Dear District 3 residents,

I have heard from hundreds of you – by phone and e-mail and in person – about the damage from the December windstorm and the response to it. I have participated in seven debriefings and two town hall meetings with public officials, first responders and utilities. These events provided more learning opportunities to improve emergency practices, procedures and organization. As the Metropolitan King County Council considers taking action to improve emergency preparedness and disaster response efforts, I would like to invite you to give your input.

Snoqualmie Valley Town Hall Meeting

Residents of the Snoqualmie Valley, which was particularly hard hit by flooding and windstorm damage in November and December, will have a chance to contribute public comment and suggestions about coordination of responses from all groups and agencies at a Town Hall meeting next week.

  • North Bend – Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., Mount Si Senior Center dining room, 411 Main Ave. S.

The Town Hall meeting will include information from representatives of the King County Emergency Management Office, Eastside Fire & Rescue, the King County Road Services Division and Puget Sound Energy. Participants will have an opportunity to provide their comments and suggestions about emergency response efforts and ask questions as well.

Some of my goals with these town hall meetings are to encourage citizens and families to get better prepared, and to use these flooding and windstorm events as learning experiences to make sure that the response efforts of government agencies and utilities are coordinated as efficiently as possible in the future.

Donate to Help Flooded Farms

An effort to help Snoqualmie Valley farmers devastated by the flooding has created the Hmong Farmers Relief Fund. So far, nearly $12,000 has been collected to help farmers whose flower bulb fields were destroyed by the flooding. Donations are being accepted by the King County Extension Service, coordinated by Bee Cha, 919 SW Grady Way, Suite 120, Renton, WA 98055-2980.

Lake Sammamish State Park

After three years of work, the development plan for Lake Sammamish State Park finally is ready for review. For the past year, I have served on a committee of stakeholders developing the plan. At the public unveiling of the plan on Jan. 17, the reaction was very positive. The proposed additions and renovations can turn this underutilized urban park into a regional gem. Next is an environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), with final adoption of the plan by the State Parks and Recreation Commission expected in June. Funding for implementation of the plan has not yet been allocated, so state legislators need to hear about the park’s budget needs. Site maps and a PowerPoint presentation about the Concept Plan are available at http://www.parks.wa.gov/plans/lksamm/ or call (360) 902-8652.

Property Tax Relief

King County has several property tax relief programs available to assist those who qualify:

  • The Public Benefit Rating System provides additional property tax incentives to property owners. To qualify, the property must possess potential for additional development and the owner must agree to restrict development and/or provide public access. Call (206) 296-3969 for information.
  • Senior/Disabled property tax exemptions are available if your total annual income is $35,000 or less and if you are 61 years of age or older, or you are retired because of physical disability, or if you are a widow or widower at least 57 years of age whose spouse had an exemption at the time of his or her death. Call (206) 296-3920 or go to http://www.metrokc.gov/assessor/Exemptions/SrDisabledExInfoSheet.pdf for more exemption information.
  • To dispute the assessor’s valuation of your property, you can file an appeal with the Board of Equalization. For more information, call (206) 296-3496 or toll-free 1-800-325-6165, or go to http://www.metrokc.gov/appeals/.

Free Tax Help

United Way of King County is providing free tax preparation from IRS-certified, multilingual volunteers for working families. The tax preparation sites will be open January-April at locations throughout King County. For more information, including locations and hours, please visit http://www.uwkc.org/ourcommunity/endinghomelessness/eitc/.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you. Our family will be celebrating our daughter’s wedding this week!

Sincerely,
Kathy Lambert

Kathy Lambert
King County Councilmember, District 3
(206) 296-1003
Kathy.Lambert@metrokc.gov


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