Town Hall Meeting Examined Region's Readiness for Severe Winter Weather

More than 200 people filled The Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle on Feb. 5 for the first night Town Hall Meeting held by the King County Council. The meeting focused on the impact of the major 2006-2007 winter storms and the region’s emergency preparedness.

The audience heard from Eric Holdeman, Director of King County’s Office of Emergency Management, on the County’s response to the storms and what long-range policies and collaborations with public and private agencies are needed in advance of future storms. Jerry Henry, Senior Advisor to the Chairman of Puget Sound Energy and Sung Yang, Chief of Staff for Seattle City Light, also briefed the Council on what they learned from the winter weather.

King County representatives from the Sheriff's Office, Wastewater, Roads Services, Metro Transit, and Public Health gave presentations on the major challenges presented by the winter storms, what went right and what went wrong, and the lessons learned in order to be better prepared in the future.

“West Seattle, Vashon and Maury Islands, and nearby suburban cities were especially hard hit by the storm, with hundreds of fallen trees, long-lasting power outages, and significant flooding,” said Councilmember Dow Constantine, district host for the Town Hall. “Other Councilmembers’ districts suffered similar damage. This meeting was an opportunity to thoroughly review the lessons learned and propose the changes this region needs to be better prepared in the future.”

“This was an opportunity to focus on the future even as we continue to recover from the most recent storms,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, chair of the Committee-of-the-Whole. “Through a greater understanding of the challenges associated with our region’s storm response, we can create a blueprint for effective response to future winter storms.”

The public had an opportunity question panelists and presenters. At the conclusion of the program, the Council took open public testimony on any issue.

The Council is a regional government committed to engaging King County residents in their local communities.

Throughout the year, the Council holds local Town Hall Meetings on issues of public importance. Community members have the opportunity to meet Councilmembers, be briefed by local and regional experts, and provide public testimony.

Each Town Hall is a special meeting of the Council’s Committee-of-the-Whole (COW), the only standing committee on which all nine members serve. COW considers complex legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire council.

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