Citizens' passion for animals heard at Council Town Hall meeting

Nearly 700 citizens, the most ever for a County Council Town Hall meeting, filled the Highline Performing Arts Center April 14 to share their ideas on the long-term policies the Council should adopt for the future of King County Animal Care and Control. See the streaming video of the meeting or read and see the stores from the Seattle P-I, Seattle Times, KING-TV and KOMO-TV.

New cat cages, dog runs, more staff and continued operational reforms are among immediate upgrades to conditions at the County’s animal shelters that are part of a joint proposal from the County Executive and County Council that would also create a policy framework for a model animal welfare program.

Nearly $1 million worth of immediate operating improvements were proposed April 10 as the result of negotiations between the Council and Executive.  Councilmembers have introduced legislation to create a long-term strategic plan to provide recommendations on whether the County should build a new shelter, reorganize the delivery of animal services among different agencies, or reorganize animal services in partnership with other providers. Recommendations from an inter-branch work group are due to the Council by August 15.

More about Town Halls

The County 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 legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire council.

In 2007, more than 1,600 people met with Councilmembers at Town Halls held in West Seattle, Renton, Redmond, on the Seattle Waterfront, Shoreline, Maple Valley, Sammamish and Seattle’s Central Area.

Questions? Please email CouncilTownHall@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-0335.