Showing posts with label king county. Show all posts
Showing posts with label king county. Show all posts

Executive Constantine rallies metropolitan regions across the country to welcome Syrian refugees

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Lith Majid hugging his daughter and son after their rickety boat
reached the sanctuary of safe shores
Photo by Daniel Etter


Elected leaders in metropolitan regions across the country are signing a declaration written by King County Executive Dow Constantine welcoming refugees fleeing war-torn Syria.

The declaration also "encourages federal leaders to act responsibly, and consistently with basic American values, and to avoid actions that would betray our nation's principles and put our country at greater risk."

Within 48 hours, officials in 10 major urban counties in the Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, and Northwest had signed the Executive's declaration.

"Local elected leaders from across the country are joining me to welcome refugees fleeing war and tyranny," said Executive Constantine. "We stand united as America's metropolitan regions to uphold our tradition of compassion and the recognition that we are a proud nation of immigrants."



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Justice Department promotes King County's campaign to reduce gun violence

Sunday, November 22, 2015


King County's gun-violence prevention program got a boost this month from billboards and Sound Transit ads paid for by the U.S. Department of Justice. The $30,000 campaign encourages residents to safely store their guns to prevent them from being used to commit crimes.

A 2005 study found that safe storage reduces firearm suicides by 78 percent and unintentional shootings by 85 percent. King County's LOK-IT-UP program is a partnership with Harborview, Seattle Children's, Washington State Department of Health and multiple law enforcement agencies and gun retailers working together to promote safe firearm storage.

"A public-health approach to reducing gun violence relies heavily on awareness and education," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "Thanks to this investment by the Justice Department, more people in our region are aware of our effective violence-reduction program."



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Best Starts for Kids Discussion Wednesday

Saturday, October 24, 2015

King County and North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA) invite you to this gathering on Wednesday in Shoreline.

It is designed so you have a meaningful role in informing the County’s decisions around its investments for prevention and early intervention for children and youth -- and investments for mental health and substance use disorder services and programs.

King County’s Best Starts for Kids Discussion, Wednesday, October 28, 6:30-9:00pm, Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155.



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Services and programs for mental illness and substance use Oct 28 at Shoreline Center

Monday, October 19, 2015


Register to attend the Community Conversation about services and programs for children and youth or for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders.

Wednesday, October 28, 6:30-9pm at the Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155, in the Shoreline Room at the north end of the facility.

More information:

King County’s Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) is a one-tenth of one percent sales tax supporting programs and services for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders. It expires at the end of 2016 unless renewed by the County Council. Your feedback is needed to help the County plan for updated MIDD-supported services and programs should it be renewed in 2016.

The Youth Action Plan, adopted by the King County Council on June 15, 2015, will set King County’s priorities for serving infants through young adults and will guide and inform the County’s current annual investment of more than $75 million in services and programs serving infants through young adults. The Youth Action Plan calls on the County to effectively engage communities across the region on an ongoing basis.

The County believes effective engagement enables all communities to participate in a way that fosters trust, creates more effective services, programs and policies, and supports community-led solutions. In response to community feedback, we are coordinating our engagement efforts - information gathered at these Community Conversations will inform several County initiatives, including the MIDD, Youth Action Plan and should the levy pass, Best Starts for Kids.




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King County Exec meets with President of China

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

King County Executive Dow Constantine spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday afternoon on the most critical environmental issue facing the planet:

"I just had the opportunity to personally thank President Xi of China for visiting King County. We discussed King County's commitment to combating climate change and the opportunity for the U.S. and China to cooperate to create solutions to our greatest shared global challenge."


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King County uses energy-tracking system used by Microsoft

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Executive Dow Constantine announced Thursday that a two-year pilot project that will make King County the largest government in the United States to use a new energy-tracking system that Microsoft uses to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

The tracking software will be installed at five King County buildings and will provide the maintenance staff with real-time analytics that will help them operate them more efficiently, identify HVAC problems faster and better prioritize maintenance work. They will able to spend less time identifying the cause of a heating or air-conditioning problem and more time fixing it.
"My commitment to creating the best-run government in the United States includes taking advantage of emerging technology that makes our operations more efficient," said Executive Constantine. "This innovative partnership will reduce our energy consumption, our electricity bills, and our carbon emissions, all at no cost to local taxpayers."



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Council approves transfer of surplus vanpool van to organizations throughout King County

Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved sending more than two dozen eager King County “retirees” to new careers of helping transport county residents. The Council adopted a motion transferring retired Metro Vanpool vans to provide transportation assistance to local governments, community programs, senior citizens and young people.

