Dear District 3 residents,
This Month:
• Earthquake Preparedness
• I-90 and Highway 18 Road Closure Alert
• Budget Town Hall in Redmond
• Voter Registration Deadlines
• Sheriff’s Helicopter Hoist
• Property Tax Exemptions
• Free Tax Help:
April is Earthquake Preparedness Month! The annual Washington State earthquake drill will take place across the state on Tuesday, April 24 from 9:45-10 a.m. Plan to conduct a drill at home, at school, and at work. Between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m., imagine that an earthquake is occurring. DROP under a sturdy piece of furniture. COVER your head and neck with your arm. HOLD on to a leg of the furniture and move with it (very important, as I learned the hard way during the Nisqually Earthquake that furniture moves and can fall on you). Hold that position until the drill message is complete (about 30 seconds). For more information see http://emd.wa.gov/1-dir/pubed/EQ%20Drill%20Instruct%2007.pdf.
April also is a good time to review the 3 Days 3 Ways emergency preparedness plan:
• Practice your family emergency plan, including communications and meeting place.
• Stock your emergency kits with fresh food and water and batteries.
• Learn about resources and how to prepare yourself, your family and your neighborhood.
For more information see http://www.metrokc.gov/prepare/preparerespond
I-90 and Highway 18 Road Closure Alert
The Washington State Department of Transportation will close the eastbound I-90 off-ramp to Highway 18 the weekend of April 14 and 15 as crews widen the left side of the off-ramp. The exit will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, April 13 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 15. Traffic will be detoured to exit 27, Snoqualmie/North Bend, and onto westbound I-90 to access the westbound I-90 exit to Highway 18. Drivers should expect some congestion at the westbound I-90 exit to Highway 18.
The weekend closure will allow crews to get in, get the work done and open the way for drivers as soon as possible. The alternative would be to reduce the off-ramp down to one lane for up to two weeks. This closure is weather dependent; rain could delay the closure to the following weekend.
Later this spring crews will widen the right side of the off-ramp, creating three turn lanes instead of the current two.
For more information about this project, visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/i90/SR18_Eramps/.
Citizen budget engagement initiative comes to Redmond
Share your views on how King County spends your tax dollars! The King County Council is eager to hear your views on how we should prioritize services and spend your tax dollars in 2008. The Council is engaging in a new public involvement process to capture your priorities to help shape the County budget. This process has included citizen workshops and public forums around the County. The findings of this Citizen Budget Priorities Initiative will again be released at a special evening King County Council Town Hall meeting:
Monday, April 16
Microsoft Corporation Conference Center, Building 33, Hood Room
16070 NE 36th Way, Redmond.
The Town Hall meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. The workshops and forums were conducted by Stuart Elway of Elway Research, Inc. He will present the final findings on citizen budget priorities at the Town Hall meeting. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide additional public testimony. After each of these meetings, the Council receives a report about the responses, so I will be getting all of the feedback. Although I will be celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary, I would like to encourage you to attend the Town Hall meeting and share your thoughts with the Council.
Voter Registration Deadlines
If you live in the Snoqualmie Valley school district, which has a special election on May 15, and haven’t registered to vote, you have until Saturday, April 14 to mail in a voter registration form. Monday, April 30, is the last day for new Washington voters to register in person at the King County Elections office. King County Elections’ office is located in the King County Administration Building, Room 553, at 500 Fourth Ave in Seattle; registrations are accepted weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (206) 296-VOTE, or toll-free (800) 325-6165.
Sheriff’s Helicopter Hoist
This week, the King County Sheriff’s Office has been training on the use of our new emergency rescue hoist aboard the department’s helicopter. I was able to go out and see them drill – lifting up an injured person in a treed area, in a water area, and simulating a medical emergency with a patient on a stretcher. We will be the only government agency in the Northwest to be certified for air rescue with a hoist, so we no longer have to rely on the military for this service. We now are better prepared to conduct rescues and protect our communities during floods, storms and other emergencies. A dedication of the new hoist will take place on April 24 at Boeing Field.
Do You Qualify for a Senior or Disabled Property Tax Exemption?
Property tax exemptions are available for anyone who meets one of the following criteria:
• Total annual income of $35,000 or less and age 61 years or older
• Retired because of physical disability
• Widow or widower at least 57 years of age whose spouse had an exemption at the time of his or her death
Once you have applied for an exemption and received approval, you need file only once every four years to maintain the exemption. The Assessor's Office will notify you when it is time to refile. Also, your assessed valuation is frozen as of January 1 of the year in which the claim is filed.
NEW THIS YEAR is an extension of the exemption to properties of more than one acre, which benefits rural area property owners. The residential dwelling unit must be located on property where the zoning requires the larger parcel size. The new maximum size limitation, based on zoning, is now five acres.
For more information about the exemption, call (206) 296-3920 or visit http://www.metrokc.gov/assessor/Exemptions/Exemptions.htm
Free Tax Help
United Way of King County is providing free tax preparation from IRS-certified, multilingual volunteers for working families. The tax preparation sites will be open through Sunday, April 15 at locations throughout King County. For more information, including locations and hours, please visit http://www.uwkc.org/ourcommunity/endinghomelessness/eitc/.
I hope you are doing well. We have such a wonderful area and it is such a pleasure to work with you and to represent you.
Sincerely,
Kathy Lambert
Kathy Lambert
King County Councilmember, District
3
(206) 296-1003
Kathy.Lambert@metrokc.gov
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