Still time to comment on plans for the 175th Street Corridor Improvements

Saturday, September 25, 2021

It’s not too late to provide your input online for the 175th Street Corridor Improvements Project! Learn about the Council approved design and share your thoughts on urban design and landscaping elements.

The online open house will be available until October 6.

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Shoreline Police: Mail thief in bright red clothes


Do you happen to know this thief in the inconspicuous bright red outfit?

Around 4am on Sunday morning September 5, 2021, he raided the mailboxes at an apartment complex located in the 1500 block of NE 175th St in Shoreline.


The apartment lobby is only accessible with a physical key provided to the residents, so we're not sure how he entered the building.
 
Surveillance video shows the suspect using a screwdriver to pry two banks of mailboxes open. He steals the mail from several of the boxes. He even brought his own bag, although we are certain QFC is not pleased with the advertisement.


The suspect is a 6-foot tall, white male wearing a red plaid shirt, red jogger-style pants, and black tennis shoes. It is suspected that the male left through a side door.

If you have any information on this case or recognize the suspect, please contact our 24-hour non-emergency number at 206-296-3311 and reference case #C21028217.


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Girls' and Women's Forum at the Kraken Community Iceplex Oct 9-10


The Kraken Community Iceplex is hosting a Girls’ and Women’s Forum, October 9-10, 2021 at the new practice facility in Northgate. 

The weekend features programs to celebrate and help grow the game, such as:
  • Experience Clinic
  • Player Pathway Panel
  • Coaching and Leadership with Cammi Granato
  • Girls’ Try Hockey for Free
To register visit: https://www.krakencommunityiceplex.com/.../girls-women-s.../



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Adventures of an Icebreaker: Traveling through the Arctic ice


Ens. Valarie Hines, an ice pilot aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20), breaks through Arctic ice as she maneuvers the crew through the Beaufort Sea, Sept. 1, 2021. 

Healy’s crew deployed to the Arctic to conduct Coast Guard missions, strengthen international partnerships, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring a safe and secure Arctic, and support environmental research with the international science community. 

View the video of the Healy traveling through an ice field. Turn on the sound and click the photo.

U.S. Coast Guard video by Chief Petty Officer Matt Masaschi.



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ShoreLake Arts: 6X6NW Early Buyer Tickets On Sale

6X6NW Early Buyer Tickets On Sale
Early Access: October 1, 2021 from 10am-2pm

Early buyer tickets are now on sale for the 6th Annual 6X6NW Art Exhibit and Fundraiser, presented by ShoreLake Arts!

This early buyer ticket grants you access to the event on October 1st from 10am-2pm, before opening to everyone after 2pm.

Early buyer tickets are $10 each and can be purchased through Eventbrite.

Each piece of artwork is 6 x 6 inches and costs $36 + tax. You may pick up your purchases or have it shipped for $9.

Friendly reminder that there is only one of each. These are one-of-a-kind artworks. So you have to be quick to act on some of your favorite works as you browse through the show.

This year we have 135 contributing artists from all over the country. All ranges of ages and skill levels! Thank you to the artists for continuing to make this event possible and fun through two adapted years. We hope to be back in person in 2022!

Prize winners and awards will be announced via our Facebook page on September 30th at 4pm (PST). Each artist will receive a $100 cash prize! The three winners from last year (Carrie Howard, Julie Steed, and Kiran Walgamott) will be selecting three winners from this year, including a youth artist.

What will early access look like?
  • Here is the link to the show.
  • You will receive this link along with your password the day prior (evening of September 30).
  • On October 1st at 10am, you will be able to enter in the password provided to access the show.
Questions? Terri has answers. Feel free to email her at programs@shorelakearts.org

Thanks to our event sponsor, Jack Malek of Windermere!

Thank you to our partners, Shoreline Community College, City of Shoreline, City of Lake Forest Park, ArtsWA, and National Endowment for the Arts.

ShoreLake Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts. Established in 1989.



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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Beginning climber


Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter HERE



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Letter to the Editor: Stop constructing buildings that use fossil fuels

To the Editor:

Since moving to Shoreline, Washington, I’ve witnessed climate change impacts from heat waves to “snowpocalypse.” Our inevitably hotter summers has me worried for greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and public safety in our community.
  
The people most at risk of heat-related health impacts are low income residents, particularly those who are bedridden or unable to access cooling centers, who don’t have air conditioning where they live. Keeping the most vulnerable people safe means air conditioning is a necessity when building new homes.

Luckily, electric heat pumps, which provide heating and air conditioning together, are much more efficient than gas-powered air conditioners. Using heat pumps can reduce energy use for heating and cooling homes by up to 50% or more, which means less strain on the grid and lower energy costs. Plus, an all-electric home has 93% lower carbon emissions than a home with natural gas appliances.
  