The retired vans have been part of Metro Transit’s vanpool fleet for at least six years and have reached the end of their service life. When the vans reach this age, they are considered surplus. The vehicles that are not donated are sold.

Since 1996, the County Council has transferred more than 460 retired vans from Metro’s Vanpool program to local nonprofit organizations to provide transportation for the disabled, low-income, young adults, and senior citizens. 

The organizations, agencies and governments receiving vans include these agencies with local ties: Hopelink, PROVAIL, and Turning Point.


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Harvard selects King County for national Innovations award

Monday, May 26, 2014

Reforms at King County that have saved tens of millions of dollars in public services were recognized today by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, which presented its 2013 Innovations in American Government Award to the county's nationally recognized employee wellness program.

"Healthy Incentives takes a creative approach to a significant problem faced by jurisdictions across the country -- resulting in tremendous savings to municipal budgets and taxpayers," said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard Kennedy School. "It is our hope that by recognizing Healthy Incentives, we can encourage government entities to learn from program's innovation."

The program has saved an estimated $46 million since it was launched in 2006. The smoking rate among employees dropped by more than half, from 12 percent to less than 5 percent, and participating employees combined for a total weight loss of 24 tons.



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2014 Residential Valuation Notices mailed to Lake Forest Park and West Kenmore property owners

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

On May 15th, King County Assessor Lloyd Hara’s office mailed the 2014 property valuations to all residential property owners in Area 4 – Lake Forest Park/West Kenmore located in North King County. Area 4 residential property values increased by 20.5%. The Assessor’s Office will continue to mail out more than 600,000 residential and commercial valuation notices to taxpayers throughout the rest of King County between May and October.

Residential property is assessed each year at 100 percent of its true and fair market value in money, which is defined by Washington State law as the amount of money that a willing and unobligated buyer is willing to pay a willing and unobligated seller. Residential values are determined based on multiple sales of similar properties.

The King County Assessor’s Office annually revalues all properties and conducts a physical inspection on each property once every six years. The last physical inspection of the Lake Forest Park/West Kenmore area was conducted in 2011.

“Continuing the 2013 trend, property values are increasing across King County as we emerge from the Great Recession,” said Assessor Lloyd Hara. “In 2013, we saw a residential increase in 76 out of 86 residential areas in King County and we expect to see continued growth in residential values for 2014.”

Assessor Lloyd Hara would like to remind all property owners to carefully review the information contained in the valuation notice. If you feel a mistake has been made in valuing your property, it is recommended that you contact the Assessor’s Office directly before filing an appeal at 206-296-7300 or by email.

Property owners can review their property information online using eReal Property and review Area Reports on the Assessor’s homepage or with the Assessor’s staff to make sure an error has not been made. King County allows 60 days from the valuation’s postmark date to file an appeal with the King County Board of Equalizations.

Some low-income seniors, disabled veterans, or disabled persons retired because of a disability might be eligible for a property tax deferral or exemption. The King County Assessor’s Office encourages you or those you know to contact our office to determine eligibility.

For King County taxpayers who need advice and assistance on property tax related matters, including appeals, contact the King County Tax Advisor at 206-477-1060 or by email.


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King County Council Report shows County mental health and drug programs reducing costly jail and hospital stays

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Mental illness and drug dependency funding providing pathways to health and stability

Improving access to treatment services for people with mental illness and chemical dependency is proving successful in reducing costly emergency response and criminal justice services and helping people achieve healthier, safer and more stable lives in the community, according to a recent report from the King County Council.

The Metropolitan King County Council recently accepted the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Sixth Annual Report, which includes information on the youth and adults who received a range of treatment services in 2013 through programs supported by Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) funds.

“Investments in our mental health and chemical dependency programs have paid dividends in the form of reduced jail time and psychiatric hospital stays,” said Councilmember Rod Dembowski, prime sponsor of the motion. “These programs are starting to make a dent in the overall problem, but King County still has work to do in ensuring everyone with mental health and chemical dependency challenges receive the care they need.”

In 2005, the Washington state Legislature authorized counties to implement a one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax to support new or expanded chemical dependency or mental health treatment programs and services and for the operation of new or expanded therapeutic court programs and services.

“This report shows that focusing our resources on preventive measures is an effective way to break the cycle of arrests and hospitalization,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Our combined efforts to help treat those who suffer from mental illness and chemical dependency make our communities safer and healthier.”

