March 2008
In this newsletter:
• Comprehensive Plan public hearings
• Charter Review public hearings
• Permit fee appeal process established
• Court awards
• Cell phone safety
• Internet safety
Dear District 3 residents,
In March and April, you will have several opportunities to participate in some important issues that particularly relate to our corner of King County. I invite you to get involved and share your opinions, which will assist the King County Council with some important policy decisions this year.
Comprehensive Plan public hearings
The King County Executive transmitted his proposed Comprehensive Plan Update to the County Council on Feb. 29. For details, go to www.kingcounty.gov/council/comprehensive_plan.aspx.
During the next few months, the Growth Management and Natural Resources Committee will be reviewing the proposed updates and making amendments before referring the plan to the Council in early August. The Council aims to approve the final plan by early October.
Here is a brief overview of some of the changes the Executive is proposing:
• Creation of a Rural and Resource Lands Preservation Program with the goal to reduce development potential in rural/resource lands by 25 percent, and to address global warming and reduce carbon emissions.
• A streamlined transportation concurrency process in urban unincorporated areas to facilitate development in high-density areas and large commercial development where public transit is also an option, and a new “travel shed” concept for rural areas.
• Strategies to identify, mitigate and adapt to climate change, including what is believed to be the nation’s first policy for project-level review for greenhouse gases under state environmental protection regulations.
• Review of land use policies based on the Executive’s new Equity and Social Justice Initiative.
• Inclusion of new policies supporting access to healthy food, sustainable local food system, food knowledge and choices, and food systems that are ecologically sustainable, to support the health of King County residents. Some of these areas are most unusual for inclusion in a land-use plan.
Public hearings
You will be able to contribute your thoughts about these proposals directly to the Council at five public hearings to be presented around the county:
• March 20 at Snoqualmie Middle School
• March 27 at Chautauqua Elementary on Vashon Island
• April 3 at Tahoma Junior High in Maple Valley
• April 9 at Duvall Church
• April 22 at Northwood Middle School in Renton
Each hearing begins with an open house at 6:00 p.m., with the public meeting scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Charter Review public hearings
More than a year ago, the King County Executive appointed a 21-member Charter Review Commission to fulfill the requirement for review of our county’s constitution once every 10 years. In May, the Commission will send its charter amendment recommendations to the Council, which then can place amendments on the November General Election ballot. Last year, I hosted a public hearing in Preston and reviewed the charter in depth, and then suggested 44 amendments that would solve existing problems and procedures.
Here are some ideas the Charter Review Commission is considering now:
• Refocusing attention on delivery of local government services to unincorporated urban and rural areas by adding a statement to the Preamble, and by providing for an official to coordinate services.
• Extending the time the Council has to review the annual budget.
• Granting more collective bargaining authority to separately elected officials.
• Allowing amendment of the charter by initiative.
• Allowing the Council to establish minimum qualifications for the offices of Sheriff, Assessor and Director of Elections.
• Protecting a list of 100,000 acres of open space and resource lands from development permanently. This would be the first time that property would be listed in a charter.
Public hearings
The Commission will conduct four public hearings around the county next month to collect public comment before submitting the proposals to the Council:
• April 8 at the Hall at Fauntleroy
• April 10 at the Shoreline Conference Center
• April 14 at the Preston Community Center
• April 15 at the RiverRock Grill in Renton
All meetings are at 6:30 p.m. More information is available at www.metrokc.gov/exec/charter/. I am concerned that some of the more important and complicated issues were not addressed as much as I hoped.
Permit fee appeal process established
On Feb. 22, the King County Council adopted a new appeal process for property owners who wish to dispute fee estimates and billings for building permits. Previously, permit applicants who challenged fee estimates and billings could appeal only to the director of the Department of Development and Environmental Services, whose decision was final. The new procedure allows applicants to take their case to the independent county hearing examiner, who can modify the estimate or billing, or remand the issue to the department, if the applicant proves the estimate or bill is unreasonable or inconsistent with county code. More information about appealing to the hearing examiner is available at www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/HearingExaminer/index.htm.
Court awards
As chair of the Council’s Law, Justice and Human Services Committee, I was pleased to have the opportunity to recognize the award-winning efforts of our courts this month. King County Superior Court and the Department of Judicial Administration were awarded an annual Harvard University grant that recognizes innovations in American government for developing King County’s Electronic Court Records system to facilitate public access to court records. As one of seven national award recipients, Superior Court and DJA will receive $100,000 to share their best practices with jurisdictions across the country. King County District Court received the government sector award for “Best Use of Technology” from the Washington Technology Industry Association. The award recognizes improved citizen service with the development of a new call center system that has reduced average wait times for the 500,000 callers District Court staff assist each year. I am proud that King County is a model for bringing technology to the court system to simplify access to legal records, save money, and serve the cause of justice.
Cell phone safety
We carry our mobile phones with names and numbers stored in the memory, but in case of an emergency, nobody else knows which of these numbers belong to our closest families and friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone, but wouldn’t know who to call.
The “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) campaign promotes a method of contact during emergency situations. It simply involves storing the number of an emergency contact person in your mobile phone under the name ICE. The concept came from a paramedic who thought it would be a good idea to have a nationally recognized way of designating an emergency contact and finding it quickly in a victim’s mobile phone. For more than one contact, enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc. Please share this important safety tip with family and friends
Internet safety
While the Internet puts a wealth of information at our fingertips, it also give sexual predators a way into our homes and lives. According to a 2005 study, 70 percent of girls and 30 percent of boys reported receiving a sexual solicitation online. In addition, 79 percent of unwanted solicitations happen when the youth was using the computer at home.
To protect youth on the Internet, the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center recommends:
• Explain to children that the Internet allows people to be deceptive about who they are.
• Help children understand that Internet safety means never giving out personal information such as full name, age, sex, birthday or year of graduation.
• Keep an open dialogue. Listen to youth and talk often about their computer and Internet usage. Review what is on the child’s computer with him or her if possible.
• Explain why they should NEVER meet someone face-to-face that they have “met” online.
• Keep the computer in a common area of the house with the screen facing the center of the room.
• Monitor children’s access to all types of live electronic communications such as chat rooms, instant messaging, social networking sites, online gaming and e-mail.
• Encourage children to come to you or another trusted adult if they see something that is scary, confusing or disturbing. Contact the police if someone approaches your child for a meeting or sends pornographic or lewd messages to your child.
• Call KCSARC’s 24-hour Resource Line for information or help: 888-99-VOICE.
There are so many issues before us right now as you can see. I enjoy working with you to keep our area a wonderful place to live and work.
Sincerely,
Kathy Lambert
District 3
(206) 296-1003