Buildings that use fossil fuels like natural gas for space and water heating are both the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and the primary source of pollution-related deaths in Washington state. In 2017, outdoor air pollution from burning fossil fuels in buildings led to an estimated 559 early deaths and $6.266 billion in health costs. 

This impacts Black, Latinx, and Asian people, as well as low-income communities, who now have higher risks of death from particle pollution due to racist policies which pushed communities of color to live in places with greater exposure to air pollution.

We have the power to stop making this problem worse. We can stop constructing buildings which use fossil fuels. I’m thrilled to see my Shoreline City Council lead on this issue and I urge them to pass an ordinance this year to begin phasing out the use of fossil gas in new construction projects.

Ariana Rundquist Ylvisaker
Shoreline


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FOUND: Missing child is back home

UPDATE: Natalia was located late last night by Seattle Police. She was found unharmed and has been reunited with her family. Thank you to everyone for your help in putting the word out.




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Pfizer booster shots approved for many at-risk Americans

The latest development in the U.S. rollout of vaccines means a booster shot is now available for many Americans, including those most at risk of severe illness from the COVID-19 virus. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made these recommendations on who is approved for a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine.

Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy says UW Medicine is well-prepared to begin administering booster vaccines to those who now qualify. Visit their site to schedule an appointment.

“UW Medicine has been planning for these boosters for months,” says Dhanireddy, who is the lead clinical doctor for UW Medicine’s COVID-19 vaccination program. “We will be ramping up staffing in our larger vaccination clinics, but we also will make sure that the vaccine is available throughout our clinics, so that you can get it in your own clinic here at UW Medicine.”

While Pfizer is the first vaccine to gain approval for a booster series in the United States, Dhanireddy expects that recommendations for Moderna and Johnson / Johnson boosters will be available in the near future. 

In the meantime, mixing and matching vaccine types is not recommended.

“There are studies ongoing about mix-and-match,” says Dhanireddy. “I think it would be hard to approve mixing and matching based on the lack of data that's been published.”



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Fall foliage

Friday, September 24, 2021

 
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Seems like these trees changed color almost overnight.



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Two evenings of free Climate education on zoom

Join us for two evenings of Climate Education on Zoom.
Tuesday Tracy Talks
Free of charge, open to the public

Sept. 28th at 7pm
October 5th at 7pm

For more information contact: Sally Yamasaki at syamasaki@pobox.com


Tracy Furutani – Lake Forest Park Resident

Tracy earned a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington, an MS in Chemistry from Stanford University. 

He is a tenured science faculty member at North Seattle College, where he teaches about natural disasters and their social and economic impacts and has taught about climate change for the last 25 years.

 
Brian Saunders - Lake Forest Park Resident

Brian Saunders is a faculty member at Shoreline and North Seattle College in the Math and Science Department. He received his BS in Biology and MS in Marine-Estuarine Sciences at WWU. 

He is a strong advocate for conservation and preservation of sensitive habitats, especially in and around the Salish Sea.


Tuesday Tracy Talk: DESCRIPTION

September 28th @ 7:00pm
What effect does climate change have on small cities like Lake Forest Park?

October 5th @ 7:00pm
What is a Climate Action Plan and why should cities, such as Lake Forest Park, develop one?

In an interview style, Brian Saunders will be interviewing Tracy Furutani on the effects of climate change on small cities like Lake Forest Park, what can be expected in the near future, what a Climate Action Plan is, and why it is important. Questions and Answers to follow the interview.

Register in advance for these free Zoom talks:




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Dust Off Your Camera for These Upcoming Photography Classes at Shoreline Community College


Are you new to photography or a hobby photographer looking to refine your skills? 

If so, Continuing Education at Shoreline Community College has upcoming classes just for you! Check out Digital SLR Photography for Beginners (now offered on-campus!) to learn how to use that "fancy" camera or try Tips for Eye-Catching Bird Photography to create beautiful nature portraits.

Check out our online course catalog to see all Fall classes or contact Continuing Education at continuing-ed@shoreline.edu for more information.



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US Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program receives award for campaign

Everett, WA -  US Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program – serving ALL Snohomish County and Shoreline – received the coveted LCO Campaign of the Year Region 6 for 2020.

Their coordinator Mary Butler also received the coveted LCO Coordinator of the Year Region 6 2020, in an awards ceremony September 17, 2021. 

Mary thanks our sponsors/partners and communities for their generosity, and TFT volunteers for their tireless support. The mission of US Marine Corps Toys for Tots – Snohomish County and Shoreline – to deliver symbols of hope to underserved children/youth continues in 2021.

