Local Services Communications staff

Community celebrates winning projects of King County’s historic Participatory Budgeting vote

Ayanna Brown and Trenise Rogers, both members of the Community Investment Budget Committee, hug following the announcement of the winning Participatory Budgeting projects.

SKYWAY, Wash. – It was obvious to those who attended last week’s announcement of the winning Participatory Budgeting projects that this wasn’t your typical government function.

You could sense it as community members filled the outdoor seating area for the big unveiling during a warm, sun-kissed evening at King County Fire District 20.

You could tell the night was different as organizers high-fived, hugged, and shed tears of joy because their dreams of new facilities will finally become reality. Those dreams include plans for a new food bank, a community track, a park splash pad for hot days and a Khmer Cultural Center.

Roads removing load restrictions on seven bridges in unincorporated King County

**Bear Creek Bridge 333-A load limit sign to be removed**

Did you know that Road Services is going to remove the weight limit restriction on some of our bridges in unincorporated King County? It’s true. Seven bridges (see the list at the bottom of the post) will soon be open to heavier trucks such as large fire engines and hauling vehicles. Work to remove the posted weight limit signs starts this week. It may take up to two weeks to take down all seven signs.

‘Don’t Blow It, Cut The Fuse’: Reminder that the use and/or sale of consumer fireworks is prohibited in unincorporated King County

As the July 4^th holiday approaches, Local Services reminds residents that the use and sale of consumer fireworks are not allowed in unincorporated King County.

To put it another way, #DontBlowIt: Residents must #CutTheFuse on fireworks in unincorporated areas such as Skyway, White Center, Snoqualmie Valley, Greater Maple Valley, Enumclaw Plateau and Vashon Island.

This is the first year that fireworks have been banned in unincorporated King County. For some, the new rules are a big change to their July 4^th traditions. Unincorporated areas won’t see fireworks stands. Residents aren’t allowed to light fireworks in their cul-de-sacs or back yards.

King County Local Services earns national communication award for its ‘Employee Diversity Showcase’

King County Local Services’ efforts to celebrate the diversity of its team in 2021 garnered some prestigious recognition this month.

The department won first place in the Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards competition by the National Association of Government Communicators. The winners were announced during a ceremony earlier this month in Louisville, Ky.

Local Services’ entry, “Employee Diversity Showcase,” was awarded the top spot in the “Other – Special Purpose Product” category. Others recognized in the category included the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the City of Clarksville (Tenn.).

The People’s Budget – Your Voice, Your Choice: Residents can learn about proposed community projects at pair of virtual meetings May 23-24

Nearly a year after King County embarked on a new process that gives communities the power to choose how money is invested in their neighborhoods, residents will get the chance to learn about the community projects that could come to their areas.

The Community Investment Budgeting Committee, the group of residents from King County’s urban unincorporated areas that created the framework for the new Participatory Budgeting process, will lead a pair of virtual Project Expo Community Meetings on May 23-24.

Join us for Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County Subarea Plan Engagement Kickoff Event on May 24

We’re back on, Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County!

If you live or work in the unincorporated Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County area, please join us Tuesday, May 24 via Zoom for our Subarea Plan Engagement Kickoff Event! (This event was rescheduled from last month)

This is your chance to help shape the development of your area for the next 20 years. King County Local Services has been working the past nine months to collect data and create a work plan for the 20-year Subarea Plan for the Snoqualmie Valley/Northeast King County Community Service Area.

UPDATED: Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County Subarea Plan Kickoff Event postponed for a few weeks

UPDATE: The online Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County Subarea Plan Engagement Kickoff Event scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed and will be rescheduled in the coming weeks. Once a date and time are set, we will post the new information immediately. We apologize for any inconvenience.

For updates and to learn more, please visit https://www.publicinput.com/SnoValleyNEKC

Earth Day 2022: King County Road Services Takes Action on Climate Change

(By Road Services staff )

Not everyone can take transit. Not everyone can bike or walk to school or work. We need roads. Climate-friendly roads.

King County Road Services builds and maintains 1,500 miles of road and 185 bridges. We also build and maintain sidewalks, bike lanes, and traffic lights. Here’s how we do it in a climate-friendly way.

We reuse materials – almost all materials!

Landfills are a top contributor to greenhouse gases which cause climate change. We keep as much construction material as possible out of the landfill.

Just like you sort your trash at home, we sort materials on a project site. This is what our sorting looks like.

*We sort reusable materials into different categories. They include concrete, untreated wood like trees, steel from guardrail, treated wood like guardrail posts, and asphalt.*

It’s called the Green Economy because we reuse almost all of it.

Forums to give residents a chance to hear from Sheriff finalists directly

**Patti Cole-Tindall**, Interim Sheriff, King County Sheriff’s Office

Residents will get a chance to hear from the three finalists for King County Sheriff directly during a pair of online forums next week.

The King County Executive Dow Constantine’s Office announced the names of the three candidates who will move forward to final phase of the recruitment process for a new King County Sheriff, following three rounds of interviews with the hiring committee.

The three finalists selected are:

Local Services awards grants to community organizations working to bring communities together

Included in this year’s list of recipients of the Alan M. Painter Grant Program is The Alajawan Brown Foundation for its Thanksgiving Day event. Photo courtesy of The Alajawan Brown Foundation/Alajawan’s Hands.

King County is awarding more than $100,000 in grants to dozens of volunteer-led community events and projects in its unincorporated areas through the Alan M. Painter Grant Program.

Community groups in unincorporated King County competed for the grants, which range between $500 and $4,000 each. Applicants had to match at least one quarter of the total cost of their projects, and the projects had to be accessible to all unincorporated residents, regardless of race, income, or language.

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