King County became one of 19 counties in the state to create this new fund source in 2007, using the tax revenue to fund a range of programs and services to prevent and reduce unnecessary involvement with criminal justice and emergency medical systems and promote recovery for people with mental illness and chemical dependency.

“The resources provided by the MIDD tax have allowed us to build creative and humane alternatives to jail for people arrested for low level offenses who have underlying mental health and chemical dependency issues,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney and MIDD Oversight Committee Co-Chair Dan Satterberg. “Our investments in these programs will make our community safer and healthier, and have reduced our reliance on the more expensive and less effective avenue of incarceration.”

The report shows significant success during the past year. Highlights including the following:

  • $53.9 million was spent during 2013 on MIDD strategies and on County programs funded through the MIDD.
  • A total of 35,828 individuals (23,299 adults and 12.529 youth/children) received one or more MIDD-funded services, compared with 32,112 served in 2012.
  • At least 1,059 MIDD clients reported that they had served in the U.S. military.
  • 40 of 45 strategies with performance measurement data met at least 85 percent of their annual target for one or more key targets in 2013
  • By increasing access to community mental health treatment, the average number of emergency visits to Harborview Medical Center was reduced 22 percent in the short term and 38 percent in the long term.
  • The average number of days in jail for MIDD participants was reduced between 79 percent and 8 percent, depending on the particular MIDD program.
  • A reduction in average days hospitalized for MIDD participants ranged from 66 percent to 34 percent.

Clients served by MIDD funds come from across King County, including greater Seattle (34%), south King County (31%), east King County (17%), north King County (8%), and elsewhere (10%).

While the original state legislation did not allow the one-tenth of one percent sales tax revenues to be used for existing programs, subsequent changes to the law by the State Legislature currently allow counties to use a portion of the funds to support existing mental health, substance abuse and therapeutic court services, making it possible to sustain programs through the recession.


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Executive Constantine praises effort that enrolled 150,000 King County residents in health coverage

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

King County Executive Dow Constantine today praised the partnership that helped enroll more than 150,000 people in King County before the first deadline under the Affordable Care Act:

“Federal healthcare reform was hard-won, and presented an opportunity we vowed we would not miss. In King County, our extraordinary all-hands-on-deck campaign led to the successful enrollment of more than 150,000 people through Washington Healthplanfinder. 
“I deeply appreciate the work of my Leadership Circle – our partners in government, nonprofits, labor, and business – to get the word out, and the diligence of our Public Health staff, enrollment partners, and all the in-person assisters who worked late nights and weekends to sign people up. 
“Thanks to this regional mobilization, fewer people in King County face the prospect of financial ruin due to illness or injury – and more will get preventive care early, rather than expensive treatment later. Together we have truly created a culture of coverage in King County – saving money, and saving lives.”

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Are you getting married? King County Recorder's Office has moved

Monday, March 17, 2014

The King County Recorder's Office in downtown Seattle has a new home. The office is now located in Suite 430 of the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave. The new spot on the fourth floor is conveniently located just off the Fifth Avenue lobby of the building.

The Recorder's Office records and provides access to more than 350 types of documents, including marriage license applications, real estate filings, plat maps, and more. Office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Call the Recorder's Office at 206-477-6620 or visit the website.


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King County Public Defender welcomes moratorium on executions

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

David Chapman, interim Public Defender for King County, issued the following statement on Governor Jay Inslee’s announcement Tuesday to place a moratorium on executions in Washington state:
“I’m deeply encouraged by Governor Inslee’s decision to place a moratorium on executions in our state. This was a courageous move on his part and an important one, as it affords us an opportunity to begin a much-needed statewide discussion about this controversial and costly penalty. Questions abound about whether the death penalty is fair or equitable and about whether we, as a society, want state-sanctioned violence to be our answer to violence in our society. 
"The Innocence Project, meanwhile, has proven that our system of justice is fallible. And once a person is executed, exoneration is meaningless. 
“Governor Inslee has given us the time-out we need to begin this conversation and address these critical issues. I applaud his courage and his leadership.”


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King County Executive on Federal Government decision to allow Marijuana Legalization

Thursday, August 29, 2013


King County Executive Dow Constantine issued the following statement on today’s announcement by the Justice Department that the United States government will not seek to stop Washington from implementing I-502: 

“I am proud of Washington State for leading the way on national policy. We will regulate the production and sale of adult use marijuana in a way that reduces harm, protects youth, and profits legitimate, law-abiding, tax-paying businesses rather than criminals. 
Prohibition has clearly failed and, thanks to this decision by the federal government, we can now develop policies that respect the will of the people and work better for our communities.”