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Volunteer opportunity at Shoreline Cold Weather Shelter


For the third winter season, the City of Shoreline is working in partnership with the North Urban Human Services Alliance (NUHSA) to operate an emergency severe weather shelter. 

Rev. David Marshall and the generous congregation at St. Dunstan’s Church has once again offered space to house this important program at their parish, located at 722 N 145th Street, Shoreline.

To make the shelter successful, volunteers are needed to help staff it during activation.Compassionate and fully vaccinated volunteers must be over 18 years old and be able to commit to being on-call for a certain number of nights each month between November 1st and March 30th.

The threshold for activation will be a prediction of four-plus hours of temperatures at or below 33 degrees overnight or snow accumulation (or expected accumulation) of 2 or more inches. When activated, the shelter will be open from 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Volunteers will be provided with training and then will be responsible for welcoming guests and supervising the shelter overnight (partial shifts can be arranged). Volunteers will be paired with another person during shelter activation.

If you would like to volunteer, email staff@nuhsa.org or call 206-550-5626.

For more information about the emergency severe weather shelter, contact Community Services Manager Bethany Wolbrecht-Dunn at bwolbrec@shorelinewa.gov or 206-801-2251.



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Case updates September 22, 2021 - future hospital admissions and occupancy uncertain

Delta virus continues to infect
DOH's latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report shows the majority of counties now have case rates above 500 per 100,000. 

Washington is likely to see continued high levels of cases and hospital admissions, with increasing deaths. Read the full news release.

As of September 20, 24.2% of Washingtonians 12 and older are unvaccinated.


United States 
  • Total cases  42,501,643 - 120,770 new
  • Total deaths 680,688 - 1,961 new

Washington state 
  • Total confirmed cases 567,011 - 3,205 new 
  • Total hospitalizations 35,689 - 175 new 
  • Total deaths 7,434 - 61 new 

King county - not updated
  • Total confirmed cases 140,058 -  new 
  • Total hospitalizations 7,882 -  new 
  • Total deaths 1,849 -   new

Seattle - not updated
  • Total confirmed cases 34,073  -  new 
  • Total hospitalizations 1,698  -   new 
  • Total deaths 460 -   new

Shoreline  - not updated
  • Total confirmed cases 3,072 - 7 new
  • Total hospitalizations 234 -   -1 new
  • Total deaths 108 - 1 new

Lake Forest Park - not updated
  • Total confirmed cases 454 - 3 new 
  • Total hospitalizations 21 -    0 new
  • Total deaths 5  - 0 new


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Kenmore Police: Do you know this man?

Do you know this man? 

He dumped a stolen car at a Kenmore apartment complex on Friday, September 17, 2021 around 3:30pm.

When the vehicle was discovered the next day in a tenant's parking place, on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 8:59am, a deputy was dispatched to the complex in the 6600 block of NE 182nd St in Kenmore.

A shaved key was stuck in the ignition
The deputy learned the red Subaru Legacy had been stolen in Lynnwood. He inspected the car and found a silver key still in the ignition. 

The key did not belong to a Subaru and couldn't be pulled out.

We suspect this is what's known as a shaved key, used by car thieves to start all kinds of vehicles.
 
A review of the apartment surveillance footage revealed our suspect is a white male with short hair, approximately 20-30 years of age. He is between 5’8 to 6’1 tall, with an average build. 

The suspect has what appears to be a large tattoo on the inside of his right lower leg. The manager did not recognize the suspect as being a resident, or anyone he had seen before.

The owner retrieved his vehicle

Deputies contacted the owner of the vehicle, who responded to the scene to pick up the car.

At this point, the suspect is still outstanding. If you recognize him, please contact our 24-hour non-emergency number at 206-296-3311 and refer to case #C21029451.

--King County Sheriff's Office



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Several overnight ramp closures ahead at the SR 104 and I-5 interchange

Several on-ramps and off-ramps at the SR 104 and I-5 interchange will close overnight next week while Sound Transit contractor crews continue work on the Lynnwood Light Rail extension.

Marked detours will be in place during the following closures:
  • Monday, Sept. 27 to the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 29 – The northbound I-5 off-ramp to 236th St SW will close from 9pm to 5am nightly.
  • Monday, Sept. 27 to the morning of Friday, Oct. 1
    • The westbound SR 104 on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 8pm to 4:30am nightly.
    • The northbound and southbound I-5 to SR 104 HOV direct access ramps will close from 10pm to 5am nightly.
  • Wednesday, Sept. 29 to the morning of Thursday, Sept. 30 – The northbound I-5 off-ramps to eastbound and westbound SR 104 will close from 9pm to 4am
  • Wednesday, Sept. 29 to the morning of Friday, Oct. 1 – The eastbound SR 104 on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 8pm to 4:30am nightly.

