsored and amendment that spurs the creatin of a detailed plan on how the County, the City of Seattle and the soon to be selected Operator will meet the requirements laid out in the Seattle Mayor’s conditional letter of support. The Department of Community and Human services has done significant outreach but I'm insisting on more in the next year and half before any potential opening of the site. Key milestones will need to be met to address the community concerns I've heard including: 

• The development of a mitigation plan like the one the City of Seattle created for the STAR center that outlines roles and responsibilities, activation and safety planning, community engagement, and key milestones prior to the launch of the facility.  

• Complete a CTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) analysis in partnership with the City of Seattle that strengthens the built environment to support security and safety.  

• Development of a Good Neighbor Policy  

• The formation of a community advisory council

I want to appreciate everyone who emailed, called and provided public testimony about this site. Although there was disagreement on some issues, it was clear there is agreement that the services provided by a crisis care center are desperately needed. I'm committed to staying engaged on this so that we get it right and that will take your continued engagement as well and I look forward to working together to make sure our community gets the care we need. 

Flood Control District Grant Projects – I'm proud to announce $1.8 million awarded to flood reduction projects in District 8. This was made possible by the work of critical community-based organizations, inter-governmental partners, and of course, our incredible Flood Control District Staff. These investments provide much-needed contributions to the resilience of the people living and/or working in flood prone areas.  

Projects in District 8 include: 

• Judd Creek flash flood control on Vashon Island: This project will address climate-related stormwater flash in Vashon Island’s largest watershed. The project will use natural climate solutions to reduce the risk of flooding downstream. ($65,000) 

• Duwamish Valley Industrial Greening: A project to address environmental inequities in South Seattle by working with Dirt Corps and partners of the Duwamish Valley Infrastructure Group to design and building community centric green stormwater infrastructure. ($500,000) 

• Flood risk reduction in South Park: This project will develop a green infrastructure project at the South Park Neighborhood Center to reduce flood risks. ($300,000) 

• Duwamish River and Hamm Creek dredging, stream restoration and water quality improvement: This project will involve the dredging and removal of contaminated dredge spoils from the Duwamish River basin in the Hamm Creek estuary. ($500,000) 

Councilmanic Water Works Grants 

I’m also proud to share that Weld, Villa Comunitaria and the River Access Paddle Program are the recipients of my Councilmanic Water Works grants each receiving $69,1099.65. These funds will go to projects that invest in and help promote clean water and a clean water workforce in District 8.   

Route 8 - Route 8 Upd8 (get it? Haha?) 

Since I have held elected office, I have heard from countless constituents who (try to) rely on Metro bus route 8 that it is in dire need of improvements. While I have shared updates from Metro in the past, Seattle Department of Transportation recently shared on their blog an update on their share of the improvements needed – on the roads: 

“What is SDOT doing to address travel reliability, both now and in the future? Here’s a quick summary of our plans, in a nutshell: 

• Preserving Denny Way service in the near term: We’re committed to maintaining Route 8 service along Denny Way – an essential corridor serving major employers, the Seattle Center, and a future light rail station. 

• Advancing near-term spot improvements and a long-term vision: We’ll implement upgrades near Queen Anne and passenger-focused investments at the eastern end of the corridor, while exploring future options like dedicated bus lanes once key congestion issues are addressed (see details later in this blog). 

• Tackling congestion and partnering for solutions: We’ll prioritize strategies to reduce southbound I-5 traffic impacts on Denny Way, including alternate routing and wayfinding. We’ll continue working with large employers to encourage transit use and harness future Revive I-5 construction to test and learn from new traffic patterns. 

Here are some concrete steps to help improve travel for everyone: 

• In 2025, add a right turn restriction from Westlake Ave onto Denny Ave (near Whole Foods). 

• In 2026, add a transit turn-only lane from Queen Anne Ave to Denny Way (a couple blocks southwest of Climate Pledge Arena) and an eastbound bus-and-turn lane on Denny Way between Queen Anne Ave and 2nd Ave (near the Pacific Science Center). 

• Assess and develop options to distribute some general-purpose traffic off Denny Way with improved wayfinding, signal timing, turn restrictions, and changes to lane markings.” 

You can read the full post here for more information! 

Vashon Heritage Museum is hosting an incredible event, on September 20th 1-4pm an Artifact Identification Day will be held at the museum in partnership with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and the Burke Museum. There will even be a new scavenger hunt and crafts for young museum attendees. https://www.vashonheritagemuseum.org/