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One stop shopping: New King County Community Service Center opens in Shoreline June 7

Saturday, June 1, 2013


Location inside District Court building will serve several communities in north King County

The King County Community Service Center (CSC) Program is working to serve even more residents. On June 7, a new location will open in the Shoreline District Court building at 18050 Meridian Ave. N. The new center will offer assistance to residents of Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and other areas of north King County every Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

"Our Community Service Centers are a convenient way to do business with King County, right in your own neighborhood," said Recording Manager Jon Scherer, who oversees the CSC Program at King County. "We're pleased to be able to expand our program into north King County and better serve our residents who live there."

Services handled at King County Community Service Centers vary by location, but usually include:

  • Property tax payments
  • Marriage license applications and certificates
  • Certified copies of marriage certificates and recorded documents
  • Pet license purchases and renewals
  • U.S. passport applications
  • King County job listings and applications
  • Information and referrals for a wide variety of King County services and programs


For more information about the King County Community Service Center (CSC) Program, or to find the nearest location and services available, visit the website.


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Executive Constantine creates regional initiative to connect military veterans and their families to benefits they’ve earned

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Four of every ten veterans say they have little or no understanding of their benefits or how to access them.

Increasing knowledge of those benefits, facilitating access to those services, and improving coordination across service systems are the goals of a new Regional Veterans Initiative unveiled February 4, 2013 by King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“Uneven coordination across federal, state, local and nonprofit systems means vets often aren’t connected to the services they need – and have earned,” said Executive Constantine, as part of his 2013 State of the County address. “As regional leaders we are in a position to supply those connections.”
King County is home to an estimated 127,000 veterans and military personnel, and a range of programs and services are available to help veterans and families in need.

To better connect veterans and their families living in King County to those services, the Regional Veterans Initiative will bring together the funders, service providers, veterans organizations and other stakeholders to develop action steps.

The Executive named three accomplished local veterans to act as his special advisors for the initial planning:
  • General Peter Chiarelli, U.S. Army (retired), former U.S. Army Vice-Chief of Staff.
  • Col. Grethe Cammermeyer (retired), former Chief Nurse of the Washington State National Guard.
  • Leo Flor, a former Army Infantry Officer and local veterans advocate.
The advisors will work with the Executive and staff of the Department of Community and Human Services to reach out to regional leaders in the veterans’ community to identify needs, gaps, and opportunities for policy, planning and resource collaboration. They will also work with members of the two current volunteer boards – the King County Veterans Program Advisory Board and the King County Veterans Citizen Levy Oversight Board – to gather input from veterans and family members.

A key component of the initiative is exploring the creation of a Veterans Coordinating Council to be comprised of the core stakeholders involved in funding services for veterans and their families. This council could help provide regional leadership for cross-system collaboration and resource coordination across all levels of government and with local service organizations.

The advisors will forward their recommendations and a King County Regional Veterans Initiative Action Plan to the County Executive and the County Council in June 2013.


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NUHSA Board Member named to King County advisory panel on transit mobility

Tuesday, January 22, 2013


The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous approval to the members appointed by the County Executive who will explore developing fare programs for low income communities who use public transit as their primary source of transportation.

Rob Beem, board member of the North Urban Human Services group, and Shoreline city staffer, was named to the advisory panel.

Council Chair Larry Gossett, prime sponsor of the motion, said that
“The goal of the committee is to explore how we continue to provide vital transit service that is both accessible and affordable to all transit users. The makeup of the committee ensures that a wide range of voices—including those who depend on Metro as their only source of transportation—will help in providing the information we need.”
Larry Phillips, chair of the Council's Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee, added 
“The economic downturn, the end of the Ride Free Area, and transit fares increases have made it harder for low- and no-income people to get to work and appointments on public transportation. I thank the members of the Low Income Fare Advisory Committee for their commitment to coming up with recommendations for making King County’s public transit system accessible to people of limited means.”

In October 2012, the Council took the proactive step of addressing the mobility needs of low-income residents throughout King County by unanimously adopting the formation of the advisory panel.  The group, which consists of representatives from a wide range of human service agencies as well as those who might benefit from the recommendation of the panel, will assist in the development of public transportation fare programs for low income communities in support of the “fair and just” principles that are part of the King County Strategic Plan.

