I was pleased to invite the King County Auditor's Office to present on it's recent permitting report at our most recent Local Services and Land Use Committee hearing. The presentation highlighted significant opportunities to improve the County's permitting process, particularly when it comes to customer service, transparency, and predictability. The audit identified challenges with tracking permit timelines and providing clear guidance to those navigating the process.
Watch the Auditor’s presentation here.
Click on the picture to watch the video.
I regularly work with constituents who encounter enormous challenges with permitting, and I share their frustration that the process regularly becomes costly and difficult to navigate. Residents deserve a permitting system that is efficient, responsive, and provides clear expectations from start to finish.
There is significant work to do, and I am dedicated to ensuring the Auditor’s recommendations do not fall on deaf ears and that proposed improvements are acted upon in a prompt and serious manner.
That's why my office has been actively engaged in a new task force focused on identifying practical solutions to these challenges. The goals include working to streamline regulations, reduce unnecessary delays, and make it easier to build homes and support business growth while maintaining important safety and environmental standards.
I look forward to providing more updates on this issue in the coming months as I work with my colleagues to strengthen government accountability, improve customer service, and reduce the time and financial burdens on King County residents.
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Councilmember Dunn presents a $10,000 check to improve Johnny Lazor Hobart Ball Field.
King County Parks is excited to begin the first round of grant applications of the 2026-2031 Parks Levy. Parks has been working to improve the overall application experience by streamlining the process, standardizing timelines, and revamping the way we share the most important information.
Below is some helpful information from the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
Important Dates:
- Applications open Monday, November 30, 2026
- Applications due Monday, February 1, 2027
Funding Available:
- Aquatic Facilities – up to $9.5 million
- Ballfield Access and Preservation – up to $3.5 million
- Healthy Communities and Parks – up to $9.1 million
Where can I learn more and ask questions?
- Attend a webinar! We're hosting a Parks Grants Preview on Thursday, November 5 at 12:00 P.M. Click here to register on Zoom.
- Check out our new website! The Parks Grants website got a complete overhaul and has more information than ever. Explore it today.
Check Out The New Website!
 Three different grant programs will be open for applications this year, including one running for the first time:
1. Healthy Communities and Parks - This grant program will continue to support projects that increase access to parks, open space, recreation facilities, and programming for underserved communities in King County.
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Who can apply? Nonprofit organizations, fiscally-sponsored organizations, Tribes, cities and towns, and park districts.
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How much funding do you have? Up to $9.1 million is available! There are no longer award tiers, so each project can request up to the award maximum for that project type.
2. Aquatic Facilities - This grant program will continue to support projects that increase and preserve access to public pools in King County.
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Who can apply? Cities and towns, park districts, public school districts, and other public entities that own or operate public aquatic facilities.
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How much funding do you have? Up to $9.5 million is available! There is no longer a match requirement, so applicants may request the full project cost.
3. NEW! Ballfield Preservation and Access - This new grant program will support projects that improve ballfields and increase public access to sports and play.
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Who can apply? Cities and towns, park districts, and public school districts.
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How much funding do you have? Up to $3.5 million is available! Each project type has its own award maximum so be sure to review those.
Want all the details in one place? We made new Grant Guidelines resources for each of these grant programs that cover the entire process. These will help you determine if your project is a good fit for the grant program goals and guide you through the process of applying later this year.
Grant Guidelines Resources
What can you do to prepare?
Join us for a webinar! We're hosting 3 different webinars to share information about our grant programs and the upcoming application cycle.
Review past awards! We've created a new online dashboard to help applicants see which projects have been awarded grants in the past. Click the buttons to filter by award year, grant program, organization, and council district!
Read through the FAQs! There's a whole new frequently asked questions page on the website that talks through each phase of the application and grantee experience. Have a question that isn't there? Email it to us at ParksGrants@kingcounty.gov.
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