Updated with map

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FOUND: KCSO: Child missing - last seen Thursday in Shoreline


UPDATE:  Natalia was located late last night by Seattle Police. She was found unharmed and has been reunited with her family. Thank you to everyone for your help in putting the word out.

King County detectives seek the public's help to locate 12 year old Natalia Jordan. 

She was last seen Thursday, September 23, 2021 near the Shoreline McDonald's 15200 Aurora Ave N.  

Natalia was wearing a plaid sweater and orange, Ugg-style flip-flops. Please call 911 when you find Natalia. (C21030091)



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Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff to step down in second quarter 2022 following more than six years of accomplishments

Sound Transit CEO will be leaving
in the second quarter of 2022
Sound Transit Board Chair Kent Keel issued the following statement on Thursday, September 23, 2021 after the Board’s decision to begin a search for a new chief executive officer to succeed Peter Rogoff after he steps down in the second quarter of 2022:

After more than six years serving Sound Transit and our region, CEO Peter Rogoff recently informed the Board and me that he did not foresee remaining in his role beyond the end of 2022. 

Given the volume and intensity of current and upcoming work and the agency’s needs and interests, the Sound Transit Board has exercised its discretion to proceed immediately to initiating a national search to select the agency’s next successful leader. 

Now is a strategic time to identify our next CEO ahead of work to open light rail to the Eastside in 2023 and to Lynnwood, Federal Way and Downtown Redmond in 2024. Peter has agreed to remain in his position until the second quarter of 2022 to assist in an orderly transition.

Upon his arrival in early 2016 he worked with the Board and communities across the region to help shape and earn voter approval for the Sound Transit 3 Plan while simultaneously leading efforts to advance major light rail expansions to the east, north and south. 

At present, all but one of Sound Transit’s seven major construction projects are on time and performing on or below budget, putting the agency on a very solid path to nearly tripling the size of its light rail network over just the next three years while it continues to advance further expansions.

In Rogoff's farewell message to the ST Board, he said:

Looking forward, I can’t be more optimistic about our agency’s future.  Thanks to your work, we are on a very firm footing to deliver an additional long-desired expansion every year through 2023 and then deliver three of them in 2024 alone.  So soon it will be time for a new leader to help you plan, build and operate the next generation of projects that follow.


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Ferry photo contest on Twitter returns with more chances to win

Thursday, September 23, 2021


Get your camera ready or start looking through your albums for an amazing ferry pic! After a year off because of the pandemic, the popular Twitter photo contest is back with more chances to win and have your pic on the cover of the printed sailing schedules! 

All you have to do is follow @wsferries, then post your photo on Twitter between noon Monday, September 27, and noon Friday, October 1, 2021. 

Be sure to include the hashtag #FerryFotoContest. Read the WSDOT blog for more information on rules and requirements.

We'll tweet each of our six finalists on Monday, October 11. Top three finalists with most likes on Friday, October 15 win!



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LFP Police: Catalytic converter thief arrested in Lake Forest Park

In custody. Photo courtesy LFP Police

On Monday evening, September 20, 2021 Lake Forest Park officers were called to the 19100 block of Ballinger Way for an in-progress theft of a catalytic converter.

It was reported the suspect was listening to police radio traffic on his cell phone during the theft. The victim reported several vehicles in the parking lot had missing catalytic converters. Sgt. Adams and Ofc. Zelenock arrived and located the suspect. He was then arrested and charged with theft.

In the investigation, officers watched a video of the suspect handling a catalytic converter at the rear tailgate of the victim’s vehicle. The suspect also has pending charges for taking a motor vehicle, trafficking in stolen property, and multiple arrest warrants.

Photo courtesy LFP Police

The suspect's vehicle was impounded for a search warrant. In the vehicle search, officers seized seven catalytic converters, three electric Sawzall’s, three manual saws, dozens of metal cutting blades, lock picks, shaved keys, several floor jacks and stands, and other tools related to the theft of vehicles and auto parts.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), catalytic converter thefts have seen a significant increase across the country since March of 2020, the start of the global pandemic.

“Vehicle thefts, carjackings, and break-ins are all crimes we’ve witnessed trending upward for several months, and now catalytic converter thefts are also on the rise,” said David Glawe, President and CEO of NICB. 
“We have seen a significant increase during the pandemic. It's an opportunistic crime. As the value of the precious metals contained within the catalytic converters continues to increase, so do the number of thefts of these devices. 
"There is a clear connection between times of crisis, limited resources, and disruption of the supply chain that drives investors towards these precious metals.” 
Photo courtesy LFP Police
A catalytic converter is a device that looks like a small muffler along with the exhaust system. It is designed to convert the environmentally hazardous exhaust emitted by an engine into less harmful gasses. 

