King County District 2: History is Made Here 

King County Council Appoints Rhonda Lewis, Making History with First Black Woman and First Majority-Woman Council 

Some of the most meaningful environmental work in District 2 happens along the shoreline of Lake Washington, in the classrooms of Rainier Beach, and in the living rooms of immigrant families working and learning to protect the water we all share. 

Over the past several years, King County’s WaterWorks grant program has fueled work like this across our district.  Here are just a few examples: 

In Rainier Beach, Serve Ethiopians Washington led hands-on restoration at Be’er Sheva Park, clearing invasive plants, planting native trees, and reviving nearly five acres of wetland and urban forest along Mapes Creek. That work improved stormwater filtration and helped to protect Lake Washington.  

In South Seattle, Tukwila, and beyond, ECOSS partnered with African-led community organizations to train a new generation of youth water stewards. Those young people learned about the health of the Duwamish River watershed and tackled household hazardous waste in ways rooted in their own cultures and communities.  

Sustainability Seattle ran its Rainier Valley Water Resiliency Project, training and mentoring BIPOC apprentices to bring practical, low-tech water management solutions directly into their own neighborhoods.  

And these are just a sample of the many WaterWorks-funded projects that have taken root in District 2. Projects like these protect our waterways, build local leadership, and deepen community ties.  Now it’s time to find the next success story.  King County is currently accepting applications for WaterWorks grants supporting water quality improvement projects, with applications due Monday, July 20.  

Schools and educational institutions, cities, counties, tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are all eligible. Projects that deliver a public benefit, improve water quality, or meet other evaluation criteria are strongly encouraged to apply.  

You can review the full evaluation criteria here and learn more about the application process here. Past project descriptions from the last decade of WaterWorks funding are also available here for inspiration.  My team is actively searching for the next great project in District 2 for the Council-allocated track, with $400,000 available for District 2 organizations this cycle.  

If you have an idea, or want to talk through whether your project might be a fit, please reach out to my District Director, Saeed Mahamood, at saeed.mahamood@kingcounty.gov or (206) 572-5828. 

Application information – click here. 

Eligibility information – click here. 

The Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees is accepting applications for trustee positions 10 and 11. Recommended skills include experience in medicine or capital construction management.  For more information, please contact my office. 

Harborview Medical Center is a comprehensive healthcare facility dedicated to providing specialized care for a broad spectrum of patients from throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the most vulnerable residents of King County. 

As the only designated Level I adult and pediatric trauma and verified burn center in the state of Washington, Harborview serves as the regional trauma and burn referral center for Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Harborview is also the disaster preparedness and disaster control hospital for Seattle and King County. 

CM Lewis and the Council voted to set notification requirements regarding booking restrictions in county detention facilities.   

CM Lewis and the Council also voted in favor of a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local 77 representing 149 employees in Metro Transit.  CM Balducci spoke to the increasing electrification of the fleet and the growing need for trained electrical workers. 

Public comment is welcome at every meeting – both in person and virtually - on topics that are on the agenda.  Public comment on the 4th council meeting of the month. To see agendas for upcoming council meetings, click here. 

The King County Flood Control District was briefed on increased cost of repair of levees in and around the City of Pacific which was heavily impacted by the December floods.  Vic Kave, the Mayor of Pacific provided extensive public comment on the work needed to repair the damage in the area. 

The King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors is composed of all nine councilmembers.   

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay has directed his office to bring together key partners to make recommendations on how to break cycles of addiction and homelessness including medical, judicial and social service providers.  

You can see his Executive Order regarding breaking the cycle here.  

CM Lewis joined Dr. McLaughlin, Director of Dept of Community and Human Services, Dr. Valenciano, Director of Public Health and leadership from King County Superior Court, Public Defense, Harborview Hospital, Seattle Indian Health Board, King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Coalition on Homelessness, as well as many other providers and Executive staff.   

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Growth Management Policy Board (GMPB) – including Board Member Rhonda Lewis – received a briefing on regional centers framework. These centers are the hallmark of VISION 20250.

The region’s 30 Regional Growth Centers and 10 Manufacturing/Industrial Centers (MICs) are hubs for the Puget Sound region’s most significant businesses, major cultural facilities, and transportation connections. They guide regional growth, advance local planning, and inform transit service planning. 

The Seattle-King County Board of Health – including Board Member Rhonda Lewis – received briefings on the national outbreak of cyclospora – a parasite that has infected thousands in other parts of the country. 

Here in Washington State there have been 27 cases since May 1 and none of them have been linked to the national outbreak. 22 of the 27 cases were reported by individuals who had recently traveled internationally. 

The Board of Health was also updated on changes to permitting fees to businesses providing animal (pet) services; federal funding for local homelessness; and medical care for transgender residents.   

To see materials for the meeting, click here. To see the meeting in its entirety – click here. 

CM Lewis attended the Reclaiming Wellness conference dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for communities of color. It is the first BIPOC-led behavioral health conference on the West Coast. 

The all-day conference was held in Renton and featured an impressive line-up of speakers.  

If you would like to attend next year’s reclaiming wellness conference it will be July 23, 2027. Registration is already open (mark your calendars!) 

The first phase will deliver:    

• An expanded HealthPoint clinic that serves as a one-stop shop for culturally appropriate medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy, among other expanded services.    

• On-site, integrated social services, case management, and language access tools.   

• An early childhood development center for birth to pre-K that will fill a critical gap with high-quality, subsidized care in this area designated as a “childcare access desert” by the WA State Department of Children, Youth & Families.    

• Space for future program expansion   

• HealthPoint’s existing facility in Tukwila serves 4,000 patients each year. This new facility will double that capacity. 

The new HealthPoint Tukwila Commons will be centrally located on Tukwila International Boulevard at 146th – it is on three bus routes, less than a mile to light rail, and next to Foster High School and the new Tukwila Village retail center topped by affordable housing for seniors

I will continue to provide updates on my work as your representative. I invite you to reach out, let me know what your thoughts are and what you think District 2 could look like in the future 

District 2 - a great place to live, lead and make history! Together!