The scope of work for the committee includes a number of issues:

  1. Establishing a common understanding of mobility barriers for low income populations, and how transit fare price points affect access and use of transit by low-income persons;
  2. Reviewing the different types of transit fare options available to meet the mobility needs of low-income persons;
  3. Reviewing costs of potential King County low income fare programs;
  4. Recommend definitions of low income to be used for the implementation of transit fare programs;
  5. Making prioritized recommendations related to the establishment of King County low-income fare programs;
  6. Identifying different options for funding low income fare programs and potential partners that may be willing to support such programs;
  7. Identifying opportunities and recommendations for regional low income fare programs for potential consideration by agency partners of the ORCA joint board.

The committee would present its recommendations to the Council this summer.


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Executive Constantine makes friendly wager with Executive of Prince George’s County in Maryland over outcome of Seahawks/Redskins playoff game

Thursday, January 3, 2013

King County Executive Dow Constantine and County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III of Prince George’s County in Maryland, home of the Washington Redskins, have made a friendly wager over the outcome of Sunday’s Redskins/Seattle Seahawks playoff game.

The two conversed via webcam Thursday, and the video can be seen here. A dedicated football fan, Executive Constantine has not missed a University of Washington Husky home football game in at least four decades.

“I am pleased to make this friendly wager with Prince George’s County Executive Baker to highlight King County’s world-famous coffee, our commitment to community service, and our beloved Seattle Seahawks,” said Executive Constantine, who will travel to the East Coast to watch the game as a guest of Executive Baker. “Go Hawks!”

The two executives are each putting up a case of coffee from their respective local producers – Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Diva Espresso, and an assortment of other locally roasted coffees from King County, and 8 O’Clock Bean Coffee from Cheverly, Maryland.

During their respective community service events in January, the loser must also wear the winning team’s jersey, as a means of promoting “National Mentoring Month” and the “Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service” on January 21, 2013.

“This is a very exciting time for Prince George’s County to host its first NFL playoff game since 1999,” said Executive Baker. “Our entire region has been so inspired by the performance of the Redskins and I am confident that they will be victorious this Sunday. “I want to thank King County Executive Constantine for joining me in this wager that allows us to highlight our great local businesses and promote volunteerism and mentorship this month.”

The Washington Redskins (10-6) will host the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) at FedEx Field on Sunday, January 6, at 4:30pm.


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King County Executive’s Top 12 for 2012

Thursday, December 27, 2012

With 2012 nearing an end, King County Executive Dow Constantine took the opportunity to look back at his office’s top 12 accomplishments of the year and how they build on the reforms of previous years.

“Any list is going to be subjective, and not every story here was one that captured the public’s attention – but each held its own place in our agenda to create a sustainable government that works, and one that works for all the people,” said Executive Constantine. “My thanks to the work of all our departments and staff who helped make our successes possible.”

The Executive’s top 12 stories of 2012 are, in rough chronological order:

  1. Merger of formerly incompatible business systems – Outmoded paper processes and redundant data entry were swept away with implementation of Accountable Business Transformation: the successful merger of two separate payroll systems – one for King County and one for Metro – and two separate financial systems into one modern, efficient business backbone that provides real-time information on payroll, budgets and procurement.
  2. Siting of future schools to be inside urban areas – A regional task force unanimously called for future schools in districts that straddle the Urban Growth Boundary to be sited in urban areas and rural towns, rather than in areas designated as rural. The resolution of this long-standing dispute helps deliver educational excellence for children without sacrificing the rural environment up and down the “bright green line” that separates urban from rural – and which keeps King County from becoming another Los Angeles.
  3. Procurement reform opens access for businesses to do business with King County – Contract awards to small contractor and supplier firms nearly doubled in 2012, thanks in part to a redesigned online vendor registration system that saved thousands of dollars in paper and staff time, and a new partnership with the Port of Seattle and Sound Transit for a “one-stop” small business certification program.
  4. Revitalization of Pioneer Square through mixed-use development – Construction of the long-awaited North Lot development next to CenturyLink Field can already be seen, thanks to Council adoption of the Executive’s innovative parking solution that helped close the deal with all partners. The project on part of the old Kingdome site is expected to create up to 2,700 construction jobs and more than $727 million in economic activity over the next decade.
  5. Cities re-enlist in partnership for regional animal services – The reforms and new leadership put in place for animal care and control were affirmed when 25 cities voted to renew their contracts with Regional Animal Services of King County. In partnership with cities and animal advocates throughout the region, the work continues to improve the delivery of affordable, sustainable, and humane animal services.
  6. Voter approval of new Children and Family Justice Center – The longstanding need to replace the aging and dilapidated Youth Services Center was finally solved when voters approved a nine-year property tax levy, and troubled youth and their families were the winners. The new center now being designed for a 2018 opening will better protect the safety of youth who must be detained there, and provide room for modern approaches that move young people out of the criminal-justice system and provide help for families — including juvenile drug court, parent-to-parent mentoring programs, and therapeutic services for youth.
  7. Move of permitting services closer to customers – To the applause of staff and customers, the Executive issued the first single-family home building permit at the new Snoqualmie offices of the newly-renamed King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review. The new name and new location were the latest in a series of customer-service-focused changes made in the last two years at the once-maligned agency, where the director said he and his staff have “hit the reset button.”
  8. Honors for hard-working small business owners – The importance and accomplishments of the small businesses that create local jobs and contribute to our regional economy were celebrated for the second year in a row at the King County Executive's Small Business Awards at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. The event brought together 230 people from local chambers of commerce, cities, and small business organizations as the winners were announced.
  9. NBA Arena proposal developed and adopted – Perhaps the most high-profile story of the year unfolded over eight months as the Executive and Seattle Mayor proposed an unprecedented financial model for construction of a new NBA arena that provides strong protections for the public, minimizes financial risk, and is far different from those used for the region’s past stadiums. The final agreement adopted by the Seattle and King County Councils now puts the region in position for investor Chris Hansen and his partners to bring the NBA and the Sonics back to King County, and to also acquire a National Hockey League franchise.
  10. Balancing budget while preserving most services –With a reform agenda that created $60 million of efficiencies and introduced Lean business practices, the Executive proposed and the Council adopted a biennial budget that funded most County services at current levels, despite sharply limited growth in the economy. The budget was balanced not by raising taxes or cutting services, but by creating efficiencies and engaging in a philosophy and a methodology for continuous improvement.
  11. Celebration of marriage equality – All eyes were on King County as Executive Constantine personally issued the first marriage licenses here to same-sex couples – the first in the nation to be issued under a state law that was enacted directly by voters. The marathon that followed was praised by participants and observers as government at its finest, with the efficient processing of a record 623 marriage licenses in just three days.
  12. Acquisition of Eastside Rail Corridor for rails and trails – The long-held dream of a world-class regional trail system that also preserves Eastside commuter rail options moved closer to reality with the Executive’s proposal and the Council’s adoption of legislation to acquire nearly 20 miles of former BNSF rail property. The purchase and sale agreement fulfills the promise to the region of preserving a public corridor through the most urbanized areas of east King County.
The Executive will summarize the accomplishments of all County departments, and outline his agenda for the coming year, when he presents his annual State of the County address, tentatively scheduled for February 4, 2013.




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Business still booming for marriage licenses in King County

Saturday, December 8, 2012

71 licenses issued on Friday, special hours wrap up on Saturday

Demand for marriage licenses remains high, as King County closes the second and embraces the third day of the new marriage equality law. The number of applications for marriage licenses on Friday – 71 – was more than double the normal demand for a Friday in December. However, today’s count pales in comparison to the 1,200% spike in demand on Thursday, the first day that same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses. In total, King County has issued 560 marriage licenses in the past two days.

“71 licenses is a significant increase in our marriage licensing business for a Friday at this time of year,” said Jon Scherer, recording manager for King County. “Our staff and volunteers are ready for large numbers again on Saturday.”

To keep up with the demand, the Recorder’s Office in the King County Administration Building in downtown Seattle will be open on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Couples should enter from the North Plaza, on the James Street side of the building. Applicants with mobility issues can enter the Administration Building at the accessible entrance off Fourth Avenue. Due to popular demand, King County will continue to have a photo station set up in the fourth floor (Fifth Avenue) lobby for couples to take pictures with their newly-minted marriage licenses as they exit the Administration Building.

King County District Court judges will also be available to perform weddings on Sunday, Dec. 9. Visit their website for more detailed contact information. Couples can also call 206-205-9200, then as soon as the message begins, press “5” and then “4” to hear information about weddings. Weddings can be performed at any King County District Court facility, located throughout the county.

King County District Court, West Division, Shoreline Courthouse is located in the City of Shoreline at 18050 Meridian Avenue North. This facility provides court services for the cities of Shoreline and Kenmore.

To send an e-mail to the Shoreline Courthouse click here.
18050 Meridian Ave. N.
Shoreline, WA 98133
Phone: 206-205-9200



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