To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium. In recent years, the values of these precious metals have increased significantly. As of December 2020, rhodium was valued at $14,500 per ounce, palladium at $2,336 per ounce, and platinum going for $1,061 per ounce. 

Typically, recyclers will pay $50 to $250 per catalytic converter. https://www.nicb.org/news/news-releases/catalytic-converter-theft-skyrocketing-nationwide



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Notes from Shoreline Council meeting September 20, 2021

Shoreline City Council Meeting
September 20, 2021

Notes by Pam Cross

NOTE: Due to technical problems, I was unable to attend most of this meeting live. Thankfully, all council meetings are recorded and available to everyone on the City’s website shorelinewa.gov

Mayor Hall called the remote meeting to order at 7:00pm.

All Councilmembers were present.

Proclamation

I, Will Hall, Mayor of the City of Shoreline, on behalf of the Shoreline City Council, do hereby proclaim September 20, 2021 as the MAYOR’S DAY OF CONCERN FOR THE HUNGRY in the City of Shoreline and urge all citizens to generously support local food banks.

Approval of the Agenda
Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.

Report of the City Manager, Debbie Tarry

COVID-19 UPDATE



WELCOMING WEEK

Two new events AND Vote for the logo



SOAK IT UP REBATE PROGRAM


RESCHEDULED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

ART COTTAGE RESIDENCY PERFORMANCES
HUMILITY: DRIFT

New dates are Sept 24 and Oct 9.


PUBLIC REMINDERS

The Shoreline Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Sept 23 at 4:30pm to consider a request to reconsider the Naval Hospital chapel landmark designation boundary.

The PRCS/Tree Board will hold a remote meeting on Thursday Sept 23 at 7:00pm.

For details of both events: shorelinewa.gov/calendar

Council Reports


Deputy Mayor Scully attended a meeting of the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council.

We had a report on some research they’ve done on interactions between coho salmon and a particular chemical from car tires in stormwater runoff. It is highly toxic only to coho. But letting the stormwater sit for a short amount of time allows the chemical to degrade. Although this is still preliminary, we need to consider how we treat stormwater. Right now we have some pipes that flow directly to the Sound. This will have to be a long-term project over the following decades.

Councilmember Chang
I attended a Joint meeting of the Regional Transit Committee and the Mobility and Environment Committee. We are currently updating three plans: metro strategic plan, metro service guidelines and metro long term plan (Metro Connects). 

Service guidelines are particularly important for Shoreline because these guidelines determine how bus routes are added, subtracted and restructured as light rail continues to develop. The concern that I have right now is that since the documents are all focused on leading with equity (something we support) and some of our areas do not have priority populations according the mobility framework, we could potentially be losing out. 

This is in spite of the work we have done to make the light rail stations accessible by transit and rezoned for density housing. These documents will be adopted by the end of the week.

Public Comment

Jackie Kurle, Shoreline
I continue to encourage oversight and transparency regarding the operations of the Enhanced Shelter.

Approval of the Consent Calendar
Consent Calendar approved unanimously

8(a) Discussion of Ordinance No. 938 - Authorizing a One-Year Extension to the Right-of-Way Franchise with Frontier Communications Northwest (dba Ziply Fiber) Originally Granted to Verizon Northwest Inc. (Ordinance No. 522) to Construct, Maintain, Operate, Replace, and Repair a Cable System Over, Along, Under, and Through Designated Public Rights-of-way in the City of Shoreline

Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst, made the brief presentation.

This proposed Ordinance No. 938 would provide a second one-year extension to the existing franchise agreement and would terminate November 4, 2022, or upon the effective date of a new franchise, whichever occurs first.

Council is familiar with this because on August 16 Council adopted Ordinance No. 939 - Authorizing a Non-Exclusive Franchise to Zayo Group, LLC for the same cable system.

DISCUSSION
None
This Ordinance will return on the consent calendar.

8(b) Discussing 2021-2023 City Council Goal 5, Action Step 5 Regarding RADAR, (Response Awareness, De-escalation and Referral) Alternatives to Police Services, and Other Possible Criminal Justice Reforms

Presented by Christina Arcidy, Management Analyst
With Brook Buettner, RADAR Navigator Program Manager, and Shawn Ledford, Shoreline Police Chief

Council discussed police services at their 2021 Strategic Planning Workshop in March and adopted a goal to direct work related to public safety reforms. They directed staff to maximize use of the North Sound RADAR program, explore alternative responder models, and address the inequitable treatment of low-income defendants throughout other criminal justice reforms.

