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There are many exciting things happening here in King County and I would like to share a few of them with you. First, King County has a new logo. Back in 2005, King County was renamed to honor the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 2006, the Council voted to replace the current logo of a crown, with one representing the County’s new namesake. On Sunday, March 11th, we unveiled this new logo honoring Dr. King and his work. Learn more about the new logo. I hope you will join me in taking this opportunity to reflect on the great contributions Dr. King made to our nation and community. Click here to learn more about Dr. King. Below you will find information on other projects, including: the County’s potential acquisition of the BNSF rail corridor, improvements to local bus service, efforts underway to provide consumers more information about the dangers of trans fats and the need for menu labeling, a recap of our latest town hall on a transportation plan that voters will consider this November, and information on our upcoming budget priorities meeting. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I appreciate hearing your input and opinions. Sincerely,
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Additional Rails and Trails Possible for Region King County is considering purchasing the BNSF rail corridor that runs along Lake Washington from Renton to Snohomish for the public’s use. BNSF has signaled its interest in selling the line, which is in poor condition and has very limited freight traffic. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will allow us to preserve a vital corridor for public trail and transit use and connect dozens of existing trails in South and East King County. Read
my recent guest column that was published in the Seattle Times:
Building
Trails, Preserving Rails
New and Improved Bus Service across King County It has only been a few months since voters approved Transit Now – the proposal to expand local bus service in King County – and already we are seeing better bus service all over King County. Below are some of the improvements in the South King County Area:
Read my guest column that was recently published in the Seattle P.I.: Transit Now is driven by results. Improving
Health in the King County Jail Last December, after the Ombudsman’s report was released, Councilmember Bob Ferguson and I sponsored legislation directing a formal audit of Jail Health’s medical administration and pharmacy operations. It will provide us with a broad perspective of the challenges and shortfalls, as well as options for improvement. This audit will be completed this summer. Learn
more about the audit: Councilmembers
Call for Audit of Health System at King County Jail. Better Nutrition and Health Information - Trans Fats/Menu Labeling When we go out to eat, often we are unaware just what is in our food and we have limited nutritional information to make smart decisions about where and what we eat. Last fall, the King County Board of Health received a briefing on trans fats, a type of fat formed when liquid oils are chemically altered in such a way that, at room temperature, they are in solid form. This artificial process increases the shelf life of foods such as crackers, cookies, donuts, cakes and other baked goods and is often found in food served at restaurants across King County. There are severe health impacts associated with eating foods containing trans fats, most importantly a significant increase in heart disease. In January, Dr. Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, briefed the King County Board of Health on options for providing nutritional information in restaurants in King County. Many other cities and states have, or are considering plans, to make nutritional information available to consumers by requiring chain restaurants to label menu items with calorie, fat, sodium and carbohydrate content. As Chair of the Board of Health, the prospect of eliminating trans fats from our food supply and providing accurate nutrition information to consumers is of great interest to me. We have appointed a Committee on Nutrition to provide the board with recommendations, and we will review their recommendations this summer. Transportation
Town Hall was Successful
Last week, over 200 citizens of King County packed the Spirit of Washington Events Center in Renton to learn more about a transportation plan that will be on the ballot in November. The Roads and Transit plan is our opportunity to make major improvements to our road and transit system in the Puget Sound region. No more band aids or quick fixes, this is a comprehensive plan to reduce congestion and provide more options for getting around our region. You can learn more about the plan by going to www.rtid.org or www.soundtransit.org. Recently I joined Ross Reynolds, the host of “The Conversation” on KUOW to discuss the plan and answer listeners questions. Listen to the program. You can hear more about the town hall event: KUOW:
“Roads
and Transit Plan” Upcoming Community Budget Meeting in Kent
One of my main priorities as your King County Councilmember is to make King County government accessible and responsive to the needs of King County citizens. Meetings and Town Halls are one key way I do this. On Tuesday, April 3rd, we are having a meeting to learn more about the budget priorities of King County residents. We will be employing electronic polling devices to gauge in real-time what your priorities for King County Government are.
For more information: Share your views on how King County spends your tax dollars |
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