May is Mental Health Month
A message from Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer May is Mental Health Month and as we have seen year over year, mental health continues to be a growing concern in our county and communities. More than half of American adults will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime. We are seeing a growing concern over children’s mental health as well. Many of us, including me, have been impacted by mental illness, either personally or with someone we are close to. The last thing I want is for… Read More
May is Bike Everywhere Month
Yes, everywhere and anywhere. To work, grocery shopping, getting kids to school, your pickleball court, places you’ve been meaning to go. Get even farther when you use a bike to get to your bus, train or boat. Form a team, join a team on LovetoRide Challenge or cajole your coworkers, neighbors, family members, friends – or yourself. It’s not all hard-core. Earn points for being a new participant, most rides, miles, different kinds of trips, encouraging others, or rides with kids. King County’s teams have been among the most active in the past. If… Read More
One million trees — and counting!
Cross posted from King County Parks King County set an ambitious five-year goal in our 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to plant, protect, and prepare a combined three million trees by the end of 2025. This effort helps mitigate climate change, improves forest health and salmon habitat, and increases tree canopy. As of January 2023, over one million trees have been planted, protected, and prepared. This includes: Planting more than 200,000 trees Protecting 615,000 trees (more than 2,000 acres of forests and natural areas) Preparing and restoring 200,000 trees (more than 650… Read More
New Capitol Hill Health through Housing building announced
King County Executive Dow Constantine and City of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the operators for the newest Health Through Housing building — a 35-unit building providing permanent supportive housing in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The building will be jointly operated by Lavender Rights Project and Chief Seattle Club and is expected to welcome residents this fall. Read more.
KCSO Bomb Disposal Unit participates in community outreach
From the Sheriff’s newsletter The King County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) conducts community outreach as an important part of their work. This outreach provides support for Citizen’s Academy courses, educational support for schools, and inspires and uplifts youth programs in the field of robotics. Last month, Bomb Technicians David Mendez, Jeremy Todd, and JD Williams assisted the Tahoma School District and City of Maple Valley by providing presentations and robot demonstrations. Deputies Mendez and Todd participated in the Tahoma School District Science Fair at Tahoma High School. The science fair… Read More
Earth Day is brighter at Metro this year
Cross-posted from Metro Matters Metro has undertaken a wide range of actions to meet the challenge of climate change in the Puget Sound region. The most visible investment is seen in the buses as part of the commitment to a zero-emissions fleet — but that is only one part of the many initiatives happening across the agency. Another example is the recent transition to high-efficient LEDs at all Metro worksites. This undertaking involved the evaluation of over 26,000 bulbs of varying types and the replacement of older and inefficient light fixtures to LEDs. Read… Read More
West Point Treatment Plant laying the foundation for climate change resilience
Cross-posted from Clean Water Stories Crews are working around the clock to quickly stand up the power system that will provide reliable power to clean wastewater at West Point, the region’s largest treatment plant. This project will make the treatment system more resilient to climate impacts as the region experiences more frequent, severe storms that can cause momentary voltage sags, and prevent emergency bypasses of wastewater to the Puget Sound. Read more and watch the video.
Budget cuts are unavoidable after state’s failure to fix broken county tax system
In recent days you may have seen news reports that the state legislature failed to take legislative action to address the state’s arbitrary and outdated one percent limit on property tax collections, which is the largest source of revenue for the County’s General Fund. For many years I, along with Councilmembers and other county leaders and employees, have advocated for a change to the one percent cap. Since its introduction in 2001, King County’s population has grown 30% and consumer prices have increased 70%. Inflation in recent years has been as high… Read More
Tim Anderson charting the future with Animal Services
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Tim Anderson recenlty began in a new official role as Assistant Operations Manager of Regional Animal Services (RASKC). The position expands Anderson’s supervisory role to include all of RASKC, adding veterinary clinic support and pet licensing. “We’re extremely fortunate to have someone of Tim’s caliber to be one of the applicants and be successful,” said RASKC manager Gene Mueller. “He’s one of the best managers I’ve ever worked with in 30 years.” Read more.
Executive Constantine tours major Cedar River restoration project
King County Executive Dow Constantine toured a recently completed project that restored a nearly mile-long segment of the Cedar River to a more natural state, simultaneously improving salmon habitat and reducing flood risks for people, homes, and infrastructure. The Riverbend project restored 52 acres of floodplain east of Renton while creating side channels that provide slow-water, shallow habitat that is ideal for native salmon. It builds on the progress King County and partners made upstream with the successful Rainbow Bend restoration project that was completed in 2013. Read more here and watch the… Read More
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