RADAR Background and Program Update
Presented by Brook Buettner, RADAR Navigator Program Manage
r

The North Sound RADAR Navigator is a cooperative of five cities: Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park and Shoreline. It started in Shoreline and with the addition of other cities allowed the police departments to share a professional navigator staff as well as to share information about people who tend to cross city borders. There are two primary components to the plan:

1. Response plans. This is a way for deputies and officers to share information about folks that may have behavioral health issues or a developmental disability that may put them at an increased risk for an incident that may lead to use of force. This is used sparingly but provides the officer with prior knowledge of the person’s behavior so it is not seen as threatening. It is especially useful when shared across neighboring cities.

2. Mental health professional navigators who go out to in-progress calls and also follow up with that the person to assure that the person is in touch with community systems of care. They also ensure that other RADAR cities are working together on the same plan for this individual. Currently we have funding for 4-6 part-time contracted Navigators. We are about to recruit for three new full-time positions that will be through the City of Bothell.

Program Goals
  1. Develop and share individualized de-escalation strategies to reduce police use-of-force incidents during encounters with people with behavioral health and/or developmental disabilities.
  2. Collaborate with a mental health professional (RADAR Navigator) to connect individuals with behavioral health and/or developmental disabilities to ongoing services and treatment.
  3. Reduce repeat encounters with first responders and increase the effectiveness of police response.
  4. Create cost effective community-policing strategies and promote increased collaboration between deputies, persons with behavioral health and/or developmental disabilities, caregivers, and families.
  5. Our ultimate goal is direct dispatch, either through the 911 system or 988 dispatch center triage.
Additionally we need a Crisis Triage Facility in our community to provide immediate stabilization and linkage to services. Because there are only 17 crisis beds in all of King County, right now the two options are jail or the hospital.

DISCUSSION

Do we have a list of deputies who want to be in this program?
  • Reply: There is some training to bring out a co-responding social worker. It tends to be deputies who are interested in working with behavioral health who are asking to do this. Early on there was some reluctance because the program was too new but now it is seen as a badge of honor to work with the RADAR program.
I learned a lot about the RADAR program that I had not previously known. I didn’t know it was not a crew response program - I thought it was. I learned that our response follows afterwards. The report also made clear why it was difficult finding Navigators - working as a contractor and some of the other conditions. What education is required?
  • Reply: Yes, we currently use contractors who have to carry their own liability insurance and purchase their own business license. We are moving towards hiring Navigators and I am thankful to the City of Bothell for taking that on. The educational requirement is state licensed MHP (Mental Health Professional) which requires a masters degree in social work or a related masters degree, plus a couple of years of experience because we are doing mostly high level deescalation. As the program goes forward we may add another type of Navigator, perhaps one with lived experience. Our biggest need is for more full time employees and the funding to support them.
Several years ago I was a paramedic and when responding to a behavioral call, police and fire looked at each other - who’s going to deal with this person? They often looked to the medically trained paramedics. So I think the RADAR program is amazing. It is fairly closely tied with the police and you absolutely need the police there. I’m concerned that Navigators respond in a police car wearing a black jacket with MHP on it. Maybe we need a third service or to move this in with the Fire Department instead of police.
  • Reply: We partner closely with the Mental Integrated Health Unit in Shoreline. Navigators do wear civilian clothes. When we expand, they can respond independently in separate cars. But if operating outside of law enforcement, they can’t share with law enforcement.
If the problem is information sharing, we can fix that.
  • Reply: Each model has its benefits and drawbacks. Making a living wage with good benefits is critical to attract and retain employees.
Christina Arcidy
Alternative Responder Models

Crisis vs Non-Crisis

This is such a new field, there’s no best practice policy nationally providing us with a model to replicate. We recommend continuing with the evolution of RADAR as it intends to become a program where their Navigators are able to respond to people in crisis without a police presence, when it is safe to do so. We also recommend that at a future Council meeting, Council hear from the King County Mobile Integrated Health Program that is operated by Shoreline Fire.


Who calls 911? Non-crisis calls

We have identified about 25 different types of calls for service can be responded to by other than the police. We have taken a very preliminary look at alternative responses for the top 5, but there are many issues to consider.

Other Criminal Justice Reforms

Right now, because of COVID, the courts are facing huge backlog of cases so instead of working with the courts right now, we are looking at some other issues. We are looking at jail alternatives such as work release and at-home detention as well as improving communication with defendants about when they do and do not have to appear for court. This confusion causes people to lose work days when they don’t have to, or not appear when they should.

DISCUSSION

Regardless of what’s happening, it appears that RADAR is moving towards a hybrid model.
  • Reply: Yes, that’s the idea.
The thing I like about the hybrid model of response is that I think it can be hard to determine when a call coming into a cal center is a “safe call.”

To get fully there, you need the full time staff as well as vehicles and other types of necessary equipment, right?
  • Reply: Yes vehicles are the primary equipment need because RADAR is an outreach based program. A Crisis Triage Facility is a licensed behavioral health facility managed by a behavioral health partner and not by RADAR. It’s a resource that we need in our community and the lack of it hampers our ability to do good work with folks.
What would an ideal team look like for the 5 cities?
  • Reply: That would ideally be 7 to 8 full time employees plus a program manager plus vehicles.
I agree that the Navigators have to be professionals who are paid in line with their education and training.

Where are we with funding from where we are now to your ideal?
  • Reply: We need about double the funding just to get us to the full-time employees. Purchase and maintenance of vehicles is secondary to getting the qualified people we need.
Do all cities contribute roughly equally?
  • Reply: I’m really glad you asked this question. None of the cities is currently contributing other than in-kind officer and deputy time. That is the only contribution, including from Shoreline. All of the direct funding is from King County Department of Human Services and the City of Bothell is about to kick in some levy money. The cities are going to have to start supporting this financially as well.
I agree and this is one of our Council goals. We should be moving forward with this in either this year or next year’s cycle.

You mentioned at one point high volume hours, and that there is currently one person a couple of hours per day, almost everyday. Do we have data supporting high priority hours, and are those the hours currently covered?
  • Reply: Due to current staffing, we take Navigators whenever they are available. Almost all of them have regular jobs. So we are not addressing high volume hours (when the majority of 911 calls come in regarding behavioral health or when they can move people into care which is normal business hours). The data is available for when we have additional staff.
The information on who calls 911 for non-crisis calls is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I see that over 1/3 of all calls fall into non-crisis categories.

I’m concerned about the possible “no response” to items in the non-crisis table. There are a number of things in here that really contribute to quality of life and that we see posted on social media. These things may not be crisis events, but they are really aggravating. When you don’t go after these problematic issues, it becomes something that you accept in your community and I hate to think that mail theft, for example, is something that we are just going to accept. A locking mailbox is not enough to prevent mail theft. I think we need to be cautious about things that affect quality of life and what is acceptable behavior in Shoreline.
  • Reply: I want to emphasize that this is a very preliminary look at non-crisis response. We also want the community to have positive engagements with the police regarding things like mail theft or noise complaints. The perception of police in very important and the police want that type of engagement as well. So we realize this needs more analysis.
I agree that we don’t want to just stop responding. We want to maintain the same level of service, regardless of who ultimately responds. I don’t think our goal is to free up police time to do other things, but to find a different way to approach problems that are maybe not best handled by a police officer. Things like mail theft, vehicle prowls, illegal parking and other things that don’t get an in-person response because the police have learned there’s not much point to it - that is still so frustrating. I want to have a police officer respond, even if they say they cannot get fingerprints but I’ll take a report. Being there in person says I care.

Ultimately I would like RADAR to be able to respond to more types of calls besides the immediate emergent mental health crisis. I’m talking about other things that are best handled by a mental health professional, such has neighbor disputes, camping in a park, barking dogs and other calls that ask “how do we deal with this problem”. Nobody is getting written a citation or going to jail but the problem needs to be addressed.

Does Chief Ledford have any comments on what’s been discussed?
  • Reply by Chief Ledford: At first the deputies were not interested in this program. They didn’t want to be "social workers" and they aren't mental health professionals. But over the years they have come to depend on the program. It isn’t unusual to hear “this individual needs RADAR referral.” We respond to all calls for service. For example, today there was an intoxicated individual at one of the big box stores that was passed out, and later an intoxicated person in a wheelchair tipped over on Aurora. Police responded to both calls. We recognize that not everyone wants to respond without law enforcement. We don’t need to be the one in front, but we do need to be there to support them. The more information we have going into a scene, the less likely we are to use force. I’m in support of working together.
When we first started with RADAR, wasn’t the base plan directed at homes who had people with behavioral issues so that they could be registered with the police department so if police were called to the house, they would have prior knowledge of the behavioral health?
  • Reply Chief Ledford: Part of that was from our lack of follow up after resolving only the crisis by getting the individual immediate care. We recognized that we needed to get these people more help by meeting with their Circle of Support (family and caregivers) to get an idea of what we can do to prevent escalating the situation and reducing multiple calls for the same person. We have about 25 such individuals in Shoreline.
8(c) Discussion of Resolution No. 483 - Requiring Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations as a Qualification of Employment or Public Service with the City of Shoreline, as a Qualification for Providing Contracted Services at City Facilities, Authorizing the City Manager to Develop Additional Rules and Parameters for Implementing this Requirement, and Establishing a Deadline of Full Vaccination by December 1, 2021

Presentation by John Norris, Assistant City Manager


When the decision was made to revisit the vaccination mandate, the information was shared with staff as well as union representatives. 78% of current city employees are fully vaccinated. But given the current trends shown in the above slide, we recognize that 78% is not enough. That is why we are here tonight.

Since we first discussed this, there have been a lot of other decisions made by the State, the County, locally, federally around mandatory vaccinations.



Administrative rules also require proof of vaccination by the same deadline of December 1, 2021. This applies to current and future staff, contractors and volunteers as long as this resolution is in effect.

The results of non-compliance are clearly stated.



This is the first time the City has proposed such a mandate but due to the ongoing public health emergency created by the pandemic, staff believes it is a necessary step at this time. Staff recommends approval of this resolution.

The City Manager and I do not take lightly at all the impact of a mandate such as this on individual rights and freedoms or the potential loss of employees.

No decision is required tonight. This for discussion only with a potential action scheduled for October 4.

DISCUSSION

For me it comes down to the fact that being around an unvaccinated person increases the likelihood of other people catching COVID. There are breakthrough infections. I am grateful that my employer (City of Seattle) mandates the vaccination. That means that when I go back to the office I won’t have to worry as much about the people around me. This is also our contribution to the public health by doing what we can to stop the spread.

I have changed my mind and support this resolution. I wish we didn’t have to issue a mandate, but with the misinformation out there and the state of our world and lack of action by so many individuals, I think is important for the public good. We are not forcing people to get vaccinated - it is a personal decision. I don’t want exceptions to be handed out frivolously, but I wonder how much work the exceptions will be.

I too have changed my mind as numbers keep going up. I recently spent 3 days with family members. Two could not attend because they caught COVID. The rest were unvaccinated which made it a very uncomfortable three days for me. Their reasons were personal - not religious or medical. I was so happy to get away from there. But I still worry about them. And I worried about my personal exposure being there. People should not have to have this worry in their workplace. It’s time for everybody to step up and take responsibility so we can get beyond this.

I agree. Things have changed since June. And the federal government has mandated vaccinations with testing requirements for employers with more than 100 people. I think the City should be consistent with that. I have a question about the volunteers’ piece. It includes any city volunteer working on a City sponsored project. And there’s no exemption for volunteers. Correct?
  • Reply: Yes. This would be volunteers working at any City facility, or a volunteer working at any City sponsored event or activity or program that may not be in a City facility.
The exemptions are only those required by law, correct?
  • Reply: That’s correct.

But we have a problem with the definition of volunteer. I am a local soccer coach, I am working in a city facility (the parks are considered a city facility in this resolution) but there are volunteer coaches who live in Seattle. How would it apply to them? Or a volunteer at a neighborhood work party in a park, or at a booth when we get back to neighborhood events. How do we plan ahead and track proof of their vaccinations? How would we implement this? The same thing can apply to companies the city contracts with. We may not know exactly who the contractor will send out to do the actual work.
  • Reply Debbie Tarry: The procedure for the administrative staff gives the ability to deal with some of these issues. One other criteria that we had discussed for volunteers, it would be volunteers that we actually report hours for Labor and Industry purposes. This would help us to narrow it down to something we can manage.
I don’t see this as much different from going to a bar and having to show ID and proof of immunization. I don’t think that I should be any more at risk going to a going to a park work party. I don’t think we need to micro-manage this resolution. I think staff has done a good job. We have the right not to get vaccinated, but not the right to expose others.

I’m glad we’re here now. The delta variant is here, and possibly more lethal mutations are coming. Being cautious at first was a good step. But with the increase in deaths we need to remember that this is a global pandemic health crisis. We have to act as a global community. We are beyond individual rights when you are infecting others. I have changed from not supporting this to being clearly, clearly sure that I want to protect our staff, volunteers, councilmembers and commission members.

We are already behind the federal, state and county government. I wish we would have had this in place by October 18 because, as we all know, the “chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” We have already let three months go by. I would like to get this in place. With the authority for the City Manager to do administrative rules that also gives the flexibility to quickly respond. Whereas if we put this in a resolution and, if we try to put every single detail in there and we don’t get it right, then we have to go back to our legislative process to correct it. And leave the definitional details to staff. I don’t want to delay any further.

I still think we need to be more precise in our definitions if we are having two different sets of criteria. Also, we can push up the date from December 1st. We could choose November 1. I would support that.

The only problem is the time you need to wait for the second shot. Six weeks or so is the minimum. We need to give people the necessary time to think about it as well.

This will come back on as an action item rather than consent so we have the opportunity to do any necessary refinements.

COUNCIL RECESSES TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION


No action is expected.

Following the executive session the meeting was adjourned.



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Look to the Rainbow

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Photo by Jan Hansen

Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.


--From Finian's Rainbow
Songwriters: Burton Lane / E Harburg
Look To The Rainbow lyrics © Chappell and Co. Inc.



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